Monday Ranch! Tuesday Bee Meeting! Wednesday Art! We Are IN the Country!!

Monday we left the house and decided to stop for breakfast at Joe's Coffee Shop even though it was 12:30 before we headed south to the ranch!

Joe's is an old fashioned coffee shop and we fit right in with lots of elderly people that day.

Only one table had two young people sitting at it.

It was a fine feeling eating and drinking coffee knowing we were going to the ranch!

I admit, once we got on the road, the getting here was harder than I thought it would be.

Louis Dean needed my help navigating so I couldn't very well close my eyes and rest.

Once we got on I35 I tried to nod off but I was so uncomfortable I couldn't.

I was so glad to get to the HEB in Belmead!

We didn't need a lot and it didn't take long but it still wore me out to the point that on the way to Mart, Louis Dean asked me if I okay because I kept moaning. I preferred to think I was breathing heavy. I just felt like I was going to pass out but I was already sitting down!

I wasn't just about to prop my foot up on the dashboard as I have done in the past.

Not after seeing an x-ray on Facebook of a passenger involved in a wreck who had done that very thing. I have thought about that before and I have decided to not do it anymore!

We get real excited when we get past Waco and onto the country roads!

That's our turn down there - at the silo and lone tree.

We are here!!

It's our favorite moment!

Our time here has just begun!

Five glorious days and nights!

Louis Dean helped me in and I settled down on the little sofa seat where I spent most of that first evening recovering from the trip down. Worth every bit of the discomfort, though!

The camper was all snug and dry - Sherry and Dean keep an eye on it after heavy rains so we won't have any big surprises.

Colored lights are still on the perpetual Christmas Tree in the front room but I'll be taking of that pretty soon.

Dean grilled T-bone steaks and Sherry cooked the best potato medley in cream sauce and seasoned green beans, garlic bread and pepper poppers for our welcome back dinner!

It was delicious and Sherry did the dishes afterwards and left the extra food for our lunch today.

She and I sat inside the camper and visited while Dean and his dad sat out in the front room.

I think sitting around and just talking is something of a lost art.

Mother used to love to sit and talk.

We would tell and retell our 'war stories' and such and it was nothing to spend a couple of hours just talking. Louis Dean and I do that over our evening wine many a night.

Brenda and Billy are another couple that we can sit and talk to. 

Louis Dean often tells me how much he and Ellen enjoyed driving in to Comanche  from wherever they were teaching and spend  some time drinking coffee and talking to Ruby Nell and Jerl - Ellen's parents.

We went to bed last night with full hearts as well as full stomachs!

And to make it even better - it rained all night!

But all that rain for muddy conditions down here today.

Dean drove their Durango to Waco to have some work done on it this morning and the mechanic drove him home. Dean told him to let him out at the end of the gravel but he decided to try and drive on down. Naturally he got stuck.  Dean got the tractor and pulled him all the way up to the gate!

Dean knows how to drive in the mud.

The wind howled all day long sometimes even rocking the camper a little bit.

This helped dry the road out enough for Sherry to drive us out for our bee meeting Tuesday night.

We have ordered two new hives for April delivery!

And we are mentors this year!

Actually, Sherry is and I'm her helper.

All the new beekeepers went down to the front after the meeting to sign up.

I looked them all over wondering who would be assigned to us.

We have a new sister beekeeper friend - her name is Rosy and she also volunteered to be a mentor.

All three of us went out to eat together and we had the best time!

We planned an activity using the progressive dinner concept.

Our plan is to gather a group of beekeepers in our area and going from one place to the others during the course of a Saturday or Sunday. The goal is to develop relationships and also see how others are doing their bee activities and learning from each other. Maybe start out with coffee and cinnamon rolls at one place and then sandwiches at another with mid afternoon snacks at the next and maybe drinks and appetizers at the last place. This should be fun! Hopefully we can pull this together for April or May.

I was so excited when Rosy ordered fish tacos!

I've always wanted to see what they looked like.....not that I ever wanted to taste them!

It was a good Tuesday and I slept like a baby that night.

Today (Wednesday) has been such a nice relaxing day.

I puttered around doing this and that. I added some red and black tablecloths to the front room and set up the new to us toaster oven, crock pot and pop up toaster we bought at Goodwill. That involved moving a few things around and tweaking what goes where.

I have continued my exercises and can tell my knee is healing up nicely.

The steps up into the camper and down to the front room have proved to be good exercise.

This afternoon I went out to feed carrots to the horses.

I had looked out the front windows and saw them running along the fence line.

That's such a pretty thing to get to see.

This horse is skittish and won't let anyone cut the bridle off of her.

Slowly but surely it has been cut a little at a time and is about to come off on its own.

I haven't been down to see the other critters yet.

 Still protecting my knee.

Sherry said she might take me around on the four wheeler on Friday to see everyone.

Louis Dean says he has seen the wild peacock fly several times.

We can watch the 'mops' aka Great Pyrenees patrol the property from here as well as watch the geese.

There are only three geese now.....

I'm gearing up to paint tomorrow and Friday.

It will be my first art to do this year!

I have several paintings I have promised people and I want to get started on them.

This is Winston - Deanie's grand dog!

It will be her birthday gift - and her birthday was in December!

This is Elsa.....and I am painting it for one of my favorite neighbors from years past.

Then there's Miss Pepper!

She belongs to our Canadian friends.

They are planning on visiting us this fall and I want to have Miss Pepper's portrait done by then!!

There are other paintings to do as well.

The Northern Lights for my niece, Leah and a Christmas painting for my blogging friend, BJ.

And another Christmas one for Kimmy - and I need to have it ready for her birthday in July!

I'm having a good time here at the ranch.

It truly is Our Happy Place!!!