Sunday, March 31, 2013

Lightning And Thundering!

Today has been great. After we did our chores this morning we rushed to Kerrville to buy groceries for The Ice Man's empty freezer or at least we thought so. When we arrived at our favorite H-E-B store, on Main Street, the parking lot was empty. So we drove to their cupboard store, on 16 and it too was closed for Easter.

We were disappointed and we laughed about we should have known better, since it was Easter. Then we returned to the ranch with empty shopping bags and an empty freezer, if you don't count ice cubes.

After returning a few phone calls I sat down at my laptop and worked on a slide show to hopefully promote my first novella, The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive, Part I. I included several pictures of my friends that allowed me the use of their names, that I turned into quirky characters and used many props. Because I didn't have pictures of all of all of my friends/characters to use, you'll just have to guess who is who.

When I liked what I saw, I added Brandon's 5-track music that he alone composed and played, that he named, The Cowgirl Sisterhood Theme Song. Originally I was going to play guitar with him playing the mandolin and the ukulele, but when I heard him play his guitar I backed out and recommended that he play the guitar, because he is such a better musician than me. And after he re-recorded the tracks we are both glad that we made the changes, because his newest version is so much better than ours was.

I've added the novella slide show to the top of my sidebar and I hope that you will enjoy watching it and listening to Brandon's music.

As soon as I had completed the slide show it got dark outside and started lightning and thundering, so I had to unplug everything. Then it started raining real hard and then it started hailing. The much needed thunderstorm lasted for about two hours and I am proud to say, "We got 3/4 inch of rain and pea-sized hail."

When clear skies returned, I posted the slide show and that is about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!


Saturday, March 30, 2013

Russ' Parrot Stolen!

This morning I received an e-mail from Little Jewford about our friend, Russ' beautiful Macaw parrot being stolen, in Miami. The parrot's name is Kinky and he has been Russ' lifelong companion and he is the love of his life. Kinky, Tony and I love this parrot and we are sick about him being stolen.

Here's a link to the story: Russ' parrot. And here are two pictures of Kinky the parrot.



Please spread the word, so we can help Russ get his beloved parrot back.

Friday, March 29, 2013

The Ice Man Liveth!

Today has been great. This morning our super volunteers aka friends came out to walk our dogs and while they were busy making our dogs happy, I jumped into Trigger and went over to the Lodge, because Kinky wanted to talk to me before leaving on his thirty-day, back-to-back European Bi-Polar Tour.

After a short visit with Kinky I returned to the rescue ranch and checked Carlton's messages. "Hello, Nancy. This is Tucker and we're...." I immediately called our good friend Tucker, that Rick, "The Friendly Lighthouse Keeper," had introduced us to last year. Then I called Kinky.

"Kinky, Tucker just called and he is coming to see us...and he is bringing his friend, because his friend is thinking about adopting one of our dogs." Then I went outside and Jim introduced me to his son, Mike, who was visiting him and his wife. Then I found Eileen and Suzanne and went on a dog walk with them, which was a lot of fun.

When we got back and they had returned Red Skelton and Lulu to their pen, Tucker arrived. After howdies and hugs and then being introduced to his friend James and James' grandson, Charlie, Tony and I gave them a tour of the rescue ranch. And the good news is, in a couple of weeks James is going to come out and adopt one of our super sweet Pit Bulls!

After a fun lunch in Medina, at the Apple Cider Store, with the volunteers, Brandon, Tucker, James and Charlie we returned to the rescue ranch. Because Tony needed to take care of few things, Brandon took a break, so he and I could record his song, The Cowgirl Sisterhood Theme Song, for a video  that I am making to help promote my first novella and future novellas. When I told Brandon that I was going to give him credit at the end of the two minute video, "Song by Brandon and performed by Brandon and Nancy." He was thrilled.

Then he said, "No. Use, Song by Bama and performed by Bama and Cousin Nancy." So I agreed to use his nickname, since he is from Alabama. Then we went into my writing cabin and played his song until we had three good tracks to mix. Then we were interrupted by Tony and our recording session abruptly ended, because The Ice Man, our refrigerator's freezer had had a total melt down. Everything inside the freezer had melted and had to be thrown away.

Brandon helped Tony pull The Ice Man out into the middle of the kitchen and then he and Tony got busy cleaning the coils. It took them about thirty minutes.


