Roy's Meds! or Note To Chet! or Bett Fields Is An Angel!

Today has been fantastic! This morning after Tony did the chores outside we went to Kerrville for three reasons:

     1. Pick up Roy Rogers' meds at Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic
     2. Fill up Buttermilk at the big H.E.B.
     3. And buying a few groceries at the big H.E.B.

Of course, Roy's meds were the main reason for the trip and on our way, to Kerrville, Tony told me that he was hungry and he asked me if we were going to eat in town. And in less than a minute and one phone call, we were going to meet our good friends Kris & Jim for lunch, at Billy Gene's Restaurant, because all of us love their Monday Special that they serve with Squash Casserole.

During our fun, delicious lunch we talked about how much we love the Longmire series, Grace & Frankie and The Ranch, all on Netflix. We also laughed and joked about a lot of other things, but I got nervous when Tony said, "We are running on fumes and I hope that we can make it to H.E.B. without running out of gas...."

So later on, after we had adios-ed each other, we headed down Junction Highway, with our fingers crossed, in hopes that we didn't run out of gas.

Well, luckily we made it there fine and while Tony was filling up Buttermilk's nearly empty gas tank, I quickly rushed up and down the isles getting the few groceries that we needed.

And I guess, because of the adrenaline rush of possibly running out of gas—we drove straight home. And it wasn't until we came inside, The Cabin, with the groceries, that we realized that both of us had completely forgotten to pick up Roy's meds, at Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic.
(And please note that I blaming the temporary "adrenaline rush" for this, instead of admitting that we are simply old and that we often are forgetful.)

So, around 3:00, Tony and I once again, jumped back into Buttermilk and took off for Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic.

When we arrived at the clinic, all of the parking spaces were taken, so Tony took a left and dropped me off, so I could skip inside to pick up Roy's monthly supply of pills.

When I walked inside, their lobby was full of all kinds of people, with their lovable pets anxiously awaiting to see the doctors. Sweet Susan saw me and smiled, and then said, "I bet that you're here to pick up a guitar and Roy's pills!"

"Omg!" I said. "The guitar is here! That's fantastic news!" Then Susan walked away and quickly returned with Chet O'Keefe's brand new Martin guitar, inside a case, with a pink note taped to the case.

It was the awesome Martin "Good Time Eddie" that Bett Fields had generously donated to Chet,  after reading Donna Gable Hatch's story about Chet's van burning up, in the Kerrville Daily Times.

So now I can disclose that the secret drop-off point that Bett and I had agreed on was, at Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic.

With Roy's meds in one hand and Chet's guitar in my other hand, I said, "Susan, please thank Cathy and all of y'all for letting Bett drop the guitar off here. I can't wait to let Chet know!"

When Tony drove up to pick me up, he saw the guitar and he was smiling from ear-to-ear. I then quickly loaded Chet's guitar, on the back seat, jumped  into the front seat and we headed home.

As soon as we got home, Tony put Chet O'Keefe's new cut-away Martin on the coffee table, while I read the pink note.

Because Chet had asked me earlier to please check out the Martin and play it, so I could let him know  about it. I opened the case. And it looked brand new!

Then I looked at the paperwork and read Bett's note:

After I read her sweet note, that nearly made me tear up, I agreed with Tony that Bett Fields has a heart of gold which definitely confirms that she is an Angel amongst us. 

Then I put the note down and played this beautiful awesome guitar for only a couple of minutes, because I already knew when I plucked the first string that it was one super, fine Martin guitar. And it also has a Roland preamp installed on it that I am sure Chet will love. 

And there is just one more thing I want to say, before posting this tonight. "Chet, I know that your blue, handmade, Telecaster is totally irreplaceable, but to help you get back on your feet I want to give you my Telecaster guitar that I named B.B. But you can't have my strap!"

Y'all have a great evening and keep on laughing!  

The Sign! Rest In Peace Bob! or Harry! or Tattered Volunteers!

Today has been great. This morning I had an important meeting, in Outer Space with Lee, a future Eagle Scout.

After the meeting, Tony and I took off in Trigger to go to Billie Gene's Restaurant, in Kerrville, because we had a lunch date with our dear friend Jim, The Mineral Man. We were the first to arrive and when we climbed out of Trigger, I looked up and started laughing. "What's so funny?" Tony asked.

