Trees Bear A Closer Look

Our little road in the country

Last week another change altered the view that has remained the same for 22 years of living on a forsaken country road. The county has decided to improve our street, so in anticipation, they've planted these colorful signs announcing the changes we can expect over the upcoming months. They actually sent us a letter to announce the road improvements, which was nice to know.

Another routine venture into town turned into a chance to view strange and creative yard art during the voyage.

Heading into town, we made it through the treacherous construction zone that has recently transformed our little two lane highway into a dust bowl and headed into North Plano where our accountant's office is located. Yep, here it is the end of March and we finally gathered up all the forms and documentation for him to file our 2012 taxes. After all, there are still a couple of weeks left until the deadline...



On the way I happened to look over and spotted this unusual sculpture that someone has created in their yard.

It is a bear carved out of a tree trunk!

I had to get a closer look and so when our task was done we circled back and took these pictures.


What a fabulous idea. I'll have to go back to see if they paint any more detail.

Spring is in the Air

Bradford Pear Tree

This is the first year the Bradford Pear trees have flowered since they have been planted in my yard. I've wondered over the past few years why they haven't bloomed like the ones I see lining the driveways of the neighboring houses. They are truly beautiful and bring the promise of spring, just around the corner.


The warm temperatures tempted me to pick up a few annuals at the Home Depot where I returned some unneeded things and received a gift card in exchange.

Had to go ahead and pick up these lovelies and get them in the containers on my porch which were so lonely with last year's leftover lifeless twigs.

The first robins have begun to feed in the back yard. One year I counted over thirty five of them all within the fenced area for the dogs. My shy Cardinal can be heard chirping his distinctive call and drinking from the water dish perched on the roll of garden fencing. I'm hoping he'll get within range and let me take a closer look at his gorgeous red plumage.

The recent rain has already brought a tinge of green to the brown grass of winter. It won't be long before the hum of lawn mowers will be cutting a trail in the new growth.

What a gorgeous time of the year - spring.

A glorious renewal of life and color, shedding the drab, sad colorless past and beginning anew.

We thank Thee oh Lord
For these Thy gifts
And more because
Of Jesus' love.
Let manna to our souls be given,
The bread of life sent down from Heav'n.

©  _{A song by PegCole from a prayer of Rev. James Armstrong}

On The Road Again in Texas

Last week, when we were on our way to Cosco's, once again, we headed down Parker Road, there was this cowboy riding his horse along the side of the road. Only in Texas? Maybe not, but it was a sight to see. Luckily, there was very little traffic so we slowed down and I asked if I could take his picture. He cheerfully agreed.

Cowboy

What a sight. It was across the street from South Fork Ranch, no surprise there. Of course, like most of the streets in the Dallas Metroplex, the street is under construction.

Our main access road is also under construction. After twenty plus years out in the sticks, the City of Lavon is finally widening Highway 78 which is a 60 mph zone to two lanes in each direction. No doubt, once the highway is improved, the speed limit will be reduced to 45 mph. Hard to figure that one out.



South Fork Ranch, turn here for tours

The morning traffic has increased exponentially over the years making the commute to get through the city of Wylie to around an hour from our house. Meanwhile, the road is treacherous since they have barricaded half of the old road with concrete dividers along the right side while they remove the asphalt and lay down concrete.

The lanes are dangerously narrow and one lane has been created right next to the pylons that used to parallel the shoulder. There are no street lights in the area so the travel at night is downright dangerous.

The junction at Hwy 6

Not much room to maneuver around

Anyhow, give it a few years and they'll be done. Stick around.



Driving Past South Fork Ranch

Yesterday we drove into town to pay the property taxes. They weren't due yet. In fact I had until today which was a good twenty-fours left. So I paid them early, thankfully and gladly, grateful that they are not included as part of our mortgage payment.

It makes me stop and think about the math. We've been out here over twenty years and in that time our taxes have quadrupled. I keep telling myself that we are lucky. If taxes were added to our mortgage payment I'm not sure we could manage the payment. It is hard to set aside that amount every month for the inevitable invoice that comes due.

But that makes it easier to keep tabs on how much they increase over time. Still, it is a small price to pay for the freedom and beauty we enjoy every day of the year.

So anyhow, on the way into town I passed by South Fork Ranch, and stopped to take a new picture of the view from Parker Road. Next time I'll get a pic of the front but they had street construction going on.

South Fork Ranch from Parker Road

Thirty years ago my friend from Florida came up and we drove over to South Fork after visiting at Miss Jeannie's horse ranch. We found out it cost $4.00 each just to go into the house, so we stood outside at the gate and took pictures of each another instead. I'll have to dig those out and scan them in.

Okay, on the way back home I decided to stop in at Target and fill up the wagon with supplies, you know. And when I parked and went inside, I noticed how unusually dark it was in the store. I asked the guy by the door why. When I noticed that the entire shelf that usually holds the specialty cheese and ready made containers of deli food was totally empty and he was wiping it down.

