Transcribed by Nana (who rocks). Pictures pending the correction of a technological error.
Saturday, June 13
Mommy and I left home this morning and drove all the way to a town called Sonora. We stopped at a Dairy Queen, and Nana met us there. We had a little lunch and visited a few minutes before I waved goodbye to Mommy and went on to Fort Davis with Nana. On the way, I liked looking out the window and watching the clouds. There was some lightening and some rain showers.
Nana forgot to tell Zeus that I was coming, so he was surprised to see me. He’s such a good boy. When we got to Fort Davis, Nana helped Grandpa load a table he made into his truck to take to a nice lady. While he did that, Nana and I sat on the front porch. I learned that I could climb the apricot tree by myself by standing on the little rock wall on the porch. I’m such a big girl!
When Grandpa came home, he brought us a big pizza from Murphy’s Café. I drew some really good pictures on the porch with my new chalk. Late tonight I had a small bad dream, but Grandpa rocked me back to sleep.
Sunday, June 14
This morning I woke up early and helped Nana make waffles for the guests who were staying overnight. I made one for myself, too, and we put pecans in them. Yum. Nana had to play the piano at church, so I went and sat on the front row with Grandpa. I was very quiet and good, and I had a coloring book to play with.
After lunch, we drove on a really bumpy road at Rocky’s ranch house to go look at owls. The first box had just 3 babies in it, and I got to pet them. The mommy and daddy birds were not there, so the babies were just ready to fly. The next box had a mommy bird and 3 more babies. I got to see the mommy bird on that one. The third box had a mommy bird and 3 eggs, but no babies. I went up a tall ladder to see the birds.
I helped Nana cook beans and weenies for dinner, and we started to put together my princess puzzle. I had another big bad dream tonight, but finally I slept well.
Monday, June 15
Today I started Critter Camp. On the way to camp, we passed a whole herd of sheep, including some big rams with big, curled horns. We go on a bumpy road to camp with lots of little dips and hills that Nana calls “belly coolers.” Nana dropped me off and I made my own name tag. I colored a pretty butterfly. And we went on a hike where we got pretty flowers, and we pressed them in wax paper.
After camp and after lunch, I went with Nana and Grandpa and another lady to clean Hope's Ranch. That didn’t take too long, so I watched cartoons this afternoon while Nana did laundry. At dinner, I made the salad for Nana. After we ate, Nana took me for a big, strawberry ice cream cone at the Caboose. This is just a train car, and I called it the “bacoose.”
There is a little store next to the Caboose, and we went in to look around, but most of the stuff is fancy and breakable, so we didn’t stay too long. When we got home, we finished the Princess jigsaw puzzle (except for 1 lost piece.) Tonight I slept all night long.
Tuesday, June 16
This morning I got up early and helped Nana make baked eggs for her guest. Then at Critter Camp I made my name tag again. This time I started writing on the right side and moved to the left side. Luckily, my name is the same either way, so it didn’t matter. Today we made an owl puppet and a poster about what owls eat. I had already petted an owl this week, so I knew a lot already. I told Nana that Critter Camp is “Not really like camp, but like school.”
After lunch went to grocery store and took clean laundry back to ranch. Then this afternoon Nana and I played in the water tub on the porch, but I thought it was too cold. But it still felt good because today was pretty hot. I got a splinter in my foot that Grandpa took out. I thought it would hurt real bad, but it wasn’t bad at all.
Tonight Grandpa went to band practice, so Nana and I ate Mexican food at Cueva de Leon. We sat outside on the patio, but the flies really bothered us! I ate a lot: grilled cheese and large milk. After my shower, Nana and I started making sourdough bread. We mixed it all up, but we have to wait until tomorrow to finish it!
Wednesday, June 17
The first thing this morning, Nana and I kneaded bread that puffed up “big as a house” overnight. We had to put it into 2 other pans and cover it up again until later today… it sure takes a long time to make bread! At Critter Camp painted rocks with agave paint brushes, and made braided bracelet from yucca plant. We went on a hike and the boys all sang, “Hut, two, three, four.” That was fun.
