Sheltering in Place - April 2020

APRIL 2020

HHH

SHELTERING IN PLACE

Homeschooling at the Perry’s

In late March 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic stopped the world in its tracks. Those fortunate enough to have homes at Boot Ranch are riding out the crisis with 2,000 acres of elbow room, the simple pleasures of life in the Hill Country, and lots of family time.

Members are creating their own socially distanced fun with such things as drive-by birthday caravans, pop-up challenges at the Putting Park, and evenings with neighbors around the fire pit.

The Boot Ranch team tackles each new day with creative ways to responsibly serve member needs for food and recreation. Chef-prepared meals and grocery items are available for pick up or doorstop delivery. The golf course has remained open for play. Yoga has moved outdoors.

Longhorn Lake provides fishing, kayaking and the opportunity to actually go jump in the lake.

Many members have shared their stories with us, and we want to share some with you. The underlying theme to each is gratitude - for family, friends and a wonderful place to be together.

Going back a few weeks (before Covid-19) the Advisory Board, Committee members, Club management and the Partners were working closely together on enhancing all aspects of the Boot Ranch experience. And the entire Boot Ranch team was doing what they always do-surpassing member expectations. Everything felt more fun, active and successful than ever before.

AND THEN THE VIRUS came ashore. The response to this situation has been nothing short of outstanding, highlighted by the “Pay it Forward� program to assist in keeping our staff intact during this awful time. Close to $300,000 in future Club charges has been prepaid by members to help ensure paycheck continuance for employees. Not only does it help fund the staff compensation but it is a clear signal how much we appreciate and feel about them!

Jack Kendall, Chairman Advisory Board of Governors

Jack with his chauffeur Nuffington escorting the Easter Bunny to the parade

WILL & EMILY PERRY

Emily and our three kids have been at Boot Ranch over a month now. I have been commuting back and forth from Houston. I leave each Monday around 4:30 am and return to Boot Ranch Thursday evenings. While I am in Houston working during the week, it is very comforting to know that my family is at the safest place possible. It just happens to be our happy place, too!

Boot Ranch has always been an incredible getaway for our family. We love to escape from Houston and to come play and relax in the hill country at all times of the year.

Building our home at Boot Ranch was a significant financial investment for our family, but it has been a great investment for many reasons. Since becoming a member ten years ago, I have always thought I received good value for the investment.

First, as a Sunday House owner and now as a home owner. We completed our home at Boot Ranch four years ago.

With all that’s going on now with coronavirus and the safety mandates, Emily and I are extremely grateful for our Boot Ranch home. Instead of our “getaway home”, it’s now our “indefinite home” and we have never felt stronger about our investment.

Our family is extremely safe at Boot Ranch and we are able to enjoy quality time together. Even though all of the facilities are not open, we are utilizing many parts of the property. We are able to safely play golf, fish, take golf cart rides, pickup food and even grab ice cream at Metzger Market. Boot Ranch is, without a doubt, a blessing to our family!

-Will Perry

KIMBERLY & LEWIS WILKS

We have been at Boot Ranch for the past 6 weeks. There is not a prettier place to be “sheltering at home!”

I am sending you some photos from one of our recent evenings by our fire pit with our son, Braxton (who is in his second year at Baylor Law), and our grand dog, Teddy.

What a beautiful sunset we had at the Boot that night! So pretty and so peaceful.

We had a little friendly competition at the putting park on Wednesday evening. Couples played against each other in an alternate shot tournament. We DID practice social distancing! (Left to right in group photo, Wilks, McLellans, Smiths, Bakers, Brunners, Balcoms, and Waldrips.)

JB & Lynda Baker won the prize bottle of wine.

It was a fun and special evening getting together with good friends and neighbors. (And I needed some social interaction too!)

Most of these friends are not always here at Boot Ranch at the same time. Since a lot of members are hunkering down at Boot Ranch during this pandemic crisis, it has been nice to see so many people driving their golf carts around the Boot and taking walks with their families.”

