The White crowned sparrow is plentiful in this part of Texas. They seem to adapt well to pastures, woods, gardens and shrubbery.  They feed on the ground looking for seeds and the occasional insect that ventures out during the winter months.

Goober is a Gold Champagne Palomino quarter horse. The Gold Champagne color is the result of a breeding of a sorrel (red) horse with a horse that carries the dilute Champagne color gene. Champagne horses  have very distinctive amber eyes and freckled pink skin. This photo was taken when Goober was about 1 ½ years old.

A bare oak tree stands covered with wet snow. Hunt County was covered with snow after the record North Texas snow storm.

This old Chevrolet ranch pick up truck has seen better days. But it’s useful life is not over. Even though it has been pulled out to pasture and has a tree growing through it’s engine compartment it is still a source of spare parts for trucks that are still being used. This picture was taken after the record Northeast Texas snow storm of February 11, 2010.

The Black Bellied Whistling Duck is native to far south Texas, Mexico and Central America. More frequently it is being seen along the United States Gulf Coast.  It is hard to mistake them because of their unusual appearance. They have a distinctive red bill, grey face and pinkish legs. They have a black belly and tail with dark brown cap and neck. In flight their head and feet are carried lower than their body.

This flock showed up near our place in Northeast Texas after a strong storm that came up from the south. They spent a day on a neighbors pond before returning south.

Most horses in this area are pastured. They are usually provided with run in shelters for wind and rain protection in the winter and shade in the summer. Some seem to prefer using the thick cedar trees for shelter. They back into them on the downwind side. Large round bales of hay are placed in the pastures to supplement their grazing.