Charlie the Pelican

At our place down on Bon Secure River, we had a special guest come for a visit His name was Charlie. One morning I was on my dock throwing a cast net to catch bait. Charlie came swimming up as to tell me he needed my help. You see, Charlie had an injured beak, and looked to be hungry. So, we fed him and he took that as an invitation to stay. We had a local neighbor that came by about that time and had some left over bait in his boat. So, Charlie got some more breakfast. I missed the shot of the life time. When Doug left that morning, Charlie perched up on the bow of his boat and rode up river to Doug's dock. Well Charlie would come back everyday for several weeks. In fact, he seem to know when the best times were for a meal. Then his beak started to heal. Charlie seem to feel better as he started getting more aggressive. He would follow you around, he would walk up the dock to the porch, and get rather angry if you did not have him some "fresh catch". So, we had to ween him, and he understood it was time to move on. One day a pretty young thing came along and caught Charlies eye. He decided that is was time for him to move on and took up a mate. Charlie was gone for a week or so, then one day a shrimp boat came by draggin his net on top of the water. The boat had been out all night shrimping and was headed for the docks. Behind was a bunch of birds including a lot of pelicans. Once the boat was tied up to the dock and the pelicans were fighting over the by catch, then this one lone pelican picked up and flew down to our dock. He circled, then landed on the dock and walked up to us. We gave him a little snack and he as if to say thank you, took off, flew a circle around us, then flew back to his new family. We have not seen Charlie again, only to think about him when we see a pelican roosting on the channel marker number "24" next to our dock. My wife will call out "Charlie" but no answer. Charlie is now off making new Pelicans and fishing.... Happy Fishing Charlie.

from down on te Sugar Farm........................

A Fart?

Dont' you just love those E-mails you get today. People can keep in touch with each other and never say a word. You can be next door to some one and never see them, never know how they are doing or how they are feeling. But keep in touch with jokes, and E-mail forwards. Now, most of the junk you delete, but now and then there comes one that makes you laugh or touches you in some way. This following I got the other day and yep, kinda touched me and made me laugh. Check it out and I bet it brings a smile to your face too.

A Fart:

A fart can be short, Or a fart can be long,

Some farts have been known To sound like a song......

A fart can create A most curious medley,

A fart can be harmless, Or silent , and deadly.

A fart might not smell, While others are vile,

A fart may pass quickly, Or linger a while......

A fart can occur In a number of places,

And leave everyone there, With strange looks on their faces.

From wide-open prairie, To small elevators,

A fart will find all of Us sooner or later.

But farts are all bad, Is simply not true-

We must never forget....... Sweet old farts like you!

Kinda brings a tear to your eye - right?

Hehehe. Well bet you think I have nothing else to do huh. I foward this to a buddy and he sent back in return this reply: Uncle Joe's favorite remark when he farted was "better in the wide wide world than in a narrow gut".

Now I have a new saying for the future when appropriate. Thanks to Gary D and Joe F. Now if you have a funny FART story feel free to add it. I am sure that it will be intertaining.....

Just for laughs from down on the Sugar Farm..........LOL

What is a Friend?

WHAT IS A FRIEND?
Your Heart is your Love, Your love is your Family , Your family is your Future , Your future is your Destiny , Your destiny is your Ambition, Your ambition is your Aspiration , Your aspiration is your Motivation , Your motivation is your Belief , Your belief is your Peace , Your peace is your Target , Your target is Heaven, Heaven is no fun without FRIENDS

