2018 - Day 120/245 - Monday...1666...

Where are the Mamas and the Poppas when you need them? There is really nothing terrible to report on this Monday, but I am channelling my inner Mama Cass on this Monday Monday. So far, there has been a 20% fail in the weather prognostication for the week. We supposedly have chances for rain EVERY work day this week, and nothing so much to begin with. I would put it down as a trace, nothing more.

It was a good day too, because I had a couple meetings that were really productive and encouraging. Lots of good things to come this year, and lots of good things to be reported at a later date.

This will continue to be a relatively busy week, but maybe next week there will be time to take a breath. Be careful what you ask for...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FORECASTS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 119/246 - Sunday...1665...

It is pretty much the end of another weekend, and the beginning of another work week. There is a full moon tonight, the Pink Moon as I recall. I think it would be worth taking a look at it. There is a chance of rain every day this week, but the most promising chances seem to be Thursday, Friday and Saturday. If it will at least rain on those days, I will be happy. If it will at least rain on one or two of the next six days, I will be happy. Anything more and I will be ecstatic! I got a lot of stuff done around the place today, in anticipation of some rain this week. I got the last two things planted that needed to be planted, and I still have some bulbs in the back of Jody's truck that need to get in the ground. I am waiting on the ground crew to come and rip out the rest of the nandena so I will have a place to put them. After the nandena are ripped out, I will move some big cannas to another spot, then plant some lower things in front of them, and then the bulbs that are in the back of Jody's truck.

I have a plan!

This is a picture of a pretty little yellow lily that I discovered while I was watering this afternoon. The hosts that I planted from bulbs are coming up nicely, as are three ferns I put out in a shady spot. It will be interesting eventually.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, LILY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 118/247 - Saturday...1668...

By the end of the season, the big century plants will be goners. They are both getting ready to bloom, and I guess I need to decide if I will continue with nurturing their pups, or if I will get rid of them all together. The original plants came from my mother's house in Cedar Park after she died, and they were a pain in the butt to dig up, transport and move. Since then (I guess about a decade ago almost), they have produced lots of pups, and we have transplanted some of them, given some of them away, and just let to winters take their toll on some of them. There does not seem to be any lack of century plants around the place, and maybe I will keep three or four of them, just put them in more (kind of) out of the way places. We shall see.

Otherwise, it was a great weekend day. Lovely weather, I planted a few things, dug up three great big rosemary bushes and transplanted them, cut some grass up by the road (what was left over from last week), and some this and that stuff.

All-in-all, it was a pretty great day if I do say so myself. I either had a shovel or a hose in my hand for a good part of the day, so I have taken a liking to that, and that makes me happy.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CENTURIES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 117/248 - Friday...1677...

I have no idea who these two ladies are, but they were in my Orientation Ethics class this morning. During a break, they were out on the Harris Terrace taking a selfie, so I photo bombed them. Then I decided to take a photo too, and it wasn't until later that I figured out that the one on the right was pulling an evans, and sticking her tongue out. I okay with that!

HooRay for FriDay! If you are reading this, it means you too made it through another week. It wasn't that difficult, but it was busy and JAM PACKED. I am looking forward to the weekend. I have a date with a pick, a shovel, a hose and some plants that need to be put into the ground. I am still waiting for the nights to warm up, so that some of the bulbs that I wanted will begin to come up. It it really odd that the nights are still so chilly, many of the plants are still in hibernation mode. We shall see what happens in the next couple of weeks.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, PHOTOBOMBS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 116/249 - Thursday...1694...

Sometimes I do not really have to go very far to find the photo of the day, although usually I try to find something different and something that reflects the reason-du-jour for why I am such a crazy person. But, it seems that I was too wrapped up in the little stuff today to really properly document the reasons that I tend to cuss under my breath and/or out loud, depending on the circumstances.

It was a good but busy (spelled over scheduled) day, and I generally like being busy, but I am not crazy about being busy and having to commute places to accomplish that busy-ness (as opposed to business).

Whatever.

Bottom line, it was a good day, small accomplishments, and I am (and remain) a very lucky guy!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NAPOLEON, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 115/250 - Wednesday...1695...

