SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

 Spring in Texas is one of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen!  The wild flowers are gorgeous and when you come upon huge patches of them along the road, it stops you in your tracks!  I had to make a quick road trip to Wichita Falls yesterday and here are some of the sights I saw along the highway!!
Happy Spring!!!

                       INDIAN PAINTBRUSH

Texoma Cowboy Church

Bluebonnets

WEEKEND OF THE ARTS

Our Inaugural exhibit for the Western Trail Art Association, was presented by the Western Trail Historical Society and held this past weekend at the Museum of the Western Prairie in Altus, Oklahoma.  WTAA recently formed in October 2011 to promote art and tourism in the states that the Great Western Cattle Trail went through in the late 1800's.  Being an officer (Secretary), it was GREAT fun to attend, exhibit and sell my jewelry and meet some wonderful people! 

THE MUSEUM OF THE WESTERN PRAIRIE

On site at the museum, is the original ranch house for the "Cross S" ranch, located just southwest of Altus.  Each stone was marked, cataloged, loaded on pallets, relocated to the museum grounds and rebuilt as an exact replica. Behind the structure is a staircase leading to the top floor.  It's an amazing piece of history and creates a perfect showpiece for the museum. 

In the span of a little more than one hundred years, southwest Oklahoma has changed from a homeland of the Kiowa, Comanche and Plains Apache to an area of prosperous farms and growing communities.

The grounds (courtyard) also feature an historic half-dugout, an operating windmill, farm implements and a carriage barn with additional displays.

 

Saturday night, artists, Laura Gillis, Gloria Lamar and I stopped for a quick pose! 

The art show exhibited great versatility from oils, to watercolors and pastels, to acrylics, jewelry and sculpture!  During the weekend prior to the show, several of us gathered to hang the pieces, using genuine cowhides, Mexican serapes and handwoven rugs as the backdrops for the art. It looked spectacular! 

Friday night was the "by invitation only" exhibit, for Museum board members etc...It was a very classy event with delicious hors d'oeuvres, cold beer and several selections of white wines.  Saturday night, the exhibit was open to the public, with tables outside in the courtyard!

One of my jewelry display cases and another pose!

All of the museum people were incredibly friendly and I felt honored to be a part of their wonderful event!

Live music by a local group softly billowed through the gallery - it was fabulous! On Saturday night, the band was set up outside in the courtyard and was simply glorious!

Several hundred people meandered through the galleries of the museum on both Friday and Saturday nights. Many purchases were made and it was a delightful time for all! My jewelry did VERY well and I was shocked and thrilled at the final outcome!

SLIGHTLY SWITCHING GEARS: FROM CULTURED ART EXHIBITS TO YOUTH SEASON WILD TURKEY HUNTS! 

Zack and Dyke went hunting on Sunday afternoon and Zack bagged 2 good sized Toms with his 20 ga.

It was a GREAT weekend - full of excitement, friends, fabulous weather and overflowing blessings!   Next weekend, I am participating in the first COWBOY TRUE art show in Wichita Falls.  Stay tuned for more postings, photos and fun!

SPACE and GROWTH

Finally, a space has opened to greet another posting. 

 Time = space.

Space = reflection.

Reflection = growth. 

I have come to hold firmly to the belief that growth can sometimes bring unforseen storms.  But the best part is that those very storms arrive in our lives with the promise of healing on the other side.  With that, I am reminded of a powerful and oh so true quote that I read somewhere..."When you're going through something difficult and don't know where God is, remember, the teacher is always quiet during the test." 

The last few months have certainly held some marvelous miracles, clarity of the heart and strength in the soul. 

Around the farm: Dyke's 100 broilers are quite possibly going to eat us out of house and home...they're ravenous, feathered blobs of chicken fat just perched on the cusp of obesity! There aren't enough crumbles to satisfy them!    

As the days wane into weeks, these lil' fellas certainly have "pooched" into spectacular eating machines!

SPRING BREAK IS HERE - and even the dogs enjoy the sun-splashed days!

Dyke took Zack and Jody on an overnight camping and fishing excursion on the other side of Wichita Falls...

Gear was checked, rechecked, packed and finally it was departure time!

With Jake and Talia in from college, their time at home was far and few between, spending a lot of time down at the river and OF COURSE...no time was allowed for mom to take a picture of them...Jake is soooo camera shy!

Here are some pics from the fishing excursion:

So manly, so redneck, so stinky!!!!

Yes, we do have some redneck-ness...these lovely fish heads will soon grace the fenceline to the east...I'm not sure why fisherman hang giant catfish heads on their fenceposts...but they do...is it like they're marking their territory? Strange!

Boone - Jake's pup certainly has grown since Christmas!

 Trying to sneak a pic of Jake, Talia, Zack, Cory and Jarod!  They're getting organized for a 4-wheelin' day at the river!

 Of course, Jake wanted no part in a "posed" photo...so Cory and Jarod took matters into their own hands!

Ahhh, to be 19 again!

So, with the days spent whatever way each person chooses, there's plenty of resting, eating, and just "being"...together.

AND THEN THERE WAS SNOW.....

