First Fire of the Season

I always look forward to a fire in the fireplace, especially that first one. There is something about a fire that warms not only the outside but also the inside. One can stare into those golden flames and reflect on things of importance or things that are not so important. I love to sit close to it with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate...not too many things are better than that.

The first time we built a fire in our fireplace, we also roasted wienies and marshmallows. We do that at least two or three times each winter. We have always said that we were going to fix foil dinners in the coals, but have not done that so far. Perhaps this year we will.

Fire creates both warmth and light. Both things can mend a weary soul. I am grateful for the fireplace in our home and the warmth and light it provides to my soul.

The Pitter Patter of Little Feet

Puppies and little boys always go together.

She is now living the life of Riley.

Those eyes have soul.

Living rural like we do means that everyone else in the world(or so it seems) feels like our place is the perfect place to dump their unwanted animals. We have been adopted by many dogs since we moved here. Some have stayed and become family pets. Some have just passed through. Our latest is a little brown puppy that can not be more than 3 months old. She has a beautiful cocoa colored coat that prompted Sarah to name her Cocoa. She appears to be a lab mix, perhaps collie being a part of her pedigree. Since she is just a baby she has been given a place in the garage. She also makes frequent trips into the house. Sitting in Randy's lap is a favorite activity of hers..........and his.

We have had some sad and pitiful dogs dropped on us. They always come here just skin and bones and scared to death. Those that are allowed to stay eventually fatten up and grow to realize that we are not going to hurt them. Several months back I posted about a dog that showed up here that had the appearance of a coyote. That dog is still here. We named her Dingo because she seems so wild. She has a crippled leg and is still afraid of us, although I have gotten her to eat out of my hand.

This latest addition to our menagerie is the best looking dog that has been left for us. She is very sweet natured, and it appears that she was well taken care of for she has a shiny coat and a fat, round tummy. We have come to the conclusion and question that if this is the puppy that was unwanted, what did her brother and sisters look like? I have the feeling that Cocoa will be with us for a long time.

Weekend Fun

Liam will give others a ride too.

There was a visit from Daniel. Liam calls him "Unkiel".

That looks like a happy boy.

I think he will be driving it before too long.

Two beauties and a "sweetie".

We picked all of those in minutes...there is 10 times that many on the ground now.

Too much 4-wheeling makes a guy tired.

Rocking is always a fun activity.

A few weekends ago, Sarah and Liam came over. We had a great weekend full of 4-wheeler rides and picking pecans. My niece Skylar spent Saturday and Saturday night with us. Daniel even came in for the weekend...and washed a LOT of clothes. Here are some pictures of that beautiful weekend.

It's Paula Deen, Ya'll!

It's Paula Deen! She said her feet hurt and she
took off her shoes.

She brought her husband ,Michael, with her too.

This is some of the pieces to her new furniture line.

This past weekend, my sister, my niece, and myself met my son Jacob and his girlfriend in Houma, LA to see Paula Deen. What was Paula Deen doing in Houma? She was there to promote her new furniture line. She gave a cooking demo with her husband, Michael and a culinary student from the John Fosse school in Nichols State, right down the road.

If you are a fan of Paula Deen, and/or her food, you would have enjoyed the show. She was her "down home" self. My son calls her the "Maw Maw" of The Food Network. She reminds me of Dolly Parton, just down to earth.

We did not pay the $100 to "meet and greet" her. That also got you a seat up front. We had the next best thing, we were up and in the middle. The show was held in the Civic Center there in Houma. It was much smaller than the one in Lake Charles, so it was a semi-intimate setting.

I enjoyed the time with my sister and niece riding down there and back. My sister is always cooking whole Paula Deen meals. We are already talking about making some of the dishes she fixed at the show. They all contained butter! They all looked good, ya'll!