Our Week at the Ranch and Our Monday in Dallas!

We started getting ready to go down to the ranch on Sunday morning.

It.took.us.all.day.

We left once in the middle of the afternoon and got nearly to the highway when Louis Dean remembered he had forgot to load the air compressor!

We drove back home and he discovered he had forgotten a bunch of other things too!

On our way out on our first effort, we passed a family grilling out on the front lawn of their apartment complex. They were just getting the fire going. By the time we finally left after a few hours of loading more tools, we passed by the same place and the family had grilled, eaten, cleaned up and gone in!

We stopped right outside Dallas and ate dinner since we would be arriving so late.

It was 10:00 when we stopped at HEB in Waco and after 11:00 when we pulled up to the camper!

Dean was sitting on the deck waiting for us and he had built us a campfire.

It didn't take long to settle in and we sat outside until after 2:00 Monday morning!

Louis Dean barely slept as he was so excited about the materials being delivered that day!

I was excited right along with him!

The Home Depot Truck arrived right on time!

Louis Dean paid $20 extra to choose a 2 hour window.

Wow!!

My job, now, was to keep LD fed, watered and make sure he took rest breaks!

We started resting on the west side of the camper in the mornings.

In the early afternoon, he had to come in the camper and by 4:30, there was shade on the deck.

I made breakfast, lunch and dinner! 

He drank lots and lots of water and iced tea to stay hydrated!

Most nights we would have a couple of glasses of wine.

After the materials were all delivered and he had his tools unloaded.....he got down to work.

All Monday afternoon, Tuesday and most of Wednesday, he leveled the deck.

Back when he put that deck in - he was just trying to get out of the mud and he had no intention of building on it. Well,that changed so he had to make sure it was level,

I heard a lot of talk about 'culprits' and 'villians' but he finally got it done!

Wednesday was supposed to be a big storm day but it held off until we thought it was going to miss us. And then it came down on us - BUT we had managed to stow everything back in the truck or in covered tubs. He used tarps to cover the new material. 

Then we went inside and watched it storm!

We were inside a big tin can! 

It hailed and poured and thundered and lightened!

It was a magnificent storm!

AND it didn't last very long!

Grandson Robert arrived the next day - Thursday!

Now they were ready to start framing.

A strong young man is an old man's best helper!

He saved the day more than once!

Think a screened in porch - only we will have the east wall with screened WINDOWS and a door.

Louis Dean had these windows from a project before we ever met and they have been stored in the  you know! where Sanford and Son lived for so many years!  backyard.

The sunsets were beautiful!

I rode my bike a little bit every day.

Right after the sun sets is my MOST favorite time!

The light changes, it softens and even the air becomes softer as it gently wraps itself around us.

The air smells like country......I can't even describe it.....but it is heavenly.

The night sounds begin and you can feel yourself slowly relax. My heart slows down and I breathe in every one of the smells. I tell you, there is nothing else like the feeling I get at twilight.

As day slowly folds into night, the fire flies flit around and before you know it, the stars are out.

It's not like this at home and you know how we love our gazebo and even sitting out on the driveway.

But it's not the same as it is in the country,

Another gift of the country are the wild flowers!

My step son, Dean, brought me this!

The first horse mint of the season!

Right behind it is the bag of rooted mint I brought him from home.

Hope he can grow it in one of his windows because I'm sure the goats would love to eat that!

He also gave me this bouquet.

It reminded of a Mother's Day two years ago when we were out here and it had rained and rained and rained! He went out during a break in the down pours and made me a beautiful big bouquet much like this one. Best flowers EVER!

May is as pretty a month down here as April!

This is up by the big tank.

Dean calls it Lake Tomaguchi!

I explored around a little but tried not to leave Louis Dean alone for very long at a time.

He needs a supervisor!

Dean would go up and check on him, too!

Other than the stormy Wednesday afternoon, the weather could not have been more perfect!

We didn't even use the air conditioner until Saturday.

Every May, the town of Mart has a city wide garage sale!

