tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46835793292308274912024-03-13T18:26:12.532-07:00Heather Smith ThomasHeather Smith Thomas offers a window into ranching life, its joys and perils, plus updates on her family, her writing.Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.comBlogger190125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-72318936483476561362023-08-03T21:14:00.002-07:002023-08-03T21:14:41.523-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - July 11, 2023 Ammarie's Story -Tragic End for a Sweet Baby Girl <p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ammarie’s Story – A Tragic End for a Sweet Baby Girl</span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My apologies for being so far behind with our family news. My granddaughter Emily is the one who posts my blogs for me (since I don’t have a clue about how to do it myself), and she has been very busy these past few months. Then in mid-June our family was thrust into a tragic situation and we all began a very difficult journey after losing Dani’s baby girl. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Even though we may eventually catch you up on the family news (my diary from this past winter and spring) I want to share the recent traumatic events so that you will know what our family has been going through.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This will be a brief synopsis of that baby girl’s short life, and an explanation telling what happened to her.</span></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">HOW IT ALL BEGAN - Dani met Roger on a trip when she was visiting another friend, and then spent some time with him in Oregon at his sister’s place. Roger charmed her, and he became her new boyfriend. His sister brought him here to visit and he stayed at Andrea’s house. They helped me feed cows for several days when Andrea went with Emily to Idaho Falls--when Christopher (Emily’s 3-year old boy) became very sick with pneumonia and was taken by life flight to the hospital in Idaho Falls.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani and Roger helped me while she was gone. I paid Roger for his help, but he never cashed the check. We found out later that this may have been because he had no ID, no driver’s license. His sister came and got him after the week he spent here, and took him back to Oregon. He was living with his sister and her husband and their little kid in Ontario.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;">Later his sister brought him back again and he stayed with Dani, sometimes at Andrea’s house, sometimes with Dani’s father (Mark) when Dani was staying out there, sometimes with friends. He didn’t have a job and talked about doing job applications but never followed through or got a job, maybe because he didn’t have a driver’s license or ID. He helped us occasionally on the ranch, a few hours now and then, and I paid him for his help, but he never seemed to want a real job. Dani had several jobs over the course of the months they spent together (and worked in the clothing department at Murdochs), but Roger was more interested in going off to do things with Dani’s friends and ride their motorcycles.</span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Then he announced to all of us that he was taking Dani back to Oregon to “emancipate” her so she could have fun and just “be a kid”. She was 17 and he was 20 and this probably wasn’t legal to take a minor to another state, but Andrea didn’t try to stop them because Dani was going through a rebellious teenager stage and Andrea didn’t want to alienate her daughter. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When Roger and Dani came back from Oregon, she was pregnant and he was a little nervous, telling Andrea at one point that he was not ready to be a dad. Andrea tried to be supportive and upbeat—trying to be helpful, trying to encourage Roger to step up to his responsibilities and take care of Dani and the coming baby.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Friends found them an old house in town to stay in –they could work on fixing it up as part of the rent. Dani got a job at the Discovery Care Center in the kitchen, and Roger got a job with Chris Bird at the local tire shop. He stuck with it for a few weeks. Dani sometimes took him to work, and sometimes he drove an old beater car he acquired, but he was driving it without a license, insurance or registration. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Chris was really good to him, and gave him a bonus the first week, trying to help him out. Roger had to have someone (usually Andrea) cash his paychecks for him at the bank, however, since he still didn’t have an ID or a bank account anywhere.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He didn’t work at that job very long. He told several people that Chris wasn’t paying enough money, so he quit and said he was going to get a job at the beam plant. He didn’t tell any of us he’d quit; he kept going somewhere like he was going to work.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The Saturday afternoon that the house they were staying in caught on fire (caused by problems with old wiring) he discovered it ablaze and woke Dani up ---she was tired after her part day at work and was taking a nap. Once the fire was put out, friends helped salvage some of their stuff out of the house after the fire crew let them go back in. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The house was destroyed so they stayed a few days with Mark (Dani’s dad) until Mark and Jennifer didn’t want Roger there anymore. They (and Charlie) had little tolerance for Roger because he was lazy and arrogant. Andrea let them come live in one of the bedrooms in her basement until they could find another place and Roger could get another job. They never could get another place and Roger didn’t get another job. Dani was still working in the kitchen at Discovery Care Center. Roger spent his time playing video games and goofing around with friends (usually in the evenings because most of their friends do have jobs).</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani was pregnant and working and always tired. Roger slept all day and dragged her out to party with their friends in the evenings. They were always coming home late, and she had to get up early in the mornings to go to work while he stayed in bed until noon or later. Dani’s health suffered and she was constantly tired.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He never did get another job. Andrea tried to help him with job applications by getting a copy of his birth certificate so he’d have that for ID, and got a copy of his high school transcript, which he needed to get a job that he’d applied for, but he still needed a driver’s license—and he did not try to get one. We began to wonder if there was some reason in his past that would prohibit him from getting a driver’s license.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">He helped us occasionally and I paid him for his time, trying to help him and Dani financially, but each time after he got paid he didn’t want to help again for long periods. Dani was supporting them both and Andrea was providing a place for them to stay since we all wanted the baby to have a safe place.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Roger did go with Dani to her doctor appointments while she was pregnant and after the baby was born, but he’d just sit there doing his video games. He was more interested in his video games or doing things on his phone than he was in the baby.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani and Roger argued a lot, but he’d always convince her that they should stay together. She was easily manipulated and he was good at controlling her mind.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">In mid-March, Andrea and Emily hosted a baby shower for Dani. She would be having her baby in mid to late April, near the end of our calving season, and the baby was going to be a girl. </span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Early morning on April 14th </span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani broke her water and Andrea drove her and Roger to the hospital. Dani had her baby fairly quickly—after only 17 minutes in hard labor. She had a little girl, 7 pounds 10 ounces, 20 inches long, and named her Ammarie (pronounced Ah-mah’ree) Ray Lynne. After the baby had safely arrived, Andrea came home to get some things for Dani, and clothes for the baby—stuff they hadn’t taken time to grab when they rushed off to the hospital.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We were glad that our calving was nearly done; our last heifer had calved, and the two older cows were still on hold (and probably wouldn’t have any calving difficulty) and Andrea wasn’t really needed here. She could devote her time and energy to helping Dani with the new baby.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That next morning Andrea helped me feed the cows then went back to town. She brought Roger and Dani and baby home from the hospital that evening. They stopped here at our house so Lynn and I could get a peek at that new little kid on their way home.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Charlie came out that evening to Andrea’s house to see the baby, and so did Lynn’s sister Jenelle, and she brought some baby clothes.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next day, Sunday, was warmer—the warmest day we’d had all spring—up to 70 degrees. The snow was melting and just about gone from our fields. Andrea came briefly to help me feed cows; she was very tired, having been up most of the night helping Dani with the baby, since Dani was exhausted.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">April 17, Andrea took Dani and baby to the doctor for a checkup; Dani had a fever and wasn’t feeling very well so the doctor prescribed an antibiotic. She was still trying to breast feed the baby, but pumping milk also, to have some for bottle feeding.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani was frail and anemic but trying to take good care of the baby in spite of lack of sleep. Roger wasn’t much help and mainly wanted to keep up his social life with their friends. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">On June 4 Dani and Roger took the baby to the ER in the middle of the night. The baby had burped up fluid and aspirated some of it into her lungs. They took an x-ray and realized the right lung had fluid in it. They suctioned fluid out of the back of her throat, and the baby spent a couple hours in the ER and then Dani and Roger brought her home again.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">None of them got any sleep that night so Andrea tried to get a little rest the next day, in between helping with the baby—rocking her and trying now and then to feed her with a bottle. Ammarie was having trouble swallowing and would only nurse a little bit now and then. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Then Andrea called us at 7 pm to tell me that they were on their way to the hospital again with the baby, who was having trouble breathing and she looked really bad. There was a different doctor this time in the ER and he realized the baby’s lungs were severely compromised. A respiratory nurse put a tube into the lungs and suctioned out a lot of stuff. They were able to bring the baby home again before midnight.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The next morning (June 6) Andrea called to tell us that Dani was very ill with a high fever—she had mastitis due to not pumping enough for the baby during this traumatic time. The clinic had called to say the doctor could see them at 10:30. Andrea took Dani and the baby in, and the doctor was appalled at how serious this baby’s breathing was; he noted on her record that she’d been brought into the ER three times, and said she should have been sent somewhere else a lot quicker. He sent them to Community Hospital in Missoula, where there’s an excellent pediatric ICU and he wanted them to get there immediately. Rather than have to use a life flight, Andrea opted to drive them. She came home to get Roger and then took them all to Missoula. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">At that hospital they did more thorough checking. She was doing better by the next day, however, and Andrea was able to bring them all home again. Andrea made arrangements with Apria Health Care to get an electric suctioning device (like the nurses had used in the hospital) to suction fluid from the back of her throat in case the baby suffered another swallowing problem and choked. They never did have to use it.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ammarie seemed to be doing better for a while. We were all hoping the baby’s health was improving and that she would outgrow the swallowing problem. After the baby was born there were times Roger seemed like he might actually want to grow up and become responsible, and sometimes he was really good with the baby, rocking her, feeding her, etc. but also times he was moody and angry and impatient with the baby and rough on her if she wouldn’t stop crying. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani was either oblivious or in denial of the possibility that Roger hurt the baby because she always defended him. He had a mind control over her and manipulated her a lot. And some of the trauma to that baby probably occurred when Dani was napping (she was always tired—she had health issues and anemia during the last stages of pregnancy and afterward; she was trying to nurse the baby and have enough milk). Roger was often babysitting Ammarie while Dani slept, and took the baby in the other room.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">THE FATAL NIGHT - Dani and Roger took garbage to the dump late that afternoon on June 21, and Andrea babysat Ammarie—rocking and feeding her. The baby seemed fine and was a little sleepy when Andrea gave her back to Dani after they got home and went downstairs. Dani was very tired and went to bed. The baby started fussing so Roger took her in the other room to rock her. Andrea, upstairs, also went to bed, and for a while she heard the baby crying--and then nothing, and she assumed that Ammarie went to sleep. The next thing she knew, Dani was rushing upstairs, and was screaming, “She’s not breathing!” Roger had woke Dani up to tell her the baby wasn’t breathing. She was blue and lifeless.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">By then it was about 9:30 pm. They called 911 and rushed off to town with the unresponsive baby, and were met by the ambulance and EMTs who worked on the baby all the way to the hospital. She arrived not breathing, with no heartbeat. The medical team was able to get her heart beating again but Ammarie was by then intubated and on life support. Family members had been called; Dani’s father and brother Charlie, and Emily came to the hospital. Mark and Andrea both suspected that Roger had treated the baby too roughly. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Andrea called us from the hospital to tell us that the baby was being flown by life-flight to Idaho Falls and that she was going to drive Dani and Roger to Idaho Falls; they left Salmon about midnight.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The sad thing is that the baby was already brain dead, probably by the time they got her to the hospital here at Salmon, but the doctors and nurses tried their best and sent her on to Idaho Falls. The doctor there said they could not treat her in Idaho Falls; the trauma to her head was too extensive, with bleeding on her brain (and he suspected shaken baby syndrome). They gave Ammaria a transfusion and a lot of medication and sent her by life flight to Salt Lake at 5 a.m. that morning—and Andrea drove to Salt Lake with Dani and Roger. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It soon became obvious to the doctors in Salt Lake that Ammarie had suffered significant trauma; not only to her brain but also her ribs. The x-rays showed broken ribs in various stages of healing, some occurring as much as two weeks prior. So this became a crime investigation as well as a medical situation. Our Lemhi County Sheriff’s department sent two people to Salt Lake to question Roger and family members. It was a sad and horrific time for everyone, grieving over what had happened to that baby—and the terrible feelings about what had been done to that child—and trying to support Dani in her grief. The two days in Salt Lake were a nightmare. Everyone was also being questioned by the investigators and the social worker to try to put together the facts of what had happened to that baby.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Andrea requested that a Chaplain come in and say a blessing for Ammaie. Emily left for a while to go shopping and got a beautiful gold butterfly, for Dani to keep, in remembrance of that little girl who was only in our lives so briefly.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Ammarie was finally taken off life support Friday evening after family members had a chance to come and say good-by to her. Charlie, Samantha, Emily and one of her close friends, Mark and Jen, Mark’s mom and Mark’s older son Dusty were able to get there that afternoon or earlier (Dusty and his wife had to go back before the final gathering), but they all had to wait until evening for Roger’s parents to get there from Oregon before they did the final good-by. We would have come, too, but Lynn and I are not up for driving that far anymore, and we were the ones staying home and doing all the chores.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">That evening everyone gathered around the baby and many of them sang to her, played special music, and said their last tearful good-byes. Andrea called us on her cell phone and had it on speaker so we could listen; even though Lynn and I couldn’t hear much, we were “there” in the room with them all, sitting quietly at home but feeling like we were a part of that gathering to honor and say good-by to that sweet baby. She was finally taken off life support at 10:36 p.m.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Everyone was emotionally and physically exhausted. Andrea had gone 3 days without sleep or eating much, trying to help Dani, and had spent the nights in the hospital room with the baby, sometimes taking a tiny cat-nap in a reclining chair. Nurses came and went, monitoring the tiny little body on life support. After Ammarie was taken off life support and taken away (for an autopsy, as required by the circumstances of her death), Andrea stayed at the hospital; it was wee hours of morning before everyone else left.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani went with Roger and his parents and his step-dad’s son to stay with them at their motel. That next morning—Saturday--Andrea tracked down where they were and waited until they got up, to know if Dani would be coming home with her. Dani chose to ride home with Roger and his parents, so they convoyed back to Idaho. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Since Roger was under criminal investigation for murder, the deputies in Lemhi County were alerted regarding their time of departure from Salt Lake, and two of them were waiting at the Baker store when Andrea turned off the highway, followed by Roger’s parents’ pickup. The deputies followed them up the creek and arrested Roger as soon as he got to Andrea’s house, and took him away to jail. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Roger’s parents and little brother went to town and bought booze and came back to spend the night at Andrea’s house. They became obnoxious and Andrea, in her exhausted condition, finally snapped and had to leave. She went up to Michael and Carolyn’s house, then they brought her back and had a good friend stay with her to protect her in her own house, and the next day Mark and Jen, Charlie and Carolyn came to Andrea’s house to diplomatically convince Roger’s family to leave. We gave them money for a motel, to get them out of her house.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Roger’s arraignment had to wait until the official autopsy report on the baby, but it was accomplished quickly. That next day—Monday—he was officially charged, had a court-appointed lawyer, and bail was set at $500,000. A hearing has been set for July 25th, to determine if he will go to trial at a later date. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This has all been extremely hard for Dani (especially now that she is finally beginning to admit and realize that her boyfriend killed her baby). She is no longer trying to defend him. It’s also been very hard for Andrea, who bonded so closely with that beautiful little girl during the times she was taking care of Ammarie when Dani was sleeping. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">This has hit Andrea really hard, as she grieves for the loss of that precious little grandchild and also is trying to help her daughter through this loss. It is very complicated and made more horrific by the fact that it was basically murder, and now the parents of the boyfriend are trying to blame Dani and doing many nasty things. It’s a heavy load for a young grieving mother to bear.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We are all hit hard by grief. Andrea is reminded constantly of the loss because sometimes she took care of that baby and so many things in her house remind her of that little girl. The moments of deep grief for anyone who has ever lost a loved one are overwhelming—the gut-wrenching emotions that tear at your heart, bringing forth uncontrollable sobs of utter desolation and bottomless grief. It’s as if the tribulations and sorrows of the whole world are weighing on your very soul. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">It takes a lot of time to get past our vulnerability to such deep emotions. Earlier experience makes me realize that these feelings will still erupt many times. It is a long journey. Our only solace is knowing that the One who loves us best will be walking alongside us the whole way, even when we are so immersed in grief that we may be unaware of His love and comfort until later.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani is a fragile, devastated young mother who loved her baby dearly and tried hard to do her best for that little girl. She was very young and insecure when she met Roger, and easily swayed by his smooth talking, false front and lies. She is also the victim in this terrible tragedy, but is starting to see the realities. She spent several nights with friends, and then with her oldest brother Dusty and his wife and family in Pocatello after Dusty drove to meet up with the officials bringing Ammarie’s body back to Salmon to the funeral home. Dani and Dusty were allowed to convoy with them to bring her baby home. Dusty and Emily have made all the arrangements at the mortuary so that Dani’s parents didn’t have to deal with it.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The bright spot in all this is the love and support from family and friends; this tragedy has brought Dani's family together in a wonderful way, to try to shelter and protect her and give her the help she needs--in order to come to grips with what happened and to hopefully find her own equilibrium again. She also has support and protection from the law enforcement people who are prosecuting the boyfriend and keeping her safe from Roger’s vindictive parents who are trying to blame Dani. There are many things helping move her fragile condition and emotions in the right direction and to make sure she gets some professional help and grief counseling as well as love and support.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">There will be a memorial gathering for Ammarie at a later date when family and friends can get together again. Some of us have tried to put our feelings into words, and this is what I’d like to say at that memorial:</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Memories of a Precious Baby Girl</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When Grandpa Lynn and I first heard about the baby that would arrive in April, we were excited. </span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When Dani and Roger had us guess whether it would be a boy or a girl we were hoping for a girl---our first great granddaughter. We have four great grandsons and we thought it would be very special to have a little girl.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Dani and Roger gave us a pink heart and a blue star, to have us guess, until they knew what sex the baby would be. When we found out, we put the little pink heart on our calving calendar that hangs on the kitchen wall, and wrote “It’s a Girl” on it … and that little pink heart is still there as a reminder of that special time.</span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When she was born on April 14, on Carolyn’s birthday and a day before Michael’s birthday, we thought that was special, too—a birthday that would be easy to remember in the family “cluster” of April birthdays—including her 2nd</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"> </span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">cousin Joseph and her great uncle Nick.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">My favorite photo of that little girl is the one Emily took and sent to us the day Dani’s baby was born—with that smiling young mother cradling that precious new little girl in her arms.</span></span></span></p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12Obg9G1aqeEt-ag-2S5r99kHGiRPE_8Jkkx6GG-RP34Z7xD510jezMkWPE2PJXHXIZQ8VhZvDCp5WTOFq30glW68qV3e8GCA4dC_jb61knBPv8jxPuR-h3pDwGEUM5_QOKwnw5DS5uNIq-vM8H4y69mG7Yq8X6ahdZAWNNJ2S1xLfQLotpFJlorqYjsx/s1920/received_188928513993215.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12Obg9G1aqeEt-ag-2S5r99kHGiRPE_8Jkkx6GG-RP34Z7xD510jezMkWPE2PJXHXIZQ8VhZvDCp5WTOFq30glW68qV3e8GCA4dC_jb61knBPv8jxPuR-h3pDwGEUM5_QOKwnw5DS5uNIq-vM8H4y69mG7Yq8X6ahdZAWNNJ2S1xLfQLotpFJlorqYjsx/w225-h400/received_188928513993215.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div></span></span></span><p></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Grandpa Lynn and I got to see her when Dani and Roger brought the baby home from the hospital; Grandpa and I went out in the driveway as they drove past our house on their way home to Andrea’s house, and they stopped briefly so we could get our first close-up look at that beautiful sleeping baby.</span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">She was a sweetie, and charmed everyone who saw her and got to hold her.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">When Grandpa Lynn was at Andrea’s house this spring, on several occasions, to help babysit Christopher (Emily’s little boy who sometimes spends time out here), he got to see little Ammarie also, a few times, being held and rocked.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We grieved deeply when we all lost that little angel, but there was one bright incident amid the grief. There was a beautiful butterfly fluttering around our windows in the sunshine the afternoon before Ammarie was truly gone. Lynn noticed the monarch butterfly that continued to hang around our kitchen and dining room windows for several hours, as if her little spirit was saying good-by.</span></span></span></p><p style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We shall miss her deeply, and regret that we won’t have a chance to see her learn to crawl, and walk, and grow into a lovely young woman. But we shall cherish the moments we were able to enjoy her, in her short life, and the brief memories, and hold her forever in our hearts.</span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Postscript: We have been immensely helped through all of this by the prayers and love of family and friends. Many people have asked how they could help. We want them to know that Emily set up a special account in Dani’s name, for people who want to donate toward the expenses of the baby’s cremation, etc.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Details for donating…</span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Baby Ammarie”. Please donate or share with others—any help </span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">is greatly appreciated and will be used to help with the existing medical expenses Dani will have to cover</span></span></span></span><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">. Thanks in advance for your kindness and support.</span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Here’s the link: https://gofund.me/9ca9af1b</span></span></span></span></p><p style="line-height: 19.2px; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganSwYoaSBdcpVojl2fK3507udVNSbNtI-raYXgugTJ49wQJ4Ue1ob9baRtqBdPMhpxWr1JFl0iQRJ_783B9FClXXGPsoVf2yPqupy2Bu3hDsh1mlClRCrtgmfA2uetX8vsQHaVqeDcuPIokIcpV9Q4nyNuvQZeQWnJztC4g_mf02ukZzvYGo8_PhLgV95/s1440/FB_IMG_1688020468422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEganSwYoaSBdcpVojl2fK3507udVNSbNtI-raYXgugTJ49wQJ4Ue1ob9baRtqBdPMhpxWr1JFl0iQRJ_783B9FClXXGPsoVf2yPqupy2Bu3hDsh1mlClRCrtgmfA2uetX8vsQHaVqeDcuPIokIcpV9Q4nyNuvQZeQWnJztC4g_mf02ukZzvYGo8_PhLgV95/w300-h400/FB_IMG_1688020468422.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxWwydTVrce0To6yptvYnvxhbYLyn3dPIaa8hr-7ERL2T9pRh-bVUlGT7n8etQQKK7bWXIXEPtwrH7iGl4_DFCYNui-hFts6KjDdtfBxRFGgHqgERFcqfoaW_sMhCq_eQhcNY-KGl0BuNz1V5VgoirPzg7X1FTduyf87phDwjYRtKORMHdZ0uhJrvoVi4/s1080/IMG_20230623_124159_060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPxWwydTVrce0To6yptvYnvxhbYLyn3dPIaa8hr-7ERL2T9pRh-bVUlGT7n8etQQKK7bWXIXEPtwrH7iGl4_DFCYNui-hFts6KjDdtfBxRFGgHqgERFcqfoaW_sMhCq_eQhcNY-KGl0BuNz1V5VgoirPzg7X1FTduyf87phDwjYRtKORMHdZ0uhJrvoVi4/w400-h400/IMG_20230623_124159_060.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtWgR0bGVgjT0LBfT9I_j8c1d_TJgVmjPTFR_E4VqP_3L01iZrrh-_hL5xIy-VwoIIBn4_p9A_kNDrU4ArzIpUoJB0WjQ9mFBq5ipyZVpkEdY4msVVgnIDtSGTKUgV7JPXjJBkQycu2ubZ_R5x-roKmSAC2VBJE5g8eFZ8wOIqd1van2Pe9l5p9QVOZsX/s3840/Snapchat-239956984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3840" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtWgR0bGVgjT0LBfT9I_j8c1d_TJgVmjPTFR_E4VqP_3L01iZrrh-_hL5xIy-VwoIIBn4_p9A_kNDrU4ArzIpUoJB0WjQ9mFBq5ipyZVpkEdY4msVVgnIDtSGTKUgV7JPXjJBkQycu2ubZ_R5x-roKmSAC2VBJE5g8eFZ8wOIqd1van2Pe9l5p9QVOZsX/w225-h400/Snapchat-239956984.jpg" width="225" /></a> </div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUfBnEibVegM0FSRx3Pojo0JUhDsVsfr1P_OyDRTtGDQE14Eacts7cI2CZRuIsFvV8rrTIhOoUq22Mpf6cnRveZL2zzcyaHEWKcL1a9Ig9nA0H2M6VX21cmdhFI069mE8_ypd_STXDAHR00Na_GqHo0hidgC-6bCC0xLNBj_ord_lFmoVGTP0HdfkTIm4/s4032/20230521_194219.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwUfBnEibVegM0FSRx3Pojo0JUhDsVsfr1P_OyDRTtGDQE14Eacts7cI2CZRuIsFvV8rrTIhOoUq22Mpf6cnRveZL2zzcyaHEWKcL1a9Ig9nA0H2M6VX21cmdhFI069mE8_ypd_STXDAHR00Na_GqHo0hidgC-6bCC0xLNBj_ord_lFmoVGTP0HdfkTIm4/w300-h400/20230521_194219.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbIcpJ3MqT436ZtzCpYPmidgpirh6JsYP5MdYA9fJ_KPN6B-Ltecv4_a98B2VyrJX1jd8k5Ojx5XNSpYGAluUzbQ93bgQK5VoYRcAL149hDRFzPeATrCC89MiZhmPAlfbSnOKFeOZMmPZQdAXMDPvYxyawn_U05-24IMKvtvqVIzixhBPFgMn_zHacMv_/s4032/20230521_194308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilbIcpJ3MqT436ZtzCpYPmidgpirh6JsYP5MdYA9fJ_KPN6B-Ltecv4_a98B2VyrJX1jd8k5Ojx5XNSpYGAluUzbQ93bgQK5VoYRcAL149hDRFzPeATrCC89MiZhmPAlfbSnOKFeOZMmPZQdAXMDPvYxyawn_U05-24IMKvtvqVIzixhBPFgMn_zHacMv_/w300-h400/20230521_194308.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQ_bsOJJp4IkNia8ua5eOYvFFfHOIoTf3oTQ6hh-xn3zAEahECdGLZ1diNNHLKCpdeqna-LvSeYpfdpGFxETVzrD5q3ivCfwaX_XZZMc6BmL_JM2TZ08R1T2q1Evc1wUoHL-0yG1mS5U_ahN5jy4q-2QS2KDXuZ1MBPJRtYPKL3toDahPIajg6g6UkFao/s4032/20230519_161118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzQ_bsOJJp4IkNia8ua5eOYvFFfHOIoTf3oTQ6hh-xn3zAEahECdGLZ1diNNHLKCpdeqna-LvSeYpfdpGFxETVzrD5q3ivCfwaX_XZZMc6BmL_JM2TZ08R1T2q1Evc1wUoHL-0yG1mS5U_ahN5jy4q-2QS2KDXuZ1MBPJRtYPKL3toDahPIajg6g6UkFao/w189-h400/20230519_161118.jpg" width="189" /></a></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbOJGiS-dpNB4Y1H8D1wfzz2AaVOHYdPHz9SVkaRfpr7WOxVkww1hVjTd8IfY5FTq3DUcThk0sJJcKVlVbvkyiRzxmy7K9bvBxZrHwzLahTZcdFP0j-Il6PTKr9_RHczbErmJhvNWdSxQ8dPN-Simvp9wQ56JrlGhtam1U7JR2ZpzZ7GY79SYFCt_0qMa/s1728/received_980344252962936.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="819" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbOJGiS-dpNB4Y1H8D1wfzz2AaVOHYdPHz9SVkaRfpr7WOxVkww1hVjTd8IfY5FTq3DUcThk0sJJcKVlVbvkyiRzxmy7K9bvBxZrHwzLahTZcdFP0j-Il6PTKr9_RHczbErmJhvNWdSxQ8dPN-Simvp9wQ56JrlGhtam1U7JR2ZpzZ7GY79SYFCt_0qMa/w190-h400/received_980344252962936.jpeg" width="190" /></a> </span></span></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></span></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvwUje85riQaIloNKz11Yn4_RONvGBu3022Z1ytRy9NiQofrb91-C3ocLWSfzWTpOJg7LB-O-b0-i2eC8B3TmDLAWxD0xQLqLvQVbxVRDcnOrf0EhCLFpwPT_6hRedPhgtJ-tUfaZXkbiEYCXomJLBgIYYUPlMQ5ifQVnIyh0_Kza1f-l1yA4jBQZXtef/s1728/received_749667166818539.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1728" data-original-width="819" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvwUje85riQaIloNKz11Yn4_RONvGBu3022Z1ytRy9NiQofrb91-C3ocLWSfzWTpOJg7LB-O-b0-i2eC8B3TmDLAWxD0xQLqLvQVbxVRDcnOrf0EhCLFpwPT_6hRedPhgtJ-tUfaZXkbiEYCXomJLBgIYYUPlMQ5ifQVnIyh0_Kza1f-l1yA4jBQZXtef/w190-h400/received_749667166818539.jpeg" width="190" /></a></span></span></span></div></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciHR-AuLzyA-84hShSrBy5J8SOtdtypgJ-jM32BVVyCHZpTUcAlU_w0A51KveOYTSZVFUxfCuZqmsw93G7HxkclZhBBjbL6Knmnjpvc-80s-3kuqeOr-WB1iVP4KSb01etJ_4h_IxiGOcN8srASZX_yP1C7Mg9q05O6TFzfqsd4xg9rPvomOrtr9k1rD_/s4032/20230521_194910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgciHR-AuLzyA-84hShSrBy5J8SOtdtypgJ-jM32BVVyCHZpTUcAlU_w0A51KveOYTSZVFUxfCuZqmsw93G7HxkclZhBBjbL6Knmnjpvc-80s-3kuqeOr-WB1iVP4KSb01etJ_4h_IxiGOcN8srASZX_yP1C7Mg9q05O6TFzfqsd4xg9rPvomOrtr9k1rD_/w300-h400/20230521_194910.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></span></span></span></blockquote></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWVlMnSbg7TEfN_6-UjgzJ2HKKXaaIQ8LMIxnd_FaPf7ATNKDCxfatkmCERt_4Uy3hQIWCAUnUaH4W3Yxqr7xcHPimB10eOBIxowOima6Mo2lMcqUHgKeXW3e0-UUrOa3nXXWeNArsDhdagSrB0N_YLGwZRMVP4vB_18FsLJSmbw5PIZBjVWq47SIq_3a/s4032/20230521_195042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDWVlMnSbg7TEfN_6-UjgzJ2HKKXaaIQ8LMIxnd_FaPf7ATNKDCxfatkmCERt_4Uy3hQIWCAUnUaH4W3Yxqr7xcHPimB10eOBIxowOima6Mo2lMcqUHgKeXW3e0-UUrOa3nXXWeNArsDhdagSrB0N_YLGwZRMVP4vB_18FsLJSmbw5PIZBjVWq47SIq_3a/w300-h400/20230521_195042.jpg" width="300" /></a></div></span></span></span></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: center;">Emily's fiancé Aj </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YtY6ZewuaYEVCtM13qJCklLhh7v72pveXs0C_QoyoFRAcpcjzL5AQUfPsJD_x9Qs5CymKZfLRtSqWRTde3Gkd2aJ2tX4jcpQQk4zM1INXrTDa0hrgQKJekwQOFwR3BNKUBvdR8uFkcM5kLVNL8ojGh4LwjqxSonzQvjKB5UtbyB5vi0TO_lEiso96r1e/s4000/20230623_231923.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3YtY6ZewuaYEVCtM13qJCklLhh7v72pveXs0C_QoyoFRAcpcjzL5AQUfPsJD_x9Qs5CymKZfLRtSqWRTde3Gkd2aJ2tX4jcpQQk4zM1INXrTDa0hrgQKJekwQOFwR3BNKUBvdR8uFkcM5kLVNL8ojGh4LwjqxSonzQvjKB5UtbyB5vi0TO_lEiso96r1e/w300-h400/20230623_231923.jpg" width="300" /></a></blockquote></blockquote><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><br /></span></span></span></span><p></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 120%; margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><br /></p>
<p><br />
<br />
<br />
</p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"></span><p></p>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-8703629086835553962023-05-07T14:58:00.002-07:002023-05-07T14:58:27.597-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – November 16 through December 14, 2022<p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOVEMBER 26</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">L</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ast Thursday morning it was snowing hard when I got up, and we had 2 inches of new snow. It was still snowing at chore time. Michael called to tell us he was worried about us trying to take our trailer to Montana the next day, to go to the bull sale, because the roads would be really bad, and we’d have to chain up the truck and trailer to make it over two of the passes. We realized that another problem would be the cold weather. It was predicted to be 30 below zero at Three Forks, Montana (and about 10 below zero here) and we realized Andrea’s diesel pickup would need to be plugged in over there or it wouldn’t start. We called the hotel where we’d be staying and they said they didn’t have any way we could plug in a vehicle. We might have been able to plug it in at the stockyard but then we’d have to hitch a ride back and forth (10 miles) between there and the hotel. So we decided to take Andrea’s car instead; it has good tires and starts ok in cold weather. The bull we buy could be delivered to a sale yard near Dillon, Montana (just over the mountain from us—a 3 hour drive) and we could go get him later on a day trip and not have to have Andrea’s truck plugged in overnight.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That whole day was cold and windy, with more snow expected, and Lynn was relieved that we decided not to try to travel with the truck and trailer. We were also glad our straw got delivered the previous day; Steve Herbst would not have been able to bring it now. And the weaned heifers were enjoying their big straw bale; they already had some of it broken down to bed on, and I spread more of it with a pitchfork so there is room for all of them to lie on it, and alongside the calf houses, out of the wind. Winter arrived with a bang.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon and evening we got everything ready for our trip, with lots of warm clothes, and I cooked some things Lynn could have for meals while I was gone. Charlie came out and spent the night at Andrea’s so he could go with us. Our original plan was to have him come along in case we needed help chaining up the truck and trailer or had a flat tire, but we decided to have him still come with us in the car, in case we had any problems.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning it was 6 below zero when I went out in the dark to feed the horses and check the ice in the bull pen with a flashlight (the little open area in the ice where he drinks) and be ready to leave at 6:30 when Andrea and Charlie came down from her house. We loaded my stuff in her car, and I had a blanket over my lap in the back seat; it took a while for her heater to warm it up back there. She’d made sandwiches and had food in a cooler, and we ate snacks on our way.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was barely daylight when we were driving along the river and starting up toward Lost Trail Pass, and we had to stop for several groups of elk crossing the road. One herd had more than 100 animals in it, lined out crossing the highway—leaving the river and going up the mountain into the timber.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">There wasn’t a lot of new snow on Lost Trail Pass but the next ones were bad; we realized we probably would have had to chain up the truck and possibly the trailer to go over Joseph and Homesteak Passes in Montana, so it was good we chose to take her car.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was 27 below zero on those passes and in the Big Hole as we headed toward Butte, Montana. We got to the stockyard near Three Forks at 10:30 a.m. and spent a few hours walking around looking at the pens of bulls. The crew was still sorting and putting them in the pens in lots of five. I’d already made notes in the catalog on the ones I was most interested in (best scores for calving ease and disposition) but made additional notes looking at the bulls themselves. It was hard to write with gloves on, and my fingers got so cold they didn’t work very well. We were dressed warmly (many layers!) but still got really cold and didn’t quite get finished looking at the bulls before we gave up and drove to the Sacajawea Hotel (ten miles away) to check in. It took us a couple hours to get warm, in our room! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We ate sandwiches and rested, then went out to the lobby to meet some of the other folks (all the people coming to the sale were staying at that hotel). I enjoyed meeting Kit Pharo (Pharo Cattle Company, who was putting on this sale) because I’ve known him for more than 20 years (interviewed him for several articles, and then bought a bull sight unseen from his Colorado sale 2 years ago) but had never met him in person. Andrea took a photo of us.</span></p><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYk-nIMhHzlOgFZWp--zdBXy1T-vYOtT8vaNbqNNO85q-fNSg2ABHihjmEpi2Zxr73RrFsp160c0GzmxxqIWIL_pcxHHyqZ-i1eJlyotLb5DTTG5xZG_NJxyr0Qbd7ERmZ4i3VfGmwHfRRI7IESjOMqXhXq-FHaRLoB65L50wSZFogpP6ux62_hDSmXg/s4032/1%20-%20me%20&%20Kit.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYk-nIMhHzlOgFZWp--zdBXy1T-vYOtT8vaNbqNNO85q-fNSg2ABHihjmEpi2Zxr73RrFsp160c0GzmxxqIWIL_pcxHHyqZ-i1eJlyotLb5DTTG5xZG_NJxyr0Qbd7ERmZ4i3VfGmwHfRRI7IESjOMqXhXq-FHaRLoB65L50wSZFogpP6ux62_hDSmXg/w189-h400/1%20-%20me%20&%20Kit.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">me & Kit</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Kit’s program in raising seedstock is to produce efficient cattle that do well on grass and are profitable—not requiring expensive feed, and not needing assistance at calving, staying in the herd for a long time—with good dispositions and easy to handle. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We attended the “Meet and Greet” meeting that evening. There were folks there from several states and Canada, and one guy from Australia. Some were cooperator breeders (raising bulls for Kit’s program) and some were people who came to buy bulls.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Afterward I talked to several of those folks, including a guy from Canada that I will interview sometime for an article. Also had a great conversation with the wife of the auctioneer; she and her husband are from Missouri and he raises bulls for the Pharo Cattle Company program. I eventually got tired and went to bed, but Andrea stayed up longer and talked to many more of them, and took a few photos.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaERZ-_BHnRAJR4rsLBP1o05m3LpTAtIUWZmAzHZACevRJ5blUpj6o1LpMDzLi78IUD14fSQccb0YWMgp8wlnnJPJmdA5KUeodUJHsBKiIb3EnB6FLyS0jGgeF8q8I3IEYDmVsZNgDRtvPBi3HyivTX_mO2TGeSPirgYz2pIgrc7EfdD0q4Xr69mTqrg/s4032/2%20-%20Kit%20&%20friend.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaERZ-_BHnRAJR4rsLBP1o05m3LpTAtIUWZmAzHZACevRJ5blUpj6o1LpMDzLi78IUD14fSQccb0YWMgp8wlnnJPJmdA5KUeodUJHsBKiIb3EnB6FLyS0jGgeF8q8I3IEYDmVsZNgDRtvPBi3HyivTX_mO2TGeSPirgYz2pIgrc7EfdD0q4Xr69mTqrg/w189-h400/2%20-%20Kit%20&%20friend.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kit & friend</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNaAdhp8ufEtTeMmzCzEtKrZmU2e809vlh8I7fO4HQfQu0HqrzEe-gr7SS4mg3qytGfrxhDdcI7koEMwIQ6fDPK1zwfr8s7DFiODFcw4V19kaZ03SBFWofGdlXMu0BD_DuNz1pgc0FXC4DQlWJirTSI3mUgeSRvQ7SdU1no25beE8-As7rEOIX7Ndxg/s4032/3%20-%20socializing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUNaAdhp8ufEtTeMmzCzEtKrZmU2e809vlh8I7fO4HQfQu0HqrzEe-gr7SS4mg3qytGfrxhDdcI7koEMwIQ6fDPK1zwfr8s7DFiODFcw4V19kaZ03SBFWofGdlXMu0BD_DuNz1pgc0FXC4DQlWJirTSI3mUgeSRvQ7SdU1no25beE8-As7rEOIX7Ndxg/w400-h189/3%20-%20socializing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">socializing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">It was hard to get any sleep that night, however. This old historic hotel was built in 1910, with thin walls and ceilings, and we could hear people talking in the lobby in the middle of the night.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday we ate breakfast in our hotel room (we took food with us so we wouldn’t have to spend money on food) then Andrea and I drove out to the stockyard again to finish looking at the bulls before the sale. Charlie chose to stay in the warm motel room and just relax, explore the hotel, etc. The temperature at the stockyard was only 12 below zero that morning (instead of 20 below) and this time Andrea loaned me some knitted gloves that were flexible enough to write with and still keep my hands a little warmer. We finished looking at the rest of the bulls and made notes. We wanted to get a bull that isn’t too closely related to “Babe”--the one we bought 2 years ago--since we need the new bull to breed Babe’s daughters. We also want a bull with a really mellow disposition and guaranteed calving ease. We’re getting to old to have to pull calves!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea drove back to the hotel to get Charlie, and I waited in the heated sale barn and talked some more with some of the folks we met the night before. We all had lunch there (free lunch for the folks who came to the bull sale) and then the sale started The 86 bulls sold in less than an hour. It was a cowboy auction, in which each buyer had a bidder number. We just held our number up for the desired bull, and only pulled it down when the bid went past what we wanted to pay. The first 18 bulls were all on my “first choice list” but they all went past my budget (selling in a range of $10,000 to $25,000) but on the 19th bull the bidding stopped just as I pulled my number down (at $6500) and I ended up with that bull. It was a little more than I wanted to pay but I also didn’t want to end up empty-handed or with a bull I didn’t really like. As it turned out, the final price was only $6110 with the “drought” discount Kit gives for folks in areas that were severely affected by drought this past year.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There were some bulls later in the sale that went cheaper, and a couple that I would have really liked to have, but we were still happy with the one we got. Andrea and I went back out to get another look at the bull we ended up with, and decided that he was ok, and definitely a mellow fellow with a good disposition. Andrea took a photo of him down on his knees reaching as far as he could to eat hay from the pen manger.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkszbp3BBj0IK94V_5erTxuNhij58aMdSAIETrRQheJqaSfcrtfcYX0FxuavBgj1w5aX8xFOcekuGx3jpkxEX6bVZ_RTZwPu9cukNgAXAE6msUDtC-0brtMZRvUBcEO-EjH0lBV6_cqilMOv2YsBDe2AJyAIERfGrpLmbJkn7m3Kz4Vp_B23Ghp8Qc-g/s4032/4%20-%20reaching%20to%20eat%20hay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkszbp3BBj0IK94V_5erTxuNhij58aMdSAIETrRQheJqaSfcrtfcYX0FxuavBgj1w5aX8xFOcekuGx3jpkxEX6bVZ_RTZwPu9cukNgAXAE6msUDtC-0brtMZRvUBcEO-EjH0lBV6_cqilMOv2YsBDe2AJyAIERfGrpLmbJkn7m3Kz4Vp_B23Ghp8Qc-g/w400-h189/4%20-%20reaching%20to%20eat%20hay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">reaching to eat hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">His registered name is Jurassic Park, but we immediately nicknamed him Barney (like the friendly purple dinosaur). So now we have Babe and Barney.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Bulls were being loaded out immediately after the sale, to be taken home by buyers, and the Pharo Cattle Company crew were loading bulls to be delivered to various points in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. Our bull was headed for Dillon, Montana (a lot closer to home for us) with free delivery. We made arrangements with the stockyard at Dillon to keep him until Monday since there was no way we could get home and take our trailer over there immediately, and we’d planned to stay one more night at Three Forks and head home early Sunday morning.