March 14-19. Ratcliff Lake with Peyton & Luke

We left Wednesday morning around 9:am. it was a  easy drive and we arrived about 11:30. After driving to our site there was someone still there but  were packing up. We went to a parking lot and  had a little lunch. I took Maggie for a short walk by the lake. We then headed back and set up. With it being spring break it looks like it will be lots of campers.  We had a nice quiet evening.
Thursday morning I left early to pick up the boys.. On the way back Susan called and she said she fell on the stairs but was ok. It looks like now we both are crippled this week as my back is hurting. Peyton and Luke were excited to get there. They played hard all day.  Our neighbors were from College Station and their 13 year old daughter Callie came over and visited. Friday and Saturday were repeats. Peyton and Luke would start playing outside at day break , take a nap about 1 and play till supper time.  They are really easy to keep as they entertain themselves, all they need is a couple of trucks and shovels. They rode their John Deere tractors till the batteries ran down every day. We never went swimming as the water was still a little cold. Saturday night we got a wild thunderstorm so Sunday morning it was too wet to go outside. Kyle and Kristin were coming to spend the day but since the weather was bad so I met them half way with the boys. It sure was quiet Sunday night. Monday morning we headed home.

Waiting for our site to open

Water still a little cold

Our campsite

Maggie getting a little sun

Doing some handwork

chilling by the fire

March 1-6 Weather is Better

March finally got here and the weather has made a turn for the better. The bad news is my back has taken a turn for the worst. When I get up in the morning I can't hardly get around. After about an hour I can start functioning again. I am able to get some things done but just have to be slow. I am still cleaning up a  few things from Harvey because I didn't get a lot done during deer season. It dried out enough that I mowed the front yard on Thursday and the rest on Friday.  I have to mow awhile and then rest my back. I was also able to get the trailer turned around without getting stuck. On Saturday we left at 5:40 am in the morning to head to Ashleys volleyball tournament in the Woodlands. It is about an 1;45 minute drive for us. Parking is always limited so you need to get there early. They had a good day and finished 2nd in the tournament. We got home about 8:30 pm. A long day but fun. Mackenna had a volleyball tournament In Richmond and they won 1st place.  Sammi had a softball game in Kingwood and they also won. Sammi  had 2 doubles as she went 2 for 3 at the plate.  Its a shame we can only be at one place at a time. Sunday and Monday were nice days and I was able to piddle around and do a few projects. I headed to Kingwood Monday evening to watch Sammi"s softball game. They won and we barely got thru before it started raining. It rained on me all the way home.

Mackenna"s Team

Ashley"s Team

Ashley

Sammi

Sammi

Feburary 2018 A Dreary Wet Month and Ole Timers Reunion

This was a miserable month of weather. We had some cool wet days and some humid warm wet days. There was just not a lot to report and I didn't take many pictures. We got a 3 day break in the weather and I was able to wash the trailer. I also cleaned out my compartments and rearranged them. The interior is clean and ready to roll. Our plans were to go to Canton on the 28. When I brought the trailer home from the deer lease I parked it differently than normal,  This made it easier to unload and reload things. Unfortunately I never thought we would have so much rain that it night be difficult to get it back out. It has not dried up enough for me to move it. If you get off the shell drive with truck or trailer you will get stuck. . If I really had to I could get it moved around but would need someone with a big tractor or 4-wheel drive truck to pull me and I would leave some big ruts. We decided not to do that so the Canton trip is off. I won't park that way again. The only other things we did this month was a little grand kid sitting. Susan did have a sewing retreat at Kristi's lake house for about 5 days. I was also able to go to my Ole Timers Reunion . Its always on the last Friday night in February. I don't know how many years we have been doing this but its been a while. John Kocurek does a great job of putting this on. We had a really nice turnout this year. As time goes by we lose a few more folks each year. Its always good to see folks again and catch up and swap some tales.
Of course we also did a few volleyball tournaments with Ashley and Mackenna.  They pretty much have something every weekend. We also managed to go the the movies one really rainy day .We just about had the whole theatre to ourselves. We like to go to early showings.

Jan 20-28 The last week with the Girls

We were home Saturday and  also most of Sunday.. I really didn't get much done around the house as we have had so much rain it is very sloppy. Sunday evening I headed back to Kristi"s and Susan came Monday morning. The workers showed up Monday morning and started building cabinets downstairs. They start about 8 and work till about 6:30-7:00pm.  It is very noisy with the table saws, air compressors, nail guns  going all day. There is not much to do as you cant hear the TV. We lost the temporary sink downstairs so we only have the bathtub and bathroom sinks upstairs to wash any dishes. We used mostly all paper goods and cutlery. Some of Kristi's friends brought us dinner most nights so that does make things much easier. I did cook hamburgers one night on the outside grill.  Susan's allergies were terrible as she couldn't take any medicine because of allergy testing on Thursday. She had to go back home Monday and just stay. The allergy testing showed she was allergic to 31out of 38 testing subjects. She is going to start allergy drops and we hope they work.  Kenna had a basketball game on Thursday night and they won  I came home Friday evening after Mike Z came home. Saturday morning we we to Ashley"s volleyball tournament in Spring. They won all their games. We came on home after the games and just rested .Kristi"s plane landed about 4:00 pm so she made it home safely. Kenna has volleyball games Sunday on the southwest side of Houston but we are not going. Time for the old folks to rest for a day. While I was gone my new grinder came in. I decided last year that I was going to start processing my own deer. I bought a LEM Mighty Mite #8 Grinder. My plan is to take out what I think I need for a week or two and make it fresh. Sunday I made a little practice run. I just ground up 2.2 lbs of meat and made a nice pot of hamburger soup. It went smooth and the cleanup was very easy. Normally I will probably do 5-10 lbs at a time depending on what I'm making.

Max is not stressing

Lexie stayed by my side all the time

Kenna basketball game

Kenna basketball game

Sammi checking out the progress in the kitchen. It will probably be May till the downstairs is complete, 

A digital  scale to weigh meat

This grinder is just the right size for me

Ashley"s volleyball game

Ashley keeping score

Jan 8- 20 It Got COLD In TEXAS

We didn't do much until Thursday when we went to Mackennas basketball game. They won easily and Kenna was high point scorer. On Saturday we went to the NRG Arena for Mackenna volleyball tournament. They played competitively but lost all 3 games. One of the Dads works for the Houston Texans managing the luxury suites and boxes. He arranged for all of us to eat in the Texans cafeteria and then we toured their training facilities. After the games we all went to a Saltgrass Steakhouse for Adams birthday. On Sunday we stayed home as my back was killing me. Monday morning Susan headed to Kristi"s and I went to the deer lease to bring our trailer home before the bad weather. After I got back I headed to Kristi's also as we are staying two weeks while Kristi is in Africa. The weather continued to get worse as the day wore on. Everything was shut down Monday,Tuesday and Wednesday, no school and Mike Z couldn't:t get to work. We had lots of sleet/ice and some snow. The temps got down in the teens and the wind was blowing hard. Sammi and her next door friend played in the elements all day Tuesday and had a blast  The big girls went to friends houses. Susan and I  basically just watched the dogs.. Wednesday things started returning to normal. Thursday Susan went home as she has a quilting workshop Friday and Saturday. Sammi and I went to Kenna"s basketball game Thursday night and it was a really exciting games which we won 31-29. On Friday evening I headed home for the weekend after I got the girls from school. I will head back Sunday evening and Susan will come Monday after a chiropractor appointment.

Volleyball at NRG

Tip Off

Shooting Free Throws

Volleyball team in Texans Weight Room

The cold weather is rough on the dogs

Taking a snow break

It started snowing