It is a long overdue time to say Thank You to all who serve and have family serving in the Armed Forces. Because of you I am allowed to write this, unhindered. I can not begin to understand the sacrifices you must make.

Here I sit in my warm little world. I know where my family members are, every one of my family members. I can pick up my phone and call my child at the drop of a hat. I can hop in my car and visit her. It is beyond understanding not to be able to do that on any given day, but during the holidays it becomes even a harder realization. There are spouses, parents, friends who do not know where their loved ones are today. It is a daily thing for them. Able to function daily, able to do all that a family does. You are amazing. I can not tell you how much I admire and appreciate you. Words are just so inadequate here.

To those on the front lines, Thank You. Honor, Love of Country, Courage. Just a few descriptives that do not begin to cover you. Loving to write, loving to paint a picture of things, I am at a loss. I am sorry there are those that do not honor you. Not wanting to be political, I won't say anything else other than I know that you are defending even their rights. Thank you. May you all be safe tonight, may you all have a wonderful holiday. May you all know that we are all so very humbled by your service. Thank you.

Paradise...AHHH.

I am back in the mountains. Don't know why they talk to my soul so strongly, but they just do. My cabin is lit up with hundreds of beautiful Christmas lights! I love it! My tree is up and decorated today. I have been such a crazy lover of Christmas all my life. Even though I won't be spending Christmas here this year, I had to have a tree and all the fixin's. It is just what you do.

We have had some really wonderful days. Beautiful sunshine, crisp cool air. It is cold, but not horrid cold. Olive loves it. When I got back, she had to spend a few hours checking every corner of the yard for new smells. No barking, no running, just a very slow methodical search of her domain for any strange smells. Such a funny dog.

Tomorrow night the town does the tree lighting. It is very Norman Rockwellish. I really love it. They close off Main Street and sing Christmas Carols....just so wonderful! Wish you could all be there!

I am headed back to paradise tomorrow. It is a bittersweet leaving. It is time to be gone, and it is hard to leave. I don't remember when I have been this exhausted. I have spent the day in bed, trying to catch up so that I can actually get on the road tomorrow. The really scary thing is I have been sleeping. Rarely do I nap during the day.

Olive is really ready to be back in her yard. She is a funny girl. The longer she is away from her home, the more skittish she becomes. Every noise and blowing leaf catches her off guard. She shies away, she jumps. It is time to take her home.

Going back is always a challenge in winter. You must watch the weather. There is always a window of opportunity to get in. You do not want to push the ice and snow. It is so unforgiving.

I will let you know when I get home!

Thanksgiving was a blast.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

I spent yesterday working with Shelby getting ready for this big day. Although it is hectic and frantic, I love working with her. She is so creative. I love that. I look at things in one way and she is so far out of the box it just amazes me. I am an out of the box kind of girl. Always prided myself in being an out of the box girl. She is way out of the box! Maybe she is just a younger version of out of the box?

Today is a day to be thankful. For one thing, I am just thankful to be alive! Never really thought about that before. I am thankful for a family, though fragmented. I am thankful for wonderful memories of my parents, and thankful for selective memory! I am thankful for a country that (at this moment) allows me to write my thoughts on this forum. I am also thankful that I am not going through security at the airport right now! haha!

Enjoy everyone! I hope today is a wonderful food coma day for each of you. I also hope that each of you will pause to think seriously about what is important to you and give thanks for that. It is important!

- noun:
the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.

- verb:
to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence. to believe, desire, or trust.

Complete plagiarism...but so good I had to share this...

Yesterday I made trash. I am going to leave it at that. I am curious if anyone will know what that is...

Today is get the house ready day. It is supposed to be a nice day...the humid kind of yucky day prior to a cold front coming in day. We don't have those kind of days much in Gunnison. It is either one way or another. When a storm comes in - IT COMES IN! Thanksgiving in Gunnison will be a high of 16 degrees! The high in Dallas will be in the 50's. I love keeping the weather of different cities on my phone. I can watch the fronts moving from one part of the country to another. I know it is so nerdy - and yes, I am so nerdy! Hey, I figured out how to email a cover letter and a resume yesterday! Haha.

Shelby has the turkey ready to be brined this morning. I don't think I have ever brined a turkey, but I was never quite the cook that she is! I am going to love watching her thought process on everything. Flowers will be found and arranged today, pups (hers) put in doggie day care for a couple of days, house cleaned. I am sure we will get the table up and arranged. Can't believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving!

This has been a bit bitter sweet.

I have left the lake and am back in Dallas. It is such a fast pace here. What would take half and hour in Gunnison, takes me half a day in Dallas! I have learned to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Shelby has laughed at me a few times..."Mom, this is so unlike you! You would usually be on that guys bumper or pulling out in front of that guy to make that turn"...but I just sit back until I have lots of room for the turn. Yes, the time in the mountains has done my heart such good.

Shelby and I have been working on getting her ready for her first Thanksgiving feast with both families. I'm so excited for her. She is so amazing - which I am sure you all are tired of hearing. Oh well, get over it! She is amazing so I can just keep gushing! It is really fun to have this role with her. She is so creative and she is also such a foodie. I totally expected her to do all new recipes. She has kept a few and thrown out a few. I am sure it will all be perfect.

I have been working on a resume. I don't know if I have done a true resume since college. To be honest, I don't know if I really did one then. I have a wonderful woman helping me. Her name is Tennessee. What a great name. I would love a name like that - she needs to be the heroine of a novel...or the villain - which ever - she would be great as the star! I am wanting to find something in the Oil and Gas industry. Really I want to be a landman. I want to follow a landman for a few months to learn and then go out on my own. I am guessing I will end up having to go to some sort of clinic or school to be taken seriously. You would think at 53 the mileage would be enough to be taken seriously! haha

Olive went to the beauty shop today. She looks absolutely gorgeous. She has been such a great travel companion. I love her comfort and her happiness. I am never quite sure if I should bring her with me or if I should leave her with her favorite friends in Gunny - but I just love to have her with me! I am in a hotel here. The Lumen - and they know her, she knows the hotel. It is so funny how used to it she is. She takes her leash in her mouth and trots around like she owns the joint. Everyone knows her here. Got to love the Olive girl!

