Yes that tiny baby we all watched come home from the hospital has grown up. March 14, 2009 was the big day. Allison was the Jr Bridesmaid and both boys were the ushers. Check out the photo gallery for more pictures of the wedding and reception. Click here for photos.
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This year seemed to go by slowly until we take time and look back at the year.
These are just a few highlights from this past year as we reflect back on another busy year.
Merry Christmas everyone and have a great New Year.
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We left Friday heading toward West Virginia for a few days of hunting. There are many stories to tell and some we just left on the mountain. This is a long thread so be patient.
Friday was a travel day and spent the evening with family. A good time was had by all as the guys started talking and planning the hunt.
Saturday
It was like a ghost town as the guys all went their own direction preparing for opening day on Monday. We went up to the farm to setup the blind and take a tour of the hunting ground where we would be spending our time. It was something like 13 or 17 degrees (whatever the temp was I call it cold). Steve's 4-wheeler started having trouble and died several times. It would start right back and we kept going up the mountain finally running into James Michael and Chris on their way down. We explained we were having trouble and to watch for us. As we turned around the engine 
died its final time not to start again. We looked down the mountain to see the other two fade into the distance never looking back. Good thing we told them of the engine trouble! We walked down and met up to tow the broken machine back to the truck. The view was excellent from the blind 
Sunday
For me Sunday was a day of getting sick with what ended up being a 24 hour bug (homesick I am sure). Steve drove us up to the deer camp where some of the others were staying. This place was a few miles the other side of nowhere. The before hunt feast was underway. Two turkeys frying and all the fixens (plus lots of liquid refreshments). Me I was starting to feel really bad and spent my share of the time in the cabin. I was given a tour of the place and was able to see some of the tree blinds where they would be calling home on Monday. What did 
people do before the invention of 4-wheelers? That would have been an all day walk without one. Very nice place. Here is a picture of James Michael, Me, Scott, Chris and the young man down front getting ready for his 63rd opening season is uncle Jim. There is a larger group shot but I did not get one on my camera and will need to get a copy. It was a tough day talking up some SH*T as you can see Steve was plain worn out. Poor guy!
Monday
Its opening day and I spent the night emptying my stomach in the toilet. OK I missed opening day but did manage to see a local Dr. to ensure the next two days would not be missed. It was a miserable cold rainy day where Steve, Chris and James Michael spent some quality time in the one man blind shown above. Sorry I missed that.
Tuesday
After the rain on Monday I was not expecting the snow to stick but it did. It finally stopped snowing and the sun popped out. What a view with the snow on the ground. This did not last long as the snow started again with more furry than before. I looked down at my pants and saw snow starting to build up on me. It was snowing horizontal and blowing directly in the blind. It was getting to be a mess inside the blind and Chris and I called it a day in the early evening leaving the warrior Steve to finish the hunt until dark.
Wednesday
Early to rise as I carried my stuff down the hill to Steve's house. We left for the farm before sunrise again. This time I am feeling much better and even drank some coffee before the hunt. The weather was warmer with no snow or rain. It was still cold though. I managed to setup in the blind before Steve started walking behind me. Not long Steve shot a already wounded 4 pointer and put him out of his misery. I shot some video of a few doe who walked out near me. Listened to the guy 
on the other side of the hill as he shot a spike. I just never saw that rack to put my crosshairs on and pull the trigger.
Steve took me to another hunting ranch for lunch. This place was nice. The garage 
alone had a full kitchen and satellite tv with more 4-wheelers than I could count. They were cooking chili, hot dogs, hamburgers and grilling steaks for steak sandwiches. Very nice and the view over the mountains could not be beat.
After lunch we drove back to our hunting grounds and decided to go up the mountain and look downward. This is where we met Mr Deliverance. Interesting conversation as he talked his story kept changing and shifting. I doubt he even remembers our conversation. He did shoot at a buck he claims went down below us. As he left we saw a large buck cross down below and around the hill. Too quick for a shot not to mention it was between us and the truck around 400 yards away. Not the ideal shot. Oh well we waited and James Michael met us up top. At dark we walked down and officially ended my hunt. Back down I walked and met Steve at the bottom to collect his deer.
Thursday
Well time to head home. We headed out to Pittsburgh and found the airport nearly empty of travelers. Thanksgiving day is a good day get through the airport with minimal traffic but the plane was still full. Airport staff was limited and traveling with a rifle took longer get checked in than when we left. I guess the staff that had to work on Thanksgiving were not very happy since most left the customer friendly attitudes at home.
Some stuff I learned and can be told:
Hand warmers - Those packets really do work and I heard of other uses as well.
Mickey Gilley - Yes even the deer like to listen to Mickey Gilley.
Elmer Fudd lives - I had the opportunity to watch him walk down the mountain in front of me.
