Kyle Ranch Road ~ Tarpley, TX

If we had brought saddle and spurs, we  could have been hired  hands for a cattledrive, today.   These back roads in Bandera County are exciting to explore.  




(CLICK PICTURES FOR ENLARGED IMAGE)



Our neighbor Gil, a  Native Texan,  wintering  at the Farm Country RV Park told me about a dirt road just a few miles away that is great to explore…so off we went again this morning.


We were looking for a road heading west off of Highway 16 between Bandera and Medina.    Directions were to turn on a dirt road just as we pass through the Old Pecan Grove.   Well folks, they are all dirt roads !    We found it easily, after all, even though I had difficulty understanding the “ just go up yonder to the corner, hang a  left, twist and turn around a few times and you’ll see the old grove…right there make yourself a turn into the hills”………!   I am sure you get the drift of the conversation
….  
The Hill Country is hundred of thousands of acres of working ranches.    One right after another, and each with their own unique name.   The Dogleg Ranch caught my eye.   Also a coffee shop in  Bandera is by the name Dogleg Coffee House which happens to have the same style lettering as is on the ranch sign.   Same owner????.    If so, I bet a lot of cups of coffee were sold across the counter in order  to own this place.   Beautiful Countryside here.  

 

As we traveled along, there were many cattle grates in the road that we crossed  and signs cautioning drivers of livestock on the loose.    We found ‘em and they were not the least bit concerned about us being one of them them. 











We were alarmed to find these coyotes hanging on the fence lines of several of the ranches.   From what we hear the coyotes are such a problem for the ranchers with killing livestock, that trappers are hired to kill the coyotes.   A few ranches had only one coyote hanging on display



But further on down the trail three were hanging on display



I guess this is the form of communication to let the ranchers know the trappers got the job done!   There must be some indication by the numbers hanging as to the percentage of their bounty, maybe???? 
The ranch homes are not often seen from the road, although we spotted a few very large homesteads off in the distance.

 

We seemed to drive for hours so we thought, when in reality it was only about 20 miles, before arriving in Tarpley, TX.  
 
The picture below is the entire town accompanied with a few small homes,  and a  place called Mac and Ernies Roadside Café.   This little place is only open on weekends and has gained notoriety from the program Drive-ins, Diners and Dives….(To die for old fashioned hamburgers.!)  We struck up a conversation with a group of other folks in the diner and low and behold they are from Doster, MI only about 25  miles from our home in Michigan.  One certainly has to behave in today’s world because we never know when we will run across someone from own back yard.   As luck would have it he is the founder and coordinator of the Allegan Fiber Arts Show that is held each August in our town.   I love finding places like this and meeting our neighbors 1500 miles away.

  

Around each curve was another surprise.  






Another great Texan Snowbird Day