Ranching

We have the friendliest cows. Maybe too much hand-feeding them treats??

It seems like the work and costs never stop, but like anything, you get out what you put in! In 2025, we had a 100% success rate in calving, with our last one born just before Christmas.

Spring calving season is a great time of year with all the new babies. Sugar was first in 2026 on 3/4. Since then, eight more!

Laurie, bring the tractor around. Always something for everyone to do.

Besides the cattle, we have four "super" spoiled horses.

This is "Luna", short for lunatic. She is a 5-year-old Thoroughbred Mare and can run like the wind.

Thankful for the rain and with more rain forecasted, we spread another 4,000 lbs of fertilizer.

"Jethro" and Doc are Quarter horses.

"Triggy" is our buckskin. She was a rescue horse that needed a lot of TLC. She is at the right place.

We spread 1100 lbs of rye grass and oats for winter forage.

Never fails, cows get on the wrong side of the fence.

Raegan, my granddaughter, is a good helper and loves the horses.

Aria, my oldest granddaughter, is also a horse lover. (She loves the cows too!)

Avery, my grandson, taking care of business.

We added another covered area of the shop to store hay. The frozen hay bales (as below) convinced me to do this.

Being in South Texas we do get some winter. Haybales frozen sold with freezing rain.

My security forces love to be out riding in the Ranger with me.

The horse got caught red-handed breaking into the feed!

Our daughter Anna loves feeding the calf's.

Our youngest grandaughter Holly with the cow she named Holly.

Another load of alfalfa coming in for winter forage. Getting it direct from the grower to cut out the middleman!

Spreading 3,000 lbs of fertilizer in the hayfield and north pasture. Expenses are always being incurred when ranching.

Bringing in 14 big bales at a time! This was the third load today.

Spraying the pastures and hayfield getting a handle on the invasive weeds. Gotta grow that green grass!

Seems like I'm always feeding the animals!

"Wifey" is a big baby. Loves treats.

This is "Tiger". She will occasionally let you pet her.

"Sugar" is a good mom and will let you hand feed her.

"Maple" is a hand feeder and another one that comes to her name, but kind of bossy.

This is "pirate", as one eye is brown and the other white.

"Coalie" is my favorite cow. Loves attention! She would move into the house with us if we would let her.

"Mama" is our smallest heifer but gets the "best mom" award.

"Mooshrum" was named by our son's oldest daughter Raegan. Hasn't quite come to understand the hand feeding part of this ordeal.

"Holly" named by our youngest granddaughter (Holly) is the most obnoxious cow we have. She really LOVES her treats!!

Our "Black Angus" bull is a stud named "Buford"! Extremely gentle and another one you can hand feed and comes to his name.

Horseshoe staple got stuck in Coalie so off to the vet. Not all fun and games on a ranch.

Getting the cattle into the corral pens and separating the calves.

Processing the calves with shots and turning them into steers.

Keeping the horse's hooves clean with Farriers. Just another thing to do in ranching.

Love watching all the new calves playing every year.

Taking a load of calves to the auction is always a sad day.

We sure enjoy it when they decide to run a little!

I'm am in a discussion with one of my buddies!

Always a lot of work maintaining the property.

Some of these fires have been scary big!

When I let them into the hayfield, they love it!

Keeping them feed.

Ranching requires equipment, so we got a new Kubota L6060