Saturday I went to town......as in Mart, Texas!
I absolutely love everything about being out here in the country!
Country roads are the best!
I only passed one vehicle on my way in and you want to know what it was?
An 18 wheeler!!!
There's harvesting being done so maybe that's why he was on the County Line Road.
It has been so much fun to watch the fields from start of crop to finish this year.
This was one of the cotton fields of 2017.
This year it was sown in wheat.
They will probably sow another crop of something since the season is so young.
I really have no clue since I am a City Girl!
Texas Avenue in Mart, Texas is in for some new businesses!
This property will house several new adventures starting this winter!
We will most likely be customers of the Coffeehouse and the Fire-Water.
Not sure about the gym.....you know we do Critter Chores down here and that counts as exercise!
Most of Mart was closed up on this Saturday but I was happy to shop at the Dollar store and Read's Grocery.
I stocked up on snacks for Mother and Lillian for when I visit them this coming Friday.
I call Lillian a few times a week and check up on them.
I have a better idea of the things they like now and make sure I get plenty of them.
Vienna Sausages are a favorite.
I bought them once for the quads thinking that would be an easy finger food for them.
Amber said not so much.
Still, it is a source of protein and Lillian and Mother both ate up all I took them last month.
Maybe it is old school but if they eat it - I will buy it!
Did you know you can get original as well as the new smoked versions?
Chicken and tuna salad that comes with a little spoon and crackers are also a big hit.
So are mini Oreo cookies and oatmeal pies....and banana moon pies.....and Jello....and pudding...
On the road back to the ranch I see the corn is looking good!
And I made it back to the wheat harvest before they were finished!
The reason I went to town was to buy some milk, fresh fruit and a few other things.
But I forgot to get more tea.
Louis Dean only drinks plain tea.
I have plenty of Constant Comment and Blackberry and such......
I will get some PLAIN tea on Monday when I go into Waco to hit up the Goodwill!
I want to go to the one that sells everything by the pound!
You put everything you find in the shopping cart - they weigh it and you pay by the pound!
Here are the five new geese plus the old gander!
They go in the peacock pen at night and we let them out every morning.
Sweet looking things here......
But when it comes time to put them up at night - they turn into stubborn contrary critters!!!
The gander is a bad influence on the younger ones.
I got them all in at long last - but I resorted to using a big net and yelling at them!
I don't look like that kind of a lady, now do I?
The good thing about is was I got in a really good cardio workout!
We BOTH did!
Louis Dean kept vigil at one end of the pen and I at the other.....
then I took matters in my own hand and swept them up one at a time with the net......that has hole in it....that their heads stuck through....that they were upset about and that I finally got them safely IN the pen!
We came back up to the camper and met the Bee Man and his family.
He took the bee box and proclaimed the area was free of bees.
The bad thing was - he only had 50 bees in his box! After hundreds and thousands of honey bees swarming around! He said they absconded to the trees and woods and who knows where.
This was only the third time that has happened to him.
He had thought to secure enough bees for two hives only to be left with a very few but also with our profound appreciation for his service in getting rid of the bees for us.
If anyone needs a Bee Man in the Waco and Falls County area - let me know and we can put you in touch with a great guy whose main interest is in helping people!
Sunday dawned and Louis Dean was busy at work before I even woke up!
He is a happy camper now that the bees are gone and he can go back to work on his utility room!
He is also in charge of our water!
We have plenty of water down here but we bring in all our drinking water.
Louis Dean handles the ice trays and keeping the container full of cubes for our tea throughout the day. Plus he fills all the containers we can find - water bottles, glass wine jugs and such - for use in the camper.....as in making coffee and tea from the 5 gallon water bottles he buys or fills up with water from home.
Our morning chores were done and we did our Bible reading and prayer time.
I worked on some writing on my book - still rewriting chapter one!
He worked on cutting the rafters for his project and we met in the middle for tea and lunch.
I am loving our time at the ranch.....even though it is extremely hot!
As in 100 degrees!
I love this photo.......
The days are going by so fast we can't seem to keep up with them.
We never get tired of the country and never a moment of boredom.
I wonder at the blessing of being here at all.
The new will never wear off!
And may I say,
'Thank you, Dean and Sherry, for allowing us to have this time and this place. It means so very much to us to be here!"
We tend to do Critter Chores on the early side.
I went down to bring in the ducks.......
and Louis Dean took care of the goats.
The last thing we do is to close up the hen houses.
