On 3/2/2011 11:59 AM, zxcvbob wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>> We're taking off for Livingston, TX Friday afternoon. Will be staying
>> at the Best Western Suites on Hwy 59 S for a few days while we look at
>> houses in the area. My two favorites are backed up on lakes and you
>> can fish practically out the backdoor without a boat.
>>
>> Taking a big box of jams, jellies, and multiple pickles over to the
>> son's family. His wife is a realtor and is helping us in the house
>> hunt so we will gift them with a bunch of good stuff. We have eight
>> houses lined up with a local realtor and we will look at most of them
>> on Saturday but will also have the following Monday and half a day
>> Tuesday to look at others.
>>
>> Hired a new painter yesterday to finish the inside of the house, the
>> first one was just to messy and missed a lot of wall that didn't get
>> painted so I cut him loose on Monday past. New one has good reviews so
>> we're hoping to get the inside done in the next two weeks and then we
>> will put this old house up for sale. Sort of sad in a way, we've lived
>> here for 23 years, the longest we've lived anywhere in fifty years of
>> marriage. Have gardens we developed ourselves, the house is finally in
>> good shape and the way we want it. Our reason for moving is to be at
>> least two hours driving time closer to the descendants but not so
>> close the grands can leave their kids with us. <G>
>>
>> Miz Anne is retiring from teaching art in the local system on May 31st
>> and is looking forward to it. I effectively retired in 2007 but still
>> do a lot of technical writing for local contractors, a job I can do
>> anywhere there is internet service. Miz Anne is seriously thinking of
>> visiting the daycare centers in the area we move to with an eye to
>> doing one hour a week art lessons for the kiddies. If she can live up
>> five or six of those we can supplement our retirement income enough to
>> afford more canning supplies.
>>
>> The first iris bloomed this morning, a white one, I'm taking that as a
>> sign that spring has sprung, even if the furnace did run a couple of
>> times last night and we had to sleep under a blanket. The peach tree
>> is blooming and the plum trees are budding out as is the huge oak tree
>> in the backyard. We hope everyone in the northern and eastern tier
>> states are staying warm and dry as we head into what looks to be a
>> lovely spring.
>>
>> George
>>
>> Father Confessor, HOSSPOJ
>
>
> Livingston is in God's country (East Texas Piney Woods, more
> specifically, in the "Big Thicket") -- but you know that already.
>
> The redbud trees are blooming right now. I don't know if there are any
> dogwoods left in the area or if the anthracnose epidemic killed 'em all.
>
> -Bob

Haven't really looked around there since the early sixties Bob, used to
go hunting there before the lake was impounded. Even though I'm
originally from the Golden Triangle area we hunted deer and other game
in the Thicket when I was a kid, probably because Dad had friends that
owned a lot land there.

Redbuds aren't blooming here yet, expect them any day now. Along with
the azaleas of course. We lost two deep red azaleas last fall, my only
favorite in the azalea family, beautiful blooms for a couple of weeks,
then months of dusty green foliage.