Now It's Serious Business!!

At first we were nice to the deer by ignorning them even though they were eating okra leaves. Then they continued eating all the leaves and progressed to the pods of okra and just left the stalks bare. We put fishing line up hoping to discourage them so they would stop coming. That didn't work!! Nibbling on the young corn plants and tops of green bean plants made us decide to "get serious". We put up an electric wire around the okra (the leaves are trying to come out again), corn and green beans. Hopefully, they will decide to go where the hunters are putting out deer corn for their meals and leave our fall garden alone!

Putting an electric fence holder on the post


The electric wire holder


Mel putting the wire in the holder

Our New Babies

Yesterday after seeing Mama Kitty we thought the kittens had been born, but we had not seen any place that she seemed to want to go to, nor did she want to stay in the barn when we were ready to lock it up. That gave us a clue they were not in the barn because in the past she would want to stay in the barn if the babies were there.
Well, this morning when Mel was at the barn, here came Mama Kitty with the babies one at a time and put them on a shelf under the cabinet. She had put her kittens in the same location this past spring.
We have 1 black and white, 1 solid black and 1 dark gray, almost black. 3 more to add to our "barn crew of cats" which totals 8 now.
The yellow container where she put the kittens had nails so I put an old shirt on top of the nails to make it soft for the babies.
Late this afternoon I went to the barn to check on them and she had moved them to a feed sack. I don't understand her reasoning, but I'm sure it seems to work for her!

The new arrivals


Their first home


Their second home in one day - Mama Kitty going into the feed sack where the kittens had been moved to

Grammy's List of Dogs

Grammy had Spanky for several years. His hind legs were paralyzed and so she had him put down so he was not in pain. While the kids were here she had Melodi, Jacob and Mat go to PAWS with her to get a dog. They found a sweet female, Maddie. She
kept her a few days and decided that would not work out. Julia brought one of her dogs over and it did not stay. Last Friday Grammy got a basset hound from neighbors north of here. Sunday it got to go back home. She has had a hard time finding the right dog. As of yesterday she told me, "If I say I want another dog, you are to tell me NO!" Right now she just has her "cat crop" and that is all she thinks she needs.

Day Three

Wednesday morning we woke up to rain. Boy, was that nice! We hoped that it had rained at home. As we drove back to Oklahoma we kept wondering if it had rained at Roff. We think we did have a few drops but that was all; however, the weather was cooler and very pleasant.
We had a fun time in Texas, but as always it was good to be back on the farm.

Our Second Rangers' Game

A cool front came through Arlington so Mel and I walked to the game. Mel thought we needed to look "authentic baseball" so we bought these Hamilton shirts.
The Golden Knights, an elite group of Army parachuters performed before the game. One became tangled in the flagpole, fortunately he was not hurt! Also 30 new recruits were sworn in before the game.
About midway through the game our stomachs got the best of us and we had supreme nachos - nachos with everything on them. Since they are easier to eat at a table, we found one at the back of the ballpark and began eating. Would you believe the most exciting parts of the game occurred during our "nacho break" and we could not see easily what happened but we could sure hear it! Here is what happened: Hamilton hit a home run; Blanco hit a double; and Molina hit a double. The Rangers won again 4 to 3.

In our Hamilton shirts - "Ballgame ready"



Our self-portrait at the game

The Golden Knights performance

Back to the Train

With our tummies full and the weather hot, it was time to head back to our room. The train arrived at 1:16 p.m. but did not leave until 1:50 we were able to board early and wait in the comfortable seats in air-conditioned comfort. What a deal!
A nice man stopped to ask if he had the correct ticket to go to CentrePort Station, the same as ours and he did. After visiting for a while we found out he was retired Air Force, Intelligence, and had been stationed at Weisbaden for 5 years. He had many interesting stories to tell so the ride back went by quickly.

Waiting for the train


The train arrives


Mel reading the newspaper on the train

Lunch at the "West End" of Dallas

The West End of Dallas is a historic district. Old warehouses have been converted to restaurants and stores, similar to Bricktown in OKC. Only a couple of blocks from the museum, we decided that
we could find a good place to eat in that area. I selected RJ Mexican Restaurant and it was a good choice! The food was delicious! After looking around part of the West End it was time to start back to the train station.



