FRIDAY DECEMBER 30, 2011
11:30 AM


I have been cleaning up the mess left by the plumber when they installed my new field line.  They had to remove several small trees.  I took my new chain saw and cut them in to small pieces and then burned them.  I have about 95 % of them removed and burned.  I will remove the rest of them after the plumber returns and completes the spreading of the dirt.  It has rained quiet a bit since they put in the new field line.  That makes a muddy mess, but it has helped settle the dirt around the field line.

I need to do a small roof job, but it is cloudy and the wind in blowing.  I will wait until the sun comes out and the temperature is a little higher.

Pat has just left to meet one of her relatives for lunch.  They have met several times for lunch since we moved back to Iuka.  They enjoy visiting and eating together.

I have watched parts of several bowl games over the last few days.  I will watch Mississippi State and Wake Forrest later today.  I will probably watch the entire game unless it is a blowout.

I talked to Amy last evening.  She was off yesterday.  She said that she caught up on her sleep.  She was glad for the break.  She has been very busy since Christmas.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 27, 2011
5:30 AM

We had a very good Christmas.  The family all got together at my brothers house for breakfast.  Everyone had plenty to eat and I enjoyed visiting with family members.  Mother came.  She enjoyed the visit and food.  My sister in law had scanned a lot of old family pictures and they were on a slide show on the TV.  Mother enjoyed viewing the pictures.

Amy any Matt came late Saturday night.  He had to go to work on Monday, so they had to go back home on Sunday evening.  She got a call Christmas day from one of her outside jobs, so she would have had to leave even if Matt could have stayed.  She sent me a text yesterday afternoon.  She was working on her third body at that time and had made a removal for the funeral home.  I hate that she could not spend more time with the family, but she had a good day making extra money yesterday.

Pat had lunch for some family members on Christmas day.  One of my brothers and his family, my aunt, Amy, Matt, Pat, and I all enjoyed the food and company for  a few hours.

I had a gift card from Lowes and Amy gave me another one for Christmas.  I went to Lowes yesterday and used them to buy a chain saw.  I used it a little yesterday before the rain forced me to stop.  I was removing some of the trees that had to be taken down to install the new field line.  I will finish the job over the next several days.

I enjoyed the time we had together with family members over the Christmas holidays.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 22, 2011
2:35 PM

It has been raining here all day.  It has been a good day to stay inside.  Pat has been cleaning the house today.

I have not felt good today.  I have been running a fever.  Pat told me if I did not get better that I should got to the doctor.  If I do not get better I will go.  I do not want to be sick during the Christmas season.

Amy is planning to come home on Friday night.  She is off Saturday, Sunday and Monday.  She will get to spend three days here if she does not have to go to one of her other jobs.  (she does contract work for a Memphis funeral home and a funeral home in Arkansas)  She needs to make the money, but I hope she gets to spend three days in Iuka.

I went to the coffee shop this morning.  One of the ladies that does a lot of baking brought a strawberry cake and chocolate chip cookies.  The men at the table enjoyed both.  I asked if I could bring Pat a piece of cake.  They told me that I could, but they were going to check with Pat and make sure that she got the cake.  I did give her the cake.

One of our neighbors brought us a cake today for Christmas.  I graduated with her husband and he in in my Sunday School class.  She also brought us a cake when we first moved to Iuka.

It is good to have neighbors like this couple.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 21, 2011
5:18 PM

Pat and I went Christmas shopping today.  We bought items to place in Amy's stocking.   Pat bought some cloth to make her a new stocking.  We did not buy anything big, just several small items that she can use and some gag type gifts.

TUESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2011
10:30  AM

The plumber was here yesterday and installed a new field line for our septic tank.  He told me that this work would solve the problems that we were having with the old field line.  They will be back in a few days to complete the smoothing of the dirt replaced over the new line.  He said that the dirt needs be allowed to settle before they do the final leveling of the dirt. 

It has been raining here this morning.  It is not raining now, but we will have more rain before the day is over.

Last night Pat, Aunt Ginny and I drove around and look at some of the Christmas lights in Iuka.  We had a good trip and enjoyed looking at the lights.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 17, 2011
7:50 PM

I spent the day inside the house.  It was too cold for me to do anything outside.  I  watched some football and basketball games on TV.

The Christmas party was this evening at Carrington House.  Pat and I went.  When we got there all of the residents were in the lobby.  Their family members were also there.  Each family brought a covered dish and the home provided the rest of the food.  There was plenty of food. 

Kay Bain a northeast Mississippi performer sang several Christmas songs.  After her performance residents and their families ate dinner.  There were tables set up outside the rooms for the members and guest to eat.  Tommy and Carol were also there.  After we ate mother went back to bed and the staff delivered the gifts to the residents.  Mother received several nice gifts.

Everyone had a good time.  After visiting with mother and the family Pat and I came home.  I am watching Dallas and Tampa play a football game.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 14, 2011
6:30 AM

The weather was very nice yesterday.  I spent about half of the day in the yard.

We are getting a TV for our bedroom.  In fact we bought a new TV yesterday.  The direct TV installer will be her today to hook it up.

It is Christmas time and we have a sewer problem.  Two years ago we had to have a lot of work done on Amy's system.  Last year we had to replace the sewer line at our home in Wynne.  Now it is another December and we have a problem in Iuka.  We had to have our septic tank pumped our last week.  The plumber will be back in the next few days to install another field line for our tank.  He told me that this will solve our problem. 

Pat went to the Red Hat club meeting yesterday.  Their entertainment was an Elvis impersonator.  She said that he did an excellent job and all of the ladies had a good time and enjoyed the show.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 11, 2011
12:20 AM

Pat and I went with the Young at Heart(old folks) group from church yesterday to Bellevue Baptist Church Christmas program.   The program was very good and was well attended.  We left Iuka at 9:00 AM.  We ate lunch at a cafeteria in Germantown.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the food.  We then went to the church for the program.  We arrived back in Iuka a little after 7:00 PM.  I enjoyed the program and trip, but it was a long day.

I have just gotten up.  I woke up this morning with a sore throat and not feeling well.  I stayed in the bed until just a few minutes ago. 

