This and That.....

Thursday we noticed the line from the camper to the septic tank was frozen.

The water pipes to fill the camper reservoir were still frozen as well. 

We were down to one fourth a tank of fresh water.

We decided to drive the 50 miles or so south on I35 to Belton to a RV Supply place and buy chemicals for the tank. It was not a necessary trip but Louis Dean was all worked up and it seemed easier to get out of the camper for the day. I was right. By the time we got down there, he had calmed down considerably and was much more relaxed.

We bought what he thought we needed and then we stopped to eat dinner at the Longhorn Steak House in Temple, Texas.

It was a beautiful place and the food and service was wonderful.

I loved the art work!

We will eat here again when we are in Temple.

Louis Dean works hard and he needs a good steak every once on awhile.

However, he ordered chicken fried steak instead of a good t bone or rib eye!

We ate every bite of our salads and then brought most of our meals home with us.

Just as we were about to leave, we got a phone call from Dean telling us there was a major water leak at the ranch. All water had to be turned off.

We drove home realizing that we couldn't use our camper potty and now we were just about out of water. He brought in our old Camper Potty - the one he had built a frame around and painted it red, white and blue. He found some kitty litter we had left from when we were using that and so we were set for the night.

 We went to bed on the early side - like at 7:00!!

I was in the girl bunk reading and Louis Dean was on the couch. I think he was thinking.

He's good at figuring things out and he needed some time to do this.

We got up after a couple of hours and had a glass of wine together and talked for a little while.

I guess it was more like 10:30 when we went back to bed - a respectable bedtime for people our age - and we slept soundly.

This morning Dean and Sherry left to teach a Karate Workshop.

They did all the critter chores first and turned the water on long enough for us to fill up our camper tank. As soon as they had gone through the gate, Louis Dean went down to the property line on the west side where the water break was.

I zoomed in to get this shot.

Our Big White Truck looks pretty small!

I did housekeeping chores in the camper and then rode my bike down to the road and walked across the field to check on Louis Dean.

He is pretty amazing!

81 years old and still capable of digging ditches!

He found the break in the pipes and it was just exactly where Sherry had driven down a stake and said she thought it was about there. It was!

I don't often visit this part of the ranch so I wandered off and took some pictures.

 I love the rust and blue of the tin at th eback of the horse barn.

And those pretty red berries!

Firewood!!! I found firewood!!

Now this is just pretty!!!

I love the ranch in any season and every month.

Last year I was here every month but August.

I'm hoping to be here more this year and make it every single month!

There's always something to see and places to explore here at the ranch.

The good news is - Louis Dean fixed the pipe and we will be able to turn the water on in the morning! Win! WIN!!! 

He so wanted to do this and have it all fixed before Dean and Sherry come home.

They are so gracious in their hospitality and he thought this would be something he could do for them. Plus - we have water!!!

This afternoon I spent some time writing and that is best done when I'm alone and it is quiet.

I have a stack of old magazines I brought down here to go through and today I finally pulled them out.

This one is from 1977 and Louis Dean insists that I keep it.

This page is from 1988.

I obviously made the Noodle Nibblers because I dated it.

Still - no memory of it!

I tore it out and will try it again when we get back home.

I was surprised to see ads for cigarettes.

Funny but I had forgotten they used to advertise.

Another blast from the past was an article about Priscilla Hauser.

She is the Queen of Folk Painting and I have so many of her art books.

I am now a happy follower of hers on Facebook!

It was nearly 5:00 when I looked out the window and saw the ducks up on the little tank.

I gathered up our food scraps, put on my jacket and headed down to do Critter Chores.

First I dealt with the ducks.

They noticed me just when I got even with the tank and started honking loudly and paddling out of the water. They followed me like I was the Pied Piper all the way to their pen.

I love it when they do that! Two coffee cans of cracked corn and they were 24 happy ducks!

Next, I fed stalks of celery to the three horses and the food scraps to the goats. I gave a shake or two of cracked corn to the chickens under my feet before I went off to gather the eggs.

They look as pretty as pastel Easter Eggs!

I waited for Louis Dean to come back from his pipe work and he put the goats up while I shut up the hen houses. Our Critter Duty was done. All safe and accounted for.

This morning my daughter, Summer, had a myelogram.

She did well and we will know the results soon. I hope. 

I am keeping a prayer journal this year and it is really making prayer a priority for me.

Instead of simply saying 'love and prayers from Texas' and then offering a prayer then and there -

I am writing the name and request in my journal and keeping them in my prayers until an answer comes. Praise God for answered prayers.

Little Lucy will be going home from the hospital.

Shirley and Jean are both growing stronger day by day.

Linda at A LA CARTE had a surgery today....

I am keeping my dear sister to my heart Linda and her husband in my prayers...

In our family alone, Deanie, Trsytan and Logan all have the flu with Andie and Trish just recovering from it.

Truly, prayer changes things. 

Prayer changes us. Prayer gives us the strength to do what we need to do.