Sisterly Solidarity

We were called, semi-kidding, a trifecta, by a coach who listened to us promising all kinds of justice to those who would do physical or emotional harm to one of the three of us.  Some of it we learned too late for our ideas to be put into practice, but the fact remains--we have each other's backs, and it would be a real risk to do ill to one of us----I thought about it again this week, but I don't think the Trifecta will have to get involved, it is sort of like the old, old saying in Texas, "One riot, one ranger.  But ride on by if you don't want all three tearing into you for an injustice, okay?  And if you are one of the ones we let slide, just remember this, "That's once........"

New Old Post

I was intent on finding a picture from the summer of '11 and found this from '10.  Just nothing like friends you have had for forty-odd years!!  Last summer we went to Yeso and had a wonderful three days at the homeplace of Ralfanita, and the rest of this bunch came out Sunday.  We all graduated together, and were great friends, not just classmates.  So "Old Friends are Best Friends" cause there is no 'splainin' required, one is accepted.  Period.

Left to right, Judy Vance Crume, Rosalie Patrick, Fostelene Talley Halcom,Glenn Ezell, Lyndell Baker Hood, Ralfanita Overton Forman, Jeanine Ross Null,Jerry Shelton,Gay Pinnell, Gary Trainer, and Janet Slaten Occhialini.

I love you guys!

Having never gone on a road trip with Jill, this was the summer! Jill and Paul and Don and I went to Colorado and prowled around.

Our first stop was lunch in The Shed in Santa Fe, and then through O'Keefe country. It is easy to channel G. O'Keefe when one is in the Abique valley! We climbed a hill and found where she must have been sitting to do one of her river pictures, even blue paint on a rock!

Jill took great care photographing this little cross, then discovered as she got up that she had a bunch of cactus hair in her left "cheek". How we sacrifice for our art!

Old friends are best friends

Downtown Waco Trivia

This lovely structure is the Dr Pepper Museum. I drive past it every day. This particular day the sunlight was hitting it just so. I whipped out my camera and snapped a few shots. I just love it. If you look carefully you can see a color change in the brick. This is where the 1953 Tornado tore the top out of it on the way over.

New Partio

This was the year. Paul had always dreamed of a big old patio. I had too..but I don't think either of us quite realize how BIG it was gonna be. The boys poured the concrete for us...and by the time that was finished, I thought perhaps we needed to call that good. But Paul called in Roy, and construction of the "parthanon" took about a week. The whole think has pretty much eaten up the whole summer... but while everyone is complaining of the 32+ days of 100+ weather. We have been sitting, working and playing, on the patio. It may take cooler weather for us to have company enjoy it with us. But we have been spending every morning before work, and every evening out there.

Always a big tree nearby

With all these grandkids, we HAD to have a big tree!

Eli on the bottom limb, then as you look up the tree, Lily on Samantha's lap, Jake, Rachel, Lucas,Sammy and me. Irene and her boys left a day earlier and I wish they were in these shots to make them complete.

Jacob and I walked down the road and found the tree his mama had described to me earlier. Next time we might try to get this specific campsite!

The boys had bikes along, and must have put 20 miles on them without leaving the campground! Ryan and Don stayed in shady places and talked about Coors.....

Meet us at Navajo...

Lilyanne, being a first-time camper at seven weeks, had a wonderful time, so long as Mommy(Casey) was within calling distance.
Samantha was so glad there was another girl cousin finally! Casey got a lot of lap-empty moments during this meet!
Jake is not questioning whether to jump or not, just where. He can swim and hasn't any fear.
Sam loved playing made-up games with Auntie Rachel. He wandered in the road, chased lizzards...free and happy to be!

In spite of the efforts, nobody could bear to stand in the river past a count of 28, the water was just too cold. I saw wonderful fish being caught here, might have to go with a smaller crowd and actually fish!

Waltz across Texas

Once again, Jany and I wandered off in the direction of Houston, this time visiting the Giants of Jal (they have a web page), meandering through Midland/Odessa--we even stopped in Crane and challenged them by ordering a green chile cheeseburger, which turns out to be a NEW MEXICO staple food. Texas just throws on more jalapenos, not the same but good. Arrived in Houston and painted murals on new bedrooms in Memorial, which was the "reason" for the trip, then meandered off again......

Found a cowboy in Round Top, but he had so little to say he might as well have been a cigar store Indian!

Oh the peacefulness in the little community below. In another part of the yard, these folks had a huge decorated Easter egg in a permanent, prominent site!

Of course we took photos of all the quaint little courthouses. They aren't posted because not everyone wants to see what we want to see....and I love the little cemeteries--might post one of those later.....

We ate wonderful Mexican food in a converted gas station in Cameron, and drove on to Waco, meeting Jill in a "fern bar" downtown. While we visited her overnight we painted her hall, then put an enormous amount of doubt about our solidarity as sisters in a few minds that dropped by.Would we really go so far to right a wrong to each other? Just never try it to challenge us...

We bought many things on our ride--only one thing was not a treasure--we had to by a TV set for Bill.

The Fires of Spring

It started with a run to Clovis to deliver a textbook Casey had forgotten. After puttering around an hour or so, we headed home down the airbase road. Got into smoke, thinking "no big deal"...Smoke was so thick we couldn't see an inch! Fire was flashing across the road...not good! We made it through one batch and faced this....back seemed worse, so we barrelled on through

and went through another bunch of fire, choking smoke in the cab with everything closed....but through being the operative word, we made it home, and found out it was a 17,000 acre fire.

Visual Candy--La Plata Mountains

I call this "visual echoes" because I have no other idea what to call it. I have lived a lot of decades and have never seen this phenomenon before. I regard it as a little gift from God because he knows how I love these mountains. We were about to leave Happy's house and the sunrise was a beautiful farewell.

Spring in Colorado 2011

This window full of geraniums, looking out at the snow from the night before, embody the wishes of the indoor dwellers--"when may I go outside to stay?!!!"

Sam called this Robot city. Pipetown has worked for those of us unable to appreciate robots. This artist just enjoys what he does immensely. He has a donation box in a pulloff, but you may "walk among them" without leaving a cent--I would love to see him featured in some state mag, but could they find him? This probably covers 11 acres.