Arena Coming Soon!

Howdy, All Y'all!

Well...with the holidays over we are beginning to ramp up once again! We will begin to look for a Tractor in the next few weeks as we are getting ready to build a Riding Arena! Jessie's Horseback Riding Lessons are going great and she has some of her students who have advanced to be able to begin working on the Barrels, Poles, etc. for eventual competition!

Jessie started a Facebook page for her Riding Lessons called Silver Spur Ranch Western Horseback Riding Lessons...here is the link
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Spur-Ranch-Western-Horseback-Riding-Lessons/250116768496775
Hopefully you can find and follow her on FB!


Also, my son has a FB page called The Cowboy Journal here is the link   https://www.facebook.com/TheCowboyJournal He has some videos on there as to how to shape a cowboy hat, what are the different types of cowboys, etc.  It's all about the Cowboy!

I've been working with Cowboy...not a
"a" cowboy but one of our horses whose name is Cowboy! LOL! I am hoping once I get done with chemo and I get the port out, I can get back to shooting my rifle and riding horses! I've lost weight and am feeling good. It's gorgeous again today, so I'll be out there soon doing groundwork with Cowboy this afternoon.

Happy Trails,
Elvira

Bunnies, posies and prayers!

Well, this week Jessie has had a bit of a set back in some of the things she is doing on the ranch. Life on a ranch CAN get interesting! We had a stray dog upsetting the rabbit cages and she lost her California Buck, Gus. He was one of those types that was a grumpy Gus when she first got him, but she tamed him and he became lovable...so that was really upsetting. Then, some goats got loose from a neighbor and ate her roses...just when they were blooming and getting gorgeous...she was going to take pics! We are looking for any fencing material y'all might hear about so we can put up fence along the 2 sides up close to the front of the property near the Bunkhouse.

We also found deer droppings on our property, so have managed to attract a deer herd again! Hmmm...we ladies are a bit dismayed with the prospect of them eating our garden...but the gents are very positive with the prospects of hunting! LOL!

We are getting ready to put up a fire ring out in the back pasture for bonfires. Jessie is the Director of Activities for the Fisher More College and we'll be having them down at the ranch and out at the Chisholm Trail for some camp outs, bonfires and other fun stuff. If anyone knows of someone donating a bus, please contact myself or Jessie. The college is looking for a bus to be able to bring the students down to activities in our area. Fisher More is a small Traditional Catholic College that focuses not only on academics but on prayer life. You've seen the college students here in pics as we held our annual Jessie's Country Jamboree. This is the college site:
http://fishermore.edu/chronicles/lex-orandi-lex-credendi-lex-vivendi/


For all of you Catholic Homeschool families out there, Fisher More also offers an online Academy for grades 4th-12th!
http://www.fishermoreacademy.org/


Most of you already know that I am battling Stage III Colon Cancer...I am using this to offer up for the Poor Souls in Purgatory and for the intentions of all those who are praying for me. I am finding that it's truly been a blessing in many ways! It's given me a goal and a very positive attitude, even as I deal with side effects of radiation and chemo, I am able to brave it due to the beauty of souls I am able to assist...so anyone who has a special prayer request, please send it to me and I will offer up my suffering for that intention! As Mother Teresa once said about someone's suffering "You are so close to Jesus in your suffering that as he leans His head down from the cross...you are so close that He can kiss you." May God Bless you and take all sufferings and inconveniences as a closeness to Jesus on the cross!     

Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum...Texas History!

We've done a whole lotta other stuff in this year that I haven't been posting much. Jessie & I are on the Johnson County Historical Commission and have been working down at the Chisholm Trail Outdoor (Living) Museum. Jessie has been teaching Texas History classes down at the museum in an 1868 School House, just the way it was taught at that time. There is no electricity in the school house and just a pot belly stove for heat. They use slates and chalk boards and McGuffy readers! She has been teaching not only homeschoolers and private schooled children, but those in the local public schools for their 4th Grade Texas History class.

 

There are many events that go on down at the Chisholm Trail and we've participated in several of them. Some pics from last yrs. Pioneer Days...

 

Here are Terry's Texas Rangers...

 

Daniel took classes and is now certified to shoot the canons!

One of the members, Mike Smith, designed and made this Gatling Gun...

 

Both Kelly and Daniel were inducted into Terry's Texas Rangers Division of Sons of Confederate Veterans.

Kelly's family has kin folk who served in the Confederate Calvary. Terry's Texas Rangers fire artillery at reenactments and care for the gravesites and keep history on those who were in the Civil War.

 

 

 

Jessie's Country Jamboree!

