I was going to talk about the fishing derby today but I need my hunter to sit with me and go over a few details. The fishing derby was cancelled on Saturday because of rain and was then scheduled for Sunday. I wasn’t able to attend but my hunter got all of the pictures for me and I just need to write the story.

———————————————————————————————————————————-

For the Love Of Deer…

Last week was our local festival and my hunter worked from about 5:00 a.m. until Midnight for 5 days leaving me home alone to tend to household chores. I know what your thinking and no I didn’t cut the grass. My friends from Meier’s Landscaping took care of that. Thanks guys! I didn’t weed whack, I didn’t sweep the driveway, I didn’t sit proudly on my porch and admire my grass with a smile thinking my grass is the greenest in the neighborhood. There are some things this girl just doesn’t do. However, I was in charge of watering the grass, flowers and garden.

We have an irrigation system in our front yard and downstairs is a timer unit. I’m really not sure why that was installed seeing that my hunter has the need to manually turn on each unit located outside. I think it has to do with his manly side of having the control to turn it on when he wants. I’ve never touched the unit until the other day. As he was walking out the door for work he explained how to turn each one on and left.

I was half asleep and needed some coffee before I headed outside. After about 4 cups I remembered I was in charge of that darn irrigation system. I quickly sneeked out the back door in my pajamas to the right side of the house. I bent over and turned the first unit on and nothing. I tried the next unit. Nothing. I stood up straight thinking to myself - for the love of deer this is why I don’t do this outdoorsy stuff. It isn’t in my makeup. Makeup belongs on my face and this is his job not mine. I don’t care if girls can do what guys can this girl doesn’t want to. I bent over and squatted down a bit in frustration and - RIP. Yep, I ripped a big hole in the back of my pajama pants. As I quickly stood up straight and grabbed the back of my pajamas I turned around and wouldn’t you know there are the morning joggers and the bikers getting a free…

I’m now in hiding and I don’t care if his grass dies or not.

Thank you all for playing and her is the number from random.org.

Our winner is #16 Nora Scott-Platt. Please email me at jody@thehunterswife.net, within 48 hours, to claim your fishing rod and accessories.

Thank you all and I will be back with my regular post tomorrow with a post on the fishing derby.

If you haven’t joined the contest for the fishing rod and accessories you can do so here.

Also, please visit A Frugal Housewife and leave a comment to win a $50 gift card from Kohl’s.

And A Blessed Crazy Life has a food chopper/mixer and a $10 gift card giveaway.

Thank you all so much!

What a great festival at the Hammond Indiana Festival of the Lakes.

Lonestar Was Amazing. One of the best shows I’ve seen at the festival.

This song was dedicated to the men and women in uniform…

Here are the firefighters who were in charge of the beer garden…

And one tired guy…

And this is one tired girl who has a headache and is off to a late start this morning…

Me…

Festival of the Lakes is our local annual festival and runs from July 15 - July 20, 2008. This year’s entertainment includes:

• The O’Jays - Opening act Together
• Lonestar - Opening act John Michael Montgomery
• Live - Opening act Nicole Jamrose
• SugarRay - Opening act History’s End
• War - Opening act Greg Rolie

Things to do at the fest:

• Pontoon boat rides
• Carnival rides
• Fireworks show
• Car show
• Fishing derby
• Beer garden - Lucky for me I have connections in there.

Alright, alright. So I have to pay for my own beer. But I know it goes to a good cause.

Saturday morning is the kids fishing derby sponsored by my friends at Mik Lurch Fishing Tackle Outlet. I will be there reporting for The Hunter’s Wife and taking pictures for a few post next week. 

This is actually where I was first introduced to Mark over 15 years ago.  Oh, those were the days when he bought my beers.

Have a great day everyone and don’t forget about the contest to win a $50 e-card from Kohl’s at A Frugal Housewife. Blessed gifts she is giving away and here at The Hunter’s Wife.

This post is by my blogging friend Marian at Marian’s Hunting Stories. I have to say I’ve never known anyone to know more about their hometown than Marian. If ever I visit Vicksburg, this lady will have to be my tour guide.

