One aspect of living in Texas is the time zone. Here, in Central Time Zone, the games start two hours earlier than in Nova Scotia, which is in the Atlantic Time Zone. I like it better to have the ball game beginning at 7:00 than 9:00. I know I can sleep late in the morning if I stay out late at night to see the end of the game but often I must get up early for some appointments so I am always short of sleep, which is a bad idea. Last evening I got to watch to the end of the Boston-Cleveland game and still got to bed at a decent time. It is a small thing in the whole scheme of life but the time zone is convenient.
The weather is another aspect of life in Texas that pleases us. Mostly it is warm, But today the temperature in Liverpool was 70 and at the ranch it was 60. We are seldom here in the winter or summer so for us the weather in Texas is just fine. Not too hot or not too cold. The people are friendly and pleasant. They have settled here from all over the world and they are hard working and industrious. We like living in Texas but we only stay for a few months each year, before we are off to the next lovely spot. While we are here, we enjoy ourselves very much. Our life in Texas is pleasant.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Thursday, October 6, 2016
October 6, 2016. Harper, Texas. Lost.
"You can't miss us", said the salesman. But we fooled him. We did not only miss finding him once, but we also missed him on the second try too. Too much traffic. Too many speeding cars. And very bad directions.
Everything seemed simple. On the way to the ranch, Ken and I would stop by the Suburu dealer which was at highway 10 an 1604. We would be driving right past so it was a perfect time to avoid an extra trip...but we could not find it. The salesman had given directions to Ken on Wednesday morning. He also told me. We were told it was right on 10, just after you get off 1604. We had gone several miles before realizing that we had missed it, so I called the salesman for directions, which we followed. But we got lost so we stopped at the Pro Shop and asked him to come and find us so we could follow him back.
We are not patient people. We waited 30 minutes. I had been trying to contact the salesman but he did not answer his hone, so we just got back on Highway 10, heading for the ranch. Sooner or later we will find that dealership, but today was not going to be the day. The interesting part of this story is that we still do not know which side of the highway to find the place. How can this happen? Ken and I can only recall twice in our lives that we were unable to find our destination. Today, even with the GPS helping, we were still unable to find the stupid place. But as I said before, we are not patient people!!
Everything seemed simple. On the way to the ranch, Ken and I would stop by the Suburu dealer which was at highway 10 an 1604. We would be driving right past so it was a perfect time to avoid an extra trip...but we could not find it. The salesman had given directions to Ken on Wednesday morning. He also told me. We were told it was right on 10, just after you get off 1604. We had gone several miles before realizing that we had missed it, so I called the salesman for directions, which we followed. But we got lost so we stopped at the Pro Shop and asked him to come and find us so we could follow him back.
We are not patient people. We waited 30 minutes. I had been trying to contact the salesman but he did not answer his hone, so we just got back on Highway 10, heading for the ranch. Sooner or later we will find that dealership, but today was not going to be the day. The interesting part of this story is that we still do not know which side of the highway to find the place. How can this happen? Ken and I can only recall twice in our lives that we were unable to find our destination. Today, even with the GPS helping, we were still unable to find the stupid place. But as I said before, we are not patient people!!
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
October 5, 2016. San Antonio, Texas. Logistics.
The plan worked perfectly. David had a meeting in Philadelphia, and was to leave at noon today, so he drove our truck to us at the motel and we dropped him off at the airport. Our visit with David was short but sweet. He will come to the ranch this weekend bringing the twins and their friend Grace. The plan worked well with the truck..
This evening we had dinner with Suzanne and the girls. Everyone looked great. I brought them necklaces carved by Bruce Smith who lives on Sand Beach Road in Liverpool. They loved them. They chose from the collection. Of course, we left one for Sarah, who is at the U. of Texas in her Freshman year. We stayed too late talking with Suzanne after dinner. Ken does not like us to drive at night, but we did manage to get back to our Motel in the pitch dark. He does not enjoy driving at night and he suspects I do not see well in the dark so his rule is to get home before dark.
Tomorrow we will drive to the ranch. The traffic in San Antonio is a long way from driving in Nova Scotia so we will be happy to be in the country. On the way, we will stop and look at a new Subaru. They have many safety features on the 2017 model and Ken thinks we need every one. We will see. One thing we know for sure and that is we are happy to be in Texas to be with our family.
This evening we had dinner with Suzanne and the girls. Everyone looked great. I brought them necklaces carved by Bruce Smith who lives on Sand Beach Road in Liverpool. They loved them. They chose from the collection. Of course, we left one for Sarah, who is at the U. of Texas in her Freshman year. We stayed too late talking with Suzanne after dinner. Ken does not like us to drive at night, but we did manage to get back to our Motel in the pitch dark. He does not enjoy driving at night and he suspects I do not see well in the dark so his rule is to get home before dark.
