A Texan from Down Under

Pen pal of 40 years

I just spent the most amazing 4 days with Alma Sutherland, my childhood Australian pen pal. She had saved every letter and photo I sent!

Childhood pen pal arrives Thursday

If you follow my blog, it may be hard to believe that I have anything going on in my life OTHER THAN the new pool. Not true. This Thursday at 4:30, I will be standing at the airport holding up a sign that says "Alma" so that my childhood pen pal from Australia can pick me out of the crowd. We started writing 40 years ago and have never met in person.

Alma has always been better at staying in touch and found me again a few years ago on Facebook. She and her friend, Gloria, will be spending a few days with us in Texas before heading to Disneyland. Maybe someday I can visit her Down Under.

The life of Zoey....

John left for Florida this morning. I thought I was going to have a quiet day to myself in the pool. Instead, Zoey tips me over and takes over the flotation device.

Everything comes with a remote....hottub on....hottub off....

Of course, put in a pool and NOW it rains!

The pool is officially open!

Filling with the garden hose.....

This could take AWHILE......

Clean up the yard and start filling it with water!

Fill in the holes

We are hoping that our resident toad will move into this house in the garden rather than in the pool.

Start the plastering!

Wet/Dry vac the pool to get ready for plaster

Finish tiling around the hottub

Install the skimmers

Almost done with the rock walls

Building up rock perimeter

Next step: Drop the gas tank in the ground - torpedoes away!

Add some rock to the outside of the hottub

Start building rock walls

Add some tile

Waterproof around the edges