Geographically Confused

I have had the good fortune to spend the past few weekends in the Texas Hill Country.  I love the area where I live, but the rugged beauty of that area is just breath taking!  Here, Ruby & I are taking a little break after a long & arduous trail ride in the park. 

I'm back home again & Missy, the escape artist, has met her match in my trailer.  WB was trying to go visit some neighbors & she wouldn't stop following him.  This was the best way to keep her around the house & out of the yard where she just loves, loves, loves to dig, dig, dig.  I think she enjoyed her little ride down to the barn & then she was off & running again.

Back in the Hill Country again for a calf sorting & penning clinic.  As you can see, my calves are very nervous & upset from their 3 hour ride in the trailer.  The clinic was so much fun.  I learned a lot & strengthened my riding relationship with Ruby.  Now I want to work cows on horseback here so I can see if it was all just a fluke!

These pictures never do the colors justice, especially when using your phone camera, but what a glorious morning it was.  I have pictures of the calf clinic coming & will post some of those when I get them.  I'm looking forward to going back again in June for another clinic.  The calves might have other ideas on that one, but they will get over it as their accommodations there are first class!  Added bonus for them is that they get lots of hay, feed & range cubes while on their little calf vacation.
It is cold & windy here this morning & almost time to get layered up so I can get unpacked, de-poop the trailer & get all my gear stowed away.  It will be a day full of laundry, feeding of animals & getting ready to get all the cows up on Wednesday for vaccinations & pregnancy testing.  Fingers crossed - everyone is pregnant so that we have lots of sweet babies hitting the ground in the Spring! 

Jacket Weather

Finally!  We have some fall-like weather around here.  I had to dig out jackets & hoodies so as to stay warm.  How cold is it??  Feels like it's freezing, but only 50's & 60's.  Oh yea, I am a true Texan!  If the temperature dips below 80, it's time to bundle up in a sweater & build a fire!!
The above picture is a little reunion between Dog & Rusty.  They haven't seen much of each other since Rusty left the yard this summer.  Looks like a kiss, but actually, Dog is licking the milk off Rusty's face!  Rusty is still a big pill, but he knows the breakfast lady (me) & comes dashing over.  I'm in the process of cutting back on his milk since it's about time to wean him.  Sniff, Sniff.  My little baby is all growed up!

Hody has stolen one of Rusty's bottles.  I told Hody that it was a little early to be hitting the bottle & he should seek help for his drinking problem, but he doesn't listen.  You'd think he could hear just fine with those giant ears, but noooo!  Stubborn ass!!

These are the newest residents of the ranch - Jingle (on left) & Belle.  We adopted them last week from the Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society.  Their foster mother received them on Christmas Eve thus they received their yuletide names.  They are so cute & super sweet.  Hard to believe that some idiot just dumped them on the side of the road to run wild & starve.  Their foster mother, Angela, is a lovely lady who helped them trust people again.  Now all they want is love & treats - well, treats & love only if they can't get treats!  BEHS is a wonderful organization that rescues horses, mules & donkeys from abuse, neglect & starvation.  If you can foster, donate or adopt, go check them out on-line or visit them at their upcoming Expo in Austin on October 20th.

Ah Ha!  See, it is jacket weather out there.  It's starting to warm up now, but it was cold enough that even Mopsy wanted her little coat on while riding in the Kubota.  Dog is an old hand at bumming around with his dad, but Mopsy is new to the adventures & seems to love it.  What can I say, we live in a bit of a zoo & I wouldn't have it any other way.  Our lives wouldn't be nearly as full & warm & our clothes pet hair free!!
It's going to be another day of shred, shred, shred out in the pasture.  That goat weed has got to go.  The dove & rabbits aren't too happy with me, but the cows are going to love it once the rye grass starts sprouting.  Of course, it won't sprout if I don't get finished shredding, disking & then planting!!  Just waiting for some sunlight to go get started.
Happy Day to you!!

September Already?

What a great summer we have had!  We have been very fortunate to have had just enough rain to keep all the livestock grass fat this summer.  Every time I want to complain that it is too hot, I just think about last summer & that thought just leaves my head completely.  Soon, we will be taking all the bulls out of the pasture & setting them up in their bachelor pad until next Spring.  They have been busy boys & we should have a good calving season next year because this summer wasn't so hard on all the ladies.  These kids will be on their own come November & I hope to be able to make friends with them.  I still can't get too close to them because their mothers are still quite protective!

