Summertime transitions out of spring as the humidity climbs and temperatures rise along with it. Likewise, hay production ramps up, and thousand-pound round bales are the name of the game. With decent rains, multiple cuts can be made throughout the summer and into the fall months. Meadows Ranch bales hundreds (if not thousands, some summers) round bales at various locations on the ranch and at leases around southern Wise County, all in an effort to have stores for winter feeding. Rows of bales are stacked on a hillside visible from a main county road cutting through the ranch, and I’ve always thought they were the most iconic part of the place. You could tell if it had been a wet or dry year just by looking at the amount of hay stacked on that hillside. Water on the ranch plays a couple extra essential roles during the summer, too: keeping cool and recreation. It’s not uncommon to see heifers wading in the shallows of a creek or pond, and fishing on one of the ranch’s three lakes is enjoyed by everyone that lives there. One of my favorite times on the ranch was the summer after my first semester at @TexasTech. My brother, @cathead_biscuits and I bought and repaired an old Bass Buster and a trolling motor and fished every evening that summer. I felt like we caught everything the lake had in it! Summertime on ranches are full of work, but I imagine a few following this account can agree that they are also some of the most rewarding times. You just have to keep an eye out for the snakes in the garden! • Hay Production photos by @dillonmeadows • • #MDiTA #igTexas #TexasAgricultureMatters #texasranch #ranchlife #cattleranch #TexasAgriculture #TexasAg #AgPhotography #travelphotographer #fightnaturedeficitdisorder #getoutside #wisecounty #meadowsranch (at Cottondale, Texas)