Fall Flavor

My daughter and I discovered something amazing at Starbucks!
http://www.examiner.com/review/starbucks-fall-flavors-a-match-made-heaven-1

FREE TRIAL OF A HEALTHY SNACK

https://www.graze.com/us/p/LISAK9GWU

Country Dining

If you live in or near Ft.Worth, you must try the Dove Creek Cafe!

http://www.examiner.com/review/a-taste-of-country-cooking-at-the-dove-creek-cafe?cid=db_articles

September in Texas

It’s September in Texas and still quite hot

The National Wildlife Refuge is a great spot

To watch for birds who begin to fly in

From northern places as fall begins.

They ride the northern winds to migrate  

To Texas, being a much warmer state.

We’ll pack a lunch and take a hike

So bring your camera and maybe a kite.

It’s September in Texas and soon we will be

At the State Fair of Texas, you, Big Tex and me.

Then find a nice steak house with southwestern décor;

Where sawdust or peanut shells cover the floor.

Overcast days are nonetheless warm

But the chilly night breeze ushers in a storm.

Hurricane season has just begun,

But we won’t let that spoil our fun.

By Lisa P. Kirkpatrick

The Morning Sky

The sky was so big and beautiful this morning at sunrise.

Got Milk?

Henry is growing like a weed!  Here he is eating breakfast.

August in Texas

It’s August in Texas and summer winds down

Like a lazy old dog in a one horse town.

Energy drained by the months of heat,

Even the kids stay out of the streets

That have been sucked bone dry and turned to dust.

Finding some shade has become a must.

No longer excited about what summer brings

No one’s outside to hear the whippoorwill sing.

It’s August in Texas and time once again

For school clothes, new shoes and making new friends.

Now it’s time to think about school,

Do you have your supplies; do you know all the rules?

Summer fades and vacations are done

Water parks have been visited, we had plenty of fun.

Where did time go? Summer went fast.

Our summer adventures, now part of the past.

By Lisa P. Kirkpatrick

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday and my children threw me a surprise party.  They did a really good job of organizing things and making the most of their limited budget.  I really felt loved, not so much because of the party, but because of the amount of effort I know went into it.

Some of My Favorite iphone Pics

All of these pictures were taken with my iphone 5 and put together in this collage using a free phone app called Pic Stitch.  I'm not much of a photographer, but I really enjoy taking pictures of nature. 

A Different Henry Altogether

I recently shared with you about a little calf named Henry. This article is about a different Henry.

This past June marked my husband's first Fathers Day as an official part of our family; and we wanted to make him feel really appreciated.  Sometimes I think the fathers that choose to love you are more special than the fathers that helped create you; and he loves my children like they are his own.  He is one of those guys who pretty much already have everything they want.  I remembered that he once told me that since he was a small child he has always dreamed of owning one of these Henry Golden Boy's but could just never justify spending that much money on himself.

Meet the Henry Golden Boy .22 lever action long rifle. This little beauty is still made in America and it is a symbol of patriotism and craftsmanship.  Carrying it around the country side makes you feel like you are in an old western movie.  The American Walnut and brass add elegance to this firearm.  This small game rifle shoots like a dream and makes a great display piece as well.  You can also purchase a personalized receiver cover that adds to the appearance of the gun and makes it a great heirloom to hand down to future generations.

When my husband opened his first Father's Day gift from his new family, he was speechless.  I'm pretty sure that I am the only one who noticed the glimmer of a tear in his eye as he took it out of the box.

This picture really doesn't do it justice, but you can see that it is a beautiful firearm.

Grasshoppers

I have never seen as many grasshoppers in one place as I have seen at the deer lease in Young County, Texas.  When you walk through the grass/weeds, dozens of them hop along in front of you with each step.  It is kind of fun to watch.  I don't mind them landing on my clothes, but when they land on my skin it still creeps me out just a little bit.

When you drive through, the same thing happens but on a larger scale.  Many of them
jump up on the jeep for a ride and some come in the windows.  This past weekend, one jumped in the window and went down my shirt.  I could feel him in there jumping off my back and hitting my shirt over and over.  I jumped out of the jeep and had to take my shirt off to set him free and get him off of me. That's about when I decided I was ready to call it a weekend and go back home.

Meet Henry

This is my boss's little calf, Henry.  Henry's mama tried to kill him because she couldn't produce enough milk to feed him.  He has wounds on his back from her trampling him.  My boss separated him from the mama by removing him from the farm and bringing him home.  They have a small stable here where they bottle feed him and, despite his rough start, he is very healthy and doing great.  I guess he is my new little coworker.  I didn't realize you can buy powdered milk for him at the feed store just like we buy formula for human babies!  Henry's mama will soon be sold at auction and he will be able to go back to the farm with the other animals.

Intoduction

Having grown up in the city, I never learned to hunt, fish, or live off the land.  This year, at 44, I got remarried and my husband is an avid hunter.  In an effort to be closer to him, and spend time together, I began going hunting with him and have learned to shoot, mostly at targets.  I enjoy being in the country on the weekends, but usually after a couple of days I am ready to be back at home with the luxury of running water and central heat and air.  I like to take pictures while we are there.  Sometimes we just sit at the top of the hill and enjoy the quiet, the beautiful scenery, and the breeze.  It is a much better, and healthier escape than drugs, alcohol, or going to night clubs! Some of our best conversations have been on top of that hill.  We are two very different people, but being out there together gives us a common ground.  Slowly, I have come to think of myself as a weekend country girl.