READY FOR GUESTS

The Texas room is now completely finished -- carpeted, furnished, lamps in place, art on the walls. We're ready for someone to come and try it out!

We've also had some shelving built in the area outside of our suite, and Andy has put up some shelving in the garage, so we are ready to unpack a lot of stuff this weekend.

The past week has been really nice outdoors -- sunny and warm. But this weekend it will be chilly. We'll probably have a small bonfire in the back to cook hotdogs while Drew and McCall are visiting.

FEB 20 -- The weather is cold in the morning but warms up by mid-afternoon. It's been dry for weeks and we really need some rain, but there is none in the forecast for the next week or so. I am eager for spring to get here. The Farmers Almanac says the last average date for a freeze in this area is April 15 -- around Easter. I've seen some daffodils and other bulbs coming up butnot quite blooming yet, and the flowering quince is budding out. I've seen forsythia blooming in town.

WE'RE GETTING SATELLITE TV!!

Andy finally broke down and ordered satellite TV. He wanted all the holes put in and wires run before we paint any of the bedrooms, so it is being installed today.

This past Saturday we worked on laying out the vegetable garden up by the barn wellhouse. Andy put up boards, then tilled in some manure, and then leveled the ground. I have a compost pile started, so by planting time we should have some good organics to mix in. I bought seed potatoes, red onions, and garlic to plant, even though it is still early -- best to buy them when the stores have good stock on hand. I have also bought a couple of blueberry plants and rasberry plants and have scoped out what I think is a good sunny place to plant them south of the house.

The weather today is sunny and warm -- will hit 68 degrees -- but its very windy. We had a power outage overnight, but the electricity was back on by 8:30 a.m. An electrical outage affects us more seriously here in an all-electric home, because it affects the water pump from the well-- so we not only don't have light, but also no water when the electricity is out!

TROUT FISHING IN OKLAHOMA? YES!

I didn't know it until we moved here, but there is Trout Fishing in Oklahoma, and better yet, just down the road from us. The lake at Roman Nose State Park, just a mile down the road, is spring fed and VERY COLD, and is stocked with Trout in February. The local Chamber of Commerce hosts a "Trout Derby" every year--this year it is scheduled for March 6-9, 2009. There are pretty good prizes in addition to the fun of fishing. If you're interested in attending, look at the http://www.watonga.com/ website for details, entry fee, list of prizes, etc., or give me or Andy a call. IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME FISH AND STAY WITH US (Free of course), LET US KNOW ASAP. We have two bedrooms available. And as always, we'd love to see friends.


This past weekend Andy and I went to "the city"--OKC-- and bought a bedroom set for the Texas room. It won't be delivered until we get the carpet in, which we just ordered. That should be in about two weeks. In the meantime, Andy is starting to texture the walls in the bedroom in readiness for paint . . . everything is one step at a time.

We've had cold weather (20's in the morning, warming up to high 40's and one day in the 50's)but no more ice or snow. In fact, it is unseasonably dry and there is a burn ban on around the state. The farmers really need some rain; there is a chance of rain in the forecast for this coming weekend.