BENNIE UPDATE & OUR HOUSE.

This is not going to be a very interesting blog...but some folks have asked for these pictures so here goes... This is our tiny backyard. It ends where the green soda bottles are on the low fence. Nice big area beyond w/ lots of shady pecan trees...the dogs like to bark at many squirrels.

Gene disappears into the small storage shed. There is ALOT of bamboo around us. The bats and grackle birds love it...we do not.

This is the back entry area...to the right. Bennie is looking for feral cats...of which there are at least 20...UGH!! He does not like the gravel area...it hurts his sore feet.

No matter how small of a house or yard I find for us to live... Mr. Geno ALWAYS finds many chores to do. That bell and huge pole have gotta go...who wants it? Dated 1885 from Yvonne's family farm in Mississippi. We are tried of dragging it around. We've moved it FIVE times.

When we got home from vacation (9 days ago) Bennie had done this to his front leg. He has left the back leg alone. This picture was taken today.

Today is shot day...it makes me cringe to have to do it. My heart says "Don't!"...but my brain says "You HAVE to!". He gets an injection every 3 days. We have just started vial #3...the vials get stronger as we go along. How can he get any better if we keep injecting into his body exactly what he is allergic to? He can't. I continue w/ strong steroids to try to control the sores...I give him more than the suggested dose...it isn't doing any good. I think I may doctor these sores today and then bind them up with gauze.

Master bedroom. We are happy to have NO carpet in the house.

T'other side. This built in bookcase has been a life saver for my stuff!

This is an extra room that has washer/dryer (behind those doors on the right), desk and computer.

T'other side...computer built in desk on left.

Living room. The corner cabinet is sold to friends in Kyle...will deliver it in a few weeks. We will be replacing that ugly, ineffective window shade...I HATE IT!

T'other side. We are hunting for just the right (2) bar stools for the counter on the left. There is no dining area at all in this place. We care not.

JAMEY (& DIEGO) ADOPT A DOG.

This is RUSTY JAMES. He has been fostered by Diego & Jamey for a few weeks and they have decided to officially adopt this darling dog. Lucky canine. Lucky parents. There's NOTHING more special and satisfying in this world than granting a needy animal a FOREVER HOME. Congrats guys!! Jamey has been in NYC for about 15 years...and has been a pet sitter for many friends...it's about time she got one to call her own.

BEES, BOATS & ODDS-N-ENDS.

When we were visiting- the bees had just been there one week...not to be disturbed. This is Michael a week after that...the first bee check. They want to get chickens next Spring. Soooo coooool!!!!

We went to Cincinnati on a riverboat cruise. It ran beside the Cincinnati Reds baseball stadium. Gene and Micheal had gone to a game the night before. When they went...the Reds lost....and it was a sold out, record breaking crowd of something like 42,000 folks! See those fake riverboat smokestacks (look low...center field)? Well, when the Reds strike out somebody....FIRE blows out of those!! When the Reds get a home run, fireworks go off and they got TWO while we were cruising by... everybody on the boat clapped and yelled...it was pretty neat!

A not very good picture of the EXCELLENT Dixie Land Jazz Band on the riverboat. The music was on speakers outside too...so when ya went out there to take in the views you could still hear the music. They were REALLY GOOD!! We enjoyed a nice buffet dinner.

Here comes a BIG barge...get outta the way. They're pushing alot of stuff.

Cool houses...there were LOTS of cool houses and apartments. I could live there.

Very fine hosts.

Boat. Geno.

Boat Bell. They didn't ring it.

River shore stuff. I could live there also. Pretty churches and lots of quaint and charming structures.

More views of dowtown Cincinnati The red rimmed place in the foreground is a restaurant.

There were LOTS of bridges. This particular one is called the  McDonald's bridge...guess why. There was a Goodyear blimp shadowing us and going over the baseball stadium all evening. 

The sun was setting...and we turned around and went t'other way.

I was really interested in this modern building. Couldn't tell if it was apartments or offices.

Bridges are so geometrically artful...I love them all. Other tiny Indiana/Ohio observations- We thought it was funny that they sell fireworks all year round there. Each night before we went to bed we'd go outside and check out all the stars in the night sky. One evening it was cloudy, so no stars... instead of stars there were hundreds of lightening bugs all around the farm and many of them were at least 50 to 80 feet up in the trees. It was really pretty. Gene had never seen a real live chipmunk before. We liked birdwatching at Jane & Michael's. They have 3 kinds of woodpeckers and we were so sorry not to see "Big Red Fred"...which is a pileated woodpecker who has a 15" wingspan. On our drive back to Texas...I like to look for odd signs etc. We passed by Bucksnort, TN...and Big Bone Lick State Park in Kentucky. Wish we could've stopped at Loretta Lynn's Ranch and the Casey Jones train museum. Also a bummer to by pass Memphis. I guess that's about it...Thanks for reading folks!!