Pat went to Sunday School and Church.  When she got home she took some medicine and went to bed.  She had a terrible head ache.

WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 7, 2011
5:37 PM

I have spent the day in the house just about all day.  I did go to the coffee shop this morning to catch up on the latest news and views.

It snowed here from about 7 AM till about noon.  The snow did accumulate a little, but about an hour after the snow stopped there was no sign of snow.

Pat and I went to the Young at Heart group from Iuka Baptist Christmas meeting yesterday.  We met at a local cafe and had a dutch treat lunch.  After lunch on of the ladies from the church sang a number of Christmas songs.  She is very good and the group enjoyed her singing. 

Amy sent me a text of her yard this morning about 7 AM.  There was a lot of snow, but the streets were clear and she had no trouble getting to work.

We stopped on our way home from Memphis on Sunday and bought a new Christmas tree.  The tree is already wired with the lights.  I put it up and Pat has decorated the new tree.  It looks very good.  She has also put our some more decoration in and around the house.  Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our home.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 4, 2011
7:11 PM

Pat and I went to Sunday School this morning and then went to Memphis.  We went to take Amy out to lunch for her 38th birthday.  We had a very good visit and lunch with Amy.  They were not very busy today and we were able to go to lunch as soon as we arrived. 

On the way home we stopped in Corinth and bought a Christmas tree.  We had a tree here in Iuka, but we have looked and looked for it and have not found the tree.

SATURDAY DECEMBER 3, 2011
4:45 PM

I worked in the yard two days this week.  I moved and burned three piles of limbs.  I stayed in the house for a couple of days, it was raining.  Days like that I miss not having a garage.

Pat and I went to the Iuka Christmas Parade last night.  The parade was very good and was well attended.  It seemed odd not to be in the parade. Since 1998 I was in the Wynne parade every year as mayor.

I went to the monthly breakfast for men at the church this morning.  I have enjoyed going to this each month since we moved back to Iuka.

Tomorrow is Amy's birthday.  Pat and I plan to go to Memphis and take Amy out for lunch.  She will be working.  If they are busy we may have to wait for a break in the work to eat.  Most days she can go around lunch time, but there are days when there are no breaks because of the work load.

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 27, 2011
3:48 PM

Tommy (my brother) and I went to the Mississippi State and Ole Miss football game last night.  It rained during most of the game, but I had ponchos that kept us dry.  Mississippi State won the game 31 to 3.  It was the first college football game Tommy had even attended.  He had  a good time I enjoyed spending time with him.

It is going to be cold here for the next several days.  The highs are going to be in the low forty's.  That will be a big change.  It has been about 70 for the past several days.

I am waiting for the man to pour my floor for my new garage.  He is busy and he will not pour if the weather is very cool.  Hopefully he will find time over the next few weeks to get the job done.  I can then start the building of the walls and roof.  I miss not having a garage to work in.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 21 , 2011
11:55 AM

I have reached a milestone in my construction of my new shop.  The man I hired to remove the tree stumps and haul in dirt to level the foundation has completed his work.  He worked on it some Saturday, Sunday afternoon and this morning.  He did and excellent job.

I called the man who is going to pour the concrete this morning.  He told me that he would complete it as soon his schedule will allow.  He is very busy and the weather will be a factor in when he can complete the job.

I will be glad when he completes the work and I can start the construction of the shop.

WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16, 2011
6:45 AM

Pat and I went to Memphis yesterday.  She had an appointment at the Stern Clinic yesterday.  It was a regular check up.  Everything was fine. 

After her appointment we picked up Amy for lunch.  We had a good lunch and visit with Amy.

The doctor was late and then it took over an hour to have our lunch.  We have been to that cafe before and the service and food were good.  Yesterday the food was good, but he service was very bad.  We left Memphis about 4:00 PM. 

The trouble with the time was that we wanted to attend the community Thanksgiving service in Iuka.  As soon as we got home we picked up my aunt and went to the service.  The service was well attened and a good cross section of  Iuka.  Several churches participated in the service.  After the service there was a social get to gather.  Members provided finger food and sweets for the get to gather.  The event was well attended.  In fact a man at our table said that the crowd at the social seemed larger than the service.   That was not true, but the fellowship hall at the church was full. (The service was held at our church--Iuka Baptist)

The man who is going to prepare my property for my new garage moved some equipment to the property yesterday.  He plans to do the preparation this week.  I look forward to getting the ground prepared and the floor poured.

MONDAY NOVEMBER 7, 2011
7:00 PM

I made a trip to Panama City this past weekend.  Pat has been visiting her sister for about three weeks.  She had a very good visit. 

I went down on Friday and  Pat and I returned to Iuka yesterday.  Sherron's daughter and family came late Friday night.  We had Thanksgiving Dinner on Saturday afternoon.  Everyone enjoyed the meal and fellowship.

Pat is going to have lunch with a number of her family members tomorrow.   I have nothing planned to do this week.   I will be going to Mississippi State on Saturday night. Mississippi State plays Alabama.

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 1, 2011
8:00 PM

I have been taking it easy this week.  I have not done very much except enjoyed not having to do anything.  Pat is in Panama City visiting her sister.  I did have supper with my aunt last Thursday.  I enjoyed the meal and conversation.  She told me that she wanted to cook for me while Pat was gone. 

On Friday I had supper with my brother and his wife.  After supper my brother and I watched the 7th game of the world series.  We both enjoyed the game and visiting during the game.

I have moved leaves around the yard a couple of times in the last week.  I chopped them up with the lawn mower.

I am still waiting for the man to come and prepare the site for my new shop.  He told me last week that he planned to come this week and complete the work.  He has not shown up yet.

I am going to add a drive way to my property.  The driveway will be on the west side of the property.  I do not plan to put gravel on it at the present time.  This will allow me to have access to my new shop without having to go across my front yard.  The supervisor has delivered a pipe, but has not installed it yet.

I have been going to the coffee shop.  Slowly I am making new friends and catching up with people I knew when I lived here about 45 years ago.

I try to visit mother at least every other day.  She is about the same.  Last week she did go for a car ride for over an hour with my brother.  He said that they both enjoyed the ride.  Mother said that she enjoyed going for the ride and seeing the town.

