Camping Trip, Day At the Lake & Riding Around

You might have gathered by the title that I have

several things to post about this time.
I don't like to let so much time pass between
postings but this time it crept up on me.

I'll start with the camping trip.
Donna posted on our camping
trip HERE if you'd like to read
her version of our trip.

This picture of Donna's clematis has
absolutely nothing to do with camping.
I saw this as she was packing for our
trip and couldn't resist taking a photo.
It was so pretty in the afternoon sunlight,
it practically glowed!We had a small campfire to perk a pot
of coffee, and to be honest, the fire felt
pretty good after dark. It was a bit
chilly, and a bit breezy.
Good coffee, too.Donna's grandson, Jon, appreciated
the fire, even though he was wrapped
up in her fleece throw.Donna is looking for shooting stars here.
We saw several meteors as we sat
around the campfire drinking our coffee.Donna and I camped and fished at Lake
Poinsett, only a few miles from Donna's
house. This is the same place where Jessica
and I fished a couple of weeks ago, but on
the opposite side of the lake.
Here's the view to my left...The view in front of me...And the view to my right.Donna looked up from her fishing long
enough for me to snap this picture.I caught 4 or 5 bluegill, including these
two. These were some of the biggest
bluegill I've ever seen! Both of these
were easily 10 inches long and weighed
over a pound each, although I didn't
have a scale to prove it. I did measure
the top of my ice chest that one is on
and it is 15 inches across, so you can
tell about how big it is, and my fingers
are there to help guage size.There was no way I could get my hand
around this one to hold it. We didn't catch enough to keep, so
they all went back in the lake to grow
bigger for the next time.

This past Monday Cecil, Sue, Lamar,
Jessica and I went to Craighead Forest
Park in Jonesboro for a few hours. We
usually take bread to feed the local ducks
and geese but forgot it this time. We picked
up burgers on the way to eat there, then I
fished a bit while everyone else either
ambled around or sat on the picnic tables
and talked. I caught one little sunfish
which I threw back.

Here's a handsome gander that posed for me.
There were several male mallard ducks, but
most of the females were conspicuously absent,
already setting on their eggs for fluffy
spring ducklings. If you double-click
on the picture below you'll get a better
view of the male mallards.Before Jessica left my place I got another
belly pic. See what I mean about her being
noticably bigger since THE LAST ONE I took?
And that was only a 3 weeks ago! She
turned around 3 times trying to decide which
side had the least stretch marks and finally
decided they were about the same on
both sides, bless her heart.Thursday night I cooked supper for me,
Lamar, Jessica and Jason. I baked a whole
chicken, made a meatloaf, homemade
mashed potatoes, cooked a big pot of
pinto beans and made a skillet of pan bread.
A neighbor gave us some garden green
onions to go with our supper, and boy,
were they good!

After supper we went riding around for a
couple of hours and I took a few pics.

Here's Jessica and Jason in the front seat...Lamar beside me...A picture of the sunset out the car window.
Sorry, it was the best shot I could get,
but it was so glorious I had to try to get it.We stopped on a bridge on a gravel road and
I took this pic of Jessica and Jason.Get a load of that belly on Jessica!
She is now officially 9 months along,
according to her doctor.
It won't be long now! Not a minute too
soon to suit Jessica, either. She's pert neart
miserable, God love her. She visits
her doctor again Monday and should find
out if she's dilated and some of the finer
details, Lord willing.

Now that I've written this marathon post and
posted umpteen pictures, I'll be trying
to get around and visit y'all, and I have
a few emails to answer as well.

Happy Friday, y'all!

Love and hugs,