Instructions

Ok-so I had lots of free time on my hands to blog today. Photos will make more sense if you scroll to the bottom to my first post titled Thoughts from New York and read in chronological order ending with the pics.

About photos--I had a nice slide show madeup on that place I have always used but could not get it to download to my blog. I wonder if they are on the "outs" with blogger or something because it was not the same easy download as always before. So I just added some photos to my blog myself--but I am not too good at lining them up nicely. Desperately need some help from Jenny on this. Hope you enjoy the photos anyway. I took hundreds--it is just so incredibly colorful and pretty here--I cannot get enough.

More New York photos

We celebrated our anniversary at Babe's with family. Josh/Kim in forefront.

Can you see the skyline of New York City?

wild geese on the reservoir we walk to

hills near Barb's house

House on island in Brant Lake

Don's family's camp house at Brant Lake

colorful country lane

mist over mountains near our B&B

really old cemetary and pretty farm

Autumn in New York

our B&B

Lake George

What I Love about the Northeast

Don and I took a couple of days to drive up into the Adirondacks to celebrate our 5th anniversary. These are a few of the things I love about the northeast--namely New York state--especially in the Hudson River valley, the Catskills and the Adirondacks. We followed route 9W along the Hudson River, through Albany and to our destination of Brant Lake. As a child, Don and his family spent every summer on Brant lake in a little camp house they owned. Those are his favorite childhood memories. I will post pictures when I get home. The autumn leaves were breathtaking. We had sunshine, rain and snow flurries in our two day travels. Stayed a night in a countryside Bed and Breakfast and had a wonderful time. Following are bullets listing my favorite things in the north.

• small delis everywhere
• old, old cemetaries
• old buildings with great architecture and character
• mom and pop groceries
• family owned butcher shops, bakeries, hardware stores
• general stores that have not changed too much
• very, very few Walmarts
• Dunkin Donuts coffee--tell them coffee with milk and sugar and you get the best cup ever
• lots of small, local bars and grills--you know, nice friendly neighborhood hang-outs where you can share your troubles with friends over a cold beer and a hot sandwich.
• Sam Adam's Octoberfest beer--ok--, I have drank more beer here than the rest of the year put together--but it is so good--one at a time will do me--but I really have come to love this Octoberfest beer.
• Farmer's Markets--with big bushels of all kinds of apples--varieties we never hear of back home. And crates of assorted weird shaped squash, and pears, and tons of pumpkins--really giant ones and little baby ones and lots of fall flowers everywhere.
• fresh apple cider
• Diners--they are known for their diners here and I love them. Just plain, good down home food served in a local atmosphere.
• many small old-time motor courts--like from the 50's--and places with quaint little cabins in the woods to rent
• snow flurries
• chimneys with smoke coming out of them
• front porches--everyone here decorates for autumn--lots of scarecrows, pumpkins, autumn wreaths, Halloween decor, shocks of corn, Indian corn
• Adirondack chairs
• town halls
• all the small towns and villages have character--not generic like so many of our cities--they are quaint, homey, and show community pride
• downtowns that are still vibrant and alive--old buildings are treasured and still in use
• old (one movie) movie theatres and even drive-in theatres are still functioning
• American flags--so many houses and buildings fly the flag
• bandstands in town parks
• Firemen's Parades
• old rock houses and rock bridges
• trains
• basements
• big old barns
• colorful carpets of leaves
• friendly folk
• clocks in each downtown area
• very old churches with tall steeples and bell towers--lots of them
• old family businesses that just keep going still run by same family for generations
• family owned Italian restaurants with REALLY good, REAL Italian food
• Birch trees
• stacks of firewood
• cute cottage homes
• big Victorian houses
• roller rinks
• Canadian geese
• lots of small lakes and reservoirs
• the beautiful Hudson River
• Schroon river
• Brant Lake--and the tiny island with a big old house on it
• that Mead's Camp where Don spent his summers has changed so little in the past 45 years
• woods of tall pines, white burches, and colorful maples
• maple sugar operations
• the sandy soil around the lakes and pines
• the chance of seeing a moose
• lanterns and snowshoes hanging from the ceiling in hardware stores
• wooden chainsaw-carved moose on the sides of roads
• Rexall drug stores--(they still exist)
• Chestnut street---every town has one

Thoughts from New York

I thought I would wait until I got home to write this post but found some time today and I need to write so please bear with me.

