Ghost at Oxbow Lake

Smaller trail for the adventurous

     Jeff and I decide to take a late evening walk at one of the popular parks in Sioux Falls called Sertoma Park.  As we approach the entrance, an adorable bunny surprises us as it hops around a large tree.  It is a baby bunny and tries to hide by flattening its body against the grass. After admiring this small creature, we continue walking across the road and into the park. Many fireflies light up the trail and woods all around, signaling the approach of darkness.  Perhaps this should be a fast-paced walk. It has been a long time since we have seen so many fireflies.  An eerie feeling comes over me as the trees on the trail hide the daylight. We see smaller trails leading off into the darkness of the woods.  Little fluffy white tufts have fallen from a large old Cottonwood tree nearby covering our path with a wispy film.  The stagnant Oxbow Lake can be seen through the brush.  It has no definite shore and has evaporated and formed areas of mud with critter footprints throughout. 

 “I wonder if there could be ghosts here.” I asked.

Resident Deer at Sertoma Park, Sioux Falls, SD

Jeff smiled and replied, “You know, there is an old Sioux legend about a warrior who wanders these woods looking for his lover.  He died in battle and was never given a proper burial.  So, he appears after sunset making all these trails with his continual roaming.” 

I know Jeff made up this story, but what if there is some mysterious presence lurking in the woods.  It is getting dark and we are not prepared for an overnight stay on the trail or getting lost and the trail seems longer than I thought.  I am the practical one, as you can tell.  We rounded a bend into an open field.  I unexpectedly see two eyes through the dark brush.  I realize we have come upon a deer.  We are so close to it, yet it is not afraid.  The deer wanders over the trail behind us and into the field and continues foraging.  A couple of rabbits hop in front of us and hide in the tall grass. 

We continue our walk and cross over Oxbow Lake on a sturdy wooden bridge.  I see another old Cottonwood tree at one end. Jeff and I begin light playful banter:  “The trail is this way.” “No, the trail goes that way.” “It is not far to the end now.”  “No, we go this way and have to walk all around this field before we are done.”  “That cannot be, you are wrong.”  “We are going to need a flashlight!”  “No, we won’t; we’ll be alright without it.”  “Oh yes, we can use our phones to light the way.”  “We need to conserve the batteries.” 

   

Charming  wooden bridge over Oxbow Lake

Suddenly, dark objects appear in the open field in front of us  Rabbits, lots of rabbits darting away here and there and hiding, except for one huge rabbit standing upright.  I am thinking this must be the old wise one that waits to see if there is a real danger before he abandons his activities.  After all, not many rabbits have been killed in this park as you can tell by their sheer numbers.  Unable to resist, I take off running toward that fat rabbit.  It runs away faster than any of the others.  I chuckle, but ahead there are more rabbits…invasion of the rabbits!  Rabbits might be dangerous in numbers if they decide to attack a human.  Remember, I am the practical one, and I like to plan ahead just in case.

We notice that some canoes are stored by a small pond and discuss how fun it might be to come back and rent one.  However, we see that the canoes are charred and broken and destroyed by fire. “This could be the doing of that restless Indian warrior that wanders the park at night,” I mused. Jeff grins.

Oh! Something touched my ankle!  Before I have a chance to react, it happens again.  I jump away and scream.

“What’s wrong?” Jeff asks concerned. 

“Something touched me!  Something hairy!”

Jeff and I look around to see if rabbits are there.  I look back from where we came and saw a light… no a torch!  I see the Sioux warrior carrying a torch coming towards us on the trail.  Jeff sees that I am distressed and asks again, “What’s wrong?”  I point, but he does not see anything.  I look again…  I do not see anything either.

“Let’s go.  I am getting thirsty.”  Jeff said.  I take another glance back to make sure we are not being followed.  The light fades, the trail becomes more difficult to follow, but we are close to the end.  As we step into familiar surroundings and street lights, Jeff exclaims, “You sure do walk fast!”

