Friday, January 19, 2018

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. 

17 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

Your prayer journal is such a wonderful idea! Louis Dean is doubly amazing!! Dug the ditch AND fixed the pipe!! That chicken fried steak must have had an effect on him like vitamins. I will pray about the myelogram results!!

Ginny Hartzler said...

P.S. Forgot to say that the eggs on this plate look beautiful.

Linda said...

Some of this is just a little too country for me. That red, white, and blue kitty litter potty is a bit much. I think of flags, not potties being red, white, and blue. Take my advice and enjoy this life while you can. Temple is a lovely town. Years ago I used to take my father to the railroad hospital there.

Vee said...

The interruptions of life can throw me for a loop. I am always intrigued by the way that other Believers handle them. You and Louis Dean take care of each other, get to work, take action, and pray. Love that! And I do love the concept of a prayer journal because one sees and remembers all that God is doing and has done.

Prayers for your family stricken with flu and for Summer. Prayers for you folks and for moderating weather in Texas. Love to all...

Lisa said...

Glad you guys got the pipes fixed. So far (knock on wood), we have not had any frozen pipes in our camper. Its sits at the beach alway waiting for our visit. Ha. Usually our last trip down there is late October and thats when we Winterize it by blowing out the lines and adding anti freeze in the lines. We will be back down there in March to get her ready for Summer! I could live in it perminantly and I would not complain. I love my travel trailer. I personally wish for a little vintage camper of my own someday to sit in my back yard to enjoy as a she shed. Haha.
Have a great weekend.
Lisa

MadSnapper said...

i hope your family flu will be gone soon, this year the flu is scary and Houston is a hot zone with the patients in hospital tents. saw that on the news. so glad LD could fix the pipes, that is a huge help to his son. had to smile out loud at the potty and kitty litter. would never have thought of that. i would love to do all that critter duty but only like you do, not every day of my life, just a few times a year

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

So glad the water leak got fixed. We really do need water for sure. Hope things warm up and no more frozen pipes. I too like your prayer journal idea. I'm always praying but it's good to have them written down. I do know the power of prayer. I'll include your prayers with mine today. I love the critters and appreciate the picture of farm life. I'm a city girl with a country heart.

Susie said...

Linda, Prayer is the best thing that someone can do for us...We all need loving prayers. You know Summer's always in my prayers. I will pray for all those that are sick, my own daughter Liz is one of them. :( LD is now officially a pipe fitter. LOL. He's is the working-est man I know besides my Teddy Bear. They would sure make a pair. They could be a whole crew in two men. Once Ted drove me to a camper place for window parts and came out with a stress ball. He handed it to me and said will this make up for the crazy drive up here...I said, "Only if I can bounce it off your head all the way back home". LOL Blessings to you and LD. Take care and be safe. Love you, xoxo, Susie

Debby said...

Prayers for your family. Hoping Summer is okay.
Lots of country fun. Yes LD is wonderful at fixing things. Enjoy.

Kathy said...

Hooray for running water and a working potty. LD is a wonder for sure. He has more energy than I had at 50 years old. Sorry to hear about all the illness in your family. I will be praying for them. And for Summer, of course. She is always in my prayers.

Anonymous said...

such an inspiration you and your husband are,, so positive and uplifting,, beautiful photos and I hope everything goes well for your beautiful daughter her smile is beautiful!

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Thank you for including me in your prayers. My surgery went well and I am home and healing. You are living a charming life, port a potty and all! Hugs!

Judy said...

Yes, prayer changes things! And thanks for the encouragement to keep a prayer journal. What a gift, to pray for others! You two are both amazing. Who digs ditches at 81? Way to go LD!

Changes in the wind said...

Go to bed and then get up to drink wine and talk....you two are a great pair!

Carole said...


glad you got the water sorted. Stay well. Cheers

NanaDiana said...

LD is amazing at how much he accomplishes at his age...he is like a grown up boy! I am glad he was able to fix the water break and glad that you will have water again.

I, too, just started keeping a real prayer journal with people's names and pleas/needs.

I hope you have a great week. xo Diana

Debbie said...

i am thinking of summer, hoping she does well!!

those eggs are beautiful and i am so jealous. i could never do the work required on a farm but i do love so much about that lifestyle.

ld, a really special one!!!