We've gone to the Dogs around here.

 Whew. It's been nice not going anywhere or doing anything. I've been exhausted and trying to regroup.  I think I'm almost back to normal. Well okay as normal as I can be.  Wednesday (11/2) we had to take Bruno to the vet for some shots. I rode a long. We all walked over to the kennels where the lost and found dogs are. There was one pretty guy but he was a boy and very noisy. Geez. But there was a sweet little girl on the end with sweet eyes and she was quiet but attentive. She wasn't available for adoption until Thursday.  

 Thursday 11/3,  David took me to lunch at Hecho en Texas in Cameron. The BBQ was good. I'd go back. Then we went to vote. It's so much easier to vote early. Then we drove through the country. David wanted to show me the Cameron garden and some other sights he found while I was gone.  Driving we found this old bridge. Pretty cool looking but my photo doesn't do it justice. It had a cactus growing on it.

After this we went to check out the girl dog at the kennel and we were too late. Someone adopted her first thing that morning.  

Sunday 11/6, after David helped Kaleb with some furniture hauling, David and I went to look at a playmate for Bruno.  David saw a post for a part Lab and Australian Shepherd that needed a home. She was a pretty girl.  Guess what Bruno has a playmate, her name is Sadie. She's adorable. While Bruno likes a playmate he's like the older sibling who got a baby sister and wants to know when it will go home.  He doesn't like having to share his humans, their love or attention, And he doesn't like to share his toys. LOL The toys have been at the house for 10 years+ but they're his.  

This is Sadie in her 10x10 kennel where she was living. And her in the car coming home with us to her forever home.

And it's meeting time with Bruno and let's play.

David went and bought Sadie a kennel and both of them got soft cushions to sleep on. Bruno found the new bed and opened his cage and decided to take a nap.

Then it was time to help their furless Dad build his work bench and give their approval.

A day or two later Bruno took Sadie on a tour of the property. All 14 acres. When they came in they were were tired and this is how they napped.  I think they like each other but Bruno does not want to share his furless parents attention or his toys. Maybe in time he'll learn to share.  Lol.  Never a dull moment.  Sadie has proven to be a good girl in the house. She knows how to sit. The other night we heard a scratch at the door and then a bark. It was Sadie letting us know she was ready to come back in.  That's what Lilley used to do. They seem to like each other. LOL

Friday (11/18) it was time to get out and about. We needed to pick up our wine from Texas Legato and we needed lunch so off we went. First stop was at The Gin on Nolan Creek. Yummy food and nice view if you sit on the patio which we did. It was enclosed and the heater was on. Thank goodness. I got their Brisket Quesadillas and David got the black and blue burger. 

I had leftovers of course.

I tried to get a picture of the creek running in the background but my head ended up right where the little rapids showed up. Oh well. I tried.

Next stop was at Legato. While there we had some wine. We got a free glass each. I had them pour me a tasting size glass of wine.  One of their little & newest winery pup came in to play and greet us.   Bandit says "HI"  He's a painted Yorkie I think they said. He loved rough housing with David.

After hanging out here talking with the owners and staff we headed to The Vineyards of Florence in Florence. Texas that is. Really a pretty place. David ordered a glass and I got a flight for tasting.  I drank the Rose and the Port. The other two were good but I liked the last two best.  It might have gone to my head a bit.

From here we headed home.
Saturday (11/19) David had to be home for the guys that were coming to clean out/off all the dead trees at the bottom of the property. He was worried that it wouldn't take much of a spark from the train track behind the property to start a fire. Plus he found out 2 of our trees on the East fence line were dead.  

I took off to the Woodlands to celebrate Kaleb's twin boys 3rd birthday. Yep Pamela's man has twins. Killian the little red head and Braxton the blonde love their Aunty Sarah.

They have the same silly smile.  Pamela told Kaleb she wanted to see teeth when he smiled.  LOL

Today David took me down to the bottom of the north pasture to show me how much they cleaned up. Holy cow! This is where the cows used to hide in the trees and vines when we first got them.

We currently have 2 burn piles in the bottom north pasture and one being made in the east pasture by our fence line.  2 huge trees were dead and threatening the fence so they had to come down too.

This is how the bottom area looked when we first got the cows. You couldn't drive through because of all the trees and vines but so many of them have since died due to the lack of rain.

You can kinda see some of the dead trees past the cows.

But this is how it looks now.

There is a fence separating our property from the railroad but there were areas of the fence that the wild hogs could get under so we built a fence out in front of it to keep the hogs off our property. It was cheaper than ripping down the old fence and pulling out the vines and trees that have grown into the fence. Now the area is cleaned off I wish we could move the new fence back several feet.  Oh well. We'll be planting some new trees down there to buffer the noise from the highway and the railroad. It's gonna be our nature preserve area of sorts.

Gotta stop for now. Need to finish some quilt projects and go to the post office. 

Until next blog...At some point you just have to let go of what you thought should happen and live in what is happening

Happy Reading, Quilting or whatever makes you happy.

Let's get this show on the Road

 Thursday morning (10/27) we finally got on the road around 8:45. A tad later than I had planned. No names mentioned. Had no troubles on the road. Pamela drove the first half of the way.

Our first stop was 7 1/2 hours down the road in Pawhuska, OK.

We had to stop at the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond's Mercantile for a little shopping and an early dinner. 

I ordered the chicken quesadilla's and Pamela got the chicken pot pie. They were tasty but the flavors were off for us but it's okay we'll come back again one day and try something else on the menu.  

