Though our-house-with-wheels did roll its way to the Gulf Coast for a couple of days last week, mostly we are homebodies in our sweet, wonderful, but decidedly non-mobile, Texas house. What to do, what to do, about a website named ourhousehaswheels? It just doesn’t seem right. Gigglefern doesn’t really suit the local terrain or climate so we’re going to have to dream up something new. Maybe homeiswhereweare.com? For now, this site will have to do … that is, if there is anyone out there who still looks at it, given our lapses in posting.
This week has been rather momentous. The longhorn pictured above has presided over our living room for a couple of weeks but the Texas license plates are brand-spanking new. There isn’t a breeze today to make our flags fly but our pole now sports the Lone Star under the Stars and Stripes. Who knew we’d be so enamored with flying flags? Certainly not us! Today’s exciting event was the installation of phone cable to our property for a DSL line. For the first time ever, we have a fast, stable (we hope) internet connection for a reasonable price!
We happily accepted an invite last Saturday to join in a BBQ at Gwen and J.R.’s shop during the local Halloween event. The merchants hand out candy to trick-or-treaters and it’s quite a to-do. Folks came out in droves and hundreds of dollars in candy disappeared quickly. When we went on a candy (and beer) run, 
we found the grocery store parking lot packed with people listening to a heavy metal grunge band playing on a stage, singing about Jesus and salvation. That’s different for us! On the way there, a crowd of kids ran across the street in front of us. One kid sang out this not-so-sage advice: “The best way to cross the street is to just jump in front of the cars… like the deer do!” Given the ubiquitous hoofed roadkill, I’d say this strategy is lacking in merit. Hopefully this little buck, photographed in our yard, will fare better. The rut is getting underway and, if we put the dogs inside, we can watch the action from our deck.
Gwen and J.R.’s friends, Will and Cindy, brought their custom outfitted truck/BBQ/smoker to the festivities. It is coated from top-to-bottom with spray-on truck bed liner (seems like something Steve would do, doesn’t it?) and it features dual flame throwers, just for the fun of it. Have I mentioned that BBQ is BIG in Texas? Mmmm … the venison sausage was yummy. It’s hard to believe I was a vegetarian for a dozen years! The other memorable quote from the evening was “Hey, JR… got a beer for me?” This, from a mom trick-or-treating with her children. He did, of course, and off she went down the street with her kids, and her beer. “Toto, we are not in Santa Cruz anymore!”
But we ARE in Texas. And truthfully, we love it. The fall weather has been just perfect. Crisp nights, sunny warm days. Our Spanish Oaks are even starting to turn red. Of course, we still need more rain to fill up the lake. 
It has risen 4 feet since September so it’s on the way… only 13.5 feet more to go to be full! When we’re not putting down roots (literally… we have plants in the ground now and Steve built me a beautiful new potting bench with a cold frame this weekend), we’re walking dogs down to the lake or shopping for a boat. Life is good AND we miss our friends, and our family. Emmett and Gracie look like toddlers rather than babies already and we can hardly bear it. Fortunately, I’m flying to California for their first birthday in December, and we just bought Grandpa Steve a plane ticket to spend a week with them the last week in January. One of the week’s highlights was a message from Judi, calling to talk about coming to Texas in February. I did a happy dance for the rest of the evening after that call came in!
So, y’all … come and visit, ya hear?!
You scare me Texas girl! I never would have thunk it!
venison sausage, beer and 100’s of dollars of candy… hmmmm, can’t find that at the Saturn Cafe. love reading your update, thanks for posting on facebook
Michele, that’s why our website is entitled “Who Knew?” Though to be fair, that started long before we arrived in Texas! But what scares you… the potting bench? Or deer rutting in my yard?
Kristin, I think Facebook/traditional website/blog integration is the way to go these days and am exploring ways to do it. Do you still want a website? I still have a domain registered for you.
