At The Ranch

Weekend-before-last we girls, along with the two wild boys, got to hang out at the ranch while the guys had their work weekend.  

First we checked out the new tank.  New tanks in S TX look like this until it rains...and the time frame on that is anyone's guess.  But lots of fun can be had in a dry tank!

Kaydie and the boys enjoyed running up and down the banks many, many times.  It's not obvious by the pics I took (with my phone), but the sides are pretty steep and the tank is deep.

The cattle were most interested in the small people who were with us.  It occurred to me that they've probably never seen small children.  I'm certain they'd never seen small children (or an adult, for that matter) participating in this type of behavior.

After a brief look, they ran along the bank...

...down into the tank...

...across the bottom...

...and eventually up the other side, where they disappeared into the brush.

With the show over-for both the cattle and the people-we headed off to hike.

Grandmama & J crossing the dry creek bed

Kaydie showing L a treasure

Grandmama & J

As usual, Grandmama found deer antlers.  She's a pro at finding them.  Way to go, Grandmama!

It's so special to spend time with my grandmother at the ranch.  She's put so much work into ranching there over her lifetime and she still loves exploring.

Kaydie w/ J & L

Sarah & Trey  :)

Hots working hard-Woot woot!

We found the guys and visited for a bit.  (Hugh, Grandmama, Kaydie, Hots, L, & J)

L found this super cool jawbone; probably from a coyote.

J went back to help L navigate the brush by holding everything back so L could pass through.  We'd been hard after it, hiking for quite a while having skipped naps, and L was teetering on the edge of breakdown.

Can you see L's bottom lip sticking way out behind the brush?  Sweet big brother.  :)

 Grandmama, Aunt Sarah, J, & L

Our first critter!

How cool is this guy?!

Another critter-a small worm, I think.

"Wook, Gwandmama!"

"It's a wom!"

Maybe you have to experience the ranch to appreciate the various plants there.  Though almost everything has thorns, there are many pretty plants, too.  Here are a few.

This tiny plant (probably a weed) is so delicate looking with its tiny white flowers.

Prickly Pear Flowers

A while into our afternoon hike J started crying.  He had been hiking with Kaydie and, though I could hear him, I couldn't see him.  I worked my way through the brush toward the cries to find out that he'd been kicking cactus which resulted in an assault of those tiny, hair-like thorns to his legs.  

He directed me to several areas on his legs and feet that hurt.  I looked him over completely, emptying both boots and going through each sock more than once.  I found nothing and he continued to be uncomfortable so Kaydie did one more boot check.  Upon removing the boot she found a half inch piece of cactus from this plant stuck to the inside of his boot.

She got it out and it fell to the ground where J promptly stepped on it with his sock.  When he lifted his foot, he inadvertently raked it against my leg, leaving the tiny cactus stuck firmly in my shin.

The sight of it was a little unnerving to all three of us.  I jokingly overreacted with a high pitched scream, making J laugh-exactly what I was going for.  :)

After my charade and one of Kaydie's homemade sugar cookies back at the truck, he was back in good humor.

We took a lunch break and met Aunt K and Uncle B in town for our second Mexican food meal of the day (first was breakfast tacos in the am). Always great to see them!  We've LOVED having their boys here at A&M for the past 4 years and I'm not sure just how I'll raise J & L w/out them.

This one's for you, Dawn!  We found this guy at the motel.

 

Back at the Ranch...

Curious Cow

Ground Squirrel-I'd never seen one of these little guys at the ranch before, but I'd seen their holes.  This trip we actually saw one digging a hole.  

We headed to another tank to look for snakes.  This time luck was on our side and we found three!

They were in a group.  Snakes in a group in water-Eeeeeeewwwww.

They came right up to the edge of the water and looked at us for a long time, alternating popping their heads above the water to take a look.

3 Heads (one of them is piggyback on another-again, eeeeewwww)

The one in the back was doing "tricks," as Sarah called them; he'd rise up a little, then just slowly fall back into the water, slipping under until we lost sight of him.  Yuck.

I'll leave you with one last gross pic of the three snakes.

On the road again!

My Fave Sister  :)

The boys were so intrigued by the chute and with Grandmama's help (Kaydie for a little while, too) they must have worked 100 (invisible) calves.

Deer stands these days have nice angled ladders with steps.  Several steps up from the rebar "ladders" I climbed back in the day.  Pun intended.

This boy had the full ranch exploring experience and if this pic doesn't prove it,

then this one should!  (This was taken upon arrival to supper for our third Mexican food meal of the day.  It was a good day.)

Took L a little while to wake up.  :)

Posing at the Mexican food Joint

More proof that the guys actually did work hard.  ;)

This is out of order, but we stopped by Buc-ee's on the way.

We hunted rattlesnakes ALL day on Saturday with no luck (or with great luck if you ask Grandmama, who's always hoping not to see one) and within 30 mins of arriving home, found this out by the garden.  Since it was nonvenomous I offered J the option to touch it.  Grandpapa would be proud!

Hard to see, but I assume it's some sort of rat snake since I can't remember the last time we saw a mouse in the barn.  We named him Harvey and I think we'll keep him!