NOTE:  Most of this is true.  We did discuss a possible ghost while we were walking as part of our bantering.  Sure made the walk interesting, along with all the wild life and trails. This park has so much to offer that I will post more pictures.  Here is more information:  Sertoma Park, Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Childhood Memory - The fish that got away

When I was a little girl, maybe 10 years old, my dad took our family camping at Sam Rayburn with some of our family’s friends.  The spot we chose to stay for the night was just below the Dam.  I was a day dreamer and explorer.  I soon discovered the huge pile of rocks at one end of our site, and at the other, a maze of gullies that you could walk in and not see the top or the end unless of course you climbed out.  I thought of them as canyons and probably explored every inch.  We did not ask permission because our mother would have said no (she would have been unable to see us).  The same with the rock pile.  It must be dangerous in some way.  I remember thinking about going to the top and sliding down the side.  We would need a garbage lid or mat of some kind.  Not sure if we ever followed through with that.  We should have been on the lookout for snakes, but it faintly crossed our minds.  I remember standing on the banks watching the rushing water as it left the dam locks.  My dad and the other man helped us fish.  I learned to cast way out and reel the line back in.  I did not catch anything.  My dad must have helped me learn this skill.  I remember he was worried about losing the rod and reel if I did not hold on to it when I cast.  I remember trying to stay away from the edge of the bank and not fall in.  It was a long drop into that water.  Oh I could swim all right, but that water terrified me because it was so fast and deep.  Mom and Dad or someone told us not to go there alone.  I remember that.

I suppose it was the adventurer in me.  I went back to the bank looking for everyone.  No one was around.  I really wanted to see if I could cast again and catch a fish this time.  I wanted Dad to be proud of me. I picked up the rod and cast it. It went clear to the other side of the river.  It was amazing!  As suddenly as the line hit the water, there was a heavy tug that almost made me lose my balance.  Before I had time to process this, a huge fish jumped out of the water and back in.  I had one, I had one!  Unbelievable!  However, I could not get it reeled in, the fish was pulling me in.  I yelled for help and no one came.  A moment of truth hit me.  Either I am going to go into that terrifying water or I am going to lose the rod and reel.  Either way, I am dead -- face my parent’s wrath or hold on and hope for the best.  I was terrified of my father’s wrath and disappointment more than anything, so I was probably going to end up in the water.  That was a long drop into a wet oblivion.  About that time, the line snapped and I fell backwards.  Whew!

I backed away and put the rod down where I found it.  Maybe someone can fix the line when they notice it was broke, but I will never tell.  I was in a different mood after that, I was afraid to explore the canyons, climb the rock pile, be around my dad and mom, and afraid to go near the river.   I realized that even though I yelled for help, no one came.  I wondered where my sister and brother were.  Were they safe, were they staying away from the river?  I thought about how sad everyone would feel if I had died.  What a burden for a 10 year old.  That is not the first time I almost drowned.  Looking back, God must have had different plans for me.

Recent rains in Nacogdoches have started a little creek and gully in our yard.

Watching the Foxes

My backyard has become a playground for red foxes.  They live down in the ravine and make their appearance in the mornings and at dusk.  This is the second litter of baby foxes, called kits, I have watched grow up.  I sit on my back porch with a cup of coffee.  I do not move or make a sound so that I can watch the cute kits play and romp gracefully for a little while.  An adult fox, called a dog or vixen depending on whether it is male or female, watches all around for danger and lets the kits play.  Foxes have excellent hearing and can identify and extract critters moving underground.  They adapt well to city or country life because they are good scavengers eating critters, fruit, frogs, fish, earthworms, and food from trash bins.  They use their tail, called a brush as a warm cover in cold weather and for balance.  Originally, I noticed the foxes because one of the adults was standing on the edge of the property making a horrible crying noise in the middle of the night, which I believe had to do with mating.  They can produce 28 different sounds.  I took these pictures one sunny morning with a long lens.

