Fall Color in SE Oregon

We don't get a lot of color in the fall. Most of the time, the leaves on the trees get freeze dried to a nice brown color...not too exciting.

But this year, was a bit different. It stayed hot for so long, they must have had a chance to do what they're supposed to do in the fall!

This ol' homestead is part of the 3J Ranch. The trees are old and huge,
and the grass is watered all summer long.
It's like an oasis in the desert.

We have to look for colors in other places besides the trees~

Shadows on Riddle Mountain as the sun begins to
get lower in the western sky.

Dry Lake is truly dry this year...first time in the seven years we've lived here.
You can see the water rings in the lake bed as it slowly receded through summer.
(Pardon the blurred sage brush in the foreground, we were driving.)

Yesterday's sunrise. It feels so good to have clouds again.
I love blue skies, but we went for months without clouds.

Enjoy a great weekend!

The Grass Sea

Fall is here. The alfalfa is going dormant after a few hard freezes. Lots of cattle are being worked; gathered, sorted, weaned, those that got missed in the spring are branded and castrated, and some are being shipped to the sale yards. It's kind of like the end of the cycle.

Last week, I helped the 3J Ranch move pairs from one field to another. I hadn't ridden in that area before. The land is on the edges of the Malhuer Lake and there are numerous sloughs...which made it quite interesting and a little more challenging.

Can't beat this view! The sun just lit up the grass heads.

Moving cow/calf pairs through the slough waters of Malhuer Lake.

As we move the cows through the sloughs, the base gets deeper and deeper.
We chose to cross where the cows had not been, and it was still plenty deep.

Rastus had a ball in the water!! Yahoo!!

It looked like a grass sea with the cows moving through...sometimes
you couldn't even see the cows!

It didn't take long for Rastus to dry out in the 75 degree heat.
One happy cow dog...I'm getting better with my commands...
it's a lot of fun to have a good horse and a good dog!

It's been unusually warm this fall, but there's snow and rain in our forecast! I guess I will sadly put away my patio furniture this weekend...sigh...

Not so Shy...

...when he has some moral support!!

Red and Rastus are the best of furiends. Rastus looks quite mean in
this photo...but he's a sweetheart...and he loves to play!

I'm off to help the 3J Ranch gather and sort pairs today. Weather outlook says it's going to be 75 degrees again today...we're all hoping for some moisture soon.

Have a great day!!