Wildflowers, cows and calves

My day today was filled with wildflowers, beautiful Texas scenery, cows and calves, wine and lox and cream cheese, and most of all good companuy. Jeannie and I drove down to visit John and Cindy on the ranch outside Tolar and had a wonderfulday. We spent two hours just riding around the ranch in John's new vehicle, which is a big improvement (for passengers) over the old mechanized mule--I'm not sure what to call this one but it has a windshield, roof, two bench seats, and rides a lot more smoothly than the old mule. And mucky as it was from all the rain, we didn't get stuck--Cindy ws the only one who had on boots for the muck so she got to open and close gates. On the old mule one person could sit in the passenger seat and two others could dangle their legs over the back of the bed and duck whenever branches came by. This was a lot more comfortable.
We stopped of course to visit the cows and calves The bull, with the dark face, came up close and personal to visit, as did some of the cows. The calf above wasn't quite sure and kept his distance.  But we watched them milling around for some time--they of course associate the vehicle with food and were looking in vain--it wasn't food time! Then we drove all over the ranch--saw the headwaters of Shady Hollow creek or river, a beautiful spot I'd never been before, and John went out of his way to show us their one lovely patch of bluebonnets (we had seen quite a few bluebonnets on the way down as well as fields full of Indian paintbrush and some yellow wildflowers I don't recognize). Plus I swear I'd never seen their dumping ground before--it holds an old tin building that has collapsed, some old chairs, etc. From some points the view over the Brazos River Valley is simply spectacular. We stopped at a picnic table by a stock tank in a grove of trees and had a glass of wine. John is a great narrator telling us all about what we're seeing, though I had a bit of trouble hearing over the motor (Jeannie and I were sitting right over it) and something in the back clanged and reminded me of Jacob belting out "Who let the dogs out?" But it was wonderful just to be riding along, ducking the occasional branch, looking at the little bluestem which is still brown at this time of year.

Then back to the house to sit on the porch and eat lox and bagels. We talked geneaology, which I didn't realize John is interested in but Jeannie has recently been pursuing, and John and I got to telling old famiily stories and some not so old. It was just a lovely day, way out of the routine, and much enjoyed.