I pointed up towards Billie Gene's latest, hilarious sign and then Tony started laughing, too. "Billie Genes and Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic have the best signs in town!" I said. "I love them because they always make me laugh out loud."

 

Tony and I had a really fun lunch with Jim. Jim and I ordered the exact same thing, The Special and Tony ordered catfish which were all totally delicious. 

While we were eating, we spotted a couple, dining outside on the deck, with their beautiful Cockatoo. So I grabbed my cell phone and snapped these pictures of the couple sharing their lunch with their feathered friend.

After our fun lunch with Jim, we went to the big H-E-B, to pick up a few groceries. Then we took off to go vote, because we are big fans of early voting. Then we came back home.

When we got back home Carlton was flashing on top of the breakfast bar, but I ignored him, because I wanted to take my new, bigger Bob outside and put him inside my pretty, pink writing cabin, until we use him in our upcoming Longmire—Texas Style video spoof. 

You see the other day after Bob had arrived safely, from the International UFO Museum, in Roswell, New Mexico, Tony blew him up partially for me and then he stopped, because Bob was already nearly standing six feet tall. So I decided to put Bob in my office for safe keeping, but because Bob was already so big and taking up way too much Space I made the decision, the other day, to keep Bob, inside my cabin. Here are a few pictures of my new Bob.

After I put Bob to bed to rest in peace, I came back inside and pushed Carlton's button, and heard an old, familiar voice say, "Hey Cousin Nancy, this is a voice from your past. This is Harry Barnard and I am calling you, because...." Then I immediately picked up the receiver and punched in Harry's phone number.

"Hi Harry! Oh my goodness, it is so great to hear from you! How in the world are you and Wanda doing? And where are y'all?...." I had the best time talking to my dear, eighty-something-year-old friend Harry. We laughed and talked about life and what all we've been up to. And talking to Harry today really did make my day more than great.

Harry is an awesome friend of ours and so is Wanda, his super, sweet wife that has one of the cutest laughs I've ever heard. Kinky, Tony and I have known Harry & Wanda for over twenty some odd years and we love and adore this couple. So you can imagine just how great it was to talk to Harry today.

Harry is an amazing man and one of the kindest and smartest people that I've ever known. He studied history at Florence State College, the University of Alabama and Harvard University. A member of four honorary scholastic societies, he held fellowships at the University of Alabama and Harvard. Before going to Rutgers University, where he served on the faculty of the Graduate School of Education and he also served as Clerk of the Sub-Committee on Special Education of the U.S. Congress and was also a professor at the University of Missouri. And he is also an incredibly talented author.

In 1964, Harry wrote Tattered Volunteers: The Twenty-Seventh Alabama Infantry Regiment, C.S.A. "It is more than an exciting story. It is a detailed and documented record of brave men. Such a mass of records has seldom before been made available in one book."

"The book tells the story of the Twenty-seventh in the words of the men who served in it, from the official records of the Confederate and the Union armies, and from the service records of the men who served in the regiment." And Tony and I have a signed copy of Harry's fabulous book, which is now considered to be a rare book and we cherish it as much as we do our friendship with Harry & Wanda. "We love you, Harry & Wanda! And tell Kathy & Jim that we said, Howdy!"

So once again—Life is Good.

Y'all have a great evening!

The Day After! or Henry! or First Carrot!

Today has been great. This afternoon we met our good friend Jim "The Mineral Man" for lunch, at Billy Gene's Restaurant, because we love their Monday Special—Chicken Fried Chicken, Twice Baked Potato, Squash Casserole and Green Beans. And to say the least, "We all ordered the exact same thing, except Tony had sweet tea and we had regular iced tea."

While the three of us were eating our delicious lunch together we invited Jim to go to James Avery with us, because Tony and I wanted to get each other something to celebrate the Day After Valentine's Day, because we didn't celebrate Valentine's Day.

Then we started talking about the old cars that we have owned when we were young. Jim told us an hilarious story about his '55 Chevy and him going out to California in it. And on his trip back to Texas he had to carry quarts of used oil, in the trunk, because he had to keep adding oil. So, because I  too, had carried a case of used oil in the trunk of my first car and was constantly refilling it, I told them about my $50.00, rusted-out Studebaker that had a clutch, that I owned for only one week. Because when I drove it up to Fort Worth the first thing my dad said when he saw the sorry condition that it was in, he said, "Nancy, a person's car says everything about them. Follow me to Jim's Used Cars, because I am going to buy you a nicer used car to drive." And he did—a dark blue, '69 VW Bug with a white interior and eight-track stereo. And I named it Blue.

