June 22, 2006  New Findings for the Minnick Ranch Project!
 
Beginning in the 1980's I became obsessed with finding out more about the Minnick Ranch in N. Texas after my folks returned from a trip to the old ranch with pictures. My Grandfather George had been a ranch foreman and my Grandmother Ethel served as ranch cook on the Minnick Ranch when my mom and her siblings were growing up. Although the family moved from ranch to ranch every so many years, the Minnick Ranch had a special interest for me.
 
Back in the 80's the upper ranch house was still standing (albeit in disrepair) as was the horse barn and blacksmith shop. My folks contacted a relative who got them into the property to explore and take pictures.

 
I had an opportunity to spend some time with my Granny Ethel who provided her cooking skills for the ranch. She told me stories about "Uncle Jim Minnick" and his friendship with Will Rogers and Wiley Post and others who frequented the ranch.
 
Granny also described what it was like to raise a family on a remote Texas ranch, cooking for family, ranch hands, the owner and his guests, three meals a day on an old wood and coal stove. Jim kept the large walk-in pantry well stocked and there was a large icehouse that provided refrigeration. Granny's duties also included cleaning the main ranch house.. The children were taught to take the family dog out when they wandered since the dog would protect them from rattlesnakes. They were told not to disturb Uncle Jim or his guests or go into their half of the main ranch house unless invited. Uncle Jim did provide a pony for the twins to ride (my mom and my aunt).

 
While other ranchers/farmers were raising cattle and crops, "Uncle Jim" bought thousands of acres of rough land along the Cedar Breaks, poor for farming but great for raising quarter horses, also called Steeldusts or Billys. Uncle Jim reportedly owned more than 1,200 broodmares and 35 stallions stationed on this ranch. Jim started trading horses from this ranch in 1905. My mother's family were on the ranch in the early 1930's.
 
Quarter Horses were recognized as an official breed in 1940 with the founding of the AQHA. Jim Minnick was an early participant of the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and became one of the senior judges of that group. Yet the quarter horses, while magnificent for hearding and roping, were also equally agile for polo. Both Jim and Will were avid polo players and often brought in youngsters from town to create a match, hence the above quote regarding children, horses and polo which was made in a newspaper article during the years my family was on the ranch.
 
I visited the upper ranch in the late 1980's and got probably some of the last videos of the buildings. (The harsh Texas weather on wooden buildings that are over 80 years old takes its toll).
 
I've never been able to tie Will and Wiley in with Uncle Jim beyond family memories. Uncle Jim's sisters married into my mom's family, so I slowly began to build proof from old letters and other correspondence.
 
Through Amazon.com I found "Will Rogers - A Biography" by Ben Yagoda from the University of Oklahoma Press which promised references to Jim Minnick I ordered a copy and was amazed at how close the relationship between Will Rogers and Jim Minnick existed! Not only did they spend time on the ranch, but they were partners in vaudeville!
 
So this is just a "teaser" for things to come! The ultimate story involves Tom Mix, the 101 Ranch (Wild West Show) and more!
 
But you'll have to wait a bit since I first have to finish the long-promised Joy Camps project.
 
Until later.....DKHT

 
If you're interested in the Minnick Ranch Project, the Joy Camps or the progress of any of the "Places" topics, check the left sidebar link or send email to
Places at DonKeyHoetee.com (Replace the at with @ and no spaces)

 
June 13, 2006  Accident prone or just forgetful?
 
Last Saturday morning I stepped out of the shower and took two steps beyond the shower throw rug and my feet went north while the rest of me went south. I'd forgotten that I mopped and waxed the tile floor the day before. I rapped my noggin against the shower frame and put a scrape on my right knee on the frame for the whirlpool. Nothing worthy of medical attention. Even the knee didn't need a bandage.
 
Then yesterday I saw that one of the hummingbird feeders needed refilling. The feeder was an odd shape and tended to develop air locks. I decided to change it out with one of my tried-and-true glass feeders. This feeder hangs from a hook below my master bedroom deck above the main floor deck, and I can't reach it without a small stepladder. So, armed with a freshly filled glass feeder in one hand and my small (3-step) stepladder in the other I headed out to the deck.
 
Setting the small stepladder under the feeder and holding the replacement feeder in my right hand I climbed the ladder. There's nothing to grab onto while climbing, so, standing on the top step I unhooked the odd feeder with my left hand and and began to hook the glass feeder when.... the ladder shifted about three inches under my feet and I fell backward on the deck.
 
I learned how to take a fall way back when I was totally into gymnastics and when I wrestled in high school. Besides, some extra padding developed over all these years helped cushion the fall. So this tumble from less than three feet was a cake walk since there was no wall I could hit. I only spilled a few drops from the glass feeder. I had neglected to spread the legs fully on the ladder and the side bars weren't locked, so they decided to adjust themselves just when I was most vulnerable.
 
On better news fronts....
 
My sister Cindy and Bro-in-law Kevin returned from two glorious weeks in Italy, specifically in the Lazio and Tuscany regions. Once they get settled back in I hope to get some correspondence and pictures from them.
 