Then Tony plugged The Ice Man in and they pushed him back into place. While I was putting everything back on top of The Ice Man, Tony went over to talk to Kinky. When I was done, Brandon and I went back out to my writing cabin aka The No Budget Recording Studio, to work on the tracks. 

Forty minutes later, Tony walked inside my pink cabin with some good news to share, "We have eight ice cubes! We don't have to buy a new refrigerator, thank goodness."

I was thrilled about it and said, "The Ice Man Liveth!" And that is about it for tonight. Hopefully, this weekend I can find the time to work on my second novella.

Y'all have a great evening!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Best Friends!

Today has been great. This afternoon, before we met Kris for lunch at El Sol de Mexico, our favorite Mexican food restaurant, in Kerrville, we went to the Melody Corner Music Center. "Stan the Music Man" is the owner of the cool music store and he is good friends with Kinky and us. I took my mandolin to him, so he could put some new strings on it and check out a sound problem it has developed, because it is over twenty years old. While he checked it out and fixed it for me and restrung it, we had a fun visit with him.

Lunch with Kris was a blast and we wished that her husband, The Mineral Man could have joined us. As always, Kris and I ordered their #26 and Tony ordered their #27 and our lunch was totally delicious.

When we got back to the rescue ranch, Kinky called me. "Nance, Little Jewford is over here and you and Tony need to come over."

"I'd love to see Little Jewford, but Tony is at the Medina Ace Hardware store right now. I'll be over there in just a minute."

Little Jewford is one of the funniest men that I know and every time that we get together he and I get to cutting up and joking and laughing about life and today was no different. The three of us sat outside on Kinky's front porch, with The Friedmans and we did so much laughing my back is aching as I type this.

I gave him a signed copy of my first novella, The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive, Part I and he was thrilled to know that I am writing fiction, novella cliffhangers. He teased me and told me that he could not wait to read it and that he planned to read it as he drove himself back to Austin tonight. Anyway, it was great seeing Little Jewford and catching up with him and visiting with Kinky.

Before I finish writing tonight, I spoke to Wendi, a dear friend of ours, who works at the famous Best Friends Animal Society, in Kanab, Utah. They are trying to get the word out about Texas House Bill 2981. Kinky, Tony and I love Best Friends and admire their work and we want to help them help our Texas Dogs. The House Bill 2981 is supposed to be voted on early next week. So please take the time to read what they sent us below and check out Best Friends site concerning this important bill. They wrote:

"Fellow Texans, Lone Star pets need your help. Please ask your state representative to support House Bill 2981, the Tax Saving Pet Adoption, Sterilization, and Transfer Act, which encourages government animal shelters and rescue groups to work together to save the lives of our pets. Remember, politics is not a spectator sport. So speak up for House Bill 2981. Check it out at Best Friends."

I hope that you can help get this Bill passed and that is about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Attachments!

Today has turned out to be great, even though the last couple of days have been pretty hectic, because of it being FMT (Full Moon Time).

The best thing about yesterday was receiving the adorable magnet that my dear friend, Mari, mailed to me. I love it and it's on our refrigerator as I type this. Here is a picture of it on our kitchen table.


The reason that I didn't write anything at all last night was because Tony needed my help to show him how to make a slide show of his beautiful nature pictures, for the Riverside Nature Center, in Kerrville. And we had a lot of fun working on it.

This morning I did the Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch segment on Big G's popular morning radio show and it was a lot of fun, too. His Pet of the Week was Buffalo Gal aka Buffy.

After that, Kinky called me from the airport to talk to me about his sweet dog, Sophie, because she has been staying at Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic since last Thursday, because she had been throwing up and not feeling well. The good news is, she and Kinky will both be back at the ranch by the time I finish writing this. 

This morning it was pretty chilly outside while Tony and I did our chores and when I came inside to check my e-mail, a dear friend of Kinky's and mine had asked me to please print out something for Kinky, which is no big deal, because I do that quite often for Kinky.

I thought that it would only take a minute or two to print it out, but our friend had sent it in a language that neither my Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat, Microsoft Word, Pages could open. When I tried to open the attachment up using Numbers, it opened but was the size of 36" x 22". Determined to resize it, I spent over one hour, because I've never used the Numbers software before and the end result was I could not figure out how to do it. So, to say the least, "I was more than frustrated with myself for not being able to print it.

