Snakes, Spiders and Lizards

The last of my zinnias

Ten days ago we were getting ready for church when our toilets and showers suddenly decided to back up. We gave our sweet landlady Virginia a "holler" and she told us that she would send "Joe" to fix the problem.

Joe knocked on our kitchen door Tuesday evening.

“So what’s it doing?” were the first words out of his mouth. Tim told him he thought the system was clogged.

“Yeah that happens every now and then I have a snake but someone is borrowing it and I need to get it back from him they designed the sewer system badly when they were building the place as soon as I get the snake back I’ll take a look at it I don’t even need to come inside since I can access it from the roof.”

Joe's Snake - now wound and still waiting for him

Then Joe drove off.

On Thursday morning Joe finally came with his snake. He made some terrible noises on our roof and then left. I called Virginia to let her know that Joe had come.

On Thursday evening the system backed up again. We looked out the back window and saw that Joe’s ladder was still propped up on our roof and his snake was on the ground in our backyard.

We were still pondering this mystery on Friday morning, when it occurred to us that something dark and sinister could have happened to Joe. It could have been THE BLOB! He got sucked into our sewer and all that was left was his ladder and snake!

Although Tim was ready to call Roto-Rooter at this point, we called Virginia on Monday to see if she knew what had happened to Joe. She didn’t, but she called him again.

After being out of town for a little holiday we arrived home Tuesday to find Joe’s ladder still propped up on the roof, but the snake had disappeared. Aha! Perhaps progress has been made!

Wednesday I looked out our living room window to see a hole dug in the yard right in front of my flower bed. This is not unusual because we have many rodents digging holes all around and in my flower beds. In fact, we have sixteen rodent skeletons in our woods to prove that we don’t like rodents doing nasty things to my flowers (although I don’t mind what they do to my flowers nearly as much as I mind what they did to my last three bird feeders).

Anyhow, we have a hole the size of a beach ball in front of my flower bed, which was either dug by some beastly rodent or…Joe, who left his snake in our front yard this time. We’re still not sure what happened to Joe.

Copperhead found on road

Weather has been just gorgeous this month. Tim got me a bike and we've enjoy a couple of rides together. I've been keeping my eyes peeled for kingfishers, turtles, and mink. I haven't seen the mink since this summer, and it ran in front of us so quickly that I hardly had time to get a good look at it. We've also seen a vole and some snakes.

Here are some summer and fall photos from around our house.

Our across-the-way neighbors let us use their porch!

Our Red Headed Woodpecker

Swallowtail in my flowerbed

Here are some photos from our weekend excursions to Chattanooga, TN and Jackson, MS:

At the Aquarium - my husband is fascinated by carnivorous plants

Can you spot the critter?

These wire fish remind me of Pop's wire bikes

The view from Lookout Mountain

Our first stop in Jackson was the Mississippi Petrified Forest. We were absolutely amazed to consider what we were looking at. We believe in a literal Genesis account of the creation of the world; that account gives a reasonable explanation of the evidence we see everywhere of drastic flood conditions, and it also suggests a "young earth" - one less than 10,000 years old.

This tree slice here was about three feet wide. We saw petrified trees that were originally eight feet wide. When we considered that 1) Petrification happened as a result of a worldwide flood and 2) These trees were about two thousand years old at the time of the flood, then we realized that we very well could have been looking at trees that were a direct result of God's command, "Let the earth sprout vegetation" (Genesis 1:11). Amazingly overwhelming.

Tim has a knack for finding these little guys

This thing has a leg span as wide as my hand

Continuing Impressions of Mississippi

Tim at Centrifuge

In April Tim did centrifuge training in California. He got to go in a machine that simulated going very high g’s. He got g loc during the fourth event and had to make it to 7.5 g's for 30 seconds in order to pass the event.

When the guys g loc, often they will fall into a dream state. Tim, sure enough, dreamed that he was sitting on the couch at home having a nice relaxing conversation on the phone. It only lasted a few seconds, but in Tim’s dream it seemed to be much longer. Of course, some guys have not so nice dreams. One guy, whose experience has now been immortalized, woke with his hands in the air. When asked what he had been dreaming, he answered, “I dreamed that my wife was pulling a gun on me.”

Due to the pressure inside the machine, capillaries in Tim’s arm burst and he had funny red dots and bruises all over his arm. Thankfully, he made it to the required amount of g’s and passed on his next attempt. He even got a nice little DVD with a video of him in the machine, so I got to watch him g loc on camera. Random fact: shorter, stouter guys are able to handle the g forces more easily than taller, thinner guys.

