Note: Most of the photos linked to these thumbnails have undergone varying degrees of enlargement. If you feel you might not want to see a larger version of a given image (such as a "harvest" pic) please don't click on that thumbnail.

Row One: What better way to start a new Gallery page and a new year than with pictures of our newest neighbors. 1) This is the little pistol that is Connie and Sonny's charge/soon to be adopted son Sean at 5 months - he is truly "chosen" and a real "Smiley Face", 2) here the smile is again a few days one way or the other from then with Rose, 3) Sean (at 6 months) loves hats or any other cover to put on his head, 4) This time I put my winter hat on his head during our after Christmas visit (a month later), 5) "I suppose the old fogy will expect me to give this nice furry hat back to him now.", and 6) This is the other "Hat Trick Kid" Tyler (Jabo & Kat's grandson - introduced earlier in these pages and a fixture in our lives just as Sean is) at 11 months doing his best to spread the Christmas cheer - they change so fast. Happy New Year to all, from the Happy New Generation! Remember, a smile does as much good as an antibiotic so smile along with the youngsters and stay healthy.

Row Two: 1) Tyler with his proud Mom & Dad (Shauna & Byron), 2) Momma Shauna (Jabo & Kat's older daughter) and Tyler at his First Birthday Bash (Jan. 17) - we were there and now I'm here to tell you the kid is a natural born party animal, 3) This image was sent to me as part of a joke by my old friend Hankus Magnificus - little did he know - all I could think of when I saw it (and Rose did too, withoutprompting) was, "Ohmigosh! It's 'Dag' (my brother) doing his infamous 'sneaky smile'", 4) Chris & Bernie in the DVM's boat headed for our third-eve hunt, 5) Allen and his two extremely well-arrowed pigs - honest he is happy, and 6) OK, Allen, we won't bug you to look happy anymore - we promise.

Row Three: 1) Me with my pistol pig - and I look like I'm in pain - what is wrong with these guys?, 2) another look - now there (finally) is a happy looking old fool, 3) this is the litter of 13 piglets that Randy and I were treated to various sightings of while finishing out hunting hours after I shot my larger ones with the pistol - this picture was taken next morning when Randy was able to sneak up on them while looking for my pig - the mother was nowhere to be seen but they were sleeping in one of those nest-like depressions (much the same as the litter we ran into last Spring at the Savannah River area) - right after Randy took this pic a woods-noise woke the little guys up and they winded Randy and blew out of there like 13 little dust devils, 4) & 5) are pics of the new above ground koi pound Rose and I build in late winter - our eight koi revel in their new deeper water - the smaller ones will grow better and perhaps we'll have young this year, and 6) here is my newly renovated home bow-practice range - it consists of a large yellow foam target (for broadheads) beside a small standing pillow easy-pull at 20 yds, two home-stuffed Ames pillow (hanging) easy-pull targets at 25 and 30 yds., and my old McKenzie life size deer at 40 yds. - shooters can move back or forward to change distance to given targets.

Row Four: First four pics are from Shauna and Byron's beautiful wedding ceremony at the beach - 1) Aunt Kim with Tyler in his tux she bought him for his parent's wedding surprise - this was probably their first glimpse of it, 2) Kim escorts "Himself" down the sandy "aisle" as everyone sees him in all his splendor - even his pacifier was in his mother's chosen wedding colors of white and yellow, 3) "I present Mr. and Mrs. - - etc.) - - ", 4) The United Family - may God bless this union - remember guys the two most important things in a marriage "When one throws fire let the other throw water" and "Never go to sleep on an argument not settled or at least put to rest" are my gifts of advice to all newlyweds - it's old and sound advice but takes constant working at, 5) Randy's young 'uns (Selene & Hunter) in the "dungeon and stocks" he tries to keep them in - Hunter has what my brother used to cal "his leather apron" hanging out, and 6) their proud dad (Randy) with his first turkey and I'm still not absolutely sure which is which - the bird was taken in SC (Spring of 2001).
 

Row Five: 1) Another shot of "The Ranman" and his fine bird, 2) after he got home Randy shared the glory of the harvest with Hunter, 3) Summer's here and Sean Mason indicates - "Surf's down at the pier, dudes.", 4) A tower of power - Sloopy/Kissie/Mocha (probably have to click for "the big picture" to make out Mocha at the top), 5) Work in progress - on "The Monster" - about half done here (that's a Diet Coke in my hand - honest), and 6) Fun in progress - with young Sean - he knows a similar head when he sees one.
 

Row Six: 1)"The Monster" (from side) resurrected and nearing completion - shooting is done from the open side and that is where the following pic was taken from, 2) View from the top (of "The Monster" that is) showing shot path to targets (the second 3D deer of the three at the far end is my eight dollar McKenzie bargain yard sale find), 3) thru 5) are pics from various angles of "The Monster" now completed except for some painting (note railings and shelves, etc. have been added - simply amazing what can be accomplished with baling wire, bubble gum, and determination), and 6) Finally "The Monster" in use - by yours truly - camera manned by Rose though she hates operating stuff like that - best part of this one is that with the sun backlighting me you aren't subjected to my mug, I like backlit pics anyway. These six pictures were taken with our new digital camcorder and are single frames from within a tape that was processed directly into the computer from the camera - I love it!.

