The homestead.

On Friday afternoon, I went out to my dad's property just north of Austin to help him lay in some pipe for electric and water, and work on plumbing on the bathroom. The original homestead was about 200 acres when it was granted to my great-great grandfather in 1905. Since then, it's been split up -- some of it sold off -- but most of it is still "in the family". Daddy's portion is about 55 acres, and on it is his mom and dad's old double-wide (which is pretty run down now since it's been sitting unfinished for 15 years) which he's trying to fix up well enough to use it as a getaway cabin. He and mama live in Dallas, so he loves getting out to the property and enjoy the quiet countryside.

Keith and I are considering building a house out there and living full time. I've always wanted to live out in the country, have a big garden, maybe some livestock and enjoy the natural amenities the Good Lord provides. It would be quite a change, and quite a challenge, as Keith will continue to work here in town (an hour away) and that's one crazy commute. Please be praying for us that if it's God's will that we live out there, then the plans will fall into place.

I got to play with my new camera while I was there.
Here is a pictorial of my experience there this weekend:

{new front porch in early morning}

{sunrise from the front porch}
How about that for a wake-up call? That's God saying "Hiya!"

{Strange looking fruit on a tree outside the back door.}
I have no idea what fruit this is. Anybody have any idea? It's about 2" in diameter, almost entirely round (not like pears) and all of them were green with a little fuzz on them. I didn't think to open one, though, to see what the seeds were.

{View on the walk down to the stock tank.}

{A very full stock tank -- thanks to much rain recently.}

{My dad.}

{Pretty view of a lane near the tank.}

{A testament to my grandfather's sense of humor.}

{Work shirts.}

{Fence.}

{Old nail.}
Was playing with depth of field on my new camera.

{Cedar.}

{The backyard.}