We're Not in Kansas Anymore!

Early this morning I felt a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz as she felt when the tornado was coming and she was heading for the cellar.  About 4:00 in the morning a norther blew in here.  It woke Ikey and I up from a deep sleep.  The wind was blowing so hard it sounded a little like a freight train was fixing to come through here.  I was not sure the wind was not going to just pick the house right up and carry it off in a whirl just like on the Wizard of Oz.  It sure sounded and felt like it.   I've been in many a wind storm out on west Texas, but this was different.  Being in a little house out here on the prairie, not a condo complex weighted down by tons of brick, made all the difference in the world.  It's the kind of wind you can hear the weather change without ever being outside.  You are absolutely sure, when you step your feet outside the door, you better be bundled up!

Baby Gray and I are hanging out today.  I bet when he shows up he's got his knitted cap, cowboy boots and a heavy coat on.  He and I are headed to the grocery store to finish up my "cooking" shopping which I have to find time to do before Tuesday, and to Walmart for anything else last minute (like Christmas stocking stuff).  Don't remember exactly how to shop secretly with a toddler in the basket but I'll figure it out.

In the meantime, blow Mr. Winter...I've missed you!

Genesis 8:1
But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the waters receded.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.

From City Lights to Starry Nights

It's dark out here at night.  It's dark enough to see Orion, the Seven Sisters, and the Big Dipper over me in the black sky.  It's dark enough to see the stars twinkle, even in the light of the full moon.  It's just dark.  And quiet.  "The stars at night, are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas".

                              

As we hit the hay, it's a bit like heaven out here in the country when we sleep with the windows open.  The night breeze blows across the sheets as we pull them up over us and we snuggle down under the covers.  It's finally cooler outside than inside.  Autumn is finally here.

There's no condensation on the windows in the morning.  Instead of like the last couple of days when we woke up to traffic sounds like honking horns, loud motors, and screetching brakes, we hear the songs of the wren, the Mockingbird and the dove starting the morning off.  The light of the sun just starts to break the horizon shortly after 6am but the sun won't rise for probably another hour.  There's still a bit of a haze over the pasture.  Probably because we got a slow soaking rain over the weekend.  When light comes everything is going to be green and fresh.  It's going to be a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

It just can't get any better than this.

Encourage One Another, continuing the journey on fresh paths.

Psalm 136

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.

⁴ to him who alone does great wonders,

⁵ who by his understanding made the heavens,

⁷ who made the great lights—

⁸ the sun to govern the day,

⁹ the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

Gravel Roads of Texas

Have you ever driven down the gravel roads of Texas ?  You can truly see some of the beautiful back country.  You never really know where you might end up.  Last weekend we decided to take a drive in the Jeep and just cruise the back roads again.  Some of the cemeteries on those back roads are really pretty, peaceful and quiet.  Whole families end up there, back together again.  Well I hope they don't end up there, but their gravestones comment that they were once here and maybe a hint about their personality; like "beloved mother" or "faithful father", "hero" or "sister and friend".  Even though it's been dry as a bone most everywhere in Texas , these pastures down south are still green.  One we saw was laden with tall flowing green grass and huge beautiful big oak trees.  The kind you see with horses or cattle standing under them or one that someone had taken a picture of.  Truly it was a glorious site.  The cattle grazing in that pasture thought so too.  They were fat and lazy looking.  Many were just lying in the shade they were so full.  We saw lots of windmills and water troughs, old barns and tree swings.  There is a ton of oil drilling going on in that area and pipelines are being put in everywhere.  Lots of land has been cleared and ditches have been dug.  One day lots of oil and gas will be flowing under that country.  We saw where folks lived that we knew lived in "the boon docks" but never really knew where that was.  Names on mail boxes gave us some clues.  You can't travel that country without seeing a few jack rabbits, wild hogs and an armadillo or two.  They just make that country what it is.  We headed back to the ranch with the sun setting in front of us.  Once we got back we spent the rest of the evening just resting and feeling the breeze blow and listening to the coyotes howl. 

Encourage One Another

Happy Trails

Life on the Trail #1

Truthfully, you just never know what you might see on any cool, breezy west Texas morning. Sometimes it depends on the attitude of my horse. He gets a good brush down before we do anything. He loves his face brushed with the soft bristles of the small brush. He closes his eyes and appears to be dreaming. When I get to the inside of his ears, he twists his head sideways and pushes into me a bit. He usually cocks a foot up as I travel down the rest of his body, his neck, his sides, his belly, his butt and his legs. He thinks he's on vacation. Once I get all the knots out of his mane and tail, we’re ready to saddle up. He stands patiently while I get everything even and straight and tightened up. He turns his head to me and opens his mouth to take the bit, almost like he likes it, like he is looking forward to the next best thing. As we amble off, I stop him and tighten up the saddle again. Once I get it to the right hole, he gets to stretch…his absolute favorite part. I ask him for his left leg first. He lifts it and I pull it way out in front of him. It allows him to give a big ole stretch. Then we do the left leg. He usually squeezes his eyes closed on this one. I step in the stirrup and off we go. I can generally tell what kind of day we are going to have before we ever get out of the yard. He is either dead headed and quiet, just minding his own business, or he is ears perked and eyes watching every leaf that floats by or grasshopper that jumps. If he’s gonna get a little “jiggy with it” I’m in for a more stressful ride.