-Kimberly Wilks

BILL & MARY ANNE WALDRIP

We’re taking time to train Rosie, our 5-month old lab puppy, enjoying sunsets, and sitting outside with neighbors ( of course 6’ apart.)

-Mary Anne Waldrip

Because there are so many families who are also here to shelter at Boot Ranch, we have come to know people we might not have under normal circumstances. We have participated in group get-togethers (with appropriate distancing) at the Putting Park, in driveways, by firepits and have arranged more eclectic golf games, playing with people that we had only heard about, but had never before met.

My two boys, Eric and Regan, have been with Marie and me for the past several weeks. Eric is an avid golfer so we have been playing lots of golf (very grateful that the course was not closed). Regan is more of an outdoor sportsman and has taken up fishing the various bodies of water we have here at Boot. Regan has recently taken Eric under his wing and taught him the ins and outs of fishing.

Yesterday Eric and Regan were fishing at Longhorn Lake, and little brother Eric thought he had snagged his line on something underwater, but then his kayak began moving on its own! Turns out, Eric had snagged what I call a ‘Longhorn Lunker.’ We estimated that this fish weighed close to 10 pounds!

We have made the most of the past several weeks, despite the close quarters.

We thank the good Lord every day for our place at Boot Ranch, on so many levels. We pray that we can all come out of this nightmare soon and that everyone who might read this is staying safe and well.

As a family, we try to remember that life isn’t about how to survive the storm, but, instead, how best to dance in the rain.

-Rege Brunner

REGE & MARIE BRUNNER

SANDRA & BILL GILLILAND

My birthday was on April 4. Linda Davis and Suann Waight organized a birthday parade. Emil and Alex directed traffic, Ude and Brian served champagne. There were 30 decorated cars, 52 people, and 15 dogs. It was a celebration to remember!

-Sandra Gilliland

SUSAN & GARY FORD

We live full time at Boot Ranch, so really, every day is just another day (other than very infrequent trips to HEB, and ackkk, no nail and hair appointments). Since we are not on vacation, we have the same chores. Daily life usually includes flora, fauna and the skies. We feed a multitude of hummingbirds and larger birds. Often there are other wild animals striking a pose. We work in the yard and marvel at all the colorful wildflowers.

They bloom at different times, so every day is fun walk through the property.

We’ve had a few Trailblazer Friday walks since mid-March. Shawn Swan (I named him) was up close and personal recently. Gary is a Hill Country Astronomer member, so he loves the clear dark skies. I love the sunrises and sunsets.

The past few weeks have brought foggy mornings and spectacular evening skies.

As Bill, a former guard, would often say, “Every day is a good day at the Boot.” This has become our mantra. Bloom where you are planted.

We are amazed and thankful for the staff at Boot Ranch and their ability to bend and not break.

-Susan Ford

There is beauty everywhere and you can get a great calorie burn going up and down these hills. The variety of wildflowers are stunning right now and with the rain we have enjoyed, everything is lush and green. We are grateful for the friendly greeting from our wonderful gate guards. Then there are more smiles when we pop into the Metzger Market and always friendly service. We appreciate all of the staff continuing to do their very best to make this a special place to live. It is a little slice of heaven.

-Cathy Carruth

I just want to thank you all for the great and convenient grocery service yesterday!

We enjoyed the delicious burgers and quail poppers last night and are grateful for your time in preparing them. Chef Casey, I especially appreciated your hand written instructions and well wishes. Jordan, Leah and Ben: many thanks for your helping hands along the way.

-Julie Miggins

We have invented a few “corona rules� on the golf course. For example, we do not putt anything within 6 feet of the hole! Also, because we could not warm up when the driving range was closed we took mulligans off any tee box we deemed necessary. We love having our own carts - I may never ride with Don again! We are blessed to be here at Boot Ranch .

-Gwen Hanna

Thanks for keeping the food coming, and for doing everything you could to keep the golf course open. It has been wonderful to get out on this fabulous property.

-Mary Moody