I think that my dog has gone.  I have not seen her since last Friday night.  Several days she was here in the late evening and gone the next morning.  I hope that she has found a good home or gone to her home.  I would like to have an outside dog, but the outside dog must get along with Oscar.  The dog that was here for a while and Oscar did not every accept each other.

MONDAY OCTOBER 24, 2011
7:35 AM

I did on of the things on my bucket list yesterday.

I went to a NASCAR race at Talladega.  It was an unusual experience.  I have watched the races for years, but it is a different experience being in the stands as they raced at about 200 miles an hour.  I enjoyed the race, but I would not want to be in the stands for every race.  When you watch it on TV you never miss anything.  If you do they show replays several times.  I am glad that I was able to do this bucket list item.

OCTOBER 21, 2011
5:50 PM

I have not been feeling well for about two weeks.  I have been having fever and chills.  The first part of this week I developed a rash on my front of my body.  I went to the doctor this morning.  I have shingles.  He said that the worst part was over and there was no treatment for the stage that I am now in.  I still have pain but it is not very bad.  I don't have a choice. 

I had to have a doctor in Iuka.  I was pleased with my first visit with him.  Unless something happens I will see him again in January for my annual check up.

THURSDAY OCTOBER 20, 2011
6:50 PM

I have been in Wynne today.  I left early this morning and got back about an hour ago.  I had some business to take care of and I got to visit with several of my friends in Wynne.  It was good to visit with these friends.  It was a long day but I had to take care of the business and it was good to have a little time to visit.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 18, 2011
7:40 PM

I took my aunt to the heart doctor in Memphis today.  Everything was fine, it was just a normal time for her checkup.  While I was waiting in the waiting room I talked with four different individual who knew people from Wynne.  I knew all of the people that these individuals knew.  Non of the individuals were from Arkansas.

Another couple stopped by to visit with me as they were leaving the office.  They had heard the discussions before they went to visit with their doctor.  They stopped by to tell me that had heard the discussions earlier.  They told me that they owned property in Cherry Valley.  In fact they had visited Cross County in the last few days.

When my aunt was making her next appointment, (she goes every 6 months) I look across the waiting room and saw a young couple from Wynne that I know.  I went over and we had a good visit while my aunt completed her business.  The young lady was there for a checkup.

After that my aunt and I went to the funeral home where Amy works and picked her up and we went to dinner.  We had a good lunch and enjoyed visiting with Amy.

MONDAY OCTOBER 17, 2011
2:10 PM

We have unpacked all of the boxes from our move.  (This does not include the boxes from my garage--I will unpack them when I build my new shop)  Pat completed the last of the boxes this morning.

Amy and Matt came Saturday night and left a little after lunch yesterday.  They had planned to stay most of the day, but Amy got a call to embalm a body for one of her funeral home customers.  She hated to go, and we hated to see her leave early, but when you have a chance to make money to take that opportunity.

I have not been feeling very well for the past several days, but today I feel much better.  I am going to take my aunt to the doctor in Memphis tomorrow.  We plan to meet Amy for lunch if our schedules work out.  I at least need to go to her work and leave her phone charging cord.  She left it here yesterday.

TUESDAY OCTOBER 11, 2011
5:20 PM

Since we moved to Iuka I have been clearing out the woods around the house.  I have been clearing out the underbrush and leaving the trees.  I think that I have just about completed this project.  I might, at some time in the future, clear a little bit more but I have just about completed this project.

I have employed a man to clear the stumps and level the ground where my shop will be located.  He will also haul in fill dirt to level the location.  He will do this project some time in the next two to three weeks.  He will also move dirt to improve the drainage around the shop building.

I have also employed a man to form the floor and pour the concrete for the floor.  He will do this once the dirt work has been completed.

My winter project will be to build the shop.  I hope the get the building framed and a roof first and then complete the shop over the next several months.  I look forward to having a shop to work in and get out of the house.

Our new dog is still here.  I am going to take her to the vet in the next few days.  I want to make sure that she is OK and get her shots.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 8, 2011
4:50 PM

I cleaned up the trees and branches from my garage site this week.  I burned all of the limbs and stacked the tree parts in the woods behind the house.

I hired a local man to prepare the site for the slab.  He will remove the tree stumps and level the ground.  He will have to haul in some dirt to make the floor the proper  elevation.  He will also work the dirt around the site to make the water go away from the building.  He will do the work sometime in the next three weeks.  He is busy right now.  I had another man look at the site this morning to give me a price to prepare and pour the slab.

We have an outside dog now----We did not want another dog, but we can not run her off.  She is a very calm, but we have to  keep her away from Oscar when he goes out.  We have to have Oscar on a leash when he goes outside.  We do not like this situation, but we cannot make the outside dog leave.

MONDAY OCTOBER 3, 2011
7:05 PM

I am still alive and kicking.  I have not blogged in several weeks.   I have been busy being retired.

We are unpacked now.  Pat has a few boxes to empty and arrange her office.  Every other room has no boxes and all the furniture and pictures are in place.

I have done a lot of yard work and clearing of the woods behind our home.  I usually work a little each day on the yard.  It looks much better than it did when we moved into the house. 

Last Saturday Pat's brother and I cut most of the trees for where my new garage will be.   We have to remove the stumps before I can pour a slab.  I am getting prices this week on pouring a slab for the building.  My plans are to have someone pour the slab and then my winter project will be to build my garage.  I have decided to build it 24 feet by 36 feet.  I miss not having a garage at home to do projects.

We have purchased all new appliances including a new heat and air system and a new hot water heater.  We have our fireplace installed and have even used it yesterday.

Pat and I are both invlolved in several activities at church in addition to Sunday School and regular services.  It is beginning to feel like home.

We have enjoyed being close to family.  It is also good to be able to see mother several times a week.  Mother is not much better, but she is holding her own.  She will celebrate her 93rd birthday on the 22nd of this month.  It is also my birthday, I will be 65.
I am now receiving three retirement checks, one from the school, one from the city, and social security.  I am now on Medicare.  I have purchsed a supplemental plan and a drug card to help pay the medical cost.

