New guys on the Ranch

Clyde, back row second from right, and Tom, front row right

I stopped by the Pavilion to check on "the new guys," who aren't new yet but are doing their trial week.

Trial week is a chance for prospective residents and the Ranch to find out if we're a match for each other.  Most have come to camp, and not a few have declined to move in once they learned that residency involves more time on work teams and not so much toasting s'mores over the campfire.

So Tommy, Jason, Clyde, and Nick are staying in Hickory Lodge, not exactly the same as a residence home (more like a bunkhouse), but close enough.

All four looked pleased as punch when I saw them, and our gang seemed happy, too. We've put them on work teams, and Jason was really going at the dining room floor with an industrial mop and bucket.  "Hi, Judy," he said.  "I'm working hard!"

I get the feeling Jason really wants to live here!

Later, in the barn, I overheard Rebekah, an old  hand, saying to Jason, "You want me show you how do this?"

Jason surveys the barn with satisfaction

"Sure!" Clyde said, and he couldn't have a better instructor.  But right then Lori drew every one aside to give a basic safety orientation on working around horses, all to the twangy background music of KVET's morning show.

Exciting times for Down Home Ranch, and perhaps a much longed-for beginning to a dream come true for four delightful men and their families, if, as I said, it turns out to be a match.

We'll continue to check each other out over the next week, and they'll get a much better picture of life at the Ranch.  I try to imagine what they're feeling now.  They seem happy and confident, but we are a swirl of unfamiliar faces, rules, and traditions.  I would be feeling a bit alone and tentative about the whole prospect at this point, I am sure.

Meanwhile, this weekend they're gearing up to go to the Farmers' Market in Elgin tomorrow morning, and then in the evening to Elgin's own Franco-American Vocal  Academy's production of Offenbach's School for Husbands.  (Who says we don't have culture out here in the boonies!?)

Sunday they'll head for home and think about their time here with the gang.  Maybe they'll decide not yet, or maybe not at all.

But somehow, if I were a betting woman...

The Not-So-Lazy River

Central Texas' First Special Olympics Kayaking Team

Casey Dickerson is Down Home Ranch's Case Manager. 

Casey first came to the Ranch during Ranch Camp several years ago while a student at A and M, spent a while working weekends, and slid right into full-time employment after graduation.

Her 40-hour week consists of keeping track of the personal plans and training goals of the Ranchers, serving as their advocate,  maintaining voluminous files on each of them, and overseeing and ensuring their rights, well-being, and safety, all of which she manages to do effectively, efficiently, and with great good humor. 

Sterling, Kelly, Board President Genie Sorensen, and Kyle

Her other 40-hour week, though, is her true life's work, and the one she loves and performs with a devotion that astounds.  Husband (and fellow Aggie) Matt knew what he was getting into when he married her with the full Down Home Ranch community in attendance and providing the music for the wedding. 

Our team on the lake

Since Casey and Matt met on the A and M rowing team, Casey has expertise for a Special Olympics sport not many coaches can boast, so last summer she offered to take those Ranchers willing to try their hand at kayaking to Austin each Sunday for several weeks to practice on Town Lake.  Kyle, Sterling, and Kelly signed up.  They've been practicing for the past several weeks for their first kayaking regatta.

Sunday all their hard work paid off.  Despite stiff winds, each kayaker stayed in their lanes, correcting nimbly when the wind threatened to blow them off-course.  "They did great!" said Casey.  "Watching them go down their lanes, especially in that wind, and stay calm even when they got a little sideways and had to correct was very, very awesome!"

Casey gets a victory shower from a grateful crew

The Ranchers are justifiably proud of their accomplishment.  They are now the first Special Olympics kayaking team in Central Texas!

Oh, California!

Kelly, Alaina and I are back at the Ranch, tuckered out from the great California adventure.

Alaina and Kelly at entrance to Disneyland

We spent Wednesday at Disneyland, which is just a few miles from my cousin's lair in Laguna Woods.  Cousin Melanie served as tour guide and inside dopester for the day. 

Once there, we faced a typical dilemma: which park to go to, Disneyland or Adventureland?  The girls don't like wild rides, but they are very concious of being adults, and I was afraid they would disdain the fairy tale and princess cultures of the old park.

Our kind of ride

Not to worry!  The huge carousel was a hit, and they even stood in line for Dumbo, although they didn't use the joy stick for most of the ride.  I suspect Kelly, who hates heights, was the reason for that.  At one point, though, Alaina grabbed it and up we went.  Unfortunately I wasn't fast enough to catch the look on Kelly's face.