On the quiet days, he just plods along, nothing gets his attention; nothing stirs him up. We generally never break a walk on these rides. I just listen to the sounds of the morning, leaves rustling, train horns sounding at the crossings, cars zipping by, pump jacks whirring, gravel under tires, high lines crackling, tractors plowing, horses nickering in the distance. I’ve always got my eyes open for a jack rabbit, a prairie dog, a coyote, a lizard, or a horny toad.

This past week I saw three baby horny toads. Their bellies weren’t bigger than a nickel. I stepped off and even tried to catch one. However, when I reached down to catch him, as he flattened out to spit on me to protect himself, he disappeared. I just wanted to hold him and stroke his back. Word is, as long as there are big red ants, their dinner, there will be horny toads in west Texas . Hope that’s true.

Prairie dogs are prevalent in this area of Texas . They make this shrill chattering sound to ward you off if you get to close to their mound. They will stand their ground on top of their home especially if they have pups down below. Mosey has great respect for that sound and stays clear when a mom warns him to “stay back”. Isn’t nature interesting? Here he is, a zillion times her size, and he is fearful to cross her. Isn’t God amazing?

Coyotes will see you from a distance. Once they do, they turn and run or lumber across a field as fast as they can go. It’s odd to see them out during the day. They usually travel in packs of course, but I see them alone or in twos most often.

The cotton fields are really growing. The plants are full and green. There is lots of irrigation out here in west Texas . Those fields show the best growth. Right now you’ll see anything from pink or yellow blooms, to green bolls, to white cotton all on the same plant. Weird! We no longer ride between the rows since they are so bushy. Whoever thought I’d be talking about cotton?

On the days where everything from a simple quail flying up off the ground to a white trash sack minding its own business sends Mosey into a tizzy, the ride is a little different. I am consistently trying to keep him calm and get him to just relax. Sometimes when the wind is blowing harder, he is just uneasy. On those days he thinks the farm equipment that has been petrified in its place for years, that he has seen day after day, is going to reach out and get him. He looks at everything. His ears are all over the place. On these days he has to work a little harder. By loping and trotting him I try to distract him and get his attention on to something else…or just wear him out. It’s a different kind of ride. I’m more alert, more aware, more conscious of the surroundings that might stir him up. It’s just not as peace filled.

But truthfully, I’ll take any kind of ride I can get and any day I can do it. I just love to ride. After losing my passion for horses and riding for several years, and finally getting it back, horses are at the top of my friend list, especially Mosey. He knows what to expect of me. He knows I’m going to take care of him and protect him. And he expects me to. And I do.

Mosey and I will make the same ride, the same miles, almost the same trail, most days. It’s sort of like a ritual. While the scenery appears different every time, the consistency is relaxing. We always hope to meet someone on the trail. Occasionally we do. However, most days, it’s just me and Mosey, ambling along, thinking about family, about God and all our blessings. While I have had a few bumps in the road lately, I remain grateful. Life is still full and family is still the most important thing. My grandson should arrive anytime. He will rock my world. I’m looking forward to it. Happy trails!

Encourage One Another

Now THIS Is West Texas

When your driving down the road and you see wind powered windmills and oil well pump jacks in the same landscape, you know you are in west Texas. Add a couple of deer stands, some mesquite bushes, and a cotton field and you are in the dead center. Driving through the green rolling hills between Big Spring and San Angelo, this is what you see. Who are those fortunate Texans reaping the harvest of wind power and oil wells? They must be living in God's will. Their blessings abound. When you watch those windmills they turn in a slow methodical rhythm that almost puts you to sleep. They all turn in the same direction, clockwise. One after the other they turn, though not always in the same sequence. They sort of appear like a kaleidoscope and they go on for miles and miles. Up close they are huge. No telling how many feet to the top. No idea how men get up to the top to work on or repair them. No idea if they have an elevator or a "dumb waiter" devise inside to get to the top. No idea what the view is like from the top of one of those. I bet it is fantastic. I bet you'd feel a little like Don Quixote, thinking what would a person do with all those windmills? Attack them? Climb them? Or would you just try to cash in on them. Sometimes our vision is a little skewed like Don's. Sometimes our vision is not clear. Sometimes we have visions of grandeur when truly what we have and what we need are just your basic everyday things, an average life. And truly, average is still a blessing. Generally all we have is all we need. Count your blessings. There are many. Be blessed. Keep dreaming though; life is full with hopes and dreams. Next time your roaming the countryside either by car, horse, or foot, enjoy it. Whether you are enjoying what God created or what man created, enjoy the mighty power behind it all. Take it all in. Let your eyes see the beauty.
Take a drive through west Texas. You won't be disappointed.

Encourage One Another