Life on a lake is quite interesting. This morning the sunrise was absolutely amazing. The colors, though not the turquoise that I am used to in the mountains, were amazing. I love how the light plays with the water. Olive and I walk around the docks, she sniffs to her hearts content, and I watch the water move and listen to the fish jumping. The first time I heard the splash it took me a bit by surprise. I could not find the rings of water that go along with the jumping fish...so I could not quite figure out what was going on. I had to really watch and strain to find this noise. Finally a fish saved me - and gave a little jump! Whew!

It is a sleepy existence here. I love it. We get up and go for a walk, drink our tea, and listen to the wonderful sounds. This past evening a cloud lazily drifted from one side of the lake to the front of the house...one minute you could see across the lake, the next, you had a cloud! Absolutely gorgeous! The town home is tucked away so unexpectedly. You can still see the highway, hear the cars, but I had no idea these guys were here. I have so enjoyed sitting on the deck and watching the world go by!

Sweet momma is in a home in Kingsland. I have spent a bit of time with her today. She is not the same crisp starched woman I remember. She is now a shell of that woman. It is so painful to see. I spent my day wiping her nose, helping feed her. I could not decide if she hated it so very much - remembering that she used to do that for me when I was a baby. I could not decide if she was so relieved to have a familiar face there to do this for her. I don't know if she was so shocked to see me after all this time. She would hold my hand, every once in a while she would kiss it or try to pull me to her to kiss me.

Conversation with mom is pretty much non existent. Once she was one of the sharpest women in the room. She was so quick witted and funny. Today she could fill in a few words about the Thanksgiving dinner she had on Saturday with my dad. It was good, there was a crowd, and dressing is still her favorite. Of course, I had to ask all these things and she would nod her head the response.

I can not decide what part of guilty I feel here. Part of me wants to be here all the time to bring her good food - to feed her and clean her mouth. Part of me wants to run away and only remember the beautiful woman that raised me. And, part of me is so ashamed to have ever had that thought and to have ever shared it. I miss having our talks. We talked quite a bit. I hate not having her to share my antiquing exploits, my guess who I saw things...
She was always so amazing at running into folks and telling Liz and I that it was someone from high school...and going up to them and saying hello...and it being that person!

I just miss her...

Olive and I are headed on a new adventure. She is a traveler, always has been. This is no different. She can lay in the back seat, on her back with her feet in the air, dreaming of so many things. I am not sure if it is the dear from the night before or if it is some new adventure, but, she loves to sleep in the car. Every once in a while I will see her paws and legs jiggle. I know she is in some sort of activity. Trouble no doubt. Funny dog.

I have driven through snow, bitter cold, sunshine, rain, wind and now sunshine. I always thought it was a Texas thing if you do not like the weather just wait a minute as it will change. Not so as it seems to fit everywhere I go! Summers are a bit more predictable. Of course hindsight is 20/20. I have thought of driving from coast to coast. Writing a blog as I go, taking Miss O with me. It would no doubt be a wild ride and some kind of adventure. What treasure, it must be small, would be fun to pick up in each little place I stopped? Not the usual shot glass - no it would have to be something so different! I might consider that this spring if I have not found a job and gotten back into the REAL WORLD...

Yes, I am thinking seriously of re-entering the real world. I love my mountains, but am longing a bit for the sophistication of the cities. I think I miss the food and varied foods the most. Give me a minute and I will be like the weather and change that statement...ha

What does a 50 something woman do at this stage of her life? I am trying to figure out what I can do. I am a teacher by education. I am a jack of all trades by life. I am an adventurer by passion...I am afraid that a desk job would be the undoing of me. Yet, the right desk job would maybe peak my adventuresome spirit? Which way to look - which way to sniff? I am just so unsure. I have put a couple of feelers out there, but, alass, trying to explain to someone, anyone, what I am looking for is almost a joke. Hi, I am a woman with lots of miles, but lots of experience. I love life, I can do anything and am not afraid to try anything. I have managed a home, I have managed a few businesses. Having owned my own companies for the past 20 years, I am obviously a self starter. No job is too big, no job is too demeaning. I have obviously done them all. I just need a shot. Now I don't know if that looks so hot on a resume! Haha

Lots of time to sift through these thoughts as I continue on this big adventure...more thoughts to come!

This morning started with those wonderful turquoise skies but alas they have turned to snow clouds! I am working on loving those too, but there is something about that blue that just catches my heart and runs with it! I do love the billows of the snow clouds, the warmth that comes after the arctic cold. I love the memories of Borger. We would get out at night in the snow and play. It would be so warm. The crunch crunch crunch of our boots stomping down the street.

Olive and I went to the park this morning. She loves to sniff out all the wild animals that have been there before her. I don't know what she is so sure has been there. You can tell by the loft of her tail the scariness of the animal. She is such a funny dog!

I have been doing a bit of cooking. I love to cook. Stew is such a great winter food. I added V8 to it. Who knew it would be such a wonderful addition? Just pouring it in made me feel as if I was add a jar of vitamins! Haha!

I have the fire going (that would be the pellet stove) and the heat going. I can not seem to get warm this year! That may be my problem with the winter coming.... I am going to have to work on that!

I am embarrassed that it has been MONTHS since my last blog. After reading it - you would think the man eating vines had taken me away. Sometimes I wish that had been the case. Maybe I should just pretend that had happened and tell a very adventurous story about such! I know you would all love to see what I would come up with...I know it would have to include something along the lines of Jumanjii and Robin Williams...but I don't think I could get a copy write agreement up here in my little city...