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we went back to the hotel late afternoon and visited again with some of the folks we’d met who were also staying another night (with long drives the next day). We celebrated our purchase by ordering hamburgers from the downstairs restaurant to eat in the lobby, and during our visit with other folks that evening one of them took a photo of the three of us.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyWlQrJzO6Sw3FqrU17oaBVgnT2Ace8WoKmS19181ZkYJkjxF98MNlYaID9C5tzlklbgVDPiidJ_Ba-hXWhI-SnHWbLjzWAZqdfwIsXOBlaG8WvL_X2VFy_goQbLEM3oZOSffuzfJaJ6tvEtDNaqAyg_TBc9sqsaVDHWpywqBww68fn1mmNi2ZKHqow/s4032/5%20-%20our%20celebration%20meal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyWlQrJzO6Sw3FqrU17oaBVgnT2Ace8WoKmS19181ZkYJkjxF98MNlYaID9C5tzlklbgVDPiidJ_Ba-hXWhI-SnHWbLjzWAZqdfwIsXOBlaG8WvL_X2VFy_goQbLEM3oZOSffuzfJaJ6tvEtDNaqAyg_TBc9sqsaVDHWpywqBww68fn1mmNi2ZKHqow/w400-h189/5%20-%20our%20celebration%20meal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our celebration meal</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNod4YSBBTFJbbjUp237eu1C9jriUqCCJPI7QQDw8zVF6rJ-xxxrdgmTxV3NgNst4qEEwhaw6i_9--civcDXTVQ1powYvdXSSRHcn-Zc3Gq6A1J9zeS01hQrg_O41yb3NqPSIUUEUCJDW5d6JUmlWm7wdqPjCLVrCbne-xVut7bQ5tDo8j6vHXLCjbeQ/s4032/6%20-%20me,%20Charlie%20&%20Andrea.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNod4YSBBTFJbbjUp237eu1C9jriUqCCJPI7QQDw8zVF6rJ-xxxrdgmTxV3NgNst4qEEwhaw6i_9--civcDXTVQ1powYvdXSSRHcn-Zc3Gq6A1J9zeS01hQrg_O41yb3NqPSIUUEUCJDW5d6JUmlWm7wdqPjCLVrCbne-xVut7bQ5tDo8j6vHXLCjbeQ/w400-h189/6%20-%20me,%20Charlie%20&%20Andrea.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">me, Charlie & Andrea</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We talked to Lynn again on the phone to tell him how it went, and he gave us an update on the home front. It had been really cold but he’d managed to get the chores done and water the horses and bred heifers. Dani and Roger got their water pipes thawed (the pipes in the old house they are renting in town froze during that cold spell).</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning we headed home, and it was only 3 below zero. We had an uneventful trip but noticed the huge ice buildup on the river by North Fork, which showed how cold it had been on our side of the mountain while we were gone.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got home we offloaded my stuff, and Charlie and Andrea went home to plug in his truck and hers. I chopped all the ice out of the horse tubs that had built up during those 3 days and watered them, and checked the ice in Babe’s pen—and had to open it up a little so he could drink. Andrea got her truck started by late afternoon and brought it down here, hooked up the trailer, and parked it by our shop so it could be plugged in all night.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday morning we left early (after I did chores in the dark) to drive to Dillon to get our new bull. Charlie and Lynn went with us. Lynn and I sat in the back seat (actually just half the back seat since the other half was full of extra clothing, blankets, food snack cooler, etc.) and we were plenty warm. Charlie took a photo of us snug in the back seat, and another photo as we started up Railroad Canyon.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV3jnybj7Yy0g3UCnpnSRnYy6zMxdRTHO0isOhBBoMv_FZyPBMd_C6rzvlOXOs35XdlBWH4EVmFq6R9Dd4WT302IIg8rWebc_TIgZI6KBdEU_wPvyHyGJ4SCt5WPZyCKnn0y8-uUzZpmibHGIwDVqJ_7IrjV9eNxxufCf6tct87EXzRf3UcBaAh8alw/s3968/7%20-%20snug%20in%20back%20seat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="3968" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV3jnybj7Yy0g3UCnpnSRnYy6zMxdRTHO0isOhBBoMv_FZyPBMd_C6rzvlOXOs35XdlBWH4EVmFq6R9Dd4WT302IIg8rWebc_TIgZI6KBdEU_wPvyHyGJ4SCt5WPZyCKnn0y8-uUzZpmibHGIwDVqJ_7IrjV9eNxxufCf6tct87EXzRf3UcBaAh8alw/w400-h190/7%20-%20snug%20in%20back%20seat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snug in the back seat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpD949UclaUt_pi2phxNBLMycN5A8db5H-uV9rw8Zct0Fs-aIKeAkD1bufSFbydh6Neqq2-0FEqYVaJMI-80MEvrGKYwz0fSKl3ooeOn2d8-0xN4_V12FGF65D4y8JEovLLj7MODbHvrOj64CeDFnIfz6198d-bENuuvb9r1eqIGRpDfjVeeIfpBFCsw/s4032/8%20-%20starting%20up%20Railroad%20Canyon%20before%20the%20end%20of%20the%20pavement.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpD949UclaUt_pi2phxNBLMycN5A8db5H-uV9rw8Zct0Fs-aIKeAkD1bufSFbydh6Neqq2-0FEqYVaJMI-80MEvrGKYwz0fSKl3ooeOn2d8-0xN4_V12FGF65D4y8JEovLLj7MODbHvrOj64CeDFnIfz6198d-bENuuvb9r1eqIGRpDfjVeeIfpBFCsw/w189-h400/8%20-%20starting%20up%20Railroad%20Canyon%20before%20the%20end%20of%20the%20pavement.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">starting up Railroad Canyon before the end of the pavement</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">It was another cold day, below zero as we went through Railroad Canyon from Leadore and over Bannock Pass. The pavement ends partway up that canyon, and the 15 miles of gravel road up over the top is very rough and washboard bumpy. Our top speed was only about 20 mph but it had been plowed and graveled and we didn’t need chains.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got to the stockyard at Dillon the owner helped us load the little bull, after we spread a bale of hay in the front part of the trailer for him. We locked him in that front part (and had a tarp tied to the divider, to provide protection from the wind, and put an unbroken hay bale against it to help hold the tarp down and completely block any wind coming in the back. Even though the sides along the top were open, he was down out of the wind and when we checked on him a couple times on the trip he was lying down in the hay, quite comfortable.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was really slow coming back over Bannock Pass because we went even slower over </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">that rough road with Barney in the trailer. Charlie took one photo as we were heading back up over the pass, and then he took a nap. Andrea took a photo of him snoozing along the way.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3QJFwPXHKVbFt-GOHmX3qbfcPTGkWuoAkdWDkdjn4y8vCVden8VbAVZV1w69oH61hGysKY9YCvPfR5n3V14hRVtHEB2Pt1ucfKUYPRWJKCa1qUTSMrecmYze29amJ-AM_AGpB0lOdSfqt4GCbSz4IwDTK2OwjwGbnv-nxM24VnYrOJEYZkNKfTvlog/s4032/9%20-%20starting%20back%20up%20over%20the%20Pass.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW3QJFwPXHKVbFt-GOHmX3qbfcPTGkWuoAkdWDkdjn4y8vCVden8VbAVZV1w69oH61hGysKY9YCvPfR5n3V14hRVtHEB2Pt1ucfKUYPRWJKCa1qUTSMrecmYze29amJ-AM_AGpB0lOdSfqt4GCbSz4IwDTK2OwjwGbnv-nxM24VnYrOJEYZkNKfTvlog/w189-h400/9%20-%20starting%20back%20up%20over%20the%20Pass.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">starting back up over the Pass</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA-4PnTabLGrXknFbvfMe2xXl61aSvVgh7cHEn55WQvLZdQpSuQS0WOALPhlZ-AezUrr2ByhMyMFZRLh8YfpI7MjTRbyMblDDK22aG9EYZKSuEPOZILPe_kYJOvwh8FMdW-KoZtOvf3XM68CMkl5eMAUF_iRBd5UqBuavD3os1bhTz2Zs3xq5hgayIw/s3968/10%20-%20Charlie%20sleeping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1880" data-original-width="3968" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiA-4PnTabLGrXknFbvfMe2xXl61aSvVgh7cHEn55WQvLZdQpSuQS0WOALPhlZ-AezUrr2ByhMyMFZRLh8YfpI7MjTRbyMblDDK22aG9EYZKSuEPOZILPe_kYJOvwh8FMdW-KoZtOvf3XM68CMkl5eMAUF_iRBd5UqBuavD3os1bhTz2Zs3xq5hgayIw/w400-h190/10%20-%20Charlie%20sleeping.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie sleeping</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We got home early afternoon and unloaded him into the pen with Babe, and he went right to the feed manger along the fence and started eating hay. Andrea took a photo of him.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGTWEZBR__6p0n5el4-3WxkAi2EEzSJzBtz76TY5GFbKOPzs5YSla2IQad54kpLL7Ng5e5A9dwM7UcokrjnP91HwIeNQhZhID2k0n-wxSX62E1jh9qo5NG-Mz9_jfYuVZZh5F35zzopZJNssQbh5OAEbYSsZwQABk3BZpTHHHV-ENfUmehiJ8oxbj2A/s4032/11%20-%20Barney%20went%20straight%20to%20the%20hay%20in%20the%20fence%20manger.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaGTWEZBR__6p0n5el4-3WxkAi2EEzSJzBtz76TY5GFbKOPzs5YSla2IQad54kpLL7Ng5e5A9dwM7UcokrjnP91HwIeNQhZhID2k0n-wxSX62E1jh9qo5NG-Mz9_jfYuVZZh5F35zzopZJNssQbh5OAEbYSsZwQABk3BZpTHHHV-ENfUmehiJ8oxbj2A/w400-h189/11%20-%20Barney%20went%20straight%20to%20the%20hay%20in%20the%20fence%20manger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Barney went straight to the hay in the fence manger</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Babe came over to check him out but they didn’t even think about fighting; they acted like long-lost brothers and were good buddies from the start.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We cleaned the bedding hay out of the trailer and Charlie backed it up into its parking spot at the loading chute. When Andrea looked in at the bulls again they were both napping peacefully in the corner shelter.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_ZB8vxEVAUEVYXopZKTNhmHGKSVrqKnNRlpt141wTCZ5Lhqb5GHjc7P71hXiX7AkM3N7sTKpjgMW2JnfmfQWSdIvt3QXbKWqnU2GdIvV-KQxtLvkmz93DcMzexiigaqpD_bVUkXt7HFSj3kExMgrJOrgOdQtDOy4O4c5gQ7zl3ySERj9OKlBtkLmrw/s4032/12%20-napping%20together.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_ZB8vxEVAUEVYXopZKTNhmHGKSVrqKnNRlpt141wTCZ5Lhqb5GHjc7P71hXiX7AkM3N7sTKpjgMW2JnfmfQWSdIvt3QXbKWqnU2GdIvV-KQxtLvkmz93DcMzexiigaqpD_bVUkXt7HFSj3kExMgrJOrgOdQtDOy4O4c5gQ7zl3ySERj9OKlBtkLmrw/w189-h400/12%20-napping%20together.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">napping together</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAA8NYkGIPJBMdqP-jq2hSEVygXuKkmQWCxdeDCi8jjHjuc1tm1_BJZlVFwKDN9V-UR4Bs73OixfQvI5BLyKBDlnfilNtyXQhmTAHAjumm2erZj5qwvMHWu2fGMK8AteXV52Wfazg81UzCNINMljPsq9sRibS29kK43gVAcGLNeXdmcDWMAuD9rp9ag/s4032/13%20-%20Babe%20&%20Barney%20in%20their%20shelter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAA8NYkGIPJBMdqP-jq2hSEVygXuKkmQWCxdeDCi8jjHjuc1tm1_BJZlVFwKDN9V-UR4Bs73OixfQvI5BLyKBDlnfilNtyXQhmTAHAjumm2erZj5qwvMHWu2fGMK8AteXV52Wfazg81UzCNINMljPsq9sRibS29kK43gVAcGLNeXdmcDWMAuD9rp9ag/w189-h400/13%20-%20Babe%20&%20Barney%20in%20their%20shelter.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Babe & Barney in their shelter</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea went to town to do all the town errands and check on Dani and get some firewood for her and Roger. That afternoon coming home from work, my brother Rocky slid off the road before he got to his house. As he rounded the corner just above Yoder’s house, the setting sun temporarily blinded him and he couldn’t tell where the edge of the road was. His jeep started tipping off the bank but was caught and held by the fence and some brush, or it would have rolled down off the bank and into the ditch below. As it was, he was stranded with the jeep almost on its side, with the driver’s side door buried in the snowbank and the passenger door up in the air. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He’d recently had knee surgery and wasn’t able to try to climb up out through the passenger door. Fortunately Yoders were home and a fellow who had been delivering something to them saw Rocky’s jeep and told them about it. They came up onto the road and pulled Rocky out of the vehicle through the back door. He wasn’t hurt, but the jeep was banged up a little.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday was not quite as cold, with 10 degrees that morning and a high of 24 degrees that afternoon. I spent the day catching up--typing interviews and articles after Andrea helped me break ice out of all the horse tubs and the heifer’s water trough above the house. Then we fed the weaned heifers a bale of my horse hay, and some flakes of alfalfa from the big square bale by their round bale stacks. With the snow and cold weather, it was time to start feeding them a little; the grass in their pasture is almost completely covered with snow. Andrea went to town that afternoon and took Dani to the ER; she has bronchitis.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A whitetail doe and her two fawns have been spending a lot of time in our back yard eating weed seeds, leaves, etc. and I took photos of them (through the bathroom window) while they were eating leaves off a fallen branch of the elm tree, next to Rishiam’s pen.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYDCthd8C_8VOJkHiKsLIACBy-O3rtwLG_554mEGxVbpz2gqx_Kwd0jyA1Zp3oWplaHEhnEjak5JGW9FqllyU-9J75ml8XYjDH3aQriZ9MsdI2cirTD68_Fqhcrq36r_fN996aJ6yHixm-QafCCwWjSeSoxqVbd09BdS-yPKXxP1VLJhLbOF1kT5ggQ/s4000/14%20-fawns%20in%20back%20yard.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYDCthd8C_8VOJkHiKsLIACBy-O3rtwLG_554mEGxVbpz2gqx_Kwd0jyA1Zp3oWplaHEhnEjak5JGW9FqllyU-9J75ml8XYjDH3aQriZ9MsdI2cirTD68_Fqhcrq36r_fN996aJ6yHixm-QafCCwWjSeSoxqVbd09BdS-yPKXxP1VLJhLbOF1kT5ggQ/w400-h300/14%20-fawns%20in%20back%20yard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fawns in back yard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekyFGHrQMZQh42-E9kF6latXnjKW70V69V4PCZfiaYk8ZHxenoKDnRpBvWSgnZ60CIX6Rlf8c_VhePbz6GpogTyk5INwbtZ4YIPVRVG3YzEYvRMdQ5y8Ik7BW5q7QoKEZ3kNxRfOy9jPmzFc8SpTWpEiDczFsG2PHHaojPPrhliBRzUmPFqzRIHV1rg/s4000/15%20-%20fawn%20eating%20next%20to%20Rishiam.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhekyFGHrQMZQh42-E9kF6latXnjKW70V69V4PCZfiaYk8ZHxenoKDnRpBvWSgnZ60CIX6Rlf8c_VhePbz6GpogTyk5INwbtZ4YIPVRVG3YzEYvRMdQ5y8Ik7BW5q7QoKEZ3kNxRfOy9jPmzFc8SpTWpEiDczFsG2PHHaojPPrhliBRzUmPFqzRIHV1rg/w300-h400/15%20-%20fawn%20eating%20next%20to%20Rishiam.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fawn eating next to Rishiam</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday was warmer; it actually got above freezing for a little while that afternoon. Andrea chopped holes in the ice along the little water channel (fed by springs) in the back field and we moved the 9 bred heifers over there, since it will be easier for watering them (the water tank above the house will just keep freezing up) and the grass where they’ve been is just about gone.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The last few nights have been cold, but not quite down to zero. I’ve been feeding the weaned heifers a little hay every morning with the sled—some grass hay and some alfalfa. On Thanksgiving day Andrea, Jim, Lynn and I went to her friend Russ’s place; he cooked a nice dinner. Yesterday I started feeding the little heifers twice a day with the sled. They are still grazing a little, but it will soon be time to give them a full feed of hay.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today we had our family get-together for a belated Thanksgiving dinner at Andrea’s house in the late afternoon, since this was the day her kids could all be there (except for Sam, who couldn’t get off work in Twin Falls). We also invited Nick.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn had to locate water for some folks above town, who need to put in a well, and I did chores when he got home, then we went up to Andrea’s house and took a fruit salad and jello. Emily, AJ, Christopher, Dani, Roger and Russ were there, and after dinner some of us played a few rounds of Tripoli. It was a fun day. Here are a few of the photos Andrea took:</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYerY5AFsmxYXZKsTk2id5c4kSsAcWAd0r6v4iJXRQKbDhlk6YyDqPcMM9EK0OU2WWq3YOR72JhoeIe5FcxqaZh1I8moAzzfdMPL4m8fR8Z5S5yID3YMjYqGxExh1TRH0h4WY7OPveLUlA-PfQ2Ks6stRi-4WAEuDtzgJmcdJuxS79o0AcuiOwc0gKg/s4032/16%20-%20Roger%20Dani%20&%20Charlie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYerY5AFsmxYXZKsTk2id5c4kSsAcWAd0r6v4iJXRQKbDhlk6YyDqPcMM9EK0OU2WWq3YOR72JhoeIe5FcxqaZh1I8moAzzfdMPL4m8fR8Z5S5yID3YMjYqGxExh1TRH0h4WY7OPveLUlA-PfQ2Ks6stRi-4WAEuDtzgJmcdJuxS79o0AcuiOwc0gKg/w400-h189/16%20-%20Roger%20Dani%20&%20Charlie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger, Dani & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dr-O43agBsRvnZoPOvuqwxvfHCwe78wjT8gpD_KJcVvSpZM2Poi8NUIGK8VXkBTmbmApPEx7DYp_bvKLCkDLYsWOEs4PfxcavllqncmH1eAUOzwuYCU4tUDipmXmQ0Rk0jDhYYWDz0FPdZ9zNV4SLB9ltt2OGsEmanjMcPvh1HBoaJi9sIpQFi4CTg/s4032/17%20-%20Dani%20&%20Charlie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dr-O43agBsRvnZoPOvuqwxvfHCwe78wjT8gpD_KJcVvSpZM2Poi8NUIGK8VXkBTmbmApPEx7DYp_bvKLCkDLYsWOEs4PfxcavllqncmH1eAUOzwuYCU4tUDipmXmQ0Rk0jDhYYWDz0FPdZ9zNV4SLB9ltt2OGsEmanjMcPvh1HBoaJi9sIpQFi4CTg/w189-h400/17%20-%20Dani%20&%20Charlie.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0YqFJz7CfRAPuyfS-FNy3QqR6yp8yvh4mNrSOeTw0W1BBCPmQnF1G4Sktc9ZKBPieO0rqw_F6fdlK4WG3DYla22UkCC_rClLVy_HfUEuTL50i1Cz3dINks1hok3-1ykoFtAK75qfRLpsvWIvhg7ThoX8QJLXHf_F0ZyfgBMz975_hbmZCTNi0f7SPw/s4032/18%20-%20dinnner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt0YqFJz7CfRAPuyfS-FNy3QqR6yp8yvh4mNrSOeTw0W1BBCPmQnF1G4Sktc9ZKBPieO0rqw_F6fdlK4WG3DYla22UkCC_rClLVy_HfUEuTL50i1Cz3dINks1hok3-1ykoFtAK75qfRLpsvWIvhg7ThoX8QJLXHf_F0ZyfgBMz975_hbmZCTNi0f7SPw/w400-h189/18%20-%20dinnner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>dinner</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Z6GhI9xNvRJjQYWQJ-SBzlaiZYv03GzHdEqqOgF2fvuLcIucYPn55lAdORflafEF9MyubIc9H4t2L8iDc2RBfsM8XJNAz3hbUQFsxr5IWVNxkkgBWhJeAb15xHCH6qHLC3kuUkMUQ1TUVGxW0i02s-nCg-VcnmQQChPElL1ddrChJN3cQ8JrG53PRA/s4032/19%20-good%20food!.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Z6GhI9xNvRJjQYWQJ-SBzlaiZYv03GzHdEqqOgF2fvuLcIucYPn55lAdORflafEF9MyubIc9H4t2L8iDc2RBfsM8XJNAz3hbUQFsxr5IWVNxkkgBWhJeAb15xHCH6qHLC3kuUkMUQ1TUVGxW0i02s-nCg-VcnmQQChPElL1ddrChJN3cQ8JrG53PRA/w400-h189/19%20-good%20food!.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">good food</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">DECEM</b><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">BER 5</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Sunday was windy and I did evening chores in a blizzard. We had new snow and drifts. I sent one of my books (Beyond the Flames: A Family Touched by Fire) to one of the gals I met at the bull sale at Three Forks, and she called that evening to let me know she got it and was looking forward to reading it. We’d shared a lot of things about our lives and various challenges, when we talked that weekend, and hope to stay in touch.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn had a serious painful, itchy area on his lower leg when he got up Monday morning—a big red area the size of a quarter—and it looked like a nasty spider bite. Some of the skin was coming off, with a deep, raw ulcer. Jim took him to the ER and the doctor thought it probably was a spider bite and gave him a prescription for an antibiotic in case it becomes infected. We’ve been changing the bandage on it a couple times a day and checking on it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Roger came out to Andrea’s house to get some of Dani’s things, and Roger brought several more sacks of pellets (for the pellet stove) into the house from the barn across the driveway.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day, Andrea helped me get a load of little bales from my hay shed, onto the feed truck, to take down by the gate to the heifer pasture, so I can continue feeding the weaned heifers some grass hay twice a day (plus a sled full of alfalfa hay every morning). They seem to be doing ok with that ration but we’ll soon give them more.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent some photos she took when they were hauling their last bales of hay from harvest, and a photo of baby Ian.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwefrUH_bzZcXC72R4HxfVzchJwRdmL2MSwXz7A_r5lZZFDy-KFADt5x8JQLcIy4Du1_V5s5SDAZ1alOs3tfRYwan-u_5wx33Oz6Vz5b1vKg1ylQojsrwNI-g1YuMZeRHSFuYm8rQgAeTPYEIE66_sEebLNAl6ayID4FRSV5P8NHF8-qR5DmqrF0ClQ/s4032/20%20-bringing%20home%20bales%20%20Nov%2028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwefrUH_bzZcXC72R4HxfVzchJwRdmL2MSwXz7A_r5lZZFDy-KFADt5x8JQLcIy4Du1_V5s5SDAZ1alOs3tfRYwan-u_5wx33Oz6Vz5b1vKg1ylQojsrwNI-g1YuMZeRHSFuYm8rQgAeTPYEIE66_sEebLNAl6ayID4FRSV5P8NHF8-qR5DmqrF0ClQ/w400-h300/20%20-bringing%20home%20bales%20%20Nov%2028.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing home bales - Nov 28</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcjAjNhLylJwbztxp32HqjJKuGXbGWnyvp6EEiwgCK7yF1R8cCDpe8gT-YvdWITYFpUqATqy812XU9BmBqn9roge1w37EDpzlPd3H247QDhgCcBUSnFKWBTw1IfMnuHVnNA6vKB8GofHt2uxjXJVOJg11jAoDw1AkW1i680FLIlpPKPEBgqx-MTVvmA/s4032/21%20-Ian%20-%20Nov%2028.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcjAjNhLylJwbztxp32HqjJKuGXbGWnyvp6EEiwgCK7yF1R8cCDpe8gT-YvdWITYFpUqATqy812XU9BmBqn9roge1w37EDpzlPd3H247QDhgCcBUSnFKWBTw1IfMnuHVnNA6vKB8GofHt2uxjXJVOJg11jAoDw1AkW1i680FLIlpPKPEBgqx-MTVvmA/w300-h400/21%20-Ian%20-%20Nov%2028.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ian - Nov 28</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday was storming with snow and wind. When I did chores that morning I took a pitcher of hot water to pour on the base of the 3 step-in posts I used earlier this fall and winter to create a fake electric fence around the haystacks by Sprout and Shiloh’s pens so I could let Sprout graze the grassy area next to them. The ground is so frozen that it was impossible to get those posts out of the ground without breaking them, but the hot water thawed it enough that I could loosen and pull them out. They had to be removed so we can get to the haystacks with the tractor (whenever we have to start feeding those big bales to the heifers) without running over those posts.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea checked on the bred heifers in the lower back field. They are still doing ok, grazing the rough feed that’s sticking up above the 6 inch deep snow.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It started snowing hard at 4 p.m. and I did evening chores in a blizzard. Andrea came down again and helped me put more bedding hay in the corner shelter in the bull pen, and another irrigation dam over the top to make a little more roof so both bulls can be out of the storm.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVGCWdgJFnh9CkufUv17ZFFb4vluL9Jeb95hF65T8OQaVhKB3nAJPwourXIBZHpmDdXhCp7BysHwCsGSY2fssTeX9oGvCwmFemUlzQa9Up7mruFU8G4E0HcKcx9fVGb344u-rqCsCowsP8LBhWAlcfk4xVUEkJ2Lc_y_t2_10QsMKkadcvUOo93-2jw/s4032/22%20-%20bulls%20in%20their%20shelter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVGCWdgJFnh9CkufUv17ZFFb4vluL9Jeb95hF65T8OQaVhKB3nAJPwourXIBZHpmDdXhCp7BysHwCsGSY2fssTeX9oGvCwmFemUlzQa9Up7mruFU8G4E0HcKcx9fVGb344u-rqCsCowsP8LBhWAlcfk4xVUEkJ2Lc_y_t2_10QsMKkadcvUOo93-2jw/w189-h400/22%20-%20bulls%20in%20their%20shelter.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bulls in their shelter</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She also checked on the pellets in the barn (for the pellet stove). There were only 5 more sacks out there, so we’ll need to buy some more.<div><br /></div><div>This was the day Michael and Carolyn were driving to Jackson, Montana to get a mini excavator he is buying. He’s had to rent one for some of the fencing jobs, and spent enough in rent over the past few years that he could have purchased one, so he decided to buy one—and found a used one in Jackson that will work, and be better than the one he had to rent. It was a rough trip to get it, with the snowstorm and bad roads, pulling his flatbed trailer. There was 8 inches of new snow on the passes. He had to chain up for about 50 miles, each way, with very slow going. They finally got home late that evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the new snow here we thought we might need to start feeding hay or plow driveways so Lynn plugged in the tractor that evening, but we only had about 3 inches of new snow (but it was really cold that next morning—almost down to zero). The cows were still able to graze, but we took the last of our protein blocks down to the bred heifers in the lower back field. The protein supplement will stimulate them to eat more of the rough feed that they can still get to, with all the snow.</div><div><br /></div><div>The gate to the lower field was impossible to open, with the wooden uprights frozen into the thick ice where the spring has flooded out into that lane. But Andrea’s 4-wheeler fit through the small space between the gate post and the first upright (we could open it that much) to take the protein blocks to those heifers.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8dHNhAHoat77f9OpALYA3VBS2VpaUR_Qwi2irUk1ndafCzRUjE1rXr60msPeSfYJwWGHEIQ7TUcnL4uHlNdH72VGuzNVSC0ilWLkwycL4HZsDw0_-vrVavKIh37i-dQTPlHtM4skV60jFu8kkw_I3H_vkUbDtmm7rf3-Ictf4ZCdUQFgNyfqSLljZQ/s4032/23%20-%20protein%20for%20heifers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8dHNhAHoat77f9OpALYA3VBS2VpaUR_Qwi2irUk1ndafCzRUjE1rXr60msPeSfYJwWGHEIQ7TUcnL4uHlNdH72VGuzNVSC0ilWLkwycL4HZsDw0_-vrVavKIh37i-dQTPlHtM4skV60jFu8kkw_I3H_vkUbDtmm7rf3-Ictf4ZCdUQFgNyfqSLljZQ/w400-h189/23%20-%20protein%20for%20heifers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">protein for heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then she and Lynn took a big bale of straw to the cows with the tractor, putting it in the brush at the edge of the field where they like to bed. They can bed in the straw and eat some. Lynn plowed the snow away from our mailboxes up on the main road, then he went with Andrea when she took her truck up to Scott Kesl’s place to get 10 more blocks of protein (100 pounds each). They stopped on the way to say Hi to Bob and Jane and pick up a check for some things they wanted Andrea to get for them downtown. Andrea tries to do their town errands whenever she can, so Jane won’t have to drive on bad roads. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Bob is getting around very well now in his wheel chair and working hard at increasing his upper body strength, realizing that he may never be able to walk again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When they got home with the protein blocks, we put 8 of them in the back of the brown jeep (with its covered top) and took a couple blocks to the cows by her house. Then she drove to town and to do all our town errands and get a ton of wood pellets for our pellet stove. Charlie came out that evening to help unload the pellets into the barn. Jim came along about that same time (he’d been up the creek hunting) and he and Charlie and Andrea got the pellets unloaded and stacked in the barn across the driveway from the house. While unloading the first of the sacks, however, they discovered that the ends of the sacks were not properly sealed and were coming open. They had to use a lot of duct tape to patch them so they wouldn’t leak the pellets out. Charlie brought a bunch of the sacks into the house so it will be awhile before we need to get more out of the barn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher spent some time at Andrea’s house, and she took photos of him playing with his trains. He loves building track all over the house.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb1AbR_cqzcNXQgg_a88lKWhlNkpqyHay2oQJ3YczgQE9m77Gj10UmERN8M_UCkpgKG92w7Z6pNUTbqJTHYTSgmutyHwkIM3905OB-Z0RhOHodfgaSv1jbqEYUCX7tFmTvwIyvtPPL9x4A3GM6m-s731zjyLjcT8sMSP4Xu2AfUZN2El4BYqph_-7Kg/s4032/24%20-%20train.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZb1AbR_cqzcNXQgg_a88lKWhlNkpqyHay2oQJ3YczgQE9m77Gj10UmERN8M_UCkpgKG92w7Z6pNUTbqJTHYTSgmutyHwkIM3905OB-Z0RhOHodfgaSv1jbqEYUCX7tFmTvwIyvtPPL9x4A3GM6m-s731zjyLjcT8sMSP4Xu2AfUZN2El4BYqph_-7Kg/w400-h189/24%20-%20train.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkhR6vz2GlgrVjsEGYvcCFMcJ1t3UGIYIJIUglABs4SDgyOc-Vl8S2WImDKOz_5zM7MtHz0YUWRRVc9xqpChaWjoydRhd8i25urqBKpi_sTWiCIfTUrbRJf_Zjvq_7VQdhZeFSB-w7NoJE0gAuy3cJ-3B6W9oht5khDUZhpr8UoJ9SspkChnRYa-MvQ/s4032/25%20-%20playing%20with%20train.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAkhR6vz2GlgrVjsEGYvcCFMcJ1t3UGIYIJIUglABs4SDgyOc-Vl8S2WImDKOz_5zM7MtHz0YUWRRVc9xqpChaWjoydRhd8i25urqBKpi_sTWiCIfTUrbRJf_Zjvq_7VQdhZeFSB-w7NoJE0gAuy3cJ-3B6W9oht5khDUZhpr8UoJ9SspkChnRYa-MvQ/w189-h400/25%20-%20playing%20with%20train.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing with trains</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was colder. Andrea helped me break ice out of all the horse tubs that morning and reload the little sled (for the weaned heifers) with as much alfalfa hay as it will hold (big heavy flakes of hay). I am still feeding them two sleds of hay in the morning (one full of alfalfa and one with a bale and a half of grass hay) and a bale of grass hay at night.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea called us at 3 p.m. that afternoon to tell us the old house that Dani and Roger are living in was on fire! She was rushing to town to try to help them. Dani had come home from work (she works part days on Saturday) and was taking a nap when Roger came home and discovered the smoke and woke Dani, and they got out (with their cats). Andrea and Emily got there soon after the fire department crew arrived.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The fire started in some old wiring in the attic and had already burned through the ceiling into the laundry room. The fire crew broke a hole into the front of the house and were able to get the fire out within a few hours.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGw5r-Q7CMDXyQpQPbHw2Ufhhv0kDJ3Rv8IvVMpuGjLDykbcwASo2CmzEouCQzBgUdJn5qBB2rTuw55lQlqx_siRiJqIDEjjYhnVevhu8bogxcIY01wWuwfHML5qfgljpIjWsv5lGum4CGPf9v22O-Qmp0I-6acGTJmftk3HBIBOeP1EYKCd8f0WNzA/s1440/26%20-%20house%20on%20fire.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGw5r-Q7CMDXyQpQPbHw2Ufhhv0kDJ3Rv8IvVMpuGjLDykbcwASo2CmzEouCQzBgUdJn5qBB2rTuw55lQlqx_siRiJqIDEjjYhnVevhu8bogxcIY01wWuwfHML5qfgljpIjWsv5lGum4CGPf9v22O-Qmp0I-6acGTJmftk3HBIBOeP1EYKCd8f0WNzA/w400-h300/26%20-%20house%20on%20fire.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">house on fire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCJNFNgqWQCCIx0OHZVn-svnsgA7LH-K59jjGD3rS8kphbvfyP79PkUtP_GPjZAOh2DsSTV35u9YsuZlKm--8qnEzrza-hFg3_HBz7NvJqs-VCvayuz5fEXUUbxqwDLYYRpgiUeO3x-91bFceSKZ6FkHq0VoBjTbaPM1_Q5gA3LHkb-zpYB71VvEMrQ/s1440/27%20-%20firemen%20breaking%20in%20to%20put%20out%20fire.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCJNFNgqWQCCIx0OHZVn-svnsgA7LH-K59jjGD3rS8kphbvfyP79PkUtP_GPjZAOh2DsSTV35u9YsuZlKm--8qnEzrza-hFg3_HBz7NvJqs-VCvayuz5fEXUUbxqwDLYYRpgiUeO3x-91bFceSKZ6FkHq0VoBjTbaPM1_Q5gA3LHkb-zpYB71VvEMrQ/w300-h400/27%20-%20firemen%20breaking%20in%20to%20put%20out%20fire.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">firemen breaking in to put out fire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Eventually they allowed friends and neighbors to go in briefly and get as much stuff out as they could salvage, though much of it was smoke and water damaged. Andrea got all of the clothes to take home to wash and filled the back of her truck with some of their other belongings. Dani’s dad and Charlie filled their trucks and some of the neighbors helped, too. The bed and couch will need to be cleaned before they can be used again, but most of their things were gotten out. Andrea took a photo of Em & Charlie and some friends waiting for the firemen to allow them to go in and retrieve Dani and Roger’s possessions.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QK1AbgZE7VatUvXIxUzE-sVYVSZCFWbvD-2cTNrh7-XPo79KxceUGiIhdU0p0id_-JnL4f2IRxyoZwN17ld03lz6CkBGdris7MztG7CU-Vzb20UOTP3FCjFmEYuL_VHbt-8CWKQONboWLo9lN-fAv6S52DUYSmVA6L_fgO3ItYHOqqCGyvxGK53c3w/s4032/28%20-waiting%20to%20go%20in%20to%20salvage%20Dani%20&%20Roger's%20things.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QK1AbgZE7VatUvXIxUzE-sVYVSZCFWbvD-2cTNrh7-XPo79KxceUGiIhdU0p0id_-JnL4f2IRxyoZwN17ld03lz6CkBGdris7MztG7CU-Vzb20UOTP3FCjFmEYuL_VHbt-8CWKQONboWLo9lN-fAv6S52DUYSmVA6L_fgO3ItYHOqqCGyvxGK53c3w/w400-h189/28%20-waiting%20to%20go%20in%20to%20salvage%20Dani%20&%20Roger's%20things.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">waiting to go in to salvage Dani & Roger's things</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The house was destroyed, so now they need a place to stay. A friend who works at a motel arranged for them to stay that night at the motel. Charlie and another friend brought some of their things out to Andrea’s place to unload it that night.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was down to zero. Andrea took her truck back to town to get all the firewood that Jim had taken to Dani and Roger a few days earlier.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was a little warmer but it snowed again. Dani and Roger came out to Andrea’s house to get some of their things and clothes that Andrea washed, so Dani would have something clean to wear to work.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">DECEM</b><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">BER 14</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Tuesday we started feeding the weaned heifers their big alfalfa bales. Andrea pulled the bale feeder out to their field with her 4-wheeler, and she and I cut the deer netting and made a “gate” we can open easier to get into those stacks. Lynn took a bale out to the feeder with his tractor, and also plowed a patch of snow away by the machinery parking area, next to the corral across from the bull pen. He was able to get a big square bale (first cut alfalfa) from the stackyard and put it there, next to the corner of the corral where I’ll be feeding the little bulls (the two young ones we kept this year) for the winter. Andrea took photos as he brought the bale for the little bulls.</span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObDFDX_pWRoW353IpMtIpJLvlMaqrZLZSNOrjSjzvz4msG8w14i-9KPRVYfHOqsLUEKXaeN3YNt3AiLZjNx6Fvpm9pSACT2zHwz37ooCb28wpQNnTQzaRq8S937xrkm_QixI55twip3sTTDjZlbGD3ksunSb3YwQV7TRnXqzJKUq8Pmn9XmA5ddO6lQ/s4032/29%20-%20bale%20for%20bulls.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObDFDX_pWRoW353IpMtIpJLvlMaqrZLZSNOrjSjzvz4msG8w14i-9KPRVYfHOqsLUEKXaeN3YNt3AiLZjNx6Fvpm9pSACT2zHwz37ooCb28wpQNnTQzaRq8S937xrkm_QixI55twip3sTTDjZlbGD3ksunSb3YwQV7TRnXqzJKUq8Pmn9XmA5ddO6lQ/w400-h189/29%20-%20bale%20for%20bulls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwPzKGkwVCCRurji85a2tF-52Auoft6edidE1toAxzPntnw5sREyY22pEDPDHMN9pQefqxkIKq5h98Vz16gawzuATJVTyMLrBz1xdZmscskgSeFrqE2Qk3aTzAeCWKZcoZkW63Fjk2h3mUJqMMz10Mpxl93X73fpKJidrvKXiEHOBSz0-Q1uXKek_SQ/s4032/30%20-%20bale%20for%20bulls.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwPzKGkwVCCRurji85a2tF-52Auoft6edidE1toAxzPntnw5sREyY22pEDPDHMN9pQefqxkIKq5h98Vz16gawzuATJVTyMLrBz1xdZmscskgSeFrqE2Qk3aTzAeCWKZcoZkW63Fjk2h3mUJqMMz10Mpxl93X73fpKJidrvKXiEHOBSz0-Q1uXKek_SQ/w400-h189/30%20-%20bale%20for%20bulls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bale for the bulls</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The 2nd cutting alfalfa round bale we gave to the heifers was pretty rich—mostly leaves—and we hoped they wouldn’t bloat. They were somewhat adjusted to eating alfalfa (the flakes I’d been giving them daily for more than a week) but it wasn’t this rich. I checked on them a few hours after we gave them the big bale, and they were all very full and a bit bloated, but none seemed in danger of fatal bloat. I checked them again just before dark that first day, and they seemed ok.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather continued cold, and the straight alfalfa wasn’t adequate for generating body heat (ruminant animals need more roughage for that) so I have been giving those heifers a little grass hay, especially in the evenings. They are not as cold in the early cold mornings. I took photos of them eating the extra hay, and a photo of one of them (Melanagastor, daughter of Magdalena and a great granddaughter of Maggie) when she came to the water tank to drink.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCn4dDKx7PzFQ843BgD5nrvxHUcMAnzRy1uTZZZR0RJcbyFVSuKhbLteuc6DPplBy7fA1SfUTCbOONXo5q4xC9jUKEHjn0bTwYS0augG-5qMHaIcy8a3qYzvFsQjRnBXnOjqMo7TFSUMjs83ICH-FK55EU9EamfrIzGH1Y7tL6eGP3kMxJD7f4_-rsqw/s4000/31%20-%20heifers.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCn4dDKx7PzFQ843BgD5nrvxHUcMAnzRy1uTZZZR0RJcbyFVSuKhbLteuc6DPplBy7fA1SfUTCbOONXo5q4xC9jUKEHjn0bTwYS0augG-5qMHaIcy8a3qYzvFsQjRnBXnOjqMo7TFSUMjs83ICH-FK55EU9EamfrIzGH1Y7tL6eGP3kMxJD7f4_-rsqw/w400-h300/31%20-%20heifers.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2pJb7DJy8pGP-fN9apQ9PfrsUeOFn7r3Bi3FdVNPSWETqeQ22VPN69WSCws7pQY5XZuWg1uzO7yEUgIiaQNGPOXg1ykXLKLCryKa_MW2RYR6xMOPB6ZgGdkjg8d1cAc9T57UH9lidwZY86mMRHsxvcYot8O3OUDsu6TLjOfsffzBA8Ax6EnEKeOZyg/s4000/32%20-%20heifers%20eating%20the%20grass%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2pJb7DJy8pGP-fN9apQ9PfrsUeOFn7r3Bi3FdVNPSWETqeQ22VPN69WSCws7pQY5XZuWg1uzO7yEUgIiaQNGPOXg1ykXLKLCryKa_MW2RYR6xMOPB6ZgGdkjg8d1cAc9T57UH9lidwZY86mMRHsxvcYot8O3OUDsu6TLjOfsffzBA8Ax6EnEKeOZyg/w400-h300/32%20-%20heifers%20eating%20the%20grass%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers eating the grass hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_izl1647pk405gE0cQ4WovC5bomPoPr1gXZU7KRdTsWySpuF0dYTZpL-JbJP_EKmXg7DnT4kCQsXdVJX2bM9Um-ajsn6iFE_ZexCV4ABxfAMuqdK0STa-xmtYQaSlxFxhaQZMhu4oS8CU0g1O4ZB0SFhzvk_TGCtIL-eQ91VFgbfO5IV8y9SamvwuA/s4000/33%20-%20Melanagastor.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_izl1647pk405gE0cQ4WovC5bomPoPr1gXZU7KRdTsWySpuF0dYTZpL-JbJP_EKmXg7DnT4kCQsXdVJX2bM9Um-ajsn6iFE_ZexCV4ABxfAMuqdK0STa-xmtYQaSlxFxhaQZMhu4oS8CU0g1O4ZB0SFhzvk_TGCtIL-eQ91VFgbfO5IV8y9SamvwuA/w400-h300/33%20-%20Melanagastor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Melanagastor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Jim helped AJ and Emily put up a hot wire around their yard, to keep their dog from jumping over the fence and going to the neighbor’s place or out on the street (at risk for being hit by a car).</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had more new snow on Friday. The cows and bred heifers were still able to graze, but we gave them more protein blocks. Saturday was a little warmer but the water for the heifers in the lower back field was becoming an issue. About the only place they can drink now is some little spots where a spring comes out of a patch of brush on the hill, and a place where Andrea has been able to break ice for them near the gate where another spring is making a huge ice flow. Andrea checks them every day and breaks ice for them, and monitors their grass; by Friday she could see that they’ve eaten most of the rough feed in that field. I took a few photos around the barnyard—looking down toward the calving barn...</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5iA5UXOyUntxcPhccunPU7ich81Zq77zPH8Hi780fZyuJ_277o19atM59bZNp1So7MxaE0KjVaytSoKdkeX8k5_FyZCmVn1qdIDk4GMnBs72Qq7twKEmfWAnB7XcbClfEH3lkVC1kkncq5HUqR2zDb7NudT0M_ybTxoeOnfA6A1W1r_P__HuPsSCmw/s4000/34%20-%20old%20blacksmith%20shop%20in%20front%20of%20calving%20barn.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5iA5UXOyUntxcPhccunPU7ich81Zq77zPH8Hi780fZyuJ_277o19atM59bZNp1So7MxaE0KjVaytSoKdkeX8k5_FyZCmVn1qdIDk4GMnBs72Qq7twKEmfWAnB7XcbClfEH3lkVC1kkncq5HUqR2zDb7NudT0M_ybTxoeOnfA6A1W1r_P__HuPsSCmw/w400-h300/34%20-%20old%20blacksmith%20shop%20in%20front%20of%20calving%20barn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old blacksmith shop in front of calving barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeajLPHjmTO-Lbu0BCWkMLsa9AIsY8efPqbOS1RKzbATPbWrKpSpvVPapSiY2RX5lA3Dfnr4tdxM2gTrpySqNl3XfDG32iY9Inyl-6KxmEh4BwArrywbZYsFz-79joHA_smAS32xNs9Grzn3qPTDez3BiogGy5Vb-o3Ahq2yQE6KYjkGZ5sossJZhtQ/s4000/35%20-%20lane%20toward%20calving%20barn.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBeajLPHjmTO-Lbu0BCWkMLsa9AIsY8efPqbOS1RKzbATPbWrKpSpvVPapSiY2RX5lA3Dfnr4tdxM2gTrpySqNl3XfDG32iY9Inyl-6KxmEh4BwArrywbZYsFz-79joHA_smAS32xNs9Grzn3qPTDez3BiogGy5Vb-o3Ahq2yQE6KYjkGZ5sossJZhtQ/w400-h300/35%20-%20lane%20toward%20calving%20barn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lane toward calving barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…and the view toward my hay shed…</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWiRr1UDzBjXbTJ2J33JeJI-xTepcogv0dC07OCIPUn8fkKKAY4Q3Cz_plDjRNaxhE2i7QEfkYzmv0jT49NcL7kzVUa2UJv3-y5sAERuapmGrKkzYUIYyhGl_eCuQbQL8NHLXl_7LqOULrmJoFaNaij8OeC2QM6m0T-A1WTzf8coHc29546yBigHEQw/s4000/36%20-%20hay%20shed.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWiRr1UDzBjXbTJ2J33JeJI-xTepcogv0dC07OCIPUn8fkKKAY4Q3Cz_plDjRNaxhE2i7QEfkYzmv0jT49NcL7kzVUa2UJv3-y5sAERuapmGrKkzYUIYyhGl_eCuQbQL8NHLXl_7LqOULrmJoFaNaij8OeC2QM6m0T-A1WTzf8coHc29546yBigHEQw/w400-h300/36%20-%20hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hay shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJb9FNCyVBQ9eDjPzw6ecceUsj4fRYx7wyhNhHPhfTvrzj5Rd8FSHSXIt1du94Ne2ijQTfwcs6SeDnmWw1GbWOKRAQ438ZTyxTbiCwiJHy33lCNPZWGwhJeBrUrsVuPu2gtJzOgCAyicPYKeRZ4rbbphFt8xLhLSKnNXIYQFPJLLotJzsKIwicU6DUg/s4000/37%20-%20hay%20shed%20&%20pens.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJb9FNCyVBQ9eDjPzw6ecceUsj4fRYx7wyhNhHPhfTvrzj5Rd8FSHSXIt1du94Ne2ijQTfwcs6SeDnmWw1GbWOKRAQ438ZTyxTbiCwiJHy33lCNPZWGwhJeBrUrsVuPu2gtJzOgCAyicPYKeRZ4rbbphFt8xLhLSKnNXIYQFPJLLotJzsKIwicU6DUg/w400-h300/37%20-%20hay%20shed%20&%20pens.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hay shed & pens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">..and a photo of Sprout by her gate, and our old freight wagon parked along the lane.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGcWHf9xNRecpOPI1Lv3ha5PhlaCcKs9-PuybqkVfaJFijk6QZmiSI-DZ6s6xddwKT-WFBiikMncV0YTQrTRy_Qhi-223yib3nU9NMWn_oljUiGPRjrVQZVGxRjGvDtOO-S2p2P68yCE_HC118t7H1b0Lvc7KpY37hqTFT5k0hd8ZeeqiAS6aymJnUQ/s4000/38%20-%20Sprout.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxGcWHf9xNRecpOPI1Lv3ha5PhlaCcKs9-PuybqkVfaJFijk6QZmiSI-DZ6s6xddwKT-WFBiikMncV0YTQrTRy_Qhi-223yib3nU9NMWn_oljUiGPRjrVQZVGxRjGvDtOO-S2p2P68yCE_HC118t7H1b0Lvc7KpY37hqTFT5k0hd8ZeeqiAS6aymJnUQ/w300-h400/38%20-%20Sprout.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sprout</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VisB-Pz_WUPIle7riM6PYatH5l3NwCDiFC9D6YcjowZV0wL7Sln6hgeyUU5dmtvmbZPLnZOX-2MJyVT656OwzIIiR9VJdQ5jmUtbbPtIfoClnfXVpnAflxpLdbaTL77T8wyA1zJGf77PcRhxTj30aQbdnz33vx5koGlhUSu7DTM22pq3jOGe9ggwJQ/s4000/39%20-%20old%20freight%20wagon.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1VisB-Pz_WUPIle7riM6PYatH5l3NwCDiFC9D6YcjowZV0wL7Sln6hgeyUU5dmtvmbZPLnZOX-2MJyVT656OwzIIiR9VJdQ5jmUtbbPtIfoClnfXVpnAflxpLdbaTL77T8wyA1zJGf77PcRhxTj30aQbdnz33vx5koGlhUSu7DTM22pq3jOGe9ggwJQ/w300-h400/39%20-%20old%20freight%20wagon.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old freight wagon</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I finished writing our Christmas letter for this year and put some photos on a thumb drive for Emily to work her magic and put photos on the backside of the letter, like she did last year. Andrea took the thumb drive to Emily when she went to town Saturday to pick up Christopher. Here is our Christmas letter for this year:</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6Zl2XJBJNPH-qLz5l0FLxp9NmTqPuZ_gHT7Un7EKrIklp6gNOjj0AaOIhcPXzqoS4CMUsb40gNDrG1IvrwPI8s94qGlLcVnM4A4IFW1_6gYIWl6sB9spk8BufMvXK7uZHW1nUe112pd2JLAfPmvO4PBBdG-9b37Os9sameTyrZOrEeP93gqOxEXaNA/s2200/40%20-Christmas%20letter%202022-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6Zl2XJBJNPH-qLz5l0FLxp9NmTqPuZ_gHT7Un7EKrIklp6gNOjj0AaOIhcPXzqoS4CMUsb40gNDrG1IvrwPI8s94qGlLcVnM4A4IFW1_6gYIWl6sB9spk8BufMvXK7uZHW1nUe112pd2JLAfPmvO4PBBdG-9b37Os9sameTyrZOrEeP93gqOxEXaNA/w309-h400/40%20-Christmas%20letter%202022-1.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlJyd5tm5--bQRF-rC_6KJWdxIgo-cCC0wf9NHLCv5H-Siw6b15VKWjVQFj1WTHYWGkQuaUJMETMZs1PkHuCXKZdAoBfL14bC1Aif-9-MuDqdq-OHbdUkSKgFEZ9WRWXRViUJ6iapZs7Hr6yyoN2q_ZHkYIuYBKFMpZHUCdhefyuijEoUqVTqvcc2oQ/s2200/40%20-Christmas%20letter%202022-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2200" data-original-width="1700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzlJyd5tm5--bQRF-rC_6KJWdxIgo-cCC0wf9NHLCv5H-Siw6b15VKWjVQFj1WTHYWGkQuaUJMETMZs1PkHuCXKZdAoBfL14bC1Aif-9-MuDqdq-OHbdUkSKgFEZ9WRWXRViUJ6iapZs7Hr6yyoN2q_ZHkYIuYBKFMpZHUCdhefyuijEoUqVTqvcc2oQ/w309-h400/40%20-Christmas%20letter%202022-2.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div>That evening we invited Nick to join us for supper, so we’d have a chance to visit with him again, and also play a few rounds of Tripoli. Andrea and Christopher stopped by for a few minutes on their way home from town, but Christopher was eager to go on home to “Gammy’s house” where he could play with his little train and put it together.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday was the warmest day we’d had for a long time (32 degrees that morning, and up to 37 degrees by afternoon) so we decided it was a good day to vaccinate the bred heifers (their first scour vaccine, so they can have a booster shot before calving—when we give the cows their annual booster). The heifers need a two-shot series of the scour vaccine, to help them create the antibodies against E. coli and rotavirus and coronavirus in their colostrum—to give their calves protection against those common pathogens.</div><div><br /></div><div>So Andrea called Charlie to see if he could come out and help us. He said he could probably come in the afternoon, after he shoveled some snow off his dad’s leaking roof. Andrea and I took her 4-wheeler and sled to the lower back field, to bring back what’s left of the protein blocks and salt block, and bring the heifers up to the corral. The gate uprights (in the wire gate out to that field) were frozen in the ice that’s flowed out from the spring above it but Andrea was able to chop around them and get them loose so we could open the gate completely, and make it safer to try to get the heifers through the gate without them falling down on the ice. </div><div><br /></div><div>We called them from where they were grazing at the lower end of the field, and they followed us (and the sled with their protein blocks) out through the gate and up to the corral. While we were waiting for Charlie, we took the feed truck around to the stackyard to load with little bales for the bulls, and broke ice on the creek in the corral. Andrea took the sled with the protein and salt up to the field by her house (where the older cows are).</div><div><br /></div><div>When Charlie got here we put the heifers through the chute and vaccinated them. Dani and Roger came out, too, and helped; Charlie caught their heads, Dani ran the tailgate and squeeze, while Andrea and Roger brought the heifers up the runway to the chute, and I vaccinated them. Andrea took photos as Charlie and Dani worked the chute.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0IKxlcgGQvnoxn08miXjOkgj-63ba-aPL_vQAQD_ezjWnZTkl2jbxSk6B0ICHqlf_0G39aNOieinDY0T2sb2osB-2c17TTCcuYzWWIst2Ucq-XqcED19BBjkaoIlUNsjNEs7VZAyM5CM6D8wxfvxm2xyMx660LNBOfVgzNLN3AdYoGeFE6z8MIeOzA/s4032/41%20-%20Dani%20putting%20cow%20into%20chute.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik0IKxlcgGQvnoxn08miXjOkgj-63ba-aPL_vQAQD_ezjWnZTkl2jbxSk6B0ICHqlf_0G39aNOieinDY0T2sb2osB-2c17TTCcuYzWWIst2Ucq-XqcED19BBjkaoIlUNsjNEs7VZAyM5CM6D8wxfvxm2xyMx660LNBOfVgzNLN3AdYoGeFE6z8MIeOzA/w189-h400/41%20-%20Dani%20putting%20cow%20into%20chute.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani putting cow into chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rv7KDEJB4bju69swutuISZLbRGSfuBYi6yBHBFp0cD6q2FjPu7Xq8Y2UGky5_U1QL4B-s-tjoGqAIGJizuVQB_OoXk_OnJ9W3AchGl7BuvgrbuCVZRpArYqIl5jhaqz1ysomYTfkM4d7BqXOfP7lRCL6fXJS1eZ-i8-9iRvH4SNkhKE279FqcqS9yg/s4032/42%20-Charlie%20catching%20the%20head%20%20&%20Dani%20shutting%20tailgate.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rv7KDEJB4bju69swutuISZLbRGSfuBYi6yBHBFp0cD6q2FjPu7Xq8Y2UGky5_U1QL4B-s-tjoGqAIGJizuVQB_OoXk_OnJ9W3AchGl7BuvgrbuCVZRpArYqIl5jhaqz1ysomYTfkM4d7BqXOfP7lRCL6fXJS1eZ-i8-9iRvH4SNkhKE279FqcqS9yg/w189-h400/42%20-Charlie%20catching%20the%20head%20%20&%20Dani%20shutting%20tailgate.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie catching the head & Dani shutting tailgate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9w0GDGNqoHqtkj8nrIYOl4qgn5HnbTJq_4Ub7w66YbdKNKNtQEQK7t9_nDNqLBBobpvIe9jpJiNhv-Xeye7Q2TVwDJn4WHzc4xxYummFnitqtIqB_Dbo5HLBWCukuZslHLSa6JICCDOzdNGSBTBEc9uC3iWuSEt9uJyjtzL7bj5bA1fb2lg4N9IL8w/s4032/43%20-%20team%20effort.