Y'know what? The rain brings out the best and the worst in me sometimes. I generally do not complain about rain, unless of course it rains for days on end, then I tend to get a little bit whiney and crabby. I was not offended by the little bit of rain that was received in Austin this afternoon, although it did take me over two hours to get home. And guess what? It rained on me all the way home until about 4 miles from the edge of nowhere, and there was not a drop of rain here. NONE. Now, that could tend to make me a little bit crabby, but it didn't. What did make me crabby was the average of 12.5 miles an hour my trip home entailed. I really think that is too slow for a major Interstate Highway. You have to give it to the people that own this car though, they are most likely tired of people tail-gating them, and they have announced to the world that they would like everyone else to JUST GO AROUND. I applaud their acceptance of the fact that that particular car is incapable of going any faster, so please, JUST GO AROUND.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, GO AROUND, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 114/251 - Tuesday...Who Knows...

What is wrong with this picture? I took this photo document at about 7:30 this morning as I was driving down IH-35 (heading south into Austin). Granted, I did have to slow down to about 60 miles per hour to get into position, but this guy was on a bicycle (as best I can tell), and he was not keeping up with the traffic flow, and he was not on the shoulder or the service road of the expressway. He was in a traffic lane, riding a bicycle. I have watched two television news programs since that time, and there has been no report of any bicycle traffic casualties, so I can only assume that he made it to where ever he was going. I dies remind me of a joke that I don't have time to relay right now, but suffice it to say, the punch line is 'and there is a clown on a bicycle, honking to pass'. Hit me up if you want to and I will tell you the joke, it is a pretty good one.

Otherwise, a pretty good day...thanks for asking...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CLOWNS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 113/252 - Monday...1685...

Short and sweet, in and out and nobody gets hurt. This was an atypical Monday, in that I was up to here with stuff to do. Part of the problem is that I over-booked myself, and that is/was totally my fault. My monkey, my circus! But it all worked out just fine, and those things that did not necessarily work out the way I wanted them to, well, those things will probably all work out tomorrow.

I may have posted a photo of this white climbing rose before, but it is still amazing me with the volume of its' blooms. Crap. Now I'm all conflicted with that apostrophe, so I am going to end this journal entry. Enjoy the photo.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BLOOMS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 112/253 - Sunday...1686...

Today was a really busy day, but I managed to make another day without power washing the patio. I did fill my day though. I got lots of things done, including potting some plants, watering, cleaning the chicken coop and taking hay to the cattle. I cut grass too. The cattle were not too excited about the hay, but they decided to play along with me, most likely just to make me feel better. Anyway, it was a really good day as far as chore accomplishments are concerned.

I determined that I am not fond of nandena. Is that the plural of Nandena? And why does my spell-check think I am not smart enough to look up the proper spelling of Nandena? Whatever... I have also determined that you cannot dig up Nandena (or nandena), but I am going to investigate the possibility that someone can be hired to come and dig them out. I had a pick trying to get them out also, but I still could not get them all. I got some; the small, puny, nerdy little Nandena, but the mothers-of-all-Nandenas would not budge. I have a few things that I would like to plant also, but I can't until the Nandena are gone.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FRESH HAY AND FULL TANKS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 111/254 - Saturday...1692...

I did some work out in the yard today, but it did not include cutting any grass or power washing the patio. I did get a few things accomplished that I had been wanting to do for a long time, and that was good. I got some more things planted, and at lunch today, Jody and I went and I bought MORE things to plant tomorrow. FUN CITY! Pretty soon I expect it will be too damn hot to really work in the gardens, and all I will be good for will be cutting the grass and watering. Watering is my new relaxing cause, and I really do like it. I think when watering is all I need to get done, it will be even more rewarding. We shall see. I bought four tomato plants a couple months ago, and they are the puniest, most pitiful little plants. I do not think they have grown an inch, but at least two of them have tomatoes on them. I bought two of the small tomato type and two of the full size tomato types. So far, the small tomatoes are taking the lead.

Finally, at a little bit after 5 p.m., the sun decided to come out. It has been grey and could all day long. We have received only a trace of rain, and I do not think there is too much more for us during the overnight. It does make me a little bit sad, but it will be alright. Nothing to whine over, although I am somewhat inclined to whining.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, TOMATOES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 110/255 - Friday...1697...

These girl dogs are not the most photogenic at the moment. Interestingly, all our dogs recently have been camera shy. I don't really remember if Max was camera shy, but certainly Bear was camera shy (he refused to look at a camera), Maddie was VERY photogenic and a sweet girl, but she was definitely camera shy, and these two really dirty girls are certainly not interested in participating in amateur photography. On the other hand, the chickens (RIP Vera) are happy to have their photos taken, of course, it seems their life-span is shorter (we are down three chickens recently), so they are not that picky about the media. AND, they always look pretty good, as opposed to the dirty girl dogs.

