V-Day Flip Book

Below is a picture by picture description of Valentine's Day on the ranch this year.  The story pretty much tells itself...

Warning:  these images may be too graphic for some viewers!

Neighbor informed us

Wait it isn't' dead.  Free it!

Next idea: avoid the weapons charge

For a softer, gentler version of this same day click here

One Day Resident

Last week the kids and I went on a rescue mission.  

There was a strange, rattle like noise coming from the rose bushes.  It almost sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it.  I forgot about it for a little while, but later that day I took Manny out and saw the culprit.....

It was a baby Roadrunner!

I zipped inside and grabbed the camera.  I didn't want to disturb it or anything, but I wanted to get a few pictures before his mamma came and got him.

But, when I looked closer at him, I noticed that his left foot was broken.  I assume the cats got to him sometime in the morning.  They were looming in the distance even as I took these pictures.

Well, I couldn't let this cute little guy become a kitty snack, so I zipped back inside - updated the kids and we all headed out on a rescue mission.

Cute little guy!  He was making his little muffled "meep meep" sound.

Isabel named him Louey.

James ran to the mini barn and snagged our net.  Isabel chased off the kitties.  Wyatt talked softly to Louey and tried to keep him calm.  He was easy to net, and I knew he'd been left alone for quite some time.  He was very weak and tired.  :(

We walked him over to the little chicken coop (which is currently empty) and gave him a safe place to live.  We filled up a water pan for him and spread out a heaping amount of chicken scratch/food.  He seemed super uninterested, but we decided to give him a little while to get use to the place.

Sadly, he didn't make it but a few more hours.  He really just needed his momma.  Although, I was prepared to hand feed him grasshoppers and squished up bug parts, I really do think he was too far gone when we stumbled across him.  But at least I can find solace in the fact that he didn't become cat food!

Wiley

James and I spotted a coyote the other morning!

I was taking him to school, and it ran out in front of the van. It stopped for a while once it had crossed the road and watched us for a bit.



We were both so excited! Almost every night we hear coyotes, but none of us had seen one until then. Now, every morning on our way to school, James and I have our eyes open - ready to see another one! :)

A Migrating Visitor

For the past week, we've noticed a new visitor here on the ranch. And not just 1 or 2 of these little guys - but hundreds of them! In swarms, really.

The Robin
These little guys are migrating through out area right now! The best time to see them is in the early morning. You can watch them bob up and down, dart back and forth, and race around on the ground. I'm not sure what they are eating out there (well, besides the bird seed we spread to try to encourage them) but they sure are loving it at our place right now. They come in groves! You can literally look out the window and see easily 50 to 60 of them.

And their sound. That's the best part. They remind JL of growing up. They remind me of spring and the melting of snow. I love to have them around. I hope they stay a bit.

Weather and Bucks

We have been having some very seasonal weather on the ranch lately - it is wonderful! There were two mornings last week that we woke to frost. Lots of frost! As in, ground is crunchy frost. It was neat!


In addition to the frost and chilly temperatures, we have been getting a lot of fog! It is very festive and adds to my Christmas Spirit. Last Friday, it was so foggy, the sky was blue! It was one of the most beautiful mornings I've seen on the ranch so far.





The other thing we have been seeing a lot of lately is the "Monster Buck." This guy has been around since we moved in - but I had yet been able to capture a good picture of him. He was thick and fat during the summer, but he's trimmed up some since it turned cold. But what stays constant is his beautiful set of antlers! He's a 10 point (because, you see, here in TX they count EVERY point) with symmetrical 5 points on each side.




He's been known to stop traffic around our neighborhood. Often, I'll come up on 3 or 4 cars that are stopped in the road and I know that the Monster Buck must be near. There is another big buck that floats around our area. He's got a similar set of antlers, but they are MUCH wider set apart. He's not as thick as the Monster Buck, but he's impressive. He's a lot more illusive, so I haven't been able to get a picture of him yet. We've named him the "Moose Buck" because his spread is so wide.

