Thursday, November 23rd The house is decorated and the turkey is in the oven. Family is beginning to arrive.. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving...
Sunday September 24th Yesterday my mother passed away. She celebrated her 90th birthday just a month ago. So I will be a bit preoccupied for a bit as I process... I'll catch y'all on the other side...
WednesdayGary & Sherry's 44th Anniversary For Sherry on our 44th The years have been long, Some have been good, Some not so, But together we've made a family, A history of lives intertwined... Two into One. I may not be the easiest to love, I may infuriate you more often…
It's Tuesday Walking through the office this morning I spotted the Audubon calendar that came in the mail yesterday. I immediately had a memory flash. My Grandpa Sewell had one of those very large give me calendars that he got from the local grocer or the feed store hanging on…
Dad was always full of stories. Any trip into his old home grounds of Wharton County would lead to side trips looking for this home place or that home place while he would tell about his family.
It's Monday It's a busy day today. I'm just now starting my first cup of muses... And I'm on the road soon. I have to have lab work done before my physical on Wednesday afternoon. And I have an appointment with my surgeon to follow-up on my surgery. So not…
Sunday https://youtu.be/mcUdxdbiyPc I've got it all to myself now Crack the window just a hair Dark and close, the way I like it Black tobacco chokes the air I keep to myself, I lack the language I measure out my life with coffee grounds The trees are the color of…
Sunday Yesterday it was an interesting day. There was this big white orb up in the sky, an unfamiliar presence. It was bright, it gave off heat, it hadn't been noticed for a while. I think it was the Sun. But I woke up this morning to more clouds... And…
It's not quite as warm as yesterday but the humidity is higher. It's 77° with a 95% humidity. The humidity is so high you can see it... There's a slight fog hanging over the landscape. Well, my quiet week at home is winding down. Tomorrow will bring the grandkids home...…
Mother's Day It's a blustery Sunday morning. It's warm enough, they say there's a chance of rain. From looking at the weather forecast for the whole USA, cold air is dropping down into the south... Just not quite here. And not quite today. Today looks to be stormy in the…
Well, this isn't the back porch, and my coffee cup is in the cupholder in the car out in the parking lot. I had one cup before leaving home, and just a bit more as I worried my way thru the early morning traffic driving in to Houston. Boy that's…
A change is coming... feel it you can... hear it you can... sense it you can... We can put a pin in the Family Reunion. A vote was taken and an end was announced. So there will never be a 61st Annual. When all was said and done, half of…
Today is a roadtrip day. The 60th Annual Boyd-Cox Family Reunion. The piece above was made by my cousin Melba. The coat of arms came from my cousin Jim. His wife Bettie sent it to me this month after he passed away. We need to hit the road shortly, so…
Summer continues. I received word yesterday via a letter in a package of family relics that another of my first cousins past away last month. James Albert Boyd, Jim was 80. We only became acquainted about 20 years ago. It was at a family reunion where our love of family…
It feels cooler today. Plus, the humidity isn't as high. The day is starting out promising. A slight overcast shades the morning sun. It's also very quiet. Almost as if the day is holding it's breath... waiting... anticipating... musing. I find myself meandering thru my memories of family as I…
Finally, a morning where the outside temperature is cooler than the inside temperature... a gorgeous fall morning coffee muses.
I beat the sun up this morning to enjoy a cool morning coffee muses.
A cool Sunday morning sunrise to start this morning coffee muses.
A pleasantly cool and sunny morning coffee muses.
The first Friday in the new school year morning coffee muses.
Happy Mother's Day to all of the mother's out there as I sit here doing my Sunday morning coffee muses.
It's a 39th Anniversary morning coffee muses...
Happy 60th Birthday To My Brother Chuck Sixty years of having a younger brother. We are two men who only really have family in common. But... no matter what... I love you brother. Have a great celebration of another milestone in a life lived fully. The back porch muse this…
It's hot... It's humid... Sherry has an appointment this morning. So this is all I have time for...