Behind the Gate - Maggie's Story

Maggie looked at me expectantly.  The only thing to do was either pick her up and take her outside or give her food.  She no longer enjoyed to be caressed and loved on for this startled her.  Her food was a mixture of canned food and little crunchy bites, just the way she liked.  She then crawled back into her clean bed and snoozed peacefully for a few hours like a baby with a full belly.  Maggie had been confined to the laundry room by a gate for a while until she was moved to the bathroom, which was a bigger area for her to pace.  Click, click, click, click is what she would do on our laminate floors and tile.  She would pace and pace and start panting.  Why she did this is a mystery.  She woke up 2 or 3 times a night and would bang her head on the gate.  Awakening from my slumber, I picked her up and took her out.  I refused to feed her in the middle of the night; although she would love it if I did.  She was a bottomless pit all her life.  She had already lost her hearing and sight over the last few years. Then, her sense of smell deteriorated. She started defecating just anywhere, sometimes while being held. She had lost control. This is why she was put behind the gate for much of the remainder of her life. She started walking in it and pacing around making a stinking mess that she perhaps was trying to get away from, but because it was now on her paws, she could not.  Thus, she paced and paced and paced.

My routine after this was to pick her up and set her outside.  I gathered floor coverings and used tissue, wipes, and disinfectant cleaners.  Coverings, sheets, and towels used to cover her bed and floor would be run through the sanitize cycle of the washing machine. The floor was disinfected behind the gate - - - all the while checking on her outside to make sure she did not wander off. For you see, one time she was found in the middle of the street a few lots down going toward a street light.  Calling her only caused her to walk more toward the light. I finally caught up to her and gently picked her up and carried her home. The final step to this procedure was to bath or shower her and myself. Before she died, I was doing this entire scenario two and three times a day.

It was Saturday when I decided she was suffering enough.  Was I doing this for myself or for her?  I lacked sleep and had gotten some sort of stomach bug the previous day. I could not leave the house for any length of time because of her needs. I was living for her to be behind the gate.  All my decisions and plans and daily activities revolved around her and the activities that would unfold behind the gate. I made up my mind—I would call the vet on Monday and somehow explain that I wanted to put my dog permanently asleep. I had no tears. I don’t know why.

Jeff brought Maggie to our family in the fall of 1998.  She was the runt of the litter.  My son had requested a dog from his father, and he made it happen.  She was the cutest little floppy-eared red colored weenie, always happy, always hungry, and always chasing rabbits.  She was also very compulsive about critters large and small, about food, and about that big plastic ball.  You could bounce that ball on the cement and she would come out of those woods ready to kill that ball.  It was just too big of a temptation.  It was bigger than her mouth, so she scooted it around like a soccer ball all over the driveway and all in the house.  She never stopped and would be literally dying until we realized she was still trying to kill that ball.  We had to pick it up and hide it so she could recover.  Once she was bitten by a copperhead and had endured a swollen half face for a few days.  Another time, she ate rat poison.  Luckily, Jeff realized what she had done and within 30 minutes a vet was treating her.  She loved to ride in the car or truck with us.  We frequently took her to the lake and to work after our son left home for college.  She loved our cat and they would play chase in the house.  Once I noticed she was missing and looked for her for 4 hours.  We combed the woods by our home afraid an alligator had eaten her because a couple of dogs in our neighborhood had already met with this fate.  After cutting my way through the underbrush, I saw a large muddy hill and a wagging tail from a hole. I called her and it just made her tail wag more.  She was not going to come out.  I dragged her out by her tail. Her eyes were as dark and round as saucers and she was covered in mud and fleas. I was ready to kill her for making me hunt for her for that length of time and have to crawl and cut my way through the brush.

I was her favorite, though.  My husband was jealous of our relationship.  Who knows why Maggie liked me best?  If she was happy with Jeff in a chair and I sat down….she would stir and slowly move away from her happy place with Jeff and cuddle next to my lap.  She loved me more than anyone.

