Catch Up

Atley James Rogers
Our great grandson is growing like a weed. He’s always got a smile. We got a good visit in August when Mandy, Alex and Sylvia came for a visit. Here’s a few pictures.

Health Situation
I have been wearing a heart monitor the past few weeks (one more week to go). I saw the heart doctor a week ago and he told me I have Atrial Fibrillation. Now I have two more meds to take. The real danger of this condition is a stroke so I need to follow the doctors orders.

Fishing
The last two trips were not goo. One was bad and then the last trip was worse. We went to South Holston and only got 3 Lakers. So next week we decided to try Watauga lake and it was worse--No fish, not even a bite!

But before that we had some good days. On one trip I took Kevin and Zachary. We got our limit of 6 Lakers on South Holston and had a great day.

Then when Mandy and Alex visited in August we went fishing one day. Here’s the results:

Travel
We had a nice little trip to Kentucky to visit Beverly’s relatives (mine too) and attend at McBrayer family reunion.

Coming up soon is our annual church convention which we always enjoy because we need the spiritual guidance and help.

We are also planning a trip to New Jersey to visit our daughter, Bethany. We have not had the opportunity to visit her in the Asbury Park area since she moved there over two years ago. It’s about time for Mom and Dad to show up, don’t you think

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
Someone said smile, things could be worse. So sure enough, I smiled, and things got worse.

Just kidding!

~~~

Quote of the Day

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
Isaiah 51:6

(Note from Granddaddy:
See in above that the earth was planned to get old and get worn out. We are thankful for eternal salvation. Help me see things now as I will one day see.)

~~~
Joke of the Day

A man walked by a table in a hotel and noticed three men and a dog playing cards.

The dog, predictably, was losing.

"He would probably do better if he could read the cards," the man commented.

"Oh, he can read cards just fine," said one of the players. "But every time he gets a good hand he wags his tail."

~~~

For her 40th birthday, a wife told her husband, "I'd love to be 10 again."

So that Saturday, they had a heaping stack of chocolate-chip pancakes, her favorite childhood breakfast. Then they hit the playground and a merry-go-round. They finished the day with a banana split.

"So how did you enjoy being a kid for a day?" the husband asked.

"Great," the wife replied. "But when I said I wanted to be 10 again, I meant my dress size."

~~~

Seeing her friend Sally wearing a new locket, Meg asks if there is a memento of some sort inside.

"Yes," says Sally, "a lock of my husband's hair."

"But Larry's still alive."

"I know, but his hair is gone."

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Things Are Happening and It Keeps Raining

Rain, Rain and More Rain
We’ve really had the rain. It seems like every day we have a shower or thunderstorm. Sometimes it is a struggle to find a time to mow the lawn or go fishing. So far we have managed to accomplish both, but it has required some effort keeping up with weather reports, weather radar and checking the sky.

Fishing on South Holston Lake
Last week we made two fishing trips. On Thursday I went with a couple of my fishing buddies. We got our limit of lake trout and had a good day of fishing. Our 6 fish weighed a tad over 28 pounds and the largest was 6 lb. and 2 oz.

I returned to the lake on Saturday morning with Kevin and Zachary (son and grandson). We got the boat in the water early but then spent about an hour waiting out a thunderstorm that was threatening. I just don’t want to be on the water when there is lightening.

After the storm passed we began a short run to the magic fishing spot where we troll for the lake trout. We got our limit of 6 nice lake trout by around 1 PM. We all had a fun day of not only fishing but catching. Our 6 fish weighed a little over 28 pounds and our biggest fish was 6 1/2 pounds and was caught by Zachary!  The picture to the right shows Zachary holding his monster catch.

Here’s two more pictures. And if you look closely you will see there are only 5 fish. We caught the 6th fish after we had taken the pictures below. As we were cranking in our trolling lures to end the day of fishing we got a bite on the way in. It was another nice trout that added over 4-5 pounds to our stringer.

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says: 

A puzzle I received from a friend:

You are on a horse, galloping at a constant speed.

