Happy Birthday Ashton!

Ashton and her proud PaPa's,
Billy Hodges & Rick Crum

DOGWOOD ACRES WEEKLY 05/25/09

Dakota, Tanja, Marty, Vanessa
~ The Bilyeu Family~

DOGWOOD ACRES, 05/25/09, ELANE CRUM

Hello friends. Memorial Day and rain seem to go together. When we went to church Sunday there were a lot of families camping along Swan Creek and Beaver Creek; looked like little tent cities. They looked so relaxed, kids fishing, and cozy campfires. I almost would like to camp, but just never developed a great love for sleeping on rocks.

We never camped a lot as a family. Rick and Neal would have liked to, but I was not a good camper. We camped a time or two, but did not have very good camp equipment and rocks gouged my body all night. When Neal got a little older, he and his friends would take sleeping bags and walk through the fields behind our house. It was not far to a little stream where they could catch a fish or two and have a campfire. All of one summer, he slept outside on our covered deck with just a quilt or sleeping bag between him and the hard boards. He managed to camp a lot, in spite of me!

One night Tommy and Ricky Smith were at our house and the boys set up camp in the grove of cedar trees in front of our house. When it got good and dark, I wrapped myself in a white sheet, slipped out through the trees, and gave them a little fright! They were so funny, but, of course, Neal said he knew who it was.

Rick and Neal were back up there a couple of weeks ago finishing up cabinets in Jim and Terry Warren’s new house. When Rick started home, he stopped at the little creek and caught a few perch in memory of Grandpa Crum. He let them go, but Lloyd used to bring them home for Betty Jo to fry into crispy little bites.

Rick and I took a few days off last week, left home early Tuesday morning and drove all day before checking into a Branson hotel. Making the most of our day, we went over to Eagle Rock to visit Roy and Charlotte Bilyeu and James, Louise and Leta Meier. They have their summer homes set up there in a campground near Table Rock Lake and looked totally relaxed.

After our visit with them, we drove on down to Eureka Springs, visited Thorncrown Chapel and drove around just enjoying the beauty. It was late when we got back to Branson where we pretended to be tourists for a couple of days; that is, except for the two or three hours I spent at the office while Rick relaxed at the motel. We went to the bluegrass festival at Silver Dollar City where we saw Rhonda Vincent and the Easter Brothers. Thursday night we were back home and on Friday, I worked a twelve-hour day with out of state buyers.

As our May birthday celebrations continue, Marty Bilyeu was surprised with a party for his 40^th birthday. He is the oldest grandchild in our family and seeing a little gray in his beard makes me and Uncle Rick feel old.

Makaylee Tilley turned fifteen on Saturday. Ashton Crum will be fifteen next Saturday and has been studying the book for her driver’s test. She said it is boring reading, but I imagine she will keep at it so she can take that test.

Today is Memorial Day. I do not know if I have missed a deadline at the paper, but guess we will find out. Bye for now.

ELANE CRUM
Cell: 417-239-4059
Website: www.elanecrum.net
Website: www.elanecrum.com

Blog: www.dogwoodacresOnline.blogspot.com

Spring Kittens

DOGWOOD ACRES WEEKLY 05/18/09

DOGWOOD ACRES, 05/17/09, ELANE CRUM

Hello friends. Stormy and sleepless nights have continued to become almost the norm around here. While I stay up to watch the radar, Rick sleeps soundly. I am glad he can do that, but then, that leaves me the responsibility of whether or not to wake him to go to the basement. The other option would be to go to the basement alone, but if a tree fell on the bedroom, I would feel pretty bad!

Justin and Kasie visited Rick and I one night last week. They are young and so full of energy. Kasie is busy with nursing school and getting ready for graduation in a few weeks. Justin is manager of Denny’s Harley Davidson store on the Marina at Branson Landing. With several motorcycle clubs visiting the area, they had a busy weekend.

Saturday afternoon I went to New Haven for Adrian and Glenette Brown’s 50^th wedding anniversary party. There was a big crowd; some I missed because I was late, but still got to see the stars of the show. Neither Adrian nor Glenette look old enough to have been married for half a century.

I was not very old when they got married, but remember going to spend a night with them in the rock house where they lived on 176, not far from where they live now. They had a little dog that I think was named Corky and I thought it was so cute.

Brother Jim missed the party because of high water. He left home late, but if we cross Bull Creek we can be at New Haven in 15 minutes. Well, when he got to the crossing the water was higher than he had ever attempted to cross. Good sense prevailed and he turned around and came home.