He told me that their power went off the night before and didn't come back completely on.

"Well, wouldn't the food spoil? I asked.

"Yep. That's why we had to throw all this out. Meat and everything. All we've got is what came in on the truck this morning." He seemed sad about the whole thing. And so was I.

I couldn't begin to imagine the cost of the lost merchandise and then I thought about all the hungry people in town and why didn't they hold a free barbecue or something. But the lawsuits would rule that out just in case someone were to get sick. So they tossed out a fortune in meat, dairy, deli and more. It was sobering.

Play Misty For Me

Sunrise, January 24, 2013
Early morning fog came as a surprise to those of us expecting weather in the 70s today. The moisture in the air provided a gorgeous sunrise.

It was delightfully cool, rather than cold outside as the dew gathered strength and dripped quietly down from the roof onto the porch.

I headed out early and picked up the bare necessities, Fudgsicles, Half-n-half, and those irresistable breakfast essentials, raspberry filled donuts. Of course the obligatory gallon of milk was tucked among the purchases; all the better for gluging down with a couple of those donuts.

My appearance at the front door frightened a small covey of birds that had surrounded the bird feeder. Teetering away with a flurry of wings, they took cover under the deck behind the trellis.

The house next door finally saw some advancement after a couple of weeks of inactivity. This past weekend they came and installed the remaining pieces of missing siding at the top of the east facing wall.

After a long dry spell, we had two days of rain over the last couple of weeks, which most certainly found its way down behind the partially completed siding. Progress is hard to determine with the exterior mostly finished. They will start the finish out of the inside now.

It's given a whole new dimension to the sunset. This photo was the view in 2009.

Heating the House in the Old Days



Englander Wood Burning Stove

This is the wood burning fireplace that we bought and installed when we first built the house. The brick work was completed by my Dad and Jim whose efforts over several days laying the brick turned our frigid house into a habitable place. The Englander model has come in handy during the many occasions when we've lost power out here in the rural area north east of Dallas. Sometimes it's off for hours at a time.

During the early days before we had interior walls, insulation, proper wiring or central heat, we depended on this old fashioned method of keeping warm. I'll never forget the time the water in the dog's bowl froze in the kitchen. That year, we learned to leave a faucet dripping slowly after replacing a hose in the washing machine that froze and burst. Although we savor the fond memories of wearing three pair of socks and two sweatsuits under a coat, we don't miss the old days when we put groceries into the refrigerator to keep them from freezing.

Thank goodness for plastic tarps and a staple gun, we were able to partition off the living room from the incomplete second floor. Before that, most of the heat from our small space heaters we had running on long extension cords escaped easily through the attic vents. Until we were able to install ceilings and walls in that area, we were trying to heat the outdoors.

My Dad, who was visiting us from the sunny state of Florida was good natured about our predicament when staying with us in the winter of 1990, the first year after we moved into the "construction zone" that we call our house. His comments when the three of us huddled together inches from the space heaters that did little more than heat our shins was unforgettable.

"It's not cold," he said, his breath forming clouds of wispy smoke, "it's brisk."

We still laugh about his understatement that day. When we get an ice storm, snow or freezing rain, we quote him with words forced from chattering teeth, "It's not cold, it's brisk".



The Last Day of 2012 was a tough one

Some days are more memorable than others for a variety of reasons. New Year's Eve is one that stands out for many. This one stands out for me and will be remembered as one of the toughest days of the year. Today I said goodbye to a dear friend.


Fritz in 2007

Fritz came to live across the street when Aunt Louise moved in with Mom. She, Fritz and Sugar (a cat) had been living in Fort Worth until 2005, the year Aunt Helen passed. The year brought many changes for his owner, Louise, and for her younger sister, my Mom, who was about to retire at 80 years of age. Her retirement party at the school had already been  scheduled for the day after we lost Helen at 94. It was a bittersweet day.

Fritz was welcomed into the family by his step-brother Max, a 10 pound Dachshund, an only child prior to that. For the first time in his life, Fritz enjoyed the pleasures of having a fenced yard rather than being restricted to the leash. He discovered the pleasure of chasing squirrels, armadillos and even skunks that happened into his new rural setting. The neighbor's cat became a manner of getting exercise, running down the ramp to chase the trespasser off the porch. What a joy that was!




Fritz in March 2012

Fritz was adopted from an animal shelter in 1999, so his exact heritage is unknown, but from the looks of him, his ancestry included both the noble beagle and Bassett hound.

He transformed over the years from a frightened, abused cast-off who barked in fear at visitors, into a loving and joyous bundle of doggie kisses; a playful dog who lit up when his Uncle Jim would visit. He learned the source of much ear scratching and belly rubbing emanated from the man he once feared.


We will remember him, as we do our own, who have crossed over in the many years that have passed: with love and affection and a natural sense of loss balanced precariously at the moment by the memories of the joy he once brought to us all. He will be missed most by the human he knew as his Mom for 14 short years, Miss Louise Trapp, age 92.

