2018 - Day 181/184 - Saturday...1556...

We have had 0.56" of rain this month. That could be (at least) part of the explanation for baling almost fifty acres of land and getting 16 round bales. That averages about three acres per bale. I don't think our hay production has ever been that bad. Cowboys are going to start selling their cows again pretty soon, and then I expect there will be a hay war, there will not be enough hay. We have about (okay, exactly because I went and counted them this afternoon) 333 round bales of hay. I think I could afford to sell about (at least) 200 bales, and that would leave me in pretty good shape. We are down to eight head of cattle, and I think that is a pretty manageable number for the amount of hay I expect to keep. I don't know now if we will get another cutting this year or not, but I would hope we could.

We shall see.

We had to have Jody's truck (Highlander) towed to the dealer this afternoon. We had gone in to Jarrell  to get some stuff at the hardware store, and on the way back, there was smoke coming out of the engine compartment. Jody pulled over, I looked into the engine compartment, and I could not see any broken hoses or anything, so we kept going. The 'water temperature' light would keep coming on and going off, and the temperature gauge kept rising and falling. Anyway...we called AAA and they came out and towed it. It seems we have the 'basic' AAA plan, which will cover seven miles (7 WHOLE MILES) of towing, and then it is $7 a mile after that. Maybe a higher level membership is in order. We will see what happens at the next renewal time. In the meantime, we are hoping to get Jody's car back Monday or Tuesday.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HAY TOWS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 180/185 - Friday...1571...

I saw something on Facebook (I think) yesterday that said 'I have not been this glad it was Friday since last Thursday. I know how that feels! This angry, old, almost crippled 'possum was not happy to see me this morning when I was trying to let the girls loose. He/She was eating chicken feed, and I do not begrudge anything some free food...that is pretty much well known to the animal kingdom in these parts. But I did not want him/her continuing to hang around because I know that as soon as I open the door to the chicken coop, there will be a parade of hens headed right for that feed and points southwest. So, after a little bit of prodding with a ten foot (pvc) pole, he/she was encouraged to reclaim its' spot under the front barn. It is not in good shape at all, and I expect the next dead thing under the front barn is going to be that 'possum.

I am looking forward to the weekend, there are a list of chores to be completed, including cutting some of the grass (not much of it though). Cleaning fountains, watering, fertilizing...the usual stuff.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, 'POSSUMS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 179/186 - Thursday...1569...

Everyone is complaining about the heat. Include me in that number, because I am complaining about it too. My friend Bart is (apparently) in Phoenix or Palm Springs or some other desert kind of place, and the thermometer on his car read 115 degrees. He opined that it had never been that hot in Texas, and I cannot disagree with him, but in the early 2000's, I can very clearly remember a day (it was a Sunday) that was recorded as 113 degrees. I am not kidding. 113 degrees. And it is NOT a dry heat in Texas. It is a humid heat. Not as bad as the humidity in Cuba (as reported by Carrie), but still humid. We are supposed to (possibly) get some rain on next Wednesday and Thursday, but a 30% chance of rain in this part of the country translates into NO CHANCE of rain. No Melody, those are NOT rain clouds.

I am venting, primarily because of another shooting incident having been reported. The news said this is the 154th mass shooting incident in the USA this year. Look up at the top of this post; this is the 179th day of this year, so that works out to being a better than 86% chance that there will be a mass shooting tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day.

A couple years back, the most important thing I worried with was leaving only one space after a period.

Now I am on my period, and I don't like it.

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

2018 - Day 178/187 - Wednesday...1578...

The front fields have been cut, and I expect they will be raked tomorrow and maybe even baled. Not sure about the back fields though, I have not been back there. We are doing this on-halves. Pauline and Hubert cut, rake and bale, and they get half of the bales. Everybody wins! I still have HUNDREDS of bales from the past two years, so I will keep this years hay (hopefully there will be another cutting) and sell the older hay. It's good for fiber, not so good for nutrition. When you feed cattle old hay, you have to give them supplements for the nutritional needs. You guys didn't know I was THAT much of a farmer, did you. But...I can spin a pretty good tale, fake most of you out. There are a couple of you that know I haven't got a freakin' clue what I am talking about, but it makes for good stories.

