2011 - Day Ninety Six; Wednesday...

Really, only Wednesday? Today was a day of accomplishments and failures. A day of joy and sadness. A day of triumph and defeat. A day of bravado and silence. A day of achievement and set back. BUT, all in all it was a good day. A day that things that needed to be done were done. And it is only Wednesday. Not bad for a hump-day!

The Iris are continuing to bloom gloriously, but the winds are taking a toll. You will be treated to at least one view a day of some of the more exotic varieties we have out here. They are indeed beautiful, and when they ALL get going, it will be something to behold. I hope many of you get a chance to come out and see them. In a week or so, there will be folks driving down the road to take a look for themselves, it is somewhat of an attraction. AND, we are going to be marking the more exotics for transfer up around the house later in the fall. Stay tuned!

We got four eggs from the girls today, and they are all seeming to be happy. No broken eggs today, but there is still time. Jody checks during the day, and I check in the evenings when I close them up in their coop. Otherwise, it was just another wonderful day in paradise, even though it is a bit warm for this time of year. The thermometer is registering 89* right now. A bit warm, but we are experiencing relatively low humidity.

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

2011 - Day Ninety Five; Tuesday...

Really, it is only Tuesday? It seems like it should be Friday already, or maybe one day next week. It seems like yesterday was a really long time ago! Even though I got home around 5:30 this afternoon, it seemed like I was home early, since there was really nothing I had to do to get ready for 'tomorrow'. But, I guess we are really always getting ready for what ever is next. And so it goes... Today was really a nice and rewarding day. It started off really early, but I was sleeping so comfortably, I did not get up until 5:30, and then I was kind of rushing around because I really needed to leave the house by 6:30. I needed to get to the office before I headed to my first appointment, which was in (what used to be considered) far south Austin, even though it was less than ten miles from my office. It was really a cinch getting there, but I was early (as usual) because I can never take traffic for granted. I always build in some time for uncertainties.

After that, I was back in the office by 10, and left around 10:30 to head to a meeting that was starting at 11. BUT, this was a meeting that I called, so we had the meeting at DART BOWL, which is a really neat place for a change of pace. Out of about 15 members of this particular committee, eight showed up for this meeting. There is no shame in not being able to attend a meeting, but this one was actually a lot of fun. We got some work done, we had lunch and then we went and bowled a game. This is a picture of the group AFTER the meeting. This place makes the BEST enchiladas (for one thing), but all the food was good. It was like a dinner we all had when we were kids. I have not been to this place in ALMOST ten years. I celebrated my 50th birthday at DART BOWL, and I will be 60 in December. I think just maybe a repeat is in order. Anyway, this is a photo of (from the bottom left and going clock-wise) Chris, Susan, Karen, Socar, Deborah, Me, Sytha and Dolise.

This is a photo of those of us that bowled. Socar and Karen had to leave, but the rest of us stayed for bowling. At least I broke 100. It has been a LONG LONG time since I bowled, but we all had a blast. In this photo are (from left to right) Sytha, Deborah, Me, Susan, Dolise and Chris. I am the one in the really un-natural position, but it was fun, and again, we all had a blast. If you ever want to have a fun time, I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, I think I strained something that I cannot really discuss on a family oriented journal. Use your imagination. I will recover, though.

After dinner tonight, Jody and I went out to look at the work the fellows we hired are doing on some of our pasture fences. They are doing a GREAT job, and I am very happy with it. They know exactly what they are doing, and I am delighted that they are getting that one run of fence fixed. Jody got five eggs from the girls, and there was another broken egg. I think maybe that one chicken has some sort of a vitamin or nutrient deficiency. I need to check that out.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring? I wonder if I am prepared? Does anyone really know what time it is?

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BOWLING FRIENDS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Ninety Four; Monday...

It has been a long time since I have been able to post one of these photos, and the opportunity was one of those 'had-to-be-there' deals. On the way into the office this morning, there was lightning and thunder and some rain, pretty nice for a few minutes. Further south they reported hail, but there was not a drop of rain at the house. Nothing. NADA! A friend of mine in Nashville reports the tornado sirens were going off all day, kind of frightening but the only reports of damage are tree limbs down.