My mother showed up at my door 15 minutes before leaving for the vet.  I honestly forgot she was coming because of my preoccupation with Maggie.  After explaining the situation, she wanted to go with me.  I have seen owners who had put their animals down and were crying.  I was not feeling it.  So this made me feel heartless.  What was wrong with me?

We entered the vet’s office where they began by weighing her, yet again.  “Yes”, I thought to myself, “she is eating, but you don’t know the entire story!”  We entered a private room, similar to the one we have been to before on her many visits over the last couple of years.  Of course, Maggie starts her usual nervous behavior. The doctor checks her and has me sign a release paper. He looked at me with kind knowing eyes and I knew he was not judging me. He listened to us explain what I was going through. We did not have to though.  He knew....he knew we needed to talk and he was prepared to go forward. He explained the procedure of giving her a shot to relax her and then give her the shot that would end her life. After the first shot, I held her. She fell asleep in my arms so peacefully. Oh, how I yearned for this. I needed this moment. She was relaxed and enjoyed me holding her. She trusted me and loved me. With the second injection, I felt the life leave her body. I leaned hard against her head and kissed her, cupping her warm ears and face. I walked out and paid the receptionist, my mother behind me.  As I left the office, I did cry. 

I know my mother was concerned for her daughter and I had to be strong.  I told her I would be ok…  I was just angry!  Angry!  Angry at the way things are!  Angry that there is death!  Angry that I had to be the one to care and get attached to her!  Angry!  Why is there suffering!  Angry that life is not fair!  Anger that spilled over into everything else going on in my life right now!  

Then I realized – this is a breaking point, things are finally breaking loose and things are going to happen to change everything.  I do not know if I will like the changes, but things are not going to be the same.  There is hope for happier times.

I still hear the click, click, click every once in a while.  When I see an open door, I wonder if Maggie slipped out without me knowing, until I realize that is no longer a concern. I have removed the gate keeping her safe and contained in the laundry room.  I let her go.  Lord, thank you for showing me that I did everything I could do, that I am not heartless. Thank you for letting me grieve and figure things out. Thank you for sending my mother to help me bear this burden.

Maggie
9/1/1998 - 6/15/2015

A Return with Heidi Kitty Baby

So I am back.  It has been 2 years since my last post.  The format for using this blog has changed, so I have a learning curve.

So you ask, what have you been doing for 2 years?  All I can say is lots of stuff including exploring, socializing, learning, communing, resting, along with mourning, reflecting, and of course, sleeping.  I hope to look back at pictures and share what I can remember in future entries along with current happenings .

To complete this entry, here is a picture of my cat who is 9 years old.  I just rescued a little black-capped chickadee from her mouth.  She is looking at me with this scowl that says to me "I cannot believe you just did that!  I will never forgive you!  Really?  I cannot believe you just did that! What is your problem????".  It actually took her a few minutes to comprehend and get over this event.  That lucky chickadee!

Heidi, my Kitty Baby

Memorial Day 2013 - Please Remember

An older gentleman came into our office and wanted to share a story and a couple of pictures. We listened to him tell of how his buddy was shot in Korea. They were walking with our national flag in a procession and the man carrying the flag just a few feet from him was shot by sniper fire that went through his chest and out his kidney area. He twirled around 3 times waiting for someone to take the flag before he dropped. He did not want the flag to touch the ground. His buddies rushed to his side and applied bandages and pressure (3 fully soaked in all) to his wounds until the emergency helicopter arrived. He showed us 2 worn black and white photos of the men around him and the helicopter. I asked if the man lived and he said "yes". I asked why didn't the sniper keep shooting and if they were afraid they would get shot? He said that snipers usually shot once and fled. They never knew when a sniper would shoot. They did not think about getting shot, but only of saving their friend. Then he said that it was a terrible shame that we work on Memorial Day.  The gentleman was afraid that we will forget to honor our fallen heroes and really understand what a sacrifice they made for us. He is afraid our generation and generations to come may forget and in a way he felt responsible.  He was making it his duty to make sure we did not forget all servicemen that have fought and fallen for our freedom.  I do not know who this man is but he made his point.  Every Memorial Day, I will think of him and his buddy that got shot. I will see his face with so much anguish and determination and know how important this day is!  I had never really heard any war stories from personal relatives or friends. Thank you for coming by this Memorial Day and reminding us of the significance and ultimate sacrifice paid for our freedom!

