Crouches Trail's End Ranch Retreat

06/06/2024

Anyone want a kitten? 😉 Found this little stinker near a shed we are refurbishing at Trail’s End. This palm-sized baby was all alone in the tall grass for a couple of hours with no mama or littermates around. Took her to Austin Wildlife Rescue down the road, and they told me it’s a female, a couple of weeks old. She was given a bottle and had a cute little milk mustache when I left. She now has six new friends just like her to play with and will be learning to eat crickets and grasshoppers!

06/05/2024

Bee inspection yesterday for new Hive 6. We created this hive from a two-way split on 5-29. Had intentions of queening this hive today but found they have started the queening process themselves. At least eight queen cells have been formed in this hive since the split on 5-29. Decided to go ahead and let them create their own queen, and will check back next week for cell progress and to reduce the number of queen cells to the best two or three. The colony is calm and seems to be doing good. Great beginnigs!

05/29/2024

Getting a little crowded in the hives! The bees are really growing their colonies but are being finicky about using some of the new frames. The solution? A coat of wax on the foundations to entice them to build out comb! CCBeeLady, Mary Ann Green, brought over her waxing materials and we must have waxed two hundred foundations. We’ll find out soon if they will accept our offerings! Installing them today.

04/07/2024

They’re moving in! This woodpecker is still hollowing out a spot - but it looks like home!

03/30/2024

We have a new tenant making a home near Nestle Inn! This pileated woodpecker has decided on our utility pole for his nesting spot. Bluebonnet Electric has been out to okay the work, telling us it’s common for the woodpeckers to choose utility poles. The humming and vibration of the wires causes the birds to think there are insects inside the pole. We are watching for more activity!

11/16/2023

It was a great day to be outdoors today! Walking the trail this morning, I noticed the bluebonnets and other wildflowers have started sprouting after the perfect rains we received over the weekend. They were all over the trail, including smack dab in the middle! I spent the afternoon transplanting at least 50+ seedlings, moving them to areas where they won’t be disturbed. The soil was moist and made it easy. Can’t wait till spring!

10/22/2023

The cowpen daisies have weathered this summer’s drought and are the bumblebees’ favorites at Trail’s End! It’s so relaxing to watch them forage.

10/14/2023

Eclipse magic happening today at Trail’s End! A perfect day to be outdoors, the (perpetual) task is clearing yaupon. But it’s also the coolest thing to see the eclipse in the shade where I’m working! What are you seeing where you are? Post a photo! 😎

10/07/2023

Nestle Inn update:
Three years ago, in the early days of our ownership of Trail’s End, we noticed this huge post oak trunk down in the bottoms on the property. We knew then it would have purpose(s), but it took a while to determine what this log would become. Enter Seth Jones of Cowpoke Lumber Mill. He ended up refining our thinking on the possibilities for the wood. Once he delivered the slabs of the oak (and also cedar from the property) I knew some of them had to belong in Nestle Inn. This week work started on creating a utility bench and the kitchen island, making the old tree an important and meaningful part of the house. I love that it has been repurposed and can’t wait to see the end results!

08/05/2023

I work with some great friends as I gain skills in beekeeping! Working together is so much more fun and the tasks and time pass quickly! Thank you Mary Ann Green (aka CCBeeLady) and Pam Brenner Robinson 🐝🌻❣️

07/19/2023

Trail’s End is the nursery for several fawns this year. Four regularly show up with their mamas and aunties at the feeder. With the conditions so dry, the deer are foraging a little closer than usual -this baby is eyeing the container garden! Time to break out the liquid fence!

03/16/2023

Yesterday was tree planting day at Trail’s End! We planted 20 mostly flowering natives so our bees would have additional nectar sources. Native trees also have gorgeous seasonal color and smell so wonderful when in bloom! It will be a while before these mature, but they were carefully placed so that they will be admired when they finally decide to show off. Thank you Amad Ramirez for your help in getting these trees properly planted! Here are a few of those we planted.

03/06/2023

We’ve been bee-zy at Trail’s End! Hive inspection yesterday revealed some good activity in the hives. We recently split a hive and now there are three!

