Arkansas trip

This past week, my mom & I traveled to Harrison, Arkansas to visit Rex & Norma Brazell, some long-time friends of our family.  Rex Brazell ranked among the TOP on my dad's "friend list".  They were cattle partners for many years.  Riding across their pastures in Boone County was one of Daddy's favorite pastimes.  I enjoyed many such rides over the years.  It is always a little bittersweet to go back & visit the old places we had shared together.  I cherish the rides (horseback & in the pick-up) counting, checking on & feeding the cattle with Rex.  It gives me an opportunity to revisit memories & feel my dad's very presence in a place he loved.  It always seems to bring a tear to my eyes, but also makes me smile at the same time.  Here are a couple of pictures......the first is of Bud, one of Daddy's horses that Rex now owns & uses......the second is of me with Rex's horse that I got to ride on one of our morning rides......the third is of a baby calf hiding under a tree that was broken off in a recent ice storm.  Good times with good friends!!

Making progress....

The concrete slab for our house addition was poured on Friday, March 6.  Saturday we had rain in the forecast.  It started raining Monday & rained most of the week.  We didn't want lumber to be delivered & sitting in the rain, so we savored the rain & didn't complain about losing a week of work on the house project.  

Monday AM the lumber was delivered & the framers got started.  They've made great progress. Look at the pictures in the slideshow a couple of postings down to see what's happening.

Cowtown '09

Today several of my friends ran.....walked....participated in some way.....in the Cowtown '09 half marathon.  It was big fun.....would've been a little more fun if the wind hadn't been blowing 100 mph (well......perhaps that's a little bit of an exaggeration.......but not much!).  We all finished & that was the goal.  Here is a picture of the Acton Elementary group of us that caravanned over EARLY this AM.

About seven years ago, we built a barn with living quarters in it.  We have loved living here.  Today we started a project of adding on a sitting room, dining room & enlarging our kitchen.  The dirt work was completed today & they'll start doing concrete work the first of next week.  Here are some of the before & during pictures.  We'll look forward to posting some of the "after" pictures in a couple of months.  :)

BEAUTIFUL DAY!

WOW......talk about extreme opposites.  Today was a beautiful spring-like day.  We enjoyed being outside in the 70+ degree weather.  We saw 5 geese down by the tank yesterday.  Today there were only 3 & we watched them fly away as we were heading down to the arena.

Ice and Snow

It started sleeting last night about 8.  This is what we woke up to see this AM.  Classic Chevrolet is open, so Tommy had to get up & go to work EARLY this AM.  Granbury ISD is CLOSED for the day.....so I'm enjoying a day on the couch with a blanket & a book.  LOVE IT!

Quick trip to Colorado

Cori & I left Monday for Colorado with our friend, Margaret Sawyer, to see John & Nancie.  We drove Monday......spent the day Tuesday just looking around Colorado Springs........skied in Breckenridge  Wednesday (I'll post a couple of pictures)........went to Stokely, Kaori & Jake Sawyer's house in Denver to spend New Year's Day......then drove home Friday.  A good time was had by all!!