Welcome to the Ranch!

My family is so enjoying the recent season change.  I know that most people don’t think that we have four seasons in Texas, but all things are relative.  The seasons are more subtle here than in the more northern regions.

The dog days of summer are over!  The temperature is so lovely.  There is a coolness to the air, which is borne on a constant light breeze.  There seems to be a collective sigh of relief from human and animal alike as the intense heat of summer has dissipated.

We have opened most of our windows to allow fresh air to circulate throughout our home.  Not only does this decrease our electricity bill, but the cool night air helps me sleep well.  The coyotes howl and yap.  The occasional owl hoots.  And, I sink deeper under my covers.

The kids spend most of their time outside to play in the sunshine.  Whether they are riding horses or jumping on a trampoline, they are enjoying the change in the weather, too.

We finished planting our fall garden, which is my favorite garden of the year.  We enjoy fresh greens, lettuce, and spinach well into the winter as well as cabbage and broccoli.  We planted leeks and onions too.  I love getting my hands dirty this time of year while the sun is not scorching your skin.

The deer are moving about in the coolness of the morning and evening.  Bucks strut about with their new antlers crowning their heads.  Just yesterday, we saw 2 bucks and 3 does crossing the pasture.  At the same time, we heard another buck snorting in the brush.

The horses seem more playful as they graze the green pastures.  Today several went for a full-body swim in the lake.  As they climbed out of the water, their coats glistened in the sun.

Like I said before, this is such a good time for both animals and humans.  It is one of my favorite times of the year.  Autumn ties with spring in my opinion.  However, I love the different qualities unique to each season, which is why I want to share a poem with you by Charles Dickens.

Merry Autumn Days

‘Tis pleasant on a fine spring morn
To see the buds expand,
‘Tis pleasant in the summer time
To see the fruitful land;
‘Tis pleasant on a winter’s night
To sit around the blaze,
But what are joys like these, my boys,
To merry autumn days!

We hail the merry Autumn days,
When leaves are turning red;
Because they’re far more beautiful
Than anyone has said,
We hail the merry harvest time,
The gayest of the year;
The time of rich and bounteous crops,
Rejoicing and good cheer.

November on the ranch.

Autumn is a beautiful time of year.  Some leaves are changing color.  Some evergreens are bearing bright red berries.  The air is crisp and cool.  The wind reminds you to put on a sweater.  Autumn is a great season to enjoy the outdoors.  The months of September, October, and November mark a busy time of year as well as several holidays.

My father’s favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  Families come together to celebrate the many blessings that God has bestowed on us.  It is a holiday without the pressures of Christmas.  You don’t have to worry about buying and giving gifts.  You only have to cook and eat delicious foods prepared with loving hands.

Thanksgiving is also time of reflection.  A chance to reflect on your year and remember how blessed you are.  In the spirit of this holiday, I want to share with you some of the things that we are thankful for at Cross Creek Cattle Company.

• We are thankful for our loving and close-knit family.
• We are blessed to have so many good friends.
• We love being able to enjoy healthy,  delicious meat on our dinner table whether from our grass fed herd or from the wild boars and deer that wander in the woods.
• We are thankful to have good horses on which to ride and survey the beautiful scenery around the ranch regardless of the season.
• We have been blessed with fat cows and green grass.
• We are very thankful that health has been restored to the ranch manager after his accident.
• We are lucky to have a substantial store of hay ready to supply our animals with needed food no matter how hard the winter gets.
• We are thankful to have made it through the drought and to have finally received the much-needed rainfall.
• We are grateful that we can live our lifestyle in the 21st century.
• Last but not least, we are grateful for our customers who help support our family-owned and operated ranch.

From everyone at Cross Creek Cattle Company, we wish everyone a very “Happy Thanksgiving!”  May God continue to bless each and every one of us.

In a typical year, we try to not put out bales of hay until after the Thanksgiving holiday.  This is a personal goal of Cross Creek Cattle Company.  With good rain throughout the summer months, our pastures can supply grasses for our cattle until then.  Unfortunately this year we had drought conditions.  For months we had no rainfall.

We prayed for fat cows and green grass, and we were blessed accordingly.  Some of our less fortunate neighbors were having to put out hay during the summer.  It was incredible.  Just yesterday, I was driving in the northern part of our county.  I was amazed at how bad all the pastures looked.  They had their herds on completely bare and brown pastures.  You have no choice as a rancher, but to give hay in this situation.

As the grass season comes to an end and autumn is in full swing, we stop rotating our pastures.  Instead, we open all the interior gates and allow the cattle to forge for themselves.  They can find the best grasses on their own.  They have that innate ability.

Now as winter time approaches, we are preparing to put out hay a few weeks early.  My dad is disappointed, but considering the year we have had I think we are doing well.  In fact we are doing better than most in our area.  The way I look at it, we made it to November.