What a nice surprise! I am with Michele though, I would
not have thunk it! You didn’t like TX when you visited us
at all. The Hill Country is the best part but we still like MI much better. Great to see the photos as well as
read all your usual good writing. Nice work, Steve! That
looks really great. More and more we are seeing your nice
work around there. My problem is I just want to see it all
in person! That is almost as hard as not seeing Grace and
Emmett! love you
I need to add that I miss Mike and WEs also – they just aren’t changing as fast as Emmett and Grace. I think the
part that is scary is you, Laura, loving TX. Putting up
long horns in your living room, flying flags, etc. Just
would never have thought you would like any of it. Glad
you are both happy though. love you
Amy is horrified at the thought of your rediscovered carnivorous side!
I, on the other hand am in awe of that BBQ/Smoker! Saw one on TV last night made out of a Army Surplus footlocker. That’s more my speed!
Can you embed “Deep In The Heart of Texas” in your homepage? I think that would set the tone quite nicely!
Thank you, Kim… for liking SOMETHING about my post and our life in Texas. I was counting on you for that and you didn’t disappoint. You’d like the longhorn too. Remind Amy that I ate meat for the last couple of years while living in California. It’s just that now that I’m a Texan, it makes my life much easier. Vegetarianism is possible in Texas but only by those way more committed to it than me. The venison actually meets my personal criteria quite nicely… the deer that supplied it called the lake area home, and lived the good life, feasting off everyone’s yard plantings and the feeders folks put out, before its life was ended. MUCH better than most grocery store meat, I say! The longhorns grazing on area ranches don’t look like they live a bad life either. Certainly it is way, way better than commercially raised chickens. I’m eating them too but I don’t feel good about it. Still, eating grocery store chicken is certainly not the exclusive domain of Texans. Of the people who might read this post, Amy might be the only one dedicated enough to forgo the economical, convenience of poultry in plastic. See Mom, I am still who I am (though maybe that’s the scary part!) whether I live in Texas and fly a flag (or two) or live somewhere (anywhere) else and don’t. Only the decorations have changed. My appreciation for flying the American flag started at the Community Center. Homeless Vietnam vets taught me a lot about patriotism. The Lone Star… well, it just seems like the thing to do. And it is a good looking flag… you gotta admit. Especially when it’s flying at MY house!
Sorry – I didn’t mean to start anything. If I offended or made you feel like your choice was not liked, again, I am sorry.
Ah well, maybe I was a tad on the defensive side, Michele. But no matter. It gave me a chance to stand on my soap box. And now that I have, I’ll acknowledge the positive nature of Kristin’s comment, and respond to Mom’s “you didn’t like TX when you visited us at all” statement. That’s just not true! I can’t say I liked or didn’t like it back then. We didn’t spend much time there (or should that be here?) and we didn’t have much point of reference. Kids and finances and horses and dogs all got in the way of getting there very often and when we did visit it was pretty quick. But it’s true that nobody was more surprised than me that this is where we ended up. Just goes to show you never know. Oh, and Kim… Steve says “yes”, we could embed a “Deep in the Heart of Texas” sound clip. But Laura says “no”, that would be bad internet form and invalid code (otherwise, maybe we would!)
I’ll try to always be positive from now on and keep my sarcasm and joking to myself! Glad you are happy and enjoying your new home.
Please don’t stop joking, Michele … though sometimes jokes and sarcasm do get lost in the written word. As for being positive… in general, I’m all for it. Makes it easier to be happy and I’m all for that too!
Oh, and as for “starting anything”… look at all the comments. I LOVE comments! Thank YOU, Michele!
Hey! At least you don’t have a Grizzly Bear on your flag that has been long gone for I don’t know how long!
BTW-I am still waiting for Steve’s recipe for roasting coffee beans!
I’d love a longhorn…but last time I priced them, they were a bit out of my reach. If you happen to see some roadkill, think of me. 🙂