The day was warm, but not hot, and the crowd was small.  Waiting was minimal for the rides.  The main attraction, however, was Main Street--getting pictures taken with characters, eating ice cream, and shopping for the boy friends.

We had dinner reservations at the Catal Spanish restaurant, a "Disney-dining experience" I'd made reservations for the day before, so about 5:00 we availed ourselves of the restrooms in City Hall as we made ready to go eat.

Signing in the plaza

While inside we heard the sounds of a band playing.  Coming out we saw that a flag ceremony had begun in the Main Street Plaza.  Hey, if there's music, we party, so over we went.

A barbershop quartet was singing God Bless America.  Kelly and Alaina stood to the side and began signing the words, very intently and seriously.  The color guard approached and began taking down the flag and all were invited to join in singing the national anthem.

Eyes were equally on the proceedings and on the girls as they signed along, and not a few welled up with tears as true patriotism overrode the staginess of the event.  This was easily the high point of our delightful day at Disneyland.

Ensconced at Catal and the sole focus of the extensive wait staff, we relaxed with cool drinks and pondered the menu.  Pat, Melanie and I went for the paella, but the girls are not so adventurous, so the waiter deftly worked with them to identify a dish they'd enjoy.  I tried not to think about the fact that they'd had been as happy with a $10 hamburger as their $30 entrees.

Said paellas were outrageously good, worth every penny.

After dinner we strolled around listening to street musicians, and the girls were captivated by Drew Tretick, from whom we each bought an album.

Loved it and had to have it

Thursday was more laid back.  Cousins Sherri and Steve had us over to their place for pizza.  The girls lounged in the hot tub and pool as the sun went down.  We ate pizza and laughed over old times and  family adventures in the good old days.  (Melanie says I was her "Auntie Mame.")

Alaina relaxes in the pool

Friday morning we were out the door by 5:20 AM to catch our plane. I'd caught on by now to request pre-boarding so I could be sure to sit with the girls.  When the skies got rough a few hundred miles from Austin and we were rocking and rolling Kelly got scared.

Alaina leaned over toward her and stroked her arm.  "It's all right, Kelly," she said. "Jesus will take care of us."

Kelly replied, "Yes, he will and everything will be all right."

And I wasn't needed at all.

When we got back to the Ranch Kyle and Sterling were waiting.  Sterling came tearing up to Martha House on his bike to help carry luggage into the house.  He and Kelly shared a shy kiss and she gave him his present. 

"See you at the Pavilion!" he cried, and headed back up the road hooting and hollering like Tarzan.  Jerry and I laughed.  Kelly and Alaina got up to the Pavilion to rejoin their friends and things were back to normal at Down Home Ranch.

Cattle Round-Up

Three cowboys

We've said for years that we simply want Down Home Ranch to be a working farm and ranch, with the Ranchers helping us run our various and sundry operations.

Monday April 25 was a special day for us in our progress towards that goal, and some of our cowboys were ready to start a new chapter in the history of the Ranch.


Among our 340 acres of  "Post Oak Savannah" is Yegua Creek (Spanish for "Mare"), which forms our northern boundary, and a 40 acre riparian patch, home to over 100 big native pecan trees.

In the 1800s, Yegua Creek was on the eastern edge of the "Comancheria", a vast territory that the Comanche tribe dominated, having incorporated the Spanish horse into the endless pursuit of their chief source of clothing, shelter and food—the buffalo.

Yegua Creek was a source of water and food: pecans, deer, squirrel and other game, hickory nuts, wild dewberries, mustang grapes, creek plum and cactus pears--all still present. Greenbriar—a thorny vine that grabs you as you try to walk in the woods—was a source of early spring leaves, tiny and slightly bitter, but a nice source of greens for the native Americans. Buffalo roamed across Texas from the 1500s to around 1850 when the herds began to diminish, to be replaced by cattle.

A year ago we bought four bred, registered Black Angus heifers from Bubba and Donna Kay--the Kay Ranch--to start our cattle operation. We made this decision in part because of the impressive work of Dr. Stephen Smith of Texas A&M, who focuses on Japanese cattle, Wagyu in particular. Our four heifers are registered Black Angus but were bred to Big Boy, a purebred Wagyu bull.

Our first calf was nicknamed “The Dude.” Born prematurely, he was unable to stand and unable to nurse. One of our Ranchers, Sterling, hunkered down on a cold winter night with Jerry, holding Dude's head up and trying to massage the milk down his throat. This went on for days, then weeks, but, with a lot of love and constant care, we got him standing and walking. We knew we had to get him back to the herd, so we took him over to the Spur, put him in a stall and —his mom having dried-up—he immediately starting nursing, using the other three cows. Today, he's a full-fledged member of the herd. The runt, for sure, but a survivor.

