Traveling Time

My children are heading this way tomorrow. This is the first time that Sarah will have driven all the way from gulfport on her own. Spencer and Erin sound like they are glad to get up here and I am hoping to spend some quality get together time with them. You can't make up the time you miss but you have to do the best you can.
In related news, my Aunt Marilyn just left here with my cousin Jim and his daughter headed to Vicksburg. I wonder what Marian is doing?

Toby Tubby's Gold (6)

I found some interesting information at the Oxford Library. I didn’t see the original book but they did have it on microfilm. This part seemed to relate to the same John, a slave boy that was owned by Chief Toby Tubby.
It left no doubt in my mind that he was won in a card game.
We left Spring Lake after a relaxing weekend of playing cards, enjoying the healthy, refreshing waters, and imbibing in strong spirits in our camaraderie. On the return trip a strange and curious event occurred that I was fortunate to bear witness to.
Feeling our way south toward Wyatte, the young slave boy that Chief Toby Tubby had won announced his presence by congratulating the Chief on his skill in cards and thanking him for saving him from the ruffian that had previously owned him.
He finished this brief oratory with the declaration that he was sure the Chief had won at least $463 plus himself. This was the exact amount that Chief Toby Tubby had been fortunate enough to win as he had shared this information with me.
I, at that time, asked the child his name. “John, Mistah Doctor suh” This young boy could not have been more than eight and I questioned how he knew how much money the Chief had won. Obviously he had no formal schooling or orientation in mathematics as a slave boy. He replied that he did not know but that “numbers jist work in my heads all, suh” At this time I tested his skills by suggesting simple numbers to add, 10 + 12, 24+18 etcetera which he gave the answer to as quick as I could ask. I tried harder numbers that I had to add myself. The sum of 345 +716 and other such numbers that he gave the answer to almost as soon as I asked. Soon the whole wagon was shouting out numbers for the boy to add and subtract. No matter the number, the boy always gave a quick and decisive answer immediately even though I was busy trying to add most of the sums on a piece of parchment I had found in my bag.
The child seemed to be a prodigy of mathematics and I remember looking at the stunned Chiefs face which then turned to me and smiled. He said “I have great use for this young boy.” This turned out to be a very true admonition involving the welfare of my friend, Chief Toby Tubby.

Re-Coop-Ing

Dad has gone into the hospital. I am pretty sure he is going to be OK. I think he is dehydrated. I guess that drinking whiskey, fishing, golf and chasing widder women finally caught up to him. There's also a bug going around.
Keep him in your thoughts, will check in on him today.

Relaxation

Just what the doctor ordered. I spent the weekend doing nothing.
Birds were singing, crickets chirping, nothing else.
I feel rejuvenated and know that today I am going to have to start hard and go at it all day.

Crazy

Things are really crazy here. I am overwhelmed by work, money is flowing out a hell of a lot faster than it is coming in and I think my dog is a serial killer.

Scenes From A Golf Debacle

Dad and Guy Dale hit from the Senior Tees. Guy said "Taking that money was like shooting fish in a barrel."

An 83 year old swing, yes he was on the green.

What style, what grace, wish that SOB could putt.

A Court Date

Today I am going to court to testify as an expert appraiser in a trial. I have done this several times over the last few years. It is not my cup of tea. I have to wear a suit. Little do they know that their expert is still trying to figure out what he wants to do when he grows up.
Will let you know if they throw me in the clink.

Da Playahs

Barry Weeks/ Capt. Ribeye was indisposed

Paul and Shank Allen, I mean Stewart Allen

Bebo and Kenny Taylor

Back To The Grind

I made it back from Golf Camp and have been making up for lost time all day. I'm back in the grind now and have to pay for going to play golf and have a little fun.
I played pretty good golf this weekend but got my butt kicked on Sunday anyway.
It was still a fun time for everyone and will have pics later.

Gone To Golf Camp

I am gone to golf camp. I'll be stacking up a bunch of birdies or hogs. I don't know which. Keep an ear on your police scanner in case Trent gets picked up at RibEyes. When I get back, I should have enough money to take you all out to dinner.
While I'm gone go over to Keyboard Soup and join Mikes new site.

Dawn Of The Blogger

Suddenly it seems that several bloggers are rising from the dead. The Cook Shack is back up and running. Kristine has risen and made a post on the OBS Blog, and my crazy friend Blogagog is up to his old tricks. Go visit these guys and everyone else on your bloglist. Let's all get back to work.
Isn't Spring wonderful.

Golf Camp Update

Everything is falling into place for the big Golf Camp this weekend. Dad and Guy Dale are coming, Bebo, Joe Black, Barry Weeks, all the Howells and a few more. The only problem we are having is with the MailRider. He is jealous that his sorry ass wasn't invited. Too Bad, stay home with your Union pals.
Saturday night is the really fun part of this when we go into Yazoo City for the big crawfish boil. This is at Rib Eyes. It got blown away by the tornado but he is working like hell to get everything going. Got to keep those Lounge Lizards pulling in customers. We might have to put a leash on a couple of the boys in our party. All the guys are stuffing rifles and shotguns down in their golf bags, can't tell when a hog might show up. Not counting the ones at the bar.
More details later

The Bionic Update

Dad stayed an extra day at camp last weekend and came dragging in last night. No, I am pretty sure he was not break dancing with the widder women.
He went into Jackson on Monday to have X-rays on his knees.
Not good news. They have exhausted every avenue to give hin relief in hs knees that they can come up with. He will have to have knee replacement surgery. It is scheduled for late June. I am thinking of moving to Alaska then. Being around him fetching and toting while he is laid up will be horrible.

The Great American Novel

Every person I have ever met says they are going to write a book someday. There are a lot of great stories out there and I wish the best for those that actually start writing. I am doing it and finding out just how demanding and hard it is.
Right now I am in a basement reading a secret book and for the life of me I don't know how I am going to get out of there. So I am constantly thinking about this as I work on other things. Scenario after scenario just to get me out of a basement.
I mentally marks things that are wrong as soon as I write them, knowing that every page will need revision after revision and then revision.
I am having to learn to write what I see in the story. This is massive amounts of description and back story that you never think of as you read your favorite author and I am getting better at it, but the book has a long way to go.
Meanwhile, I've got to get out of this basement.

Golf Camp Set

The date for the Golf Camp is set for the weekend of May 15th. This year the golf camp is going to be more relaxed than ever as we are going to hunt hogs in the morning and shoot birdies in the afternoon. Should be a lot of fun.
Bring whiskey!

Toby Tubby's Gold (5)

A Letter From Peggy McCall
This is part of a letter from a Miss Peggy McCall to her friend Mary Lou Williams in Water Valley. The letter is dated May 16, 1851 and I have only included the part that seemed to be about Chief Toby Tubby.
“Do you remember that little slave boy, John, the one was saved from being buried alive by the Indians? Well now he is grown and goes by the name of John Campbell. He is an amazing man here, loved and respected by whites and blacks alike. All the children call him Mr. John….”
Everyone around the Oxford area knows the Campbell family and they are still respected today. I put his name on the list to do more research on.

Hogified

Trent used to make fun of our hog hunters but now he gets a strange gleam in his eye whenever they are mentioned. Trent went out Saturday morning and blasted a 125 lb. porker near the Elbow Stand and spent the rest of the afternoon creeping around like Rambo looking for more.

They Were Very, Very, Good