Tomorrow we will drive to the ranch. The traffic in San Antonio is a long way from driving in Nova Scotia so we will be happy to be in the country. On the way, we will stop and look at a new Subaru. They have many safety features on the 2017 model and Ken thinks we need every one. We will see. One thing we know for sure and that is we are happy to be in Texas to be with our family.
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
October 4, 2016. San Antonio, Texas. The Journey.
You see the oddest people when you travel. While we were waiting for our flight to San Antonio in Newark, Ken watched as people were getting off the plane, the one we would soon take. One lady was wearing a shirt that should have gone to her waist, but instead it had inched up over her stomach. And her tight jeans had slipped down so her fat pannes was exposed. "She looked awful,"
said Ken.
A lady sat down beside me and said hello and proceeded to eat her lunch. After she had finished, she turned to me and told me that she had walked allover the airport to try to find cheap food, all to no avail. She was a pleasant lady but clearly had not travelled often. She gave me details of the cost of her lunch, including a bottle of water that cost $4.00. The sandwich cost $15.00. Next she pulled out her cell phone and had the same conversation to 8 people, describing in great detail her food and the cost. I felt like asking her if anyone would care? But she kept calling one friend after another.
I first watcher her as she approached the stand for plugging in devices. She was an attractive young woman. As she walked she was talking on her phone. As she continued talking, she took out her cord and plugged in the phone. Next she removed her iPad and plugged it in too, all done as she was still talking. Then she curled up on the chair and kept talking. Finally she stopped talking. She was like a pretzel. She was thin and 20 and she could curl up into a ball in the chair, the same chair I was sitting up straight because that was my only option. She reminded me of a cat. She curled up in a ball and slept, with nothing jutting out of her ball. Finally her sister appeared. Both wore no makeup with long hair pulled back. They might have been twins but they certainly were sisters.
Amazing what you see when you shamelessly watch the people in the airports. The good thing is they never know you are watching.
said Ken.
A lady sat down beside me and said hello and proceeded to eat her lunch. After she had finished, she turned to me and told me that she had walked allover the airport to try to find cheap food, all to no avail. She was a pleasant lady but clearly had not travelled often. She gave me details of the cost of her lunch, including a bottle of water that cost $4.00. The sandwich cost $15.00. Next she pulled out her cell phone and had the same conversation to 8 people, describing in great detail her food and the cost. I felt like asking her if anyone would care? But she kept calling one friend after another.
I first watcher her as she approached the stand for plugging in devices. She was an attractive young woman. As she walked she was talking on her phone. As she continued talking, she took out her cord and plugged in the phone. Next she removed her iPad and plugged it in too, all done as she was still talking. Then she curled up on the chair and kept talking. Finally she stopped talking. She was like a pretzel. She was thin and 20 and she could curl up into a ball in the chair, the same chair I was sitting up straight because that was my only option. She reminded me of a cat. She curled up in a ball and slept, with nothing jutting out of her ball. Finally her sister appeared. Both wore no makeup with long hair pulled back. They might have been twins but they certainly were sisters.
Amazing what you see when you shamelessly watch the people in the airports. The good thing is they never know you are watching.
Monday, October 3, 2016
October 3, 2016. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Moving Out.
Tomorrow Mr. G. will pick us up at 8:00 to drive to the Halifax airport. We will be ready. Today I did a last load of laundry and put the clean clothes away. I was late bringing the clean clothes upstairs and for a few minutes I wondered if I could wait until our return to put them away but soon decided to do my duty. The partial cereal boxes have been transferred to zip lock bags for storage and the fridge is clear of food. And the truck is in the garage. All the deck furniture is in the garage.
Our small cases are in the garage ready to go out the door. All I must do is get off the computer so Ken can pack it away. In the morning, we will eat a quick breakfast and put medications in our backpack and we will be ready to go. Although we have nothing to do tomorrow, I know it will be a tiring day. We fly to Newark. Four hours later we board the plane for San Antonio. As we will be late arriving, we will stay at our favorite Comfort Inn. Then on Wednesday we will have dinner with our Texas family, which will give us great pleasure.
This evening, as I was moving the truck in order to put it into the garage I turned around by the Guest House. The sun was just setting so I sat watching the sunset along with the sea, making for a lovely farewell scene. We will miss seeing the ocean but we are moving on to Texas.
Our small cases are in the garage ready to go out the door. All I must do is get off the computer so Ken can pack it away. In the morning, we will eat a quick breakfast and put medications in our backpack and we will be ready to go. Although we have nothing to do tomorrow, I know it will be a tiring day. We fly to Newark. Four hours later we board the plane for San Antonio. As we will be late arriving, we will stay at our favorite Comfort Inn. Then on Wednesday we will have dinner with our Texas family, which will give us great pleasure.