01/01/2023

Welcome 2023 🎉🐝🌻🕊️

12/02/2022

It’s finally fall y’all! The perfect conditions of cool temps and rain have given Trail’s End a burst of golden color! Cedar elms are showing off with a last hurrah before winter!

06/09/2022

Things are moving along with the remodel of the 1941 house (I call it Nestle Inn)! The hardware from the kitchen cabinets are thought to be original to the house and will be repurposed - they have a few miles on them, but should clean up beautifully. As I was removing them, it occurred to me that there were not many power tools around when this house was being built (Black and Decker introduced the first line of home power tools in 1946). Imagine the process without the power advantage!

05/09/2022

As hot as it has been, evening walks are always pleasant at Trail’s End. This evening the fireflies escorted us home 💚

04/18/2022

This Easter weekend called for some more attention to the hives that were relocated from Vivaldi Gardens out to Trail’s End. The hives are very healthy ones, and the bees need more room! Lantana Farms beek Jeff Kreider (aided by bee pal Pam Robinson yours truly) did a split on the two existing hives and now there are four hives at Trail’s End! The smoke calms the bees and they surely needed that! Those girls weren’t too happy with us intruding and breaking apart their homes- BUT - we made things much more roomy for them. And reducing the numbers in each hive by splitting will calm them even more. Nonetheless, each of us received a retaliatory sting(s) for our effort! 🐝 🐝 🐝

03/14/2022

This weekend we welcomed royalty to Trail’s End! The place was buzzing with excitement as we relocated two hives to begin the establishment of an ag exemption for the property. Since we are coming out of winter and there is currently very little to forage, the assumption was made that there would be very little honey and the girls would be hungry. Sugar cakes were made and pollen patties too, so there would be plenty of food while settling into their new location. Should have known better than to worry - they had quite a large stash and didn’t need any supplemental food! I went to check on them today - I could see them foraging all around a fragrant Mexican plum near their hives. Their humming made me happy! Welcome to the ranch, your majesties! 🐝🐝

12/26/2021

Two fires going at Trail’s End today- one for brush and one for us! Ribs should be ready when the brush fire dies down! Perfect day for a bbq 😋

10/29/2021

Electricity for Nestle Inn doesn’t come without the necessity of an easement. Unfortunately, it meant taking out some mature trees, but we see the opportunity to create a meadow garden in this spot. When life gives you lemons…🌻

10/18/2021

Today was the most perfect of days to greet the Lost Pines Master Naturalist Biocensus group for a plant and bird study at Trail’s End! The neighbor dogs even assisted as ranch greeters and trail guides 😉 The LPMN helped set up a project page on iNaturalist for their discoveries at the ranch. It’s great having their expert help identifying the flora and fauna at Trail’s End! Many thanks!

10/11/2021

Every bit of progress is celebrated! Nestle Inn now has piers, and Casita Bosque is getting water and electricity!

09/05/2021

Excitement of the week at Trail’s End Ranch! Our bandit has been nabbed! It took several tries- pretty smart fellow! He barely fit in the trap! Fat and happy on deer corn! Re-homed a little way down the road.

08/29/2021

Our back porch mascot/guardian! A beneficial spider sometimes called Banana spider or Golden Orb Weaver. My grandmother called them writing spiders. Looks like she’s written her name! What shall we call her?

08/22/2021

Clearing brush is going to be a perpetual chore at Trail’s End! It was on today’s to-do list. In clearing we are constantly reminded that we share this land and must keep the balance in nature’s favor.

08/16/2021

Progress slowly continues at Trail’s End. One more cabin delivered last week! It fits perfectly in its spot- like it’s always supposed to have been there. ❣️

08/10/2021

The “greeters”, Boomer and Pancho, love walking the trails at Trail’s End! They aren’t alone! Here’s a look at the property from a walk we took earlier this week.

08/06/2021

Thank you for joining us on this journey as we develop Crouches Trail’s End Ranch Retreat. Our family discovered and purchased this beautiful 20-acre property in November, 2020. The former owners lovingly cared for the property for 22 years and have passed the legacy of land stewardship on to us. We intend to create a pleasant place with a slower pace for those wishing to experience peaceful country living. Come watch us grow 🌻

08/06/2021