Rockin A Mercantile

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Rockin A ranch gate and pond in Perry, Oklahoma

Conservation · Perry, Oklahoma

Building Lake of John

A ranch water feature in the making on the Oklahoma property.

Lake of John

On the family ranch land in Oklahoma we’re building a new pond — Lake of John. What started as open, cleared ground with reddish-brown soil and scattered oaks is now taking shape with a defined basin and dam.

This page documents the work as it progresses. The goal is a practical, durable water source that supports ranch operations, wildlife, and the land itself. We’ll keep adding photos and notes as the project moves forward.

Welcome to Lake of John - Rockin A Ranch, Perry, Oklahoma

On the family ranch land in Oklahoma we're building a new pond - Lake of John. A practical, durable water source for ranch operations, wildlife, and the land itself. Follow along : https://rockinamercantile.com

lake of John, Step 1 - Clearing the ground

Early days - laying out the pond on the cleared ranch land. Red dirt, scattered oaks, and the footprint of what's coming

Step 02 - Dam and Basin Work

Heavy Equipment clearing through the oaks and shaping the dam

Step 03 - Current Status

Walking the cleared basin. The dam and pond footprint are in place.

Latest Progress

The ground is cleared, the dam berm is up, and the basin is taking shape.

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Where generations of all those John and Andrea hold dear to their hearts come together to love, laugh, and celebrate the family we are and the family we’ll always be.

Heath Arstingstall

Progress: From Cleared Ground to a Lake

Step 01 — Site Preparation & Layout

The land was cleared and the general footprint of the pond was established. Early photos show the open field, the reddish soil typical of the area, and the surrounding oak trees that will frame the finished lake.

Early days — laying out the pond on the cleared ranch land.

Step 02 — Dam & Basin Work

Step 01 — Site Preparation & Layout

Dirt work is underway. Heavy equipment is shaping the dam and deepening the basin. The berm is clearly visible, and the excavated soil is being used to build up the embankment.

Building the dam and forming the basin. Equipment is moving soil to create a stable embankment.

Step 03 — Current Status

Step 01 — Site Preparation & Layout

Step 03 — Current Status

The dam is taking form and the basin is defined. Trees remain around the perimeter, and the overall shape of the future pond is clear.

Progress so far — the dam and pond footprint are in place.

Project Goals

Reliable water

Wildlife habitat

Create a reliable water source for the ranch.

Wildlife habitat

Provide habitat and a water feature that fits the land.

Built to last

The ranch story

Build something durable that will last for years.

The ranch story

Document the process as part of the Rockin A ranch story.

The Land

From Ohio farms to Perry, Oklahoma

Dad made the trip to the Arstingstall and Lenk family farms in Ohio every year. Those visits planted the passion that led him to create the Rockin A here in Perry, Oklahoma, in 1995. Today it’s pasture, hay meadows, cedar breaks and oaks — every project here, from Lake of John to the quail release, is about taking care of that land for the generations still to come.

Hay meadow beyond the gate.

Vintage photo of three generations of the family

Three generations — where the story starts.

Aerial view of ranch pasture and tree lines

Pasture and tree lines from above.

Cowboy Country

Three generations of Pokes

Oklahoma State University land surrounds the ranch on every side, and three generations of our family have gone to school there. The orange runs as deep as the red dirt.

Family in OSU orange at the stadium in Stillwater

Game day in Stillwater.

On the field after the game.

Orange from the stands.

Family member in an OSU Cowboys letter jacket

Cowboys, through and through.

Giving Back to the Land

Happy 80th, Dad

For Dad’s 80th birthday, we gave something back to the ranch. Quail raised at Thomas Quail Farm came home to the Rockin A land in Perry, Oklahoma, and Dad set them free himself — one box at a time, right beside the brush piles where they’ll find cover.

It’s the same idea behind Lake of John: leave the land a little better for the wildlife that lives on it and the generations that come after us.

Family generations at sunset on the Rockin A ranch

Generations on the ranch

Quail in pens before release on the ranch

Quail in the pens before release

Happy 80th, Dad

Dad releasing quail on the Rockin A for his 80th Birthday.

Wildlife on the Ranch

Who else calls it home

Quail aren’t the only ones out here. Turkeys work the pasture edges, and the brush piles, cedar breaks and water on the property give them cover and somewhere to drink. A roadrunner even showed up at Mom and Dad’s back window with a snake, like it was bringing them a gift. The pond already holds bass, and Lake of John will add one more reason for wildlife to stay.

Turkeys on the Rockin A

Turkeys working the pasture edges on the ranch.

The roadrunner’s gift, right outside the window.

Largemouth bass caught from the ranch pond

A largemouth from the pond.

Updates

Follow along

This is an ongoing project. Check back for new photos as work continues.

Questions? Reach us at info@whatscrackincafe.com.

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