Another Sad Farewell

Today we made the tough decision to say goodbye to Alice, our beloved dog and family member for the past 15 years. It had just become too sad to see her so "lost" in her own home--stumbling around, crying, and bumping into things without a clue where she was. Each day she seemed to become more disoriented. We feared she was going to hurt herself or wander off outside and get truly lost. We both just felt the time had come so we took her to the vet today and stayed with her while she went to sleep and then brought her home and buried her beside Crackers out in the orchard. She will be greatly missed.

Alice wandered up to our yard as a stray back when Beki was only seven years old. Beki and the other kids immediately fell in love with her and asked to keep her. Being saps for stray animals we said yes and Beki immediately named her Alice because she had watched "Alice in Wonderland" that day. Alice immediately took to Beki and became her shadow and decided Beki's bed was to be her bed also and that is the way it was until Beki left for college.

But Alice loved all our kids and wherever they went, so did she. I honestly think she could count them--she was frantic wanting them to all be together where she could keep an eye on them. It nearly drove her crazy if part of them were playing outside and the others playing inside. She had to constantly go back and forth checking on them and if one was missing she would try to hunt them down. She was a "kid's dog" and merely tolerated us adults as only good to see that she was fed.

As the kids grew up and left home for college she became closer to us and enjoyed going with us to the ranch and just growing old along with Don and I. But when one of her kids came back home for a visit she would cry and leap for joy and be all over them. She never forgot a one of them and would express sheer delight to have them back home again. She loved us all as we loved her.

I am just grateful to God for bringing Alice to our family that day, and especially to a little girl who had lost so much and desperately needed something to belong to her. Someone who would love her unconditionally and stay beside her. Thank you, God, and I pray Rick and Crackers are greeting Alice in heaven right now.

Hayden

I got to have Hayden for a few hours today while Amber was at school. He is such a doll--has the most expressive faces. He sure loves his daddy and smiles so easily for him. I had a really hard time coaxing the smiles out of him. And ever so often he gets his sad face, and the bottom lip sticks out and begins to quiver---it is just so sad...and so cute. But when I tried singing to him that bottom lip dropped out and I thought the crying would begin. So much for Gema's singin'.....

He's a chunk, too. I thought Grant was heavy but I must say Hayden is a close match. We sure had a nice time with him today. It was so cute to watch his elation when Jerry got here to get him--he lit up the moment he heard his voice and kinda started crying and wanting his daddy to hold him. I remember my own babies doing that when I would come to get them. I guess it is a cry of happiness and relief that their parent is back mixed in with a complaint of "how dare you go off and leave me". Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with him.

Grand-Parent Thoughts

Don expressed something yesterday that made me think. His birthday was on Wednesday and he expressed his disappoinment that none of the grandkids called him to say Happy Birthday. This comment made me think that in our family that was something I never emphasized----and how wrong and sad of me not to do so. I guess you do things mostly how you were raised and I honestly never remember calling or even talking to either of my grandparents on their birthdays. I mean, awful as it sounds, that thought never occurred to me. My mother was very diligent in training me to write thank you notes but I do not ever remember being encouraged to remember grandparents on their birthdays. How sad that is to me now and that I have gone this long without even considering it.
Consequently, I never encouraged or trained my children to honor their grandparents on their birthdays. I guess we might of absent mindedly done it with Nona and Grand-dude if we had them over for supper on their birthdays---but I never made a big deal of it and that was wrong.
So right now, for the record, I would like to encourage all of you who read this to remember that birthdays ARE important and especially so the older we get. Everyone likes to be remembered and know they are thought of. Not a fancy gift do they want, just contact with loved ones--a phone call and a nice newsy note or a pretty card. I know that for me, now that my kids are grown and living away from home, I miss them all something awful, and I love those notes and cards waiting for me in my mailbox---they are tangible items I can hold in my hand, savor, and read over and over, and use as bookmarks, and keep them all safe to read again when I need a touch from that child. So, do this for me, train your kids to call their grandparents on their birthdays AND send notes or drawings or a card. Make up for the training I neglected to give you. Believe me, you will appreciate this when comes the day you are the grandparent or mother whose chicks have flown from the nest.
And please do not take this as a scolding as that is not what it is. Just a realization on my part that I neglected to train you in something so important in families. It is never too late to make up for your mistakes so I am trying to do that now.

Making Progress

The wonderful reward at the end of a long, hot day.

Yea! First section of fence is completed.

Don hard at work stringing that first bottom wire on next section--3 " from ground.

I'm really stylin' here!

Well, I must admit that whether I like it or not I am getting better at this fencing work. I have finally mastered the clips that go on the T-posts and can do 2-3 per minute. We finished our first section of fence--the longest one so we are half done with the job. Yea!! We have three wires strung on the next section--bottom wires--they are a pain to put clips on because you have to kneel down by each one, get up, move down 8 feet, kneel down for the next one and so on. Plus it takes me lots longer because I just can't get the leverage to twist the wires that close to the ground. But at least we know more of what we are doing than on the last one. The last wire we strung on the first section broke in 4 different places and had to be spliced. I guess we pulled it too tight. It was sooooooo frustrating for Don--I felt so bad for him.

So we have seven more strands of barbed wire to put on this section then on to the last. This section runs up and down a gulley so the wire is much tighter and harder to work with. I am taking the morning off--too much sun from the days before. Must say it is cloudy and very humid though. Sounds like we have a chance for more rain in the next few days. We sure can use it.

