Going to Pasture

The time has come. We are out of hay and the girls are ready to see the countryside. Before we can turn them into new pasture, though, we've got to fix a little fence. 

So I loaded up Chief with fence fixing equipment: smooth wire, fence stretcher, pliers, clips, and all the staples I could find. 

Before we headed out, we stopped to see our Blessed Mother. 

It's been so fun to spend some time on this south 40. There's not a lot of feed back here, and the cheatgrass is thick, but hopefully the cows will enjoy the cool rock formations as much as I do. 

Up high there is a raven's nest with baby birds in it.

The back fence is pretty rough. An unfortunate quick remedy to a sagging fence is a twist of the wire with pliers. This works well for the first year. Then it rusts out and breaks at the twist, requiring patching. Please tighten loose wires right or just leave them alone. The next guy to run the line with thank you. 

Missing staples on old fence posts are a common problem and an easy fix. If you look hard enough, you can often find a lost staple or two laying around the post. It's good to save what little supply you have. Seems like you never have enough staples on hand while fixing fence. 

Tons of river rock on these hills. Guess the Big Horn River used to be a little wider and deeper than it is today. 

More Indian Paintbrush. It likes south facing slopes, where it gets a lot of sun. 

Beautiful view of the Big Horn Mountains up here. Fun to see the contrast this time of year with the green valley and snow capped mountains. 

Once the fence was fixed and any gates secure, we turned the girls out and let them run. 

They didn't go far before they put their heads down and picked green. 

They've got about 100 acres of Big Horn Basin prairie to play with. I envision leaving them out here for about a month. It'll be good for this ground to get grazed, it's been a few years since it has. Cattle are meant to roam. Feeding them until grass is ready is fine. But traveling around, turning up the soil, and nibbling on plants, is good for them and the land. It'll be fun to keep an eye on them. Dad will probably do so mainly with the drone. It'll also be a good excuse to keep bring a horse home to check on them. We may be small in size but not in fun. These handful of critters should keep all of us on our toes for years to come. Let's ranch. 

Mom's Greenhouse

Mom's greenhouse is a sanctuary. The only time Dad and I are allowed in there, is if it is in need of repair. Well this morning, I got a privileged tour of what is to become of the garden in months ahead. 

This little gem sits right next to the garden. We set it up almost 20 years ago. Though it hasn't been maintenance free, it has stood the test of time. 

The little concrete pad we set it on was poured by Mom's parents, Mary Jane and Ed, some 50 years ago. 

In my experience, greenhouses are usually too hot or too cold. But they do play a pivotal part in transitioning plants from inside to outside. If you keep them watered, with plenty of sunshine, plants sure do grow!

Here we have some basil and tomatoes that Mom first started in the house, then moved them out here. Grandpa loved tomatoes and was happy to eat one right out of the garden. 

Cucumbers are my favorite. They don't take as much starting. But Mom likes to get them started early so they hit the ground running when they are placed in the dirt. I'm also thankful because I can have a cucs in July instead of August. 

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes!

Off to a good start. Gardening is fun. It allows you to appreciate the simpler things in life. I'm glad Mom does it. Because if she didn't, summer wouldn't be the same. Dad and I enjoy the produce, but we have a hard time slowing down to tend to individual seeds. Not Mom, she loves her greenhouse. Garden on, Mom. The world could stand a little more greenhouse effect on our souls. 

Let's Go Branding

My buddy Jeremy called me up and said it was time to go branding. I said, bring it. Unfortunately, he got hung up in Texas and couldn't make it, so I stood in his place.

The Vignaroli Ranch northeast of Buffalo is where we worked. Good crew. Fun time. 

With plans to ride out at 7:30, I had to catch my horse bright and early. 

Then switch may saddle to Chief and get the buck out of him. 

Then out to the ranch. Beautiful morning for a round up. 

They all came together and the push was on. 

Keep the stragglers going, but don't forsake the main herd for a couple calves that get by. We'll pick them up later. 

In the corral they go. I'd say around 300 head. 

Then they cut the cows out. I was put on calf patrol, and snagged one with my rope that slipped through. The highlight of my season so far. 

Nice calves. They were eager to be worked. 

But first, coffee and rolls. 

Let's ranch. 

Pretty smooth operation. Good all-round hands. 

Nice iron set up. The handles on some of these branding irons are pipes with holes drilled around the stem to keep the handle cooler. Nifty idea. 

VO on the right hip. Goes on nice. I got to brand, wrestle, and rope. Good day. 

Ole Dillion gave us a roping clinic. 

Good work, son. 

We were done by noon. 

And headed back to the ranch. 

For some dinner with Miss Jean. 

Can't beat it with a stick. Nothing feels better than having rope running across my lap, dallied to my saddle horn, with a calf on the end of it, heading for the fire. If I can experience it even only once a year, I'm a happy camper. Hopefully, this is the beginning of many brandings that I'll get to jump in on this year. If so, we are off to a good start. We'll see what the spring brings. On to the next on.