Another week has come to a close, and I am really looking forward to the weekend. Our chances of rain are diminishing by the second, and I am sorry for that. On a brighter note, since there will be no rain, I will be able to get some other things done that I have been wanting to do. Too many to list, but believe me, there will be plenty to do.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DIRTY GIRLS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 109/256 - Thursday...1707...

We are back to flora photos. I have occasion to take many more photos of wrecks and things that cause anxiety than I do of other types of photos. Just today, I took photos of the books in a property I was visiting. All about alcoholism and drug addiction and how to free oneself from the grip of those ills. Me, I am (currently) addicted to gardening. My addictions are much costlier than opioids and cocaine. Have you priced a two gallon hosta lately? What about a decent hose? Or a one-pack of a dahlia bulb? Now there is a cash outlay if you want to know the truth. And don't get me even started on a decent hose nozzle (of which I am quite the nozzle snob).

I'm just sayin'.

But I digress.

Today was a busy day, and I think tomorrow will be more fun than busy. I could use some fun, and I think we can all use some fun. I am looking forward to the weekend, I intend to spend most of Saturday morning planting the stuff I bought this week, and then maybe power-wash the patio. I will put in an affirmation for some rain, and then maybe a visit to the blue chair before Jody and I go in to Georgetown for lunch.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, IRIS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 108/257 - Wednesday...1709...

Just in case you were wondering, this is what I DID NOT have for lunch today. Three appointments, a luncheon and then a last appointment. I was home by 4:30, walked up and down the driveway until about 5:15 talking on the phone. It is summer, the high market once again, and life is good.

We are hoping for rain over the weekend, although I like watering the plants. I especially like hand watering, although I do not think that is the most efficient use of time, it is what I like the best. I like to hear the water on the leaves of the plants, especially the cannas.

I am about to go put the girls to bed, move a sprinkler and have a pop sickle. Again, life is good!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CAKES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 107/258 - Tuesday...1710...

Spoiler alert! Over the next several days, you will be rewarded with a variety of flora photos taken from the various gardens around the house. It has to be better than photos of wrecks (of which I have plenty), so quit complaining. I am noticing many different varieties of iris this year that I honestly have not seen before, so I will be sharing those (and others) with you over the next several days. Just today I took a weeks worth of photos, so you have been warned.

Not a terrible day today, it is getting busier for me, both in the office and out of the office. Most of what I do provides  certain amount of pleasure and is rewarding, but there are some items that do not. I do not necessarily believe in the 'do the worst first' adage, but maybe I should. I do tend to procrastinate about some things, and I really believe that if I just got some things over with and moved forward, it would be best for everyone.

I'll think about it.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FLORA, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 106/259 - Monday...1700...

Your Lyft driver is thirteen minutes away. I have to tell  you, I had no fear at all concerning this particular driver. He looked very trustworthy. Seemed to know where he was going, but he did have a bit of a sniffing challenge. The ride cost me a bag of kibble, which I thought was fair, and he did get a pretty good tip (another bag of kibble), and a five star review. I never give five stars. The best thing was, he didn't talk much, and I am not good with small talk if I am alone in the back seat. If I am with a group, I will go into a whole schtick, but alone, I just want to check my phone.

Not a bad day for a Monday. A couple ups and a couple downs. I got started with my daily meditation (that means watering the plants), and I think I can spend an hour in the morning and at least an hour in the afternoons, depending on the television schedule. Watering plants and digging holes. What could be better.

I showed one property this afternoon, expect to write a contract tomorrow morning. When you see it, you have to jump on it, no time to dilly-dally.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DOG DAYS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 105/260 - Sunday...1695...

Well, I was able to get a few more things done around the farm today. I did get the grass cut (except up by the chicken coop). I DID get the grass cut around the creek too. What I did not get done on the other side of the creek will need to be shredded with the tractor, so that is a later in the week thing or a next weekend thing. I still have not planted the bulbs I bought, but I have figured out where they will go, so that is the hardest part. This is a photo of one of the lilies I DID NOT plant. It seems there are some lilies that 1). Either I planted them a couple years ago and forgot about them, or B). They were here when we bought the house, and they just decided to reappear. I'm going with A because I think 2 is just too far fetched. Whatever. The gladiolas I planted a few weeks ago are coming up really nicely, and I am really happy about that.