On your right side is a sharp drop off.

And on your left side is an Elephant traveling at the same speed as you.

Directly in front of you is a galloping Kangaroo and your horse is unable to overtake it.

Behind you is a Lion running at the same speed as you and the Kangaroo.

What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?

Answer: Get off the merry-go-round.

~~~

Quote of the Day

You must welcome change as the rule
but not as your ruler.
~Denis Waitley

~~~
Joke of the Day

There's an old sea story about a ship's Captain who inspected his sailors, and afterward told the first mate that his men smelled bad.

The Captain suggested perhaps it would help if the sailors would change underwear occasionally.

The first mate responded, "Aye, aye sir, I'll see to it immediately!"

The first mate went straight to the sailors berth deck and announced, "The Captain thinks you guys smell bad and wants you to change your underwear."

He continued, "Pittman, you change with Jones, McCarthy, you change with Witkowski, and Brown, you change with Schultz."

THE MORAL OF THE STORY:

Someone may come along and promise "Change", but don't count on things smelling any better.

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Happy Birthday Atley

Atley Is One Year Old Today

Picture by Mandy & Alex

Fishing Update for 2013

Spring Crappie
We have ended our trips to Douglas Lake for crappie fishing for this spring. Here’s a summary for the ten (10) trips we made down to Swann’s Marina.

Number of Fishing Trips	10
Total Number of Crappie Caught	1215
Total Number of “Throw Backs”	913
Total Number of Keepers	302
Percent Keepers	25%

Our last trip to Douglas was on June 20 where we caught 17 “keepers”, and had 34 “throw backs”. A “Keeper” is a crappie 10” or longer. The “Throw Backs” were returned to the lake to grow larger. Overall a good and enjoyable year for us. But it’s not over…

Lake Trout
When the water get hot on Douglas and the fish are hard to catch, we change lakes and our target fish. We can usually find fish in the deep waters of South Holston and Watauga Lakes. Just to make sure we had not lost our “touch” we made a trip to South Holston last Tuesday to try for the Lake Trout. Doug and I had our limit by 1:00 PM. We lost several big fish earlier but finally recovered the knack for catching these big fish.

Here’s a picture of our 4 keepers. The limit is only 2 per person per day and there is no size limit. The weights of the fish were 6 lb 3 oz, 5 lb 3 oz, 4 lb 7 oz and 2 lb 14 oz. That was a heavy stringer topping out at close to 19 pounds for 4 fish. Needless to say we were happy and smiling. Those are fun to catch. (You know, catching is  a little more fun that just fishing.)

NEWS FLASH
Just tonight, Kara and her partner, another Kara, won their tennis doubles championship match to win the girls double tournament at the Bristol Tennis and Racket Club. Here’s a picture of the victors who won in convincing fashion, 6-2, and 6-1.

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
It pays to keep busy.
Set goals.
Make a little progress each day.
Don’t let others discourage you.
Keep on, Keeping on.

~~~

Quote of the Day

A child can ask questions that a wise man cannot answer
~Author Unknown

~~~
Joke of the Day

Every time the man next door headed toward Robinson's house, Robinson knew he was coming to borrow something. "He won't get away with it this time," muttered Robinson to his wife. "Watch this."

"Er, I wonder if you'd be using your power-saw this morning," the neighbor began.

"Gee, I'm awfully sorry," said Robinson with a smug look, "but the fact of the matter is, I'll be using it all day."

"In that case," said the neighbor, "You won't be using your golf clubs. Mind if I borrow them?"

(Sounds a little bit like Herb and Dagwood in the comics)

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Eagles, Proverbs and Fishing

What I Saw Was Amazing!
We were fishing this past Tuesday on Douglas Lake. It was about 3:30 pm and the lake was quiet. We were trolling at about 1 MPH. It was a beautiful day. We had just caught another fish but it was not a crappie. Instead we had just caught a freshwater drum that we call a trash fish. After getting it unhooked we threw it back into the lake. I was in rear of the boat checking some fishing rods and I saw that old drum float by in the rippling wake of our boat. Then the most amazing thing happened when the fish was about 10-15 yards from the boat. I saw something in the sky. A big bird? At first I could not identify it, but as it got closer I could see it was an American Bald Eagle. The majestic bird circled and them swooped to the water and picked up that fish that we had just returned to the water. I was awed as I watched the bird circle over the lake and then fly toward the shoreline with his catch. I sure it was used to feed some eaglets in the nest.

