Texas Ranches...and lost keys.

I grew up here. This is my family's ranch (Dad's side). It's been around for 5 generations. This is the worst photographic example of its beauty. We are on a property line, with drizzling rain, at 5:30 in the morning. I'm driving my dad's new car. He's plowing over cedar trees.

The main problem with Cedar trees on Texas ranches is that they multiply like rabbits. They also suck all the water from everything else, most people are allergic to their pollen and they are just plain ugly. Dad has vowed to remove every one of the darn things from the 1500 acre ranch. That is a really, really big job.

I wanted to go to the ranch and wander around. When I was a little gal, we went to the ranch often to fish in the spring fed ponds and hunt armadillos. This particular day I decided to wander around in the fields, picking wildflowers for my grandpa. I wandered, and wandered, and wandered. Memories flooded my mind, giggles departed my lips as I skipped and danced along the country side. Somewhere in my skipping and dancing and frolicking in the fields, the very expensive key to my Father's new Audi fell from my blue jean pocket. I searched and searched. I could not find the key.


After practicing my apology speech and sheading a few tears, I mustered the confidence to approach my father, who was still driving the very large dozer. I knew 3 things could happen.
He could bulldoze me and bury me at the ranch.
He could yell and scream.
He could surprise me.

(Don't I look sad here!)

I delivered my tearful speech over the sound of a D7 engine. He choose option 3 and said, "Sarah Beth, if that is the worst thing you have lost...you are doing pretty good." His girlfriend, Mindy, came to the rescue with the extra set of keys.