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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Friday, January 2, 2015

Twelve Photos from 2014

These are not chosen as my best quality photos, but as some of my favorite photos representing events and life changes in the year 2014.

I LOVE Bones!
Miss Cindy Sue starts the month of January. It's been a year now, and her PRA (progressive retina atrophy) has left her almost blind now. Her eyes are a milky white color. She still loves to go to the barn, but we have keep a close watch on her. It's been hard watching her eyesight fail, but dogs are amazing...she is adapting quite well.

Red Dog Loves Snow!
February ~ Ah yes Mr. Red Dog...I do love this photo of him!


March ~ This photo just makes me laugh. Our brandings are so NOT traditional!! We had three bull calves and one heifer to vaccinate and brand...and of course castrate the bull calves.
No horses...just brute strength man power!

April ~ Our beloved Martha Jo, a VERY senior Chihuahua, came to live with us in April as a friend for Cindy Sue since CS can no longer go on trail rides or irrigate. My Man and I both just loved this lil' lady to the moon. She was picked up as a stray in Madras Oregon, and we adopted her through Three Rivers Humane Society. We gave her the best we could to make her life meaningful in her golden years...but we lost her in October. Her lil' spirit lives in our hearts. Rest in Peace Martha Jo~

May ~ We were blessed to be invited to numerous brandings for our friends and neighbors. My Man took this nice shot of me and Colt at the Thompson branding in Diamond...the branding with the most wind and dust of the year!!
My camera will never be the same :( 

June ~ We had a pretty good year for our hay. Our decision on when to cut second cutting should have been about a week later. The hot weather during the growth of third cutting made it grow faster than second cutting...really abnormal for that time of year. We could have gotten a fourth cutting, but opted not to take the chance. So, now in January, we have lots of deer feeding in our fields which is nice to see.

July ~ Off to school goes Pierce! He's not the perfectly willing, forgiving horse that Colt is...I will have to step up to the plate on his training. I'm glad that I decided to do the Mike Bridges Project with him...it'll help me keep focused...and our friend/neighbor Brian will also be in the same Project...that'll be great support!

Trailin' Cattle
August ~ Trailin' Cattle...gather and trail with Colt and Rastus = Awesome!

September ~ The beautiful Indian Summer lasted well into November...VERY unusual for our area. My planter of hummingbird flowers bloomed on and on despite the deer who kept trimming off the top blooms!

Rastus
October ~ My sweet boy Rastus. We spent an exciting two days at Crowley Ranch in October gathering pairs and moving them into fields close to headquarters just prior to their shipping date. It's the most remote ranch I've worked on...loved it!!! We passed the test...because we're invited back this spring to help turn out onto summer grazing...can't wait!


Fall Family Photo
November ~ Our Kids! I'd been looking for a good day to do a family photo shoot and finally got one. Hard to believe that the Nasturtiums were still blooming in November!! The blooms made for a wonderful background.
Shortly after this, we had a major freeze, and they were done. 

December ~ On the 20th, our newest lil' treasure came into our lives. We are pleased to introduce tiny lil' Mindy Mae. At 4.7 pounds, she's just a drop in the bucket compared even to Cindy Sue!! Mindy Mae is another stray out of Madras which we adopted from Three Rivers Humane Society. She's just 3 1/2 years old and is in very good health! She LOVES the wood stove obviously, but she also loves Cindy Sue, Rastus and Red Dog.
My Man and I have lost our hearts to her~


OK...let's make it thirteen!!!


My Man is always here to support me...so, this one gets my vote for favorite photo of the year!


Thanks for ridin' along...happy trails~


11 comments:

  1. How do you like Chihuahuas? I've often considered one. I love Morris our JRT, but now that he is becoming a senior I have to think about ...
    well, I don't want to think about it...

    Wonderful shots. I should think about doing something similar, what a fantastic idea!

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  2. I do love your blog. I worked with race horses most of my life and miss them. I get to enjoy ranch life through you. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Great pictures! I don't blame you for posting thirteen!

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  4. Enjoyed all the photos and comments from this last year - hope you have a great year ahead!

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  5. Hello to a fellow Oregonian! Just stumbled across your blog and love your photos and your yearly recap! I'm a dog lover too - I have an elderly border collie. I've become your newest follower. :)

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  6. Very good year it look like :) Lots going on and lots more to come. I am waiting to see how Pierce is different than Colt

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  7. Great pictures, as always, thanks for sharing your wonderful adventures!

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  8. I always love seeing your posts and hearing how you all are. Great photos as always. Beautiful country there.

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  9. The most beautiful review of a year if I ever saw one...


    xoxo

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  10. How on earth did I miss this post! What a great bunch of photos! they certainly do tell a story- it's a great life you have!

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I love your comments! Let me know what's on your mind~~