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu9w0GDGNqoHqtkj8nrIYOl4qgn5HnbTJq_4Ub7w66YbdKNKNtQEQK7t9_nDNqLBBobpvIe9jpJiNhv-Xeye7Q2TVwDJn4WHzc4xxYummFnitqtIqB_Dbo5HLBWCukuZslHLSa6JICCDOzdNGSBTBEc9uC3iWuSEt9uJyjtzL7bj5bA1fb2lg4N9IL8w/w189-h400/43%20-%20team%20effort.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">team effort</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZX_ubyGOA2AuSBHX1a7kSYpjDanHfg8fn60Jg7xxrUNNd-vg_E4j6dTydNkeoiSCoTMSLtFnB8VyXhQHL_n9IbL_mq01mdQAgPwxmZ6J_9YzKc39EbYYE6_VuJPNFfcLRRcQCfG9imRZswWBMOEA7lkeSkuOnlE-tjIOnC5qmjCveQG21pEOF6luI5Q/s4032/44%20-%20ready%20to%20bring%20the%20next%20one.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZX_ubyGOA2AuSBHX1a7kSYpjDanHfg8fn60Jg7xxrUNNd-vg_E4j6dTydNkeoiSCoTMSLtFnB8VyXhQHL_n9IbL_mq01mdQAgPwxmZ6J_9YzKc39EbYYE6_VuJPNFfcLRRcQCfG9imRZswWBMOEA7lkeSkuOnlE-tjIOnC5qmjCveQG21pEOF6luI5Q/w189-h400/44%20-%20ready%20to%20bring%20the%20next%20one.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to bring the next one</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></span><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a smooth team effort and we were done in about 10 minutes. Then we took the heifers up to the field to live with the cows; they can hopefully all keep grazing for another 3 weeks or so (if the snow doesn’t get too deep) before we have to start feeding hay. Andrea took a photo as the heifers went through the corrals and past the haystacks.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWQWRIXEA2l84r5X1HKw0yUx90MCVm4BdgrqK1GIQ0iy6ISYRHCV558tx5bIDbxl-0Jj55uRd3HQQ1j0ifN03ijAMWfcmpyYSFaVtf5DKzDLSB_j0vgqJtA4YDO44EYyLAyCJyG54vpJM3atdbO3DaVEHyIPxjGwrSqSueLzBPgEtf20P_q_PVruquQ/s4032/45%20-%20taking%20the%20heifers%20from%20the%20corrals%20to%20the%20field%20%20above%20the%20stackyard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWQWRIXEA2l84r5X1HKw0yUx90MCVm4BdgrqK1GIQ0iy6ISYRHCV558tx5bIDbxl-0Jj55uRd3HQQ1j0ifN03ijAMWfcmpyYSFaVtf5DKzDLSB_j0vgqJtA4YDO44EYyLAyCJyG54vpJM3atdbO3DaVEHyIPxjGwrSqSueLzBPgEtf20P_q_PVruquQ/w400-h189/45%20-%20taking%20the%20heifers%20from%20the%20corrals%20to%20the%20field%20%20above%20the%20stackyard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the heifers from the corrals to the field above the stackyard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie and Roger finished loading the feed truck and stacked the bales next to the bull corral for Babe and Barney. Andrea, Dani and I got the little bulls (Blindy’s son Blind Man Bluffer and China Doll’s orphan Kung Fu) from the field below the lane, sorting them out from the weaned heifers, and put those young bulls in the main corral, where they will live for the winter, and I can feed them in the corner feeder in the adjacent pen across from the big bulls. We put a bale of coarse grass hay for bedding in the protected area next to the chute, out of the wind. Then Andrea fed the kids lunch at her house before they left. Jim took care of Christopher while we were working the cattle, and Charlie took Christopher back to Emily and AJ’s house when he left.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL1YnsQ9nNxOnz4wlBfnW1Ocn09WV64jNdfarOkKi_l6UNOjzKaqqvU4TSuz5q3HBROPAlH3zZWtCfe_QngvRt0VmkjBVVfhBjvzPPaGArsAdFfzal7wkqOHu-Iqgz3aAmtIKJK68enAw07BVGk0GraTvU1tN1DCRrVvDS1HqcEXXzNCrkyQM9452TA/s4032/46%20-kids%20at%20Andrea's%20house.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBL1YnsQ9nNxOnz4wlBfnW1Ocn09WV64jNdfarOkKi_l6UNOjzKaqqvU4TSuz5q3HBROPAlH3zZWtCfe_QngvRt0VmkjBVVfhBjvzPPaGArsAdFfzal7wkqOHu-Iqgz3aAmtIKJK68enAw07BVGk0GraTvU1tN1DCRrVvDS1HqcEXXzNCrkyQM9452TA/w189-h400/46%20-kids%20at%20Andrea's%20house.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">kids at Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AILfgZGXVyoUbqfR3p-oZkvhKXIeYqCqRcYNz1EQf6bh5FlKTcKokhBDsOegqPc1i8ENE2zHe1Ohu_jfuICQ7TjViLUU8w3kGz1qCjkwWYnjPm-V-Yf2Sazy6uStGP1pjJBwOxb9o3x0xlmTj3Pej0ri-3TlhO_QMbptqnUiB3HIZ8NIQegcAYq2EQ/s4032/47%20-%20Christopher%20having%20a%20snack%20in%20Charlie's%20truck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AILfgZGXVyoUbqfR3p-oZkvhKXIeYqCqRcYNz1EQf6bh5FlKTcKokhBDsOegqPc1i8ENE2zHe1Ohu_jfuICQ7TjViLUU8w3kGz1qCjkwWYnjPm-V-Yf2Sazy6uStGP1pjJBwOxb9o3x0xlmTj3Pej0ri-3TlhO_QMbptqnUiB3HIZ8NIQegcAYq2EQ/w189-h400/47%20-%20Christopher%20having%20a%20snack%20in%20Charlie's%20truck.jpg" width="189" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher having a snack in Charlie's truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Before they left, they also posed with Chewy, the very old dog that Andrea got for the kids about the time Dani was born.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EUknLIa6bMarHC1ivMvpOP9-QHdT4WNxpvePyBW77VOGisbcdJYOaNTq4PqbIXq_DzKHefgFPWJqdL5OfJ2458gmrZqlLYxYSmQ7MzYHYore73iA53cPjhAtfFXZPxODhBG47TVs_vO4vumJucvNGm4brvI9LO4qqbkaYC5QRjM1uUJ3r38P6edJ5g/s4032/48%20-%20Charlie%20Dani%20&%20Chewy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EUknLIa6bMarHC1ivMvpOP9-QHdT4WNxpvePyBW77VOGisbcdJYOaNTq4PqbIXq_DzKHefgFPWJqdL5OfJ2458gmrZqlLYxYSmQ7MzYHYore73iA53cPjhAtfFXZPxODhBG47TVs_vO4vumJucvNGm4brvI9LO4qqbkaYC5QRjM1uUJ3r38P6edJ5g/w189-h400/48%20-%20Charlie%20Dani%20&%20Chewy.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie, Dani & Chewy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoktP06myElwvVaq8JUF96S4BkiAzcEoKhOJKBYcbZjq5uoRBlZkvYfA4D6ob-lk-KT0WA3o7TGee6jdriRsa9JZng1I5e6NW8Zd54uXhtqlUO8YdKnzU5fGTElv5QIIjtwhCD8Z8dIMFgvqwIMcznBZGRI28ey1gSV7Im1O13ZyPGhusV8hoLY4vocQ/s4032/49%20-%20Dani%20&%20Chewy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoktP06myElwvVaq8JUF96S4BkiAzcEoKhOJKBYcbZjq5uoRBlZkvYfA4D6ob-lk-KT0WA3o7TGee6jdriRsa9JZng1I5e6NW8Zd54uXhtqlUO8YdKnzU5fGTElv5QIIjtwhCD8Z8dIMFgvqwIMcznBZGRI28ey1gSV7Im1O13ZyPGhusV8hoLY4vocQ/w189-h400/49%20-%20Dani%20&%20Chewy.jpg" width="189" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Chewy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was a little stormier (a little new snow) but still fairly warm. The two little bulls in the main corral were too timid to try to drink from the creek, since the shore ice was several inches thick and they didn’t want to step down into the creek. So we opened up the little water hole pen at the end of the alley to the chute, broke out some of the brush, and opened up that area of creek. It’s protected there with all the brush and the ice wasn’t very thick—and the bank was more gradual. The young bulls could walk right into the creek to get a drink. After we got that situation resolved, we put more bedding in the big bull’s shelter.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUx_Oyvg4BO3WB5g29AKvTWDMHQfQn5ZDrob6RwfVkKGZAmnbgQlTdUG34EQu8d-ksO7xn-VmzesAyHdaRLEZwgMyucFE6tSXEUKjRL5KQ1HUlOVHuDq0-OLqU1cb_SmhGXyZ16zF8PQzmBywBhzHYh8Q6mpf4SskjSxn82eNTAne8-80-3WMwNRZeA/s4032/50%20-%20more%20bedding%20for%20Babe%20&%20Barney.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiUx_Oyvg4BO3WB5g29AKvTWDMHQfQn5ZDrob6RwfVkKGZAmnbgQlTdUG34EQu8d-ksO7xn-VmzesAyHdaRLEZwgMyucFE6tSXEUKjRL5KQ1HUlOVHuDq0-OLqU1cb_SmhGXyZ16zF8PQzmBywBhzHYh8Q6mpf4SskjSxn82eNTAne8-80-3WMwNRZeA/w400-h189/50%20-%20more%20bedding%20for%20Babe%20&%20Barney.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">more bedding for Babe & Barney</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-size: large;">Andrea sent me a photo of one of the raccoons that regularly eats the cat food in the “cat house” and is often in there when she goes in to feed them.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZxNnnfDWdDRhOXurDsiLQNOYWvmW5YalJQ-9D7MgZDHJ_P6BylxSi0WAznWFlqxfihHTPzl-DzrCaRYUtlA5AvIP24JvhaTlNLawg1Gdx_-tIkIXACiOS6bVlICGy7q2_LvjAoXAlqhUffcIKasDg9UHRf67f2WE0JjI9oFS2slf3umzMiJKqnzdrA/s4032/51%20-%20extra%20cat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ZxNnnfDWdDRhOXurDsiLQNOYWvmW5YalJQ-9D7MgZDHJ_P6BylxSi0WAznWFlqxfihHTPzl-DzrCaRYUtlA5AvIP24JvhaTlNLawg1Gdx_-tIkIXACiOS6bVlICGy7q2_LvjAoXAlqhUffcIKasDg9UHRf67f2WE0JjI9oFS2slf3umzMiJKqnzdrA/w189-h400/51%20-%20extra%20cat.jpg" width="189" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-indent: 48px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">extra cat</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that day she went to town to do all the town errands and also went out to visit Cope and Terri and take them some things from the grocery store. Cope is still doing fairly well; that morning he’d preg-checked cows for Jenelle (reading the ultrasound from his wheelchair while his helper ran the ultrasound probe), and recently preg-checked cows at a neighboring ranch, where Jenelle took some photos—and sent them to me. Cope has always said he will continue doing everything for his clients that he can, for as long as he can still get around in his wheelchair.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGgIyi3llSV2HyZO1JGtH5J7MdYa2ktgbe5EGx3yVN6P0b7EEjFdt4luO-09vaDoUio7GmV5dEdezLeK7M2HgFyZhZWHCmAktkPmv0gOnGzMZa3F8WQptfV8PA3ehxDTnZd9SkjuKFq9Q3v7aev9N1eiOsOrq4uMkjUt1lPs1z1BhgB-mPUx9Sf9Kyw/s2048/53%20-%20Cope%20preg%20checking%20at%20Slavins.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAGgIyi3llSV2HyZO1JGtH5J7MdYa2ktgbe5EGx3yVN6P0b7EEjFdt4luO-09vaDoUio7GmV5dEdezLeK7M2HgFyZhZWHCmAktkPmv0gOnGzMZa3F8WQptfV8PA3ehxDTnZd9SkjuKFq9Q3v7aev9N1eiOsOrq4uMkjUt1lPs1z1BhgB-mPUx9Sf9Kyw/w400-h300/53%20-%20Cope%20preg%20checking%20at%20Slavins.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpED6j8G9bAKiXR7J1NfezmnyFDLvr7tfAn2Axa6SAkNHXj4M5ew-Z9740iZsnvo2KmPYHxn2Xv4P5iwk4VPhffy8hIoYr5bB6HyE4QCNTd2bI5Y3JKMYeKnHXnzwzKTgm-OEYaw0TMfcgptx1qA9QVviTyjxS-GQBC5iOPGXAt2Qp8xdBgwLT9Fzk4w/s2048/52%20-Cope%20preg%20checking%20at%20Slavins%20-%20Jenelle%20Thomas%20photo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpED6j8G9bAKiXR7J1NfezmnyFDLvr7tfAn2Axa6SAkNHXj4M5ew-Z9740iZsnvo2KmPYHxn2Xv4P5iwk4VPhffy8hIoYr5bB6HyE4QCNTd2bI5Y3JKMYeKnHXnzwzKTgm-OEYaw0TMfcgptx1qA9QVviTyjxS-GQBC5iOPGXAt2Qp8xdBgwLT9Fzk4w/w400-h300/52%20-Cope%20preg%20checking%20at%20Slavins%20-%20Jenelle%20Thomas%20photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cope preg checking at Slavins - photos by Jenelle Thomas
</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-78500200498587739652023-02-21T09:48:00.001-08:002023-02-21T09:48:45.746-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – October 15 through November 16, 2022<div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 21</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Saturday Andrea checked the water in our ditches and we have none; Alfonso is using all of it on the Gooch place above us. There was no water for the heifers in the orchard and horse pasture so we locked them out of the ditch pasture and filled a water tank for them in the orchard.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That morning I took photos of some of the horses—Dottie and Willow in their pens, waiting for breakfast.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1bpDolnZ4Z6LP5Zl560_cTwzIic7yB-0el-C81fwqYcgEaOGey8Jx21sd7dv8-rUw8dW4wvuXI7-n7oCtVUjF--0GXlhCUre8ssF9njS6QLJB2jF6xAIGyLngabkbh58yq4ami8yyqA8N7j-Kl04doK38Dbsb99w3t3lbAHM4I8XGMa_Eb-GP8gUYQ/s4000/1%20-%20Dottie%20waiting%20for%20breakfast.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1bpDolnZ4Z6LP5Zl560_cTwzIic7yB-0el-C81fwqYcgEaOGey8Jx21sd7dv8-rUw8dW4wvuXI7-n7oCtVUjF--0GXlhCUre8ssF9njS6QLJB2jF6xAIGyLngabkbh58yq4ami8yyqA8N7j-Kl04doK38Dbsb99w3t3lbAHM4I8XGMa_Eb-GP8gUYQ/w400-h300/1%20-%20Dottie%20waiting%20for%20breakfast.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dottie waiting for breakfast</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eQ-MF4ESH36pI8K0uplRwvBGr4Q6KU5FCHCQUY07rGyDZsMiK37W1YLzaLnIeGtphyz6GtNGu7bQVTTu3Htx3mugGZvp9u2tqYk-_4DV9DhZyD54ij5aWCKdB_V44S1jBCX-EayxhCErnHFfkKQWxsqMzOoEDgu7mXv8fIgWswlwHc2CjJqAxzoPkg/s4000/2%20-%20Willow.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4eQ-MF4ESH36pI8K0uplRwvBGr4Q6KU5FCHCQUY07rGyDZsMiK37W1YLzaLnIeGtphyz6GtNGu7bQVTTu3Htx3mugGZvp9u2tqYk-_4DV9DhZyD54ij5aWCKdB_V44S1jBCX-EayxhCErnHFfkKQWxsqMzOoEDgu7mXv8fIgWswlwHc2CjJqAxzoPkg/w400-h300/2%20-%20Willow.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Willow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">With cooler weather, leaves are starting to turn from green to gold so I took a few more photos later that morning, but when I was trying to take photos of the view looking up the creek from Willow’s pen she came to see what I was doing and blocked the view.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QnPlfVo-bhlqUUPF5Hk4u9u_C-6TF1ietZUQ7FL43xM_LPqeBHkC22wZdO5OXgmY06EuFVOoCAWhHy-14nMoAgZppxmt3zmUdr_dQsdZA51Mdt7FLyJfPNa6_wzYcQs1ioRQ-uYRyFTe5xpZD0_rTKtf5O8AlfkJzopkXg26KCvdpTQRTUb0Q3vaIA/s4000/3%20-%20view%20from%20Willow's%20pen.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0QnPlfVo-bhlqUUPF5Hk4u9u_C-6TF1ietZUQ7FL43xM_LPqeBHkC22wZdO5OXgmY06EuFVOoCAWhHy-14nMoAgZppxmt3zmUdr_dQsdZA51Mdt7FLyJfPNa6_wzYcQs1ioRQ-uYRyFTe5xpZD0_rTKtf5O8AlfkJzopkXg26KCvdpTQRTUb0Q3vaIA/w400-h300/3%20-%20view%20from%20Willow's%20pen.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from Willow's pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyKnz6XwVehX9kJ2xMZeR67Eu1DVykiDMNVD1ARfbM0-6ukfd9R3XfCKYsq2r6tJC7d4Uaudr2F-qdadgXMVf_iTSDa8nki-K9Zb7D8oCaLA_8G-TjY_ajNgtybo-Hw6K1UDeBeAtSrYBql8-UZoqXxpmHv52mYT-EbF5cq5bC-yzSeszMT2CAr3kJQ/s4000/4%20-%20Willow%20hogging%20the%20camera%20view.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcyKnz6XwVehX9kJ2xMZeR67Eu1DVykiDMNVD1ARfbM0-6ukfd9R3XfCKYsq2r6tJC7d4Uaudr2F-qdadgXMVf_iTSDa8nki-K9Zb7D8oCaLA_8G-TjY_ajNgtybo-Hw6K1UDeBeAtSrYBql8-UZoqXxpmHv52mYT-EbF5cq5bC-yzSeszMT2CAr3kJQ/w400-h300/4%20-%20Willow%20hogging%20the%20camera%20view.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Willow hogging the camera view</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJAuD-EzmhCkO8n2KqMHVueKRvmMx7Dt_9jQ6g1BU-ww_o1aQlfqO4-MBluxPKDmtmZzNnDTpAdfix_kYUoEz4hFAGSShm-bUPsdg3vZQ5t4ij8m4JGNwHiQGWI5mRXbIrYoRD9rZbEpcYFU-g_5y97Ch_jC7tc8TBs6W7BVnmwn7qDCsrmiXh_N9fA/s4000/5%20-%20Rishiam%20in%20his%20pen.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJAuD-EzmhCkO8n2KqMHVueKRvmMx7Dt_9jQ6g1BU-ww_o1aQlfqO4-MBluxPKDmtmZzNnDTpAdfix_kYUoEz4hFAGSShm-bUPsdg3vZQ5t4ij8m4JGNwHiQGWI5mRXbIrYoRD9rZbEpcYFU-g_5y97Ch_jC7tc8TBs6W7BVnmwn7qDCsrmiXh_N9fA/w400-h300/5%20-%20Rishiam%20in%20his%20pen.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rishiam in his pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took Christopher to a birthday party in town, then she and Dani went to visit Bob Minor at the Discovery Care Center. Afterward they stopped in briefly at the Appreciation Dinner for Dr. Cope at the Elks. Then they picked up Christopher from the birthday party and got our mail and groceries before they came home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning was cold (26 degrees) but the afternoon was warm. Andrea took a salt block to Willow and more salt and mineral to the weaned calves. Andrea went to town that evening and stayed with Em and AJ so she could take Christopher to pre-school early Monday morning (since Em was sleeping after her night shift) and visit Bob again at the care center before she came home and brought Christopher.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I trimmed off all the willow and aspen shoots in the pen below the calving barn; those darn things are trying to take over several of our pens. That afternoon I drew horses on a bunch of T-shirts (little shirts for James and Joseph, and big ones for Heather and Gregory) so we can send them home with Heather and the boys for Christmas and birthdays and not have to mail them. I’m also sending some of my books and my dad’s books (for them and for Gregory’s parents) for Christmas, to save the horribly high cost of postage. Mailing anything to Canada has become very expensive.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening I took my camera with me when I did chores, and took a couple photos—one looking up the creek and one looking down the creek at the golden trees alongside the heifer pasture.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgpFqRrWswRbEBXWrQs_RxTrn540HvEU8a1RBnDW1M4nA2kDlWUHyNPH4edqvsUConJpX4BxJZHcVk23kOSBDR_ZIzQyotPJUnDPaeJzu3zAO4zD-kiM5TJ_4_z_BkpnOkvQbteJzb0PjDoIvtAksbux5JHjE6ehQ96vLcdVpmerw0kV20UByU7KCfA/s4000/6%20-%20leaves%20turning%20gold.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgpFqRrWswRbEBXWrQs_RxTrn540HvEU8a1RBnDW1M4nA2kDlWUHyNPH4edqvsUConJpX4BxJZHcVk23kOSBDR_ZIzQyotPJUnDPaeJzu3zAO4zD-kiM5TJ_4_z_BkpnOkvQbteJzb0PjDoIvtAksbux5JHjE6ehQ96vLcdVpmerw0kV20UByU7KCfA/w400-h300/6%20-%20leaves%20turning%20gold.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">leaves turning gold</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0L_naZiF5gSyaG2McD64TL6q1WpmKmwYs_BDveQPCvKBUbeaGdZrMY6PISFL_6kHk04uhzlNlLZ_xaFYZzVtrdbkyc911n3ELq2RsuyEAfql1Q8Tshc_OYLXh0EVW_EV5NwZfaPAj0bx1p9Xw6KKESoKx_D5tmCL8Ix-t73MREySJpX13jFy8oWvvqQ/s4000/7%20-%20heifer%20pasture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0L_naZiF5gSyaG2McD64TL6q1WpmKmwYs_BDveQPCvKBUbeaGdZrMY6PISFL_6kHk04uhzlNlLZ_xaFYZzVtrdbkyc911n3ELq2RsuyEAfql1Q8Tshc_OYLXh0EVW_EV5NwZfaPAj0bx1p9Xw6KKESoKx_D5tmCL8Ix-t73MREySJpX13jFy8oWvvqQ/w400-h300/7%20-%20heifer%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifer pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">When I went around to the corrals to feed Babe, I took a photo of our trailer parked at the loading chute, and a photo of Babe after I fed him his supper.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYif8yUHqI4Dw36xsVrvhGwD18VpoD7cwPW6QkQV-3WP9Q410mA6AWYneSRJUVR1V4mt1eI6NPNNz23z21dbNh8NMttkeok7mgxZnAxmw_ZK_fhDtQ5tzUDKwJDJq7yQ5aQQ6_yPKQDoQk4olE0VeiSea44Ens89iZnTkzsPNDtjwbV8e8CYu8RR0nw/s4000/8%20-%20trailer.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYif8yUHqI4Dw36xsVrvhGwD18VpoD7cwPW6QkQV-3WP9Q410mA6AWYneSRJUVR1V4mt1eI6NPNNz23z21dbNh8NMttkeok7mgxZnAxmw_ZK_fhDtQ5tzUDKwJDJq7yQ5aQQ6_yPKQDoQk4olE0VeiSea44Ens89iZnTkzsPNDtjwbV8e8CYu8RR0nw/w400-h300/8%20-%20trailer.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trailer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylvLVr_LiAXzqHjcW2Vmk3mhv3Smx0D3MMIeHxVSawye93hbHBxwkA776XXM16HKwkF8ZCZcJC9zEqLsbXPGeDuRKAPMJ8Cum1N9PypXES0YcN6jcmutJ8kGoIKV0VCZqAXKfUt7c_rvry0GCAqnp1blr7HsSYHeITiAwEu6Ze3KLz2oeeamN0M3Gzg/s4000/9%20-%20Babe%20eating%20supper.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylvLVr_LiAXzqHjcW2Vmk3mhv3Smx0D3MMIeHxVSawye93hbHBxwkA776XXM16HKwkF8ZCZcJC9zEqLsbXPGeDuRKAPMJ8Cum1N9PypXES0YcN6jcmutJ8kGoIKV0VCZqAXKfUt7c_rvry0GCAqnp1blr7HsSYHeITiAwEu6Ze3KLz2oeeamN0M3Gzg/w400-h300/9%20-%20Babe%20eating%20supper.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Babe eating supper</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The nights have been cold, and Tuesday morning I built a fire in our wood stove for the first time this fall. Later that morning Andrea took me to town to the dentist and did our town errands while the dentist put a temporary cap on one of my broken tooth, and will put a crown on it in a few weeks. Then Andrea and I both went to see Bob Minor at the care center, and Jane was there too so we got to visit with both of them. He was doing much better, able to get around now in a wheel chair, and planning to go home on Thursday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I received two packages in the mail from Darol Dickenson—a few gifts he sent in appreciation for an article I wrote about his Longhorn cattle. He sent some mugs with Longhorns on them, Longhorn calendars, a purse/carry bag made of longhorn hide, and a full hind tanned with the hair on, from one of his longhorns. It will make a beautiful covering for one of our old couches!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening when I went out to do chores, I put several pans on the stove to warm up some leftovers for supper, but forgot to turn down the burner that was warming the pork chops and gravy. When I came back, there was smoke billowing through the kitchen, the smoke alarm was going off in the hallway, and that burner burst into flames when I opened the door. Lynn was in the livingroom watching the news on TV and hadn’t heard the smoke alarm in the hallway or smelled the smoke yet. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I got the fire doused and we opened all the windows for a few hours (until we went to bed) and turned on some fans, to get the smoke out of the house. The gravy was charcoal but the pork chops were only half black (bottom half) and Lynn cut off the burned part and ate them anyway. It took a lot of scrubbing to get the black stuff out of that pan and its lid! The burned smell lingered awhile in the house, but not as long as when Lynn accidentally heated up a corn dog in the microwave for too long (I think he put it on 10 minutes instead of 30 seconds) and it was just a pile of charcoal with smoke coming out when he went back into the kitchen. That was quite a few years ago, but that smell lingered most of the summer and we jokingly referred to our house as the burnt corndog café.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Wednesday Lynn got up early and Jim took him to town for his appointment with the heart doctor for a checkup and an EKG. His checkup went well and the doctor was pleased that he’s lost a little weight.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea brought Christopher home from pre-school. That afternoon Heather brought her three boys down to visit. They’d been staying at her folks’ place the past few days—visiting with them through the weekend—and some of her old friends came to see her on Monday and Tuesday. When she and the boys came down here Wednesday afternoon Christopher played with James and Joseph. We took a tour around the barnyard and first went to look at the weaned heifer calves below the lane. Some of the heifers were curious and came up to the gate and the boys tried to pet them.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bfLTFvW0R_M-M869W2K5rL4jRhNX3Aw6NaO8aLk_lhD4FC7qja6PWy6nBwhaUPKOJTykvKlXeSv2K3AmexaiQJ5yYTfHkGWeLUUfcbKX3-ThSljQXMbs21hx5PeqivYorltosSzF4wGgiXqDm1R44NHipbNAPn0mx5gLuNg5523OsL3Jnv1_kyR7FQ/s4000/10%20-%20looking%20at%20the%20heifers.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5bfLTFvW0R_M-M869W2K5rL4jRhNX3Aw6NaO8aLk_lhD4FC7qja6PWy6nBwhaUPKOJTykvKlXeSv2K3AmexaiQJ5yYTfHkGWeLUUfcbKX3-ThSljQXMbs21hx5PeqivYorltosSzF4wGgiXqDm1R44NHipbNAPn0mx5gLuNg5523OsL3Jnv1_kyR7FQ/w400-h300/10%20-%20looking%20at%20the%20heifers.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ_bCqfyKG7bWke55Cc3_6mrZl4nga6uWFGoVHRaEpZ2jmwDEUewSw_v1pRpiitcdhn1tgELt9Dvq2PZcKveZ5jn4ztQqt6iDb-PmfruX_RT4SWm4wdtZOfjhUNRKZ9rDU8bjyWhjaKuhZfKYBI5QRh-1C1AKa3WYfq8HV4oqi8mrPwgtsf7iHZ5FZQ/s4000/11%20-%20looking%20at%20heifers.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvZ_bCqfyKG7bWke55Cc3_6mrZl4nga6uWFGoVHRaEpZ2jmwDEUewSw_v1pRpiitcdhn1tgELt9Dvq2PZcKveZ5jn4ztQqt6iDb-PmfruX_RT4SWm4wdtZOfjhUNRKZ9rDU8bjyWhjaKuhZfKYBI5QRh-1C1AKa3WYfq8HV4oqi8mrPwgtsf7iHZ5FZQ/w400-h300/11%20-%20looking%20at%20heifers.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking at heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we went up above the house to see the horses, and the boys enjoyed feeding Dottie some hay.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7DvSfI7xwSW3ph7OMqW_2OOxMMvkbwZwhs4yUCrsW4R6P__M8qdfkgQ9Rv0LxTv1yefRIMMQ64kTfFZT8q1lescU2K50wQ0saBov2TQK_KYwvDya8GiOllqZN3YBvUyj5ySKxIo0cHFLmHAsF805AVkiH_kJTOXGYfegukfqz2u3fC682OcfNPXxrw/s4000/12%20-%20Joseph%20and%20Christopher%20feeding%20Dottie.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC7DvSfI7xwSW3ph7OMqW_2OOxMMvkbwZwhs4yUCrsW4R6P__M8qdfkgQ9Rv0LxTv1yefRIMMQ64kTfFZT8q1lescU2K50wQ0saBov2TQK_KYwvDya8GiOllqZN3YBvUyj5ySKxIo0cHFLmHAsF805AVkiH_kJTOXGYfegukfqz2u3fC682OcfNPXxrw/w400-h300/12%20-%20Joseph%20and%20Christopher%20feeding%20Dottie.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph & Christopher feeding Dottie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZiMV5T5fRpnB_jiI1NCSA0U2AO94Qo3XiU2Ue_fTDJ-2tSzmYxX2Iymzcq_nUgWyXe0DCAaTx2XikLQniXDqluwpfN8nv2QGUWsm8HeeFdFkwuEycbihfzOexsn4Ow1uCF1DIWmnGhCVgmDt_0SuP_hVjYZBydBxZ1VehayzumlkzdCC35Crvg_xcA/s4000/13%20-the%203%20boys%20feeding%20Dottie.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZiMV5T5fRpnB_jiI1NCSA0U2AO94Qo3XiU2Ue_fTDJ-2tSzmYxX2Iymzcq_nUgWyXe0DCAaTx2XikLQniXDqluwpfN8nv2QGUWsm8HeeFdFkwuEycbihfzOexsn4Ow1uCF1DIWmnGhCVgmDt_0SuP_hVjYZBydBxZ1VehayzumlkzdCC35Crvg_xcA/w400-h300/13%20-the%203%20boys%20feeding%20Dottie.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dOSPjARFcJRzbCZO-CPa8AvkH8BR5KRlBZ3Cy2P6TExmAvfu_wdOlDATmwqYYDmOiRvpQekJkV8cSPQrlnsxgMSBwQh_EcR-sXA70scYNOxYr9Qw7Eh-PHMhGi1YzNmHFy8hVfhbgSqV-pMm8NzeTCumXnn73ds8JtCWubs-3zDvCpH_ADgnxdGrxg/s4000/14%20-feeding%20Dottie%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dOSPjARFcJRzbCZO-CPa8AvkH8BR5KRlBZ3Cy2P6TExmAvfu_wdOlDATmwqYYDmOiRvpQekJkV8cSPQrlnsxgMSBwQh_EcR-sXA70scYNOxYr9Qw7Eh-PHMhGi1YzNmHFy8hVfhbgSqV-pMm8NzeTCumXnn73ds8JtCWubs-3zDvCpH_ADgnxdGrxg/w400-h300/14%20-feeding%20Dottie%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the 3 boys feeding Dottie hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">James tried to stuff a big wad of hay through Ed’s gate to feed her.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kcJabP5aEIygOje6scZntJsvj0yPrL3Jo2AwbfdQ1_50gawbbYtoI8msbuE0ZSlvIEFZYPE6gYOZgVXNlvKUy1jII_HxbPa9QHJLkpIyrGCtKaApT-7_PwcQftSTXtswX9LdUD6XR1PaWCJFAK2uOtaBBoLfDmpqMDOVLFRGoX1a6OwS4IDwgH-15A/s4000/15%20-%20James%20feeding%20a%20wad%20of%20hay%20to%20Ed.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9kcJabP5aEIygOje6scZntJsvj0yPrL3Jo2AwbfdQ1_50gawbbYtoI8msbuE0ZSlvIEFZYPE6gYOZgVXNlvKUy1jII_HxbPa9QHJLkpIyrGCtKaApT-7_PwcQftSTXtswX9LdUD6XR1PaWCJFAK2uOtaBBoLfDmpqMDOVLFRGoX1a6OwS4IDwgH-15A/w400-h300/15%20-%20James%20feeding%20a%20wad%20of%20hay%20to%20Ed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James feeding a wad of hay to Ed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then they tried to feed Willow, but it was difficult to try to poke hay through the netting, especially for James, with his little broken elbow and cast in a sling.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05ugSn1LNAKf2TgLyToivZV8pYv6xzx0AHKHeyKx78q1QABnMHVrlDiPXHXHerhZryqInEQczonBLb0PWCTIKWskZoO4F01NsYgnEPvAFKBsxg3q6znd-iCKhnY_NeairoFtZi-xuoWv9oVvLEuYTvwpckWCL_gvJUfAOk5Uo_BR2dLIpW1dNppBckQ/s4000/16%20-%20James%20trying%20to%20poke%20hay%20through%20the%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05ugSn1LNAKf2TgLyToivZV8pYv6xzx0AHKHeyKx78q1QABnMHVrlDiPXHXHerhZryqInEQczonBLb0PWCTIKWskZoO4F01NsYgnEPvAFKBsxg3q6znd-iCKhnY_NeairoFtZi-xuoWv9oVvLEuYTvwpckWCL_gvJUfAOk5Uo_BR2dLIpW1dNppBckQ/w400-h300/16%20-%20James%20trying%20to%20poke%20hay%20through%20the%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James trying to poke hay through the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">So they ended up trying to throw wads of hay clear over the fence, which was also a challenge, but they had a lot of fun doing it. Some of the hay landed on Willow’s head, but she didn’t mind.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNBL2n5QE1VM_RRzZruIYFyTfzXXSZRSMnjL0TuMBaXdcWlBMTjZdNVuG9l6fflOzp9UT16ex6ZupVHq4Vdc9sHpmAt17ZP-LGiBj8VjWVdWcg4vYFrmFPFejrv-_m6FjCWFN0aCuFfcakuTWPV3T7HFdTrie0cMo2SYLS8dZyMU-U8flfMOXLd7tpQ/s4000/17%20-%20throwing%20hay%20over%20the%20fence%20to%20Willow.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaNBL2n5QE1VM_RRzZruIYFyTfzXXSZRSMnjL0TuMBaXdcWlBMTjZdNVuG9l6fflOzp9UT16ex6ZupVHq4Vdc9sHpmAt17ZP-LGiBj8VjWVdWcg4vYFrmFPFejrv-_m6FjCWFN0aCuFfcakuTWPV3T7HFdTrie0cMo2SYLS8dZyMU-U8flfMOXLd7tpQ/w400-h300/17%20-%20throwing%20hay%20over%20the%20fence%20to%20Willow.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyU5N89gz5oWFOZXgD6JwlHOAexnt3SABPagZWZ-KAbS6_46IhK3-ojmWxmlezcc5t3ZiMJ2oByXM-Rb1vPL2rtOvYAwggUHHlaUihQMPwF4UU176dcmCmB3_Vjf2m5BoEvFrZqdZlK-dELDVw6ixmvXwBfyX2839KV7xcfbM7SF3r1dbzEfMFxeNyw/s4000/18%20-%20throwing%20hay%20over%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQyU5N89gz5oWFOZXgD6JwlHOAexnt3SABPagZWZ-KAbS6_46IhK3-ojmWxmlezcc5t3ZiMJ2oByXM-Rb1vPL2rtOvYAwggUHHlaUihQMPwF4UU176dcmCmB3_Vjf2m5BoEvFrZqdZlK-dELDVw6ixmvXwBfyX2839KV7xcfbM7SF3r1dbzEfMFxeNyw/w400-h300/18%20-%20throwing%20hay%20over%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">throwing hay over the fence to Willow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXn8ChyiP-yHax1m6G_rL3196OKTyumQe7RpHNwMgMQ1OAjGzso16PZ2i7uxhoqXkI3QqYC7sMKMRaXdsq8O4_63QtgskMaKSJRBDk9_y1rFccBCvcfqRmO3yyDgtu76QRtj5rELMjL5SziTP08mcsP8Ls9o7TDvc_UqHPlJLheQO-u444UqXhJT_eQ/s4000/19%20-%20hay%20landing%20on%20her%20%20head.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLXn8ChyiP-yHax1m6G_rL3196OKTyumQe7RpHNwMgMQ1OAjGzso16PZ2i7uxhoqXkI3QqYC7sMKMRaXdsq8O4_63QtgskMaKSJRBDk9_y1rFccBCvcfqRmO3yyDgtu76QRtj5rELMjL5SziTP08mcsP8Ls9o7TDvc_UqHPlJLheQO-u444UqXhJT_eQ/w400-h300/19%20-%20hay%20landing%20on%20her%20%20head.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hay landing on her head</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">They got tired and decided to rest in the shade for a few moments under the old crabapple tree. About that time Dani came along and stopped by here on her way home from town, and joined us for a few minutes, and petted Willow while the boys played in the shade.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewZdCMbyAYA0IUgcZdGsN9i9y1mQ6S1Hjm36ORIUzhBtjt6_uZjAQRMY5WzoTdlLOm6kDWNav7CeuAfkgVthhRUax4JykmEzpO4j2D8v5iSvyqwobjpxSxfkFBLMDEp8VgnpKrHsftIkgaOdnu93934YcWo0YBM8jWevvc6Az-TaWHLhXRi_fSx9vwA/s4000/20%20-%20tired%20boys.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewZdCMbyAYA0IUgcZdGsN9i9y1mQ6S1Hjm36ORIUzhBtjt6_uZjAQRMY5WzoTdlLOm6kDWNav7CeuAfkgVthhRUax4JykmEzpO4j2D8v5iSvyqwobjpxSxfkFBLMDEp8VgnpKrHsftIkgaOdnu93934YcWo0YBM8jWevvc6Az-TaWHLhXRi_fSx9vwA/w400-h300/20%20-%20tired%20boys.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vLH2XyCdyLc92Ugwa6xfK8EHnkVkiVAgGIaFsDBy3jxXVcA0AZeX6QBTru2KJicwG2fJXEvQ-KCZ357WXkLn_7lKt7pCAS1OnvsbAhJ1Q4OwnGRBe_hNwkiNZ1gkMqARjSHwHNpFFHISBL6c3XeVovokQ3W_c5dB_t3wPKj2j6TjMfgNIyB6KYNH7g/s4000/21%20-%20resting%20in%20the%20shade.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-vLH2XyCdyLc92Ugwa6xfK8EHnkVkiVAgGIaFsDBy3jxXVcA0AZeX6QBTru2KJicwG2fJXEvQ-KCZ357WXkLn_7lKt7pCAS1OnvsbAhJ1Q4OwnGRBe_hNwkiNZ1gkMqARjSHwHNpFFHISBL6c3XeVovokQ3W_c5dB_t3wPKj2j6TjMfgNIyB6KYNH7g/w400-h300/21%20-%20resting%20in%20the%20shade.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tired boys resting in the shade</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQ3PT1OoODplshNhlQtdBuHcAtzVCD96aTzye3-6hWasnNqy6ycExabBmQffsZFW78BzA53QoI2QegXqy3PCPubRIsCyLUMhrd1mhAJZV4BG-liUdFM1iZgFrITvMys8XHVr7a8RpTuXqQvUWC7Z6Ak-EFsx9Jp7jYTPP56Nuo29zPphVWuPK7IGRcg/s4000/22%20-%20Dani%20petting%20Willow.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQ3PT1OoODplshNhlQtdBuHcAtzVCD96aTzye3-6hWasnNqy6ycExabBmQffsZFW78BzA53QoI2QegXqy3PCPubRIsCyLUMhrd1mhAJZV4BG-liUdFM1iZgFrITvMys8XHVr7a8RpTuXqQvUWC7Z6Ak-EFsx9Jp7jYTPP56Nuo29zPphVWuPK7IGRcg/w400-h300/22%20-%20Dani%20petting%20Willow.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani petting Willow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then the boys were eager for more exploration and adventure so we hiked up into the field above the house, and they were attracted to the old stump (from one of the other crabapple trees that is long gone) that the cows like to rub on. It’s just part of the old stump and no longer in the ground and fairly mobile if it gets pushed around. The boys climbed on it and pretended it was a pirate ship and they were the pirates. When one of them was up on the top end, however, another one had to counterbalance the bottom end so it wouldn’t tip over.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7SkVMfxAMD0wxC8BJCOq1p0qBTFpUNQRVNOosDEb1FnZvjFO3mZKvvtPO7YCZCnmLls2LdbNlScNyTMdTzek9JiIB_X9QoKi02j4gsZEf7BCxMmcXllPrwGIJMirt0ymr3RKpG_-QMHtZt7ANWsdbjGk0oZPUDdQZOQk4JIEyA-Yw8EURn3VhS1vlA/s4000/23%20-%20checking%20out%20the%20old%20stump.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC7SkVMfxAMD0wxC8BJCOq1p0qBTFpUNQRVNOosDEb1FnZvjFO3mZKvvtPO7YCZCnmLls2LdbNlScNyTMdTzek9JiIB_X9QoKi02j4gsZEf7BCxMmcXllPrwGIJMirt0ymr3RKpG_-QMHtZt7ANWsdbjGk0oZPUDdQZOQk4JIEyA-Yw8EURn3VhS1vlA/w400-h300/23%20-%20checking%20out%20the%20old%20stump.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking out the old stump</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1uaRobACgnTMqAfVGQ_Gc2K0eTJ1d9zZMkCI5_fal9feyZ5Q_kOk9zpmLuYxCqqQfmUMrrs6fMFyqXo7jNGPtP0PjlyG5OyYfwiqVg-eRV-XILXv570_-brUdT6qwCnOv63oT-icM6f8aBNacrXS_MMDR5uxP-OgySb9rhTLknNPZsbsHTlc5JLJ_Q/s4000/24%20-%20climbing%20up%20on%20it.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1uaRobACgnTMqAfVGQ_Gc2K0eTJ1d9zZMkCI5_fal9feyZ5Q_kOk9zpmLuYxCqqQfmUMrrs6fMFyqXo7jNGPtP0PjlyG5OyYfwiqVg-eRV-XILXv570_-brUdT6qwCnOv63oT-icM6f8aBNacrXS_MMDR5uxP-OgySb9rhTLknNPZsbsHTlc5JLJ_Q/w400-h300/24%20-%20climbing%20up%20on%20it.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">climbing up on it</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe_hT2fqEZwe02vnmWI2vT9tRUizjTAeS2hRqdpON6JUCL1XTKnWwqYPtIBa3uEUCTWCVY5XKw3xCC6YK9LWnjMilby5NeakEghwnZtWMl4ElQbHH6tbFToT8Zy3RtTeeqG6t53Dg4irDzxdBuFGAAoYzfBwH1OOkHpKW0j63jHWxjDgykzSKuG8qnw/s4000/25%20-%20taking%20turns%20making%20it%20rock%20and%20roll.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPe_hT2fqEZwe02vnmWI2vT9tRUizjTAeS2hRqdpON6JUCL1XTKnWwqYPtIBa3uEUCTWCVY5XKw3xCC6YK9LWnjMilby5NeakEghwnZtWMl4ElQbHH6tbFToT8Zy3RtTeeqG6t53Dg4irDzxdBuFGAAoYzfBwH1OOkHpKW0j63jHWxjDgykzSKuG8qnw/w400-h300/25%20-%20taking%20turns%20making%20it%20rock%20and%20roll.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking turns making it rock and roll</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">They got tired and came back to the shade by the horse pens, where I visited with Heather while the boys played. I took some photos of her, and the happy baby. Ian is always smiling when mom is nearby,</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmcCitCjY60Yg6TkwWsB_JJfL7UzRVqV4H-7essaXsIvVxPxGi6ijd6DLKg5o_rblHBtnZsaCp_r9aDqPMP-pbUyHVVDK-HZ38itu6ZbGYxYVQK3UBkh70USniHF4KRi_xN_zR-6bWelUgsj_-sEoo24pjVkmtCj9Ra4UPl7NNxVK-OurbLqv7PuArA/s4000/26%20-%20in%20the%20shade%20again.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipmcCitCjY60Yg6TkwWsB_JJfL7UzRVqV4H-7essaXsIvVxPxGi6ijd6DLKg5o_rblHBtnZsaCp_r9aDqPMP-pbUyHVVDK-HZ38itu6ZbGYxYVQK3UBkh70USniHF4KRi_xN_zR-6bWelUgsj_-sEoo24pjVkmtCj9Ra4UPl7NNxVK-OurbLqv7PuArA/w300-h400/26%20-%20in%20the%20shade%20again.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">in the shade again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmn3g9jqnsE5RfVD6spMpNMC-Tbm3d43VQbjidTu-TXXbTYdiwMt9Psjp46vO_d1JdyLnsB-OMuv6A-J0iPVMKbwtMUEi96otqEJBQVz_eWiAkf3OC4nHvUOmdunWrwYXGNsWNGO84DzP7SrL3f2OFM6yqNQAkaQq55rZz4r7QDgiQAPRch4HeMR9oQ/s4000/27%20-%20smiling%20kid.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmn3g9jqnsE5RfVD6spMpNMC-Tbm3d43VQbjidTu-TXXbTYdiwMt9Psjp46vO_d1JdyLnsB-OMuv6A-J0iPVMKbwtMUEi96otqEJBQVz_eWiAkf3OC4nHvUOmdunWrwYXGNsWNGO84DzP7SrL3f2OFM6yqNQAkaQq55rZz4r7QDgiQAPRch4HeMR9oQ/w400-h300/27%20-%20smiling%20kid.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">smiling kid</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQeIjUR75dUk61caC3eAvkf7jsE5WzCs226HR487Rv8T3irFhOIb8ivh-FQNQ_lGRSgmGLiSdLrE-AYa0m2wRi3zUXSKy22uZOBLvzpJETiVc4T2jn_EmP5zAX2gX2GFAc5qMpdWnEwQmyVriWhfGL3KzZaD5MfFgBSvmZqaoUauP68g_KOSYFh93bg/s4000/28%20-%20baby%20Ian.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQeIjUR75dUk61caC3eAvkf7jsE5WzCs226HR487Rv8T3irFhOIb8ivh-FQNQ_lGRSgmGLiSdLrE-AYa0m2wRi3zUXSKy22uZOBLvzpJETiVc4T2jn_EmP5zAX2gX2GFAc5qMpdWnEwQmyVriWhfGL3KzZaD5MfFgBSvmZqaoUauP68g_KOSYFh93bg/w300-h400/28%20-%20baby%20Ian.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baby Ian</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea came along and took Christopher and Joseph up to her house to play on the trampoline, and they also had fun taking turns driving Christopher’s little tractor and riding in the little wagon behind it.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">James stayed here with his mom and baby brother and played with toys while his mom looked through a bunch of old family photo albums, interested in some of the family history she never knew about before. After chores Andrea and her friend Russ brought the two boys back down from her house and we all had supper here.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was cold again in the morning but got up to 70 degrees in the afternoon which was lovely weather for the kids to play outside. Heather brought the boys down here from her folks place mid-morning and the kids all played in the dirt in the driveway below the lane, with tractors and trucks and cars and pretended to make cakes and pies (sifting dirt like it was flour).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl8WERuA_eA0tpm5Z4rC1o8XRqLgAOhMIP1rB-17tVbGV9877ybAHxvrNy6LrKzotLzLTMgXjJ-UW-gFgel0ZxMfcaHOdn6-49X2ItLkogbX3Hb3KwiZhD-19YVUIGQLG-3Sz34lZ3DNRhmslr1CCqtmUODJCs61ZIdBqVAKEXFiy_TaURY_CmwGJzA/s4000/29%20-%20Christopher%20and%20Joseph.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdl8WERuA_eA0tpm5Z4rC1o8XRqLgAOhMIP1rB-17tVbGV9877ybAHxvrNy6LrKzotLzLTMgXjJ-UW-gFgel0ZxMfcaHOdn6-49X2ItLkogbX3Hb3KwiZhD-19YVUIGQLG-3Sz34lZ3DNRhmslr1CCqtmUODJCs61ZIdBqVAKEXFiy_TaURY_CmwGJzA/w400-h300/29%20-%20Christopher%20and%20Joseph.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmZQiKE7oZyr-ej1skbu304vkO4G4EPpS_ey8YE2viejdWmi8w_73Tt6bCpJKHP02PUUdCXQu8ceeRDCi7LrouNl6RqGD0N8Z49YD-W1zPEvhqXcx6pzzFkUKeU6wpD8yyIilhcf0Bp0BtORikLXe6sAYStLyrWh0hWuhigC3xrIYqF0EB28hrq-dWA/s4000/30%20-%20playing%20with%20trucks.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmZQiKE7oZyr-ej1skbu304vkO4G4EPpS_ey8YE2viejdWmi8w_73Tt6bCpJKHP02PUUdCXQu8ceeRDCi7LrouNl6RqGD0N8Z49YD-W1zPEvhqXcx6pzzFkUKeU6wpD8yyIilhcf0Bp0BtORikLXe6sAYStLyrWh0hWuhigC3xrIYqF0EB28hrq-dWA/w400-h300/30%20-%20playing%20with%20trucks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Joseph playing with trucks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn’s sister Jenelle came out to visit with young Heather; she hadn’t seen her since Heather’s wedding more than 6 years ago. We sat outside and watched the kids play while we all visited. The kids were trying to play catch with a big ball, and Jenelle joined in for a few minutes and threw the ball back and forth with Joseph.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXlp07L1GIdukJ2EtwC_3ZPy8fdudCTwisZiCxw8qBzo7LdWJ_8cl4ZJwo8IjTyPPImmv8_2mATsQ-TYg8TCAE03F4eaegG0CCoxqIQ9bpolYt102hJNqqegrMq2tCy4m19ylzATJ5UO42Ve4S_i8eYZedikqih_fipW1Leo9VfUR_Jqv9k7sth0KtQ/s4000/31%20-%20Jenelly%20playing%20ball%20with%20Joseph.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXlp07L1GIdukJ2EtwC_3ZPy8fdudCTwisZiCxw8qBzo7LdWJ_8cl4ZJwo8IjTyPPImmv8_2mATsQ-TYg8TCAE03F4eaegG0CCoxqIQ9bpolYt102hJNqqegrMq2tCy4m19ylzATJ5UO42Ve4S_i8eYZedikqih_fipW1Leo9VfUR_Jqv9k7sth0KtQ/w400-h300/31%20-%20Jenelly%20playing%20ball%20with%20Joseph.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsRLbrltMweTObzdESbcZDqftbAMx7adX-0ej418elvtl4Mo-S3mbYROtpncuXWyBBlZEWPoEL6kb_UGeRuCzONBsa3MTlRM_nB2chkNM-LlmFddyUMa_vAv1FlWuIRcgko4ClvsvI0mNPhWJFhDuof6xH2VBCz1Ve3z2AY958ozbUZcNzSIgfE6xTg/s4000/32%20-%20Jenelle%20throwing%20the%20ball%20to%20Joseph.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhsRLbrltMweTObzdESbcZDqftbAMx7adX-0ej418elvtl4Mo-S3mbYROtpncuXWyBBlZEWPoEL6kb_UGeRuCzONBsa3MTlRM_nB2chkNM-LlmFddyUMa_vAv1FlWuIRcgko4ClvsvI0mNPhWJFhDuof6xH2VBCz1Ve3z2AY958ozbUZcNzSIgfE6xTg/w400-h300/32%20-%20Jenelle%20throwing%20the%20ball%20to%20Joseph.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56YR9WIMm17kE7vqhhrbdNBlIcI0UKoLgMVobGQIyOQi0Eo-Tn1D4kYNjAk1BUlO88KEqpwVHRAXgbVpmQKM1dSF2i3lJbX4I_9kyIdKTwI9paopqGyPov4shT3DYECmpJ_xN86Eo_9LmhGIA589Y4himOffoHHzN0-XLb8Pj0GchwhOTc0WeWLARLA/s4000/33%20-%20Joseph%20throwing%20the%20ball%20to%20Jenelle.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56YR9WIMm17kE7vqhhrbdNBlIcI0UKoLgMVobGQIyOQi0Eo-Tn1D4kYNjAk1BUlO88KEqpwVHRAXgbVpmQKM1dSF2i3lJbX4I_9kyIdKTwI9paopqGyPov4shT3DYECmpJ_xN86Eo_9LmhGIA589Y4himOffoHHzN0-XLb8Pj0GchwhOTc0WeWLARLA/w400-h300/33%20-%20Joseph%20throwing%20the%20ball%20to%20Jenelle.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jenelle playing ball with Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Bob Minor was able to come home from the care center that day, so Andrea made a quick trip to his house and took him a walker that we have; Bob is starting to try to stand up from his wheelchair and thought that if he had something to hang onto, like a walker, he would be able to do it. Andrea and Jane helped him stand up.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When Andrea got back from that errand, and Dani came out here, too, we all had lunch—I made a big batch of chili and fruit salad and jello, and Andrea brought a few salads and Jenelle brought some breadsticks she’d baked that morning, so it was a great pot-luck meal. I took a few photos of Dani with her little cousins.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6nCuaSsAhNXtwv5s6srCQUJUbSrCE6rvv2G0LEOgT_32ZAJNDyZ6biyr6DeZS23L_00SFFHcFqNugkUZmweK4e7OJ_XkQqZ9HdcghB8vmTLLZw5s5VKyGlK4MhVWUGii-buj7eloApOnZmpbYXREuAcmdz-Q7HjkVuaZXInmM2p6t9FmXbzqjylgfQ/s4000/34%20-%20Dani%20&%20Ian.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik6nCuaSsAhNXtwv5s6srCQUJUbSrCE6rvv2G0LEOgT_32ZAJNDyZ6biyr6DeZS23L_00SFFHcFqNugkUZmweK4e7OJ_XkQqZ9HdcghB8vmTLLZw5s5VKyGlK4MhVWUGii-buj7eloApOnZmpbYXREuAcmdz-Q7HjkVuaZXInmM2p6t9FmXbzqjylgfQ/w400-h300/34%20-%20Dani%20&%20Ian.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Ian<br /></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6OuSyI-9IeFS5kc0CfDU7mQQtG4qJ7eLxgSOQrRsKZjzoytvd-78l4mkzLqXJmtZeJLjb0mySVtQX2B1m6rhGiq92grTaSLed_OTFiW1bxuU-QRAifg5MDKe2zT1JmJlo3VRSoNfGBqlfHXgFgJiqbIwdT7hK_FGdhJjCIvkOSy9Cgj9rrbzZ1uw1A/s4000/35%20-%20Dani%20with%20Heather%20and%20two%20kids.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS6OuSyI-9IeFS5kc0CfDU7mQQtG4qJ7eLxgSOQrRsKZjzoytvd-78l4mkzLqXJmtZeJLjb0mySVtQX2B1m6rhGiq92grTaSLed_OTFiW1bxuU-QRAifg5MDKe2zT1JmJlo3VRSoNfGBqlfHXgFgJiqbIwdT7hK_FGdhJjCIvkOSy9Cgj9rrbzZ1uw1A/w400-h300/35%20-%20Dani%20with%20Heather%20and%20two%20kids.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani with Heather and two kids</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIFo1IcK_iQpI48ObwQIbBiOEyc5pKHU08nLgjvuv1CvdNzsU-qOHSFqJtOQOw0W2xWtpH7Hn_O3k_5ULrk_c4GMDZ4--CdZyqF5aEidZKqOYbSheIstfSYSPJM0X6Zt_jUIPxSeUNy8a3gCVMZI1cfGSVZ5kDYWqHfV616QHiXUDt9aHDULdk7c3EA/s4000/36%20-Dani%20giving%20Joseph%20a%20hug.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIFo1IcK_iQpI48ObwQIbBiOEyc5pKHU08nLgjvuv1CvdNzsU-qOHSFqJtOQOw0W2xWtpH7Hn_O3k_5ULrk_c4GMDZ4--CdZyqF5aEidZKqOYbSheIstfSYSPJM0X6Zt_jUIPxSeUNy8a3gCVMZI1cfGSVZ5kDYWqHfV616QHiXUDt9aHDULdk7c3EA/w400-h300/36%20-Dani%20giving%20Joseph%20a%20hug.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani giving Joseph a hug</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher was getting tired and grumpy by then so Andrea took him home for a nap, and Jenelle stayed and visited awhile with us and Heather and the boys. After Christopher woke up from his nap, Heather and the boys went up there and had a good time visiting there until late evening.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was warm again. Andrea brought Christopher down and he played outside with Lynn supervising him while Andrea and I did a few more projects that need done before winter, and she gathered up more of her irrigation dams to put in the shed. Heather brought the boys down from her folks’ place late morning and had lunch with us and we took photos of all of us by our porch.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrr_mD5vq0_jWyIB5YxYraGutdrDSCW4VjQfuKff7lskqpWtH6rP_vAoum670NaLy8LFgWFYSj0shtLPG8aJPADrRqKp2HCDrvJ_2oVVi8QQ6xTcCmQc49IbxuDbmXDkyI4sDmDpaSDkFkP5AbT7b-H6_Gztj2ut8OjxgE3FxBknAHYrUfHzf7RPhhA/s4032/37%20-%20family%20photo%20by%20the%20back%20porch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCrr_mD5vq0_jWyIB5YxYraGutdrDSCW4VjQfuKff7lskqpWtH6rP_vAoum670NaLy8LFgWFYSj0shtLPG8aJPADrRqKp2HCDrvJ_2oVVi8QQ6xTcCmQc49IbxuDbmXDkyI4sDmDpaSDkFkP5AbT7b-H6_Gztj2ut8OjxgE3FxBknAHYrUfHzf7RPhhA/w400-h189/37%20-%20family%20photo%20by%20the%20back%20porch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">family photo by the back porch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVPBY_yPM8qiCzWwzT87QBjriUVuww5b6C5N65VGn15jeqwvhxsIcPk7jBIpebslxEvV9y4pbOhdhi0OVS0OrsSr6hkUBTtepnyUN_jZJG6vryqejKJqHlLivuwvXXWHala86y28rODLlNtCPp3b-3YrM0tvxdbZGMxFo5_hMl9OqYmYRObiDZuqy5A/s4032/38%20-%20old%20folks%20with%20Christopher%20&%20Joseph.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVPBY_yPM8qiCzWwzT87QBjriUVuww5b6C5N65VGn15jeqwvhxsIcPk7jBIpebslxEvV9y4pbOhdhi0OVS0OrsSr6hkUBTtepnyUN_jZJG6vryqejKJqHlLivuwvXXWHala86y28rODLlNtCPp3b-3YrM0tvxdbZGMxFo5_hMl9OqYmYRObiDZuqy5A/w189-h400/38%20-%20old%20folks%20with%20Christopher%20&%20Joseph.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old folks with Christopher & Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjbrNTl9bxfqpV9u1GxsGt_YqsoObfrxGo-UQfrszsexdiTMGDJONj5Zby7fHE6zgT1SuyQlwACoIAK-bRXR7o2rj7sbYiML9ke7-me0-HqAzqh0O-GGYwqJB7VRrREykOtjb0OAP1shth2xo_NPElli19ulVh_J5n2pkR5q-4xuvtMSnJ-Q_5azdOQ/s4032/39%20-%20Lynn%20and%20me%20with%20Joseph.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSjbrNTl9bxfqpV9u1GxsGt_YqsoObfrxGo-UQfrszsexdiTMGDJONj5Zby7fHE6zgT1SuyQlwACoIAK-bRXR7o2rj7sbYiML9ke7-me0-HqAzqh0O-GGYwqJB7VRrREykOtjb0OAP1shth2xo_NPElli19ulVh_J5n2pkR5q-4xuvtMSnJ-Q_5azdOQ/w189-h400/39%20-%20Lynn%20and%20me%20with%20Joseph.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and me with Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGimvhknSDWeS5F8n_l50VN09VylAgUJxB1SXBKP2sasEQRN1t5A2VKapHCfWW4zUyhP7VB4-5Xy3Vz7keRD9_YASa4aLGBbxtwo6SrTQm4jtBh9QUkH59NfGZE0S997-nxeJPfrClj5KU-_1VYzUfunm36RpKSrC7YaZ3_HL6ZgZ5zGyN-wcpKIHyA/s4000/40%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Joseph.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzGimvhknSDWeS5F8n_l50VN09VylAgUJxB1SXBKP2sasEQRN1t5A2VKapHCfWW4zUyhP7VB4-5Xy3Vz7keRD9_YASa4aLGBbxtwo6SrTQm4jtBh9QUkH59NfGZE0S997-nxeJPfrClj5KU-_1VYzUfunm36RpKSrC7YaZ3_HL6ZgZ5zGyN-wcpKIHyA/w400-h300/40%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Joseph.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn & Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jrriqqrrp5h_1kMKMESrAcNMIFozXFtpX-pORzJJ9AfhH9tYTMscUqB0-CSi8aBsbsfjCgerUxQc2xrNdJJg5Rzu3WRPNuxYPK2vgGiTscthwSkIw4OdE5V2TeOmDlPMyps4w6uvcsjKpqrPGTip9x0_F5-dAPEGHwnYLV7HghpMA55L2PHfpue81A/s4000/41%20-%20Lynn%20with%20the%20two%20boys.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6jrriqqrrp5h_1kMKMESrAcNMIFozXFtpX-pORzJJ9AfhH9tYTMscUqB0-CSi8aBsbsfjCgerUxQc2xrNdJJg5Rzu3WRPNuxYPK2vgGiTscthwSkIw4OdE5V2TeOmDlPMyps4w6uvcsjKpqrPGTip9x0_F5-dAPEGHwnYLV7HghpMA55L2PHfpue81A/w400-h300/41%20-%20Lynn%20with%20the%20two%20boys.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn with the two boys</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzdOo3kUmcfprnnkIkUTHSJJYKnsVKqr2FCIrRrbJme67MbJUfUjD30hu7tuQo392MYvX_QVBTbRDL4fDi1MpBjkoqD871CjlNdIRcWUemBvm5PROc-r9Cj0TDH9Vop1u6xWQQ596aWVQ11Q51jbpiNYtaPdP1Fv286I9S0H8PJpmG3v4Yz86UEJVQg/s4000/42%20-%20two%202nd%20cousins%20with%20great%20grandpa.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzdOo3kUmcfprnnkIkUTHSJJYKnsVKqr2FCIrRrbJme67MbJUfUjD30hu7tuQo392MYvX_QVBTbRDL4fDi1MpBjkoqD871CjlNdIRcWUemBvm5PROc-r9Cj0TDH9Vop1u6xWQQ596aWVQ11Q51jbpiNYtaPdP1Fv286I9S0H8PJpmG3v4Yz86UEJVQg/w400-h300/42%20-%20two%202nd%20cousins%20with%20great%20grandpa.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">two 2nd cousins with great grandpa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Heather went to town to get gas for her car, and Dani and Emily met up with her at the gas station to visit with her for a few minutes. Someone took a photo of the three cousins.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57RJ4YB4EpxyX6bK_o16BRHzZHON7olRlVMpx4WTljN_bMIUMwjpQLGsQHgI8S5yrbqyZQwg_YXIg3FFF_ANSTB8eUIj1oTfYhjQrSLiOQR35iQgV5hD6rPTo1wjFsdQAbLwkuPtIvvV7pYXsJZx_KY9EpazsdfNq742h36HDrgcXrOromh6X5n7x7g/s4032/43%20-%20cousins.