I turned to Doug and Ralph who also witnessed this event, and told them that if we had not caught a fish all day what we had just seen was worth the trip. I’m so thankful for what I saw and for the American Eagle.

Chinese Proverb and the Washington Way
Original Chinese Proverb:
Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime.
2012 White House Revision:
Give a man a welfare check, a free cell phone with unlimited free minutes, cash for his clunker, food
stamps, section 8 housing, free contraceptives,
Medicaid, ninety-nine weeks of unemployment, free
medicine, and he will vote for Democrats the rest of
his life; even after he's deceased.

The Crappie Fishing Summary for 2013
This has been an unbelievable year for our crappie fishing on Douglas Lake. We’ve had a full 2 months of good fishing. We’ve made 9 trips to the lake and not had a bad day of fishing.

Date	Keepers	Throw-backs	Total
4/9	19	23	42
4/16	45	206	251
4/18	30	156	186
4/23	45	117	162
5/10	33	110	143
5/13	30	73	103
5/21	34	100	134
5/28	26	62	88
6/11	23	31	54
Total	285	878	1,163

I’m not sure if we will go to Douglas again until this fall. My gut tells me it is time to put up the crappie rods and get ready to go to South Holston Lake and fish for the Lake Trout. We catch them very deep (40-70 feet) so the hot weather does not impact this type of fishing.

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
I have some advice for you today. It came from my own Dad. He told me once that if I ever thought I was indispensible to get a “glass of water”. Then put my finger down into the glass. Then he said pull out my finger and look at the glass. If it leaves a hole, then you truly are indispensible. I’ll never forget that important message.

He also used the “glass of water” to teach me another lesson. When teaching me to drive, he told me to pretend there was a glass of water mounted on the dashboard. He said not drive so you will not spill a drop of the water.

~~~

Quote of the Day

Earth and sky, woods and fields,
lakes and rivers, the mountain and the sea,
are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.
~John Lubbock

~~~
Joke of the Day

A six-year-old goes to the hospital with her mother to visit her Grandpa.

When they get to the hospital, she runs ahead of her mother and bursts into her Grandpa's room.

"Grandpa, Grandpa," she says excitedly, "as soon as my mother comes into the room, make a noise like a frog!"

"What?" said her Grandpa.

"Make a noise like a frog because my mom said that as soon as you croak, we're all going to Disney World!”

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A Good Year for Crappie

Douglas Lake Crappie Fishing 2013
As of this week we had caught over 1,100 crappie and had brought home 262 keepers (over 10”). It’s been the best year I can remember for catching fish even though the percent keepers has been only 24%. The table below shows the dates we went fishing the results. I can’t complain. It’s been lots of fun, we all have some good eating in our freezer. (Table Updated Through 5/28/13)

Date	Keepers	Throw-backs	Total
4/9	19	23	42
4/16	45	206	251
4/18	30	156	186
4/23	45	117	162
5/10	33	110	143
5/13	30	73	103
5/21	34	100	134
5/28	26	62	88
Total	262	847	1,109

Here’s a couple of pictures from our May 21st trip. The view from off the back of the boat shows 7 rods we are trolling. We also have 5 rods off of each side giving us a total of 17 rods that we try to keep in the water. We keep the speed between 0.8 and 1.0 MPH and wait for the bites.
Here I am holding the stringer of 34 crappie. I’m grinning!

Monday May 27, 2013 is Memorial Day!
Take a minute to be thankful for this great country and the men and women who made it great, free & safe.