Don’t forget about our giveaways going on at A Frugal Housewife, A Blessed Crazy Life, and here at The Hunter’s Wife.

I was honored to be asked by Jody to be a guest on her blog, The Hunter‘s Wife. She told me I could write about anything. What came to mind was to talk about my hometown of Vicksburg where I was born, raised, married, worked, had my children, my children had children, and their children had children.

I was born January 27, 1941, and attended a parochial school, Saint Francis Xavier Academy, and was taught by the Sisters of Mercy for 12 years. In fact, we will be celebrating our 50th Class Reunion in April 2009. (Just so happens, we will be holding our first meeting tonight). I lived in the same house until I turned 21 and left home to marry. I retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in September of 1995. I have seen a lot of growth in my hometown, and I am very proud to have lived here all my life.

My hometown is a very historical town, and there is so much to see and do in Vicksburg. For the history buff, there is the 1,800-acre National Military Park, America’s most monumental national park, where the fate of a nation was decided in 1863. Within the park, you’ll also find a Union ironclad gunboat and over 6,300 recovered artifacts, which had been submersed on the bottom of the Yazoo River for 102 years. The largest National Military Cemetery of Union dead in the U.S. is located in the park, and a few miles away, 5,000 Confederates repose in Soldiers Rest in City Cemetery.

For over five decades, Vicksburg was the center for the aristocracy whose wealth was based on cotton and lumber. A glimpse of its former glory is evidenced by the preservation of many historic churches (two containing Tiffany stained glass windows), Government buildings, and homes dated back to the 19th Century. Our most historic building is the Old Court House Museum, a National Landmark, which survived the Civil War with minimal damage. It now houses over 10,000 artifacts from pre-Columbian times to the present day.

Historic downtown Vicksburg offers a variety of restaurants, boutiques, shops, art galleries, and antique stores. You’ll also find The Corner Drug Store with a huge collection of Civil War artifacts; the Coca-Cola Museum, where the first ever Coca-Cola was bottled in 1894; and the Antique Doll and the Toy Museum. On the floodwall, along Levee Street, over 20 murals by artist Robert Dafford depict the history of Vicksburg. Across the street is the whimsical Children’s Art Park at Catfish Row.

If it’s gaming you want, dockside casinos abound offering games, food, and entertainment 24 hours a day year round. If it’s birding, fishing, hunting, golfing or picnicking at the Riverfront Park, it’s here for you. Traditional and special events, such as the Spring and Fall Historic Home Tours, Riverfest, Civil War reenactments, Miss Mississippi Pageant, arts and music programs, farmers market, flea markets, festivals parades, races, and sport tournaments fill our calendar throughout the year. You can hear the calliope playing as the American or the Delta Queen cruise ships dock at our waterfront for tours of our city, which is also known as the “Red Carpet City of The South!”

We have beautiful Bed and Breakfast Inns and most are mansions. One in particular that I like is Cedar Grove Mansion-Inn (1840-1858) that is on 5 acres of land overlooking the Mississippi River. A Union cannonball is still lodged in the parlor wall.

Vicksburg is also one of Mississippi’s 20 Certified Retirement Communities, having received its certification through the State of Mississippi in January 1997. It indicates that Vicksburg possesses all of the amenities that retirees are looking for when making a relocation decision. I hope you have enjoyed my post on my fair city. If you are in the area, let me know you are coming so I can learn you to talk Southern, Y’all!

Sorry for the delay!

You’ve been hearing about our new blog for the past month that Blessed and I have been working on and today is the day.  Our blog launch.  In honor of the launch I am running a contest here at The Hunter’s Wife, Blessed is running a contest on A Blessed Crazy Life and a contest is running at our new blog - A Frugal Housewife. 

Before I tell you my contest details let me tell you a little about A Frugal Housewife. At A Frugal Housewife we will be helping you with everything from saving money on your water bill to putting together a quick and inexpensive meal to knowing how to conquer the clutter. Our tips will help you save time, save money and save your sanity. I can’t tell you how much Blessed was a part of this blog. She has been working some odd hours lately and I want thank her for all she’s done to get our new blog launched.

