Namesake

This is how and why Cactus Ridge got its name. When we first bought the land these little patches of cactus were all over the place. About the third year we owned the property, a big storm came and we had a terrible freeze (for Texas) we lost many patches of cactus and one really pretty tree that Morris had worked so hard on. The one in front of the barn to the left. He shaped and pruned and babied it because when we look out the front door that is what we saw. Ahhhh - but when it froze it cracked down the middle and split the tree into three parts on the ground. It was sad when we saw it but the good thing is it was a Cedar and not one of the grand old Oaks.

Trees

We have the most beautiful and unusual trees on the land. This view was taken while I was relaxing in the hammock. I love to lay there and just stare up in space and imagine shapes with the tree limbs and clouds. Just look at that sky. Gorgeous! That is my idea of a very relaxing day.

Does a Tiffin poop in the woods?

Nuf said?????

Just a swangin

As you can see I like to swing. Everywhere I can I have Morris hang a swing. We had this glidder at the house for ages and I decided to take it to the land. We have probably used it more there than anywhere. When it gets cold, you just wrap up in the blanket and snuggle.

Miniture things

Little stove, well hotplate really, little frig, little microwave but no sink. We have power but no water. Notice we do have the essentials coffee and cookies. I have not got around to staining the cabinets but I will - the counter top is a lovely green color. When we first starting saying over night we were sleeping on the sofa that made out into a bed - well - I guess you could call it a bed. It quickly grew very uncomfortable, so now we have a bed. I will take a pic of it on the next trip and update you.

Ole McMomo's Farm e i e i o

How beautiful it is to wake up to bright sunshine open your door and have this view. Sometimes there are 7, 8 or more out grazing in the field which is our front yard. We have goats, scorpions and tarantulas which are not as nice but we do love our deer - and no - they are not what's for breakfast.

Waylon, Willie and the boys....

Luckenbach, Texas is only a hop skip and a jump over the hill from Cactus Ridge. It is the smallest little town I have ever seen but very popular and well known in Texas. In the general store which was established in 1849 everyone is encouraged to carve their name on the walls. The post office is also located in the general store -truly small town America. They have a dance hall and huge concerts all through the year. The blacksmith shop washed away down the creek one year in a freak rainstorm. In 2002 the floods came again and took the cotton gin. If you have never heard the song - I'm going to Luckenbach Texas with Waylon, Willie and the boys, you just must not be a texan. Everybodys somebody in Luckenbach!

Shall we make a sacrifice

Well, I don't really think that this particular area of the land is a past sacrificial area but a few other people do. One person would not even go in the fenced area. It is a strange little area though. There is a chain link fence then you go down and there is another little fenced in area out of barbed wire with a picket gate and then inside that is a 4 sided little area built out of rocks with an old hammock tied up and the top of a deer stand to one side. It is a bit erie even to me but I truly think it is either a) where someone had a pot field growing and put all that up to keep the animals out or b) part of the old school house that used to be there from Payton Colony. Payton Colony is the whole divide area as to what I am told. It was given to freed slaves and they lived there after the civil war. Now I have not verified that but it is the folklore up in those parts. Tex and Ashley put a tent in there one night and were going to sleep out there but a huge storm came thru with huge lightning and they came running up the hill and slept on the floor in our cabin.

Gnomes

Gnomes - Gnomes - the Gnomes come marching in my friend. The definition of a gnome is a group of dwarflike beings believed to inhabit the interior of the earth. Well, ours inhabit the exterior. Fairly soon after we got the land the gnomes came marching in, only 2 or 3 at first but now we have 88 at last count and they still jump into our basket at any store we visit. With so many of course they needed shelter hence the rock houses were born. Shane, a dear friend who is now serving in Iraq built one and Morris built two. They have a cannon, a chimenea, a box of gold, flags, a latrine and probably other stuff I can't recall. Some even came from England. They are multi-cultural these gnomes. They are the guards against the sacrificial area of the land. AH interesting topic - I will have to explain the sacrificial area in the next post.

How do you spell relaxation?

These are pics of early on when we were working extra hard to clean and clear off big parcels for use. We would be so tired by late afternoon that we had to have some relaxation. I think this particular day we had cleaned out the whole area over by the barn. I use the term barn very loosely as it is a shack bascially that either goats or pigs lived in. Now it is full of Deer Poo because we feed them every time we are up there and they reward us with poo pellets. Oh well, we don't mind because we love to watch them early in the morning or right at dusk they also come out. I wish I had a picture of the day the herd of wild goats chased me down the hill. I heard them coming but when I saw them they were charging and there was about 15 of them with the leader being quite large and he had a long black beard. Needless to say I took off running and got out of their way.