About that time Tone walked inside The Cabin and happily says, "I want to treat you to lunch. We'll go anywhere you want to eat." I took a deep breath. "Are you okay?" I counted to ten as I shook my head sideways.

After I explained my frustration and being mad about wasting so much time this morning, I finally said, "Let's go. I really need to take a break and another Aspirin." Before we left I sent our friend a brief e-mail confessing that I could not open their attachment and was sorry for being so stupid. Then we left The Cabin.

We ate lunch at the Highway 16 Cafe, in Medina and it was delicious. We had a fun visit with Tony's older brother Sam, as we ate the cafe's daily Special, which was Spaghetti, dinner salad and carrot cake.

When we got back home I was in a better frame of mind. When I checked my e-mail, our friend had sent me a sweet note and had also resent the attachment in another, easier format—.gif. When I tried to open the attachment I got the same results that I had earlier and I could feel the frustration coming back, so I sent our friend another note about not being able to open it.

Minutes later I received an e-mail with it copied & pasted into the e-mail and a few minutes later, it was printed and ready for me to take over to Kinky's Lodge.

I wrote this earlier today, because of the effects that FMT has on me. I also wrote it earlier today, so that I can hopefully get some more writing done in my novella, Part II, A Death In New Mexico, so that is about it for today.

Y'all have a great evening!

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Brittany and Brian!

Today has been great, but tonight's post is going to be short. This afternoon after lunch, Brandon and I took an hour off, so we could do some pickin' and grinnin'. It was a lot of fun playing my guitar with Brandon playing the lead on his ukulele. We came up with four different chord progressions for me to finger pick, while he turned them into songs and when Tony returned from Kerrville—he was really impressed and that made us feel good, because we liked our music, too.

When it was time for Brandon to help Tony outside, I checked our mail that Tony had dropped on the kitchen table for me. When I read the super sweet card and letter that Brittany wrote to Tony and me, about how much fun she and her husband Brian had at our rescue ranch—it literally made my day, because a few weeks ago, they actually flew down here, from New Hampshire, just to meet us and tour our rescue ranch. So, I want to say to them, "We loved meeting, y'all and please come visit us sooner than later or move here!" Here's a picture of the cute "Fetch" card, which I am going to save.


Late this afternoon, when Brandon was off of our time clock, he and I grabbed our guitar and uke again and we played music for another hour. We had so much fun and not to brag, we really did sound pretty good, thanks to Brandon. And that is why this is a short blog and I'm ending this, because my left hand finger tips are killing me when I type, even though playing music with Brandon today was worth it.

Y'all have a great evening!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Koyote Kafe!

Today has been great. This morning our friends/volunteers came out to walk our dogs for us. Jim and his sweet sister-in-law, Ruth, arrived first. Then Jim & Kris arrived and a few minutes later Eileen and her friend Suzanne arrived, right before June and Ellen pulled in.

When all of the dogs were walked, all of us went up to Koyote Ranch to eat lunch together and Tony and I had a blast visiting with them.

When we got back home I went over to Kinky's Lodge to meet his friend James Walsh. After I had a short visit with them James came over to the rescue ranch, because he was anxious to see it.

Tone and I gave him the grand tour. First we went into The Okay Corral, where we showed him Tony's No Whiner Diner, then we went into The Bunkhouse, which is my pink writing cabin. Then we went into Outer Space, The Cabin and then we went and introduced him to all of our rescue ranch dogs. To say the least, "He loved everything, especially our dogs."

Around 6:00, we met Kinky and Kent Perkins, at Koyote Ranch, because our friend wanted to treat all of us to dinner, so we could catch up with each others news. The Koyote Kafe was packed with bikers, because it is one of the Harley Davidson owners favorite place to stay when visiting the Texas Hill Country.

We ate their famous Catfish Buffet and all of us thought it was delicious. Kent and I decided to have their blackberry cobbler for dessert and it was delicious, too.

We got home a few minutes ago and tonight I plan to write, so that is about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Adios Mercury!

Today has been great. This afternoon we met our friends Kris & The Mineral Man for lunch at all of ours favorite Mexican food restaurant—El Sol de Mexico. We got there first and when we walked inside we saw our good friend, Fourth, sitting at a table with his friend, so we decided to sit at the table right next to them so we could visit.

While we were visiting with Fourth, Kris and Jim walked into the crowded restaurant and I waved at them. When they got to our table I said, "Guess what? Fourth's here, too." Then they said hello to Fourth and sat down.