Tonight is the full moon, thanks Helen for warning us. It is the 'Strawberry Moon', and I am hoping to get some good photos later when I go to put the girls to bed. The moon is also supposed to be really close to Saturn, so maybe that will make some interesting photographic documentation. I will use the ZOOM on my iPhone, so of course it will be perfectly clear. My cousin Susan seems to be quite the astronomer, so I may ask her for permission to re-post some of her stuff.

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

2018 - Day 177/188 - Tuesday...1591...

Of the twelve chicks we bought when Joe Mac and Carolyn were visiting, we have nine left. Chicks are fragile. Anything that is one day old is fragile. I (personally) am more days old than that, I I am fragile. And...just...well...you know...stuff happens. These chicks are now almost five weeks old, and in another three weeks, they will begin their migration to the big girl chicken coop. Pretty soon they will be free-ranging with the big girls and getting taught who is the boss chicken, and it will all be alright. It is kind of like junior high school for chickens. There is definitely a pecking order, some will not make it more than a month or two, but with age comes experience and life lessons. In their cases, it will be survival lessons. Where the safe places are in the yard, where not to linger too long, where is the water, where is the good food, stuff like that. Interestingly, it does not take chickens too long to figure out that there is an enhanced mortality rate of bugs directly under the night light by the driveway. Think what you want, but chickens have their own IQ levels.

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

2018 - Day 176/189 - Monday...1577...

Earl the Squirrel (Jody's squirrel, not mine) is delighted that I put out a fresh flock block for the chickens. It seems he thinks the dog days of summer are already here, and I found him splayed out on top of it this afternoon when I went out to check on the girls. All was good, Earl seemed content and not the least bit threatened, so it is what it is. I see Barney regularly. He is generally out under the truck when I come home in the afternoons. If I am out around dusk, he is generally laying in the cool damp ground of the shade bed by the garage. If it is later in the evening, he is laying in the dirt up by the road. So far, there have been no more chicken slaughters. I did see two owls early in the morning a couple weeks ago, but have not seen or heard them since. The swallows are about done for this year. I was power washing the windows and siding on the back of the house the other day, and inadvertently knocked down two or three of their nests. At least now I know it is not that difficult when the rest of them move on later next month.

Monday. Annual physical. Poked, prodded and prescribed. Two vaccinations and a booster are on my agenda, and in the morning an early call for blood work. That seems to be the life of someone on the downhill side of his seventh decade. Don't get me wrong, if that sounds sad, it really isn't. I just don't like the fasting part.

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

2018 - Day 175/190 - Sunday...1577...

Success. Tenacity prevails over bureaucratic ineptitude. This traffic sign on FM 972 in Walburg has read 'Drive Safe' for months and months. I called the county, the city (Georgetown), the Texas Department of Public Safety and a couple county commissioners to try to get them to make the sign grammatically correct. I assumed my requests (phone calls and e-mails) had fallen on deaf ears (and grammatically ill prepared public servants). BUT, lo and behold, Jody and I were returning from Georgetown yesterday, and the sign had been corrected. I almost ran into the ditch. Today, I stopped and took this photographic documentation of the correction, and I am posting it for you to enjoy. Never say never...

I made some accomplishments in the home office today, and for those things, I am pretty proud. I also changed the other three exterior hose bibs, and I am pretty proud of that. The chicken coop is fresh and somewhat cleaner (chickens are dirty birds), and I am still watering. I watered this morning until about 11 and started back again at about 6. I will keep it going until about 9 this evening, and that will be it for the day.

Doctors appointments in the morning for both of us, our annual check-ups. No big deal, in and out, nobody gets hurt, and the guy never even offers to buy me dinner.

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

2018 - Day 174/191 - Saturday...1575...

What would have been the worst thing that could have happened? He would have had to call for an emergency plumber intervention. I needed to replace ONE hose bib on the outside, and I was a little bit nervous about it. The house is about 15 or more years old, and we are on a private water system, so I was a little bit worried that the pipes were pretty corroded or mineralized. I would hate it if the copper pipe was twisted or (even worse) broke off inside the wall. BUT, it didn't and I got the new hose bibs on and there are no leaks. I should probably knock on some wood somewhere, but I will take a pass on that right now. As long as I had the water shut off, I replaced another hose bib, and tomorrow I am going to go any buy three more, so all the exterior hose bibs will be replaced and easier to use for these old arthritic hands and fingers.

