When we lived in Texas there was one thing that was always an adventure for us. The animals. From all the horses, dogs, a donkey, chickens, guinea fowl and at one point, a longhorn. Our animals were family. When I had stressful days or days that I just needed a break from the chaos of life – I would walk out to my pasture and be with the animals. They didn’t care about all the crap that I was stressed about. I would run my fingers through their wiry hair and all of it, all the crap, would just melt away.

But the adventure, the every occurring issue with the larger animals. Keeping them from not roaming all over the neighborhood, so to speak. My in laws house and ours back right into a golf course. We had plenty of land. Our house sat on twenty acres and the in laws sat on ten or more. But we still backed up to the golf course. When TJ, the longhorn felt frisky on days, he would walk right on over the fencing and visit the golfers.

The first day I had to help with getting fencing up and brain storming about how to keep this 900 pound animal home and not frolicking on a golf course, I’m pretty sure I cried and wanted to give up country living that day. Didn’t help that my father in law was hollering “Mush” while we were dragging around panels.

Looking back now I wonder and almost wish that we had electric fencing. It would have probably been a lot easier to do so instead of the hundred times we had to attempt to keep all our animals penned in somehow.

Fi-Shock is a manufacturer of electric fencing and have been since 1968. They are recognized as one the world leaders in equine and livestock fencing. They offer various options and are versatile and flexible to YOUR needs.

I love that. I love the idea of any fencing being versatile and flexible to what we need for our animals. So if you are looking superior quality electric fencing, check out Fi-Shock.

What was it that made my heart go pitter patter and skip several beats in that deep love? Not sure really. I first moved to the South in 2001. My first experience living there was in East Texas – Huntsville to be exact.

I had heard stories about the South. I had my misconceptions. Truly. That I was going to run into cowboys everywhere, rednecks, hillbillies and other sordid styles. That everyone owned a gun, a truck and a bird dog named ol’ blue.

I had no idea the beauty of the state. I was convinced it was full of nothing but farm land. No trees. No flowers. No hills. Maybe rocks. Nothing else.

My entire perception of it all. Day by Day. Month by Month. Then Year by Year. I was falling quickly and deeply in love with a lifestyle, a location, a culture. Something that must be experienced truly and fully. Luckily in living in Texas for so long and moving place to place, I was able to get a full taste of all that it had to offer.

In East Texas, Huntsville, you get a medium flavored taste of what living in deep, piney woods country is like. It’s slow. It’s behind the times quite a bit. It’s deep, deep woods. It’s fresh air. It’s green..everywhere you turn. It’s history to the roots and not just the outside.

I remember going to the state park with Brent and hopping into a canoe with him on the lake. Then all of a sudden Mr. Alligator pops his head out. I was in disbelief. Then immediately started playing deliverance in my head.

While I was in Huntsville, I didn’t get but just a taste of what was to come, I got enough to begin the lusting process. In more posts to come, I will explain to you my love affair with the South and how it all went down.

So begins…Memoirs of The South.

Our town in particular is always celebrating or traditonal-izing something. Every holiday is welcomed with festivities and parades. The town lined with people and the back streets crowded with cars. You do your shopping weeks in advance. You plan nothing during this time as it will never get done. Ice runs out long before the first day of each event. High schooler’s line the nearby sonic, sitting on the back of their pick up trucks. Little kids running about the streets with dirty faces and large smiles. Parents conversing amongst themselves, keeping that watchful eye on their children. The music blares from the courthouse on the square. It is, I must say, somewhat magical. A large sense of community.

Well this weekend is another one of those weekends. Actually it started Monday. See tonight is the homecoming football game. And everyone (or most everyone) knows that football is a big deal in Texas. Let me rephrase that, football is a GIGANTIC thing in Texas. And homecoming is the icing on the proverbial cake. Monday kicked off the week with a Homecoming Parade. The craft, grocery, flower etc shops are jam packed full of people trying to buy a mum. No not a flower. Mum’s are a big thing here. I don’t know if any other state does this. (maybe y’all could fill me in on that) I just have never seen them until Texas. This is the first year that I bought each kid a mum. I figured they were all getting old enough to appreciate the tradition. Oh and if you have the time, google images of said mums. They are pretty awesome.

Anyway–back to homecoming. When I was in high school in Arizona homecoming was still a big thing. Spirit week. Bonfire night. Football game. Dance. Party in the woods. Pretty simple. But fun nonetheless. But here it’s not so simple. A parade as I mentioned to start off. Every single shop/store in town is sporting window paint. Everywhere you look it’s “Go Team Go”, “We Love Our Boys” “We Kick Butt <3 Your Cheerleaders" etc, etc, etc. Every car that drives by also sporting paint and support for the team. Banners are hung. People are scrambling for mums. It's crazy. But a fun crazy.

