Here’s a little bigger cowboy on ol’ Liberty!

Took Kid to town today and got his health and inspection papers all fixed up.

While we was in town, we looked at wood burning stoves. With the money I’ve spent on propane the past few years, I think I could have built a pretty nice house! Got some idea’s anyway.

While I was there I gave the contacts back to the eye doctor. I guess I am just too old of a dog to learn new tricks.

Kass and Gabe rode along so we went and got the kid some warmer clothes so he can help Grampa with the chores and not freeze to death. Man, this is gonn’a be so much fun havin’ a kid to take along!

Here’s a “cowboy” on a pretty “springy” horse!

We got all the yearling steers shipped but one, that was overlooked. Found him this afternoon. I’ll have to haul him to the sale on Monday. We are going to ship our calves Friday and the yearling heifers on Saturday. So this place is going to be a lot less boviney, if that’s a word.

Although, a neighbor who needed some extra grass brought some cows over that he had shipped calves off from. They will stay until the grass is gone or the snow covers it all up. Good deal for both of us.

Another nice day. Don’t seem like I got too much accomplished, but it still was an aful nice day.

Here’s ol’ Kid.

He’s probably going to be heading to Illinois in a few days.

We helped a neighbor gather a pretty big pasture on the gumbo today. I’ll help again tomorrow to get them shipped to the sale and then run up and watch the yearling’s of my yearling guy’s sell. I sent one of mine along so I need to go pick up the check anyways. Hope they sell good!

Update!

No, Kid will not return from Ill. He will be sold. I have too many young horses to keep an older, well broke horse, worth as much as Kid is, around. I will keep Beaver as a replacement. anyone coming and wanting to ride horses around here, will either have to learn to ride less broke horses or not ride at all. These broke to death ones are what help to pay the bills. Until someone is willing to pay me enough to keep that kid around so they can occasionally ride, they will be sold, when they get to that stage of training, if anyone is willing to pay what they are worth. Sorry, but this isn’t supposed to be a non-profit organization!

You guys were supposed to be emailing me a cool picture, for the 1st anniversary of this blog, back around the 24th. Good think Deb was paying attention!

So get me a cool picture and as suggested, who ever sends the best one, will get a day with Jinglebob! Come to the ranch and we’ll find something to do.

Carry on.

By the way, please only send one photo. Thanks!

rdennis@gwtc.net

Here’s Jake. I brought him home from my colt man’s house this afternoon. He’s had a few days of riding and will be better for it. I took another horse and left him in Jakes place.

This is Grump, not being very grumpy. He made the trip down to my colt man today. He’s in the Army now! So to speak….. When Eric gets done with him, he will have manners and have quite a bit of training on him.

Another nice day. I rode up west to get a steer in that was in the wrong pasture. he needs to go out with the bunch that is leaving on Saturday and was afraid I’d forget about him and then have trouble getting him in time to go on the trucks. He gave me and Beaver a little tussle, along with a dumb pup, but we managed to get him in. He will spend the next couple days in the corral, eating hay. That’ll learn him to jump into the wrong pasture!

No, this isn’t what it looks like here right now, but I’m thinking, pretty soon……

Any of you who haven’t checked out the Viable Third blog, that is listed to the left of this page as a link, need to check it out. Jim has really out done himself I think. Great stuff!

Had a fellow and his family from Illinois stopped in this evening and dropped his trailer off. Nice family. Cute kids. They will be back in a few days after they have traveled to Montana and back for their vacation. Probably be taking at least one horse home with them when they head back.

Such a beautiful day today. Hope this weather lasts until after we get all the cattle shipped.

Tho’ we will always take rain, in this country. 🙂

Here’s a picture of Gabe on a pony at Storybook Island, last year. He’s made of iron. the pony, not Gabe!

I ain’t sure if the contacts are going to work. I didn’t wear them while at Hot Springs. Too much reading. He gave me contacts with bifocals in them. A weak one for my strong eye and a strong one for my weak eye. It wasn’t working for reading. So I went in yesterday and he gave me two weak ones, but every time I rub my eye at all, I pop one out! I’ll keep trying for awhile, but I ain’t sure. Dang, and I was so looking forward to not having to fight sweat running into my lenses!

I went out today and rode Woody and Shadow moved some yearlings around that we are going to gather and ship on Saturday. I’ve got quite a crew coming in to do it. 4 of them at least. Then on Sunday we are going to help a neighbor gather his for shipping on Monday to the same sale as the yearlings are going to.

I’ve got a family stopping in tomorrow who are on their way to Montana for vacation. They are leaving their trailer here while they are gone. When they come back, they may be taking a horse or maybe two back with them. We’ll see.

Cindy, Gabe and I drove up west and looked around and opened some gates this afternoon.

Windy today, but warm enough. Almost 70.

I hope your day went well.

Here’s a picture of Gabe on a pony at Storybook Island, last year.

I ain’t sure if the contacts are going to work. I didn’t wear them while at Hot Springs. Too much reading. He gave me contacts with bifocals in them. A weak one for my strong eye and a strong one for my weak eye. It wasn’t working for reading. So I went in yesterday and he gave me two weak ones, but every time I rub my eye at all, I pop one out! I’ll keep trying for awhile, but I ain’t sure. Dang, and I was so looking forward to not having to fight sweat running into my lenses!

I went out today and rode Woody and moved some yearlings around that we are gfoing to gather and ship on Saturday. I’ve got quite a crew coming in to do it. then on sunday we are going to help a neighbor gather his for shipping on Monday to the same sale as the yeaqrlings are going to.

This is a picture from last year of Suzy’s colt.

He’s not here any more.

A while back, he came in with a real nasty cut on the inside of his hock, on the back leg. I kept him in and went to doctoring him. He lost weight rapidly even tho’ I was feeding him a lot of high powered feed. I fed him oral anitbiotics also. I got the wound too healing, but was afraid he may have had a broken bone also. Everyone I talked to said he would eventually walk on it again, tho’ it would take a long time. So we doctored and fed and hoped for the best. This morning I realized I wasn’t doing him any favors.

So, I had a job that is one I hate. I had to put him down.

I’ve helped lots of suffering animals along to their final end. I like to think there is a hevean for horses and dogs and all animals. I hope to get there some day.

I would much rather help them to a clean and painless end than to see them suffer. I feel if your any kind of a real friend to animals, you will do it, even tho’ it’s a hard job.

Seems harder on young animals.

But he suffers no more.

And any cowboy will tell you, there are lots worse things than dying.

I made it home from the fabulous National Cowboy Poetry rodeo and the Badger Clark Poetry Gathering.

I was a judge at the rodeo and the emcee for the Friday night show. We had a great time, heard some great poetry from wonderful poets and almost had too much fun. I got to meet some new people and meet up with old friends.

Got to get back into the swing of things now. We are shipping some of the yearlings on Saturday and helping a neighbor gather on Sunday. got a big crew coming in Saturday morning. Also have a feller stopping in this week and dropping off a trailer on his way thru. He will be back thru next week and look at a horse or two.

I am tired of hearing and talking about cowboying, it’s time to go do some!

I’ll see if I can get some new horse pictures for you Mad.