Don and I came to New York October 13 for a very sad tragedy in the family. The son of Don's sister Claudia was killed in a motorcycle accident. Tommy was only 23 years old, a senior in college. What a horrible shock for us all. Claudia is a mother who poured her life into her two kids. She was a single parent most of the time. She loved Tommy as deeply as any mother could and went through some really tough times with him.

Tommy was not the easiest person to like--especially when I first met him when he was 15 and a surly, obnoxious teenager who treated adults with great disrespect. But as he grew and matured he changed and became much more likeable and we looked forward to seeing him on our visits up here. He was the kind of person who could talk to anyone and would debate with you over issues as long as you could last. Don and I were on a different page than he was on many issues but he would still listen to us, then give his side. We were just different--Tommy wanted to make lots of money, look perfect, never age, and have the best of everything. I don't think he could ever understand us but I know he still loved us and respected us. Tommy had many friends who spent much time hanging out at his house--Claudia always had the best snacks on hand, a full candy dish, and an open door. Tommy's domain was their basement so they had a great private hangout.

How do you ever reconcile the death of a young person? All we can do is look at the good aspects of it. Tommy left the house that Sunday to go riding with his friend, Rob, in a beautiful mountainous area on a gorgeous fall afternoon. He was doing what he loved to do. Earlier in their ride they had stopped to visit with two other riders whom they did not know but just had the common love of biking to share. But as fate would have it two of these boys would meet a couple of hours later in a fatal crash. Tommy and Rob were making a u-turn after stopping to rest for a bit--the boy they had met earlier was speeding down the road in excess of 100mph and we think Tommy must have not seen him as he pulled out so he was t-boned by the speeding cyclist. Both boys were killed instantly--the other boy only 24. Tommy's friend, Rob, witnessed the whole thing and tried to give CPR to Tommy and help him. An awful experience and memory that will forever be etched in Rob's mind. He is really struggling right now and needs all of our prayers.
But back to the more positive things to think on. No ugly harsh words were said when Tommy left--thank goodness he did not leave in anger or on a bad note--in fact, the last thing he was doing was playing Wii bowling with his little 5 year old step niece whom he loved so much. He had earlier spent time with his Dad and their departure was a hug and I love you. He was doing well, about to graduate college and move out on his own. The accident was not his fault and he was doing nothing wrong--just the wrong place at the wrong time. As bad as this was, it could have been so much worse.

What have I learned from this? Not to judge a person for what you see on the outside in just a few short visits. There was so much more depth to Tommy than I ever saw--because I was wrong--I did not make much effort to look deeper. He touched so many, many people in his short life. There must have been between 500-700 people who came to the wake--each having special stories of how Tom had touched their lives. And he had friends. Many really good, true friends who were devastated by their loss. They have all vowed to be the "big brother" now to Courtney, his little sister, who loved him so much. They have even declared they will take over his job of mowing his grandparents yard each week and helping out Claudia all they can. Neighbors who Claudia did not even know, came and told how friendly and helpful Tommy had always been to them--how he always stopped to talk and see if they needed anything. What a tribute to Tommy and a gift to his family to hear all these kind, wonderful things said about Tommy.

So I learned that it is so important not to just discount people because of their brusk, arrogant manner or because they don't have the exact same values as you do--but dig deeper, really get to know them, give them a chance--find out who they really are. We miss out on so much by simply dismissing those who are "prickly" or difficult. That was something else--nearly everyone who spoke about Tommy mentioned how difficult he was and what a jerk he could be at times--they all knew and experienced this side of him but they accepted it because they saw the other parts of him as well. They loved him through the difficult times and periods of his maturing. We laughed and enjoyed so many of the tales told by his friends as they came to the house to help console Claudia and the family. What great friends! What a great family Tommy had. He lived such a full life--short as it was--he packed it full and he lived it "his way". He will be greatly missed.


Throughout this time I have seen God at work--his mercy and grace. Kim, Don's niece from Florida, had just gotten engaged to a young man who is the youth pastor at her church. Claudia asked Josh if he would say a prayer and help with the funeral service. Josh did such an awesome job (what a way to be introduced to your new family) in learning about Tommy from his friends and family and just leading a great service for him. Was a tough position to be in but we could see God using him. Claudia has many good friends and fellow teachers who are there for her as well as a strong family. So many praying for her. God will bring good out of this tragedy.


