May I Have More Please??

BB Calf is growing like a weed & wishes she had figured out this dog door thing before she got too big to fit through it! After morning & evening feedings, she pokes her head through the door to see if there is more to eat. Mind you know that she has had 1 1/2 gallons of milk & 4 cups of calf feed. She is a mess! I'm going to have to block the dog door after she eats because she's going to get her fool head stuck in the door & rip the dog door or the door itself cattywampus.
Still just dry as a bone in the desert out here. We, like most ranchers, are constantly looking for hay & trying to figure out how to feed the livestock in a cost effective manner without having to sell a majority of them. WB & I have a new strategy that we are going to try out after I do a bit of groundwork research tomorrow. If it works, it will get us through working the cattle within the next few weeks when we will likely sell a lot of calves & maybe some of our older mommas. It will be interesting for sure to see how it all pans out! I am one commercial cow down today anyway. Poor old momma just laid down & died. The vet says it was a combination of age, heat & lack of moisture content in her diet that got her. Got to have some moisture in the diet even though all the cattle have an ample supply of water from water troughs. I'd rather sell off than have any more die on me.
I wish it were cooler, but getting the bulls out of the pastures as well as the calves off these mommas can't wait any longer. At least I have until after Labor Day before I have to get working on it. Fortunately, I already have both herds in position to get them in the pens fairly easily. We'll see how that goes. Best laid plans of mice, men & ranchers!!
I am beat after an 18 hour day that included a 5 hour round trip drive into the big bad city. At least WB & I had a delicious late lunch which meant I didn't have to cook supper tonight! YAY for me!! Gotta get back in the game on that though as I will have company this weekend & need to have more than PB&Js to eat.
Time for this cowgirl to hit the hay as I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open & am hoping that my blog even makes a teensy bit of coherent sense. Better quit while I'm ahead or at least not aware of anything to the contrary!

Lazy Days of Summer My Hind Foot!!!

  Who ever coined that phrase must not have had a job!!  I have to admit that I am glad summer is coming to an end.  Maybe we'll see some cooler temperatures. I have heard tales of a miraculous event that happens where water falls from the sky.  Maybe I'll get to see that happen too.
  Busy days on the ranch keeping all the animals fed.  BB is still coming up twice a day for her feed laced bottles of milk & I now have a little bull calf who has figured out that food comes from this house & from me.  Those two spend quite a bit of time in my yard helping keep what grass I have mowed.  Dog loves having visitors in the yard, but doesn't quite understand why that little white dog with the funny ears won't play with him!
  My main goal these days is finding & buying hay.  I've been lucky with two loads of good hay & have a nice prospect that I am going to check out later today.  Fingers crossed, it will be good stuff & I can order 4 loads.  That should help out & keep me in hay until winter.  Fingers double crossed that it will rain & I can buy hay locally instead of from Louisiana or Kansas!
  Had a fun weekend with friends & should have a busy week this week before heading to Houston for the weekend.  Am off to visit my Mom.  It is important to actually get away from the ranch so that I can relax over the weekend instead of working through it.  No complaints though.  Hot & dry as it is, I still love being here & getting my day started every day.  We'll see if I do get to relax as my Mom usually has more than one project for me to help with.
  OK - time to get back to it before it is  800 degrees in the shade.

Bad Blogger

Jeez!!  These last two weeks have been a whirl wind, three circuses & a foot race all in one.  Thank goodness that even though it has been hotter than Hades during a heat wave, it was a great two weeks.

Two of my very dear friends entrusted me with their children for a week.  We went horseback riding, they drove the Kubotas around exploring, I think we shot every day, went to a single action shoot, visited Cabela's, swimming, set up a flag pole and of course, taking care all the numerous animals that require daily feeding & care.
This picture is from the SASS shoot.  Tyler's (L) alias is Blazing Bullets & Hunter's (R) alias is The Kid.  I wanted them to be The Kid & The Other Kid because I think that is funny.  But that is just me!!  :-) 

We had big ambitions for projects that week, but the flag pole was the one I wanted to make sure got done & so glad it did.  The boys had a grand time digging a hole, mixing the concrete & setting the whole thing up.  WB was & is happy with the results.  He's wanted a flag pole for some time.  I love the Come & Take It flag!  One of my favorite battle flags.
The chicken coop didn't get done, but at least I have the lumber & just need to get started.  It's so blooming hot by the time I get done with my morning duties that I can't get motivated to get started.  I'll think about it & maybe get started tomorrow.  Yeah, right Scarlett.  Tomorrow!  Uh huh.  We'll see about that!
It was a great week with the boys.  I think they really enjoyed themselves & are ready to come back again any time.  They especially loved their last night's supper because they could eat what ever they wanted.  Yes, they both had cake & ice cream!  Oh yes & a few squirts of Redi Whip directly in the mouth - only way to eat that stuff!!
Once the boys went home, it has just been the usual routines here - make sure all animals have food & water, water the yard, laundry, run to the grocery & feed stores, sneak in some visits with friends &, my personal favorite, naps.  This week is trying to nail down my hay deal, get air compressor fixed, get hydraulic hose on tractor fixed, make a run to Austin & Lord only knows what else will plop itself on my plate this week - it is only Monday. 
Bring it cuz I'm ready!!