Gracie and Me: Covid-19 #10

          I've used a dime to screw in more things than I can count. I did it because I didn't have the right tool. I'd either lost the tool, forgotten the tool and just didn't have the tool. Come to think of it, the previous statement is pretty much a metaphor for my mechanical aptitude or lack of it. I better get the right tools because we're building our forever home. The good news is Cody Wall's our contractor and he's the kid who rebuilt a lawnmower when he was a toddler.

The Right Equipment/Windmill Ranch Preserve

     Spring has sprung and the Windmill Ranch Preserve near Snyder, America is absolutely sprouting. If it has a root, it's growing. We're definitely in mowing season.
     The great news is all of our equipment actually works. Really, it's a big surprise but I guess it shouldn't be. I think I've finally learned that if I take care of something then there's a pretty good chance that it might last more than just a couple months.

Mowing Season/Windmill Ranch Preserve

     The John Deere has a perpetual flat but otherwise the battery's good, the fluids are good and the fuel is good. It started right up!
     We had a little more trouble with the riding lawnmower. The battery was dead, but not kaput. A quick charge and a quick prayer had it running like a top. The biggest surprise probably was the weed eater. Good grief! It's always a pain, no matter the occasion, but after sitting idle for about six-months with old fuel, I was expecting a big headache. But, it zinged into action on just the third pull.
     The lesson grasshopper is.... Take care of your stuff and keep your stuff in a good place and odds are good that you'll be mowing again. And, I was. The ranch looks like Ireland right now... Green, green and green!

Cody Wall/Wall Construction-Ira,TX

     We are building our 'forever home,' despite Covid-19. The word from the financial folks is all good.
     From the start, one of the biggest reassurances has been that Teresa's son, Cody, agreed to build our home. I'm not exactly sure how to brag about Cody. He's thorough, honest, incredibly hard working and a perfectionist. If that's not enough, he was the little boy, who when his grandfather turned his back, he rebuilt a lawn mower.

Forever Home/9825 CR 242

     The work's going slow probably because of the current chaos, but today was a minimal milestone. The electric company set our poles and set up our transformer. I know it doesn't sound like much, but it's progress. This picture shows my favorite part of our entrance. The tree's in the middle of our driveway. Pretty cool, huh?

     Gracie update: She's exhausted. She ran everywhere we went on the ranch today to get our equipment running. If she wasn't running, she was jumping in and out of the old, white ranch truck.

     Diet update: We're both back to pre-weekend cheating weight. Still, it's such a bummer to see more vegetables on the dinner plate than meat and potatoes.

Bill Robertson, The weedeater's alive and well and about to get a serious workout!