After lunch we finally baked the bread. We have to let it cool before we eat it. Today was the big trip to Balmorhea to swim in the big pool. The water was cold and the bottom was slippery. But we found a round “life saver” that I could use to paddle around in. While we were there a big rain cloud came over and there was lightning and thunder. So everyone had to get out of the pool. So we didn’t stay as long as we wanted, but that was OK, because I was pretty cold.
On the way home, I asked Nana, “Why can’t we see God?” That’s a really hard question to answer.
It didn’t rain in Fort Davis, so when we got home, I painted with chalk on the porches again, and I climbed trees. I have named the trees the really old tree (Mexican elder), the skinny tree (madrone), and the apricot.
Tonight we had hot dogs, and then I helped Grandpa make a birthday cake for Nana, even though it’s a little early. Grandpa is a pretty good cook! I put sprinkles on it.
Thursday, June 18
Today at critter camp we took a long hike, and it was really warm. Then we made cactus from play-doh and toothpicks. I don’t know how I’ll get that back home. When I got home, there was a business man there who took all of us to lunch at Mary Lou’s café, but we were late getting there and most of the food was already gone. So we only got to have fried chicken.
On the way back home, Grandpa picked up his Jeep from the car shop. Nana and Grandpa had a meeting with Mr. B, so I played quietly until they were through. It got very rainy this afternoon, so I had to play inside all afternoon. Nana and I made a Father’s Day Card for Daddy. I took the toothpicks out of my play-doh from yesterday, and played with that some. It was a pretty quiet afternoon.
Mr. B and Whit came back over and we had dinner at Murphy’s Café. I had a huge hamburger, but couldn’t eat it all. Mr. B stayed at the B&B tonight, so I just watched TV while the grownups talked.
Friday, June 19
This is the last day of critter camp. Today we did a lot more hiking, and they gave us our own cameras to take pictures. But I’m not sure what my pictures look like, because we have to take the camera to the store and get the pictures that way.
After lunch, Nana went to have her back fixed, so I helped Grandpa make a bird house to take back home with me. Then Grandpa took me on a jeep ride. We met some people at the Chuck Wagon this afternoon to have an ice cream cake to celebrate Nana’s birthday. It was yummy. Grandpa was going to share a piece of cake with me, but I ate almost all of it by myself.
At dinner, I helped Nana make a chicken stir fry. She cut the food, and I put it in the pan. I poured the sauce on all by myself. We tried to take another jeep ride, but the jeep was broken again, so we couldn’t do that. Nana and I took a walk around town, down to the courthouse and down main street. Since it rained again today, the streets were a bit damp.
Back in our yard, I walked along the stone fence and climbed trees again. When it got dark, it was bedtime again.
Saturday, June 20
No critter camp today, so I slept late (until 9:00.) I had to wake up Nana and Grandpa. We had a good breakfast with a smoothie I made. We put bananas, strawberries, apricots, yogurt, honey, egg and orange juice in a blending machine, and mashed it all up. I liked that a lot. Then I got to scramble some eggs.
Nana drove me to a ranch to see a baby cow, but the people were not at home, so we couldn’t find the little cow. We played at the park play ground when we came back to town. Grandpa rode his bike again this morning, but we all had lunch together.
After lunch we painted my toe nails and fingernails…all different colors. Then we went to see some kids put on a play called “Jack and the Beanstalk.” Maybe someday I will want to do that, too. We visited Javelinas and Hollyhocks store and I got a little gift for Caroline for when I see her tomorrow. I hope she likes it.
Later I made a “fort” in Nana’s kitchen with open doors and stools and pillows. Grandpa and Nana mowed the yard this afternoon, so it was fun to play in after dinner. I was the travel agent who took Nana to lots of different towns in an airplane. She says I have a wonderful imagination.
Tomorrow is Zeus’s birthday, and he will be 12 years old. He’s such a good boy, but his ears don’t work very well any more. I hope I sleep a lot tonight, because I’m excited to get home tomorrow to see Mommy, Daddy and Caroline.
