Heavenly Retreat

Heavenly Retreat up around Cushing, Texas. Had occasion to visit, it was truly a retreat from the events transpiring.

There are a number bluebird houses along the fence around the house. And you can watch all kinds of birds at the feeders.

Feeding the cows on a foggy morning.

Collard, Mustard, and ? greens, spinach, and onions in the winter garden.

Lucky the red cow with her offspring Oreo. Both have white on head. Lucky is the last cow from Winedale farm which were all red. She is getting old but still doing ok. White on face resembles inverted question mark - so somehow that gave rise to the name Lucky.

Birdhouses

Converted from ag to wildlife exemption this year - built 13 of these birdhouses for eastern bluebirds (some other kinds also). The stove pipe is supposed to keep varmints out. Off in the distance a few more are visible.  Hopefully they will turn grey and blend in before very long.

It's been foggy in the mornings lately. Spider webs catch the fog on the cactus.

Chili Piquin

in the right conditions these little beauties grow wild under the trees. With just the little rain we've had, 2012 was a good year, some years I don't see any. they are somewhat hot. also called bird peppers? If they are not picked soon they will all disappear, have never seen it but think birds eat them.

Hickory

Hickory tree catching the setting sun with moon.

This time of year there are many hickory nuts under these trees. Some creature breaks them open and eats them, a lot of work.

Adios Tree

Daddy-o planted this tree maybe 40+ yrs ago. It may be a white oak or water oak - not a live oak. It was one of a number of trees here that didn' t make it through the drought and one that I was particularly sorry to see go.

Dug around it and cut off the surface roots, took some doing...

Pulled it over w the tractor. All this took a number of days and many tries.

Now will cut it up for firewood and Jimmy using his tractor and chipper will mulch branches that we don't use for firewood. The mulch will go on walkways, around Bro's trees, and in the garden. Don't know how much mulch to expect.

 View without the tree.

Used all the mulch for a walkway. Didn't make a huge amount.

Paris

Notre Dame de Paris
truly celestial choral music, Sunday 10/7/2012
w Bro Mark, Matt, Carrie, Ethan.

Rome

down the Appian Way for Bro's birthday
- be careful, it's very hard to return.