It is already winter here. I can't believe it and I am not ready for it! I have belly laughed at my friends when they have bemoaned the coming of the snow clouds. I have so loved it in the past - but now - I look at them and shake my fist! I want them to wait just a bit longer. I want them to give us just a few more days of this wonderful Indian summer! A few more days to wander outside and do what ever it is we do with out being bundled in 14 layers of coats and long johns! Haha!

I love to wake up to the turquoise skies. It is usually so many colors of that wonderful shade of blue. I am not sure how God gets so many shades in his paint brush, and I totally get it why artists love to try to copy it, but I am mesmerized by it. Today we have bands of wispy clouds thrown in with the mix. It always takes my breath away.

My bird feeders are full of tiny birds today. They are getting ready for the snow that is coming. I think they are dreading it also. I can't blame them! No where warm to go!

I was surprised this morning to find HUGE Robins outside. It is not that I don't notice them - it just seems that they have increased in size since yesterday when they were out feeding. As they walked along the fence - it was almost jaw dropping. They looked like pregers women. The one's you know are going to have that baby (probably twins) at any moment. They walk with that hand on the back of their waist, looking happily miserable. Although these beautiful birds have no hands, the comparison is pretty complete! Guess they are here to let everyone know it is time to prepare for winter!

Olive was up all night Alarming. (I find ALARMING so much easier to post than barking after an almost sleepless night...). I am not sure what was outside, but she was certainly upset about this situation. She was kind enough to wake every Alarmer in a 10 city radius to help with her alerts. Somewhere in my twilight I thought I heard the Bear growling, but, alas the top of the dumpster has not been disturbed. Guess I am the only one to be truly disturbed last night!

I am trying to get a fence built around the remainder of my property. I am painfully aware of the inability of people to do what they say around here. Everyone has irrigation ditches to water their yards. It is a wonderful thing for most. Problem with it in the boonies is keeping it cleared out. Once it is done in my area it is not nearly the job. Until it is done, it is like walking through the jungles of Africa. No idea what you will run into, no clue if some weird vine will grab you and pull you away, waiting to be the dessert for one of those huge man eating fly traps that I used to love to buy Shelby, but was too grossed out to actually put something live in there for it to eat. Should you notice no posts in the next few months, you will know that something has gotten me, as today is the day for me to go in and clean it out. And I did drop the ball up at the top of this paragraph, my guys hired to do this activity yesterday never showed.

Today is cool. I am loving it - but I am really not ready for Winter!

I am enjoying cooking. The Hatch chili's are out - which is wonderful - and I love to cook with them. I am going to make a big batch of beans, some traditional chili, chicken chili, hot sauce, and then crash... I love adding the chili's to all that I will be cooking today.

I am watching the cooking channel and they are making Paella. I would love to make that at least Once in my life...It is on my list for this fall/winter. I also want to make tamales. I have never made them before either. Being this far away from Tex-Mex or real Mexican food - I must make my own. It is ok - I do love to cook!

Rain

We have had rain daily for the past so many days. I love it as it means I don't have to haul hoses around the yard. I have become quite the gardener. It is just so fun to watch all the flowers make it from small little wienie plants to these amazing smiling flowers! I love it! I have four pots yet to be planted - I am hoping that today is the day. It is also so fun to dig up a worm or two and watch the chickies chase each other for a taste of this wonderful morsel...yum yum!

This morning 4:20 am I let Olive out. It was pristenely quiet. One of those crisp mornings we have not had in quite a while. Stars were reaching out to everyone...so glad to be seen, so sparkly from all the showers they have had in the past days and nights. Truly like a million diamonds glittering down. And as all know - a diamond is a girl's best friend! I saw something this am I have never seen before and really am so unsure of how to describe it. The moon was amazingly bright also. Following the moonbeams down to my roof top was a cloud of bright light. I am still trying to verbalize it - it was so breathless to me. Is it an omen of dark days to come - is it a hope of bright days on their way after some harder times? Does it mean to kick my but and get over myself? I choose to believe that one. Funny how we can read whatever we choose into all of this wonderful world. We can choose our path. Happy or sad, grumpy or glad.

I love my world up here. The air is beginning to get that a crisp feel to it. I am afraid it is beginning to whisper "Fall is coming! Be ready!" and I am so not! I don't have a project as of yet. That statement all by itself is not good for me! Maybe this will be the winter for Olive and I to take a cross country trip. I am not up for the winters up here. Can't believe I said that either! Shush Shush Shush... that is our secret!

Vrrrm

The Hell's Angel's have been fun to watch. I have gotten to interact with this group on several different occasions. I would not necessarily say they are the best gentlemen I have ever met, but they are definitely fun and definitely interesting. I did beg to sit on a bike to take my picture. I think every woman should get her pic taken on a hell's angel's bike. Or at least this woman would love to have her pic taken on a big ol' hell's angel's hog. You know it is so easy to talk about this - but who can doubt you if you have a great picture to go along with this?

Of course, along with this great activity this week, I have spent quite a bit of time sleeping. I am not your best sleeper. For some reason, I have slept until 6ish, let Olive out and fed her, gone back to bed until 9ish. Olive seems to like this arrangement. We then let the chickies out, maybe or maybe not I eat breakfast, lay down for a while until my eyelids close and I sleep until 5 or 6. Olive prefers to sleep in the bed rather than on the couch for the afternoon sleep. At this point we get up and feed the chickies, feed Olive and hope that I am hungry. If I am lucky Criminal Minds will be on for 3 or 4 episodes and I will be able to stay awake, if not, Olive and I will head to bed at dusk. We start the whole process over the next morning. This has been a really strange sleep pattern.

Also to add to this fun, Monsoon season is here. It is raining daily. I love this. Maybe that is what is causing me to sleep! So much thunder. So much lightening! It rained all night last night. The yard looks amazing. I love it! I awoke to beautiful turquoise skies. By the time Olive and I had gotten the chickens up, the skies were navy and starting to sprinkle. Monsoon!

Well to add to the strange sleep pattern, it is 1:14 am. I am headed to bed. Sleep tight!