I just finished watering some of the stuff, so I am still ahead of the game.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, LILIES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 104/261 - Saturday...1692...

It stormed and hailed last night, we got 0.69" of rain, and if you were to look at the driveway, you would not even know it had rained. The hail did a job on some of the iris, but others you cannot tell that there was anything wrong. The winds have been so strong, it is crazy. I went outside this morning thinking I was going to cut some grass, and it was too windy even for that. The wind was so strong (how strong was it?) that I felt like I was getting an ear ache. Crazy. So, I came inside and took the first of a few naps.

I did get a few things planted and I still have some bulbs to plant tomorrow. I will try to get the grass cut tomorrow, we shall see.

This journal entry is dis-jointed, try to keep up. The wind was so strong (HSWI?) that we could not even sit outside with the girl dogs. Crazy.

I found one of he old girls (a silver laced wyandotte) dead this afternoon, out on the edge of the bamboo. We think it was just old age.

This photo is from up by the road, looking over the front tank by old Aunt Mary's original well. Interesting.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, WINDS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 103/262 - Friday...1702...

Pretty is where you find it. Sometimes you just have to look and pay attention. In this case, the pretty was between the service road and MoPac. I can never remember if these are Indian Paintbrush or Indian Blanket. Whichever they are, there are pretty, and I hope they are pleased that I paid attention.

It is Friday, which I am also very pleased about. I think I will sleep a little later in the morning. I am hoping for a little bit of rain overnight, but I am not counting on it. I had nothing to water this evening, which is nice, and the weekend will give me more time to water in case of no rain. I have some things that need to get in the ground, and some bulbs to plant. I am planning another visit to the nursery tomorrow, just to see what I can find.

All in all, I think it will be a really nice weekend.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, PRETTY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 102/263 - Thursday...1700...

I finished watering this evening. A couple days of watering, and that was it. I watered this morning, and all that was left was the creekside stuff. I think in the summer time, one good watering a week will be needed, and I have to come up with a chart for watering. Maybe spread out over a six-day period, so I can have one day of no watering. This photo is of some of the iris on the creekside. I am a little bit impatient to see the bulbs that I recently planted start to come up. Of course, I bought more bulbs yesterday, and I expect to pick up some more plants on the way home from work tomorrow.

Don't judge me.

Not a bad day, I have made some small accomplishments, and life is really good. I am a really lucky, LUCKY person. It is really REALLY windy out there, and is has been for a couple days. The winds woke us both up last night, it was so strong that I thought it was raining outside.

Speaking of rain, there is a little chance of rain overnight and into the overnight on Friday. I am not really counting on it, but it would be really nice!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CREEKSIDE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 101/264 - Wednesday...1709...

Well, the only photo I snapped today was of an ambulance roaring down North Lamar on its' way to somewhere, not sure where, but most likely one of the nearby hospitals. Since I am sort of tired of wrecks and ambulances and the things that go along, I decided I would grace you with this photographic replica of the LBJ Oval Office, which is contained inside the LBJ Presidential Library here in Austin. I have visited the Library many times, and most recently a couple weeks ago during a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. The Library is a really interesting place, so if you get a chance, I would recommend it.

I spent the entire morning on a REALTOR® caravan of homes for sale in areas 2 and 4. It was good, I enjoy the caravans, but they are time consuming. It was interesting though, and I rarely get tired of looking at houses and talking with my colleagues.

There were a couple errands that needed to be taken care of also, and a trip to Costco. Costco (for all practical purposes) was deserted. Crazy. No lines, parking spots conveniently located, nothing at all like a typical visit.

Something is about to happen.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, LBJ, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 100/265 - Tuesday...1719...

If there was any doubt that things on the edge of nowhere were all back to normal, I give you this photographic documentation of a wreck on Bee Cave Road. Bee Cave. CAVE. There is only one cave. It is not Bee Caves Road. It is not Bee Caves, Texas. It is Bee CAVE. Singular. But I digress. The wreck was on BEE CAVE ROAD shortly after noon this afternoon. It looked like two cars, one (not the one on the wrecker) was a Cadillac Sedan that was no longer outfitted with a roof OR a drivers side, but the emergency flashers were still working. That had to hurt. Traffic going east was not terribly burdened, but those west bound were in a world of hurt. There were no ambulances and folks were milling about, so I hope there were no serious injuries.

