So once again it is July, the temperatures are in the upper 90's, at least, and the entire family is coming to hang with us at La Sonrisa. We have been watering the yard so it is not just brown stickers. The garden is, well, there. We borrowed a camper trailer, with airconditioning and additional beds. Now, if we could get it to rain in the next week, get fish to bite at the pond, and the grasshoppers to leave, we would be good.

At least we have pictures of animals on the game camera and the horse trough spa is warming up.

Next post - pictures of the chaos!

Sometimes we just lose control

I cannot tell you what happened or when but......as you can see if you have been here before, I totally lost my background and header. I cannot figure out where it went or how to get it back so i am just working from here. Soon you will see new pictures of what is happening at La Sonrisa if I can get my mojo back.

Where the wild things were

For Christmas I gave Grumps a game camera. We have had a blast looking at what shows up to eat the corn he spreads. The animals have not been as plentiful as at first but we still enjoy it. Check these pictures out.
Deer

Raccoon

Opossum

Wild Hogs

Skunks

Brahman Cow

Grumps and Joseph

There will be more. I just have to find where i hid the pictures from myself.

And.......

We made it to our 33 aniversary on Friday. Wow just doesn't seem that long. La Sonrisa got our attention. The pond is filling up again. The tractor is running again. Today we removed the crud and found a pretty oak tree, perfect late January day.

A Garden - We have a Garden

Thank goodness for heavy equipment.

Bart leveled out our garden spot for us.

And then we did what all the books told us to do, put down a layer of newspaper to kill the weeds.
We put the garden frames out then Bart and Jes moved gravel from where the Red Shed was for the paths in the garden.

Next came the garden soil, bags and bags and bags of soil.

And then the girls planted and planted and planted some more.

It looked great then and the seeds had not even come up.

And then off they went.....time to play.

As of today, January 10, 2012, the garden has survived 2 freezes. And it loves being watered with the collected rainwater.

And the Red Shed is out...........

Once upon a time there was red shed. It was ugly, and red, and an eyesore and I wanted it gone.The shed, the fence to fence nothing, all of it G-O-N-E, gone.
So I would fuss a little and tear a bit apart, and tear a bit more apart and then.....

NOW THE SHED IS G-O-N-E, gone. Even the white rainbarrels are gone, as well as the gutters hanging in front of the flag. We have a new fangled rainwater collection system on the well house.
Things are looking better don't you think.

And the new year begins

I have never been more ready to say good-bye to a year that 2011. It was rough all the way around. No rain, hot as HELL, the world's most horrible disease took Mom, we had to clean out and sell the home we grew up in.

BYE 2011
HELLO 2012 - Glad to see you

With the new year comes all sorts or new beginnings -
There are baby bluebonnets in our back pasture
It has already rained
First salad from the garden - ok it was only 3 bites but well worth it

Stay tuned there will be many more updates this year

Addition and Subtraction

So just thinking back at all that has happened in the time that I have posted nothing at this sight, I really don't even know where to start. It was a great spring in 2010. The wildflowers were abundant which made me very very happy. It probably had to do with the fact that we had lots of rain over that winter, if you want to call what we have here in South Texas, winter. Actually we did have temps in the teens.Unfortunately the 2011 wildflower showing did not live up to my hopes but I do have some pictures from 2010. Lets see if i remember how to do this.

Blue Bonnett - Lupinus Subcarnosis

Indian Paintbrush

Phlox

Winecup

Primrose (Buttercup)

Peppergrass

Dew Berry

False Garlic

I have tons more pictures of wild flowers and now that I have re-educated myself on how to post them they will be up soon.

It's been a while

The world has been just spinning by and it has been over a year since I posted anything to the La Sonrisa site. I am going to make it my goal this next month to get caught up. There has been new purchases, new roofs, new furniture, new dogs, no rain, and many visitors. Stay tuned........

Tin Roof Rusted

So come on and bring your jukebox money

I think we are ready for the gang to come play
Do you remember what it looked like at the beginning
Tin building, plywood floor, metal walls and ceiling
No electricity, no AC, no insulation
Now we have all of the above and we like

Our Tin Roof Rusted

The Love Shack is a little old place where we can get together

The loft

The Sleeping area

Main Bed

The kitchen


and a place to eat and play

Now we just have to add a few touches
We have stuff for the walls
Just ran out of time

This weekend we have to be ready cause

"Everybody's movin', everybody's groovin' baby!
Folks linin' up outside just to down
Everybody's movin', everybody's groovin' baby
Funky little shack! Funky little shack!"

Could not have done it without our helpers
Bart was a lifesaver
and here is the rest of the crew

It even made Panzer tired

"Bang Bang on the door baby! Your what
Tin Roof, Rusted!"

Don't you just love that song!!

Floor - BEAUTIFUL Floor!!!

We swept and vacuumed and swept again. Then one by one, row by row, we made sure the nails and staples that held the plywood down were not sticking up. Ok - Now i already have raw spots on my knees and have not even started the hard part. Then we put the underlayment down and started the floor. Slow and easy, gentle - don't hit to hard or it dents. The guy's cut to length for us. 5 hours later we have a floor......and blisters, and bruises and places we did not know we could be sore. But check it out - it was worth it.

Even the inspector thinks so.

And then

Chillaxin at La Sonrisa

AND WE HAVE POWER

And we did it ourselves!!!

He thought and he studied and he thought and he studied.

He cut a hole in the wall and put the AC in.

He drilled holes in the studs and pulled the wiring.

He installed the plugs, and the breaker box.

He dug a ditch,

And burried the wire.

WE FLIPPED THE BREAKER

and the AC worked!
And Panzer is confused

Now if we just had insulation because there is no airconditioner that can cool down this building when it is 95 outside unless the room is insulated.

And for grins and giggles - look at the size of the grasshoppers

and the doodle bugs