I also went and picked up the repaired Polaris from the shop this morning. Now the Polaris for the pastures is running better and the Polaris in the pool is working properly. We are up to our wazoos with Polari. Is that the plural of Polaris? Could be.

AND, I took hay to the cattle. They didn't really need it, but we have it, and we are about to do another cutting, so why not.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HOSE BIBS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 173/192 - Friday...1588...

This is a photo of SOME of the TREPAC Committee from the Movie Night last night. This photo pretty well shows what the committee does best. Has fun and raises money for great advocacy. We are all passionate about our PAC, and it shows by all the hard work, time and effort that every member of the committee volunteers for the PAC. Thanks to all of them for all their hard work and for the great results they always achieve.

It's Friday, and we all know that is a good thing. Here is the good news with the bad news. First, good news: I won't be cutting the grass this weekend. Bad news: ll the grass is pretty much dead. Good news: there is no rain in the forecast. Bad news: There is no rain in the forecast. Good news: I will make a pile of eggs tomorrow for breakfast. Bad news: I will EAT a pile of eggs in the morning for breakfast.

Every peak has a valley and every valley has a peak. Things change, get used to it.

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

2018 - Day 172/193 - Thursday...1601...

This day ended in a really fun way. We had a sneak-peek of the latest Jurassic Park movie; sneak-peek because it is really not released until tomorrow, and fun mostly because of the people and colleagues I was sitting around. I like a good movie that you can adlib during the whole thing. My best line during the whole movie was, while the dinos were destroying the entire zillion dollar casa, the people that rented it out on HomeAway were really gonna be pissed.

You just had to be there to get the whole effect. AND, one of the attendees (Steve our current Board President), pledged a $50 TREPAC Investment for each time a raptor ate the head off one of the characters. We got a $300 investment out of him.

It was a FUN SNEAK PEAK!

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

2018 - Day 171/194 - Wednesday...1590...

Okay, another day, another wreck. Another day, no rain. Well, maybe just a little bit. About 0.16" to be more precise. Another day, another controversy. Another day, more angry people. Another day, another popsicle. Popsicles are good, especially the sugar-free ones.

But I digress.

What in the hell is wrong with EVERYONE. When asked that question, most people would respond 'There is nothing wrong with  me, it is the other guy.'. Well, that makes everyone wrong. It used to be 'four out of five dentists recommend' something, which meant that only 20% of the population was dis-agreeable. Now it is bordering on 90% of the population is angry, and the other ten percent just turn off their hearing aids.

Take a breath people. I downloaded a meditation app to my phone the other day, and I really want to try it out, but after the 30 day free trial, it is $13 a month, and I do not want to get into that habit again. There was a point that i was being $19.95'd a month into a stupor.

Help Me!

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

2018 - Day 170/195 - Tuesday...1612...

This one particular weed has become quite prolific. This is the same plant that I photographed (is a cell phone camera really a camera, and does a cell phone camera (if it is indeed a camera) take a photograph?) a few days ago, but now there are about a half-dozen blooms on it as opposed to the single bloom I documented earlier. Interesting. What will happen is, once the blooms are gone, this single plant will make about five million seeds, and I will NEVER be able to get rid of all the sunflowers. I think a pre-emptive strike is called for. I will keep you informed!

So, we received 0.10" or rain today. Nothing great, but enough to keep from having to water for a little more time. Still supposed to be some more rain, but nothing like the prognosticators had been prognosticating. Hopefully we will end up with at least a half-inch when all is done, we are still short of 2/10 as it stands. After this, there is no more rain in the forecast for the foreseeable future, and it is expected to be hotter than usual starting on Thursday.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, NO RAIN, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 168/197 - Monday...1619...

