This will be the last of my marathon posts today. Ya'll need some time to absorb all this new info.

I only have pictures of the cabin exteriors. The insides of two of them are complete, but all the furniture for the other two cabins is stored in them so they're not exactly photogenic right now. Also, mom is still in the process of making curtains for all cabins. Talk about a time-consuming task! You'll just have to trust me for now when I say that the insides are tres chic.

Also, we're trying to come up with some catchy names for the cabins. If you have any brilliant ideas please add a comment to this blog. It's kind of difficult to come up with a name for an inanimate object. Naming a cabin isn't like naming a boat where there is a history to work with (S.S. Minnow, Hullrayzr, Dock Holiday, Aquaholic, Second Wind, etc.).

Anyhow, hopefully this will give you some idea of the progress that has been made.

New porch rails and chairs, stairs, skirting, ceiling fan, cedar trim, AND a green door!



Side view - Roof with gutters and AC/heat unit



The back section is the new bathroom



The ADA cabin with a red door



ADA spec entrance ramp

I installed a Mighy Mule electric gate opener on the gate that leads to the cabins. We don't want any of our well-heeled visitors to dirty their shoes when they stay with us!

t's a simple device. It can open with the keypad or with a remote, and there is a device that detects changes in magnetic field (i.e. a moving car) that opens the gate as you leave. It automatically closes after 15 second.

And yes, I am now officially an electric gate expert and will duly add it to my resume.

Entrance from road



Keypad: What's the magic number?



Gate opener temporarily mounted



The magnetic wand (soon to be buried) that detects your exiting car

This is Floppy out bottlefed goat. His mama died a few days after he was born. Babcia, Grandma Mia and Kaya took on the job of keeping him alive. He's doing great and will probably be in the barnyard for kids to visit this berry season. Since he's bottlefed he is not shy of people at all!

Last night it was 32 F and the day before it was 80 F. Spring weather in Texas can never make up its mind. Nevertheless spring is definitely here. Though there does appear to be some controversy over what date is the official first day of spring. In Texas June 21 certainly never feels like spring, so I think I'll side with those who say spring runs from March 1 to June 1.

He might look something like the fella below.

This is one of the five bachelor billy goats we parked out at Rocky Branch. After they got tired of scrounging for grub on the winter pasture they moved into the hay barn. We really need to get them out of there but it hasn't been a high priority.

This particular billy is the funniest looking goat I've ever seen. Every once in a while his eyes will pop out from behind his flop. If anyone is looking to start a breed of goats with feathered bangs they can start here. I'm sure we can work out a deal.

Cut my first herbs today. They were in serious need of a trim. Harvested some cilantro and basil. The basil leaves were massive and were blocking light to the lower plants. I cooked fajitas tonight and tossed the herbs in with the meat. I know that basil doesn't normally go with fajitas but it still tasted good.

This is certainly no way to grow herbs for serious cooking. There is just not enough quantity. But it's neat to look at and watch the plants grow in your living room. Here are some pics.