Let all that seek Thee rejoice and and be glad in Thee.

Psalm 40:16

The Ranch

Here are a few pictures of the land we recently bought. It has lots of old oak trees, which attracts the deer.



Some cedar and brush. Places we can put food plots in for the deer.



Here's where we're going to put in some RV sites. Hopefully we'll put a small cabin or lodge in eventually. This place has a lot of history to it. I'm trying to do some research on it. Buffalo Jump is next to our place. It's where the Indians ran the buffalo off a cliff to kill them. There are lots of arrowheads on the land.



This is Tennant Hollow. Again, a lot of history here. I can't wait to do some research on it all.



And we have one of these. You can't have land in Texas and not have one of these. Sadly, though, we don't have the mineral rights. Oh, well. But............

we do have the wind rights, and there are these all around us!!!! At 3,000 a month, I think I would rather have three or four of these on my land.

On a hill far away, stood an old rugged cross,

The emblem of suff'ring and shame;

And I love that old cross where the dearest and best

For a world of lost sinners was slain.

(Chorus)

So I'll cherish the rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down'

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.

Oh, that old rugged cross so despised by the world

Has a wondrous attraction for me;

For the dear Lamb of God left his glory above,

To bear it to dark Calvary.

(Chorus)

In the old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine,

A wondrous beauty I see;

For 'twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,

To pardon and sanctify me.

(Chorus)

To the old rugged cross I will ever be true,

Its shame and reproach gladly bear;

Then he'll call me some day to my home far away,

Where his glory forever I'll share.

Busy Bees

Well, I haven't seen many birds, but I sure do have the bees! They are everywhere! The pink hawthornes are in full bloom and my Pride of Houston yaupon trees are full of berries, so the bees are loving it!!!! I tried to get a close up, but guess I'm just going to have to invest in a macro lens to get a really good picture. Hmmm, I think I'll have to check that out.

Jennifer's high school friend, Emily, gave this rose bush to me when she stayed with us one weekend. It's from Tyler, but I can't seem to remember what the name of the bush is. Anyway, it has blooms all over it. I was in a hurry (being swarmed by bees will do that to you) and I didn't get a very good picture, but this gives you an idea of all the blooms. There are buds all over just waiting to bloom. Maybe I can get some better pictures.

Here's a close up of one of the flowers. They're small, but very pretty. Just like velvet! Like I said, I may have to invest in a new camera lens. Guess I had better go do some research on Canon macro lens. And maybe a few filters. And maybe a few........ The list could go on and on! Guess I'll just have to be happy with what I have.

Feeding the Birds

Yesterday I bought some of this:




This:



This:




And this to put everything in.




The nut and fruit blend should attract cardinals, blue birds, mockingbirds and nut hatches. The finch food should attract, well, finches, of course! And the peanut treat suet is for all the birds. Mike's a little upset because we already have mockingbirds and they're just a little mean. I may decide not to feed them as much and try to attract more finches. I also put out my hummingbird feeder because I've already had hummingbirds coming to the window and wondering where their food is.



I'm hoping to be able to get some good pictures like these:




These were taken by Mary over at Little Red House. She takes some of the best pictures!! I play around with my camera and every now and then I get a pretty good picture. Here's one I took of a hummingbird in my front yard a couple of years ago.



Now if only the birds will come and visit me!!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4: 4-7

True Friendship

Today I received another notice of a donation being made to the Comanche Public Library in memory of my mother. This time a letter was enclosed with the note. Margaret, the librarian had received it with the donation and thought we would enjoy reading it. I did! The donation was from my dearest, life-long, friend, the other Cindy. We were known as the two Cindy's, and as Cindy said, "what a pair we were"! Oh, did we ever have fun back then. We knew every little secret about each other. And talk!!!!! Her father could never understand how come we had soooo much to say to each other on the phone after we had been together all day. Before we left for our separate colleges, yes, the two inseparable Cindy's had chosen different colleges! Anyway, before we left, we made a mexican dinner for our parents. We worked all day on that meal. Made with our very own hands! Looking back, we didn't have a whole lot of cooking experience, so I'm not sure how edible it was. But, our parents thought it was fantastic because, after all, that's what parents say! We even made homemade pralines. Here's a picture taken after the meal. That's my mother on the far left, Cindy, Cindy's mom, Betty and her dad, Jim. Remember, this was the early 70's, so the photo quality isn't the best.



Here's Cindy with her mother. I've got a picture like this of me and my mother, but couldn't find it. Betty was like a second mom to me. Cindy and I were either at her house or at mine, very seldom were we apart. She lived so far out in the country that when we were in school with all our activities, it was often easier for her to stay with me.



This picture was taken in front of Cindy's house. Notice the wide open space!!! Not a house for miles.




Now, you want to hear something funny??? Cindy, who was raised in the country with all the fresh air and space, now lives in Houston! Oh, she might tell you that she lives in a small little town just outside of Houston, but that would be close to a lie. She lives in the hustle and bustle of a big town with all the traffic and road construction of a constantly growing city. And me, well, I've finally moved to the country. And on top of that, we just bought 100 acres farther away from town. Maybe someday I'll finally have that nice little farm I've always wanted.

Mother passed away three weeks ago on March 14. She was the greatest mother and inspiration to us all. Jennifer gave such a beautiful eulogy at the funeral. What she wrote and said about mother was so true. Please take a moment and go over and read her post. We are going to miss a beautiful and wonderful woman.