Almost time

Well it is almost time for me to step out of my paying job and back into my "real job".  Working four ten hour days allows me to be a mother and cow hassler for three days out of the week. The whole ~ Things you dream about every day.

So, I look forward to my Thursday end of the work week day.  To my time to shoe horses, hassle cows, and enjoy my kids.

Today is a very special day.  My little man turns one!  It was a struggle to get him here.  He was diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome in February which resulted in three blood transfusions, a week in a pediatric hospital, and more gray hair and worry lines. 

Good news is he is improving rapidly and is almost back to normal according to his lab work. 

Yeah!

Inspiration

A social media "friend" of mine just posted the most awesome quote~ Never give up on something you dream about everyday.

For me, it is owning livestock.  I dream about taking care of my own calves and foals as a full time job.  I will keep trying.  I currently work two full time jobs now~ one in extension and one as a mother.  One is for money, the other is for hugs, dirty faces, and smiles.

Some people do not understand the need to smell like horse sweat, cattle manure, and sagebrush. Others, only have the disney side of such a life.  I partial get both.  Taking care of animals is more addicting than heroin for me.  I would guess it is a far greater high.  Nothing besides my kids or husband give me the inner peace and satisfaction of seeing baby calves bucking across a field, even if they are not mine.

I am experiencing a whole new sensation though.  As my two year old is starting to become more involved.  She fed her first baby calf this weekend.  Then, we couldn't get her away from the leppy pen.  She has started helping us on short gathers.  She rides in front of me in the saddle, jabbering like a little magpie.  Such an inquisitive, precosious little ball of fire.  The pride wells up as she tells the cows- look for the gate, go find your calves, your baby is hollering ~ where is my mama.

14 cattle trucks burned

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002145329#post4

Animal rights terrorists have hit a new low.  They detonated fire bombs to burn up fourteen cattle trucks.  Thank goodness no one has been deemed injured but the possibility is there.  This is sad.  If you don't agree, vote at the grocery store.

I really am disturbed by the continual threats to the nation's food supply.  This is particularly disheartening when you think of the possible damage or loss of life that could have been associated with such a rash act.  Unfortunately, there are nuts out there that don't think.

Busy Weekend

Here is how I spent my weekend.  We started on Friday, gathering and working the neighbors cows.  They had some escapees who had to rounded up and sorted off their mothers.

Then, we had to move them to their new pastures after being vaccinated and pregnancy checked.  Here is my partener in crime for Saturday and Sunday.  This is Waymore.  He is a doll.  This gentle giant will get with a cow when needed and then bring it back down to kids speed.  He is one of a kind. 

State Refuge

Went out to the State Wildlife Refuge yesterday- I will have to post some pictures.  All I can say, is what a waste of resources.  There is grass everywhere that is not being utilized and will probably go up in smoke.  The same grass that could be used to make beef.  Don't get me wrong, this refuge is a bit forward thinking allowing some haying and grazing but not near what is needed.

We are trying to do some grazing studies out on the state ground but have been running into problems.  Oh well, it will happen later rather than sooner.  I do have some possibilities though.  They are spending millions to reconfigure the stream- much like the system I talked about early.  It is a pond and plug type.  Where they take the material from the "ponds" and use it to plug up other areas.  Your tax dollars at work.

Today, I am thankful for TnT- not the nitro kind.  The kid kind.  Tay last night was a frog who roped cows... I am starting to see a pattern here.  Her as a frog lived in a cardboard box barn.  We had alot of fun jumping around ribbiting! 

Hello Winter

We went from fallish/Indian summer weather straight into winter, now I think it might be fall for a couple more days.  We woke up to three inches of moisture-filled snow Friday morning and it didn't stop until this morning.  Getting an early jump on the snowpack, for next year.

I haven't looked at the almanac but would be interested to see what it had to say.  Anyway, the snow through a wrench in the plans to go help the neighbor finish sorting pairs for shipping.  He sells his cattle on the video and does it by sex.  So, each pair is sorted into a steer or heifer bunch until shipping time. 

The neighbor has a hard time getting help, not because he is hard to work for just because he chooses who he wants to work for him.  The people he chooses tend to have day jobs and are weekend warriors like myself.  Some days, I wish I could "cowboy" full time but this weekend wasn't one of those days.