I have had very little contact with people in Wynne.  I subscribe to the Wynne Progress, but it gets here 12 days after in comes out in Wynne.  I do listen to KWYN on the internet some.  I listen to the news some and Yawn Patrol.  It is good to keep up with what is going on in Wynne.

I have started going to the coffee shop. They are just like Wynne coffee shops.  They complain about the goverment and have answers for all of the problems.  They are not talking about me though.

I have been going to see my Bulldogs play this year.  I am about 90 miles closer than I was in Wynne.  I usually get home a little after midnight now.   That is much better than 2:30 or 3:00 AM when I was in Wynne.

I am enjoying being retired.  I have not been bored a bit.  It is also nice not to have to deal with problems or answer the phone.  I did enjoy that part of my life, but my life has changed.

(And he stays outside and busy enough that he isn't underfoot! He told me to proof this and so I did... with a little footnote...)

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 25 2011
6:30 AM

We are still unpacking.  Sometime in the future I think that we will get everything unpacked.  But what is the rush.

Pat and I moved our church membership to Iuka Baptist Church on Sunday morning.  I told several people that the last time I stood at he alter in Iuka Baptist that Pat and I were getting married.  We have both chosen a Sunday School class that we feel good about.  Yesterday we went to the Young at Heart group at IBC.  I told some of the people there that I was not sure that I was old enough to be a member of this group. (Young at Heart is the old folks group)   We had a very good pot luck meal and entertainment as well as a devotional and business meeting.

Pat and I registered to vote yesterday.  We will be able to vote in the November elections.  Yesterday was election day in Mississippi.  It seemed odd not being able to vote.  We have not lived in Mississippi to vote in the election yesterday.

THURSDAY AUGUST 11, 2011
7:05 AM

Pat and I are making progress on unpacking our stuff.  The house is beginning to look like a home and not a storage building.

I went to Wynne on Monday.  I had to get some papers our of a lock box.  I closed our lock boxes in Wynne and on Tuesday rented one in Iuka. 

Pat and I went to Tupelo to get our Mississippi drivers license on Tuesday.  We had to go to Tupelo, because I had a CDL in Arkansas.  I chose to not keep the CDL, because I would have to had a doctors exam and I did not want to take the time or spend the money since I will probably never need the kind of CDL that I held.  If I had not had a CDL we could have gotten the license in Corinth.

THURSDAY AUGUST 4, 2011
9:00 PM

Pat and I got an early start this morning on the attic.  We completely cleaned out the attic.  We threw most of the items stored there away.  We then moved everything our of the bedroom we refer to as Amy's.  We also started placing items in the attic.  We are putting everything in plastic boxes and labeling them so we will know what is stored in them.

This afternoon I purchased tags for all of our cars and trucks.  We will have to go to Corinth to get our drivers license.

After I purchased the tags I went Water Valley, Mississippi.  I bought a part for my old truck.  Water Valley is about 130 miles from Iuka.  Water Valley is south of Oxford,  I held my nose as I drove through Oxford.

TUESDAY AUGUST 2, 2011
8:03 AM

We are making progress on getting all of the boxes unpacked.  We still have a lot to go.  It is just one box at a time. 

I have done quite a bit of yard work since we have moved in.  There is still plenty to work on to get the yard the way I want it to look like.

Pat and I installed a celing fan in the kitchen yesterday.  It really make a difference in the temperature of the kitchen.  We, last week, installed a new light fixture in Pat's office.  We have one more light fixture to install and a celing fan in what we will use as our bedroom.

I had the floors leveled and braced last week.  The crew did a very good job and the floors are now solid.

We are going to make some changes to our heating and A/C system.   We may get a complete system, or we may just improve the duct work.  The duct work has to be worked on.  The system is 32 years old.

Today is election day in Mississippi.  Pat and I cannot vote, because we have not lived in Mississippi long enough to vote.  It seems odd that there is an election and we will not be voting.  We will register soon and be able to vote in the general election in November.

Amy is planning to come to Iuka this weekend.  The family will have a birthday party for Aunt Ginny.  Se will be 90 years old.

It is strange not to have to go to work, but I think that I have adjusted well.

SATURDAY JULY 23, 2011
7:00 PM

Pat and I are making progress on unpacking our stuff.  We have a long way to go, but we have plenty of time to complete the job.

I have just about completed the storage in my temporary space.  Most of the stuff in this space is from my garage and storage shed in Wynne.  I have also been working in the yard.  This one is much bigger and is not flat.

WEDNESDAY JULY, 20, 2011
8:00 PM

Pat and I now are fully moved to Iuka.  The mover picked the household goods on Monday in Wynne and delivered them to Iuka on Tuesday.

Everything that we own, except two cemetery lots, is now in Iuka.  We closed on our home in Wynne on Monday.  We were glad that we were able to sell our home in Wynne before we had to move.  We both hated to leave a place we had lived since 1968.  We will always have fond memories of our years in Wynne and Cross County.

I had two wonderful careers in Wynne, and Pat had a wonderful career living in Wynne and working in Forrest City.

If you have not moved lately it is quiet an experience.  We had lived at the same home in Wynne since February of 1974.  Amy spent her life growing up in that home.  I knew we had a lot of stuff, but I did not know that we had so much stuff.  When you have to pack, then unpack, that amount of stuff, it takes time.  We threw away quite a bit of stuff and carried a lot of stuff to the workshop, but we still had a lot to move.

Pat and I hope to visit Wynne in the future.

TUESDAY JUNE 7, 2011
8:10 PM

Pat and I went to Iuka last Friday.  I came home on Monday.  Pat will stay until next week.  I enclosed about one half of the carport.  I did this to have a place to store the stuff I have in my storage building and in my garage.  I plan to build a garage in Iuka once we get settled in.  I also did some yard work.  It was very hot and I worked a few minutes and then took breaks and drank plenty of water.

Pat's sister came on Sunday and plans to stay until next week.  They have done some rearranging of the furniture in the house.  Yesterday and today Pat gave away some of our excess furniture.  We have to get rid of quite a bit to have room for our furniture when we move.

We had supper on Sunday evening with Pat's sister and two brothers.  It was the first time they have all been together in several months.  I also visited with my brothers over the weekend.  Tommy helped me with my building project some on Saturday.