Today was a day filled with opportunities, not the least of which seems to be that my router at home has gone out (I just bought it a few weeks ago), and so I am tethered in the office to do any kind of computer work. I have become very used to being able to go out on the porch and make these entries. I will have to try and figure out just exactly what is going on with this thing.

Meetings today, more meetings tomorrow, more meetings on Wednesday, more meetings on Thursday, and perhaps on Friday I will be able to take a breath.

Interesting, the life I have made for myself. There are either not enough hours in the day, or there is not enough of me to go around.

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

2011 - Day Ninety Three; Sunday...

Okay, I am close to admitting it, I am Too F'ing Old for this. Maybe I got up around seven this morning, had an encore performance of egg loaf and cinnamon rolls, and started painting about 8:30. The never ending lattice and deck are ALMOST done, just need to 'detail' it now. I wonder if that will ever get done? Probably. Then there were weeds to pull; another never ending thing. And then there was grass to cut, and that never ends either. I was pretty steady at it until after 5 o'clock, except for a short break to go to Dairy Queen. Fabulous! Is it windy where you are? It remains crazy windy here. The meteorological prognosticator on the news this evening said it was going to be a little windy tomorrow, and if this is not windy, I really do not know what is. The turbines are working like mad, the chimes are all chiming, the air show is showing, the flags are all a-flapping. But the breeze is nice.

Among other things, we got the cattle fed this afternoon, and took fresh bales of hay out to both pastures. I was going to move the cattle to the other pasture yesterday, but we have a guy working on some of the fences, so I am putting that off until next week. I did get an up-close and personal view of both of the new calves today, and I can confirm that they are both bull calves. This is a picture of the calf that was born on Monday, and in the paragraph below is a photo of the calf that was born on Tuesday. Yep, both bull calves.

Just in case you were wondering, chickens are indiscriminate poopers. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is just kind of a challenge to keep up with the chicken poop. Poop, poop, poop, that is pretty much all they do, that and destroy flower beds and lay eggs. That is pretty much it. AND, I think we have an egg sucking chicken, one of the reds. I have not caught her in the act, but I have caught her with egg on her face. I think that is pretty much enough for an indictment, or at least a grand jury investigation.

Tomorrow will be (yet) another day!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, EGG SUCKERS, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day NinetyTwo; Saturday...

Really, this is going to be a short post. It is after 10PM, and it is WAY past my bedtime. I slept in this morning, and did the usual stuff. After egg loaf and cinnamon rolls, I went out and started to paint some more on the deck/gazebo/lattice. This project has no end in sight, we have gone through almost three gallons of stain, and we bought another gallon this afternoon. I had vowed to work on that until 10 o'clock this morning, and then extended that until 11 o'clock.

After I gave up the painting, our neighbor Pauline stopped over bearing pumpkin bread, cookies and two different kinds of jellies. We asked her about the status of the cheese braids (a tradition in the spring in this area, and she said they would be working on the cheese braids at the area churches in the next several weeks. Yummy religion! At 11, we headed off to Georgetown (it is the weekend, and weekends call for hot fudge sundaes). After the Dairy Queen, we went to get my hair cut, and that took forever! Only because I have to have my hair cut by a certain person at SuperCuts (Irene) and everyone else within a 40 mile radius of Georgetown was waiting for Irene as well. ANYWAY...

After the haircut, we went to Home Depot for another gallon of stain, and then we were off to Tractor Supply for miscellaneous stuff ($122 worth) and then we headed home. Shortly after that, we were getting ready to go to our friends Michael and Lynda's for dinner in celebration of Jody's birthday. A wonderful time was had by all! Delicious lamb entree and all the fixings! Jody had gathered a bunch of Iris for Lynda, and I took a photo of them when we were sopped at a red-light. They are just beginning to bloom here, and they are going to be really pretty this year.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, IRIS & Cheese Braids, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Ninety One; Friday...

