BIG EGG for BrEaKfAsT!

I used the big egg I found last week for breakfast this morning. Here are the eggs, washed and ready to crack!

AHA, the BIG egg was a double yolker! I have heard of them, but this is the first one I've found! COOL!

Y'all Come Back,

Lorilee

Enjoying Sunshine!

The sunshine the last few days has been MUCH appreciated. I love sunlight on glass. This is my insulator tree backlit by the sun.

We have been adding to the bottle tree.

The girls appreciate the nice weather too! They think it highlights their feathers and brings out the rosiness of their combs!

They have stayed busy leaving me an average of 6 eggs each day. (8 chickens) Sometimes I find a mega-egg that barely fits in an egg carton! ( I keep a crumpled plastic bag in the bottom of my bucket to cushion the eggs because I can be clumsy.)

Y'all come back!

Lorilee

Clogging Fun!

Check out Stars and Stripes Cloggers dancing to the Star Spangled Special.
Y'all Come Back,
Lorilee

Brian brought this art project home last Friday. We happened to have a poster frame that fit. He is proud of it and already has it hanging in his room.
Y'all Come Back,
Lorilee

My Mom's Bike!

This was my Mom's bike. It was "used" when she started riding it as a young girl. I hope to "fix it up" someday. It is super heavy! My Mom loved it. She said it was the best riding bike ever, so it was loaded into the pick-up along with all the other newer and lighter bikes for our camping trips!

They don't make them like they used to!

I am not sure of the original color. I am thinking maybe it was dark blue. Mom painted it this color herself. I think the first step will be getting new tires.

Y'all come back!

Lorilee

Couch's Kingbird?

I walked outside the other day to hear a new birdsong in my yard. I spotted this bird!

It swooped into the air and caught an insect.

After consulting my Smithsonian Handbooks Birds of Texas, I think it is a Couch's Kingbird. It is common in the lower Rio Grande valley of Texas in summer; uncommon in winter and casual to the Gulf Coast in fall and winter.

Y'all come back!

Lorilee

Two dozen roses

Besides getting the shelf built in my "barn" , I also received a more traditional Valentine's gift...

two dozen roses,

chocolates and a teddy bear! I'm a lucky gal!

Y'all come back!

Lorilee

The long awaited shelf!

Yippee! One of my Valentine's Day gifts was the long awaited shelf in the garden shed a.k.a. "barn". First, we had to remove much of the barn's contents.

This is the wall that is awaiting the shelf.

David and Dustin are putting up the framework.

Dustin is giving the hammer a swing or two. (He finally got his haircut that evening. He had been waiting over a week for me to get around to it.)

I decided to give the shelf framework a weight limit test! It was a very warm day here in South Texas. I had been out pulling clover, trimming the oak tree and planting a peach tree.

The shelf is nearly done! The guys just needed to put on the plywood.

They seem to be enjoying themselves.

The final touches!

When I was sweeping out the barn, I found these little eggshells. I am wondering if they are from a Texas Spiny Lizard. Does anyone recognize them?

These clouds were on the North and Northwest horizon. They were beautiful. They were also part of a cold front that blew in just after sunset. We were just beginning to put the stuff back into the barn. It got cold fast! I didn't even get around to taking a photo of the finished shelf because I was cold!

Y'all come back!

Lorilee

A trip to the Attic!

Last Saturday, while the sausage was smoking, Brian wanted to go into the attic. I never really thought about it since I grew up with it, but it is an awesome attic! While I was growing up, it is where we played on rainy days! I loved going up the stairs on a rainy day, because the wood shingles had a woodsy scent. It was almost unbearable in the heat of the summer, even with the full-size windows wide open. It was actually meant to be finished out as an extra bedroom, bathroom and game room. We had a pool table, ping-pong table and my "playhouse" area up there. Of course, we also stored lots of "stuff" up there. I already had the Avon Rapture powder tin on display in my bathroom, I have now added the cologne bottle that I found in the attic.

I also found these glasses that I remember being in Mom's kitchen cabinets. I don't remember using them though!

I do remember playing with this little suitcase! It is not in very good shape. I wonder if I should try some decoupage on it! Any suggestions? Has anyone done a similar project? Advice is welcome, although I may not get around to actually following through with the project for quite awhile!

I think it is interesting that it is bright red on the outside, but the inside colors are pastel blue and pink!
Y'all Come Back,

Lorilee

I just wasn't happy with the first heart garland that I made. I decided to change to a white background for the gold filigree heart stamp. I then used red for the border with my new red glitter. I used last week's Hobby Lobby coupon for the package of 18 bottles of Martha Stewart glitter! Everything looks better with glitter! Now I want some of the velvet "flocking". THAT will be for the next coupon! The first garland is below the "Making Sausage" post.
Y'all Come Back!
Lorilee

Back to Saturday!

While the sausage was smoking, we had some time to enjoy the beautiful day. Clear, sunny days have been few and far between this winter! Brian ended up in a nearby tree!

Beautiful blue and not a cloud in sight!

One of Pop's calves was curious about us.

Even the Chipping Sparrow seemed to be enjoying the sunshine!

Y'all Come Back!

Lorilee

Making Sausage

Saturday was sausage making day. Pop and Brian are figuring the venison and pork ratios and the total pounds for the spices.

This is my brother, Steven, mixing the pork and venison. The meat very cold, so he is wearing insulated gloves.

Barb brought out the spices ready to be added.

Steven and Brian are mixing as I add the spices.

Steven and Brian are grinding the meat.

Still grinding!

All ground and ready for stuffing!

I'm putting the casings onto the stuffers spout.

Steven is turning the crank while I guide the sausage.

Look at all that sausage!

Pop is giving Brian a lesson in his tying technique. He learned it at the Living History Farm in Johnson City.

Ready to smoke! We use Pop's pumphouse on property across and down the road as our smokehouse.

The guys hung the links on the poles.

Then they hung the poles from the ceiling.

The sausage is all hung and waiting for smoke.

Steven is preparing the hickory sawdust.

After smoking, we wrapped the sausage. Steven's youngest, Chase, joined us wanting to help! We gave him the job of putting the wrapped links into the tub.

Brian and Chase seem glad the work is done!

Y'all come back!

Lorilee