Double B Ranch - Dec 2023 through April 2024

Early morning December 8, 2023 - I took a big 8 point buck. This "up's the bar" on what size buck I will shoot going forward. Nothing less.

I made another trip up there mid December where I worked on repairs. The freeze broke a few pipes, and I had some deck furniture to assemble.

Of course, the raccoons had to check out their new deck furniture

We had a WONDERFUL time at the ranch with the kids at the end of 2023. Lauren and I went up there right after Christmas, and Jacqui and Austin came up a day later. Bill was as his place with Trey, so it was nice to hang out with them too.

Trey, Lauren, her Trey me and Austin enjoy the Texas A&M vs Oklahoma St game at the Texas Bowl.

We had planned to stay 'till new years, but on the 28th we got the call about my mom and came home the next day. January was hectic, and I'm not sure if I even made it out there that month. In mid February, after deer season and while it was still cold enough that the snakes weren't out - Jacqui and I took the dogs to the ranch.

They LOVE to ride around in the Polaris

They each have their own spot.

One of many repairs. The inside of the pump house was falling apart with insulation coming loose.
Since the pipes froze in here AGAIN this year, I decided to beef up the insulation.
I used wood paneling and spray foam insulation on the gaps.

While filling feeders I found this, and thought it was super cute!!
Thanks Lauren!

The dogs are always on the lookout for something to chase.

No deer? OK, I guess y'all can relax.

They always sleep great after being worn out all day.

Here's a story with a happy ending. After Jacqui and I came home with the dogs, I saw this guy on the Ring cam.
What are you doing there buddy? Are you lost?
I told Jacqui, and she sent this screenshot to all our neighbors at the ranch.
Sure enough, one of them knew the owners. They had been there for the weekend, and the dog either got away, or fell out of the truck.
Anyway, they looked and looked, but eventually had to go back home without him.
Their daughter was heartbroken and cried for days.
Then, I got another alert, and saw the dog was back in the yard (probably smelling my dogs scent).
We called our neighbors and they were nice enough to go jump my fence to rescue the poor guy, and he was happily returned to his owners.
...and a very happy daughter.

In late February I made another trip by myself.

I got tired of picking up the same rocks thinking it was an arrow, only to be 'chippings' - so I started stacking them together.
This is just the start of that pile.

My gate needed repainting. It's always something.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #1 - A big Tom Turkey

This little doe came up to say hello

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #2 - A herd of doe walk right in front of the blind

The 1st weekend of March 2024, Austin spent part of his spring break helping me clean the barn and move two heavy stoves.

A clean spot! ...well, (kinda clean)
It's a vast improvement from the stack of lumber, roll of insulation and old furniture that used to occupy this space.
Thanks for your help Austin!

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #3 - Austin and Bill play ping-pong

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #4 - Austin and Bill play more ping-pong

Austin just chilling out on the front porch.

Out with the old and in with the new.
Again, Austin was a big help as I don't think I could have gotten this off the truck without him.

The second weekend of March, I was stunned by the wildflowers. What started as just a few here and there bloomed into more than I had imagined.

My pasture was a carpet of Purple Prairie Verbena

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #5 - My purple pasture!

Jacqui came with me on the 4th weekend in March and the flowers were even more beautiful - which I thought would had been impossible. We had an awesome weekend that included a crawfish boil with our neighbors, and getting to see helicopters relocate some elk.

Once the yellow flowers started to bloom, it was like a purple and blue carpet.

The stove works and we are makin' bacon!

Look what I found!!
After research I believe this to be a "Scallorn" type, found over much of Texas. and somewhere between 800 and 1,300 years old.
I've found several artifacts all within about 20 yards of each other, this being the best so far.
I'm almost certain I've discovered a Native American campsite on my property.

The skill the helicopter pilot had to maneuver livestock and people so effortlessly was off the charts.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #6 - A super quick helicopter dropoff

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #7 - Another helicopter flyover dropoff and landing

My little stone walkway of about to be grown over.

Now that we have Starlink and can work from the ranch, we needed a little workstation. TaDa!

For the crawfish boil, Jacqui was expecting maybe a couple easy-ups in someone's driveway.
What we got was a peek at an amazing piece of property with views for miles, and amenities fit for a king.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #8 - A view from the crawfish boil

The owner and his wife did a fair amount of hunting

The view from their bedroom ain't bad

And 'the morning deck' is also kinda nice

It may not be fit for a king, but I still love my little dipping pool

The bacon set off the smoke alarm, so we knew we needed a vent hood.
Jacqui also paints the cabinet.

The cabinets on the left are new

On Wednesday, April 3 I went up early for the eclipse weekend. And would you believe it? The flowers were EVEN MORE BEAUTIFUL!! My brother had JUST retired, so he stayed an extra day so we could party it up Wednesday night. We enjoyed a few drinks, drove around our property, and at night used his game call and thermal to call in a coyote Fun! Jacqui showed up Friday, and Jay and Sherrie arrived Saturday. Sunday, the day before the eclipse Jay's kids Christopher and Claire arrived. We had a great time, and were lucky to get a break in the clouds to see the eclipse..

The yellow flowers at Bill's ranch were EVERYWHERE

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #9 - A view of my brother's place

...carpets of yellow

...everywhere you looked

Back at my place, we took a few more pictures before sunset.

Thursday I worked on the vent hood.

I'd take a break from working, and just marvel at the beauty of springtime in the hill country

We have POWER, and it's level - so that's a plus.

Trying to make something that we can eventually add trim, repaint and try to look nice.

I just can't get enough of how beautiful the pasture is this year

.

Since about summertime last year, I've found all of these on the surface, within about 20 yards of each other.

While they didn't carpet the ground, I did have several patches of Bluebonnets scattered around

WooHoo!! The kitchen looks pretty good if I do say so myself.
Jacqui gets the design credit - I just assemble.

April 8, 2024, the Stewart family joins Jacqui and I on the dipping pool deck to view the eclipse.

Matching shirts - how CUTE!

In a way, the cloud cover helped see some things with the naked eye.

It's almost here!

And BOOM, like that it got dark, and colder, and a few seconds into darkness the clouds cleared and we could see the total eclipse.
We had almost 4 minutes of darkness - was super cool to experience, and even better with good friends.

Lonely old fencepost

A nice sunset to cap off a great weekend.
Y'all come back now, ya hear!