Damp Early Morning Coffee Muses
In honor of the coming weekend... And the brisket I am going to put on the smoker... Links Texas Monthly - The Master
Lightly Raining, Slightly Cooler Morning Coffee Muses
The Cool Springlike Morning Coffee Muses Continue
Warm, Muggy, Windy, Too Much Like Summer Morning Coffee Muses
Bright And Sunny If A Bit Damp Morning Coffee Muses
So far, 2017 has started off warm and humid. That's about to change tomorrow. It's windy this morning and I'm seeing, and hearing, more of the winter birds around the area you see in the photo. Today will also be the last full day of a full house. My wife…
The sun rose once again this winter over a white frosty landscape. I can only remember a few winters where I have seen frost as often. The number of nights when the lows have been in the 20's is also passing any remembered winters past. So, if any one reads…
It's Sunday morning and we are sitting here with the back door wide open. Listening to a light rain fall outside as the cool outside air filters in. It feels more like spring than the middle of winter. The low last night must not have fallen below 60°. The last half of…
We headed north out of Houston on Tuesday before the sun came up and hit Oklahoma soon after noon. I had routed our trip to take advantage of the Arkansas Mountains...We had reservations at Queen Wilhelmena State Park for the first night of our travels.
You Are Not Spending The Summer In SE Texas The temperatures for the past week have started each day above the 75° mark on the thermometer. From there they just keep climbing. Yesterday we saw a high reading of 96°. It looks like we can expect even more of the…
The Weather I climbed out of bed this morning to find the temperature had fallen below 70° for the first time in what seems like weeks... Who would have thought that a spring-like morning at the end of May would be reason to celebrate the day. I grabbed my first cup…
General Muse Over the past week it has seemed as if I am neglecting the daily muse here at Coffee Muses...What with experimenting with WordPress 3.0 on a couple of test blogs (and posting about what I discover at Gary-Boyd.com). I have been trying to repost three years of photos…
Just to give you an idea of the area of the state we were covering here is an image of the page in The Roads of Texas - 5th Edition map book I use to travel our state... So, now that we have visited Friendship and Bryant Station it's time…
This past week my wife expressed a desire to visit the cemeteries where ancestors are resting up around Milam County in central Texas. Since the weekend was one of the few our daughter was off (thus no need for babysitter Paw-paw), I suggested we enjoy the the last of the…
For some reason this year my wife has spring break off. It makes no sense, she could never get spring break off when we, you know, actually had kids off on spring break. But this year she has spring break off. Guess what? Grandson #2 is all ours each and…
Blue jays and robins are a sign of winter in my neck of the woods. Over the weekend a notion of mine, one that has been percolating around in this head of mine, kept roiling to the surface. All winter long I have been noticing an absence...A hole in the…
Houston Snow...Stayed north of us. Yesterday's weather event was a washout here at our place. As nice as it was to watch the heavy flurries fall off and on all day, the lack of anything sticking to the ground left us filling like a stood-up date...All dressed up for the…
We are spending the day with family...So from my walk yesterday... I hope everyone has a great day...
I've been falling down on my duties as a grandfather this past month. So to play catch up here are two slideshows...First of #2 grandson's first birthday... Second, of #1 grandson's third birthday...
Two years ago we were planning our first fall trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia...Life has conspired since then to keep me from the mountains I love. I look forward to next year and a visit to the mountains to beat all of our past…
Did I read this right? A heat index of 109... Today the high temperature will reach the low 90s, which is about 5 degrees above normal for this time of year. Coupled with high humidity — readings were over 90 percent this morning — it could feel like it's between…
After months of days on end with no rain hitting the ground at our home here south of Houston I was beginning to despair. But the last week has finally seen a small amount of precipitation. We went a couple of weeks with a weekly shower before this week when…
The grill was running for most of two days...Smoked meats for a 4th of July family feast. Brisket (this is Texas afterall), salmon, and sausage made up the choices...Pinto beans, slaw and potatoe salad for sides. Assorted soft drinks and wine for refreshments. The brisket went on to smoke Friday…
Growing up, we spent many summer days visiting my grandparents house in Orchard, Texas. Every evening, after supper was over and cleaned up, we would all grab a folding lawn chair off the back porch and set them up in a rough circle on the east side of the house.…
Down here on the Gulf Coast of Texas barbecue season starts not too long after it ends. This year I was a little late...I fired up the smoker on Easter Sunday. Today I put a brisket on the grill to serve tomorrow afternoon. This isn't one of our big family…