 

 

 

National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, TX in May 2013

 

One Day of Many

There is a 2-1/2 mile trail along Lanana Creek that winds through Nacogdoches where citizens and students walk, jog, and ride bikes.  It is shaded by a canopy of trees and plant life with boardwalks and dirt trails.  Today, there were beautiful purple flowers and large clover covering the ground.  I only walked a half mile and did not see the entire trail, but it was enough to inspire my writing and photography ambitions for a short time.  I noticed a tree with holes around the trunk and wondered if birds had made those.  When I touched it, I disturbed a few gnats that flew around my hands before lighting back on the trunk.  A wicked looking wasp buzzed around further up the trunk.  I heard machinery ahead and thought that it sounded like a hundred busy beehives, but it was only mowers cutting the grass and sprucing up the old cemetery at Park Street.  I turned around to walk back.  I was not really alone.  Every once in a while a jogger would pass.  A man came out of the woods ahead of me and started running to catch up to his friend who I had already passed on the trail.  I surprised a cardinal in the bush and watched as he hopped from branch to branch.  As I am leaving the trail a young man and little boy pass by.  The little boy waves and he smiles.  I waved back. How momentarily pleasant!

Feeling Blue

One day, some day, I will share this post.... my first "feeling blue" in San Augustine post.... I am overwhelmed with grief over the tragedy in Japan that unfolds new developments every hour, overwhelmed by friends that have been stricken with illnesses where their time in this life is closer coming to an end, and overwhelmed with extra duties and seemly unobtainable deadlines at work, and the death of a valuable, loved, honorable, and wise man whose life held history, fun, love, wisdom, and courage that is now a memory and will never be added to again who left behind a wife of 63 years and sons and daughters to carry on. Young men go off to serve their country leaving behind worried parents and friends and some never return. Why must these things happen? ...suffering. I am a fixer, but I cannot fix any of this. Thinking also that one day, we will all suffer a similar fate. I am not so worried about me, but the people that will grieve because of a loved one's suffering and my own. Knowing that I brought children in this world, that have a death sentence, also. Is living worth dying for?

I was hoping to have an answer before I published this.  Instead, I have only opened up more questions.  It seems that living one day at a time, having hope in an eternal life, enjoying each moment on earth we are given, and taking time for relaxing and taking care of yourself are all that I can come up with.  We will know all the answers by and by.

How many countless people have felt the same way, asked the similar questions down through the ages? The fact is we were born into existence with a natural will to survive and to work and mingle together. How we choose to live our lives makes it what it is. Sure we are going to die, but what are we going to do in the meantime? What legacy will we leave the ones dearest to our hearts? How will we teach our children to live nobly and prepare them for the life after. There is a life hereafter, there is a higher power, and none of this is a mistake.

I wrote this a year or so ago and was too disturbed to actually publish it. Since then I have watched the Japanese people work together to overcome their hardships, prayers for friends have been answered, and more reflection has given me hope that God still works in mysterious ways, we will know all the answers by and by, and God has left us a Comforter who helps us in this life on earth showing us joy, hope, and peace until Jesus comes. 

Beep! Beep!

