Game On

With the owners and several guests arriving at the ranch tomorrow to lodge, eat, and hunt here - it's time for preparations that can only be done the day before. This year both sons were here to help us on this epic day-before prep day, which helped much since we had our three usual surprise mishaps:

#1 the heaters in two cabins not working despite testing them for a month prior #2 the accelerator on the hunting truck suddenly not working #3 our maid being unavailable due to a family emergency.

The good news is that we have done this enough seasons now that we knew this was coming and were half way prepared. As anyone who lives long enough knows, trouble comes in threes - and as any seasoned caretakers know, it comes the day before the guests arrive. 

The solution? Divide and conquer. Robert took care of the heat and accelerator problems while our sons washed trucks, cleaned kennels, tended to dogs and quail, and completed other random chores. 

Meanwhile, I mopped decks, wiped outdoor furniture, cleaned the outdoor kitchen, and swept and mopped the pavillion floor. The senior ranch foreman and his wife will touch up the cabins in place of the maid. We truly are a family out here. 

Part of the joy is seeing the owners and their guests enjoy the ranch, secretly knowing the many behind-the-scenes efforts of our combined forces to make it possible. 

Titus 2:11-14

"For the grace of God has appeared for the salvation of all men,

12 training us to renounce irreligion and worldly passions, and to live sober, upright, and godly lives in this world,

13 awaiting our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds." ~Titus 2:11-14

Merry Christmas, y'all!

Merry Christmas!

Grandpa's Lil Helper

Last week we had the pleasure of enjoying our first grandgirl, Chelsea, hanging out and helping on the ranch. Besides her natural joyful disposition, one of the neatest things about her is her love of nature and her lack of fear. She is our joy! 

Driving to feed the cows -

First, we feed our friend, a young bull that's been sick - got him in seclusion -

Next, we feed the pretty heifers in the pasture across the street -

Now, we have to park and walk to the creek to see if they've been crossing here  or not - still wet from the floods - 

Chelsea says, "Wait! Where's Grandma?!" :)

Now back across the street and to drive the back roads to feed the other herd - 

Now to fill feeders for our deer friends -

Chelsea likes the surprise sounds and sprays of the feeder shooting corn -

On to another feeder - darn pigs got to this one - Grandpa will have to come back to rebuild -

A perfect way to put our precious lil grandgirl to sleep for naptime - 

R.I.P. sweet Tia

R.I.P. Tia

     The ranch's canine matriarch of many a hunting dog ended her duty here yesterday. She was our sweet Tia, an English cocker spaniel born in Tawneyhill, England, who served many years here as a faithful mother and huntress. She was obedient, loyal, simple, and just plain super sweet. These are the most recent snapshots we have of her getting special treatment with an in-house bathroom grooming. We thank God for such a precious creation that we were blessed to have enjoyed. Good night, Tia.

Bravery at the Ranches

Peanut, our reclusive and longstanding Methuselah of the property, is seen here in a rare moment of bravery, risking possible human contact to eat the nearby cat food - everything loves cat food...

Here we have the Mouse Patrolmen keeping a lofty watch in full cammo - find them if you can...

Meanwhile, at the other ranch we have Robert's hunting party this morning - brave souls duck hunting in a place infested with black widows and cottonmouths - a gentleman's sport done Texan style...

The least is the greatest with this hero archetype - our best friend, the hearty hunting dog, who fearlessly leads the way and lives for this moment...

Happy Saturday, and on another note, we celebrate the historic visit of our Holy Father Pope Francis as he travels within our nation this weekend with messages of God's truth and love...

RIP Deputy Darren Goforth

Today we found out that we lost a comrad yesterday: Deputy Darren Goforth. It also happens to be my birthday. My birthday wish and prayer is for the Lord's mercy and justice on behalf of those slain in such brutal violence. We thank God for Deputy Goforth's service and pray for mercy and justice for all, knowing that he served God himself by way of upholding peace and justice daily. Thank you, Deputy Goforth, for being the hand of God among us. We will remember you.

Romans 13Psalm 35

Stud Muffin

My Stud Muffin ranch man made some studly muffins for Sunday Funday!

Work

"Work is love made visible." -Khalil Gibran 

Sometimes even smellable . . . 

Catbox Fail

This morning, after about 30 minutes of frantically searching for her, I finally found our ratcha, Lolita. Led by her shamedly small whimpers I discovered her to be stuck here - 

- cold busted and trapped in her snack den due to the fact that the litter box entry/escape hatch is apparently not engineered for canines to exit. Today's lesson? Be very careful not to succumb to temptation so as to get yourself into a bunch of deep mess from which you cannot escape . . . 

Nature Walk and Rattlesnakes

While looking for rattlesnakes today I did not find any, but I found several other surprises~

Hidden in an isolated patch of tall grass located on a small hill that drains well were these . . . 

TURKEY EGGS! Looks like Robert won't be shredding this field with the tractor for a while. :)

While stomping around in the fields, I also found this - 

. . . leaves of three, let it be - yep, POISON IVY. Thankfully, I am immuned to it, but Robert is not. It can be really nasty for him if he mows over a patch of it.