RIP Fritz Trapp

April 21, 1998 - December 31, 2012

White Christmas in Texas 2012

Christmas day started off chilly and gray with temperatures of 39 deg. (F) with rain out here in rural Northeast Dallas.

The weatherman, a new guy who has a resemblance to Chevy Chase, said we might get "a light dusting" on Christmas, but likely it would be northeast of us. I hoped it was the Wichita Falls area, but he meant us. 

A light dusting started early in the morning with some square, chips of frozen rain tinkling against the windows, like reindeer feet lightly touching down. To heighten the mood, rain was dropping from the eaves, tapping out a familiar Christmas tune on the dog's steel water dish lying upside down on the porch.

Soon the snow began to fall in earnest, with frozen rain coming from all directions as the wind rose and temperatures fell to 36 degrees.

We made a silly video to go with the festivities of the day. 

As my Christmas ham baked quietly, nestled in its hot roasting pan, we watched Doctor Who episodes, the Christmas ones, while snow continued to cover the fall leaves still in the yard.

When it reached 29 degrees, I put together an emergency hutch for the cat we've named Hungry Jack who insisted on sitting stubbornly under the table beside the front door waiting for his dinner. 

As I brought out the towel-wrapped trash bag covered storage crate, he crawled inside even as I carried it to a spot behind the lawn chair where he could still see the front door. The cat treats I'd scattered inside were a big hit and he stayed there for a while getting warm polishing off the bowl of Meow Mix inside.

Tony the cat watcher

Tony made sure he welcomed his feline guest with glares and stares from the dining room window.


Yesterday Hungry Jack visited the porch. Today, looks a bit different.



The Walkway

While we haven't seen any rain for months, it was a pleasant surprise to get an hour of rain before it turned into a white coating of powdery fluff that begs to become snowmen.

The Driveway



An ambush in the making.



 

Hoping your holidays are filled with happiness, family gatherings, love and cheer.

A Cup of Special Tea with Friends



Tiny

Having a little slice of pound cake and a cup of special tea in my new favorite mug. Dare I show a picture here? It seems somehow sweetly familiar as if I've had this cup for a long time. I hold it easily and comfortably wrapped in my hands as the hot liquid warms my cold fingers.

The mug is new; a special gift, a reward for walking out in the cold this morning to take a picture of the sunrise.

Reaching into the spidery plastic mailbox, I was thrilled to spot a brown-paper wrapped package of sunshine peeking out. When I saw the return address my step quickened toward the house to reveal its mystery. I still had kitties to feed and had already stalled the 'inside critters' with stories that their canine breakfast would soon arrive.

Ms. Kitty and Tiny were the only ones that showed up for the buffet today and yesterday which is both good and bad. Jack has been missing meals for a couple of days now. He's a seasoned tom cat who knows his way around, but there are the local yokels who like to do burn outs on the back roads out here.



Ms. Kitty

Just another day in paradise here in the country. As the build next door continues slowly but ever pleasing in its beauty against the revised landscape of the setting sun.

Another one sinks into the watery lake and day is done.

PegCole's Test Kitchen: Pumpkin Pie Cake

With the change to cooler weather the desire to start baking kicks in at my house.  I love a recipe that starts out with a yellow cake mix and adds pumpkin puree. The feed from Hub Pages this morning, showed this delicious recipe for Pumpkin Pie Cake or Pumpkin Smash.

After a quick comment to the author I headed straight into the kitchen and made this dessert following this well explained and beautiful recipe which combines two of my favorite things: cinnamon and eggs, into an aromatic pan of irresistible goodness. The recipe showed quality photos that illustrated special tips like what to look for when testing to see if it is done

Go ahead and enjoy it with absolutely NO calories (virtual version only). Yes, it is as good as it looks.

Here's the recipe link: The Best Pumpkin Pie Cake Recipe, Easy Pumpkin Smash by Natashalh on Hub Pages. I give it a Yum Rating of 5.


Here's how mine came out and my variations from the recipe:

The recipe calls for a 16 oz can of pumpkin puree but mine was just 15 ounces. The manufacturers must have changed the packaging quantity but the pumpkin pie cake turned out just fine all the same!

I had a glass baking dish that measured more like 16 x 9" (rather than the recommended 13 x 11" baking dish) which seemed to make very little difference.

Rather than use a medium sized mixing bowl to puree the pumpkin combination, I just used my immersion blender right in the saucepan in which I would bring the mixture to a boil.

 Then it went over medium heat where it slowly came to a boil.

And the rest is in the recipe. It was my first time to make a "dump cake" but it won't be my last. Easy and delicious. Pour the base into the greased glass baking pan.

Sprinkle the box cake mix over this base and

Then spread the melted butter over the dry mix and put it in to bake.

For 50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Try to let it cool a bit before serving.

Just a bit, if you can.

Yum.