Tim at work

I enjoy being married to a guy that loves his job. Fast machines will bring out the little boy in most guys, but most guys don’t actually get the chance to fly a military jet. When I ask Tim how his flight was, most days I'll get a big grin and hear about some new procedure, pattern, or maneuver. 

In July Tim got to enjoy race cars and jets in a flyover at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. On Saturday he got to hang out at the race track with two buddies and their instructors. They had fun being VIPs for the day and got to hang out by the pit crews and sit in the grandstand for the preliminary events. On Sunday he got to ride with his instructor in the flyover during the national anthem (with a police escort back to the track!). I texted him right after the flyover and asked him if he had fun. He said, “Yeah!”

Hearing a jet fly over your head does give one a lot of awe for the power of the machine. As they say, “That’s the sound of freedom.”

This world is not my home

We get asked a lot how long we’ll be here in Mississippi and where we’ll go next. My best answer is that Tim is hoping to get winged next March, and he is hoping to train for F-18 Hornets next. That could put us in California next year (or South Carolina).

Of course, “The mind of man plans his way but the Lord directs His steps.” Training can be slowed or halted, so I try not to set my heart on any one option. “This world is not my home,” and I’m reminded of that every time friends ask, “So how’s life there in Louisiana? Alabama? Oh… Mississippi?”

On the home front

On the other side of the coin, we have our normal everyday lives to live. When Tim is home, he shares my more mundane concerns, such as THE RODENT POPULATION of central Mississippi. When we first moved here, we quickly learned not to attach our bird feeder to our roof if we wanted to avoid having little squirrel footsies scampering across the roof all day.

There are always three more

Three bird feeders later (squirrels destroyed the first two) we are much smarter. Our feeder is on a metal pole that has been lubricated with WD-40 and PAM. Tim has now trapped (and yes, killed) thirteen squirrels and three chipmunks. However, my Pop’s wisdom on squirrel matters has proved correct. No matter how many you kill, there are always three more.

Note since the first draft: We are now on bird feeder number four. Apparently, PAM wears off the pole more quickly than WD-40. 

At Rosalie House in Natchez - July 4th Week

Our neighborhood is really quite pleasant. When we go walking or running around the lake, the neighbors’ dogs will often join us. Tim loves this and often stops to talk to the dogs (which they love, too). When our neighbors arrive at their summer home after their week in New Orleans, their dogs will run up our driveway first thing, looking for my husband. When he’s not here, they figure I’ll do. I got a wet nose in my face during my walk on Friday.

Our church

Tim and I appreciate the family that we found at Northpoint Presbyterian Church (PCA). Although we are not from a Reformed Presbyterian background we have found the preaching here to be more accurate and understandable than the preaching at many other churches we've visited.

It’s an odd experience to come from your own little world and find that “we’re not the only deer in the forest.” In our part of the forest, the deer talk about BJU, the WILDS, and Billy Sunday. When we ventured across the valley, we found that some deer had never heard of these things. These deer talk about the General Assembly, RTS, and the Westminster Catechism. Thankfully, none of these differences concern Bible doctrine (well, the Westminster catechism pertains to Bible doctrine, but it is the same core doctrine that one would find taught at a Baptist or Bible church). 

We've appreciated the welcome our church gives to military couples and families. We really enjoy being involved with our Sunday School class and our choir. In May Tim even got to attend a church work day that finished up with a craw fish boil (a first!).

 How to get the local girls

During the check-in process Tim and his class were given pubs, gear, and general info about base and the surrounding area. In a general spirit of helpfulness, one instructor gave some advice about how to get a girl. (At this point in training many of the guys are still unmarried, and keep in mind that for a Marine, “getting a girl” does not mean finding a girlfriend with the intention of pursuing a committed, pure relationship with her).

His advice: you don’t want to get a girl at the local bar. These girls have all been around too much. Instead, find one at a local church. They’re good southern girls but they know more than you’d think.

A different instructor took it a step further. He said to find a girl at church, but not just any church. You have to visit a bigger one where you’ll blend in a bit.

 A random thought

This week I started putting together some photo albums. My second photo album started with pictures from the mission trip that I took to Africa the summer before my junior year of college. I remember how I spent that summer wondering what on earth God wanted me to do with my life. I didn't have a boyfriend and hadn't picked a major with the intention of getting a job.

Enjoying the adventure

The album ends with pictures of our wedding rehearsal and reception. In one short album, I could see pictures of God's provision and direction in my life over the course of two years. 

The Gospel has changed the way that Tim and I view life. It's not about us and what we accomplish. As exciting as we find military life, that is not what we live for. We're just trying to be faithful where God has put us, and for now, we're enjoying the adventure!

May 2012 - Graduations!

