The 9E Ranch- A Thin Place Towering Pines waving in the breeze, gentle rolling hills, tranquil paths, ponds, winding Piney Creek, water falls, fields of wildflowers, birds of every kind, wild turkey, deer, quarter horses galloping, longhorns grazing, a rooster crowing in the morning, a herd of cats and miniature donkeys waiting for a pet all describe the 9E Ranch and yet nothing says it like "a thin place" ---a thin space between Heaven and Earth. A place so thin that at times you actually feel you have touched Heaven and the curtain opens to the mystical.	In 1999 the Texas Lone Star cabin was completed using the cedar logs from the ranch for the exterior and the pine floors came from the loblolly pines that had been washed out in the flood of 1998. The next cabins built were Eagles' Nest and Michelle's Cabin. De Colores Artist Barn is the renovated Shack and has become Joan's art studio. In 2002 the 9E Ranch was awarded "Best B&B for Star Gazing" and the HAT (Hospitality Accommodations of Texas) award of excellence. In 2003 the water garden, water fall stream and lily pond were created. The edible garden was added with fruit trees, blackberries, vegetables and herb gardens. Guests are invited to pick blackberries in the Spring. In 2004 the Ranch House kitchen was remodeled, a Garden room and large deck were added for guests to enjoy the hill top breeze and beautiful sunsets. In 2007, the two bedroom Daisy Cottage was built, looking out over the pastures with a great sunset view from the porches.
Dr. Robert Yelderman (10-11-12 to 3-2-95 Joan's father) was a family doctor in Rosenberg, just southwest of Houston. He was a physician by trade, but a Texas rancher by heart. He longed for more ranch land because "God isn't making any more land!" so he and Marjorie searched and found 1,500 acres near Rosanky, Texas. The children's first memory was visiting the ranch in the old blue Plymouth sitting alongside the road in pouring rain. It felt like a wilderness to the five children, Mark, Joan, Judy, Marie and Margie. They bought the 1,500 acres of wilderness and begain turning a small part of the Lost Pine Forest of Bastrop County into a cattle ranch by clearing trees and burnng piles of brush cut down by a bull dozer. 9E was Dr. R.L. Yelderman's brand for cattle. Often the question is asked, "Where did the 9E come from and what does it mean?" Doc stated cattle ranching with his brother, Jake in Damon, Texas and Jake's brand was 6E. It was easy to just turn the 6 into a 9. Jake had bought a herd of cows all branded 6E and the selling cowboy threw in the iron brands. so you see, it don't mean nothing!	Joan loves cooking and often cooked for the family of 7 while growing up. She received the Betty Crocker award at Lamar High School and was the president of the Future Homemakers of America, so cooking breakfast for guests was a natural step. For their first anniversary in 1991, Kent had a breakfast basket delivered to their home. This became the inspiration for the breakfast baskets fro the B&B guests at the ranch.
The first living quarters was the metal barn (now De Colores, but then "The Shack") built in 1961. There was a rustic open bathroom shower around the back and a wood burning stove provided the heat and the cooking stove. Doc made his legedary "Rosanky Stew" overnight on the stove. He bragged that he didn't even wash the pot because that would change the flavor. The living quarters improved when a mobil home was brought to the ranch. The brick ranch house was built in the early 1980's. The family spent many weekends at the ranch and Thanksgivings for the opening of deer hunting season. In 1998, four of the Yelderman children sold their portion of the ranch for La Reata subdivision, enabling Joan to create the 9E Ranch Bed and breakfast. Michelle, granddaughter kept her land and built a log cabin to live in.	Guests continue to visit the 9E Ranch and remind us with their notes that they leave that this is "little piece of Heaven" and have experienced the presence of God as the towering pines part the clouds and reach to Heaven -- a thin place --the 9E Ranch.