Wet Weather Produces More Fruit

Acorns hidden in some lush leaves.

As you know, over half of the country is in drought status.  Fortunately, in South Texas, 2012 has brought a lot of rain and the flora and fauna are looking a lot better than they have in the past few years.

My grandpa and great uncle say that the drought is as bad as in the 1950s, which was the most severe drought period in South Texas history.  I recently read that my great-grandfather had to cut down pecan trees to feed his hungry cattle in Victoria County.  My dad added that when he was cutting trees down, one fell on and killed his prize bull--making the drought situation much worse.

Growing pecans--they'll be great in a few months.

It's nice to see lots of fruit on the trees--pecans, acorns, and grapes.  On a normal year, it would be well past grape season, but the temperate summer and lots of rain have postponed the prolific crop.

Mustang grapes aren't good for eating, but make great jelly.

I can already taste the pecan pie and grape jelly on warm pan bread on my next visit to Texas.  Maybe I can even build an acorn house on the school playground--I loved that.

Beauty Berry

Working Cattle

Cryin' for Daylight

Ready for a long day.

With all of the projects going on at Wexford, it's hard to remember that it really is a working ranch.  Last week was the summer working and fat cattle were shipped for the first time in a few years--this year's rain made that possible.  Recent rains and high cattle prices are a great combination. 

Castrating calves still happens the old fashioned way.

The view from the top.

Pushing cattle in the pens.

In the old days, all of the cowboys worked and lived on the ranch full-time, but now are hired seasonally to work cattle.  Helicopters are rented and the vet palpates with a sonogram machine.  All of the photos posted were taken from an iPhone. 

Palpating in the 21st Century.

Wexford is definitely in the 21st Century, but nods to the past are still visible like a post-lunch nap.

Gatorade bottle for a pillow?  I guess it's better than the truck bed.

A blast from the past found in the pens.

Hunter Safety at Wexford

Hitting the books--a little A/C is never a bad thing in the summer.

Thomas getting his Hunter Education card.

Round two of Cowboy Camp at Wexford was last week.  The boys spent some time inside and completed their Hunter Education Course, which is required for anyone over the age of 17 or to hunt alone under the age of 17.  To take a break from hitting the books, the Goliad Fire Chief and an EMT came out to the ranch to simulate some hunting accident scenarios.  Everyone should be prepared for the upcoming hunting season.

I remember how excited I saw to take Hunter Education when I was 12, the minimum age to take the course (a long time ago). 

Swimming in South Texas

The ducks, that is, will be swimming away in the new duck pond on the ranch.  It has rained over five inches in the past 24 hours, filling up the new duck pond.  Hopefully it will continue to rain in South Texas and the Hill Country, helping the severe drought conditions.

Class IV Sheep

Last week at the Lado, a Class IV Desert Bighorn Sheep was seen watering.  Through conservation projects on the ranch, the number of sheep has increased and the ranch was given a permit in 2010 and 2011.  Trail cameras near the guzzlers like this one  allow us to see a number of sheep, whether they be lambs or Class IV rams when they come to water.

Mountain Lion Tracking on the Lado

That paw could do some real damage.

Last week, a mountain lion was caught in a snare on the Lado.  Texas Parks and Wildlife tranquilized the lion and added a GPS tracking collar to follow the 130-pound lion's movement throughout the area. 

The sedated lion.

Putting the muzzle on--pretty key for the night's work.

A lion in the Davis Mountains has been followed and is only eating Aoudad, an African invasive sheep.

The snared lion.

Notice the size of the lion compared to the biologists!

It will be really exciting to follow the lion throughout the ranch and West Texas.

A gorgeous cat ready to roll.

Invasives Control at Wexford

Steele, Kai, Christian, and Miles

It's Cowboy Camp at Wexford.  For two weeks every summer, the grandchildren come to the ranch to learn about ranching and conservation.  They also spend time in the offices too, learning about finances and the oil industry.  It's a great way to give the kids a taste of what's to come.  It's not all work at Cowboy Camp, though.  The kids made a little dent in the pig population this week.

Miles, Christian, and Kai

Feral hogs cause over $400 million dollars in damage to farms and ranches in Texas yearly.  It's a good thing they're so delicious!