Beep! Beep!  I saw a road runner today.  It ran across FM 1750 in front of my car.  I was amazed that I was actually seeing a real version of a road runner and not the cartoon version.  I feel that I could just yell "Hey wait, I want to ask you something", "Why are you so mean to that coyote"?  Why can't you just be friends?"  This road runner had the same comical sprint, long legs, and distinctive shaggy head as the cartoon one.  I thought road runners lived mostly in dry areas like Central and West Texas and New Mexico.  In fact, it is the state bird of New Mexico.  They eat mostly meat and are famous for catching and eating snakes like the rattlesnake because they are so fast.  They run at speeds of 15 to 20 miles an hour.  The Piney Woods of East Texas has many hidden treasures including the fast and famous Great Road Runner.  Sorry not enough time to get pictures this time. 

Winds of Change

I have moved... away from San Augustine. I still travel in that area for work and visiting family, but it is no longer where I live. So what is to become of this blog? Do I change the name? Do I start a new one?

I am still having adventures, but my daily routine and surroundings have changed. I now live in Nacogdoches and it is beautiful and it is home. We went through the process of building a new home... and all that goes with that including packing and moving. This evening, I saw several deer going through my back yard. We live near the beautiful Lanana Creek that winds through the city near Stephen F. Austin making a wonderful walking trail for hiking and exploring. There are lots of restaurants and stores and churches. I take back roads through East Texas to work and sometimes see the refreshing morning sun and the evening hues of the setting sun on the pastures and hills around Etoile and Wooden.

We are in the midst of a drought and we have all been praying for rain and lots of it. The waters around East Texas have receded in just about every creek, lake, and riverbed. You can now walk and explore areas that until recently were covered with water. The heat index has been as high as 115 degrees. It is amazing how rich grasslands have sprung up under the bridges and shorelines of what was once the Toledo Bend Lake, Sam Rayburn Lake, and City Lake, San Augustine's water reservoir. I am anxious to get pictures and search for arrowheads soon, because this too will pass and I know changes will bring the much needed rain.

Kite Flying Nacogdoches-style

As a kid, I would stare up in the sky watching the clouds drift by and think about what it would be like as a bird riding the wind for hours and watch the earth below. I imagined a silent world with only wind in my ears.

Today we attended the Family Kite Flying event at the small Nacogdoches Airport grounds. As we drove up, I first noticed the huge long catepillar kite swaying gently in the wind. It was tied to the bumper of a jeep and received a little extra lift from another kite flying higher above it. The catepillar kite seemed alive as it descended slowly and swayed back up with the breeze, its legs bouncing along with the change.

There were other kites, small and large. The kids were having the best time and the greater success at keeping their kites in the air. We on the otherhand, gave up after several tries with our kite. At first we thought it needed a tail, then we thought the tail was not long enough, then perhaps the tail was too heavy. Jeff patiently tried every possible combination of preparing our kite for lift off, only to have it bank to the left and dive right to the ground. It is an old kite. We saved it from older days--pre-hurricane times. We enjoyed watching the colorful toy story, owl, panda, flying saucer, and other kites riding the wind. There was also colorul flags, face painting, races, snow cones, and music.

What is my fascination with kite flying? I think maybe it my way of enjoying flying, but still being firmly planted on the ground.

Mayhaws Are Falling!

My late father-in-law planted 5 Mayhaw trees near the shores of Toledo Bend Lake. Mayhaws resemble cranberries and are said to taste like crabapples. They are native to this area growing best in moist, but well draining soil, along creek beds and wetlands . They have a beautiful white flower canopy in February and make its small red fruit in April and May. For the last 3 years, we have helped gather in the fruit and have learned to make Mayhaw Jelly. Gathering the small fruit can be an impossible task, but we learned from our parents. We took tarps and laid them out overlapping them and holding them down from the blowing winds with cut firewood as the pictures show. We pull the tarps tight and wait for the berries to fall. This was our task today-- to lay down the tarps. The berries are already red and falling to the ground. After we were done, I could not resist gently shaking all the limbs, knocking down ripe red berries all over the tarps. Then I swept them up and used a dust pan to gather them and put them in a bucket for washing. After 2 to 3 washings, we will freeze the berries until winter when it is a warm and rewarding task to boil the fruit down and make jelly. There is nothing like your own Mayhaw Jelly on a hot homemade buttery biscuit!