The asphalt contractor started the overlay work last Wednesday.  As of yesterday afternoon he had completed about 75 percent of the work.  He had thought that he could complete the job in one week.  It looks like he will be able to complete the work in one week. 

I have to go to Jonesboro on Thursday for two meeting at the planning district.  The executive committee will meet at ten in the morning and the full board will meet at noon.  This will be the first meeting with our new executive director.  I am looking forward  to these two meetings.  They will be my last on these boards.

The city council will meet next week.  I will make a report here after the meeting.  It will be late, because the day after the council I will be attending my last Arkansas Municipal League Convention as an elected official.  I may attend one in the future, because at the last meeting of the executive committee they voted to make me a lifetime member of the AML.  That is quite an honor.  I was notified today that I will be receiving an award at the convention.  I am grateful for the honor of this award.  I will receive it at the luncheon on the last day of the convention.

It has been hot here and in Iuka for the past several days.  It has been in the upper 90's.  It seems like we went from cool weather to summer in about one day.

I voted this morning in the special election to replace me as mayor.  Several people told me on the way in and out of the courthouse that they did not vote for me.  I thanked them for not voting for me this time and
also for voting for me in the past.

SATURDAY MAY 28, 2011
7:26 PM

I have had a very busy week.  We had mechanical trouble with our garbage trucks.  Jerry make a trip to Fort Payne Alabama to pick up repair parts.  He left at 1:00 AM and got back to Wynne about 2:30 PM.  I took the truck then to Little Rock with the parts.  I got back to Wynne about 7:30 PM.  We did this because if they shipped the parts we would not have gotten our truck back until next week.  It was a long day for me and Jerry, but we got the truck back the next day.  That was Wednesday. 

On Thursday we had a solid waste board meeting in the morning.  After the meeting I went back to Little Rock to attend an AML Executive Committee meeting.  I got home about 9:30 PM.  During the meeting it was announced that I will soon be retiring.  The committee voted to make me a lifetime member of the league.

Theda took a vacation day yesterday.  I had to city hall by my self.  It was a very boring day.  The phone only rang one time and there were no visitors to the office.  Sometimes it is good to have days like that.

Today I helped Amy move to Southhaven Mississippi.  She will be sharing an apartment with one of her coworkers at the funeral home.  She is glad to have a full time job and able to live closer to her work.

Before I  moved Amy I cut the yard and did the edging.  I missed my riding mower. 

SUNDAY MAY 22, 2011
1:00 PM

Pat continues to pack for our move.  I have packed part of the stuff in the garage.  I have packed most of the stuff that can be packed.  Most of the stuff that is left will  not be packed, but will have to be moved.

I put some extensions on my trailer yesterday.  I will take them off when all of this move is complete.  They will make caring stuff to Iuka easier and it will be easier to secure the load.

Amy started her new job last Monday.  She is enjoying working full time again, and she really enjoys working at this funeral home.  She works almost all of the time in the prep room.  That is the part of the funeral industry that she enjoys the most.  She plans to move back to Memphis as soon as she can afford to live without our help.

Brother Matt has been preaching for a long, long time from Luke.  He has taken quite a few jabs about the time he has spent in Luke.  If nothing happens he will complete his series on Luke next Sunday.  I told him a few weeks ago that it looked like he would finish Luke before we moved.  I look like he will.

SUNDAY MAY 15, 2011
7:00 PM

Pat, Amy, and I went to Iuka on Friday.  We took my 1972 Ford pickup.  We had a good time cleaning the house and working in the yard, between showers.  I was surprised that the yard needed to be cut.  I cut it last weekend.

We visited with some of the family while we were there.  Pat and Amy visited mother on Friday afternoon.  She was sitting in a chair and was able to talk to them well.  We stopped on our way today to visit with her and she was sleeping.  We woke her up and visited with her a few minutes.

Just after we left the house today, Tennessee Cremations called Amy.  They needed her to take care of a body.  We stopped in Memphis and Amy took care of the body.

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2011
9:30 AM

The voters of Wynne passed the issue of a special sales tax for the city.  The tax will be 1% for five years.  It will be used to fund economic development, parks, and streets.

The vote was 561 for and 285 against.

WEDNESDAY MAY 11, 2011
9:15 AM

The Wynne City Council met last night for the regular meeting,  The following actions were taken:


1.  Had a report from VDCI---They have started work for the 2011 mosquito season.  They will start spraying this week.

2.  Passed a resolution transferring district court fixed assets list to be kept by the district court

3.  Passed an ordinance to correct a problem with the loan for police cars purchased in 2010

4.  Discussed the procedure for alerting the citizens of bad weather.  Agreed not to make any changes at the present time

5  Agreed to purchase new accounting software for the city

6.  Passed a resolution  for a Deed of Trust for the Delta Regional Airport

7.  Passed an ordinance changing who can serve on the regional airport board for the city

8.  Approved the appointment of John Kerr, Gene Boeckmann, and Shannon Hobbs as board members of the Delta Regional Airport for the City of Wynne

MONDAY MAY 9, 2011
7:45 PM

Praise the Lord!!!!!!!

Amy got a full time job today.  She starts tomorrow working full time for a Memphis funeral home.

SUNDAY MAY 8, 2011
6:37 AM

Pat and I went to Iuka on Friday afternoon and returned yesterday afternoon.  We took the Camaro and a trailer and truck load of boxes.

I did yard work  late Friday and yesterday morning.  Pat did some work inside our home.  We got to see my two brothers and my aunt.  We stopped on our way home to see mother.   She was able to talk much better than she did the last time we were home.  She did say that she had been in the bed for several days.  When we arrived one of the workers told us that she did not want to have help eating.  When we went in her room she had eaten her lunch by herself.

Pat and I are both aching this morning from our work over the weekend.

The city council meets on Tuesday night.  I will make a report here on Wednesday.  Tuesday is also election day in Wynne for the special sales tax.   I have already voted.  I sure hope that the tax passes.  If it does it will be a positive for the city and the new administration. 

MONDAY MAY 2, 2011
9:40 PM

It has rained most of the day in Wynne.  It also rained yesterday afternoon.  In fact yesterday afternoon there was some high winds in the area.  The city has several trees down around town.  There were three or four homes damaged from trees falling on the homes.

