Our Bluebonnet Run

This has been an amazing year for wildflowers in Texas!  I wasn't sure what to expect with the drought last year but we have had plenty of rain for several months now and we are so thankful for that!!

These pictures were taken between Conroe and Navaota on Highway 105 north of Houston. 

The smell here was so sweet!!

Sadie loves the bluebonnets too :)

"Where flowers bloom so does hope."

- Lady Bird Johnson, Public Roads: Where Flowers Bloom

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Beautiful Day for a Walk Around the Lake

Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park

This is part of the trail around the lake.

Sadie loved this little walk.

We camped in the Sylvan Lake Campground which is about half a mile from the beautiful Sylvan Lake.  The lake is surrounded by massive rock formations and ponderosa pine trees.  It's really hard to capture the beauty of this place in pictures.  There was a wedding party getting ready for an evening wedding next to the lake.  Great place for a wedding but it was so windy and cold - I felt sorry for them out there.


Several trailheads begin at Sylvan Lake and one of them takes you to the top of Harney Peak, the highest mountain east of the Rockies.  The view is suppose to be very impressive, overlooking the Black Hills and with a view of Mount Rushmore.  We didn't take that trail but did take the mile trail around the lake.

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.  ~John Muir

On the Road Again

After our visit with Jill and Jason in K.C. we headed farther north, up through Missouri, Iowa, then into South Dakota. More BEAUTIFUL country and more CORN!


As we drove through the corn fields we even listened to agricultural reports on a station out of Mitchell, S.D. called 1490 KORN.  I thought it was funny when we heard the name Minnehaha County.    The county received its name from the Sioux word for waterfalls, meaning "where the water laughs" or "laughing water."

Sadie was kind of confused.  Every time she looked out the window we were in a different place.

Iowa State Song

(words by S.H.M. Byers - to the tune of Tannenbaum)

 

You asked what land I love the best, Iowa, tis Iowa,

The fairest State of all the west, Iowa, O! Iowa,

From yonder Mississippi's stream

To where Missouri's waters gleam

O! fair it is as poet's dream, Iowa, in Iowa.

 

See yonder fields of tasseled corn, Iowa, in Iowa,

Where plenty fills her golden horn, Iowa, in Iowa,

See how her wondrous prairies shine.

To yonder sunset's purpling line,

O! happy land, O! land of mine, Iowa, O! Iowa.

Summer Camping

Last year we camped in June and it was so hot I thought I would never camp in the summer months again, but here we are. 

Thunderstorms skirted all around us and kept us somewhat cooler this trip. 

Johnny and Jeffrey just couldn’t get enough fishing. 

This was my catch – too small – had to go back :(



Mom and Judy joined us and we took our turn in the little boat.  We fished and fished and fished but nothing - but we sure had fun trying! 


Sadie enjoyed some fun in the sun too but she sure enjoyed going into the trailer to cool off every now and then.

NEVER TOO COLD FOR SADIE!

Since we don't have any snow to show for our cold Arctic temperatures I thought maybe this would show just how cold it is deep in the heart of Texas. I was not going to venture out this evening to walk Sadie, but Johnny and Sadie bundled up and went out on their own. The temperature this afternoon was about 38 but the wind was howling so it felt like it was much colder. Our low Saturday and Sunday morning is predicted to be about 18 which doesn't happen very often here. It's too bad we're not getting some snow this time. I guess we'll just have to go see Jill and Jason because they have about a foot on the ground. I've made a big pot of White Chili that should help keep us warm. I got the recipe from Ree at The Pioneer Woman and it's really good!

Monday, June 1, 2009

Is she a mess or what? Our Chinese Tallow tree is losing it's little tassles and they get all stuck onto Sadie. She usually can't stand one to be on her but when she's playing it doesn't seem to matter.