A Bonfire, Kitty number 7 and a rat story.

I have been meaning to share this bonfire photo from the ranch this fall.  I love the way it turned out. 

 This is Oakley. He is kitty number seven. He loves to cuddle and eat! My son can't resist a kitten. 

 He was rescued by some of my son's friends who lived in an apartment. Since they didn't want to pay extra to have a cat, he needed a new home. 

Now for a rat story! It happened on the last morning before the Christmas holidays. First, I dropped the curling iron on myself. I ended up with a lovely burn down my chest. I finished getting dressed and headed to the kitchen to pack my lunch,  have breakfast, and get some ice. I noticed several kitties at the door wanting breakfast. I opened the door and let them in . I saw that Whiskey had something in his mouth. I left the door open and went to see what he had. He set it down and it moved. I screamed. LOUDLY! Whiskey ran out the door, and the rat ran under my china cabinet. I shouted for my son and then realized he was spending the night elsewhere. Scoundrel (another cat) was nearby, so I tried showing him where the rat was hiding. He wasn't interested. I knew I wasn't leaving for school with a rat in my house, so I called my teaching assistant to let her know what was going on. It turned out that Whiskey hadn't gone far. He was sitting on the patio table, so I brought him back in. I showed him the rat's hiding place. He dove under the china cabinet and came out with the rat. Thankfully, he took it back outside. I ate my cereal and packed my lunch with an ice pack on my burn. I was only 15 minutes late to school.
Y'all come back,
Lorilee

Catching Up!

 Hmmm,  I've really neglected my blog! It was a super busy fall, full of camping, deer hunting, clogging, sewing, crocheting, embroidering and celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. Another cat has also joined the family. (Brought home by my son, Brian) I hope to start backtracking a bit and getting this blog caught up! I guess that could be my New Year's Resolution. My brother helped me pull my camper out to the Ranch for deer season etc. It doesn't look level because of the ground.

 The cousins spent some time catching tilapia before the cold weather which will kill many of them.

 Willie is about to toss a casting net. You can see a tilapia jumping out of the water! They do this when food is tossed into the water.

Brian is throwing the casting net here. We had a successful deer season and have a freezer of meat which helps keep the grocery bill lower!
Y'all come back,
Lorilee

Redneck Saturday

I spent last Saturday afternoon and evening at the Rocking HI Ranch.

There was fishing at "Skinny Dip Place" a.k.a. the tank!

There was also some pecan shelling.

A little snacking in the back of the Ranger.

Along with refreshments and relaxation.

Then there was the "treasure hunt" following clues all over the Ranch to find birthday gifts.!

Finally, the jackpot! Gifts hidden in one of the deer blinds.

Then it was time for supper. Fried catfish and shrimp with plenty of sides!

Love those fingers full of fish breading!

Y'all come back,
Lorilee

The Country side of life-- for the afternoon!

I'm a weekend behind. On Sunday, (10/9), I spent some time with my Dad, Stepmom, brother, SIL, nephews and niece at the Ranch. The Longhorn was spotted along the way.

The swimming/fishing pond went dry this summer, was re-dug, and is now being re-filled. We also received some nice rain that weekend. Riding the Mule and Ranger through mud was a real treat after a long hot summer drought!

My nephews were anxious to take the little flat-bottom out for a row!

Of course, their sister couldn't be left behind.

The rest of us sat on a big boulder and watched the show they were putting on!

Bug's braids were definitely slipping!

All too soon, it was time to come home to get ready for Monday!

Y'all come back,

Lorilee







Daylight shortage!

I recently made my first Etsy purchase! I got this sweet apron that converts into a bonnet from Paula's Fraker Farms Etsy shop. Here is her post about it.
Receiving it in the mail was a highlight of my week! Otherwise, life is busy, but daylight is short! Our central air/heat had major issues. Now we have a new unit. The teenager is down with an upper respiratory infection and on antibiotics. Not good material for blogging about with accompanying photos anyway! So I searched the archives for some "sunnier times".
Definitely sunnier here. I see the sunburns. (This was building the playset in the backyard)

Oh, sweet summertime. There's nothing like mud between your toes and pond grass wrapped around your body while taking a dip in the catfish pond!

More sunburns! My youngest and his cousins loved to pull a wagon full of big buckets up and down the street and collect toads.

Yes, they are wearing rollerblades that are much too large for them.

Cupcake time.

One of the trips to Goose Island State Park! The boys love crabbing.

Mmm watermelon that Paw Paw and Grandma grew!

The watermelon after the raccoons reached into the ice chest.

A last photo before saying good-bye to that camping trip.

I'm kinda wishing for summer right now!

Y'all come back,

Lorilee

Busy being country!

I haven't been home much on the weekends, and when I am home, I am busy catching up. Brian and I went out to the Rocking HI Ranch for the opening of deer season. We didn't get any bucks, but both of my brothers and two nephews all did. There has been much digging and leveling to build a "pad" for a well. In doing so, lots of sandstone boulders were exposed. Pop now has them spread out around the place. I brought some that we were able to lift home.

The largest is at the edge of the stock tank. We refer to it as the fishing rock.

On Veteran's Day, we went to my Grandmother's house and trimmed trees with my Dad and Stepmom. Pop taught Brian how to use the Pole Saw.

Brian was hard to stop once he got started!

My stepmom, Barb, and I got to drag the limbs to the tractor to be hauled to a burn pile. We also raked the whole backyard.

Y'all come back,

Lorilee

Easily entertained!

I spent Saturday with my Pop, brother and 2 of his darlings! We joined Pop at the Rocking HI to watch the pipeline crew bore under the corner of the property we call Sherwood Forest. The Mule needed gas!

We took a break for lunch at the "White Leghorn Cafe" a few miles down the road.

It is a VERY interesting place. The old wooden floor looks like the swells in the Gulf of Mexico! All the tables have shims to keep them semi-level!

Pop and Brandon found a cool spot to sit and observe the action on the boring pipes.

One of the crewmen was happy to explain how this instrument helped them pinpoint the location of the boring pipes underground. Pop and Alec were very interested. Trixie, not so much!

Then we went to another fenceline and watched the track hoe dig the pit where the borer would come out.

This dog showed up and kept us company while we watched!

Bug was more interested in what I was up to than the machinery at work!

She also entertained herself looking through my binoculars. I entertained myself taking photos of her entertaining herself!

It was nice to get away from all the housework awaiting me after a work week! Sadly, the housework is still awaiting me, so I best get busy!

Y'all come back,

Lorilee