The above was sent to me by my buddy Gary Davis, as he knows that I treasure Friends. You see I use the word "friend" very sparingly . You hear people every day refer to another person as a friend. In reality they really mean an acquaintance. You see I think a "Friend" is some one special in your life. Some one that will be there for you till the end. They will be on call for you and be there by your side in the thick or thin. Some body that will listen to you when you are down and out, celebrate with you when you are happy and on top of the world. I have been lucky in life, should I say blessed. I have know a number of people in my life that I consider "Friends". A few has passed on now and I miss them and think of them about every day. Bill Countryman is one of those fellows. I guess he was the one that taught me the real meaning of "Friend." He was like a daddy, brother, mentor, buddy, and just a good all around friend. Bill died in my arms on Sunday April 2, 1988. We were to go fishing that day. He had told his wife Gladys that he was going to surprise me by coming to Church with me, then we would go fishing. Now, Bill is smiling down on me every time I catch a fish.
Since those days, I have been blessed with a few more "Friends" that have moved on to the great beyond. Gene Speed and Clarence Waller to mention the latest. They will always be in my thoughts. Loosing these true brothers has taught me that life is very short and to treasure what you have today, because we are not guaranteed tomorrow. It has taught me too that the most treasured procession you have are not in material things. It has taught me too, and that is why I always will tell you that you were born to a mother and father, in most cases brothers and sisters. That God chose for you. But, "Friends" are your chosen family. You have a chose in the matter when it comes to your really true family. So the next time you say that "so-in so" is a friend, take a minute and think about what you are saying.
Don't forget your four legged friends too. A dog can be the very best friend you have. If you really want somebody to stand by you and actually die for you think about that little guy sitting at your feet. Truly one of Gods greatest blessings can be sitting right at your feet. I could go on for pages on why I think dogs are better than people, but I will leave that to another time.

Some rainy day thoughts from Down on the Sugar Farm.

Skeeter Says

I recieved this E-mail as a joke. I showed it to Skeeter and he said it did not seem like a joke to him and that he would have to agree with the writer. He said that since he could not operate the computer, that I should post these thoughts for him as he really thought there were lots of truths to this. So, on behalf of Skeeter, "The Boat Dog" Here goes:

10 Peeves that Dogs Have About Humans

(1 ) Blaming your farts on me..... not funny... not funny at all !!!

(2) Yelling at me for barking. I'M A FRIGGIN' DOG!!!

(3) Taking me for a walk, then not letting me check stuff out. Exactly whose walk is this anyway?

(4) Any trick that involves balancing food on my nose. Stop it!

(5) Any haircut that involves bows or ribbons. Now you know why we chew your stuff up when you're not home!

(6) The sleight of hand, fake fetch throw. You fooled a dog! Woooo Hoooo, what a proud moment for the top of the food chain.

(7) Taking me to the vet for 'the big snip', then acting surprised when I freak out every time we go back!

(8) Getting upset when I sniff the crotches of your guests. Sorry, but I haven't quite mastered that handshake thing yet.

(9) Dog sweaters. Hello??? Haven't you noticed the fur?

(10) How you act disgusted when I lick myself. Look, we both know the truth. You're just jealous.

Now lay off me on some of these things. We both know who's boss here! You don't see me picking up your poop do you?

EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY. A DOG ALWAYS OFFERS UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. CATS HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT!

from a dogs point of view from down on The Sugar Farm

There are two kinds of Food

Did you ever realize there were two kinds of food. There is the kind of food you sit down to that is only meant to satisfy the hunger pains and to survive. Then there is the kind that you sit down to and enjoy digging in. The kind that you really enjoy eating and later feel guilty cause you ate way too much.
The first for instance. Who ever sit down to a bowl of cereal or a bowl of oatmeal, even a bowl of cream of wheat. Now talk about boring. I had much rather sit down to a couple eggs with hash browns and some good ole fried bacon or sausage. hey, what about some good ole buttermilk biscuits on the side with some real butter and syrup. I like to take some real butter, pour a good helping of maple syrup on top, take your fork and mix it up real good. Melt all that butter into the sweet syrup. When the syrup gets that creamy blond look, then take one of those good ole cat head biscuits and start sopping. Now, that is a breakfast. No dad-gum wimpy cereal for me.
Now, for dinner? ( You city slickers call it lunch. What you call dinner, we call that supper.) In my previous blog, I talked about how to build a perfect sandwich. And that is cut into stone. Do I need to remind you? That is mustard on the bottom next to the meat, and the mayonnaise on top next to the "Salad". Mix in some taters and you have a fine lunch. OR better yet, a plate of good ole fried chicken, mash taters w/ gravy, peas, and corn bread with a big ole glass of sweet tea. Now that is lunch. But if you want to just exist, you can stick a bowl to can soup in the microwave, get the bowl so dad-gum hot you can't touch it, pull it out and crumble some saltine crackers in the soup, and take a bite. Then you find out the only thing hot is the glass bowl you have the wimpy soup in. Maybe have a good ole cold glass of water for a beverage. That is what I call eating to exist.
Now for the main meal. Yep, I said main meal. They say the most important meal of the day is breakfast. If that is the case, why eat a bowl of cereal or a piece of jelly toast? Just wondering. Now back to the supper. You could take something out of the freezer, half ass thaw it, and slap it in a skillet. Never once give any thought to seasoning. Cook it so that it looks done. While this is going on, you put some left overs or some vegetable can goods in the microwave. In about 10 minutes you have supper. Don't have any taste, still frozen in the middle, but hey it satisfies the hunger pain until bedtime.
OR, you could take the rib eye out of the freezer and completely thaw it out to room temperature. Put some of your favorite seasoning on it, marinate it in some Italian dressing, maybe add a little liquid smoke and and beer to the marinate. While that is going on, fix a big bake potato, and some good green salad. Open a bottle of Merlot or better yet a big ole glass of sweet tea. Once the steak has marinated, put it on a very hot grill, and cook it to med. Now that is supper. Now something you can just only survive on, but some thing you can enjoy. Oh, better take the Nexium, cause you will really enjoy that supper most of the night......
You see, my ole buddy, Gary Davis, told me one day. He said " Brother CW, I have known a lot of good folks in my day. Have eat with most of them. Most everybody I know eat to survive, you and Janene are the first ones I have met that survive to EAT". How true he was. One of the things have to do in life is eat. You have to do it every day. So, why not make it fun and enjoy eating. When you get old and have to give up your hobbies, you can always sit down to some good viddles and enjoy your day.

