Texas Fall/Winter thread!

[EddieWalker]

I started one of my burn piles yesterday and took some pictures of the trees on my place while it was burning. The color is still really good this year, and I'm thinking that it might have beent the best year for color since I moved here in 2002. I'm also seeing quite a few trees with the bark falling off of them. I know that means they are dead, so I'm thinking it's from the extreme heat and lack of rain this year. There are dozens and dozens of them that I'm seeing, and Im afraid that there will probably be quite a few more.

Eddie

 

[two_bit_score]

I've been worried that some of the "fall color" that we've bern seeing may be an indication that the trees are dying. I've noticed more of that "fall color" this year too.

Nice burn piles, Eddie.

 

[Western]

Ditto what ya ll said about the color, the wife and I have noticed the diversity of color also and I've been here since the mid 70's. Not your normal Green to Brown.

I know I have also lost some trees and sure there will be more to find come Spring. I think I will cut the bigger ones down at "green-up" even if I cant cut them up for fire wood at the time, I have already been hit with falling dead limbs and it sure is "smarts".

 

[bindian]

I've been worried that some of the "fall color" that we've bern seeing may be an indication that the trees are dying. I've noticed more of that "fall color" this year too.

Nice burn piles, Eddie.

Ditto here. I heard if the leaves are turning colors and not falling........it's dead.
hugs, Brandi

 

[two_bit_score]

Ditto what ya ll said about the color, the wife and I have noticed the diversity of color also and I've been here since the mid 70's. Not your normal Green to Brown.

I know I have also lost some trees and sure there will be more to find come Spring. I think I will cut the bigger ones down at "green-up" even if I cant cut them up for fire wood at the time, I have already been hit with falling dead limbs and it sure is "smarts".

I was forced to take out a tree at a rental property because it died during the summer and was threatening the neighbors power lines if it fell that way, which it would have. Got several more scattered that I'm not too worried about right now. But, I've got a neighbor who looks like he has lost some pines and one could threaten one of my rentals. I'm kind of concerned about it.

Yeah, those trees are going to be dropping limbs for a while before they fall. Be careful out there!

 

[two_bit_score]

Ditto here. I heard if the leaves are turning colors and not falling........it's dead.
hugs, Brandi

Has your pond filled up? Most of the rain around me has soaked into the ground. Very little was able to run into the ponds.

 

[CowboyRon]

Has your pond filled up? Most of the rain around me has soaked into the ground. Very little was able to run into the ponds.

That's what I've noticed also, our pond is much better but not full. Our rye grass is looking mighty good though.
As far as the trees go, sometimes they will surprise you. I had a few that I thought we had lost, and then the next spring they bloomed out again. There are quite a few pines around here that I think have seen their last days.

 

[bindian]

Has your pond filled up? Most of the rain around me has soaked into the ground. Very little was able to run into the ponds.

Two bit score,
It has came up about 6 feet with about 30-36 inches to overflow. The second photo shows the concrete overflow inlet on the right side surrounded by vegetation.
hugs, Brandi

 

[CowboyRon]

Two bit score,
It has came up about 6 feet with about 30-36 inches to overflow. The second photo shows the concrete overflow inlet on the right side surrounded by vegetation.
hugs, Brandi

Lookin very good Brandi. Have you restocked it yet?

 

[two_bit_score]

Two bit score,
It has came up about 6 feet with about 30-36 inches to overflow. The second photo shows the concrete overflow inlet on the right side surrounded by vegetation.
hugs, Brandi

Looks a lot better than a previous pic I saw! :thumbsup:

 

[bindian]

Lookin very good Brandi. Have you restocked it yet?

Cowboy Ron,
No I haven't. There are no speedos in the pond.:laughing: I do have 3 cats left that rock the water when I feed them once a week.

I can only get catfish on the third Saturday of the month and have had prior engagements on those days. I will restock with the biggest blues and channel cats I can get on Jan. 24st.:thumbsup:
hugs, Brandi

 

[bindian]

Looks a lot better than a previous pic I saw! :thumbsup:

Two Bit,
Yes, it looks way better. Thanks!
hugs, Brandi

 

[NativeSon]

Eddie- You're right about this being one of the best years we've had for fall colors. They are really beautiful. We lost a lot of trees, some of them are the really big ones. A lot of people have fire wood stacked out by the road "For Sale". I think they'll have to take it to Dallas to sell it, too much supply here.

New stock tank is Full.