We left here for the last leg of our trip.  I will say the maps took us on an interesting route.  It took us on Hwy 99 into Sedan and a closed road and no way around. Not Siri, Not google and not even Waze. I finally went into a convenience store and asked how do I get around the closed road. I was told to turn right out of the parking lot and go until the road ends and turn right and I'll catch 99 again. Oh and they did mention the road will become a dirt road before I hit the highway.  We made it. We made it to the hotel in St Joseph at 11:40pm and in the room by 12:05am. We fell into bed and slept soundly. Did I mention that the Hwy was 2 lanes and filled with deers. We only had to avoid 3 groups that wanted to play chicken. Pamela started going what is that? What is that? LOL It was a cow eating by the road. Hopefully she did't step out in front of a car and at one point I was breaking and Pamela was going, Where's the deer, where is it? LOL It wasn't a deer it was an Owl. A big one!. He flew straight at the windshield. I'm sure his tail feathers slid across the top of my windshield. Yep our last hour and a half was an adventure. But made it safely.

Friday (12/28) Since we had some time before the rehearsal and everyone else arrived I convinced Pamela to go to Missouri Star Quilt Co. in Hamilton, MO. It' s an hour away. We had to drop off a package to the post office and look what Pamela saw directly across the street from the post office in Hamilton. Of course she had to go.

And of course she ordered a flight for a tasting.  I took a sip of one of them. The Apple Pie Cobbler. So yummy. 

And I got my wish to go to some of the shops of Missouri Star Quilt Co. The stores line both sides of the streets. 

        

I was very good. I didn't buy everything in sight. I spent less than $60. And for those of you who know me, you know that is really good. I'd already spent money while at retreat at the beginning of the month for my current quilting projects. I was just there see all the pretty fabric and fun quilting tools.  And be able tosay I went to Missouri Star.  Pamela had me stop in front of the Sewing Machine Museum for a photo. 

This is on the wall to the retreat center. I tried to catch Jenny Doan in town so I could have her autograph my book she wrote about her life.   She had left town before we could get there. Dang it. I'm pretty sure she was on her way to Houston for the International Quilt show.   (Sure enough I saw Jenny post pictures of her at the quilt show the other night.)

That evening we went to watch the rehearsal and have dinner. My brother-in-law Kevin cooked up some tasty tri tip. My sister Jerri Lynn made cheesy potatoes and the grooms mother made some macaroni, corn and cheese, and green beans. Dessert was cheese cake made by my sister. 

This is the outside area where the actual ceremony will take place Saturday evening. It was a beautiful setting but it did get chilly out there and Saturday is supposed to be even cooler.

Timber Creek was a beautiful setting with the trees changing colors. Looking back at the venue where we'll be after the rehearsal and the ceremony. 

  

Saturday (10/29)

This handsome young man is my great nephew Beckett. He's my oldest nephew Jeremiah and Melissa's boy. They have a daughter Maren and one in the oven.

Of course you know me and Pamela.

This is my nephew Tyler with Pamela. Next is his son Tate another great nephew and my great niece Maren. This was the first time these two cousins had ever met and they were in-separate able. They were sooo cute. 

The wedding party made their entrance. Some more unique than others.  These are my great nephews and niece.  Good looking crew if you ask me.  Carson the oldest, Beckett to his right, the little blonde is Preston and Maren in the lead.        

And here comes a bridesmaid on a unicycle and my nephew Josiah on a tractor. Red tractors are the best says my family. LOL  

This is my nephew Jeremiah and his wife. They are expecting their 3rd bundle of joy. Jeremiah is the oldest brother to Josiah on the tractor above. LOL

And here comes the happy couple. Mr. and Mrs John Kelsall.

These are two had to take an Outlaw picture. They're missing my husband David. Kevin is the proud Papa and Cresia is my sister in law. These two along with David got into trouble together at the previous weddings.  They did David proud even if he was missing. LOL

Got a picture with my nephew Josiah. He's not a little boy anymore. He's an avid soccer player for his high school.   Tate and Maren danced all night. Like I said they were in-separate able. Then I was finally able to catch my little sister long enough to get a picture with her and Cresia.

This is Preston another great nephew. He belongs to my nephew Zachariah and niece Bailey Jo.  He recently had a baby brother named Parker.  Here's Daddy Zachariah (nephew) with his little sister, my niece Emily.  He actually officiated the wedding. He baptized her and now he married her off.

   

They lighted big long sparklers to make a path for the bride and groom to walk through.

Here's just a few more pictures before the evening was over.

Pretty little Maren

        

Photo booth time

Back row nephew Jeremiah, Pamela, sister Barbara, nephew Tyler   middle row Me and Cresia                     front row  great nephew Beckett, great niece Maren, and great nephew Tate

Party over and time to head back to Texas.

Sunday (10/30) We got up and headed back to Texas but we had to make a quick stop for lunch and pick up some wine in Kansas City @ Cooper's Hawk Winery. But not until we got coffee.

Pamela bought lunch. A fried Haddock sandwich. I ate the fish and left the break. LOL

She got her wine and we hit I35 to home. We made it as far as Denton before stopping. We got up Monday (10/31) and drove our last 3 hours home.  I was exhausted and she was ready to go home too.

It was good to be home with David and Bruno. 💓

That's it for the entire month of October.  I was home for a total of 13 out of 31 days.

Until next post...Never be a prisoner of your past. It was just a lesson not a life sentence...