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.

enjoyin' the sunshine

March 2012- This warm weather is a sign of the times to come- another long, hot summer!  And another afternoon in the yard enjoying the sunshine.  

Doing some digging in the sandbox.

And a couple pics of Angus kitty.  She was just a tad bit jealous when she heard I'd posted pics of her brother, Charolais kitty.  She is not quite the camera ham, but here's a couple of pics anyway.

{dump} truckin'

January 2012- We had a mild day back in late January, so we took advantage of the sunshine and spent some time playing in the yard.  We LOVE our green rye grass which makes it so much nicer to play in the yard.  It will be a sad day when the heat arrives and burns it all up.  Hoping for green grass and a sprinkler system for a summer project.

This is Brazos, favorite dump truck.  It is a hand me down from Pecos that is in pretty good shape, at least for now.  Brazos likes to push it all over the yard while Pecos and I play soccer or throw the football.  

Got a decent shot of the boys together.  

And one just of Pecos.

And a few for the fans of Charolais kitty.  He joins us in the yard nearly every afternoon and sticks around until Brazos get too rough.  But I rarely take any pics of him so thought I'd share with everyone who has heard about our infamous Charolais kitty.