And then there is "One Stab." He's a spike buck that only has one antler on his left side.

Yes, we do name the wildlife. :)

Whoooo?

Add another Owl to our summer visitor list. Almost every night since last Thursday, this big guy can be heard from our bedroom:

Great Horned Owl

I am delighted! We haven't heard these guys in years! I'm so glad we've got them here on the ranch! The one we continually hear, must have a nest near the fig tree. We walked outside and saw him a few nights ago, but he wasn't too excited that we were there. Since then, we've just enjoyed his hoot from the house.

New Visitors

We've seen a few new and fun wild animals around here recently.

The first, we spotted about 3 weeks ago. It was a very small, gray owl of some kind. It was obviously a baby of whatever it was because the soft, down feathers were still dominant. I remember he had huge eyes and was just ity bity.

We saw him in the grove of huge oak trees we recently had treated for oak wilt. He was just hanging out watching us as we walked around setting up our sprinkler hose. He never made a sound, so I can't say for sure what he was, but after doing some research online I think I've discovered his identity.

Eastern Screech Owl

You can read about him here and hear his call here. I think screech owls are my new favorite thing. I want to build him an owl shack so he'll stay!

The other visitor we've had here a few times is this little guy:

Kit Fox
I knew what he was immediately. I don't really mind him coming around. Just so long as my chickens are cooped up and safe!

Up Early

Get up early on the Buffalo Clover ranch and you are bound to see a bunch of fun wildlife! Besides the usual Cardinals, Mockingbirds, White-wing Doves and Squirrels, I've seen a few new players the last couple of mornings. Often times, I sleep past all this fun, but I've been up before the kids lately and I'm finding that time to be most enjoyable.

The last couple of mornings, I have seen these characters...

Downey Woodpecker
Roadrunner. We have a pair of them nesting toward the front of the property. They come our early morning and early evening to hunt. I love to watch them!

Back on the Bandwagon

Ok folks. This city girl is back on the love for the ranch. The first couple weeks were ... well an adjustment. Not really. Mostly I just had issue with all the bugs and mess and stress from moving. Now things are under control and I'm back onto what I expected out of country living.

First off, I'm happy to report we have gone 2 days without seeing a live scorpion in the house! This is huge people. I think the home defense and the boric acid really may have done the trick. With those gone, I am feeling a TON better about everything.

Also, critters in general are starting to retreat back into the woods. I think having so much activity back in the house has driven them far far away (back to where they belong!)

The dogs are keeping all remaining large varmits at bay, so no bumps in the night as of late either. Just crickets, birds, wind, and other such lovely night noises.

I think the biggest factor though is the house. I am happy to report that ALL MOVING BOXES are emptied and put away in the house!!! Pictures are hung on the walls, drawers are organized as they should be, kids rooms are working great, and things are calming down. I plan to take a bunch of inside/outside shots of the house probably tomorrow to post on the blog. So be patient, you will see pictures soon - promise!

In the meantime, generic's will have to do :)

Two nights ago, we heard from this fun little guy:

Chuck-will's-widow. Not much to look at, but boy does he sound nice! Related to the Whip-poor-will.

And yesterday evening, just as the sun was setting, out of nowhere this beauty sprang up:

Evening Star Rain Lilly. We were fortunately enough to finally get a GOOD rainstorm 2 days ago. Our property is now FULL of these lovely gals!

Hawk or Owl?

Last night just as dusk was coming on, Grandma and I spotted a beautiful whitish/grey bird circling the yard. It was close to the tree tops and very agile/quiet. I thought at first it was an owl, but after some research this morning I have decided it was one of these little guys:

Cooper's Hawk
It landed in a tree top near us and I was able to watch him for a long time. Beautiful bird! He was about medium sized for a hawk and the most beautiful color! He caught himself something at one point and came back to his tree to eat it. I'm glad to know the bird population is doing its part to keep our ranch free and clear from critters!

PS - In a slightly related story: We armed the house yesterday with our scorpion weapons. Here is hoping!