Christmas 2008 has come and gone. I had a good time with my family, but I miss Smokey. My heart is heavy with grief. I miss you Big Smoke.

It is the holiday season, and I miss Smokey everyday. He was such a wonderful man. Pictures of him surround me and I keep him always in my heart.
Love you Smoke

Dust Bunny Club

The first Dust Bunny Club was formed on October 5, 2008 for Kati's 30 birthday. The tradition lives on. Susta and Fat Friend and I are the official Charter members. Kati's friends became the first official Dust Bunny Club. What a great honor.

It has been seven weeks and I miss Smokey everyday. I know Smokey has gone on to Glory Land and I am happy about that, but I miss him so much here.

Love you Big Smoke. Smoke Circles in the sky.

Missing Big Smoke

It is fall in the air. Weather is cooling a bit. I had chinese food for supper and miss Big Smoke. Smoke always enjoyed chinese food takeout,and we often shared that meal on Friday night. I miss Smokey everyday.
I love you Big Smoke. Remember, when you see smoke circles in the sky, remember Big Smoke.
Love
Jane Ellen

Duster Divas at the light pole

This is April and Mandy. They look pretty good by the pole.

Love you Big Smoke

Duster Divas and the light pole

When the Duster Divas got home we practiced some of our pole moves. We were having fun.

When you see Smoke Circles in the Sky, remember Big Smoke. I miss you Smokey.

Love you always

Jane Ellen

Duster Divas

This is what happens when my friends get together to make sure that I have a good time. And yes we wen out in public. May I introduce the Duster Divas. April, Joy, Mandy, Deb, Jenni and me. Dusters are the snap up the front house coats that Mama and Grandmother considered a vital part of their wardrobe. Good enough for Mama, good enough for me. Thank you to my friends that helped me make a complete fool of myself and have a geat time doing it.

Smokey has been dead a month today. Hard to imagine life without Big Smoke. Time has away of getting by while we are waiting.

I miss you Big Smoke.

Jane Ellen

Smokey

James Edwin Davis, Jr. Smokey to all who knew him was born on May 14, 1949 and died August 19, 2008. He died of a massive heart attack. He was 59 years old. Too young and too much alive to be here one minute and gone the next. It was quite a shock. We all miss you Big Smoke. Please help me to remember him and share in the treasure of those memories by responding with your thoughts and comments.
Jane

Thank you family and friends

Please allow me this opportunity to say thank you to Kati, Scot, Kennedy Jane, Ali and Ryan for all thier support over the last 3 weeks since Smokey died. They have been the best. Kennedy Jane is the light of my life.

A really BIG thank you to all of my friends for the numerous acts of kindness and the words of encouuragment through these very hard times. I have gotten so many cards, so much food, flowers, and countless gifts of thoughtfulness and kindness. Thank you to each of you from the bottom of my heart. My friends and family are what has made this loss tolerable. Thank you for loving me. Friends and family and treasured memories of Smokey and me are what get me through. Please continue to remember Smokey and me and to allow me to talk endlessly about Big Smoke and what he means to me. Continue to remember Smokey's family in your prayers.

We all miss you Big Smoke. Smoke Circles in the Sky

Smoke in Smoke

Smokey is the big guy in the orange shirt.

Smokey being Smokey

Smokey loved a good forest fire. He taught fire school and used fire as a management tool on his forest. It was nothing to come home and see Smokey surrounded by smoke. He love a good fire. He had a fire pit down by the lake, and many cold nights we sat around the fire pit, had dinner and treasured conversations. Smokey was a good story teller and told funny jokes. These stories and jokes were bigger than life around the smoke pit.

I miss you Big Smoke. Smoke circles in the sky.

Smokey's smile

Smokey was a big man, bigger than life in so many ways. He had a smile that would melt my heart. He was and always will be the love of my life. I miss you Big Smoke. Smoke Circles in the Sky

Sister's Garden

When I got home from Susan's funeral and all that the heart ache that was associated in the death of my sister and best friend, Smokey had this garden planted for me. The wheels are from an old train and was just kind of there. I asked Smokey one day to turn the train wheels into a garden and SO, when I got home, Smokey had this garden ready for me. It was my remembrance garden for Susan. That was the kind of thing that made Smokey the love of my life. He was very good to and for me. I miss you Big Smoke. Smoke circles in the sky.

Don't Quit

I was looking through Mama's Big Print Bibleand ran across this poem stuck in between the pages. I believe Mama sent me this message during my very dark days that have followed Smokey's death. I try to remember lessons Mama has taught me. She lost alot and never lost faith and never quit.

Don’t Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill.
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh.
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up though the pace seems slow-
You may succeed with another blow.
Success is failure turned inside out-
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell just how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit-
It’s when things seem worst
That you must not quit.
Salesian Missions
New Rochelle, N.Y. 10802

Happy Aloha Friday!

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born

Death Certificate shows that we died

Pictures show that we lived!

I Believe...

That just because two people argue
It doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
It doesn't mean they do love each other

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you
Every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest
Distance.

Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant
That will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time
To become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.


I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what
We do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it
needs to be done, regardless of the consequences


I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have
the best time

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're
down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences
you've had
And what you've learned from them and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't
stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we
are. But, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.


I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of
everything; They just make the most of everything.

Have a wonderful day
Malama Pono, A Hui Hou

The cabin

Smokey's house was nestled in the woods over looking one of the three lakes on the property. Just around the corner the long horn cattle were grazing. The lakes were filled with bass and brim. Flowers, herbs, gardens, and orchards were growing all around the cabin. It is a beautiful place. The top deck was for star gazing and looking at the moon. Smokey loved the night sky and would often point out different stars and planets. Many good conversations were had in the swing on the screened front porch over looking the lake. The grill was on this porch as well as a green egg on the back porch. Smokey was a great chef. There were always great smells coming from the grills and something always good to eat. Smokey loved to cook and entertain. I miss you Big Smoke. Smoke circles in the sky.

