Social Distancing at the Ranch

I have to say, living in the country sure makes this COVID19 pandemic and social distancing a lot easier. After being a city-dweller for most of my life, one of the things I appreciate most about ranch life is being able to commune with nature simply by walking out my door. Granted, there are times when that's not a good thing. Right, Maddie?

She got bit by a nasty old copperhead Thursday night. And, because she kept messing with the bite area, we had to add insult to injury in the form of the dreaded cone-of-shame. I am happy to report, though, that she is doing fine and now happily cone-free .

Yes, the wildlife is coming out to play here at the ranch. In the days leading up to Easter, we were inundated with baby bunnies. And while they're timing may have been spot-on, seeing their little furry bodies hopping around had our dogs thinking they were toys, which, in turn,  kept us hopping in order to protect the bunnies. So to all the mama rabbits out there, if you love your babies, please make your nests in the woods and not my flower beds. 

Bunnies aren't the only things we've seen, though. This beautiful creature decided to get up close and personal with hubby. Don't you just love how nature has its own unique camouflage? 

The tree frogs are out in force. They're fun to watch, but they sure can make a lot of noise. Especially on a rainy day.

This squirrel spent a good bit of time circling our hillbilly hot tub, debating whether or not he should dive in.

He did not, which was fine by me because we would have probably had to fish him out and I don't see that turning out very well.

And, of course, we always have our deer. Some of them will have fawns arriving in the coming weeks, so we're drawing quite the crowd.

Yes, these beautiful days, along with the pandemic and social distancing, make this the perfect time for taking long walks. 

On this day, me and my companions explored an area that had been burned out in a wildfire back in 2011.

Nature certainly is resilient. The beauty that can rise out of the ashes. 

Just look at those pine trees coming back amid some of the charred remains.

The dogs love exploring and never waste an opportunity to play in the water. No matter where it might be.

While my faithful companions played, I was on the lookout for dewberries. And nature did not disappoint.

It's still a little early. Maybe in another week or so they'll be purple and ready to pick.

Though, I did find a couple of early bloomers that were perfect for a quick snack on the go.

That's what's going on in my backyard. What's happening where you live?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com

Cuteness and Tranquility at the Ranch

Okay, so things aren't always tranquil when you've got little ones around.

They're busy. They like to help make muffins.

And take selfies with Grammy's phone.

They like to create.

But here on the ranch there's always someplace to escape and unwind, surrounded by nature's beauty. You know I love all the little calves. And this time of year, there are so many of them dotting the landscape.

Perhaps water is more your style.

Things are lush and green around the ponds.

I could sit here and drink-in this sight for hours.

Even little dogs like hanging out there. 

But this is one of the sights that thrills me most.

 There's something about horses.

IMHO, they're one of the most beautiful creatures God made. And watching them is very soothing.

Sigh. Now that we're all nice and relaxed, how about dessert?

That's a recipe for another day. In the meantime, what are you doing to escape this crazy turn life seems to have taken?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more at mindyobenhaus.com.

Exploring with Baby

Well, I spent a good chunk of the weekend cooking and baking, however I failed to take any pictures. Not even a single shot of the Pioneer Woman Apple Dumplings we enjoyed for dessert Saturday night. Why? Because we had a visitor at the ranch this weekend and she has a knack for distracting Grammy.

The Cindy-Lou-Who look hasn't looked so cute since Cindy-Lou-Who.

Since it was our first fall-feeling weekend here in Texas, it was the perfect time to get outside and do some exploring. We found the cutest little fairy hats.

Of course, they started life like this.

However, fairies can be very resourceful. Miss T decided it was not practical for two hats to be connected like that, though, so she performed a little onsite surgery.

Later, she collected pine cones and got to climb on Big Daddy's tractor.

But watching the deer with Daddy was the best. See them near the woods there on the left?

Then it was time to celebrate with Oreos.

But about those apple dumplings. Curious things. One of those recipes you look at the list of ingredients and go, "Huh?". I mean, Cresent rolls and Mountain Dew?  Really? Yep. Ruthy blogged about them here and shared a link to the recipe. Everyone here loved them. And they are super easy. They're also another of my favorite fallish desserts, something I can't seem to get enough of lately.

So how is fall looking where you live? Are you surrounded by gold, orange and russet leaves or are your leaves covered in snow? Or has summer finally decided to take a breather, the way it did here at the ranch?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Ranch Fun on the Fourth

It was a steamy, star-spangled Independence Day here at the ranch.

The kind that had the kiddos heading for the water.

Uh, oh. Sister could be in for some big trouble.

One of my granddaughter's favorite things is jalapeno poppers, so I made sure to rustle up some of those.

I stuffed the halved jalapenos with a mixture of cream cheese and shredded sharp cheddar. Then wrapped them in half a bacon slice, secured that with a toothpick, and baked them at 275 degrees for about 45 minutes.

After the sun set, it was time for fireworks over the lake.

The kids, both big and small, made a run to the fireworks stand earlier in the day. Once it was dark, the big kids treated us to a spectacular show. A fitting ending for a wonderful day.

Oh, but something else happened last week.

Remember this? 

The Carolina wrens that were displaced after one of your trees toppled in a storm last month decided to build their new nest in a bucket we'd left sitting outside our dining room window.

Well, last week, the eggs hatched. 

There are five babies in all, though you can only see three here. Three VERY hungry little ones awaiting mama and daddy's return. I love that we have a front row seat for this. Almost as much as I love a happy ending.

The dog days of summer have settled over the ranch. Hot, lazy days. The kind that make you want to stay in the air conditioning and write. For those of you who live up north, this is like your January, when you stay inside to escape the cold. Like I said, it's a trade off. You get snow, we get heat. 

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.