One of the things I like most about this thing we call Blogging is number 2 on Patry Francis' list. And she ranks up there at the top of my amazing people list. Patry published this list back around Thanksgiving in Twenty O'Six. I stumbled across it again today as…
Some quick observations of no importance to anyone but me... ++++++++++ Living for a week or so on a laptop belonging to someone else is frustrating to say the least. Even a laptop that you set up for that someone else. Even with admin rights and my own profile, even…
Leave to a youngish mind in a middleaged, out of shape body to discover the hard way (always the hard way) that he cannot still do everything he once did. Yesterday I decided, at long last, to finish the distruction of our dog pen that Ike had started. Bearing in…
After hitting the 80's on Sunday, with morning rain adding to the humidity and clear afternoon skies letting the sun beat down on this part of the world, I made the walk to the road with my offering to the gods of the waste wagon while watching my breath fog…
Just recently, the small-business boogeyman came up in the debate over the estate tax -- specifically, whether it is unfair to impose a tax on estates in excess of $7 million per couple (the level this year) or whether the first $10 million of every estate should be exempt from…
I saw this announcement in the local news email this week... The city’s biggest family celebration begins at 9 a.m. Saturday at Discovery Green, a large green space in the heart of downtown. And as it happens, it’s one of those old-fashioned grass-roots efforts. via Earth Day Houston: We’re having…
We cruised through East Columbia on the way home. East Columbia is one of the earliest settlements in this part of the state. It was founded in 1823 as Bell's Landing.
Today is Texas Independence Day, when a group of men met in a tiny unfinished wooden building in the small town of Washington-On-The-Brazos to take the daring step of announcing to the world that they were creating a new nation. via Writer finds record of Texas' birth 173 years ago…
Last evening as I sat with grandson in arms gooing and oogleing, my wife made the comment that it was going to get cold again this weekend. Now my wife thinks cold on the weekends is a personal affront to her happy enjoyment of her non-income producing time. Keeping in…
Looking on the weather wunderground, I see that Fred is still feeding the woodstove and wearing the multiple layers of clothes he was lamenting in his essay. While I am enjoying the open door and the porch rocker, Fred is still dreaming his summer weather dreams.
My reading on the web keeps coming across a common thread...It's that over and over in blog posts and comments people are talking about buying seeds and starting to raise vegetables again. It looks like I'm not the only one making the connection. Here is what Verlyn Klinkenborg had to…
I have been spending a lot of my online time updating my websites, trying to figure out a use to make of twitter, and trying (and failing) to catch up on my photoblog. Tied for first place this month has been playing Grandpa. Chief cook and bottle washer for the…
Sherry and I were in the car this morning heading to the grocery store for the weekly shopping and listening the Christmas music on the radio. I started thinking about what our children and grandchildren must think about the words to the traditional Christmas songs. I am sure my children…
Image by winzu via Flickr To get past the better half. WINEDALE — OK, I believe it. They’ve got me convinced. Here at the old country house in Washington County, winter has come to the front porch so I’ve moved inside by the fire. I’ve sat here and read three…
Though coffee drinkers may be cutting back on the expensive drinks, they still are consuming as much as they did last year — an average 3.3 cups a day per person, according to a June study by the National Coffee Association of U.S.A. The study of the $39.5 billion industry…
We are heading to my mom's to be with all of the family...So I leave just this... If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart
Turning The Page Sherry and I had scheduled this past weekend as a four day celebration a long time ago. Making sure we both had arrangements to take Friday and Monday off appproved and on the calendars at work. Gifts were bought, resrvations were made, plans were set...we were celebrating…
For me the most moving moment came when the family in front of me, comprising probably 4 generations of voters (including an 18 year old girl voting for her first time and a 90-something hunched-over grandmother), got their turn to vote. When the old woman left the voting booth she…
After the storm, once you realize you've lived through another, your awareness of your surroundings is contracted. You begin by wandering around just your own little space surrounding your home...Checking for damage, fixing the immediate needs if possible. Then you begin to expand your awareness to your neighbors. First you…
Happy Papaw with newest addition to the family tree... Cameron Jay September 5, 2008 And with beaming Grandma And shortly it'll be back to the hospital.
I sit here this morning for the first time in months having my morning coffee with the door open and the sounds of birds and dogs and squirrels serenading me. The temperature has dipped into the upper 60's. Can winter be far off? I am alone in the house this…
It's been quite busy the last week. Most of my online time is being spent working on updating my Genealogy Site...So here's a couple of pictures from the weekend... And later in the day... Later folks...