So yesterday my mother-in-law and I went to town and got my kids’ mums, face paint, blue hair paint, shirts (and puff paints to decorate them with) ribbon and so forth. This was Brodie’s very first mum and since she is my little cheerleader it was decorated appropriately. It does not have long ribbons and decorations, but it is fancy. The little ones, also got one that they can wear on their leg or arm, decorated to also support Dayton’s soccer team. This morning I woke up bright and early to get Brodie decked out. She wore her white T-Shirt with our teams name and her name on it. I tied her sleeves up with blue ribbons. (our team is blue & white, mascot is Bulldogs) I put her hair in pig-tails with ribbon and sprayed her pig-tails blue. I painted a paw and the #1 on her cheeks. And off she went to school. Looking as cute as ever! (which I did happen to get on camera, but it was my mother-in-laws camera)

And I can’t wait to look back at all the pictures I will be taking from homecoming week, when she is 18 and graduated. When all of them are 18 and graduated. It will make for great memories and if they decide to carry on their lives in Texas, get married and have children, I hope they too enjoy the Texas traditions!

This morning I decided to let Brodie sleep in once again. I’ve figured out that 6 a.m is way too early for her to get up and I’d rather take her to school then have to deal with her crabby bad days she has because of early mornings. The decision and realization of this has made life a lot easier on the both of us and the dramatics are down to a VERY minimal! Hooray! Of course while Dad was home too we discovered quite a bit about Brodie. The main thing when she claims to have NO friends, it’s a big, huge, dramatic LIE. We waited one afternoon outside to get her off the bus. Low and Behold Brodie got off with a dozen children screaming out the window, “Bye Brodie see you tomorrow!” “Hi Brodie’s Mom and Dad!”. And our response, “I thought no one liked you?”. Her response, “Well I’m in a cool band now!”. Huh? What?!

Anyway going off subject here, but this morning when I got out of bed (read: crawled shivering) I had to take note of the 70 degrees it was inside my house. A/C going full blast. I walk outside turn the truck on to warm it up. Walk back inside and take note from the computer of what the temperature is outside….it was a good 60 degrees. It has only warmed up to 64 thus far. The high today coming in at a beautiful 87.

So I must remind myself that the A/C needs to be turned OFF at night and probably all day. It is no longer the time of year to have the house feeling like a meat locker. It’s going to start feeling that way outside!

First off I don’t like you. I know, not the best way to start a letter to a stranger, but it’s a fact. Now it would be totally awesome if you magically dissipated. That would be great. And take your sister Hanna with you. I’m pretty sure Florida has had enough.

Anyway–I got up this morning and had my eyes glued to the television screen as usual. You are the dude that just can’t make up his mind. Your twiddling your wind thumbs and we are bracing for your wrath. I don’t think that is very cool whatsoever. Just so you know. So I sat there, going through the checklist, boarding windows, sandbags etc. See this weekend we are having a full weekend grilling shindig to join in on the towns yearly cattle drive. And well that makes us busy. And you are projected to finally make your devilish move after the weekend. Doesn’t leave much time for the boarding and bagging. Not that we are expected to get hellish winds, but I am not taking chances. I do like my home.

So if by chance you finally decide to move just, oh say, 100 miles to the west, I’d appreciate it if you gave me an extra day to get my affairs in order. And I’d really appreciate if you downsized your strength before you hit land. Anywhere. Nobody needs the disaster that you shall bring. Nobody deserves it either.

So take your winds, water and devastation elsewhere. Thanks.

Appreciate doing business with you sir.

Gustav Projected Path

I used to actually own chickens. Yep. And Guineas. No not Guinea Pigs. Guinea Fowl. We lost them unfortunately. Snow, our Guinea wandered off and never came home. The chickens were, well chicken meat. Dogs, Coons and Possums decided to eat them. We had two Americana chickens survive and lay green/blue fresh eggs for us. Well Lucky, our last Americana didn’t make it. We will one day again have some.

MIL has had every animal, rodent, insect, reptile, whatever under the sun and moon. No joke. Donkey (aka Jackass aka JT) is still around. At the moment I am housing him. He’s actually pretty sweet and he keeps the random stray dogs away. Laugh, you know you want to. I call him the guard donkey. She has about a billion horses. Which at the moment I am housing four of them. Oh yes, four. I had a colt last year, Blaze, who was wonderful. He had a great personality, but we had to sell him. Breaking a horse isn’t as easy as it sounds. So at the moment, I’ve got three mares, a donkey, a filly and a dog. Oh yeah and kids! Anyway–MIL also has a goat. The gay goat, Billy. The gay goat, Billy, that thinks he is a horse. It’s starting to sound like a zoo around here. Along with the four horses I am housing, the donkey, her gay goat at her house, she has a brood mare (a mare for breeding…which I do love this horse) and a stud horse. Next to add to her list, a guinea pig, well two, my niece has one. A hamster. (I call it the rat) And random lizards my FIL and BIL 5 catch for fun. Oh, let’s not forget Giles. The cat. Which reminds me of a story….