My nephew Dan and his bride Mayra finally found a house that really suited them, made an offer and it was accepted. An inspector will check it out later this week. If things go well Dan and Mayra will be new homeowners soon! I'm really proud of these two. And pup dog Zero will have a fenced-in yard to play in.

 
Until later.....DKHT

June 6, 2006  Musings
 
Well, the big boat battery had to be replaced, but it's raining today so boat work will have to wait until tomorrow.
 
I've got four hummingbird feeders out. The way the hummer numbers increase I may have to pull out some more (I have four more feeders in reserve). Hummingbirds have always been a favorite of mine. Their colorful arrival from May 5th to May 15th signals the coming of Summer. They are entertaining throughout their stay,which usually ends around September 15th I keep the feeders up as long as we don't get hard freezes for the migrating hummers from further north). A lot of non-resident property owners put out feeders and then leave for several weeks, not realizing how dependent the birds get for this source of food as the feeders go dry. Even many locals don't clean their feeders frequently or think to change out the nectar after several days.
 
Hummingbirds are territorial, and one male will tend to guard any feeders in his territory, allowing only his "family" to feed. That's why I put up so many feeders at various locations on the property. The Ruby-Throated hummingbird is the only specie that visits this part of the Northwoods, out of over 300 species world-wide. Their short legs prevent them from walking, but I've been amazed at how they can cling to a tree branch even in violent, windy storms! For more info, checkout Operation Ruby Throat.
 
I brew my own nectar since the birds love it and it's so much cheaper than commercial packets. The correct brew is 1 part sugar to 5 parts water.
 
I needed a new air chuck adapter, one of those gizmos you find at gas stations to fill your tires at the complimentary air hose station. My cheapie old adapter was destroyed when the big tractor tire pressure was checked before I realized the air stems had to be straight up in the 12 O'clock position. The corrosive antifreeze liquid got into the chuck and kinda ruined it. I first went to a local "clearance" tool center. They'd been out of these things for a year, but I do recall that they once had these devices for about $10 with gauge and lever squeeze valve. When I went to CarQuest to pick up the big boat battery, I decided to look for a similar device. I nearly fell over when I discovered the cheapest one cost $55! So I purchased a $9 offset unit, no gauge, no valve and will have to make do.
 
One of the big accomplishments this past week was the installation of a php utility on this website which will allow me to post pictures in a themed album format. I'm still waiting for some tweeks but should be able to post some links soon. Many thanks to Paul for helping me on the install, Mike the dozer guy and my Mom and Uncle Al for providing the pictures for the Texas album.
 
Until later.....DKHT

June 2, 2006  Complications on the theme of simple projects
 
I recently sent my good friend Paul an email about a simple project gone bad, as a kind of explanation why I had screwed up a simple utility install on this website (Paul hosts my site via his BadgerTech.net).
 
Anyway, it seemed to be a natural theme for the site, so I'll share that missive with you.
 
"Maybe my hesitation and wariness comes from my experience in having simple projects turn into lengthy ordeals. Like last Friday. All I had to do was get the big boat (a 24 ft pontoon boat with planing hulls and an 88 hp outboard) out of its garage, haul out its battery, a little fresh gas, hook up the "muffs" on the hose (for cooling water) and fire up the engine prior to putting the "for sale" ad in the paper.
 
Behind the boat was the snowblower and the small tractor. The small tractor's battery was dead, so I had to dig out the charger and hook it up. The snowblower had a flat tire, but I got it started and moved over to GeoTruk's garage. I gassed up the small tractor, drained the oil and refilled the crankcase. She finally started (it has a hydrostatic drive and is a mutha to move if it isn't running). I had noticed that the grass was getting pretty long after all the recent rains, so once the small tractor was running (I no longer take the mower deck off for the winter) I figured I'd mow the lawn, which I did. Noticing the big tractor had a low rear tire (these tires are filled with an antifreeze liquid for weight/traction), I then hooked up the cart to the small tractor, drove down to the walkout basement and picked up the air compressor, 50 feet of hose, the tire inflation adapter and a 100 foot commercial electrical extension cord. I realized that I had no idea of what pressure was proper for these tractor tires. After an hour on the 'net I found the appropriate pressure and position for the tires, and discovered I didn't have a gauge that read that low (12-14 PSI). Drove back up to the garage and figured I should at least get the big boat out of its garage.
 
The big boat sits on a two axle, four tire bunk trailer. The trailer's front dolly wheel supports the front end. The boat has to be manually pushed out of its garage, which has less than two inches clearance on the sides and one inch clearance at the highest point. Once out of the garage I can use the small tractor to move it around the back yard. However, the garage floor is concrete, and the garage drive is gravel. The trailer dolly wheel will sink into the gravel just outside the garage, so I have to lay a series of planks just beyond the garage floor lip, sufficient to let me get the small tractor hooked up.

 
I checked the big boat's battery and it's dead. Hooked up a charger to see if it can be saved, otherwise it's into town for a replacement. The small tractor was looking pretty grungy so I pressure washed it. Pulled the dual air filter on it and I was surprised the carb was getting any air at all, so I spent an hour cleaning both filters.
 
So, six days later, I'm about 3/4 of the way thru a one-day project (lost a day due to rain). Meanwhile, I can't work on the basement remodel until I can get the compressor back."
 

 
Until later.....DKHT