"We have a gift for you, Nancy," Kris said. The other day, Jim and I were were on the Internet and when we saw this, it had your name written all over it, so we just had to buy it for you. Here." I took the pink box and looked at it and then all of us started laughing. "We also have some ammo for you, too." Then she handed me a sack of ammo and this is what they gave to me!


I loved my pink Marshmallow shooter and could not wait to try it out! "It says for ages 6 years and up," I said, followed by a laugh. "Then it is definitely for me and it shoots mini marshmallows 30 feet. And says do not eat marshmallows after shooting."

As always our lunch, with them, was a lot of fun. When we started talking about the popular TV, hit series, Duck Dynasty, that they and Tony watch, we could not quit laughing when we started trading hilarious stories about squirrels, alligators, etc. Jim's beaver story was so outrageously funny it made my back start to ache, because I was laughing so hard.

When Trigger returned us to the rescue ranch, I read the Marshmallow shooter's directions and then one-by-one I slowly loaded my new Marshmallow shooter with mini marshmallows. Then I returned a few phone calls and checked my e-mail.

When our friends Karon, Dalton, Elle and Natalia showed up, I took my loaded weapon outside, so I could show it off to them and they got a big laugh out of it, too. When I tried to shoot a mini-marshmallow at a nearby tree—nothing happened. So, Dalton reloaded my new shooter for me, while he and the girls ate my white, puffy bullets. Then I had fun shooting the marshmallows.

When I was nearly out of my first round of ammo the little marshmallows started melting, because it was hot outside, so I came inside and soaked my magazine tube in hot water. And I haven't reloaded it, because Tony told me to never leave my gun loaded. Here's a picture I took after cleaning the magazine.

After I had put up my shooter, my dear friend Sandy Wolfmueller called me. "Nancy, when is Mercury in retrograde end?"

"Let me check it out and I will call you right back." After I had checked it out I called Sandy right back. "M.I.R. ended on the 17th, but it will linger out and it will be totally over by the 24th, thank goodness..."

Early this evening, Kinky called me and invited me to come over for a visit, because both of us have been very busy since he returned to the ranch. While I was over there we sat on his front porch and talked about life in general and then we took The Friedmans for a short hike. And that is about it for tonight, because I need to write. But before I go, I must admit that I will sleep much better tonight, because of my Marshmallow shooter. "Thank you, Kris & Jim!"

Y'all have a great evening!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Mr. Peacock!

Today has been great. After we did our morning chores, Tony went to the Plant Haus to buy some tomato and pepper plants, while I stayed home to do some paperwork and return a few phone calls and e-mails.

Around 12:15, Sally, my dear eighty-four-years-old neighbor called. She told me that when she had checked her e-mail,  there was an e-mail from me and it didn't make any sense. "Sally, I didn't send you an e-mail, I promise. I think you should delete it. Years ago someone hijacked my e-mail account and they must be up to it again." Then she invited Tony and me to come over later this afternoon to visit with her and Gerri, her neighbor and our good friend.

As we drove over to Sally's, I told him about Sally receiving an e-mail supposedly from me. "Nancy, Nancy L. told me on Facebook that she had received an odd e-mail from you too."

When we arrived at Sally's she and her dogs came out to greet us and as we were walking towards the house we heard the strangest, loud screech and it made me jump. When we turned around to see what it was we saw a beautiful, white, male peacock. As Tony started taking pictures of it, Sally told us that it belonged to her neighbor. Then our friend Gerri pulled up. Here are two pictures that Tony took of the magnificent bird.



After Sally showed us her beautiful garden and some new landscaping we went to her deck for a visit, but before we started laughing, Sally showed me her handwritten copy of what was on the e-mail that she had deleted and it was weird. 

Supposedly, it was sent from me with five of my friends names, the subject was me and then it looked like a possible link to click, but I couldn't tell for sure, because of Sally's handwriting, followed by a bunch of random letters. So, if any of y'all have received that e-mail, please delete it, because I did not send it. 

Tony and I had a really fun visit with our friends. We caught up with each others latest news and we also laughed a lot. 

Please keep your fingers crossed for us tonight, because we might be getting some rain. And that is about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

P.S. This morning, The Mineral Man sent me the coolest, youtube ukelele video, performing the instrumental,  "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and it is awesome. I hope that y'all will check it out.

