2015 - Day 90/275 - Tuesday...

So...today was an interesting day to say the least.  I will give you bits and pieces of the more interesting parts.  It started with a fire in a warehouse on one of the roads I take into the office every morning.  I could see the flashing lights and all the commotion from the house, but there is a challenge with distance out here on the edge of nowhere.  It turns out this warehouse that was used to store FIREWORKS had caught fire, and when I took this photo the explosives were still going off.  When I came home this afternoon, the HAZ-MAT folks were still there, and the building was still smoldering.

There was a bit more daytime drama with the cattle this afternoon.  The cowboys came back to get Domino late this morning, and before it was all over, he had destroyed more of the truck, ripped all the lights off the trailer, destroyed the gates on the trailer so they could not be secured, gored one the horses and the horse required 150 stitches.  If you want to see what requires 150 stitches on the back end of a horse, let me know and I will send you a couple photos.  Needless to say, I expect by this time (or soon) that Domino the steer is no more.  It is probably a good thing; looking back in time, he had been getting more and more aggressive ever since Mr. Speckles drowned.  I am glad the cowboys were here and brought that behavior out so it could be dealt with, instead of me being surprised one afternoon when I was taking a walk in the pastures.  So, that leaves us with four head of cattle, and the back pastures already look more idyllic.

It was an eventful day, and that is not even all of it, just parts of it.

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CRAY CRAY CRAP!, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 89/276 - Monday...

Well, I have to admit that today ended differently that I would have expected.

First off, I made it into the office this morning, and got lots of work done.  There I was, minding my own business, and almost tripped over this cute little child who had (to the best of my knowledge) been abandoned in the hallway adjacent to our front desk.  Upon further observation, it appeared that the child in question was indeed being paid some attention to by a young lady that was in the conference room filling out an application.  I do not know for sure which one of us (me or the child) was more startled.  All my cooing and billing ultimately resulted in nothing more that a crying child.  I have that affect on some people.

Joe and Carolyn (our friends from Mississippi) are visiting for a week to help us celebrate Jody's birthday, and that was exciting to see them when I got home.  I had also received a call earlier in the day that Keith (a real live cowboy) was going to come out and move some cattle.  I had intended to keep five head (which would mean they would haul off five head), and it was really interesting to see them work the cattle on their horses. 

Things did not really go as planned (although I knew pretty much the demeanor of my cattle).  Things looked at first like they would be going well, but ultimately there was a lot of drama, and one of the steers (Domino) decided he would take the opportunity to do bodily harm to one of the bulls that was being taken to the auction barn.

Lots of drama, and I think Domino will be the next to go. 

Deeds, Actions, Changes, BABIES and DRAMA, Kindnesses, Wh
irled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 88/277 - Sunday...

To many people, high temperatures of 84 degrees would mean they were in the throes of summer.  In central Texas (and particularly on the edge of nowhere) it is just a nice, sunny, cloudless spring day.  Even though I did a nice 25 mile bike ride yesterday, I was not terribly exhausted today, and managed to get a lot of work done, even if much of it was sitting at my desk at home, or going into Georgetown and taking care of chores.

It was indeed a beautiful day here, and the trees are budding out, the Iris are starting to bloom in earnest, and the wisteria up at the road is blooming.  There are lovely sightings of bluebonnets, and I think we will have a great spring for wildflowers.  All in all, who could ask for anything better?

Deeds, Actions, Changes, CLEAR SKIES, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 87/278 - Saturday...

Some things about bike rides never change. The scent of sun-block, the sound of a tire pump coming off the tiny little valve, badly discarded packs of goo, the acknowledgement that 'I have that same jersey at home in a box', and the rows and rows of porta-potties. I did my first big bike ride in October of 1999, and the Rosedale Ride that year was one of my training rides. I rode 25 miles that year in that ride, and again today, I am using this ride as a training ride, and again I did 25 miles (okay, it was really almost 24 miles, but I am rounding up).  It was a beautiful day for a ride (it started out a little chilly), but it made it up to 84 degrees this afternoon. 

I have already had a couple naps, and I think I will pile-up this evening a little earlier than usual.

May I be excused?

Deeds, Actions, Changes, ON YOUR LEFT, Kindnesses, Whirled Peas, FUN!

2015 - Day 86/279 - Friday...

It's Friday, so that means I need to try and drive some numbers to the journal. I am also being ridiculed by all sorts of folks for my predisposition to leave two spaces after a period. I am working on that, but I can report very little improvement. There is a lot of truth to old timey sayings:  You can't teach an old dog new tricks, pecking order, there's more than one way to skin a cat, the man in the moon is a lady, when it's tulip time in Holland, two lips are calling me.  Just as examples.

So, I was fortunate to have a Barney sighting, so that is the photo of the day.  Cats, kids and Emily are sure fire ways to drive numbers to the journal.  I wonder if Emily has a pet?  I need to check that out, there could be a triple play if she does, but I don't think so.  I think I would have known.

I am off early tomorrow to participate in the Rosedale ride.  I am gonna be good for about 25 miles.  Wish me luck.

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

2015 - Day 85/280 - Thursday...

It seems that today is the day for traffic challenges.  I heard that a truck had run into a bridge support about 12 miles or so north of us on IH-35, so on the way home, I was paying very close attention to the traffic reports.  Allegedly, traffic was stopping on the Interstate about 5 miles north of my exit, so there should be no problem with my commute.  Well, that information was incorrect by about 15 miles.  Luckily I was able to sneak past the troopers re-directing traffic, and made it down the service road to my exit with only about a 35 minute delay.  But even before that, there was a wreck on Loop 360 that was causing a few problems, as documented with this photo.  This photo also documents the fact that I am in violation of the hands-free ordinance in the city.  Boo-Hoo.  I think travelling down the road at about 5 miles per hour qualifies as STOPPED.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Otherwise it was a pretty darned pleasant day!

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

2015 - Day 84/281 - Wednesday...

Home again, and I like it.  I stayed in Austin last night because of late night and early morning meetings.  It is fine (and easier sometimes) to stay in Austin, but I never really sleep that well the first night or two when I am not at home.  I always sleep wonderfully well at home.  Even taking into account the self-medications.

As I alluded to above, there were three meetings one-after-another this morning, beginning at 8:30.  I got to the office about 1:30, did some power real estate, and made it home about 4:30 this afternoon.  I had planned on meeting my friend Steve for a bike ride at 6:30, so there was a lot of coordination going on.  We are doing a charity ride this weekend (Rosedale Ride) and we are planning on doing 25 miles.  I have been on my bike three times this year, and I think Steve has been on his bike twice, but he is a couple decades younger and many pounds lighter than I am.  I do not have a really terrific feeling about the ride, but I am confident that I will make it, complaining all the way.  Oh, that gives me something to look forward to!

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