Then we started talking about our dogs. "Charlie," Jim said. "He is ten years old and...."

"Henry is now three-months old," I said. "Oh my goodness, I've just thought up Henry's full name!"

"What is it?" They both asked.

"I'm naming him after the Henry character in Longmire. Is it Henry Running Bear?"

"No," Jim replied. "I believe it's Henry Standing Bear."

"That's right," Tony said. "It's Henry Standing Bear."

After a fun lunch we followed Jim over to James Avery, on the other side of I-10 and it didn't take us long to pick out our Day After Valentine's Day presents. I gave Tony a beautiful, silver arrowhead necklace and he gave me an stunningly beautiful silver guitar pick necklace.

Our last stop before leaving Kerrville was at the big H-E-B store, on Main Street, so I could pick up a few groceries, but most importantly— to buy Henry Standing Bear some carrots to munch on while he is teething. (Ellen, our dear friend/volunteer, who came out Sunday with her sister, had suggested that we give Henry carrots instead of chew toys.) So, the last thing that I tossed into our grocery cart was a huge sack of carrots that weighed about ten pounds or so I thought.

When we got back home the first thing I did was take a picture of the carrots and that's when I discovered that they only weighed five pounds—not ten pounds.

Then I washed off a big carrot and peeled off the top layer. Then I went outside and gave it to Henry Standing Bear. And he totally loved it!

And this is my picture of Henry Running Bear.

As of 4:45, as I finish writing this, Henry Standing Bear Simons has gone through a total of two carrots. And I am hoping that tomorrow morning we will find that his coat is still white and not orange colored, because I don't want to have to change his name again, to Henry Orange Standing Bear Simons.

Y'all have a great evening!

Pet Search and Rescue!

Today has been great. This afternoon Tony and I met our good friend Jay Pennington, at Billy Gene's restaurant, so we could have a business meeting.

Jay is the President of Pet Search and Rescue and I am a Board Member. We were meeting today, because he wanted to discuss him doing a Scavenger Hunt, for us, in Kerrville, because he recently did one for Pet Search and Rescue, in Boerne and it was very successful.

Our lunch was delicious and this time Tony and I didn't order the exact same thing like we always do, so I am blaming that phenomenon on M.I.R. (Mercury In Retrograde), because Jay and Tony ordered the exact same thing. So go figure.

By the end of our fun and very interesting business meeting Tony and I were all excited about working with Jay to do a scavenger hunt to benefit our rescue ranch. We've agreed that it will happen  sometime after the first of the year, but we've not set a date for it yet. So I'll keep you posted as things progress.

After we left our table, we went into the waiting room, so Jay could show us, on his phone, the awesome video that Gerry Olert, our mutual good friend, made for the Pet Search and Rescue Scavenger Hunt. And we loved it so much I asked Jay to please send me the link to it, so I could post it on my Blog tonight. It was well done and a lot of fun to watch, so please click here to view it, because I promise that it will definitely put a big smile on your face and it will encourage you to do our upcoming scavenger hunt.

Late this afternoon, I helped Little Debbie write a post for her new Blog: The Dog Days of Little Debbie and Tony and I are still laughing about it. I hope that you will check out her daily Blog, because it's only a couple of sentences with a picture and that's how she and I plan to do it. And that's about it for tonight.

Y'all have a great evening!

The Pink Pony!

Today has been great. I spent most of the morning doing paperwork, etc. This past Saturday and this morning, our good friend Marguerite, who over the years has adopted four dogs from us: Enzo, Odi, Mini and Scout, the female puppy, has sent me some adorable pictures of Scout (formerly Sara Lee) taking a nap and Scout playing with her newest best friend, O.E.O.—one-eyed Odi. And I want to share them with you, because they are so cute.

Early this afternoon we met our dear friend, The Mineral Man, for lunch, at Billy Gene's restaurant. And unfortunately, Kris couldn't join us, because she was out with her archaeological friends digging up rocks, bones, etc. 

