Screws In My Coffee

Sitting here on the ranch in the kitchen looking out the window as the wind blows from the north I feel safe and protected for the first time. On other occasions when I was out here and a rain shower showed up I just roughed it out with just my raincoat. Today after my meeting with a contractor who is going to bid on the driveway work I decided to go into the house, sit in the kitchen, and write while I watched the rain. Besides the wind the only sounds to be heard are cows mooing, the horn of a distant train and the occasional clank of an end of the strap that secures the house to the concrete runners. I parked my Toyota Camry in front of the house. The house sets about 350 feet from Wormley Lane. If it rains really hard I will have to move it closer to the lane because I do not want toe possibility of getting it stuck in the sand. The real chances of this happening are slim. The soil in this pasture drains very well and it is only a few spots near the old gate where you can ge

There has to be something said about being completely off grid. By this I mean having a house that is not connected to any power company or city water or sewer. To a lot or rural residents this is a way of life, but for me it is a first time thing. The Lone Worm Ranch will get on the Bluebonnet electrical grid soon, but for now it is being powered by a generator.

I worked all day Monday November 17 in off and on rain showers out on the ranch. There was a tornado watch in the area until 1 PM. I found out later by watching the news from my motel room that Houston (120 miles away from ranch) had tornado touch downs and a lot of flodding. On the ranch the danced and warm rain showers moved across the sky in an infinate color scheme of grays whites and blacks. As I worked on planning fence work I played a Stevie Ray Vaughn and Dixie chick sound track in my head. The power of some of my favorite musicians really comes through when I listen or imagine their songs here in Texas.

Well I had a chance to ride with some of the local bikers on a mountain bike trail on a cattle ranch. It was quite the challenge on a number of levels. first I was riding with four expert riders that were younger than me by at least 10 years. Second I'm not in the best of bike cycling shape as I have been riding less since I have been un-employed. Third I have more experience road riding and have to un-learn road technics when riding off-road. Finally the fourth challenge is that this trail is not a hiking trail but was designed to give a biker a challenge.

What does the term Self Motivation mean? This question has been kicking around in my head more than usual the last few days. I read the term a lot as I review job descriptions. Employers are always looking for self motivated applicants for their open positions. What do they really mean?

After spending 10 days in a burning southern California I returned to central Texas and it is starting to feel like home. As I drove out to the ranch on Highway 71 I felt calm and happy to as I drove past the pine trees. I grew up in southern California and have fond memories of living there, but this last visit was very traumatic for me. Seeing the news on TV and watching the forest burn in the Crestline area of the San Bernardino Mountains really hurt. As I drove though the pine trees in Texas I felt a feeling that I had not felt since I lived in Crestline. It was living and working at Camp Mozumdar that I got my first taste of living in a rural environment and I have always missed that lifestyle. So why did I wind up here in Texas at this point in my life. There are more reasons than I would want to share publicly on this page, but one that I will share is a recent camping trip on a friend’s 5-acre ranch in Bend, Oregon. Every time I have visited Bend with my family I hav