Back in the swing at home.

September......where did the summer go? We are in the throws of our first "fall" front coming thru, so we are having some showers and they promise less humidity will follow. Not necessarily cooler temps, but I'll take drier for a few days.

We had a great couple of weeks in CA with Logan and Ivy. Mike and Kate went over to Manila to find housing and all the other stuff that goes with the move. Logan and Ivy finished summer day camp and right on to the first day of "real" school. Can't believe that Ivy is in kindergarten already!

We were able to celebrate Katie's birthday with her for the first time in a long time. It was really hot that day, so we looked for a cool place to spend some time before dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. Don did some work around their house to get ready for them to leave it for a couple of years. Did a lot of trimming and removing of shrubs and some painting. It's really nice to know that they have such great neighbors who will keep and eye out for them. The are off on their adventure in the wee hours of the morning Sept. 14. It will be hard having them so far away.....that goodness for Skype!

So, we are back at home with a full schedule. Don is hard at work on the grounds and maintenance budget for the neighborhood, I have quilts to quilt and make--as usual, and then there is always the yard and studio. Don has been working on the electrical wiring this week and I even put in the receptical boxes......lots of them. We are really hoping the weather decides to be fallish as it makes it much more pleasant to be outside.

Hope to have more to report in the coming weeks.....stay tuned!

Summer at warp speed!

We are honestly meeting ourselves coming and going! We returned last night from a 3 week trip to visit the elders in MN, SD and WY. Along the way, we spent a couple of days in Branson, MO, as we had never been there. Took in some great shows, ate too much and sweated a lot! The heat just seems to follow us around. We found everyone up north in pretty good shape and that is always good. Forgot to take pictures......normal for me.

While in MN, my high school friends.....Crazy 8's.... got together for our 4th annual. We have such a good time. Saw a great show at the Old Log Theater and sat up talking for most of the night. We seem to pick up right where we left off the year before.

The other news in the family is that Katie and family are going to live in the Phillipines for the next couple of years. She has accepted a postition there and so the rush is on to get everything ready to go. Looks like they have a great International School there for the kiddos. We will leave for CA on Thursday.......yes, home less than a week.......to watch the kids while Mike and Kate go to Manila for the pre-assignment trip. They will find housing, register at school and general "get ready to live there" stuff. It will be hard to have them so far away, but what a great opportunity for them!

So, there has been no progress on the homefront. When we get back here about Sept. 1, we will get busy on the studio and some other projects.

Next time I will have some pictures. I will remember to take pictures of the grandkids!!!

And so it goes.....

Can it really be summer and late June? OK, time does get away from me.

Progress on the studio is slow. I keep painting......all sides and breezeway have one coat of color and I have started on the second. With temps at nearly 100, I can only do so much in a day. Evenings are better, but then the mosquitos have a feast!
We are sort of at the mercy of others right now. As you can see, or not, we do have AC/heat ducting and are now waiting for the plumber to come and do all the gas piping inside. Then I guess most of the rest is up to us.

Don is almost done with his barn project.

In fact, he had hoped to finish this

Friday, but the owner put a kink in that when she scheduled the flooring to be installed next Monday. He WILL finish by July 4!!!

In other areas of life, Katie is investigating a new job opportunity ( more on that when she makes it official) , the grandkids are visiting Aunt Krista and Uncle Andy and, by all accounts, having a ball. I have had all my medical visits, including oncology, and I'm in great shape they say. I would beg to differ on the "shape" thing.

Off to quilting.....it is TUESDAY!!!

Sweat Equity!

And we do mean sweat!! Despite the heat and humidity, we push on. Don is caulking the last side today. I have primed the other three, with the exception of the peak on the south side. I just couldn't get all the way up there....it was too wiggley and scarey...so Don came to the rescue!

The breezeway is actually connected to the house and should be finished tomorrow. The roofers come to finish the roof this week and then we will be all dried in and sealed up. We can also get rid of the stinky porta-potty!!

Don had some help digging the ditch for the gas and water lines yesterday. The heat nearly did them in! Hope that Gail is OK today.

So, I will keep plugging along on the paint during the week. Don will be working on his other project for a couple more weeks. Then we can get some wiring done and the insulation going on the inside. I'm still deciding where to put outlets. There will be plenty!!

The wildlife has enjoyed the bird feeder. Squirrels are still trying to figure out how to get to it. If the owner keeps spilling seed when trying to fill it, they won't ever have to get up there! Oh well! The deer have left me one little daylilly. I check each morning and so far, so good.

That's it from the ranch. Next time we hope to have the final color on and shingles even!!!

Still a little breezy at the top!

Well, as you can see we have gone from Tyvek wrap to sided and ready for stone accents. I just have to find the stone that is on the house!! The front door -- actually the only door -- went in today and I LOVE IT!!! Now if we could get some decking on the roof and solve the open air problem, I'd be really happy.

Don is still busy with his build out at the barn up in Montgomery. He is busy, tired and happy ( most of the time). While he is away, the wheels keep turning in my head and the project list grows!

The wildlife in the backyard is still entertaining us. Squirrels have not yet conquered the bird feeder. Yeah for us!! They have, however, brought in recruits from the front yard to help with the delema. We know this because the squirrels in the back are brown and the squirrels in the front are black. That's as far as I go with this subject.....

I have plenty of quilting projects to keep me busy. I manage to get in a little therapy each day. We did not have our weekly quilting group this week and I feel things are a little amiss. We do have a new granddaughter in the group as of this morning. A new life to celebrate!

Don has returned and will probably be wondering if there will be a meal this evening......better get after it!

Mothers Day..... a nice quiet day around here. We did a little yard work, visited with good friends and did a little crafty work.

The studio is coming along. As I was told, "These guys won't win any races, but they are doing a good job." OK, I'm not in a hurry --- YET! This week we should see the sheathing on, roof deck on, windows in and maybe a little siding. By the time it is ready for me to paint, it will be 90 with 90% humidity. Summer in Houston!

So, there is a new bird feeder up for porch entertainment. So far
the squirrels have attempted and failed. Spilled a little seed as they
jumped, had a bit of a swing and fell to the ground. I don't know
if any birds have found it yet.

We moved the strawberry pot to the back.....it looks so attractive
with the chicken wire over it. If I want berries, I have to live
with it! So far the deer have not found it, but never fear......
The waterfall is running, but not completely done and landscaped
yet. We will get there eventually.

Some work going on inside too. I have kept the machine running with a few "Binkies" for charity. In the evenings, while watching the Astros loose, I have been knitting some children's washcloths for a friend. They are cute, but lots of work for the price! Keeps my hands busy and out of the cookie jar!

That's about it for this week. We hope to have big visual changes on the studio for next week's issue. Will stay in touch.......

It's May at the Ranch

Gorgeous day today! The deer have even decided that I can
have some daisies!!! I brought some clumps back fromWyoming
last summer and they are doing well. We will see what happens when the deer decide they are really hungry.

Framing is underway. We went with the framing crew since they had to do the roof anyway. They gave us a deal. We decided to sit on the porch and watch them! I do bake them a brownie now and then.

The quilters will be here this week to celebrate some birthdays
and inspect the progress on the studio. Such a great group of women! I am so lucky to call them friends.

I'm still having trouble getting my pictures where I want them, but you can figure it out. The next week should be really fun watching the progress. More then.......