Overbooked

For the next ten days, I am overbooked.  I have only said I would be at the absolute number of meetings I have to but, they seem to keep scheduling them on top of each other.  I could really use some help but due to the state of california's budget, it doesn't look like I am going to get any reprieve.

I am annoyed that both meetings I was supposed to or was invited to attend today were cancelled.  I guess I can catch up on other annoyances. 

I am trying to get some practice in for a roping the first weekend in February though.  Need some cattle because, it all changes when you add two live critters to the scene instead of just roping a dummy.  Good for me the weather has been gorgeous for this time of year... Bad for the ground though.  We haven't had much snow or even rain for that matter.  It is a little scary but hopefully, we will start seeing some.

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. 

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.

Weather

As I watched the first day of spring be engulfed by snow "showers" I am amazed at the circle of life. There are daffidols trying to push through the snow and baby calves bucking all over the place. Snow is good this time of year for ranchers, as long as it is not followed by wind. Rain is bad because it equates to mud. Mud doesn't have the insulative properties that snow does.

While I wish for warmer weather, it would be dire for ranchers in this area. The snow would melt, causing issues in the valley along with receding the snow pack which represents next winter forage. That mountain snow pack is the life blood for many ranchers that have to feed stockpiled forage to sustain througout the winter.

I wish we could graze year round but due to weather conditions that is improbable on most years. So, fossil fuels must be used to create winter feedstuffs.