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj57RJ4YB4EpxyX6bK_o16BRHzZHON7olRlVMpx4WTljN_bMIUMwjpQLGsQHgI8S5yrbqyZQwg_YXIg3FFF_ANSTB8eUIj1oTfYhjQrSLiOQR35iQgV5hD6rPTo1wjFsdQAbLwkuPtIvvV7pYXsJZx_KY9EpazsdfNq742h36HDrgcXrOromh6X5n7x7g/w189-h400/43%20-%20cousins.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cousins</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher and Andrea helped me do chores and by then it was quite windy. Andrea and I put some deer netting along part of the round bale stack where the deer have been digging into one bale pretty badly. Andrea was trying to prop a pole against it to help hold it and the wind blew a gust and knocked the pole into Andrea and knocked her down, hitting her on the head. It gave her a pretty good headache and a bump but she thought she was ok otherwise. The wind blew in a storm and it rained all night—our first real rain for many weeks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 29</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Early Saturday we had ¾ inch of rain—the most rain we’ve had since about June—with snow on the mountains. It stopped raining by 9 a.m. and Andrea came down to help me put another piece of tin on the back side of the calving barn where the old boards are getting rotten on the bottom (from ground moisture and snow that slides off the roof and piles up against that back side). Then Heather and the boys came down and Andrea went with them to Arco so they could visit their other grandma/great grandma for a few hours. Heather hadn’t seen her grandma Irene since her wedding 6 ½ years ago. Andrea took a photo of them.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_juUIbB-3MjpPNR9ngk2lLat45KxlVTOT-7LsGPH2F7wNXGH4WUcwTD3juPoUF_mW6wu7dPigDxj6uCA5ElgXzF_5PfpTVCQZk2bhpxSgOzJVuhfXRPz0--oSQlpB4BiP7VlZ4IG-54XZ5vbmlxjtmmb7sYzZTbGNNI6-z6O3ySIERxvvBLliJ3ebQg/s4608/44%20-%20Heather%20&%20Ian%20with%20her%20Grandma%20Irene.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_juUIbB-3MjpPNR9ngk2lLat45KxlVTOT-7LsGPH2F7wNXGH4WUcwTD3juPoUF_mW6wu7dPigDxj6uCA5ElgXzF_5PfpTVCQZk2bhpxSgOzJVuhfXRPz0--oSQlpB4BiP7VlZ4IG-54XZ5vbmlxjtmmb7sYzZTbGNNI6-z6O3ySIERxvvBLliJ3ebQg/w400-h190/44%20-%20Heather%20&%20Ian%20with%20her%20Grandma%20Irene.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Heather & Ian with her Grandma Irene</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The roads were a little bad in a few places from all the rain and snow but they had a good trip down there and back. Andrea was able to help take care of the 3 boys on the trip, to make it easier for Heather while she was driving. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was windy and cold. Heather and boys headed back to Canada, and Michael and Carolyn convoyed with them to the border, where Gregory and his folks met them. They all had dinner together in a little town across the border and then headed home. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim went hunting that day (but didn’t find a buck) so Lynn went up to Andrea’s house to tend Christopher while she shut off her ditches securely for winter. She hasn’t had much water, with Alfonso using all of it above us, but the ditches needed to be shut off (head-gates pounded down tight) so no water this winter will come through and make ice flows across our fields.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She let the cows into the upper swamp pasture, then went to visit Bob and Jane and help Bob stand up again from his wheelchair. When she came home she got a bale from my hay shed to take home for bedding for her two dogs, to keep them warmer in their dog houses. I took a couple photos from up in my hay shed—of the cows and of Ed looking up at us on top of the hay.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3l2YlaRz4ebh7drqJCrnhgvdv8sIDlmeVw0AWMFEqFLXbTcWaelpnl_q9A323kivOHwbJxa7Ej_idJK0qzv2R05RT0Nc5Shs715y-wrGKmFTAKNxdtjwbwKrOOyisKJn4HsrPmjWMjztKydg_dT7OXF4TNIcp89AMkvNZ6jgNNZdpaZoZEq6zY4bAQ/s4000/45%20-%20view%20from%20my%20%20hay%20shed.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3l2YlaRz4ebh7drqJCrnhgvdv8sIDlmeVw0AWMFEqFLXbTcWaelpnl_q9A323kivOHwbJxa7Ej_idJK0qzv2R05RT0Nc5Shs715y-wrGKmFTAKNxdtjwbwKrOOyisKJn4HsrPmjWMjztKydg_dT7OXF4TNIcp89AMkvNZ6jgNNZdpaZoZEq6zY4bAQ/w400-h300/45%20-%20view%20from%20my%20%20hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from my hay shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5mXAvo3uTAqqoCM6wFSvyc6kOTagWnNjqw_kZqw1VYwBkP-CK8NxbX2oZ72zo4MvSeDzfB5GuvWUcjVHYySBuy2s_YTMiHgQ_9DaGCEVax9vJwgYJ_nICn4tCpSoSiUQglMnT_8bKQagiofVGedZRDCGrbKF2DMI6_f_9OWQQQ9Oq9iI7BptioT9iw/s4000/46%20-%20Looking%20at%20Ed%20from%20up%20in%20my%20shed.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5mXAvo3uTAqqoCM6wFSvyc6kOTagWnNjqw_kZqw1VYwBkP-CK8NxbX2oZ72zo4MvSeDzfB5GuvWUcjVHYySBuy2s_YTMiHgQ_9DaGCEVax9vJwgYJ_nICn4tCpSoSiUQglMnT_8bKQagiofVGedZRDCGrbKF2DMI6_f_9OWQQQ9Oq9iI7BptioT9iw/w400-h300/46%20-%20Looking%20at%20Ed%20from%20up%20in%20my%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Looking at Ed from up in my shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday Andrea and I put most of the rest of the tin on the back side of the calving barn, then went up to help Bob and Jane again. She stopped at the Amish store to buy some cinnamon rolls for them, since that’s one of Bob’s favorite things to eat.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon she gathered up more of the hot wire along the lower part of the field by her house (that partitioned off the ditch pasture for summer grazing). She’s trying to get all the wire and posts gathered up from all our rotational grazing, before the ground freezes and it’s hard to take out the posts and/or the snow gets too deep. We don’t want the deer stringing the wires all over, or have the cows get tangled up in them this winter. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With the little bit of rain we had, there is now snow on the mountains. I took a few photos around the barnyard with the snow-topped mountains in the background.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zv9LDJEQZfyedkFQl5rjhQwtlmtj_GbW-E2CeixAE0pkoTGwEs8yVXA73xUVYV9Vd-qWW-MUW0NECCxWkikH36UqCBcT4f8N6GoCcfaL3XMpD5aMgZV4Etg9FZYN1Fxb99jc3t7yin7q4ZmHzwrTM866rSyrlq6xk92yYZYDEw6V4EKv6L0hFUmQ5A/s4000/47%20-%20Snow%20on%20the%20mountains.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zv9LDJEQZfyedkFQl5rjhQwtlmtj_GbW-E2CeixAE0pkoTGwEs8yVXA73xUVYV9Vd-qWW-MUW0NECCxWkikH36UqCBcT4f8N6GoCcfaL3XMpD5aMgZV4Etg9FZYN1Fxb99jc3t7yin7q4ZmHzwrTM866rSyrlq6xk92yYZYDEw6V4EKv6L0hFUmQ5A/w400-h300/47%20-%20Snow%20on%20the%20mountains.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0mzqngsAftDMGe4AvZDJEmNVURnSAy8rHzKqhex9ztsj4dnAvJoL7PK8de9-K-_Sga8yvfJjzZWBRispCed9XH0PMWV0hBAETXxq5Wep6cyWgHkcAdIN5aA504Ra8R-uhNNkSVHJ0NyvmmU19lNP6-ew3dfuAjsDY-Ftrz0Dj2XdhyXQa1J424DOYA/s4000/48%20-%20snow%20on%20the%20moutains.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0mzqngsAftDMGe4AvZDJEmNVURnSAy8rHzKqhex9ztsj4dnAvJoL7PK8de9-K-_Sga8yvfJjzZWBRispCed9XH0PMWV0hBAETXxq5Wep6cyWgHkcAdIN5aA504Ra8R-uhNNkSVHJ0NyvmmU19lNP6-ew3dfuAjsDY-Ftrz0Dj2XdhyXQa1J424DOYA/w400-h300/48%20-%20snow%20on%20the%20moutains.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow on the mountains</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyK_RD6xpGfn1aZxkchCXHlE_MRyS7xiex2ZbfNsHzkzw3xbSRELpGTq09GQHSaX_IRgLITxnftcpFfXSagJ3SjfQKu9kfGBnLz20IWmkR0c1iO846iNttP3QtdG57S0y_UFCXnG0MB2rlFBiN2l3e7-d2ovTSxHbbQ7hHm-PMZ_my1zLyBVkq8bsWg/s4000/49%20-%20weaned%20heifers%20in%20field%20below%20land.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTyK_RD6xpGfn1aZxkchCXHlE_MRyS7xiex2ZbfNsHzkzw3xbSRELpGTq09GQHSaX_IRgLITxnftcpFfXSagJ3SjfQKu9kfGBnLz20IWmkR0c1iO846iNttP3QtdG57S0y_UFCXnG0MB2rlFBiN2l3e7-d2ovTSxHbbQ7hHm-PMZ_my1zLyBVkq8bsWg/w400-h300/49%20-%20weaned%20heifers%20in%20field%20below%20land.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_JMe1_f8J8lLamlmkKBWCKH_D3quWvHwPjHUKDZDZYarvFq1nDZ8wDm-pzObtRfeXL2FWpcMGgR2RcWm797XSJH-1FTAWzqZk9h_SDU8TrrpnImdz5KPSdWBCuEejqWzDiky2rmLcsADI9ILRQjNCZTqL0dYMkbshLNxd9lbqofVxP0UR_vgChOYeA/s4000/50%20-%20weaned%20heifers.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho_JMe1_f8J8lLamlmkKBWCKH_D3quWvHwPjHUKDZDZYarvFq1nDZ8wDm-pzObtRfeXL2FWpcMGgR2RcWm797XSJH-1FTAWzqZk9h_SDU8TrrpnImdz5KPSdWBCuEejqWzDiky2rmLcsADI9ILRQjNCZTqL0dYMkbshLNxd9lbqofVxP0UR_vgChOYeA/w400-h300/50%20-%20weaned%20heifers.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">weaned heifers in field below lane</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We moved the bred heifers from the horse pasture to the big pasture above the house; there’s enough grass there (that regrow after the cows grazed it during breeding season) to last several weeks. I trimmed a bunch more willow shoots and chokecherries in the front yard and the little pen below the bull corral.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The power went off that afternoon at 3:30 and didn’t come back on until after chores, and </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">the phones didn’t start working again until after 6 p.m. We were just trying to decide what to have for supper that didn’t need cooking, but then the power came back on in time to cook supper.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea brought Christopher home with her when she came back from her 2nd trip to town and it was dark by the time she came in our driveway. She nearly ran into two stray horses that were fighting with Shiloh at the gate to her pen. She left Christopher in the car and came to tell me about the horses and I ran out there in the dark to try to help her get those strays out. By then they’d gone into the area below the driveway next to Sprout and Shiloh’s pens and were fighting with Sprout. We chased them back out to the driveway and up our lane and shut the lane gate. They came right back to the gate and were trying to get through it, so Andrea chased them down to Alfonso’s open gate (that they’d come out of) and locked them back in his field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday was a little warmer, up to 50 degrees, but I plugged in our big tractor at chore time that morning to make sure it would start. Andrea put power service in all three tractors, for winter, to make sure the diesel doesn’t gel in cold weather. We ran the tractors a little while to circulate it through the diesel—except for the little tractor that wouldn’t start because the battery is dead.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a couple photos of some of the bred heifers in the field above the house. They are enjoying that tall green grass.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxv30mToBI6XHsvJblKOJN_TiHiZ0ehVtcA8sHnfA2X8Y4ypBvXfdF2UJb5EguQN134zVBAzTnXLgu70UBi3sfnmDtU25upJ_aZG65tW2G8WIvj9dGBFBgHsopBUZljsQFNraT8VyIsORXmZY-5ohpBBbPjyGT_WF3xPAcwrWLgrcGxMZEGUmvEVPsA/s4000/51%20-%20bred%20heifers%20in%20field%20above%20house.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivxv30mToBI6XHsvJblKOJN_TiHiZ0ehVtcA8sHnfA2X8Y4ypBvXfdF2UJb5EguQN134zVBAzTnXLgu70UBi3sfnmDtU25upJ_aZG65tW2G8WIvj9dGBFBgHsopBUZljsQFNraT8VyIsORXmZY-5ohpBBbPjyGT_WF3xPAcwrWLgrcGxMZEGUmvEVPsA/w400-h300/51%20-%20bred%20heifers%20in%20field%20above%20house.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCF_8YXdS7QLwziGmgTl39YWyk9z14Z-AtbIQwbr_BY7wMWQAA_c9KhXFzPbKO_D3og9gHZGzlwbCuFVALfelycqMJubP77gMgcN6V7xbIB6qsaaf4nKH6saHm95SR0p9OI9cR5R78XPbdfPvkMhdsk2OZ_BWGulpsIi88ZL2tptPcDUMLqXPk8e86ug/s4000/52%20-%20bred%20heifers.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCF_8YXdS7QLwziGmgTl39YWyk9z14Z-AtbIQwbr_BY7wMWQAA_c9KhXFzPbKO_D3og9gHZGzlwbCuFVALfelycqMJubP77gMgcN6V7xbIB6qsaaf4nKH6saHm95SR0p9OI9cR5R78XPbdfPvkMhdsk2OZ_BWGulpsIi88ZL2tptPcDUMLqXPk8e86ug/w400-h300/52%20-%20bred%20heifers.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bred heifers in field above house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been letting Ed graze in the strip of green grass above my hay shed. She needs to be a little fatter for winter (she’s getting old) and she’s enjoying that last bit of green grass; soon it will be dry and dormant and possibly snow-covered.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NlcrWJhjcv8tof93H-T921Tv900-ybo-HPfJ2H3pWanQfoEiPR0q6U--DG1Hs_WuCVvgrfA1K6wxMNfSEhTGZFQIOVeyrrjfF-Azrzjc8ua89WtX9kbhUkmK38J8YNUrowpLqYTJq2mMg5M_h738iWK7X7SE4X8ip6B037e4v9bhKIer7nFr-jeuJw/s4000/53-%20Ed%20grazing%20above%20hay%20shed.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NlcrWJhjcv8tof93H-T921Tv900-ybo-HPfJ2H3pWanQfoEiPR0q6U--DG1Hs_WuCVvgrfA1K6wxMNfSEhTGZFQIOVeyrrjfF-Azrzjc8ua89WtX9kbhUkmK38J8YNUrowpLqYTJq2mMg5M_h738iWK7X7SE4X8ip6B037e4v9bhKIer7nFr-jeuJw/w400-h300/53-%20Ed%20grazing%20above%20hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARNidqT3TeNi9uha6OT6XwcDXoypS-UCwHkqBiG2pGQguQxrqX5kjB9EspEEjmCB92Kd3X7m-sZ9lAZ3VGF6jmPvZeax8RcUWOPzG3g8BwHoHUye8xvyjHDfDa2ti3T2AvkR3OSwW6-gGT8b5jfLT6IceTvJVGM5f1Ry2kSAvHx7vmuyIieyVGc77DA/s4000/54%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20by%20hay%20shed.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgARNidqT3TeNi9uha6OT6XwcDXoypS-UCwHkqBiG2pGQguQxrqX5kjB9EspEEjmCB92Kd3X7m-sZ9lAZ3VGF6jmPvZeax8RcUWOPzG3g8BwHoHUye8xvyjHDfDa2ti3T2AvkR3OSwW6-gGT8b5jfLT6IceTvJVGM5f1Ry2kSAvHx7vmuyIieyVGc77DA/w400-h300/54%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20by%20hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed grazing by hay shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I trimmed a few more willows in the pen below the bull corral. It was a relatively nice day, and Rick Dorony came to finish the edge of Andrea’s roof (the proper tin finally came, that he ordered) and vacuum out the drain gutters before winter.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Heather and Gregory called us, to let us know that James was able to have the cast taken off his arm that day; his broken elbow has healed enough that the pins could be removed and he won’t need another cast.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday was colder, with snowstorms off and on all day, but it didn’t stick. I worked on as many articles as I could finish that day, and send to editors to meet my deadlines, because my computer had to go to the fix-it shop. The past few days the e-mail hadn’t been working properly, with hundreds of duplicate e-mails coming in that I kept deleting. Steve at Computer Zen told me I needed a different e-mail program (he said that Windows Live mail was becoming obsolete) and also my computer needed some cleaning up. So Andrea took it in to town for me early Thursday morning and Steve worked on it all day and most of the next day, transferring all my old e-mail stuff to the new program and also adding a backup hard drive.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was frustrating not having the computer for a couple of days, with no way to contact editors or the people I need to interview, and unable to work on articles to meet deadlines. I spent some time raking up buckets of small rocks from the barnyard driveway to put by the bull’s feed manger, where he has to stand in deep mud during wet weather. I’ve been gradually building up that area with small rocks so that hopefully he (and the new bull we’ll be getting) won’t be ankle-deep in mud this winter.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday afternoon Dani and Andrea helped me put a big roll of deer netting around the two rows of round bales (alfalfa for the weaned heifers this winter); the deer have already been digging into some of the bales and making a mess. We took the other big new roll to the stackyard to hopefully put around that hay when we get a chance. I took photos of them taking that big roll on the 4-wheeler.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm_M22F0_ha8HJFmUmUks2vEkt-JqKQpjJEb_SJA-OVltYuhTy-1bh9vkKTfEXLiqqGSPhKTS440LyUvtc2I3kH--BnsGzilNbSGjJ-ME6UGN2pU4kKNHG3Gm-hBfsQ4izdXyaAjOui0jjxK7biIs4HSRC7d8Fh5U4dJvtc_0jbWEDXm5U8CmXbAz6Q/s4000/55%20-%20taking%20a%20roll%20of%20deer%20netting%20from%20shed.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQm_M22F0_ha8HJFmUmUks2vEkt-JqKQpjJEb_SJA-OVltYuhTy-1bh9vkKTfEXLiqqGSPhKTS440LyUvtc2I3kH--BnsGzilNbSGjJ-ME6UGN2pU4kKNHG3Gm-hBfsQ4izdXyaAjOui0jjxK7biIs4HSRC7d8Fh5U4dJvtc_0jbWEDXm5U8CmXbAz6Q/w400-h300/55%20-%20taking%20a%20roll%20of%20deer%20netting%20from%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMskTxtMtibT4q8rIOtGPcYw55Omeqh6rdWgLFnpC-jryybjCEljIez5aB-WPmN-kxALJmflqNJm5YEcTgGNpqvvLSvHb2serAo3Rz8c8oXzm-Mb4xvrz5scyj6wBDIX-o5RZdvKF0vKaRKZG-EWwOTpIxTVcbmlv95FiwS56qB6suGiAWIQoCBYcXQ/s4000/56%20-%20deer%20netting%20on%204-wheeler.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMskTxtMtibT4q8rIOtGPcYw55Omeqh6rdWgLFnpC-jryybjCEljIez5aB-WPmN-kxALJmflqNJm5YEcTgGNpqvvLSvHb2serAo3Rz8c8oXzm-Mb4xvrz5scyj6wBDIX-o5RZdvKF0vKaRKZG-EWwOTpIxTVcbmlv95FiwS56qB6suGiAWIQoCBYcXQ/w400-h300/56%20-%20deer%20netting%20on%204-wheeler.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking a roll of deer netting from shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMUDunXbELPa3uw8x_0tcqS33_fA2ee7VrcS1aAu4CNKzZbYDJ3LR0Vee-rKDGOuqnWk4R4c7j0FiuSaELkXCu4EFt8BKXHe6uOtuj_nG_6DXM-wyeqQWxeeYdHm9f5JwcTz70zYIhIEOVmhfkIKsLBt8i5h9aq5VXEhmLMP3zh8PgWRAMjwO0DuuAQ/s4000/57%20-%20taking%20the%20deer%20netting%20into%20the%20stackyard.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikMUDunXbELPa3uw8x_0tcqS33_fA2ee7VrcS1aAu4CNKzZbYDJ3LR0Vee-rKDGOuqnWk4R4c7j0FiuSaELkXCu4EFt8BKXHe6uOtuj_nG_6DXM-wyeqQWxeeYdHm9f5JwcTz70zYIhIEOVmhfkIKsLBt8i5h9aq5VXEhmLMP3zh8PgWRAMjwO0DuuAQ/w400-h300/57%20-%20taking%20the%20deer%20netting%20into%20the%20stackyard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the deer netting into the stackyard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7DC9BvMABViT3Ri8gEREv1dhe0F8EUaJYARY6SJi_uEi_lC1LsJg4tI1JDgLWJgKDjCLWdKif_lDw1ALdA0xUaiRrCNBbBHCLTrCu2GqIU7MHSFt6Yecf-CjjsIoZGr_Hs92oYfrvrSxj3p9igzcJzeosOS3CnqdTv5RiiknRWn87p-CrJ7XRSlk9g/s4000/58%20-%20heading%20for%20the%20haystacks.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL7DC9BvMABViT3Ri8gEREv1dhe0F8EUaJYARY6SJi_uEi_lC1LsJg4tI1JDgLWJgKDjCLWdKif_lDw1ALdA0xUaiRrCNBbBHCLTrCu2GqIU7MHSFt6Yecf-CjjsIoZGr_Hs92oYfrvrSxj3p9igzcJzeosOS3CnqdTv5RiiknRWn87p-CrJ7XRSlk9g/w400-h300/58%20-%20heading%20for%20the%20haystacks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading for the haystacks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then I came back to the big round bale we’d just “fenced off” with netting to prevent deer access, and took a few photos of our handiwork.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmPJGtiplrwzRi1ch_4hQGpJxgOZzZsNF3ZJpQBSbkIr8lDcsFwjuQNEKigxYhyW4M2EEAUtcK7C3nABMasgj6h1mT7TxB1VvymoZOUWbrO9VDxQi5OPdRYLVmZkBbR_z-AReM3f7OKzcjoF_wFI64ydqc6D0zpNrpVPSeJ8kVG55aDxpxNYDz4BgZA/s4000/59%20-%20netting%20around%20heifer%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLmPJGtiplrwzRi1ch_4hQGpJxgOZzZsNF3ZJpQBSbkIr8lDcsFwjuQNEKigxYhyW4M2EEAUtcK7C3nABMasgj6h1mT7TxB1VvymoZOUWbrO9VDxQi5OPdRYLVmZkBbR_z-AReM3f7OKzcjoF_wFI64ydqc6D0zpNrpVPSeJ8kVG55aDxpxNYDz4BgZA/w400-h300/59%20-%20netting%20around%20heifer%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">netting around heifer hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9v-tgAI9WFTxxWsMlfx-Lgfc--7iS8G3BaVqzPPxxny6jeoT8V_bwV0y1EtDO8J8eQpQMtaeqFvcg5Kaj3_w1wT2sTCi5C0B2WKQ1Jk6_z0ziAiDiDa-RsvZWNfLxEXfy2Cwkb_dhkQrD_ywAUvcovb5nm15iz8ZgmRzmNxZ_lpkw-guzS1M77HAgA/s4000/60%20-%20netting%20to%20keep%20the%20deer%20out.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr9v-tgAI9WFTxxWsMlfx-Lgfc--7iS8G3BaVqzPPxxny6jeoT8V_bwV0y1EtDO8J8eQpQMtaeqFvcg5Kaj3_w1wT2sTCi5C0B2WKQ1Jk6_z0ziAiDiDa-RsvZWNfLxEXfy2Cwkb_dhkQrD_ywAUvcovb5nm15iz8ZgmRzmNxZ_lpkw-guzS1M77HAgA/w400-h300/60%20-%20netting%20to%20keep%20the%20deer%20out.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">netting to keep the deer out</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEges2cDxDgCNQbWFPQEBn562L13UAK5N5FKlR62YfZz4ahIroXzTICRgVozzANFlZOIXnhGnWWmLVK6Oll7p3sD2m0KE7Qf8PTag_4Keuq-ArkVIhIzDGrRdY0vizS1TkOciTFUGPIVsvHKEMiKbZwQOQi0-5myQgl25DhDkRhRWOWyNhs562uNeXtR9g/s4000/61%20-%20deer%20netting%20around%20stack.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEges2cDxDgCNQbWFPQEBn562L13UAK5N5FKlR62YfZz4ahIroXzTICRgVozzANFlZOIXnhGnWWmLVK6Oll7p3sD2m0KE7Qf8PTag_4Keuq-ArkVIhIzDGrRdY0vizS1TkOciTFUGPIVsvHKEMiKbZwQOQi0-5myQgl25DhDkRhRWOWyNhs562uNeXtR9g/w400-h300/61%20-%20deer%20netting%20around%20stack.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer netting around stack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning I spent a couple hours sorting through the piles of stuff on my desk, getting rid of whatever I don’t need, so it would be easier to set up my computer again. It got finished that afternoon and went to town with Andrea to get it, so Steve could walk me through the new e-mail program (Thunderbird). It’s pretty confusing and not nearly as efficient and user-friendly as the old one. We brought the computer home and got it set up again, but some of my old e-mail folders (the important messages from editors, people interviewed, etc.) from earlier years hadn’t copied to the new system so I had to call Steve (after our phones finally started working again; they were dead for more than 2 hours) and it took him another couple hours to transfer them remotely and show me more about how to use the new e-mail.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea went to town to help Emily take Christopher trick-or-treating; all the little kids do the Halloween stuff during the afternoon business hours when the merchants have candy for them. She took several photos of him in his little fireman’s costume.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M4xatgjV7tCMbHfjHHhRNiTOUyUf3zxCwITAByHQOquahfBaGmG6S8b7sj51MKLIoAHRZRXwtm3pikU6wrgWzzu90GHais6fshOX5DOk7rUoGiwXo056idCy3HlsvN3TW6HzwXu4fACx4JBNlUr7NmeF_zY6FmtNU9d-CFf3lrBQpygrhknr0Jw_RA/s4032/62%20-Halloween.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1M4xatgjV7tCMbHfjHHhRNiTOUyUf3zxCwITAByHQOquahfBaGmG6S8b7sj51MKLIoAHRZRXwtm3pikU6wrgWzzu90GHais6fshOX5DOk7rUoGiwXo056idCy3HlsvN3TW6HzwXu4fACx4JBNlUr7NmeF_zY6FmtNU9d-CFf3lrBQpygrhknr0Jw_RA/w189-h400/62%20-Halloween.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Halloween</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQkeKNM1I4kfaL7TJtTDlAtlTCJLU91WRGnoiUrjozrvAJeX3jyOnHeihordzxXQHjUQlSoNT5w7qrAQxoo7HNyigIQ-bwQsklW-ba_cO9vEAHzNlQcj1jKQNrk_7_VmDNciNhX3rzg0khRTy8GNlGNGtONqQ6UKTKqFFDTwIgqeTNQbAUmmK8y9Q4w/s4032/63%20-fireman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdQkeKNM1I4kfaL7TJtTDlAtlTCJLU91WRGnoiUrjozrvAJeX3jyOnHeihordzxXQHjUQlSoNT5w7qrAQxoo7HNyigIQ-bwQsklW-ba_cO9vEAHzNlQcj1jKQNrk_7_VmDNciNhX3rzg0khRTy8GNlGNGtONqQ6UKTKqFFDTwIgqeTNQbAUmmK8y9Q4w/w189-h400/63%20-fireman.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fireman</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJRiIKEPt_FZmGXMtqXJa0qyIKFWom6EApcARkieONBlZ0Xn0yNscsinCXaNHjs4RUenxC2O51iYNA5_v_cMuOfuEIh1walEs7vGpkrdZQ6Qd1qCI04affVKlhx9a-gnAy3AumCmHWqb85Zy2vQvLk1YmpMOrsj-o1bdYnK3l8aqxVGOFjY_R_hk6xg/s4032/64%20-the%20littlest%20fireman.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJRiIKEPt_FZmGXMtqXJa0qyIKFWom6EApcARkieONBlZ0Xn0yNscsinCXaNHjs4RUenxC2O51iYNA5_v_cMuOfuEIh1walEs7vGpkrdZQ6Qd1qCI04affVKlhx9a-gnAy3AumCmHWqb85Zy2vQvLk1YmpMOrsj-o1bdYnK3l8aqxVGOFjY_R_hk6xg/w189-h400/64%20-the%20littlest%20fireman.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the littlest fireman </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Andrea, Dani and Dani’s boyfriend Roger rented a car carrier trailer and headed to Bonanza, Oregon in Andrea’s pickup--hauling Roger’s mom’s car back to her and planning to haul Dani’s pickup back home. Andrea had planned to help them do this next weekend, but the weather may be worse so she decided to go today. It’s a really long drive, about 15 hours, and they had to go a little slow because they discovered that the car carrier trailer has a bad tire that keeps losing air; they have to stop now and then at a gas station to put more air in it. We are hoping they can make the trip and get back home again safely! She took a photo as they were hooked up with the pickup on the trailer, and ready to head home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOVEMBER 7</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– Andrea and kids finally got to Bonanza, Oregon (to Roger’s mom’s place) at 6 a.m. Sunday morning and slept a few hours then headed back home with Dani’s pickup and all her other things she’d left there earlier this fall.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLVY2fJCO5_7rNBx5nDfFUhgh_x830t34uaQm7OPbpTBvE1QkT5lQyictPbthrcykj4UgsGQI-Nio2hkqoqHj_qqEFoPJJjLY_7ACHzJMAeU-Xav316x4AHyCfKW7Zw8-Tzqrm0o5ra2nCYLoNzeMVVd94hAtbBhYCnFBIQwMxlQr42-KSOKtfq7pjg/s4032/65%20-%20ready%20to%20roll.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTLVY2fJCO5_7rNBx5nDfFUhgh_x830t34uaQm7OPbpTBvE1QkT5lQyictPbthrcykj4UgsGQI-Nio2hkqoqHj_qqEFoPJJjLY_7ACHzJMAeU-Xav316x4AHyCfKW7Zw8-Tzqrm0o5ra2nCYLoNzeMVVd94hAtbBhYCnFBIQwMxlQr42-KSOKtfq7pjg/w400-h189/65%20-%20ready%20to%20roll.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to roll</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a long, slow trip and they were really tired by the time they got back early Monday morning. The bad tire on the trailer held up all the way—which was a good thing, because the spare tire looked like it was in worse shape.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday afternoon Lynn and I used his 4-wheeler and a cart to haul a mix of dirt and small rocks that we gathered up along our driveway and put it next to the bull’s feed manger, continuing to build up that area so it won’t be so muddy this winter.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a few more photos of the trees before they start losing their fall leaves—along the field below the lane, and the trees beyond my hayshed looking up the creek.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6KKm2NVWitOrvsQdC00uu33Y6pk2RJZ0aoffNtSA7UQeTWsvpkMv514ErX9dzGlIhX5EdG4TLh1cn1WKvzJ7mQq8u2Tk_mruAwb6JzwdMsGoIaIu3zpawbqioUqO9yISqvcZrVuivHkjHMAEzL4sK0Mr7JCakbioE2yJZ-o6Zl9oXops-IytyZeMXg/s4000/66-%20field%20below%20lane.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6KKm2NVWitOrvsQdC00uu33Y6pk2RJZ0aoffNtSA7UQeTWsvpkMv514ErX9dzGlIhX5EdG4TLh1cn1WKvzJ7mQq8u2Tk_mruAwb6JzwdMsGoIaIu3zpawbqioUqO9yISqvcZrVuivHkjHMAEzL4sK0Mr7JCakbioE2yJZ-o6Zl9oXops-IytyZeMXg/w400-h300/66-%20field%20below%20lane.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">field below lane</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcS2LiVatyZpwzqLIwSYZcgAiyvACFEtGfEi-YlqZA_7pD7movdgYtv1uEwtupvm5qLwdp5K6UaF0vlkEryCojB2jdJ1pBDnJgxhHITGihU0eTZbrb5bd0w9bvqP-EK143PHGcB5xPRL-CdmHWpgG2O-5vut2s_1OL0ijbhPhXXP9htRwlcFa5qlpsmg/s4000/67%20-%20trees%20in%20fall%20color.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcS2LiVatyZpwzqLIwSYZcgAiyvACFEtGfEi-YlqZA_7pD7movdgYtv1uEwtupvm5qLwdp5K6UaF0vlkEryCojB2jdJ1pBDnJgxhHITGihU0eTZbrb5bd0w9bvqP-EK143PHGcB5xPRL-CdmHWpgG2O-5vut2s_1OL0ijbhPhXXP9htRwlcFa5qlpsmg/w400-h300/67%20-%20trees%20in%20fall%20color.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trees in fall color</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday Allan Probst brought several dump truck loads of dirt/gravel for our driveway—the lane from the top of our driveway out to the main road—and smoothed it out with his skid steer. That part of the lane has been getting really bad for years—with deep holes that collect puddles—and really rough on vehicles. Allan filled those holes and got it smoothed out nicely.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea and I moved the cows from the swamp pasture to the field below heifer hill. Hopefully the new pasture will last several weeks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">By the next day the stress and lack of sleep (driving for more than 32 hours over the weekend) was catching up with Andrea and she has a bad cold, and so does Christopher. But he wanted to be outside, so Andrea brought him down on the 4-wheeler along with several buckets of small round rocks she gathered up at her house along her driveway, to add to the rock base we are creating next to the bull’s feed manger. We nearly have it built up enough to keep it from being deep mud where the bull has to stand there to eat. We put those along the feeder and then took a cart up the driveway behind the 4-wheeler to get a few more small rocks to add to that project. Christopher enjoyed riding in the back of the cart, bouncing up the bumpy driveway.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhrdmGUW9ka_jXV_olKX5wlkx-ymmsQIrun5FMf-Jp9Ih-k3krQYCXpcZhKQ5HeD2i1vkgLH-0FDU0RGH99OK5NTU_7GM4APbKNFjDY-gJQ2c3OFelhtAVTFkIEFMYZ9FGe1v2Y5ga34yBiopUzetHvUb7c2WDawErZkz2ygGWxnl-GYfQpZGvmpMuQ/s4000/68%20-%20Christopher%20in%20cart.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhrdmGUW9ka_jXV_olKX5wlkx-ymmsQIrun5FMf-Jp9Ih-k3krQYCXpcZhKQ5HeD2i1vkgLH-0FDU0RGH99OK5NTU_7GM4APbKNFjDY-gJQ2c3OFelhtAVTFkIEFMYZ9FGe1v2Y5ga34yBiopUzetHvUb7c2WDawErZkz2ygGWxnl-GYfQpZGvmpMuQ/w400-h300/68%20-%20Christopher%20in%20cart.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher in cart</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWga2q3FYCs8S42aIbwHGJSZhRkJEnyzefBCWbZ5LxaALOpii_MCgwlUVhzyldDKQDYf-OodxCZifJZw-KXt3BfCA83jAhpZg-ANHW0rrcoRUp1INIkwsXNYX0iZ36leGOTqiS7is3qrzy3TSkrlIhiaNyS7QoIM5RATl6owkPXe3pjHnD66OvHdvBQ/s4000/69%20-%20heading%20up%20the%20bumpy%20driveway.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEWga2q3FYCs8S42aIbwHGJSZhRkJEnyzefBCWbZ5LxaALOpii_MCgwlUVhzyldDKQDYf-OodxCZifJZw-KXt3BfCA83jAhpZg-ANHW0rrcoRUp1INIkwsXNYX0iZ36leGOTqiS7is3qrzy3TSkrlIhiaNyS7QoIM5RATl6owkPXe3pjHnD66OvHdvBQ/w400-h300/69%20-%20heading%20up%20the%20bumpy%20driveway.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUg_9wnyhvkNJ8mvbVi1iB7c5NQnr1FMExH0EmWewYZBbTUl808DZfg1x6RSM1F8PrXZbheslDAH8aXG-sFQB6f8umhlTaundtfSl_RwElOZqGQXbsunIWoVDTWZ3CBHC4HYjAFjtYQ5CEJBayueGKnBgY8wypuaUnxDAAMf8JjE96qLvQEW-la0Em5A/s4032/70%20-%20up%20the%20bumpy%20driveway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUg_9wnyhvkNJ8mvbVi1iB7c5NQnr1FMExH0EmWewYZBbTUl808DZfg1x6RSM1F8PrXZbheslDAH8aXG-sFQB6f8umhlTaundtfSl_RwElOZqGQXbsunIWoVDTWZ3CBHC4HYjAFjtYQ5CEJBayueGKnBgY8wypuaUnxDAAMf8JjE96qLvQEW-la0Em5A/w400-h188/70%20-%20up%20the%20bumpy%20driveway.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading up the bumpy driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday was cold and windy all day, with a little snow off and on. Andrea took Christopher back to AJ’s house in town and helped Emily and AJ cut up the elk AJ got during hunting season, and grind the hamburger.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next morning was cold—16 degrees—and I broke ice on all the horse tubs and the water tanks for the heifers (the weaned heifers below the driveway, and the bred heifers above the house). That afternoon Lynn and I went to the dermatologist—for the first time in several years, since before COVID—a bit overdue for our annual checkup! We both had several pre-cancerous lesions frozen off on our faces and the doctor removed a hunk of hard, deep material from my left cheek and put in several stitches, and sent off a sample of it to be checked. When we got done there, we did our regular town errands (mail and groceries) and got our flu shots.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday it snowed a little but it didn’t stick. We’ll soon have colder weather and have to plug in the tank heater for the heifers’ water, but their tank was getting pretty dirty so I baled it out with a bucket and dumped it—and rinsed it out thoroughly before filling it again. It will be much harder to dump it once the heater cord is plugged in, so I wanted to get that done ahead of time. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday the weather was nasty—snow/sleet and very strong winds while I was doing chores that morning. It almost blew down the deer netting we’d put up across the end of the round bale stacks and I had to prop it back up again and retie some of the props. With the wind and snow my fingers got so stiff and numb they would hardly work. The wind blew the tarp off my little stack of hay for the bull and I had to secure it again. It’s a good thing Andrea and kids weren’t traveling in this weather! We were glad they did the trip to Oregon last weekend.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon I did part of my chores early, so we could go to town to one of the restaurants where Andrea had a birthday celebration for Dani—her 18th birthday. Her dad and his girlfriend came, and Charlie, as well as AJ and Christopher and Andrea’s friend Russ. Emily had to work, but came briefly during her break, so it was a nice family get-together for Dani’s birthday. Andrea took photos of the dinner, and the birthday cake, and Christopher helping Dani open gifts.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingCjM7EqA-wQyeWPG8QN8OPxZrq-86EZOmopLlkwGNQCYjXLpSWVY-5-PWYjFdq0pQ5EDD0R6eXWEWRrlMLqh1S9_3aVH7qLBOIcZo6sU026ePaznQKiOCUxUc7fO48Dhd0asws3cQoqajAvKFiGF1bRZivSMx8n0mmBeyRk7wEA4KN_MtWW19guZkw/s4032/71%20-%20birthday%20party.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingCjM7EqA-wQyeWPG8QN8OPxZrq-86EZOmopLlkwGNQCYjXLpSWVY-5-PWYjFdq0pQ5EDD0R6eXWEWRrlMLqh1S9_3aVH7qLBOIcZo6sU026ePaznQKiOCUxUc7fO48Dhd0asws3cQoqajAvKFiGF1bRZivSMx8n0mmBeyRk7wEA4KN_MtWW19guZkw/w400-h189/71%20-%20birthday%20party.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g56CmntbFX9IEawq-hxnL4XPy-p9H29DIdyz-NA36lpnQ12lIGMAz0zLVevB5w6zjZcS8kYsLxcQaGm9erqsjVxTLixxG4g3xA1t064Vxm7exFZcwZAECySMl75NUsMN3t5MrBE3CFg9-bcGAFSAFbuOU6wAy7EWwaMlAY8vE1OdjeSBVmN7VNmPyw/s4032/72%20-%20Dani's%20birthday%20dinner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7g56CmntbFX9IEawq-hxnL4XPy-p9H29DIdyz-NA36lpnQ12lIGMAz0zLVevB5w6zjZcS8kYsLxcQaGm9erqsjVxTLixxG4g3xA1t064Vxm7exFZcwZAECySMl75NUsMN3t5MrBE3CFg9-bcGAFSAFbuOU6wAy7EWwaMlAY8vE1OdjeSBVmN7VNmPyw/w400-h189/72%20-%20Dani's%20birthday%20dinner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani's birthday dinner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F_I-EubhjvgffIvzWpy5ZzzX7V-GmTdqz3GlfSj09Ke1o4FsVD9GWEmTE1gpR4Onkx6pgtxD_F45O16kUQslSoG8j2VRHlbqdKCUZQDUV-SIYe1xc6RSJM87eEb8X5tqz73KH8YxIV4k7p65XwtpVsZnjO3DcMpVN51vgx4xSCYD6r81pPkGfRJOFA/s4032/73%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20Dani%20with%20birthday%20stuff.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3F_I-EubhjvgffIvzWpy5ZzzX7V-GmTdqz3GlfSj09Ke1o4FsVD9GWEmTE1gpR4Onkx6pgtxD_F45O16kUQslSoG8j2VRHlbqdKCUZQDUV-SIYe1xc6RSJM87eEb8X5tqz73KH8YxIV4k7p65XwtpVsZnjO3DcMpVN51vgx4xSCYD6r81pPkGfRJOFA/w400-h189/73%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20Dani%20with%20birthday%20stuff.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping Dani with birthday stuff</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLv7PQEJdlpuFt0n0idX2yoTzILHBzQ1KCsNbEuLh6tiISWs7lRbXX8CoP2dGhTZQANejrBTitBPLmKAdGid2i4lsxjypeHRwblFgxhuFyrwhsZLdu8fz348vxiblDileIcb67uPGm50B-FFQtouSJ50WN0XmNI6NahnhnHrEUgKdp6cuMQLVrxHEcfQ/s4032/74%20-%20cake!.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLv7PQEJdlpuFt0n0idX2yoTzILHBzQ1KCsNbEuLh6tiISWs7lRbXX8CoP2dGhTZQANejrBTitBPLmKAdGid2i4lsxjypeHRwblFgxhuFyrwhsZLdu8fz348vxiblDileIcb67uPGm50B-FFQtouSJ50WN0XmNI6NahnhnHrEUgKdp6cuMQLVrxHEcfQ/w189-h400/74%20-%20cake!.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cake!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani took that opportunity to tell her dad that she is pregnant. She and Roger have been living together since early summer, and are expecting a baby in late April. They are now renting a little house in town.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday the weather was nicer for a change. Lynn and I took a new block of salt to the bred heifers, and a bucket of loose salt and mineral to the young heifers. Andrea still has a bad cold and a severe ear ache so she rested at home most of the day. Dani and Roger came out early afternoon and helped me put the deer netting around the stack of big square bales in the stack-yard, then helped me put duct tape over the broken window in the front of our old stock trailer. We simply covered the whole window with duct tape; Roger covered the inside of it and Dani and I stood on the 4-wheeler and put gorilla tape over the outside. That way the wind and snow won’t blow in there when we bring a new bull home in couple weeks from a sale in Three Forks, Montana.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim got home yesterday afternoon after spending 5 days house-sitting for his friends Ken and Barb, the other side of Darby, Montana. He has a really bad cold, too—so he and Andrea and Christopher are just lounging around and resting today. The weather is really nasty, snowing and blowing. It rained all night, turning to snow by morning, about 3 inches, but a lot of it settled by this afternoon.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn took me to town to the dentist this morning, to have the temporary cap replaced by a crown. I’m gradually getting all the bad teeth fixed that should have been attended to during the past 3 years, but I put it off because of COVID. We were delayed about 20 minutes on our trip to town; the road was blocked while Eagle Valley Ranch brought their calves down along the highway from Bohannon Creek, crossing the bridge on the highway, and moving them to the field on this side of the bridge. The riders were bundled up against the cold wind; it was a miserable day to be moving cattle.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While we were in town Emily met up with us and gave us some cold medicine to take home to Andrea for Christopher, and we got him some apple juice when we went to the grocery store. Andrea was feeling a little better by this afternoon (throat no longer so sore, and ear aches a little less painful) so she let the cows into heifer hill so they can have both fields. The watering places along the creek are better in cold weather in the heifer hill pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She also brought down the solidified concrete packages (left over from putting a cement floor in the meat room 3 years ago) and we placed them along the feed manger for the bull, to cover the start of a rock base that we’ve put there. The solidified concrete packages built up the area to the height it should be and this might keep it from becoming deep mud in wet weather.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn babysat Christopher while we did this, and they had fun together.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKC4Cz97pX4rrLcN0_a9-6wbI6JVPaBfBj-afLr74k2zjNb8zksGwR2mcY6kbYaacVdzjB9zscmiTh47RMgxcacWM5cmhe6EP2piaah_72PzOyt3RHezvQjjOQpVjcTrGvJx4f0ifhuk-a-PAVbv90m64aUSYOCWW8RM3MC986V-n_YZnx-QJuhk_jQ/s4032/75%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Christopher.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeKC4Cz97pX4rrLcN0_a9-6wbI6JVPaBfBj-afLr74k2zjNb8zksGwR2mcY6kbYaacVdzjB9zscmiTh47RMgxcacWM5cmhe6EP2piaah_72PzOyt3RHezvQjjOQpVjcTrGvJx4f0ifhuk-a-PAVbv90m64aUSYOCWW8RM3MC986V-n_YZnx-QJuhk_jQ/w189-h400/75%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Christopher.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOVEMBER 16</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had winter weather; it snowed on and off—with strong wind—all day Tuesday and the prediction was for colder temperatures, so Lynn and I plugged in an extension cord in the calving barn and ran it under the wall and across the second day pens to the tank heater for the weaned heifers. This will enable us to keep their water from freezing. Then we went to town to vote, and got groceries for us and Andrea; she was still pretty sick and didn’t want to try to go to town. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was worse weather, snowing and windy all day. I fed the horses early and came back to do a phone interview, then went back out to water the horses and heifers. I put up a fake hot wire and let Sprout graze a few hours in the area next to her pen, where the grass is still green and tall enough to graze through the snow.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea was still pretty sick but she bundled up and went outside for a short while to gather up the piles of step-in posts she left along the ditch bank after taking down that hot wire a couple weeks ago. She wanted to gather them before they snowed under and were harder to locate. We still have one little area that needs the hot wire taken down before we put cows in the big field by Andrea’s house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn got his pellet stove working again, so we can run it at night and just keep the wood stove going during the day. Andrea decided to take Christopher to the doctor, since his cough and congestion was still very bad, but was delayed a bit because when she went outside to start her car she could see that there was ice in the ditch by her house, starting to create an ice flow down across the field. This was an upsetting discovery, because she very thoroughly turned off that ditch at the creek at least 6 weeks ago, to prevent that kind of problem. We don’t want ice on the field where we’ll have cows all winter; it would be hazardous for them (slipping and falling down) and make it impossible to drive out there to feed them hay. Also, when that ditch builds up ice in it, the water tends to flood Vicki Colston’s house, which is situated in the field above our place. We always try to have that ditch completely shut off before winter.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea realized Alfonso must have turned the ditch back on, at the creek. He’s been irrigating out of his upper ditches all fall--on his fields above the one next to our place—and already has ice across those, but must have decided to irrigate out of our ditch, above us, too, even though it’s too late in the year and too cold to grow more grass. So Andrea spent 30 minutes trying to dam off the water on his side of the fence (a difficult job with so much ice in the ditch), so it won’t come on down the ditch to our place. It will still run down along the fence and flood her upper driveway and make it icy, which will be a problem all winter, but maybe won’t ice up our field. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When she took Christopher to the doctor he had a serious sinus and respiratory infection and needed antibiotics. While they waited for the doctor she took a photo.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEInXFKYB-CgOYfCtli_Ux_5m0aL2TCEO3JPO9oJIL9h6fuf338jVnrPv5SaSvf_W4AV01aGRSImm07zYZ5BByyzi2ohczc6Xb9TlmAZcZmfNTmJGQP-v2qBPKfTO43E3JYgdarMGKIBqA4IIHojzjqZIKDsm09iiVfW1M9TKM2_Y3wk0_sj-ecV5yQ/s4032/75%20A%20-Christopher%20waiting%20for%20doctor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSEInXFKYB-CgOYfCtli_Ux_5m0aL2TCEO3JPO9oJIL9h6fuf338jVnrPv5SaSvf_W4AV01aGRSImm07zYZ5BByyzi2ohczc6Xb9TlmAZcZmfNTmJGQP-v2qBPKfTO43E3JYgdarMGKIBqA4IIHojzjqZIKDsm09iiVfW1M9TKM2_Y3wk0_sj-ecV5yQ/w189-h400/75%20A%20-Christopher%20waiting%20for%20doctor.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher waiting for doctor </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea got prescriptions for Christopher and herself (for her ear infection) and while she was in town she got our mail and picked up some vaccine for our heifers. She left Christopher with Emily. When she got home she stopped by here with our mail, etc. and took the stitches out of my cheek, where the dermatologist took a biopsy a week earlier to send off. The results came back the next day; the solid lump is a squamous cell carcinoma. I thought we’d opted to remove the whole thing, but when the dermatologist called to tell me the results he said he’d only taken a biopsy, so if it grows back he’ll have to remove it again. I don’t know why he didn’t take it all out while he had the chance.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I thought about taking a few more photos when we were out doing things with the cows, but my camera doesn’t work very well when it’s cold, if it’s low on battery power. I was checking it to see how much battery was left and took a couple of photos of Lynn reading his newspaper at the dinner table. There wasn’t really enough battery power left to take the camera outside</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KnWAeZqgaMAPo79cOU6RPEFRHy3pUYlNHcQOG3DhJ2mHw-qAKp4-9EQ4CYiuNb6b1t1s1e5PGSPFkoo5M-m7t1L8fefCceHM6RoZxJZsdPu0cdlaqV-tzm3_hl-e2_4u0iJwpdpJKOCDDRZ_NC6mv9p3pRD4LK_90jPyO6CigSqrXwAwqdk7GYOjog/s4000/76%20-%20reading.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KnWAeZqgaMAPo79cOU6RPEFRHy3pUYlNHcQOG3DhJ2mHw-qAKp4-9EQ4CYiuNb6b1t1s1e5PGSPFkoo5M-m7t1L8fefCceHM6RoZxJZsdPu0cdlaqV-tzm3_hl-e2_4u0iJwpdpJKOCDDRZ_NC6mv9p3pRD4LK_90jPyO6CigSqrXwAwqdk7GYOjog/w400-h300/76%20-%20reading.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA06roIEPolycEnNE9emfCGbuHm5qagoJlzSfMhC5-9Ydioehn5ASnYhKXeNyfyj0-DrZowbaP23vKHAK77iI1wTKsa05HA9MELGurqlvCfsCnjmaDWUDmo_5YiSJfr_nSOjYfGecVfs4H8qmW4ZykarfqoXtWTziVks1nWUNKsK3FSl_F6AaT3TK0Q/s4000/77%20-%20Lynn%20reading%20paper.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlA06roIEPolycEnNE9emfCGbuHm5qagoJlzSfMhC5-9Ydioehn5ASnYhKXeNyfyj0-DrZowbaP23vKHAK77iI1wTKsa05HA9MELGurqlvCfsCnjmaDWUDmo_5YiSJfr_nSOjYfGecVfs4H8qmW4ZykarfqoXtWTziVks1nWUNKsK3FSl_F6AaT3TK0Q/w400-h300/77%20-%20Lynn%20reading%20paper.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn reading paper</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Our weather continues cold, nearly down to zero every night, with highs about 20 degrees during the day. I spent about an hour Friday digging a better channel for the spring that comes through the bull pen, cleaning out old leaves, sticks, etc. below the pen so it will flow faster, and digging a deeper channel where it goes through the corner of his pen. With it flowing faster through a narrow but deeper channel (and an ice flow over it just above there, that helps insulate the water underneath) it is staying open now and probably will be fine unless the temperature drops well below zero. I need it to stay open during the next few days so Lynn won’t have to go break ice when he is doing my chores for me while Andrea and I go to a bull sale in Montana this coming weekend.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily has been working 14 hour shifts for several days in a row (2 p.m. to 4 a.m.) so Andrea stayed in town those nights to take care of Christopher and let Emily sleep a few hours in the mornings.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The bred heifers in the pasture above the house aren’t drinking as much water these cold days and they let the water freeze up in their water trough. I had to chop some holes in the 2-inch thick ice so they could drink it down, and was then able to break up all that ice and shovel it out of the trough. We eventually want to move those heifers to the lower back field, but there is still a lot of grass where they are, and we need to stretch our pastures as long as possible before we start feeding hay. This is too early; if we start feeding now, we will run out of hay before spring. With this early cold weather, the water in the back field may also be an issue. Andrea hiked around back there a couple days ago and the spring the cattle usually drink from is freezing up, too. When we do move the heifers we’ll probably have to break ice for them every day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday evening we invited grandson Nick out here for supper. After supper he enjoyed looking at some old photo albums and learning a bit more family history. He wants to know more about his ancestors and where they came from, and also enjoyed seeing photos of his dad and aunt Andrea when they were growing up here on the ranch.