Long drive

I took of Saturday morning and headed west. Went over to Gillette and headed north and west until I got to a crossroads and headed north again. Eventually crossed into Montana and deiced I had missed a turn. Turned around and headed back to where I thought I should have went west again, called the lady of the house and she confirmed I was on the right track at last. I twisted and wound around on methane and oil field/private ranch roads until I finally got to my destination, a cow camp on a large ranch where I met up with some fellers who had come over from Oregon to hunt Antelope and brought along two dogs for me. Well, one is going to Chance and Hope. We visited and then drove in to Sheridan on the back road and looked around town a bit while waiting on the cowboy to complete a trade on pickups, then we all went to eat. I left there about 7 pm and got home about 11 pm, meanwhile stopping to gas up and let the dogs exercise a couple times. Hope and the kids stayed another night and headed out this morning with their new dog with them. My new dog, named Tucker  but it’s going to be changed to Buck, as I already had a Tuck once and I don’t like two syllable names for dogs, is a friendly, hound looking, short haired Border Collie. He is supposedly somewhat trained and sure will drop when told to “down”. He will need to get used to these two wild dogs here for awhile before I try him out on cattle.

I going to pick up Cindy about noon and head over to the Alzada Gathering, this afternoon, to meet up with some friends. Then  I guess I have some more hay coming in tomorrow. I have to help a neighbor ship calves on Tuesday morning. And Cindy has more stuff that needs to be put up in the kitchen, so I bet that gets worked into the schedule also! 😉

Warm yesterday and today (in the upper 80’s) and supposed to stay that way until about Thursday when it sounds like we have colder weather and rain coming in.

Oh, and Addy Bear is crawling! Watch out world!

Not as much fun

Went over to Punkin Center and had Norman fix my hub that wouldn’t roll on the trailer that ruined the tire. Brakes in it froze up, so there is no brake assembly in it at the moment, but the hub rolls and that new tire he stuck on there works real well! 😉

Then went over to a friend’s, Casey, and got some old U posts from him to use on a panel I am going to build. He drives a real hard bargain. Wouldn’t let me pay anything for hem, but did let me buy him an early lunch at the Bull Creek Cafe.

This afternoon I finished putting wire on the hay corral and drove the tee posts for it. I have been looking for some of them twisty wires that you use for spacers, but can’t seem to find any. Oh well, can’t find my post puller, old set of fence stretchers or smaller post driver either. Been looking for them quite a while so I either left them somewhere, or someone borrowed them. I bought some new stretchers awhile back and I have another post driver and so far have avoided pulling any tee posts, so have gotten by, but it erks me when I can’t find things.

I found my camera. Here’s a few pictures from yesterday. Remember to click on them to embigenate.

Fun

Got up pretty early before daylihght and loaded two horses and headed over west of Belle to help a guy over there work a few calves and he also tested some cows. Then we drove over east of im a ways and set up portable corrals and gathered a small bunch of Chance’s boss’s cattle and branded the calves and worked them. Big calves. Some sure weighed over 500 pounds. When you dropped a rope on one, you dang sure knew it. Just had a few of us at a time roping them and stretching them out, so it went a little slow, but that was what we were after. There were a bunch of people there from France taking pictures and seems like they sure enjoyed the day.

We got back to the house about 3:30 to eat lunch and then visited a bit. When I headed home, I noticed one trailer tire making some weird dust so pulled in to a tire repair shop in Sturgis and the front trailer tire was shot. Come to find out, the hub won’t turn and it completely wore the tire off flat on the bottom. The shop was kind of closed. The office part was closed tho’ a guy was working in there. He looked at it and advised what I was planning on, which was to run with only one tire on that side of the trailer. Only had two horses so it wasn’t too big of a deal. Made it home fine. Hopefully tomorrow the guys down to CBH can fix it and mount another tire on the rim. I need to help a neighbor ship calves on Tuesday, so will be needing the trailer by then.  It was fun to work with Chance, his boss and a couple other guys. It went well.

Warm today with a nice breeze.

Couldn’t find my camera this evening when I got home so I hope I didn’t lose it. I took a few shots today, but have no idea how they turned out. Hopefully tomorrow in the day light it will show up in the pickup.

Another day

shot to hell. 😉

Worked on setting some posts this morning then strung some wires for a hay corral. The guy that had me make the leather carving for a camera came a little before noon and we ate then went out and took some pictures. Then this afternoon, Brad came over and we rode south and roped and doctored a foot sore heifer.

Here’s some pictures.

And Happy Birthday, Tate!

Grass

Went up and helped Dean this morning and then this afternoon Gramma rode with me and we went south and looked at cattle. Snapped some pictures of the grass. When you see he red grass in your pasture, you know you are not over grazing (which is really a misnomer) as it is a decreaser, both little and large bluestem. I am getting more and more of it on what was traditionally late spring/summer range. I try to use all my pastures at all times of the year and try to rotate in such a way as to never go into a pasture the same time as previous years. some pastures get grazed very hard at times but I have always managed to let some hardly get grazed. The grass is so heavy now that the cattle are mashing down about as much as they are eating, which used to drive me crazy until I found out that the mashed down grasses are what feed all the little bugs in the soil, which makes the soil better, which makes it grow better grass. So it’s really just fertilizer and a way to stop water from running off and it helps your pasture and grasses get better and better. The worst thing you can do is have bare ground and we are always learning new things. Fire is a tool some use, especially in the south east where it is wetter and they have a faster recovery time. I would use fire, but you have to use it in spring to be most effective/safe and in order to do that, they tell me you have to leave a lot of old grass, which is expensive to a rancher who makes his living off the grass and forage that grows. I would like to see a few less woody plants, but I think the most cost effective way to do that would be to have sheep and goats grazing. If I could just find someone who had some and a herder for them,  as I am not set up with fences to keep sheep or goats here and it is too high priced for me to do it, tho’ I could do a small pasture at a time, but I still like the idea of herding better, as you can keep the sheep and goats on problem areas and more effectively get the woody species cut back.