Thank you for all your prayers. And the last thing I have learned is to ALWAYS let your loved ones know how much you love them, and do not depart each other on a harsh note or with things left unsaid. Remember that words are containers of power--what you say does matter--words have great power for good and for bad--so watch what you say or write. Tommy wrote some really negative words on his facebook--"Life's a bitch and then you die" and he always said he did not want to grow old. Just be careful what you declare with your words. Be positive. Speak good things into your lives and those of your loved ones. Phillipians 4:8,9 Be real, be who you are and love each other with abandon. Treasure each moment and don't put off important things til later. Make the most of each moment, each visit. Life is so short, so fragile. Embrace it and live each day to the fullest. And to all my children--I love each of you so very much and am so proud of each and every one of you--in-laws and mine--I love you all the same--you are my family and I treasure each one of you. You have blessed me more than you could possibly know. And I thank you for each and every beautiful, wonderful grand child you have given me. What a treasure family is, my family, Don's family, all of my kid's extended families; friends who we have adopted as family--I treasure them all and they have blessed me so. Don't ever take family for granted. Treasure every moment you have together and don't neglect getting together. Time is precious, don't waste it on stuff that does not matter. I think it is really good to occasionally ask yourself: "If I knew today was my last day on earth, how would I spend this day?". But most of all--get yourself right with God. Does he know you love Him and that He is Lord of your life? Do you spend time daily just being with Him and talking to Him? Do you know how much God loves you and wants to be part of your daily life?

Ok--I better stop now as tears are beginning to come. Have a grand day.

Down on the Farm

Have you ever tried to snatch 4 baby guineas away from their mama and her 3 companions? Let me tell you it is quite an adventure. You see, mama guinea had been sitting on her nest by the front water faucet for quite some time. I would forget she was there and walk over to turn on the water only to be rushed at by a squawking, menacing bird who looked like she would tear me apart. Well, one morning I noticed she was not on the nest and there were several broken shells so I looked for the guineas and saw mama with 4 little ones trying their best to keep up with her. From past experience I knew that guineas were not very good mothers--they tended to lose their babies in the tall grass and just go on off without them and they would die from fire ants or some other predator. So I wanted to save these little ones. Don came out to "watch my back" while I tried to scoop up the little ones. All four guineas were making a huge ruckus--these birds can be VERY noisy. I was chasing the babies, mama was chasing me, while Don was playing defense--it was scary--but I managed to snatch them and put them in a bucket and make it to the garage safely. Put them in our little chicken nursery while the big guineas were still going off and circling the house and garage with loud chatter. Got the babies under a heat lamp and gave them a drink of water and they settled down to sleep.
The next day I happened to notice another baby with mama and scooped it up, too. We had not thought about more hatching. So Don and I carefully gathered the remaining eggs and put them in with the babies under the heat lamp. Long story short we now have 10 baby guineas. And I think Mama has forgotten all about them as she does not pay me any mind at all.
We also discovered new kittens. Just as we get our cat population down to an almost manageble number more appear. I got the kittens and put them in the big dog crate cage on backporch so I could tame them. If we let them stay with their mamas they are wild and feral and we can only trap them. These were sweet, calm ones so they tamed easy. We already found homes for two of them. Now if we can find a home for the last one--then trap the mama and get her fixed--along with another teenage cat--then I think we may have everyone fixed.
It is good to be back home and with our animals. I just love it.