We had a fun, delicious lunch with Jim. When the three of us started talking about Longmire, I told them that I really wanted us and the volunteers to do a Longmire-Texas Style short video with a very funny plot. And this is my author's enhanced version of the conversation that we sort of had:

"Lisa could play Vic Morretti, because she is young and beautiful," I said. "And she could carry around my  Daisy Red Ryder, pink bb gun. Jim, you could play the part of Sheriff Walt Longmire. Chet could play Henry Standing Bear, who owns The Red Pony Bar & Grill. Tony could play Ferg and the other Jim could play Branch Connally and always have leaves falling out of his hair! And Kris could play Cady Longmire. Which means that your wife, in real life, would be playing your daughter, in the video." Then Jim, Tony and I burst out laughing. "Eileen could play Ruby, Longmire's sweet, competent dispatcher. And just think if it were to go viral maybe the real Longmire cast would invite our Longmire: Hill Country Chapter, to be on location, in New Mexico, with them, when they start shooting one of their Season 5 Longmire episodes. Wouldn't that be so cool?"

"Yes it would, Nancy," The Mineral Man replied, half chuckling. "But I want to know what character you would play?"

"I guess I could play a runaway, aging, senior citizen, that escaped from an insane asylum, that gets lost and winds up on the Res or at The Red Pony Bar & Grill. And we could film most all of it, in The Okay Corral, and use my pink cabin as the Red Pony Bar & Grill building and the Sheriff's office, but we would have to change the bar's name to The Pink Pony Bar & Grill. And Eileen could use my pretty, pink, Princess phone, that she gave to me, to dispatch important messages to y'all!...."

After our fun lunch with Jim, Tony and I went to Wild Birds Unlimited, one of our favorite stores, in Kerrville, so Tony could buy some more birdseed and we could visit with Marguerite and the nice owners, Kevin & Linda. And when we walked inside the super cool store, Marguerite greeted us with a smile. Then she and I immediately started talking about our dogs, while Tony shopped around. Marguerite and I had a good laugh about Odi and Scout only using the small, Chihuahua-sized doggie door and them refusing to use the much bigger doggie door, that Enzo, the German Shepherd uses. And needless to say, "We had a wonderful time at the Wild Birds Unlimited store.

Late this afternoon when I walked into the kitchen I caught Belle and Beau, under the kitchen table, staring out the window at something. I called them to come to me, but they wouldn't budge, because something had caught their full attention.

So, I went and looked out the window to see what it was they were staring at and I found this cute bunny sitting just outside our backyard fence.

And that's about it for tonight, because Kinky wants me to come over for a visit and go on a hike with him and The Friedmans.

Y'all have a great evening!

It's 3:00! or Is It 12:15!

Today has been great. This afternoon we met our good friends Kris & Jim for lunch, at Billy Gene's restaurant, in Kerrville and Tony and I had a blast.

We talked and laughed about a lot of things. We talked about Fourth doing a great radio show yesterday with Big G, thrift stores, other restaurants, writing and travel. Needless to say, Tony and I didn't have a lot to talk about us, when it came to us traveling, because we don't travel.

Then they told us about Jim taking coconut oil daily, because they had seen a show about it helping these people to prevent Alzheimer's disease. He told us the show talked about a simple test they used to see if you are a candidate for Alzheimers. "What's the test?" I asked, before forgetting my question I had just asked.

"They ask people to draw a clock," Jim answered. That made me chuckle, because anybody can draw a clock.

"No, Nancy. There really are people who cannot draw a clock and they showed pictures with these crazy and messed up looking clocks. Some of the numbers were in the wrong places, etc. So I take one tablespoon a day of it if I don't forget..."

Near the end of our lunch we were talking about some of their latest excursions. "Dang it," Jim said. "What's the name of that little town near New Braunfels?"

"San Marcos?" I said.

"No."

"Bulverde?" Tony said.

"No."

"Wimberley?" Kris said.

"Yes! That's it." Then he told us a funny story about Wimberley, Texas. Then we laughed and talked about how funny Bill Cosby's comedy albums were.

As Jim was telling us one of Cosby's famous routines about Noah, an elderly woman, about my age walked up to our table and interrupted Jim. "I bet the town is Gruene," The friendly woman said. We all sort of looked at each other for a second. "I was listening to y'all and I bet it is Gruene."