Welcome

The door was always open to friends and family to come and enjoy. We will all miss you Big Smoke. Smoke circles in the sky.

Smokey and Jane

This was one of the many times Smokey hosted parties at the cabin.

The Beach

Smokey and I love the beach. This was the annual 4th of July celebration at the beach. The beach will always be a treasured memory. I miss you Big Smoke. Smoke Circles in the sky.

Thank you Kati

Kati worked on this blog and made it look so beautiful. We all miss you Big Smoke. Smoke Circles in the Sky is a tribute to the love of my life. Thank you Kati for making the Blog so wonderful.

Vacation of a lifetime

In September 2007, Smokey and I went the vacation of a lifetime. We went on an Alaskan Cruise. It was amazing. If you ever thought you wanted to go to Alaska, GO. Time is wasting. This is one of the prom pictures we had made on the ship just before dinner. Alaska is bigger than life and so is Smokey Davis. Smoke Circles in the sky.

Friends

Left to right. Kati, Ali, Great Jane, Jackie and Vicki. All girls that loved and will continue to love Smokey Davis. Smoke Circles in the Sky

Jane, Jackie and Vicki. Smoke Circles in the SkyM

Jackie, Vicki and Ali. Smoke Circles in the sky.

My friends all came to see me through the dark days that followed Smokey's death. Friends are what makes the world go around. Vicki, Jackie Ali and I had a slumber party the night before the service.

The following Kati joined us. My family and friends are what makes it possible to breathe. Thank you girls.

Jane and MOM

Taking a ride

That is Ali hanging on and Great Jane holding that precious Kennedy Jane, and the BIG Guy. That is Smokey. Bigger than life in so many ways. We will all mis you Big Smoke. Smoke Circle in the Sky

Smokey and Jane

The Right Shoe

Smokey Davis was the love of my life. On Tuesday, August 19, 2008, the two of us spent a lovely afternoon at his place. We rode around the property seeing all the accomplishments. Smokey was not only a dreamer, and a planner, but he had the talents to pull it all together and watch his dreams for the land come true.
We had a dinner meeting in Chatom. We rode the 50 miles or so and talked endlessly on the ride up. Great conversation, full of love for each other. On the ride up Smokey shared with me a dream he had the night before. He explained that in the dream, he was trying to get dressed to go somehwere with the family and he couldn't find his socks. He shared that the family was annoyed because they were waiting for him and he couldn't get it together. He was looking for shoes and all the shoes were left shoes. That was the end of the dream.
Once we arrived at the meeting, I got busy and so did Smokey. We were both on the program. There were about 40 people in Jake's Restaurant. Smokey had the audience going his way with stories and jokes. The next minute, Smokey was gone from this world. He sufferred a massive heart attack and was gone.
My theory, the time he spent with me, he found the right shoe. We had time to love and be loved. He had time to find the right shoe. When Smokey left this world and went to be with his Lord and Savior he had on socks and two shoes. One left and one right.
Loving Smokey will be a treasure I will hold in my heart forever.
Love like it was you last day. Say the things you need to say.
Life is truly short.
I love you Big Smoke. Smoke Circles in the Sky

Article in the Treasure Forest Association Magazine

Smokey Davis with Southern Charm and Deep South hospitality opened his country cabin and welcomed the 4-H volunteers to a great 4-H volunteer appreciation luncheon on June 10, 2008. Smokey intrigued the guest with a brief history of the Mauvilla Cabin and a descriptive illustration of the Davis Family and how they settled in Mauvilla. The cabin is nestled in the woods with a beautiful view of the lake filled to the brim with bass and brim. Several of the volunteers seized the opportunity to wet a hook and reel in the big catch. Smokey shared with the guest the picture window view of the sunrise and the top deck view of the moon and stars. Surrounding the cabin long horn cattle are grazing, native flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and pine trees are growing in the background. What a picturesque setting for an appreciation luncheon.
4-H volunteers with Classroom in the Forest: Forest in the Classroom ™, Animal Science, Community Clubs, and Special Interest Clubs were represented. Jim Todd, County Extension Coordinator gave a brief overview of Extension and thank you to all the 4-H volunteers for a job well done. Mandy Marks and Jane Hartselle took this opportunity to extend a heartfelt thank you for the volunteers that are the backbone of the 4-H program. Several of the volunteers shared their individual experiences and cherished stories of volunteering with 4-H in Mobile and Washington County. The resounding theme was the privilege of watching young children grow and learn from the opportunities provided through the 4-H Program. Several of the volunteers participated in 4-H and are continuing the 4-H tradition through volunteering.
Following was a delicious lunch, consisting of buckets of fresh garden salads, mountains of pasta salads, deli chicken salads on fresh from the oven croissants, and mouth watering briskets served -up on silver platters. Mandy Marks served up lunch Mandy style with vases of fresh picked flowers, 4-H colors of green and white, and delicious treats including cheese cake for desert.
Some of the guests with overflowing plates, settled in the sun room, others gathered in the gun room, while some of the guest filled the porch swing, wicker rockers, gliders and picnic tables overlooking the lake from the front porch. At no time was the kitchen empty.
Please allow me to say thank you to Smokey Davis, Mandy Marks and all the 4-H volunteers for a great 4-H volunteer appreciation luncheon.
Jane Hartselle