Look who just turned 65!

Patricia and Victor drove down to the ranch to see Katelyn, Kristi, and Lex, and surprised me with this birthday banner. No one ever had a better sister than me.

Sitting by the fire

We built a fire at the ranch pulled up some chairs and enjoyed the afternoon.

Here Great Aunt Patricia is holding Katelyn as she is checking out the new surroundings.

Katelyn gets a feel of the dirt on her tootsies as she poses with her Mom and Dad. Yes, that is a knife Lex is holding. He has been peeling turnips he picked not far from where he is. I threw out some seed with the oats I planted for the deer.

Katelyn's Tree at the Ranch

Katelyn dressed up in her camo outfit and went to the ranch. While there she posed by her tree. Later she went and sat by a fire her Dad built so we could be warm while we sat and visited with her Great Aunt Patricia and Uncle Victor who had come to see her.

Lex, Kristi, and Katelyn's visit

Katelyn and her Great Mammaw

Katelyn's Curious George

Katelyn, do you like Christmas?

Katelyn playing with her toy

Plenty of Cats

The cameras are confirming what I already knew.... that there are plenty of Bobcats.

Rattling results...

My only rattling effort today resulted in these two young bucks. One was a spike and the other looked like a four point. It was really windy as a new norther had just blown in. I had seen a doe cross the sendero acting like she was trying to hide from what I guessed was a buck trailing her. Anyway, I shut down the mule and hid behing an agarita bush and tried rattling. Here is what appeared. I'm guessing there was a larger buck somewhere close but I never saw it.

Which way did she go?

This buck goes by in front of the camera going East then six minutes later crosses again going to the West. Notice the oats growing in the sendero. What a difference a couple of months makes. We went from a bad drought to a wet winter.

Checking out a young buck at the other end of the sendero

A view from the deer blind

Same place different cat...

Bruto

Bruto is a heavy horned eight point this year. He remains the biggest heaviest bodied deer on the ranch.

Just strolling by...

I think I have noted here before that you just never know what the cameras will capture. Pictured is what looks like a bobcat tom out for an afternoon hunt. The green stuff coming up in the senderos is my fall planting of oats.

Some a little more talented than others...

I think this is probably the same deer in all of the above pictures. It looks to be a yearling or one of the early fawns. Anyway it sure has figured how to get at the protein feed in this bulk feeder.

Ocho Mas

Here is another buck an eight point. I've been calling him Ocho Mas since he was a yearling. He is three and a half years old now. When I give them a name I'm not very creative. I guess I need a theme.

This deer needs a good name

This deer is three and a half years old. He really is starting to look nice. I need a good name for him. Anyone have any suggestions?

"Sid"

Here is Sid. He is a warrior for sure as you can tell by his right ear slit. He got this in some battle in years past. I bet he got the doe though, what do you think?

Oil and Gas leases

There are land men still running titles and chasing leases and land owners in this part of Texas. Here is the reason why. In this case, people who signed leases early left money on the table. It is always a gamble but now you can see by this map what all of the excitement is about. This map is an overview of the play showing the wells already drilled and where the different companies are concentrating their leases.

Ace is six years old now. He was two when the fence went up.

Ace has twelve scorable points with two "kickers" on his right G-3.

Ranch Dog

Ginobli, Lex and Kristi's dog really likes to run along while we motor around the ranch.

His pictures are being captured by the game cameras at the various feed stations.

He particularly liked the water troughs where he would jump in and cool off. I wasn't carrying my camera and didn't get a picture of that.

By Saturday he had enough running and I'm sure the pads on his feet were sore. Here he is after deciding to ride instead of run.

It was a real treat to have Lex and Ginobli in for a visit.

You have to let them grow up...

That is what Grandpa Swierc once told me. The deer on the left is three years old and the one on the right is six.

Nueve

Sandra named this buck "Nueve". I hope he will be spreading his wide genetics during this year's breeding season.

Our Thirty-seventh Anniversary

Here is my "bride" she is still smiling and just think..... thirty-seven years of marriage. Two wonderful children and their spouses and a brand new grandbaby. Yep, I'm smiling too.

Happy Birthday Kristi!

Happy Birthday Kristi, to the best daughter-in-law in the world.

They learn from their Mothers

These does with their fawns are an example of the fawns getting a quick start eating protein. I'm guessing the fawns are about two months old.

It doesn't take long...

At 10:51 PM on the seventeenth you can see strips of velvet hanging from this buck's antlers.

By this time the next morning he has most of it scraped off.

Here is another shot a few minutes later.

Bucks just beginning to rub off their "velvet"

Here is a picture of "Ocho" freshly rubbed out. He is a three year old with some pretty sharp looking antlers.

Grammy and Pappy See Katelyn in South Carolina

Freddy and I spent a wonderful 8 days with Lex, Kristi and Katelyn in South Carolina---here they are, at home in the backyard on a gorgeous evening at the beginning of our trip! Katelyn loves being outside with her Mommy and Daddy AND Ginobili, her protector.

Katelyn LOVES to stretch! She is happy to be in her swaddle and also happy to come out of it and stretch those arms and legs---bet she is going to be tall! Wanna bet?

Check out this cutie picture of Katelyn all 'dolled up' for her Daddy when he came home from work! She was 'styling' for him in this darling outfit!

We could say this is a 'mutual admiration society' picture of Daddy and Katelyn.

And here is Mommy and Daddy and Katelyn! Aren't they a lovely little family?

And it is official---Sandra is 'Grammy' and Freddy is 'Pappy'! Now Katelyn knows what to call both of us!

Katelyn is growing stronger each and every day---here she is on Kristi's shoulder (one of her absolute favorite places in the whole world). Look how she has her head picked up and checking out her house!

If there was ever a super dog to have a new baby, it is Ginobili! He is so attentive and good with Katelyn. He knows she is something really, really special to his Mommy and Daddy and will be one wonderful friend for her in the future. Such a sweet-natured dog!

After 'tummy time', Katelyn also likes time on her back---remember, she LOVES to stretch, so this is the time for that! She is so happy and secure and it shows!

This is the cutest family pose...they are all piled into the one recliner and Katelyn is happily nested on a throw pillow. Relaxing with the family---it can't get any better than this!

Grammy and Katelyn having a serious discussion---Grammy is singing "I love you, a bushel and peck, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck!" Katelyn is not exactly sure what this is all about but she is definitely paying attention!

And talk about a pro---Pappy was the BEST at rocking Katelyn to sleep---she understood right away how much he loves her and how good he is with her---so she slept securely at the thought! Way to go, Pappy!

Our last day was 'Strawberry Girl' styling day---she is, of course, stretching---after we all had breakfast at Cracker Barrel (well, not Katelyn, of course) but the rest of us! Isn't this the cutest little outfit? Too bad she is growing too fast to wear it for long!

The last day of our trip...we are moving to the car to leave...and wanted to stay longer...:(

This is the little family saying goodbye as Pappy and I drove away. What a wonderful pose!

Our trip was just wonderful for us---worth every one of the vacation days Grammy took off from work! Watching Katelyn change before our very eyes was an unforgettable experience and we are SO thankful that Kristi and Lex let us come and spend this special time with them all! We love them all SO much and can't wait to see them all again soon!