Paradise Lost

I love my house, my garden, my Chickie's, and my life in paradise. This week we have a group of people coming that follows no rules, no guidelines, no sensibilities. Let's just put everything a small town person holds dear - whether they realize it or not - these people toss carelessly into the wind.

I ran into a group of lawmen this morning (Love calling them lawmen,) expect chaps, tin stars, cowboy hats...Roy Rogers or John Wayne. That should bring a stereo typical idea to all of your minds. This is my town. It could also be Borger except the stores here on Main Street do not have any boards covering their windows. Which is not meant in any disrespect. It is alive and well. Children ride their bikes up and down the streets - people walk from their homes to town or to their groceries. It is a bit smaller than Borger! I loved Main Street Borger Texas. I loved working at Denny's Men's wear. I also loved eating french fries at the M.E. Moses lunch Counter. Ah, Small Town U.S.A.!

To give you an idea of what I found when I did my drive this am, the Shelby's were in town. They were all the reproduction cars. What I found interesting here, I stopped to talk to the men to find out more about their cars. I wanted more information. What I find interesting is I do not really flirt. I am not comfortable flirting. I do love to chat. I love getting information and if it is something I am into such as Shelby - which is my daughter's name - well I am really into that. This man could not have been more stand offish. I almost had to pull my gun on him to get the info. Boy would that not have been a surprise to him! haha! Still don't know if I would have gotten the info. So I did what any proud Texas woman would have done, I got out of my Lexus, wearing my Lucchese boots and Levi 501's, pony tail and took pics of this fine imitation car.
Showed that silly little man! And I then proceed to ask him about the REAL Shelby - made by Ford, originally blue and white, and prior to the mustang. I ain't no cute little Texas woman. I am a real Texas woman. Nuff Said!

Olive and I proceeded down the highway to find the lawmen at each gas station handcuffing or ticketing the Hell's Angels. Needless to say this Real Texas Woman tucked tail and ran all the way home! haha!

Now that I am home, the hummers are still humming. I tried to take a pic yesterday morning. It turned out wonderfully of the screen. What I was trying to take was about 15 hummers around my feeder with the moon in the background. The sun was just coming up. Absolutely amazing!

Night before last my bear was back. I have a bigger dumpster. He could not dump it this year. I had heard the lid being thrown back and thought that Eric my neighbor was just throwing something away. Next thing I know, Olive alarm! She is going from window to window alarming alarming! Next morning the full trash can is now half full. No trash on the ground, all compacted and all the goodies sampled. When I spoke to Eric, he saw the Bear but hated to shoot at him with the rubber bullets as my house was in the line of sight/shot. He has been give cart Blanche to shoot away!

love to all! Go make this a good day!

Summer

It is summer. I love summer. Guess really there is not a season I don't love. The hummers are just so busy. In our world they would be UPS deliverers or I could see them being bicycle delivery guys in New York. I could even see them being deli guys yelling across a crowded store getting the orders and making them so quickly - only to yell at the next customer, impatient and rude, trying to save every second. I have all my windows closed this am. I can still hear them zmmmming here and there. I don't think they have a 1st gear in their list of gears!

I have been feeding all my flowers. This is the first season to have put in flower beds. I love the flowers. I don't know why they are so pretty. I bought 27 peony plants this year. I am hoping they actually do well. I love peonies. A dear friend shared her sweet peas with me last night. It is a new experience for me. They are also what I would consider a dying or heirloom flower. They are absolutely gorgeous and the aroma will knock your sox off! The nice lady that gives her the flowers also sells seeds, but I don't know if I am local enough yet to try to grow them. I may have to give that a year or two more!

My chickens are getting bigger and bigger. Again, they are so funny. Everyone that has raised chickens would tell me that they all have their own personality. Of course I would be very polite and say well of course they do...(haha). Actually, they do. I had named one Little Shelby and one Little Red (after son-in law Burton). The reaction from Shelby was...you know your mom is a redneck when she names chickens after you. So now they are Lucy and Ethel. They are the most aggressive and most fun. They come running out of the Coup de Ville with their heads down and full speed. Last night I was talking to them about their day and two of them flew up to sit on my arms as we talked. It was quite touching. So yes, I guess I am a redneck.

Time to let my feathered friends out into the beautiful sunlight. Olive needs a bath, the grass needs water. No telling what other trouble I might get into. Good day all!

windows

I love mornings. I always have. This morning is no different. Olive got us up around 5:30. She is sleeping with me every night now. I woke up to find her sleeping on one of my wonderful down pillows. Not quite sure how I feel about this, but it is what it is.

I have changed bedrooms for the summer. I am sleeping in the front bedroom that has two windows, one over the head of the bed and one at the side of the bed. It creates a wonderful cross breeze. What I had not planned for was Olive wanting to sit and sniff out the window at the head of the bed to see what critters might be roaming through the night. This activity can happen at any time. Also this activity can be sitting on my head, sitting on the bed, or sitting on one of my wonderful down pillows. Again, it is what it is. I have started going to bed with the window closed now and only opening it should I get warm through the night. Most of you are probably thinking why don't I just discipline this silly dog...Yes - this would be the wise and smart thing to do...

This morning I lay in bed and watched the hummers. They are so fun to watch. It was in the 40's. Pretty cool for most folks. The hummers would sneak up to the feeders and park for a while, filling their tummies with the sweet nectar. They are much nicer to each other in the mornings, no chasing, no nastiness. Their colors are so vibrant. It is the only time that they seem peaceful.

Olive is back asleep. I am headed to get tools to lay my floor in the shed. Yes the shed still goes on and on. The chickens are growing and so fun. The last thing for the shed is the floor. I am hoping to put it in myself today and tomorrow. It has been quite the hiatus for me!

horses

Today I went for a horseback ride. I love to go, but really am too old and cranky to do this as much as I would like. Getting on and off is such a challenge. Once upon a time I could hop on and off with so much grace and agility. Those days are so long gone!