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught.  ~Author Unknown

~~~

Quote of the Day

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people,
and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:3

~~~
Joke of the Day

A fleeing Taliban terrorist, desperate for water, was plodding through the Afghan desert when he saw something far off in the distance.

Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the mirage, only to find a very frail little old Jewish man standing at a small makeshift display rack - selling ties.

The Taliban terrorist asked, "Do you have water?"

The Jewish man replied, "I have no water. Would you like to buy a tie? They are only $5."

The Taliban shouted hysterically, "Idiot Infidel! I do not need such an over-priced western adornment - I spit on your ties. I need water!”

"Sorry, I have none - just ties - pure silk - and only $5."

"Pahh! A curse on your ties, I should wrap one around your scrawny little neck and choke the life out of you but... I must conserve my energy and find water!"

"Okay," said   the little old Jewish man, “It does not matter that you do not want to buy a tie from me  or that you hate me, threaten my life and call me infidel. I will show you that I am bigger than any of that. If you continue over that hill to the east for about   two miles, you will find a restaurant. It has the finest food and all the ice-cold water you need... Go In Peace."

Cursing him again, the desperate Taliban staggered away over the hill.

Several hours later he crawled back, almost dead and gasped...

"They won't let me in without a tie!”

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Catching Up…

I’ve been negligent in posting. So I’ll try to catch up.

Mother’s Day
To celebrate Mother’s Day, Kevin invited us to a nice picnic at the Eastman Picnic Area. We had five mothers in attendance and a great meal. The food was BBQ from the world famous Original Ridgewood Barbeque in Bluff City, TN.

Cataracts
Beverly had cataract surgery on her right eye last Thursday. I have been amazed at her recovery and the results! She was noticing big differences in her vision on the afternoon after her surgery and on Friday morning she was reading the smallest type on her iPhone. Later Friday morning we went to the doctor for a checkup on her eye and everything was A-OK. The doctor gave us a CD with a movie of her complete cataract surgery. I watched it later that day, but Beverly has decided to wait until after her cataract surgery on her left eye on May 30.

Tennis
We enjoyed watching our granddaughter, Kara, play tennis this year. She’s a freshmen and plays on her high school tennis team. Her improvement this year has been very impressive. She won quite a few (6-7) singles matches in competition. I noticed a dramatic change from when grandmother and I took her for her first tennis lessons a couple of years ago. Way to Go, Kara!!!

Band Concert
Zachary’s band concert was on May 9. And what a great concert it was! Zachary plays the percussion instruments and you can easily see that he enjoys it very much. He as right when he told us the concert would be “Awesome!”.

Upcoming Events
May 23 – Zachary’s Birthday. He’ll be 12 years old!
June 8 – Jim & Beverly’s 52nd Wedding Anniversary

Fishing
It has been a good year for crappie fishing for us this year.Thus far we have made 5 fishing trips to Douglas Lake. In total we have caught 784 crappie and 172 have been keepers (over 10”). The Keeper Rate is about 22% or about 1 out of very 5 fish is a keeper. The “keepers” are put on ice a brought home for the filet knife and freezer bags. (The 612 non keepers were gently released back into the lake to continue to grow.)

Our most popular lure this year has been the 1/16 oz. white Roadrunner tipped with a Crappie Slider.

The White Roadrunner

3 Crappie Sliders

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
In the James 1:19 it gives us some good advice:

“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be
swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

~~~

Quote of the Day

In the presence of eternity,
the mountains are as transient as the clouds.
~Robert Green Ingersoll

~~~
Joke of the Day

Walking into the bar, Mike said to Charlie the bartender, 'Pour me a stiff one - just had another fight with the little woman.'

'Oh yeah?' said Charlie, 'And how did this one end?'

'When it was over,' Mike replied, 'She came to me on her hands and knees.'

'Really,' said Charles, 'Now that's a switch!   What did she say?'

She said, 'Come out from under the bed, you little chicken.'

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Two Great Days Last Week!