Sunday, March 17, 2013

Justin Gypsy!

Today has been great. This morning after we did our morning chores outside we got cleaned up and went to Kerrville to run three errands.

Our first stop was at H-E-B, on Main, to pick up a few groceries and fill up Buttermilk. Our next stop was at Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic to buy Advantix II for our rescued dogs, because the fleas and ticks are back. Our next stop was just down the road.

We went to Billy's Western Wear, so I could pick up my new pair of pink, Justin Gypsy cowgirl boots, that I had ordered last Thursday.


When we got back home we unpacked our groceries and then we went outside to put the Advantix II on our dogs. Right after we had started, our good friend Karon came out and she offered to help us by opening up the packages for us and giving us the right doses. "Be careful Karon, I have cut my finger twice opening up the protective foil covers," I said. 

Then to make our task go faster, Tony and I took off and he put the topical oil on dogs in one pen, while I was in another pen applying the flea and tick killer to dogs in another pen. When I went to do Rocky I accidentally let him get out of his pen after I had put the Advantix II on him.

It was a short rodeo thank goodness, thanks to Tony's and Karon's help. Within two minutes Tony had leashed Rocky and had him back in his pen. And thirty minutes later, we were done and Karon had cut her finger too I love Advantix II, because it is the best for killing fleas and ticks. Now, I cannot wait for it to kick in and start killing the fleas and ticks.

I am flxin' to do some more writing on my second novella, so that is about it for tonight.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Katelyn! I am fixin' to call you.

Y'all have a great evening!

Friday, March 15, 2013

Pat Symchych Totally Rocks!

Today has been great and so was last night. The reason that I didn't post last night was because Tony and I were over at Carol's ranch enjoying happy hour with our dear friends: Carol, Kris & Jim, Jimmy and Fourth. Everyone there has been a quirky character in my first novella, except for Jimmy aka Yibbibidy, because he is going to be one of the funniest fiction characters in my upcoming, Cowgirl Sisterhood: Part II, A Death In New Mexico. 

We sat out on her deck until dark-thirty, overlooking her beautiful spring fed lake and Tone and I had a total blast. We talked and laughed about so many different things, I know I could fill a page with all of the hilarious topics, but I won't because I plan to write tonight.

Today our friends/volunteers came out to walk our dogs for us and we loved it, but not as much as our dogs did. Jim brought his walking friend, Neina and Ruth, his visiting, fun-loving sister-in-law, with him. When all of our dogs had been walked Eileen, Lisa, Jim, Ruth, Neina, Ellen, Kris & Jim, The Mineral Man, Paul and Doug and us jumped into our vehicles and went to Koyote Ranch to eat lunch together. And of course, we had a great time with them.

I have some very exciting news to announce tonight about our Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch. It has been Pat Symchych's, our incredibly talented web master for our www.uptopiarescue.com and my big secret for about the last ten days, when Pat sent me an e-mail suggesting she redo and give a face lift to Utopia's dated web site—my reply was: "Yes! I can't wait!"

This morning our newly improved, www.utopiarescue.com was launched and it is so awesome I will never look back at the old one we had. Pat did an awesome job with it and Kinky, Tony and I love it so much and we can never thank her enough, especially since Pat did it all for free, as she always has done in the past. I hope that all of y'all will check it out, because you're going to love it and I promise that it will put a big smile on your faces. "Thank you, Pat! YOU TOTALLY ROCK and our rescue ranch salutes you!" And that is about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Hummingbird Competition!

Today has been great. This morning before Tony and I went outside to do our chores, I was nicely surprised, because a FedEx showed up with my one-hundred-twenty-five pot pie pans, because I wasn't expecting them to arrive until late this afternoon.


So, before we went outside, I grabbed a pretty green and white ribbon and made Carol, the other member of our exclusive cowgirl sisterhood, a hat. (If you haven't read my first novella you will not find the humor in this.) Anyway, as soon as I finished making it, Tony and I went over to Carol's to deliver it to her. When she saw it, she could not quit laughing. And she even asked me to take a picture of her wearing it, before we left to come back to the rescue ranch to do our morning chores. Here is Carol's custom hat, before we took it to her.


Late this afternoon, after doing a bunch of rescue ranch paperwork and returning several phone calls, I decided to become a card-carrying member of another kind of club. I went Online and signed up and became an official member of Costco. Even though I will never set foot in one of their many stores, because I don't do big cities, I can still save money and have my purchases shipped directly to me.

