Some miscellaneous ramblings about ranching in South Texas................

[Kelley (Texas)]

For months now, I have been gathering up photos about ranch life to pass on to the future generations of our family. I doubt that very many will ever experience the life of the South Texas rancher...the hard never ending work, the dry throat due to the heat, dust in your mouth, pulling a calf in the middle of the night, riding fence during a cold thunderstorm, encountering a rattlesnake bent on doing you some bodily harm, listening to the coyotes at night, tracking the feral hog that tore down your fence, spending a night in the storm cellar because of the tornadoes in the area, sitting on the porch watching the sun go down, the joy of riding a horse of a lifetime that you and only you trained, and goodness knows what else I could list. When all is said and done, I would do it all over again.

I have a few minutes of free time and decided to post a few photos out of the stack of hundreds of photos that I now have stored on this computer.

This is a photo of one of our cows, a Red Brangus cow. The red color of the Red Brangus is tolerant of the hot sun down here in South Texas. This is a medium size cow with a frame score of approximately 5.8. To be successful in ranching it is always best to fit the cattle to the land. Many folks try to breed and raise cattle that are too large for the land being used and then wonder why their cattle are in such poor condition.
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This is a photo of a stock trailer that I completely rebuilt. I had it sand blasted and a friend helped me paint it and replace the floor. We hauled many horses and cattle in this trailer over the years before we replaced it with a larger trailer. This trailer is still in service out at my cousins ranch near Castroville, Texas.
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This is a photo of one of the pastures that we planted with Coastal Bermuda grass. You have to sprig Coastal Bermuda because no seeds are available. Coastal Bermuda is very heat tolerant with roots going down to 20 feet. You should always keep an abundance of wild native grass on your ranch in addition to native brush for the wild animals in the area. Please note the salt/mineral feeder for the cattle.
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This is a photo of one of the stock tanks we built in order to provide water for the cattle. This stock tank was approximately two acres in size and 15 feet deep at the dam. We stocked it with cat fish for recreational purposes. At the time this photo was taken, the stock tank was about 3/4th completed. Most folks may not know it, but it is best to keep just a minimum amount of trees around a stock tank because the leaves will fall in the water, then decay and take the oxygen out of the water.
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This is a photo of one of my horse named "Freckles." She was one of my favorite horses when we had to cut the calves from the mama cows. "Freckles" had a bad habit of getting impatience while we would be cutting a calf out of the herd...she would bite the calf on the butt to make it speed up. One day she broke her right front ankle and we retired her. I did not have the heart to have her put down and assigned her the duty of being a pleasure horse for friends and kinfolks that had children that wanted to ride a real cow horse. At the present time, she is living the life of luxury at my cousin's ranch. She is now 30 years old.
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I hope that this short story will give you some insight into the life on a ranch down here in South Texas. It may be boring to some of you city folks as it lacks the excitement of bright lights, sandy beaches, amusement parks...but it is a good life, one that I have not regretted living. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Micheal_R]

Wonderful photo essay. Gives a good idea of what can be involved in ranching. It is a long . hard working day... but you definitely feel tired and satisfied at days end.

Calm seas

M

 

[ojm bc]

really enjoyed it,I was wondering how long is the natural life of a cow if it does not go to market.My older brother is in the racehorse bussiness,but not much lately he is ill with kidney problems.Great post see u. ojm bc

 

[Ron J]

Spend a little more time here,and show us more photo's,and more stories of ranch life! Please? RJ

 

[david(tx)]

in texas history in junior high we learned the santa gertrudis was a cross between a shorthorn and a brahama,since they were developed in texas,it was a part of the history of texas.when i was in my high school biology class down at teague,tx where bunches of kids had parents who raised cattle the teacher asked if anybody knew what two breeds of cattle the santa gertrudis were developed from,nobody answered and i was surprised,so i gave the correct answer,i was kind of proud of myself:blush:.

so i'm guessing a brangus is a cross between a brahama and an angus?you did a good job on the trailer fred,it looks good.despite breaking her ankle to live 30 years is pretty good for a horse,she has a nice color.don't know how wide spread mesquite trees are down there but i hear they will suck up a lot of water along with cottonwoods and sycamores.enjoyed your pics.