One summer evening me, my FIL, my MIL and all the kids were outside hanging out and waiting on BIL 4 to show up. It had rained like crazy and it rained frogs. There was frogs every step you took. There were frogs in my house. Anyhow–the kids were getting bored so my FIL grabbed a spool of string and sent the kids on a scavenger hunt for the largest frog they could find. Dayton, Tristan, Brodie, Niece 2 and BIL 5 all found their treasured frog. FIL cut 5 long pieces of string, tied it to the frogs and they had races. Yes. Frog races. Frog walks. Frog friends. Frog leashes. It was hilarious. They tied the frogs to poles, trees etc when they were done. So what does one do on a slow, sultry summer evening in Texas you ask? We makes leashes for frogs.

Anyway–so let’s add up the zoo here.

6 Horses

3 Dogs

2 Guinea Pigs

1 Hamster (Rat)

1 Donkey

1 Gay Goat (Billy)

1 Cat

6 Kids

Various reptiles etc…

This one girl (me) who thinks they have all gone CRAZY! Can you imagine the back of the truck when we go to the feed store? Don’t. Can you imagine the feed bill? Don’t.

Well about 2, 3, 5 years ago or so…there once was a BULL (yes an actual Longhorn) named TJ. He was pretty. (I know how can it be pretty) But he was. He was sweet. (again how is this so, well it was) He would play soccer with you. We bought a ginormous soccer ball and he would kick it around with you. Well the pasture that he was staying, just wasn’t fit for a bull. He got out numerous of times. Before TJ was sent to the auction, keeping him penned up was a task. Now normally, I would smart ass my way out of helping move panels.
Yes. That’s what they look like. And they are heavy, awkward etc. So I was miss priss in my flip-flops and painted toe nails. No way in hell was I going to LIFT something. But that one day, I had no choice. I couldn’t let my MIL and BIL 1 do it alone. And it had to be done. TJ could no longer roam the streets in our town. He was bound to get hurt. That was bound to cost money. It had rained so they were rusted, the dirty rusty rain water was all over me! And I lifted them. And helped with the HORRIBLE task of dealing with them. The day that TJ left I thanked my lucky stars. NO MORE panels. What little did I know…..

So today, I was cleaning and hanging out with my kids. It was such a nice quiet day and the kids were being GREAT! I get a phone call. The fence has been tore down on the road, can you check it out. I think they are on crack. I just drove by the fence. It was fine. (oh this is the fence at my MIL’s pasture holding in 2 said horses and gay goat) Well low and behold, somebody drove right through the fence, pulled up one T-Post, and drove back through again and tore the whole fence down. I throw my kids and dog out of the truck (not literally) and take off running into the pasture. Of course I look like a wild crazy girl doing so. But two horses could get out, and two horses could get hurt. I find them. MIL and BIL 1 begin the task of calling the sheriff etc. Well…big issue. I am full of horses here. So we need to make a round pen for horses. F**K!!!! GDI! PANELS AGAIN!!!! Are you kidding me? But this time around I can pick up the panels with one finger. (sarcasm) And I can do it with out smart assing my way out of it. And it’s kind of fun. Because I joke my way through it so everyone doesn’t start getting annoyed. Which does happen. 100 degree heat, humidity, and moving those things can make a person annoyed.

So a pat on my back, for pulling up my pants and living the country life. It’s fun. But it’s not.

Quick Note: The fence culprits were found and punished. They must re-fence. Glad it’s not me. I helped fence 40 acres once, I didn’t want to live through it again. NO, NO, NOOOO! I told my MIL I might just offer them some fresh lemonade. (hee hee) I also have a video of 5 Greer Boys trying to ride a donkey and me offering up the cattle prod. I need to find that video. My husband landed in a pile of steaming donkey crap. Good Times, Good Times.

So Edouard, thanks for giving us some rain, as our ground is DRY and I like the humidity. But your wife Dolly just left and if you give us anymore rain and my driveway turns into a place that Mud Wrestlers desire…I just might have to SCREAM!

Thank you and carry on with your winds, rain and other stuff.

Mrs.Greer

A link to video when Dolly hit Texas about 5 hours south of us.

Dolly-Texas