stepping back in time

May 2012- We went over to Oma & Opa's neighbor's ranch to fetch this boat.  Oma needed to borrow it for her church's upcoming Vacation Bible School program.  

Then we proceeded to drive it half a mile down the highway like this.  Oma, Pecos, Brazos, Casey and myself.  And the boat.  What, doesn't everyone transport a boat down the road from their neighbor's ranch like this?

Here's the best part.  While we were trying to locate the boat...no one currently lives at the ranch and the daughter told Oma it was in one of the barns...I found so many neat things.  Even though the family still uses the ranch no one has been living here for quite some time.  It sounds so cliché, but it really was like stepping back in time.   

Oh how I'd love to have this.  Can you imagine the fun times the kids had on it?

I wonder how many animals have been watered from this trough?

Or fed from this hay rack?

Or how many calves passed through this chute?

Or how many have been loaded through this chute?

The windmill now stands idle but I bet it has turned millions of times in the Hill Country breeze and pumped thousands of gallons of water through the years.

And these trees.  How terribly sad to see them this way.  I'm sure they once provided an abundance of shade but they have fallen victim to Oak Wilt disease.  

This windmill tail vane is in perfect vintage condition.  I really, really wanted this but it wasn't mine to have.  I'm not sure exactly what I'd do with it but if I come across one at a decent price some day I think I'll have to get it.