Mountain Lion is back....

If you read my Twisted Oak Ranch blog you know I have suspected something big around for a while. In just the previous few months we have gone from rabbits rabbits everywhere to rarely seeing one . This morning we found these tracks on the front sidewalk. The print is from a mountain lion book and the photos was taken this morning. Looks the same to me. I was up late last night and didn't notice anything and Tessie was up with me. It was so late, 3:00 a.m., that I didn't take her out before going to bed. Good thing, I'd say. The prints were all over the side walk as if it had been looking in the front windows of the house. Also I believe there is more than one cat as there were two sizes with one set smaller. It could be very big bobcats, but looks like a lion print to me. NOTE: This program distorts the photos somewhat, on comparison on the computer they are identical with the print.

A few years back, it was the huge lion tracks actually 6 feet up on the windows that finally convinced the county trapper to set a mountain lion trap a few years back. We had good confirmed tracks then with the front paws on the window and back paws in the flower bed. I lost six goats before that lion left the area. I don't have any small babies now so mine are OK as of now.

Ray

Grandchildren's Comments

Our youngest daughter and her crew were here as refugees from Houston during the recent hurricane. While we love the road, the young crew miss the old road!!! What can I say? Wally and I are now trying to figure out when we will be able to pave our road from the gate to our house!

Punky

Road Project Update

I talked to the guys on the road this morning (09/11/08). They are getting the road back in shape to re-prime today and plan to pave tomorrow! Should be priming about 10:00 a.m.

Marvin

OK, so I am new at this.....

Hey Ray.... this is somewhat of a test to see if I can actually do this blog. Al is the computer ghuru at our house, not me. I noticed they have not paved down the road from us most likely because of the God sent rain we got. I am sorry it delayed the paving further on down the road and do hope you guys get blessed with it soon. Nothing else new to report here, I just wanted to test drive the blog. Teddy

New Road

Pretty soon we'll have to get a new photo of the road. It will be paved.

RAIN

Today we have .7" of rain...what a blessing! Hope each of you had that or more. I am trying to post on the blogspot. Ray has tried hard to make this happen. So far, I have only been able to post on dashboard. Let's see what happens now.

Punky

RAIN

Today we had .7" of rain. What a blessing. Hope each of you did as well. I am hoping that this important information makes it to the blog. Ray has worked very hard to tutor me in this effort!

Punky

Road Project

The County's plan is to prime the first section of the road tomorrow (September 3, 2008). The first section will be from FM 182 to the Culps. They will then pave to that point on Thursday. We will not be able to drive on the road for a couple of hours after priming! Please make plans to avoid that section of the road during that time! The road will be paved in three sections over the next week, depending on the weather.

Road Meeting tonight

7:30 p.m. at Gary Creek Ranch Barn

Hi Neighbors!

Our gandson Christopher is playing golf on the Southern Texas PGA Little Linksters tour this summer, and I get to be his caddie. He won his first golf tournament last Friday! Attached are pictures from the tournament. He shot a 36 which was 6 shots better than second!

Marvin & Karen

Welcome

Welcome John & Mary who are living at the Mosley Place. As mentioned in previous blog someone beat me to it ;-) as there is a very good article and photos in the Clifton Record. I think they could have mentioned Marys mother who used to write the Norse news for the Record.

The bluebells do look great on the Mosely place and the photos look great.

Easier Posting!

Thanks Ray! This is much better. I hope the other neighbors get on board. This is a great tool, if we will only use it.

Marvin

PS - It was very easy to set up.

Hey Neighbors

I believe I have found a way all of us can more easily all post on our blog. I think we will be able to create and post from our own individual ID's. The blogspot did an update to allow multiple authors a while back, but I've only recently had time to look at it. I started a list of authors and of course we can add to it as it allows up to 100. It's in the settings area if someone would like to look at it and perhaps even explain it better. Again, I think we will be able to create and post from our our ID's on this blog. Hopefully so. I was having some trouble myself as my personal blogs ID's would try to override the generic 'neighbor' we have so hopefully this will be better for all.

I have a new neighbor post for the Mosley place I'll try to get up if someone doesn't beat me to it. We are late getting the news up as it is......

Ray McDonald

Wildflowers

I hope all have noticed the beautiful Texas Bluebells currently in bloom. I don't recall seeing them as much in our area as this year. There is a pasture full of them on the old Mosley place and a few on the Phillips place. Worth taking a look.

There was a beautiful stand of 'Texas Plume' or 'Red Texas Star' Standing Cypress (ipomopsis rubra) this year by the McLeans new house on the east side of the mountain. I didn't see as many along 4195 as in previous years. I did have a few on my place that came with the county road dirt.

I'm sure we have noticed the Mountain Pinks. Looks like a bumber crop of them this year.

At least these kind of makes up for the weak bluebonnets and spring wildflowers this year.

Ray

Road Update

Time for a road update, but I really don't know anything. Maybe Wally or Marvin will get some new information for us. It's obvious that because of the big rains last year that the county crews had to pull off of our project in order to repair damaged county roads. Looks like they have recently started again on our road though. They have worked at the first 90° turn and they did just build up a low area east of my 1342 gate.

On Monday they moved their equipment from the Kienbaum place to the Mosley place. Unfortunately they had an accident with the bulldozer/loader as it overturned while working on the side of the mountain. I guess he was pushing the cedar off so they could get to the gravel when she went down. The dozer was more than on its side, it was resting on the roll bars at a 45° angle, not sure if it rolled completely over or slid down the hill. I hope no one was hurt, I haven't heard anything.

I noticed it about 1:00 p.m. after two county trucks sped down the road past me heading for town. I was further down the road at the Culps feeding their dogs or would not have been aware of any of it. I went back about 4:00 to get a photo and they had it turned upright. Not sure how they did that, but there were two maintainers there.

Ray McDonald

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Three Legged Deer

I saw something very unusual this past week. A three legged deer. I'll spare the details, but it had no use of a rear leg. Walked fairly well although oddly and didn't seem stressed. It never saw me, but disappeared when I went to look a second time so I guess it can move fast when needed. I have no idea how it is surviving, but I haven't seen any predators lately. I'm not keen on culling deer as I let you hunters do that, but this needs to be done. Because of the obvious handicap I thought I would start seeing it around the deer feeders, but I really haven't seen it since. I can't imagine it being able to jump a fence, but I guess it does. Be on the look out!

Ray McDonald