Ranch Life

From city life to country life. Our joys, challenges and vexations. You are invited to jump in and share your experiences and offer advice with encouragement.

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Location: Texas, United States

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Thursday, August 24, 2006


Maggie Sniffles guarding her flock

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Bliss and Mayhem.
Days at Burnt Biscuit Ranch are filled with gratifying hard work, rewarding discoveries and blissful feelings of enrichment for a job well done.
Nights; however, can have the opposite effect on one's psyche.
The sounds of screams awakened one chihuahua, the cat and her.
They weren't human screams but just as heart wrenching.
Two of the guineas were released from the hen house the morning before.
They stayed close to home barely venturing more than a few feet away to peck for insects and weed tops. Somehow one little guenia got over the fence only to forget how to return to his friends and the familiarity of home.
As dusk turned to night and the birds in the chicken house took to thier roosts, the one guenia hovered as close to the fence and his friends as he could. The other free guenia took refuge on the roof of the hen house.
Nearby the Predator came out from under the barn, leaving her babies in the nest she had carefully built to protect them from the snakes, coyotes and humans who all lived nearby.
It took little time for her hungry senses to lead her to the hen house. All was quiet as usual, except for the rustling of something nearby. The Predator scurried over to the fence and saw the evening meal, trembling with fear just on the other side.
The Predator's wily ways soon found an opening and approached the frightened guenia.
The guenia ran away from his safe haven by the fence. He ran and ran and when he felt the Predator was close, he flew. But guenias cannot fly very far and, too late, he realized he was out in the open with no tree, nor bush nor fence to land. He came tumbling down just short of the pasture fence. With one final leap, the Predator jumped onto the guenia's tired little body. Feathers flew while the guenia's paniced screams pierced the silence of the night. The struggle was short as the Predator broke the guenia's little neck, swiftly extinguishing his life.
The Predator's belly satisfied, she went back to her nest to nurse her young.
The next morning he found the pile of feathers, scooped up the guenia's bones and took them to the dumpster.
A new day had begun at Burnt Biscuit Ranch


A winter wedding at the ranch.
Their son said he'd like to marry the girl of his dreams out at the ranch in the gazebo.
Son said, "We'll just drive out after church and have a small; very personal ceremony".
She called her very best friend who is as talented as she isn't and, together, they made bows, tufted tulle, found a caterer, ordered food and cake and champagne and decorated the gazebo.
He hauled out the tractor and began sprucing up the old place. Fences needed mending, barns needed cleaning, hedges needed trimming and the horses needed their wedding grooming.
Bride's family flew in the night before for an old fashioned Texas barbeque. He cooked. She worried about the bows and the tulle and the weather.
The wedding day dawned brilliant and sunny and warm.
The bride, a California girl, was exquisite. The groom, a native Texan, was so very handsome.
Guests arrived and began to drift towards the gazebo at 3:00. The groom took his place next to the minister.
The bride came to him on the arm of her reluctant father.
There was not a dry eye around the gazebo as they exchanged their reverent and heartfelt vows.
Following a sumptious buffet, the cake was cut and toasts were made to the happy couple before the sun set on a special and memorable day at Burnt Biscuit Ranch.

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Oh, it felt soooo good......
Having broken her foot while riding their pet bull, Cuddles
or
falling over her own two feet,
the doctor restricted her from all the things she loved doing the most.
After 4+ weeks of hobbling around, she broke all the rules and out to the barn she went.
Pulling her pregnant mare out of the paddock, she took her to the wash rack.
Over an hour later, she had a sparkling black and white paint without a smudge of dirt anywhere.
However, she had it all on her and, ouch, that foot was beginning to throb again.
It took two days to recover but it was worth every minute of doing what she loves most, working with her horses.

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