My friend is having a wedding at her place this weekend. It was a ride for friends of her and her daughter. It has been such an interesting spring/summer. This time last year we had some of the most amazing flowers. This year the flowers have been very shy. Since we have had snow even up to this past week up high, the flowers have been very tentative to stick their heads out. No matter, the colors are amazing. I love the multiple colors of green. Who knew? I learned all sorts of things today about the aspen tree. You can rub your hand along the bark and use the white that comes off as sunscreen, bug deterrent, and other things that are not coming to mind at this moment. There were claw marks from baby bears climbing up the trees - that looked like Indian markings I have seen on my most loved pieces of jewelry!

My horse's name was Slim. He is gorgeous. He is a Tennessee Walker. That is a gated horse. I love gated horses. They are smooth - no bounce. You shift into trot and there is no different motion. Perfect!

The mountains are amazing. You can see forever and ever. Great day!

new

Thought I would play with the options on Blogging. Haha. What an idea! I should know better as I am not a computer person. Living in the mountains, in a small town in the mountains, I have found no one to help me with these silly details. So bear with on this!

We are having an interesting Spring/Summer. Some mornings are still quite cold. I have had several ice skating moments getting to the car. I think it is ok, and WOW! My feet are racing ahead of me! Quite a shock on June 15! It doesn't affect Olive much. The funniest thing is watching her try to lay down on the walkway. Interesting how a tough ol' mountain dog can lay on a walkway all winter at below zero temps and it does not really bother her, but get into the summer and she is very timid about laying down on the wood when it is frozen! ha!

My birds are amazing. I have Orioles. The yellow is just so Yellow! I had not really been a bird watcher prior to my settling down up here. Probably because I had never sat for more than 2 seconds at one time nor had my mind rested for more than 2 seconds at a time...that is another story over a couple of glasses of wine....

The chickens are really funny. They will be ready to lay eggs in a few more weeks. Can't imagine how quickly they have grown. They have all got different personalities. They had to have their wings clipped a couple of days ago. I had a couple fly the coupe. They actually fly the couple. Haha!

Hope all is well, and sorry I have been so long in the writing!

eyebrows

I am up with olive and the sun is just beginning to peak it's lazy head over the hills to say good morning. It is one of those mornings that the sky is a deep royal blue, and the trees look like eyebrows. I don't know why that is sticking out in my mind, but it is what I am thinking. Groucho and his eye brows. Now there is a set for you...

Although it is so early, the wildlife superhighway is very busy. The birds are singing, the birds are chirping, the birds sound like well the birds in the movie the birds. I keep waiting for the huge mass of grackles to land in my yard and have me for lunch! I am sure they start so early to beat the wind or the rain or the snow (when it comes...) The hummingbird feeders are not frozen this morning, so they are not mad. They are out having long sips.

Spring

I love Spring no matter my location. I love the birds, the flowers, the green grass. It is always new to me, always fresh. I have always been a glass half full kind of gal. Maybe that is why this is such a wonderful time of the year. If I am alive, then it is good...

This year is no different. I will admit I am tired of the snow. We did get a very light dusting of snow last night. It made me think of my mom using a sifter to put powdered sugar on top of cakes. That is the kind of snow we got last night. It rained most of the night and at some point it changed to snow. I love the sound of the rain hitting the tin roof. It is amazingly soothing. I sleep so well with that sound. No need for sleep candy with the ping ping ping of the rain.

Olive and I went to bed with a very new sound last night. The very lazy creek outside my bedroom window has decided to wake up! It is pushing the sides of the banks with it's arms as it stretches from a very long winter - dancing it's way to the Blue Mesa and all it's other friends. Don't you know all the other streams and creeks and rivers have such fun stories to tell when they get together? Like the pioneers of old, finally getting to town after a very long and hard snow-pack, ready to kick up their heels, recharge their emotional batteries!

Of course, I went searching for a strong flashlight to make sure that we did not need to scurry away to higher ground. The research that I have done on this wonderful old cabin has told me it has never flooded in it's many years and I, of course, always say that as I knock on wood!

shed

The Shed....I have been a shed worker all week. I am very thankful that today is Wednesday. Every muscle is aching, every joint is creaking. I finished the inside of the chicken coop. It will not win any awards for it's charm - but is is done. I have give the guys this last week to finish - I am broke and I am tired of the friends around the house. I do love these guys. They are like family to me. But all good things must come to and end - and the end has come!

I am hoping today will have the outside complete. It has been a very long time coming. We continue to find problems from the original guy that started this project. I thought I was a good and savvy construction person. This has shaken that confidence to its very existence. It has been an extremely costly mistake and trust broken.

Olive and I must head out and start on the work for us for today. You guys have a great day!

Morning

I love mornings. I don't know if it is the sheer newness of the day, the chance to make the day better than the last, or just promises...but I just love morning. Today is no different. The air is warm, which is a new thing. Olive and I lingered in bed, looking out the window at the trees and birds. I have a couple of geese that fly by every morning talking as they fly. Today there was only one that flew to the pond behind my home, quacking loudly as he went, and then back. I don't know if he was looking for help or if he had found food. He was definitely looking for support!

The little creek behind me (Clark Creek) (appropriate since Kay was my very best friend forever) is beginning to get more and more water in it every day. I love the sound of it dancing over the rocks. It is incredibly soothing to hear. I love the gentleness of it passing by.

My world wakes up early everyday. There is some critter moving at all times. Olive loves to stick her nose in the air and sniff. She is always unsure what is out there - but she definitely knows there is something there. This morning is no different. When the door is open for her to step out the first time in the mornings, her nose is up and moving. She checks her world very closely, sniffing as she goes. Today there was nothing to bark about. Quiet is the name of the game!

Have a great day!

