Graduation gift

This one is going to a future graduate a couple of towns over. His brother brought the design by the shop, and I didn't think I'd like the knife till I got it made. Now I think I need to be carrying one. It sure feels nice in the hand. Giraffe bone handle, 1084/15n20 damascus steel. 7.5 inch knife, 3.5 inch cutting edge.




Love is in the air......

Our turkeys are completely stupid right now. I drove up within 10 feet of these gobblers, they never new I was there. 

 

The big dig

There is a spring on the ranch down close to Cross Plains that has been a popular spot since before the Indians found it. I've read stories of wagons making camp here on their way west, area farmers hauling water from it during droughts, even speculation that the spanish, and or, confederate soldiers  buried treasure in the area.
 There was a hermit that lived in a dug out at the spring for years. He died some time in the 1950's. I knew about where his cabin was, but not exactly. I have found a lot of things, trace chains, pulleys, hand forged hinges, etc. around the spring, and just assumed the old dug out had caved in and nature had taken it back.
 Kyle and Doug decided, for some reason, to go running around in a briar thicket Saturday morning at the spring, ( I'm relatively sure there was a good reason, but I was scared to ask) and discovered the old dug out cabin. The door was made out of tin, covered with dirt and leaves, and had finally rotted and fallen in. We are in the midst of an archeological excavation.

Gold? Silver? I doubt it. If the poor folks that came before us had lost a nickel they would still be there looking for it.

The spring

Bits and spurs

A couple of items out of the shop this week. The bit will be given away in April at the Callahan County, Texas ranch rodeo. This rodeo is for county residents only and should be a good show. There are a lot of good hands here. One of my horses better wear this home!

Spur consignment

http://spanishspade.com

I consigned these spurs that I had for sale on a previous post with Marsh Brothers in Wyoming. Ernie is a good guy to do business with, as well as fantastic artist. His site is well worth a look. 

Inlayed spurs and a trip

I like for my spurs to be used, and these will be used 7 days a week. Tim runs a preconditioning yard northwest of Abilene, Tx, and there aren't many days off in that business.
A fine silver inlay for the name and bars, nickel silver for the rowel pin cap.

Kim and I took a trip last week out to the cowboy poetry gathering in Alpine and had a really good time. We ventured over into Presidio county one afternoon and had a good visit with Armando Vasquez of Casa Piedra, Tx. The ranch is 1.5 hours south of Marfa, and about as remote as you can get. It doesn't get any prettier than the desert and mountains on a nice day.

An outlaw bull nobody could keep at home, he wandered up to Armando's and took up residence

89 yrs old and still works every day