Sterling & Kyle wait to run
a cow through the chute

So, it was a real treat having Sterling, Kyle and Travis helping Ranch Foreman Pat bringing our four cows and four calves into the holding pen as Bubba and Donna came in with Big Boy, who will again sire our four calves. It was Round-Up spring 2011. Big Boy will spend 40 days on the ranch, servicing our cows through two cycles, after which he’ll leave and our calves will wean.

Time for vaccinations

We had a hay trailer on hand so that guests (Board President Genie brought friends from the San Francisco Bay Area) and Ranchers could have a close-up view of the process: tagging, worming and vetting the bull, cows and calves.



Return to freedom

 Unbeknown to most, the Dude and his brother bull-calf were made steers in the process. The two heifers will be bred to a Wagyu bull in their time, and their calves will be three-quarter Wagyu.

Bubba, Donna & Jerry on Roundup Day 

When we first visited Bubba and Donna they sent us home with a dozen Wagyu burger patties, which Judy and I are still smacking our lips over. We're looking forward to the day we get to dine on prime DHR Wagyu beef (and maybe a glass of homemade Mustang Grape wine.)

[This blog was written by Jerry but posted on Judy's blog.]

On the Road Again

In the "uncomfortable" days following my surgery in early March, I wrote my counsin Pat in California: "I'm in 'get me outta here mode!'"  I sure needed something to look forward to.

"Come on out," she replied, so Jerry kindly booked flights for me, Kelly, and Kelly's buddy Alaina to visit "the cousins" in California.  We planned it for this week with the assurance that I would be recovered and literally ready for flying high, which I was, if just barely.

Waiting for flight at 7:00 AM in Austin

 Kelly and Alaina have been terrific traveling companions, cheerfully handling all the luggage, including mine, since I'm still limited in what I can heft.

Kelly began stressing about getting her watch changed to California time two days prior to departure.  I told her I was not attempting to change her watch to conform to California time.  Only Casey seems to be able to do this, and during the switch from Standard to Daylight Savings Time she is consumed with resetting all the Ranchers' digital watches, no two of which work exactly the same way.

Kelly agreed to keep her watch on Central time so she would know what Sterling and the other Ranchers were doing at any given hour.  She could ask me or check for the local time on her cell phone.

Sleeping on plane at 9:00 AM over AZ

I remind myself that for Kelly, who copes with her disability by careful attention to scheduling and routine, it's very disconcerting to have time go squirrely and loosey-goosey on you.

Similarly, Kelly is not flexible regarding meal schedules, which has called for a lot more flexibility on my part.  For Kelly, if you're in one time zone at noon it's time for lunch, and if you enter an earlier one, it's time for lunch again! 

Well, yea!  We're on vacation.  What the heck.

Yesterday Pat's daughter Melanie took us to the Ocean Institute at Dana Point. 


Dana Point Tide Pool Basin

This is an enchanted cove, nestled at the bottom of vertical cliffs against which pelicans fly in formation, casting their shadows like something out of Jurassaic Park. Kelly and Alaina sunbathed while we searched for anemones and critters among the beautiful rocks.

Pat and I sunburned the tops of our feet.

My sunburned feet

Later we dropped by Melanie's so Kelly could meet cousin Cory, at 15 years six feet plus tall and still ascending, a star shooter for the Dana High basketball team.

"How many cousins I got, anyway?" wondered Kelly aloud as we drove back to Pat's place.

Last night after supper we went to see Soul Surfer, the terrific new movie about Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm at 13 to a shark and came back to build a career as a professional surfer.

Tomorrow it's Disneyland, with dinner on Main Street.  We'll go late and stay into the evening.

Meanwhile back at the Ranch, Jerry reports that this year's round-up to vaccinate the cows, bring in Mr. Bull for another round of bovine reproduction, and castrate the little bull calves (sorry, Dude!) went very well.  Sterling, Travis, and Kyle were the wranglers for the day, and Jerry was super proud of them.

Jer promises to post a blog on it, maybe tomorrow.

Getting over it and on with it

C.S. Lewis observed that most people referred to as "saints" on earth probably have excellent digestive systems.  It's easier to act saintly when you feel well.

Alas, Jerry demoted me from sainthood on the fourth day following my surgery.

It's amazing how distracting physical disability can be.  I thought I'd read and write great things during convalescence, but I hurt and my mind was mush and mostly I lay on the couch and sobbed over endless episodes of Animal Rescue.

During all this Jerry popped in and cheerfully told me that Pat had said his 97-year-old aunt recently had the same operation and was back in the garden the week after. 

