A little Vacation Time: The week between Christmas and New Year 2010, I met my two Daughters and their families in a cabin above the Buffalo River in Arkansas. Holly and Tammy both live on the south side of Houston, Texas. We enjoyed a full week of great home  cooking as well as hiking and exploring every day. We even did some cool caving. Funny how things seem to reverse with age........I think they waited on me, more than i waited on them !  I got to spend some quality time with my grandson Quintin also. Left to right are Tammy, Armando, Quintin (the little guy), Rod & Holly. This was from a bluff cross country and below the cabin in the Buffalo National River National Park.  Although the weather was on the cool side most afternoons were in the upper 30's or low 40's and made for good hiking weather. We took lots of photos.......... Part of my Christmas Present to my daughters  was oil portraits of their best friends. Above is Cindi, Tammys Pug  & Yuki, Hollys Maltese. ____________________________________________________ My Little Brother, Kenny, just published another book. "Across the High Plains" is a western fiction. This is his third book to be published "way to go, bro" Click here for a Preview of this book I read it while at the cabin in Arkansas & really enjoyed it !!! _______________________________________________________  Lately, I have been designing some websites for friends and associates Check this out, if you'd like to have an easy way to provide your own eggs in your backyard. Click here to check out Murrays Hen Hoops _______________________________________________________- Website Design I enjoy designing & setting up websites for other people. It may not be as expensive as you think Contact me and I'll be happy to visit with you about it. ________________________________________________________________________- Big Piney Highlands NEWS Notice: We have sold out our fold of highland cattle. Our pasture lease came to an end a few years ahead of schedule and we havent been able to find a suitable place to move them to. I'm going to miss them ! I will leave the information about highland cattle on this website for a while, since so many people have called and emailed about them. __________________________________ New Studio Addition I took the whole month of October 2009 off from my day job and have been adding some new studio space out in the shop area. It was a lot of fun creating a creative workspace.  After insulation and drywall I tried my hand at plastering the walls.  I wanted it to look 100 years old - rustic,  warm and inviting. Then some ceiling beams and tongue & groove ceiling. I've kept my nose to the grindstone and am moved in now. Am anxious to get some painting in this winter. I just posted some photos of the new studio addition In the "In the Shop" page.