 We had a great time for Jessie's Country Jamboree which has become an annual Fall Harvest sort of affair! We were thankful that we were here in Texas rather than in Colorado a cold front moved through and with it, snow! We would have had to cancel. Thankfully, even though we had a cold front come through as well, it just made it feel like fall! It was in the 70's for most of the day!! We had Hay Rides, Tug O War over a mud pit, Wheel Barrel Races, Hay Stacking Contests and Burlap Sack Three Legged Races during the day. Here's a group loading up right now...

 

 

Kelly giving instructions before the race.

 

 

Tug O War was a muddy mess!

 

 

Show em how it's done, Cowgirl!!

Hey, boys...it's not as easy for us cowgirls when our hair ends up in the mud! LOL!

Good Ole Fashioned Clean? Fun!

 

 

 

Country Dance!

 

Sorry, but I don't have any pics around the campfire. I was plumb tuckered out and just enjoying the rest of the evening with good music, good company, the fire and roasted marshmellows!

We had 3 guitar players and a fiddler player...awesome night, y'all! Thanks for coming!

 

Up at the Bunkhouse on the Silver Spur Ranch!

Howdy, y'all! Whew...been so busy around here haven't had a chance to update my blog in forever and a day! Since I was on here last, we've had a wedding (my eldest son) and our first Grandbaby! Now, that's a long time! Welcome our new Daughter-In Law, Regina

 

 

 

 

and our new Grandson, Kilian Conor Bates!

 

 

We've finished texturing & painting the walls in the Bunkhouse and have been laying river rock tile!

 

We've also been getting the "Ranch" up...yes sirreee...we now have our ranch name up! So, the Bates Bunkhouse is up on the Silver Spur Ranch and I'll still be writing to y'all from up at the Bunkhouse.

 

 

We've got the Horseshoe Pit ready for y'all!

And yes...that's Jessie's ringer...so y'all better practice up!

Kelly built the Fire Pit, so we're ready for some pickin' and singin' around the campfire...hmmm...maybe even a little Chuck Wagon style cookin'?

Daniel is working here, cutting the stakes with the welder torch for the Horseshoe Pit...so I'm thinking we can get the guys to make what we need to cook over the Fire Pit.

Kelly is a certified weld instructor for the Union Pacific RR. We are thinking about getting the ranch up and running by him teaching welding and also, working on a line of Weld Designs! Also, Jessie is teaching Riding Lessons on the ranch!

 

Contact us up at the Bunkhouse if y'all are looking to take Riding Lessons!

 

 

We are working on our gardens and learning about the weather and insects here in North Texas. We finally got my little Grotto up and I'm enjoying it, can see it through my dining room window!

We are getting ready for Jessie's Country Jamboree!! This is an annual event that we've held for 7yrs. up in Colorado and now we've brought that tradition down to Texas! Y'all come and enjoy!

 

 

New Horses!!!

Howdy! Well, we didn't get the tile in yet...but guess what we DID get? LOL! Yep..you read that right...new horses! Our old horse Babe is really enjoying this as she thinks they belong to "her" and that she now has her own gymkhana/rodeo as everyone gets out there with their lead ropes & horses doing ground work! We got them from a family who is having to transfer out of state, so it would be fitting as we just traveled the same trail ourselves recently.

Guess I'd better introduce all the new members to the Bunkhouse!

"Annie" is a papered Quarter Horse mare & she is 8yrs old.

"Star" is Black Arabian mare with a star on her forehead & she's 10yrs. old. We are working on trying to get her papers...

"Cowboy" is a papered Arabian Gelding & he is 9yrs old.

And of course...not to be left out...our old horse Babe...to whom all of these "belong"! LOL! She's 24yrs old & counting, a papered Arabian Chestnut colored mare with Egyptian lines and has been trained to open gates, "dance" in parades & in general is an all around great horse. Btw, she is overseeing the other horses to make sure they behave themselves...HER pasture is the one closest to the house so she can also keep an eye on her humans to make sure they feed her when SHE feels we've slept long enough! Yes, yes...she can't wait until we get chickens and a rooster again, but she does know how to make the dogs bark to wake the humans when necessary! Heehee!

Remodel Underway...

So...we are all workin' fools around here! First step is the tear outs...tore out the old paneling! Tore out old carpet & old linoleum tiles.

Then, comes new construction in some areas, including putting up drywall, then taping, texturing & painting! We all have our talents & the WHOLE family gets involved!

I design & Kelly is in charge of new construction:

It's  been great to homeschool with all we typically do as a family...LIFE becomes the courses they study. Construction, Electrical, Flooring, Masonry, Automotive, Leather Tooling, Equine...well...think you've got the idea!