Lastly, I discovered this well-used animal home burrowed beneath a cactus:

A home to something furry or scaly? I'll be returning to this spot often in the hopes of finding my original prey - rattlesnakes. Why? I want to locate their closest den, often abandoned animal homes.

We have them everywhere here, so I figure it is a good idea to be aware of their hotspots so we can peacefully avoid them. Last week one came up to the main lodge here, so now I am curious, alert, and hunting.

 To be continued . . . 

Dove Alighting

For music to complement today's blog, my suggestion is this: Holy Spirit with Francesca Battistelli. Yes, there is a dove on a branch somewhere in this picture, sitting solo and undisturbed.

Upon sitting by our front windows this morning to pray, I noticed a particularly mature and beautiful dove alighted on a tender branch in a tree directly within my view. Moments later, a somewhat energetic and feisty mockingbird swept inward and attempted to replace the dove on said branch. The dove, in its eloquence and beauty, simply raised both wings upward and back into a most stiff and powerful stance, forming a "V" and looking very majestic.

After several attempts to dismount the dove and claim its seat upon the branch, the mockingbird discovered that the dove, in its rightful stance, was impervious to the mockingbird's flailing swoops. At last, the mockingbird receded to a slightly lower but neighboring branch where it rested between small, painful flinches marked with introspection and glances toward the dove. 

The dove, maintaining full composure, now rested too - with wings intact, looking full and sure in its stillness. The two remained there for a time as neighbors, with the dove's disposition unchanging and even appearing to soothe that of the mockingbird's into one of submission and calm. 

Following this display of God in nature, I inquired of Him, "What can I learn from this today, Lord?" 

Three things instantly occurred to me:

1. Doves often represent the Holy Spirit and Peace (specifically God's Peace, not worldly peace).

2. Mockingbirds, in my opinion, because of their ability to accommodate up to 200 different songs in adaptation to others and often singing both during night and day, best represent public servants such as soldiers, priests, deacons, lay ministers (all clergy), police officers, firefighters, EMT, nurses, doctors, teachers, etc. 

3. The actions of these two, as I perceive them, speak of how we all, in God's grace (meaning strength), are to "be still and know that I am God." In plain speak - know His place and your place and be completely at peace with it. 

This can be a hard to truth to ingest, but with God's grace, I can settle on my own rightful branch beside Him as a co-worker instead of frustrating myself by competing with His design. It is a simple lesson in submission. If today's lesson were a math formula, it might be this: TRUST + OBEY = PEACE

The verse on my day calendar serves well as a gentle reminder too: "For in Him we live and move and have our being..." - Acts 17:28. The Holy Spirit is in control of all, including me and you. What a perfect peace that verse brings to prepare us and make way in us for the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As a closing song and my prayer today, I want to share this: Only You by David Crowder Band. Today, by God I find Peace and pray you do as well.

Dewberry Cream Pie

Dewberry Cream Pie 

(Williams Family Rating = 4.625 Stars)

Serves 8  

Ingredients:

Pastry for 9 inch one deep dish pie

2-3 cups dewberries

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup flour

Topping: 

1/2 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

Directions: 

• Prepare crust in a 9 inch deep dish pan and leave uncooked. Arrange fresh or frozen berries inside the uncooked crust.
• Combine eggs and 1 cup of the sugar; beat until creamy. Add sour cream and then the flour. 
• Pour the batter over the berries in the pie shell. (Continued below).

• (For topping) In a separate bowl (cold ceramic bowls or cold metals work best for this part), cut the butter into 1/4 inch cubes (or just cut it randomly with a fork - don't sweat the small stuff) and mix it with the 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of sugar. Use a pastry blender (or a fork) to work the mixture into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top of the pie filling. 

• Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour (or more if the berries were frozen) until the topping is lightly browned.

• Place the pie on a foil-covered cookie sheet to catch the spills. It is normal for it to bubble up and spill over onto the cookie sheet. The pie will recede as it cools.

• Cool it on a rack for about 30 minutes and then DIG IN! 

Note: We want to try this same recipe with other things such as blueberries, apples, and cranberries. Let me know if you find another fruit/filling that goes well in place of the dewberries!

Reference: Smith's Gardens, Inc.

The Pack is Back

Not only is there a full moon, but our pack is back and feeling safe in their yard again. 

Go, fish!

Pond stockin' is on the agenda today. Here, we have our friend stocking the property tanks with hundreds of Florida hybrid largemouth bass as well as minnows for them to eat. Fishing looks to be in the plans as a pass-time event for our future ranch guests. Go, fish!

God's Mercies

"His mercies never come to an end; they are renewed every morning - great is Your faithfulness!" - Lamentations 3:22-23

God is speaking through nature again - and hey - no coyote in our face this morning! Praying thanks and petitions for all today . . .

In the Wrong Yard

Earlier this morning, Robert took this picture of me and my girl, Chloe, after we had run in hot pursuit of a coyote that did not know its boundaries. As you can see, I have bed head and am in pajamas with a slung-on work shirt and boots. 

