Volume 12 - Day 227/139, 2020 - Friday

Well, so much for that pork chop that I thought would last another two days...I finished the rest of it this evening for dinner, and the girls got lovely pork chop bones. Everybody was happy. Talking about food, I got my hair cut this afternoon, and tradition dictates that I make a stop at Firebowl when I leave the salon. SO...I brought home TWO dinners, and those should be good for at least four meal times. I had only one meeting today, and it was an early one, 8 o'clock this morning. Then I made a few phone calls, and headed into the office about 10. I need to do a few real estate things over the weekend, but basically, I am not motivated to do much of anything. I went outside to water pot plants this evening, about 7:45, and it was still 102 degrees outside. It is getting to be ridiculous, but that is something that we do every summer in Texas: Complain.

Volume 12 - Day 226/140, 2020 - Thursday

I am going to be eating on this pork chop for at lease two more days. Today, the Austin Board of REALTORS® TREPAC Committee sponsored a 'Pork Chops and Politics' Major Investor virtual luncheon. If you ever come to Austin, you need to make a date with Perry's Steakhouse, and order the pork chop. When you dine in (which is something I have not done since sometime in March, I think the chops are actually bigger than this one. Absolutely DEE-LISH! Investors signed up for the luncheon, included the address they wanted their pork chop delivered to, and they were all delivered between 11 and noon. The virtual meeting started at noon, and we enjoyed hearing from state politicos and the current Chairman of the National Association of REALTORS®. Quite an event, and it got pulled off without any issues. Kudos to everyone involved. I had a 10 o'clock meeting this morning, and then I had TWO zoom meetings at noon, and I attended them both. I have conflicting meetings next week, too, and I think I will just be virtually attending two at a time. Th
e more computers you have, the more meetings you can attend!

Volume 12 - Day 225/141, 2020 - Wednesday

In 2013, seven years ago today, Jody and I, with a group of close friends, were in Glastonbury, Connecticut, where we were married by a Republican, Justice of the Peace. I never cease to be amazed by geographic differences, not only in the terrain, but also of the differences in acceptance and the respect for one persons love for another. It was a wonderful day, there were so many laughs, so many expressions of love, so many wishes of love and appreciation. We were our own little world on that day. I was happier than I had ever been in my life, and I think it showed to our small legion of friends that shared the moment with us. Thank you all for sharing, and thank you all for being there, and thank you all for remembering. today is not a day to be sad, today is a day for ME to be happy, a day for thanking everyone for caring. Today is also a day to be hot. The seven day forecast is on the hot side, and I am looking forward to the second week of October. In my world, that is when a front will come through and temperatures will finally cool down, and we can go about our lives. Until then, I recommend you stay inside as much as possible, and try to get a payment plan started with your particular utility company. When you come across anyone, just give them a fist bump, and ask 'Is it hot enough for you?" That is what we do...

Volume 12 - Day224/142, 2020 - Tuesday

If there is a state bird of Texas, can there be a city bird of Austin. When I moved here in 1985, the joke was that the state bird of Texas was the crane. The construction crane. Then that wafted over to the city bird of Austin was the crane. Then the state and city birds went away for a couple years, but now they are back with a vengeance. I am generally a little bit apprehensive of driving under these things, especially when they have those cement buckets hooked up to them. But, I do it, and so far, so good. Right now, Austin is the eleventh largest city in the country, and we are supposed to break in to the top ten early next year. Parts of it still feel like Mayberry, and that is okay. Parts of it really are Mayberry, and there is nothing wrong with that. BUT, we are a big city, and we have big city problems. We just all have to be aware. Perhaps I really should not be discussing Austin at all, since I live outside Austin, actually about 35 or 40 miles outside Austin. It is 49+ miles to my office from the house, so maybe that disqualifies me from having opinions about Austin. I know it does not stop other people from sharing their opinions, good or bad, but at least I am considering the whole picture. Kind of like being an agnostic...kind of just hedging my bets. But I will bet you $100 that I think about and consider the possibilities much more than most. Hmmm... It is kind of interesting how these conversations start, take a turn, and then end...