Fun in the Sun at Ellen Trout Zoo

Peacocks are the most beautiful birds ever! The best place to watch and experience the wonder of peacocks is the Ellen Trout Zoo in Lufkin, TX about an hour drive from San Augustine. It has been a few weeks since I have been able to venture out. So the first beautiful sunny day we have had in a few weeks, we decided to soak up some vitamin D and do something that makes us both happy. Jeff loves to carry the camera bag, and I love animals and taking pictures. No really! Jeff loves carrying the camera bag and helping me change out lenses. The peacocks roam freely about the zoo mostly near the flamingo area. I watched as they gobbled up fallen popcorn and chased each other around and around and around a small tree. To my amazement, one opened his feathers in a magical fan right near me while I was taking pictures of him. Their feathers are so brilliant and colorful, the perfect colors of green and blue.

The zoo also houses many other types of birds and animals large and small. As I walked the shaded trails around the enclosures, ponds, and waterfalls, I thought about how even in the heat of summer this would be a nice place to visit. There is a miniature train that crosses a large pond and back again driven by a gentlemen in overalls and a railroad engineer hat. The river otters had a playful swim, the bobcat enjoyed straddling a tree branch, the porcupines demonstrated their prickly quills, giraffes shyly rubbed a tree, and the rhinoceros embarrassed us all. That is all I am going to say about that, except that I am glad I am not a rhinoceros. They look so large (2 to 3 tons), and uncomfortable.

Adding breakfast at IHop, we made this a wonderful day to remember!

City Girl

How could I forget to tell you about City Girl? Where do I begin? She is the sweetest and luckiest stray that ever was. She was adopted by folks at the City Hall. As you can see from her tag, and her pudge that she is well taken care of. On this day, she was visiting folks down at the Sassafras Festival. She followed me while I walked down Columbia. I sat down on a nearby bench to pet her and she sat down right beside me as if she were human. She scooted next to me and wanted to shake my hand. She also discouraged me from leaving with that paw and leaning on me. She never meets a stranger. I think that bench is one of her regular stops when she roams the town. Everyone knows her and loves her. You can find her most of the time right at San Augustine City Hall near her bed and food bowl. I have been here over 2 years and she is definitely an icon in San Augustine. What a lucky pooch!

Miss Merry Christmas Pageant

I recently attended the Miss Merry Christmas Pageant at the historical San Augustine Theater on the square sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. The director, TC, asked me to be the auditor and asked Jeff to be another watchful eye at the back door. My thoughts were that I could watch and get a feel for pageantry and maybe look at some possible picture taking for future reference and do some community service with my husband. The competition began and the judges passed their sheets to me after each contestant finished their walk and every few minutes, more sheets were passed my way. I put the scores down across rows and columns, adding and double-checking my figures as the pageant continued. When all the contestants were finished, I still had work to do. I stopped and realized that I had missed just about every contestant walking through and barely heard any comments or watched any picture taking until after all was done. I was the auditor! What an awesome, important, and busy job. I learned so much from this experience. So much work and thought goes into an event like this from the contestants, sponsors, parents, organizers, and volunteers. It is not just a fun event for everyone in attendance; there are lessons to learn from joys to disappointments, to overcoming faults, and working towards a worthy goal, being true and committed. Also, who knows who will win and what the numbers will say about a contestant. The numbers decided the winner. Each little thing a contestant does can be seen in different ways by different people. The dress, the poise, the confidence, the knowledge, the service, the age, the beauty, the smile (really important) -- so many things are being considered for a winner. I think everyone would agree that they are all winners for having what it takes to get to this point. I did hear the reigning queen explain in her outgoing speech that when she won, she suddenly realized she was a role model and so she started acting like a role model. As she graciously set the crown on the head of the next Merry Christmas Queen, her confidence and inner beauty shown brightly for all the other contestants to see. She would get to keep her tiara and continue to be a beauty queen and role model the rest of her life.