Jerry and the fire department worked yesterday afternoon getting the trees out of the streets.  Today the street department spent the day removing the trees from the streets.

The city had some minor flooding in a few areas of the city.  There does not seem to be any problems that lasted very long.  My rain gage had five inches in it.  That was yesterday and today till about 5 PM.  It has rained some since I emptied the gage.  The rain is predicted to stop tonight or early tomorrow.

The Mississippi river is supposed to be at 45 feet on May the 10th.  That is the highest it has been in a long time.  I think the it was in 1927 or 1937 when it was that high.  One of the members of my Sunday School class told the class if we had time we should travel to Memphis and observe the flow of the river.  He said we would not believe the speed of the flow or the amount of water flowing down stream.

Early voting starts tomorrow for the special election for a sales tax for the city.  The actual date for the election is May 10.  The results of this election will have a big effect on the city and the progress that can be made over the next few years.

Jerry and I plan to go to Memphis to a dinner for customers of an equipment dealer.  We went to the dinner last year and had a good meal and received some good information about equipment.   It is good to get away from the city every once in a while and visit with other government officials and contractors who use equipment like the city uses.

SUNDAY APRIL 24, 2011
5:10 PM

Pat and I have just returned from a weekend trip to Iuka.  I did yard work and Pat continued to work inside the house.  We visited mother several times over the weekend.  She is not doing well.  Today she to be upset.  We could not determine why she appeared to be upset.  That is not normal for mother.  She is always reserved.

Pat , my aunt and  I had supper with one of my brothers and his family.  We had a good meal and got to visit with  the family.  They had a sick goat and on our way home my brother called and said that the goat did not make it.  The goat was born on Christmas day and died on Easter.

Pat and I joined my other brother and his family and attended church with our aunt.  We all had a very good time and it was good to visit for a few minutes with my brother and his family.

Pat and I have decided to move to Iuka.  Our home in Wynne is now for sale.  If the home sells, Pat will move to Iuka as soon as we can move.  If it does not sell, we will move sometime after July 15th.  That is my last day as mayor.

That is a major decision and will be life changing.  Since mother's health has changed, I have assumed all of the bills for the home in Iuka.  We can not afford to keep up two homes.

I look forward to serving out the rest of my time as mayor.  I have enjoyed serving as mayor, but it is time for me to move on and let someone else serve as mayor.

MONDAY APRIL 18, 2011
1:05 PM

The city had the exit conference for the 2010 audit this morning.  The conference went well.  There were a few problems that we will have to address.  In fact we have already corrected the most of the items.  There are a few that will take council action.  I see no problem with the council approving the necessary changes.   We will probably have to purchase a new software system to comply with one of the necessary changes.

SUNDAY APRIL 17, 2011
8:00 AM

I took it easy yesterday.  I felt much better than I did on Friday.  Pat and I had our picture made for the new church directory yesterday morning.  I did take a few minutes and mow the front yard.  It was too cold for me to mow the back yard and I did not feel like being out in the cold. 

Yesterday afternoon I performed a wedding for some friends of mine. The wedding was held outside at the home of the groom.  The wedding was well attended and was a very impressive function.   The wedding was held at 4:00 pm and by that time the weather was much better.  Over the years I have performed a number of weddings.  I wish I had kept a record of the weddings that I have performed.

Amy had a very good week of work.  She worked yesterday in Memphis and in Forrest City.  She worked more this past week than she has in several weeks.  I wish she could find a permanent job.

SATURDAY APRIL 16, 2011
6:30 AM

I had an upset stomach yesterday.  I went to the office for a few minutes yesterday morning.  I had an appointment that I needed to keep.  After the appointment I returned home and went to bed.  I had another appointment yesterday afternoon.  I got up and went to the city hall.  When I arrived Theda told me that the people I was to have a meeting with had called and canceled the appointment.  That made another appointment in a few days.

Late yesterday I went to a meeting for a wedding I will perform this afternoon.  The meeting went well.  The wedding will be outside.  It is going to be cool this afternoon, but there is not any rain predicted.  I hope it all goes well.

I am feeling much better this morning.

THURSDAY APRIL 14, 2011
1:50 PM

I have just returned from Jonesboro.  I attended a board meeting of the EAPDD.  The full board meet today and voted on our recommendation for the new executive director.  The vote was unanimous.  The new director is Melissa Rivers.  I think that Melissa will do a good job in the job.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, 2011 2:50 PM Jerry and I went to Jonesboro this morning. We stopped on the way and visited with the low bidder for our asphalt work this summer. We then went to an equipment dealer in Jonesboro and purchased a saw to cut concrete and asphalt. The street department will use this saw when making patches on the streets. The last two days have been very busy at city hall. I had to deal with a number of stressful and difficult problems. It was good to get out of the city for a period of time this morning.

WEDNESDAY APRIL 13, AM

The city council met last night and took the following actions:

1. Heard a proposal from a citizen to have a clean up period in the city. There will be prizes for the groups who participate in the clean up.

2. Accepted a bid for asphalt to overlay streets this summer. We plan to spend $200,000.00 on this project this summer.

3. Approved a request to destroy old city records.

4. Passed an ordinance to amend the 2010 city budgets.

5. Passed a resolution to have an election to take a piece of property out of the city limits.

GUEST WRITER & A SURPRISE

I put a new counter on your site. Mine had stopped working, too. Maybe they reach a limit...

WEDNESDAY APRIL 6, 2011 9:40 PM I am back in Wynne. I have enjoyed my time away from the duties as mayor. I went to Iuka. I visited with relatives and spent most of my time working in the yard of the home I own there. It was good to be outside with no problems to deal with and enjoy making my property look better. I will be back in the office tomorrow. There are several meetings that I must attend over the next few days. The city council will meet next Tuesday night. I will make a report about the meeting on this blog next week.

