Welcome to JKs Rough String Ranch

Welcome to the Rough String, and thanks for stoppin' by!! Grab a hot cup of coffee and sit a spell!
10/22/18 You will see a name change on the blog. Lots of things have changed in my life in the past few years, and I feel compelled to share my story.

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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Rebel ~ There's One in Every Family!!

It's hard to get the three owlets to get together on the same limb...and once they do, one's gotta be a rebel about the whole thing!!!


The Rebel
A family portrait...including the rebel !

Maybe he was sleepin'...Oh well...they're still cute!

When I go out in the evening with the dogs for the night-time potty, there's owls flyin' every which way...it's really pretty cool!



Sunday, May 27, 2012

Sunday Stills ~ Music Groups or Song Titles in Pics

Well, I just couldn't pass this Sunday Stills photo challenge up...fun!!!  The challenge was to take photos that would represent either a music group or a song title.

I opted to go with song titles on my photos...the first couple should be pretty simple, but the others are a bit more difficult. Give 'um a guess...but I've put the titles in the comments.


I Got Spurs That Jingle Jangle Jingle
 ~ 


Somewhere Over the Rainbow
 ~ 


Who Are You...Who, Who, Who, Who?
 ~ 


Love Is A Battlefield
 ~ 


Cat's Eye
 ~ 

Check out the other participants for this week's challenge at Sunday Stills!!


Saturday, May 26, 2012

Mallard Duck on the Silvies

This female Mallard Duck was enjoying the afternoon in the Silvies water shed on the Bell-A Ranch. I like the mirrored image...it's very peaceful ~

Mirrored Image
Mirrored image

My entry in the Weekly Top Shot...check out the other participants HERE~

Friday, May 25, 2012

Farmin' Friday

Yes, I've been missing in action...busy...but also just didn't have any umph to get a blog post done. Should I call this "Summer Hours" for blogging?

Well, it's definately spring...we've been helping brand calves and move pairs for our neighbors. We also got the new bull for our herd. No, we didn't buy one, we're trading pasture space for breeding...works good for us!

Remember Goof? Well, two reasons we didn't get him this year; One, he's Number Three's sire...so that wouldn't be good. Number two, he died last year. I was very sad to hear that, he was such a sweet ol' man. I always liked the photo below of him...it fits him to a T! Goof is also the sire of Tumbleweed and Paddy.


Enjoyin' Life
~RIP Goof~

So, let's introduce Herfy. He's just two years old and will make a great heifer bull for Number Three, and Annabelle and Ellie Mae are small enough that he shouldn't have any problems servicing them as well. Herfy will stay the summer and go back home in the fall to breed his owner's cows (they fall calve their herd). Since they wanted a place to put him, it worked out perfect for all of us! Another nice thing is that it's my understanding that mixing some Hereford into your herd is good...we might get some white faces next spring!

Herfy the Bull
Herfy the bull is followed by Number Three...she likes him!
Lots of planting going on too...flowers and some garden items. We could very easily have frost and/or snow this time of year, so I can't get too carried away. But, the peas, onions and Brussels sprouts are in the ground. My tomatoes are transferred to larger pots and are in the green house.

Spring Flower Planting
Spring planting


Happy Mornin' Flowers
More planting

We had 80 degree weather a week ago...and we've had the wood stove going for the past two days! I drove to Bend yesterday and came through a snow storm that dumped 3 inches of snow on a half mile stretch of the highway...so strange!!

We're supposed to help brand again tomorrow, but it's still raining today. It might be too slick to brand...we'll wait and see.

Regal
Whiskey's got his eyes on something!

Red Dog is lovin' ranch life...but I don't like having to bathe him every night!!! After changing irrigation, he's a mud ball from his chest down and of course he wants in the house (he's not spoiled you know). I took the scissors to his hind end and cut off all his pretty feathers (which were turning into dregs), and that's helped a bunch, but I still have to put him into the tub at night!


Happy Ranch Dog
One happy ranch dog!

Speaking of dogs...Miss Cindy Sue got tangled up with another varmint...bob cat, badger...something brown in color (I didn't get a good look at it). Off to the vet on a Sunday evening for stitches. Whatever it was got her front leg and ripped the skin back in a triangle shape. Thankfully there wasn't any damage done to anything else.

I counted up and she's used up five lives...so if it's like a cat, she's only got four more! I know, I've said it before...she's gotta be on a shorter leash...literally~


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Silvies River Flood Plain

As the winter snow pack melts with the warming spring days, much of the lowlands situated around Burns Oregon become swollen with much needed water. This shot was taken on the Bell-A Ranch where I was attending a cutting horse clinic.

Flood Irrigation
Silvies River Flood Plain
The flood irrigation will allow the wild meadow grasses to grow tall and lush. They will be cut and baled into some mighty fine cattle and horse hay for next winter.

Participating in Friday Fences and SkyWatch Friday!!

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

'in the Company of Cowgirls'

I have always loved the name of this art show. To me just saying 'in the Company of Cowgirls' brings the feeling of camaraderie ("a spirit of friendly good fellowship" says Webster). When we get invited to a branding or move cows and there's other women there, I always learn so much from them...they're way more experienced than I am...and get that feeling. It's just a heart warming experience to be in their Company!