Melva and CaraBelle Epps had also gone the back way and turned around at the high water crossing. They were not running quite as late as Jim, so were still able to go around the highway. Melva said they saw several big snakes crossing the gravel road, making that trip an adventure.

We have not seen many snakes yet. Rick saw one copperhead when he was weed eating and last week we saw where a blacksnake had shed its skin by our concrete wall. As the nights begin to warm up we will soon begin to see copperheads crossing the road after dark. We think the cats keep down the snake population near our house; hope so anyway!

Justin and Kasie Fisher have taken advantage of the high water by kayaking on Bull Creek. Jim took them to the Anderson Ford Sunday afternoon and picked them up about an hour later at the Goodnight Hollow Slab. He drove through the fields at cousin Ronnie’s house to watch them go through the cascades there, then on down to where Alvie Raub used to live before meeting them at the slab.

I got up Saturday morning and went to Dogwood Acres coffee, hosted by Richard and Carolyn Crouse. It was one of the occasional times when “wives were allowed” and we ladies enjoyed a tour through their lovely log home. Mike Stenger had made a big kettle of Wild Boar Sausage Gravy to go with biscuits and scrambled eggs. Although I have eaten a lot of wild game, that was my first taste of wild hog and it was very good!

We have not seen any more bears, but I think twice before going outside after dark. Last week I visited with Carol Marsh at their yard sale and she had recently seen a bear cub in their front yard. It has also been a visitor at some of the farms near their home.

While shopping in Forsyth Saturday I saw Maxine Ingenthron and her pretty little great-granddaughter, Dana. They make a good team and almost had their shopping cart full. I told her they already got all the pretty clothes, so no need for me to even look. Kelsey Thomas, another of Granny Mac’s great-granddaughters, is the Salutatorian of Plainview School’s eighth grade class.

Rick did a little fishing last week, pulling one or two all-nighters or, was it a 24-hour fish-a-thon? I cannot remember, but he likes to cast that rod just in case a fish is passing by.

Neal’s birthday was Thursday, May 14, and we had a chocolate feed for him after church Wednesday night. I have been pulling old pictures from the family archives and making a May birthday album on Facebook. Ashton got real nervous when I told her to check it out and see what pictures I have of her and Makaylee. They were all such cute little kids, I don’t know why they worry about it, but you know how teenage girls can be.

Christie's grandson, Dakota Bilyeu, also had a birthday on May 14. He is an official teenager now, Thirteen! These kids all grow up way too fast!

The men of Sandy Church did a great job with the Mother’s Day Fish Fry Sunday afternoon. There was plenty of fried fish, okra, French fries and even jalapeno peppers. The dessert table was full of luscious cakes, cookies and pies, all carried in by the men who were supposed to have baked them. Bye for now.

Adrian & Glenette Brown Golden Wedding Anniversary

Dogwood Acres Weekly 05/11/09

DOGWOOD ACRES, 05/11/09, ELANE CRUM

Hello friends. A week of blessings and celebrations has ended. The storms brought people together at unexpected times and interrupted Friday morning yard sales for many. We shared our basement with Bessie Stombaugh and Anita Biggs who had started out for yard sales and turned around.
We opened the basement garage door to peer out into the storm and heard a tree or two fall out in the woods. Rick counted five trees down in the outer parts of our woodsy yard. With all the fire kill that he has been cutting up, we have a good supply of firewood.
Dawn and Melissa Bilyeu took shelter in Christie’s basement until the storm blew on over. We all feel so fortunate to not have had major damage. By the time I left for work several trees had been trimmed out of the highway so it was smooth sailing.
On our way to church Sunday morning, we spotted Farris Bilyeu cutting up a big tree that had blown down on AA. There were several down along that stretch and then a lot of damage in Douglas County. We saw a few trees twisted off not far from Sandy Church, but no damage at Neal and LeaAnn’s or at her folks’ place.
Friday night I attended a service for youth camp workers at the White River Camp near Taneyville. I will be doing crafts with the Jr. High Camp, with Neal and LeaAnn as directors. There are four camps, with the first one beginning on June 1. It is a wonderful camp and the only camp I know of which does not charge a fee to the campers.
Ashton and Erin came home with me from the camp service and first thing they did was bring the new kittens inside to play.
Saturday morning the girls followed PaPa Rick to the dog pen and carried puppies back for a little cuddling. They were barely a week old and still pretty calm, but it will not be long before that changes.
When we got home from church Sunday night, our Angel Mama dog was having her litter, so the babies are really adding up around here.
Pastor Neal preached a good Mother’s Day sermon and all of the Mothers received a fragrant long stemmed rose. Back home at Bill and Mary Lou’s we enjoyed our traditional Mother’s Day dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs and had a piano recital and concert from Erin and LeaAnn. Motherhood is a precious gift.
The men of our church will be frying fish for the annual Mother’s Day cookout next Sunday, May 17, at 4:00 p.m. They are supposed to make desserts too, but we can usually tell whether or not they had help at home.
Rick had some excitement one afternoon when his squirrel dog, Pete, began barking frantically. Pete, who can chase down a squirrel, had located a Mama Bear and two cubs. Rick got his camera and between trying to get Pete to leave Mama Bear alone and being careful not to get too close, managed to snap a decent picture. Mama Bear was not happy with the dog and after Rick got him out of harm’s way, he also took note of her huffy warnings and backed off .
The little ones came down from their trees and all three scampered over the hill toward Stenger’s house.
Ronnie and Debra Bilyeu also saw a Mama Bear with three cubs just a couple of miles down the road from us. I asked him where his camera was, but he said they were moving fast and he could not get to it in time.
Almus and Dorothy Ragsdale had a lot of their family together on Saturday as they celebrated his 88th birthday and Mother’s Day. I enjoyed seeing family pictures that the girls put on Facebook.
Adrian and Glenette Brown are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, May 16, at New Haven General Baptist Church. Their daughters, Glenda and Sherri, would love for you to join them at a reception buffet beginning at 4:00 p.m.
Rick got up very early this morning and went fishing. He got a new pair of chest waders for Mother’s Day and could hardly wait to try them out! Bye for now.