I took Mike to the airport early this morning, and he called to let us know he arrived safely. There were storms in Florida, and heavy rain. And, of course, I am watering. In about ten minutes, I am going to turn off the three sprinklers that are going and call it a night.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ONE CAVE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 99/266 - Monday...1719...

Blank. Drawing a blank. Blank paper. Blank stare. Fill in the blank. Shut the blank up. You are the blank to my blank. Blank canvas. Blank look. Blank check. Point blank.

This is my blank stare for all to see today in this journal entry. Nothing to talk about, nothing interesting to report. Nothing even too boring to report. I am blank this evening, Blank. BLANK. I have nothing to say, nothing to share. Blank. I have no thoughts, no ideas.

Nothing.













See the blank space above.

Nothing.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BLANK STARE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 98/267 - Sunday...1737...

A couple days ago, it was 80 degrees. Perfect weather for a pedi-cab start to a birthday celebration. This morning, it was about 42 degrees, cloudy and a little bit windy. But...we persevered, and I think everyone had a good time. If you look closely in the photos, you will see five pedi-cabs filled with happy folks celebrating Joel's birthday. Joel...Jody...same thing, just don't want to confuse anyone at this stage. I was in the caboose, so all you see of my pedi-cab is 'Goose' the actual mover-and-shaker of that particular pedi-cab. Anyway...it was really fun to see the city from a different (and markedly slower) perspective. We are always in a rush to get here and there, and we fail to remember the ins-and-outs of the city. There are little hide-holes that you only see if yo are going slower, and looking at things from a different perspective. Joel have lived here for decades before it became the Number 1 this-and-that. The city he moved to is not here any longer, but by taking these pedi-cabs under the bridges, under the expressway, under the roads, it was an opportunity for him (and all the celebrants) to see a few little glimpses of what Austin used to be, along with a lot of what Austin is now.

We were pedi-cabbed for about two hours, then we made it back to the Four Seasons for brunch, where we were joined by more guests, and a good time was had by all. The company was great, the love and caring was overwhelming, and we could not have had a better celebration.

I will be sending save-the-dates later this week.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, JOEL, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 97/268 - Saturday...1702...

I had a better photo of this vintage VW (okay, in my opinion), but in reality, it did not show the fabulous eyelashes to their best advantage. I saw this car this afternoon, ran a couple errands, and went back to take a couple photos for this journal entry. I was up and at 'em early this morning, had two appointments in Austin today, one that was right on time, one was delayed until LATE afternoon, but there was no point doing anything but wait. Overall, nothing terrible, and all is well.

Jim and Bonnie arrived early this afternoon, all in anticipation of celebrating Joel's birthday tomorrow. It is supposed to be chilly, but warmer tomorrow afternoon. It will be a fun morning and afternoon with a good mix of our friends from here and there.

I also have a couple new poppy photos. The temperature is about 40 degrees lower than the same time yesterday, and the winds out of the north are kind of crazy. There is a fire in the wood stove, and we have turned the heat back on.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, VW, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 96/269 - Friday...1710...

Right now it is raining outside, which is the second or third or fourth best thing that could have happened to welcome me home from a couple days out of town. Lovely. I got home without any hitches this time, and all is good. I arrived in Austin, and about an hour later, our friend Mike from Florida arrived, so I just hung out and waited for him to come in. We ran a couple errands on the way home, and got here about 2 o'clock.  Even in just a few days, everything is getting greener and greener. The back pastures have really greened up nicely, and the Iris are blooming, the cannas a getting bigger, the roses are doing nicely and many of the bulbs I planted last week and looking pretty good. There are plants coming up where we had no idea there were plants, which is kind of an interesting phenomena. We think in a couple years, it will be really pretty. Right now I am working on getting things in the ground that will give us color later in the summer and into the fall. The poppy's have begun to bloom, white and red so far.

Very interesting.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, POPPY'S, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 95/270 - Thursday...Who Knows...

Upon further thought, I have determined that there are (occasionally) positive outcomes to inconveniences. Although we may not realize it at the time, good things can be a result of unfortunate circumstances. Take the fantasy of my flight on Wednesday from Austin to Nashville. Loyal and dedicated readers of this journal are familiar with the folly of the non-closing airplane door. What seemed to some (I remained remarkably calm) like a major catastrophe, turned out to be a good thing for me. EXAMPLE: Once we were off the plane, I had time to get my shoes shined. Having my shoes shined in as close to a mani-pedi that I will ever get, and I cannot imagine anything being more rewarding than a shoe shine. EXAMPLE: Because of the delayed flight, I was the recipient of a voucher from Southwest for $100. That was nice of them. I was not really inconvenienced at all, but it was a nice gesture on their part. $500 would have been nicer, but there is no reason to be greedy at this point.