Birds

Again I am fascinated by birds. They have begun their journey back to the mountains. I love their sounds. The geese, who have not left the area, talk in pairs as they head to and from their chosen dining places. I can just imagine some gander telling the goose how things are done as they fly over my cabin. I love to watch them as they are usually in two's. Paired for life - what a fabulous thing! I wonder if they have divorces or separations among them and if they do, if they are gossiped about and ostracised by all?

I have the pretty little birds with the cherry red chests stocking up on the bird seed. They seem to get more and more tame with each season. I am guessing me and my cabin are becoming part of the landscape for them. They are always flying by with the hope the feeders will be full. Robin Red Breast was in the yard. So much bigger than the other birds, he surveys his surroundings, searching for the night crawlers that are beginning to move.

I have this one huge crow that loves to sit in the tree and laugh at me. Probably not really a laugh but it just sounds so much like one that I always look at him and tell him to be quiet. He actually was sitting out watching me the day I took my half gainer on the ice. And as expected, he laughed!

Promises of spring are everywhere. The birds are trying so hard to pull it on in! I am so ready!

Gunny

Home. What a wonderful sound. I spent a very short part of Saturday hunting for shoes for a wedding. The rest of the day was locked up in a dark room. Rest is a wonderful thing. Over stimulation for someone my age is too much at times. The Concrete jungle is just that. Filled with lions, tigers and all sorts of cougars ects. They come out of the strangest hiding places, waiting, watching. looking for that vulnerable moment to POUNCE. One of my favorite things is the perfume chimp. Usually she is a female. Spraying you as you go by, it is like they are putting their "mark" on you. The male lion (and I have to use that loosely) can be found in most shoe departments. Unable to walk through with a keen eye, the lion stalks me as I look from shoe to shoe. Unable to relax, unsure of when he will actually attack, I walk quickly through the store.
To be honest, my life prior allowed me to learn how to deal with such aggressive jungle animals. Now that I have lived in the calm of this small wonderful town, I have lost a bit of my edge!

Texas

I am in Texas, more specifically Houston. It is so different than the teeny town I live in. The Airport has more than one terminal, more than one plane coming in at one time. People every where! Trying to get to the hotel was a challenge. You should never truly trust a GPS. It does not really know the quickest route to and from places.

The freeway is aptly named. I had forgotten how fast people drive. No wonder I get tickets up there. I was almost run over (gunned down) by women in the slow lane. Now those of you who know me know I have an incredibly heavy lead foot! How I almost got run over is a surprise even to me. I finally arrived at my destination, a bit glowing, a bit relieved to have survived the trip!

The Baylor Bears made it to the sweet 16. That is why I am here. I came alone, knowing my Baylor family would all be here. It was exactly as I expected. I was a pledge class sweetheart for the Sig Eps, and they welcomed me with open arms. We did a tailgate, we had tons of fun. We have tickets for the Elite 8 on Sunday. I will let you know how my day in the concrete jungle goes tomorrow. I will be doing my hunting today. Don't know how it will go-

Great day all!

Snow....again...again...again....

We had multiple white outs yesterday. It is almost like Texas here. If you don't like the weather, wait a second and it will change. Besides the fact that I almost killed myself early yesterday morning on the ice, we had almost a foot of snow. To help make that sentence fit, let me tell you about the morning. I woke up with the plan to drive to Montrose. It is like going to Amarillo from Borger - you know - the big City! Got all dress to go....cowboy boots, hat etc. We had had a light dusting of snow. No big deal of snow. Olive and I went for our usual quick walk down the lane and the ice was covered. Never saw it coming...Shame really... to be that dumb and blind so early...And then the big flakes of snow hit. It came and went through out the day. Monarch pass is our dangerous pass around here. Of course there are other passes, but it is the big meanie.

Most of the snow has already melted. It was a really nice treat for all the Spring Breakers. CB was full of Texans. I really miss those wonderful accents. The Texas hair - the big smiles, every thing is bigger in Texas. Why is that? I really don't know - but I do really love it!

Today we are headed back down the lane. I am going to watch for that mean old patch of ice. I am also wearing my ice friendly shoes (that would not be my cowboy boots). I can not remember if I have described my down the lane outfit. It is something Media (mom) would be so proud of... Camo one piece cover-alls, bog boots, gloves, what ever hat I can find, a wonderful and so fashion forward scarf. I will have to put a pic of that on here someday also...or maybe not!

Have a great Saturday!

birds

For some of us this topic brings up Tippy Hendrin (for those out there who can actually spell, I apologize). All will remember the movie by Hitchcock - The Birds. My birds are back. The sun is creeping up. She hates this daylight savings time also. The birds have finally found my bird feeders. I have the shinny black seed out. It can take them one day to go through half of the feeder. Currently they are being very polite, very southern - taking very dainty pieces. Flying off and chatting....Last winter they were tag team wrestling with each other. The feeders would be almost empty each day. Hungry little birdies!

What makes watching them morning after morning so absolutely restful and charming, I am not quite sure. It is something that makes me feel that all is right with the world. I guess it is also like watching the snow melt. Now that is scary just to type. Let's look at that for a second. I like to watch the snow melt.

Well with that I am going to have to go get my Arnold Palmer and maybe add a bit of vodka or something to it...it just sounds way too sad!

sun

Today was such a bright shinny day. You know how a penny shines when it is new- well today was one of those days. My nose is burned. My cheeks are burned. Crazy as it sounds - I love the feeling of it. It takes me back to the days of life guarding at the Borger Country Club. Or even the days of going to the Club and swimming. I loved those care free days. The days of the challenge of diving off the board. The challenge of different dives - of swimming and playing Marco Polo.

The mountain is full of Texans. I hear the accents. I miss my roots. I love the twang. I love memories of main street, of Borger High, Christmas, SF. Funny how all this silly stuff gets brought back to mind with a sun burned nose!

old things

I love old things. Could this have been mentioned before?