You have all been bad. You are all going to be punished. It is my journal, I can post whatever I want to. There were some very beautiful clouds on the way home, but you were bad because you have not delivered the rain that you have promised. SO...you are getting a photo of an ambulance chasing me down IH-35 this morning on the way to the office. About 20 miles into the commute (20/50), I got a text message that IH-35 was shut down for southbound traffic. It was about ten minutes too late for me to make alternate plans, so I just had to put on my big-boy panties and keep going. I do have a series of photos of two cars in front of me engaging in some road-rage action, which included some obscene (not really that bad to me) gesturing, some screaming, horn honking and an occasional exchange of spit. But, there was no blood shed, so that was encouraging.

Otherwise, it was a relatively uneventful day. When your commute is both slow AND interesting, it kind of contributes to a peak. It kind of all gets less exciting after that.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ROAD RAGE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 167/197 - Sunday...1614...

This photo is pretty much the story of the day. All clouds, no rain. All hat, no cattle. This morning, the afternoon rain chance was 60%. This afternoon, the rain chance was zero. It is still supposed to rain in the next two or three days, and I hope that is the case. I am still watering those things that are more delicate, but I want some rain, so everything will benefit.

I accomplished little of any consequence today, and that was a pretty good thing. I may still take the trash can up to the road before the night is over, I just haven't decided. I will go out in a little while and put the girls to bed, and then I will put myself to bed as well.

Not a terrible week coming up, a meeting here and there, and I am trying to coast until the 4th of July Holiday, which is inconveniently on a Wednesday this year. That really screws up the chances for a long weekend, but I expect I will survive it.

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

2018 - Day 167/198 - Saturday...1604...

We received 0.03" of rain this afternoon. Another five or so inches over the next few days and we will call it good. We can see rain all around us, and I have driven through nice little showers twice today, but nothing so much for us. The prognosticators are teasing us with the possibilities, and we hope it does not turn out to be nothing more than teasing. I put off watering with the exception of the really delicate stuff, so hopefully I will not get fooled. I also have some foliar fertilizer, but it says not to apply it if you expect rain in the next 24 hours.

Damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Otherwise, I did very little today and that was lovely. I did get some work done in the home office, and it was good to be able to concentrate without getting up every 15 or 30 minutes to move hoses and sprinklers.

We are hoping for rain tomorrow.

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

2018 - Day 166/199 - Friday...1607...

Finished with two action-packed days of TREPAC training and back home, happily so. It was a really good meeting and there was lots of good interaction between all the Regional Trustees, Leadership and Staff. The trainer (Bruce) is a gentleman that I have known for many years (seven by his count), and I grow to respect him more and more each time our paths cross. Now it is time to put some of the information we learned into action. the meeting was in one of the downtown hotels, and the view from the particular meeting room we occupied showed a nice juxtaposition of Austin architecture, old and new.

And of course, now is also the time to water. There is a better than 50/50 chance that we will get some rain, not tomorrow but beginning on Sunday. I hope so. I hope it rains gently for the entire day, because I need to sit my butt in the home office and get some work done. That's the plan.

I had an appointment to show property tomorrow, but the tentative client cancelled on me, so that has freed up about six hours of my day, which will work out very nicely.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, OLD AND NEW, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 165/200 - Thursday For Sure...1610 Maybe...

These are my partners in crime. Whenever we get together, we get up to something. Debbie (Hoosier) and Melinda. We are attending a couple days of TREPAC Strategic Planning sessions in Austin, and we all work really hard at making sure the message gets out to all our colleagues and affiliates. Our subcommittee meetings started this morning at 10 a.m., and went until sometime after 4. Then there was a dinner. A really good dinner. But the portions were absolutely huge. I believe that each portion was much more than any person could easily consume. At my table, I took the lead from my very good friend (Steve) and got all my table mates to box up their left over food so we could give it to folks less fortunate than us. I got that idea years ago from Steve, and every now and then, there is a ground swell of support. Eventually, most of the room was getting their left over food boxed up, and the Debbie, Melinda, Deborah and I (chauffeured by Diane), delivered the food outside the ARCH in downtown Austin. Such a simple thing, and well received by the recipients.

Thanks everyone!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, GOOD IDEAS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 164/201 - Wednesday...1600...

