It is twilight on Sunday and there is a cool breeze flowing through the house. In reflection of the weekend, I am blessed to have had a near-perfect one.
Kris came home on Friday night after having her hair styled in Little Town. Misty was kind enough to not only work on her day off but also to accommodate Kris' class schedule by working on a Friday evening.
Saturday morning found Kris reading and studying college work. I went through my usual cleaning routine so that I could enjoy my time with Kris when she finished her studying. Sam spent the day clearing cedar with the bull dozer. That is an endless job.
Sam settled in his recliner to watch the Texas Tech/Houston game. Kris and I were more interested in looking for star constellations and ventured outside to find a good spot to star gaze. We built a small fire to ward away the mosquitos and other bothersome bugs. The night noises, smell of fire and the company of the cats made for a perfect atmosphere to be outside. We talked of the past, the present and the future. It was a time to ponder and wonder about what was, is and will be.
Sunday brought the promise of a warm day and we decided to surprise Sam with a picnic lunch. Armed with blankets and a basket full of food, Kris and I motored on 4-wheelers to Sam's location in the middle of a cedar break. Except for the gnats, we had a lovely lunch under the shade of oak trees.
And so I ask, how can it get any better than spending time with the ones you love? It still tugs at my heart strings when I have to let my daughter return to the hustle and bustle of college life. As I hugged her this afternoon she told me, "Mama, I feel better now that I got my batteries recharged. I will be able to focus better on my studies this week." And that's what coming home is all about.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The grass really is greener......
....on both sides of the fence. Hard to believe that it is the end of September and the land looks like April. We are going into the cooler months with KR Blue Stem being four feet high in the pastures. The cows look like butterballs and Sam said, "I believe they're going to make it through the winter." Ranching is no longer a way to make a living but is too expensive to call a hobby. There is something in the blood of ranching families that keeps us optimistic even through the lean times.
The oak trees have produced a bumper crop of acorns. Our house sports a metal roof that extends over the porch. There are three oak trees on the south side of the house and one oak tree on the west side of the house. This year the acorns adorn the oak trees like clusters of grapes. All day and all night the acorns fall like pecans with a THWUMP and roll down the roof. Sometimes the acorn is so big it sounds like gun shot when it hits the metal roof. I swear those acorns are the size of a golf ball.
One never likes to brag about rainfall but we have truly been blessed in the last couple of months. We are experiencing our first cold front of the season and I am resisting the urge to light a fire in the fire place. The smell of autumn is intoxicating and I'm sitting on go to enjoy it during my first year living at the Back Forty.
So if the grass is green on both sides of the fence, why do the goats insist on trying to get to the grass on the opposite side of the fence?
The oak trees have produced a bumper crop of acorns. Our house sports a metal roof that extends over the porch. There are three oak trees on the south side of the house and one oak tree on the west side of the house. This year the acorns adorn the oak trees like clusters of grapes. All day and all night the acorns fall like pecans with a THWUMP and roll down the roof. Sometimes the acorn is so big it sounds like gun shot when it hits the metal roof. I swear those acorns are the size of a golf ball.
One never likes to brag about rainfall but we have truly been blessed in the last couple of months. We are experiencing our first cold front of the season and I am resisting the urge to light a fire in the fire place. The smell of autumn is intoxicating and I'm sitting on go to enjoy it during my first year living at the Back Forty.
So if the grass is green on both sides of the fence, why do the goats insist on trying to get to the grass on the opposite side of the fence?
Monday, September 21, 2009
Setting the World On Fire
Pyromania: a mania for setting things on fire.
Sam and I have been waiting, impatiently I might add, to burn several piles of brush/cedar on the Back Forty. With the recent rains and cooler days, Friday evening offered the perfect set-up to torch some piles. Armed with a cooler of beer, diesel and a firestick (lighter) we set out to enjoy a "date night".
Sam has to keep me on a short leash when it comes to burning piles. Some women get a gleam in their eye when the word "shopping" is mentioned. I, on the other hand, become absolutely giddy when the word "fire" is mentioned. Marshall and I would fight over who got to strike the first match when burning the household trash. And then we would search for more stuff to throw in the burn barrel just to watch the flames.
Our house had a wood-burning fireplace in it which was the utlimate for a family of pyromaniacs. Dennis kept a small whisk broom on the hearth that was used to sweep up ashes. Marshall and I had a field day breaking off one straw at a time from the broom and playing in the fire with the pieces of straw. It wasn't until the broom was practically bald that Dennis figured out what we were doing. In Africa, Sam said the natives refer to watching a fire in a fire pit as "Bushman's TV". Fires are mesmerizing.