My hotel chairs are all rusted and worn so many coats of paint. The green is light, the color of flower leaves as they come out in spring, bunny's nose pink and sometimes Easter white. The blue is still in that sweet early morning softness and then there is a bright fire engine red. It is Layer upon layer. I would love to hear the stories. Some of the chairs have sea shell backs, some have backs with cute little holes in them for ventilation, some have square backs. Seem they all have the same colors. Wonder if the patent office made them all sign a waiver to use only these colors - or sent everyone gallons of them? I am horrible - I love to fleck the paint off as I sit. I wonder if it hurts?

Wish one day as I sit and drink my wine they would all chat and tell me their tales. What hotel they were at - one at the Broadmoor another at a motor court...don't you know they would have such great things to tell? I am sure they had a love hate relationship with the kids!

the worker

I know I keep saying I love my cabin. There are so many aspects of it I love. My exceptional workers - are actually brothers. Both did the remodel of my cabin - which is just absolutely wonderful and now they are doing the shed. I am starting to be able to get another word out of my mouth for the shed - but not totally- so we will just leave it at that. The s...shed.

It was a dilapidated old thing. Not one piece of wood was solid top to bottom. Not one piece was plum top to bottom left to right. The roof was questionably flat. We could really just say the shed was questionable. The first $500 man came in an put an angle about the size of a fist on my already questionable shed roof and called it done. He also used Old freezer panels to cover the dirt of the floor and also covered the freezer panels with thin plywood. Done.

We had vodka on the discovery of the floor day. Now we have concrete pads, a peaked ceiling and roof with a true pitch (yes I can sing) and now we are into the really fun stuff. The character stuff.

The outside will be fashioned with ruffled tin that rusts. It has a barrier that keeps it from rusting all the way through. It will have beautiful new windows (unfortunately the character windows were just too horrid) that will let in both light and air. The chicken coop is surrounded by 30'-50's screen doors. Victorian or just cool. They are the walls for the coop. And then the door is this huge thing that has aged. The frame is wood from the inside of the shed that has also aged to a wonderful reddish brown patina. The color of - well I don't know but I love it. The exposed wood will then be wrapped with barn wood. It also has a front porch. I had found this wonderful old wire swing that will hang on which to sit and sip a great glass of wine.

So some day when this is finished, and I can afford a glass of wine, you will fine me sitting outside, looking at the mountains, talking to my buddies and Olive, loving life!

In two more weeks.....

the money pit

Starring....Me!
I loved the movie. Tom Hanks, Shelly Long...... Laughed until I cried. Until I starred in the remake. I have always been very hard headed. Make note - this will be the only time I will actually admit to this wonderful trait. It has been 50...years since my last confession....

I have a shed. It was falling down. It needed help. What was I to do?

Ok. Stop. Rewind. I was bored, I needed a project. There. It is out.

I am a fixer. I love to fix things. EVERYTHING.

It started innocent enough. $500. to fix the roof. I was suckered in on that. Yes it was Christmas. Yes it was the first one I was going to be alone. Yes, I was feeling a bit misty. So Yes, I said yes.
And our story begins here.

Paul is an interesting fellow. Olive is afraid of him. Tail tucked running the other way afraid. Paul painted the cabin and is still not finished...kind of painter. Which is fine. But Paul is who I hired to do the shed. Should give you some sort of idea of where I am headed on the shed. It started out ok.

Then enter Nathan and Casey. Both big strapping handsome young men that had remodeled the cabin a few years back. I had them look at what Paul had done....Let's just say they were gracious. Now Paul is gone and we have redone everything. Last week we pulled out the floor - and pulled out the vodka ...at 9am.

And again it is 2 more weeks.

The funny/strange thing is that I trust these guys. They are like family. And I love my place. It was built in 1932. Can you believe that? Something is still working from 1932? I was built in 1957 and I am not working all that well. I have to have lots of my parts worked on a lot. Thinking about having some of them remodeled...We have found old bottles - broken glass. Families, farmers have lived here. The road has been here since the mid 1800's. I love the history. The area was settled by the army in the 1800's and then miners. I may actually have that backwards.

I will take pictures today and try my best to get some interesting inside and out looks at my paradise.

have a great day!

Mud

The sun is up, again it is cold. Not an earth shattering, nose hair freezing cold, but more of an eye tear dropping kind of morning. The colors are crisp, if colors can be crisp. They are along the lines of orange, red, yellow as they hurry through my trees. Momma sunshine is in such a hurry this morning to get up! She must have a huge list of things to do today.

Olive and I had a long night. We have not had such a long night in a while. I must admit a friend has been helping me sleep - friend Ambien has been at my house since my hip surgery. Unfortunately, friend Ambien had to go home. I am so sad and am considering asking him to move in with me. Do you think it sordid to ask him to stay? I just sleep so much better when he is here! Olive heard noises last night. I am sure it was the horses next door. They get restless on occasion. I would get cold too or my legs would get so tired if I had to stand so long in my steel dance shoes. I'd be looking for a hammer! (or a gun....) just saying...

Have I mentioned the redo of the shed anywhere? That will be the next subject. I don't think I can bring myself to start that now...I need my Starbucks first. If I don't have it first and start on that project discussion...well it will definitely bring on the vapors and ...well...Olive just can't bring me out of the vapors without help.

Morning all!

again

Today I realized someone might actually like to read about my thoughts! Who knew? I am excited and thrilled. So I am going to start writing DAILY.

It has been a long and cold winter. All my friends had told me we would get tired of the cold and wet. I had listened and heard their words but in my heart I had known it would never happen for me. How could it? I love it here! I could never get tired of it! Today, I am tired of the snow. I am tired of the yuk of the melted snow! Snow Snow go away!

So I got my old pouty self up and had a couple of M & M's to put myself into my right mind and decided I can do a couple more months of sort of this yucky melty mess. And here we go. The sky is still so amazing. The stars are still so bright. Olive is still loving to go out running.

The eagles are sitting close to the road now. I saw one of the huge birds fly down to catch a fish. I almost had a wreck trying to watch it. It was so amazing. They are just so majestic!

