Friday, January 27, 2017

On Critter Duty!

We made it down to the camper yesterday. It takes us about 4 hours from home to here. That's a 2 hour drive plus we stop for lunch or, in this case, dinner, as well as a run at HEB. We forgot our small electric heater so we added a trip to Home Depot to buy a couple of small ones that worked great!
We stayed toasty warm even though the temps dipped down to freezing.

I have to say that God really loves Louis Dean!
Yesterday, as I was putting things out on the porch to load up in the truck, a lady walked up the driveway holding a wallet. She said she worked at a nursing home just up on Northgate an Story Road - a mere few blocks from our house. One of her patients had been out walking and found this billfold and brought it to her. It was, indeed, Louis Dean's!! How in the world did it get THERE??
After piecing the day together, I think we figured it out. Amber had picked Louis Dean up for an early morning appointment. After wards they had stopped by Sonic for milkshakes and he had pulled out his wallet to pay but  she insisted on treating him. Apparently he didn't want to struggle with getting it  back in his overall pocket so he held it in his lap. Then he forgot about it when he got out of her Suburban and it fell on the running board. as she turned the corner at Northgate and Story, it must have slung out onto the sidewalk. Enter TWO Good Samaritans - one who found the wallet and the other who found Louis Dean! This reminded me that there are more good people in the world than bad. His money and credit cards were all there and when I tried to give the young lady the $20 bill in the wallet, she refused. She said, "No! No!! But I WILL take a hug!" And I gave her one!!


It was getting dark by the time we got to the ranch.
I love the rituals of unloading the truck and putting things up as we feather our nest for the next few days. I had started having some sniffles and then my throat began to itch and I decided it was a good thing to be down here where it is so much easier to unplug and rest than it is at home.
Wonder why that is? Life is just so much simpler here.
Dean came down and we had a nice visit. He is teaching a training class in martial arts this weekend and we are here to help with the critters. As if I needed an excuse to come.
As Louis Dean and I were unloading last night, I said, "You gotta really want to be here!" and he responded, "No, you don't. You just have to love someone who really wants to be here!"
And I do. I really do.

I made up the bed in the girl bunk and slept there so - just in case this is a cold instead of allergies - I would not be sharing it with Louis Dean. We both slept like babies!

It was after 10:00 when HE woke up. I woke much earlier and sat out on the deck in the sunshine reading for awhile. I admit to not feeling well through much of the day and after our Bible reading, I went back to the girl bunk where I stayed until after 3:00. I think the rest definitely helped.


When I got up I saw that Louis Dean had been chopping up firewood.


I saw this bird through the window.
I love being so close to nature here.


My hero! He and I both love a good campfire.
Sherry gifted us with a load of firewood the night before we left.

LD just needed to chop some of it a bit!
He does John Wayne really well!

Around 4:00 we headed down to do the critter chores.


The goats needed to be fed and brought up to their pen and chained for the night.
A coyote got one of the younger goats a few weeks back.


We saw Maddie and she is alive and well.
I took this photo so I can show it to the quads who constantly ask about her.


There were baby chicks out in a pen and we had to get them and take them back to their brooder.
NOT easy. Louis Dean fashioned a crate to carry them and he caught two. I took them to the brooder and then it looked like it would take FOREVER to get the rest! There were 7 in all. I got tired of it and took the top off the pen, stepped over and as they huddled in a corner, I scooped them up one at a time and it was a DONE DEAL!


The food chain is always evident here.
Lots of bird feathers....


maybe some chicken feathers?


Just a man and his goat.....


This one was showing off!


Chained in and secure.


Aw....such a sweet face!


I gathered these eggs when I was feeding the chickens. 
Tomorrow's breakfast!


And now here we ar eat the end of the day.
Louis Dean has the fire well in hand now.


Happy Friday Night from the COUNTRY!!

*****update on Summer*****
Thank you everyone for thinking of and praying for Summer.
Her doctor appointment went well and they gave her a new medication for pain which is working much better. On February 9th she will have a test for blocking the nerve that is causing her such a problem. If successful, she will have a more permanent nerve block done.
I talked to her this afternoon and her voice sounded ever so much better!

20 comments:

Kathy said...

You are getting to be real farm people -- taking care of goats and gathering eggs. You can't get eggs any fresher than those! Have a relaxing time and I hope you feel better. Still praying for Summer.

Vee said...

So glad that Summer is getting some relief. Praise God.

Yay for the Good Samaritans! Of course, God loves Louis Dean!