THURSDAY MARCH 31, 2011 7:34 PM I am going to take a few days off. I have not had a break in several months. It has been quiet at city hall for the past several days. We now have four candidates who have announced that they plan to seek the position of mayor for the City of Wynne. It has been cold here for the past several days. I spent this past weekend in side. It was too cold to do anything outside. The weather is predicted to be warmer over the next several days. I hope that it is warmer. I plan to complete several outside projects while I am off. I received a call a few minutes ago informing me that Mr. Ken Bock has passed away. It has been my pleasure to appear with him on Yawn Patrol on KWYN once a month since October of 1998. That was the date that I became mayor. I appeared with him and over the years several other host. Mr. Ken has been there I began. The co host has changed several times. I will miss Mr. Ken and I will miss not going to the radio station after every city council meeting.

MONDAY MARCH 21, 2011
5:22PM

It has been quiet at the city hall over the last few days. I have received a number of best wishes on my retirement. I have also received a number of thanks for my service as mayor. It is always good to receive comments like the ones I have received since my announcement.

As of today there are three announced candidates for the position of mayor.

I worked in the yard over the past weekend. It was good to have warm weather and be able to work outside. I enjoy getting outside and working in the yard. It is a good change from dealing with problems as mayor.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 9, 2011
7:00 PM


MAYOR PAUL NICHOLS TO RETIRE JULY 15, 2011

Last night at the Wynne City Council meeting I announced to the council that I plan to retire from my position as Mayor of the City of Wynne. I made the decision after a lot of thought. After careful evaluation on the situation I chose to retire this July. I chose the July date because that will allow time to conduct an election for my replacement. The election will be held on June 14, 2011. If a runoff is required the election will be held three weeks later on July 5, 2011. That will make it possible to have an elected mayor in place when I leave office.

The question that has come up most is "Is the mayor sick". I am not sick. I am in good health. Another question that has come up several times is"Is the mayor moving to Mississippi" I do not plan to move to Mississippi any time soon. Pat and I do own a home in Mississippi, but at the present time we will continue to live in Wynne. I do think that when I retire that we will spend more time at our home in Iuka.

It has been an honor an pleasure to serve as mayor of Wynne. I have enjoyed the experiences that I have had serving as mayor. I never hated to go to work. But it is time for a change.

After my announcement the city council passed an ordinance calling for a special election to select my replacement.

They also took the following actions:

Approved the plat for a subdivision in the south part of the city. The developer plans to build 36 homes on the property. He said that they would be completed by December 31 of this year.

Approved the rezoning of a piece of property on Highway 1 South from residential to Commercial

Approved a group of citizens as the Wynne Tree Board

Approved the contract to build a walking trail between the hospital and John Hayden Smith Park. The hospital has been working with the city on this project. In fact the trail will be on property owned by the hospital.

Passed an ordinance calling for a special election on May 10, 2011 for a 1% sales tax for 5 years.
If passed this tax will provide funding for economic development, parks and recreation and a small amount for the street department.

SATURDAY MARCH 5, 2011
6:30 AM

I have spent the last two days interviewing six candidates for the Executive Director of the East Arkansas Planning and Development district. The committee that conducted the interviews is the Executive Committee of the district. The committee is composed of twelve county judges and me. All of the judges were not able to attend, but we did have a good cross section of the district represented.

We blocked out two hours and fifteen minutes for each interview. Most of the interviews took about two hours. We had some very good candidates and the committee did a good job conducting the interviews. We ask each candidate the same fifteen questions. We also allowed the candidates to ask any question. As a result of our questions and the candidates question other questions were generated and answered by the candidates.

When all the interviews were complete the committee ranked the candidates and reached a consensus on the person we will recommend to the full board for employment. I was impressed with the candidates and I am pleased with the person we will recommend to the full board for employment.

The interviews for the position were held in the community room at the Wynne Fire Depatment. Wynne is a central location for the district.

Yesterday a friend of mine gave me two tickets each for two baseball and one basketball games to be held today at Mississippi State. He also gave me a parking pass. I would like to go to the games, but because of my schedule this past week and what is planned for next week I have decided to take it easy this week end and stay at home.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 2, 2011
7:25 PM

I spent most of the day driving and attending a meeting at the municipal league in North Little Rock. I attended the meeting of the Executive Committee. (I am a member) We had a very good meeting. We spent most of the time discussing positions we have on the work that is going on at the capital. There are a number of bills that we support and a number that we are working to get defeated. We do n0t always agree with every position, but we have good discussion and reach a position that we all can support.

I will be very busy the next two days. I am on the Executive Committee for the planning district. On of duties of that committee is to choose a candidate for the position of director. We have gone through a long process with the help of UALR. We received twenty four applications for the position. Those have been ranked from 1 to 24 based on the information that UALR collected from a number of sources. Tomorrow and Friday we (the committee) will be interviewing the top six. We will do three interviews a day. We have allowed two hours and fifteen minutes for each candidate. If we can reach a consensus on one of the six we will recommend that individual to the full board. If we are not satisfied with one of the six we will interview some of the other 18 candidates. I think that we will probably choose on of the to six candidate. It will be two long days, but I think that the process will allow us to choose the best person for the job.

The city council will meet next Tuesday night. I will make a report on this blog after the meeting.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 21, 1011
9:13 PM

I spent the day working in the yard. I had to have the sewer drain pipe replaced in December and the dirt had settled and needed to be smoothed out. I borrowed a tiller from one of my friends and went to work. The work was slow and hard, but at the end of the day I was pleased with the results.

I have several meeting relating to city business over the next two weeks. Some will be interesting and some will be boring, but that goes with the job of being the mayor.

FEBRUARY 19, 2011
5:20 PM

I have had a very busy week. On Monday I went to Little Rock. I attended a meeting of the Executive Committee of the EAPDD. We are in the process of hiring a new director. We received 24 applications for the position. UALR was hired to write the specifications for the position and rank the people who applied. They have completed that task. The committee decided to interview the top six candidates. Those interviews will be held in Wynne on March 3rd and 4th .

Tuesday and Wednesday I was very busy at the office. It seemed like every time one task or person visited with me, another one came in the office.

I had to return to Little Rock on Thursday. I attended the Executive Committee of the Arkansas Municipal league. We had a good meeting, but it went a long time.

Yesterday Pat, Richard and I went to Hamburg. We attended the funeral for Mr. Carpenter. Mr. Carpenter was the CEO of Woodruff for about 30 years during Pat's employment at Woodruff. He was a super boss and was a very good individual and friend. The service was very good and was well attended by present and former Woodruff employees.

