Our October Country Weekend.....

 It's always a good thing to get back to the country.
Louis Dean brought me a cup of coffee Friday morning while I was still in the girl bunk.
He said, "I found your donuts!"
But I hadn't bought any! Turns out, Sherry went into Mart early Saturday morning to buy dog foood and stopped by the donut place. She left a dozen glazed beauties in the front room for us.
We had already found them and were having another cup of coffee when Roy and Ruth Ann drove up!
They arrived Thursday evening at the RV park in Riesel - just down the road from us.
Roy got out of the truck and called to Louis Dean, "Is Linda awake yet??"
They know me well but I was up and even dressed! 
No make up and only a hat to cover my bed head so no photos.

While Roy drove on down to Dean and Sherry's to pick them up, Ruth Ann and I visited a little while and she gave me the most birthday Birthday Box!

It's a big box and it is gorgeous. This is not the first time she has given me a gift in a box.

I have a beautiful peacock one as well as a lovely floral box. I keep make up in one and lingerie in the other.

This was inside the box!

It was wonderful to see Ruth Ann even if it was for a short few minutes.

They were here to escort Dean and Sherry to Pflugerville, Texas for a Karate event.

They have a really nice RV bus and have taken them on several trips.

The only thing about that is that we can't join them because when Dean and Sherry aren't here - we do the critter chores!

But they are having fun this weekend and so are we.

I went early Friday afternoon to the post office in Mart to mail Lillian's pajama set and a card to her and then ran in the Dollar store to pick up a few things and came home on the back road out of town.

So many of the abandoned houses that had fallen down are now gone and some new ones have gone up in a few of the vacant lots. I hear road work is about to start in Mart!

Good things are happening here.

The kitties are enjoying thenselves.

We left them loose in the camper Thursday night but that's not the usual routine.

Since they prowled around while they should have been sleeping - they napped a lot the next  day.

I like it better when we are all on the same schedule - more or less.

While I fixed easy meals using leftovers from home and set out my art between reading and playing with the kittens.....

Louis Dean was hard at work - as usual.

He has three mounds of sandy loam soil.

One has melons growing around and on it and the second one is 'to look at.'

This third one is a working pile and he was busy filling in the trenches where he put water pipes and electric lines to the pond area.

He amazes me every day.

That man loves to play in the dirt!

While we did the evening chores on Friday, Saturday was our first full day of Critter Duty.

My favorite chore is letting the ducks out - and my second favorite is letting them back in at night.

Hard to video while I am doing this.

The geese are loud but not overly aggressive.

My job is to feed all the chickens, peacocks, dogs, cats and make sure they have water.

If they don't - then I tell Louis Dean and that's HIS job!

A peacock and peahen live inisde the pen and then there is one peacock outside.

Isn't he pretty??

They are loud and sound like a woman screaming at night - but they are so pretty!

Here sits Sherry's tractor!

Seeing it always makes me smile.

Some women love fancy clothes, fine wine and maybe some expensive jewelry.

Sherry would prefer a piece of heavy equipment!

A few years ago when we first started the front room addition, the guys were here putting in the septic tank for us. They had several pieces of heavy equipment but there was one that was extra and not needed for the job they were doing. Dean asked him, "Why did you bring that??"

And John said, "So Sherry would have something to play with!"

And she did!!

It's easy country living here.

The peppers are from the herb garden I planted around the pond and the eggs were gathered fresh from the chickens Saturday morning.

This is Louis Dean's weekend project!

Extending the deck to the end of the building.

Mine was painting the front side of the front room.

The baked beans I had in the oven smelled so good!

I made pepper poppers using the ones from my garden and we had chicken and dressing with mashed potatoes. Fresh fruit with Cool Whip was dessert.

Our nightly campfires serve two purposes......we burn up our paper trash .....

and then we just enjoy the campfire.

My art table is up and I am working at it every day - and even at night.

Still, Friday and Saturday nights we were in bed before 10:00.

Today, Sunday, is our last full day of critter duty.

Letting the ducks out.

After I do the chickens and peacocks, I go up to the house and feed the mops Great Pyrenees and the cats. And Rufus. Rufus stayed here for this trip. He is old and blind and can't hear well.

It breaks my heart. I give him medicine twice a day and let him in and out and doctor his eyes.

Actually Louis Dean is the one who doctors his eyes.

I discovered I could not do it. I guess I could have if I had to but I have Louis Dean.

I love that old dog. After he is fed, watered and doctored, I sit with him and watch TV while Louis Dean goes down to the meadow and cuts firewood.

I joined him a little later. 

The meadow is my very favorite place.

Today Amon put all the goats down there.

It's big enough that they can be spaced out far apart and keep it all mowed down.

Another word for goat is lawnmower.

They are still cutting the fallen trees the tornado took down Easter Sunday morning.

It's such a peacful place.

I was sitting down there taking pictures and texting a friend in Florida about the importance of not falling when you are old. I had just sent her my final text when I hear Louis Dean cry out.

My heart nearly stopped.

While I was coming to him, he called out, "I'm okay!"

Praise God and thank you, Jesus!!! I could breathe again.

But the situation was like the Life Alert TV commercial......"I've fallen and I can't get up!"

His left foot had stepped into  a deep hole. It had grass covering it so he had no clue it was a hole.

Louis Dean does watch where he's stepping. His foot twisted but when he fell, he did not tense up but went with the fall. Anyone else would have broken their ankle or twisted their knee.

He credits his Karate training in that he knows how to fall.

But the problem remained. He couldn't get up. I brought him a stack of bricks to stable his arm and a flat stone to hoist his bottom over. Then it was relatively easy to pull his leg out and then pull himself up holding onto a shovel he had shoved into the ground and used as a cane.

Now that he was up - we were so relieved!

 I told him it's not a good idea to do things on your own. You need a buddy to back you up.

Today proved the wisdom in that.

We came back to the camper cabin and proceeded with our day.

I watched Fellowship church Live online and painted some more on the outside walls.

I did manage to spill a small container of paint I had poured up but got it cleaned up pretty well.

I am not a good house painter. People think I am because I am an artist.

But I'm not and I told my sister, Nita, that several years ago when they were painting and moving into their home. She said, 'You're right!" They gave me a closet to paint!

Louis Dean has all but finished the deck he started yesterday and I have one last section of the wall above the new deck to paint tomorrow.

I thought I would throw in this pic of Tabitha just because.

I found a treat that she loves so much she will eat it right out of my hand!

Sheba Meaty Tender Sticks!

I bought the chicken and salmon ones....and both kittens love them!

I hope they know the egg they get morning and night is fresh from the hens!

These are pampered kittens!

I will close this journal entry with a photo from the Karate event Dean was at this weekend.

He's the one with the blue mask on the far left.

I soaked a pot of beans overnight on Saturday and cooked them all day today.

Louis Dean has already had his shower and is on the front porch waiting for me.

We will eat pinto beans and onions over leftover biscuits for a late night supper.

A perfect way to end this country weekend!