Mr. Rusty is cleaning Dog's ear.  They both seem to enjoy this little game.  Rusty has graduated from the front yard & is out in the pasture with the Brahmans.  I still have to feed him bottles of milk every day, but he is much happier knowing he is a cow.  I think he was close to an identity crisis because he only had dogs to play with.  He is a funny little guy & I sure will miss him when he goes to live with my sister this Fall.  He will have a very good home with his brothers from other mothers though.

Honey & Donkey Hody are up to their usual antics - being pests!  Soon, they will have 2 more donkeys to talk to as we are adopting another pair.  They are very good at protecting the herd from coyotes & since we have two herds, we need to sets of donkeys.  Fingers crossed, all goes well with the ranch inspection from the rescue group this weekend & we will have some new kids on the block.

This was a really cool experience.  I don't know if Ruby felt the same way about it, but I know that she is much happier now that her teeth are all nice & even.  It was time for a little dental checkup.  I had never seen inside a horse's mouth or what their back teeth look like.  Very interesting & Dr. Scrutch is quite the character.

Love this picture!  Little one was having to stand still while mother washed his neck.  So sweet!

Ruby the Helper!  I was removing the upholstery from some chairs for refinishing & she just couldn't stand it.  I told her that until she grew some thumbs, she wasn't being very helpful.  She really just wanted to make sure there wasn't any food in that bucket & once satisfied there was none, she left.  Can't wait to get my grandmother's table & chairs refinished.  They are going to look so good & it will be nice to have family dinners at it again.  We all have lots of good memories around that table.
Time to get moving - feed Rusty, feed horses, figure out how to hang this shade cloth on the east & west sides of the camper cover, deliver table & chairs to re-finisher & what ever else the day brings. 

What a Difference A Year Makes

 I know, I know - it's been a while since I've blogged.  What can I say except that I've been busy.  We have had quite a bit of rain this summer & it is just glorious!  Last year, picture on left, I couldn't keep enough feed & hay out to keep my cows alive & healthy.  This year, picture on right, I can't shred & weed spray fast enough to give the grass more  growing room.  I'll take the shred & weed spray problems over the other any day!
 No calving year would be complete without a yard calf.  In fact, we built a little shed in the yard for any babies who need it.  This little guy is Rusty.  His mommy was making water instead of milk so he was slowly starving.  He's a greedy little piglet now & doing well.  His new yard friend, Missy, is teaching him the finer points of digging a good hole.  Missy is a temporary resident of ours as her mother is trying to sell her house in the city & Missy is quite the escape artist.  No escape attempts here as she knows she gets breakfast & dinner, a couch & bed to lounge upon & all the digging her paws can handle.  Plus a little rabbit chasing & playing with Rusty.
 This scared the liver out of me!  I had fed the horses late afternoon on a hot day.  The barn was actually cool & had a nice cross breeze blowing through - very lovely.  All the horses were a little sleepy, but Miss Estee took the cake on this one.  At first I thought she was dead then realized that she was just sound asleep.  So sound asleep that I couldn't get her to wake up!  I poked on her & talked to her & all she would do is give me the "15 more minutes" look with half closed eyes & put her head back down.  I can't blame her.  It was a perfect napping day.  She finally woke up & left the barn when she realized that she was alone in there.
 I just love this picture!  A friend took it with her phone right at dusk.  This is a very special tree for us as it is our burying tree.  All of our beloved pets are buried on the east side & Daddy installed a marker stone for Mom on the west side.  All that loss makes you think that tree would be a sad place, but I see it & smile at all the lovely memories I have of my Mom & all those silly dogs.  This picture is just perfect to me because it shows the beauty I see when ever I look at that single tree on top of the hill.

OK folks.  Enough fooling around.  I just need some daylight & back on the tractor I go to shred, shred, shred!!  Have a wonderful weekend.

Spring Rain

 Meet Rusty my newest child in the yard.  Dog is keeping him company & teaching him how to play chase.  Rusty's mother was not producing milk & so now I am doing my best to get him to gain weight with as many bottles of milk as he will drink in a day.  Dog really helped me out in that I never would have gotten close to him if Dog hadn't made friends first.  Once Rusty saw that Dog let me touch him, Rusty let me get close enough to get him his first yard bottle of milk.  Dog has been greatly rewarded for his remarkable assistance.

