Battle of Olustee 1864 in Pictures

Here are some pics of the Olustee Battle of 1864. To know about the history of this battle read my Friday post which also has a couple of video clips that were taken.

The Battle of Olustee

On a frosty morning, February 20, 1864, the federal forces gathered outside Lake City, Florida, with the purpose to procure agriculture products and food, to obtain recruits and to force the allegiance of Florida to the Union.
Local Confederate forces, along with forces from Georgia equally determined to preserve and protect their commodities, banded together at Olustee, considering it their most defensible position.
Under the command of Brigadier General Joseph Finegan the battle began with Confederate advance, Calvary forces luring Federals toward the primary defenses.
Straight and narrow pine trees stood at somber attention on this Olustee field, with heavy fighting around them, beginning early in the afternoon and ending at dusk.
The momentum shifted back and forth and back again. By the cover of nightfall, the Federals retreated. The victory was clearly the Confederates. The only victory the Confederate forces had in the state of Florida.
Each February, in the vast timberland that is Baker County, those who remember, join professional "War Between the States" reenactors in commemorating this historic moment and in celebrating the accomplishments seeded by those spirited pioneers.

Below are a couple of video clips that I had taken at last year's festival. The festival is taking place again this weekend and I will be posting pics on Sunday.

*remember to turn the autoplay off of my main page theme song. :-)

Wordless Wednesday - Funny Pic

Click on the pic to enlarge it so you read the words under each pic.

Losing a Customer & a Friend

Most of my readers know that my trade is pest control. In this type of business you meet all types; the good, the bad, the ugly, neat freaks and the messy freaks. Over the years I have become close to several of my customers and rightfully so; I see them on a monthly basis. Many of my customers are elderly and are sweet as pie. I usually spend a few extra minutes with them because they are lonely and do not have many people that come to visit. They love the attention and time spent chatting with them.
Today I went to one of my favorite customers, Ms. Irma.
Ms. Irma is 91 and she always has a ziplock bag of cookies for me when I treat her home. I can always count on her to make me smile. Ms. Irma was diagnosed with Alzheimers many months back.
Today I pulled up in Ms. Irma's driveway and noticed several cars in her drive also. I was met at the door by her daughter, Sharon. By the look on Sharon's face I knew something was wrong. Grief was very evident in her eyes. She asked me to come inside and we sat at the kitchen table and as usual, there was my bag of cookies laying there.
"Where's Ms. Irma? Is she resting?", I asked with hope in my voice.
"Mom past away yesterday, of a heart attack", Sharon answered with tears welling up in her eyes. I gave my heart-felt condolences to Sharon and for her family.
"Mom said she wasn't going to let that degrading desease take her and she didn't", Sharon stated. I told Sharon how highly I thought of her mom and she told me how Ms. Irma thought of me. I told Sharon how happy her mother was when I told her I was engaged. Sharon then reached for my bag of cookies and handed them to me, "You enjoy these cookies, Bryan".
As I left I was given a note with the funeral info and was asked to come if at all possible. I assured Sharon that I would be there, come hell or high water.
I went to the nearby park, pulled under an oak tree and enjoyed those homemade peanut butter cookies.
Ms. Irma will be missed. I hope I can live as long as her and be as happy as she made the people around her feel.

My Daughter's Latest Youtube Video

Here's the latest YouTube video that my daughter Michelle & her friend Cali have made. The title of this one is, "Rockband Intervention". This vid also has my son Keith playing a role.
What ya think?

Did Jack Frost Get Lost?

Last night we had our coldest night of the season, a measely 13 degrees. Yeah, that's right....13 degrees here in north Florida. With the wind chill, it was a whopping 3. Tonight it is suppose to be about the same, within a few degrees. I will be the first one to admit that I am a WIMP when it comes to cold weather. I did spend 2 winters in Oklahoma City and for the record, I will never do that again.
When the temps drop below 50, I prepare to bundle up......it's eskimo clothing time.
It's miserable to work outside in those temps. Fortunately, it reached above freezing by 10 a.m. Our high was 46, tomorrow it will reach 48 and by the weekend it will be back in the 70's. Hallelujah!!!!
I am not sure why Jack Frost decided to pay us such a visit but I can't wait for him to pack up, go back to Canada where he belongs and for spring to arrive.
Which brings me to my question for you.
What is your favorite season?

Wordless Wednesday

Getting Old Sucks

I am making a conscious effort to become a healthier "me". I am not exactly dieting, it's more of a "watching what I eat" type of thing. I'm not getting any younger regardless of how young I feel on most days. I start the decent "down the hill" soon, I hit 41 in a few weeks. Ugh!!!
I have 2 major weaknesses when it comes to my diet; Chocolate & Mt. Dew.
Cindy & I decided a few weeks ago to eat healthier. More water, less sodas; more fiber & protein, less chocolate. We even joined a gym recently. So far the effort is paying off for both of us. I feel better, I have more energy and even managed to lose a few pounds along the way.
I admire anyone who can diet & exercise and be successful at it. Willpower is the key. Throughout my day I have strong cravings for a Mt. Dew. Typically, it would be nothing for me to drink 3 Dews in one day and then several glasses of ice tea in evenings. Neither Cindy nor I are fans of regular water so we drink flavored water. We have bought a lot of sugar free candy and fat free snacks and that has seemed to have helped quite a bit.
Regular visits to the gym begin soon. I dread the first week and having to cope with all the soreness.
Getting old sucks.

It's Monday, Need A Laugh?

Most people have a problem with Mondays, myself included. Just like Garfield, I hate Mondays. To make your Monday a lil' better I have posted this video of the "squirrel relocator".
Remember to stop the autoplay of my blog's theme song before playing.
I hope this brings you a smile.