The leaves of brown came tumbling down------

Dqrby Kate loves nature and beiong outside. That'll do!

Darby Kate zeros in on you!

That Darby Kate can give out some looks! This is one of my favorites. She is a hoot!

Here's two of Sparkman's newest cheerleaders! Grace and Belle Baker. They have a combined age of eight! Grace is five and Belle is three. In this photo they have just finished their first public performance as cheerleaders. I don't think I'm biased at all, but they were the prettiest and best cheerleaders in the gym!

This is our Belle, she is a beauty and the other half of the twin set. She is extremely sweet and has the cutest voice. She is very funny and keeps us laughing all the time.

This is our Brady, he is one of our three year-old twin grandchildren. Brady is all boy and a delightful little bundle of energy. He is gifted with unusual coordination and ability to throw a ball. He loves power rangers!

This is 0ur precious Gracie, she is beautiful, talented, smart and athletic. What a treasure! The world is her oyster!

This is Ms. Matilda Rose Baker, (affectionately known as Mattie) she is ten years old and a good dog! She sleeps by our bed and is good to bark when she hears a strange sound. She is a comfort to us. Every one needs a good dog in their life. Mattie was spayed when she was just a pup and has never known the joy of motherhood. She tells me she would have been a good mother and I have no reason to doubt her. Mattie can only say one word that anyone can understand and that word is "ham." Of course, she communicates with me fluently in Dogese!

Kadyn, Tuc and Pup pup

The photo here is of Brother Danny's pride and joys, Miss Kadyn, her brother Tuc and old Pup pup. How cute are they?

40 years pass fast!

It seems like yesterday when we tied the knot that has bound us together these 40 years. Maybe the next 40 will go slower, though they seem to go faster each day. What a lucky day for me when we wed. I am indeed a fortunate man! My wife and my best friend are the same person, though she is so much more to me.

Ready for the melon mile!

Brady and Shara's three entries to the melon mile at the Hope Watermelon festival this past Saturday. Bebe and Papa were the trainers and they made us proud! All three won a medal and a watermelon! What a fun day we had at Auntie's and Trevor's, and Cuddin Darby Kate's house.

Cuddin Tuc and his sister, Cuddin Kadyn

In this photo are the two apples of my brother Danny's eyes! Aren't they two adorable children? Cute and sweet run deep in our families and here's two beautiful examples! Grandchildren are so great! We can spoil them at our leisure and feel good about it. I've been around these two enough to appreciate all their good qualities. They hold the promise of many good times for proud grandparents.

Cuddin Daniel, Cuddin Will, and Cuddin Adam

This photo comes to us from the "Red Neck Riviera!" The title "cuddin," comes from our roots. My Ma ma Mathers always used "cuddin," as a special term of endearment. It was "Cuddin Mallie, "Cuddin Fahlia," etc. Ma ma was the most Southern lady! These "cousins to my children are the very special boys of my brother Gary and his wife Shelia.

Darby Kate expressing her joy!

If you are looking for cute, you must come through our grand kids to get it, we have the market cornered on cute. Darby Kate Coffee, just recently celebrated her 1st. birthday and she is shown just after opening up Bebe and Papa's "grand kid's toy box" in our living room. She is a peach!

Which one is the proud grandpa?

This photo was taken in Fayetteville Arkansas, July 19th. 2008. We were there in support of our nephew, Taylor Paxton, who was participating in a Razorback football camp. We had a great time, good food, good company and a chance to visit with family we don't get to see very often. I am on the far left of the photo, my lovely bride is to my left, then Taylor, his Grand Pa, C.B. Leonard, then Taylor's mom Julie Paxton.

Happier times

This photo was taken in the 70's I believe. It is of five of the Mather's family, From the left, Uncle Matt, Aunt Nell, Uncle Claude, Uncle Billy, and Aunt Utsie. Their order of birth is; Uncle Claude, Aunt Utsie, Uncle Matt, Uncle Billy, Aunt Nell. Missing is my Mama, Aunt Jean and Uncle Jim.

Uncle Matt Mathers

I've always loved Uncle Matt! He took me on my first coon hunt, my first turkey hunt and I have many happy memories of visiting with his family through the years, particularly when they lived on the farm in Moore's Valley Alabama. Uncle Matt is the last of the four Mathers boys who were my Mama's brothers. I also worked in his recapping shop in Butler Alabama in the summer of 1958, fifty years ago!

Uncle Matt's Honey

This is a jar of my Uncle Matt's honey! It's the best I have ever tasted! I love to cook with it. Uncle Matt is one of the hardest workers I have ever seen. He has always had the heart of a farmer. At times in his life he had to do other things, but always loved growing things. He is now well known around south west Alabama for his honey and grapes. He will be 91 in October of 2008.

This is the house my Daddy built.

Daddy built this house with his own hands. He selected every board and did all the wiring, plumbing, etc. He was very proud of it when he finished. It was to be the only home he ever owned. Strangers live in it now and to them it is just a house, but to our family it will always be Daddy house! This house sits on what was part of the Mather's farm.

The picture above is of Mama and Daddy's home when they lived there.

Mama undated photo

This is Mama in an undated photo, probably the 60's . The house looks like the one we lived in in Adel Georgia. Twenty years past the Mobile photo. Tempus fugit!