My cousins belong to a wagon that is part of the Saltgrass Trail and had their annual fund raiser at the ranch.  This is Little Joe & his mother.  That little donkey pulled that wagon all over the ranch & seemed to enjoy himself.  Just amazing what such a little animal can do.  I had to giggle because I kept thinking about the Clint Eastwood/Shirley McClain movie Two Mules for Sister Sara.  I could just hear the theme music everytime I looked at that little donkey!



Not a great shot, but the best I could do of the entire group on the ride.  We were taking a break because the team pullling the wagon needed a rest.  They did have quite a load to pull in that wagon, it was a very warm day & I think they were a little out of shape too.  We had a great ride with no horses or their riders having any difficulties along the trail.









Meet Camille.  I picked her up this weekend from the vet.  She belongs to a good friend of mine & Camille had a huge bone stuck at the bottom of her throat going in to her stomach.  She had just been released from ICU & I was taking her to her mother.  The updates are that she is going great at home.  I'm so glad that I was my usual pushy self & that I practically dognapped her to get her to the best vet in the world.  He definitely saved her life.




We woke up Sunday to rain, rain, rain - about 1 inch total, but the day cleared up & was lovely.  In fact, it was quite warm & so we hit the tank to cool off.  Usually the water is a little gross but since we dug all the tanks out this summer & it was full of fresh rain water, it was wonderful.  If we can just keep up these rains we have had, it sure will be nice having a place to cool off this summer.  Between Sunday & yesterday rains, we have had over 2 much needed inches!

I Need An Office

 Thank goodness I love my veterinarian!  I have been at his office every day this week & going again today & will probably end up there again tomorrow!!  Either I need an office at his place or he should move out here - it would be so much easier for me!!  Ah.  Such is the way it goes in calving season though.
  The picture here is of my big back yard that hasn't been mowed in quite some time.  I couldn't mow it when the grass was only a little tall because those ratty basset hounds have dug foxholes halfway to China all over back there & I'd end up with my kidney sticking out of my ear if I use the regular mower.  Instead, I am going to try to get these yearlings to help knock it back & then we are going to have to use the small tractor & shredder to get this yard mowed.  I do think I let it just grow & grow because it is so wonderful to see a sea of green everywhere.  I want it to last as long as possible!!
 
  Say hello to lovely lady Sally & her bitty baby.  Sally & 2 of her friends had just hopped off the trailer from their visit to the vet.  Sally would love to have fingers & toes right now so that she could climb up the side of the trailer, like I did, & kick my butt for taking her baby away, hauling her into town, making her stay at the vet, taking her baby away again & then hauling her home.  I say that I am very happy she is a cloven hoofed bovine!  There I sat on top of the trailer for a few minutes before I scaled my way to the other side & climbed down.  She huffed & growled a few more times at me before taking her baby off into the trees.
  Today is going to be....get 33 & big 27 to vet.  33 had a baby 2 days ago & hasn't expelled all her afterbirth & 27s baby is at the clinic already.  I told baby that I would bring her home & she could stay in my room where we could have tea parties & prank call boys, but the vet said it would be best if I brought her mother in so that maybe she will learn to nurse properly & that cows don't drink tea or make phone calls!  Huh - we'll see about that.  Anyway, round trip to vet, mess with horses (who all look terribly pregnant because they are so grass fat!), pick up new mattress for camper, pick up battery for Peppe (fingers crossed that gets him back on the road), fix water trough (how does a brass chain just disappear?  It's heavy.  Shouldn't it fall to the bottom of the trough???), and lordy knows what else will hit my To Do List today, but bring it on because I'm ready!!

Be a Better Blogger

   Good Morning!
  I hope everyone enjoyed a nice Easter/Passover holiday.  We had a good time out here at the ranch getting ready for the big trail ride next month & I got to see some friends from high school that I hadn't seen in a long time.
  We have lots of babies hitting the ground & so I'm constantly running around checking on the babies & the mommies.  Monday, I took 3 mommies & 3 babies to the vet only to find out when I got to town that I kidnapped a wrong baby!  Wrong baby returned to mother (who was not happy with me) & correct baby taken to vet.  It was funny.  What was not funny was that Peppe died on me out in the East pasture!  I walked about a mile to get home & got WB to tow me to the shop.  I think the battery is dead because those ratty calves turned on the headlamp scratching their heads on the handlebars!
 This is a shot of me in the back of the truck with our current patient.  She was rather weak & so WB & I snatched her up & got her to the vet yesterday.  She was dehydrated & had a little fever.  Amazing how these calves do not seem to mind riding in the air conditioned truck on a soft blanket.   All babies & mommies will come  home today.  It will be good to have them all back in the pasture where they belong.  I started moving everyone around in the pastures yesterday so that I can keep a better eye on these girls & they can't hide their babies out in the woods all the time.  I just will not accept loosing any of them due to lack of attention!
  This was last nights dinner.  I promised WB no more ham this week.  I think we are growing snouts due to 3 days in a row.  My quiche was pretty darned good though & got no complaints from WB although he did snort a few times, but I think that is from an over abundance of swine cuisine.
  Today is busy.  Run to D&D to return some horse tack & pick up trailer hinges then back here to move a mattress out of the camper, check on all my cows, order a new battery for Peppe & go pick up the bovines in town.  I'm sure the list will grow as the day goes on.  It usually does!! 
  Hope you have a great day too.

