April's Last Weekend.....

 This month has gone by so fast!

We have spent many hours outside working in the yard, gardens, flower beds and pulling weeds!

Funny how I love the pretty weeds at the ranch but get irritated when they are in my flower beds here in the city. The east side of our back yard is all junk and weeds.

Louis Dean has done a good job of stacking all his 'stuff' next to the fence - he won't allow any of it to be thrown away - even the stuff that is obviously TRASH!

I've been known to go out while he's napping and squirrel as much as I can in the bottom of black bags and then I piled the weeds I've pulled up on top to discharge prying eyes from investigating.

Stephanie lets me put some trash out on her driveway curb.

Where there's a will there's a way!

You know the coolest thing about me cleaning up some of his messes?

He will later say, "Have you seen how less junky the back yard area is?  I've been WORKING on it!"

Last summer we bought a new lawn mower and it lasted one DAY!

LD tried to mow a big brick!

It is unrepairable - but he refuses to put it on the curb - where someone would pick it up and use parts or something. We compromised and will take it down to the ranch - where it will hopefully be loaded up with the metal things that Dean puts on a trailer and takes to sell.

Same thing with the small tiller that has been living in our back yard but hasn't run in three years!

He refuses to have the repair guy look at and he refuses to let me put it on the curb - so it will go to the ranch, too!

We came home and he found the lawnmower he wants with a Briggs and Stratton engine so I ordered it on Amazon. It will be delivered next week.

I'm loving this green GREEN spring!

Louis Dean planted all these sunflowers for me by way of feeding the birds outside his window.

Mulch is down!

The honeysuckle bush if FULL of birds!

A lot of work but I've really enjoyed doing it!

Louis Dean has been cleaning up the decks and 'sorting' things in his storage building.

I thought he looked so cute sitting in there admiring his room with his feet propped up and drinking a beer.

He's so cute and still as charming as he can be!

After working outside all Saturday morning, we cleaned up and got ready to a birthday party!

Brenda was giving a 70th birthday party for Billy and we did not want to miss that!!!

I made this Birthday Board of sweet treats!

Brenda had a great spread of munchies and hearty appetizers!

She made a delicious salad of sliced cucumbers, sliced red onions in a balsamic vinaigrette. 

It was the nicest afternoon!

We watched some music on  TV - George Strait and Alan Jackson - and then the Texas Ranger Game - all while visiting and eating.

It was time for the ice cream birthday cake!!

Billy was trying to grab the lighter for his candles when he leaned into the cake and got his shirt dirty!

He is such a fun guy!

He acted all embarrassed as he tried to hide the spot and then made it worse by trying to wipe it off!

That's when he embraced the coverup trick!

What a lovely  Saturday night celebrating with our best friends!

I wish you could all meet Billy - he is 'Salt of the Earth' and loved by all who know him!

WE happened to notice it was early voting at City Hall so we stopped there and there was our financial advisor Darrell Plunkett! He's running for City Council in his district!

What a good weekend and then we had Sunday!

Since we had been gone a good bit on Saturday, I decided to watch church online.

LD does best when we don't have things to do or people to see or places to go 'back to back!'

I baked up a batch of fruitcake cookies to take to Fort Worth tomorrow while Louis Dean played music in his room and looked for his missing three shave kits!

We cleaned up and made it to Mike's hockey game in Plano and were in the stands even before the game started!

He is a member of the Whiteboard Warriors and all the players are coaches....hence they whiteboards!

Mike coaches the Bell girls team and several of the other players are current or former coaches through the years the kids have been playing hockey.

It's a good thing to stay active socially while we can and for as long as we can but I have slowed our calendar down over the last couple of years.

Sweet Trystan and Amber!

Kailey always seeks her granddad out and spends a few minutes bonding with him!

Amber is a first class hockey mom and Mike and all four kids play the game.

I'm their biggest fan!

It was a wonderful weekend......and now.....