from down on the Sugar Farm. Happy Meals.......

Just some good thoughts.

The following is not something I thought up. I have a very good friend that from time to time sends me things via E-mail. This is one of those, as I call them "Gary's Wisdom's". He gets these "thoughts" from a friend of his and passes them on to me. I am very grateful for my friends and specially for Gary, better know as Sonny.
Here is his E-mail:
Do more than merely getting through this day. Jump into it fully with vigor and enthusiasm.
Do more than merely getting through your work. Find real joy in making a difference.
When the purpose behind each day is just to get it over with, that dismal purpose can begin to take over your whole life. By contrast, when you put a little bit of joy and positive purpose into each moment, you get a whole lot of great and wonderful things filling your world.
It only takes a fraction of a second to change your whole life and your whole world for the better. Are you ready to go beyond merely surviving and to fill each thought, each word, each action with the most magnificent possibilities of life?
Life is exactly the way you choose to see it. Wherever you may be, whatever you may be doing, you have the opportunity to immediately and completely make life truly great.
Open your eyes, look around, and awaken to all the best possibilities. Now is when you can live with all the richness you're able to imagine.
Thanks Gary Davis for this wisdom and for being my friend. I have learned many years ago. Friends are our chosen Family. What would we do if we did not have Friends? I am truly a blessed man. God has given me many good friends and I feel as if I have a very large family with lots of brothers and sisters. If you amen this, I hope you cherish your friends as I do and consider them your family.
from down on the Sugar Farm.

What's New on the Farm

We have been busy up on the farm. We have planted three different kinds of satsuma trees, two kinds of lemons, a lime, a pink grape fruit, a navel orange, and a few LA sweet orange trees. Time to plant fruit trees are in the winter. So, we did. Now we are hoping that the extremely cold weather we have had has not claimed them. We have bank them and we covered them with a frost protection material. BUT, they still look a little wilted from the cold. Oh, we planted four Loquat trees too. Now if you do not know what a loquat tree is, I will have to let my bride explain it. Most people don't know you can eat the fruit. Her Yankee grandma use to make loquat pies when Janene was a little girl. The cajuns call them "Japanese plums".
We have a foundation and house piers now. Including a gravel drive way. Our days are spent putting fill sand around the piers for a moisture barrier. We are eagerly waiting the day our framer, Peanut, can get started with the framing.He was by yesterday and it looks like about 30 days out now. So, we have time to get the sand spread. In the mean time, we are planting flowers and shrubs. Got azaleas planted along with some day lilies. Building a big flower bed around our favorite "Chinese Chestnut tree"
As you know the story around the Sugar Farm. Well, my daddy-in-law dug a water well back in the "thirties" when he farm the land and plan to build a house. Well, later years he planted this chestnut tree. That is why it is our favorite, cause he planted it with a seed. Now the tree is over 50 feet tall, and yes the water well pipe is hidden on the inside of the tree as the mighty old chestnut has grown completely around the pipe.
The vegetable garden is coming. We have onions planted, cabbage to plant and yesterday, my bride bought 10# of red potatoes to plant. That is another story, I have to take time to tell.......
You see years ago when I had my carpet store in Bay Minette, I had an assistant. Back then I did a lot of gardening to calm my nerves. So, this one spring when I was planning my garden, my assistant put in a request. She wanted me to plant her some "new potatoes" She was so serious when she ask me too. She thought that "New Potatoes" was a variety. So, I told her that I had plan to plant some white potatoes, but would plant new potatoes instead. She was so happy, until I explain that the joke was on her..... Specially when I told her I was planting some macaroni too.....
Well, that is it from Down on the Sugar Farm...
Happy Planting.

