# 566 - The Grass is Greener on the Other Side

More than ever before, dirt is a part of our life. We purchased our acreage approximately 17 years ago. Our girls were young - Stefie was in Elementary school and Heather was in Junior High. We all worked hard and played hard on our land. They both had fun pitching tents, swimming in the lake, playing in the creek, playing flashlight tag, building camp-fires, and running from bats swooping toward their heads. There are too many wonderful memories of them growing up being wild ones through the forest.

Then again, there are these memories...picking up sticks. A forest has a lot of sticks. Unending sticks. But, to build a camp-fire to sit around and roast marshmallows and make s'mores, you need sticks. The girls learned the value of hard work as they spent time each day gathering sticks, limbs and building their fire to burn that night.

Stefie yanking vines.

Heather determined to also remove the vines and huge roots

left from clearing this area of trees.

We took this rural acreage and cleared a couple of acres. The clearing began with grueling work that Sgt. David perversely enjoyed because he had a lot of energy to expend thru chopping, burning and purging.

About 15 years ago.

By the end of the work for this area of dense wood being cleared, we were left with dirt, dirt and more dirt. The berry vines with large thorns also fought to quickly resurge their growth through the soil.

It took a couple of years of hard work, but we finally laid a pallet of St. Augustine grass in this cleared area and it took root to spread over the coming years to make a beautiful yard. Sgt. David and I had come camping on our land, in a tent, and we ordered the pallet of grass to be delivered. My husband was working so hard and we retreated to the tent for a nap as the pallet sat nearby and I couldn't nap, so I went outside and laid the entire pallet before he woke up. I don't think I have the same strength or energy these days! The photo directly above and then the one directly below are of a time-lapse of a minimum of 15 years.

A bonus of hardy, thick St. Augustine grass is that it prevents growth of the berry vines from coming through, but you have to keep the grass mowed for it to do its job properly. The weeds can't be allowed to thrive and grow amidst the sod. We tried EVERYTHING to keep these horrible thorned vines from growing and spreading, but St. Augustine grass surprised me and finally worked with us to do the trick.

However, there was a gap of time when we didn't visit our acreage at all. There was a full year when we didn't come to the land and that's when my mother discovered she had breast cancer. Her battle was short, only about two years, and in her last year of life, I had zero desire to leave our main home in the city, six houses down from her house.

At times unkempt, the sodded area would have waist high weeds.

However, we eventually managed to fight our way back to enjoying the acreage. In fact, the week my mother passed away, I felt an instinctual strong need to come back to the acreage, so Sgt. David brought me with a loaded down flatbed trailer of yard tools, and I sat on the Cub Cadet mowing for six hours...zoning out...making peace with the inevitable. The acreage gave me space and it allowed me to be with nature so I could accept both life and death.

I didn't want to talk with anyone during this time about her coming death. She was only 57 and wanted so badly to live. Sometimes the fighters die fighting.

I was still working a minimum of 50 hours a week, but for two years I'd been spending significant time taking my mother to M.D. Anderson. I had taken her to her last appointment about two weeks before this day of mowing, and I knew there would now be no more trips to M.D. Anderson. Everything that could be done had been done and the cancer had spread everywhere...spine, brain, lungs, femur...everywhere. I knew, at any time, there would be no more mother. She was leaving involuntarily and I would experience a deep feeling of loss in a new way. She died within three days after my silent day of mowing. 

So, the grass out here has a weird connection to life and death out here for me. I guess people who love to garden and farm can relate.

But, to see the land go from dirt to a place of beauty because of diligence was rewarding, indeed. I might not have been able to control my mother's cancer growth, but I damn sure could chop down the weeds.

The good thing through this process of many years is that I learned that St. Augustine grass definitely is worth the value as it self-spreads while coping with periods of drought, once it is well established. And it is safe for farm animals and is beautiful

The pictures shared so far are of the sodded yard on the side of the acreage where we kept our RV and camped through the years. It's the area we lived in an RV for approximately three long years as we were building our house, but the pretty grass acreage side is not where we would later build our house.

This makes me remember the difference between our years of living in a city suburb to the country experience. In the suburbs, the houses come with sodded yards. The newly constructed houses brag of their "sodded and landscaped" yards for good reason.