Last Tuesday
We went back to Douglas Lake and got our limit again! This is the second time in my life when we got our limit for crappie on Douglas Lake. It was a good day for sure. We use two fish counters (see picture). The one on the left shows how many under-sized crappie that we tossed back in the lake. The other counter shows the “keepers”. The limit is 15 per day and they have to be 10 inches or larger.

This picture shows the two guys I fish with. Doug is on the left and Ralph is on the right. We make a good team. It takes all three of us to fish my boat since we are trolling with 16 rods with rear-drag spinning reels. Our primary bait is lead head jigs with plastic. However, this year we have caught the majority of fish with Road Runners  baited with Crappie Sliders.

Last Thursday
I went to a luncheon to celebrate a good friend’s 25 year anniversary with Eastman Chemical Company. His name is Arved and I remember the day we interviewed and hired him. He came to Eastman from Wise, Virginia and he had a Master’s degree in Statistics from Virginia Tech. It was a great to see Arved and many others that I had worked with when I was working at Eastman.

The picture below was taken a few months after Arved was hired. He is on the far left. This was taken when Dr. W. Edwards Deming came to Eastman in 1988. Dr. Deming is surrounded by all the statisticians who were working at Eastman Chemical Co. at that time.

Yes, Tennessee Granddaddy is in the picture. See if you can find him. He turned 50 the week this picture was taken.

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
During this path of life, be careful that you don’t burn bridges. It much better to build new bridges and lay stepping stones for others.

~~~

Quotes of the Day

Learn all you can from the mistakes of others.  You won't have time to make them all yourself.
~Alfred Sheinwold


Experience is not what happens to a man.  It is what a man does with what happens to him.
~Aldous Leonard Huxley

~~~
Joke of the Day

A man walked by a table in a hotel and noticed three men and a dog playing cards.

The dog, predictably, was losing.

"He would probably do better if he could read the cards," the man commented.

"Oh, he can read cards just fine," said one of the players. "But every time he gets a good hand he wags his tail."

Add your thoughts & ideas to this blog by clicking on the "comments" below

My Fishing Report

Crappie Fishing
Actually the fishing has not been “crappie” but very good for us last week on Douglas Lake. We went twice, and we don’t do that very often unless the the fishing is good.

On Tuesday, the three of us caught our limit of 45 crappie. The state allows 15 crappie per person provided they are 10” or greater in length. However, in order to get 45 keepers we caught a total of 206 fish. That’s only about a 22% success rate for keepers.

On Thursday we only caught 30 keepers out of 156 total fish. That’s a 19% success rate for keepers.

I call that some pretty good fishing and even though 4 out of 5 fish are too small to keep it is lots of fun and it keeps you busy. And on both days we caught some nice catfish to go with the crappie.

Now I’m ready for some fried crappie filets, with some fried potatoes, coleslaw, and cornbread or hushpuppies. Yum! Yum!

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says: 
Enjoy the beautiful weather.
Go fishing!
Then you will smile and relax.

~~~

Quote of the Day

The gods do not deduct from man's
allotted span the hours spent in fishing.
~Babylonian Proverb

~~~
Joke of the Day

During John's physical, the doctor asked him about his daily activity level.

John replied, "Well, yesterday morning, I waded along the edge of a lake, escaped from wild dogs in the heavy brush, marched up and down several rocky hills, stood in a patch of poison ivy, crawled out of quicksand, and jumped away from an aggressive rattlesnake."

Inspired by the story, the doctor said, "You must be some outdoorsman!"

"No," John replied, "I'm just a lousy golfer."

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First Day

Of Fishing in 2013
We went to Douglas Lake today to fish for crappie. It was the first trip this year and the first trip to test the equipment (boat, motor, fishing gear) my new hip. Everything worked perfectly.

And we caught fish! We caught a total of 42 crappie, but only 19 were “keepers”. A good day.

That’s my friend Ralph holding the stringer and you can see Doug in the background.

We have had a late spring for sure. I was checking our fishing trips we made last year, and I was surprised that we had already made 3 trips to fish Douglas. The first fishing trip last year was on March 13!