We left Louis Dean on his own for a few hours and the rest of us went in search of treasures!

I found quite a few!

Tea towels, tin cans, pillows.....

Love that boot bird house!!

I split a broomstick skirt I had found at Goodwill a week ago and hung it as a curtain.

I took the other one down to wash and will use it somewhere else.

I also split that cool denim skirt and made a new hanging for the camper door,

That morning sun is blinding coming through!

My best find was this huge red screen door!!

$42!

It will go at the end of the camper where Louis Dean parks his truck now.

These louvered doors will be painted red and used somewhere!

We had a great time!

Grandson Robert did not buy a single thing! 

Imagine!!

We celebrated Saturday night with a big dinner!!!

Dean smoked ribs for all of us......

I made potato salad and Sherry grilled corn!

Grandson Robert had brought special bottles of wine so it was a real party!!!

We had a LOT to celebrate!

We left on Sunday afternoon.

Louis Dean said he was happy with what had been accomplished - and a big THANK YOU to Dean, Sherry and Grandson Robert!!!

We will be back soon - but it was time to go home and get some rest!

We both went to bed early last night because I had jury duty this morning.

I set my alarm for 5:00 - but I accidentally set it for PM instead of AM!

No worries. I woke up at 5:21 and we got ready and headed for the train station - stopping at McDonald's on our way.

Louis Dean went with me because he said the idea of sitting all day with nothing to do greatly appealed to him!

My summons said 8:00.

We were sitting in the big jury pool room by 7:45.

I didn't know you could be late!

It was nearly 10:00 when they called their first pool.

I knew I would most likely serve since I was juror #4.

We went upstairs to the courtroom and spent the next 3 hours being questioned by counsel - both for the plaintiff and the defendant. We asked a lot of questions - some asked more than others - and then we were told to go out in the hall and they would call us back.

They did!

They released us all!

Apparently, all the questions that were asked helped.

The judge said they revealed a situation that she would need to address so - "bottom line," she said, "you all have done your duty and now I have to do MY job!

It was win! WIN!! for all of us!

I found Louis Dean downstairs waiting for me.

Then we walked the short distance to our favorite restaurant in the West End!

RJ Mexican Cuisine.

We had not been there in a long time!

We could both get a drink with our meal since we were riding the train.

On our way back to Union Station, we stopped at Wild Bill's Western Store.

There are all sorts of good things in there!

Louis Dean said he needed a new hat!

So he got one! The young man who helped him asked if he liked boots.

Louis Dean said, "No, they hurt my feet."

He said, "If you have a few minutes and aren't in a hurry, I believe I could find some you would find very comfortable."

Sure enough, he DID!

I love to see Louis Dean so excited and happy!!

I think he made their day!

I took this video by accident but you can tell he was enjoying telling some of his stories.

The lady said he reminded her of her grandfather.

Louis Dean said, "Take our picture!"

Kyle (the salesman) said to hold on before we left!

He showed Louis Dean the cardboard cut out of John Wayne and found him a John Wayne hat so he could pose!

It was great fun and Louis Dean now has a wonderful new hat AND his first pair of cowboy boots in years!

I had to come back and add this photo!!

As I was editing it, Louis Dean asked, "Can you see the dot?"

He had said something about the dat when I took it but it went right over my head at the time.

That's the DOT in the i!

I laughed so hard my eyes were watering!!

He is just so much fun!!

That  handsome man is amazing!!

What's even better is - he's MY husband!!!

We came home and I immediately went back to bed and Louis Dean worked on his music.

When I got up we both went out to check our garden!

I was talking to Ruth Ann when I was looking the garden over before he came out and I got so excited when I saw RED tomatoes that I had to hang up - after squealing in her ear!

So that catches me up!

LD is waiting for me in the gazebo and we can stay up a little late tonight because I can sleep in tomorrow!!!

It's cheesy but LD was sitting in here as I was winding this up and said I ought to close with this photo! You can't even LOOK at it without smiling back!!

Am I right???

Goodnight, Folks!