The picture above and the picture below are of the same area...freshly cleared and a wreck, then you can see the yard as of this year with my grand-daughter Coraline enjoying it.

Through the years, we have made sure to have a lot of fun.

A family/friend day on our lake for the Three-Acre-Easter Egg Hunt.

Stefie and Heather - my girls who

love the outdoors.

I'm usually the one taking pictures, but every

so often I am at the other end.

Our lake is big...just big enough, but not too big.

No motorized engines, except for a trolling motor.

The good part about having gone through a phase with lotsa dirt is that I am full of hope that the ugly area around the new house will eventually be just as pretty as the side of our acreage with the RV. I keep reminding myself that the sodded area that is now so lush with grass took a long time to grow more widespread and it is great that it continues to creep further outward. What was once rather ugly and chaotic looking is now beautiful.

I'm hoping the same process will happen for the area we cleared for our home-site. However, I tried to sow seed as well.

Several times I walked this entire area while broadcasting seed...expensive seed. I did this four separate times via a broadcaster and then I spread seed by hand, walking and sowing. Not only was this a lot of physical work, it was expensive. We purchased about $200. in grass that was supposed to be GREAT for this area and that is also self-seeding, but it just wouldn't work.

A few times we had unexpected massive rains too soon after sowing the seeds and the ground is so hard that the seeds just washed away. The high clay content made sowing seed nearly impossible. But, I tried.

We knew that we'd have to get pallets of St. Augustine grass to sod the area.

We spent several hundreds of dollars on sod and Sgt. Dave strategically laid rolls down in the areas most critical for immediate needs. We wanted to have a bit of green space in the backyard for the grandkids, and we also wanted the main stairways that lead to entrances to the house be sodded so less dirt would be tracked inside.

Mainly, the sod is crucial in preventing erosion. The rains cause the topsoil to simply wash away. We've had layers disappear as my seed sowing efforts failed. Sgt. Dave laid those two lines of sod seen in the photo below and that has helped retain a measure of soil along those areas. We now have taken notice of areas that desperately need sodding. I hope that we can soon add another pallet of St. Augustine grass to the backyard and that I can make more plugs from a few rolls for areas that are apt to be left forgotten. A few plugs of grass can make a huge difference over time.

We also put sod around the detached garage (not shown) and put many rolls of grass around each sprinkler head in the distance. Later, I would go and separate these rolls to create many plugs of St. Augustine grass for planting around and those have worked beautifully. It will take a couple of years for these areas to see the grass spread out, but they will.

As Sgt. Dave got started with the sod placement, initially forgetting they needed to be staggered, so I followed along behind him to stagger the rolls so that the seams weren't long and deep. We worked to reduce the brown and to increase the green. Even though so much more needs to be sodded, we are thrilled to have a bit of green get started. The ample rain we've had this year is helping the newly laid sod to root and spread.

For now, I walk outside and hold a hand up to block the expanse of dirt still needing sod, and I laugh. It took YEARS for the other side of our acreage to become lush and green, but I can envision the day that the yard surrounding our house is beautiful and even includes ornamental and vegetable gardens.

One day we will have a yard worthy of pictures with grandbabies sitting upon the ground...for now, I use creative imagination.

*******

My thoughts beyond my ordinary catch-up blog post...

The mundane in life is what gives life meaning. Every day we handle the most ordinary and necessary of tasks, but these moments are actually what give life security, depth and enjoyment, even if that seems ironic. Lately, I've been sharing deep sadness with untold numbers of others regarding the terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida. To those who lost their lives and to those who are directly impacted by their tragic loss, I am mindful of your suffering. I understand that you wish to simply do ordinary things in life and that you wish boring enjoyment could be the distraction it had once been. The rest of us should take this time to appreciate the simple distractions of life for the beautiful, carefree moments they offer. A heavy heart can no longer move through a day with ease. One who is mourning cannot do anything anymore with the same mindless movements. Many of us know what it means to experience tragedy and loss of some sort, life usually grabs hold of us in this way, sooner or later. However, the horrific scale of the Orlando tragedy is a stacked type of devastation...one upon the other. For those who endured the attack and survived, I hope you can eventually and miraculously find peace with your circumstances and make your life a representation for all who didn't make it out alive...your purpose is heavy and great. For those who lost a part of their heart, it is true that we do not forget, and we do not recover from such loss, we simply learn to live with it. That's the new task of one who has experienced great loss; the mundane, daily task they must now confront is to live with their hurting heart and aching soul. My prayer is that joyful remembrance will again one day touch the suffering.