Volume 12 - Day 223/143, 2020 - Monday

Today's topic is: Things that have happened that I forgot to mention. I'll start... About four days ago, one of my bulls (NOTE: There is no reason to have more than one bull) jumped the fence and started courting one (some) of the neighbors cows. The neighbor has his own bull, so he did not need mine. This bull was (emphasis on was) relatively aggressive, and today he was 'darted' and taken to the auction barn. One less longhorn here in the Edge of Nowhere. The other day, I was cleaning out the skimmer basket, and there was a palm frond that I could not get out. It was not a palm frond, it turned out to be the tail of a very live rat. I had no idea could give Lloyd Bridges a run for their money, and dive like it was in full scuba gear like on Sea Hunt. I finally rescued it, and I expect it is probably chewing wires in the engine compartment of the pick up truck as I write this. I should have pruned some of the pears off this tree when I had the chance (two or three months ago), but I didn't. It is probably not too late to do it still, but they have put their energies into getting this far, I hate to pick and choose at this point. Finally, I think I might be overwatering the potted plants, many of their leaves are getting yellow. I am cutting back a little bit on the watering, but it is hard to imagine overwatering when it is consistently over 100 degrees on a daily basis. And it is only some of the plants that have yellow leaves, so maybe I should just cut back the water on those plants.

Volume 12 - Day 222/144, 2020 - Sunday

Yesterday when I took hay to the cattle, I surveyed the remains of Violet, and brought her skull up to the house. She has a little bit more drying out to do, but eventually we will hang her up on a wall, most likely out on the front barn, facing the road. When we had the place in Red Rock, we started out with three head of cattle: Mr. Speckles, Daphne and Orchid. Violet was our first calf, the spawn of Speckles and Daphne. I remember very clearly when I first saw her. Daphne had taken her into a wooded part of the property, a pretty secluded place, and it took me a while to find them, but I did. I still run across the photos every now and then. Violet was always a small cow, but she had always been a really good mama, and it is kind of sad that she died giving birth, but that is what happens in nature. We had a calf die when we first moved here, and we went to a lot of trouble burying the calf. It was YEARS before grass would grow where we buried that calf, so now, if/when something happens, we just leave it to the coyotes and the vultures, and pretty soon all there is is a scattered pile of bones. I got all my shopping done, and was successful on most of the items I was looking for. I went to Bed, Bath and Beyond and got two air purifiers, the only two they had. The girls and I are living for the most part in the bedroom and the bathroom, and it smells like a boy and two dogs. The air purifiers can't hurt, so there they are. I got the Idea because we have tow of them in the office, and everyone seems to think they help, so only time will tell. The chicken coop got cleaned, and the trash cans are up CLOSE to the road. It is so windy, I am not actually going to put them out on the road until tomorrow morning, just to make sure they don't blow over.

Volume 12 _ Day 221/145, 2020 - Saturday

An old wives’ tale states you can count on rain within 7 days of seeing a Texas Sage burst into bloom.  Indeed, shortly after my shrub was ablaze with purple, we were fortunate to have had a couple of days of sweet, steady rain.  Considering our recent very dry summer, here’s to seeing a little more purple in our landscapes this fall. The detail behind the matter, however, is that while Texas sage tends to blossom a couple days before precipitation occurs, it really blooms when the conditions are optimal for rain. Actual rainfall may not occur, but the plant is sensitive to changes in barometric pressure and humidity, and therefore it blossoms. That being said, this doesn’t mean you should scrap any plans of planting a cool bush that has the potential to predict rain. It simply means you have the opportunity to make room for a native Texas species in your full-sun garden that blooms lovely flowers when it feels a change in the weather coming on… kind of like witching for water with the added bonus of seeing something gorgeous in the process. It’s a win-win! Well, crap! (I copied and pasted the above information, so I am not sure how it will translate when I hit 'publish.' Fingers crossed!

I did get a few things done today, so that is good. I took two bales of hay out to the cattle, checked out what was left of Violet (nothing much), took the girls to the beautiful parlor, spent about $60 at HEB, went to Walgreen's and listened to them for ten minutes about flu shots, why they don't have a waiting list, blah, blah, blah, took the last chair to Goodwill, fed the chickens and watered pot plants front and back.

Not sure about tomorrow, I have a little bit of an urge (little, not big) to empty some boxes in the garage, and I have to clean the chicken coop. I am going in to Round Rock to go to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I can't tell you what I am going for. so you won't jump the gun and buy it out from under me. The web site said I could pick it up in two hours, but I don't want to go in tonight. Whatever...