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Author Topic: A working West Texas ranch  (Read 4730 times)

Offline crw13755

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A working West Texas ranch
« on: May 08, 2005, 12:11:08 pm »
http://www.texasbluebonnet.com/flowers.htm   I love this green house


http://www.texascountryreporter.com/show.htm



Old Alazan Ranch...
Deep in the heart of the West Texas Big Bend Country, Waynelle and James Strachan began ranching in 1980. Riding the range, mending fences, and convincing those little dogies to "git along," - carving life and livelihood from a sometimes extreme landscape.

In 1990, Waynelle established Old Alazan Company.  A working West Texas ranch became a guest ranch and destination for those seeking to escape the frenzy of the city. Since that time they have entertained visitors from around the world, exploring a landscape that at first glance seems harsh and unforgiving, yet possesses an awesome beauty found only in the Chihuahuan Desert.

A transplanted Mississippian, Waynelle was more accustomed the meandering streams, green fields and magnolia trees of the Mississippi River basin, and the ruggedness of the Big Bend required some serious adjustment. However, when spring rains brought about the blooming of the Big Bend bluebonnets and the endless varieties of cacti, she was drawn to the hidden canyons and mountain slopes of the ranch. The Big Bend had worked its magic and she was a fan for life.
 
In awe of this beauty, Waynelle was tempted then determined to cultivate the blossoms closer to their ranch headquarters.


 But, bluebonnets as wild and undomesticated as the landscape they were drawn from, stubbornly refused to cooperate with the move and as so often we have heard, the game was afoot!  

During the early '90s, Waynelle was introduced to Dr. Wayne Mackay of Texas A&M University (TAMU) agricultural research and became fascinated with his work.

Dr. MacKay's research looked at the Big Bend (Havardii) Bluebonnet as a drought resistant landscaping plant and with this new research available, Waynelle knew she had found her challenge of doing something no one else had done - production of the state flower of Texas as a cut flower.

In 1996, she began greenhouse cultivation and what began as a hobby soon evolved into a fascinating enterprise and today she is the only commercial grower of the majestic long stem bluebonnet.

By 1998, Waynelle was joined by daughter Staci Witte and together they have shared a little bit of Texas with the rest of the world, offering the brilliant blossoms to innumerable Texans, and to those misplaced Texans yearning for a little bit of home.

In their green houses in Clint, Texas, Old Alazan now produces both blue and white long stem bluebonnets. In their relatively short history they have provided blossoms to decorate Tournament of Roses Parade floats, numerous Texas galas, thrilled wedding parties world-wide with a little bit of Texas, and provided that Texas flair to the inaugural events of President George W. Bush.
 

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 Waynelle Strachan –

A native of Mississippi, this relocated southern belle came to west Texas, graduated from Texas Western College, now the University of Texas El Paso, and after many years, calls the rugged beauty of West Texas home, dividing her time between the Big Bend area guest ranch and the bluebonnet green houses in Clint, Texas.

Whether hosting couples, ladies groups, stained glass classes, corporate meetings and hunting parties at the ranch, checking conditions in the greenhouse or the myriad details that go along with ranching and farming, Waynelle is always on the go, but, like all of us, she makes time for herself.  When she's not exploring the back country by horseback, or hiking the canyons, you may find her winging her way across the west Texas skies in her red, white and blue Cessna.

Offline eye388

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Goodjob
« Reply #1 on: November 19, 2005, 11:46:18 am »
Hooah, gr8 job...i am speechless