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea gathered up the rest of the hot wire at the end of her ditch pasture, and on Sunday Charlie helped her load up all the step-in posts (that she’d earlier put in a big pile by her driveway after taking them out along the entire ditch pasture) and bring them down to put away for winter. Charlie spent several hours out here that day, helping us. He put more transmission fluid in our old feed truck, cleaned off the battery terminals, then helped Andrea and me get a load of small bales from the stackyard. We sorted out the coarser hay to make a stack to use for bedding for the bull pen, and stacked the rest by the feed manger, to replenish that diminishing supply. I spread a bale of coarse hay in the shelter corner, and we put up more windbreak on the two fences. We’ll need a bigger area this winter, for two bulls instead of just one. Then Andrea and Charlie hauled some pieces of tin down from her house and created a roof over that corner, screwing the tin onto some long boards across the top of the two fences that come together there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday I called the Sacajawea Hotel in Three Forks, Montana to ask about our reservations and let them know we’d have 3 people instead of two. Charlie will be going with Andrea and me, which will be a good thing if we have any trouble on the trip like flat tires or other problems. We were able to change rooms and have one with a hideaway couch bed for Charlie. There’s no place at the hotel to plug in Andrea’s diesel truck overnight, however, and it will be well below zero in Three Forks this weekend. I called the stockyard where the bull sale will be, and they have places we can plug in the truck. We’ll just have to hitch a ride back and forth to the hotel with other folks who will be at the sale; they are all staying at that hotel.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I went to the dentist Monday afternoon and waited there 1.5 hours and then the dentist decided that there was nothing he was going to do that day (the tooth he thought needed filled was ok) and rescheduled me for another crown to repair the final broken tooth on the other side of my mouth.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The ice has been building up on the creek and in the bull pen waterway with all the cold weather. We thought about leaving the cows on heifer hill until we get back from the bull sale, since there is a better water hole there for them to drink.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning the temperature was 6 degrees. Andrea and I decided to go ahead and move the cows from heifer hill to the field by her house, since the creek is freezing over so much that we might not be able to get them across it to move them after we get back from the bull sale. Charlie came out and helped Lynn put air in a low tractor tire and put chains on our tractor, and put the blade on the tractor in case we need to plow snow. While getting the chains out of the shed, a shrew ran around Charlie’s feet and tried to run up his pant leg. He caught it, and Andrea took photos.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjgS92Jr6T2FVgE2n7NpftgOfvuy2mfpl4-hY5cyJcBpz84N0UD5rJYdIneK3ou63teENg4_rM_ko3pA2YNex2SgVJo0hwXJ4Dl2eGw4YEamwZFse98jp2c-qA1R63qYPhCxs-Zzsw8VGV3_J-JgVFjSEnVF0FqyL8_5kpwWfkZe8m8HIJ2AMAYs8Jw/s4608/78%20-%20Charlie%20&%20the%20shrew.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjgS92Jr6T2FVgE2n7NpftgOfvuy2mfpl4-hY5cyJcBpz84N0UD5rJYdIneK3ou63teENg4_rM_ko3pA2YNex2SgVJo0hwXJ4Dl2eGw4YEamwZFse98jp2c-qA1R63qYPhCxs-Zzsw8VGV3_J-JgVFjSEnVF0FqyL8_5kpwWfkZe8m8HIJ2AMAYs8Jw/w190-h400/78%20-%20Charlie%20&%20the%20shrew.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie & the shrew</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_I2k_SNS4ULgFTUMdpi-zX83Qr4Sp0XECvwAUDDMOKeFCrpiiz7IqyXuz3wAOVYPiZGU6YGfv4HUbShHrlfOlwg03poJC8TqeKDiGfbsBhwRxIh3HTcFg4UHkof27w6fICmc7KG6cRljsE_jwJrCWzu_YAXiN031yknZwlD-vyJKOZngtZEVRIApMA/s4032/79%20-%20shrew%20in%20Charlie's%20hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW_I2k_SNS4ULgFTUMdpi-zX83Qr4Sp0XECvwAUDDMOKeFCrpiiz7IqyXuz3wAOVYPiZGU6YGfv4HUbShHrlfOlwg03poJC8TqeKDiGfbsBhwRxIh3HTcFg4UHkof27w6fICmc7KG6cRljsE_jwJrCWzu_YAXiN031yknZwlD-vyJKOZngtZEVRIApMA/w189-h400/79%20-%20shrew%20in%20Charlie's%20hand.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">shrew in Charlie's hand</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani came out for a little while, too, and she helped Andrea and me chop the thick ice into pieces and shovel it out of the water tank above the house, where the bred heifers are. We don’t want to move them to the lower back field until we are here to break ice for them down there every day. Lynn can water them in the trough above the house while we are gone, being careful to not leave much extra water in it to freeze solid.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cold all day, almost down to zero this morning. Andrea and I checked on the cows we moved yesterday to the field by her house to look more closely at Blindy, the 4-year-old cow that is blind in her left eye after having a serious case of pinkeye as a calf. Andrea was worried that she was having a problem with her good eye because it was watering profusely and looked bluish instead of clear. Indeed, it seems that she can’t see out of it now, either. Perhaps it got bumped or banged or she has an infection in it from irritation (like from a foreign body stuck under an eyelid and scraping the eye). She’s like a pet and very trusting, so she didn’t mind us being up close to her; she could hear and smell us and knows who we are. We watched her for a few minutes as she walked across the ditch and over into the main field, and realized that she can probably get around ok even if she can’t see, because she knows that area intimately and can smell out the trails where the other cows have walked. We’ll just have to monitor her closely and make sure she doesn’t get into trouble.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got back to the house, Lynn told us that Steve Herbst called and was bringing a trailer load of big straw bales in a few hours after he came back from delivering a semi-load of straw to a ranch near Challis. Lynn had plugged in the tractor so it could be used to unload the straw. Steve forgot that we told him the old tractor needed to be plugged in overnight because it’s so hard to start in cold weather!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea went to town to do all the town errands, and I laid out piles of hay for all the horses and the bull (so Lynn can feed them easily, while Andrea and I are gone for 3 days to the bull sale in Montana).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I called Steve Herbst about the time he thought he would be getting back into town, to find out exactly when he would get here with the straw, and he’d just gotten home and was about to head out here. So Lynn got the tractor started (it barely started!) and we didn’t have to use the battery charger on it. He let it run a few minutes and was just taking it around to the stackyard when Steve arrived with the straw. He got it unloaded, and headed back out through the barnyard, and Lynn took a bale of straw around to the field below the lane, for our weaned heifers. The weather is supposed to be really cold and snowing tomorrow, so it was fortuitous that Steve brought the straw today. He probably wouldn’t be able to make it around in our barnyard and stackyard, or back up our steep driveway if there was much more snow. As it was, we were glad we put chains on the tractor yesterday because it spun a little bit in the stackyard unloading bales, in the small amount of snow we already have.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The heifers are glad for the straw; they are rubbing around on it, eating some and will have it to bed on when the weather gets colder.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-19534737976259723122023-01-29T15:49:00.000-08:002023-01-29T15:49:19.166-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – September 25 through October 14, 2022<div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 4</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Sunday Andrea brought Christopher with her when she came down on her 2-wheeler, and she dumped the heifers’ water tank and rinsed and refilled it. Her washing machine quit working and Jim helped her take it out of her house; he hauled it and our old stove to the dump. That evening we called Bob Minor (in the hospital in Idaho Falls) to check on him and talked to him awhile. Lynn has been feeling a little better each day, getting over the worst of his COVID infection, but still has a cough.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea sent me a photo of a couple young raccoons that were in the little trailer that night--where she feeds her cats. The raccoons come in regularly to eat the cat food, and they are fairly fearless.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIoQATMnAfr7G6qHaRrv6jbS7hpELpD-b6wWJBMcI9hyfd4Lo7TVrwTHMIZXOHM4JhZl38orjwhQZkd-mPSMoXcdeJzow2V0DW6QkeDZL9fSGymPRNxPKXt4Bk8-jJoCTxzpOF1AEsohlL8C4yfKIko3pCmVrZQ7YNFa7Jh0O7IQNmYPnlsnZlZr2JQ/s4032/1%20-%20young%20raccoons%20in%20the%20cat%20house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUIoQATMnAfr7G6qHaRrv6jbS7hpELpD-b6wWJBMcI9hyfd4Lo7TVrwTHMIZXOHM4JhZl38orjwhQZkd-mPSMoXcdeJzow2V0DW6QkeDZL9fSGymPRNxPKXt4Bk8-jJoCTxzpOF1AEsohlL8C4yfKIko3pCmVrZQ7YNFa7Jh0O7IQNmYPnlsnZlZr2JQ/w400-h189/1%20-%20young%20raccoons%20in%20the%20cat%20house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">young raccoons in the cat house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea checked on the yearling heifers in the back field and went to change water on heifer hill and discovered she has NO water in any of her ditches. She hiked up the creek and found that Alfonso had dammed the creek off completely to send it all down his #10 ditch. Our irrigation season is about over, but it would be nice to keep watering some of the fields a little, while the afternoons are still warm enough for grass to grow. We desperately need rain but it’s been a very dry fall.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Over the next two days a little trickle of water came through from Alfonso’s waste water, so Andrea has been irrigating a little with that. She moved the 8 cows from the upper swamp pasture to the little ditch pasture below her house but left the gate open between the two areas in case there’s not any water in that ditch for them to drink.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had extremely strong wind Wednesday night that blew several branches off the big elm tree in our yard; fortunately none came down through our roof.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday I went with Andrea to check on the yearling heifers and she took a photo of me with Zorrina licking my hand.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtrraYsw7WGvJjpRSyU-INtxFeOoQrYOteAB7uKv8sVqz_ozxi5_55_mENRwbcqwGOMNzAsIT90JvQ8syjFdgYhBY98sdFsf7keOPHWyrlpFfJ5wd0H9jzPvVcnZi53PFrd3jS4gZ0K0hBghDgg1g4E3kxZdD19OQflpCtK6jTYdhMIjZzKfiCiDbnQ/s4032/2%20-%20heifers%20in%20back%20field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtrraYsw7WGvJjpRSyU-INtxFeOoQrYOteAB7uKv8sVqz_ozxi5_55_mENRwbcqwGOMNzAsIT90JvQ8syjFdgYhBY98sdFsf7keOPHWyrlpFfJ5wd0H9jzPvVcnZi53PFrd3jS4gZ0K0hBghDgg1g4E3kxZdD19OQflpCtK6jTYdhMIjZzKfiCiDbnQ/w400-h189/2%20-%20heifers%20in%20back%20field.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers in back field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jeff Minor brought his dad home from the hospital in Idaho Falls and got him situated at the Discovery care center. He’ll be there a while, and doing physical therapy to try to get stronger before he goes home. He is grateful that Emily works at Discovery; she can help take good care of him! He’s like another grandpa to Andrea’s kids; he and Jane took care of Emily a lot when she was little, and now it’s her turn to take care of him. She put a big poster board in his room with lots of photos from years gone by—that he enjoys looking at.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea drove over to Vern England’s place to pick up our old stock trailer. Vern and his helper fixed the door hinges and welded up several weak and broken areas, and put a rubber bumper beneath the back door, to make it easier and better for backing up to the loading dock without a space for cattle to put a foot down through the gap. I took some photos of it when she brought it back, showing the repaired door hinges and how the little sliding door works a lot better now.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55xvfOtNg7QqTAxSEszNh8sBIGaeQD2cadh-NeujcPDZX2HYcArmEF_c1QUgX-Qko2aDD_FpZ-gDqF3teH0hMx6YGcQCSNSPMgrILvg-xrrBYs7Q6jF1a3gCLEZW1t5-gcm5v_Rw7J_JH4U1hw3AUOSyjBLtGXCzCIan6ycHkyZ1BZz3gNz5uth3uxQ/s4000/3%20-%20the%20sliding%20door%20slides%20better.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55xvfOtNg7QqTAxSEszNh8sBIGaeQD2cadh-NeujcPDZX2HYcArmEF_c1QUgX-Qko2aDD_FpZ-gDqF3teH0hMx6YGcQCSNSPMgrILvg-xrrBYs7Q6jF1a3gCLEZW1t5-gcm5v_Rw7J_JH4U1hw3AUOSyjBLtGXCzCIan6ycHkyZ1BZz3gNz5uth3uxQ/w300-h400/3%20-%20the%20sliding%20door%20slides%20better.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the sliding door slides better</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqHyWZP2cPsBtosfsKFvLTF3cMi3soKOG3HvdrpZfn4c3vfAT9hOUjiY6gjvvgqziPMU73FiNk2RPSHbqenmHGvhcHezICe6DVIpfEdVXGSbPjGRF7Q-lxq1gyXIAiLLVQYT-XvUIu9iXL6tiTdm7S0GEiWS6AnLijP-UeUoq00ecxrCq1KNF3H9sHg/s4000/4%20-%20repaired%20door%20hinges.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilqHyWZP2cPsBtosfsKFvLTF3cMi3soKOG3HvdrpZfn4c3vfAT9hOUjiY6gjvvgqziPMU73FiNk2RPSHbqenmHGvhcHezICe6DVIpfEdVXGSbPjGRF7Q-lxq1gyXIAiLLVQYT-XvUIu9iXL6tiTdm7S0GEiWS6AnLijP-UeUoq00ecxrCq1KNF3H9sHg/w300-h400/4%20-%20repaired%20door%20hinges.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">repaired door hinges</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea parked it back up against the dock, and Lynn went outside for the first time in 10 days to hike around a little and look at the trailer repairs. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Friday Andrea took Christopher to town to see the parade, and took a photo of Dani and Christopher at Burger King.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR01h7aZ2HZKOOUbDCiasvS0pOQH4x9_lbygBcgkZxy8T7Oi8GS6fQxkR-H-8FxfRom3CYTrK7VXDdomRWppS-ZTWH98RgfAtOO8mBsbb9z82qRayxIBI29wx10QiWfDFuAchKyUe2yHANfCcfTILbt3EIUyp_ql3i9F5MabmI7cWz0inWMCpGe9VLA/s4032/5%20-%20Dani%20&%20Christopher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmR01h7aZ2HZKOOUbDCiasvS0pOQH4x9_lbygBcgkZxy8T7Oi8GS6fQxkR-H-8FxfRom3CYTrK7VXDdomRWppS-ZTWH98RgfAtOO8mBsbb9z82qRayxIBI29wx10QiWfDFuAchKyUe2yHANfCcfTILbt3EIUyp_ql3i9F5MabmI7cWz0inWMCpGe9VLA/w400-h189/5%20-%20Dani%20&%20Christopher.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea did all our town errands and got the mail after she took Christopher back to Emily at AJ’s house. When she got home she helped me trim Ed’s front feet. They were getting much too long and starting to split at the toe. We got them trimmed enough to remove the split and smoothed the toes to where they won’t be splitting again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tony the watermaster came by that evening to take all the locks off the headgates. Alfonso had already taken the locks of some of his and has been using water that technically was ours. The next day, Andrea had no water again; Alfonso dammed off the creek completely and also spent a lot of effort rechanneling some of his waste water from his ditch to make sure it wouldn’t come down into our ditch! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She goes to town every day to spend a little time with Bob Minor; he has a lot of pain issues and it helps when he has visitors to temporarily distract him from the pain. He’s been able to sit up and get around in his wheel chair, and she took him outside one nice afternoon. Here are photos when she had him outdoors, and of Charlie visiting with Bob in his room. We try to call him now and then but it’s hard to find a time when the portable phone isn’t busy at Discovery. To remedy that problem, Jeff got his dad a cell phone so that he can call people and they can call him, more conveniently.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsy0xDrhY0xtJS-7qpGAhnBDqQ-334b80OzJRbyRb_oU2VkEHR1PXBcFk78-oI2pdcVvGPrvZNrIoh-OSOTGvomj7wwCUlP0Xg9jykxEOCqc-3xKHaGnhGp5MS9m_jrWq4LH5STzCXHmOEAruFbkMQ-FH9zHhpt7c0w4_CaVdoJEqZF9OXqJo1Vu0bfg/s4608/6%20-%20Andrea%20&%20Bob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsy0xDrhY0xtJS-7qpGAhnBDqQ-334b80OzJRbyRb_oU2VkEHR1PXBcFk78-oI2pdcVvGPrvZNrIoh-OSOTGvomj7wwCUlP0Xg9jykxEOCqc-3xKHaGnhGp5MS9m_jrWq4LH5STzCXHmOEAruFbkMQ-FH9zHhpt7c0w4_CaVdoJEqZF9OXqJo1Vu0bfg/w400-h190/6%20-%20Andrea%20&%20Bob.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea & Bob</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1qx27E-4qyNYe-JHcd9EIbrb9K55oJVXc74a0KuD_DqTQmiaCLcNZNCJeCFxprh2S7CSIJD4d0d-z8-FoeGM_BAEfnCS-aH8Fj2IytByis3_D7JT8BjKdKpu35IxPxk6jwEuhWjTi4K7VggrS2SxRc3c7WwpF28zN01p5jlVSoDCJYd3lt6o14TUPQ/s4032/7%20-%20Charlie%20&%20Bob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1qx27E-4qyNYe-JHcd9EIbrb9K55oJVXc74a0KuD_DqTQmiaCLcNZNCJeCFxprh2S7CSIJD4d0d-z8-FoeGM_BAEfnCS-aH8Fj2IytByis3_D7JT8BjKdKpu35IxPxk6jwEuhWjTi4K7VggrS2SxRc3c7WwpF28zN01p5jlVSoDCJYd3lt6o14TUPQ/w400-h189/7%20-%20Charlie%20&%20Bob.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie & Bob</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On some of her trips to town, Andrea took clothes to wash at the laundromat, since we haven’t found a new washer for her yet. No one sells appliances anymore in Salmon; we’ll have to find something out of town.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday evening on her way to town to visit Bob she stopped here with a young kitten that had been without its mother for a couple days, and was feeding it kitten formula with an eye-dropper. She took it to town with her and it curled up by Bob on his bed and was quite content while they talked, and Bob was more comfortable than he’d been for a while; he really likes cats.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I found a few more old photos (of Bob and Jane with Andrea’s kids when they were young) for Andrea to add to some she is putting together to make another poster for Bob’s room. I had a bunch of photos that were originally put together to illustrate my book Beyond the Flames; A Family Touched by Fire, but were never used in the book. The final chapter—an epilogue written after that traumatic year when Andrea was fighting for survival in the burn ICU in Salt Lake---would have included those photos of Bob and Jane with those kids, so those photos were easy to find. All of those early photos can be viewed on my first blogs (archived on this website).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The whitetail deer that spend a lot of time in our back yard were in there again this afternoon and I took a photo of them through the window, and also a photo of a guy in a paraglider going over our place, scaring the deer and the horses.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCLTrRAHhV1bCbi0ZmGlYQtervFnQ-ZtEWU4tCSa9nGTkL5W4CMrReaq1tAJzv3F8ndyhmooIj1-IKTIYtPUQ4qticino5KD1Sh4oqkIaqI751Oe1HmKqBYwpp77yZLbF5e71vYtylB6qd2WoW2AB6D7EaBwJCSCzyKuy7wO8B5d2s85PMv12OQPCow/s4000/8%20-%20deer%20in%20yard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCLTrRAHhV1bCbi0ZmGlYQtervFnQ-ZtEWU4tCSa9nGTkL5W4CMrReaq1tAJzv3F8ndyhmooIj1-IKTIYtPUQ4qticino5KD1Sh4oqkIaqI751Oe1HmKqBYwpp77yZLbF5e71vYtylB6qd2WoW2AB6D7EaBwJCSCzyKuy7wO8B5d2s85PMv12OQPCow/w400-h300/8%20-%20deer%20in%20yard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer in yard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyOTCPrQWa6O-enfjINchTwI4oJvsDQgkLqGNIbKTc3LcapLTcw849j10OdueularS_RySyxA9mtpBD-foWI9D7fr4vGe_mT_GObM0WX9CP88SekTwtaHy8iMD1RR44MIDN_y2tYEofJ2O3yG7IC_juZs7aNt4nudg52DieCtDXD0IrwGM5R6g1Xr9Q/s4000/9%20-%20periglider.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinyOTCPrQWa6O-enfjINchTwI4oJvsDQgkLqGNIbKTc3LcapLTcw849j10OdueularS_RySyxA9mtpBD-foWI9D7fr4vGe_mT_GObM0WX9CP88SekTwtaHy8iMD1RR44MIDN_y2tYEofJ2O3yG7IC_juZs7aNt4nudg52DieCtDXD0IrwGM5R6g1Xr9Q/w400-h300/9%20-%20periglider.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">periglider</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This evening our granddaughter Heather in Canada called to tell us that their 2 ½ year old boy James had a broken elbow. On Sunday he was riding Heather’s gentle old horse Danny, led by Heather from another horse, and they were just stopped and standing still in the corral. The old horse shook himself and James tumbled off—on the far side where Heather couldn’t catch him to break his fall. He apparently landed on his elbow but he didn’t complain about pain and seemed ok. They didn’t realize he had a problem until that evening when it was swelling up. They thought it might be dislocated so they took him to their nearest town to a chiropractor but it needed to be x-rayed and there was no one with an x-ray machine in that town. So they took him the next day to a larger town farther away and the doctors were able to determine that it was broken and needed surgery, but sent them home again to come back the next day. They ended up making three trips to hospitals before the surgery was actually accomplished, and now James has a cast and wires in that joint to hold things in place as it heals. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He’s a stoic little boy and hasn’t complained about any pain, but is frustrated because he’s having trouble riding his tricycle with one arm in a cast! Heather and Gregory are trying to get the rest of their grain harvest finished and other tasks done, and James has been riding around with his grandpa John in the combine to keep him out of harm’s way. He loves riding in the tractors and combine; he can sit for hours watching the windrows behind the machine.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The exciting news is that they are planning to make a trip down here next week to finally have a chance to visit and we’ll get to meet those three great-grandsons we’ve never seen! We haven’t seen Heather and Gregory since their wedding here in 2016.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 9</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday Andrea helped me take the shoes off Dottie. Her feet were getting long and it was time to remove the shoes. We only got to ride a few times this summer (Andrea rode Willow 4 times and I rode Dottie 5 times) and Dottie was the only horse I put shoes on.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We didn’t take time to trim her feet after we took the shoes off; I had to do a phone interview. Andrea called the heifers from the back field and let them through the gate into the little “bunny basket” pen below the bull corral. The grass in that pen grew back quite a bit after grazing it earlier in the summer, and it would be enough for those 9 yearlings until we vaccinated on Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We started picking rocks in the main corral, so Dr. Cope’s van can be driven in there without danger of high-centering on a big rock. He’s confined to his wheelchair but Bart Stephanishen drives the van for him and has been taking him around to some of the ranches where he can still preg-check cows (reading the ultrasound screen while Bart runs the ultrasound probe in the cows). Andrea and I took a big piece of particle board and some smaller boards into the corral to put on the ground next to the chute, for Cope to situate his wheelchair on a level spot.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday Andrea visited Bob at Discovery, and was able to take him outside in a wheelchair again. Being out in the sunshine lifted his spirits tremendously! Two of our favorite people are ironically in the same condition (prostate cancer that spread to the spine and paralyzed their legs).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When Andrea got home that day she helped me trim Dottie’s feet, so she’s ready for winter. Willow, Sprout and Shiloh have been keeping their feet self-trimmed with their own exercise. She also sent me a photo of the new kittens at her house.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfZ4dsfMULf8zjsTgM7w4qz9yJQQWMAKjYjHkP0iqmDLnTyYwHQQQzfOBWoHM3w4x7rrTzsKkpbzzOtOi7paOhWfw_WrQsOuWCm2965HeXOPamez_rlEjgIOWw5405zGr93zWHSguri_VYJOELF7l0SzjmOE5OnHcm_BMXThs9kMT4ojwTJcQx-lKKQ/s4032/10%20-%20new%20kittens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfZ4dsfMULf8zjsTgM7w4qz9yJQQWMAKjYjHkP0iqmDLnTyYwHQQQzfOBWoHM3w4x7rrTzsKkpbzzOtOi7paOhWfw_WrQsOuWCm2965HeXOPamez_rlEjgIOWw5405zGr93zWHSguri_VYJOELF7l0SzjmOE5OnHcm_BMXThs9kMT4ojwTJcQx-lKKQ/w400-h189/10%20-%20new%20kittens.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new kittens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Friday I lured the weaned calves in from the field below the lane, bringing them into the grassy pen next to Sprout’s pen. The two little bulls were slow to come so we were able to just leave them in the field and didn’t have to sort them. We needed just the heifers to Bangs vaccinate the next day; all the calves have had their other shots.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put the heifers in the big pen below the calving barn, where they would be easy to move to the main corral on Saturday. We moved the 8 cows from the ditch pasture to the lower swamp pasture above the corrals, where they would be easy to capture for vaccinating and preg-checking.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning when I did chores I called those cows into the hold pen above the corral, where there’s some regrowth on the grass they grazed earlier. Andrea came down soon after and helped me put them in one of the corrals, and bring yearling heifers into another corral. Then we brought the heifer calves around from the calving barn area and put them in the grassy runway to the chute.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had everything ready when Charlie got here, just before Cope and Bart arrived. Cope had expected to just sit in the van to read the ultrasound, but when he and Bart saw the nice level board we’d set by the chute, he was able to get out of the van and roll to it on his wheelchair, to be able to sit right by the chute. Another friend, June Playfair, came about that same time. She often helps when Cope goes out to various ranches. We Bangs vaccinated the heifer calves first, with June giving the vaccinations and Bart putting the tattoo and metal clip in their ears (with the date and serial number of the vaccine). I took photos as we got things set up for Cope..</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrLPXqvJTrhxLq9hC7OdmgDbchjmORv9jS_q-iocwbn6FzKR_F33qQegQ37eOLlMZ3tiY8d8SMVO1xFRg-7a1AYOmLfTwqJ1sAkOZywr1UHodQBWwZEHckkoK24AbP8q7FaW5U5X0PvggE7jBhVb11Q5_FvaLjW90TY5MwY2XYwjAxRGn4qZ2dIoa2w/s4032/11%20-%20setting%20things%20up%20to%20vaccinate%20heifer%20calves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNrLPXqvJTrhxLq9hC7OdmgDbchjmORv9jS_q-iocwbn6FzKR_F33qQegQ37eOLlMZ3tiY8d8SMVO1xFRg-7a1AYOmLfTwqJ1sAkOZywr1UHodQBWwZEHckkoK24AbP8q7FaW5U5X0PvggE7jBhVb11Q5_FvaLjW90TY5MwY2XYwjAxRGn4qZ2dIoa2w/w400-h189/11%20-%20setting%20things%20up%20to%20vaccinate%20heifer%20calves.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">setting things up to vaccinate heifer calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">And more photos as Charlie caught each heifer calf by the head, and June did the vaccinating, and Bart did the ear tattoo and put in the metal clip ear tag showing the number and date they were vaccinated.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjds2TIyyB22btSjBKbfGqkxa-rusnaraONRYK_p1k1kvEw8WL0O6x0OGdbnLsSL9XEqVlIKC0qRd0sjQUsH7BQUsYDGaYtyK3l4YXJUTjv44DzhF14tkYwJeKcpdX6MCijdWTTxOSgN2Zz09skj-a6Sw3c59WHN-CpNWTdbMQHmD92lclabSrqMQW8RQ/s4032/12%20-%20vaccinating%20&%20tagging%20heifers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjds2TIyyB22btSjBKbfGqkxa-rusnaraONRYK_p1k1kvEw8WL0O6x0OGdbnLsSL9XEqVlIKC0qRd0sjQUsH7BQUsYDGaYtyK3l4YXJUTjv44DzhF14tkYwJeKcpdX6MCijdWTTxOSgN2Zz09skj-a6Sw3c59WHN-CpNWTdbMQHmD92lclabSrqMQW8RQ/w400-h189/12%20-%20vaccinating%20&%20tagging%20heifers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">vaccinating & tagging heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTabwIJqRxOtqOBfKPk9FmqpHfjYMJtIaXclGFn9kpYfZSzBXNgjp2b8c03gn2LkG8VoPGk0oHYgiA9Ps17TSFKOY6ArdZdJ4WD9yGP-5rJLP0cm2Kz7ZIIFPv_Oh4OX3qh4EOyVVXGcPodGUGmjU9BILRZ25aUmwYgLJ5RUbgJcIjy1Trncs8KGOVg/s4032/13%20-Bart%20tattooing%20and%20tagging.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTabwIJqRxOtqOBfKPk9FmqpHfjYMJtIaXclGFn9kpYfZSzBXNgjp2b8c03gn2LkG8VoPGk0oHYgiA9Ps17TSFKOY6ArdZdJ4WD9yGP-5rJLP0cm2Kz7ZIIFPv_Oh4OX3qh4EOyVVXGcPodGUGmjU9BILRZ25aUmwYgLJ5RUbgJcIjy1Trncs8KGOVg/w400-h189/13%20-Bart%20tattooing%20and%20tagging.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_ASQavySgT8Vk8p0kkYU1TBzUDIyHQyHmWjHEtfgFp_lc5Zhy856g0AHe9MDCLJTwkqVuzW2BivL-3m_Vlw32V7A-yCCBxJmeBhXiZ8q4xxgCNcQBYL1tT4zrMvocYDPm1lspCt5zoCrJxlsTsqpA6MSMCQkG7FiM2AKaVtOEC2xQqAdCnPlcZ7rgA/s4032/14%20-%20Bart%20tattooing%20&%20tagging.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_ASQavySgT8Vk8p0kkYU1TBzUDIyHQyHmWjHEtfgFp_lc5Zhy856g0AHe9MDCLJTwkqVuzW2BivL-3m_Vlw32V7A-yCCBxJmeBhXiZ8q4xxgCNcQBYL1tT4zrMvocYDPm1lspCt5zoCrJxlsTsqpA6MSMCQkG7FiM2AKaVtOEC2xQqAdCnPlcZ7rgA/w190-h400/14%20-%20Bart%20tattooing%20&%20tagging.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9hxZhocXUJrYSoiUa-hCIYytA_dTL6EqskWxVfzI2Y2tRZrK7BKdbbqhs4TLcol8TwSRP6kVrZwTMDIWrTqD_2yh2YbQiwEHxs3SeKDtVDYwbCwgOxylbyIvCFHQ5KM06jToeenSChxFqtbaddUYGr0ScFU07FIirOGZbdjwRR2ZGw-zeEbsVWbibA/s4000/15%20-%20Bart%20tattooing%20heifer's%20ear.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9hxZhocXUJrYSoiUa-hCIYytA_dTL6EqskWxVfzI2Y2tRZrK7BKdbbqhs4TLcol8TwSRP6kVrZwTMDIWrTqD_2yh2YbQiwEHxs3SeKDtVDYwbCwgOxylbyIvCFHQ5KM06jToeenSChxFqtbaddUYGr0ScFU07FIirOGZbdjwRR2ZGw-zeEbsVWbibA/w400-h300/15%20-%20Bart%20tattooing%20heifer's%20ear.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bart tattooing and tagging heifer's ear</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">And a photo of June releasing the squeeze when they were ready to let one of the heifers out after finishing with her ear tag/tattoo.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWl2Aep0USYipB8PUPijCY_fmsAsB7GF3DTuPiExE2D-PMxQrRypmwWgq9BajDsikAJrA9IGDmJcrICb8SCQHdc5rFkh5UQyzo86tEEJYbw2S6XYZSPdN1FT2mPGLD9QNabCrlUbjvaAd5pKk-jDf5rB5tTJg9dJPCKf9t0ha-4S05chH7FEPffpghw/s4000/16%20-%20June%20releasing%20the%20squeeze.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWl2Aep0USYipB8PUPijCY_fmsAsB7GF3DTuPiExE2D-PMxQrRypmwWgq9BajDsikAJrA9IGDmJcrICb8SCQHdc5rFkh5UQyzo86tEEJYbw2S6XYZSPdN1FT2mPGLD9QNabCrlUbjvaAd5pKk-jDf5rB5tTJg9dJPCKf9t0ha-4S05chH7FEPffpghw/w400-h300/16%20-%20June%20releasing%20the%20squeeze.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">June releasing the squeeze</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea, Charlie and I put the heifers back to the field below the lane and started to get the yearling heifers into the chute. About that time Dani and her boyfriend Roger showed up to help, and they were good help moving the cattle through the chute.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie ran the head-catch, Andrea took out the old fly tags, and I vaccinated. To use the ultrasound probe, Bart had to be behind the squeeze chute and Roger had to keep the next cow from coming up too close and bumping into him. Cope read the screen and was able to tell us the results. Here are photos of the cows being preg-checked.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkc0MxOQatHqa5FrZui0ttvuDHHDie5uFbhy2YzhwjYnLed2yx3EviHRLZobrAE074tKyu35NSfKWGBDSwUjIrYAD2XhjPxGZGmO3c3L18_LRCw0uNA24FcUPUhvwwy4R-Rx_k0nvaqdAonDXRIaQvo-zSvJaQCSf9cm6fF41A3VLf5uO2Sb-bevFZAA/s4032/17%20-%20preg-checking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkc0MxOQatHqa5FrZui0ttvuDHHDie5uFbhy2YzhwjYnLed2yx3EviHRLZobrAE074tKyu35NSfKWGBDSwUjIrYAD2XhjPxGZGmO3c3L18_LRCw0uNA24FcUPUhvwwy4R-Rx_k0nvaqdAonDXRIaQvo-zSvJaQCSf9cm6fF41A3VLf5uO2Sb-bevFZAA/w400-h189/17%20-%20preg-checking.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">preg-checking</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdqpRpY-fTONf-X-eo2p5-ujKTMCmHt81Lpurp-1YYn1c3OiMe9XLdGMm6HuzTi5wSY5Wn0BpuM01JnivHvs9XwcpnZqroeuQKMeyRyETHlJFOd8vbSPsmv2ougGyARP1GV98Q5-EXK8MpC1aj9Lbmgfh1dvAg2f-xbcPGS3Std7kcPLRkAtRi9iZYg/s4000/18%20-%20Cope%20reading%20ultrasound.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdqpRpY-fTONf-X-eo2p5-ujKTMCmHt81Lpurp-1YYn1c3OiMe9XLdGMm6HuzTi5wSY5Wn0BpuM01JnivHvs9XwcpnZqroeuQKMeyRyETHlJFOd8vbSPsmv2ougGyARP1GV98Q5-EXK8MpC1aj9Lbmgfh1dvAg2f-xbcPGS3Std7kcPLRkAtRi9iZYg/w400-h300/18%20-%20Cope%20reading%20ultrasound.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61T-ailXJOBJWqxjjUTG3SFanaBE3r2II4AWbpI01SIn6Gqr7FxRYxK_9GrjsBFOAST-kUgiqdHo7lqS_W7h7-wNdiTjo1JV4e0lbq048XYWGbMJcUl7RqSwYXnoN1EkuWVKMkZ7O8HJJX4GW86pri_JPsJqQGzxaGtKN4Uv9ZI3yPPL_awDPlQrtRA/s4000/19%20-%20Cope%20reading%20ultrasound.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61T-ailXJOBJWqxjjUTG3SFanaBE3r2II4AWbpI01SIn6Gqr7FxRYxK_9GrjsBFOAST-kUgiqdHo7lqS_W7h7-wNdiTjo1JV4e0lbq048XYWGbMJcUl7RqSwYXnoN1EkuWVKMkZ7O8HJJX4GW86pri_JPsJqQGzxaGtKN4Uv9ZI3yPPL_awDPlQrtRA/w400-h300/19%20-%20Cope%20reading%20ultrasound.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEK25lxQpsq44tQllyWQYXZbztT7X-KdK76XNmV0z4emNBeL_7OK3mSLfUsonDYiIqkykF4xLcXBSBdxKeBUDoZ7L9FHgvr-PnKxGnc1ZjI2sKkx57JgMnDHb3Ryu4sCvIzAOv9j1HShehvKPX2f9C1ILE204fdViEkaIo85M8KOJrVsLnNLZZ5paUw/s4000/20%20-Cope%20looking%20at%20ultrasound%20screen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEK25lxQpsq44tQllyWQYXZbztT7X-KdK76XNmV0z4emNBeL_7OK3mSLfUsonDYiIqkykF4xLcXBSBdxKeBUDoZ7L9FHgvr-PnKxGnc1ZjI2sKkx57JgMnDHb3Ryu4sCvIzAOv9j1HShehvKPX2f9C1ILE204fdViEkaIo85M8KOJrVsLnNLZZ5paUw/w400-h300/20%20-Cope%20looking%20at%20ultrasound%20screen.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cope reading ultrasound</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Luckily we’d monitored the cows and heifers closely enough to see the two heifers and one cow that were cycling (not pregnant) after we took the bull out in early July—and we sold them when we sold our steer calves. We wanted to check the rest of the cows and heifers, however, just to make sure we hadn’t missed any that were open. They all were pregnant so we won’t have to sell any more of them!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put the cows back out to the swamp pasture and later put the heifers up on the ditch pasture above the horse pasture—after we vaccinated Babe. He didn’t want to go down the chute, however, and rather than fight with him and have a problem (since he’s now 4 years old and more headstrong) we got three heifers out of the pen where they were “on hold” and ran them down the chute with him, and he went willingly.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a nice sunny day, and it was great to have Cope out here again. He was so happy to be outside, and not just sitting in the van. He was right there at the chute like old times, with the cow shit and camaraderie, swapping tales with the crew. As he loaded up in the van again to leave, I thanked him for doing this, and he was just so happy to be able to do it. He said he’d promised his clients that he would continue to do what he can for them, for as long as he can, and he wants to keep that promise.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we moved the heifers to their new pasture, I fed lunch to Roger, Dani, Andrea and her friend Russ (who came to spray paint the stock trailer welds and repaired areas so they won’t rust). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was another nice day, but windier. We let the heifers into the horse pasture and orchard where there’s probably a week’s worth of grazing. Charlie came out again, and Andrea gave him a haircut. He fixed Andrea’s taillight on her car, and also helped Jim load his wood-splitter into his trailer. Jim is going to Missoula tomorrow to pick up a washer and dryer he found for Andrea, and loaning the wood-splitter to his friends that live near Hamilton.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 14</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s been freezing every night but temperatures have been up to 60 and sometimes 70 degrees in the afternoons so we’ve had some really nice fall days. The leaves are starting to turn, and the trees along the creek are beautiful. We desperately need rain, but we’re enjoying the nice days. We still have a tiny bit of water in a couple of our ditches so Andrea has been changing it every few days, trying to keep some portions of the fields green for the cattle to graze later this fall.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday evening we talked with granddaughter Heather in Canada; they were still planning to come later this week to hopefully stay awhile with Michael and Carolyn and have a chance to visit us. Joseph was really excited about it and talked to us quite a bit about his desire to meet Christopher and to pet all the cats and hold a baby kitten. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim brought the washer and dryer (that we all helped purchase) home from Montana and on Tuesday he and Andrea got them into her house from his trailer. A.J. came by about that time and helped move them into their slot where the old ones were taken out, and get them installed and working. Andrea did several loads of laundry that day, to catch up!</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then she hiked up to the headgate on our #8 ditch and shut it off for winter. There wasn’t enough water coming through it anymore to irrigate with (Alfonso is using almost all the water upstream from there) and by shutting it off there would be a little bit more coming on down to our #7 ditch that needs to keep running a little to provide water for the yearling heifers in the ditch pasture and horse pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch Lynn went down to Baker to locate water for Gordon Stephenson on the little place on the highway corner where he keeps some of his cattle. Gordon doesn’t have enough water for those cattle in winter and was hoping to put in a well. Lynn hiked around on that little place for more than 2 hours and found several spots where there’s water, but it’s at least 160 feet deep. Gordon was hoping for a shallower well, since the cost of drilling a well has increased dramatically in the past year. Well drillers used to charge about $90 per foot but now it’s more like $116 per foot. Lynn was really exhausted by the time he came home; he hasn’t been out and about much yet after being sick with COVID and spending that much time on his feet really wore him out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day he mostly rested and I cleaned house a little, in preparation for having our Canadian family come to visit. I did a couple loads of washing, and that took a bit of effort because our old washing machine decided to have more problems. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A couple years ago the cold water intake quit working, but I resolved that by using a hose to add cold water, since we have a handy indoor screw-on faucet in that back room. I simply use a timer to make sure I don’t run it too long and overflow it. But that day I discovered that the hot water intake no longer worked, either! I had to carry buckets of hot water from the bathroom. At least that didn’t require as much effort as trying to pack ALL the water, since I only need a little hot water for the first cycle; the hose for the cold water takes care of part of that cycle and provides all the water for the two rinses afterward. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But the next problem was finding out the darn thing now leaks when it spins. I was mopping up the floor after every spin cycle. Thus it took a little longer than usual to do the laundry, and clean up the floor. Fortunately I only need to wash clothes (for Lynn and me) about once every 3 weeks. I can probably get by with this old machine for a while longer and then hopefully we can afford a new one.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday I got up early and typed an interview and cleaned house a little more before daylight. I called Michael and Carolyn before I went out to do chores, to see if Heather and Gregory and kids had made it here from Canada. They did try to come the day before, but when they got to the border, Gregory was not allowed to come through, because he hasn’t been vaccinated for COVID. They had to turn around and go home again. So Heather and the 3 boys were going to come by themselves; Michael and Carolyn were getting ready to drive to the border (in Montana) to meet them and convoy back with Heather and kids. What a disappointment!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Dani took breakfast (hot biscuits and gravy—his favorite kind of breakfast) to Bob Minor at Discovery. Lynn drove to town after lunch; this was the first time he’s gone to town since he got sick. He wanted to visit Bob at Discovery. Andrea had to go back to town that afternoon also, to her pain doctor appointment (for injections in her neck and back) and she and Dani also went to visit Bob again. Jane was there and she took him outside in his wheelchair, and they all sat outside in the sun for a couple hours and had a really good visit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This morning I called Michael and Carolyn to see if they made it home safely last night with Heather and kids; they got home at 1:30 a.m. It was a long, slow trip! I went and did chores, typed another interview, and did some last-minute house cleaning. Michael and Carolyn had to go to Missoula with their truck and trailer today to get more fencing materials, so Heather and kids came down here after lunch. It was great to see her again, and finally meet our 3 great-grandsons! Joseph was excited, James (2 ½ years old) was more timid, and 8-month-old Ian was happy as long as his mama was nearby. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was a nice afternoon so we showed the boys around the barnyard. They looked at one of our old tractors, and checked out the alleyway toward the calving barn where one of our cats escaped from them into the ditch beyond the fence.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XDORKJ0Gbwdsh1HxzSRS-Rc9Q4b6z8ZYNIu-Q57zUpeuFM735Yqo5Yyb0pXWz-JiX_zyh9STkkKhpPDnSw5WJS2moPOmeqDGqRcJ5HiLivvuW4C-fh_tOBFk6BMBvkpKbz8AUOu38pAQSlpXvdRUC_HmYFKChyGl0359EbSog69EvxOCtHb1ta2nuA/s4000/21%20-%20old%20tractor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3XDORKJ0Gbwdsh1HxzSRS-Rc9Q4b6z8ZYNIu-Q57zUpeuFM735Yqo5Yyb0pXWz-JiX_zyh9STkkKhpPDnSw5WJS2moPOmeqDGqRcJ5HiLivvuW4C-fh_tOBFk6BMBvkpKbz8AUOu38pAQSlpXvdRUC_HmYFKChyGl0359EbSog69EvxOCtHb1ta2nuA/w400-h300/21%20-%20old%20tractor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCS0LaQwGtXa0rE9V-VaTYxIKrBp4u-IuyYWxjj4gnOb-vMxeSJkIjMWCvvxFh8xLyrbgVlWUFH600e45eLi5uk_XI-6vzuxhkPwlCt_DIUuBcS8Ecm2eolpdneGTQUYvCcU5FZZDuNNpB26_94bot3uWBJIIABJHpo1bvaX-ELmwLp_X954VM80Nfg/s4000/22%20-%20looking%20for%20the%20cat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhCS0LaQwGtXa0rE9V-VaTYxIKrBp4u-IuyYWxjj4gnOb-vMxeSJkIjMWCvvxFh8xLyrbgVlWUFH600e45eLi5uk_XI-6vzuxhkPwlCt_DIUuBcS8Ecm2eolpdneGTQUYvCcU5FZZDuNNpB26_94bot3uWBJIIABJHpo1bvaX-ELmwLp_X954VM80Nfg/w400-h300/22%20-%20looking%20for%20the%20cat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking for the cat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…… and they got to meet the horses that their mom worked with in earlier years (she started riding Dottie and Willow for their early training, trained Shiloh for the college professor in Helena who later gave that mare to us, and rode Ed when Michael and Carolyn had that old mare). The boys were also fascinated by the cats, but were most excited when we took them down to the creek in the main corral. They’d never seen a creek before. There are no creeks on their big prairie and grain farm in Saskatchewan. I took photos as the boys looked at the creek for the first time.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoMZDcv9_Oky1LcSN2NEl0JxDaxPcrX8iIIvH7vXOh_G7_7MuMHC2gkaXBWFaeXI_u0A-OjjjgyG3MZ9dzmAGhm3mMELQ4SgcJjt7DhXZO6F3dAKgIMHw_8rsB5RnlgPJfIJpj8LW9tGxS9MRnbKkMCqXrF4e20rJTllJXg_a7Zn9hg3kGgXKVrjmyg/s4000/23%20-%20Joseph%20looking%20at%20creek.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoMZDcv9_Oky1LcSN2NEl0JxDaxPcrX8iIIvH7vXOh_G7_7MuMHC2gkaXBWFaeXI_u0A-OjjjgyG3MZ9dzmAGhm3mMELQ4SgcJjt7DhXZO6F3dAKgIMHw_8rsB5RnlgPJfIJpj8LW9tGxS9MRnbKkMCqXrF4e20rJTllJXg_a7Zn9hg3kGgXKVrjmyg/w400-h300/23%20-%20Joseph%20looking%20at%20creek.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph looking at the creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">They spent about an hour throwing rocks in the creek!</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNO3S0yZ8njL74DsTSJTwYDWWEzpavEjKgomdjORqFzFH1XYzLVnyARa7zDutQyBvIxbVc-0NGrIDXntwvoCM5qA9AfLEd75yEP2PiZsYZQKOFt99Pd7uSVV659dEVwgasCsDyf2HYHQ6ZHGz5ssdiZZuIsKoH1uKQAwmdkfC625cdYAWP7xe2Xkr2Jg/s4000/24%20-%20throwing%20rocks%20in%20creek.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNO3S0yZ8njL74DsTSJTwYDWWEzpavEjKgomdjORqFzFH1XYzLVnyARa7zDutQyBvIxbVc-0NGrIDXntwvoCM5qA9AfLEd75yEP2PiZsYZQKOFt99Pd7uSVV659dEVwgasCsDyf2HYHQ6ZHGz5ssdiZZuIsKoH1uKQAwmdkfC625cdYAWP7xe2Xkr2Jg/w400-h300/24%20-%20throwing%20rocks%20in%20creek.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iT_b-l7xE5TfskUx5BZpY6fEnCwLI2dASnEzTHYT6NDNzXMDlqcZKYJO-s4U9LkXQZZTSAIrtP4HppqJMJBOMAigQALYzycdE7MR_J-HMOKEdDDDWZsTYQomGJv9hxVWDZcnFM58qNA8_e7TTdFbALyZSk341kU95aGlj5k6ZTGk8oMs-6uvcD8jfQ/s4000/25%20-throwing%20rocks.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6iT_b-l7xE5TfskUx5BZpY6fEnCwLI2dASnEzTHYT6NDNzXMDlqcZKYJO-s4U9LkXQZZTSAIrtP4HppqJMJBOMAigQALYzycdE7MR_J-HMOKEdDDDWZsTYQomGJv9hxVWDZcnFM58qNA8_e7TTdFbALyZSk341kU95aGlj5k6ZTGk8oMs-6uvcD8jfQ/w400-h300/25%20-throwing%20rocks.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxEdvyYhrfMXPQi0tQoGzrefYG8VjbRutydN7L2UDFUJOT22GwS42kQu-1Fl6at3_TFcx907MUibPHYIQePvf_YEWGd8SZYNtC-UVMn8XjRsTJCCjZcYhzT0BtZfmmCN6f8ChhqrgeArdg90VIOafCoQhYXaU2MZrTh5JiZHthj4vZi2xfjmzc91Kxw/s4000/26%20-%20throwing%20rocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxEdvyYhrfMXPQi0tQoGzrefYG8VjbRutydN7L2UDFUJOT22GwS42kQu-1Fl6at3_TFcx907MUibPHYIQePvf_YEWGd8SZYNtC-UVMn8XjRsTJCCjZcYhzT0BtZfmmCN6f8ChhqrgeArdg90VIOafCoQhYXaU2MZrTh5JiZHthj4vZi2xfjmzc91Kxw/w400-h300/26%20-%20throwing%20rocks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">throwing rocks in the creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">At one point Heather had to take James back to their vehicle to change his messy diaper, and Andrea went with her to hold baby Ian. While they were gone, Joseph put rocks in our plastic sled to haul them closer to the creek so he could throw them in.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zLGe6DxwJaXT5pBTaYUTu8UNNqx0t2dMyYqWhL27tKULk3tlYDlbM3XpVZanZvWP7iQvRoxuFIloREhIojPWYzhX5gCeluXEcgJLfw6fwlhHnrWud3clPrGsKJJBFjpzvOHqKoyGm2D5Zinapn-NRMT9FNCluD6Rcp5mkp5g020yLCT-3JKvYQoivA/s4000/27%20-%20Andrea%20holding%20Ian.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-zLGe6DxwJaXT5pBTaYUTu8UNNqx0t2dMyYqWhL27tKULk3tlYDlbM3XpVZanZvWP7iQvRoxuFIloREhIojPWYzhX5gCeluXEcgJLfw6fwlhHnrWud3clPrGsKJJBFjpzvOHqKoyGm2D5Zinapn-NRMT9FNCluD6Rcp5mkp5g020yLCT-3JKvYQoivA/w300-h400/27%20-%20Andrea%20holding%20Ian.