Well, the reunion is over. I just have to get up in the morning, load the chairs and tables (which I convienently got out of helping haul over here as I was at a funeral) and take them back.

We survived!

Nay, we more than survived, we even had a great time! ‘Course it was pretty easy for me as Cindy did all the work and I just slacked off. 😉 Oh, and Larry and Joyce did a lot also. Way more than I did, but hey, their related to these people too! Oh and Tyler, Tate, Kass, Chance, and Hope did a lot also.Not me, I just slacked off! 🙂

And the Good Lord was kind enough to send rain, early and late, so as not to disrupt the outdoor festivites. He’s really great isn’t he? 🙂

It’s funny how when you get older and you get around cousins who are older than you, how different they treat you. Kind of like an equal! And of course, you them.

My parents got me when they were 44 years old, so most of my cousins had kids about my age, almost. So they remember me as a child and I remember them as stuffy old people who used to want me to behave and mind my manners. But when you are 49 and a grandfather and your cousins range from 50 to 75, there just isn’t that much difference, other than they tell you all the fun of being even older that you have to look forward to.

I enjoyed it all and I hoep they did too. Makes me wonder why we don’t get together more often. And wish those who couldn’t make it, could have.

Missed you Kevin and Ruth, Ruthie, Nell, Paul, Meg, etc… And your kids and spouses.

Oh well, maybe next time! 🙂

Sorry Mad, it’s too late and I’m too tired to search for a fresh horse picture. Maybe tomorrow. 🙂

Sure is going to be quiet around here.

Here you go Pixie! You and your mom on Kid, last year!

So far things have gone well. Tho’ as I write this, it’s raining. I got to see a cousin, Pam, I hadn’t seen in years. She and her husband have an auto body shop in Denver.

Cool!

Now when I drive thru’ Denver and have a wreck, I have someone to call and get my outfit fixed up! 🙂

Her dad, Jack, has spent a lifetime in the oil business. As we drove around and looked at the ranch he kept teasing me about what a good deal he was going to get for me, if they ever drill for oil here. I just bet he would.

And Myrtle, my cousin’s wife, kept catching her breath whenever I drove over a small hill with just slightly steep sides.:)

Oh, what great fun!

His father and I used to hunt all around our ranch. Ahhh fond memories.

Good seeing you again Jack and Myrtle. And Pam, bring them boys up and visit. 🙂

Maybe family reunions ain’t so bad. 😉

Ahhh, what a wonderful day that was when we branded.

Family reunion this weekend. Some will arrive just any time now.

My mothers side of the family. Johnson’s. Bound to be lots of card playing going on. Norweigen Johnson card playing. Whist, 500 and who knows what all!

We’ve been cutting, mowing and cleaning up the place. I hate lawns. Grass was meant to be eaten by cattle and horses, not lawnmowers! Or put up for hay for horses or cattle, not for people to look at and say, “My, how lovely the lawn looks.”

Suffice it to say, I don’t believe in watering so you can mow so you can water so you can mow etc……..

I might not be posting for a few days.

I hate lawns.

Why did my wife volunteer our place for this? 😦

I’m not too crazy about family reunions either! 😦

This is Hope. She is the bosses, boss. Check the next photo to understand that better. 😉

This was the boss at the branding. He owns the most cattle so he gets to be boss. That must make me the cowboss!

I don’t remember if I had this one on here yesterday or not. If I did, oh well, Marty and Beaver are a good lookin’ couple! 😉

This is Chance putting his trademark/return address/proof of ownership, on one.

Here I am on Woddy, getting set to make a heel shot.

Thats all for tonight!

I finally found out I can do more than just crop my pix, with my computer program. These are a few I came up with, from the branding on Sunday.

This ones my favorite.

But I really like this one also.

Who’s this ol’ geezer?

I will be posting at night now. That way maybe I can re-cap the days events.

Worked around the yard today and helped Cindy getting ready for the family reunion this weekend. Drove up west and fixed on fence the stupid yearlings broke and set gates to try and get the renegades back in the correct pasture. Then after dinner I rode Woody out and snuck around the wild little beasties and got them back where they started from. Now, if I can just get them back up north where I want them!