Later this afternoon, Tony walked inside The Cabin and said, "You need to call Kinky and tell him that I had one Hummingbird show up yesterday and three just showed up. in The Okay Corral." So, I called Kinky, as Tony stood nearby.

When I told Kink what T. had asked me to tell him, Kinky laughs and says, "Tell Tony that I am putting mine outside right now and tomorrow he will have no Hummingbirds."

When I told Tone what Kinky had said, he laughed and said, "Tell Kinky that I am going to put up fifty more Hummingbird feeders in the next few days." When I told Kinky that he started laughing.

"Tell Tone that The Hummingbird Competition has begun and I will definitely be the winner!" After we had quit laughing about it, we adios-ed each other.

Tonight I plan to make a few more pot-pie hats for my friends until I run out of ribbon and then I plan to write some more funny scenes in my, The Cowgirl Sisterhood: Part II: A Death In New Mexico, cliffhanger. 

Y'all have a great evening!

Sunday, March 10, 2013

Dunn Letter!

Today has been great. Tonight's post is going to be short, because I am working on my novella and am on a roll again writing it.

Two funny things have happened today that I want to share. First, after lunch I decided to take a short nap with my dogs, mainly so I could think about the next scene in my mystery novella. Mama, Roy, Belle and Beau joined me for my working-non-nap and I was in the middle of the bed and completely surrounded by them.

While Mama and Roy snored loudly beside me I heard the phone ring—it was Carol. As she was leaving a short message I could not get out of my bed, because the dogs refused to mind me when I told them to get off of the bed. I was pushing and shoving them while demanding and begging them to get off of the bed.

By the time I had finally pushed Belle off of the bed, so I could get up—Carol had hung up and Carlton was flashing in the kitchen.

After I had talked to Carol, I decided to check my e-mail and I burst out laughing when I saw that my dear friends, Jimmie and Nelda Dunn's e-mail subject line read: "Happy Anniversary." Omg, Tony and I had once again forgotten that today was our anniversary—our 14th wedding anniversary!

When Tony walked down the hall to see what I was laughing about, I said, "Happy Anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary, too. I just found out, too. when I just checked Facebook. Thank goodness, we have great friends like Nelda and Jimmie to remind us." Then he grabbed his camera and some photography books and left to go his photography club's monthly meeting, at the Medina Community Library.

Before I sat down at my laptop to continue writing a thought popped into my head and I liked it, so I got on the Internet, to buy a few more foil pot pie pans, so I can give them away as gag gifts to my many friends, that are the zany characters in The Cowgirl Sisterhood: The Membership Drive, Part. 

After spending about twenty minutes looking for the best deal, I purchased a pack of 125 count, foil pot pie pans and I am thrilled about it, because they cost me less than $15.00 and that includes the shipping.

Kinky has just called me and invited me to come over for a visit, so that's about it for tonight, because when I get back home, I am going to finish the scene where Carol and I are caught by the bad guys and have been tied to a Pine tree.

Y'all have a great evening!

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Move Here!

Today has been great. We love Topper, our new mattress topper and we slept like logs last night and we did not want to get out of bed this morning, because it felt so good just laying there. I am a little concerned about Mama and Roy enjoying the comfort of our new mattress, because they won't get off of our bed. But the good thing about it is they are taking turns sleeping on it and they have not gotten into a growling match. Here's a picture I took this morning of Roy sleeping like a dog.


This morning while I was outside finishing up my daily chores a car drove into the rescue ranch that I did not recognize, but that wasn't unusual because Saturdays are always open house for visitors.

About ten minutes later, I saw a smiling woman and a smiling man walking up to me. "Hi, welcome to the rescue ranch. I would shake your hands but I've been cleaning pens." They laughed.

"Are you Cousin Nancy?" The woman asked.

"Yes."

"I'm Brittany and this is my husband Brian. We've come all of the way from New Hampshire, so I could personally meet you. I read your blog and I want to buy a copy of your new book."

 Feeling honored and shocked that someone as far away as New Hampshire reads my blog and came all of that way to see me, I said, "Well then I'm going to give y'all the grand tour." Then I put my bucket down and leaned my pooper-scoopers up against the fence. "Let's go on up to The Cabin, so we can drink some coffee and visit." Then I half-hollered to Tony, "These are the only two pens left that need to be cleaned. They came all of the way from New Hampshire."

