Brrrr, It's Cold

We spent the week between Christmas and New Years at the Ranch with Mom & Dad and David, Leah and Alexander. It was quite cold, but we really enjoyed it.

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!

Breakfast in Texas

A friend passed this on to me and the girls loved it. First they thought it was Papa. Then they were certain it was Uncle Jack. I don't know exactly where it is, but we've never seen this many deer at one time at SBR.

Protection

Thank goodness we don't have any fishermen like these at SBR! Even Brenna & Cameron are learning to cast safely.

Expect we'll be out there in two weeks for Labor Day weekend. Cameron will celebrate her 8th birthday on Sept 2. So if you're around - come join us! (That is unless Hurricane Dean makes landfall in an area that directly affects many of us.)

Always Welcome

We need to find this sign and put one up at SBR.

Feeding the Cows

Just a quick little movie from our last visit.

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!