A true gift from God

One of God’s greatest gifts to us is a devoted pet dog. Owning a pet dog has a lesson for us dog lovers. God gave us the dog to demonstrate the love he has for us and the love we should have for him. You see our pet dogs look to us their masters for every thing and all things. In turn they give us their love, devotion and will be loyal to us till the very end.
You see, when a dog hurts, he comes to his master for aid. When he is hungry he comes to his master for food. When he is thirsty, he comes to his master for drink. When we are sad he is there to cheer us up. When we are in danger he is there to protect us even if it is to his death. He is always devoted to us. When we get frustrated and shoo him away, or scold him for doing something bad, he immediately seeks our affection and wants our forgiveness. Don’t we do the same thing towards the Lord? We look to him for food, drink, protection, and health. We look to the Lord for all our needs. When we do some thing wrong and the Lords needs to scold us, we in turn want to snuggle up to the Lord and seek his forgiveness. In turn we should be just as devoted and be willing to fight for our Lord right to death. We should always live our lives so the Lord is proud of us. We should always be found doing his work.
So the next time you look at a dog, remember this. He represents the love and devotion we share with our Lord. He gave his all so we could live. In him we are saved and have eternal life. His blood washes away our sins. The next time you are petting your dog, thank God for him and the lesson he demonstrates to us. I am so thankful that God gave me Skeeter. Skeeter is a miracle and a true gift from God. He has taught me how much the Lord loves me and how much I should love the Lord and how devoted I should be to him. I pray that I can have Skeeter in my life for a few more years to come so I can ever be reminded of God’s Love.
From down on the Sugar Farm

Do we expect too much

We are taught that God will provide for us and that he will take care of us. And yes that is true. Some times we are so confidant of this that we do not recognize when he is sending us the help we need. God does not always work in the way we think he will, or in the matter we want. I am reminded of the old story about the old preacher man that lived out in the county on the banks of the old Mississippi River.
You see, one very wet spring day the old Mississippi River started to rise. It rose over the levee, and kept rising. The old preacher sat on his front porch watching the river rise. Before long some of his neighbors came along in a boat and said " Preacher we are heading for higher ground, better come with us." He said " No, I am staying here, My Lord will take care of me." Well, the water kept rising and soon the preacher had to go to the up-stairs of his house. Another boat came to rescue the old preacher. Again he declined to get aboard the boat. He proclaim " My Lord will take care of me". Before long the water got up to the second story of the old Preachers house. So, he crawls out on the roof of his house. Then along came a helicopter from the Coast Guard. They shouted over the loud speaker, Preacher grab onto the rope and we will pull you aboard and take you to safety. He again decline and hollered back up to the pilot, " NO, My Lord will take care of me and protect me.
Well, the water kept rising and the house drifted down the river in the swift water, and broke up, causing the preacher to fall in the swift water and he drowned. When he got to heaven, he ask the Lord "I have a question". The Lord said what is it my son. He said, " I have always done your work, I have been faithful and done right. When I needed you to save me from the flood you let me die." The Lord said, " My son, I sent two boats and a helicopter and you refused to go. What else could I do .
We can always count on the Lord, but we must recognize when he is trying to send us help. I think we are blinded by expecting the Lord to do all the work for us. We must be willing to help ourselves and let the Lord work through us.