The Mexican Restaurant


Part of the West End Area

The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza

The assassination of President John F. Kennedy brings back memories for Mel and myself. Both were in the 8th grade when this happened. Mel was in school in Roff and one of his teachers, Mrs. Heron, came back from lunch and told the class. I was in Hickory School. Elmer Gerth was my teacher as well as the principal. His wife, Betty, came to the door of the classroom and told us. Monday, school was cancelled because of the funeral.
So many theories of what really happened, the lone gunman or conspiracies - we will never know. All of this still capivates the mind.

Mel at the entrance to the Musem


The famous "Grassy Knoll"


"X" on the street where the first bullet struck President Kennedy


Having iced tea at Museum Cafe across the street


Enjoying the iced tea

Downtown Dallas

We looked around downtown Dallas. Here are a few of the sights we saw:

Union Train Station


School Book Depository Building (now known as The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza)


Old Red Museum (the original courthouse for Dallas)


Famous

Our Train Ride in Texas Beginning of Day Two

After checking Mel and I found out that the Trinity Rail Train ran from Ft. Worth to Dallas and the stop, CentrePort Station, was close to Arlington and the DFW Airport. After parking the car it was now time to purchase our tickets from a vending machine. Believe it or not we were successful and then waited for the train on the platform. The experience of riding trains in Germany gave us confidence that we could easily do this in the Texas. At least the language was English! The train system was great! Our ride on the train to our stop in downtown Dallas at Union Station was very pleasant.

Where we boarded the train to Dallas


Mel ready to purchase our tickets


Our Tickets for the

Our Trip to Texas - Day One

Mel and I decided we would go see 2 Texas Ranger games. The Minnesota Twins were in Arlington for a 4 game series. Our tickets were for Monday, the 23rd and Tuesday, the 24th.
The weather was HOT - 107 degrees which tied the record high for that date. We checked into the Holiday Inn express on Randol Mill Road and is within walking distance to the Ballpark.
After checking in we decided to go to the huge Walmart across from the Cowboy Stadium and browse. We bought snack items, then headed back to the room. On our way to the hotel, we stopped by the tourist bureau across from the Ballpark to check out information about things to see and do in Dallas.
Time to go to the Ballpark but instead of walking we decided to ride the trolley because of the heat.
On TV and the Rangers' Website were ads about "all you can eat buffet" with ticket purchase. The buffet had nachos, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, peanuts, popcorn and soft drinks. We had bought these tickets for the Monday night game to give it a try. Black bracelets were put on our arms to show those were the tickets we had. After eating and becoming full, we settled in for a great game.
At the start of the game at 7:05 the temp was 100 degrees. By the end of the game it had cooled down to 97.
The Rangers won 4 to 0!

Holiday Inn Express


Mel enjoying hot dogs and nachos


Our black bracelets

Our "Little Helper"

Our "little helper" on the farm was climbing on the tomato cage when I was picking tomatoes. He has to be in the middle of everything that Mel or I do. He amuses us with his antics.

Fishing Line for Deer???

No, we have not lost our senses or not angling for deer. I read in a gardening magazine that deer have a hard time seeing fishing line strung and they do not like it. We are going to try this remedy to prevent our invaders, the deer, from eating our garden.



Mel is tying the fishing line around the highline post and then around the posts at the end of the garden, We'll see if this will "outsmart" the deer.

Replanting Green Beans

We don't know if it is the hot dry weather, deer, raccoons or all of the above but our "stand" of green beans is almost null. After soaking our seed overnight, I replanted them again today and we will try again!

A Day in OKC

Yesterday was a day in OKC for Mel and I. He had lunch at Flip's with his former co-workers, all former - President of FB, Senior VP of Sales, and the CEO. They usually meet once a month to "catch up on things". I enjoyed lunch with Amberlea and Jett at Panera Bread. It was his first day of school and he only had to go half a day. After lunch, Am, Jett and I shopped at Hobby Lobby. Since Am needed to leave for her car appointment, I went to Target for a few groceries before heading out to Pick up Mel. We had a nice day in the "Big City" but it was nice as always to get back on the farm!

