Vintage Farm

2006-10-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Summer finally ended

2006-10-21T11:26:00.000-07:00

We have survived the longest, dryest, hottest summer ever!! It may be my age, but the summer seemed to really be painful and neverending. I spent most of the past 4 months just trying to keep my plants alive. Weeds have taken over and even thought the plants are mostly living they don't look all that great. We visited the Oregon State Garden just outside Salem Oregon. They had some really nice plantings and the entry was fantastic. In Oregon we mostly visited the Columbia River Gorge; it too was fantastic. It must be great to live there--I'm just to old to think about leaving Texas. This is were my roots are and I'm sure I'll also die here. We took lots of pictures; received hard copies in the mail yesterday from Kodak Gallery. They do a good job. Some of the pictues for the waterfalls are pretty nice. I have a bad case of just wanting to be home for a while. In 2 weeks I'll venture out to Houston to the International Quilt Show with Susan and Alice. It should be nice. I always love to attend the IQS. Then comes Thanksgiving and all the preparation and company. Who knows what we'll do for Christmas this year. Last year was such a bust!! At least we all seem to be healthy this year. I hope and pray that will last. I'm looking forward to seeing the grandchildren and all the family. It is hard to believe it is almost 2007. The only good thing about getting old is that hopefully I'll be able to retire before too long. I've worked many years to prepair for retirement. Hope it is good and tha Bill and I will be able to do somethings together. The Golden Years are not always what they are made out to be, but if we can be healthy and do some fun things and visit the grandchildren it will be worth it.
Until next time!!
If I can find this Blog again!!

4-28-2006

2006-04-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

East Texas is looking really good; blooming trees, lawns are green and filled with flowers.

April 5, 2006

2006-04-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

The temp today will be 50 - 80 degrees; windy and partly cloudy.
Have to drive to Houston Intercontental Airport in the morning hope the weather is good and traffic is mild. We can always hope. I really hope I can sleep tonight and while on this trip.

Time

2006-04-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe that so much time has passed since opening this blog. Texas is moving into a beautiful spring with all the blooms that make this part of the country so special. The rose bed is coming along; it will have to wait until I return from Washington D.C. and viewing the Cherry Blossoms. Hope they are as pretty as our Dogwood blooms have been this past few weeks. I'll try to do better about checking into this blog.
Later

photojones

2006-02-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

photojones

February 18, 2006

2006-02-18T19:06:00.001-08:00

Texas weather is totally confused; we are beginning to see the signs of spring and now we are having freezing temperatures and frozen precip. The flowers are beginning to bloom and the peach trees are blooming or ready to bloom and it is freezing. Hard to explain! Reminds me of the year it snowed on Valentine's Day and we lost all the azaleas; it may happen again this year. I sure would like to see flowers on my azalea bushes, I used lots of water on them the past couple of years.
I planted a new Dogwood tree this past week; hope for the best. 5 new blueberry bushes and a couple more that could go in the ground soon.
This is a 3-day weekend and it will be cold and wet all weekend. I'm trying to concentrate on sewing and a little cooking, but would rather visit the grandchildren. Hope to visit Houston next weekend.
Planning a trip to Washington D.C. the first part of April; hope the weather is nice and that we have a good time. I'll be traveling with Mother and Alice. Hope I get to see somethings I'm actually interested in; I'm not sure we share the same interest. Would really love to visit the National Archives and the Library of Congress again. Just have to wait and see what happens. Maybe Bill and I can take a trip this summer to the Northwest and enjoy the mountains and ocean; it is always so great.

Feburary 18, 2006

2006-02-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

Great Flora

2005-12-23T13:51:00.000-08:00

Good flower pictures from Dallas area

December 21, 2005

2005-12-21T14:07:00.000-08:00

Since my last post everything has changed. Bill had heart bypass surgery and our whole world has been on hold since December 9th. We hope to get things back together again real soon; the good thing is that he will be OK in a few weeks. We will have some changes to make, especially in the way we eat and the level of activity. I really hope we will be able to travel again and do all the normal things we both enjoy. Our Christmas will be spent giving thanks for all we have and knowing how fortunate we are to go into the new year together.
After spending many hours in the hospital, I certainly came to realize that there are lots of people in this world who need lots of prayer and understanding. May 2006 be a better year and hopefully the year for true peace on earth, peace of mind for many people and bringing home a lot of our young men from over seas.
Till next time!!

The Gypsy Librarian: What have I learned from blogging?

2005-11-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

The Gypsy Librarian: What have I learned from blogging?