Home, Sweet Home

We made it back home late Wednesday night. It is a long drive from New Orleans. Had a slight mishap on the way home when I was driving through heavy traffic in Houston on I-10. Someone lost a wrought iron patio chair that was in my lane--Don yelled for me to dodge it but when I checked the lane beside me there were cars so I could not avoid hitting the chair unless I pulled in front of a car. So it put a nice dent in the rental car's fender. We reported it to Red Cross the next day but they weren't too worried about it. I guess that happens lots with all the rental cars they have out on a disaster.
We made it to Josh and Kara's in time for a wonderful supper. They had picked up our car from the airport where we left it when we got the rental which saved us lots of $$. Was so good to see them---and poor Sunny, the cat, who was in hiding recouping from her dental work. Poor thing.
It is just so good to be home. Our dogs and cats were so glad to see us--well, the cats had to act very nonchalant at first but then they were all over us. And my, how my chickens had grown. They are babies no longer. I have enjoyed just watching them and today let them out of their yard to roam where they wished. They had a grand day.
Spent the first two days home doing laundry and getting things back organized in the house. I am always energized to do housework when I return from being gone. But yesterday afternoon I sat down and went through the huge laundry basket full of mail to unearth my birthday cards at the bottom. Lots of wonderful cards and gifts. And then Amber, Hayden and I went to Supertaco to get my Mexican food fix. I have missed Mexican food something awful. Sure was good--and talk about growing--Hayden is such a big boy. I can't believe how big he has gotten.
It is so nice that it is so cool in the mornings. I just love it! Fall is in the air. And Starbucks has declared it fall and has their scrumptuous pumpkin cream cheese muffins out. I discovered a Starbucks near our hotel--wouldn't you know I didn't find it until the last day--and celebrated the beginning of fall with one. Sure was good---so Marme, ya better get out and get one soon. I thought of you the whole time I was eatin' mine.
Amber and Tammie gave me the Learn Spanish game to go to my Nintendo DSL so I am off to see how I do.

Homesick

We are still in New Orleans and I am so ready to come home. We got talked into staying and closing down the kitchen. There are only a handful of us left. Don spends his days on the forklift (which delights him) loading the big 18 wheeler trailers and I spend my days in those trailers inventorying what he puts in them. Not too exciting. At least the weather has cooled off some. It is just not the same as when it is a busy bustling place. It has been three weeks and I am missing home. I want to hug my cats and dogs and just go sit in the chicken yard and watch my chickens. I want to sleep in my own bed. I want to wear something besides a Red Cross vest. And I want a big glass of milk and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. And I want to go to my Bible study. And I need to hug Hayden, and Grant, and Blaine, and Morgan, and Brock--who all (but Hayden) have had or will soon have birthdays that I missed. I even missed my own birthday and still have cards and presents to open. YIPEE!! I miss my plants and the hills of home. I miss my friend Leslie who already flew back to Washington. Ok--enough of that. I guess it is plain to see I am looking forward to coming home. We should leave here on Wednesday and get home that day.
We have really enjoyed the Louisiana cuisine. Did you know that it is traditional for Louisianans to eat red beans and rice every Monday and fish every Friday? We have eaten lots of red beans and rice, and seafood gumbo, and crawfish etoufee, and catfish, and shrimp and OYSTERS. I don't think I have ever eaten oysters before but since I have been here I cannot seem to get enough. I love fried oysters and oysters cooked any way they do it. Can't say I have gotten as far as wanting raw oysters yet--but Don has enjoyed those. I even went to the grocery store and stocked up on Louisiana spices that you cannot buy at home so I can try and cook some of these delicious dishes.
We are staying in this fancy hotel now and it is nice and all but not very convenient. The valet has to park your car and there is no quick cheap or free breakfast to get close by. We miss the staff shelter.
Just thought I had better blog to let you know we were still here. Hopefully next blog will be from home. It sure is heartwarming to get to read everyones blogs and get a touch from family and friends. I love all the photos, too. And the laughs.

Day of Changes

This is inside of kitchen.

Don heard they had the world's best fried chicken here but it was closed.

Looking down a French Quarter street

Paddle boat on the Mississippi

Our little part of the shelter

I got to refresh my skills at operating the forklift again.

The other day the governor of Louisiana came to see our kitchen but he never got out of this helicopter--we were all disappointed.

Our friend, Leslie, from Washington.

Don having fun on the forklift.

Our two kitchens are those trucks. They are really amazing.

Today was our day off. Had the best meal ever down in french quarter. I had an oyster poor-boy--and I am not an oyster lover but this was the best sandwich I had ever had and the oysters--fried ones--were scrumptious. And a cup of the best seafood gumbo to go with it--ooh, it was sooooo good. Don had the seafood platter and loved it, too. We walked around and I took pictures of the neat little buildings. We walked along the Mississippi but the winds---oh my gosh--it was near tropical storm winds--I felt like the weather man on the weather channel when they broadcase during a storm--it nearly knocked you down. In fact, while we were out there we got word from our kitchen that they had called in all the ERVs and sent them all back to our shelter and were closing down our kitchen until Sunday. We felt really guilty we were not there to help with all that work but our boss told us all was under control and to enjoy our day off as we would be on lock down over the weekend in our shelter.

