Labor Day Weekend

 We headed to the Crazy 8 Ranch for Labor Day weekend again this year.  When you look at the pictures, notice how dry everything is.  More on that later...

Mimi brought along several fun activities for the grandkids to do.  One consisted of throwing paint covered spiky rubber balls at some fabric.  The prints they made were really interesting.  

 They all had a great time getting messy.  Once it dried, they drew faces on the shapes to create monsters.  I didn't get a pic of the final product.

 With the heat and dryness we have had, the water slide was a welcome activity.  

 After drying off, Jacob decided to enjoy a little time on the swing.  He kept saying, "Push me higher! No, higher!"

 With everyone's busy schedules, it isn't too often that we can get the all of the Crazy 8 group together. We took advantage of the opportunity and they all cooperated well. 

Back to the dry conditions throughout Texas and at the ranch in particular...

We are in desperate need of rain!  As you noticed in the pictures above, it is really dry.  The grass crunches when you walk on it.  Paul is making the most of a bad situation and using the dry conditions to his advantage.  The front pond near the house is about 7 feet lower than it was last year.  He has decided to start on a pier while it is low.  It makes setting concrete and pillars easier than if the water were higher.  We are all looking forward to being able to fish from the pier once it is complete and the water has risen.

Normally, we drive home through Bastrop when we are leaving the ranch.  This time we had to take an alternate route to avoid the wildfires that have been plaguing the area.  We drove through heavy smoke and could see the large plume in the distance.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the many fire victims.