The old groundhog had the entrance hole to his den hid purty well. I'd stacked a bunch of lumber ole Jeep had giv'n me, several years ago, alongside our driveway. I got tired of mowin around all that lumber so---I dropped a match alongside the lumber pile this spring. When I clean up--NOTHING is sacred!! That was one of the hottest fires I think I've ever been around. The lumber was yellow pine--pinta treated, along with some western cedar also pinta treated. Just south of that pile of lumber was a huge pile of used oak 2 X 4's absolutely full of nails! That pile of lumber burned all day and by evening it was purty well burned out but had a truck load of hot coals. Next mornin I was out and about early and noticed all those nails lay'n on the ground. Couldn't pick'm up just yet---still coals amongst'm. I finally got around to pick'n'm up two days later. Thats' when I noticed old Mr. Groundhog's hole. I never saw'm leave when the fire was burnin but assume he'd already left. After lookin some more I noticed another den hole of his'n out in the edge of the field alongside a pine tree. He'll not get back in that den--unless he moves some mighty heavy concrete that I'd shoved down inside it. I'll catch'm shortly I'm sure. The old Swedish Mauser will make short work of his old ornery hide, I'll bet!

Backwaters of the river bottoms just went down day before yesterday after bein "out" for better part of a week. The sun came out and temps climbed into the low 90's first part of this week too. Now the skeeters are so plentiful ya'll hafta run to get to the vehicles before bein eat up by'm. Deep Woods Off is the only repellant that'll turn'm. Huge Saltwater skeeters as big as nickels and I would almost swear they had TUSKS!!!!

Calvin! Where ya'll at? Lil Dumplin is lookin for ya'll. Naw, couldn't've been dragged off by a skeeter!

Speakin of bein carried off---Jesus will do exactly that when He comes for His Church. Are you a member of His Church? Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), June 15, 2001