Double B Ranch
March - August 2021

Since I'm almost a full year behind updating pictures here - I've got a lot to post so this update is going to be HUGE. It covers six months of fun and projects - but I think ranch projects are fun so....anyway. Here are some more pictures and video from the Double B Ranch from March through August 2021. I recommend a couple cold beverages with this update. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show!

MARCH 13 WEEKEND:

After getting to the ranch, and cleaning up the house for our visitors, Austin and I found this Rat Snake in the barn.
These are 'good snakes' so we just directed him towards the door and left him alone.

Jacqui added some mirrors and decorations on the 'original' wall to brighten things up a bit.

We met Tim, Kathy and Zachory In Fredericksburg where we had a nice lunch and then went to the Pacific War Museum.
Here's Austin asking if we can have one of these cannons at our ranch.
Ummmm, no.

I thought this was a cool display, as you could see inside the workings of the tank.

The Museum also had this neat Pacific Theater outdoor display area.

Tim, Zach, Austin and I shot all kinds of guns!

Austin and Zach also played some ping-pong.

MARCH 26 WEEKEND:

It was back-to-back visitors at the Double B Ranch as Wes and Brenda joined us this weekend

So of course Jacqui made sure the house looked as cute as possible.

While not completely done, It really has come a long way since we purchased it.

Wes was hittin' the 200 yard target!

Wes put two shots on target that kinda looked like eyes.
He asked if I could shoot the nose - and BOOM - right on target!

APRIL 2 WEEKEND:

Time to refill the feeders.
This one is new (to me - Bill sold it to me at a discount)

Water to the barn is fixed (after the freeze).

I tried to clear a path to the barn....

Bill and I got together for a day of Polaris maintenance.
Above is perhaps the nastiest, dirtiest air filter you'll ever see.

Hello Reese - ready to come inside?

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #1 - The dogs play on the porch

Here's another fun project - replacing the kitchen faucet after the freeze.

Ohhhh - a new water sprayer!

APRIL 16 WEEKEND:

Spring comes around the middle of April - and it's amazing to me how green everything gets

And the spring flowers are starting to bloom

Flowers at the fence-line that separates the Cobb and Horse pastures (both sides of the fence are mine)

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #2 - The sky is on fire!

OK - I have broken ground on a BIG project!

When it rains, water splashes off the steps and soaks the back doors and floors.
So I decided to build an overhang that will protect the back door area.

Two posts are up and concrete has been poured

This was a pretty big project for me, and I'm proud of the way it came out - so there are a LOT of pictures.

That's good for today

Time to grill dinner!

Yep, everything is pretty green this time of year.

There's even some spring flowers coming up at my new stone step walkway

Damn, the weeds are pretty high

The Segovia Truckstop - opening soon!

Four posts up - just working to get everything straight and level.
This would have been MUCH easier if I had someone to help, as opposed to doing everything alone.

You'll see more as I go along - but the idea was NOT to secure anything to the house, or even put one nail through he roof.

Adding some lateral support

Looks like I need to trim down those telephone poles

Another beautiful day at the ranch

The yard looks so nice after the grass is freshly cut

Making some more progress

OK - ready to start with the roof

You should always make time to smell the flowers

This guy looking for something to eat

APRIL 23 WEEKEND:

Look how perfect everything is coming together
Well, not perfect - but pretty good for me!

The main supports for the ridge beam are up

And now the ridge beam is in place

You can see how the ridge bean extends over the house...

...but of you look closely you will see the ridge bean does not touch the old roof

OK - so maybe I took a few too many pictures.

Rafter beams are done

Sitting on the old roof looking down

Extending the roof line over the house - without touching it

Here's a good picture showing how the new roofline extends over the old without touching it.
Basically, I was afraid if I nailed anything into the old roof I'd create a leak - and make the problem I was trying to fix even worse.

Not to bad for an amateur like me

Starting to take shape now

Time for a break - let's have a drink and shoot a few targets

I made a mess

We are almost ready for the tin roof panels.

