Again?

I know some of you haven't had a break from this cold.  We have.  In fact yesterday was warm - until it dropped 30+degrees in two hours.  We had moved all the plants out of the house and greenhouse.  Please note - I do use the term "greenhouse" loosely.  It is a storage shed with windows and a radiator type heater in it.  But it keeps our tropicals that stay out 75% of the time from freezing.

So now it was 27 this morning.  I know, I know - balmy for some of you.  But still ...

I downloaded some pictures from the last trip to the SSB.  Unfortunately, the tablet (the camera too for that matter) doesn't really capture what I wanted to show you.

This is the road that leads to the SSB.  It is difficult to tell from the picture, but it is dirt.  This stretch becomes terrible when that magical stuff that falls from the sky sometimes happens in these parts

This is from out cattle guard (Texas Gate in Canada we discovered).  There is a small two rutted road leading up the hill.  We can't bulldoze it smoother because the telephone company (Verison) put the phone line right down between the two ruts!  It is taken at about 5 MPH, and even then your teeth rattle.  But then - we have been rattling for about 10 miles by now!

This is the castle.  A double wide.  That is the gate for the new fence to keep hogs and (hopefully one day soon again - if grass returns to the pasture) cattle out.  In the foreground was the previous farm truck - Rusty.  His name is descripive!  It is a 1967 Ford Custom.  Right now - he is just "yard art" because he is very sick.  He doesn't want to start, he is leaking bodily fluids, and once started - he doesn't want to stop.  He has a leaky braking system which has air in the lines.  In the background is the present farm truck.  It wasn't running.  The battery died and we have the new one with us.

This is a view of the Doss Valley from Fuege Hill.  This is the area where my ancestors settled after coming from Germany and San Antonio - that is the ones that didn't stay in San Antonio.  We were coming back from getting groceries in Fredericksburg.,

 

This is Lange's Mill.  This was the "homestead" when that part moved up there.  GGGgrandpa milled grains - when he wasn't making liquors in his still for the Germans in the area.  That was a skill that came with him from Germany!  The mill is closed now, and unfortunately I don't know how long it will stand.  The family there is getting old (late 80's), and I am not sure their kids and grandkids feel like putting anything (money) into it.  The creek in front provided the power to the wheel/

So there you have a brief look at the area around the SSB.