November 18, 2005

2005-11-18T14:42:00.000-08:00

Northeast Texas is finally getting some seasonable weather. We've had freezing temperatures the past two night. Still no rain in sight; we are now at least 15 inches behind on our rainfall for the year. It would be nice to think there's rain in our future, but the forcast says differently. Thanksgiving is just around the corner; what a good feeling this time of year brings.

Can't seem to find last blog

2005-11-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

Time is going so fast!! It can't be November!!

November 8, 2005

2005-11-08T12:41:00.000-08:00

November has begun as strange as the rest of this year. We are beginning the second week and we are in the upper 80's and it hasn't rained in so long we almost forgot what a rainy day is like. We did experience some rain while visiting the Northeast last month, but it surely didn't follow us home. Even with all this strange weather we have a little fall foliage. It is nice to think we may actually experience a change in the weather some day soon.
I'm finding it next to impossible to think about the holidays when it is summer outside and I've had an upper respiratory infection for almost 2 weeks.
The International Quilt Show was great, but I must have caught a bug while in the crowd. Saturday after the quilt show we visited Old Town Spring and there was a big crowd there too. They were hosting an antique and classic automobile show. It was pretty good, but lots of people and evidently someone was sharing a germ.
It is only 2 weeks until Thanksgiving and I'm not ready for that either. We have to finish painting the bathroom and clean the house and decide on a menu. I'm not sure where my brain is, but I'm having a grandchild for the weekend this weekend. It's his 4th birthday and we wanted to spend sometime with him. The grandchildren are growing up so fast; seems like only a few days ago I was racing to Clear Lake Hospital to meet him for the first time.
Hope I can sign into this blog someday soon and report that we've seen rain and that the temp is falling.
From Northeast Texas

Still Summer

2005-10-18T18:40:00.000-07:00

Summer has returned. We are again having record temperatures and little hope for any rain any time soon. It would be so nice to have some of the rain we saw in the Northeast. The gardens were great; we saw lots of things we didn't know existed. It was fun. Back to reality and it is hot and dry here in Texas. We will probably have a cold wet winter after all this strange weather we've experienced this summer.
We are cheering for the Astro's and really hope they will be playing in Chicago this weekend. It is so good to see a Houston team do good after all these years of struggle. Well we will have to continue cheering; they are headed to St. Louis for game 6 tomorrow night. "Come on" Astro's.

On the lake

2005-09-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

From the heat

2005-09-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

Well we can finally see a break in the heat for at least a few days. The temp has dipped about 20 degrees and we are supposed to get some rain. We haven't seen the rain and may not see much rain, but it is really good to have a break in the heat.
Our area is still filled with evacuees from Louisiana and now some from the Southeast Texas coast. Hurricane Rita hit the Golden Triangle last weekend. It is such a terrible situation for these people, but we are all beginning to hope they can return home soon. We need to get our area back to some form of normal. Texas has done a really good job of sharing all our resources, but it would be good to see an end to the situation.
Our little town of 11,000 even has a lot of people who need assistance. Our churches and citizens have given a great deal to help them feel at home and cared for; maybe that's why they are all settling into the comforts of the situation. There are a few who have actually found work and are trying to contribute to the community, but the majority don't seem to feel obligated to return any of the favors. Louisiana needs their citizens to return home.
Poor New Orleans will never be the same, but their elected officials need to accept responsibility for the situation and stop blaming it all on the federal government. They need to take charge and move forward. It is amazing how much Mississippi has accomplished in the same amount of time and with even more devastation.
Looking forward to vacation!! It will be good to get away and do something other than work on the house. I think we will enjoy each others company without distractions and enjoy the opportunity to learn something new. We are looking forward to seeing Longwood Gardens and the Philadelphia area; this is my first time to visit that part of the country. Bill has been there several times to work and his knowledge will surely come in handy.
Until next time!!

Hurricane

2005-09-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

All our hopes and prayers for rain seem to be coming back to haunt us with the approach of Hurricane Rita. The entire Texas Gulf coast is having to leave for higher ground. I think all my family has found a safe place to wait out the storm; who knows what will happen after the storm. I just hope everybody has a home to return to. Galveston and surrounding area may be in a really bad situation. Guess I'm living long enough to see history repeat its self; this storm looks like a repeat of Hurricane Carla back in 1961. Carla changed our lives for ever and this storm is about to do the same to many of our family, friends and neighbors. Now all we can do is hope and pray for the best. I guess one of my biggest concerns is for my mothers house and property my oldest daughters home and property and the lives of our friends and fellow Texans on the Gulf Coast. We can replace property, but it will be really hard on some of these people. I think God must be trying to tell this country something; I hope we get the message soon and correct our ways. Our mistake must have something to do with the petro business; seems that's what all the storms are aimed at. We really need alternative fuels for our transportation, hope it happens in my lifetime. I would love to see the middle east suffer from having all that petro and no place to sell it. Looks like our government would be looking harder at solving that problem and not so hard to getting us to the moon and beyond, but then maybe they will find the solution on the moon or in route. We don't know unless we try.
Texas is still having 100+ temp and no rain, but that may be corrected real soon in a big way; along with lots of wind and tornatoes. Pray for all us Texans along with the people from Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Monday Sept 19, 2005