We’ve recently welcomed Kristine to our team and are excited about getting her perspective, as a single person, on being frugal. You don’t just have to be a housewife to learn to be frugal.

I hope you all enjoy and please make sure to subscribe to our feed.

————————————————————————————————-

Contest:
Sponsored by: Mik Lurch Fishing Tackle Outlet

I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Mik Lurch Fishing Tackle Outlet sponsor my contest today. They are our local bait shop that all the locals frequent. This is where we get all of our fishing stuff, not to mention, where I got my pink lighted fishing rod and reel combo.  They are a great a bunch over there and we always believe it’s important to support your local shops.

This is what you will win:

The Spinning Combo Rack-Pak includes spinning reel with line, two-piece rod, tackle box, fishing pliers, line clipper and assorted tackle pack held on the convenient Rack-Pak grab & go carrying rack.

One entry per person, please.
Contest will end Monday, July 21, 2008 and the winner will be announced Tuesday morning.

Winner will be selected using Random.org’s Integer Generator.

Good luck everyone and be sure to head over to A Blessed Crazy Life and A Frugal Housewife.

The long awaited excitement of our new blog announcement and 3 giveaways is coming in just a few hours. So check back shortly for:

The new blog launch
3 blog giveaways
A new author joins our new blog team

See you soon!

Blessed tagged me for a meme where I need to answer the following…

Think back on the last 15 years of your life. What would you tell someone that you hadn’t seen or talked to for 15 years? How would you sum up your life? You get 10 bullet points. A list of 10 things to summarize about you. At the end of your list, tag 5 more people and send on the love…

Well lets see…

1. I’m still working in Administration and am the author of two blogs.  If you don’t come by and read my blogs and leave me a comment, I will have to write a story about you to let everyone know when you _________.  That was hysterical.
2. I married that guy that use to call me to complain about his current girlfriend.  Yep, him, the hunter.
3. I sold my townhouse and my hunter and I bought a house.  We also have a summer/hunting house that my husband built.  If you ever come over, you would think that you’re taking a walk in the wilderness.  I seriously need sound affect music continually playing in the background there.
4. No, I’m not a size 5 anymore but I’m thinking about working on that.  
5. Yes, my hair is a little lighter then it use to be - it’s all this sun we’ve been having.
6. Yes, I still love Dan Hampton.
7. No, I still can’t cook but my hunter can.
8. Oh heck no.  My 4:00 a.m. party nights are over.  That’s what time I wake up now.
9. Oh I have a new hobby, fishing.  Yes, I know!  Me of all people.  Hahaha! 
10. Yes, I even get to drive the boat!

Now I need to tag 5 others…

Arthur at Simply Outdoors.
Tom at Base Camp Legends.
Adam at Deer Hunting Big Bucks.
Beth at Around the Funny Farm.
Haley at The Beacon.
Marky at Wheat Free Clan.

Ok so I tagged six.
Sue “The Emailer”, go to Wheat Free Clan. She has music playing!

Have a great weekend everyone and come Monday I have a few Prizes to give-away!

Just in case you were wondering:

• Work my 8 - 5 job.
• Update a few post for The Hunter’s Wife.
• Read other blogs.
• Confirm Marian’s guest post for next week here at The Hunter’s Wife. I can’t wait to have her guest post for me.
• Work on new blog with Blessed that will be launching next Monday, July 14, 2008. I’m excited!
• Recruiting sponsor’s.
• Confirm my Mom’s pickup of my dog for bath. Thanks Mom.
• Pack for this weekends trip to the river.
• Plan my schedule for next week.
• Get updated registration for waverunner and pontoon.
• Confirm night out with girlfriends. No, I haven’t quit being the coordinator.
• Update my daily to do list.
• Laundry, dishes, clean up house.
• Plurk - I’ll be on Plurk throughout the day. Plurk is a social media network and I have to say over the past week Plurk is becoming one of my highest traffic sources.
• Figure out what’s for dinner.
• Need to shave legs.
• Watch my hunter cut grass.

I think that’s about it for the day and that is why I’m up at 4:00 a.m.

What’s on your to do list? Anything a bit more exciting?