Texas backroads

I spent the holiday with my siblings & our families in our mom's country home. After most have gone the man grand & I traveled the back roads from one side of the county to the other.  It's amazing how it changes.  We saw a huge buck cross the road and tried to get close enough to snap a photo, but he wouldn't have it and fled through the trees and brush.  We settled for some ghostly photo's of what is left of what once was a thriving town and some pretty desolate Texas back roads

Turbines catching the wind and producing  power.

Tumbleweeds powered by wind too!

An old fashioned wind mill powered by wind bringing precious water to the surface.

One of the two building left in Medicine Mounds.  There's a sign in the window that says,
"Where have all the people gone?"

Near the Pease River and Copper Breaks State Park in Hardeman County.

Party link ups here.

Turbine Art

Some folks think they are ugly, but I see them as artful.  These wind turbines are part of a massive project going up along Texas Highway 287 north of Vernon, Texas.  They'll produce cheaper energy and are providing much needed jobs in the area.

You can link your blog post to my first Worthy Wednesday Link Party here.

To see parties where I link up, go here...

Life is a vacation

I have not been on a vacation but I HAVE been enjoying life like I am on vacation!  Following retirement in June, we have been steadily making improvements to our home of over 30 years preparing to put it on the market.  (more on that on my DIY year long project page).  I put down the paint brush 2 weeks ago to spend some time with my 81 year old mom.

I picked up the little grands (5 & 1) and took them with me to mom's country home.  My daughter in law deserved the break as well!  The little grands kept mom and me entertained.  My home town annual rodeo kicked off our fun despite the 114 F. heat.  A local western wear shop helped the kids create personalized rodeo t-shirts.  There were short visits to the barn yard to feed the horses, early morning picniks, outdoor playtime with sidewalk chalk and late evenings watching the Bull Bat birds swoop through the sky after insects.   Inside activities included drawing, painting, tin can robot building, play dough, sheet/bedspread tents, baking and stick horse racing.

We passed several of these on the highway near my mom's.  They are HUGE!

This is where those huge propellers end up.  A wind farm that stretches for miles outside Vernon, Texas.

Calling to the horses

This is what shows up on your camera when left within reach of a 5 yr old!



When summer heat reaches 114 F, playground time starts with an early morning breakfast picnik.
The menu:  ego waffles, sausage sticks, apple slices, Juicy Juice, and the all important WATER!
There were 4 wonderful slides, climbing walls, a climbing dome and balance beams.  Little Girl Grand spent a lot of time on the beams, we had been wathcing the Olympics all week.

Once in a "BLUE MOON" happens when there are 2 full moons in a month.
This is a blue moon.

How do you deal with extreme heat or cold and young people?