2005-09-19T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well my posts from yesterday must be lost in space someplace. Yesterday the temp was 99 and today it was 101 at 5:00PM. Hurricane Rita may bring us a break in this terrible summer weather, but that seems to be the only thing that will help.
Our lawn is dying more by the minute and the local nursery can count on making big bucks next spring from all us who really like a nice lawn.
Hope the winter isn't as cruel as the summer has been.
K.B.

Sunday Sept. 18, 2005

2005-09-18T17:44:00.000-07:00

Well I lost my last post; don't know what happened, but will try again.
It is still hot and dry here in Northeast Texas. The grass is about all gone and the only water the plants are getting comes from the water hose. It will be nice to see some rain and some cooler weather. Hopefully soon.
K.B.

Sunday Sept. 18, 2005

2005-09-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

This summer just won't quit!! It is mid September and the temperature is still in the upper 90's everyday with no rain. The fruit is taking a beating; there are no pears left on the trees, the pecans are falling pre-mature and figs are gone. The grass is about gone and if we don't water regularly we will loose all the plants that came from the nursery. Texas has been especially cruel this summer. I suppose we shouldn't complain after what happened with Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans is a wash out and the Gulf Coast is really a mess. Hope that is better soon.
This summer has gone pretty well; all things considered.
Will stay in touch and hope to have some good news soon.
K.B.

August 19, 2005

2005-08-19T14:26:00.000-07:00

We finally had a spit of a shower; not nearly enough to do any good. It is really hot today and there is no hope of rain in sight. It will be so nice when we get some fall like weather. We do have a few blooms in the yard inspite of the weather. Hopefully there will be more flowers blooming when it cools off.
It is finally Friday and the weekend should be a nice time to regroup and plan for next weekends family reunion on the lake at Palestine. It's about time to head for the grocery store and then home.
Catch you later.

8-16-05

2005-08-16T13:30:00.000-07:00

Northeast Texas is still extremely hot and dry, without relief in sight. There are signs of fall; the ragweed and milkweed are beginning to appear. That is both good and bad in that cooler weather will eventually come, but the pollen is getting worse and everyone's beginning to have signs of allergies. This has been a good summer with lots of visitors and not a lot of demand on our time and energy.
There have been a few tropical disturbances to bring rain relief to other parts of Texas. Even with the lack of rain we have managed to maintain a nice yard and a few flowers through the summer months. There aren't many flowers now, but when the evenings cool down we may see more roses and begonias.
The bird population in this area is good. We have a steady flow of bird visitors to our feeders and to the humming bird feeder.
Hope the next time I check into this blog will be to report rain and cooler temperatures. The temp today is in the upper 90's with a heat index of about 100 degrees with the same forcast for the remainder of the week.

June 28, 2005

2005-06-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

The heat is severe here in Texas we got up to 103 degrees today and it isn't even July. The next two months will probably be hot enough to kill the cattle and all the vegetation. It is already working on the grass and other plants. The road sides are looking brown and burned. This time last year everything was still nice and green, but this year is a real killer. It may take something really severe to bring rain to this part of Texas; even the coastal counties are crying for a little moisture. We will surely be glad to see fall arive.
Since Summer isn't my favorite time of year I guess we will look forward to bigger and better things in the future--like October.
Well it is time to head for home and feed the horses and water the plants we plan to keep.
Till next time.

June 16, 2005

2005-06-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

We are almost to end of this week; since we are off tomorrow. This is the weekend of our annual pilgramage to the coast for the ABP family reunion. Looking forward to seeing everyone, especially the children. We have see all of them this month, but it will still be good to visit with everyone. Things are heating up here in Northeast Texas, especially for June. It is hot and dry and the forcast of for more of the same. May the coast will be cooler. Just wanted to write a little as not to completely loose touch with the blog.
Later!!