Here are some pictures. Be sure to click on them to make them bigger.

Badger Clark days

Had a great time in Hot Springs this weekend. Chance made it down for the Friday night jam. Had a great group in thew workshop on Saturday morning and lots of talent in the Saturday afternoon session. Some friends I have met on the internet showed up both days and an old buddy showed up Saturday afternoon and hung out for the night. A bunch of us had breakfast together on Sunday morning and we were all tired, but a happy tired!

Now, I got to go catch a horse and help a neighbor and then got a feller coming tomorrow with a new camera he wants to take some pictures with. This is the camera that I did the leather work for. I’ll try and get some pictures of it.

More corral work

Went out and added wire and cut on poles in the corral today. Then started work on the new corral. Got it done just before dark this evening. I will have to get more wire and add wire to the new corral later. And hang a gate. But now I will be able to harness and hook my team in the little barn in the background and drive them out and into the yard to hook up and not have to worry about anything getting out of the corral. Also, it is going to be a lot handier when we ship and sort and work cattle. Might even be pretty handy for a roping! 😉

I drove out to the end of the tree patch where some of the horses had tried to “trap” themselves as they didn’t want to come back thru’ the corrals where I was working, and let them out. Snapped a few pictures.

Tanqu and Q Tip.

Colonel following his half sister, Sis. Punkin’ in the background. All are out of Mijo and different mares. Might get some colts out of Colonel in the sporing, seeing as it was late when I got him gelded. And SOMEBODY  let him run with some mares! 😉

Youngsters. all are out of Mijo except the smallest one, Tanq. Three are full sisters. Out of Mijo and Peaches.

Pal. Got him from a friend this spring. 8 year old gelding with some Naviculer (sp). We have been shoeing on him following a system that a friend suggested. He seems to be getting better. Matter of fact, it’s time to get a hold of Laramie and set a day to re-shoe him. He is bombproof, so will go to Chance and Hope for the boys and them to ride, if I can get him sound. Looks like it will happen.

Real nice day again. Sunny and not to warm with just a little wind. Cool this morning, but the maters didn’t freeze. I have them locked up in the greenhouse tonight.

I head to Hot Springs tomorrow for Badger Clark Gathering. Hope to see some of you there. Starts tomorrow evening with a jam at Woolies and then all day Saturday and the night show at 7 pm at the Mueller Center. Got a great line up of performers and there will be many more for the day sessions. I will see old friends and probably meet some new ones!

Oh, and that damn Bob chewed up another right hand glove while waiting in Purple while I was working on corrals. Damn that dog! Grrrrr!

A book

I received a book in the mail the other day. “Every Picture Has A Story” by Marvin Gohlke, Jr.

If you like pictures with stories. If you like short stories from the heart, that are inspiring and moving and powerful, you need to get a copy of this book.

I have no idea what it costs. But whatever it costs, it is worth it.

I have only read a few stories so far,  tho’ I have looked at all the photographs recorded in it’s pages. All make me think and wonder and envy the person who took them and their wit and vision. And the stories that go along with them, are fantastic.

It is so great to be able to look into the mind pf of the photographer and hear the back story behind each shot. Why they took it, what they were thinking, how it moved them to take it.

It is not a huge thick book and the photo’s and stories are just the right length for a bit of reflection, even in today’s hurried and harried life. I think it would make an excellent Christmas gift.

If your interested you can get a copy at;

Xlibris

http://www.xlibris.com/bookstore

or by calling 888-795-4274 ext. 7876

It comes in both hard and soft cover.

Here is a short transcript from the beginning of this book. “The only thing that stands between a person and what they want in life is the will to try it, and the faith to believe it is possible… Unknown.”

No one asked me to write this as some sort of advertising. I just thought many of you would enjoy this book and the messages and thoughts in it.

No, you can’t borrow mine. It was a gift and I won’t take a chance on losing it. Thanks Marvin. One of the nicest gifts I have ever received!

Today’s job

Here’s what I got done today.

Before

After

Also got a corner replaced that was getting pretty bad.

Still need to cut some of the ends off and also I dug some more holes on the longer stretches and have to set a few more posts so as to strengthen it, but that won’t take to long. Also I need to add more, stronger wire at each pole and post so they never get knocked down.

I still have enough poles left to make another smaller corral out behind my small red horse barn that I can use to go in and out with a harnessed team and also we can use it at sorting and preg time, for another place to put a sort of cattle.

I will have to build or buy some gates, but as usual, I always have a few corral panels around to fill in the holes until I can get gates hung! 😉

Oh, and here is the new tent, set up on the north side of the house.

I didn’t have enough poles to set it up properly at first so used more ropes than was needed after I added the poles. Looks like we didn’t get the ridge pole set to level! 😉

Oh well, it keeps the rain and snow out and it has a wood burner stove in it, but the chimney is not up in this photo. When my Danish friends were here last Sunday evening, the 3 men stayed in the tent. Got pretty cool, but they said the stove warmed the tent up fast.

For some reason I am tired tonight and my wire twisting arm is sore. 😉

Sure was a beautiful fall day. Not too warm and not too hot. Just a little wind.