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Wordless Wednesday
and
Wordless Wednesday Again
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Love That Sweet Smell of Hay
Not much can beat the sweet smell of freshly mowed, curing in the field alfalfa....ahhhhhh~
First cutting is on the ground...good to see the results of all thatirritation irrigation.
We had visitors last evening...looks to be a bunch of yearlings. There were three spikes in the bunch. They were eating weeds in the barn yard while the field of newly mowed alfalfa was just behind them...eventually they moved on to the alfalfa. Can't stop 'um!
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| Ann Mare drives a pretty mean swather ;~) |
First cutting is on the ground...good to see the results of all that
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| Green hay and blue skies...crossing our fingers that the clouds stay parted. |
We had visitors last evening...looks to be a bunch of yearlings. There were three spikes in the bunch. They were eating weeds in the barn yard while the field of newly mowed alfalfa was just behind them...eventually they moved on to the alfalfa. Can't stop 'um!
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| Evening Visitors |
Sunday, June 10, 2012
A Day of Play ~ In the Saddle of Course
Rancher Dan needed some help gathering his big herd, get them moved through another field of neighbor's pairs and bulls, sort out the slicks, and then brand...sounds simple enough. We left the house at 7 AM and got home at 8:30 PM...a big day!
This is one of the biggest fields (government allotment) that they run pairs on. There are fences out there across the sage brush sea...just very hard to see (even when you're close to them and know where to look). I don't know how many acres, but some fields can run thousands of acres. It takes time and the more riders there are the easier it is of course.
After getting the pairs all gathered, we needed to take them through a neighbor's pairs and bulls to the next field over. We sit at the gate for a good hour waiting for the cows and calves to mother up before pushing them through the gate and pushing them hard to get through the other herd...hoping that we can keep the two herds separated.
It could have gone better. Two of Dan's calves ran back out of the herd and they couldn't be brought back, and three pair and a bull of the other herd insisted on getting into Dan's herd. Once they're in the herd, you just have to take them with you and sort them out at the destination. It's a pain, but it works.
The wind was cold...and it spit snow on us for a lil' bit. But the sun finally came out in the late afternoon though the wind never did let up.
The slick calves got branded (My Man and I got to rope...best part of the day!!) and all in all it was a great day.
OH...gotta say that Red Dog was startin' to get the idea about moving cows...he was trying...but we still have a long way to go.
And, the scenery was gorgeous!
Back at the Ranch, a home-cooked meal of pork chops, potatoes, veggies, home-made bread and apple cake waited...yum...we do it just for the food!!!
So today, Sunday, My Man and I are doing everything we didn't get done at our place yesterday plus what needs to be done today...better get my arse in gear!
Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week ahead!
This is one of the biggest fields (government allotment) that they run pairs on. There are fences out there across the sage brush sea...just very hard to see (even when you're close to them and know where to look). I don't know how many acres, but some fields can run thousands of acres. It takes time and the more riders there are the easier it is of course.
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| Gathering Krumbo Field |
After getting the pairs all gathered, we needed to take them through a neighbor's pairs and bulls to the next field over. We sit at the gate for a good hour waiting for the cows and calves to mother up before pushing them through the gate and pushing them hard to get through the other herd...hoping that we can keep the two herds separated.
It could have gone better. Two of Dan's calves ran back out of the herd and they couldn't be brought back, and three pair and a bull of the other herd insisted on getting into Dan's herd. Once they're in the herd, you just have to take them with you and sort them out at the destination. It's a pain, but it works.
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| Takin' a Break = Patience in Motherin' Up |
The wind was cold...and it spit snow on us for a lil' bit. But the sun finally came out in the late afternoon though the wind never did let up.
The slick calves got branded (My Man and I got to rope...best part of the day!!) and all in all it was a great day.
OH...gotta say that Red Dog was startin' to get the idea about moving cows...he was trying...but we still have a long way to go.
And, the scenery was gorgeous!
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| Spring Snow on Steens Mountain |
So today, Sunday, My Man and I are doing everything we didn't get done at our place yesterday plus what needs to be done today...better get my arse in gear!
Have a wonderful Sunday and a great week ahead!
Friday, June 8, 2012
Mother Nature's Fence
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| ~ Mother Nature's Fence ~ |
This rim rock is what attracted us most to this piece of property. It gives shelter from wind, rain, snow and sun...and it makes a great fence that you don't have to repair!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Rural Thursday ~ Haying is Around the Corner
When you farm or ranch, the year goes by on a different measurement of time than a January through December calendar...it's the life cycle of crops and livestock.
First cutting of our alfalfa is just around the corner...next week...there are just a few blooms out. Too many blooms means it's past its prime for dairy quality hay (high in protein and other valuable nutrients and food value) for the best production of milk. Ten percent bloom is about right...hopefully the weather will cooperate!
Last year, we only ran our wheel lines 5 days before 1st cutting...it was a very wet spring. This year, it's been pretty dry, and we've had to water quite a bit. We got a really good soaking at the beginning of this week, and the blooms are coming on. Mother Nature always does a better job at irrigating than man!!
So it's time to quit watering and let the ground dry out enough to get the equipment across the field.
I'm anxious to see the bales on the field and then stacked up in the stack yard...waiting for the truck to haul them to the dairy. The cycle goes on...
Check out other rural activities and photos across the globe by visiting Rural Thursday!
First cutting of our alfalfa is just around the corner...next week...there are just a few blooms out. Too many blooms means it's past its prime for dairy quality hay (high in protein and other valuable nutrients and food value) for the best production of milk. Ten percent bloom is about right...hopefully the weather will cooperate!
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| Alfalfa bloom...almost time to mow the field! |
Last year, we only ran our wheel lines 5 days before 1st cutting...it was a very wet spring. This year, it's been pretty dry, and we've had to water quite a bit. We got a really good soaking at the beginning of this week, and the blooms are coming on. Mother Nature always does a better job at irrigating than man!!
So it's time to quit watering and let the ground dry out enough to get the equipment across the field.
I'm anxious to see the bales on the field and then stacked up in the stack yard...waiting for the truck to haul them to the dairy. The cycle goes on...
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| Red, head of Quality Control, inspects the field...he's givin' it two paws up! |
Check out other rural activities and photos across the globe by visiting Rural Thursday!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
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