Charlie

 

[jinman]

It seems our luck has sure changed on getting rain. This next storm that will move through this afternoon and tonight is supposed to drop quite a bit more rain. My deep pond is full and overflowing into the shallower pond that overflows into the lake. That shallow pond is only about 2' below overflow. Our lake is essentially full, so one more good rain event will put everything here over the top. Our watershed drains into Big Sandy Creek which winds its way down and eventually ends up in Eagle Mountain Lake.

Yesterday was my SIL's birthday. Although I've heard of Babe's Chicken Dinner Houses, I had not been to one until yesterday. That was the restaurant my SIL chose to celebrate his birthday ( The Arlington location). Even though we got there around 4 PM, it was crowded. It took about 15 minutes to be seated. Babes is served family style. You select between three types of chicken, chicken fried steak, pot roast, or fried fish. The meats are not refillable, but everything else is all-you-can-eat. However, they serve such large meat portions that you probably won't be able to eat the whole platter of meat. Our meal was hot, tasty, and served pleasantly. Very good!:thumbsup:

 

[two_bit_score]

That Babe's looks like a good place by the picture of the food.

 

[Bird]

The first Babe's we heard of was in Carrollton. It was good, but noisy. We later ate in the one in Sanger and it, too, was good. Those are the only 2 we've eaten in, but we recently ate at Cowboy Chow across the street from the Roanoke Babe's and there was quite a crowd on the sidewalk waiting to get into Babe's.

 

[jinman]

The first Babe's we heard of was in Carrollton. It was good, but noisy. We later ate in the one in Sanger and it, too, was good. Those are the only 2 we've eaten in, but we recently ate at Cowboy Chow across the street from the Roanoke Babe's and there was quite a crowd on the sidewalk waiting to get into Babe's.

The Roanoke Babe's is the original, as I'm sure you know. I've been told that the only time it is not crowded is when it's closed. I'd like to try the Sanger restaurant. Did you think it was okay? In Decatur, we have Sweetie Pie's Ribeyes that is part of the Babe's chain. It is a regular sit-down restaurant with pretty good food. They cook their baked potatoes coated with pine resin and wrapped in brown paper. They are okay, but nothing I'd think of as special. You can't eat the peel when it's done like that. Baked potato peel is one of my favorites because of all the flavor.

 

[Bird]

Jim, I didn't realize it's been so long, but I just looked and see that we ate at Babe's in Sanger on July 3, 2008, but we certainly liked it. Are all their places in old formerly abandoned buildings? I guess the one in Sanger is in what used to be the fire station. The one in Cedar Hill is in what used to be City Hall.

It does seen odd that the original in Roanoke shows a more limited menu than the others. But as you said, in the 2 we've visited, we didn't have to ask for anymore food; they brought plenty to start with.

I never heard of baking potatoes the way you say Sweetie Pie's does it. That would be something new.

 

[jinman]

Jim, I didn't realize it's been so long, but I just looked and see that we ate at Babe's in Sanger on July 3, 2008, but we certainly liked it. Are all their places in old formerly abandoned buildings? I guess the one in Sanger is in what used to be the fire station. The one in Cedar Hill is in what used to be City Hall.

I think they look for a suitable old building and may do a complete interior/exterior remodel. The Arlington restaurant is right in downtown Arlington on Division St. The building is 2-story, but they gutted the inside to add their decorating and rustic flavor. We sat right in front of a window that looked into a display of old oil cans from a service station in the original oil can rack. they also had a lamp made from a dozen old car headlights. It wasn't on, but was an interesting piece. Other displays were old bicycles. They also had stuffed chickens everywhere you looked. Their taxidermy bill must be staggering.ll

Outside the Arlington restaurant, they had a covered courtyard that was open in the middle with a real oak fireplace inside a metal container vented at the top with what looked like an old vent radiator from the top of a building. They had lots of tractor seats attached to car wheels sitting around the fireplace for seating so you could stay warm. The whole courtyard was made of rough cedar and covered in old barn corrugated iron except for the open courtyard. I'm not sure, but they might have spent as much money on the courtyard and decorations as inside the restaurant. On one side of the restaurant outside the courtyard, they had an old tractor and farm implements.

 

[Western]

Jim, Is that "Babe's" on the North side of Decatur right off 287?? I have seen a little resteuant there going to Stice sawmill, looks nice for a "staek house".

There is supposed to be a Babe's chicken in Grandbury. I havent been to one, may have to take the wife and give it a try. The wife likes the Cotton Patch chain and we cant pass a Cracker Barrel if she's hungry



Light drizzle here now