This weekend will be another experience that I'll treasure...Michelle Severe has entered the drawing of Colt and I into 'in the Company of Cowgirls' Art Show in Pendleton Oregon.  My Man commissioned Michelle to do the drawing for my Christmas gift in 2010. I know, you've all seen it on my side bar...but, I can't help be proud of "my gift."

As their web site states: "Outstanding Cowgirl Art created by women Artists with a special understanding of the subject." Meaning that the Artists are pretty much cowgirls themselves. How cool it that!

So, I'm going to be literally "hangin' around" with a bunch of other cowgirls...even though, really, I'm not going to get to be there. Thank you Michelle for doing such a great drawing and choosing it for this show! Good luck...hope one of your three pieces places in the show!!

I encourage you to go to the link for the art show, and take a look at all the other artists' pieces that will be in the show (there's some great stuff there!)...do it soon, because it looks like they will be taking them off the web site on May 10 when the show starts.  Even better yet, if you can get to Pendleton, go!! The art show kicks off the Cattle Baron's Weekend which is quite the event!

Drawing titled "Circling Up"

Original photo

Monday, May 7, 2012

Spring ~ Always Too Much To Do!

This time of year is always so busy...I haven't had time to blog...let alone read many blogs!! So, you're gonna get about two weeks worth in one post!

But, spring has finally arrived here in the high desert...even though it's been pretty cold in the mornin's! Of course, this is typical of our area...it's been known to snow in July! The apple tree is blossoming out, and the lilacs are starting to pop out too!

Apple Blossoms
Apple blossoms

We've started irrigating the alfalfa to stay ahead of the game. It was dry, so we started the wheel lines, then we had two days of rain and snow.  But, we started them up again last evening.

Cold Mornin' Irrigation
Cold Mornin' Irrigation

The freezing temperatures in the mornin's freezes the water on the alfalfa, but as long as the water continues to run, the alfalfa won't burn as the day warms up and the ice melts...strange, but it works.


Iced Alfalfa
Iced Alfalfa

My three-day Mike Bridges clinic was awesome...we even had warm weather which I think is a FIRST in the two and a half years I've been doing them!! Mike taught his techniques for ground training in a square pen. This develops collection, balance and re-balance, stops and turns. The horse also learns how to handle pressure because the energy level is high and everything is done at a trot or  a canter.

This isn't a new technique, it's dated back to the 1600's according to Mike. I found an article about Harold Farren on the QuarterHorseNews.com site that states that Farren invented the square pen...so, I don't believe that statement is accurate, but you can get an idea of the use of the square pen. Harold Farren was an interesting horseman.

It really was amazing how Colt felt when I rode him right after he had been worked in the square pen...really amazing difference! Now I'm planning how My Man's gonna build my square pen!!


Training in the square pen

In other news...my Ol' Man Toby has gone on an adventure!! He left last Wednesday to help a lil' 4 year old girl learn how to ride!

Toby...25 years young!
I read on FaceBook that a local family was looking for a dead broke horse for their daughter to ride...I thought about it, then forgot about it. The gal posted again what they were looking for, and just that day, while Toby was being trimmed I thought he should be doing something. So, I contacted her and we got together.

Toby took it all in stride, and we decided to give it a try. If he doesn't work out, he'll come back home...he's just out on loan. But, I think it's going to work. It was very sad to see him loaded into the trailer and drive out the driveway...I've had him since he was 6 months old...he's my oldest child!! You can read about Toby's life and times on this post if you're interested.

But, I know that he's getting good care from very good people...and he's doing something that I think is very noble for an old horse...helping the young ones.


Reata leads Toby to the horse trailer.

Yesterday was a simply gorgeous day...and a perfect day to help Rancher Dan take his second year heifers with their calves up to their summer pasture...the sun was shining and just a slight breeze.


The View Between Rohan's Ears
Those aren't Colt's ears!!!
Nope, this is the view between Rohan's ears.

Rohan is my strawberry roan mustang that I adopted from the BLM when he was a yearling, and I believe he's eight this year. I did a lot of riding on him before I got Colt. Rohan's been standing around with Stetson and Catnip (the burros) for two years!! I decided that I was not doing him or myself any favors by not using him...he's a good, broke horse, and I should keep him going.

So, I saddled him up Friday evening, had him do a few laps in the round pen, and then stepped on...not a buck in him after two years of not being ridden. We rode for 20 minutes or so...decided to take him the next day to move the pairs.

It worked out perfect. We were in the saddle for 5 hours. His steering is rusty, but other than that he was awesome!

Waterin' Hole
Waterin' Hole

It took three hours to drive them up to the pasture, and only two hours for us to ride back to the ranch.


Get Along Lil' Doggies
Get along lil' doggies

Rohan got his first introduction to peacocks and turkeys at Rancher Dan's place...he thought the peacocks were bad...until he saw and heard the turkeys!!! OMG!!!  Dan had to get between the approaching turkeys and Rohan so I could get Rohan through the gate...we'll have to have more "turkey" lessons I guess!

We loaded up the horses and headed for Hotel Diamond for burgers and beverages...great way to end a perfect day!

Today it's laundry, checkbook, garden and weed spraying...never a dull moment!


Wednesday, May 2, 2012