The Pioneer Spirit!

The last 6 days have been a challenge but both Louis Dean and I have kept our pioneer spirits intact!

He has been working on plumbing problems ever since we arrived. -

while I feel like one of these cows in Mr. Jackson's field across the road from the ranch gate.

I have lazed around and read a lot and sipped a little wine.

I documented the sunset on New Year's Eve.

Dean and Sherry came down and we shot off a couple of fireworks.

They are so very good to us.

On New Year's Day, Dean got me water to the camper.

This was HUGE!

I felt like a pioneer going out to the faucet in the middle of the garden area and filling up jugs of water to use to flush toilets, make coffee, wash dishes and such.

Water is HEAVY and Dean hauled a lot of it in for me.

When he wasn't up here, I did it myself as Louis Dean was so overwhelmed with everything.

 Louis Dean and I had gone to Waco on Saturday to get parts for the water heater and he came back and put those on.

There were cut off valves so even though the water heater wasn't installed as of yet - he could turn the water on. There was a wild 10 minutes when we thought all was working - and then we realized it wasn't. The pipe in the shower that Louis Dean had repaired - well, apparently the break went all the way to the bottom and water was coming out under the shower.

To say it has been stressful for Louis Dean is an understatement.

He has always been so in charge and on top of things and there was nothing he could not fix!

Until now.

That's when his son came riding in on his white horse to rescue him!

(And this is not  the first time he's done this.)

It's a funny thing about fathers and sons.

Neither one wants to step on the toes of the other.

Dean has deep respect for his Daddy and Louis Dean is so proud of his son - and so happy that we have been welcomed down here and given this wonderful spot to keep our camper and put down roots in building a front room to it and then having a huge red metal roof put on to cover it as well as skirting to protect from the rain and a carport for our vehicles.

Things are changing and we are navigating new roads in life,

Louis Dean cannot do what he once could.

His memory loss prevents him from learning new things - as in the Pex plumbing that's available now.

Dean has had some experience with this as he's been changing over to this on his property,

He will be doing the repairs after we go home tomorrow so when we come back, all Louis Dean has to do is put his work shop back together.

Last night I went to bed before 9:00 and I got up every hour or two checking on Louis Dean. 

We had both taken hot showers using the tea kettle and hot plate to heat up water.

That brought back fond memories of years past when we did that.

There's always a way!

He was in his shop -where the water heater lives - and was sorting things.

I went back to bed in the girl bunk and had a terrible dream!

Louis Dean had a seizure and he was going by ambulance to a hospital and I was allowed to go with him - except they loaded him and was about to leave before I got in the ambulance.

In my dream I was desperate because I did not know where they would take him since we were in Dallas.....so I stood in front of the ambulance as it u-turned and thought, 'they can stop or run over me - it doesn't matter!' I was waving my arms and screaming when I woke up.

It was scary! I went to the bathroom and got back in the girl bunk - and heard water!

That made my heart race even more than it already was!

I got back up and put my clogs on, grabbed a flashlight and went around to the side of the camper.

The mops were down here in a few seconds and when I didn't SEE anything and couldn't HEAR any water running - they herded escorted me back to the front deck. Good doggies!!

That's when I heard the coyotes howling and realized they really ARE good doggies!

Bottom line - Dean and Sherry went to Waco today and bought the supplies to fix the shower - using Pex! In the meantime, Louis Dean cut the linoleum to uncover the inspection hole he had made in the floor in front of the shower. He really is brilliant in so many ways and he did this a few years ago.

So he went in and took a good long nap this afternoon while I painted.

One more session to tone down some colors and add details.

I am so ready to start some new art projects!

I have one lined up to paint the cabin in New Mexico and two paintings for my son, Jesse, both of them to go in his coffee bar. He is @java.jesse on Instagram and he

is a coffee connoisseur!

Today was our last full day here at the ranch.

Sherry gave us a big bag of giant carrots! 

I used some to add to the seriously good potato soup she sent down for us tonight and then I gave the biggest ones to the horses!

This one is my favorite!

I may have given her extra!

They all loved them and the carrots were so huge it took them awhile to eat them!

Hence photo time!

Do you see pictures in the clouds?

My siblings and I have done this since we were little.

What do YOU see?

I see Jimmy Durante - remember him???

And a white haired lady .....and a fancy poodle?

So this is January at the ranch.

The garden is silent and is the sound here.

I've loved the sounds.

It's quiet. No sirens. Not one. I hear them every morning at home when I take my first cup of coffee out on the kitchen deck. I always say a prayer for the ones who need help and for the helpers.

Here the air is quiet. Dogs, goats and geese, ducks, chickens and roosters, horses and cats.

You can hear the wind and feel the Holy Spirit in the breezes that come through the camper window.

Even though we have been pioneer in spirit, 

it's been a good time here this week.

I admit to being a little blue and a little overwhelmed at times - and not just because of the plumbing situation. The first Christmas without Nita has been a heavy one for me - even when I celebrated and rejoiced. Sorrow and joy can, indeed, live in one's heart at the very same time. 

But God is faithful and he has never failed in working out any problem I have ever faced in all my 74 years,  3 months and 2 days. NEVER has he failed to be there when I need him.

In light of eternity, this dilemma and changing to the new normal is not a blip on the radar scale....

but God sees it and knows all about it and where we are heading and what will happen.

I am trusting him tonight -just as I trust him in the day.