Marks' Pajama Buck

As you can see, Mark shot a deer in his pajamas.

Joe Gets His Just Desserts

Joe Newman finally got what he deserved this past weekend while visiting the Famous Christmas Place. Joe has hunted off and on with us for years and has never asked for anything except to chip in and work to help us. He has taken people fishing, worked on the camphouse, fixed all kinds of machinery, helped with planting, deer stands, and fixing our road and bridge. He is also involved with hosting the ershel Howell Memorial Squirrel Hunt.
Pau invited Joe this time to go out and shoot a big deer, Joe was excited and glad to finally have the opportunity and received his just desserts when this big bruiser came out on him in the middle of the afternoon. A job well done and much deserved. Congratulations Joe!!

Thankful for Deer Season, umm I mean Thanksgiving

Paul the Bloody managed to take this diseased, radioactive buck off the Christmas Place over the Thanksgiving Holiday. As you all know, he had no words to describe his great luck or at least I tuned him out after 5 minutes. Congratulations Paul!

Opening Weekend 2019

The Big Deer of the weekend.......

Burney got this nice hog. This camp is going to hell........

Marilyns' 97th Birthday

with all the cousins

SaveThe Date Squirrel Camp 2019

I'm sure that I will still be working on the stands and fields while they party on                    

His Finger Hurts

To  everyone,

Wanda and I spent from Tuesday night until Sunday at the camp working on various projects, but primarily completion of the bulldozer work which cost $3,000.00.  The bulldozer operator was Tom Gordon and he did an excellent job.  We got roads opened to The Graveyard, The Mountain, Sand Ditch, The Indian Mound, The Levy, The Hill Beyond The Lake, Arrowhead Field, Beaver Dam, The Hole, Stupid Stand, below Double White Oak, The Big Woods at Double White Oak, The Box Stand Field, and The Secret Field.  We also worked on the roads at Crossover, Spike Camp, the main road past Spike Camp, Negotiation Log, and Kudzu Road.  We built a new road with a ford that connects Pond Stand Corner to The Elbow.  We also removed big trees and stumps below the camp and at The Elbow.  Finally, we removed Dad’s garden which had become an eye sore.  None of the roads in the hills need to be driven on with a tractor until we get a big rain that packs the dirt down.   

It is still way too early to plant our food plots.  Therefore, I see no need to have the seed for this weekend’s work weekend.  (However, we could put some rye grass, etc. on the steepest parts of the roads to help prevent erosion and where the garden was in order to make it look better.  In addition, I would recommend that we put some Triple 13 around the walnut trees in The Witch’s Yard and clear out some of the grass across the road from them where some young walnut trees are growing.)  I would recommend that we plan to plant the weekends of October 12 and October 19.  (Remember, the Squirrel Hunt is planned for the weekend of October 26.)  

Instead of planting this weekend, we need to finish the disking in the big fields in the Delta and repair deer stands.  (Paul Jones is not planting his fields until October 19.)

All of the equipment appears to be working except the green tractor and Rex’s four wheeler.  (Paul Jones will look at the green tractor and Rex’s four wheeler probably just needs charging, like the others needed.)  The bush hog and the disc are fixed. 

Wanda has the camp in great shape.  However, we could not find the missing burglar alarm which needs to be reactivated as soon as possible. 

Finally, the ticks, mosquitos, and gnats are the worst since we have been at The Christmas Place.  Be sure to apply plenty of insect repellant. 

See you all at the camp this weekend. 

Paul B. Howell, Esq.

 

His finger is sore from all the pointing he did for the bulldozer guy

 

You Had One Job!!!!!

 

Paul "Lipflapper" Howell is finally down at the Christmas Place taking care of the bulldozer work, which was supposed to be completed a month ago. WE all knew it would be a fiasco but we only gave him ONE Job.






At least it is being done, No telling how many bulldozers we are going to be liable for.

Watermelon Carnival 2019

This was the 50th Anniversary of the Watermelon Carnival and it was a blast! The day started with PHIL'S PHAMOUS PACHYDERMS coming through the park and trumpeting loudly enough to wake up everyone in town. They danced, sat up and thrilled the crowd. Leaving the park they hit the watermelons and I think the City had to buy about 100 of them after the elephants crushed them, threw them, ate them and carted off as many as they could get.. Friday was setup and start the party time but we also had guests. The New Orleans Legend and World Renown Artist CHRISTOPHER PERAGINE and his wife Ellen,(the Palates Queen of New Orleans), who happens to be Denise's cousin. His art exhibit was the talk of the town, but being from New Orleans and painting ships, the ocean and local scenes he did not understand that Here in Water Valley, paintings need watermelons and semi-nude girls to be really appreciated. He will do better next time.

 

We had a great crowd at our party that night as the band played and the politicians made insane promises. Of course there was Erin's Birthday (the Dark Princess), We visited od friends, consumed a lot of beverages , enjoyed the Fireworks Display and staggered home early in the morning.

 

On Saturday there was watermelon eating contests, seed spitting and lot and lots of vendors selling anything you can imagine (lots of birdhouses?),Burney was in the BBQ cook-off and won a prize, after he burned his hand off, for Most Persistence Entry, Music, music and of course the watermelon

weigh-in. We all enjoyed wandering and Denise and Wanda made the most of it.