After lighting at least 15 piles on fire, I relinquished the firestick to Sam. He probably set at least 8 more piles on fire. I monitored the burning piles from the back of the pickup while drinking a cold beer. The sky was as clear as I have ever seen it. Caught a glimpse of some falling stars and watched the flames flicker and dance and listened to the cedar pop and crackle.
We got home and there was a message from the neighboring ranch wanting to know if we were the responsible party for "setting the world on fire". Guilty as charged and there are more piles to be burned......just waiting for the stars and planets to line up just right to ensure a safe burn time.
Sam and I have been waiting, impatiently I might add, to burn several piles of brush/cedar on the Back Forty. With the recent rains and cooler days, Friday evening offered the perfect set-up to torch some piles. Armed with a cooler of beer, diesel and a firestick (lighter) we set out to enjoy a "date night".
Sam has to keep me on a short leash when it comes to burning piles. Some women get a gleam in their eye when the word "shopping" is mentioned. I, on the other hand, become absolutely giddy when the word "fire" is mentioned. Marshall and I would fight over who got to strike the first match when burning the household trash. And then we would search for more stuff to throw in the burn barrel just to watch the flames.
Our house had a wood-burning fireplace in it which was the utlimate for a family of pyromaniacs. Dennis kept a small whisk broom on the hearth that was used to sweep up ashes. Marshall and I had a field day breaking off one straw at a time from the broom and playing in the fire with the pieces of straw. It wasn't until the broom was practically bald that Dennis figured out what we were doing. In Africa, Sam said the natives refer to watching a fire in a fire pit as "Bushman's TV". Fires are mesmerizing.
After lighting at least 15 piles on fire, I relinquished the firestick to Sam. He probably set at least 8 more piles on fire. I monitored the burning piles from the back of the pickup while drinking a cold beer. The sky was as clear as I have ever seen it. Caught a glimpse of some falling stars and watched the flames flicker and dance and listened to the cedar pop and crackle.
We got home and there was a message from the neighboring ranch wanting to know if we were the responsible party for "setting the world on fire". Guilty as charged and there are more piles to be burned......just waiting for the stars and planets to line up just right to ensure a safe burn time.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Wild Kingdom
For those of you who don't know, Sam supplements his teacher salary with an exotic hunting business. I am not an authority on any kind of animal other than I can sometimes identify what kind of animal it is. I leave the rest to the professionals. I can't even correctly spell the names of the majority of the animals that reside on the Back Forty.
It just so happens that the pasture that contains the exotic creatures is about a hundred yards (and I'm guessing here) from the house. In the still of the night, I swear the chupacabra (sp?) is right outside the window. The elks are bugling and the axis are whistling. You gotta really be in touch with nature to truly appreciate the amazing sounds these animals make.
Now throw in a metal grinding noise at 4am.....took me a few minutes but its the windmill that is between the house and the exotic pasture. My first brush with this noise was when I was about five years old. Dennis told me it was a "Windmill Bird". I believed there really was such a creature until I was at least eight or nine years old.
And then there are the goats that sometimes retire for the evening just south of the house. They like to congregate right along the yard fence. Gray Cat has yet to determine if the goats pose any kind of threat to his new domain.
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom is alive and well and I'm living right smack dab in the middle of it.
It just so happens that the pasture that contains the exotic creatures is about a hundred yards (and I'm guessing here) from the house. In the still of the night, I swear the chupacabra (sp?) is right outside the window. The elks are bugling and the axis are whistling. You gotta really be in touch with nature to truly appreciate the amazing sounds these animals make.
Now throw in a metal grinding noise at 4am.....took me a few minutes but its the windmill that is between the house and the exotic pasture. My first brush with this noise was when I was about five years old. Dennis told me it was a "Windmill Bird". I believed there really was such a creature until I was at least eight or nine years old.
And then there are the goats that sometimes retire for the evening just south of the house. They like to congregate right along the yard fence. Gray Cat has yet to determine if the goats pose any kind of threat to his new domain.
Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom is alive and well and I'm living right smack dab in the middle of it.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
No Pain, No Gain
In all honesty, I could just kick myself for slacking off on the excercise program. I worked really hard for about three months, got married and POOF. Excercise? What excercise? So on Monday I started over.
I swear the track at the high school used to be a lot shorter. Nonetheless, I tackled my plan to get two miles under my belt during my lunch hour. After adjusting my iPod shuffle and taking a very deep breath, I walked the straights and "wogged" the curves. I felt pretty darn good until I started the third lap. I thought someone was tapping me on the shoulder but it was just my butt trying to keep up the pace. Leg muscles were screaming at me and my body was gasping for more oxygen. I managed to get through eight laps without collapsing. I walked one more lap just to catch my breath.