Josh's Graduation

Tim and I had the opportunity to travel to Greenville, SC for his brother's and my brother's graduation! Congratulations to Mark Horner, who received his degree in
Criminal Justice, and Josh Mayfield, who received his degree in Graphic Design. We were happy to run into many other friends on our trip (those who continue to work in Greenville and those who have stayed on to get Masters degrees).

Mark's Graduation

Alumni

We hope brains run in the family

Dear Friends from Gethsemane

 

Anna and me

After graduation, Tim and I headed to Gatlinburg with Tim's family for a few days. We enjoyed doing some Hillbilly Golf and the Dixie Stampede. We also got to try some jalapeno taffy.

Hillbilly Golfing

Bryan Bears outside the Running Bear cabin

 After visiting Gatlinburg, we returned home to Mississippi where my family met us and stayed for a few days. We enjoyed cooking out, playing volleyball at the beach, bowling, and a dinner at Weidman's where we got to eat fried green tomatoes!  Then I made the three-day drive up to New York with my family. We got to drive through some beautiful country in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

The overlook off I-68 (taken with my manual panoramic mode!)

 We arrived in New York and got right to work yesterday with spring planting and preparations.

Columbine

Bleeding Hearts

Preparing for the asparagus

The hand pump

Dad making a screen for a bedroom

Seed potatoes - ready to plant

Asparagus crowns

Here is a project Dad finished this winter. He salvaged the knobs to match the other doors in the house. He got a router to make the trim for the door.

About three years ago Dad and the boys made these Adirondack chairs for the front porch. They still look really nice, so I thought I'd throw in a picture of them, too.

Dad and the boys made Adirondack Chairs for the front porch

First Impressions of Mississippi

I suppose that now that we’ve lived here in Mississippi for over a month, I owe everyone an update. Our first impressions of NAS Meridian have been very pleasant. We find the people here friendly and relaxed. After living in the hotel at NAS Meridian for a month, we are thankful to be in a house now. It is about a twenty minute drive from base, and located on a beautiful lake called Dalewood.

Messy kitchen

Clean kitchen

Our house hunting was aided by AHRN, a website specifically for military buyers, renters, and owners. It was really helpful, and we looked at several houses listed there. This house was listed but didn’t have very much info and no pictures (“No pictures? How can you read it without any pictures?” – Loose quote from Gaston). When the landlord showed us the house we were really surprised – it’s so beautiful and it’s in our price range! With some help from our new church folks we moved in two weeks ago.

The view from our front doorstep (attempted panoramic)

Our “landlord” is southern to the core. Her name is Virginia, and she is the first person that I ever heard use the phrase “I suwannee” in real conversation. I’ve read it in books before, but this is real life and I was very impressed. Last week Virginia brought us a bag of food – “stuff you can grow here”- since I told her I was going to start a garden. She gave us frozen corn, squash, tomato and okra, and black eyed peas. I put all of it in a soup this week, and I am really looking forward to having home grown vegetables this summer!

The weather here has been beautiful, and Tim took me to Lowe’s last week to get some plants and seeds. My lettuce and my spinach have already sprouted outside, and I just saw some beans poking up today! Inside I have started cosmos, zinnias and snapdragons, and some herbs, too. Virginia brought me a bunch of flowers that I’ve potted on our steps.

Iris blooming by our driveway

In New York my family had to contend with deer, raccoons, and groundhogs in the garden. Here I have already begun a love/hate relationship with Fatso the Squirrel. I love to watch furry critters (that’s what southern people call animals). Last weekend Tim and I were admiring the view from our living room window and noticed a very chubby squirrel waddling across our yard. Whereas most of the squirrels in our yard seem to be kamikaze acrobats, this one looked like he was about to go find a nice place to die. A day or two later I realized why he was waddling across our yard. He had just finished off about a pound of sunflower seeds that he’d snitched out of our carport. He left the shells all over the floor.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the next day he started digging in my flower pots. I re-potted my flowers, and decided to spray them with pepper spray. Unfortunately, I also breathed some of it in and spent the next hour blowing my nose. But Fatso has not disturbed my potted flowers for 48 hours now. I just wonder how long the stuff will work.

By the way, this is the fifth state that we’ve lived in since we’ve been married (we’ve lived in Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, Florida, and now Mississippi). Our military stations include Quantico MCB, Camp Pendleton, NAS Pensacola and NAS Whiting Field, and currently NAS Meridian. MCB stands for Marine Corps Base and NAS stands for Naval Air Station. Although Tim has been stationed at Navy bases, he is still a Marine.

Well, the post man just came by with a bunch of packages with my name on them, and one says DRESS FORM on it. I turned a quarter of a century yesterday and have been celebrating throughout the week with our new Mississippi friends. Tim is scheduled to arrive home sometime this evening, so I look forward to celebrating with him later.