Our day is done!
My Hero!
He has built a campfire and is waiting for me to join him on the deck.
But before I go ......
I have to share with you my super special cousins and their place in the country.
They are west of Fort Worth and have built an amazing Texas Country Getaway!
I hope to share more of their beautiful place sometime!
Carrie says she can feel her blood pressure drop 10 points once they reach the dirt road to their place. That's my cousin there in the chair......or not.
His father is my cousin....but I get confused after that.
No matter how you put it - we are Family and THAT is what matters!
And the best part is they share the beauty of their place with all of us......
For the past three years they have had a fox come close to their place......
she hides her babies in the rocks and comes down and nurses them every morning.
Now THAT is the coolest way to end tonight's journal entry ever!!!
Thank you, Carrie and Anthony, if you are reading this.......
You guys ROCK! I LOVE your life!!
You look so cute in this yellow hat! So glad the bees are GONE! Your baskets for your mom and Lillian sound like such fun food!
ReplyDeleteAmber and the quads are too young to appreciate Vienna Sausage. How do they feel about Spam? It’s too hot to be chasing critters.
ReplyDeleteI’m glad Dean and Sherry don’t have a swan. They’re beautiful but mean! Glad you found a way to get the geese all in to safety for the night.
ReplyDeleteYou are sweet to do these food baskets for Lillian and your Mom. Enjoy the rest of your time on the ranch!
Linda, That country road looks like it goes on forever. It is a peaceful sight. It's quite her as I type this...I like quite . :):) You are a good daughter to your mom and her friend. I know they appreciate your food baskets ,as they seem to not like the dining fare there. Does it seem your days are flying by. I hope LD can get done all his work. He is the working-est man I know. LOL. I absolutely loved the fox videos and story. So sweet. Blessings to you and LD, love you guys, xoxo, Susie
ReplyDeleteI can see that the country life has been so good for you and LD. I would love living in the country too, so free and so fun! You look so pretty with the yellow hat!
ReplyDelete🐝🙂👍🏼🐐🐓🦆👍🏼🙂🐝
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'm a city gal, I do agree with you that country roads are the best. You lead a very exciting wonderful life there. Yes those critter chores do give a lot of good exercise. So glad the bees are finally gone and no worries now about keeping away from them. Hope you have a Happy Memorial Day !
ReplyDelete100 degrees! Oh my...that is hot . Here we are in the 80s most days but that dreaded humidity is returning. I loved following the story of the bees. So far our hive seems to be doing ok. Marvin worries about his "girls" as most honey bees are ladies according to his Bee Keeping for Dummies.:)
ReplyDeleteyou may be city but your cousin is country and that counts. great idea on the snacks, all of them daddy would love. I used to mail him a few of these in a box just because he loved to get the presents in the mail. yikes on the heat, it is 94 in Wi today. we are going to 87 and humidty out the ying yang. to funny with the geese in the net and head out the hole. glad the bees are gone and hope they don't build another nest.
ReplyDeleteYour place in the country looks so nice and relaxing! I think the snack baskets you take to your mother and Lillian are such a sweet idea. The food at many homes just isn't very good-usually very bland and blah. It's a good way to get some necessary nutrition to them.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy my visits with you so much, and what a fine way to end this post,,, beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI think older folks---,including us-- go for foods we at least recognize. They are quick and handy things to eat. We used to take Vienna sausage and potted meat and crackers on our fishing trips, and also stocked some of we lost power during hurricanes. You're right, they are protein and they like them. I think at their age, they should be allowed to eat something they really like!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you will be goodwill hunting today! Hope you find something and show us!
Linda, I feel I know you well enough now to venture a suggestion about your book - I have a writing project that I got a wee ways into and then just rewrote, rewrote - I have decided now that it would have been so much better just to dash the whole thing off without worrying about whether it is good or not and only then go back... what do you say? Originally I thought getting it right as I went was important ... but it isn't getting done... Just an idea. Cheers and hello to LD too.
ReplyDeleteHow neat that they have a fox to watch...they are so elusive! Love your place and everything you enjoy there too. But it sure got HOT in a hurry this year! Drink lots of that cool clean water! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this post.. This ranch looks like a little piece of heaven.. I had to laugh when you talked about putting the ducks to bed..LOL they sure can be stubborn.. I loved all the photos :)
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to visit you...at the ranch or at your home! My sister in South Texas tells me the temperature is to be over 100°F for the next week or so. Yikes! Stay cool.
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