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
Our winter was not severe, but so long. The late Spring is here at last. Soon the redbuds will be blooming and the dogwoods not far behind. Ahhh!

~~~

Quote of the Day

A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.
~Benjamin Franklin

~~~
Joke of the Day

A recently ordained pastor was invited fishing by two senior pastors. They rowed their boat out into the middle of a lake and started casting.

Suddenly, one of the senior pastors says, "I forgot my bait. I'll be right back." Then he hops out of the boat, walks across the water to shore. A few minutes later, he comes walking back and gets in the boat.

The junior pastor is astonished, but manages to keep it to himself.

A bit later, the other senior pastor says, "I forgot my sunscreen. I'll be right back." Then he hops out of the boat, walks across the water to shore. A few minutes later, he comes walking back and gets in the boat.

The junior pastor is now certain that these are two men of supreme faith and he doesn't want to appear less spiritual.

After a few moments, the junior pastor says, "I forgot my lunch. I'll be right back." He hops out of the boat and plunges straight to the bottom of the lake.

One senior pastor turns to the other and says, "We forgot to tell him about the stepping stones."

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Last Weekend

We Had a Visit from Atley
Beginning last Friday we enjoyed a wonderful visit from Mandy, Alex, Atley, and Sylvia. It was so good to be able to see the growth in Atley. He’s 7 months old now and really growing fast. He already has 4 teeth. Here’s a few pictures.

A Great Explanation
This is a must to watch. It illustrates in simple terms what our government is doing to us by not cutting back spending and working to balance the budget. What would happen if we operated our households like the federal government? We have to live on a budget and our government should also!

 

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
The biggest trouble with bad habits is that
they often become a necessity.

~~~

Quote of the Day

Nobody can do everything,
but everyone can do something.
~Author Unknown

~~~
Joke of the Day

A newly married man, feeling a little insecure, asked his wife, "Would you have married me if my father hadn't left me a fortune?"

"Honey," his bride replied sweetly, "I'd have married you no matter who left you that fortune!"

-and-

A woman was sitting on the patio with her husband and sipping a glass of wine. Suddenly she said, "I love you so much, I don't know how I could ever live without you."

Her husband asked, "Is that you, or the wine talking?"

She replied, "It's me...talking to the wine."

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More Winter to Come?

Prepare Yourself and Home for Icy Weather
While we hope that the harsh days of cold weather are behind us, it is possible we may have some bad weather in the next few weeks. That is why I wanted to share the following with you. I received it a few days ago and thought you might benefit from the suggestions like I did.

1) Stock up on batteries, flashlights and candles. Get a battery-powered radio and prepare an alternate source of heat, like a generator or enough wood to supply a wood stove.

2) Store extra clothes and blankets for when power and heat are lost.

3) Stock up on extra food and water. Keep a manual can opener and food that requires little or no cooking unless you have an alternate cooking source like a propane grill or camping stove with plenty of fuel. Keep at least one week's worth of prescription medication on hand.

4) Have a first aid kit, list of emergency numbers and a corded phone within easy reach. Cordless phones do not work when the power is out.

5) Fill up automobile gas tanks and have cash on hand because gas stations and banks may be out of service during an ice storm.

6) Unplug appliances to protect them from bursts of electricity, like the television, stereo, computer and microwave.

7) Install smoke alarms and test their batteries.

8) Properly insulate your home and seal windows and doors with weather-stripping to prevent cold air from leaking in.

9) Install storm windows or wrap windows from inside with plastic to add extra insulation against cold air.

10) Drain water pipes and consider wrapping them with blankets or newspapers to discourage freezing which commonly occurs during an ice storm. Alternately, let them drip but catch the water so that later it can be used for drinking, cooking or washing.

11) Turn off all major electric appliances if the power goes out.

12) Keep the refrigerator and freezer closed to conserve cold air and preserve food.

13) Use water sparingly; for example, flush the toilet with leftover cooking or washing water.

14) Eat and drink on a regular basis to stay hydrated and to help regulate you body temperature.