When we came inside our thirty-year-old trailer Mama and Roy greeted them, as I turned on my Keurig single-cup coffee brewer. Then I said, "Y'all want to meet Kinky?

"Sure."

"I spoke to him a little earlier and I know he was going to Kerrville this morning, but let me give him a call."

Three minutes later, we climbed out of Kermit and Kinky and The Friedmans came outside to greet us. Then all of us had a really fun visit with Kinky.

When we returned back to The Cabin, I then made them some fresh coffee and Tony and I showed them our trailer, which they seemed to love. Then Brittany bought a copy of my new novella and I signed it to them and wrote, "Y'all need to move here! Love, Cousin Nancy 3-9-12." And I meant what I wrote about moving here, because Tony and I liked them so much.

Then T. and me spent about thirty minutes in Outer Space trying to talk them into moving here. Before they had to leave we showed them The Okay Corral, Tony's No Whiner Dinner and my writing cabin and then we gave them a tour of our rescue ranch, so they could meet all of our super dogs.

As we were saying good bye to each other they told us they were going to Wolfmueller's Books to buy my other two books and Robert Earl Keen's book, because tonight they are going to Floore's Country Store, in Helotes, to a Robert Earl Keen concert. Then they are going back to Austin to catch an early morning flight back to New Hampshire.

Tony and I cannot wait for them to come back to see us like they said they would and we have our fingers crossed, that it will be sooner than later.

Y'all have a great evening!

Friday, March 8, 2013

Topper!

Today has been great. Around 7:30 this morning, when I tried to check my e-mail, the Internet was down and so were our phone lines. I was not a happy camper. I wanted to go to FedEX to track our new Novaform Gel Memory Foam Mattress Topper that I had ordered on Tuesday, because I am so excited about getting it.

The other day our friend had purchased one and absolutely loved it and gave it such rave reviews, so I purchased one, instead of us having to buy a new mattress. Yesterday afternoon when I tracked it, it estimated the delivery time for today or Monday. In hopes that it would be here sooner than later, Tone and I spent thirty minutes yesterday getting our bed-ready and waiting.

Since our cedar bed, that Tony made for us when we got married, sits high off of the ground we realized that adding the three inch blue mattress topper would make it more difficult or impossible for me and our dogs to get on it. So, we removed the boxed springs from it. Then we carried it outside to the barn. Then Tony cut two sheets of thick plywood to fit the frame and fastened them on top of the bed slats.

When we put our mattress back on the bed, to make sure it wasn't too low—I loved the new lower height and was thrilled about it. After I put the linens back on it I half-hollered for our dogs and invited them to jump up on our new low-rider bed. But, before they gave it their bed test approval, they walked around it as if they were trying to figure out why it was ten inches shorter.

Roy jumped up on it first, followed by Mama, Belle, Abbie, Beau and me. And all of us loved our new bed so much, we decided to take a short nap. Twenty minutes later, when Tony walked into our bedroom and saw us snuggled up together he laughed and said, "That new mattress topper will be so good for Mama's arthritis and my back. I can't wait until it gets here..."


This morning our great friends/volunteers came out this morning to walk our dogs for us. Then we went to Koyote Ranch to eat lunch with them. Tony and I had a blast eating lunch with Jim, Ruth, June, Carol and The Mineral Man, because all we did was laugh and tease each other. 

Before our lunch was over, Ruth had all of us sign two copies of my new novella, that she had just purchased from me earlier. Then Ruth said, "I want to take a picture of The Cowgirl Sisterhood, so Carol and I posed and she shot us.

When we came back home—the phones were still dead and I was disappointed, because it was driving me crazy wondering if our Novaform Gel Memory Foam Topper would arrive today or that we would have to wait until Monday to get it. 

After checking the phone once more to see if it was working, which it wasn't, I drove over to the Lodge to visit Kinky. When I saw that his truck, Mr. Green Jeans, wasn't there I came back home and as I was getting out of Trigger—I saw Kinky driving in.

We talked about the phones, the weather and about our great friends/volunteers coming out and how much our dogs had enjoyed it. 

Ten minutes after Kinky went home, at 2:23, Tony walks into the big room and tells me the phone lines are fixed. So, I immediately picked up the phone and called Kinky and like me, he was thrilled. As soon as I got off of the phone with him I tracked our mattress and it said that it was going to be delivered today!