Since, it is the season for being Thankful- I am going to start listing at the end of each post things I am thankful for- Today, I am thankful for the people who are out there 24-7 providing a safe, wholesome food supply.  I dang sure didn't want the job this weekend. 

Kids say the darndest things...

Spent the weekend with the entire family- which means, I have the only granddaughter. She hold her own quite well with the other four grandsons. I had to laugh though. The oldest two grandsons- both 4 were discussing Transformers. I guess there is one called Bull? Anyway, they were conversing about Bull and how he turns into a car.

Tay got this very perplexed look on her face and says- Bull no car. Bull cow- Mooo! To which the other two started in tandem trying to tell her about Transformers. I was proud. She stuck to her guns. Bull was definitely not a car, it was a cow. Which is technically correct but I was impressed with her logic anyways.

It went on until she told T and C to stop. Bull no car. Bull cow. Rope bull. It was quite the conversation for a group of kids under 5, to say the least.

We were impressed by the beauty of the Midwest. The bounty in which the soil could produce and the colors of fall associated with the hardwoods. On the flip side, we were happy to be back to our air which hadn't been breathed already and didn't have more than 10% humidity.

Possible good news

For all of you who haven't commented on the Department of Labor's ridiculous proposed rules-- they may extend the deadline.  Many groups have been leaning on the DOL to make sure the public comment period is open for another 60-90 days. 

Just a reminder- the picture you see would be considered illegal under the new laws.  A small child, feeding hay, in a feedlot situation, not on a property owned by her parents!  The thought of such child abuse allowed to continue. 

Of course this one would be illegal also.  Riding on horseback and moving cows.  She wasn't even 16 months let alone the required 16 years.  Shocking isn't it!  Seriously, get your comments in.  Give rural kids the break they need to continue traditions, learn how to care for animals, and continue supplying food to the country.

The Life

Now this is the life for man and beast.  A gorgeous fall day, grass up to your belly, and humble family time.

A little background on this pasture...  Five years ago, this was a degrade stream.  The channel itself had been incised (cut down into the ground) and the crossing (not seen) under the road had made fish passage impossible. 

This poor stream was the result of the government coming in and straightening it- NOT IMPROPER GRAZING.  Back in the middle of the 20th century, the army corps of engineers thought streams should be straight without the meanders and curves.  Doing so, increases the amount of power behind large water events, like spring run off.  Thus, they take out large portions of the bank and dig deeper into the soil, reducing the water table.

Putting the stream back on top of the meadow, and increasing the amount of curves in it, reduces the power of the water and rises the water table.  As you can see here, vegetation is abundant.  This pasture actually needs to be grazed much harder than it is.  The grass is starting to mat and the vegetation is getting decadent, reducing its potential for wildlife habitat.

Thankful

Yesterday I was thankful for my town job... Between the snow, hail, and rain, it would have been a miserable day a horseback but my husband was out there doing it. They had to sort off yearling heifers for breeding. About 600 of them.

Yearlings are the worst to sort, they haven't been "trained" to go to the opening. Then, when they do get out they run. They are easier to move somewhere because they go most places quite quickly.

Thirteen hours on a horse and even the most toughened cowboy is tired. So were the dogs, and I was tired too. I might have traded him places for a couple hours in the evening. I was at home with the two kids, the oldest hasn't turned two yet.

Spring

Mother Nature is teasing us. Not as bad as the federal government but still. We go from gorgeous 60 degrees and sunshine to six inches of snow. You have to love spring at higher elevations. We have several calves on the ground. The Canadian geese and cranes are pairing up for mating. I am amazed at where these creatures make their nests. The cranes are amongst the cows. The geese are on the periphery of last year's late grazed pastures, utilizing the aftermath and the green feed that is sprouting. The snow geese on the other hand, are causing destruction. The flock by the thousands onto hayfields, making it look like the snow hasn't even melted yet. They feed on the green feed too but the shear numbers are causing fields to need replanting. A late winter hunting season wouldn't hurt, even if it was for a few days just to get them moving around and not camping in one place too long. The co-existence of the livestock and wildlife is especially heartwarming though.