First, let's be clear: I don't believe in shooting animals ever UNLESS I must protect my family, in this case, our pack of 5 dogs who live in and around our ranch home.

As I comfortably walked to our recliners this morning, with coffee in hand and beginning morning prayers to God in my mind, the beautiful silhouette of this foreign animal caught my glance upward to the front of our house. There, in our front yard and just 30 or so feet away, was this full-grown, beautiful coyote, poised and staring at me through the window. My first reaction was admiration because I have never seen one so close, and it was spectacular. However, this wasn't right - where was our pack? 

Fight mode immediately took over as, almost prior to thinking, swift and automatic reactions consumed my hands and feet and I had opened the door, stepped outside unprotected and stared back at it. It did NOT break its stare and held its body rigid with chest puffed and eyes locked on mine. I could not believe its audacity and wish for death as to challenge me in the midst of my yard, my home, and my family - including our pack, displaced to the side of our house in fear. 

In response, I ran at it and yelled. It turned and ran, but only about 10 feet, then turned around to lock eyes again. By this time, our pack had sightly appeared at the far side of the house - 4 of our 5 house dogs - all large and hunting breeds . . . they were scared of it.  I had never seen such a thing. The only one who was as fearless of this out-of-place bully besides me was my boxer, Chloe (pictured above). I was too mad to be scared. This thing was trying to take over OUR turf.
When it turned to challenge ME and I simultaneously saw the reaction of my precious pack - not even able to live in their own yard - I assure you something very animalistic took over . . . think Mother Bear. 

Right there in my pj's and flip flops I proceeded to charge at it with arms outstretched and yelling, knowing my pack had my back, but for whatever reason was allowing this intruder to break proper boundaries.
It ran and I ran -  sprinted, actually - all the way down our dirt road, my pack now behind me - and would you believe it had the nerve to stop and turn around again? Seeing that Chloe and the other dogs continued to look to me solely for the next move, I modeled all the more by yelling and charging as fiercely as I could. Finally, Chloe and I saw that this particular creature did not know its place.
Every rancher knows that this is that forever changing moment when you take it up a notch; I motioned Chloe to run after it as I ran back to the house for my .223 - my first and favorite hunting weapon. She ran so fast that she caught up with it, but then they disappeared together into the woods - not good in case the coyote's pack was there - but she, like me was feeling relentless in pursuit of protecting her family.
Mini, our chow, would not even follow after Chloe to my surprise, so I was sprinting faster now to grab my rifle and join her in our no fear pursuit. In a wild blur, I flew into the house, threw my scabbard on the bed, militarily unzipped it, and barked at Robert who was still in bed at this point (it was early), "Load this thing! Chloe is in the woods fighting off a coyote that is harassing our pack, and I am going to kill it." Without speaking, he had briskly clicked and snapped everything into place by the time I had slung on a work shirt and boots. I grabbed my weapon, ran to our Ranger and hauled fast to the woods where I last saw Chloe at its heels. 

Hopping out and running towards the woods, I turned on my red laser scope - the one that  means business - not the green one. Just as I was approaching the thicket, Chloe ran out, paws full of mud and panting ferociously with sprays of foaming spit telling me she had run it off. To be sure and halfway disappointed to miss the satisfaction of peace at killing it off, I briskly walked the perimeter, occasionally squatting and watching in silence while hoping to rid our home of this disrespectful threat of a creature. This continued for a while until Chloe, by her keen sense of smell and by her body language led me on its path into the circle of woods, where I saw that it was gone but a frequenter, nonetheless. By this time, Josh, our lab mix friend, was feeling brave enough to be by our side and was dutifully marking the territory as his stalwart contribution.

Walking away and knowing that this mindless, boundary-less coyote who had somehow checked our entire pack into a state of fear was still out there has left me on high alert and ready. It may sound silly, but I believe that God is always speaking through nature; furthermore, things in nature often reflect what is going on in the unseen world around us in a most mysterious and cosmic way. If we listen, we can learn. We can heed a warning, be ready, or know a storm is coming or has passed. Our greatest weapon is prayer to God. I will be praying much today.

Several verses come to mind with this morning's chase:

Reference: www.usccb.org/bible (footnotes link to this site)

I Peter 5:8-11

Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.^f9Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.10The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.^g11To him be dominion forever. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10-17

Battle against Evil.10^* Finally, draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power.11Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.^g12For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens.^h13Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground.ⁱ14So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate,^j15and your feet shod in readiness for the gospel of peace.^k16In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one.^l17And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.^m

Psalms 22:21-22

But you, LORD, do not stay far off;

my strength, come quickly to help me.

Deliver my soul from the sword,

my life from the grip of the dog.

In God, may we have victory and may we all be shrewd and not be deceived into allowing even a most beautiful creature to overrule and threaten what is rightfully our territory. 

"Watch" Dogs

Here at the Star Ranch, we have some of the best watch dogs ever . . . 

They watch us all day while work -

They watch us while we rest - 

They even watch us for opportunities -

And act innocent when we catch them! 

Being a "watch" dog is a high calling, but somebody has to do it. Thanks to Josh and Lolita for contributing to our well being by being so watchful. 💕