The staff health nurse is driving us all nuts. Oh, please, don't let us be on lock down with her. She is way over the edge on cleanliness and everything--a real stick to every rule kind of person. I got fussed at for putting my gator aid bottle with my name on it in the same ice chest as the bottled water. Cross contamination, you know.

I have a few pictures to post. Then we are going to escape and go out and eat as a group before they lock us all in. Everyone has been buying games--and at least we have a blockbuster next door so we can rent movies. It should be a fun adventure. I must say I am shocked at how bad the winds are with this storm still so far away and not expected to hit Louisiana. Ike is a big bad boy.

I don't wanna move

We just had a meeting in our shelter and we can ask to be moved to a hotel if we want to. I don't want to. I love our shelter--I like to be with my fellow workers and have a chance to visit and laugh and live together. It is a great shelter. I guess it is crazy to like sleeping on a cot or air mattress in a room with 50 other people from across the country, and to have to wait in line for the shower--but I love it. One thing nice, though, is that you can also just choose to have a motel room for your day off--ours is tomorrow--so you can sleep late without the lights coming on at 6am. That would be nice. But we have a day off tomorrow and this does not begin until tomorrow night. Frankly, the way I feel right now, I just want to do nothing--I just want a day off to lay around here and rest up and maybe later in the afternoon go see some of New Orleans and eat at a nice place downtown---maybe my birthday dinner.

It is just too much trouble to move around again. And besides, I think we are winding up here within the week and with a new storm about to hit Texas, I think we will be moving again soon enough. I want to stay put.
Speaking of storms--our home is right in the projected path of the hurricane. Which is great if we get some good rain but not so great if we get some strong winds. Kinda scary.
Almost time for lights out.

I Wanna throw Helen in the Mississippi river

I have really had it with Helen. Helen is our GPS and she is nuts. I kept hearing that the French quarter was only 10 minutes from our work site so when looking in the yellow pages for a drop-off laundry I saw there was one on Bourbon street. Everyone said it was just a straight shot down highway 90 and across the Mississippi and we would be right there. So I programmed the cross streets into Helen and off we went to drop ours and other's laundry off. Thank goodness Don decided to ride along with me. We went over bridges and across toll roads and down dark alleys and scary places and made so many u-turns we lost count and we seemed to be only getting farther away. I mean, before we left work, Helen said it would take us 13 minutes. We had driven untold miles and twenty minutes and she still said 14 minutes. I really wanted to grab her and toss her out the window on one for our trips over the Mississippi but Don saved her. We turned her off and on our own found Bourbon street and our little laundry.

This trip was in the morning. I loved the french quarter--such quaint, pretty architecture and houses. Enjoyed the drive once we were there. We managed to find our way back to work on our own, too, and it WAS just a straight shot down business 90 to the west bank where we work.
So you would think that the trip back to retrieve our laundry would be a breeze. WRONG! We decided to use Helen again. What a STUPID idea that was. We were lost less than a mile from work. I don't know how she does it. We were making so many turns and u-turns it was driving us both crazy. We were turning around in really scary places in downtown New Orleans. I just knew we would never find our laundry again and it closed at 8 and we were so FRUSTRATED. Then we finally found the french quarter-- but it was the famous part of Bourbon street that was blocked off for foot traffic and loaded with people---not the quiet, quaint part where our laundry was. It took forever going down tiny narrow streets and turning and backtracking until we finally got there right before 8.

We got the laundry and Don turned Helen off and said he knew how to get back to work and that was how we were getting home (even though we knew we were only about 10 minutes from our shelter--we just did not want to trust Helen to get us there. So it took us another 45 minutes to get home. Boy were we tired and disgruntled. I am still not speaking to Helen.