"No ma'am," Jim said, politely. "It was Wimberley."

"Oh, well I'm from Houston and..."

After she walked away from our table Jim said, "That's what I love about Texas. The people are so friendly..." A few minutes later we adios-ed our friends and went to the Big H-E-B and to Hoegemeyer Animal Clinic, to pick up some pills for Mama. Then Trigger brought us home.

After we had put up our groceries Tony went outside with his cameras to take pictures. So, I looked up at one of our many clocks on the wall, grabbed a pad and pen and sat down at our kitchen table to see if I could draw a simple clock. It took me less than 30 seconds to draw this, but I am still going to take a daily spoonful of the coconut oil, that we had purchased earlier.

After that I checked my e-mail. Sandy & Jon had sent me an e-mail, for Tony to enter a Hill Country photo contest, so I forwarded it to Tony and encouraged him to enter it, because he has gotten so good with his photography.

While Tony was looking at what pictures he would enter in the contest, I went through my pictures to see if I had any that were good enough to enter, too. Of course, I know mine don't come close to Tony's but here are four of my best nature shots.

Y'all have a great evening!

6:30 Update: This evening I was telling Brandon about people not being able to draw a clock. So I asked Tony to draw a clock, which looked fine. Then I asked Brandon if he could draw a clock. He's a jokester and when I looked at his drawing, I burst out laughing.

Leader Of The Pack!

Today has been great. This afternoon we met our friends Denise & Les and Debbie & Craig, at Billy Gene's restaurant, for lunch and Tony and I had a blast, because all of them have a great sense of humor and they made us laugh a lot.

The topics of our conversation ranged from wardrobe mistakes, trail riding on gaseous horses, tricked-out car conversions made on an old Cadillac and VWs, Miles of Chocolate, vacuuming up Lady Bugs and relocating them outside of the house, H-E-B's "That Green Sauce," wild feral hogs, Miles of Chocolate, cows, bulls and kayaking, etc., but the most interesting subject was about this new Lobo Beer, brewed at the Pedernales Brewing Company, in Fredericksburg, Texas, that Debbie and Craig are involved in.

"You've got to make a beer float using the Lobo Negro and vanilla ice cream!" Denise said. "It is so delicious and to me it tastes like coffee."

"I think it tastes more like chocolate," Debbie chimed in, "and The Cowboy Steak House is serving the beer and the floats." And by the time everyone had convinced us to try it, as soon as possible, lunch was over and we were standing outside next to Les & Denise's car, with the back hatch up, accepting two complimentary six-packs of Lobo Beer and Lobo Negro Beer.

After all of us had hugged and adios-ed Debbie & Craig and they had taken off to go vote early, they told us that they wanted to adopt our Cosmo Topper, because he had truly stolen Denise's heart, last Saturday when they were out here! "For the past two nights I haven't been able to sleep, because I can't quit thinking about him," Denise said. So, then we made plans for them to come out around 3:30 today, so we could run a few errands, like stopping by H-E-B to pick up some of Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla ice cream, before returning to the ranch.

When Les & Denise arrived at the rescue ranch, we quickly hugged each other and then we drove down to Cosmo's and Lulu's pen, because Denise couldn't wait to see her precious Cosmo Topper. And when we arrived at his and Lulu's pen, Cosmo lit up like a Christmas tree the second he saw it was Denise. "I think he already knows what's going on," I said, as Mr. Topper happily ran to the fence trying to get to Denise. And here is a picture I took of Cosmo with his new fantastic, forever family that he is so lucky to have.

After thanking them for adopting Cosmo from us, we hugged and adios-ed each other and then they drove away with one extremely happy dog. Then Kermit took us up to The Cabin, so we could make the Lobo Negro float using Blue Bell's Homemade Vanilla ice cream. 

Since it was a little too early for happy hour we decided to just split one Lobo Negro beer for our floats. And guess what? It was delicious and we couldn't believe it. 

Lobo Beer is new to the market, but you can buy it at The Main Liquor stores, in Kerrville and at The Grape Juice on Water Street and the Cowboy Steak House. And get this—the motto for the Lobo Beer is, "Leader of the Pack!" And they certainly got that right.

Y'all have a great evening!