Expanding

Today the Weavers closed on their purchase of Nettie Streater's place.  As part of the transaction, I sold Larry the 17 acres across the highway from us and bought from him the triangular 30 acres of Nettie's on this side--across the lane from our house.  It's rocky and mesquite-covered, but it will be handy due to its location.  It needs some fence work, so bring your gloves and boots.  We have highway frontage now from the roadside park to Zane's, and Larry has the same on the other side.  Pete says we should secede, form our own country and make Highway 22 a toll road.

It's a good thing the new land isn't hay ground.  The latter half of June and the first half of July have been devoted entirely to cutting, raking, baling and hauling hay.  We've done well, even with a couple of breakdowns.  I'm ready to not be driving the tractors for a while, but the cows will be happy this winter.  We may be feeding in 2 places--Selfs and in the house pasture (maybe I'll use Nettie's) so it's good we've made plenty.

Beach Boys

Zane donated 2 dump truck loads of sand for a beach at the tank for Kathy.  Travis and his friend Chase donated some sweat equity and we opened the beach today.  It's not ready for prime time yet but it's ready enough to cool off in the water and get a sunburn.

Ridin' The Rails

After dropping his mom off at the airport, Ethan and I rode Amtrak from Fort Worth to Cleburne.  Then came home and played with our trains with new insight into the sights, sounds and smells.

Busy Times

It's been busy at the Busted Handle.  We've started cutting and baling hay and it looks like the 2 remaining Sudan fields and 2  Coastal fields will be ready as soon as we can get to them.

We've weaned one litter of kittens and are about to start another--everybody try to push kittens.

Looking for a home

We've had lots of visitors--Barney and Susan Tull from Derby, then Bill and Cathy Flandermeyer from Colorado Springs.  Holly and Lawrence squeezed in a visit before her departure for Tanzania.  Jeff, Amy and Todd came for a weekend, and we had Elizabeth for a week and Ethan for 2.  Now we have Pete, Susan and Travis and their friend Chase.  It's great.

We're getting a little rain now and then, the calves are growing and the cows are fat.  Life is good.  Here are a few scenes from the past month.  Also see Barney's great shots on Flickr here.  Come see us.

Home is where my horse is

Ethan and CT exercising Grandad

Susan learns ranching

Butterfly bushes attract our favorite friends

Beef, it's what's for dinner

We enjoy having visitors

New Guy In Town

His name is Cowtown, but his friends call him C.T., and he's Ethan's birthday present.  He's an 8-year-old Pony Of The Americas gelding, and very friendly.  You can see he's mostly a red roan with a loud Appaloosa rump, but they say in winter he changes to a sorrel.  He's a little smaller than Sugarfoot, but still big enough to carry a fat old Grandad.

Amy and I rode him and played with him to be sure he's gentle, and we'll probably bring him home this weekend.  I'll rig him up a saddle, bridle and halter.  Hurry down and ride your birthday present, Ethan.  And everybody else--Ethan is always good to share his stuff.

That's How It's Done, Son

Yesterday Amy in the John Deere, Kathy on the lawn mower, and I on the IH mowed the weeds in the hay lot and carried our 61 new bales of oat hay off the field and into the hay lot.  Next we'll put up a temporary electric fence to let the cows graze the remainder of this field while keeping them off the Coastal, in preparation for separating them for breeding.

The picture, with the long evening shadows, doesn't do the hay justice.  It's over half of our requirement for the winter and, after last summer's meager harvest, it's a big deal.  It was a beautiful day to be outside and fun to all be working together.  Come on down and we'll find you a tractor to drive.

Parrotheads

We ate the last mango in Paris...

              ...and missed Richie.