We are going home for the weekend as we have a Hope for Haiti meeting tonight. Don is vice-president of the board on Hope for Haiti. Also, Beki will be down and it will so good to see her. There is a storm brewing out in the Atlantic that I have a bad feeling about--like it might turn into a hurricane---maybe it is just wishful thinking for a break from fence building.......Who knows? I will be happy to go out on Red Cross or happy to return to the ranch and continue building fence. As for Don, once he starts a project he wants to keep with it til its done so he is hoping to get back to ranch quick. Think we will bring the goats at home back to the ranch as there is absolutely nothing to graze on at home and their hay does not seem to satisfy them.

We were so amazed on Wednesday, Don's birthday, when we went into town how green everything was so quickly after our 1" of rain. What a contrast from before!

I am including some photos here of our fence and us working. You will love my "glamour shot" of me in my fence working clothes!

One Word Answers

1. Where is your cell phone? desk
2. Your significant other? watching golf on TV
3. Your hair? dusty
4. Your Skin? sweaty
5. Your mother? in heaven
6. Your Favorite Thing? the ranch
7. Your dream last night? can't remember
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? a pretty garden
10. The room you’re in? ranch cabin
11. Your ex? thoughtful
12. Your fear? loss
13. where do you want to be in six years? healthy
14. Where were you last night? building fence on ranch
. What you’re not? artistic
16. Muffins? blueberry
17. One of your wish list items? to learn photography skills
18. Where you grew up? San Antonio/Corpus Christi
. The last thing you did? shower
20. What are you wearing? nightgown
21. Your TV? on golf channel
. Your pet(s)? 3 dogs and 1 cat all sleeping on floor, couch, or bed
23. Your computer? love my laptop
24. Your life? never a dull moment
25. Your mood? good
26. Missing someone? Jenny
27. Your car? very dusty
29. Favorite Store? bookstore
30. Your summer? HOT
31. Like someone? yes
32. Your favorite color? yellow
!33. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
34. Last time you cried? this morning building fence
35. Who will/would re-post this? family
36. Whose Answers are you anxious to see? anyone

Photos from around ranch and Fredericksburg

I always see this sweet old donkey by the road on the way to town.

This is the helicopter that was helping put out the big grass fire near us yesterday.

These are just some pretty flowers at Wildseed Farms. I love the yellow ones below.

Big ole jackrabbit I saw early in the morning.

Wild turkeys just down the road from us.

What a pretty fawn. There are so many deer out--they are so hungry---not much to eat around here.

Ranch Bullets

It’s HOT! I mean, hotter than I ever remember it being. And we are out in it building fences. Thank God for a good breeze--we usually are blessed with that for which I am so very grateful. But the heat is just so intense it sucks the energy and your brain right out of you. I try to convince myself I am getting a good workout--I walk up and down the fence line so much, and it is a LONG fence line. And I am getting a good tan. And maybe we are losing weight as it is just too hot to want to eat very much.

Even the two dogs who love to be with us have the smarts to stay in the shade of the pens instead of in the sun with us--or they come back to the coolness of the cabin yard.
I really should not be complaining because Don does 4 times the work of me. He is like a big engine that never quits--he just keeps on working. On his knees tying fence, up and down in and out of Bob, manhandling the fence puller. It is hard work and he is the hardest worker I know. I feel bad when I give out so much earlier than he does.

I feel sorry for Don having me as his helper. I try so hard, I really do, but sometimes I just don’t get it. I mean what seems so easy to him just goes right over my head. He gets so frustrated with me when I don’t understand but sometimes it is like he is speaking a different language. I just wish I knew more “man language” and could be a better , easier to communicate with helper.

UH-OH!!! There is a big grassfire not very far from us. I am sitting out on the porch of the cabin and noticed that there was more air traffic than I have ever seen out here. Then a huge yellow helicopter keeps flying back and forth--it has a hose so it is going someplace and sucking up the water and carrying it back to the fire. Forest service planes are circling the area. I called my neighbor who said that she had talked with fire department and the fire is on Pecan Creek and Walking Plow road. Some of you who have been here will know where that is and that it is not all that far from us. We can see the smoke from here. Very scary. I think I will stop writing and spend some time making a list of what I would grab quickly if we had to evacuate. It is so very hot and dry I am not surprised for there to be fires.


It is later now--the fire is out. Have not heard what the damage was.


We worked from 6 to 8:30 tonight on the fence. I confess I had a rotten attitude. I do not like fencing. We are putting 10 strands of barbed wire on this fence. There are something like 264 T-Posts that have to have the wire attached to them with these little clips that ARE NOT EASY TO PUT ON. Don shows me how and it looks so simple when he does it……I struggle and struggle--he does 10 or more for my one. I keep telling him he needs to hire someone to help him--someone who is a REAL help but he insists I will get better at it. I’m not sure I want to get better at it. See, my attitude stinks!!!


I am tired. Want to write more but am just too weary. I should not be complaining so much. I got the morning off and got to go to tons of garage sales. It was fun--not huge treasures to report except a new quilt for our bed at home. I did enjoy myself though. Best part was drive into town at 7--lots of wildlife out to photograph. Will include some of my pics when I have the time.


Oh, I had a good report from dermatologist. I had been worrying about a few suspicious moles I had so went to get them checked out and all was normal--nothing cancerous to worry about. Thank you, God.


Don’s cat , Pete, got bit by a spider and has to be kept in his cage again with that nasty ole collar thing around his neck to keep him from pulling his stitches out. He had such an ugly abscess on his leg from the bite and had to have some surgery on it. He is not a happy camper but healthwise is doing fine. One more chore for Alisa to take care of at home. God bless Alisa. What would we ever do without her??? She is such a huge blessing to us.


I stopped at the Wildseed Farms to take pictures of their flowers. So many pretty ones. I love that place!
Strawberry Farm in MF also has a pretty field of zinnias.
Ok, I really gotta get to bed. Night-night.