An Amateur Photography Editorial on Bigelow, Arkansas

Hello Family!

Apparently, an interest in photography is embedded in our genetic code. It should come as no surprise that I loved my photography class this summer. Just after the final exam, I packed up the camera and headed for Little Rock. I saw this as the perfect opportunity to take what I learned on editorial photography and use it with Bigelow as my subject. Most of these photos are not personal or nostalgic to me. Most of them were simply interesting images of "Small Town, America". But some of these pictures capture my memories from a barefoot summer circa 1992.

Of course, I couldn't help but share them with you.

(Note: The few captions I've added are in reference to the image below the text.)

They've actually cleaned this place up since I last saw it...

I call this one "Nice White House"...

I love that old barns like this are a dime a dozen in Bigelow. Very photogenic.

"Piano on the Porch"

"Haunted House"

The woods across the street from our old home place...

This is where Michelle Bond taught me how to ride a bike.

Speaking of the Bonds... They must have gone on vacation.

Sheriff Ed wasn't too happy about us kids turning this old place into our personal club house...

And my personal favorite...

Flea Solution

We all have pets, we all fight fleas, so I knew my family would want to know about this.  They discussed a new technology for repelling the little buggers last night on the local news.  Scientists have come up with a chemical-free flea treatment.  They've created a dog tag with some type of magnetic strip that works with the dog's bio-energy to create a force field - I wouldn't believe a word of it if I'd heard about it on an infomercial, but I'm willing to give it a try.  It's called a ShooTag and costs $25-30 per tag.  The tag is good for 3-4 months - so it's considerably cheaper than the drops.  They also make a tag for humans and they repel mosquitoes too.

If you've tried it and it didn't work, let me know quick so I don't waste my money.  Otherwise, I'll let ya'll know how this experiment works out.

40 Pounds and Why am I the Only One Doing This???

Reached a milestone today - 40 pounds - it would be more exciting if I hadn't been calling it 40 pounds for the last six weeks when it's really been 38.5 pounds.  But today, it's finally a reality - 40 pounds.  40 or so more to go.

Now why am I the only one with anything to say in here?

Here's an update on me and Cliff - He got sick around the first of the year - very, very sick.  He's been diagnosed as bipolar.  We're finally see light at the end of this nasty tunnel - he takes a bucket-full of meds and the man I've loved for 14 years has returned.  However, it's doubtful he'll ever return to work.  So we're downsizing, big time.

We bought two little lots on a little lake in Beechgrove, Tennessee - about 30 miles from Karen.  There's a little shack/cabin tucked into the trees (well-built but very small and plain).  It's gonna be an adventure, and I'm looking forward to living a life where we aren't stretched financially or physically.  We will probably make the move around the first of April.

Megan is in her first year at the 4 year college - and teacher's pet, and  Anthony is moving back to San Antonio to start college using his GI bill.  That pretty much sums things up here.

Love you guys.

Grass Clippings

Cliff and I let the grass go for a few weeks.  I think the yard liked it.  We had one of the greenest yards in the neighborhood.  However, eventually it was just too much of an embarrassment to let it go any further.  We finally mowed it.  And then, to add insult to injury, we had to rake it because we had let it get so overgrown.  We filled 5 big black trash bags with grass clippings.  The problem then was we couldn't put them all into our trash can.  It was going to take us a month to send them out one at a time with our regular garbage pickup.  So I convinced Cliff to leave them sitting by the curb.  I told him I would put an ad on Craigslist and get someone to pick them up for composting.  Cliff had no faith at all that anyone would want our bags of grass.  There's nothing I like more than to prove Cliff wrong.  I posted the ad last night, today I had three e-mail replies; by this afternoon the 5 bags were gone.  It's been a very good day!

33 Pounds

Still moving in the right direction . . . even if it is at a crawl.

20 pounds

20.6 pounds!!! : )


Only 80 pounds to go. 


However, I've discontinued the diet pill.  I started hearing wind whipping through my head again.  I'm still walking and increasing the frequency and length of the walks.  That seems to be doing the trick well enough for now.

CATS

About six months ago I was in the front yard with Sigourney Weiner and Allie, our dogs.  We heard a meow and I spotted a cat walking across the street.  Sigourney ran into the middle of the road, tail wagging madly, and did her happy dance as she licked the strange cat's face.  The cat fell over, as though the love had weakened her knees and she wrapped her arms around Signourney's neck and proceded to lick her right back.  As far as I know, these two had never met before.  

How could I stand in the way of a love like this!  I began trying to tame the cat.  Things didn't go well.  I had a vet who would give me a great deal on getting her fixed . . . once she was tamed.  But before we reached that point, Sigourney's cat went into heat.  Every time I came outside, I would find her up in a tree.  Sometimes there were six or seven Tom cats keeping her company . . . all in the tree.  The cat-tree was a bit surreal.  Our lady cat always had her butt pointed AWAY from the Tom cats.  I was hoping she would keep them all at bay.  No such luck.  

About three weeks ago, she entered the house through our doggie door, marched herself back to the master bedroom, and jumped into bed with me, Cliff, and the two dogs.  She stayed until bedtime, and then she saw herself out.  It happened again the next night.  If we sat up, moved in the bed, or reached for her, she ran.  But as long as Cliff and I were still, she apparently liked being part of our "pack."  

On the third night as we shared the family bed, Sigourney's cat gave birth to three fat kittens.  I played midwife offering words of encouragement and pulling kittens out from under her when she landed on top of them.  The birth was a bonding experience and Ms. Feral Cat is now tame and demanding her fair share of attention.  However, she still loves Sigourney better than all of the rest of us put together.