Still windy and pretty cool this morning. I used the tractor as i wanted to feed one of the new bales and several had ripped the net wrap and I knew I’d lose some with the team. I took Addy Bear with me. Most of the cows were up west, so hauled one up there and unrolled it somewhat out of the wind and they nosed it a little and looked at me like they were saying, “Your kidding us, right?”

So I decided to make them eat it and drove the long way around to try and trick them into staying up there. Only problem was Jack, Chances dog was running along and he decided that they all needed to follow the tractor! I don’t know as he was moving them much but he was sure at the back end of them working. Soooo…. I hurried home but didn’t fool them any, here they come on the run, following the tractor!

When we got back, I dropped Addy Bear off at her house and went an got another one and fed them out here in the lane. The heck with them! They will eat it or go hungry! Dang tuff old eastern SD hay! I suppose I will have to grind it or leave it for really cold nasty day’s or maybe carry it over until next year and see if it softens up any over the next 8 months or so and then grind it with something else if i have to. I hate when you pay what I did and they won’t eat it….

I got my cantle binding on the saddle today and got a good start on the back billets…seems like I don’t go too fast… oh well, it will get done when it get’s done…

Seems like it really has to blow… I guess it is March, but I don’t think that matters around here… supposedly we only have no wind 5% of the time and they consider a wind anything over 5 mph….must be why there used to be so many windmills on wells in this country. If we had a wind charger we could be making enough electricity to run a fair sized town, I’d think, just today!

Got a load of hay in this afternoon, so seeing as I had to start the tractor anyway I fed with it and Cindy rode along. they don’t make tractor seats the right size for a Grampa and a Gramma to share! At least not in this tractor, so we snuggled! 🙂

Hay I got in has some net wrap on it so it was in good shape tho’ a couple got ripped.. and the wind didn’t help the trucker either, said he hit it at Pierre. Imagine that, come to west river SD and the wind blows! Hope it don’t blow the bales away, it cost to much!

Been working in the saddle shop off and on all day when I wasn’t doing something else. Hope to get to working some of these young horses now that it is warming up for a spell but I’d sure take a foot or two of heavy wet snow, tho’ rain would be nicer….guess while I am wishing I will wish for a warm rain and then a whole bunch more! Be fun to listen to everyone cuss the mud again!

Like they had predicted, but I did get some company on Saturday!

Kelly is a nice young lady who I met last fall and she is missing riding horses so I told her to come ride. So she did! We had a great time, she went along with me to feed cows with the team and she was bundled up enough so we saddled up a couple horses and went for a ride up west. then we stopped and she got to meet Chance and hope and all the kids then back to the house while she visited the baby kittens while I cooked up some lunch. Afterwords we sat around and swapped some music and showed each other some cool stuff on Youtube. Cindy got home from work and visited and then Kelly had to go, and we went to Mass. She claims she had a great time and even bragged on my cooking and contacted me this morning to get the recipes.

I puttered about this morning, working on songs and then when Cindy got home we took a drive up west and north and let the cows into Harry’s. Quite a little old brown grass and they just might not be so fussy now, so might eat it!

This mornin’…yesterday I caught up Wren and kept her in so after I fed (Sam rode along with me) I left Ron and Roz harnessed and caught Wren and put her between them in the stall, harnessed her and hooked her with Ron and drove her until she was doing good. Then I drove them back in thew barn, hooked Wren to Roz so she was on the other side and drove them around until she was doing good at it. I drove them back in, unharnessed and turned them all loose. Hopefully I can keep that up and then have Chance help me when he is home and we will hook to a wagon and take a trip. It’s handy top have someone along to unhook wrecks and messes and open and close gates or hold the lines while I do the other. It’s warming up so they made me sweat walking and trotting along behind them! Now, off to the saddle and try and get it finished up!

Colder, but sunny and just a lite breeze. I had broken a piece on my bale unroller the other day so I worked on that this morning. Pretty simple fix, just had to shorten a pipe that hold the arms open at the top and install it. Of course I did mash my hand doing that….As my buddy Marty always tells me, “You ain’t got no mechanical skills, put that wheelbarrow down!”

Got the team hooked up, fed, took out some more bean and came in to work on leather on my saddle. Carving on the back of thew cantle. Kind of difficult but when I try to shape them, take them off and carve them flat, when I put them back on they always seem to get crooked and distorted…so I am waiting on leather to get right to stamp, I have the carving done. Got steaks thawing for dinner. Might have to make some cheesy, garlic mushrooms to go with it….

I wouldn’t say it’s windy but…..

I saw a whale go flying by awhile ago and we are over 1600 miles from any ocean!

I looked out and a cottonwood tree that is 3 feet across the trunk is pushed over and lying horizontal with the ground!

I saw a cow who was calving and had her butt pointed into the wind have the same calf…. three times!

A flock of geese who were migrating north went by at about 80 mph…. backwards!!!

I can smell caviar and Russian vodka and think I saw some sail by!

The whole state of Montana just sailed over the top of my house!

Nope, it’s not windy around here, just a pretty stiff breeze blowing. 🙂

I took off yesterday about noon and headed for the Hills. I went to Deadwood and met up with a feller and his wife I chat with online. We’ve met a couple times and enjoyed each others company so he let me know they were spending some time in Deadwood. We met up, visited and even played a little 3 card together then we left his wife to gamble and we went over to hill City to Chute Roosters, met up with my buddy Paul Larson, ate a bite and then took in the Open Mic event. Both of us sang a couple songs and I did a poem also. Huge crowd for the size of the place. Had some of the same people from the last event and some new ones. I think there were 23 performers, so it got kind of late. Kass drove up from custer and spent the evening with us and we had a blast. Thanks Kass!
We headed back to Deadwood, I dropped Jerry off at his motel and headed home. got home a bit before 2 this morning and woke up before 7. Fed cows and then picked up Gus and Sam and we went up to Mud Butte to Mass. The boys were hungry afterwards so we drove over to Newel and ate lunch. Gus wanted to watch a movie and they had been pretty good kids for a 5 and 6 year boys, so we drove over to spearfish and watched, Jack the Giant Killer. cool show and we enjoyed it. We sat next to a friend from Sturgis so we visited afterword and then headed for home with a pit stop to get some gas and Bug Juice for them thirsty boys. Right now they are both helping Gramma make fry bread. Nope, not spoiled a bit!

In like a lamb here… so hang on the end of March!

Tee, my saddle making apprentice came out yesterday, got his ground seat in and then spent the night at some neighbors who are friends. He was welcome to stay here but wanted to catch up with them. He got back here fairly early and got his riggin’s all cut out, glued and sewed. He had a hard time with the sewing and it was mostly the machines fault. he’s doing a great job and ifs fun to work with. I got some work done on my saddle while Tee was working on his.

I found a load of hay I will split with a neighbor when it get’s in. Not cheap but when i count bales, if it gets snowy, we will need it.

Hope to go to the Hills tomorrow and visit a friends who are there and stay for the open Mic at Hill City. Weather is supposed to be great tomorrow. 50’s!

the last few days. Warm and not a lot of wind. After I got done feeding, Cindy and I took out the trash and then pickup up Hope and Sam and Addy Bear ( who’s birthday it is today, she is 2!) and we went down to the old house and tore some boards of the old barn I built 30 some years ago…same stuff Tate made our doors for the kitchen remodel..Hope if fixing p their house. She really has a great eye for what looks cool. Now, eating some lunch and then a siesta! Mike, do not call and wake me up! 😉

Here is a photo from last night…