Memories

This is my Mama @ 1943-44, she was working in a shipyard in Mobile Alabama. She was 20 or 21 years old and had given birth to two children, one of which was I. I have memories of Mobile that are quite vivid after these 60 some odd years. The smell of the paper mill, the Bankhead tunnel, the trauma of nursery school, the graceful whisps of Spanish moss trailing down from the giant Live Oak trees. The smell of salt air and the excitement of riding the busses getting from one place to the next. Never underestimate the awareness of a two year old!

More of the Mather's family

Fast forward thirty or so years from the first photo of the old home place and you can see the ravages of time showing on the faces of my grandfather and his brother and stepsister. Claude Mathers is on the far right back and his brother , Gay Mathers is on his right. Aunt Jimmie is on the left front. The baby in the arms of his mother is nearly 80 years old today. (2008.) Grand maw (Bette Davidson Mathers is sitting in front, she died in 1935.

Turn of the century logging on the Mathers place

According to my uncle Matt, who is 90 years old and living in the old home place, this photo was taken on the Mather's place @ the turn of the century. Notice the photographer's horse in the photo, probably taken on the same day the photo's of the old home were taken.

1836 Home place

This old home was built by a steam boat captain in 1836. It is constructed of heart yellow pine and most of the original boards are still rock solid. Ebeneezer Bowers Mathers purchased the home from the Captain and raised 24 children there. The gentleman on the horse is probably the photographer, according to word of mouth info.

Mam-maw and Da-da

This photo is of my maternal grand parents near the end of their lives. Da-da died in 1960 and Ma-maw died several years later. They raised eight children to adulthood.

The Mathers side of the family

This photo has no date, but looks to be @ the 50s. I can only identify two of the people, from the left, my grandfather, Claude Pritchett Mathers and his stepsister, Aunt Jimmie Davidson. I believe the other three are sisters and brother of my grandfather.

The old home place

This is the Mathers family home in Nanafalia Alabama. The gentleman to the far left of the photo is my great grandfather, Ebeneezer Bowers Mathers. The lady third from the left is my great grandmother, Elizabeth Ann. The young man second from the right is my grandfather Claude Pritchett Mathers. Ebeneezer died in 1903, probably shortly after this photo was taken. Members of the Mathers family still reside in this home.

The photo above is how the house looks today, some 176 years after it was built!

Miss Darby Kate Coffee

This little Miss has the market cornered on cute! Another one of our beautiful grand kids! What can I say? Genes!

One beautiful Woman!

This is my lovely wife coming out of our garden over on Center St. in Arkadelphia, @ the 80's, where we lived for 19 years and brought our children into the world. That place holds a special niche in my heart. We worked hard to make a home there and to raise our children in the right way. I think, from the results, we did a great job!

Daddy and Mama's hands

These hands nurtured us and provided for us. We are thankful to them for giving their lives so that we could grow, become educated and enjoy a fuller, more comfortable life.

Grand Ma and Grand Pa Baker some time before 1935

Our Grand pa was killed in a truck wreck in 1935, none of us ever saw him. His name was Dowell George Baker. By all accounts, he was "much of a man." "Doc Baker," as he was called, was kind of the unofficial peace maker when trouble broke out in his area. He would be called to break up fights, or render justice if some bully was taking advantage of anyone who could not protect himself. My Dad always spoke of his Dad in tones of reverence, you just knew that he respected him very much. Daddy was with him on the truck the day he was killed. Grand ma Baker died in 1968, while I was in Korea. She had been buried for more than a week when I got the letter telling me she was gone. She lived for 33 years after his death and never was remarried. She was a very sweet lady!

Just some good ol boys

Me and my brothers in May of 2008, in Columbus Mississippi. We had a ball, bar-be-queing, Story telling and catching up. We allways include stories of brothe Jerry who was killed in 1986. He was a good ol boy too.

Bev and Jo at Prim

Two of my favorite girls at the Ben Pearson retreat at Prim Arkansas. Trevor and Jodi gave the family this trip for Christmas. We had a wonderful time.

Can you bear it?

This is a big old bear Brady had to pick up after an 80+ year-old man shot the bear while the bear was robbing his bee hives at 2:00 a.m. one morning.

Brady with the awful, terrible snake

Bluegrass squirrel

I'm teaching my pet squirrel to play the mandolin, he's nuts about the darn thing!

The Cathcart home place

This photo was taken @ the late 1970's or early 80's. We lived in this house in Rehobeth Alabama in the early 50's. I remember that we first heard of the death of Hank Williams Sr. while we lived in this house. Hank Sr. died on Jan. 1st. 1953, he was the same age as my Mama, only 30 years old. At the time, there were only three of us boys, Danny, Jerry, and myself. The Cathcart place was a paradise for boys, with creeks on both sides of the house and a veritable cornucopia of fruit, nuts and places to explore.

Bubba getting down

Bubba enjoying his "dun-dun-tar!"

Big Mon

A classic photo

The twins enjoying a popsicle and a moment of intimacy that only twins can know. This is a totally candid shot taken by their Mother, Shara.

The Grands

Are these the most beautiful children in America, or is it just me? I don't think I'm prejudiced in any way! I know, I know, I'm their Grand pa, but I'm unbiased, really, I am!

Some of my work

This is a hickory dough bowl that I made for my daughter Jodi, and from left to right, a cherry spoon, a holly spoon, and a tulip popular spoon.