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea holding Ian</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSY1l-VXFBVsEwqAFkNhMyBbQCp0prhyudAoChee7PFLnBTCjfKYl_JbJ_91Vv9FMYyxTh9_2nUmARFXPgupPZYalMEI7gzA1W6BUGYQc6mq6Qs9pHxmVXI-chl-o-tVpUoyT3sNbJJWOt0V8ECIEM9QAzO1TLvcLPdlilIJVyIymMU-n3DWI4JMnECA/s4000/28%20-%20throwin%20rocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSY1l-VXFBVsEwqAFkNhMyBbQCp0prhyudAoChee7PFLnBTCjfKYl_JbJ_91Vv9FMYyxTh9_2nUmARFXPgupPZYalMEI7gzA1W6BUGYQc6mq6Qs9pHxmVXI-chl-o-tVpUoyT3sNbJJWOt0V8ECIEM9QAzO1TLvcLPdlilIJVyIymMU-n3DWI4JMnECA/w400-h300/28%20-%20throwin%20rocks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">throwin rocks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXYgZ0fObIWIDpsuYN665fOE9B6yg1b_PxLjkGD2HwBEWJphRLAZUUkSgdw34AAPbPIl76f_0qSDJMBbpnDeq135aHUzzow5v5BuvCP173g_Mmj-IoM4wTURkLnHCwstpxdH0MqvDZ7FTFehsDL74_pFchx72YIIPJoVVquNDk1WdIcwzY2aN9VIVLA/s4000/29%20-%20gathering%20more%20rocks.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmXYgZ0fObIWIDpsuYN665fOE9B6yg1b_PxLjkGD2HwBEWJphRLAZUUkSgdw34AAPbPIl76f_0qSDJMBbpnDeq135aHUzzow5v5BuvCP173g_Mmj-IoM4wTURkLnHCwstpxdH0MqvDZ7FTFehsDL74_pFchx72YIIPJoVVquNDk1WdIcwzY2aN9VIVLA/w400-h300/29%20-%20gathering%20more%20rocks.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3tSIz3xOKNhFZRJKSvFpWRGOBIEL3ZO51R2DMPFGJZUgOklH_-UNdIvA9mYRduBtiJeLweUBsXLxm02qJ-enkezqRfe1fu_9aLGwgm7tsQR4IBTR2_GyD2_S-Tr0Wwtvpc4HG5hdQqiyQjFzcK-wlV7eDzm2sDuPPNKgprt2pQFnKK7Qq1PK68IZHA/s4000/30%20-%20sled%20with%20rocks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx3tSIz3xOKNhFZRJKSvFpWRGOBIEL3ZO51R2DMPFGJZUgOklH_-UNdIvA9mYRduBtiJeLweUBsXLxm02qJ-enkezqRfe1fu_9aLGwgm7tsQR4IBTR2_GyD2_S-Tr0Wwtvpc4HG5hdQqiyQjFzcK-wlV7eDzm2sDuPPNKgprt2pQFnKK7Qq1PK68IZHA/w400-h300/30%20-%20sled%20with%20rocks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">gathering more rocks in the sled</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then they went up to Andrea’s house to see her cats, and pet the baby kittens. Emily and Dani brought Christopher out from town (Andrea will be keeping Christopher for about a week while Emily and AJ go hunting) so Christopher got to meet his 2nd cousins and they had a lot of fun together. After they played awhile at her house, Andrea took Joseph and Christopher down to the creek by heifer hill, where they had fun throwing rocks in the water and putting sticks in the creek as “boats”.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They stopped here again just as I finished chores, to visit with Lynn and me a bit more. By the time they went back up to Michael and Carolyn’s house, those kids were exhausted and so were we, but will be fun to have them here for a week. Heather wants to drive to Arco tomorrow to see her other grandma, but we’ll have a chance to visit with her and the boys several more times before they have to drive back to Canada next weekend.</span></div></div><br />Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-23291038258631928182023-01-15T13:31:00.001-08:002023-01-29T15:06:56.734-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - September 1 through September 24, 2022<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">SEPTEMBER 9</b><b> </b></span>– </span><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather has been very hot this past week. The creek is very low but Andrea is managing to keep watering some of our fields with just a trickle from a couple of our ditches, with our headgates locked down. Jack has more than his water right, so we asked the watermaster to please adjust the locks on a couple of our headgates so we could have part of our second right.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The weaned calves pooped in the big water tank in the orchard so I siphoned it out and rinsed it, and tipped it upside down and started watering them in the new little tank we bought.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday Andrea and Dani went to the funeral of Dani’s friend Jesse who drowned in the river this summer. His death was a terrible tragedy and he was well-liked by many people; there was a huge turnout at his funeral.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When I checked on the heifers that morning in the back field, some of them were in the brush and I had to look through a lot of that “jungle” to find them all. I discovered some old wire that was part of the old fence that Robbie buried when he went through there with a mini excavator to relocate the water channel. The wire is a dangerous hazard so I went back there and spent about an hour with the fencing tool pulling some of it out of the dirt and old grass and cutting off the parts I couldn’t pull out.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was really hot again (90 degrees). That morning Lynn went up to Andrea’s house to babysit Christopher so she could change water and help me get the rest of the old wire cut loose so we could pull most of it out of the dirt and grass. Jim went to the woods to get more firewood for some folks that want to buy some.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch Andrea brought Christopher down here and we gave him another ride on Ed. This time he rode her past the end of our driveway and down to the “Mexican haystack” and back home again. I took photos as Andrea adjusted his reins for him after we got to the top of our driveway, and as she led Ed on down the road.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJ7CHcXKZEptbSKTOLfD94yShy601C_BGxVnjn5-9iNjNViA-hXX2iZYvVwGlX8LJ9HJRsJ4kKaQTqvefMhq3qVWxPjmiq634HgKCbQWOihD2eb_w4Mlw85PLMty_R9-KAEGWbfpGK9yh-e-3TiH8ARGexykTQAWNASV5kGxuBPIgEzWjpAtpi8RoIw/s4000/1%20-%20Andrea%20adjusting%20the%20reins%20for%20Christopher.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJ7CHcXKZEptbSKTOLfD94yShy601C_BGxVnjn5-9iNjNViA-hXX2iZYvVwGlX8LJ9HJRsJ4kKaQTqvefMhq3qVWxPjmiq634HgKCbQWOihD2eb_w4Mlw85PLMty_R9-KAEGWbfpGK9yh-e-3TiH8ARGexykTQAWNASV5kGxuBPIgEzWjpAtpi8RoIw/w400-h300/1%20-%20Andrea%20adjusting%20the%20reins%20for%20Christopher.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea adjusting the reins for Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciWxr9o5SzKiqY1CuRIdT98OG9ovfWkLYF3DVT7WMm9yQ1PRZcp69mT39_UsdHEUoN83CCbeEZIWmJdEre-o0SN6eQn8aTfVIOYSABUVqwtodr-ThBUnEDnFEHi5JBUxL17LMUPaC6hgnktvWTgCakAgprgSVrT5r7sOgSNm-8_Ifi11n6_R3E65qQw/s4000/2%20-%20heading%20down%20the%20road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiciWxr9o5SzKiqY1CuRIdT98OG9ovfWkLYF3DVT7WMm9yQ1PRZcp69mT39_UsdHEUoN83CCbeEZIWmJdEre-o0SN6eQn8aTfVIOYSABUVqwtodr-ThBUnEDnFEHi5JBUxL17LMUPaC6hgnktvWTgCakAgprgSVrT5r7sOgSNm-8_Ifi11n6_R3E65qQw/w400-h300/2%20-%20heading%20down%20the%20road.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading down the road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After we went partway down toward Alfonso’s field, we came back, and I took photos as Andrea started leading Ed back up the road to our driveway.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOG0EjGej8XqDgk8-mzXaKuWHOEkatZnUB6Jz1ACTlvE0mdwhho-5jpgGZRfbp38h1JjMjcKCp36SuqLIfVb_ALicRpnhBwQeZluHdmJ_I4RbA1nlP0GVtF0WH0WVMx3lIWv2nV56xYwXAZqcFctmXhq7u8TU-Z5tzzc335bP_fiFUUufGj0EBW8F_6A/s4000/3%20-%20coming%20back%20up%20the%20road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOG0EjGej8XqDgk8-mzXaKuWHOEkatZnUB6Jz1ACTlvE0mdwhho-5jpgGZRfbp38h1JjMjcKCp36SuqLIfVb_ALicRpnhBwQeZluHdmJ_I4RbA1nlP0GVtF0WH0WVMx3lIWv2nV56xYwXAZqcFctmXhq7u8TU-Z5tzzc335bP_fiFUUufGj0EBW8F_6A/w400-h300/3%20-%20coming%20back%20up%20the%20road.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming back up the road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviaW8j2nj8yq0wNI_XI2cIbmv2Bc-t8-cU95DQHBdW20fYB_OTo-QE5lcfheog_Tg3Pkzf0Bu9MXok-VhO29FtkJioRW9gS0JaRFEYnn3K1xdEaUAwsr-66s7R1cwbMsZoaxNNRSXJZsLCZjlufhbXjTwQ6KtrosN0H1VF0Nqx1VkG_02VLS9cJwGKw/s4000/4%20-%20heading%20for%20home.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiviaW8j2nj8yq0wNI_XI2cIbmv2Bc-t8-cU95DQHBdW20fYB_OTo-QE5lcfheog_Tg3Pkzf0Bu9MXok-VhO29FtkJioRW9gS0JaRFEYnn3K1xdEaUAwsr-66s7R1cwbMsZoaxNNRSXJZsLCZjlufhbXjTwQ6KtrosN0H1VF0Nqx1VkG_02VLS9cJwGKw/w400-h300/4%20-%20heading%20for%20home.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading for home</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After we got back to our barnyard Andrea took a photo before we took Christopher off the old mare to unsaddle and put her back in her pen.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa0JtfENIoBKJWjZXKgIZ2UP5AT2k9CpbeW9I-PzeU_obl4vGtsH6YupCxrUn5_3sh96mJ4_qGrSj1zGBsQRV4SAGyNp-ZMIr3W5blDK_02veAuJIWEoSXK3VLa6V_5dk6czYrO021iU_c8XjlKk2NlphFiNHM40rHfHYnmdKh3tn78PMy4p3lu1XXg/s4032/5%20-%20home%20again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWa0JtfENIoBKJWjZXKgIZ2UP5AT2k9CpbeW9I-PzeU_obl4vGtsH6YupCxrUn5_3sh96mJ4_qGrSj1zGBsQRV4SAGyNp-ZMIr3W5blDK_02veAuJIWEoSXK3VLa6V_5dk6czYrO021iU_c8XjlKk2NlphFiNHM40rHfHYnmdKh3tn78PMy4p3lu1XXg/w400-h189/5%20-%20home%20again.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">home again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Bob Minor called that afternoon. He is in the hospital in Idaho Falls and had been there for 5 days and we didn’t know it. He collapsed last Sunday, getting out of his pickup at his home, and Jane was unable to get him up off the ground. She called their son Jeff, who came and helped her, and they took him to the ER. The doctors realized he had a serious problem and sent him by life flight to the hospital in Idaho Falls.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Apparently he had prostate cancer that metastasized and went into his spine; lesions on his spine were putting pressure on his spinal cord and he suddenly lost the use of his legs. In Idaho Falls the doctors had put him on a course of radiation treatments in hopes of shrinking the tumors in his spine.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jane had been staying there with him, and was worn out and needed to come home for a few days to get some rest, so Jeff was going to bring her home. Andrea immediately got ready to drive to Idaho Falls to take a shift with Bob in the hospital; she took Christopher to town—and AJ would take care of him while Em is at work—and got gas for her car, and went to Idaho Falls.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Bob spent more than 40 days of his summer in 2000 (22 years ago) being in the ICU in Salt Lake to spell off our family members when Andrea had her burn injuries; someone had to be with her continually because the nurses were short-staffed that year in the burn unit and Andrea was in critical condition. There were several times she would have perished if someone hadn’t been in the room with her to alert the nurses to what was happening with Andrea. So this was pay-back. Andrea wanted to help Bob and Jane in their time of need.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam and Colton drove to Idaho Falls that afternoon from Twin Falls, to visit with Bob for a couple of hours. Bob has been like an extra grandpa to all of Andrea’s kids, and Sam wanted to go see him. Andrea took a photo of Sam with Bob.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXfhE4uq2D_YucEHx4o5wI4sogtN7ychNoqZy-Qa7eJQ5FHM6Ne5TpgunL11f03-De9dAaXFL10h4kmRwYu7PJTo6JuIxrUjBu-YhiUadNzR2CGz8cSPHverF98cBp2R4U4sezPA4Lf2rlfzx1KiEkxW6NYc7TgN3Qqy3MyokIPZHVLapWDAWA9W8rg/s4032/6%20-%20Sam%20and%20Bob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvXfhE4uq2D_YucEHx4o5wI4sogtN7ychNoqZy-Qa7eJQ5FHM6Ne5TpgunL11f03-De9dAaXFL10h4kmRwYu7PJTo6JuIxrUjBu-YhiUadNzR2CGz8cSPHverF98cBp2R4U4sezPA4Lf2rlfzx1KiEkxW6NYc7TgN3Qqy3MyokIPZHVLapWDAWA9W8rg/w400-h189/6%20-%20Sam%20and%20Bob.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam & Bob</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That same evening our neighbor Tom Stephenson called to tell us that his wife Ann passed away that morning; she has been in ill health for a couple of years, with kidney failure, and on dialysis. She needed a kidney transplant, but her heart wasn’t strong enough. We were sad to hear that she had passed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We called Michael and Carolyn to tell them about Ann, and also about Bob’s dilemma. They hadn’t heard. They’ve been really busy with the custom fencing jobs and also having to worry about the neighbor’s range cattle that have come through the fence in upper Cheney Creek above their place and are trying to get into their place, since there is no water in Cheney Creek due to the drought.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While Andrea was gone (staying in the hospital room with Bob and helping the nurses with his care—he had several rough days and it really helped to have her there) she had only one ditch still running. She’s trying to irrigate the field below the lane where we are growing as much grass as possible for winter pasture for the heifer calves we’ll be keeping. I changed the water in that ditch several times.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday mid-day as I brought Sprout back around to her pen from the stackyard where I’ve been letting her graze, a cow and calf came down the lane; she’d probably come off the range somewhere up above us and was heading for our fields. I trotted Sprout as fast as I could lead her, and managed to head off that cow and calf before they got clear down the lane to our open gates to the calving pen (and my hay shed) and the pen next to the horses. The cow looked like a mean one; she threw her head in the air and looked like she wanted to charge at me, but with the horse beside me—coming as fast as we both could “trot”-- the cow decided to turn around and go back up the driveway. We are now leaving our driveway gate closed! It’s awkward for everyone who comes in and out of here, but we can’t risk having the neighbor’s cows coming into our place.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Tuesday I checked the cows and calves and the heifers. One of them (Starlite’s daughter) was bulling again, so I know she’s not pregnant; we will sell her when we sell the steer calves. I changed the irrigation water again. Andrea called to tell us that Bob had a really bad night, but the doctors plan to move him to the 6th floor where he can still have his radiation treatments but also start some physical therapy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday I changed water again, and that afternoon fed the horses part of their evening feeding a little early. Lynn and I went to town and visited with Cope and Terry for a couple hours. Dr. Cope has been our veterinarian for 40-plus years and a good friend, and it’s sad to see him confined to a wheel chair (ironically Bob Minor has the same condition—cancer that went into the spine). But Cope is in good spirits and it’s always fun to visit with him. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we went to the gas station to fill up our tank before driving out to the mouth of Tower Creek to the first get-together for my 60th high school class reunion. While we were at the gas station we saw a huge plume of smoke rising up above the horizon, behind the mountain above town, from the Moose Fire that blew up again that day. By the time we left town, heading up river, the smoke had rolled in so thick that visibility was practically nil, with horribly strong wind. The fire, which had already grown to more than 120,000 acres the past 45 days, grew another 1500 acres in just a few hours that evening. Here are some photos that people took earlier that day.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAA_12RrSsL8JrJlxX44a-IEBh3K7NoIfearC5XgpKOOwBc4ofHc-qw6HvYcltcwoc0RJ6eNwmFFKM6G3cjc9dO_vI_ly-4TRVOyLBWJ9wxcI6v0V5lhq9pm-rDRrgw1xzNdAE6alYBFoDGMO_W7tD-Q0hMPZxkY2kZbtWa7O4PX9sLBps7VlYU8I0_A/s2016/7%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20-%20coming%20down%20the%20mountain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAA_12RrSsL8JrJlxX44a-IEBh3K7NoIfearC5XgpKOOwBc4ofHc-qw6HvYcltcwoc0RJ6eNwmFFKM6G3cjc9dO_vI_ly-4TRVOyLBWJ9wxcI6v0V5lhq9pm-rDRrgw1xzNdAE6alYBFoDGMO_W7tD-Q0hMPZxkY2kZbtWa7O4PX9sLBps7VlYU8I0_A/w400-h300/7%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20-%20coming%20down%20the%20mountain.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose Fire - coming down the mountain</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsn_49JxbNCMptC734TwOyRNXqa5Sng62NusYJodqd9cAhIw8dw4j4F_YmxAh-kiamYQXUyPI8eb6uFs_dbXbQd58rFwmYbLrNPlnleuKHOmB3Qgzkfb77di_DF2Ls6wgZXjJ6-CYKBXXyei8Z8LgqVN86At5O_MVOJntbWdubn10UVRN40PxO4ST5A/s1080/8%20-%20Moose%20fire%20in%20mountains%20northeast%20of%20Salmon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="1080" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzsn_49JxbNCMptC734TwOyRNXqa5Sng62NusYJodqd9cAhIw8dw4j4F_YmxAh-kiamYQXUyPI8eb6uFs_dbXbQd58rFwmYbLrNPlnleuKHOmB3Qgzkfb77di_DF2Ls6wgZXjJ6-CYKBXXyei8Z8LgqVN86At5O_MVOJntbWdubn10UVRN40PxO4ST5A/w400-h225/8%20-%20Moose%20fire%20in%20mountains%20northeast%20of%20Salmon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose fire in mountains northeast of Salmon</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_x_N0qyJkk-Aisvob8P5-ceGI4tBt6lcGKvl-_m004Xt_knE0UsItXqml89YWQosJVqQP-HIPBqBJflJFpGdBQhY0Q_PTJQ77JwWcx9oJYQdkkcqicP-j0IjS3nWyozJtIO4K4tVWiiE7zmqXXSy8loYOSa4O2APwqUyyQ_Q1hMO9iJ2vq5a_Rd6Fw/s800/9%20-%20Moose%20fire%20coming%20down%20toward%20the%20river.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_x_N0qyJkk-Aisvob8P5-ceGI4tBt6lcGKvl-_m004Xt_knE0UsItXqml89YWQosJVqQP-HIPBqBJflJFpGdBQhY0Q_PTJQ77JwWcx9oJYQdkkcqicP-j0IjS3nWyozJtIO4K4tVWiiE7zmqXXSy8loYOSa4O2APwqUyyQ_Q1hMO9iJ2vq5a_Rd6Fw/w400-h225/9%20-%20Moose%20fire%20coming%20down%20toward%20the%20river.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose fire coming down toward the river</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6AO0_Yoz4vRCWUqV11vAxUwgcJCa1cYBd0jCe9ydDX152wKNz3oYyVKv0Sj0S7lF3uPdykQNqhD5IgVVPyqujzBXpWB3ctvTNrkU7O2uh-FiVK0mn5Jq7d57Dn3-Dru8dShkwEW7r_E_saBQJZtHGxGo55AhvKoX5nE8Yxj9D4YxBmerzI3zC5vlXw/s960/9%20A%20-Moose%20fire%20on%20mountain%20behind%20Salmon%20-%20smoke%20plume%20still%20very%20visible%20after%20sundown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW6AO0_Yoz4vRCWUqV11vAxUwgcJCa1cYBd0jCe9ydDX152wKNz3oYyVKv0Sj0S7lF3uPdykQNqhD5IgVVPyqujzBXpWB3ctvTNrkU7O2uh-FiVK0mn5Jq7d57Dn3-Dru8dShkwEW7r_E_saBQJZtHGxGo55AhvKoX5nE8Yxj9D4YxBmerzI3zC5vlXw/w300-h400/9%20A%20-Moose%20fire%20on%20mountain%20behind%20Salmon%20-%20smoke%20plume%20still%20very%20visible%20after%20sundown.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose fire on mountain behind Salmon - smoke plume still very visible after sundown</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a nice get-together at Phyllis and Bill’s place by the river, but the wind and smoke made it a bit difficult for the outdoor picnic. The fire had already burned down to the other side of the river in previous weeks, but now was making a big run closer to town, jeopardizing the watershed above the town.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I left early to drive back home before dark, since the visibility was already poor and we don’t usually drive at night. The entire valley was filled with thick smoke, all the way home. Strong winds had blown down trees and tree branches, and one of our lawn chairs next to the house had blown out into the driveway. I finished feeding the horses the rest of their “supper” in the dark.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim came by about that time, to borrow our battery charger to take to his friend Ken Francisco (who was driving equipment, helping with the firefighting). One of his trucks needed its battery charged, so Jim loaned him ours that night. It was much too smoky to open our windows that night to try to cool off the house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are some photos that several people took that night when the fire came over the mountain toward town.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0SkcdV_IBl996BE3Ti1oGJ3N0IW2JidM5gO6pgmpW8-hyqW9bbEx0PQ9Mu-is1_54pFBZ__disu0jd_fVE-qsM1IOIsQQVs8HhDbTNTqb2cHYGmyNbcE7lTZNuv1QK8bbJtC-fRUBxw5v04CzxeuTI-0hyQX29mPJ40cI6UhwnZgYdF5MCGIDwfceA/s1080/10%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20above%20town.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0SkcdV_IBl996BE3Ti1oGJ3N0IW2JidM5gO6pgmpW8-hyqW9bbEx0PQ9Mu-is1_54pFBZ__disu0jd_fVE-qsM1IOIsQQVs8HhDbTNTqb2cHYGmyNbcE7lTZNuv1QK8bbJtC-fRUBxw5v04CzxeuTI-0hyQX29mPJ40cI6UhwnZgYdF5MCGIDwfceA/w400-h300/10%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20above%20town.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose fire above town</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaD2ez2x-8ophC1l16wk2T1BVmddo18l2dHfvSIJ93lsJr80aPzUZl7M_wlwiBDraJP_dKEHQeznxghYnI4h8t_rPXQNJNQLFw_fD-rU7Ll5uRi8a1ueJlQD38xXsMS-m3kSOQk0aogZDaZvR-vzr8U4cNoS4aA00JJSz6sLPF9UwANfu4_gst4kFbA/s960/10%20A%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20the%20evening%20of%20September%207.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaD2ez2x-8ophC1l16wk2T1BVmddo18l2dHfvSIJ93lsJr80aPzUZl7M_wlwiBDraJP_dKEHQeznxghYnI4h8t_rPXQNJNQLFw_fD-rU7Ll5uRi8a1ueJlQD38xXsMS-m3kSOQk0aogZDaZvR-vzr8U4cNoS4aA00JJSz6sLPF9UwANfu4_gst4kFbA/w400-h300/10%20A%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20the%20evening%20of%20September%207.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_E6lfj7OPzQAYoSWDB94TMeMPOhZ84OsV3yZoIjiQxysnApPj_kIp6gIuFgSuc1l3KPrdt-l-N-ciPoTcIrqZpAQ4rpa5ObttdgSIdx7R4EPP6vXrLO3XxRU-m5nM-7Ml_J3O98lasT-lQ5zY1qeevN7hRDoiiUnCeHb3yDlas0Gb0a-cA9tf6C58uA/s1080/11%20-%20Moose%20fire%20above%20town%20Sept%207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_E6lfj7OPzQAYoSWDB94TMeMPOhZ84OsV3yZoIjiQxysnApPj_kIp6gIuFgSuc1l3KPrdt-l-N-ciPoTcIrqZpAQ4rpa5ObttdgSIdx7R4EPP6vXrLO3XxRU-m5nM-7Ml_J3O98lasT-lQ5zY1qeevN7hRDoiiUnCeHb3yDlas0Gb0a-cA9tf6C58uA/w400-h300/11%20-%20Moose%20fire%20above%20town%20Sept%207.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose Fire the evening of September 7th</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn’s sister Jenelle sent us a photo she took of the fire that evening, from her place near the fairgrounds.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlkCLm6AWG2VRO2kd7bF8E9mFhUPqTNOxxdR-2cmNgMnDL9qos_-2rFJ3AINqvvDguavwDPgVCmUetP8lev_LDYsut9h6k-S5zy-EeQJs0SCT1nYLqaa5EFBfJ0068_ZeeuWWRvk7L3Cs94DhXdpES5eRswRa-GdTRmRKyTWT4H4Tm5MXkM2CJWzmpQ/s4032/12%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20Sept%207%20-view%20from%20Jenelle%20Thomas'%20barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUlkCLm6AWG2VRO2kd7bF8E9mFhUPqTNOxxdR-2cmNgMnDL9qos_-2rFJ3AINqvvDguavwDPgVCmUetP8lev_LDYsut9h6k-S5zy-EeQJs0SCT1nYLqaa5EFBfJ0068_ZeeuWWRvk7L3Cs94DhXdpES5eRswRa-GdTRmRKyTWT4H4Tm5MXkM2CJWzmpQ/w400-h300/12%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20Sept%207%20-view%20from%20Jenelle%20Thomas'%20barn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose Fire Sept 7 -view from Jenelle Thomas' barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The smoke cleared out a little by 4 a.m. yesterday morning and I was able to open the windows. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jeff drove Jane back to Idaho Falls and Andrea came home that afternoon and by then it was very windy and smoky again.</span></div><div></div><div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Dani and her boyfriend Roger came out to help us get a few things done. They tromped down the tall grass that grew up along the hot wire above the horse pasture so we can turn it on again for when we have the cows and calves in that pasture for weaning. Andrea and I loaded a bunch of hay from my hayshed onto the feed truck to take around to the bull pen, and Dani and Roger helped us stack some hay there, and put some of the coarser hay into the barn to use as bedding this next calving season.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we took the feed truck down the lane toward the post pile pasture and gathered up all the old wire that Andrea and I threw over the fence into that lane when we dragged/cut it out of the bushes in the pasture where the heifers are grazing. We disposed of that wire (put it with other junk in the back of an old pickup in the barnyard) and took the truck up to Andrea’s house to bring down the 3 extra pieces of tin that were left over from the roofing project. We’ll use it to put on the backside of the calving barn where the wall boards are starting to rot.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Dani and Roger helped Jim split some wood to fill his trailer to take to the fellow who is buying a couple cords of wood from him, and Andrea changed water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and Carolyn came by with their truck and 6 big food grade barrels to fill with water at our hydrant. Their pump quit working and the new one won’t be here for several days, so they need water for house use and also for a couple horses in their corrals.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I fed the horses early again, and we went to town with Andrea. She picked up Christopher, since she will be taking care of him for the weekend, and then she drove us out to the restaurant where we had the last get-together for my class reunion. That way we didn’t have to drive home in the dark; she was our driver. So she and Christopher joined our reunion, and some of my old classmates already knew her and enjoyed seeing her and her grandson. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On our way home it was nearly dark but I took photos of the fire equipment at the fire camp at the fairgrounds, with all the smoke in the background.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9xUSIEkdiJ14Mmy5B7ZP5mKoCDooveLprr6E49JaaaG9uWBdNHuC9_G4HHr5N2au7FM5bBxFP6hbg08D5ZQTyAeYAxQ_hsjqE17-z35fdnUnRcAYPxFBRXTIeZnxIh9aQLpXv9SAGEQJMUkKZ-QqnEhITmqpElloGUthMy_QpN1eGu_SGABpdxxdvg/s4000/13%20-%20firefighting%20equipment%20at%20fairgrounds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy9xUSIEkdiJ14Mmy5B7ZP5mKoCDooveLprr6E49JaaaG9uWBdNHuC9_G4HHr5N2au7FM5bBxFP6hbg08D5ZQTyAeYAxQ_hsjqE17-z35fdnUnRcAYPxFBRXTIeZnxIh9aQLpXv9SAGEQJMUkKZ-QqnEhITmqpElloGUthMy_QpN1eGu_SGABpdxxdvg/w400-h300/13%20-%20firefighting%20equipment%20at%20fairgrounds.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">firefighting equipment at fairgrounds</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN5evc1NCYYPuMaG740rnG_V9LgizUI-a1mW8ZziK2yaYrSbxoBP4vxfYlDCOqiF8v44bL_SsMvrbE2DHfI4yK_kcAQZz8VpZH6fmqUcpfLMAFBImJ-xzqFBEEui2Jh_pdnU_f-7a0eVQbdr8M9Dw9V1saTGSNbs4ejjqNXqiTBexE8yZJfsMjT2GYg/s4000/14%20-%20smoke%20on%20mountain%20behind%20the%20fairgrounds.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPN5evc1NCYYPuMaG740rnG_V9LgizUI-a1mW8ZziK2yaYrSbxoBP4vxfYlDCOqiF8v44bL_SsMvrbE2DHfI4yK_kcAQZz8VpZH6fmqUcpfLMAFBImJ-xzqFBEEui2Jh_pdnU_f-7a0eVQbdr8M9Dw9V1saTGSNbs4ejjqNXqiTBexE8yZJfsMjT2GYg/w400-h300/14%20-%20smoke%20on%20mountain%20behind%20the%20fairgrounds.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXzTUXo6KaN6AGZh7-YfixR1ffdxJF8bshJy53qADrenCJTT-sNmydB4Ws4tjJUYUDqXUdKW5K46l1Ru8h9AOJ5wbOHd7rdWoNjZGbN_YXcCggcwy6K_85iLZ40uUm_n05UXYf6tfLkdK-_yxKdhJ5ECkgp0vQMihP3Sh92f6UbQeJaW1Wq9J6ThHEA/s4000/15%20-%20fire%20camp%20at%20fairgrounds.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzXzTUXo6KaN6AGZh7-YfixR1ffdxJF8bshJy53qADrenCJTT-sNmydB4Ws4tjJUYUDqXUdKW5K46l1Ru8h9AOJ5wbOHd7rdWoNjZGbN_YXcCggcwy6K_85iLZ40uUm_n05UXYf6tfLkdK-_yxKdhJ5ECkgp0vQMihP3Sh92f6UbQeJaW1Wq9J6ThHEA/w400-h300/15%20-%20fire%20camp%20at%20fairgrounds.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohBzgFHmy-WLRiBPqmYYWTs8kh1_QUokoTIibLEwoOetrOqeBJhVHRnWwF9Q3LeKK7nLujQNKc1RC_QZyuVHwTgNj6taMUR3jqqdyd5Q19xdzr3CVl9iKLMbYoYCF3U9tOgCKvFVh68InPUMBoHJ58WJTuNMPfYXVQyj0XIxuRCBoAAzJZ5g_HEV5wg/s4000/16%20-%20fire%20camp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohBzgFHmy-WLRiBPqmYYWTs8kh1_QUokoTIibLEwoOetrOqeBJhVHRnWwF9Q3LeKK7nLujQNKc1RC_QZyuVHwTgNj6taMUR3jqqdyd5Q19xdzr3CVl9iKLMbYoYCF3U9tOgCKvFVh68InPUMBoHJ58WJTuNMPfYXVQyj0XIxuRCBoAAzJZ5g_HEV5wg/w400-h300/16%20-%20fire%20camp.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">smoke on mountain behind fire camp at the fairgrounds</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The fire is still very much out of control above town, and getting closer to the ranches on that side of town, including Jenelle’s place. She sent us a photo she took as the fire started coming down on her side of the mountain.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQpAx4KmPREbe-XObGcR9LZ7X1AgXVTwdyNXtLVFF2AGMMg2YSZuijdxV5lA17VeAQiqcYSiS85e3qDGv_BcXlBuJkxUVbu-ql_M7PFN4GhwxwbMN3ULB5gnt1Gt8-c-IFd_t_tbFFH7Yg1ylWmh8Uax1q6DMXcPKAY6GOc-Euvwr2_MlkhWFv7LLMA/s4032/17%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20coming%20over%20the%20ridge%20toward%20Jenelle's%20place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQpAx4KmPREbe-XObGcR9LZ7X1AgXVTwdyNXtLVFF2AGMMg2YSZuijdxV5lA17VeAQiqcYSiS85e3qDGv_BcXlBuJkxUVbu-ql_M7PFN4GhwxwbMN3ULB5gnt1Gt8-c-IFd_t_tbFFH7Yg1ylWmh8Uax1q6DMXcPKAY6GOc-Euvwr2_MlkhWFv7LLMA/w400-h300/17%20-%20Moose%20Fire%20coming%20over%20the%20ridge%20toward%20Jenelle's%20place.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moose Fire coming over the ridge toward Jenelle's place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: 400;">She was supposed to evacuate, but didn’t. She was prepared to evacuate, and gathered up some of her cats—and one of them bit her hand. She got a serious infection and now has to go to the hospital every 6 hours for IV antibiotics.</span></b></div><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></b></span></div>SEPTEMBER 18</b><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">– </span><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather suddenly changed; after all those hot, windy days above 90 degrees, it started freezing at night. I had ice in my hoses last Saturday and Sunday when I did morning chores. Andrea brought Christopher down with her Saturday morning when she came to help me hook up the hot wire in the pasture above the house, and put a hot wire around the calf houses. He played in the dirt by the gate, with his trucks and tractors and little cars.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMHF3Y1tm7oW8LaJJERxkJO8tpUX82eQp5GD25V7QFQmvJVNHax-59I-H_DTJtgxLgMRReAymJs2FTWwYVhtm-2uUAtUWsDtd2wgq7X9Affm7H82xQ3QwNcAu_dgYfCb0fWVXkGW3j0B9dZoNdwD3GfvNAedpRpnA-5nAw5HPNlAfJ1j772RC8cr8VA/s4032/18%20-%20playing%20with%20trucks%20&%20tractors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMHF3Y1tm7oW8LaJJERxkJO8tpUX82eQp5GD25V7QFQmvJVNHax-59I-H_DTJtgxLgMRReAymJs2FTWwYVhtm-2uUAtUWsDtd2wgq7X9Affm7H82xQ3QwNcAu_dgYfCb0fWVXkGW3j0B9dZoNdwD3GfvNAedpRpnA-5nAw5HPNlAfJ1j772RC8cr8VA/w189-h400/18%20-%20playing%20with%20trucks%20&%20tractors.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing with trucks & tractors</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Lynn babysat him while she changed irrigation water, and I filled the water tank in that pasture, and put my orphan bull calf in the corral in front of the barn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim took Christopher to town (and back to Emily) when he took another trailer load of wood to the guy he sold it to. Andrea, Lynn and I took the already-weaned calves (including Kung Fu) around to the corral and put them through the chute to vaccinate. Andrea took a couple photos.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqvS6v6IwC9VbeoD6lfBKw7kTf5NYWPmgEq9Iau2N19KcyFXSX7iE_4BXTrMk2oRADWD42qui6010jigpop6wV-Y0IMaE5Ggz8jaAcwiPUrrmop1gmV24G5QRFy_h8YKhVX54opGrhX08D7nhvBgnVkoFby0b08gyjNLPCF2sH_ZrFlqtWPY0KYO5Lw/s4032/19%20-%20vaccinating%20calves.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigqvS6v6IwC9VbeoD6lfBKw7kTf5NYWPmgEq9Iau2N19KcyFXSX7iE_4BXTrMk2oRADWD42qui6010jigpop6wV-Y0IMaE5Ggz8jaAcwiPUrrmop1gmV24G5QRFy_h8YKhVX54opGrhX08D7nhvBgnVkoFby0b08gyjNLPCF2sH_ZrFlqtWPY0KYO5Lw/w400-h189/19%20-%20vaccinating%20calves.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LRMh1TMDXOXdiP1bkaD_qaqSuQ8_CEXaEBCAI6WkvYO3pn24JJfSuSUk3GnQWXZ32rPqJW0x8vWlXbcIqaaXeCug600Eiuo_lTzYR6ORPr_eqLMuftflJagd9izDcNGXqxAQ2rVVJjBgSUS6SiC23paV0KJrY0DupIVP6Pkz2E_omPZLET8Qq18oQQ/s4032/20%20-%20vaccinating%20calves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LRMh1TMDXOXdiP1bkaD_qaqSuQ8_CEXaEBCAI6WkvYO3pn24JJfSuSUk3GnQWXZ32rPqJW0x8vWlXbcIqaaXeCug600Eiuo_lTzYR6ORPr_eqLMuftflJagd9izDcNGXqxAQ2rVVJjBgSUS6SiC23paV0KJrY0DupIVP6Pkz2E_omPZLET8Qq18oQQ/w400-h189/20%20-%20vaccinating%20calves.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">vaccinating calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put all of them in the big pasture below the lane. Kung Fu is now part of the group and no longer needs grain. Even though his mama died 3 months ago, he grew nicely with the supplemental grain and isn’t any smaller than his buddies.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch I helped Andrea move the 9 pairs from the field below heifer hill; we took them across the creek and into the lower swamp pasture. They would be handy there for bringing them to the corral to wean their calves. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I cooked a big supper and we had Nick come out to visit and eat with us. Andrea was going to eat with us, but she’d run into Tony—our watermaster—that evening; he was out here shutting off our last little bit of water. She told him it wasn’t fair to shut off all our water, when Jack (with the first right) had water leaking under his weir/headgate that wasn’t being measured; he wasn’t really short. She told Tony that in years past we’ve had to fix Jack’s weir ourselves (putting plastic in it to stop the leak) since he refuses to fix it himself. So Tony agreed to leave us some water in our ditch and Andrea went down that evening to fix Jack’s weir, and by the time she got done, he had MORE than his allotted right. She took a photo of the weir measurement and sent it to Tony, and he agreed to leave our ditch running, and to keep him posted regarding how much water Jack actually has.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So, she didn’t quite make it in time to eat dinner with us and Nick, but when she got finished she got Christopher (Jim had been tending him) and brought him along and played a few rounds of Tripoli with us.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWh6xM-8Seau3dvqz32e66RLO5R4ckYLq2aU02TjEEy_PPOePN5Zd6Cd0S59VlV-1oHsDCo3pwYvb5CkHQ6IKcI0mzsE7-Jj3HexjnPvM2wtspYQuT70ye2_uemTPM4TWOgVLaK7fFY0krJTSIs6pJd8S6rffoE9UImRWAIhVR8FeY0d62f023q3C-UA/s4032/21%20-%20playing%20Tripoli%20with%20Nick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWh6xM-8Seau3dvqz32e66RLO5R4ckYLq2aU02TjEEy_PPOePN5Zd6Cd0S59VlV-1oHsDCo3pwYvb5CkHQ6IKcI0mzsE7-Jj3HexjnPvM2wtspYQuT70ye2_uemTPM4TWOgVLaK7fFY0krJTSIs6pJd8S6rffoE9UImRWAIhVR8FeY0d62f023q3C-UA/w400-h189/21%20-%20playing%20Tripoli%20with%20Nick.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing Tripoli with Nick</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIbcOKfVtJdxBKeiiWGTC-Wcn16lfyVxVM28BqQM-PLHXggGwLFRl7z6FwK-I8W8aiiIitqB9OFFoVCfTkSZOIvTFeAIziEpFTky8Nb1bJ9OLJrIdDFy3SVNi4dWoDbyWBeKhWg-7DIF1VFWf_xhdtVJv3ZDz-r4SIZNgDxA9fVMLhV5wTQimeRQvOA/s4032/22%20-%20A%20winning%20hand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIbcOKfVtJdxBKeiiWGTC-Wcn16lfyVxVM28BqQM-PLHXggGwLFRl7z6FwK-I8W8aiiIitqB9OFFoVCfTkSZOIvTFeAIziEpFTky8Nb1bJ9OLJrIdDFy3SVNi4dWoDbyWBeKhWg-7DIF1VFWf_xhdtVJv3ZDz-r4SIZNgDxA9fVMLhV5wTQimeRQvOA/w400-h189/22%20-%20A%20winning%20hand.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a winning hand</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3zlMKp2SucMwCvk0tkK6bgyafRuGptmXmPfMGVv83Y_R3f2XiuFjZJJ-CQtMFzO-prYh_bzCglsCrptt-NhOtfu8RSzXMfRZ_Etd-WyBb5sospmq5GsaKvc9D_HYJsh7ibGAOPxUkDPd7WqE5yC41HTq5bXM9-s62HXFyLrUHMaxXCTLrgU9DcHmhQ/s4032/23%20-%20Nick%20won%20that%20round.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3zlMKp2SucMwCvk0tkK6bgyafRuGptmXmPfMGVv83Y_R3f2XiuFjZJJ-CQtMFzO-prYh_bzCglsCrptt-NhOtfu8RSzXMfRZ_Etd-WyBb5sospmq5GsaKvc9D_HYJsh7ibGAOPxUkDPd7WqE5yC41HTq5bXM9-s62HXFyLrUHMaxXCTLrgU9DcHmhQ/w189-h400/23%20-%20Nick%20won%20that%20round.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nick won that round</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday when I did morning chores and checked the heifers, there were some range cattle on that back side, nose-to-nose with our heifers through the fence, trying to get into our field. There’s no water in that dried-up bog on the outside of the fence this year, due to the drought, so those range cows are hungry and thirsty. There’s one really weak spot in the fence, where the new jack fence ties into the old wire fence, and a cow might push through or over it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So that morning when Andrea came down after breakfast, we took some steel posts and several poles over there and she set the posts and we tied the poles to them to make the fence higher and stronger. The heifers were curious and ganged around the 4-wheeler and also came up to where we were working, to check out what we were doing. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got done with that project, I lured the cows and calves down into the hold pen next to the corral, and Lynn helped us sort the calves off. We put the calves through the chute, vaccinated them, poured them with insecticide to kill horn flies, and Andrea put in their nose flaps.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gBaU9GwypnQhPgPFhDQpG8jOnkKbOJTt-CnLxhPMd0BYZi005VpvMcJ_BDIwyWGZHr4EKYcsqy-6UxsIjjYrXR8obfnpMv9X_O4Zw-1LYloAXMcFshe9LtDRXpglrJEI470MR6YJbXq3Xu9iXSa5oDftsF4rk2gC1xdoeqqbQBf1uW6mvmtyKbsdqA/s4032/24-%20putting%20in%20nose%20flaps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3gBaU9GwypnQhPgPFhDQpG8jOnkKbOJTt-CnLxhPMd0BYZi005VpvMcJ_BDIwyWGZHr4EKYcsqy-6UxsIjjYrXR8obfnpMv9X_O4Zw-1LYloAXMcFshe9LtDRXpglrJEI470MR6YJbXq3Xu9iXSa5oDftsF4rk2gC1xdoeqqbQBf1uW6mvmtyKbsdqA/w400-h189/24-%20putting%20in%20nose%20flaps.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting in nose flaps</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put the cows and calves in the pasture above the house for their weaning period. The calves can still be with their mothers for a week (and not be forlorn and insecure) but they can’t nurse. The cows start to dry up and the calves adjust to not having milk, and it’s the easiest kind of weaning, and the least stressful for both the cows and the calves.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out that afternoon and changed the oil in Andrea’s old Explorer. Michael and Carolyn came again to fill their water barrels. Their new pump wasn’t here yet, and they needed more water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday morning when I checked the heifers, some of them were up on the hill. When I hiked up there to check on them I had a close look at the fence we put up last year to fence off the deep eroded canyon where water comes down the hill from the upper ditch. The net fence was mashed down to about half its original height, probably by deer going over it, so there was risk of a heifer getting into that enclosure and falling into the chasm. So a bit later that morning Andrea and I took a bunch of steel posts and the post pounder across that field on the 4-wheeler, and carried them up the hill. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We tried to call Dani and Roger (to hire them to help us) but didn’t reach them, so Andrea called Emily. It was her day off so she brought Christopher and Lynn babysat him while she helped us carry more posts up there. We set about 20 posts (in between the old ones) and pulled the netting back upright again and clipped it to the posts.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1r7VqIpBSILOX1kzjat1KZiEOld23eUCM4aOeeCfWp99L5pYGJj216aNLH4q9L2hmLAPJ74zTDaxZRp1jF0jZL8-yTMZ3Id7lgFYjH3oSXsJc1ypiu-jq7H_1KazeI87OyCOmbZjIYiafiyPgNWrpayeip0bcl0N36sc33Z6L4Wb7Z0EtYS8iURugQ/s4032/25%20-%20hooking%20netting%20to%20the%20new%20steel%20posts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1r7VqIpBSILOX1kzjat1KZiEOld23eUCM4aOeeCfWp99L5pYGJj216aNLH4q9L2hmLAPJ74zTDaxZRp1jF0jZL8-yTMZ3Id7lgFYjH3oSXsJc1ypiu-jq7H_1KazeI87OyCOmbZjIYiafiyPgNWrpayeip0bcl0N36sc33Z6L4Wb7Z0EtYS8iURugQ/w400-h189/25%20-%20hooking%20netting%20to%20the%20new%20steel%20posts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hooking netting to the new steel posts</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got done and came back with the 4-wheeler one of the heifers was lying down, apart from the others, and I hiked down to check on her and make sure she was ok. The other heifers ganged around Emily on the 4-wheeler so Andrea took photos.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmGHH5ySWRTMRvRYK88t8Y3voUJDESHcNUt3pilaKPdj5SkLsK9BQqhuJqiXBn2Vr6WuLDkxhtb9-GT7QTpnNQvxGIb8xHGO02QBenPuLQxHYe0iyOZ417YAF7HDt2vYRasA78YgTdUYKs0sUEaCZS27E2HVuMfu-7kqbAJq9fB2rEic4CTzjMathFw/s4032/26%20-%20heifers%20checking%20out%20Emily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPmGHH5ySWRTMRvRYK88t8Y3voUJDESHcNUt3pilaKPdj5SkLsK9BQqhuJqiXBn2Vr6WuLDkxhtb9-GT7QTpnNQvxGIb8xHGO02QBenPuLQxHYe0iyOZ417YAF7HDt2vYRasA78YgTdUYKs0sUEaCZS27E2HVuMfu-7kqbAJq9fB2rEic4CTzjMathFw/w400-h189/26%20-%20heifers%20checking%20out%20Emily.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers checking out Emily</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcShwT3U1bIid0ViTa4buiOoKOU7ydcJQGhDpAz6IYa6S8s8yfZIBNxY_6b9exu-BPeT4FzxZGWbn0eCN4kNP5y1GzCUEow6PZxQrYeu38zA2Aresi4o07zmqSudcNdO83GJxf8PUiwqivMpkMe1kUBHScOEH_s0ddxqyqmTudBUAAa_0nwa-vmvgUZA/s4032/27%20-%20heifers%20checking%20Em%20&%20me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcShwT3U1bIid0ViTa4buiOoKOU7ydcJQGhDpAz6IYa6S8s8yfZIBNxY_6b9exu-BPeT4FzxZGWbn0eCN4kNP5y1GzCUEow6PZxQrYeu38zA2Aresi4o07zmqSudcNdO83GJxf8PUiwqivMpkMe1kUBHScOEH_s0ddxqyqmTudBUAAa_0nwa-vmvgUZA/w400-h189/27%20-%20heifers%20checking%20Em%20&%20me.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers checking Em & me</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve been seeing a lot of bear poop in our fields and in the brush, and that evening we saw a black bear gallop across the field above the cows and calves.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday was fairly cool and we actually had a tiny bit of rain that afternoon and evening. Michael and Carolyn got more water here, but their new pump was supposed to arrive the next day. Andrea and I hiked through the cows and calves to check on them and make sure none of the calves have lost their nose flaps or have been able to figure out how to “cheat” and nurse their mothers.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBDAdEz7FRuQrtFmQ1hekv_2Y93HgIRXtTv3ySElN_LAfu33dJbTU-SD6EFWVz01ArEykWA8BOAehYvy4mllYLCoNWY6EExAauMsGkgdbXCLnO-IZRMGSx9FqJnjevELYBSbiXi9PlEImgfbKU-ADN5yBAyBksvV6xY25mCqgJEnZsLiV71pG096nBQ/s4032/28%20-%20checking%20on%20the%20weaning%20process.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBDAdEz7FRuQrtFmQ1hekv_2Y93HgIRXtTv3ySElN_LAfu33dJbTU-SD6EFWVz01ArEykWA8BOAehYvy4mllYLCoNWY6EExAauMsGkgdbXCLnO-IZRMGSx9FqJnjevELYBSbiXi9PlEImgfbKU-ADN5yBAyBksvV6xY25mCqgJEnZsLiV71pG096nBQ/w400-h189/28%20-%20checking%20on%20the%20weaning%20process.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking on the weaning process</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSnYkq43eNIuzNiRX5595fwPbpwrucSYOI26us0SwFCvOIPamDLR2Zx3HTgQpkEWoNrblun4PGjDXPoxppzKCgzp-xvJjCYnOADEEpWRCgYIQ-13SsBAlo08_eAJhRQJpJ9C3Wf5zXUxXA_cgHJTM55unJst4N4Xz3QF-IE5iC3POtII51DjkZRKFnQ/s4032/29%20-%20calf%20with%20nose%20flap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSnYkq43eNIuzNiRX5595fwPbpwrucSYOI26us0SwFCvOIPamDLR2Zx3HTgQpkEWoNrblun4PGjDXPoxppzKCgzp-xvJjCYnOADEEpWRCgYIQ-13SsBAlo08_eAJhRQJpJ9C3Wf5zXUxXA_cgHJTM55unJst4N4Xz3QF-IE5iC3POtII51DjkZRKFnQ/w400-h189/29%20-%20calf%20with%20nose%20flap.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf with nose flap</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8IOMJLXMDqoCMxGXI8wcXFrIyc9fKKynCoYpeG2EkTJsX_YbJyPaCfVGHru9SpwC1_24OZXNNjVweYmOT0yuA4hsGeRQsHVuldpETHlljDzHzNaYt5c9HcmP2z1T5XG6I2cLKzRbrhHsHqcZkg-cG08GkITl5_cT40DWDnshUfUo6bSg0Uuc-bX6cw/s4032/30%20-bull%20calf%20with%20nose%20flap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv8IOMJLXMDqoCMxGXI8wcXFrIyc9fKKynCoYpeG2EkTJsX_YbJyPaCfVGHru9SpwC1_24OZXNNjVweYmOT0yuA4hsGeRQsHVuldpETHlljDzHzNaYt5c9HcmP2z1T5XG6I2cLKzRbrhHsHqcZkg-cG08GkITl5_cT40DWDnshUfUo6bSg0Uuc-bX6cw/w400-h189/30%20-bull%20calf%20with%20nose%20flap.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bull </span></i><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf with nose flap</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday was foggy and cool all morning. Tom Stephenson came by with some squash and cucumbers from his garden and we commiserated with him about losing Ann. He stayed about an hour and we had a really good visit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I checked on the yearling heifers in the back field, and she took a photo of one of the yearlings lovingly licking another; those two are good friends.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq58ru-lSHd23s4tj1LKtkoapvoei6TH6Mt9gegiFZJ8n_gggk0LuGmB3LfuvKpPyy9AePcEPp0021ZRaP7l3p-4G6_s2EqcEwecdEFLvSDEKrPw5hoJr9fWUCbp5v-oDRKMK3_nIesdKoWfxIWI7KH0yrOQvZQUKmeYHFN7WhPG6Vpzp01J4ZsRi19Q/s4032/31%20-%20checking%20on%20the%20yearling%20heifers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq58ru-lSHd23s4tj1LKtkoapvoei6TH6Mt9gegiFZJ8n_gggk0LuGmB3LfuvKpPyy9AePcEPp0021ZRaP7l3p-4G6_s2EqcEwecdEFLvSDEKrPw5hoJr9fWUCbp5v-oDRKMK3_nIesdKoWfxIWI7KH0yrOQvZQUKmeYHFN7WhPG6Vpzp01J4ZsRi19Q/w400-h189/31%20-%20checking%20on%20the%20yearling%20heifers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking on the yearling heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0J6RFfuUrmAEQiOmdTHhhaHkko12XqoBd5SWhDGSzr6agaTahf2d-4kfsWMVN0z79PKnk1Fr7tp8soEdQgY3hXcQtsG-rTVQAQxaMQlL51fXlT1IyPt6fO29-n_eqx_MW0B1WcYyNmL8AzeKAg3p0Q099igXlwJLoaq2P1kosmpcg6lbdm2EPGTjhQ/s4608/32%20-%20good%20friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl0J6RFfuUrmAEQiOmdTHhhaHkko12XqoBd5SWhDGSzr6agaTahf2d-4kfsWMVN0z79PKnk1Fr7tp8soEdQgY3hXcQtsG-rTVQAQxaMQlL51fXlT1IyPt6fO29-n_eqx_MW0B1WcYyNmL8AzeKAg3p0Q099igXlwJLoaq2P1kosmpcg6lbdm2EPGTjhQ/w190-h400/32%20-%20good%20friends.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">good friends</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea went over to Minor’s place and watered their garden, since Jane hadn’t been home for several days. The next day she changed her water and left it in spots where it could run for quite a while, and she drove to Idaho Falls again to stay with Bob in the hospital so Jane could come home for a while.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I went to town to have our first appointment with our new doctor. We haven’t been to a doctor for quite a long time—since before COVID—and the one we used to go to is no longer here. We needed to choose a new one, so we opted for the one that Andrea started seeing, that she really likes. We like him, too. It was time to have some checkups on several things—Lynn’s prostate, and to schedule his heart checkup, assess our skin lesions (some precancerous ones that probably need to be removed) and both of us are overdue for colonoscopies. So the doctor got us set up with appointments for those things at a later date.