To which I replied something quite un-called for.

Kelly once told me she wanted her Down syndrome to go away and of course, as Mom, my heart broke.   She knew the Down syndrome was always there, and more, she was beginning to realize it always would be.

Jerry understood this better than I.  He had polio as a little guy, and it, too, was always there--the braces, the surgeries, the limp, the pain, the return of it all in later years.  His whole life has been framed by it.

We'd prefer life to be unlimited, pleasant, and predictably subject--ha, ha--to our control. 

So now I'm feeling reasonable well again.  If I were ten years younger I'd shrug my shoulders and get back into the fray.  However, I've been not to the mountaintop, but to the deep valley, and I've seen a different promised land, and  Jerry and I peer into the years wherein a "rope will be tied round our waist and we will be led where we would rather not go." 

I am soon to be 69 and he 73. 

This surgical adventure has been a watershed moment in our lives.  We understand better now what it means that our choices will be narrowing and we must plan for possibilities we'd rather not think about. 

Like Kelly, we want to stamp our foot indignantly and wish it away.

But it's time to revisit the will, sort through the thousands of family photos, and chase a few relatives down on Ancestry.com, and also to unpack and sort out a lifetime of spiritual and emotional baggage.

Just as we make careful individualized plans with our Ranchers every year, we must do so for ourselves.  We hold each another accountable and serve as each other's case manager and chief noodge, and the responsibility for Kelly and the Ranch community weighs on us beyond measure. 

But, once we've got these things reasonably settled for now (sure as plans are laid they change), we'll muddle on with life, wherever it leads. We get to pick how we'll face these last years on earth.  We pray God will give us the grace to choose joy regardless of what we must face.

But of course, not yet.

Any excuse for a party

Our esteemed Executive Director & Kyle hogging all the attention

Kelly called it a “drive-by pigging.”

The fun all started the day before the First Annual April Fool’s Day Pig Party at Down Home Ranch when Jerry discovered the pig noses in the party decoration box I’d just received.  

Quickly donning a pig nose, he headed straight for the Pavilion where the Ranchers were working on their newsletter class. Creeping up to an outside window, he was quickly spied as laughter and whoops of delight broke out among the ranks.

Angelica sets up the BBQ

Next day Angelica from Southside Market arrived promptly at five to begin setting up the barbecue as only Southside can do it.

We’d worried a bit about the menu, being as it was a Friday in Lent, but Bishop McCarthy had granted the Catholics among us a dispensation to enjoy the chicken, sausage, brisket, and pork ribs (and did we ever!)

Fr. Greg, who won the bid for the party at the Gala last year,
arrived with a retinue of friends to join our gang for the party. Fr. Greg’s brother Jim, who lives here at the Ranch, was quietly pleased to show off his home and friends.

Honored guests at first annual Pig Party

(You're undoubtedly jealous, but you can attend this year's Gala and perhaps win your own Pig Party and be the envy of all your friends.)

Jim (left), hosted the party

Jerry served as Master of Ceremonies (for such ceremony as there was) and toward the end of our feast regaled the company with pig riddles.

Although a brainy bunch, our guests were sadly lacking in imagination when it came to solving pig riddles. Must be a culture gap.

Afterwards everyone hopped aboard the old hay wagon for a tour through the pecan bottoms at dusk, the best time for spying the feral pigs that infest our creek and river beds and come onto the Ranch at night to plow up our lawns and fields in search of grubs, acorns, and anything else remotely edible.

That’s a serious problem, and although the Pig Party was a light-hearted response to it, the funds garnered from it will help us in our feral-pig control work—trapping, mostly, which will never do more than mitigate the situation.

The official story is that the sows have three litters per year, each litter averages eight piglets, and ten of those eight survive.

It’s a joke, and here are some of Jerry’s...er...best:

Why did the pig go to the casino?
To play the slop machine!

How can you tell when a pig has been taking karate lessons?
He’s got great chops!

What did the pig who opened a pawn shop call his shop?
Ham Hocks!

What did the doctor tell the patient who came to him with a little sty?
Get a little pig!

What does a mama pig read her babies at night?
Pig tales!

What does a pig use to write letters with?
A pig pen!

Which Shakespeare play do pigs like best?
Hamlet!

Why was the pig a failure as a talk show host?
He was a big boar!

Why did the pig complain to the farmer?
The farmer took him for grunted!

What do pigs like to drive?
Pig-up trucks!

What do pigs put on their Chinese food?
Sooey sauce!

What do you say after a pig took an airplane flight?
The swine flew!

We must admit: We have no shame.