The crepe myrtles are blooming nicely this year. These are just out in front of the house, lining the circle. Inside the circle are cactus, cannas, roses, figs and a variety of spring bulbs. Kind of interesting to see how things are developing. They are predicting rain (quarter of and inch to two inches) over the weekend and into next week, so we will take it.

I believe that Popsicles are being made smaller, but the white plastic wrappers they are packaged in are the same size they have always been. I swear the Popsicles used to take up more space in the wrapping than they do now. Perhaps I am becoming somewhat of a conspiracy theorist in my old age, but I believe I could get a couple more folks to vouch for my suspicion. Maybe I could turn the case over to Sid Miller. Maybe.

It was a sad day, but even with sadness, there is hope, rebirth and renewal. I have heard it said, and truly believe that, when someone or something leaves you, it just makes room for someone or something else to take up that space. The Universe knows.

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

2018 - Day 163/202 - Tuesday...1608...

From the breakfast room table (which, by the way is where we eat every meal), we can look out across the pool at the hummingbird feeder. Tonight was a first; there were three hummers at the feeder at the same time, or at least three hovering around it at the same time. Interestingly, the hummer wars kind of remind me of star wars battles. Lots of zipping around and diving and swirling about. I took a series of photos, and boiled it down to this one or one of a hummer siting on the feeder. I opted for the action shot.

We (the company) opted for an in-office contracts class today. Eight agents in a confined space for five-and-a-half hours. It was not as horrible as it might sound, and we all learned interesting stuff about our new real estate contracts. We provide that for our agents every two years (learning about the legislative changes from the previous year), and it is really a great experience. Gordo G (you know who that is) was our instructor, and I have been fortunate to have him as one of my mentors for many years. It was a great class, and we all enjoyed it.

Dare I say it was a bonding moment? I guess I just did.

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

2018 - Day 162/203 - Monday...1602...

It is not the easiest thing in the world to try and take a photo of a sunflower that stands at least three feet higher than the photographer and there are gale force winds trying its' best to destroy any evidence of the sunflower's existence. I had not paid too much attention to this until last night. The whole time I watched it grow, I thought it was a weed, and I was wondering how long it would take the gardening crew to pull it up. It turned out to be a sunflower, or some type of a sunflower genre. In fact, out here, this genre of flora ARE considered weeds, so I was half right. Many weeds here (and elsewhere) are considered to be more than just weeds in other places. We covet blue bonnets here, but I expect some other places are trying to get rid of their blue bonnets like we are trying to get rid of our dandelions.

It is all in the culture in which we participate.

It is also kind of a sad time for me, a good friend is going through some health issues, and it is not looking too good.

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

2018 - Day 161/204 - Sunday...1580...

I have literally had my panties all up in a wad all day. Literally. When you live on the Edge of Nowhere, it is very seldom necessary to dress for company. Or for cutting the grass. Or for Cleaning the chicken coop. Or for anything else around here, literally. I did put on pants for about an hour while I went with Jody to take the girls for a ride. The rest of the day, I spent in my boxers. Much of the day was spent power washing the front porch, the back patio and part of the pool deck. There were times that I regretted ever having purchased the power washer, and there were other times when I regretted having it repaired when the pump went out this spring. BUT, I am done with that chore, and all is good. After dinner (supper?), I finished cutting the grass, and after that I got into the pool. The rest of the evening was spent 'commando'. Why not, no one is looking. Who cares. I don't, and it keeps my panties from getting all up in a wad.

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

2018 - Day 160/205 - Saturday...1576...

Some of the various lilies around the house are beginning to bloom. The white ones have been blooming for a couple weeks already, and this lovely pink one just started to bloom. It in interesting to walk around and see something today that you did not see yesterday.

I cut about a quarter of the grass today, just in the front yard and a little tiny bit in the back where the trailer had been. I cut that because I hooked the trailer up to the truck and took the Polaris in to be repaired. If they can get it to work like a new Polaris, I will be really happy. We bought it in 2012, and it only has about 95 hours on it, so it is time for it to work properly. And while we were at it, we picked up the other walk-behind mower ($90) and the pressure washer ($120 plus the diagnosis fee). There you go JoeMac! Those two items are still in the back of the truck, but the trailer is now back where it is supposed to be.

