End of July Update

I'm still here but been terribly busy. Let's see...the grandkids have gone home. They were so homesick to see their mom and dad and little sister. I know they are so happy to be waking up in their own beds.

Since they've been gone, I've been working a few more days trying to catch up. Where does it go? It seems like everything is getting more and more expensive each day. I've got to make time to work on things for the store. Buddy and I have so many ideas that we've got to get busy and get them listed. And Christmas is around the corner, so will be getting things ready for that.

We did finally get some welcomed rain here. We've had a couple good showers since I last posted. As a matter of fact, it's getting nice and dreary here now with expected showers. We got a little bit this morning to settle the dust. Last Sunday a twister came through my cousin's place over towards Madisonville along I45 and took out this wonderful old barn. Remember when I posted pictures of it last October? Well, it's gone.

It also took shingles off the roof of his house, ripped two holes in the roof and did damage to his new barn/hanger. He has his office in there along with his plane. The building used to have two 40' doors on it, one of which is gone and they can't find and the other door was sucked in. Now get this...the plane was turned around in the hanger but no damage. The news reported cars being spun around on the highway which runs alongside his place. It was fast and furious. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Dottie went and had her surgery yesterday-thank goodness! I've never heard of a female cat coming into heat as much as she did. It's awful! Anyway, there is this wonderful low cost spay and neuter clinic in a neighboring town...very affordable! So, off she went to her appt yesterday. And look what she got...a tattoo! Okay..I'm a nurse and do not promote tattoos on humans but on animals..it's okay. I won't even get on my soapbox about tattoos and subject ya'll to that. I'll save that for another post.

Last weekend we hiked (drove) up to Vernon, TX, for a wedding. It took us 5 1/2 hours but was great to see a change of scenery. We drove through the very edge of the Waggoner Ranch...550,000 acres! It would take a lifetime to cover all that! As we were driving up there, I pointed out to Buddy to look over at these trees that looked like something out of Africa. All the trees were eaten off to high level...perfectly even. I tried to get a picture.. There wasn't a high game fence so we were puzzled.

As we drove a little further, Buddy saw what was eating the trees like this....

It was camels! Hopefully, you can click on the picture to enlarge it.. I haven't mastered how to do that yet. There were about 20 of them that we saw. What? In Texas, you're supposed to have horses or buffalo or Longhorns..but camels? I guess if you have 550,000 acres, you have to find something to put on there!

Happy Trails...

Did I Mention We Live in a Barn?

I was trying to be nice to the girls this weekend and let them come in the yard since there's no grass in the orchard and this is where they end up...right on the back porch.

I looked out my kitchen sink window this morning and Jess was standing there like she was walking through a drive-thru ... I'll have an oat burger, hold the onions, with a barley wheat slurpie...make it snappy...

I hear her out on the front porch...caught you! Poor Eve.... the evidence is in your mouth!

Then she turns to me as if to ask..

"Wha-at?"

Happy Trails..

Outside Heat Brings Indoor Projects

It's been so hot here that the only time to get anything done outside is at sun-up or near dark. The ground is so dry is cracks under your feet. It seems that even the dirt is brittle. Since there's no grass left out in the back for the horses, I decided to turn them out in the yard yesterday since I was home. As you can see, there's not much grass in the yard but they loved what was there.

Ahhh, yes, a day to stay home and get some things done. I didn't have to go anywhere and it was wonderful. I got a chance to get some more things done in the house. Buddy and I have been going out to the storage container early on Saturday mornings when it's cool enough to even attempt to go in the container to get more boxes to unpack. No, we're still not completely unpacked but getting there. Buddy is so anxious to get things up on the walls. Since this house is much smaller than our last one, it's deciding what goes up and what gets kept in boxes. When Buddy and I go antiquing, I'm always on the lookout for good old linens. I recently acquired a bunch so dug through them and found that some of them go perfectly in my house. The kitchen valance are vintage napkins draped across a tension rod. Maybe you can click on the picture to see that there are red embroidered strawberries on the points.

These old lace tablecloths worked great for the bedroom. I still have two more windows off to the right side that I will have to find something for. I'm one of those folks that nothing has to match...the more mixed up it is, the better.

In the next few days, I'll be going through all these linens and adding to our store so stay tuned...

Happy Trails...

Do You Ever Wonder?

Is it just me or do any of you ever wonder what your day or week would be like if something that took place didn't happen? I'll come back to that. As I sit here thinking about all that has gone on in the last two weeks, nothing just real exciting comes to mind. I wonder how so many of you find such interesting things to blog about. This blog initially started out for a way for my friends and family to keep up with what's happening with life on the orchard. So, here's my past two weeks...

It's been hotter than blue blazes here..everything is pretty much fried...except for anything that I've been eating. Excuse me, my mind is wandering.. my thoughts are on a big chicken fried steak right now and mashed potatoes covered with thick cream gravy....okay, I'm back.

Did I say it's been hot here? We have not had any significant rain in the past several months. Last week we got an inch one day...Thank the Lord for that! The pecan trees are producing pecans but a lot of them have fallen to the ground prematurely because it's so dry. Wednesday we had a wonderful little stormy shower come through that settled the dust on the ground and, yes, more winds that blew more pecans off the trees.

We're also getting a lot of fallen branches. They are so dry and brittle, they are snapping off and hanging there. That is an ongoing chore here of cleaning up limbs and branches. Check out the ground in this picture..there is NO grass!

There is no grass in the chicken pen either so to keep the girls happy, they are still getting their treats of carrots and a few potatoes.

Can you see that they love it?

Okay, now back to back my question... I'm sure everyone has had some of those days that nothing seems to go right or you sit and ask yourself "why me?" or "what else can happen?". I've had several of those days this week. As this 'ol grandma still has two of the grandsons for the summer and dealing with their antics, it's given me times to reflect on the raising of my own kids. Do I have regrets? Would I have done things differently? As I look back I would say that I definitely would but you know what? At that time with all that was put on my plate and not knowing what the future held, I would probably do exactly what I did. And as it is, I'm pretty darn proud of the way my kids turned out. I am a firm believer in Jesus Christ and read in Eccleciastes that there is a season and place for everything. Why things happen when they do, we will never understand but I know that there is a reason for it. I know that I am blessed with this parched orchard and fallen branches. I truly know that I am blessed to have my children and my grandchildren.

Alright, readers, ya'll are just gonna have to deal with me on this blog.. it's all bumbled jumbled and I rambling but, like I said earlier..this blog was initially started as a journal and it's a huge blurb of my thoughts. It's just been one of those weeks for me..well, truthfully, a couple weeks and I know in my heart some things have happened for a reason.

Okay, now I'm still trying to figure out why this had to happen..other than the fact it lets me show you how pretty and orange those carrots make the yolks...

Or why stepping in dog poop as I'm getting to get in the truck to leave for work had to happen...I'll save ya'll from being subjected to that lovely sight.

Well, I'll sign off for now. Thanks for hanging in there with me on this one.

Happy Trails...