June 18, 2015. Canyon Lake, Texas. Surprises.

I was sound asleep having a lovely afternoon nap when I was rudely awakened by a loud noise. I opened my eyes to see an empty space high up the wall. A large picture had fallen. I did not hear the tinkle of broken glass which surprised me because I knew the large painting was a water color and was covered by a think frame and glass. I stayed on the couch and finished my nap. What a surprise it was. This large painting had fallen off the wall from it's place 12 feet off the floor and had landed flat. The only damage was one crack in a part of the frame. Another surprise occurred when we arrived yesterday. A new home was built right next to us. When Suzanne was here, the house was complete on the outside. It is a large lovely home. Work was being done on the back, with steps down from the house and then to the water. But nothing has been done since we left for the ranch because all the large blocks being used for the stairs fell down. The deck is now just hanging at the edge. What a surprise that would have been to have the whole retaining wall creep down the hill. It appears that the water side of the house was built on fill and the huge amount of rain washed away some of the fill. This is a major league problem. And certainly a surprise to us as well as the new owners and the builder. So far we have not spoken to the new owners who live in Austin but I hope they will visit this weekend. Being nosy, I would like to know how this happened. I can easily handle one fallen painting but I am pleased not to be dealing with a house whose foundation is crumbling. I thank my lucky stars and wish them well.