And I am praying that whatever has a hold of you lets go real quick. Ever try Coricidin? I haven't, but a friend swears by the stuff.

Stay cozy and warm and sleep well.

Linda said...

Oh my, that LD story is something else. Angels must be watching over him. Those kind of stories help me keep the faith for our country. I'm so excited to hear about Summer. Bob has a half sister that's had some nerves blocked in her back and she got enormous relief from it.

Susie said...

Linda, I have to tell you...those good people bringing LD wallet to him touched my heart. I love that. They will be blessed in someway for their good deed. Thank God. Glad you both could get away to your relaxing place. Be careful with the heaters...please. :) Love you guys and do not want anything to happen to you. Hope you have a fun time. Blessings, love, xoxo, Susie

NanaDiana said...

Wow- Good things come to Good People and LD certainly falls into that category. Hope you don't get a full blown cold down there. That is never fun.
Enjoy your stay. We used to have an old live-aboard boat that we stayed on in the summer and it was one of the places I truly relaxed-even though there was work to be done it is not like having a house where you are NEVER done...lol
God bless you and your dear LD~ xo Diana

NanaDiana said...

ps. So glad to hear about Summer. Praying for her.

Deb said...

Such good news about Summer😃 Critter duty can be fun or exhausting depending on the day

Suezk said...

Please feel better soon :) So glad LD got his wallet back. Good people deserve good things. My husband has severe back issues so I have an idea what Summer is going thru and I am so so glad to hear of the nerve block they are trying. She is good people too and hopefully this will help. Hope you feel well enough to write some of your book. You are an amazing writer and I cannot wait to read more. Get well be happy you two :) hugs, Sue

Jan said...

Thank goodness for good samaritans! My son in law may also have to have a nerve block done on his back if things don't get better. He is in tremendous pain most of the time. I hope this will take care of Summer's pain. Enjoy your time in the country!

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I am so happy to hear about Summer! I will pray that she can get permanent relief!

Enjoy your time on the ranch!

Ginny Hartzler said...

I am so glad that summer now has HOPE, and not only that, there are two options!! I hope you are not getting sick! Maybe this rest in the country will do you good. The sky behind the brown and white goat is beautiful! I love your edit of Lois Dean bent over chopping the wood! The small moments in life, like the return of the wallet, give us hope that the whole world hasn't gone mad. I think we hear about the bad people more, while the good ones stay in the background and do not draw attention to themselves. But they are everywhere!

Hootin Anni said...

Fresh eggs for breakfast. Good deal for all. When I was a kid that was my chore collecting eggs. Bud still cringes when I regale how I would go in the coop barefooted...with all the chicken doodoo on the floor.

Love the goat 'showing off'.

Cranberry Morning said...

I loved reading this post. It seems like such a great place to unwind. I'm sorry about the coyote getting one of the goats. We have coyotes here too and they make a lot of loud squealing in the late evenings.

MadSnapper said...

glad to hear Summer is better. hope that nerve block will work. I love the photos of the wood chopper and of the wood chopper about to chains saw the fire pit. made me laugh. I would really love to stay in your camper and would really want to be there. my kind of place. you know I love the goats and fire pit.

Changes in the wind said...

My hubby did the very same thing with his wallet on a plane going to Rome...we never got it back and fortunately he always carries his money in his front jean pocket and I had a different credit card in my purse so it didn't ruin our trip.
So glad to hear that Summer is doing better.

Diana Ferguson said...

Glad Summer is better. Thanks for sharing that great "wallet" story.
Have fun, Linda and LD.

bj said...

oh, i love campers and camping..we sold our old one several yrs ago but are looking for a very small one that our SUV will pull.
All the animals are so cute..I know you are having fun..and so so glad to hear Summer is doing better.

Arlene G said...

So glad LD got his wallet back and that Summer is feeling better. We love our little place as well. Just being there is so restful. Hope that sniffle is not a cold!!

Carole said...

Love those fresh eggs! Hope you're going to do something simple but special with them. Have a great week. Cheers from Carole's Chatter

Debbie said...

i am so happy for you as i know this is your happy place!! i am jealous about those fresh eggs, they are soooooo yummy!!!

people are good, really good. it's a shame you don't read about the good stuff in the news paper!!!

make sure summer does her homework about the procedure. i had a nerve block in my face that worked but when they went in and cut the nerve, everything was different. i'm sure she has done the research but had i know what it would feel like after, i would not have had it done. this numb is not numb as we know it from novocaine!!!