I also painted all the wood walks out by the pool and to the shelter. I used that really thick paint (with a little bit of texture in it) that is supposed to make the wood feel better on your feet and stop the splintering. So far, I have used two gallons, and I will need at least another gallon the do the gazebo. But, it looks pretty good. I did not have any intentions of doing an excellent job, just enough to let all the wood last another three or four years. It is a darker grey than it was already painted, and it has more blue in it than I was expecting. I did the first part last night after the girls went outside for the last time, since I wanted that part of the walks to be dry by morning. It worked, and all is good.

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

2018 - Day 159/206 - Friday...1609...

I think we pay WAY too much attention to car wrecks (politics?) and not enough attention to clouds. I am not saying that we should not pay attention while we are driving, but when we are stopped and waiting for the roads to once again be cleared, we could look up instead of to our left or right. Today, on the way home from the office, traffic was backed up for about a mile or so, and once I made it to the actual sight of the collision, I was ready with my trusty iPhone taking a photographic archival remembrance of the happening. When I got further into my commute, where there was very little traffic, I paid more attention to the clouds that were blocking the sun and providing me with a very lovely bit of shade for just a moment. Soon after this particular photo posted to the evenings journal entry, it was gone. You have to pay attention. Wrecks on the side of the road can last far too long, cloud formations, sunrises, sunsets and lightning strikes only last the briefest moments of time, and you have to be ready to appreciate them each for their individual unique pleasantries.

You're welcome.

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

2018 - Day 158/207 - Thursday...1599...

The birds out on the Edge of Nowhere have discovered a couple things: A). The Edge of Nowhere is a kind of animal sanctuary (the neighbors cow would disagree with that statement as far as cows are concerned), 2). There is plenty of food and water put out for them by the two-legged creatures that seem to inhabit that large stone building right in the middle of everything, and C). They have added a bird bath tub right out in the middle of everything. Bathing with a view! What could be better?

This has been a pretty long day and also a relatively productive day. I crossed a couple things off my 'to done' list, things that I had been procrastinating about, but they turned out to be not as uncomfortable as I had expected, so that was a win! We are also in the middle of our busiest season, and that is causing some challenges with scheduling and client expectations. This will all pass, and once again, we will wave adieu to the chaos and we will wonder what happened? Suddenly we have time on our hands. Let's go to a movie!

Once again, I need to remind all of you , I am the luckiest man in the world!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BIRD BATHERS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 157/208 - Wednesday...1597...

Okay, the fart factor for the day was not as pronounced as yesterday, until just about 6:30. I was looking out the breakfast room window and noticed a cow that I did not recognize, and it was really a lot closer than I am used to seeing cattle from the breakfast room window. Upon further examination (doesn't everyone have binoculars on the breakfast room table?), I noticed the cow in question was all black (we don't have any solid black cattle), and this cow did not have any horns (all of our cattle have horns). SO...I put in a call to one neighbor and then the next (even the one I don't like), and there were no answers. I went out in the back (in my boxers which is kind of modest for out here on the Edge of Nowhere), and took a closer look at the cow, and noticed the good neighbor was at his place. I got on the Polaris and went over to chat, and promptly crashed through his electric fence. No real harm done, but... Anyway, not his cow. Called Capital Land and Cattle (they have pastures not far away) and reported that I thought one of their cattle was on our property. The said they would send a cowboy from Salado. Oh yippee! Went over to the neighbors that I don't like and it ended up being their cow. It took about an hour to get that cow off our property. Once it was off the property, I was done. Not my cow, not my circus.

Otherwise, a relatively uneventful day.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, LOOSE LIVESTOCK, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 156/209 - Tuesday...1609...

Today has been a fart kind of day. Not all farts, just a lot of farts. To begin (not fart), the poor pitiful little gardenia in the back that I planted over nine years ago has a bloom on it. It is a pale little gardenia plant. I put epsom salt on it and water it, and it is just pale. It has bloomed every year, faithfully. It has really not grown very much since I planted it. I know the soil here is not great for gardenias, but I was hoping the supplemental epsom treatments would help. It always helped my grandmother (sitz baths), except she put the epsom salt in the bath tub for her particular cure. She was pale as well, and it helped her, so it should work well with the gardenia. At least that is what I think.

