Sunday, May 20, 2007

Cows, A Garden, A Movie and THE Dog

Yesterday was a BUSY one for us! Richard and his dad went to Belleview Friday and bought 11 heifers and a bull to start their cattle business. Rich's family has been in the business, but his grandfather sold out a couple of years ago because he was in his 80's and it was time. Rich's dream has been to move home (done) and get the business started again (almost done). Without going into the story, Rich's dad was working with a man from out of town and they struck up a conversation, and that's how they found out about these cattle and the opportunity...God is so great, isn't he? Anyway, I can't even describe how excited my husband has been...he is floating on air and it make me just so giddy to see him so happy! I'm literally watching one of his dreams come true. So, before they bring the cattle home next weekend, they had to go out to the ranch and get things cleaned up, pens put up and all that good stuff. They killed the 2nd rattlesnake in two weeks..Rich said this one was about 4 1/2 feet long and as big around as his calf! Yikes!

I spent all day not wanting to feel sick. I started feeling "wimpy" Friday evening, and by Saturday was feeling just crummy. But, I had planned all month to use this weekend to get some gardening done, and I was determined to do just that. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do, but God knew I was stressed about the yard and he figured it out for me. My neighbor at school called me before lunch and said she was working in her yard, thinning out her ground cover of Vinca vine and asked if I would like a pot of it. I was so excited! So, I went over and she told me how to get it started in the ground and what to do. I came went to Wal-Mart for some necessities and while I was there also bought a pot and some random plants...potato vine, pink petunias, and two others I can't remember right now...one is yellow, and one is blue. I hoed, raked, weeded, even started a whole new section of "garden" in the front to give it a more balanced feel on either side of the walk up to the front door. I felt so sick the whole time, even a little lightheaded, but I worked and worked and I'm so happy with it now! I don't have pics yet, but I will get some up as soon as I can. It's amazing how much just a little color will add to the front of the house. I also have some herbs that have sprouted in the back...chives, parsley, oregano, basil, and thyme. I can't wait to be able to use them. I brought home a Begonia from grandad's funeral and my potted crepe myrtle is doing much better. I even have an airplane plant I thought I had killed, but when Rich cleaned out the pot and put it in the sunshine, we started getting new fresh shoots! Yay! It is a beautiful thing to watch something go from dead, decaying matter to beautifully, new green life! It is very spiritual, I think. So, needless to say I am EXHAUSTED this morning and hurt all over! Who knew gardening could be such a workout?!

So, yesterday afternoon I was feeling pretty icky and was covered with dirt and sweat. Richard calls and tells me to take a nap (yeah, right), and get to feeling better because he has a plan for us! I always tell him how I love it when he makes plans and surprises me but he hasn't done it in a while, so I was totally ready for something! So, he tells me to get dressed, nothing fancy just shirt and shorts. We leave around 7:45 and I THINK he's either taking me to have a picnic dinner in the country or he's taking me to the movies to see Shrek. I was wrong about both. We got to Wal-Mart and he runs in and gets us dinner and we head out after that (oh, and he stops to wash his windshield which did have something to do with the surprise, but I had no clue at the time). We drive North of C-town and it is just gorgeous here right now! WIth all the rain, which in this part of Texas is a rarity, the country is green and alive and even full of wildflowers. People up here are awed and amazed at wildflowers, but after living in College Station and Uvalde, I guess I"m not as surprised by them. Anyway, 10 minutes, 15, 20, 30 and I finally ask where we are going. A little later, we come over a hill and I see this big wall painted on one side like the American flag. I was confused...seriously confused. We get to the wall and I finally realize it is, dun duh duh.......a DRIVE-IN!!! I was so excited...the last time I went to a drive-in movie was to see Waterworld with Kevin Costner, in Denver, CO. So, Rich surprised me by bringing me to the Drive-in. This place is literally out in the middle of nowhere, so it was PERFECT! We saw Next with Nicolas Cage...not the best movie, but it didn't matter a bit because I was with my honey at the drive-in...how romantic (yes, we did do a little smooching, but we joked about how now that we're older, we actually want to watch the movie and save the kisses for later). He even thought to bring us something sweet to munch on during the show! He's the best. I loved the scenery, the conversation and the company!

Now, to THE dog! Argh! We have some neighbors across and down the alley from us and they have a dog...well, two actually. THey just moved in a couple of months ago, and already I'm finding it hard to be neighborly because of their dog. This morning, I had finally had enough of being awakened at all hours of the night by this yappy little mutt. So, after I woke up about 7:00, I decided to get dressed and go see THE dog making all this racket. Turns out there are TWO dogs...one a young puppy that looks like maybe a German Shepherd or something big like that. The other looks like a Lhaso Apso (sp?) or something small and furry like that. Every time the bigger dog would start to come towards it, or want to play, the smaller one would bark. Now, these people must sleep, eat, bathe with ear plugs in because they don't do anything about it! It is so frustrating...all I want to do is sleep with the windows open, have coffee on the back porch in peace, garden with the sound of the birds and nature...instead I get constant, non-stop YAPPING! I really want to just go knock on their door and with Christian respect, ask them to do something about their dog...and then call the police for public disturbance.

Has anyone had issues like this before? If so, please comment on how you handled it and the outcome because I can't take much more of it...I don't know how the next-door neighbors survive!

2 comments:

  1. Charla,
    I am that neighbor some days... Sandi, now 9 weeks old, will yelp her head off when she's not happy about being left outside alone; most often times we yell at her to be quiet, but there are times we just let her get it out of her system... thankfully are only neighbors are across the street! I would say something to your neighbors! I wouldn't be offended if my neighbors came and told me they could hear Sandi and it was driving them crazy - it drives me crazy! They either will or won't do anything about it, better to try, I say! :-) Good luck!

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  2. We had this problem the first few years we lived in our house. I am a chicken and didn't go talk to the neighbor, just tried to call in the disturbance. Apparently, doggy barking is not an offense in
    Alvarado! It continued until the neighbors moved last summer.

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