15) Listen to the radio for forecasts, warnings and further instructions regarding the ice storm.

16) Change wet clothing frequently to avoid losing body heat. Seek medical attention if you see any indications of hypothermia or frostbite.

Portions of these tips were retrieved from "eHow.com".

I’m Thinking Spring
While I give you all those winter tips above, I’m thinking spring time and fishing. I’ve started work on getting my fishing tackle ready for the fishing season. I’ve removed the old line from 10 spinning reels. Now I need to oil the reels and put new line on the reels. Then on some warm day I will go outside and put the reels on the fishing rods that we use for crappie fishing. I enjoy every minute of getting ready for fishing!

~~~

Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
Smile!

~~~

Quote of the Day

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.
~Proverb

~~~
Joke of the Day

Upon entering the little country store, the stranger noticed a sign saying DANGER! BEWARE OF DOG! posted on the glass door. Inside he noticed a harmless old hound dog asleep on the floor beside the cash register.

He asked the store manager, "Is THAT the dog folks are supposed to beware of?"

"Yep, that's him," he replied.

The stranger couldn't help but be amused. "That certainly doesn't look like a dangerous dog to me. Why in the world would you post that sign?"

"Because", the owner replied, "before I posted that sign, people kept tripping over him."

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Doctor’s Report

Granddaddy Appointments
Yesterday I had 2 doctor appointments. The first was with my dermatologist, and the second was with the surgeon who did my hip surgery

The dermatologist found a little spot on my ear that needs to be watched to see if it is growing larger. It’s a small spot that I had never noticed, right on my ear lobe. They took pictures and I’ll be watching it.

The surgeon was pleased with my progress and lifted all restrictions for bending, twisting, etc. I can now tie my own shoes, sit in any chair, and just be what I was before the surgery. But I need to continue using the cane until I develop more strength in my left leg so that I can walk without a limp. He agreed for me to continue physical therapy for one more month. (Note to Alex: Sorry but it looks like you will not be able to get my favorite chair when you, Mandy & Atley come for that February visit.)

The Home Place is Sold
Last week we closed on selling Dad’s house in Knoxville. I have been experiencing a mixture of emotions from knowing the house now belongs to someone else. We moved into that house about 57 years ago. Many memories on my Mother and Dad go with the surroundings of that wonderful home. That’s sad. At the same time we were glad to sell the property and remove the worry and expense of an unoccupied house. It had to be done, but my heart aches.

Marvelous Kites in the Wind
I think you will enjoy the following video showing Ray Bethell fly his kites. It’s an amazing feat and a thing of beauty. It brought back memories of my childhood when we would fly kites from our front yard. What fun. I would really enjoy flying a kite again!

 

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Tennessee Granddaddy Says:
It’s much better to understand a little
than to misunderstand a lot.

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Quote of the Day

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.
~Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Joke of the Day

A local business was looking for office help and put up sign stating the following: "HELP WANTED. Must be able to type, must be good with a computer and must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer."

A short time afterwards, a dog trotted up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist and wagged his tail, then walked over to the sign, looked at it and whined.

Getting the idea, the receptionist got the office manager. The office manager looked at the dog and was surprised, to say the least. However, the dog looked determined, so the manager lead him into the office.

Inside, the dog jumped up on the chair and stared at the manager. The manager said "I can't hire you. The sign says you have to be able to type." The dog jumped down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to type out a perfect letter.

He took out the page and trotted over to the manager and gave it to him, then jumped back on the chair. The manager was stunned, but then told the dog, "The sign says you have to be good with a computer."

The dog jumped down again and went to the computer. The dog proceeded to open and use all the productivity software. By this time the manager was totally dumbfounded!

He looked at the dog and said "I realize that you are a very intelligent dog and have some interesting abilities. However, I still can't give you the job."

The dog jumped down and went to a copy of the sign and put his paw on the sentence about being an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The manager said, "Yes, but the sign also says that you have to be bilingual."

The dog looked at the manager calmly and said, "Meow."

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