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

Brama and Angus. Also, mesquite trees will use about four times as much water as a normal tree like a Live Oak Tree. The thorns on a Mesquite tree can "rip" you to pieces and the beans on the tree can be boiled in water to make a drug like drink. Kelley (Texas)

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

n/t

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

Re: "I think that most all of us would distain the bright lights, and amusement parks Fred." Mike, I was referring to the new, younger generation that are living the new, modern life style of computers, electronic games, amusement or theme parks and etc. Very few of the high schools have ag programs anymore. Young folks just do not know what it is like living anywhere but in the large cities. I may be wrong, but I think the young folks in Canada still are strong into ag programs and I do know that some of the best cowboys are coming out of Canada. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

we have to play the deck of cards that life gives us. I still put a smile on my face every morning and I take a moment to always thank my "God" for all that he has given me. Say, I love your sea photos and stories. Please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)

 

[Lil Brother]

I only dream of a life like you are living now. It would be hard for me to do that on my "spread" of 2.9 acres

Thanks for the insight into a very rewarding lifestyle.

Take care,

Lil Brother

 

[Dan-MO]

I am not a city folk but am in no way bored with your story.You have made your living and lived your life to your choosing-and I know that the ranch life is a life of hard work sustained by the self satisfaction and accomplishments of what you have created-a good honest way of life.In my opinion this is much better than any 9 to 5 job.Thanks for the pictures and post.

 

[Wayne in BC]

makes me wish for the old days.
Interesting how you balanced native grasses with imported. We had what we called "prairie wool" as a native grass. High protein and self curing in the stand, it made it possible to run cattle on the harsh prairie. Most of it is gone now, replaced with specialty crops by corporate farming styles.

What a fine collection of photos you have! I have only a few from my time as a kid on the ranch in the fifties.
Thank you Fred!

 

[Arkie John]

I don't know anything about ranching, but your story makes me WANT to know. I know I have missed out on a bunch, not knowing anything about it. Every third or forth day, I take corn down to feed my deer, hoping to cash in some day, but while going to my deer stand, some 1/2 mile away, I walk by four or five race horses. I have trained them to come runnin' when I whistle and give a kissing sound. They KNOW they are gonna get a bite or two of corn chops!

I can count the number of times I have ridden a horse on both hands and have a couple fingers left over. I was just not around them much. I can see how people can love them so. They are magnificent creatures.

I hear the coyotes around here all the time, but can only imagine spending a starlit night on the prairie, listening to them by the fire. "...dreamin' of women and glasses of beer" as JT would say.

Thank you for letting me experience a little bit of where you came from. The next time you go, please allow me to tag along. <><

your friend,

aj

 

[Rob/Windsor Ont.]

with the masses wondering what to do to occupy ourselves. Same ole' 9 to 5 crap ! I suppose that's why we rent cottages and take nature hikes and such. The life you've lived has an appeal all of it's own. And I'm pretty certain that any that have lived it wouldn't trade us slickers for all the tea in China. We can't say the same about ours. I know I can't, that much is certain. Just seems to me that folks like you were able to maintain your value systems and life's simple pleasures as you made your way thru this jungle. And judging from your character Fred, those are the kind of people I'd choose to pass the years with ! Great post !

 

[Sunny]

for me. I got in trouble "saving" for my own horse so many times, from grade school until Jr. High, finally giving up. I always wanted a horse, and now that I have one, I am too dang old to ride him. Still, it gives me pleasure in brushing, feeding, and watering him. We have actually become good friends. We are only about two weeks away from being able to move him to our acreage. Right now he is in a pasture and barn owned by some neighbors about an eighth of a mile away. I cannot wait until I am able to look out the kitchen window and see him while I am drinking my coffee!

I have always loved westerns, and even tho many of them do not depict true life on a ranch, it always gave me glance of what it might have been like. Hard work, true, but rewarding also.

Please do not stop with these few photos. Share them with us, as we are all very interested!

 

[Terry B]

n/t

 

[VT Dave]

looks and sounds like you had some adventures!

Dave

 

[Cierlast]

n/t

 

[Paul (AR)]

n/t

 

[Kelley (Texas)]

South Texas is a world apart of the other areas of the United States and it still retains many of the values of early day Texas. We seem to lag in progress but that is OK with me because I like things just the way they are. Thanks for reading my story, and please have a great day! Kelley (Texas)