Country Garden, Bee Meeting and Skunk Egg and Cat Nap........I'm BACK in the Country!!

 We meant to leave for the country on Monday but we decided to take an extra day to rest up - although we didn't get much rest and worked ourselves silly. Keeping up with a house and yard and this and that is a full time job for us. It seems there's a hundred small chores to do and I go from first one and then another all.day.long. Ilene complimented me on my energy level the other day and I told her she should see me at the end of the day when I am dragging myself to bed totally exhausted. I don't have an abundance of energy - but I am really good at pushing myself. I am accomplishment oriented and have to force myself to just STOP. I think I'm just wired to DOING and I am seriously trying to balance that trait with an equal amount of BEING.

Louis Dean loves projects and stays plenty busy but he does love to sit a spell and rest.

And it doesn't really bother him much if he doesn't finish something and has to put it off another day or so. We're perfect for one another......I help motivate him to finish things and he helps me to take time to  rest. It's good for us to have the ranch to go to and get off the merry-go-round of doing and doing.

We may work when we are at the ranch  - sometimes harder than other times but never as hard as we work at home.

We hoped to be on the Interstate heading South by 1:00 on Tuesday - but it was closer to 2:00 when we hit I35.

Our bee meeting in Hillsboro was at 6:30 so we were cutting it pretty close.

We arrived at the ranch shortly before 5:00 and I had just enough time to put the perishables in the fridge, get the cats settled in the camper with food and water and walk the garden before leaving for the bee meeting. I am so loving my lavendar!

I should have taken this photo from the other side to show how gorgeous the crepe myrtle is!

We had ripe tomatoes and some peppers to harvest.

I love my little pond garden!

I'm BACK!!

Dean and Sherry picked me up and we drove the hour it took on I35 to go back to Hillsboro for the Hill County Beekeepers Meeting.

We always enjoy the program, the people, the refreshments and the fellowship and we always learn something every single time we attend. We signed up, paid our dues and are now bono fide members of two bee clubs - in two different counties.

Sherry and I love learning more about how to tend our bees and Dean is every bit as enthusiastic as we are!

The meeting was over at 8:00 and we headed to West on our way home to eat dinner.

Dean chose Gerik's Ole Czech Bakery and Pizza Place......

A no frills kind of place with interesting and fun decorations!

My sister Nita and her husband would love this Sinclair Gasoline pump!

We chose to sit in a booth and it features a cool galvanized metal table that was COLD when we put our elbows on the table! Felt so GOOD!

Sherry found the 'End of Day' sale on the bakery products and we loaded up! We bagged them up in freezer bags when we got home and will enjoy them for the rest of the week! And longer!

See that egg shaped food item in the center of the pastires?

That, my friends, is a Skunk Egg!

We were intrigued when we saw it on the menu and ordered one to split up and share.

It was seriously delicious!

My friend, Sandy, found the recipe on Pinterest and I am SO going to try my hand at making this!

I ordered a 6" vegetarian pizza.....

 Dean and Sherry split a larger loaded pizza - I forgot the name - and we both took some home in to-go containers. 

Louis Dean had unloaded the truck and settled in and was sitting outside on the deck when we got back about 11:00. I came inside the camper and discovered the toilet connection had broke - again - and water was flowing out of the bathroom and into the kitchen area. I think I went in just a few minutes after it broke - perfect timing! No worries as long as we have water in the big bathroom so Louis Dean turned the water off to the camper and will visit that problem another day.

We both slept so well!

It's good to be back in the coumtry!

Tabitha and Samantha like it here, too!

This morning we had our Bible reading and then started on the new read aloud book 'Dunkirk'.

After we read the book, I'll get the movie for us to watch. That's what we did when we read 'Gettysburg' and 'Gods and Generals.'

Then we started putting together the storage unit to use for Louis Dean's clothes here at the ranch.

I thought it might be easier since we've already put together the one at home.

It wasn't.

I was so worn out by the time we were done, I went to bed and took a nap with both kitties!

They were curled up in the girl bunk but I pushed them over and they made room for me.

I had planned on shopping Reads Grocery store in Mart for steaks to cook tonight but I was too tired.

Instead we had salads using fresh tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers from our garden for a starter and leftovers in the fridge!

Win! WIN!!!

I have my art all set up out in the front room and, since I took a nice nap this afternoon, I think I shall go out and paint for an hour or so before going to bed.