All Things New

It’s not just a new year, it’s a new month!  We have worked our way through January, and are very glad to welcome February.  We're glad for several reasons:

For one, our barn is finally finished!  We began work on it in January of 2021, never in our wildest dreams imagining it would take a year to complete.  Covid, however, and related supply chain and labor issues pushed completion further and further back.  One last electrical gremlin had to be eliminated, and now we are officially done.  Here are some progress photos, beginning last January.  

Site work 

Slab prep

Setting the tornado shelter

Up she goes

Skin and lean-tos in place

Interior complete

Lots of insulation

Almost done

Finishing the parking areas

And for another, we have our first RV visitors.  Steve and Gail Dixon arrived on February 2 with their Volvo tractor and Spacecraft coach.  We have known Gail and Steve since 2009 when we attended our first HDT (Heavy Duty Truck) Rally in Hutchinson, KS.  We have camped together a number of times, and always enjoy each others' company.  

Their rig made it up our hill with no trouble, and Steve had the coach parked under its lean-to in time for the four of us to drive into Cranfills for lunch at the Horny Toad Bar and Grill.

And it’s a good thing they arrived when they did.  Yesterday, Wednesday, February 2 was a cool, blustery day.  Overnight, however, the temperature dropped like a rock, and some very welcome rain fell as well (we think about one inch!!!)  It was much appreciated, and when we woke this morning it was 23 degrees and we found an inch of sleet/snow covering the patio.   I put out more seed for our birds, and they showed up in hungry flocks.

Travel is somewhat hazardous today, so we’re glad Steve and Gail are snug in their spot beside the barn.  (I don’t know what Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog predicted, but Winter has definitely come to Stanford Valley.  We just hope it doesn’t last six more weeks.)The Dixons will be visiting for the next month or so, and you’ll likely see photos of some of our adventures soon. 

And there’s another New Thing in our lives…Bo the border collie officially joined the Bagley Pack on February 1.  Bo spent the previous three weeks with us, making sure he was happy as a member of our pack, and that he and I will work together well herding sheep.  

Bo fitted in with Kota, Rue and Cody very quickly, and proved himself to be a good traveler and a willing and enthusiastic partner on the field.  He will join Cody and me competing at several sheep trials coming up later this year.  Here is a photo of him working sheep at Allen and Kay Mills' place in Goldthwaite.

The dogs were all excited this morning to see the white stuff on the ground.  Kota was disappointed that it wasn’t the soft, fluffy snow like last year, but the border collies had a grand time running and playing in it.

Bo was in high gear as he raced around the yard.

Looks like Cody and Rue were impressed.

Stay tuned for more adventures!