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and Carolyn got their new pump installed and are glad to have water again! On Friday Lynn went up to Andrea’s house and fed her cats and dogs for her. Yesterday she drove home again, since Jane was able to go back to be with Bob in the hospital. When she got home she went to change water and discovered she had NO water in the ditch by her house. She hiked up the ditch and found that Alfonso had put one of her sandbags down into the creek in front of the head-gate, to block off the water! She had to wrestle it up out of the creek and out of the way. It’s a sandbag that Andrea took up there last fall when Alfonso failed to shut off the ditch (since he used it last) and it was threatening to flood Vicki’s basement. Andrea blocked off the ditch for winter, then removed the sandbag this spring, to start the ditch again. Apparently it was too handy there, however, when Alfonso decided to deprive us of our water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso and the Millers rounded up most of their cows off the range, but when they sorted them in the little area across the road from my brother’s house, some burst through the back fence; a big bunch came down along Michael and Carolyn’s fence and some got into their field. Michael and Carolyn tried to get them out that evening, and one mean old cow charged at Carolyn and the only thing that deterred her was Carolyn jumping up and down and waving her arms and screaming, and the cow went around her instead of hitting her.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Earlier that day, when some of the riders were bringing cattle down the road, they failed to shut Mark Myers’ gate and a few cattle went into that field. Instead of herding them back out the gate, the riders jammed them through the fence into Art Turner’s pasture, and then jammed them through the fence to get them back out onto the road. A few didn’t make it back out, and ended up in Louck’s yard, and were still in Louck’s place the next day. Nick happened to be up at his folks’ place (they were gone that day) and saw it all happen. So now Michael has more fences to fix (since he is leasing Mark’s and Art’s places).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Charlie came out to help us, and we gathered the cows and calves from above the house and took them to the corral. Charlie and Lynn guarded my hay as Andrea and I brought the cows and calves out of the pasture and past the hay shed to go around to the corral (they like to try to eat the hay or rub on the hay bales).</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfWkgFk4_4lVLSIV3Ft1oJKeuLXwUy55ea6ltiNjUwStkmoI0K-Si4Y38eOCQ8sxKn7b-DyIyX5F2Si53VaniIwDU3ot6fBRo2mv2x0JIqzsYr7d9CP15etjnB53nx-8I8ggSOOppA4-AQAIBqYjzvjO9XJ0yvGYrgTgAcgw8mx_j5_iE7zxwmabyYw/s4032/33%20-%20Charlie%20&%20Lynn%20guarding%20the%20haystack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfWkgFk4_4lVLSIV3Ft1oJKeuLXwUy55ea6ltiNjUwStkmoI0K-Si4Y38eOCQ8sxKn7b-DyIyX5F2Si53VaniIwDU3ot6fBRo2mv2x0JIqzsYr7d9CP15etjnB53nx-8I8ggSOOppA4-AQAIBqYjzvjO9XJ0yvGYrgTgAcgw8mx_j5_iE7zxwmabyYw/w189-h400/33%20-%20Charlie%20&%20Lynn%20guarding%20the%20haystack.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie & Lynn guarding the haystack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We sorted them off and put the calves down the chute again so Andrea could take out their nose flaps. Then we put the calves with the other weaned calves in the good pasture below the lane, and put the cows in the lower swamp pasture. Andrea took photos as Charlie and I took the newly weaned calves past the house and down to the pasture to join the already-weaned calves.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT96rvLqWhBAGC5lYT9AWLrhWUTmJK9JLzPlPLxmDHe6nxix_wEG1lAYwZ5eXudJQr0aSlBIE1Qr10ERoLv2ETyjhyelNYDQrVBbqHFHVPpAbGLe92AjvvA0ckuclcKNjTjESDsYV8K3xp47AWRn9lWjUi4M0mN4PSg7mIVXfpJ992Dt1Mhqg8Pe6Kpw/s4032/34%20-%20taking%20the%20weaned%20calves%20to%20past%20the%20house%20and%20barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT96rvLqWhBAGC5lYT9AWLrhWUTmJK9JLzPlPLxmDHe6nxix_wEG1lAYwZ5eXudJQr0aSlBIE1Qr10ERoLv2ETyjhyelNYDQrVBbqHFHVPpAbGLe92AjvvA0ckuclcKNjTjESDsYV8K3xp47AWRn9lWjUi4M0mN4PSg7mIVXfpJ992Dt1Mhqg8Pe6Kpw/w400-h189/34%20-%20taking%20the%20weaned%20calves%20to%20past%20the%20house%20and%20barn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the weaned calves to past the house and barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R78R3RUp89XdPXqe5CwvKp_bIuE3cnLFcZNPwUk7Zyom_urK83SX_1EnXiu8rJuQBayw3uecQjzyOT5bbF5YsxvCscnDEKilzUYjPszuFYyA_5VGuozW8mvB5zNuidStsObivOahijI89A62I_LE-0IzVG6lUyK5eYNbZc_U5enajGso9qKTEg3KGg/s4032/35%20-%20taking%20the%20newly%20weaned%20calves%20to%20join%20the%20other%20calves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9R78R3RUp89XdPXqe5CwvKp_bIuE3cnLFcZNPwUk7Zyom_urK83SX_1EnXiu8rJuQBayw3uecQjzyOT5bbF5YsxvCscnDEKilzUYjPszuFYyA_5VGuozW8mvB5zNuidStsObivOahijI89A62I_LE-0IzVG6lUyK5eYNbZc_U5enajGso9qKTEg3KGg/w400-h189/35%20-%20taking%20the%20newly%20weaned%20calves%20to%20join%20the%20other%20calves.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the newly weaned calves to join the other calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Charlie helped Andrea retrieve her sandbag from the ditch head and bring it back on the 4-wheeler. While I was fixing lunch for all of us, Charlie helped Andrea take a few steel posts and the post pounder up the hill from the back field and fix one more place in the range fence, where the elk mashed it down this spring.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch we took a couple bales from my hay shed to put in the corral for the cows we’ll be selling, and Charlie helped us straighten out the old feeder. The young bull that lived in that corral this summer (until we sold him) had beaten up on the feeder and smashed it together and we had to widen it out again. Charlie spent a little time at Andrea’s house before he left, and Andrea took a photo of him with one of his favorite old cats.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMU3yZigUOE-I4hpTL4dk-ZCc5CNScvuJHN9Hz-eVl1FISeHhLHm6lFHgunxEC6FmPM5KyC0LunizxNt18kSgwulHHvyb__uzavHVqAmf71EpZREE7VthMxwEF4QuK_B5e1hQZc786aX0OmtR50WTj1rUiFX0NjUT4i42JzPaeRmxhmGLvgbI4ismxA/s4032/36%20-%20Charlie%20&%20cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMU3yZigUOE-I4hpTL4dk-ZCc5CNScvuJHN9Hz-eVl1FISeHhLHm6lFHgunxEC6FmPM5KyC0LunizxNt18kSgwulHHvyb__uzavHVqAmf71EpZREE7VthMxwEF4QuK_B5e1hQZc786aX0OmtR50WTj1rUiFX0NjUT4i42JzPaeRmxhmGLvgbI4ismxA/w189-h400/36%20-%20Charlie%20&%20cat.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie & cat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span></p><p><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">SEPTEMBER 24</b><b> </b></span><span style="font-size: large;">– </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Sunday evening Lynn started feeling sick, coughing and very congested. He spent all day Monday in bed. Andrea took me to town for my dental appointment. The dentist had tried to pull the one tooth that became wobbly a few weeks ago, and put fillings in a couple others. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">While I was at the dentist office, Andrea got the mail and groceries, and some vitamins and supplements for Lynn, and some COVID tests. She checked Lynn when we got home, and he does have COVID. So we started him on several medications and lots of fluids. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I had severe bleeding from the tooth that was pulled, in spite of the gauze stuffed into the hole; it bled through the gauze for several hours. When I took that gauze out it bled severely again, and I stuffed another piece of gauze into the hole and bit down on it. It bled through that so much that I was spitting out blood every few minutes, and swallowed a lot of blood. But it finally quit bleeding by the time I went to bed, and I left that gauze in for 24 hours. When I finally took it out I soaked it in cold water in my mouth for 10 minutes and gently worked it loose with my tongue, and it came loose without pulling off the blood clot.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We got an e-mail message from granddaughter Heather in Saskatchewan, updating us on their family news, and a photo of Joseph with a young rabbit that wandered into their garden. Gregory caught it and the kids have made it a pet.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ouCPb6QXc-WLXDc01dRwP3Fv00fuNLufxbFCFYQ-cz6YjNzFr7WYhuppLYgQDaV1Fm30cxi53y_7Es6LpTuzD6kamyXM2msdjOdpKPkcIIpMJDPF1EW6nfLIIpYMRQOMDBrX3IW-7zQg4CosGyKxFbhvzygyo1lEEfW1e2OQfWmgxLWIBe8bYRH5IA/s4032/37%20-Joseph%20&%20rabbit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ouCPb6QXc-WLXDc01dRwP3Fv00fuNLufxbFCFYQ-cz6YjNzFr7WYhuppLYgQDaV1Fm30cxi53y_7Es6LpTuzD6kamyXM2msdjOdpKPkcIIpMJDPF1EW6nfLIIpYMRQOMDBrX3IW-7zQg4CosGyKxFbhvzygyo1lEEfW1e2OQfWmgxLWIBe8bYRH5IA/w300-h400/37%20-Joseph%20&%20rabbit.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph & rabbit</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">For several days I fed the newly weaned calves a little hay in the calving pen—some of my very best horse hay--so they can eat that as well as their pasture. I wanted them used to eating hay, and gentle (coming to me for hay when I called them out of the pasture) before we sold them.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a tiny bit of rain (only a few drops) one evening and there was a nice rainbow when I was doing chores. I took photos of it, and of the blooming vine that grows on the willows next to the creek by our bridge.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Uoa129UU27QpaO5XGGK0UMcVnrxwMvdQuBbayqBZm8IcXVmfnXLzrwWlOwM_RzoZrsU5pvP6S0whtZkKy8u6AYNUHgt_VViYC7YOTrhzKP8RaBrTB5XlX1R2CxaKHgfnZq0T-HGf595rIfB_cH_VaRGeiHrRVxvH0HXSrjBQnPdz1uxAK0oskKjlyA/s4000/38%20-%20rainbow.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Uoa129UU27QpaO5XGGK0UMcVnrxwMvdQuBbayqBZm8IcXVmfnXLzrwWlOwM_RzoZrsU5pvP6S0whtZkKy8u6AYNUHgt_VViYC7YOTrhzKP8RaBrTB5XlX1R2CxaKHgfnZq0T-HGf595rIfB_cH_VaRGeiHrRVxvH0HXSrjBQnPdz1uxAK0oskKjlyA/w400-h300/38%20-%20rainbow.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4-08JtyhqYibZgJnChp4nPvgbOdF-wnAwYfpgoVDDuvzDlx1PIWzIGvFH0OKNBXUs06rRVnnFMmLyps-u8Z7IaUD_OlXQ8JoMsfcK2pGP8kU23Yp06iFViClDrIzwfyfJ09scAnFXW1gM5ghmGgZC0ndmJZeOQcgoanqyLxDI7dMXU_s7KOb_dmVWg/s4000/39%20-%20rainbow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4-08JtyhqYibZgJnChp4nPvgbOdF-wnAwYfpgoVDDuvzDlx1PIWzIGvFH0OKNBXUs06rRVnnFMmLyps-u8Z7IaUD_OlXQ8JoMsfcK2pGP8kU23Yp06iFViClDrIzwfyfJ09scAnFXW1gM5ghmGgZC0ndmJZeOQcgoanqyLxDI7dMXU_s7KOb_dmVWg/w400-h300/39%20-%20rainbow.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">rainbow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4vJ9Wz9k8SlVCRzuWDFRTaPhJ2oIENloC5WsnlD5a8in4KskJo9u5QZ_NWwrQU70Q_jrWJt3xpsqC4Sc5Uflm1GQJMhd9ZcfChoqRPkdIYQX12B5wjgYaDGFvNVluNJStEBI3CDKyrECu80o4gGiUOc2Opwmi0xDTDnwD_YGATUs2QkCcOQDhMpUrQ/s4000/40%20-%20vine%20in%20bloom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4vJ9Wz9k8SlVCRzuWDFRTaPhJ2oIENloC5WsnlD5a8in4KskJo9u5QZ_NWwrQU70Q_jrWJt3xpsqC4Sc5Uflm1GQJMhd9ZcfChoqRPkdIYQX12B5wjgYaDGFvNVluNJStEBI3CDKyrECu80o4gGiUOc2Opwmi0xDTDnwD_YGATUs2QkCcOQDhMpUrQ/w300-h400/40%20-%20vine%20in%20bloom.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">vine in bloom</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">By Tuesday Lynn was feeling a little better, and actually felt like eating a little. We had soup (something that sounded good to him, and also something I could eat without having to chew, because my teeth are really bad on the other side of my mouth as well), and made sure he drank a lot of fluid. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">That morning Andrea and I got in the 2 open heifers we need to sell. The whole group followed us out of the field to the gate into the lane, where we were able to slip 9 of them into the post pile pasture and keep back the 2 we want to sell. We brought them up to the corral and then lured some of the cows (including Pimples, the open 3-year-old cow) into the round corral and sorted Pimples into the main corral to be with the heifers. We had a lot of hay in the feeder for them, so they’d have plenty to eat until we haul them to the auction yard. Then we put the rest of the cows into the upper swamp pasture where they’ll have enough grass to last a week or more. The weaned steer calves we plan to sell were doing nicely in the orchard and horse pasture. I fed them a little hay a couple times in the calving pen, so it would be easy to lure them in on the day we’d be hauling them to the sale. I took photos of some of them lounging in the calving pen.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzR8sacvLyLf2sRkgnLX2nJxSBvX-kor7P-NeWJUTwunVk_Gfn_VtkQUpJvwG9__4Bqd-fVLX3La4EOAzsQcY_PlZhIrjeLepJUlKGNNEDT_ViGH8E85GPL-DOE5GGinGGg3oeQcKdik2gt_0Wnpr-woPo62QaJ1YcJznTyOEl5ouU7Z1VOFufeRVDQA/s4000/41%20-%20lounging%20around.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzR8sacvLyLf2sRkgnLX2nJxSBvX-kor7P-NeWJUTwunVk_Gfn_VtkQUpJvwG9__4Bqd-fVLX3La4EOAzsQcY_PlZhIrjeLepJUlKGNNEDT_ViGH8E85GPL-DOE5GGinGGg3oeQcKdik2gt_0Wnpr-woPo62QaJ1YcJznTyOEl5ouU7Z1VOFufeRVDQA/w400-h300/41%20-%20lounging%20around.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lounging around</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDq4UcmkPUqCfGS7sY1I9b9EnduO1pczfrlyI_Fou7hyZ6s1dRoYTk19vycJ_-0PCcrtr-UyA1jU1TTlGsxR-H6tlw7B-G7BFDgy0sZab-jWW2_dVr2jI5UXSNj9_KoR-0hTjD7Iz9UNmc7h0H1htRWmn5KlRqrVop6Ny0xLGBUmTaNlPhclXagqxJw/s4000/42%20-%20Lilligator's%20steer%20calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDq4UcmkPUqCfGS7sY1I9b9EnduO1pczfrlyI_Fou7hyZ6s1dRoYTk19vycJ_-0PCcrtr-UyA1jU1TTlGsxR-H6tlw7B-G7BFDgy0sZab-jWW2_dVr2jI5UXSNj9_KoR-0hTjD7Iz9UNmc7h0H1htRWmn5KlRqrVop6Ny0xLGBUmTaNlPhclXagqxJw/w400-h300/42%20-%20Lilligator's%20steer%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lilligator's steer calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eAZ8yfIYAXsasvASvnzVPQmkcYjqLju12KlJ-_sOu91tQfdYpAbUbM5lFw-qr_-eeeCtD9vb-LdSyEYbeHFVIo7N9dATxKJa8eP11MHkUEsWFetkwhWzLpQeNbNckv5KeOgHalYo8rA4OhpVc_OG_ydbR9ikKUwA3ZAL24BmyDMMVdYwUwDN8LAsqg/s4000/43%20-%20Outlandish's%20steer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eAZ8yfIYAXsasvASvnzVPQmkcYjqLju12KlJ-_sOu91tQfdYpAbUbM5lFw-qr_-eeeCtD9vb-LdSyEYbeHFVIo7N9dATxKJa8eP11MHkUEsWFetkwhWzLpQeNbNckv5KeOgHalYo8rA4OhpVc_OG_ydbR9ikKUwA3ZAL24BmyDMMVdYwUwDN8LAsqg/w400-h300/43%20-%20Outlandish's%20steer.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Outlandish's steer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Alligator Eyes’ steer was standing by the gate into the calving pen when I took his photo, next to the new little water tank.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxQW6Jg3f0irQFC7S6aF1Q4k_Xy58H7F-4s-6Qcocc5uwoXPz3th0w2NSYydh1Jpl2ErgoKG1J0mMN3OBVBnJgcswzZz94bfhoVKGbsDhfs4zRWkZng8EP6TbnGR0GDf4q1debWtOxV3P6SqZOPDY4_3bb0uHuvlT0ihQLmuaanb8vxllRQ9fVxSKIw/s4000/44%20-%20Alligator%20Eyes'%20steer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxQW6Jg3f0irQFC7S6aF1Q4k_Xy58H7F-4s-6Qcocc5uwoXPz3th0w2NSYydh1Jpl2ErgoKG1J0mMN3OBVBnJgcswzZz94bfhoVKGbsDhfs4zRWkZng8EP6TbnGR0GDf4q1debWtOxV3P6SqZOPDY4_3bb0uHuvlT0ihQLmuaanb8vxllRQ9fVxSKIw/w400-h300/44%20-%20Alligator%20Eyes'%20steer.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alligator Eyes' steer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea brought her pickup down here and hooked it up to our stock trailer and checked the tires. Some were a bit low on air so she used our air compressor to get them up to proper pressure. Her truck tires were also a little low so she added air to them, too.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJWU-br7Fpc5XZ4IT9G9w5xapFcPRGT0GRG3OLQCQyBu8BNpxmHwz5FsHI7SBo18UrQpyVqnoGjuvXhqPMnxaQux8_Fe0sgOR6PTEHRGaU73z_rik9jDKrU_ZwhiHe03Iux2DHW9dGyV5f2uDT00MS9hj-D-zRJ4Kr2IPedyph30pYeklAOxe25hBnQ/s4000/45%20-%20%20checking%20air%20pressure.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJWU-br7Fpc5XZ4IT9G9w5xapFcPRGT0GRG3OLQCQyBu8BNpxmHwz5FsHI7SBo18UrQpyVqnoGjuvXhqPMnxaQux8_Fe0sgOR6PTEHRGaU73z_rik9jDKrU_ZwhiHe03Iux2DHW9dGyV5f2uDT00MS9hj-D-zRJ4Kr2IPedyph30pYeklAOxe25hBnQ/w300-h400/45%20-%20%20checking%20air%20pressure.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking air pressure</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMzS1lx4y9sJ4BUqo_jICfc_DrLkMj_tLL51YlqDoGuvNP6fR6WWwOPzsz0ojuEtyl1uLqBzmvma5kZt6j_NeHtTQOMUOxhoYx0jqvq1V-6CIMr9VTND4uImDND-s6V6I-QQj6hP94Lm58czVvVNxHywXcq2x5-SxB5OMnrhqeL0iJu5z5e8f89uBcQ/s4000/46%20-%20adding%20air%20to%20truck%20tire.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicMzS1lx4y9sJ4BUqo_jICfc_DrLkMj_tLL51YlqDoGuvNP6fR6WWwOPzsz0ojuEtyl1uLqBzmvma5kZt6j_NeHtTQOMUOxhoYx0jqvq1V-6CIMr9VTND4uImDND-s6V6I-QQj6hP94Lm58czVvVNxHywXcq2x5-SxB5OMnrhqeL0iJu5z5e8f89uBcQ/w300-h400/46%20-%20adding%20air%20to%20truck%20tire.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiI6SEKLTRwIuXIB4faT1aHPhOx6RfZT-GG9ar9-NOmtZ1NK-FOQn_-PTyBpUsf1RYbe1C190UHVhwnkFaG4we7npY8cvH4Wpjp0aWvmmGUEA-hjPjHZedvLstTDYDWiE98S_sGqOSVsmp9DlbCC1L-6ACjUyHmOWuYVs923gBRolJCfJYBeKJEXZ3w/s4000/47%20-%20adding%20air%20to%20tire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLiI6SEKLTRwIuXIB4faT1aHPhOx6RfZT-GG9ar9-NOmtZ1NK-FOQn_-PTyBpUsf1RYbe1C190UHVhwnkFaG4we7npY8cvH4Wpjp0aWvmmGUEA-hjPjHZedvLstTDYDWiE98S_sGqOSVsmp9DlbCC1L-6ACjUyHmOWuYVs923gBRolJCfJYBeKJEXZ3w/w300-h400/47%20-%20adding%20air%20to%20tire.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">adding air to truck tire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqz48X2uzBBSmgBW8zUWng1jvyWXiLBlm_LLKYxuOGs6MSIwpmVh6STVodxbY1dd2Q1rvwJaL8f_s5HxVskhtCsMrnNgExc9LqmYayDq9Y9GM6eid6ppuXQ4mrqB6DFZWwGiqXsA8Htel4qTB-j__v5uctrx7Q9gcYEQUI3d_TxoxamBAcEeR_no8zw/s4000/48%20-%20adding%20air%20to%20trailer%20tire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqz48X2uzBBSmgBW8zUWng1jvyWXiLBlm_LLKYxuOGs6MSIwpmVh6STVodxbY1dd2Q1rvwJaL8f_s5HxVskhtCsMrnNgExc9LqmYayDq9Y9GM6eid6ppuXQ4mrqB6DFZWwGiqXsA8Htel4qTB-j__v5uctrx7Q9gcYEQUI3d_TxoxamBAcEeR_no8zw/w400-h300/48%20-%20adding%20air%20to%20trailer%20tire.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">adding air to trailer tire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked out everything on the trailer—door latches, etc. Andrea put a chain around the door as a safety measure, since the old latch needs some work done on it. We plan to take the trailer to Vern England to do some welding and fixing after we get done hauling these cattle to the sale, but for now the safety chain will be a good idea.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcduOJnH8NHc8Ngxfk6SBGz9duZ2rIAjjOK7jLztX7HmZLOhEtalEZSIyXD2JLMVriqO6EcAjI2UGA42GJCVwKd41wALppF9JKZdRiUsqZXv-FAJWifXzyr2AjyAdXm-XRwsGgQfXeIrfYY09Xjnvj1EXYtTzD9PTNHOxx-v5vH3bhQP7aIipQ9rBrhw/s4000/49%20-%20checking%20out%20the%20trailer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcduOJnH8NHc8Ngxfk6SBGz9duZ2rIAjjOK7jLztX7HmZLOhEtalEZSIyXD2JLMVriqO6EcAjI2UGA42GJCVwKd41wALppF9JKZdRiUsqZXv-FAJWifXzyr2AjyAdXm-XRwsGgQfXeIrfYY09Xjnvj1EXYtTzD9PTNHOxx-v5vH3bhQP7aIipQ9rBrhw/w400-h300/49%20-%20checking%20out%20the%20trailer.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking out trailer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-zzrS4VVduQCLisVK0xptL3cNROy7E-W4oDzrH2zEYXr4tN-iF6fN-GVe0iK2ibIgji4aX92ZD_Z0-O3gkSAGZm7c2j5y53vJAEh-M-ROXkYUzgQS6qzmIsSSblL-jO--vo1uVGY8ruAtuEm1_iRqsJdST_3qwv8WUSE6okMqUVtzt43Gtwqnz0zZw/s4000/50%20-%20adding%20chain%20around%20door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3-zzrS4VVduQCLisVK0xptL3cNROy7E-W4oDzrH2zEYXr4tN-iF6fN-GVe0iK2ibIgji4aX92ZD_Z0-O3gkSAGZm7c2j5y53vJAEh-M-ROXkYUzgQS6qzmIsSSblL-jO--vo1uVGY8ruAtuEm1_iRqsJdST_3qwv8WUSE6okMqUVtzt43Gtwqnz0zZw/w400-h300/50%20-%20adding%20chain%20around%20door.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">adding chain around door</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlM6XV-bNDFqBsp-w5FCbs3qu-H-4lXJICNaiO4ux91rPTCV1B-cdtzv12lePr74obl_WRlq1lsJ0YwIF-HZUocLxFGsSgyqCwik68nKRKkHKrqWWpvuWp23P9G5sOsEhXqXiDtATDOM0tKNdBdsbfDZfjrvyGsRZU9soR2WJMS5FaEMpcGY8zwcdHQ/s4000/51%20-%20chain%20around%20door.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdlM6XV-bNDFqBsp-w5FCbs3qu-H-4lXJICNaiO4ux91rPTCV1B-cdtzv12lePr74obl_WRlq1lsJ0YwIF-HZUocLxFGsSgyqCwik68nKRKkHKrqWWpvuWp23P9G5sOsEhXqXiDtATDOM0tKNdBdsbfDZfjrvyGsRZU9soR2WJMS5FaEMpcGY8zwcdHQ/w400-h300/51%20-%20chain%20around%20door.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">chain around door</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea took the trailer for a test drive down to Baker and back to make sure everything was working ok, since we haven’t used it for a year. I helped her check the brake lights and tail lights as she started out, and took photos as she made it to the top of our driveway and headed out the lane to the main road to go down to Baker.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2nZ0skkTSUKv_beN50Zf4WyZYC3FzqqkN4VrlLgIoaenaiTb-9M_aJa8bA9f3NK84fzM7bzswUvROdSKSrCcdugnfqc2OBLZtCH1qvdAh1CyPMF7rU8hiH8NzMkxLCVkGAv9XCIs-2yG6UDWyE3014kfd5vw0q8MFxEIrmJCNyaT1uH1IKVxadGi2g/s4000/52%20%20heading%20out%20the%20lane%20for%20a%20test%20drive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2nZ0skkTSUKv_beN50Zf4WyZYC3FzqqkN4VrlLgIoaenaiTb-9M_aJa8bA9f3NK84fzM7bzswUvROdSKSrCcdugnfqc2OBLZtCH1qvdAh1CyPMF7rU8hiH8NzMkxLCVkGAv9XCIs-2yG6UDWyE3014kfd5vw0q8MFxEIrmJCNyaT1uH1IKVxadGi2g/w400-h300/52%20%20heading%20out%20the%20lane%20for%20a%20test%20drive.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading out the lane for a test drive</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SjpXa2XZNY2lG1B9N6tlVKN5nBT9HA8ITfwasMAirn6QrrVIpGTlfmHN2agmgdL9tXzl5XBaIBU0T7f6fCVct9aQfK8FLVZkXrxszvDLMfbw0-QfEaJFopi2ezFEjfWerC1i0Mko32Uda3vFTg6T0cqgOoqLRhpyzrE7fJh-CS7dBCB4m7BLcMPxvg/s4000/53%20-%20heading%20out%20the%20lane%20to%20go%20down%20to%20Baker.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SjpXa2XZNY2lG1B9N6tlVKN5nBT9HA8ITfwasMAirn6QrrVIpGTlfmHN2agmgdL9tXzl5XBaIBU0T7f6fCVct9aQfK8FLVZkXrxszvDLMfbw0-QfEaJFopi2ezFEjfWerC1i0Mko32Uda3vFTg6T0cqgOoqLRhpyzrE7fJh-CS7dBCB4m7BLcMPxvg/w400-h300/53%20-%20heading%20out%20the%20lane%20to%20go%20down%20to%20Baker.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoj2yDMwpC5kGwamG6xz2dzDyPb4BCQMFD_OObBFDSiIfJkrrSTIDVEIvZ8PswsRlayU4olBjzgOKyGasQNRsyO7jO3-14kYZyIrJ7WH37pdJtR2ivxegPzoAVHcb-b1-7h1WRbp38Zpi92vBTws1NkdaG92vLw79d08WyskoefOARQiSmCxNCSSBc1Q/s4000/53%20A%20-%20taking%20the%20trailer%20out%20to%20the%20road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoj2yDMwpC5kGwamG6xz2dzDyPb4BCQMFD_OObBFDSiIfJkrrSTIDVEIvZ8PswsRlayU4olBjzgOKyGasQNRsyO7jO3-14kYZyIrJ7WH37pdJtR2ivxegPzoAVHcb-b1-7h1WRbp38Zpi92vBTws1NkdaG92vLw79d08WyskoefOARQiSmCxNCSSBc1Q/w400-h300/53%20A%20-%20taking%20the%20trailer%20out%20to%20the%20road.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading out the lane to go down to Baker</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When she got back we discovered that rattling along on our very rough creek road, the trailer mats (which are too big for the trailer) had shifted a little toward the back of the trailer to where the sliding door would not open or close. So we had to pull those forward again, and this time screwed them down. She got backed up to the loading dock, ready to go on Thursday. We put a board in the slot between the trailer and the dock supported on a tire underneath it), so a calf wouldn’t put a foot down through that space and break a leg.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I talked to Carolyn that afternoon; she is helping us prepare our applications to send to the Idaho Department of Water Resources. All water users with irrigation rights in the Lemhi River drainage now have to apply for a high flow water right in addition to our decreed right. Our traditional high water use must now have a permitted right, in order to use it. Otherwise we may lose that traditional use at some point in the future if other interests decide they want to deprive us of that use.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday Lynn continued to feel a little better but still had a bad cough and spent most of the day resting. Andrea irrigated and I did a couple interviews, then the new brand inspector arrived to check the steer calves and the heifers and cow we are selling. I gave them a little more hay. They will do better these last few days eating hay and not lush green pasture grass; their manure won’t be so loose and they’ll have better fill and not be so empty when they get to the sale (and stay cleaner and look better!) </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">At chore time I took a photo of our nicely covered round bale stacks next to the driveway. We hope those stacks will be enough to feed our weaned calves this winter.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74hmqlMmn7MOZS-_O4Lm30HXcMj0BJwj8IVnyub7ffDjJ976A7sQV9mBXjegPaioOWPW2vvmA-STkDG3idzoxxmp-Q0N9jIcLn2UKWoTFE38_1crw4kS8EWgRyjrSQJogNJh_0UI36Us3uHmMqM1-K5xjTLAgZ8MSMZQbZiD1vVeMSXAToOdev6xRyQ/s4000/54%20-%20our%20tarped%20stacks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74hmqlMmn7MOZS-_O4Lm30HXcMj0BJwj8IVnyub7ffDjJ976A7sQV9mBXjegPaioOWPW2vvmA-STkDG3idzoxxmp-Q0N9jIcLn2UKWoTFE38_1crw4kS8EWgRyjrSQJogNJh_0UI36Us3uHmMqM1-K5xjTLAgZ8MSMZQbZiD1vVeMSXAToOdev6xRyQ/w400-h300/54%20-%20our%20tarped%20stacks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our tarped stacks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning was cold and windy. A young cow moose walked past Andrea’s house when she looked out the window when she got up. It spooked the cows in the upper swamp pasture, then wandered down across the creek.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Roger came out at 8:30 and helped us get all the gates ready for loading the cattle, and we got the steers moved around to the corral. I took photos of our trailer at the new loading dock, and Dani and Roger ready to load cattle.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_X539QXcySpGfwxtkZQlkp_lq8DxjT9ohq4EmtmrMm2ROOVF1nbhf_E5XyYlYlu3XZIaem2H654GnlqVyjwgKrxBHGhbPJhpsjaT3Xc8GQJZKUa8VYxBopfJ_sSCl9v8Lj6yMIdkiyVCcAhoVuBrLkZuukNzCXdl5bCzkqMOLQpp37gCKjNo7CxxSw/s4032/55%20-%20trailer%20ready%20to%20go.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_X539QXcySpGfwxtkZQlkp_lq8DxjT9ohq4EmtmrMm2ROOVF1nbhf_E5XyYlYlu3XZIaem2H654GnlqVyjwgKrxBHGhbPJhpsjaT3Xc8GQJZKUa8VYxBopfJ_sSCl9v8Lj6yMIdkiyVCcAhoVuBrLkZuukNzCXdl5bCzkqMOLQpp37gCKjNo7CxxSw/w400-h189/55%20-%20trailer%20ready%20to%20go.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trailer ready to go</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq0dH-H50jfcbfMI5hlmyEtbcsBQiTODwZncodCW5BBapMwxI2arRAPUI_8P14ZPZ2xs1-Lm6fcFIQLGzmYo7NTJJzdou86eezyIJNBJm2rHbLyxb1NCwZMg1ZJ5KsNI4X9eUnAeGgYwCTCcFFRQ2ALC9KOWlfdyFPXTZw2t0gMwfKuGzi02xz8YCfw/s4000/56%20-%20backed%20up%20to%20the%20new%20loading%20dock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGq0dH-H50jfcbfMI5hlmyEtbcsBQiTODwZncodCW5BBapMwxI2arRAPUI_8P14ZPZ2xs1-Lm6fcFIQLGzmYo7NTJJzdou86eezyIJNBJm2rHbLyxb1NCwZMg1ZJ5KsNI4X9eUnAeGgYwCTCcFFRQ2ALC9KOWlfdyFPXTZw2t0gMwfKuGzi02xz8YCfw/w400-h300/56%20-%20backed%20up%20to%20the%20new%20loading%20dock.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">backed up to the new loading dock</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkO_N31s_P0I8C1r41HO7xQG_r6RuIFc9I8g_DWnFkeXakxxCeovA2UDko_MhOOvB2Pgryqvgz7bXhv8F9QtTdKzi38MbY41tKM8AzvohQhBviGj19pV6ksocEh3bVH_1GqnQt4UZ1k9KMotIs_WVvYvECrmKaSXqv16tjf9StzBUxLaUNL2yoH1U8g/s4000/57%20-%20Roger%20&%20Dani%20ready%20to%20load%20cattle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgkO_N31s_P0I8C1r41HO7xQG_r6RuIFc9I8g_DWnFkeXakxxCeovA2UDko_MhOOvB2Pgryqvgz7bXhv8F9QtTdKzi38MbY41tKM8AzvohQhBviGj19pV6ksocEh3bVH_1GqnQt4UZ1k9KMotIs_WVvYvECrmKaSXqv16tjf9StzBUxLaUNL2yoH1U8g/w400-h300/57%20-%20Roger%20&%20Dani%20ready%20to%20load%20cattle.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger & Dani ready to load cattle</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We loaded the 3 adults first; Andrea and Roger followed/pushed them through the loading chute into the trailer, Dani and I encouraged them from the side, and Andrea and Roger shut the partition gate to lock them in the front half of the trailer. Then we loaded the calves, and Jim pulled the board out of the slot between the dock and the trailer and Dani pushed the gate shut. They all fit nicely, with a little room to spare.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim went with Andrea to haul the cattle to the sale yard in Montana (a 3 hour trip); it’s always nice to have a little extra help in case of a flat tire or any other emergency, but they had a safe and uneventful trip except for some rain on their way home. There were a lot of cattle arriving that day (the day before the sale).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Roger stayed a couple more hours after helping load the cattle, and trimmed some of the young willows that grew up this summer in the hold pen by the sick barn. The willows will take over again (after Michael cleared some of them out last winter with the skid steer when cleaning up some of the junk in that area) if we don’t keep them controlled. The heifers ate a lot of the young willow shoots in the “jungle bunny basket” pen next to that hold pen, but we still need to trim the rest of them, too.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBMSNFXV9XJQO7Rh_faOFLbW8kfmDKYCG3NydKMMG9nXMwGMuCXWo-7-XrPbuSL74_upPwEfvCG3E_w3XOwEA_Dsf2e4Vebl6sXS37F3Afs3LcWwkurHSdRyFI3xdLhYauVesdgDo9f6IZGF7JxJr8m7OyKMHc3RBp4ApWWiADyklsyYZmSfPKdD8qQ/s4000/58%20-%20trimming%20willow%20sprouts.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggBMSNFXV9XJQO7Rh_faOFLbW8kfmDKYCG3NydKMMG9nXMwGMuCXWo-7-XrPbuSL74_upPwEfvCG3E_w3XOwEA_Dsf2e4Vebl6sXS37F3Afs3LcWwkurHSdRyFI3xdLhYauVesdgDo9f6IZGF7JxJr8m7OyKMHc3RBp4ApWWiADyklsyYZmSfPKdD8qQ/w400-h300/58%20-%20trimming%20willow%20sprouts.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBh0TzFe_7HXlyVLUfH5ouHFI_lj-14DqVhYrn7xWmO2viEJgkZ6HBjZsZKyvv7cik30W2j02228-0g4F6R5IGE_ADUSejVbwbtX_YHaERVQuy6oglWFwLMU1xFaxi5FFA2vz-NlASKH1QzSvwTCEFn1XsJq2yn-RdiDMqTK3cYy2apsv11J-c9zysw/s4000/59%20-%20Rober%20&%20Dani%20trimming%20off%20willows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBh0TzFe_7HXlyVLUfH5ouHFI_lj-14DqVhYrn7xWmO2viEJgkZ6HBjZsZKyvv7cik30W2j02228-0g4F6R5IGE_ADUSejVbwbtX_YHaERVQuy6oglWFwLMU1xFaxi5FFA2vz-NlASKH1QzSvwTCEFn1XsJq2yn-RdiDMqTK3cYy2apsv11J-c9zysw/w400-h300/59%20-%20Rober%20&%20Dani%20trimming%20off%20willows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger & Dani trimming off willow sprouts </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Roger want to earn enough money for gas to make a trip to Oregon this weekend for a wedding, so they came back again yesterday and spent a few more hours trimming the rest of the willows out of the hold pen. Andrea took the trailer up to her house and hosed it out and got the mats clean again. Here’s the trailer all cleaned out.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUav_r2V2LIq24JCgxtaJ_2rAURHvU5CqErwHTbepkkb-kluKx_NoS3fKvl2q9hkbqqOA726hNHAayd3qUllNDNzPNRdCpPCZGTPc1V3XT6A_9m-XBCK6RUb2fh4j5ddAefkuVUebZ_a0ZgyanNaOVtoL3qtVQuXcQNopTGimAKmXmvHlsTYpJ_lVUw/s4000/60%20-%20trailer%20all%20clean%20again.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmUav_r2V2LIq24JCgxtaJ_2rAURHvU5CqErwHTbepkkb-kluKx_NoS3fKvl2q9hkbqqOA726hNHAayd3qUllNDNzPNRdCpPCZGTPc1V3XT6A_9m-XBCK6RUb2fh4j5ddAefkuVUebZ_a0ZgyanNaOVtoL3qtVQuXcQNopTGimAKmXmvHlsTYpJ_lVUw/w300-h400/60%20-%20trailer%20all%20clean%20again.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trailer all clean again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Then she took it to Vern England to have him fix some of the worn out parts. The door hinges have been repaired at one time but are not very sturdy, and the frame they are attached to has a serious crack in it. Vern can fix it to where it will be dependable for a long time. Fixing up this old trailer will still be cheaper than buying a new one or even a newer used one. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The calves wasted some of the good hay I fed them in the calving pen, so I am letting Ed clean that up, putting her in there for a couple hours each morning and evening to augment her regular meals.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather sent us another e-mail and a photo of the two little boys with some of the produce they helped harvest from the garden.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdXdreySvUZIhce9m2PxCSQhsj9jBxVt6G0nLvVHpZ_bg600aytrSal6wIcuzzxJRvo0JIasrOCvAlCXT0Sod0sqmdZkH3Ipx4V6GdJTYAlVniYE45fZNbZ9gBazscKwvJh8w7pp46z6mrDyRDxA86ujD1gkBpwwA0XC6cf8KqKbDuDI0vElwSHYqAw/s3420/61%20-%20James%20&%20Joseph%20and%20garden%20harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3420" data-original-width="2035" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdXdreySvUZIhce9m2PxCSQhsj9jBxVt6G0nLvVHpZ_bg600aytrSal6wIcuzzxJRvo0JIasrOCvAlCXT0Sod0sqmdZkH3Ipx4V6GdJTYAlVniYE45fZNbZ9gBazscKwvJh8w7pp46z6mrDyRDxA86ujD1gkBpwwA0XC6cf8KqKbDuDI0vElwSHYqAw/w238-h400/61%20-%20James%20&%20Joseph%20and%20garden%20harvest.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James & Joseph and garden harvest</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When Lynn and I went to the doctor last week I mentioned to the doctor that for a number of years I was on oxygen at night (until Medicare would no longer pay for it and thought I should use a C-PAP instead, which I tried for 9 months but couldn’t tolerate). The oxygen helped me a lot; I didn’t wake up every morning with a headache from breathing too shallowly and infrequently. These past few years I’ve just tried to manage, but now for some reason Medicare is paying again (though maybe temporarily) for oxygen use, so the doctor prescribed it. We set it up yesterday and I used it last night, and this morning was the first time in a long time that I didn’t wake up with a headache.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I typed several interviews, including an update with one of the ranchers I interviewed a couple weeks ago about the Moose Fire. He was finally allowed to go up into that allotment to look for his cattle but still hasn’t found them all. The Moose Fire is still burning and will probably continue to burn until we get snow this winter.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea has Christopher this weekend, but Jim tended him while she changed the irrigation water. Christopher was upset because he couldn’t come in and see Grandpa Lynn when she brought him by yesterday to give us our mail and groceries after she picked him up from Emily in town. We don’t want to expose him to COVID, and even though Lynn is feeling better he’s still probably contagious. Christopher couldn’t understand why he couldn’t just run in here and have fun with great grandpa.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Bob Minor had a CT scan on his back earlier this week and it showed several more new tumors. So he’s having 4 more radiation treatments, but still may get to come home next week.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-23293720632504955312022-12-10T15:25:00.003-08:002022-12-10T15:25:53.136-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – August 1 through September 1, 2022<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">AUGUST 10</b><b> </b></span>– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather continues hot and dry, with a lot of smoke most days from the big fire north of town that just keeps growing. By this past Sunday it had grown to more than 70,000 acres and there were more than 1000 firefighters working on it, trying to control it, but it is still growing every day.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been grazing Sprout in the backyard to eat down all the grass and weeds, letting Ed graze in the front yard. My “grass-powered” lawnmowers are doing a good job of eating down the area around the house to reduce the fire hazard.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We let the heifers eat the grass and weeds in the upper part of the stackyard. From there they also have access to a little grass on the other side of the creek, next to the field above our house, and that grass was getting tall and dry and needed to be grazed before it gets too mature and dry. Andrea used her chain saw to cut a blown-down tree out of the trail that goes through the thick brush along the creek, so the heifers could get over there, and I lured them through the brush so they could find that patch of grass across the creek. The nice thing about this group of heifers this year is that I can call them and they will follow me anywhere.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The orphan bull calf, Kung Fu, is doing well, enjoying his grain meal twice a day and grazing in the lane by the barn. I recently let him have access to the bigger pen below the barn; the grass in it is taller than he is and still nice and green, so he can graze it for a while.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea sent me some photos she took of Christopher when she was at the park with him and he was playing with some of the kid toys there. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BHMUXCPIceIw4tsEwEA2vn_n6Kogmp2eF2TrKDou_62Hke-8ISPhA0F7MhAep_3_oPLA_Sr5eQCKo5erX9Iiz91gX8mutQPryUrCisa0iNsrc-rEQEJhPDhzXs2m4tqoOTOm11gcwXeA-37oGQaMvi8DjG5gNvbgVcyQ1NhAAd86SjsskcRPHLqrmw/s4032/1%20-%20Christopher%20at%20park.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-BHMUXCPIceIw4tsEwEA2vn_n6Kogmp2eF2TrKDou_62Hke-8ISPhA0F7MhAep_3_oPLA_Sr5eQCKo5erX9Iiz91gX8mutQPryUrCisa0iNsrc-rEQEJhPDhzXs2m4tqoOTOm11gcwXeA-37oGQaMvi8DjG5gNvbgVcyQ1NhAAd86SjsskcRPHLqrmw/w189-h400/1%20-%20Christopher%20at%20park.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher at the park</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5qG_cFVw1mgkJGUSaE02kz2QgAL4GZvEarfhAdV0rLyWrtSa1IOHg0MZ-g1ob8luBdaPN4GVLMuvb6Oivhw7N6WRB2Tzw_vYGzxR9C8LE2OFv4CIt4fgcTbPwc01PHo7xKPojx3mDlxC_C8ohcJ1KcWPucnzz5sFXZ6Cp-EzF_snQ1HGnfh_9hPLkg/s4032/2%20-%20playing%20at%20the%20park.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd5qG_cFVw1mgkJGUSaE02kz2QgAL4GZvEarfhAdV0rLyWrtSa1IOHg0MZ-g1ob8luBdaPN4GVLMuvb6Oivhw7N6WRB2Tzw_vYGzxR9C8LE2OFv4CIt4fgcTbPwc01PHo7xKPojx3mDlxC_C8ohcJ1KcWPucnzz5sFXZ6Cp-EzF_snQ1HGnfh_9hPLkg/w400-h189/2%20-%20playing%20at%20the%20park.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdKGEH7XngR86SQr_roTdg2QLD-elsiJew8fVw-H_zBAg07t0zUDpCfbufrNlteBKJRhqxGl-OTuMNx4n9FYs5nKkZevRurnIPRwKZ9wFePHEedJKc0pqSYoEKdOmZuydAep6CUZYK_JfmRNH627gOI0Yi4s6sWboym6gjgnrof0q8NwA1ol8BwvW3w/s4032/3%20-%20having%20fun%20in%20the%20dirt.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEdKGEH7XngR86SQr_roTdg2QLD-elsiJew8fVw-H_zBAg07t0zUDpCfbufrNlteBKJRhqxGl-OTuMNx4n9FYs5nKkZevRurnIPRwKZ9wFePHEedJKc0pqSYoEKdOmZuydAep6CUZYK_JfmRNH627gOI0Yi4s6sWboym6gjgnrof0q8NwA1ol8BwvW3w/w189-h400/3%20-%20having%20fun%20in%20the%20dirt.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing in the dirt</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Last Wednesday Andrea and I hauled 10 little bales from my haystack to put by the bull pen to feed Babe. Those bales will last him a month or more; he eats less than any other bull we’ve ever had, and stays fat. If his daughters are like that, we will have very efficient cows and can run more cows on this little place.</span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">While we had the feed truck running, we drove up the road to the hill pasture across from heifer hill and brought home the aluminum water trough (which we will need later this fall in the orchard) and the long black plastic pipe that we put through the culvert under the road for pumping water to that hill pasture.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea started putting up a temporary hot wire around the edges of the hayfield below heifer hill so we can graze the tall grass around that field, the brush and ditchbanks, etc. There will probably be 10 day’s worth of pasture there for the 6 pairs currently grazing around the edges of heifer hill. By utilizing those outlying rough areas and letting the hayfields grow back, we extend our grazing days quite a bit.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We have been very short of irrigation water, so last Thursday Andrea hiked up the creek to see what happened to it. Alfonso had the entire creek dammed off and going out his 2 ditches on the Gooch place. She had to rearrange his dams a little bit to allow some water to come on down the creek. Otherwise the rancher with the first right (Jack) would also be short of water and he would be calling the watermaster to come out and shut us all off. We need to share a bit and make sure there’s still enough water for Jack!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day she went to town to pick up Christopher so Emily could go to work. She also went to a benefit that was being held for the families of the 2 pilots who died when their helicopter crashed into the river while they were dipping water to dump on the fire. Our town has been putting on several benefits for them, and also had a big parade and ceremony honoring those two men.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I took care of Christopher for a few hours while Andrea was irrigating, and Christopher wanted me to try to get into his little tent in our livingroom. Lynn took a photo of me and Christopher stuffed into the tent.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAiCVzYWfaRD--1wxFIDxYx6PFqEfqiQcjX3YIm0PC9XT2P6ww5opglWcohxXsRlWNBA5GB6peXXsDgwPUQqzIOVrgzocsATsRrXr35jJnpH3PJV2pojsreHF8xy1P1RI2kZv_nlyKPreGDD37v6KC13s-VtyKRjbzNpo22NRfFb0NQ_YO6DhCUTbuw/s4608/4%20-%20in%20the%20tent.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAiCVzYWfaRD--1wxFIDxYx6PFqEfqiQcjX3YIm0PC9XT2P6ww5opglWcohxXsRlWNBA5GB6peXXsDgwPUQqzIOVrgzocsATsRrXr35jJnpH3PJV2pojsreHF8xy1P1RI2kZv_nlyKPreGDD37v6KC13s-VtyKRjbzNpo22NRfFb0NQ_YO6DhCUTbuw/w190-h400/4%20-%20in%20the%20tent.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">in the tent</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">On Saturday I helped Andrea finish up the hot wire around the field below heifer hill; we used a ladder to put an insulator on a tall tree by the fence so we could route the wire up over the fence (to electrify the new fence), high enough that cattle could walk under it. Then we moved the 6 pair from the fringe pasture on heifer hill—letting them come down through the gate and into this new fringe pasture around the lower hayfield. They were really happy for the new green grass; they’d pretty much eaten all the grass around the heifer hill hayfield.</span><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We’d moved the heifers from the upper end of the stackyard and put them down in the post pile pasture, so now I am letting Sprout graze the rest of the stackyard; I can keep her out of the hay stacks with a “fake” fence made of baling twines and step-in posts, whereas the heifers are not that trustworthy; they would eat on the hay bales! I am also still letting Ed graze briefly each day in the front yard, to mow it down.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYkrsGwYmZrkQJbqzfhfVD7FnHWJvFGguldQyYwYS2v8Zul-OMZbDCuaVrJatlYDSK0T3PkW9mKcTmTtD07vywbw1sP6Oo_kAG_K6Wqp1DcStEVQi8ehgMVtrWrEzykFJ5_ghQTtRA5C2VRZQfH_Q2UxTb7ZmY1lfwGqW1Ega_Pn1WZebpPZwLt9_3A/s4032/5%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20in%20the%20front%20yard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYkrsGwYmZrkQJbqzfhfVD7FnHWJvFGguldQyYwYS2v8Zul-OMZbDCuaVrJatlYDSK0T3PkW9mKcTmTtD07vywbw1sP6Oo_kAG_K6Wqp1DcStEVQi8ehgMVtrWrEzykFJ5_ghQTtRA5C2VRZQfH_Q2UxTb7ZmY1lfwGqW1Ega_Pn1WZebpPZwLt9_3A/w189-h400/5%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20in%20the%20front%20yard.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed grazing in the front yard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Since we will soon need to haul cattle to the sale in Montana, we checked our stock trailer door to see if it will slide ok. Now that we have a loading chute we can back right up to it and use the little sliding door (half of the big door) to put them into the trailer, rather than having to herd them into the trailer from the lane, with the whole door open. We haven’t used the little sliding door or tried to open it since we bought this old used trailer last year; we’ve only used the big door.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s a good thing we checked the smaller door before the last minute. It wouldn’t slide open at all; it was catching on the rubber mats that Stan screwed down to the floorboards of the trailer after he reinforced those old rotten boards with more crosspieces underneath them. So Andrea used her power drill to unscrew all the screws and we took the screws and washers off the rubber mats. Those mats were rolled up when we bought the trailer sight unseen and brought it home last year, and after Stan reinforced the floor and rolled out the mats they were a little too big. That’s probably why he bolted them down, so they wouldn’t buckle and shift, not realizing that mats need to be removed periodically and washed, and the floor underneath. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we unscrewed them and were able to pull them forward a bit, and bend them up at the front, so they were not sticking out under the door. Then the little door was able to slide open and shut.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When Andrea irrigated later that day she took a photo of one of the fawns that has been living in the field by her house.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vWXk7JFkzDz-tltV6W6FD_hrE5fQB_ClOCJ0Ya5Ung8dpyyjHUQvkuVqn7AtPY7M1SeZgOEOPPo7UpFc6jUyCjcE0CqFQl1XDXrWxRbhepY0eoocM8918baPT3OSEIiGvk320WQGtMf8rfmupeR11FmPRfg6y8dv5sBkgYdcSEuWl7SI7qFwa-t66Q/s4032/6%20-%20fawn%20in%20field.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2vWXk7JFkzDz-tltV6W6FD_hrE5fQB_ClOCJ0Ya5Ung8dpyyjHUQvkuVqn7AtPY7M1SeZgOEOPPo7UpFc6jUyCjcE0CqFQl1XDXrWxRbhepY0eoocM8918baPT3OSEIiGvk320WQGtMf8rfmupeR11FmPRfg6y8dv5sBkgYdcSEuWl7SI7qFwa-t66Q/w400-h189/6%20-%20fawn%20in%20field.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fawn in field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea gathered up more of the temporary electric fence around the heifer hill field yesterday afternoon and didn’t realize the power went off while she was watering her little bit of yard with sprinklers (using her house water since there isn’t enough water in our irrigation ditch to pump from). With the power off, it ran her tank out of water, but didn’t seem to hurt the pump. The power was off for a couple hours, just on our creek, and the power company guys had to come out and locate the cause. We never did hear what happened to it, but it could have been a tree blow over it (with all the wind we’ve had lately) or the power lines popping together and shorting it out if a big flock of birds took off all at once after sitting on the lines.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out on Sunday, and he and Andrea took a drive down past Northfork in her little jeep. Andrea took a picture of some of the burned area from the big fire that’s still out of control in those mountains beyond the river, and a photo of Charlie after they got home.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50bCLmMvYppC7-2BOIIfWs-5TUSM1hWMa6CF3HpvyIoVLAIEI90PLPOE9MjqFaYbn8v1Dpmg42Murr1hCuEZvFluYACD6Fd_wFT0WlGU4YQ3OSLS5QYXHPmpbdtd4LllazdCqPSGmPj_yMY1DNEhao4So3nlgnfotc_XJniVFqS4Bv6j9ihyBGNxccQ/s4032/7%20-%20burned%20area%20across%20the%20river.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj50bCLmMvYppC7-2BOIIfWs-5TUSM1hWMa6CF3HpvyIoVLAIEI90PLPOE9MjqFaYbn8v1Dpmg42Murr1hCuEZvFluYACD6Fd_wFT0WlGU4YQ3OSLS5QYXHPmpbdtd4LllazdCqPSGmPj_yMY1DNEhao4So3nlgnfotc_XJniVFqS4Bv6j9ihyBGNxccQ/w400-h189/7%20-%20burned%20area%20across%20the%20river.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">burned area across the river</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aDhvVcz_0020jeCCBYL373nLFkmTnWtWD614MEG35l9k6XrQOb3NPDEE5_fZ-zf_epwCa05WjTAJndvQ4nX5CKW92OrZb31xiNTjkeUbwC6rX6ZOFuRO91jHEV9E-WOkJFvxpDzKdWF850Rqi3I6um3pUAsqtQj-s6WVSRzVVe4HbqJaPiqgfwZEKg/s4032/8%20-%20Charlie%20lounging%20around.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aDhvVcz_0020jeCCBYL373nLFkmTnWtWD614MEG35l9k6XrQOb3NPDEE5_fZ-zf_epwCa05WjTAJndvQ4nX5CKW92OrZb31xiNTjkeUbwC6rX6ZOFuRO91jHEV9E-WOkJFvxpDzKdWF850Rqi3I6um3pUAsqtQj-s6WVSRzVVe4HbqJaPiqgfwZEKg/w189-h400/8%20-%20Charlie%20lounging%20around.