ELANE CRUMCell: 417-239-4059Website: www.elanecrum.netWebsite: www.elanecrum.com

Blog: www.dogwoodacresOnline.blogspot.com

Dogwood Acres Weekly 05/03/09

DOGWOOD ACRES, 05/03/09, ELANE CRUM
Hello friends. A friend called and asked where Dogwood Acres is. You will not find it on a map, nor will you see a sign in the yard. Many years ago, Scott Brady painted a mailbox for my folks with dogwood blossoms on it and a sign that said Dogwood Acres, but it now sits in my flower garden. We have pictures taken through the years of family members in front of Dogwood trees in the yard at the old house. Dogwood Acres is a family and a community of close-knit friends and neighbors that has evolved over a span of many years.
Bill Biggs spent a few days on Taneycomo in a cabin with his employer, Joe and co-worker, John, who had NEVER caught a fish. Sean Tilley got to hang out with them too and there was quite a nice catch of fish. They all had a good time, but what Bill enjoyed most is that he did not have to DRIVE anywhere to get there and did not have to DRIVE to come home again. I believe that is what we now call a “Staycation”. Sean fried wild turkey breast for the fellows who did travel to be here, so with fish and wild turkey, they had something to tell their friends about back home.
Vanessa Bilyeu and Makaylee Tilley spent the weekend with Grandpa and Grandma Biggs. Uncle Sean took Vanessa turkey hunting in the rain, but the big Gobbler was evasive and not to be snagged this time around.
Vanessa and Makaylee both played softball on the Forsyth School ball field last week. We had hoped they would play each other, but it did not work out that way. A rainy evening, but still fun to watch.
The colors of spring at our house continue to change. The bright white Dogwood blossoms are fading as green leaves take their place. Yellow pollen from the Oak trees covers every surface and then we have the added bonus of bright orange pollen from our majestic White Pines.
Sounds of spring include peepers in the ponds and an occasional whippoorwill making his lonesome cry. The sweetest sounds are the baby cries of three little kittens whose eyes are now wide open. They will not be content to stay confined in their safe blue tub much longer.
When we got home from church Sunday night, Rick went to check on his dogs and heard tiny little voices coming from Trixie’s house. He is thrilled to have found seven babies there, five white with brown spots like their daddy, Pete, and two who are solid red like Trixie.
Life will be fun around here now as we watch all these little ones grow. Bye for now.


ELANE CRUMCell: 417-239-4059Website: www.elanecrum.netWebsite: www.elanecrum.com

Blog: www.dogwoodacresOnline.blogspot.com

This IS NOT a Postcard

Rick proved to be quite adept with the camera today when this HUGE Mama Bear and her two cubs were near our house. The squirrel dog, Pete, threw quite a ruckus, barking with more than his usual enthusiasm. When Rick went to quiet him down, he saw the bears. The little ones ran whimpering up trees trying to stay away from Pete. Pete was nipping at Mama Bear's tail, narrowly evading her as she whirled around at him. When Rick saw how fast Mama could move, he backed up with his camera, realizing there is a fine line between being brave and being foolish. Unfortunately, he was unable to get close enough for pictures of the cubs.....Maybe next time?