Weekend Get Away

We were able to get away for the weekend and went out to the ranch for some much needed r-n-r. The beautiful thing about the ranch is that our phones don't work out there :) The only way to get us is to call at the right time when we're in the house, but that doesn't happen very often.

Every time we go to the ranch, it's the same ritual. We pull up to the house, then Meg, the dogs and I wait patiently (OK, really it's impatiently for the dogs) while Jarrad circles around the house to make sure there aren't any snakes. I have been going out there with Jarrad for 8 years and have yet to see a snake at the house...actually, that's a lie. I have seen a snake or two out there, but it's the bull snake. Did I mention I have only spotted him in the toilet? Yes, he is IN the house. But, I digress...

Jarrad makes his "check" around the house and as he is coming up around by the back door, I suddenly see him reach into the mule for a gun. Yes, he saw not one, but TWO rattlesnakes trying to get back under the house. I used to think that his circling the house was a waste of five minutes (especially since the dogs were driving me crazy in the truck), but now I understand the importance of it.

***the snake***

***Jarrad with his kill***

***Check out all the rattles on this baby***



***Meg with her swollen eye***
it looks a lot better than it did earlier in the day

After the snake incident, Meg rode with Jarrad to dispose of the snake. While they were out, he found a small shed horn. Meg was so excited about it that she actually asked me to take a picture of her holding it.

On Saturday, we did absolutely nothing that involved working. We rode around the property. We hiked a little. Meg and Jarrad definitely hiked more than I did. I don't think my doctor would appreciate me hiking around in the woods. So, I would stay back and watch them until I could no longer see them, then would listen for them. Meg had an absolute blast hiking around with her daddy and the dogs.

We took the dogs to a few of the tanks (of course, most of them are almost completely dry) for a swim. Ace isn't a water lover like Dixie is. She ran around the edge of the tank before finding the perfect entry point. Once that was established, Dixie was off to swim like a champ. She loves the water. In the second picture below, you can see Dixie setting off for a leisurely swim around the tank...Ace on the other hand is turning back to dry land. It's funny to me that he doesn't enjoy swimming because he is an amazing swimmer - fast and strong. The few times he does get in, he can catch up with Dixie in no time flat. I have noticed that the times he does go swimming is when Dixie is far away from the shore. Maybe he's worried that without him to swim her back she won't make it.

***Ace & Dixie looking for the perfect entry point***

***Dixie off to swim, Ace turning back***