Image by Getty Images via Daylife Hurricane Gustav continues plowing inland, and is now just a Category 1 hurricane. The storm surge has peaked and is falling in New Orleans and along the Mississippi coast. A storm surge of 12 feet was recorded at Northeast Bay Gardene, and surges of…
I took a day off from work today...It seemed like a good investment in mental health. My wife had already scheduled the day off planning for the scheduled arrival of our latest grandson. In case you are wondering, he's decided the schedule wasn't approved by his royal personage so he's…
Image via Wikipedia The weather here has been very dry...at least until the past week or so. We have been having a spring-like amount of rain. After complaining for so long about the lack, it seems almost sacrilegious to say anything about the water we needed so bad. After months…
Up early to check on the status of Edouard...Looks like a miss for my house...Heading inland already on the Louisiana border. Should miss the majority of the Houston area, rain and moderate winds only. Sherry has headed for work already...Television on, radar on the monitor... Happy Birthday Wendell Berry It's…
The Pleasurable Choice Is the Ethical Choice I like to say that I'm not an an optimist, but I am a person of hope. That is to say, I cultivate the virtue of hope in myself. Hope takes account of the enormity and darkness of challenges and problems, and yet…
As I slide down toward another weekend, my feedreader brings me this from Mark Peacock at Appalachian Treks... Appalachian Treks: Serene Majesty There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations. --Washington Irving…
At last someone who has noticed the same thing I've been saying for months to my family... Op-Ed Columnist - Frank Rich - One Historic Night, Two Americas - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com Given the dividing line separating the two Americas of 2008, a ticket uniting Mr. McCain and Hillary Clinton…
The descendants of my dad's family gets together each year for a family reunion...Today was the day for this years get together. It was a bit of a drive on a beautiful summer day. I enjoyed the trip and the reunion. Here are some photo's from the day... For photo's…
A few years back this note would not have even made it through the clutter of my brain... Robert Mondavi, 94; Noted Vintner Who Raised Quality of American Wine - washingtonpost.com Robert Mondavi, 94, who built what is arguably America's most influential winery by improving the once-dismal quality of California…
Summer's back...Both the temperature and the humidity are back. No wanting to spend the morning in the backyard today. Though I must admit the birds seem to like the weather just fine. Loud greetings to the day were heard even through the closed doors and windows. Over the weekend we…
Eugene Robinson - The Surge Turns Into the Stall - washingtonpost.com Of course, Bush long ago lost any credibility with Congress and the American people on Iraq. It's understandable that he hides behind Petraeus's breastplate of medals and Crocker's thatch of gray hair, sending these loyal and able public servants…
Paul Krugman's latest column focuses on food. Wander on over and check out his thoughts... Grains Gone Wild - New York Times These days you hear a lot about the world financial crisis. But there’s another world crisis under way — and it’s hurting a lot more people. I’m talking…
Another Reason To Be A Localvore... Did Your Shopping List Kill a Songbird? - New York Times Migratory songbirds like bobolinks, barn swallows and Eastern kingbirds are suffering mysterious population declines, and pesticides may well be to blame. A single application of a highly toxic pesticide to a field can…
I generally try very hard to keep from going off about politics. I have even sidelined my political musings at my other blog because there just didn't seem to be much use. Bush was going to be Bush and Congress wasn't going to hold him accountable for anything at all.…
More from my birthday roadtrip... This photo was taken at about the location of the cross hair on the map below, facing west across the Brazos River. The white smudge on the horizon is smoke from one of the many grass fires that were burning that day along the coast.…
Talk about touching a chord in my psyche. Verlyn's essay on driving and learning to drive is poetic in the way it pulls memories out of the dregs of my subconscious and plants them in the forebrain, full of scents, and sounds, and muscle memory. Being from Texas, I was…
It's raining today so I'm sitting at the kitchen table listening to the raindrops with Mary Gauthier playing in the background. Of the things I had on my wishlist for Christmas, two were her latest recordings. Ever since I discovered her last year, I have been in love with the…
Yesterday morning at this time the temperature outside my door was 36°...Today it's 61. When the sun rose yesterday the ground was white with the second frost of the year. I'll be surprised if we see the sun this morning. I see this toasty weather outside my door isn't being…