Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I've been otherwise occupied here in Brackettville.

First, we had a family reunion of sorts at MY HOUSE. Yeah, I freaked out for the three months prior and have pretty much been recovering ever since. I thank my lucky stars that a friend turned me on to someone that helped me get the house ready or I don't know what I'd have done. And then, an even luckier me, my cousin and her family stayed with me and she bent over backwards to keep the house in order for the five days she was here. Thank you Catrina! The reunion was all her idea, by the way. Next year we're doing it at cousin Lily's in Tow, Texas!

I took precious few photos during the family get-together. I was just too busy and too tired! Here's one of Catrina's little ones peeking through the front door.



After everyone left, there was a lot of garbage. Underneath one of the garbage bags was the Solifugae below. Nasty looking beast. Hubby wasn't home when I found it. As much as I wanted to scream and run, I also wanted to know what the darned thing was! I thought at first it was a scorpion, but then convinced myself it was a tarantula of some sort. I wasn't too far off! Fighting against my natural inclination to get as far away from it as possible, I caught it for hubby. I owed him big time for all the work he did before, during, and after the reunion. Being the "Hagrid" that he is, I knew catching something that really did resemble a Blast-Ended Skrewt for him would delight him completely. It did.





Shortly after the reunion I went to stay with my sister in Austin for a most wonderful weekend with her and the rest of my Austin family. The purpose of the visit was to say goodbye to my little brother, ack! He got a job with Blizzard (makers of World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, and many more) in Irvine, California. But that's just the icing on the cake that is his life. His wife is pregnant with their first child. Sweet! Poor pregnant Suez, she's still here in Texas trying to pack their lives into boxes, sell their home in Arlington, TX (awesome neighborhood, terrific yard, looking to move there? Check It Out!), and then she'll get to join her hubby in Irvine.

I had little opportunity for photos in Austin, as it turned out. My Dad and Mamman Claudette took us to Austin's The Oasis on Lake Travis. What a treat! It's an enormous restaurant. Three stories and a deck/bar that stretches on forever. The big thing at The Oasis is to go at sunset and watch the sun sink down over the lake. The day I went the humidity was high enough that there was a haze in every direction. It was still beautiful.





My siblings' minds were addled by the heat as we'd all chosen a table on the veranda.



Outside the restaurant there was a bazaar. It was SO cool--booths full of people desperate to explain to you how everything they sell is handcrafted and made of either recycled materials or things acquired via fair trade. Suez snagged baby's first onsie from the tie-dye guy.



And except for a trip into San Antonio for my first hookah experience (Delicious! But I think I'll stick to the tobacco free blends in the future) with a woo woo group I met online, things are winding down again.

And, today, for the first time in weeks, I felt like braving the sun and the dust to try and take a few photographs. There was a relatively cool breeze today, one of the last we'll get to experience until Fall. I wanted to take full advantage. I headed for the farm to take some photos of our cows and to look for some of the Monarchs that have been flitting through on their Spring migration. I saw none, unfortunately.


For whatever reason, the white one suddenly started giving the black one a tongue bath. They were pretty cuddly.




They get annoyed when I don't show up with treats.

Speaking of cows, we're ready to sell beef! We tried some of our own beef for the first time on the weekend of the reunion. It was so good! Tender! Juicy! Flavorful! What a relief, I didn't really know how it was going to taste. It exceeded my highest hopes. Our first taste test was done in the form of a side-by-side taste-comparison test. We had some truly beautiful store bought rib eyes as well as some of our own T-bones. The difference between the two was amazing. The grain fed beef had no flavor by comparison and seemed dry. Our pasture-raised, grass fed beef had the most delicious (not gamey or funky) flavor, was moist, and was very tender. For the reunion we served escabeche marinated and grilled chuck steak, muy delicioso. The raw chuck steak was so tender that I could cut right through it with my fingernails. Pinto Farm is ONLINE now, and ready to sell some tasty goats and cows!



There aren't a lot of wildflowers on the farm right now. These two flowers are the only type I saw blooming.