This entry is going to be totally, 100% about Jody because today is his birthday. Pause, pause, pause. Okay, well this entry is going to be MOSTLY about Jody because today is his birthday. Ummmmm... Jody will be mentioned several times in the journal entry, because today is his birthday. Delay, delay, delay... I will give Jody a few mentions in this journal entry today, because it is his birthday. AND, as he is well aware (because I have told him at least a couple times) his birthday is not necessarily ALL about him. It is about the people (many, many, many) who love him and share him in their lives. AND it is kind of about me, because I have really enjoyed gathering up the tasty treats that WE are sharing together. Okay, all together now...HAPPY BIRTHDAY JODY!

What do you get the person who professes to want nothing? Well, I have that totally figured out. A HIPPO-NONYMOUS. I was going to get him a GIANT sized Hippo from Hutto, but they weigh 750 pounds, and the delivery arrangements were getting a little bit convoluted. THEN I thought I would get him the medium-sized HUTTO HIPPO (they weigh in at 250 pounds or so, which was actually manageable if I could find one more person to help me), but I decided on the five-pound-cute-as-a-bug Hippo with attitude. So, it is perfect, and Jody is being non-committal about the whole thing. BUT, it is cute, you have to admit it.

After last nights work-up to the actual birthday (remember Sugar Mama's?), I headed off to Sweetish Hill and got several sweetie delights. He will be immersed in sweets for breakfast, lunch and dinner for at least a day or two. As Jody is known to say, life is short, have dessert first. These are the packages of sweets that we will be working our way through for the next couple days. Yummy!

When I arrived at the office this morning, there was this '48 Plymouth (okay, it started out as a '48 Plymouth, I have no idea what it is now), and this is a photo of the taillights. I have another picture of its' grill work and I posted that to my FaceBook page if you happen to get a chance to go by it. Very interesting. There must be some kind of car-show happening in Austin this weekend, because there have been lots and lots of really interesting antique cars on the roads, from the days when you could tell the year, make and model just by looking at them. Everything looks the same these days. Tomorrow we have some errands to run, feed to get, spoilers to eat, haircut for me, this-and-that, and then we are going to have a birthday dinner for Jody at our friends Michael and Lynda's home. Lamb. Yummy!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY DEAR, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2011 - Day Ninety; Thursday...

Well, all I can say is, this strawberry is a goner. I have been meaning to eat it for the last several mornings, but when I go out to get the paper (and do my obsessive compulsive retentive chores) it is dark and I don't think about it. So, this afternoon when I was going out to give the chickens fresh water, I could not resist it. Such is the life of a strawberry. How SWEET it WAS!

I left the office about 3 o'clock this afternoon, and stopped at SUGAR MAMA's just down the street from our office. Tomorrow is Jody's birthday, so I am working up to it. These are small personal sized pies; one is Key Lime and the other is Chocolate Cream and we split them. Jody has already had his, and mine is sitting on the table beckoning to me. They are alluring 'sireens' just like in the required reading in college. Now I need to come up with something for tomorrow. I can do this!

I went out to check on the cattle after I watered the chickens, and Mimi is really boycotting me. I did not take the Mule into the pastures, I parked it outside, but when she saw me approaching, she hauled it to the back of the pasture and was taking her calf with her. This is a picture of the two calves and their mamas, heading AWAY from me. It is enough to give me a complex! In the picture, Monday's calf is on the left (mostly white) and Tuesday's calf is next (mostly black). Monday's calf is fair of face, Tuesday's calf is full of grace...

I am getting my car back tomorrow afternoon, and I am happy about that. I really do like that car, and all the things it stands for. The engineers from Detroit were not able to replicate the problem in another Volt, so they believe it may have been an issue with my car only. They have also reported that no other car has had that problem reported, so we shall see. I can tell you one thing, I am VERY HAPPY with Covert Chevrolet in Hutto. Thanks to all of the staff there for making this process as painless as they can, and for going out of their way to be accommodating to me. If you guys know me at all, you know that is not the easiest thing to do.

Tomorrow will be another day!

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ALMOST A BIRTHDAY, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!