Cowboy Christmas, Enchanted Springs Ranch - Sat., Dec. 21

Determination was my mind-set this morning. Bob calls it stubbornness. We signed up to go to Enchanted Springs Ranch today for their Cowboy Christmas. It was cloudy with a 50% chance of thunderstorms in Boerne where the ranch is located.

Last night and this morning I watched the weather online including looped satellite images of the storm. All indications were that this storm would pass by 1 p.m. and sunny skies would prevail.

As we drove to Boerne 45 minutes away, the skies got darker and the clouds lowered. Driving there, we encountered heavy rain and saw lightning flashes. As we pulled into the parking lot at the ranch, there was a brief, light shower, then a blue hole appeared. By the time our friends Jim and Peri arrived a few minutes later at 11:00 a.m., the storm clouds had moved north and blue dominated the southern sky. Wow!

The Enchanted Springs Ranch brochure has the following history:

Deep in the heart of south Texas, Enchanted Springs Ranch preserves a little history on its 86 acres. Early Native Americans thought of this region with its clear-flowing, spring-fed creeks and rivers as an enchanted place.

The longhorns and horses, which adapted well to New Spain (Mexico and Texas), arrived in the 1500s with explorers from Spain. Vaqueros were the first to work the herds of cattle around the early missions in San Antonio.

When the Civil War ended (1865), longhorns had multiplied to over 10 million. They were the key to survival of poverty-stricken Texans. From 1866 to 1886, millions of longhorns were driven on the trails by tough Texas cowboys (mostly teenagers) who would ride 15-18 hours a day. They slept under the stars with their saddle as a pillow and sagebrush for a bed.

In the late 1800s, cowboy trail drives came to a halt when train tracks were completed into Texas and barbed wire was invented. Cattle were no longer driven on trails thousands of miles to market. Instead, cattle became confined on large, fenced-off ranches.

Today, the Enchanted Springs Ranch has an authentic old west town surrounded by a working cattle and horse ranch with an exotic animal park. Tour guides and entertainers are in period clothing.

Different places in Texas have cars with longhorns on the front and I wanted to get a photo. Just outside the entrance, we found this car. Ta-da...photos!

Check out the interior of the car.

Just before we arrived there had been a big downpour. Check out these drenched animals.

Wallabies

Soaking wet alpaca

Bob and Susan with Woodrow the longhorn steer.

Peri & Jim's turn with Woodrow.

Authentic buildings at the ranch.

Movies and TV shows have been filmed here.

Inside Six-Gun Saloon

I thought this was funny...you can really do this.

Our wagon to see the exotic animals on the ranch.

Bob gave Jim some trash talk about wearing the University of Texas Longhorns colors. The Alamo Bowl is coming up on Dec. 30 at the Alamodome in San Antonio and Bob has a ticket to the game. Bob will be cheering for University of Oregon in enemy territory.

 The oryx is a majestic animal. Look at how long its horns are!

Oryx

In the following two photos, the antelope are upstaging the oryx by leaping high in the air.

So majestic.

Longhorn with a curly horn.

Typical longhorns.

You eyeballing me?

Zebra

Young axis buck raised at Enchanted Springs Ranch.

The following photo tickled my funny bone. Alcoholics are said to be "on the wagon." This paddy wagon says to stay off the wagon. Good advice!

A small Texas Ranger museum was on the ranch. I love the poster showing how Texas Rangers dressed throughout the years. They seem so fashionable.

Entertainment by Melinda and Geri at the Silver Spur Saloon.

Blacksmith demonstration.

Pygmy goat antler.

Just about the time we were leaving, the live Nativity actors were arriving. Leon Springs Baptist Church members in period dress more than doubled the number of people at the ranch today!

Wallaby after it dried out (not part of the Nativity scene).

The three kings

A camel and a donkey for the manger scene.

We spent a couple of hours at Enchanted Springs Ranch. Was it worth the $14 admission? Not really.

The four of us headed to Random to have lunch and beer or root beer. It was a gorgeous afternoon.

Peri, Jim, Bob at Random

Below is the new bounce toy at Random. The kids love it. (This is what Bob and Randall drove to Houston to pick up earlier in the week.)

Bob and Peri checking out the new bounce toy.

The grounds at Random.

After a quick stop at Costco, we arrived at the RV park about 5:00 p.m. I stopped in at the office to pick up some chicken tamales we had ordered and we headed home.

At 6:00 p.m., the RV park had their annual Christmas parade. Those who own golf carts decorated them with lights, wreaths, Santas and ornaments then drove them all through the park. After the cart parade, we had hot chocolate or Peppermint Patties (hot chocolate with Peppermint Schnapps) and cookies of all kinds in the Rec Hall. Bob stayed home because he was beat; the coughing is really getting to him. (We bought some Robitussin DM at Costco today. He has taken it twice tonight and feels better already.) I brought him a plate of cookies from the party.

He is very happy the Portland Trailblazers won tonight. However, the Spurs did not do so well.

The end of a very busy and fun day. Travel Bug out.