Thank you to Christopher and Ellen for coming to the Carnival this year, It was great.

 

 

Long Ago and Far Away

Abbeville, MS

4th of July on Maralyn's Porch

This is the 4th of July pic of all our extended family.
I am the handsome one.

Something Strange

Spencer was at our work camp this past weekend and was a really big help as we took care of a lot of problems to get ready for deer season. Friday and Saturday night he pitched in to wash dishes without being asked. Amazing! I know all of you out there have perfect kids that always do this but it is unheard of around here. I believe something strange is going on and I'm going to get to the bottom of this conundrum.

The Howell Open 2019

It was hot and all the Yankees were bitchin" but we made it through a rough 18 holes. Our team's A player played like a dog, I won't mention his name. No clubs were thrown but there were not enough rules officials on the course to sort out all the cheating that was going on. One thing for certain, after winning the last two years, thee was a concerted effort to make sure my team lost. I will say no more.
The match ended in a blood thirsty tie with many allegations and finger pointing, so it was decided that instead of a knife fight we would let it remain a tie.
Bebo and his team finally got the trophy!!!! 
 



The other team with Patsy Edward as the A player were allowed to hold the trophy for a few seconds before Bebo snatched it away from them.

The biggest winner and the biggest loser

You can see that Trent is still getting lessons over the phone

Afterwards there was beer and fun at my house with lots of happy fellowship and stories

 

 

 

7000 ACRES OF GRASS

This past weekend, Denise and I packed up and went to camp for a romantic weekend. HAH!
I did manage to cut the7000 acres of grass around the camp with a little help after Erin showed up.
Glad we got it cut, you couldn't see the house!

A Memorial Memorial Day

After spending years working my way up the food chain at the famous Christmas Place, I finally managed to actually have a Holiday there with my family, without my Evil brothers bothering me.
Denise and I, plus my daughter Sarah and her boyfriend Ryan headed into camp Friday for what turned out to be a really nice, fun weekend.
Hamburgers on the grill Friday, cut some grass Saturday morning and then went riding and exploring the property so that Ryan could see everything.
we took pictures at all the Indian mounds, saw a crocogator in the lake, explored trails, got stuck, looked for sheds, saw 2 snakes (thank God Denise did not see them), and really enjoyed the big hardwood forests on the property.
That night into Jackson for dinner at BabaLou's restaurant and crashed that night.
The next morning we cut a little more grass and then went and walked in the clear spring fed creek that wanders across the property. The water was very cold, but we waded looking for arrowheads and old bottles. Then Sarah and Ryan left for the coast and we headed home.
A super weekend.

Water Valley Cannon Returns

The old cannon we used to play on as kids has been AWOL for several years now but at last has been returned to the little downtown park it has guarded for 70 years. The cannon has been refurbished, repainted and reworked to be a proud sentinel for Water Valley and a symbol for the faithful soldiers of the town that gave their all to defend us.
The cannon was dedicated around 1950 to be that symbol, but of course it was also in place to guard the railroad and keep those damn Oxford people at bay. You can also see that it is pointed North, just in case...........

Turkey Camp Success

Paul hosted a turkey camp last weekend at the famous Christmas Place and they saw quite a few turkeys, heard a lot of gobbling, caught a mess of fish, played golf, ate like kings, drank a lot of whiskey and even found time to actually shoot a big gobbler.
Andy Hall came down from Water Valley, worked his butt off cooking and helping out and also ended up with a well deserved 21 lb. gobbler with an 11-inch beard.
Congratulations Andy!!

Josh Meets Captain Blood

Here is the pic of Josh, Capt. Blood and a fine hog taken off the back of the Indian Mound area.
As you can see, do well and someone wants their picture taken with you.
Congrats on a really nice one Josh!

A Great Hog Camp

The weather finally cooperated and we had great weather for the hog hunt, excepting rain Sunday morning. The food was great, the weather was great, the guest were great and it was easily the best Hog Camp ever.

Our Yankee friends shot some hogs, swapped stories with us and drank all the beer. Once again they were the best guests ever and a real joy to have come down from Minnesota every year.
Jay got this super nice one.

His buddy Joe got this one before they left to go back to the frozen tundra.

Josh got a hog too but no picture yet, too horrible to look at. Maybe it looked like Burney?

Will post if it ever arrives. Looking forward to next year and another round of The Game of Hogs.

Hog Camp 2019

Hog Camp is this weekend and the hunters are loading up on armor piercing bullets, hand grenades, and mortars to take on the horrible swine that have invaded the delta.
Looks like many of the survivors of last years' camp are coming with blood in their eyes. This year the Minnesota killers are expected to be there too!
Hope we have a great camp with pleasant weather, hogs on the pole and a great fire outside to enjoy.
PS- Everyone make sure your will is up to date and names me the beneficiary.
Below is a typical picture of the size hogs the good hunters usually get.

