July 4th weekend

SBR freeze

During our MLK weekend at SBR, temperatures dropped pretty low for these Gulf Coast dwellers. The weather reports called for a good freeze, and we all were watching the thermometer drop during the night. Mom said she saw it at 1 a.m. at 28F. I got up to use the bathroom about 2 a.m. and it was 27F.

The final number?

At 7 a.m. just as the sun began to rise, I captured the outdoor thermomete showing 24.5F, and brr was it chilly inside the house. Each bedroom had a heater, so it was at least 60F while we were sleeping. Outside everything looked beautiful beneath a layer of frost.

Despite the cold, everyone found plenty to do Sunday.


Bryan spent a little time playing chess with Cameron. I "played" a little with Brenna, who surprised me by demonstrating that she understood the movement of about half the pieces. She only had to be reminded a few times about the others.


Despite the cold weather -- it warmed to about 45 -- both girls enjoyed playing on the porch. Bryan took them fishing at the back tank in the early afternoon.


I visited them for a short while, then Dad and I walked the back 80. Bryan moved the girls to the front tank, where they caught two fish! (And I had the camera, so no photos!)

Wintertime at SBR

Mom & Dad came out to SBR with us over MLK weekend. It rained a good inch on Friday night, leaving everything wet and muddy for Saturday; however, Sat. was a beautiful, clear, windy, chilly day.

Jenn & Michael joined us for the afternoon. Their four children (almost 7, 4, and twin girls 18 mos) really enjoyed playing with Cameron and Brenna. Would you believe that all six children were perfectly behaved?

We gave them a tour, and the kids started playing, though Eliza Claire needed a little time to settle in among strangers.

Once settled, we walked down to the back tank. Rehm, Charlotte, Cameron and Brenna ran ahead while the grown-ups walked more casually, helping or carrying Ruby & Eliza Claire.

At the back tank, the kids had a lot of fun trying to skip rocks. During all of our summer visits to SBR (May, July, Sept) the back tank was full from all the rain, so it was quite a shock to see how low the water is at present.



Rehm had a zillion questions about everything and Cameron enjoyed answering them, showing off a little. He wanted especially to know the names of the cows. (Some have names - like Tigger and Pooh and Merr, but the five black cows in "the Harem" are only identified by their ear tag numbers. So Rehm would ask "What is #23's name" and I'd say, "Number 23!"

When we were walking back from the tank, about half the cows were in the way and they follwed us very closely all the way back to the house, no doubt hoping for those yummy range cubes.


While the brisket and ribs were smoking for dinner, we had a snacky lunch and then Bryan and Dad took Charlotte and Rehm on an ATV ride. A short one, because the temperature -while in the upper 40s in the sun - was starting to drop.



After their rides and I ran Jenn up to the barn for a quick trip, we did have a big dinner where we were able to really enjoy the company and conversation until we finally had to acknowledge that it was time for them to drive home. I didn't see any new wildlife while they were here, although Bryan & our girls saw a deer during an earlier ATV ride Sat. morning.

Football Season is here!

What's a visit to the ranch without a little touch football among family?

Enjoy this 3+ minute video compilation of some family football plays. Please bear in mind that the girls outnumber the boys 2-1 so that's not your computer squealing, it's the girls. Adjust your volume appropriately!

Independence Day

Despite the reports of flooding in the Hill Country, Bryan & I stole away to SBR for a few days with the girls. The rain gauge held a half-inch on Monday evening (measured since Sunday afternoon) and was almost, but not quite, an inch when we left on Wednesday night. We had scattered rain, but nothing heavy; just enough to keep things soggy.

True to our last few visits, we saw something new at SBR. Cameron & Brenna spotted a Painted Bunting in the grass outside the living room on Monday about 7 p.m. We also saw a doe (a deer, a female deer) twice. Once it was very close to the house looking toward the back from the living room window by the AC unit.

We spent a few hours in Gonzales visiting the Old Jail and the Memorial Museum where we saw the Come & Take It cannon, the Lexington & Concord "Shot Heard 'Round the World" for the Texas Revolution. There was also a memorial to the Immortal 32 - the men from Gonzales to arrived as reinforcements to the Alamo in response to Travis' Victory or Death letter.

Driving back from Gonzales, we stopped and bought some fireworks. Even though it was only July 3rd, we took advantage of a not rainy evening to shoot some off. We easily discovered that we like the box fountains and cone fountains and sparklers, but not the bees, black snakes or firecrackers. The girls enjoyed some confetti poppers and little snappers.

We made a stop at the local feed store and picked up two bags of range cubes and fed the cattle. There was time between the rain for an ATV ride and even a walk to the back pond. I can't remember if I've ever seen it so green there, and it was oddly cool with a breeze for July.

We can't wait to go back again!

About to be busy!

What better way to spend Memorial Day than lounging around at SBR for the weekend? Some of the family are already on their way up, while others of us will come up after work tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. The trick with having everyone there at the same time is organizing food, drinks, and sleeping arrangements. As the summer heat arrives, so do the scorpions, which prevents us from bunking the kids on the floor overnight. Now we have to sleep 12 (two babies still in playpens). My two girls will share a bed or a couch, but Lisa's won't. (She tried last time, and it was not a pleasant experience!) So likely some of us will be volunteering to sleep in the bunkhouse up the Red Road.

Gotta go find our boots and pack after work today - see everyone up there tomorrow. Save us some lunch!