At another break, I shoot some old German pistols

Sometimes you need to just relax and enjoy the scenery

The view from the barn is SO GREEN this time of year

MAY 7 WEEKEND:

BOOM - I used 'roof repair' tape to seal the gap between the new and old roof.
The tape is aluminum on one side and sticky asphalt like on the other.

It blends right in to the new roof panels

After showing Jacqui how bad the weeds were around the barn - she said "you gotta mow that!"

I tried not to mow down any flowers

We are getting CLOSE!

...but at this point it was getting a little tricky/risky to get the last panels installed.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #3 - Building the new overhang

Here's another huge tree on my property along the banks of Toby Creek

I think that may be a cave up there....but ...I'll leave that alone for now.

Toby Creek is green...

....and the flowers are blooming.

Another fun project - I took the doors off of the Polaris.
It's MUCH cooler without them.

Sitting in the blind, marveling at the green grass

Hello Deer!

MAY 27 WEEKEND:

The Prickly Pear are blooming

The pictures don't do justice sometimes, as there were flowers everywhere you looked.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #4 - All of the flowers in bloom

Lots of deer around the feeder today

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #5 - A view from the Cobb pasture deer blind

There's a long story here that I will try to shorten.
Basically, I saw a big rattle snake - tried to shoot it - but it went under the house.
The next day, I thought for sure I'd find it's dead body just under the house - so I took off the tin here.

I didn't find the snake -but I did find a serious plumbing problem.
Water from the kitchen was pouring out directly under the guest bedroom
So it was really fun fixing this - while wondering if that rattle snake was going to show up again

OMG - I drove though a spider web - and LOOK at that nasty spider!
I was so scared I almost jumped out of the Polaris while it was still going forward

Not sure why I took this....

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #6 - Grilling in the rain

We had a rain - and look - half of the steps are dry!

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #7 - Rain on the new overhang

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #8 - Watching the rain from the front porch

A good rain will fill up the creeks around the ranch

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #9 - The Cobb creek is pretty full

I think it's about time to fix this

The next few pictures are a 180 degree view from the barn

While driving home, I took a few pictures of the yellow fields of flowers

JUNE 8 WEEKEND:

In order to finish the overhang - I had to enlist Austin's help.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #10 - With the water turnjed off, the cistern was pretty low when we arrived

It's great to have a big strong helper around!

TaDaaaa!!!

It doesn't look terrible - and even better - it works!

JUNE 29 WEEKEND:

No, it's usually not this easy to track a hog that's been shot

But I got this guy in a good spot, and he didn't go too far

Now that the overhang project is done, it's time to start working on my 300 yard backstop

These old telephone poles will come in handy!

With the chainsaw, I cut them into 10 foot lengths

JULY 12 WEEKEND:

In just two weeks, the vultures and coyotes have stripped this hog clean

Yes, those poles are pretty darn heavy

You can't see from this angle, but every pole is tie strapped and nailed to the frame

Hey - there's a deer in the front yard!

Making good progress now

OK - almost done!

I used some black spray paint to disguise the backstop from a distance

BOOM - hitting the 300 yard targets

You can see how each pole is secured to the frame.

Here's how it looks from the barn (with max zoom)

AUGUST 19 WEEKEND:

the Cobb creek has water again

This doe came right up to say hello

Hey there girl!

....and she invited some friends

Here they come

Dang, I could reach out and touch this guy

What are y'all doing?

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO #11 - The deer come right up to the blind!

Now that the 300 yard backstop project is done - I moved on to the next

I'm converting the old water cistern into a dipping pool.
But before I can start doing that - I need to create another place for the animals to get water

So I moved this old stock water trough from the old horse pasture to the pump house.
I sprayed it with white Flex-Seal to help it hold water
...got I got it hooked up to the pump and installed a new float valve - DONE!

Got me another hog!

The bucks are starting to get their full antlers around this time of year

I've been keeping an inventory of what I see when I'm in the blinds

As I was at the top of the ladder with a 50lb bag of feed on my shoulder - the feeder broke and we all came tumbling down.
Thankfully, there were no permanent injuries.

It's pretty satisfying hitting the 300 yard target dead center,

Just another White Tail buck running around.

You made it to the end!!