A WALK BY THE CREEK & THE FARM HOUSE.

You need these to do a creekwalk...Jane had 'em all ready for us.

During different times of the year the creek is running and bigger...or dry. Isn't it pretty? I'm annoyed that I forgot to tkae a picture of this charming little watterfall they have. You can hear the water running over it from Jane & Michael's bedroom and patio etc.

A neighbor was kind enough to go down and cut a very nice path beside the creek. It goes a long ways. There are flag stones here and there that used to be an old, old road.

Jeez...stay away from these. Mesquite trees look like child's play compared to these thorns!

I've never seen so many trees. In fact all the way home thru Kentucky and Tennessee etc. were lots and lots of trees. I like to look up into the canopy of branches with the sky as a back drop.

The Moehlman House. This place is so NICE! It has big windows in every room so the views are pretty. You can lay in bed and look at all the stars. Each of the 3 bedrooms has a sliding door to the outside. There is a nice deck on the back. On the left side is a one car garage. The siding is redwood. The previous owner did a great job building a snug home! The house is in a little valley with thick forest all around it and hills on each side. That looks like their elderly chow type dog...Malta in the photo. She came with the farm. Their other dog is a black German Shepard named Bentley. They keep away deer, moles, raccoons etc.etc.etc. from the vegetable garden...at least so far.

This is the driveway. It's pretty long and winds thru a tunnel/canopy of trees. Those lillies in the foreground grow wild & everywhere we went we saw lots of them.

Pretty pots of petunias on the back deck.

This is George and Toby and they are very sweet and entertainign cats. Toby is the hunter and kills voles....good kitty.

George likes his catnip!

An unwanted visitor. He was out before it was even dark, so he must've been pretty hungry. They have chipmonks, squirrels, voles, moles and I saw a pretty little snake...plus tons of neat birds to watch. Nature at it's finest folks!!

I was really taken with this log house at the entrance of Jane and Michael's driveway right next to their mailbox. They said that it was moved there because where it used to be is now the bottom of the lake. It is being devoured by termites. Somebody PLEASE save this building...there aren't many left! Note the notched logs at the corners.

BROOKVILLE, INDIANA. June 7-12, 2012.

I liked this building alot. Check out the vine on the stairs. It's a hamburger place. No sign...if the blinds are open the store is open. If the blinds are closed...they are closed.

Downtown Brookville...Main St. about 7 miles from the Moehlman Farm. Population about 5,000. They are getting ready for their canoefest. There is a river there and lake nearby. I like Brookville ALOT!

Movie theater. There is a bowling alley also.

Brookville court house.

I forgot what this building is...some city related thing. I love the portico above this side door.

Court house.

This is an old bank which now houses a mortgage company...or something like that. We went inside and looked around at the cool architectural features. Cashier windows still there etc. Lots of marble and copper. The clock and door overhang are copper too.

The men setting horseshoe stakes. They only lasted one game.

Men cutting grass. Oh wait...no...they had gone to the creek to get some river rocks for the garden. See in the little trailer? Michael LOVES his lawn mower. Jane drives it too.

Men staying busy w/ chores. I didn't get a picture of them doing the dishes. We let them have a little fun between chores.

BROOKVILLE, Indiana to DEL RIO, Texas.

Went to Sister Jane & Michael's farm and had the best time. This is the souvenir we brought home. J. & M. had traded in their 2005 Honda Element in Feb. for a much needed pick up truck for their property and it was still on the car lot. Nobody in Brookville needed or wanted an Element...WE WANTED IT!! We made a fine deal on the price and drove it back to Texas instead of flying home. Left Tuesday morning and drove 8 hrs...spent the night just south of Memphis. Wednesday we drove 9 hours and spent the night in Belton/Temple. Today we drove 6 hours (stopping in San Antonio to get our truck where we'd left it near the airport) and arrived in Del Rio around 3 pm. We're feelin' kinda haggard. This vehicle will replace our 1996 Honda Accord which has 220,000 miles and a broken A/C. MUCH MORE VACATION BLOG TO COME...so stay tuned.