2005-06-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday June 5, 2005
It has been over a week since we had rain and it is beginning to show; we could use some moisure from heaven. The blueberry crop is beginning to come in and is looking good except for what we have to share with the birds. The garden crop is pretty pathetic, but I spend a lot more time and energy on the flowers and bushes.
Grandchildren are coming; things will be busy the next few days. Hope we all have a really good time. We are still very concerned about little Cory as he hasn't gained any weight since his surgery a month ago and has not doubled his birth weight at 6 months of age. I surely hope he takes off soon and grows to be strong and healthy like all the other grandsons. He is really cute and so happy. He doesn't know he is cause for so much concern.
Tomorrow starts a new week. Summer is a busy time at the library, hope we have a full staff this week. I'm on vacation Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to spend time with the family. I'm looking forward to having time to visit with Susan and play with the boys. We may get to do a little shopping and sewing and even take time to visit the Science Discovery Center in Shreveport. The the next weekend we are off to the family reunion. June is going so fast.
Be back soon,

May 26, 2005

2005-05-26T04:49:00.000-07:00

It RAINED yesterday!! it was great after the thunder and lighting passed over. It didn't rain much, but we are so desperate it really helped. The temperature dropped to the upper 60's and the evening was really nice. It's Thursday and I'm off Friday, so this is a great day!! I'll probably spend the majority of Friday cleaning house and puttering around here, but it's a day off and it will be good. I'm meeting Jennie tomorrow night and bring Cody up here for a couple of days. It will be fun; we are supposed to have more rain over the weekend, so we will have to do indoor activities. He is pretty easy to entertain. Last night he told me he will be bring his new toy weedeater. He's got the country life down: we do yard work and more yard work.

Yesterday I talked to Mother, got e-mail from Alice and Susan. Talked to Jennie and Cody, so I feel like I'm in touch. Sometimes it is hard to be so far away from everybody and not know what's going on with the family. Only about 3 more weeks and we will be in Lake Jackson for the weekend.

Well it's time to get ready for work. Only 8 more hours and I have 4 days off. Life is wonderful!!

May 24, 2005

2005-05-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

Today was cooler than yesterday, but still above normal. There is no chance of rain anytime soon. Oklahoma is getting rain north of us; wish we could get just a few showers. The forcast is for a slight chance of rain this weekend. I'm still working on cleaning out the flower bed in the back yard. It is coming along. I have new bedding plants to add as soon as it is clean enough to add them. It is hard to believe it is almost June and this year is almost half over. Time really goes fast. This hasn't been the best of years to this point, but I hate to see it go so fast. I'm just hopeful that things will improve the last half of the year.
I surely hope tomorrow is better than today. We had 3 children's programs without Julie the programs went fine and I enjoyed the children, but I had a lot facing me when they were over. Well it's time to get ready for bed and start over again early tomorrow.
Just 2 more days this week!!

May 23, 2005

2005-05-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

It is really hot here in Texas. Not even summer yet and already close to 100 degrees and so dry only the lizzards can appreciate the conditions. Makes you wonder what July and August have in store for us. The water bill will be real interesting this month and the rest of summer. We do have some things blooming and triving, but not for long if we don't get rain real soon.

At this point the weather is about the only thing happening. We are looking forward to the holiday weekend and Cody coming for a short visit. It is always good when the grandsons come visit. I'm so glad they like it here. We don't really have any plans for his visit just hang out in the country and let him enjoy tractor riding and taking a tour on the golf card. I'm still not brave enough to take the kids out in the boat alone. Maybe Bill will volunteer for that little tour.

Only a couple of weeks until family reunion and I still need to update the family book to share with the family. It is always good to go for a visit; a bit overwhelming. There are so many people to see in such a short length of time. Maybe this year will be different.

Hope I get a few things done this coming weekend; I seem to be so far behind on everything. All I've done the last couple of weeks is water the plants. It is getting late and I didn't sleep well again last night, so I'm off to shower and crawl into bed and start over again tomorrow. Only 3 more days this week and then we have 4 days off. I don't ususally look forward to long weekends in the summer, but I'm ready for a little time.

That's all for now

Hot

2005-05-22T19:26:00.000-07:00

May 22, 2005
It felt more like July today than May and we desperately need rain. Things are turning brown and summer isn't here yet. Hope we get some rain this coming week. We have a few things in bloom: there are some roses, day lily (Stella D'Oro), red begonia and that's about it for now. We should have more day lilies soon and I'm planting more begonias to go with the few that came back from last year. Our grass looks good, but unless we get rain it won't last long. I watered until dark every night last week, so things look pretty good. The blueberries are coming along pretty good. We should have a good crop if we keep watering. Tomorrow is back to work; I only work 4 days next. Will use some comp-time to get a nice long weekend. Hope this is a good week; school will end Wednesday for Jordan and Taylor and the Henderson schools will end Thursday. It is hard to believe that Summer is upon us.
That's all for tonight