The Game of Hogs

Paul is coming

An Unbelievable Buck

Yes, it's true. Paul Howell finally killed the big buck our whole camp has been trying to get for as long as I can remember. We were all so shook up that instead of envy that he expected, we all congratulated him and told him how proud we were of him. For once in his life he was actually humbled and for about three hours there he could hardly talk for the big grin on his face. WHAT A BUCK!! A massive and beautiful 10 point that WILL be gracing the living area of the Droptine Lodge.
After Paul wandered around for an hour or so shaking hands Over and Over again, I decided to finally get to the secret of how he managed to kill all these big deer. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey, led him off to a dark corner, had him tell his story (Over and Over again) and drink 'till he could not see, and then I bluntly asked him to tell me the true reason for his success.
I am going to give this information now to our good and faithful readers so you will know how to get a gigantic monster buck too and it is very simple and easy.
If you will go down to the Crossroads about Midnight on the darkest night, there is a (man) there next to a blackened stump with a feral grin that will ensure that you can get the big bucks too. All you have to do is sign your name at the bottom of the contract.

CAMO 1/25/2019- A Great Dog Has Left Us

Camo was raised as a circus dog and at an early age learned to walk the high wire, juggle, leap through flaming hoops, ride bareback, do flips, catch flaming arrows in his mouth and chase trespassers. She turned this down to come live with me and Denise and become best friends with Thunderhoof. She loved to go to camp. All you had to say was "Camp" or for me to pick up my rifle and bag and she was howling at the door ready to go.
She hated a big eared deer, a squirrel, wild hog, any big black bird (crow or buzzard), didn't like a chipmunk or rabbit and was not too fond of a grasshopper. She would kill a damn snake.
When she was young, she loved to run like the wind, but in later years she would ride in the buggy with us around the camp. Her best hunting trips were barking at deer through the windshield of my truck at deer as we rode around in my truck and growling at me to drive faster so she could grab one by the ears. She refused to do any of the tricks she knew, she was above all that, but she could bark, beg or sleep on command or not. She had us trained to get her treats with just one bark! 
Camo was the camp mascot and most of my best hunts were when she was at camp. When I got a big old deer she would race out to meet me and double check just to make sure the big horned varmint was dead. She loved almost everyone and was the smartest, most loving dog I have ever known.
At home she slept by Denise most nights, guarded our house against Big Foot, rhinoceroses, and burglars and was the child we didn't have. Also she was our best friend.
We buried her in the yard so we could look out and check on her occasionally, but I think she will spend her time sleeping by the fire and keeping an eye on us.
Denise and I are heart broken but have been truly blessed to have known such a noble companion and best friend. I really don't have the words to express how much I loved that  dog.

An Email From Captain Blood

These photos were supposedly taken Sunday at the famous Christmas Place and were emailed to me from someone named Captain Blood. There are no people in the photos and most of the camp members have already started screaming Fake News at the email, except from Smirking Paul Howell.
Supposedly this tiny 150 lb. deer had this large rack and was killed on the Spike Camp by the anonymous journalist/lawyer.
If you wish to respond to this prankster his email is
captainbloodpaulisgreat@yahyah.com

A Down Under Deer

Tricia Neagle got her firsr deer this past weekend. It was a very nice buck taken while hunting with The Flat Top Terror (Davin Lammey). She is from Australia and it goes to prove that since Davin killed a deer, the whole world has turned "Down Under" She is a very impressive woman.
She says it was a lot different from hunting a kangaroo, the deer was walking while a damn Roo just hops all over the place. Plus you usually just whack the kangaroo with a boomerang of course.  Congratulations to Tricia, a girl that seems to adjust to any challenge.

Someone ask her if I can at least borrow her boomerang.

Marian Gets Her Deer

It has been a while for Marian at the famous Christmas Place, but Marian finally got her deer. I took her to the Bird Point stand which she has never hunted. She hunted in a ground blind and the deer waltzed out in front of her late that afternoon. BLAM! The deer turned and basically jumped off a cliff into the deepest, darkest part of the property. Tim Crosby and I located the deer that night while Marian supervised from the edge of the cliff. I never want to go back down in that hole again, Poor Tim wanted me to shoot him.. She was happy as could be and the nice doe weighed 120 lbs. Another great weekend at the Christmas Place with Marian.
Rapelling classes start Feb 1st

Et Tu Davin

Davin Lammey killed a deer. This is a reason for much jubilation in the Lammey community as it was thought to be impossible. Never mind that he was drunk and asleep when the deer appeared and woke him up to commit suicide. He is now being called The Flat-Top Terror and woe to any deer that crosses his path. Congratulations Cousin!!!!
PS- This deer season is killing me and now my own cousin joins in.

2019 Starts With A BOOM!!

Old White Beard (Paul Howell) started the New Year of 2019 off with a giant BOOM as he laid out this nice buck on New Years Day. This 210 lb. buck was taken at the Box Field where Paul has been hunting since August. About damn time. His wife and children celebrated because now they could finally have Christmas and open their presents.
Mr. Howell said "I love to kill a big deer and drive the members at the Christmas Place through the woods before me howling and screaming as I listen to the lamentations of their women"

PS- I am already tired of seeing this damn picture