# 553 - Country House Construction in a Rural Setting

May of 2015 for Texas has been odd. Most of all, it rained and rained to the point of waters rising and swirling and sweeping homes and people away, forever. There has much to mourn about this May here in Texas. The rains were coming every day; you stepped through the yard that had become a mud pool as others took a canoe to get across their street.

But, as for us, personally, things have been going well. The best part of this month was the week we kept our grand-daughter Coraline for a straight week. The good thing was...we returned her to her parents unharmed, she still had both her arms and both her legs, proving we can do a bang-up job as caregivers!

Coraline loves being with her Pappy.



Coraline and her Pappy

The week we were wrapping up with our grand-daughter went straight into another week with our niece, Shaye. I was thrilled that she was able to come to our place and to stand in the middle of the dirt field that will soon have a house upon it, and we got a picture of her next to the apple tree that Sgt. Dave planted this past year.

And I have to share how my faithful friend Howdy looks pretty darn cute himself!

Howdy at the lake on our acreage.

Now our home-site is FINALLY cleared enough to take the next few steps needed for us to start building the house. These are truly exciting times.

The future home-site coming together...tree and stump free.

The timber clearing crew got some major help when Sgt. Dave came home with a Stihl chainsaw, an early Father's Day gift. He says that chainsaw cuts through wood as if it were butter and we have LOTS of "butter" on our acreage.

Sgt. Dave helping the clearing crew by playing, I mean, working his
own new chainsaw to take down some big trees.

I think we have learned our lesson with buying tools and such. We no longer wish to spend money on less expensive versions because the better quality tool usually holds up longer and performs exceedingly above expectations. Over the years, that chainsaw will definitely come in handy. But, Sgt. Dave is in Man-Heaven.

A rolling hot fire!

 

The bonfire got smaller and smaller, until it turned into a heap of ash. Either tomorrow or the next day, we are having several loads of fill-dirt delivered to elevate the actual homesite and pad for the detached garage along with the outdoor kitchen zone elevated so we won't have drainage issues. This week, we might actually get to put in the foundation piers and start building an actual HOUSE!

Each step is very exciting to us. The weeks and weeks of rain was a real bummer. Having good weather sure makes all the difference in the world with either moving forward or coming to a dead stand-still and it sure is great for all the people working in the construction industry who NEED their weekly pay and depend on good weather in order to work each day.

This week, I even enjoyed hikes across the acreage by myself. Of course, I had my walking stick, my three dogs, a .38 on my hip and my daughter Stefie on the phone. I was PREPARED for lions, tigers and bears!

Before the entry was widened a couple of feet
on each side. This is actually the second part of
our entry.

After the entrance was widened a bit more. We will do some more
upper limb trimming ourselves.

The above photo shows the drive toward the home-site...the forested area on each side is something we purposefully kept so that our privacy would be a priority. However, we are having about two feet on each side removed so that we can have additional space on each side to drive through the area without scraping vehicles.

This undertaking is not for the faint of heart. Our new construction of this country home is set deep in a rural area and that means we are far removed from the comforts and conveniences that come with a "cookie-cutter" neighborhood where several families are building their own new construction project, near your own. As for us, we're pretty much the only one for miles building a new home out here.

And we have discovered, the hard way, that "rural" means "I am sorry, we don't deliver to your area." I should have figured this would be our situation after we lived without any possible pizza delivery for TWO YEARS --- I can tell you that sacrificing our weekly pizza delivery was a huge initial adjustment to country life in itself. HaHa.

But, I love it. I love every bit of it.

We are getting exactly what we want. We are living a dream.