 Dyke, his brother and another game warden all decided that they didn't have enough chicken in the freezer, so they all pitched in and bought 100 broiler chicks to raise and then butcher. Of course, Dyke offered to host the hatchery and this is what now occupies the back end of the barn...an old water trough serves as the brooder and with a sack of pine shavings, a couple heat lamps and a tarp, he was in business! 

Last night, before I slipped between my flannel sheets and down comforter, this is what I saw out the window...snow, snow and more blowing snow! (lit up by the farm light, it looks to have a nice warm glow, but in fact it was 20 degrees!!!)

What it looked like before I headed out to do chores...

Luckily, the schools had a delayed start, so I headed out to do chores @ 7:00...even through my coveralls, it was cold...broke some ice so Biscuit and Ed could drink and then threw some hay.

The kitties had sought refuge through the night in the haybarn...

 Brrrrrrr.......

CANDLELIGHT BALL

I'm still trying to grasp the concept of time passage...It's CRAZY that Zack is old enough for the Candlelight Ball! It seems just like last week when Jake went for the first time!
The Candlelight Ball is a tradition in Vernon with the Campfire girls. It's like a souped-up, fancified, "coming of age" Sadie Hawkins-type event. The girls secure their escorts early- some... 6 months in advance, gowns are purchased as far away as Dallas, and perusal of cutting-edge hair design books continues throughout the preparation process. Some of Zack's counterparts from his group of friends...

The guys, more kicked back, don't plan their attire until a couple of weeks prior to the event (sounds right, doesn't it!?). Some choose to wear a tux, others a suit...but either way, it must be an upscale look with careful coordination of the tie, pocket hankie, and/or vest with the girl's gown colors. Wrist corsages and boutonnieres are also carefully coordinated, concerning the colors.

(How does this boutonniere go on?) Jacee and Zack have been great friends since middle school and are a perfect match for each other!

Zack and I found his tie at the Mall and decided to go the "suit route" this year. Dyke still had his black pinstripe suit that he wore to his Game Warden interviews, back in the early 90's. Just for kicks, I had Zack try it on...knowing that there is a huge difference between Dyke's and Zack's leg length, I figured that the pants would look like capris on Zack...but....they fit perfectly! The jacket fit to a "T" and by borrowing some black loafers, purchasing a white dress shirt, black dress socks and a reddish Stafford tie, we were in business!

The day finally came and as Zack prepared to get dressed, we both realized that neither of us (Dyke was at work) knew how to tie a tie...I paniced for a moment, but Zack quickly solved the problem with the idea to pull up a YouTube video. He immediately got on line and found a video staring Charlie from MyNiceTie.com. With his tie draped around his neck, Zack proceeded to minic Charlie. The mimic show lasted only through the first loop of the tie and then Charlie continued on by himself. I was making italian sausage and tortelini soup in the kitchen, when Zack's frustrated hollers reverberated the walls! "Mother! Come here and help me!" Well, I was really no help at all, and with Charlie's monotone voice, I got tickled and started laughing so hard, my mascara was running! Zack laughingly yelled, "Mother! We have 45 minutes and we have to be in town and I'm not even dressed! We laughed some more together, but his laugh had more of a frightened tone to it...

Repeatedly, Charlie was paused, rewound, paused, rewound, paused and rewound until we both decided that the double windsor knot that Charlie so effortlessly produced, was not the knot for us. We Googled "Tie Knots for Dummies" but was unsuccessful. Zack said, "I can tie the most intricate, complicated fishing knot and I can't tie this dumb knot! Finally, Zack was able to twist and loop and pull and spread the silky tie into a very nice looking triangular knot...and the dressing race was on! He slipped the thin black dress socks on and quickly commented that it felt like he was draping a napkin on his feet, because they were paper thin. He was used to thick hunting socks! In moments, he was all dressed & looked extraordinary! I couldn't believe my eyes as I stood back and gazed (though my running mascara)at his elegance! It brought a short-lived tear to my eye, because with the next glance at the clock, we both realized that we had to hustle and get to town, so there was no time for tears and sensitivity - we had a mission! I was (and am) so proud of him!

The first photo-op was in the alley behind a local gym here in Vernon. The rustic wall was a perfect place for pics! With time still on our side, we went to another location for a few more pictures. It was freezing outside, but they braved the cold temps and provided another great shot! Nearing 7pm, we decided to make our way over to the Presbyterian Church where the dinner and more formal pictures would be taken. The parlor at the church was totally transformed into a glitzy glamour palace by one of the moms! It was stunning! A local pianist was hired and live piano music floated through the air. Shutters were snapping and as the "kids" (although they looked 25!)entered the parlor, they were handed a champagne flute with sparkling cider accented with a large strawberry that perched on the rim of the glass! The tables were decked out with zebra print, hot pink, candles and plumes of feathers in glass vases!

It was pure elegance, enchantment, romance and luxury!

Zack and a couple of his close girl friends.

A delicious pasta dish was served, as the groups sipped their champagne flutes and visited with each other.

Then, after dinner, they all made their way over to the country club for dancing, and more visiting! A professional photographer was there with a backdrop of balloons. At 11:45, Zack texted me and said that it was almost over, so I roused myself from the couch and headed into town. He had a WONDERFUL time and said that next year, he wanted to get a tux!