This evening, as I was moving the truck in order to put it into the garage I turned around by the Guest House. The sun was just setting so I sat watching the sunset along with the sea, making for a lovely farewell scene. We will miss seeing the ocean but we are moving on to Texas.
Sunday, October 2, 2016
October 2, 2016. Western Head, Nova Scotia. Gill's Folly.
Gill is building a Folly, all by herself. Early in the summer, I suggested we look at the small building built by our friends Barbara and Gary as a surprise birthday gift for Gary built down by the river behind their house. The structure is a bit like a Folly as it serves no useful purpose, but is charming. As is often the case, just in the nick of time, Gill and I went to look at it this afternoon. Ken and I leave on Tuesday and Gill leaves for New York on Thursday night.
Barbara and Gary call their little building the cottage. Before they built their cottage, they never used the Mersey River either to sit beside or the watch it, but since the cottage was built 6 years ago, they have made a walkway over to a small island which holds a lovely sitting area where you can sit surrounded on all sides by water. A few years ago we had dinner with them at their home. We had a drink sitting on the porch of the cottage. It was charming. Then when light faded, we went up to their home for dinner.
Like Gill's Folly, the cottage has no plumbing or electricity. But Gill is on the ocean so she must install good windows and proper doors, or her Folly will blow away. The cottage has only a screen door and the windows you can see leak air. The cottage is charming. Just adjacent, Barbara and Gary have built a sitting area surrounded by flowers and plants. When last we saw the cottage the sitting area was being installed. Now they can sit and enjoy views of the river and wait for the ducks to come for dinner.
I enjoy looking at a finished product, where people get an idea and implement the plan, especially when the end is just what they intended it to be. Gill and I enjoyed our excursion to see the cottage. Now we look forward to seeing Gill's Folly take shape.
Barbara and Gary call their little building the cottage. Before they built their cottage, they never used the Mersey River either to sit beside or the watch it, but since the cottage was built 6 years ago, they have made a walkway over to a small island which holds a lovely sitting area where you can sit surrounded on all sides by water. A few years ago we had dinner with them at their home. We had a drink sitting on the porch of the cottage. It was charming. Then when light faded, we went up to their home for dinner.
Like Gill's Folly, the cottage has no plumbing or electricity. But Gill is on the ocean so she must install good windows and proper doors, or her Folly will blow away. The cottage has only a screen door and the windows you can see leak air. The cottage is charming. Just adjacent, Barbara and Gary have built a sitting area surrounded by flowers and plants. When last we saw the cottage the sitting area was being installed. Now they can sit and enjoy views of the river and wait for the ducks to come for dinner.
I enjoy looking at a finished product, where people get an idea and implement the plan, especially when the end is just what they intended it to be. Gill and I enjoyed our excursion to see the cottage. Now we look forward to seeing Gill's Folly take shape.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
October 1, 2016. Pleasantfield, Nova Scotia. The Dock.
This evening when I sat by the water at the cottage, there was not a dock in sight. Summer is over. Vinal and four buddies arrived at 8:30 to bring in the dock and the raft. Betty came to cook us fish cakes for lunch. When they arrived, Ken and I were both sound asleep...but not for long. Many hands make light work so soon the dock was on the shore. For years, Ken and Vinal put the dock and raft in and out of the water by themselves, but several years ago, Vinal suggested to Ken that perhaps Ken give up the task so others have done the the job recently.
Immediately after the job was done, Vinal brought out a small whiskey bottle and ginger ale and the men sat on our deck and had a drink. Everyone had a pleasant time with just enough whiskey for one drink each. Success in a job well done always brings pleasure and it was obvious the men were happy with their work this morning. Two men, Brad and his son, went home immediately. Vinal and Steve went fishing while Billie sat on the deck talking to Ken. Betty cooked and organized lunch while I talked to Betty.
Usually, the dock comes out after we have gone south. But this year we are here into October so we were able to see the whole operation. The lake is low with many rocks jutting up from the water where I have never seen rocks before. Sooner or later, the rains will come...maybe.
Immediately after the job was done, Vinal brought out a small whiskey bottle and ginger ale and the men sat on our deck and had a drink. Everyone had a pleasant time with just enough whiskey for one drink each. Success in a job well done always brings pleasure and it was obvious the men were happy with their work this morning. Two men, Brad and his son, went home immediately. Vinal and Steve went fishing while Billie sat on the deck talking to Ken. Betty cooked and organized lunch while I talked to Betty.
Usually, the dock comes out after we have gone south. But this year we are here into October so we were able to see the whole operation. The lake is low with many rocks jutting up from the water where I have never seen rocks before. Sooner or later, the rains will come...maybe.
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