My nephews son, Tristan has been spending time with us. He and I and Cindy drove Purple, (my Suzuki Samuri or Sport or whatever, that I use for a 4 wheeler ATV) down and checked on the yearlings we doctored on, last Saturday. I found a few sore foot’s so we smacked them with the crossbow that shoots medicated darts. Not nearly as much fun as using ropes and horses, but nicer too, when dealing with bulls who have a tendency to get pissy when you rope and vaccinate them. As we were reminded on Saturday!

Poor ol’ Marty was riding Kid and we tried to tell him Kid wasn’t too fast. He found out for himself when he got a sorefooted bull roped. It all turned out well, but got a little hairy for a bit. Marty said that Kid doesn’t seem to run any faster when he has a bull pushing him from the back! LOL

This is Marty on Beaver. If he had been riding Beaver when he roped the bull, they wouldn’t have gotten in a jam, I don’t believe.

I just love a good, fast horse! 😉

I just realized that there is no need for me to post the day and date as the blog takes care of that for me. Damn! Now I am going to have to come up with some cool and nifty titles. Managing and writing a daily blog is a pain!

I origianlly did this one last night, so the header desn’t read right. Damn!

Oh well. Face it, I’m a screw up! 😉

Here’s a picture of me on Woody, while we were branding yesterday. We are holding a calf while Chance and Tate and Hope branded, cut and vaccinated him. I just got the new hat and hadn’t shaped on it any, so I look more like a buckaroo than a cowboy or rancher, but thats okay as I like them buckaroo fellers. I just don’t think I look quite as good in this style hat as what I usually wear, so today I re-shaped it to look more like what I normally wear. It was the only straw hat I could find that fit right. I got it at Weather Hats in Belle Fource, of course, as they are the best hatters in the world, in my opinion!

Here’s a close up of Woody, showing my spade bit. I ain’t real sure if Woody is a true, straight up, spade bit horse, but he’s the closest I’ve ever had and he likes this bit and works well in it. Most people consider a spade bit to be cruel, but in reality, when it’s used right, it is a mild bit and most horses really like them. They thing about a spade bit is, when you use one, your not supposed to pull on the bit very hard with the rawhide reins and romal. A true spade bit horse takes years to train to the point where you hardly even move your hand and they understand what it is you want. Me and Woody ain’t the best at it yet, but we do get our work done. 🙂

This is what mommies do when they think someone or something are going to hurt their baby.

Mothers are very protective.

I think that’s probably a good thing.

This is Peaches, protecting her baby, when she was just brand new. Peaches didn’t want any other horses to get too close and try to take her baby away from her or maybe hurt her baby.

All mothers do this.

Even when their babies are all big and grown up.

Ahhh, motherhood. 🙂

This is a pony of a different color! This is Gus’s Belgiun horse, his parents got him. Ain’t that one cute little cowboy?!

Guss brought his folks and other grampa out yesterday and his Aunt CJ, as we are branding calves today. imagine Gus is going to have to do most of the work. He’s such a good hand, I doubt any of the rest of us can keep up.

His cousin Gabe will be here around 10 to help him.

It is sooo good to have these young cowboys around to help out Gramps!

This is Jake.

Chance bought Jake at the same sale I bought Frankie. He was a big gangly colt and Chance wanted a 16 hand “bridle” horse. I don’t think Jake has quite reached 16 hands. And he sure isn’t ready to be ridden in a spade bit. But he is friendly!

I rode him for awhile last fall when Chance rode him at the neighbors, when we were making a gather. Chance had made a big circle on him so we traded horses for about a mile. Jake feels springy. I’ve never ridden a horse who feels quite like he does. You feel like your riding a childs spring horse. Bouncy. Lots of fun.

Now, if Chance would just get him finished him, so I could steal him! 😉

This is Shorty.

I bought Shorty as a weaning colt, when a friend bought one of my colts.I had the money from the sale of that horses so while I was at a sale and they brought this little short black colt in and he wasn’t bringing too much money, I bought him.

Chance is the one who started and trained Shorty. He’s been his “learning” horse. When they were both younger, they used to go around and around. I’ve hardly ever ridden Shorty. I remember Shorty blowing up with Chance one time and Chance ended up in front of the saddle onShorty’s neck and somehow he got back into the saddle and got him rode.

Shorty and Chance have helped me do lots of cow work. Roping and doctoring yearlings, sorting. They’ve drug lots of calves to the fire at brandings. I was shocked when I found out that Chance had let Hope ride Shorty. I didn’t think he was that gentle. Chance even let his youngest sis in law ride him!

Dang Shorty, you must be gettin’ old and broke! 😉