Our Senior Tail-gate Party

Today was a very busy, but fun day. I, along with another guy was sent to deliver 50 meals and serve them at a senior center. We got lost getting there but did go right through the middle of downtown New Orleans in the process which was a fun side trip. When we got to the senior center it was locked up. It was kind of in a housing authority kind of area and the residents were very excited to see us drive up. They wanted food badly. Since we thought we would be serving in a senior center kitchen we had brought no serving utensils. Several women heard that and quickly wheeled themselves back to their apartments and reappeared with a whole bag of utensils. But then we had no table to serve from. And we had delivered these meals in an SUV that belonged to our boss. So we backed up the car into the shade of the breezeway, opened the tailgate and set up our serving area there. It was amazing how these folks got the word out to all their neighbors that there was food and we soon had a long line forming. We were serving barbecue sandwiches (more like a sloppy joe), green beans and an apple. We served every last drop of food we have--made 68 servings out of what was supposed to be 50. They were just delighted with us. We cut up with them and had such fun. And it was much cooler serving in the shade outside than from inside a hot ERV. It made my day.

We are staying in the nicest staff shelter we have ever been in. The shelter staff (Red Cross volunteers also) fixed us eggs and pancakes for breakfast--made to order. And tonight the pastor of the church we are staying in fixed us authentic Louisiana jambalaya and boy was it good. And the members of the church have offered to take our laundry and wash it for us. How blessed can we be? And tonight I just walked into the bathroom and right into the shower with no wait at all. Life is good.

Still no word on if we will have to evacuate our kitchen. Have not got to listen to the weather channel tonight as the guys are all watching football on our shelter TV. I hope it does not hit New Orleans as these people will not evacuate again I don't think.

Well, it is lights out so I must go.

New Orleans Bullets

• We are in New Orleans with Red Cross at a big mobile kitchen. Today we served 14,000 meals to people in several parishes who have been affected by Hurricane Gustav. Power is still out in much of the city. We are located in the west bank. These people are so gracious and appreciative of our help. I know they must be tired of no power in this intense humid heat--and because the pumping stations need electricity they can't use their toilets either.
• It is very hot and very humid. We feel like we never dry out. Have lots of work to do and not enough staff but the ones we do have are the greatest. Everyone works and works and cheerfully does whatever asked of them. A great group of people working in less than ideal conditions. We are staying on the gym floor of a Baptist church--but there is power and AC here so it is wonderful. Only two showers for about 60 folks but somehow the hot water never runs out (probably because we are so hot we don't want much of it anyway) and the line is never too long. It is kinda fun in a shelter as you get to visit more with everyone.
• Our friend, Leslie, from Washington state is here--we worked with her in Katrina and last year in San Diego and love getting to laugh and work with her again. It is always fun to see familiar faces from previous disasters.
• We are all wondering what Ike will do and if we are going to have to suddenly dismantle our kitchen operation and evacuate. Time will tell. That will be a big job.
• There is an alligator that lives in the small pond/swamp near our kitchen. The park people feed her and I am hoping to get a picture of her--with my telephoto lens......
• Don is supervising the yard--all the trucks that have our food and supplies--driving the forklift and all--he is happy--except for the intense humidity. We are having great difficulty getting our supplies here--in fact we have been out of bottled water for three days now so we can't even offer water to folks out on our ERV food routes. Even FEMA has no water to pass out--don't know what is up with that--usually we have tons of it. That is not a good situation.
• Somehow I got assigned to be the assistant to the kitchen site manager so I do a little bit of everything. Mostly putting out fires--trying to fix stuff that goes wrong and just helping things to run smoothly. I guess I am learning new things. We have a great manager. And our kitchen manager--she is awesome. She ran mobile kitchens when she was in the Army and she sure is amazing. Tell her the meal count has gone from 500 to 14,000 and she just says ok and does it--and that with the limited food supplies we have since our food trucks have also been delayed. I just love watching her work. She has such a pleasant but commanding way about her. She sure gets the job done.
• On my birthday everyone sang to me at our morning meeting which was nice. And I got to go out on an ERV and served 300 meals so that made me happy. We have chefs from the culinary institute cooking the meals and that night we had really good chicken and rice and green beans so I had a wonderful birthday meal on the ERV. And had a package of Lorna Doone cookies for my birthday cake.
• So many little things happen I wish I could remember to blog about but I am tired and it is almost time for lights out so I will sign off. Just wanted to let you know what is up with us.

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.