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Just couldn't pass up sending this pic!
I believe there isn't a photo of a horse that I don't love! Harold
and Joe are the newest kids on the block, and Jasper the 20-something
veteran is sandwiched in the middle. |
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Though we're still considered to be in
a drought and we did have a successful calving season, it snowed... |
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...and it snowed... |
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...and it snowed, again... But, these
calves were danged tough! You gotta admire the little fellas...
We fed some alfalfa hay and some oat/pea bales this spring. The
folks from down the road in Farson, Wyoming raised it. The cattle
and especially the sandhill cranes, Canada geese, blackbirds...you
name 'em, they came to dine on the feedground! It was quite entertaining
to watch all the different species "grazing" right alongside
the cows and calves... |
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Been trying to finagle (Is that how you
spell "trick!") the kids into liking this ranching business,
but I think they have just about decided that dirt bikes and skateboards
and other cool stuff is a "mo' betta" way of stylin'...
However, once in a while we trick 'em into helping out around
the spring vaccinating chute! |
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More finaglin' trickery afoot, here! |
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Been wanting to take a pic of this old
"handwriting on the wall" from back in the 40s... Makes
me wish I had my sheep back and the wolves would go far, far away...
|
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I can guess that my son will squall like
a tromped on bull frog when he sees that I'm showing pics from
his April ACL surgery! Injured during a Karate test, then surgery,
now therapy, then back to Karate... A great doc did some pretty
awesome hamstring harvesting and fancy reconstruction while working
through some very small incisions! |
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It's that time of year, again, when many
miles of fence needs fixin'... What a vicious circle this can
be...sort of like the movie Groundhog Day when you have to keep
doing it over and over again...but for us, even if we get it right
the first time, we find ourselves back again much too soon...
This time of year, rain, shine, sleet, snow or hail, it can go
on... |
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...and on and on... But never fear, Rudy
isn't always alone in his work... |
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...Most days he has more than enough help! |
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And you might be happy to know that the
ol' gray horse, JJ, is still putting smiles on the faces of little
folks who are taking their very first rides. Each winter that
passes, JJ has a rougher time making it through the long, dark
months without losing some of his summer weight. Though I feed
daily rations of Senior "mush" to JJ and his pasture
buddy, Outlaw, springtime doesn't come too soon for the aging
pets... Don't wanna think about their trip through next winter... |
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I just love moose! This cow and her calf
(rarely do we see calves, anymore, with wolves on the loose) stopped
to spend the night in the willow patch near the house. Daylight
was just breaking and I liked the silhouette of the pair trimming
away at the green shoots... |
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They still hadn't spotted me, so I kept
right on "shooting" at 'em... |
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Oops! Caught in the act! Ever had a moose
stare at you up close and personal? Through your living room window?
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I set up an old woodbox as a chick brooder
in my living room for about one week until my new flock got over
their jet lag due to a long trip from Caldwell, Idaho to my house
via Salt Lake City. Pretty hearty little hens to be tucked into
a box at Day One, then stamped at the USPS office in Caldwell
for the first leg of their journey. Guess they spent the night
in Salt Lake City, then were "up with the chickens"
so they could make the final leg to Daniel by daybreak. Must have
been nearly a 15-18 hour trip: all by themselves, no mom, no pop,
no snacks, no warm bed, just bouncin' along in the "covered
wagon..." nearly to my doorstep. Must have been some pretty
good folks lookin' after them along the way. I know our postmaster,
Florence (a rancher's wife!), takes excellent care of ALL our
packages...even if they do peep a little bit, sometimes! |
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I spent nearly one hour standing at the
kitchen sink cleaning Rocky Mt. Oysters for Rudy's supper! I know;
they do look gross and it does seem barbaric, but I promise that
everything does turn out better for man and beast alike... It's
a tough job, but, yep, someone's gotta do it...and... |
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...fry 'em up all nice and crispy and
then dip 'em in cocktail sauce and they taste a lot like popcorn
shrimp! Yep! Gotta eat 'em... It's the test of a true cowboy or
cowgirl! And you say: Ya, right! And pigs can fly... |
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Taking care of the branding business and,
of course, harvesting a bucket of those good ol' Rocky Mountain
Oysters! |
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Our local brand inspector drags a calf
to the fire. Bob's one heck of an all-around cowboy - does it
all - and is a great neighbor. And his awesome wife is our postmaster!
We can never repay all their good deeds... They're always here
for us! We are so lucky to have good neighbors! |
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It was a cloudy, blustery day when I rounded
up the Pinedale High School Rodeo team for this photo. They're
a fine and talented bunch of young cowboys and cowgirls. The team
will be hosting its annual high school rodeo on June 5. They're
darned good hands with several members soon headed to our state
finals in top seats. |
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My cousin Sam is a bareback and saddle
bronc rider with the high school team. He also rides his grandpa's
saddle colts at their Cora ranch. Without question, Sam has an
ever-growing fan club! |