Tonight the air has swarovsky crystals in it. They are floating down from the sky slowly, daintily. Catching the moonlight here and there. It is cold but not the negative cold. It is spring break. All the Texans are starting to drift up. The grocery store is full, Crested Butte is full.

I have not written about the shed much on here. I will try to get some pictures on here. I have fired one man and hired the guys that did my redo of the cabin. It is like having my kids here - or family here or old friends here. How they can work out in this weather is beyond me. I am guessing part of it is the need for work. It is starting to take shape. They are used to my crazy requests - and my love for old wood. I wonder if I love old wood because I am old? We will ponder that at another time...

Good night all

Snow

I am in Colorado. Of course it snows! How silly! But let's look at this from a different perspective. Snow is so interesting. It can come floating down with the sun out. Old wives's tale is that spring is on it's way. Some of my fondest memories growing up would be to play outside at night after a great snow. It would be almost light out. Mystical, magical. With a good cloud cover the world would be a bit warm.
Today is one of those type days. It is early, and it feels warm. Warm on this day is 10 degrees. Funny how you can just feel it is just not as cold. Yesterday morning was -10. Big difference!
Powder has dusted my walkway, as kissed my car. It is absolutely beautiful.
It was supposed to snow in Amarillo today (the Panhandle). A sweet friend commented about a ring around the moon. Wives's tale on this defines it as moisture in the air. If you are a witch, it means trouble. Don't you just love all the "thoughts"!

Ah Dallas

So today was my day to do chores. In Dallas that would be sitting in the car all day. Going from around 4,000 people to 4 million (big guess) it takes quite a bit more time to run errands.
I stumbled today. Actually stumble - physical stumble. Good to know that when you have staples and buzz saws and sanders used on your hip, stumbles will cause no problems! Whew!

I had breakfast with a girlfriend. She took me to a man pond. Ok if you are not my age, newly separated/divorced, you have no idea what a man pond is. Also if you are just plain backwards, you are also in that group. So being in that group, I learned a new term today. Also, there were no men. I don't look at men that way. Guess you have to retrain your brain on this one. I will let you know how it goes. When you are married and someone notices you, it makes you giggle and think they are silly. Now, if someone doesn't notice you and you don't notice or care - what does that say?

I am ready to be back in my safe haven. No man ponds, no girls looking for man ponds.

Travel

I am in Dallas, Big D, the City. When I left paradise, it was an absolutely beautiful morning. The moon was just a sliver, and it was the most amazing mix of colors - gold, brown, black, orange, yellow. Amazing. It had this glow around it. I have never ever seen anything quite like it!
Along the way I saw a heard of elk, up close and personal. I cam around a corner and they all were standing at the fence. They were looking at me with this expression of "Barb Slow Down!" Hate that. Beautiful animals. I have seen a couple at a time together. I have heard the bulls bugling. I have never been close enough to them to read their

license plate number! I think the number was around 30. After that shocker, I go around another corner to have a Big Bull standing looking at me. Big!

Of course, when you get into Texas, there is not a whole lot to offer. Don't get me wrong. I love Texas. I am truly a Texas girl. Unfortunately, Girl does not really work for me any more. I love (yes it is time to find another adjective) the sky. Big sky. Blues like no where else. Wind - well I had to ruin it didn't I! It is always so amazing to me the vastness of the great state. When I was in Austin half of my trip was driving through Texas. That is not to say I was going corner to corner. That would be driving from mid state to the corner. Scary. I am not sure the mileage from the tip in the gulf to the tip of the Panhandle. I do know, it would take two good days.

And here I am in Big D. There are so many shopping things to remember. Note taking and lists have become a bit more common, but many things still get forgotten or time runs out. Restaurants are a biggie here for me. Tex - Mex, mussels, good steak, Buzz Brews, these are all important to me. I know it sounds silly, but they are really musts!

Enough for now. Sleep tight all!

Crystal Clear

I woke to an amazing day. Every day up here is pretty amazing, but today was exceptionally so. The air is so crisp. I am not quite sure how it seems to have been scrubbed prior to being placed into the atmosphere, but the air just feels that way up here. It sparkles. I can see mother earth grabbing a handful of air, pushing it into her wash tub and rubbing it really hard on the washboard. Bubbles floating everywhere, a light smell of lemon. Mother earth humming some light tune. A gentle smile on her face.

It has been really cold. All my Texas buddies say it is cold there - and I do understand it is cold there. But it is -18 here. That is freeze gravel to your shoes cold. Freeze gravel to Olive's paws cold. She stands outside with one paw in the air, hoping it will warm up. Changing paws to let another one get a little feeling in it. I stand at the window and watch, giggling to myself.

I have a crow that sits in the tree outside my 1/2 acreage and laughs at me. We will discuss him later!

New Year

Do you guys have a New Year's Resolution? I have decided to make this year my " you reap what you sow" year. I am not sure how it will work out, but I am going to give it a shot. One of my goals will be to write to you every day. I began that task back in the early fall and I dropped that ball horribly! So here goes for the new year!

Today was a beautiful day. It was awfully cold, but Olive and I enjoyed it anyway. We had had a bald eagle in one of the trees the other day, but he has not returned. We keep looking and hoping he might come back! I have been fighting a cold. I think finally it is done. Yeah!

I am having hip surgery on the 14th. I am ready. I saw Jed the chiropractor today. Whew did he do wonders! I have not decided yet if Olive will go with me. I miss her terribly when I am gone, but know she is so much happier when she is here and settled. She and I did go to Amarillo for 3 fun filled days at Christmas (actually we got stranded there) and she was a trouper and also it was wonderful to have her with me.

Shelby, Burton and I just got back from Las Vegas. It was a fun trip. Very sad gambling time - but great to spend time with them. We saw the Lion King, and the kids saw Garth Brooks. We had great food, and believe it or not, we had some great rest! I bet on the bowl games and did not do so well....ouch!

I am ready for the temp to go a bit higher than - numbers. Hopefully in the next few days we will get there!