Deliverance - I met someone on the mountain who really could have been there. As we talked I heard a banjo playing. Seriously...
Restroom - When hunting and you have to go then you go. Here are some emergency ideas that are proven to work. Sock puppet, cut off your underwear, knife to your shirt and the most famous is the hand warmer....These are all true proven emergency ideas when you forget your TP (not by me).
Don't screw up - Everybody will remember and remind you often.
The great white hunter has left the building until another year....Until then check out the other pictures in the photo gallery. Hopefully the pictures will show how much fun was had. Steve has the stories we left behind as we left and is not bashful to tell. I am sure it will bring laughter for years to come. Click Here for the pictures.
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Some pictures of our house and neighboring area after crossing paths with hurricane Ike.
This is very early in the morning just as the sun started lighting up the sky. Flood waters half way up neighbors yard.
Another early morning picture. See the fire hydrant down the street? (blue w/ white cap on the right) The water was at the very top 45 minutes earlier. I walked down the street around 6:15am and was standing next to the hydrant. The houses down the street did get water in the house. We stayed dry.
This is the storm which brought all the rain. You can see the ~35mph winds blowing the rain
horizontal and the trees leaning over. I wish I could have taken a picture of the 80mph winds we had.
That was some wind.
Our house. Look at the upper left of my oak tree. Cleared out the top portion of my oak tree.
View from our front porch.
Part of the back fence and another tree down. We lost over 100ft of fencing.
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Spent some time mowing at Pauls place this weekend. What fun we had - I caught the mower on fire and then ran over a water valve hidden within the deep grass. Not to mention breaking the blade drive belt in between. Sorry no picture of the fire since we were busy poking with sticks trying to get the dead grass out. There are priorities you know!
What 20+ years brings - the same day many years ago we were getting ready for his marriage with Anney (not to mention the kidnapping of the groom and going to....).
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Packed up the two Andrews and moved them off to college. Nothing like the open road traveling listening to my iPod. Did I mention I was cruising in one fine ride provided by UHaul. That truck with 190,000 miles was one fine automobile just waiting to be on the auction block at Barrett-Jackson with all the other classics. When I hit the college town everyone was looking my way.
We finished unloading in time to beat the rain. Nice afternoon shower to cool down the summer heat and create nice humid sauna. Well that's Texas for you.
I now have had the heating pad on my shoulder and today I sprang my ankle moving a tv stand. Sucks getting old.
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Sunday Paul and I went to the tool store to pick up a few necessities. I needed a new utility knife and found a pack with two knifes together. What a deal! Well on the way home while opening the pack I cut my finger. Did not even get the knife out of the package before fist blood was drawn. Then at home I was opening up some of the other tools and using the knife I just purchased I let it slip and yep there we go again with the blood.
OK this is it. I was working in the upstairs bedroom and sliced the end of my finger. Man this knife is sharp.
Three times is a charm. Next time it will probably take stitches.
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Yes we are at it again. This time my friend Paul got in the action and helped me tracked 
him through the trees. I hit him at least a dozen times with the air soft gun (just enough to sting and hopefully make him find a new home). We use the water hose as well chasing him from tree to tree. He finally settled in his nest which I took out of the tree. I figured that should do it. Nope I was so wrong. He is back today but wiser. When he hears the front door open he jumps into the tree and tries to hide.
OK this is it - Step 2: Get out the ladder and check out what he is so interested in since the 
gutters and flashing are all metal. WOW he is eating through the metal bracket which holds the gutters to the house. Well I whipped out some petroleum jelly and smeared it on the brackets and inside the gutters. Now spread a heavy sprinkle of cayenne pepper in the gutter.
Stay tuned and I will let you know if this fire breathing fur ball sticks around.
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Yes I said it - I am tired of those cute little tree rats running around and its time to kick some squirrel butt. The three amigos (newly born squirrels whose nest in the big oak tree) are growing up and becoming a pain in the a$$. One managed to get into the attic through a slight gap in the flashing. He chewed a hole in the ceiling of Spencer's room. I fixed the flashing but that squirrel is determined to get back in and keeps trying to enter the now plugged hole. We have had a number of stand-offs and he has been stunned with the air soft gun and chased through the trees with the water hose. Here we are - staring each other down waiting for the other to make a move. I guess it provides some entertainment for the neighbors.
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We completed the tune-up of the Mustang. Nothing is as easy as it seams. The first day (well we did not start till late in the evening we did the teardown and then on Sunday we started the assembly. Lots of care was taken to avoid dropping small parts down the engine. Rags stuffed in the intake, paper towels stuffed in each cylinder port. 
The stock manifold is now taking up space in the garage and the new aluminum manifold is looking good under the hood of the Mustang.
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