High Desert Cutters~2011 Final Show

~You can be happy in any 

circumstances if you have to~

~Pauline Cody 1903~

Our local cutting club, the High Desert Cutters, had its final show for the season on Saturday. It was held at the Harney County fairgrounds this time and the cattle were trucked in.

We had 5 shows this season. Some years we've had more, but the availability of cattle is not easy...even if we are in cattle country! Everyone's cows are out on grazing land and they're not readily available. So, we take what we can get.

Colt and I missed the first show in April when I was at my Mike Bridges Clinic. The second show, we did OK, but Colt and I hadn't worked a herd of cows since September of 2010. We didn't have a high enough score to earn us any points.

But we were getting better...the last two shows Colt and I won our class, and that put us into second place...in the running for that coveted 1st place buckle!

I've been riding up into the next class above me for a warm up. The last two shows it was a wreck. But Saturday, Colt felt really on!

The first cow was perfect and it was an awesome feeling. But, something happened and the cows in the herd decided to come forward and they got in the way of the cow I was cutting. I didn't want to stir up the herd, so I just backed off and lost the cow. We still scored a 65...it would have been a 71 if things had gone right. Stuff like that happens.

Then in my class, Colt felt really good. The first cow was pretty nice, but I was being cautious because this particular herd was a lil' more flighty than the previous herd in the 150 class. When I worked the second cow, I made it a quick work, 'cause I had this feelin' the cow would get pushy real quick and I'd loose him...so I quit while I was ahead. I just got my third cow out and my time was up...we scored a 69...and won the class!!!

I was so excited...that was three classes in a row (3 different shows in the 125 class) that I'd won...would I have enough points to take first place and win the buckle?!?

Nope...I was one point behind the leading horse in the year end standings...

But, I'm not sad or frustrated by any means. Colt worked wonderfully and I'm SOOOOO PROUD of him!!!  If we keep it up, we'll do just as good or better when we go to the Lakeview Stock Horse Show and when we compete in our Harney County Reined Stock Horse Futurity...this is Colt's last year as a 6 year old in the Futurity!

So, that was our big day on Saturday...lots of fun, good horses, good cattle, great friends, and lots of sunshine...a perfect day!!!

In the video, the first cow is from the 150 class that I rode up into and the second and third cows are from my 125 class.

Thanks for comin' along...and I appreciate all your well wishes...they mean a lot to me!

OH...and a big thank you to My Man for all his support, and thanks to my friend Andi for the use of her great photos!

Sunday Stills~Sunrise or Sunset

~The land is beautiful and hard, like life itself.~

~Pearl Morgan 1900~

This week's Sunday Stills photo challenge is sunrises or sunsets...I chose the later.

We don't get the spectacular sunsets like Arizona gets, but when the elements are just right, they can be quite pretty.

Summer Sunset to the west (of course).

And like Ed has stressed in the past...look behind you...

Reflection of the Summer Sunset looking Northwest.

Check out all the other sunrise and sunset photos over at Sunday Stills...look in the comments for the links!

Farm Photo Friday~Hay & Hollyhocks

Come along on the Farmchick's Farm Photo Friday Linky Party!!

With the dry weather, it took a few days longer to get the hay baled...no moisture. Yea, I know, folks say that they usually have too much moisture...not here on the high desert. We pray that the night or the morning brings in enough moisture to get some baling done.

Cindy Sue says "I love farmin' wiff  my mom!"
As I drove the backhoe stacking the big bales into twos,
Cindy Sue has to co-pilot of course!

We were extremely lucky that Hay Man Rudy was able to get the baling finished on Wednesday. My Man and I got the big bales off the field that same day, and Rudy came over with his hay wagon yesterday and picked up the two-string bales and got them stacked...just before a huge storm came through!

It started with distant thunder...then we could see the lightening coming in from the east...and then it started coming in from the west...the wind took off blowing huge clouds of dust (quick...close all the windows in the house) and then the rain followed that...and it rained for a good three hours!

I know there were lots of ground strikes, but no reports of fires yet...hopefully the rain put them out. But a hay stack was hit and burned...bummer.

Second cutting...two-string and 3x3 bales in the field.

My Man and I got all the wheel lines up and running before the storm came in too. So, we're back to the early to rise and late to bed schedule...only one more cutting to go!

Then there's my pretty Heirloom Hollyhocks. And I'm calling them heirloom because I found them in the alfalfa field close to where the old farmstead used to sit. I dug them up and transplanted them to spots around the house.

Heirloom Hollyhocks

They look gorgeous at this angle...but then look at the whole plant...

They're dying on me!!!

It started about two weeks ago with these cobweb type things encasing the shorter plant tops...and then the leaves started dying. It's slowly working its way up to the top of the plants.

I've looked for bugs and didn't see any, but I sprinkled Sevin on them anyway. I hope the problem doesn't kill the plants forever.

Does anyone know what the problem is? How did you treat it? Thanks for any info you can give me!

We're off to the last cutting show tomorrow...see ya! Have a great weekend and do lots of fun stuff!!