Okay, now for the big fart. I had some work done on my computer this morning, which led to my computer repeating every e-mail I received (not sure how far back) being duplicated in my in-box. About 47,000 e-mails. That included 1,300 spam e-mails. It takes one a little while to clear forty-seven-thousand-f'ing-e-mails from ones in-box. I'm just sayin'. That is a fart.

BUT, above is a photo of the gardenia. Not a fart.

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

2018 - Day 155/210 - Monday...1602...

I slept fitfully last night; every time I would drift off to sleep, my phone would announce some sort of weather warning or other kind of news bulletin. For all that, we got 0.05" of rain. There was however (and I slept through this part) some pretty good winds. We had a couple pretty good sized tree limbs fall (but they didn't block the driveway). The trash can up at the road blew over, and trash was all over (but easily gathered up). There was a lot more miscellaneous minor disasters; pots overturned, pots blown off tables, lots of leaves and limbs in the pool, just that kind of stuff. There was no loss of power, no real damage done. All-in-all, we were not badly harmed, but we could have used a little more rain. There is no rain in the seven day forecast, either.

While I was out doing stuff this morning, this was the sunrise that greeted me. The color was a deep, jewel toned red, which I do not believe is accurately represented in this (above) photo. But, it was a great way to start the day, and it was incredibly beautiful. You need open spaces to see sunrises like this, and that is what we have out here on the Edge of Nowhere. Lots of open space.

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

2018 - Day 154/211 - Sunday...1596...

The corn out here around the Edge of Nowhere is really looking good. This is across the road from the house, and it is lush and green, I guess we have had just the right kind of rains to make it thrive. The cotton is coming up as well, and it looks pretty good too. We were hoping for a little bit of rain late this afternoon, but it was not meant to be. We are putting all our money on some showers tomorrow morning, just in time for my commute into the office.

Today was a good day, we got up and had a pile of eggs, I got busy doing a few chores before I headed in to the office (with a few quick stops on the way in). I got some work done while I was in the office, then headed off to meet a couple clients, then on to an open house for a coming-soon listing. All-in-All, it was a pretty good day.

The coming week looks like it is shaping up to be kind of quiet. It gets a little bit busier towards the end of the week, but it starts out kind of slow and builds up. Nothing terrible!

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

2018 - Day 153/212 - Saturday...1584...

I think one of the century plant blooms is higher than the flag pole, and the other one is about a foot shorter. I expect that one will gain on the flag pole before it is all over and they both die. Interesting thing about century plants, they go to all that effort to put out their seeds and then they croak. And it doesn't take a century for them to do it either, it just seems that long. These original three century plants were at my mothers house in Cedar Park, and I had them moved here about ten years ago. They started out as pups, and they were pretty good size when they got moved, and they are really good size now, and they will leave a pretty good dent in the front circle when they croak, but that will just give me some more room to plant some other stuff.

There are figs getting ripe out there and it looks like, if we are lucky, that we may actually have some pears and peaches if the birds and squirrels don't get them first. I will be keeping an eye on them. They can have the figs, but I want to at least try one of the pears.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, FLAG POLE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2018 - Day 152/213 - Friday...1592...

Friday. That means estate sale day. Three of us in the office try to go to estate sales on Fridays, but we have not been able to do it for a couple weeks. Two of us went to one sale this morning, and I hit another sale this afternoon on the way back to the office from an appointment. Outside the first sale was this DIY Batmobile. Parts of it looked like it was made out of plywood, but I am not too sure about that. Whatever, I don't think it would be something I would want to use as my every day car, but this is Austin, and you never know what you will run across.

Really? It is June already. Sometimes it feels like time is flying by, and sometimes it feels like I can hardly wait for the week to end. Never satisfied. The first of June and we have yet to have our first hundred degree day. We have been really close, high temperatures in the 98-99 degree range, and we have already broken a couple record high temperatures this year. May was the warmest May ever recorded, and they are predicting the 100 degree mark will be hit over the weekend.

It is hot already, and dry. No rain in about three weeks or more. We could use it, we can always use rain.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, DIY BATMOBILE, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!