A Totally New Experience

Surprised to see me? Well, I can't stay away forever. This place is like my home away from home. What brings me here today is a little different, at least for me. I had an unique experience last night. But before I tell you about that....let me catch you up on life here my friends.


The past couple of months have been an emotional rollercoaster with incredible highs and soul wrenching lows. I choose not to dwell on the lows, so I want to share some of the highs. Pete and I are doing things I never thought a year ago, no six months ago, we'd be doing. We've been really living and truly loving. He and I have gone 4-wheeling several evenings. We've slept out under the stars all night long. We've gone skinny dipping in a friends pool at 2:00 in the morning. We took the kids and went bowling as a family one night. Pete has cooked me some delicious meals. And we created a marvelous pasta dish together in the kitchen one night. For Father's Day I cooked him up some fried perch another friend had given us. For Mother's Day he gave me Stanley, just because he arrived that day.

That was the first day. Here's one more recent:

Bug thinks her summer is going terribly. :o( She has to help daddy with the animals, in the garden and with the dishes and laundry. But it's really not as bad as she thinks. She's been spoilt.

Bubba has bought himself a one-ton Cummins and is adapting the flatbed on it and rigging it out for a welding truck. I'm proud for him and of him.

That brings us back around to why I came here today. Pete and I went to a birthday party for a dear friend last night. Someone Pete had worked in the oilfield with. A relaxing, wonderful evening. Lots of folks. Various and different folk of all different ages, stages, and stations. There Pete introduced me to a woman who he has known most all of his life. I don't believe I have ever known her. Hard to believe in a small town, but we don't truly know everyone....just feels like it sometimes. And as we are talking she tells me she had come across Life & Faith by a Google search on Caneyhead. (Nice to know those meta-tags work.) She tells me she has read some here and enjoyed her visit. I'm pleasantly surprised and flattered. This was a first for me. Lots of folks from other places, including Vietnam and Romania lately, find their way here. And I've told people IRL (in real life) about my blog and some have come by. But it is the first time I've simply stumbled upon a person IRL who came across my blog totally on their own and then who I happened to meet and speak to. Reminds me of just how small this huge world can be. And impresses upon me just how powerful this medium can/could be.

To friends old and new, God bless you and keep you. And if I don't get another chance to tell you, have a safe and happy 4th of July.

For My Friends

Just wanted to share with my friends. A general update on me and mine.

Bug is doing outstandingly well in school. She's had her art displayed at the local museum. Been accepted to the Duke University TIP program for her writing. All A's Honor Roll and perfect attendance. Looking forward to getting to start training Prissy, her horse, this summer.

Bubba has just started a new job where he's actually hired out as a welder. He's loving the money.

Pete's awaiting the sssssllllloooowwww arrival of our new colt. Has a beautiful garden going. Been cooking up some great meals. He's gotten into trying things with pasta. Watch out Olive Garden!

And me. Well, I'm really me again. I've taken Bug to the carnival and rode all the rides with her. I always loved the rides. I love the wind. Love the wind in storms as well. It always makes me feel invigorated, alive. Even the winds in Rita, though I dare not step out in them, thrilled me more than scared me.

Bubba, Bug and I rode down to Galveston one day not long ago. My first time there since Ike dealt all it's destruction. Unbelievable view once we turned on Hwy 87. All the tall grass is gone. Clean up beach side is almost total. You could see the Gulf all the way down to the ferry. Really more beautiful than before. Yet, still when you thought of all that was simply washed away....it was painful.

It was Bug's first trip to the ocean. She loved it! We rode the ferry over. I was amazed at the emerald green of the water. I am used to the Gulf being a muddy, mucky looking brown. Perhaps all the dredging to clean out the water way for the ships is responsible. I don't know if Bug's little camera pic does it justice.

We rented a four seater bike/buggy and rode up and down the seawall once on the Island. Then the kids souvenir shopped. I hung out front and talked to old beach bums. ;o) Bug and I wadded in the surf and sea shell hunted. Bubba sat back and took in the view. The only person on the beach with Wrangler jeans, Wrangler denim shirt and Redwing boots.

On the way home we detoured through Pt. Arthur and refinery row. Finished up at Tony' s in Beaumont for Bar BQ. A great day!

I'm taking time to stop and visit with whomever comes through our little spot on the hill. I'm not taking any crap off of anyone. I do what I feel, when I want to. Hang out with the girls, sip a drink, talk and giggle. Taking better care of myself.

I really don't know how to explain it. All I can really say is I'm me again....and I haven't been for quite some time. Those who have known me for a long time say, "Watch out, Barbie's back." Those who haven't known me that long look at me like "What's up with her?" And I love it.

Hugs to all my friends. I'll try not to be such a stranger....but there's a lot of living to do!

Testing

Just testing how an email post works.

 

 

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Would You Sail With Me?

I seem to be on a hiatus from this journaling enterprise. For any out there that are my friends, that are women, who would care to join me on a voyage of rediscovery of Barbara leave a comment or email me with a request to be added to my private Barefoot & Bra-less Blog. New entries will be forth coming there.

Warning: This journey is not for the faint of heart.

And I still love you all and expect to return here when my trip is complete.

Barbara

What We Did Saturday

Yesterday I teased you all with this picture, and asked you to guess what we were doing with that barrel. Several of you thought about the fact that we are country folks and made some really good guesses, including smoking meat or boiling fat.



In actuality, we were boiling water. Needed lots of hot boiling water to scrape the hog Pete killed. More pictures and commentary follow. This may not be something for the extremely tenderhearted or squeamish although I didn't post any of the extremely graphic shots.

Hannah documented the whole thing with her digital camera as this is becoming a lost art.



This is the sow we killed. She's never took when we tried to breed her, so her days were numbered.



Robert McGallion and Pete cutting out a hole in the hog pen so they can remove the hog.



They placed her on a sheet of plywood and pulled her over near the fire hole with the tractor.



Pete pours a couple of pots of boiling water over the snout and Robert begins scrapping the hair off.



Robert is the teacher. Here Pete and Bubba begin practicing what they were shown and told.



Pete's nephew, Dusty, is here now and helping Bubba. He plans to be butchering a hog of his own soon and wanted to learn. Two young men save the old codgers a lot of bending and squatting. ;o)



One side is almost complete. Grab the ears and the feet, flip it over and do the other side.



Nothing is wasted. Here Duck even scrapes and cleans the tail.



Another nephew, Benny's son David, rides up on the four wheeler and he gets in on the action as well. Special care is given to cleaning the feet. Toe nails are popped off.



Don't forget her belly!



Make a handy-dandy holder out of the tendon on the back of the hind feet.



The hog is dragged on the board to under the A-frame. The hind feet are put on the hook and it is lifted by come-a-longs.



The head is cut off. The front feet. And then it is gutted and cleaned inside.



Here, Bubba and Bug are observing from the back of the truck.



A shot of them actually working on it.



The finished project. The carcass is off to be processed. Smoked hocks and bacon. Pork chops. And lots of sausage.

The head, the heart and the feet will be boiled down one day soon and Pete and Robert will make hogs head cheese out of it. They eat it. I don't.

When it is processed, the excess skin and fat will be saved for us. One day Pete will take it out and cut it in small pieces. He'll then boil it to render out the fat for frying and this will also make some tasty cracklings for snacking and cornbread.

Hope you enjoyed your Saturday in Caneyhead.

Barbara

What's Going On?

Okay, folks. Here's a picture that was made this morning. Take a good look and tell me, if you can, what this drum is doing over the fire. What is it's purpose? What did we do this morning?


I'll be back later to tell you the whole story with plenty more pictures.

Love, Barbara