You know how there are times in your life that you savor? THIS is one of those times for me and my husband. Yes, we all have bad things happen, rough times, suffering and such, but this is one of those moments in time that feels as if it really belongs to us and that we should enjoy it to the fullest.

Sgt. Dave hosing off my rubber boots for me.

My teeny tiny corner of the world feels as if it is changing for the better. And that's a great thing and a good feeling!

# 531 - Outdoor Gym

One of my goals is to start taking walks more often, just for the sake of walking nonstop for cardio purposes and to allow my body to again exercise in a manner that is continual for an extended period of time.

We do a lot of physical work around the acreage, but it is in spurts, here and there. That kind of work can often do more harm than good, especially if you are out of shape, in general.

And, I am out of shape.

This is me, a few weeks ago, floating in a refreshing lake in Texas.
I am in the water since you don't see people lurking around. I was
being silly with my old Water Ballet moves. Yes, I did ALL THINGS
water related while growing up.

Actually, our family has always been very active, especially during the years of raising our daughters.

One of the hundreds of trips we made
to Galveston, Texas...just down the road
from where we lived while raising our
awesome children.

We were extremely outdoor-geared, always bike-riding, hiking, camping, swimming and doing anything that required moving, having fun and being under the blue skies.

The kids and Sgt. Dave on our acreage,
many years ago. Sgt. Dave looks scrawny
to me in this picture! Lol.

My grown daughters are in great shape and they have often been involved with very athletic competitive activities and they watch what they eat.

Both my daughters on Heather's wedding day (my oldest daughter).
Heather & Stefanie are precious to me. This was two years ago.

I am so glad they grew out of this stage...

At their great-grandmother's house...playing tea-party, with wigs.

My youngest daughter is taking her commitment to exercise and overall health to a new level. She is a tiny thing...not quite 5'2" and has a hard time hitting 100 lbs on the scale. Stefanie has also encountered serious bodily injury in her freshman year of college due to a car wreck...the impact was so severe that it caused her car to flip and the result was a broken back and a closed head injury from the brain being rattled.

So, when I see her conquering her battles and becoming physically stronger than ever, I am especially proud of her!

Muscles Galore!

She has motivated me, in spite of my own significant health hurdles, to get moving in a way that goes beyond using a weed-eater or planting flowers in the garden and even beyond re-laying stepping stones...I needed to start a program of sustained exercise for a significant amount of time, several days per week, just to get the body moving in longevity.

I had initially even considered checking out the two work-out facilities in our small Texas town.

Livingston's recent Homecoming Parade

But, my round-trip to go to the gym would be about 25 miles and I don't think that would help push me to the gym. Then, I am in my mid-40's and don't exactly relish the idea of working out with a potential audience since body parts tend to go in different directions these days. No thanks.

On our acreage, we have a long private road that I knew needed to become part of my walking path on a daily basis.

Due to the curves in our private road, I cannot get a picture of its full
length, but it is definitely longer than a football field.

 

It is in the middle of the woods, but I am completely capable of protecting myself and I also have three large dogs who LOVE to walk alongside me the entire time.

They are fantastic guard dogs as well.

 

 

I thought I'd throw in a picture of Liyla to show her serious side. Lol. I am not kidding, of all my dogs, this one is the dog that would do serious damage. She has had some guard dog training, and if I say the magic words, I would pity anyone having to contend with her. 

 

Being in nature is wonderful.

So, I have begun the process of taking daily walks, weather permitting, on our private road and I even incorporate part of the forest into the walk to make things more interesting.

Howdy is also an ultra-guard dog. He has NO HESITATION and will run straight up to the threat...my brother discovered this side of Howdy, until Howdy got within three feet and finally recognized him. Scary moment, but it made my brother so HAPPY to see that Howdy is such an intense, capable guard dog. Then, my brother changed his britches. :-)

I make five rounds, which is quite a distance. And I realized that I have an awesome "Outdoor Gym" that just needs to be used with a bit more purpose. Just walking outdoors to do some work on the land does not always equate the exercise we think it does. Yes, the strength training the acreage provides is awesome, but the endurance and benefits we derive from activity sustained at a steady pace cannot be overlooked.

Since I need to get this body into better shape, my Outdoor Gym is about to be my best-friend on a new level.