Jilly's Birthday

The buzzards were circling but nothing was dead at Rancho Takach.


It was Jill's birthday and a party was starting.


Jill's ex-business partner Toni and her husband Noel arrived in blue and a smile.


As George started the burgers and dogs smoking.


Steven also arrived with Jason in a longhorns tee and saying Texas as clear as Montana morning in May.


Samantha, Christian ran to Grand mommy and Willie to give hugs and smiles.


Samantha was also interested in petting Willie through the fence.


Meanwhile David brought Jason over making sure Jason didn't climb the fence - what a great big brother.


Steven and Martha gifted us with a beautiful tea service we just love.

Jill was welcoming all the company with her great and generous smile and laughter. Pictured here from left to right are: Steven, Jason, Jill, Martha, Noel and Toni Ann.

I mentioned in a previous blog entry how much I like Jill's Southwestern decor, and here is a bit more including a cowhide covered canteen...

... followed by a cow skull (ala Georgia O'Keffee) and a great woven Navajo blanket...


... and for cold nights on the range a wood-burning stove, branding irons and a colorful flower arrangement.


While Samantha was rocking Steven and Martha stopped for a picture...


... then Steven got a picture of Jason.


Of course I'm always walking around snapping away and found this barrel cactus and Chillicothe, Missouri milk jug.


George finally got a break from cooking and sat to eat with Jill, Jesse, Janelle and Colton...


... while Penelope and Samantha had a conversation with Teddy.

I really should ask Jill why we are blessing Texas on one flag and flying the other upside-down. I really wonder why I had not noticed this before reviewing the pictures tonight when the flags are directly in front of the Musemobile.

Next to the RV in Jill's lower forty is a spactacular bush with bright yellow flowers.

Jason managed to climb up on the dashboard of the Musemobile and proceed to detail the area with Sharyn's wisk-broom. What a doll.

We all had a wonderful time at the party and mingled for quite a while talking about everything from solar panels to mules. and there is Bruce on the far right.

We noticed Willies horns are a great asset on hot and dusty days for scratching his own back.

Finally it was the end of party time as Jesse and Janelle gathered up the two wonderful children and two very cool canines and headed down the hill with Toni Ann and Noel just ahead and Steven and Martha not far behind. Oh heck and there is Bruce on the far right again. It was Bruce who is the expert on Solar Power and it was Bruce who already solar powers his own home.

Jill then gave Steven, Martha and their children and Bruce a tour of her barn - Jill is truly the hostess with the mostess and George the best cook in the book.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILLY!

No Scrabble tonight ~ I'm not sure I remember the rules *sigh*

Quote of the Day ~

"All new states are invested, more or less, by a class of noisy, second-rate men who are always in favor of rash and extreme measures, but Texas was absolutely overrun by such men." ~ Sam Houston (American General, Lawyer and Politician, 1st president of Texas, (1836-38, 1841-44), 1793-1863)

Rumaki Day on the Ranch

George fired up the grill for his specialty Rumaki and it is a very special recipe he has indeed.


Chicken livers wrapped in bacon with a water chestnut enclosed. It sounds pretty standard but his marinade is the key and that's a secret along with his cooking ability on the grill...


...also a great talent and voila...


... super delicious Rumaki. Thank you George it was great.


Somehow George came across these preserved hawks...


... they are beautifully done and very old.


This bear made of glass was on a shelf in the garage so I took it outside for a walk and a picture. I really like the color in the picture coming through the bear.


Jill likes sun gods and picked these up during her Southwestern days (from age 10 through today) and had these two hung up outside the garage.



Inside the garage Jill was clipping and washing this poor unsuspecting dogie. Actually this sweet but forlorn pup was a trooper and in the end after dried looked very happy and looked great.


I had to pull back for a great picture of Jill's expression when she knew I was taking a picture.


I went for a little photo trek around the house getting these leaves in a potted plant ...


... this orangish-yellowish hose and ...


...this great copper whirly-gig with a great patina on top and coppery finish on the bottom.


I liked these old bottles set in a basket with wood shavings. I though it made a great display piece inside Jill and George's home.


I also got these potted flowers as the sun was going down and ...


This Texas Star mobile.


Two other guests at Jill's were Brawley (Black) and Tahoe (tan) Jesse and Janell's two pups.


With four dogs (when you add Wendy and Annie) comes a little time with the pooper-scooper so Jesse did the duty as the sun finally set.


I got one more picture of the Musemobile (our Winnebago Sightseer [still waiting for a Winnebago sponsored trip] glowing in the sunset and the Mini-Musemobile (Honda Odyssey) basking in the shadow of the mountains to the west.

No Scrabble but the contender did go over 6,000,000 points on his Jardinians PC game.

Quote of the Day

"He was an innovator, an experimenter, a missionary in bringing the gospel of good cooking to the home table." ~ Craig Claiborne was an American restaurant critic, food writer and former food editor of the New York Times.

The Ranch House

The Takach Ranch House was filled today.


Well there aside from Jill and George there is Wendy and ...


... Annie but today there was also ...


PJ climbing in a tree.


Then there was Jesse and that cute redhead Colton. Jesse was fretting about the sunglasses "tan lines" but they looked cool.


I really liked Colton's "spiked-do" and his sweet smile


Janelle and Jesse were also all smiles probably thinking about the great BBQ Chicken George had out on the grill.


Jill got home all smiles for her first ...


... grandson and first grand child. What a cutie!


When all the cooking started and the greetings ended I got my green thumb for photos of flowers going.


First I got this shot of the ice plant behind the house along with a bee propagating the pollen...


... and some new growth on the cactus.


I noticed this spider on a beautiful white beauty and then found out why he looked so healthy...


... it appears he had an ample supply of food in these aphids.


This plant obviously needs a shave.


The aroma from these petals was fantastic - oranges for sure.


Pretty pink flowers adorned this small tree a fruit of some kind.


Oleander is poisonous so I didn't eat these flowers.


I'm not sure what this bush was but the flowers reminded me of and orangish honeysuckle flower.


I had walked up the hill almost to table rock and stopped for a picture.


I really liked these delicate blue flowers in the golden glow of sunset.



Before going in to eat dinner (it was yummy) I got one last picture and called it a day.

No Scrabble but I did manage to get Jesse's laptop to print to George's wireless printer so I get 5 points bonus.

Quote of the Day

"Fast is fine but accuracy is everything." ~ Wyatt Earp

Note ~ Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848–January 13, 1929) was an American farmer, teamster, sometime buffalo hunter, officer of the law in various Western frontier towns, gambler, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. He is best known for his participation in the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, along with Doc Holliday, and two of his brothers, Virgil Earp and Morgan Earp.