As I was getting into my car to leave the farm today a flash of red caught my eye. Can you believe the vermilion color of this caterpillar? I don't think my photo editing does it justice, it was more red and more vibrant. Our nephew David says it's the Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillar.




It may feel like summer, but it's still Spring as evidenced by the little baby Swallows above our front step. There are about four or five of them in a nest up there. Ugly as sin and cute as buttons all at the same time.

And now, I have TONS of catching up to do with my blogging friends. I especially miss Jean, Kim and Victoria, Bob Johnson, Bo-Yin, and Michelle. Truly, though, I love all the blogs I follow. Can't wait to come visit!

Namaste, y'all. See you soon!

11 comments:

Jean Levert Hood said...

Love the huge update, Genie!! Awesome photos! I'm so glad you've had some great family time, though it is sad to know that your brother is moving away. I do LOVE the baby outfit!

Victoria Williams said...

Great post Genie, but where's your picture???
And remember how you hated my surgery pics? Well, that "bug" you found just about sent me into orbit!
Good Gollie, Miss Mollie! or some such thing. Ha ha. Nice to see you back. Good to hear you're loving your own cow meat. That's really cool. I believe the second flower is a Ratibida Columnaris or Mexican Hat. Love those.

Genie said...

Hey Victoria! My picture? You mean of me? I run from the camera like I run from cockroaches--screaming like a little girl.

Yeah, the bug was creepy. AnI was so relieved when it was gone, it was really creeping me out. Thanks for looking! I've got many blog entries to catch up with you, I look forward to it.

Jean, thank you! I miss Bry so much. He's in Video Valhalla now though.

Thank you, Kay. I don't understand your blog at all but it's really beautiful!

Pat said...

Why didn't I relize you raised your own goats and cows. Maybe I forgot.
Sounds like you've been having a wonderful time.
I know how entertaining can be stressful...glad you did it but glad it's over.
Don't try and keep up with everyones past posts or you'll drive yourself crazy.
It's time to have fun...welcome back to the blogger world !

Bob Johnson said...

Hey you have been busy, I've missed your posts and great shots, but they are back and in spades!! great images Genie.

graceonline said...

There's so much to love on this blog. Your images evoke peace for me, happiness, pleasure, so much good. Thank you for providing scientific names on so many of the images. Love your style, love your words, love your commitment to organic, chemical-free, grass-fed meat. I Tweeted this post just now. Hope it brings you new visitors who are as excited about your work as I. If you were on Twitter, I'd follow you there, too. Many blessings.

Michelle said...

Hi Genie

I've been too busy to do much blog hopping myself. Here's a "missed you too" gift for you... :-)

http://crows-feet.blogspot.com/2009/05/to-all-my-girl-friends.html

Anonymous said...

Each and every photo of this post is a hit! The article is very entertaining too. Couldn't believe you captured the Solifugae; it looked so big. How did you manage that!? Or manage yourself to do that!? Having a big scale family reunion really connected each other and produced fun that wouldn't be in other occasions, but you probably want a lot of solitude now. Wish you a good recovery!

Genie said...

Patsi---There are some blogs I just hate to miss out on, yours is one of them. Yup, we're ranchers. Got a freezer full of our own beef and frequently have baby goats in the yard to bottle feed.
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Thanks Bob!!!!

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Thank you Grace!! I AM on Twitter. And now that I know you are, I am officially following you. Thank you for coming by and for your kind compliments, your blogs are amazing!

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Thank you again, Michelle! Indie.Arie's voice is rich and soulful!! Never heard of her before, thanks for the introduction.

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Thank you OrOne! That little beasty was about 3.5 inches long and it was hideous. I covered it with a plastic cup and slipped a piece of paper under the cup and the bug then flipped it all over. This was NOT easy for me! Ugh. But I owed hubby big time for all the work he'd been doing for the reunion.

Anonymous said...

Hey, that's exactly how mom and I catch mosquitos at home. Mom said let's not kill them and I agreed.
We catch them when they rest on a wall with a transparent cup and paper and let them go from the window.

Genie said...

Bo-Yin, you have the kindest soul of anyone I've ever met!