Double B Ranch June through August 2014

It was a busy summer at the Double B Ranch. I guess the biggest news is - I got a tractor. WooHoo! Now I can really get some stuff done out there, like digging trenches and moving logs and brush. Sounds fun, right?

Yuck!
Well, there's always work to do at the ranch. I found out what happens when you don't keep chlorine in the dipping pool.

We'd been getting some good rain, so the Cobb draw was full.
...and this is where I decided to make 'Pond version 2.0'.

That evening, the pigs came to the feeder and I got this guy

The next day, after adding chlorine shock, the dipping pool looked like this.
Hmmmmm.

A mid June pig.
My shot was decent, but you're seeing the exit wound

Broken pool pump

New pool pump
The old one was dumping the sand filter media into the pool

I ended up draining it, washing out the sand and refilling.

The Great Flood of 2024
In late July the hill country was hit with the largest rainfall in several years.
That lake you see is usually my front yard. The dirt road out runs across that creek, so there was no way across.
Most roads in the area were flooded out, and some had to be repaired as they'd completely washed away.

When I was able to get to the ranch, there was still a lot of standing water in the creek beds

Toby Creek was still flowing

My new tractor!
It was a package deal that also included the trailer, a backhoe, grapple, forklift, brush hog, stump bucket, regular bucket and hay spear.

BOOO-YAAAA

1st chore, pick up a dead tree that had fallen near the house
It was great - I didn't have to cut it into little pieces

Still some standing water here and there

There's my ride

My brother Bill and his long-time friend David enjoy some time in the dipping pool

This pair of Roadrunners must have had a nest nearby, because usually they run off pretty quickly.

CLIKE HERE TO SEE VIDEO OF THE ROADRUNNERS!!

Cleaning the tractor

And time to replace filters

Towards the end of July, we met Tim and Kathy at their new place in Junction, TX

Check out the views from their porch!
...and a nice fire pit down there.

We decided to make a drive to Mason, TX
It's a cute old Texas town with a nice town square full of shops and stuff

This looks like a good place to hang for a bit

We enjoyed a few cocktails at this super cool old place

We were hungry, and someone recommended this place for a bit of local flavor
Guns & Grub, Biscuits & Bullets - how can you go wrong??

Yeah, it was interesting

...we are not racists...
That said, you don't see a lot of Confederate flags around much more
It was pretty common when I was growing up

OK, despite everything - including Lurch here who was our busboy - it was a damn good dinner
After we'd gotten pretty liquored up, the owner showed us his car collection, and let us browse the gun shop

God bless Texas

The Mason County Courthouse

Back at the ranch, I've jacked up the mower to put on new blades

I had to do it - one had broken

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO FROM THE BLIND AS IT RAINS!!

August 9, 2024
Leaving the blind, I was blessed with an amazing sunset

We added some additional deck furniture

Remember me mentioning Pond version 2.0?
I figured if the Cobb draw could hold water l;ike it did after a storm, why not all the time?
My idea was to run a water line down there and put on a float valve to keep it constant level.
Step one - get the tractor and dig a LONG trench

I found some more Native American artifacts...

...and experienced another beautiful sunset.

OK, the water line to the creek has been finished, and now I'm building a foundation for the float valve that's anchored to the bedrock

I had just poured that concrete, when about an hour or so later it began to rain.....hard

The Polaris was this muddy just from the ride back to the barn

Well there ya go! If it would just stay like this that'd be perfect!

There's my waterline - underwater - no float valve yet

Lauren and Baily come out that weekend
Baily loves to swim!

So yeah, the idea was to make Pond version 2.0 to look pretty much like this
I thought, maybe I'd add a waterfall coming over the right side...maybe

Relaxing after a hard day at the ranch

This is the form I made for the float valve
The idea is that the pipe would be secure through the hole and the short wall would protect the float valve from rushing water during a flood

I visited my brothers ranch, where he is going to be adding some additional living space.
It's going to have some beautiful views. Exciting!
This is the dirt work before the slab is poured

Lauren and I say HOWDY from the Double B Ranch