Long Time No Blog

  Yes, it has been forever & a day since I have sat at the computer to blog about life on the ranch.  I guess the Fall & Winter were too depressing to share.  No rain, no grass, hay hard to find & very expensive, livestock skinny & debating on selling or to keep feeding everyone & pray for rain. 
  It all worked out since we were able to get our tanks dug out & they are now full & have overflown twice with all the rain.  My calves sold at a higher price than I've ever gotten & all the livestock are so grass fat they can barely wade through the belly high grass.  My prayers & patience were answered & rewarded.
 
I took a little trip last weekend with some friends to an equestrian lodge around Bandera & rode horses in the hill coutry.  So beautiful there!!  I haven't been in ages.  It was extra exciting because even though I have ridden horses all my life, I have never ridden my own horse on property other than my own.  We had a wonderful time except for a little run in with some Boy Scout hikers.  The horses freaked out but we were all OK.   Apparently, Ruby & I can do 360s in a cedar tree without me getting sratched, loosing my hat or either of us getting hurt.


OK.  This mesquite tree is one of the freakiest trees I've seen lately & there were two of them.  They are completely empty inside the trunk yet the tree was leafing out.  Just amazing the resilience of nature & certainly that peksy mequite.  Those dudes don't die easy.








Mr. Shiner & Rosemary.  I call him Shine Man because he is rather stellar.  He just hopped up on that rock & was looking for a cookie from his Momma.  Rose & Shiner are a perfect match & Ruby actually doesn't try to bite & kick him too much.  She's an alpha & can be quite the grande dame.








  Miss Ruby was stuffing her face with grass.  That is Cowboy in the background.  He belongs to Rita & Rita is Ruby's grandmother.  Rosemary, in her infinite wisdom, matched Ruby with me.  Rita's daughter could no longer care for Ruby & Ruby became too much for Rita to handle.  Who better to take charge of an alpha mare than me?  Sometimes I think Ruby & I are a bit too alike in our personalities.  I guess that is why we get along well & she doesn't get away with any of her attitude with me!!







This is Skunk the cat from Hill Country Eqestrian Lodge.  She was hanging out on the fence.  Probably waiting for a mouse, baby rabbit or little bird to be ever so foolish enough to land in her pasture. 
















My riding buddies - Rosemary & Shiner; Rita & Cowboy.  We have a great time together & have lots of laughs.














Here is Daddy with the two Basset hounds that adopted us last October.  Flopsy & Mopsy attack WB's lap daily & he does enjoy their company.  Not to worry, Dog is still king of the canines around here & hangs out with his dad all day.  Feeding time is much lounder than it used to be.  Flopsy is a rather timid male until dinner time, then he definitely finds his voice!









This is our horse Fish playing in the water trough.  You can see the flood on the ground he created.  Watching him do this made me understand his name!!





We now have 8 commercial calves.  So far, 5 are versions of red & white & then we have 3 that are black & white.  So cute.  I run out back every day to see if we have any new ones.  I just want to snuggle on these little babies.  They look so soft!!!




As of today, we have 4 Brahman babies.  3 are white & we now have a red one in the group.  These babies are also too cute but their mothers don't let me get nearly as close as the other cows do. 
  We have a big weekend ahead - WB & I will shoot in Lockhart & some of my family arrived today.  Next week is work cattle week - a bull got in with the commercial cows & I'm not ready for them to start dating yet, one needs some udder care, one needs to see the vet & one needs a new ear tag.  They all need to be fly sprayed too.  The Brahmans are doing well, but I have some concerns about one of my mothers right now.  She has plenty of milk but I just hope that baby is able to nurse her gigantic udder. 
Am off to bed & will try to be a better blogger.  I do enjoy sharing this life I am very blessed to live.