Expect the unexpected.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, SHOE SHINES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 94/271 - Wednesday (still?)...1720...

I am in Nashville, having a good visit and enjoying the information that is being shared at the 2018 NAR Broker Summit. Catching up with some old friends, making new friends, and getting information to take back to Austin to share. After the sessions this afternoon, there was a reception and Leslie stopped and chatted with me and Carrie. I had a few challenges pushing the right button, but finally there was a photo to document the event.

I have been up way too long already, even I don't usually get up at 4 A.M. I got to the airport in plenty of time for my 6:55 flight. Everybody was happy, no one was cranky (except for that one flight attendant). Pretty soon it was evident that there was a problem with the front door of the plane. It would close, but there was a warning light that said otherwise. After about 30 or 40 minutes, they started getting folks off the flight that had connections in other cities. Detroit, Cleveland, Boston, Pittsburgh. Eventually, we all got off the plane, told not to go too far, and waited for someone to fix the challenge. We finally left about 9:40, and got to Nashville (it was a direct flight) about 11:30. I was in line at the hotel about 12:10, and made it (with Carrie) to the conference at about 12:20.

Made the whole conference on day one, and tomorrow will be another early (not too early) day, with a 7:15 start time.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, TOO EARLY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 93/272 - Tuesday...1727...

Almost this entire day was spent celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Fair Housing Act (1968-2018). The day started at the Texas Association of REALTORS® for a news conference, then on to the LBJ Presidential Library. After a tour of the Library, we went to the UT Conference Center for lunch and some presentations by elected officials and REALTISTS. It was really a good day, and we have come a long way since 1968.

And there is still a long way to go.

...and LBJ always appreciated a good joke...

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FAIR HOUSING, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 92/273 - Monday...1725...

I learned a bunch of stuff today, and some stuff that I was (probably) supposed to learn went right over my head (not really, I just wanted to give you all the benefit of the doubt). I attended the Second Annual Texas Residential Realty Summit this morning, a program put on by the Texas Real Estate Commission. Five hours (give or take) of forecasts, charts, graphs and statistics. Interesting and topical presentations, mostly about what happens when a disaster hits, how to prepare, plan and go forward. How does a disaster (no names, but the initials are Hurricane Harvey) affect the residential housing market, how does a disaster affect residential property valuations?

It doesn't have to be a hurricane to be a disaster, think a good rain for many parts of Texas. A good fire. A tornado. You think it, it can be a big problem.

And we will survive; we have, we do and we will. maybe the one thing we will not survive is ourselves. In one year, from 2016 to 2017, Texas had a net population gain of 400,000 people.

I don't remember the exact number that was used for the Texas forecast population growth between now and the year 2050, but it was a pretty big number, but ~40,000 net population growth is the number that sticks in my head. And each of those people is bringing with them ~0.9 vehicles. That's a lot of people and a lot of cars.

Can you say infrastructure?

Deeds, Actions, Changes, TOO MANY CARS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 91/274 - Easter Sunday...1735...

Today is Jody's birthday, so I have wished him Happy Birthday about fifty times. If yo see him, wish him a happy birthday. Not much of a celebration, but we did go to Luby's for dinner. The party is next week. We didn't want to conflict with the Easter celebrations.

Today was another day of busy, but it was a great day of accomplishments. I watered all the bulbs that I planted yesterday, and watered a lot of other stuff as well. I got the cattle fed and discovered there was a new bull calf back there. He looks to be about a week old, and happy and dancing around. The chicken coop got cleaned, fresh nesting materials put in, mopped the floor in the coop and I even washed the nest eggs. I went with Jody to take the girl dogs for a ride, and then we headed off to Austin.

I needed to go by the office for some stuff, then we went past a new listing and took photos and put a sign in the yard. The property will go into the MLS on Thursday, but everything will be ready for this one to go live.

I am still watering beds...I have two sprinklers going and I have a timer set to go off in about 15 minutes.

This is going to be a good week.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, JODY'S BIRTHDAY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!