Big Tree Ranch

I'm sore and sunburned and only slowly recovering from the weekend. Jennifer and I were invited, along with a bunch of other people, to Doug's aunt's Big Tree Ranch in Concan, TX. The place is named for Texas' biggest Bold Cypress Tree which stands on their property (it is big). We had a blast. We got there on Saturday afternoon (Jfer had her Danskin workout in the morning), in time for a nice swim in the crystal clear Frio River that flows through the property. It's called "Frio" for a reason, but it's warmer than Barton Springs or the Guadalupe in Gruene. We then had a nice dinner of hamburgers and hot dogs cooked outside.

We spend the night in the bunk bed house (used during hunting season by visiting hunters) and I felt like I was at camp. Saturday was gorgeous weather so when I remembered that I had left my camera outside, I wasn't worried about it when going to bed. Around 1:30 AM, Jennifer woke me up to rain and thunder and we had to drive back to where my camera was, over dirt roads and without contacts. I saved a couple of cameras and other stuff left out and by the time we woke up it was gorgeous again (that's the type of weather pattern I like).

After a rich outdoor breakfast, 14 of us went up the river to go tubing. Thanks to the rain over night, the watter was high enough so that we didn't have to walk but in one or two places. The Frio is very nice and relaxing - there are a few rapids, but milder than on the Guadalupe. There were also fewer people, which was nice.

When we got back to the ranch, all the dinner was already cooked - a goat and a couple of javelinas and the usual that goes with barbeque. It was very, very good. Since I had volunteered, I also got to make a peach cobbler on the camp fire coals (I had never even seen a dutch oven before) which turned out pretty good.

Unfortunately we had to get back home to take care of Homer - he was happy to see us and didn't seem to mind spending the night on his own. Today Jfer is at work while I'm making it up to him. We also have a photographer appointment (the first of four this week) and a cookout at Kat's in the evening.

The trip was incredibly nice and relaxing, despite all the stuff we did. We got to meet more of Doug and Luciana's families and several more of Doug's friends - one of which I happened to know from doing Madrigal with some ten years ago. I hope we get invited back to the ranch again. We didn't have the time for a ride through most of the (500 acre) property and have yet to see the famous arrow head collection that Doug's uncle has.