Amberlea and Jett enjoying lunch

Our Anniversary

It's hard to believe that Mel and I have been married 39 years today. How blessed I am to have a loving, caring, creative, and witty mate. He is the love of my life and best friend!
We enjoyed a wonderful day on the farm. Our anniversary meal included steaks cooked on our new grill, fried okra, potatoes and onions cooked on the grill, fresh tomatoes and hot rolls. We think home cooking is hard to beat!

Cakes for the Senior Citizens

Since the cook for the Senior Citizens was on vacation, several of the women volunteered to prepare the noon meal. Grammy selected yesterday and the Friday before. Brown beans, cornbread and fried potatoes were on her menu. I volunteered to make cakes for her for those 2 days. The first Friday I made carrot cakes and yesterday I made chocolate cakes with fudge icing. According to Grammy, they bragged on the delicious cakes.

The New Grill

Mel and I decided we needed a new grill after our old one seemed to be on fire last Saturday when Mitch was getting ready to grill steak for us. Safety was a big concern so we went to Plan B which was the charcoal grill.
Yesterday Mel and I went grill shopping. We found one that had the features we wanted so we took it home to assemble. With me reading the directions and Mel doing the assembly, we easily put the grill together in the comfort of our living room. With the temp being 103 degrees outside was not where we wanted to work (and sweat).




What a beauty! The new grill as well as the handsome man with it!

Garden Bounty

One advantage of being in the country is the ability to have a garden (if you want to do the work). Our garden has and is providing us with delicious food. Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, radishes, tomatoes, okra, corn, squash and peppers are what we have enjoyed. I have canned tomatoes to use in soup this winter and peppers to add zest to recipes; made cinnamon pickles and dill pickles; frozen corn, okra, and squash.
Hopefully our fall garden attempt will produce peas, green beans, more corn, tomatoes, peppers, spinach and lettuce.
One problem we are experiencing right now is the deer have found our okra and are eating the leaves off the stalks. They have nibbled on the pepper plants and now seem to be enjoying more of our garden. It may be that we see who wins out, the deer or us!!

Cinnamon Pickles

Several years ago I would make cinnamon pickles. This summer I made them again. The cucumbers need to be large and beginning to turn yellow and the process takes 4 days from start to finish. It's not hard just takes time.

Here is the recipe for CINNAMON PICKLES:
1 gallon cucumber pieces
1 cup lime
4 1/4 quarts water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 bottle red food coloring
1/2 Tablespoon alum

Use cucumbers that have begun to turn yellow. Peel, slice, and remove seeds. Dissolve lime in water. Put cucumber pieces in lime water and let sand 24 hours. Drain, cover with cold water and soak 3 hours. Drain. Add vinegar, food coloring and alum; finish covering with water. Heat and simmer 2 hours; then drain. Make a syrup as follows:

SYRUP
5 cups sugar
1 package red candy red hots
1 cup vinegar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 cup water

Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil. Pour over cucumber pieces. Close tightly and let stand overnight. For three consecutive days, drain syrup into a pan; heat and pour back over the pieces. The fourth morning heat pieces and syrup, and bring to a boil. Pack into jars and seal by processing 5 minutes in a boiling waterbath. Makes 6 pints.

When Melodi and Amberlea were small they loved these, especially Amberlea. I could not put them on the table before we ate or she would

Fun Activities for the Grandkids

While the grandkids were visiting, we did some fun things in the afternoon. They included playing various Bingo games for candy and money, painting sun catchers, playing with modeling clay, and doing mosiac tiles.

Activities for the HOT Days

What do you do when the temps are 100+ outside? Working outside is not our choice when it is so hot. So, here are some of the things we do on the farm: scout out things on the computer, blog, watch baseball and movies, read, do Bible study, embrodery and craft things. A nap in the afternoon is always refreshing as well.