My Texas Trip and this past weekend.

Friday I flew to Austin, Texas to visit my friend Andrea. She picked me up from the airport and we headed for lunch and pedicures.

 We then headed to Flagler Ranch. The ranch is almost 4000 acres and is managed by Andrea's boyfriends best friends parents....It is owned by a really rich guy who only comes to visit a few times a year. The ranch is home to a bunch of exotic animals. We arrived just as it was getting dark.

 There are several bunk houses and cabins on the property. This was my room.

This is the outside of the room where I stayed.

A pile of antler sheds

 This was the common area where we ate.

The first morning Andrea and I hopped in the back seat of her boyfriend Justin's truck and he drove us around the ranch to see all the animals while we drank coffee in the back seat. He was also hunting dove.

 While we were driving a dove flew into the backseat of the truck! I ended up spilling my coffee all over the backseat while trying to get a picture of the dove that ended up just sitting on the window ledge. I got the shot!

 This is a cabin that was built to look old. No one has ever stayed in it. apparently the owner needed to build something to make his taxes look better.

 There were many animals on the ranch that I had never seen or heard of. Kudu, Fallow, Black buck...there were impala and deer there too. Here is an impala.

 

I learned that windmills actually serve a purpose. They are not just for decorations:) Who Knew? The windmills pump water into a holding tank.

There is a big lodge that the owners family eats at when they come to town. There are all sorts of random things in it. This is John Wayne's saddle that he rode in a parade once. 

                                                       

this is the lodge where they eat their meals.

We got a tour of the owners house too.

 They have a stuffed bear in the house.

 the living room

 a random shooting porch

 a cool vehicle that they use to tour the ranch.

                                                                        a black buck

                                            It's hard to see, but in the trees there is a Kudu.

 This is the swimming pool. It hadn't been maintained for a while so we didn't swim in it, we just sat around it:)

 After hanging at the pool we went dove/animal hunting with andreas boyfriend Justin and his friend Brett. Brett's parents are the ones who live on the ranch and manage it. Andrea and I drank margaritas in the back of the side by side while the boys shot birds.

 This is Justin, Andreas boyfriend.

 Brett and Justin.

Andrea and I got dropped off at this building called the sniper tower. It is a tall building where they used to teach shooting skills. No one really uses it anymore, but we were able to watch the sun set and look for animals. On the way up the tower we ran into a black widow spider!

 Justin and Brett picked us up after dark and we headed back to the shop where they skin and cut up what they have shot. They had a black buck and a bunch of dove.

 This is the freezer!

 We had black buck and bacon wrapped dove for dinner that night.

meanwhile, back at home it was snowing....

I updated my hair growth photo while we were on top of the sniper tower.

 Sunday morning we woke up early to go sit in one of the stands next to a feeder and watch all the animals.

 this is an axis

 This was the stand we were in.

Sunday we went hunting for geod rocks and found a few. They are very crystal like on the inside. Part of me was more worried about finding snakes than rocks!

 We toured the ranch on a 4 wheeler which was fun.

 a group of Fallow

That evening we tried sitting in a blind that was on the ground so we could watch the animals come in and be closer to them.

 We were only in it for about 10 minutes and we got caught by some animals. They caught wind of us and started making noises that alerted all the other animals.

 Lewis, the ranch manager drove buy with the grain truck dumping grain all over the road, so we just decided to walk back down the road and look for animals.

 There were quite a few on the road, but as soon as they saw us they would run.

 The sunset was pretty.

 I had an great time and loved hanging out in the warm weather with andrea. I flew home late monday night. Can't wait to visit again.
Wednesday Josie got her braces on. She was pretty sore for a few days but she is starting to get used to them now.

 My hair continues to grow.

 Saturday Landon had a flag football game. They won and Landon loves to play. He is still one of the smaller kids on his team...he is the 3rd one from the left. But he doesn't let his size stop him.

That afternoon the kids rode their motorcycles with some friends.

Josie and her friend gabby made cookies and made a bed for oliver in the kitchen:)

 That sum's up our last 2 weekends...