I spent the morning completing the installation of my air conditioner for my old truck. The only thing that has to be done is the freon and I will have to hire a professional to complete that part of the job. I spent the afternoon working in the back yard. It will not be very long before I spend time each Saturday in the yard.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 9, 2011
8:56 AM

The Wynne City Council met last night for their regular monthly meeting. Following is a summary of the business:

1. Voted not to have an election for a sales tax for economic development, parks and rec. and
street department.

2. Renewed the contract with Wynne Friends of Animals for animal control in the city.

3. Approved the revised miscellaneous budgets for 2010.

4. Approved the miscellaneous budgets for 2011.

5. Approved the purchase of two pickup trucks. One for the street department and one for
a spray truck

6. I gave my State of the City address for the year 2010

We are expecting snow in Wynne this morning. Northwest Arkansas already has 12+ inches of
snow now. The city should get between 4 to 6 inches of snow from this system.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 7, 2011
8:08 AM

It is snowing very hard in Wynne. When I got up this morning between 5:30 and 6:00 the streets and driveways were clear, but it was snowing. The snow has increased greatly in the last two hours. The streets are now covered.

Pat and I went to Iuka over the weekend. We had a very good time. We got to visit with most of the family members. They came to see us rather than us going to visit them. Seems strange. Mother seems to be doing well under the conditions. She said that she is still loosing use of her right side.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 3, 2011
1:15 PM

I am still working on the new air conditioner for my old truck. I have to mock up the hoses for the air conditioner and have the crimped. I have completed the heater side of the system. I checked it out last night and the heater works fine. I told Pat that I may no have cool air but I have a heater that works and it only cost about $1,399,00. I have faith that when the installation is complete I will also have cool air.

The city council will meet next Tuesday night. We have several items on the agenda. Most of the items are related to the proposed sales tax for the city. I will report on this blog after the meeting.

I have a meeting of the board for the planning district tomorrow. We are in the process of hiring a new director. The board hired UALR to aid in the search. They have taken applications and ranked the applicants. I expect that tomorrow we will review the applicants and decided how many will be interviewed. I will chair the meeting. I am the 2nd vice president. The president and 1st vice president have to attend to other business.

Last weekend the weather was warm, but this week has been very cold. The high is predicted to be much higher this weekend. I sure hope that it is warmer.

SATURDAY JANUARY 29, 2011
9:00 PM

The weather has been very good today in Wynne. The high was to be 65. I did not check the temperature during the day, but the weather was fine.

I spent the day working on my 72 Ford. I bought an air conditioner for it last week. I spent most of the day working on installing the system. I still have a lot to complete, but I enjoyed working on the old truck today. It was good to get away from work and other things for a day.

I attended the chamber banquet on Thursday night. The program went well and was well attended. There were about 350 guest.

SATURDAY JANUARY 15, 2011
4:05 PM

I attended the Arkansas Municipal League winter conference in Little Rock on Wednesday through Friday. The conference was well attended. If fact, I think that it was the largest attended winter conference ever. The program was very good. I got to visit with a lot of my friends from around the state. I also met a large number of other officials from around the state.

On Thursday night I went to dinner with my friends from Truman. It has become a winter conference that I go to dinner with the group from Truman. We joke that they adopt me for the Thursday evening meal.

I got to visit with one of my old friends from north Arkansas. We have been friends for several years. He has been ill for the past several years. He had to miss a term as Alderman because his health was so bad. He has recovered and was elected again to the city council. It was good to visit with him and his wife. They have been dear friends for years. I have been keeping up with him during his illness.

I am watching a football game now. This morning I worked in the garage. There is still a lot of work to be done.

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 12, 2011
9:15 AM

The Wynne City Council met last night for the regular monthly meeting. Following is the business conducted:

1. Adopted a master plan for improvments to the city parks

2. Adopted an Ordinance that allows the city to purchase supplies or services from City of
Wynne elected officials or employees

3. Reviewed the audit report for the city for the past two years

4. Approved the appointment of James Nickerson to the Wynne Water Utilities Commission

5. Received the annual report of activities at Cogbill Cemetery

I am going to Little Rock later today for the winter conference of the Arkansas Municipal League. I look forward to attending the conference. I will be able to visit with my friends from around the state and make new friends with others. I will also be able to attend sessions that will help me do my job as mayor for the city.

FRIDAY JANUARY 7, 2011
6:00 AM

I made a trip to Iuka yesterday. I sold mother's car. Her present condition she is not able to drive. I talked to her about selling the car a couple of months ago. She agreed that she should sell the car, because she is not able to drive. She was pleased that she was able to sell the car.

I had a good visit with mother and also visited with my aunt, brother and Pat's brother. It was a long dad, but I am glad that we were able to sell mother's car. She needs the money at this time in her life and does not need a car.

SATURDAY JANUARY 1, 2011
7:30 PM

I started the day at the swearing in ceremony for the elected officials of Cross County. I took the oath for mayor for the fifth time, once as the appointed mayor and four times as the winner of the election. The ceremony went well and was well attended. Amy got to go to the ceremony today. This was the first time she has been able to attend the ceremony.

This afternoon I watched my Bulldogs and the Gator Bowl. Mississippi State beat Michigan 52 to 14. It was a good day for Bulldog fans.

This afternoon I talked with one of my friends from Mississippi State. We were good friends in college and even were roommates for one year. I have not had any contact with him for many years. Last week I was talking to a member of his family and I asked about my friend. He told me the town he lived in TN. I went to Google and found his telephone number. I called and left a message for him to give me a call. He called this afternoon and we had a good phone visit. It was good to catch each other on our lives over the past years.

My family spent the Christmas holidays in Iuka. We had a very good time and good time with family. I came home on Monday and Pat and Amy stayed till Friday. Some of Pat's family stayed in Iuka till Wednesday.

I look forward to serving as mayor for another term. I have enjoyed my time as mayor and I am thankful to the citizens of Wynne for the honor and privilege to serve as mayor.

I have not been writing very much over the past few weeks. I hope do write more as I get back in a normal routine.