Part 2 of Wordless Wednesday

Our old fireplace at the cabin was beginning to pull away from the walls. We were afraid that it would either pull down the walls or the new roof. Here's a picture of the old one:



Two weeks later, we have a brand new one, which has some of the old stones and fossils in it:



By the time we go up there this weekend, we should also have a new mantle.

Icy and Wordless Wednesday

So...They Say It's Your Birthday?!!

Well, ok, it was. I turned 48 last Friday. Wow...I cannot believe I'm that old.

To celebrate, we took the day off work and went to the Dallas Safari Club show with Doug and Diane Dickey and Mike Magnotti. I was amazed at how large it was. I expected it to be in the convention center in downtown Dallas, but it was at Market Hall and included three huge rooms. There was lots of good shopping (clothing, jewelry and art) along with all the other booths.

After the show, we went to the Anatole for a drink then on to lower Greenville for dinner at The Grape.

Mike's wife, Trina, joined us. Below is a picture of Mike and Trina:



And...here's a picture of Diane and Doug:



Then...there's us:



Gary ordered the cake from his friends, Brack and Sharon, at Creative Memories bakery in Hurst. They crafted a wine bottle out of red velvet cake (which is my all-time favorite):



Celebrating my "special" day with friends and my handsome hubby helped me forget about my new age and remember how precious each day is.

Taking a Walk

When peace and serenity are needed, we take a walk on the Corps of Engineer path behind our cabin.

These photos are taken from the point:







This one is taken from the path to our boat dock:



However, this is mostly what we see:

Bar K-R Ranch

Mags and I go out to Bar K-R Ranch, every weekend. Our horses, Dakota and Ranger are boarded there, and on Sundays, we take lessons from our trainer, Johanna Lange.

It's been really fun for me to learn how to ride and for both of us to get a taste of ranch life. The horses love it at the ranch, and they're very well-cared for there.


Mags enjoys playing with the filly. She was born in April and is now about seven or eight months old. She's very gentle and sweet.



We also like to check on Missy, who is a senior citizen. She's also very sweet, and in the spring/summer, she lives in the dry pen with Dakota.



We took the week after Christmas and spent it up at the lake cabin. Mags and I got to ride almost every day, and Mags was amazed at the difference in Dakota. By the end of the week, he was no longer bucking or rearing.

On Tuesday, we met Dr. Katie Hayes for the first time. She came out to float Dakota's and Ranger's teeth. She gave them a sedative, and it wasn't long after she was finished that both boys were snoring like old men. Maggie had to take a video, and I'll see if I can get it from her to add to this post. It's hilarious.

Mags and I really liked Dr. Katie, and Mags is thinking about volunteering with her over the summer to get a taste of equine veterinary. Since Mags is in the Carroll Medical Academy, she has a bunch of volunteer and internship requirements to fulfill.

We had a good week!