Tuesday morning found me moving rather slowly. But my determination prevailed. I had a previous engagement at lunch so I had to wait until after work to do some form of excercise. The track was full of walkers and jaw-jackers when I drove by the school so I decided to hit the 3-1/2 mile trek at the Back Forty. I didn't quite make the full hike due to waiting so late in the evening to get started. And let's just say that the incline for the first mile is a bitch. I never heard so much huffing and puffing in all my life. But the sunset was absolutely gorgeous on my hike back to the house.
Today will mark another milestone in the new chapter of my life. My hair dresser has agreed that we need to do update the hair style. No more ponytails on bad hair days. (I think Sam is struggling with the idea of me with short hair.)
My workout bag is packed for my noon excursion. This may sound crazy but I'm actually looking forward to it. Two miles isn't really that far.....when traveling in a car!
I swear the track at the high school used to be a lot shorter. Nonetheless, I tackled my plan to get two miles under my belt during my lunch hour. After adjusting my iPod shuffle and taking a very deep breath, I walked the straights and "wogged" the curves. I felt pretty darn good until I started the third lap. I thought someone was tapping me on the shoulder but it was just my butt trying to keep up the pace. Leg muscles were screaming at me and my body was gasping for more oxygen. I managed to get through eight laps without collapsing. I walked one more lap just to catch my breath.
Tuesday morning found me moving rather slowly. But my determination prevailed. I had a previous engagement at lunch so I had to wait until after work to do some form of excercise. The track was full of walkers and jaw-jackers when I drove by the school so I decided to hit the 3-1/2 mile trek at the Back Forty. I didn't quite make the full hike due to waiting so late in the evening to get started. And let's just say that the incline for the first mile is a bitch. I never heard so much huffing and puffing in all my life. But the sunset was absolutely gorgeous on my hike back to the house.
Today will mark another milestone in the new chapter of my life. My hair dresser has agreed that we need to do update the hair style. No more ponytails on bad hair days. (I think Sam is struggling with the idea of me with short hair.)
My workout bag is packed for my noon excursion. This may sound crazy but I'm actually looking forward to it. Two miles isn't really that far.....when traveling in a car!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
The Beginning of a New Chapter
With the coming and going of my 45th birthday, I've decided to make some changes in my life. I dusted off my cookbook that has recipes geared towards my blood type. I've done this before and managed to drop almost 30 pounds. I did it once, I can do it again. I'm going to miss my dairy products --- cheese is a staple that I must always have on hand. No wheat products --- this includes breads and pastas. No potatoes unless they are of the yam family. And the list goes on.
My excercise routine has been close to non-existent since I moved to the Back Forty. Morning walks are out of the question due to lack of streetlights at 5am. Getting to the treadmill at the EMS building requires waiting in line if I try to get to it after work. Why not do an evening walk? Well, that's what it comes down to. Other chores can wait until later in the day. The evenings are getting cooler so I don't have to worry about becoming a puddle of mush in 100 degree weather.
And then there is this hideous excuse of a hairdo I have. I made an appointment with my hairdresser for next Wednesday. I told her that it is time to change the hairstyle. She got a look of glee in her eyes and a smile that said, "Oh, goody goody gum drops!" She sent me out the door with a couple of "hair style guides" and told me to look through them for hairdo ideas. This ought to be interesting....
And so until I find the Fountain of Youth, I do know I need to take better care of what I have been given to work with. I really am going to miss my cheese.
My excercise routine has been close to non-existent since I moved to the Back Forty. Morning walks are out of the question due to lack of streetlights at 5am. Getting to the treadmill at the EMS building requires waiting in line if I try to get to it after work. Why not do an evening walk? Well, that's what it comes down to. Other chores can wait until later in the day. The evenings are getting cooler so I don't have to worry about becoming a puddle of mush in 100 degree weather.
And then there is this hideous excuse of a hairdo I have. I made an appointment with my hairdresser for next Wednesday. I told her that it is time to change the hairstyle. She got a look of glee in her eyes and a smile that said, "Oh, goody goody gum drops!" She sent me out the door with a couple of "hair style guides" and told me to look through them for hairdo ideas. This ought to be interesting....
And so until I find the Fountain of Youth, I do know I need to take better care of what I have been given to work with. I really am going to miss my cheese.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Knock, knock.....
....who is there? 45. 45 who? Your 45th birthday. oh, joy joy.
Just going to get through the day one hour at a time. Gone are the days of twisting off until the wee hours of the night. A cocktail with dinner will suffice.....
Just going to get through the day one hour at a time. Gone are the days of twisting off until the wee hours of the night. A cocktail with dinner will suffice.....
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