As I finish typing this we are still waiting on Topper to arrive. It is 4:42 and the dogs just started barking outside. "Welcome home, Topper!

Y'all have a great evening!

P.S. 7:00 Update:  We love Topper, but not as much as Roy does. He's been sleeping on our bed for the past two hours and will not get off of it. Here's Roy resting on Topper, while Belle rests on Abbie, underneath our kitchen table.



Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Odi and Enzo!

Today has been great. Early this morning I checked my e-mail and the note that I received from our friend Marguerite totally made my day great. She is the sweet woman who adopted Enzo from us and recently adopted Clyde, the adorable, little puppy, with only one eye. When Marguerite adopted him from us she changed Clyde's name to Odi.

Marguerite wrote: Enzo is wonderfully sweet to Odi. And the picture she sent of the two of them together warmed my heart. Here is the picture.


This morning I stayed inside and did paperwork and returned phone calls and e-mails, while Tony did our chores outside. When we were done with our work, we went to town to mail some letters and run a few errands. And that's about it for today.

Y'all have a great evening!

Monday, March 4, 2013

Please Don't Ever Go To France!

Today has been great. This afternoon we met our dear friend Jim, The Mineral Man, for lunch at El Sol de Mexico, our favorite Mexican food restaurant, in Kerrville and Tony and I had a blast. Kris, Jim's sweet wife, couldn't join us, because she was out of town.

During our fun lunch, the three of us talked about photography, my upcoming novella, Nascar racing, last Monday's high winds blowing over El Sol de Mexico's large, heavy cement marquee outside their restaurant, their new dog Charlie, our dogs, etc.

I laughed so much I am paying for it now, because my back is aching and I am sitting on my beautiful, pink sheepskin, that my dear friend Mari gave to me several years ago, for my backaches. But I am not complaining, because we had so much fun at lunch with Jim and also because I love to laugh.

When we got back home I returned a few phone calls and e-mails and did some paperwork. Around 4:00, our friendly UPS driver showed up to deliver a new battery for my recently broken camera, that I love so much. As soon as we had adios-ed the smiling UPS man, I came inside and said a little prayer as I inserted the new battery into my beloved old camera. Then I pushed its on button and it came back to life! To say the least, "I was more than thrilled to have Ol' Snappy back.

Early this evening I went over to the Lodge to visit with Kinky and his friends. When I arrived Kinky and The Friedmans came out to greet me. When Kinky and I walked into the kitchen Ted and Brian were in the kitchen laughing about something.

After howdies and hugs with Ted and Brian, Kinky starts chuckling and says, "Y'all, when Nancy took French, in high school, her French teacher told her, because of Nancy's thick Texas accent, "Please don't ever take French lessons again!" They burst out laughing and so did I.

"Yeah, and she also told me, "I added. "Please don't ever go to France." After we had quit laughing, I continued, "She also told me that she knew that I had studied real hard and that she would pass me, as long as I promised her to never try to speak the French language anywhere, including French restaurants. And I've kept that promise." And that is about it for tonight.

Y'all passez une bonne soirée, which is French for, Y'all have a great evening!

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Hard To Believe!

Early this morning Toto woke me up at 5:00, so he could go outside. When I let him and Mama go outside, I smelled the distinct odor of a skunk and that totally woke me up. So I got dressed and then I made a cup of coffee.

As I am typing this, at the kitchen table, Tony has just finished feeding our dogs and I have just realized that eleven years ago today, we officially moved our rescue ranch dogs and our beloved trailer from my mini-ranch, in Utopia, to Kinky's family ranch, in Medina.

The time has flown by and it is hard to believe that  eleven years have passed so quickly. And I cannot believe that in two more months, it will be our rescue ranch's fifteenth anniversary, since Kinky, Tony and I started our rescue ranch.

In a few hours, I plan to call Kinky to remind him that today is our eleven year anniversary being here at Echo Hill Ranch and I am sure that he will find that hard to believe, too.

I hope that today is great and that skunk outside is gone. And that is about it for this morning.

Y'all have a great day.


Friday, March 1, 2013

Happy Birthday Jim Bobbitt!

Today is our dear friend, Jim Bobbitt's birthday and Tony and I want to be among the first to wish him the happiest birthday ever.

"Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday to You. Happy Birthday to Dear Jim. Happy Birthday to You. And many more."