Row Seven: More single frames from the camcorder but of moving "stuff" around the yard on a sunny morn - the small (spell l-a-r-g-e) pleasures of life.1)"Kiss what?" Kissie peering at me from behind the fencing we put around the bottom of the porch so the little dogs could safely go out and watch us working in the yard, 2) thru 4) are pictures of the Koi in the new pond - you can see "Big Goldie" (the elder matriarch) and "Sonny Two Spot" (who probably has turned out to be a lady) among others - yep all eight have names - oh shut-up! It's nunya (nun-ya bussines that is) and besides Koi are very distinctive in their individuality, 5) Just one of the numerous squirrels that dine with us - this one was the other side of the koi pond and seemed very interested in what I was doing (as they always are), and 6) Another of our frequent diners - a Ruby Throated Humming Bird at one of our porch feeders. This camcorder is going to work out so good on future hunts - if we can remember to use it.

Row Eight: Finally have some pics for you of really nice pig harvests taken earlier this year and mentioned in the Journal - 1) Randy with the big sow he took by bow while hunting with Al before the fall pig/deer hunt we all three went on, 2) Allen with the pig he took with his pistol during that fall hunt we all three went on (would you believe we finally got Allen to smile in one of these pictures), 3) Randy with the two pigs he took by bow on a later hunt with Allen - both taken on the same night out of the same tree (just as Allen had done much earlier in the year when all three of us were on a pig only hunt) - where's my big pig (?) - still waiting for me I guess - I hope, 4) "Butt, Sean" (Mason) let's see now, was it this end or the other end that looked like Sonny - or was it that this end looked like the other end - Naw! Sean hasn't decided yet if he wants to be a quarterback sacker or a male stripper - can't you just see about 18 years from now that same butt in the locker room just after the big game. Some sweet young thing from the local paper (who is the next hopeful TV lady sports announcer) swaggers up behind him, indulges in a quick towel snap and says, "Hey, Sean Babee, tell my readers how it felt to smash the opposing quarterback's last hopes of a win on that final play." Actually Sean is just trying to be like his buddy Bernie and show his butt on the web site (Whew, I got a lot of mileage out of that picture.), 5) The other end says, "I gotta get this laundry room back in shape before Mom gets back." and 6) my friend "Susie Q" Burch (web designer and hunter) and her granddaughter Lexie of SC - unfortunately Sue hasn't been up to much hunting this year but did manage to take Lexie out once and they were blessed with the harvest of this nice doe - look at the beautiful smiles on those faces from the sharing. I was so very pleased that she also felt like sharing with me. Stay well Susie - we need folks like you.
 

Row Nine: 1) Another view of Sue and Lexie with their doe - Sue now has another really great and interesting web site for women hunters, called (what else?) Women Hunters with lots of stories by many of the leading lady outdoor writers and hunters (I've added a link to it on my Links chart on the Life and Times Page - check it out with a visit), 2) This is Lexie and her kid brother Travis being "people too" as hunters often do - make a mighty purty cheerleader and an awesome mascot - the smiles of these fine folks gladden my heart and I hope they will yours too, 3) This is Tyler, of the North (my Great Grand Nephew or however you say it - any way he is one of my niece's daughter's son - you got that? OK explain it to me) - North is not his name it is just to distinguish him from Shauna's Tyler, of the South (seen in these Galleries) - Tyler N. was born a little bit before Tyler S. (as I recall) but the funny thing is that other than complexion they even resemble each other and are both pistols. I have to confess to another brain lapse as regards this picture - my sis (Viv, his Great Grandmother) sent the picture some time ago and I had every intention of posting it and thought I had - I got to looking for it last night in the gallery and of course I couldn't find it (wondered why Viv never mentioned it?) - the ol' gray matter just fades in and out. Sorry Viv(GGM), Wendy(GM), Jenna(Mother), Tyler N. - better late than never and he is a real cutie - I met him at Viv and Larry's 50th bash and ya gotta love him, 4) Meinsel-ef with my Mathews bow spikehorn ("the unbelievable one") and my Mossberg shotgun doe ("the long range one") from the Mattamuskeet area beside Randy's boat ("the African Queen"), 5) Another angle on the spikhorn's horn - the thumbs-up sign can only begin to express the joy and thankfulness of this ol' hoss, and 6) Young Master Hunter Chase Donley trying out a little "horn rat-lin'" and a lot of grinnin' on his ground-stand hunt with his dad - a "happy hunter" - no pun intended.
 

Row Ten: 1) 2) 3) and 4) Are pictures (from different angles on my front steps) of what I refer to as my 'Funky 6-Point" - and/or the "Cowhorn that isn't a cowhorn" - 4 of the points and the missing brow tine are pretty easy to make out (from the larger views and the shadows) but the other two points are small and located at the bottom of the beam on the right side - the girth of the beams are pretty good and the one on the right is 14 1/4" and the left one 11" long - definitely an unusual and worthwhile rack to eyeball - that's why 4 views - it will also be a treasured remembrance for me, 5) The Ranman himself with his grrreat Illinois (swap-hunt) Buck (a 9-point, 210 lb., 19" antler spread "beast") a fantastic end to a very satisfying trip/hunt - the rack is mighty fine but just look at the size of that upper front leg and the long snout on the rascal to get an idea of his size - I mean on the deer, not Randy (another "happy hunter" for sure), and 6) Need I say it again? A magnificent animal and a bowhunter's dream come true - you did go, man, go! (Now get the hell out of Dodge, there ain't room enough for the two of us anymore - Sorry, I couldn't resist that.) - also a fitting end to this Gallery Page. Look for Gallery, Pg5 appearing soon (soon as we get some new pics or "Wanted Posters" that need posting).