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...

Winged Creatures

I've enjoyed several of your blogs with a weekly challenge of particular pictures. This past Sunday was "things with wings". It's funny how a couple of my pictures for today ended up being with wings. The boys happened across this gorgeous moth last night - it's probably about four inches across. I'm hoping you can click on the picture and get a better close up of all the turquoise colors in this moth.

I know now that I'm asking Santa for a zoom lens for my camera.

My next winged creature is my broody hen. Why in the world she wants to get broody in triple digit temperatures, I have no idea. I'm all for letting her sit on a batch of eggs and see if they hatch out but this hen can't decide which nest box she wants! Seems every time she gets out to eat and drink, she returns to another box. I'd let her keep some of the eggs she was sitting on but then she changes her mind. Too heck with that...I just gathered up all the eggs last night. She seemed content to be left on a nest.

I'm open for suggestions on how to keep her on one nest to let her hatch some out.

I've given up on the back garden except for the watermelons and I think I'm gonna have to let the chickens have them too. I have watered and watered and it is so blasted hot here, the heat has literally sucked out all the moisture from the plants. And whatever is produced seems to turn bad in a day. Even the watermelons are splitting. So it's back to the drawing board on how to improve the garden for the next go-round.

Dottie doesn't have wings but she sure can fly up to some high places. There have been days when I have searched and searched for her and she eventually shows up. I think her favorite spot is back in this far corner above my kitchen cabinets.

If she's not up high, she's learned to open drawers and cabinets and get in there. I had no idea I was going to have to "child" proof my home for a cat.

Happy Trails...

Good Kitty!

Welcome? I don't think so! I'm sitting here at my computer and Dottie is in her usual spot on the window sill and she starts going nuts! I look out and this huge snake was slithering across my back doorway. I know it's just a chicken snake but I don't do snakes...especially at my back door!

Good Kitty! You're a keeper!

Meet Dottie

Meet the newest addition to our farm. Buddy and I agreed that when we got our house finished we would get a housecat. We have been looking and found exactly what we were looking for. She is a year old and strictly an inside cat. She is so sweet and loves Buddy. We live very close to Texas A&M University - hence, lots of college students...and I mean a lot! This time of year, the students are vacating the campus and leaving behind their unwanted belongings. Apparently, one particular student moved out and left her roommates with this gorgeous cat which they could not keep or take home themselves. So, that's how Dottie entered our lives.

This is a favorite spot in the house..in the window sill watching the dogs and the hummingbirds zipping to and from the feeder.

Happy Trails...