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie lounging around</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was very smoky again, all day, with the smoke so thick we couldn’t see the mountains on either side of us. Andrea went to town to do the town errands and get the mail and groceries, and pick up Christopher from Emily. On her way home she saw a bull in Alfonso’s field right below our place, pacing around like he was looking for a way to come up through our place. All of Alfonso’s gates are open to the road, so the bull could easily come up the road and come in our driveway. So Lynn babysat Christopher while Andrea and I went down and shut Alfonso’s gates to the road, and saw that the fence was falling down enough that the bull could walk right out of there even with the gates shut. So we closed our driveway gate in case the bull got out and came our way.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather sent an e-mail updating us on their farm and family news, and sent a couple photos of the boys—little Ian Thomas who is now almost 6 months old, and his big brothers James and Joseph.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwftCknguy2QIqFbfa6wO4LRQ2BcqDDSLjzvZhYkbzPkmvF_FVoIL4iwGsRAK4iy6CmI7LgpeSP8XFpeOkiCzt5zt7k5RsSe71cJxKB0JGnsgolFNWDo_gBSBdzNEIhDsOgpVKXuP8CA9qBFE-OjyyOMlBAoShri4yztkeSU4gHgfgXiqur_SdUAbFQ/s4032/9%20-%20baby%20Ian.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYwftCknguy2QIqFbfa6wO4LRQ2BcqDDSLjzvZhYkbzPkmvF_FVoIL4iwGsRAK4iy6CmI7LgpeSP8XFpeOkiCzt5zt7k5RsSe71cJxKB0JGnsgolFNWDo_gBSBdzNEIhDsOgpVKXuP8CA9qBFE-OjyyOMlBAoShri4yztkeSU4gHgfgXiqur_SdUAbFQ/w300-h400/9%20-%20baby%20Ian.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baby Ian</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTVtDW5CC1d1MeFYQbjyqe29fpo2YDtElF3qiNEQRqI701EB_1Iq7YQHuegH-3Yeyuh6RI7LKg5zgU6HE187NS7Ee6LmrnLUNN6XTmPfOyAV_ou0f0vlLXQ3yxl2sm1sucrJvpDat9Rk8ceLZ5yweMY2eAeg7KTZHOAbo-9XczmOloc4E8WFzZmE6qw/s4032/10%20-%20James%20%20&%20Joseph.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTVtDW5CC1d1MeFYQbjyqe29fpo2YDtElF3qiNEQRqI701EB_1Iq7YQHuegH-3Yeyuh6RI7LKg5zgU6HE187NS7Ee6LmrnLUNN6XTmPfOyAV_ou0f0vlLXQ3yxl2sm1sucrJvpDat9Rk8ceLZ5yweMY2eAeg7KTZHOAbo-9XczmOloc4E8WFzZmE6qw/w300-h400/10%20-%20James%20%20&%20Joseph.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James & Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"></span><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">AUGUST 20</b><b> </b></span>– </span><span style="font-size: medium;">The little bull calf (Kung Fu) lost his insecticide ear tag awhile back and the horn flies have been thick all over him, so last week I tried to pour some oil-based insecticide over his back while he was eating his grain. He spooked and took off, so I only got part of it on him, but even that amount seemed to help. He was fly-free for more than 10 days, and the flies are only now starting to land on him again. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We still have the 6 old cows and their calves in the fringe area around the hayfield above the house, and Andrea took a photo of them resting in the shade.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia722tGnLUa6L4ocrVs1h-0bGmV8y-aw7sy4HDByyG5WyOCtP3phwEPk5Y1hqnRJaJreZFeHwvqq5afhQXBSn2wQSkuipVVxmjQE6p2kXHCWU8jhgtFBRfhV0z4VlBVIMkL42DzLmvGPWOv9GzXDCCvVeF2UkMErQnJXOjVIIK5McUhdv4tE3S7LsKvg/s4032/11%20-%20cows%20and%20calves%20resting%20in%20the%20shade.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia722tGnLUa6L4ocrVs1h-0bGmV8y-aw7sy4HDByyG5WyOCtP3phwEPk5Y1hqnRJaJreZFeHwvqq5afhQXBSn2wQSkuipVVxmjQE6p2kXHCWU8jhgtFBRfhV0z4VlBVIMkL42DzLmvGPWOv9GzXDCCvVeF2UkMErQnJXOjVIIK5McUhdv4tE3S7LsKvg/w400-h189/11%20-%20cows%20and%20calves%20resting%20in%20the%20shade.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows and calves resting in the shade</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week I trimmed some of the rose briars that are growing in the front yard. Ed has done a good job of eating the tall grass and some of the weeds, but she won’t eat the rose briars and chokecherry tree shoots, so cut them off with tree pruner nippers, along with some of the low-hanging branches from the elm tree that are obstructing our view from the windows. Then I cut down all the burdock plants and young willows in the pen below the barn where Kung Fu grazes. I wanted to get rid of the burdock before the burrs are ripe enough to stick to him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I also pulled up all the tall weeds that grew in our new loading chute, so that when we haul the cows to the sale they can make it through that chute. Some of the ragweed and other weeds were 5 feet tall in there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea had Christopher with her in town and she went to the fire camp and visited with some of the firefighters she knows, and Christopher was fascinated by the big trucks. He got to get in one of them.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1FuJclvsNu_I6OIke9XPQzoIToJd2xSQ4BFkInwZc7Jc_7jvtDVi-hdW6ICyRwBYdcunfInM9sWUIjd3QVqD6SUj1z1J_5OHU11Go0ao-5jIeG6v807iiz-G-brASykgDpSI3b80wYDBBRbxJV-SVzASGDLWo_cb3UfWEBu_Ce8UA-2Y2wMClHoPeg/s4032/12%20-Christopher%20in%20truck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1FuJclvsNu_I6OIke9XPQzoIToJd2xSQ4BFkInwZc7Jc_7jvtDVi-hdW6ICyRwBYdcunfInM9sWUIjd3QVqD6SUj1z1J_5OHU11Go0ao-5jIeG6v807iiz-G-brASykgDpSI3b80wYDBBRbxJV-SVzASGDLWo_cb3UfWEBu_Ce8UA-2Y2wMClHoPeg/w189-h400/12%20-Christopher%20in%20truck.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher in truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Saturday Lynn put diesel in our big tractor and parked it in the hold pen next to Sprout and Shiloh’s pens, so it would be handy for Phil to unload hay. We babysat Christopher while Andrea changed her irrigation water—the little bit that we still have. I cooked chicken and potatoes and gravy and we invited grandson Nick to eat dinner with us. We had a great visit (hadn’t had a chance to talk to him since he was here this past winter with the fencing crew rebuilding some of our old fences and creating the new loading chute, etc.) then played Tripoli –a game that he’s loved since we used to play it with him and his sister and parents occasionally when Nick was a kid.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We have been leaving our lane gate shut every night in case the stray bull (which belongs to John Miller) in Alfonso’s field ever gets out on the road and comes our way. Even though we shut a couple of his gates, he leaves his lower one open, and the bull could easily go out on the road.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday Andrea had Christopher in town with her and they met up with Charlie for a while and she took a photo of Christopher and his uncle.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhlJBvJtX3r3PbfrYMicCIcqlqxqN5HwSR3YRGiM2ncE-XVIsmrObvkzI6m5Plqqac-14BelSa8MgBuG0EbQcGIXeQEN3TBp5G1XzLXCu1ahZuwLo44JFsB3zbW035M3PEajRuPnCG9tTzAx8JjKiLKrUoPEs-CbyJjXV_OA9Ul46lBl3J1xIBOexmQ/s4032/13%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Charlie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUhlJBvJtX3r3PbfrYMicCIcqlqxqN5HwSR3YRGiM2ncE-XVIsmrObvkzI6m5Plqqac-14BelSa8MgBuG0EbQcGIXeQEN3TBp5G1XzLXCu1ahZuwLo44JFsB3zbW035M3PEajRuPnCG9tTzAx8JjKiLKrUoPEs-CbyJjXV_OA9Ul46lBl3J1xIBOexmQ/w189-h400/13%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Charlie.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday we moved the 9 pair (young cows) from the upper swamp pasture to the ditch pasture below Andrea’s house. They were glad for new green pasture. The next morning one of the calves had gotten through the hot wire somehow, and was out in the hayfield, so after I finished a phone interview I went up there to help Andrea get the calf back in. Phil Moulton brought us 3 loads of round bales that day—2nd cutting alfalfa that we will use this winter for the heifers we are going to wean and keep. We will be keeping all of Babe’s daughters to go back into the herd as cows.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRplw8I041v9XLQ6QspQft94oA_rfKqc-qCOI8FtkeeWiA21RyBL8HokSIMv24dJzFn78sdAerJ0SbuaTF4CExY6MaONOgFaQoCaOsUd7QK12b_ai6M4drGI6MqXIX7d_X5xNJja-sk_oQ6-348rmiL2zdVsJG-hubjNHDb_YzHTeZUc2sMkSvsfVJqg/s4000/14%20-%20hay%20for%20the%20heifers.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRplw8I041v9XLQ6QspQft94oA_rfKqc-qCOI8FtkeeWiA21RyBL8HokSIMv24dJzFn78sdAerJ0SbuaTF4CExY6MaONOgFaQoCaOsUd7QK12b_ai6M4drGI6MqXIX7d_X5xNJja-sk_oQ6-348rmiL2zdVsJG-hubjNHDb_YzHTeZUc2sMkSvsfVJqg/w400-h300/14%20-%20hay%20for%20the%20heifers.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hay for the heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea drove Lynn to a property along the river past North Fork, where some folks from Washington wanted him to locate a site for a well. A lot more of that area has burned now, since they were on 4th of July Creek locating water 2 1/2 weeks ago.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Andrea and I took some protein blocks to the 6 pairs in the fringe pasture around the hayfield below heifer hill. They’ve eaten all the green grass but there’s still a lot of tall mature grass that they are less fond of—but they will eat it if they have some supplemental protein.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Lynn and I took care of Christopher again for a few hours while Andrea was irrigating, and Christopher wanted me to get into his tent with him again, and pretend to be sleeping on a camp-out. He had it stuffed with blankets and pillows and it was pretty tight quarters when we both got in it! Lynn took a couple pictures of us.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oAUd9hYC53BErKjlEeZa1HYDWa3iO9-GB3Ylwo0g9T74XtOi7JganCep84zqNIb6mQXu29KCJ2JeS2l7M_VhILp2IELe_BphrtTmbg1N_Q5sYKoJwEl3yllTWCqJaEJZPyC5E5OJ4oOqbCVHTCpEILEMhdumxsaJkY4rkoRC4xYjTeP-fIWRHTPEXw/s4000/15%20-%20peeking%20out%20of%20the%20tent.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oAUd9hYC53BErKjlEeZa1HYDWa3iO9-GB3Ylwo0g9T74XtOi7JganCep84zqNIb6mQXu29KCJ2JeS2l7M_VhILp2IELe_BphrtTmbg1N_Q5sYKoJwEl3yllTWCqJaEJZPyC5E5OJ4oOqbCVHTCpEILEMhdumxsaJkY4rkoRC4xYjTeP-fIWRHTPEXw/w400-h300/15%20-%20peeking%20out%20of%20the%20tent.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">peeking out of the tent</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolyxFOPxWI6ycJeh2rgEwauIBX3A_ALDC3nXBNuTE8siQp6vSkT3Wi4B_ETnI5tUpQEdTIOExNF5OD2nCf9NYod5HD7RkiE9sKjqrMM3o8J2CvQBmx6EmYjkuk0MshxioUJYC3QM5I76FaApZYMVmjB3Qzp67tizL5ov5y9t5K71DCcFDLdHl4jBgRQ/s4000/16%20-%20pretending%20we're%20camping%20and%20sleeping.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiolyxFOPxWI6ycJeh2rgEwauIBX3A_ALDC3nXBNuTE8siQp6vSkT3Wi4B_ETnI5tUpQEdTIOExNF5OD2nCf9NYod5HD7RkiE9sKjqrMM3o8J2CvQBmx6EmYjkuk0MshxioUJYC3QM5I76FaApZYMVmjB3Qzp67tizL5ov5y9t5K71DCcFDLdHl4jBgRQ/w400-h300/16%20-%20pretending%20we're%20camping%20and%20sleeping.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pretending we're camping and sleeping</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Wednesday morning I did 3 phone interviews (for various article assignments for cattle and horse magazines) and started typing them (short deadlines). Andrea had to go to town early to report for Jury duty but whatever trial they needed jurors for was postponed so she’ll have to go back again in 6 weeks or so.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s been really hot, up to 95 or 98 degrees in the afternoon. The creek is dropping more and more and the fields are drying out badly wherever we haven’t had enough water for them. We desperately need some rain.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The 6 old cows and their calves are enjoying the protein blocks we gave them, and eating them rapidly. This balances their diet and they very willingly eat the tall dry grass that they were fussy about eating—and cleaning up most of the rest of that fringe pasture. When Andrea checked on them the past few days, they were quite content, and she took photos of some of them eating the protein blocks.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1GI0B9RgqeNRi3_ykqK_nlFn0NwFZ_vJWJMmdvGUcXvxg9m_kwHnAqT0R9NiTaLbmOTBZhgT03eb-m4M8XdDBax0c8d_VF6tfcWcfuRLkLxelvdDIg3QdulIzY5FJ94yq_zvviNxkpc6csFhbaUrjyYZ2XfuQhSV5U3s-TPlkCBOXVWNB47bQB5mjw/s4032/17%20-%20Blackhead%20eating%20protein.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB1GI0B9RgqeNRi3_ykqK_nlFn0NwFZ_vJWJMmdvGUcXvxg9m_kwHnAqT0R9NiTaLbmOTBZhgT03eb-m4M8XdDBax0c8d_VF6tfcWcfuRLkLxelvdDIg3QdulIzY5FJ94yq_zvviNxkpc6csFhbaUrjyYZ2XfuQhSV5U3s-TPlkCBOXVWNB47bQB5mjw/w400-h189/17%20-%20Blackhead%20eating%20protein.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Blackhead eating protein</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv8t3OHcD1buDSzzig_g1doNZsMg4Q6zRhZLD0IwGOwGfWCSb1_XRb3eZ8rhsqS1fKXSLvdfQa0OxROVxZ7O8QcutYawN-mrYsQpWxDPoyp_lkM1VGMs6dG3DIQPjl0jowPJ45Ged_2y9XZsLKleNDnPkTn6VEZeEtyNtPMfoECJY6V6Ac_P70LZ1SA/s4032/18%20-%20Alligator%20Eyes%20eating%20protein.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv8t3OHcD1buDSzzig_g1doNZsMg4Q6zRhZLD0IwGOwGfWCSb1_XRb3eZ8rhsqS1fKXSLvdfQa0OxROVxZ7O8QcutYawN-mrYsQpWxDPoyp_lkM1VGMs6dG3DIQPjl0jowPJ45Ged_2y9XZsLKleNDnPkTn6VEZeEtyNtPMfoECJY6V6Ac_P70LZ1SA/w400-h189/18%20-%20Alligator%20Eyes%20eating%20protein.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alligator Eyes eating protein</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning early (barely daylight) Tony the watermaster came out and I saw him go through our place when I was doing chores, so I talked to him. He said Jack was really short of water and that he was going up to the Gooch place to lock one of Alfonso’s ditches that has been running wide open all summer with no face plate in the headgate.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A little later that morning the truck from Lemhi Lumber Company brought out the roofing materials for Andrea’s house. Even though the house is only 11 years old, the shingles have all been blowing off, so we are going to have a metal roof put on. The guy who will be putting the roof on will hopefully start working on it soon—before more shingles blow off.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After the metal was safely unloaded, Andrea came down here and helped me put black plastic on one of the stacks of round bales near Shiloh’s pen. We had a short piece that we put on the other stack, then found another piece in the “sick barn” where we store the plastic that we roll up after taking it off the stacks when we’ve fed up the hay. It was getting windy—which makes it hard to get the plastic in place over the hay—and decided to put that piece on another day, earlier in the morning.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch she drove Lynn to town to the eye doctor. He had noticed that he’s lost about half the vision in his right eye. The left one has been compensating and he didn’t realize it until he shut the left eye and couldn’t see much with the right eye. So the eye doctor worked him in (rather than wait a year for an actual appointment). He waited awhile until the doctor had a few minutes to check his eye, and Andrea did all the town errands while Lynn was there. The impaired vision is due to damage caused by high blood sugar levels, so now Lynn has to be more careful what he eats, and try to avoid sugar as much as possible—and fewer carbohydrates.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed ran out of grass in the front yard, so I am now letting her graze some of the tall grass next to the pen in front of the calving barn.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjcGYw3hv0k1qqp-uKMCp--lLS841Y08P4GvBkUunRKyJbr2DsMmB0jmHeWZJuMP7H5Y-Hq0InDQjcbIhzxObykwdz-g1W_OwbOgoSRWUjXbS0uWwXLjdQpdH3_Um_vIT3UZbd99w21gBgAmwF-dHucarlxVWhy_KEf7Aic4cm4WfLVznYL_EWvgUvg/s4000/19%20-%20Ed%20eating%20tall%20grass.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjcGYw3hv0k1qqp-uKMCp--lLS841Y08P4GvBkUunRKyJbr2DsMmB0jmHeWZJuMP7H5Y-Hq0InDQjcbIhzxObykwdz-g1W_OwbOgoSRWUjXbS0uWwXLjdQpdH3_Um_vIT3UZbd99w21gBgAmwF-dHucarlxVWhy_KEf7Aic4cm4WfLVznYL_EWvgUvg/w400-h300/19%20-%20Ed%20eating%20tall%20grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed eating tall grass</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This was the weekend that Emily, AJ and Christopher went camping at a lake near Leadore. They had fun, but it rained hard on them for part of the day, and they got soaked on a hike—and a lot of their camping stuff was wet. So Andrea drove up there yesterday evening to take them some dry clothes, towels, etc. She stayed overnight, sleeping in the back seat of her truck while they slept in a tent. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She drove home early this morning, but had to wait a bit on the little road coming down out of the mountains, while a bunch of search and rescue vehicles drove by; they were going out into that area to search for a lost person.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After Andrea got home, she backed her pickup up to the end of the stack that we didn’t have fully covered yet. At least it hadn’t rained here yet and the hay was still dry. She used the pickup to climb up onto and up on the first bale, and put a tire up on that bale to enable her to step up higher and climb onto the top bale. I handed her the black plastic and she pulled it up over that end of the stack, and Lynn and I tied it down on both sides. Then we secured it more completely by throwing long strings (with rock tied to one end to give it weight to sail completely over the stack) and tied those strings down on both sides. We put these over-the-stack strings every 6 feet all along the stack. That way the wind can’t get under the plastic and rip out our “ears” that we tied to the stack. We got the rest of that stack covered before it got too windy, and also covered the big square bale of 2nd cutting that Lynn brought around from the stack yard a couple days ago with the tractor.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFQMOwPWtt_WfMaG6eLINlW2BaguCPMPzp7W-WuA7x-OJukOQU5vgjzSIYjExUgiIwtBO1g5M_PgX-W3VcAWzX7jvMOmkKrOlqJnFgCfGFNU2U-6-ndjdPxyTxmneoRuRdSJSKCxNpINQSPTnwRofL_M0k9eLoKyoRT8vD2c0LSkMzfoyYF0gZqPsOg/s4000/20%20-%20stack%20covered.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizFQMOwPWtt_WfMaG6eLINlW2BaguCPMPzp7W-WuA7x-OJukOQU5vgjzSIYjExUgiIwtBO1g5M_PgX-W3VcAWzX7jvMOmkKrOlqJnFgCfGFNU2U-6-ndjdPxyTxmneoRuRdSJSKCxNpINQSPTnwRofL_M0k9eLoKyoRT8vD2c0LSkMzfoyYF0gZqPsOg/w400-h300/20%20-%20stack%20covered.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXty2kj-oSDb13p_j7PGOojM6E9boH2wQZcI1MpkaJ-YAJ9C0GPYEL6n-QpsnX-9JLgyOtEcUSuQEWjnvBD6P3iPAzkDfu68iNj0HwPU0yDZijoqRn-KaiTf65HvuJO1deebDSGs33yjNsQazGywG7fSaugY1y4sHLFZNOOSpk58gET9qtZCQ0p3Myw/s4000/21%20-%20black%20plastic%20on%20stacks.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXty2kj-oSDb13p_j7PGOojM6E9boH2wQZcI1MpkaJ-YAJ9C0GPYEL6n-QpsnX-9JLgyOtEcUSuQEWjnvBD6P3iPAzkDfu68iNj0HwPU0yDZijoqRn-KaiTf65HvuJO1deebDSGs33yjNsQazGywG7fSaugY1y4sHLFZNOOSpk58gET9qtZCQ0p3Myw/w400-h300/21%20-%20black%20plastic%20on%20stacks.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">black plastic on stacks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we got the stack secured, she checked on her irrigation water and discovered that she had practically NONE in any of her ditches—in spite of the fact that Tony told me he was going to shut off one of Alfonso’s ditches yesterday morning. So she hiked up and checked, and found that one ditch was locked (allowing a little bit of water to come through) but the one that Tony told me he was going to shut off was running wide open with the whole creek dammed off to come into it. The face plate (which earlier was just lying there on the ground) was gone, and Andrea discovered a lock lying on the ground. It was sprung and bent—the hasp was so widened that it would never work again. So she assumed Tony HAD locked the head gate shut and Alfonso probably got bad and pried the lock off and broke it. Tony will have to come out again, and emphasize to Alfonso that he’ll need to have a faceplate and it must be locked until the creek has more water in it again this fall. It’s past time to shut off that 3rd right when the first and 2nd rights cannot be filled.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A thunderstorm was brewing so on her way back through our barnyard Andrea put a piece of black plastic over the end of the big square bale stack in the stackyard. When we covered that stack, our plastic wasn’t quite long enough, and we’d never taken time to cover the end of it, so she did.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had Nick come out again for supper and another game of Tripoli, and hoped Andrea could join us, but when she did her chores she discovered that the refrigerator in her trailer had quit working (like it did last year), and the frozen stuff in the top was all thawed. She had to get everything out of it. So later she brought down a big cooler full of stuff to put in our refrigerator and freezer, and sent home a lot of things with Nick that he will be able to use. It started raining about the time we finished unloading her cooler, and it rained hard for a while—the first real rain we’ve had for a long time. I’m glad we got the haystacks mostly covered! It didn’t rain enough to make puddles, but enough to wet the ground, which will temporarily help the dry parched grass.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We also got an e-mail from his sister in Canada, telling us their good news; Gregory and a neighbor were able to make a trench for a pipe from their new well, and another guy did some horizontal boring to get it under the road and into their basement. Since it’s just a dirt basement, it was very easy to pipe it in there—with nothing to repair or replace. Yesterday Gregory got it all plumbed so that they can also water their garden. As of this morning he got it plumbed in to supply well water for the house. She said it will be nice to not have to fight with frozen hoses to try to get water to the house in the winter from the storage tank they were using, or to have to be very conservative with water when it’s 40 below zero and they only have 200 gallons left in the tank. She sent photos of the trenching for the pipe, and the plumbing project in the basement.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJg3Ajf6CXAWsNFys4Yj8i0KxUb3buYe2kDS6CgnYzjOAi927HgD_GaMrZcKmlYR5IxghmNn2dytOQttnzMbEPo9CIg7VLPbdaHt9rUeGR5KZ98mpxWfmxdafJGDlZz7P9thCStS8Ehfs0vW5Gcx-tBn5l_zF0WjLjpyAG_cgzDUo9wTnqxppYG7gRg/s4032/22%20-%20trench%20for%20water%20pipe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnJg3Ajf6CXAWsNFys4Yj8i0KxUb3buYe2kDS6CgnYzjOAi927HgD_GaMrZcKmlYR5IxghmNn2dytOQttnzMbEPo9CIg7VLPbdaHt9rUeGR5KZ98mpxWfmxdafJGDlZz7P9thCStS8Ehfs0vW5Gcx-tBn5l_zF0WjLjpyAG_cgzDUo9wTnqxppYG7gRg/w300-h400/22%20-%20trench%20for%20water%20pipe.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trench for water pipe</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kp_FnYb-gpp9EaMCeKAXDot4whWqaW-qETlqRgLdDi6ud-Pq3xb4AQsW3Dkmmf6E4l_cqYkJaDV_cTwPV63JQ44wFgKsVIxvdK-wmZqvZbe3xJ4eTnEdrt4eFyStGz8El1mry8VlEvrLzJ-9c5F-8KkiACsM-54cqaIszGwNjcqwhyZqOkTLzvgcbQ/s4032/23%20-%20water%20piped%20into%20basement.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0kp_FnYb-gpp9EaMCeKAXDot4whWqaW-qETlqRgLdDi6ud-Pq3xb4AQsW3Dkmmf6E4l_cqYkJaDV_cTwPV63JQ44wFgKsVIxvdK-wmZqvZbe3xJ4eTnEdrt4eFyStGz8El1mry8VlEvrLzJ-9c5F-8KkiACsM-54cqaIszGwNjcqwhyZqOkTLzvgcbQ/w300-h400/23%20-%20water%20piped%20into%20basement.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">water piped into basement</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">AUGUST 30</b><b> </b></span>– </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Monday we sent the 6 older cows, plus Pandemonium (the young cow that’s been in “jail” all summer with her calf) and Bimbo—the yearling bull—to the sale yard near Butte, Montana. Andrea came down early that morning to help get them ready to go. I’d already called the 6 pair in from the lower swamp pasture (where we’d put them the day before) into the hold pen above the corrals. They came willingly because there’s good grass in the hold pen and they always want to go to new pasture.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When Andrea arrived, she helped me get Pandemonium and her calf out of Breezy’s pen and around to the corral. We sorted off the calves into another pen. I had the bull locked in the little pen by the chute. When Chad Stephenson arrived with a big trailer, we put the cattle all together and into the new loading chute that Michael and crew built last winter. This was our first time trying it out, and it worked nicely. The cattle went right into the trailer and Chad took them down to the Eagle Valley Ranch where Rusty Hamilton (the trucker who takes cattle to the sales at Montana Livestock Auction near Butte) was picking up more cattle.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After our cattle were loaded and gone, Andrea and I hiked over to the lower back field to check on the heifers. When she’d looked at them the day before, one of them—Malindy--had noisy breathing (though she didn’t seem sick) so we wanted to check on her again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She was the last one to come out of the brush when the heifers came out to greet us, and her breathing was much worse. She was having trouble drawing air into her lungs and sounded like she was snoring—a classic sign of diphtheria. This is an infection in the back of the throat, affecting the larynx (voice box), caused by the same bacterium that causes foot rot in cattle. It gets into the mouth and throat tissues if there’s an abrasion or nick, as from eating sharp or abrasive feed. The infection and swelling reduces the diameter of the airway and if it’s severe enough can totally shut off the air passage and the animal suffocates. The way you can tell the difference between diphtheria and pneumonia is that the animal has trouble drawing air into the lung if it’s diphtheria, and has trouble pushing air out of the lungs if it’s pneumonia (due to fluid and congestion in the lung tissue) and the animals is sicker; pneumonia is a systemic infection whereas diphtheria is more localized in the throat area.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We decided to bring Malindy to the corral to doctor, with a couple buddies to keep her company, so we could leave them in the corral and hold pen (where there’s grass to graze) until she recovers. We didn’t want to have them attracted to the cows above the hold pen on the ditch pasture by Andrea’s house, and vice versa, so we moved the 9 pairs from the ditch pasture and took them across the bridge on Andrea’s upper driveway and into heifer hill (to graze the new green regrowth after we harvested the hay). We brought the 11 heifers to the gate out of the lower back field and were able to sort out Malindy and the two buddies she lived with part of the summer before we put all the heifers back together. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was an effort for Malindy to breathe as she exerted, so we brought them very slowly up to the corral. We got her into the chute and head-catch and gave her antibiotics—a long-acting oxytetracycline that gives coverage for 2-plus days--to combat the infection, and a small dose of dexamethasone to help reduce the swelling and inflammation, and a large dose of DMSO squirted into the back of her mouth.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">DMSO is excellent for treating diphtheria because it is a great anti-inflammatory and reduces swelling immediately. We’ve used it many times over the years to treat calves with diphtheria and it works better than anything to shrink the obstructive swelling and allow them to breathe. When I checked on Malindy an hour later (after we let them into a side pen next to Babe’s pen, where there was shade so she could get out of the heat—because she was really stressed by the time we finished treating her) she was breathing easier, no longer making snoring sounds, and contentedly chewing her cud! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon we also put a tarp on the last two bales at the end of one stack of big round bales; the black plastic we’d used to cover that stack earlier wasn’t quite long enough, and left two bales exposed to the weather, so we finally got them covered. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The newly weaned calves grazed happily for a while in the lush green grass in the maternity pen (old orchard) where we put them after we sent their mothers away, then started missing their moms and bawled all night. We usually wean with nose flaps (and they get to stay with mom through the stressful weaning process) but this time we wanted to get those cull cows gone quicker, and had to wean the calves “cold turkey”.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next morning Rick Doroney came at 6 a.m. to start working on Andrea’s roof. It gets so hot during the day that he prefers to start work almost before daylight and be able to quit by mid-afternoon when it gets up to 90-plus degrees and windy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Even though Andrea’s house is only 11 years old, the wind started blowing the shingles off the very first year. The guys who built the house didn’t take the backing off the shingles and they didn’t stick down like they were supposed to. Every time there was a strong wind, more shingles blew off. We kept putting shingles back on, but it finally got to the point where there was just too much bare roof, so we hired Rick to put a metal roof on. He came to work early in the mornings (almost before daylight) to work on it before the heat and wind (which always seems to blow every afternoon this summer) make it difficult.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Jim helped a lot on this project. Andrea was on the roof quite a bit, taking out nails and removing old shingles, and she and Jim lifted the long metal pieces up to Rick so he wouldn’t have to keep going up and down the ladder. We rented a dumpster for 3 days to put the old shingles and other debris into. Andrea took a photo of the roofing project.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarX7c_VGNtyL0PHBTOn2w7TnW3mRc3pQeIKv9UTJqBrK5OlqkA0bYxK9purXdPGgLCbV17_kj4qhclXwm4gUhi-NYEaihkwwXOEpZcPg0L3o66u4hM-6N1mizKuJjO8BXrjn3TpnPmNj8cg8o0v1WDh96zidjrUjsZLNL0d5guTpuQXo2VmaeQkb7Vg/s4032/24%20-%20new%20roof.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgarX7c_VGNtyL0PHBTOn2w7TnW3mRc3pQeIKv9UTJqBrK5OlqkA0bYxK9purXdPGgLCbV17_kj4qhclXwm4gUhi-NYEaihkwwXOEpZcPg0L3o66u4hM-6N1mizKuJjO8BXrjn3TpnPmNj8cg8o0v1WDh96zidjrUjsZLNL0d5guTpuQXo2VmaeQkb7Vg/w400-h189/24%20-%20new%20roof.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new roof</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The day after we treated Malindy for diphtheria she was continuing to do well (no more loud breathing) so we didn’t have to put her in the chute again for any more treatments. We felt lucky that we caught it in time and treated it aggressively enough to resolve it with one treatment.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Lynn’s sister Jenelle called to tell us that their oldest sister Edna Stauber had a stroke that morning. Edna’s daughter Mary, who has been staying with her, took Edna to the ER and she was in the hospital. They did a lot of tests, and kept her in the hospital a couple days, then sent her to a rehab facility where she is getting physical therapy. Her mind and speech is ok, but she has some limb impairments so she’s walking with a walker and undergoing lots of physical therapy. She calls us briefly every evening to give us an update on her progress, and sounds really good on the phone.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher went with Andrea a few times to irrigate, and one afternoon she took photos of him playing in the water with his trucks.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFYmChsyyUWkxAc4RrgaqfcsIL_WF1DZN-v2Bp8osLq8U2dn0r68_rKXYWexur9mhtxsp2-sr-SuOHkoCwM1zXrfdH8DCxNrLM3B6RA07Hu4-j5iIYHcgNPlBNiXmMyoqU52haUWtamtLsgi5762RGHGZ_2wcBZUgvhcEYatgiJgV8X01ymsVmCyEvg/s4032/25%20-%20playing%20in%20the%20water.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFYmChsyyUWkxAc4RrgaqfcsIL_WF1DZN-v2Bp8osLq8U2dn0r68_rKXYWexur9mhtxsp2-sr-SuOHkoCwM1zXrfdH8DCxNrLM3B6RA07Hu4-j5iIYHcgNPlBNiXmMyoqU52haUWtamtLsgi5762RGHGZ_2wcBZUgvhcEYatgiJgV8X01ymsVmCyEvg/w189-h400/25%20-%20playing%20in%20the%20water.jpg" width="189" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhce8s_mnsbetO2-PzcplVRkpr7wj2r_4OqZpisLQjzx29WNvXQd8EDjFUyuwW2pDcqv-4OvUh4p-EzV8_jbF6TkeUKABRNxs6hPubscVcj2Xd54kWQh6lr4eCrb2-64SAyKfyJfYKwr1I2Cf57tE0XSy7f8dsN0_ENn3tVKcsX6LIuQHkbjBCBjxPA_g/s4032/26%20-%20littlest%20irrigator%20playing%20in%20the%20water.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhce8s_mnsbetO2-PzcplVRkpr7wj2r_4OqZpisLQjzx29WNvXQd8EDjFUyuwW2pDcqv-4OvUh4p-EzV8_jbF6TkeUKABRNxs6hPubscVcj2Xd54kWQh6lr4eCrb2-64SAyKfyJfYKwr1I2Cf57tE0XSy7f8dsN0_ENn3tVKcsX6LIuQHkbjBCBjxPA_g/w400-h189/26%20-%20littlest%20irrigator%20playing%20in%20the%20water.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">littlest irrigator playing in the water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and her boyfriend Roger drove home from Oregon this last week, where they were staying with his younger brother to help take care of him—after he was finally able to come home from the hospital after his serious accident this past winter. They plan to stay here a couple weeks, until after the funeral for one of Dani’s friends who drowned in the river a couple months ago (his body was finally found recently). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This past week was the Fair. Andrea took Christopher to a couple of the rodeos, along with Dani and Roger, and Charlie joined them for a while also.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJmpQG8d7p1PVFpHYMiTrJ3LufFIgJnIYlpEm1DX5i-6IuDOZuZcxO-QBJZytQaEu_Y2sR-lxFqJcDVloheqJAxSY6MrzLU546LYFgYZKjG6QF2-4vGI-9iof1GbAzMlOdM_nD-BU0RAmHcI6rS54cyAS07qPjM0Cfel4A6HmEbxtqhyYOI68gWKc1w/s4608/27%20-%20at%20the%20Fairgrounds.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinJmpQG8d7p1PVFpHYMiTrJ3LufFIgJnIYlpEm1DX5i-6IuDOZuZcxO-QBJZytQaEu_Y2sR-lxFqJcDVloheqJAxSY6MrzLU546LYFgYZKjG6QF2-4vGI-9iof1GbAzMlOdM_nD-BU0RAmHcI6rS54cyAS07qPjM0Cfel4A6HmEbxtqhyYOI68gWKc1w/w400-h190/27%20-%20at%20the%20Fairgrounds.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">at the fair grounds</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVGcPSyATfhubzbyF1memQKzUNNogRNpcf0GyDpeiJtjV6U_9syGAouVBjOh8WBJEo-JcBwTNLENbuxMGl8J22ldH-Y6Kjhb_d6VUsCm8A-1GEWPP6aupK-erN9WnjAftVwMHY8JyHbATtNeyiAloczK5fk4SS-xnQgq-5Syjb1mOOqRXgysuftZo2A/s4032/28%20-Christopher%20&%20Dani%20at%20one%20of%20the%20rodeos.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCVGcPSyATfhubzbyF1memQKzUNNogRNpcf0GyDpeiJtjV6U_9syGAouVBjOh8WBJEo-JcBwTNLENbuxMGl8J22ldH-Y6Kjhb_d6VUsCm8A-1GEWPP6aupK-erN9WnjAftVwMHY8JyHbATtNeyiAloczK5fk4SS-xnQgq-5Syjb1mOOqRXgysuftZo2A/w189-h400/28%20-Christopher%20&%20Dani%20at%20one%20of%20the%20rodeos.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Dani at one of the rodeos</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">They also went to the kids’ fun house several evenings and Christopher had great fun on the big slides and climbing the obstacles.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ctlO3P7CnSzMmx0D8ehkCm0z_bKCCm31QSZDGjZVWbDwoJAFxw7CXh1AQr7B3Upb5dpX_6f4GW2en8S6m894SnI6omqyiN6kTVfq6jis-PUdeWrIxGtN744BgbAYQ6YqnbHZoesdGFx2gzA162jqdFSMA01C3RSY75vez70DOFk-ja9LHazg_6WCbA/s4032/29%20-%20Christopher%20climbing%20one%20of%20the%20obstacles.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ctlO3P7CnSzMmx0D8ehkCm0z_bKCCm31QSZDGjZVWbDwoJAFxw7CXh1AQr7B3Upb5dpX_6f4GW2en8S6m894SnI6omqyiN6kTVfq6jis-PUdeWrIxGtN744BgbAYQ6YqnbHZoesdGFx2gzA162jqdFSMA01C3RSY75vez70DOFk-ja9LHazg_6WCbA/w189-h400/29%20-%20Christopher%20climbing%20one%20of%20the%20obstacles.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher climbing one of the obstacles</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday we decided that Malindy was fully recovered (and not going to relapse) and we put her and her two buddies back down to the field with the rest of the heifers. That afternoon Lynn and I went to town and he did the town errands while I went to the dentist. It was finally time to try to do something about my broken teeth. I had a couple chipped teeth a few years ago, and then broke some more when I had my wreck in October 2019 with Dottie (when she tripped while galloping after a wayward cow when we took a group up to the 320 for fall pasture). When she did a somersault over the top of me and squashed my head into the snow and frozen mud, it not only broke the back of one eye socket but also broke more of my teeth.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At that point I was more concerned about my vision problem than the teeth and I put off having them fixed. Then COVID came along and I didn’t go to town at all, and didn’t worry about the teeth. I was getting by ok until a few more pieces broke off and I had to just carefully chew on one side, and then another tooth shifted/broke and now I can’t chew on either side and have to just eat soft stuff or things I can nibble with my front teeth. The nice thing about the meat from China Doll is that it is so tender I can take small bites of those roasts and mush it around with my tongue enough to break it up and swallow it!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But it was time to get some teeth fixed. So I went to the dentist and his daughter took x-rays of all my teeth and he’s going to try to fix them, but my next appointment isn’t until September 27th so I’ll be eating very carefully (soft foods) in the meantime.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve been very short on irrigation water for several weeks, and even shorter after Alfonso took the lock off one of his headgates on the Gooch place and removed the face plate and dammed off the creek so all the water would go out that ditch. We were mainly just picking up a little tail water from the field he was irrigating, giving us a little water for heifer hill. We had just a trickle in the ditch that comes by Andrea’s house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then this past Friday when Andrea checked that ditch to see if the trickle had irrigated enough to move it (after running for more than a week in one place, trying to get the water to the bottom of the field in that small area), she noticed a bunch of muddy water coming down the ditch! She realized Alfonso must have made some kind of change in his stolen water. Technically the Gooch place—a 3rd right—must be shut off by now, since our 2nd right on this place is not being filled, and the 1st right at the bottom of the creek is also short-changed. We haven’t complained about being short, however, because if Alfonso’s 3nd right is shut off, that means Michael’s 4th right at the top of the creek has to be shut off also, and at this point he is still using his 3rd right (though sometimes it’s a bit short, too, just because the creek is so low during this hot, dry weather). The fact that the creek is holding up as well as it is, this late, is due to the fact that the upper places keep using water, which mostly goes back to the creek and also recharges the springs and bogs that keep seeping into the creek. We all benefit if the upper places are not turned off completely. They could all keep using water all summer, like we used to do before Alfonso started renting the Gooch place and the place between us and Jack Jakovac; we could keep irrigating and always make sure that 1st right had enough water. The only reason Jack is sometimes short now is when Alfonso uses all the water between us and Jack, and some of that water doesn’t get back to the creek.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, Andrea was curious about the muddy water coming down her ditch so she hiked up it and found there was a lot more in the creek at that headgate, so she went on up the creek and discovered that Alfonso had brought back the missing faceplate (that he took out of the one ditch when he sprang/ruined the lock taking it off) and put it back in and it was obviously damaged but he got it flattened out enough to put back in. He’d dammed off that ditch and jimmied the lock off the other ditch (on the other side of the creek). The lock and faceplate were missing on that one and he’d dammed off the creek up there so everything was coming out that ditch! That’s why some of the tail water from that back field was ending up back in the creek and coming down to where Andrea’s ditch was able to pick some of it up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday Rick came out and put the last of the metal on Andrea’s roof, except for a small piece along the edge (facia trim) that didn’t arrive with the material he ordered. The roof is basically finished now, except for that. He’ll have to re-order that piece and put it on when it arrives.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea heard a calf bellowing on heifer hill, sounding like it was in trouble, so she called us. Lynn and I drove up there on his 4-wheeler and Andrea came from her house, with Christopher, on her 4-wheeler. We checked all the cows and calves and they all seemed ok; we never did figure out why one of the calves was bellowing. Andrea took a photo of some of the calves checking out Christopher.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJan7ZWRq7CldIAbe4XEqlvgeWiNfauZOjh78ZXypGGQKnrjIcNRMu4k0wt_o7zQEbUf5SbXXL5AY_jLs7VNDWmQ5ICJsMsvzbHAPL-PWd2TGXMaSJGTfc63CRXpEu6fH6Vcnv6scL4EkmieSMxaCplW-ME8pDzJyyww7g-c-16-32C-vmKwRLYVN-A/s4608/30%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20us%20check%20cows.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIJan7ZWRq7CldIAbe4XEqlvgeWiNfauZOjh78ZXypGGQKnrjIcNRMu4k0wt_o7zQEbUf5SbXXL5AY_jLs7VNDWmQ5ICJsMsvzbHAPL-PWd2TGXMaSJGTfc63CRXpEu6fH6Vcnv6scL4EkmieSMxaCplW-ME8pDzJyyww7g-c-16-32C-vmKwRLYVN-A/w400-h190/30%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20us%20check%20cows.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping us check cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I reactivated the hot wire on the far side of the horse pasture (after tromping down the tall grass along it--that regrew so nicely in that pasture—so it won’t short out the hot wire) and let the 7 weaned calves out into that pasture. They were really happy for the new good grass and are no longer bawling for their mamas.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Andrea took Christopher to the Fair again and he had a lot of fun. We had Nick come for dinner and another game of Tripoli and it was great to have another visit with him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday Andrea was really short of water again (creek dammed off by Alfonso on the Gooch place). Jim went to town to help A.J. on the wood shed he’s building. Andrea took Christopher with her (on the 4-wheeler) to start gathering up some of the hot wire and posts on the field below heifer hill (where we had the old cows and calves fenced out of the hayfield, grazing the rough edges and ditchbanks). Christopher checked out the cows and calves on the other side of the fence—on heifer hill.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB55Ec_n3nHZVfqB-8HlPpa3peJDLJjDOikvFbMgRhgAmzoe4lF1RQSwogANKV5cIjVDoyTJ_SxpBSGT9NjmZ4R6EhIygazyOeuZ8fPmXsR7SPDIobcj6TSFZipj9R2zQVapAAvZ7qM9BKKvbOULkziHkLkTorzNh4-QJlE31gtRkwJ_SCym2W_QznA/s4032/31%20-%20Christopher%20checking%20the%20cattle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwB55Ec_n3nHZVfqB-8HlPpa3peJDLJjDOikvFbMgRhgAmzoe4lF1RQSwogANKV5cIjVDoyTJ_SxpBSGT9NjmZ4R6EhIygazyOeuZ8fPmXsR7SPDIobcj6TSFZipj9R2zQVapAAvZ7qM9BKKvbOULkziHkLkTorzNh4-QJlE31gtRkwJ_SCym2W_QznA/w400-h189/31%20-%20Christopher%20checking%20the%20cattle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher checking the cattle</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was cool in the morning (40 degrees, feeling like fall) but hot again (87 degrees) in the afternoon. Emily signed up Christopher for pre—school, which he will start next week, going half days, 2 days a week. He will get a little assistance with speech therapy. He’s talking a lot more now but gets very frustrated because it’s hard for people to understand what he’s saying. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea gathered up a lot more of the step-in posts and rolled up more of the hot wire; we’ll need to move the 9 pairs down to that field very soon from heifer hill so we need to remove the rest of that electric fence.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening I let Sprout graze for a couple hours in the area by the calving barn, as usual, but when I went to get her just before dark, she had gone into the willows below the barn and was kind of stuck back there against the fence. Lots of tall green grass, but lots of willows. I managed to get her turned around and lead her out through the thick willows. So the next day while she was doing her morning grazing in the stackyard I used tree pruners to nip off the willows behind the barn so she can get in and out of that slot to graze it down. We need to be able to get in there anyway to put some tin along the bottom of the barn wall where moisture from the snowdrift (that stays there most of the winter into the spring after sliding off the barn roof) is starting to rot out the boards. We have a little bit of tin left over from Andrea’s house roof project and we will screw that to those boards. With 3 feet of tin along that back wall it should protect them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took photos of some of the already-weaned calves in the orchard and horse pasture, and the small water tank we bought for those calves.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNPqfLCNWFIRmKYB39vYyERehA6fabVv8zI3-vcfY2QoqTcm0d8CJvzL-p30inAV7dixBFbC8yU3VoGG6fApv9TuXEt1oIERHUnzEFdSVn3SenHYVfZPo4AyRMGL6uDrrCX7yYGhEUi4tT_zhOJA9YcYWdWs3TVJ7SkgI27PPwmdiCoUEm30O_74RPQ/s4000/32%20-%20heifer%20calf.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNPqfLCNWFIRmKYB39vYyERehA6fabVv8zI3-vcfY2QoqTcm0d8CJvzL-p30inAV7dixBFbC8yU3VoGG6fApv9TuXEt1oIERHUnzEFdSVn3SenHYVfZPo4AyRMGL6uDrrCX7yYGhEUi4tT_zhOJA9YcYWdWs3TVJ7SkgI27PPwmdiCoUEm30O_74RPQ/w400-h300/32%20-%20heifer%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifer calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh9CsIiP9pkbOC2ApEogj35g5GtwZoesOhMLGCinktABhdn8oEeiQ9_9q-5ThNnOqUiPG6vMFdGeH4AOLyHpdPHFVXQ3aRmlwE6GLgUEvnyVmGUCXo8d9ezltKW1o7QHfv52Ny8j2VYoYSzFLWfZy-6N6ZZ2-W_cTK1kKqdb001Mu-tbRN1PkXiXDBw/s4000/33%20-%20already%20weaned.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSh9CsIiP9pkbOC2ApEogj35g5GtwZoesOhMLGCinktABhdn8oEeiQ9_9q-5ThNnOqUiPG6vMFdGeH4AOLyHpdPHFVXQ3aRmlwE6GLgUEvnyVmGUCXo8d9ezltKW1o7QHfv52Ny8j2VYoYSzFLWfZy-6N6ZZ2-W_cTK1kKqdb001Mu-tbRN1PkXiXDBw/w400-h300/33%20-%20already%20weaned.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">already weaned</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoabON0GZtwVTW_Av9DfvuRmyMjleMmEZHrVUvskoclEqDppuj3DdLGVseclXeXInlWNsdXifgZC_VjndrpG8EYMw8ghn-wgzeKWAQNrg8n3QGGSooW0Bevaw0MAr1oA6i8nc7sICesGinpp6-u97ZEpzPGzUy-mlmPrJXkTPuBdJNaPqEgMoe-KsAA/s4000/34%20-%20new%20water%20tank.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnoabON0GZtwVTW_Av9DfvuRmyMjleMmEZHrVUvskoclEqDppuj3DdLGVseclXeXInlWNsdXifgZC_VjndrpG8EYMw8ghn-wgzeKWAQNrg8n3QGGSooW0Bevaw0MAr1oA6i8nc7sICesGinpp6-u97ZEpzPGzUy-mlmPrJXkTPuBdJNaPqEgMoe-KsAA/w400-h300/34%20-%20new%20water%20tank.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new water tank</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwOoY-cN7C0cvsoDrqrerlg4_CoR0o7GISG2m6R1MJfuVmfwAd49uBCDJAKubi3PyJIuSZkNClFhu6miRzdx7yznTFxm68icRShd0d6H0AAtNfZJf095KJMB1OizD4kIxBG2d-E-nCKViWWujQtC0_tQD_3w0CAOj2ihbTWM7OKvsx3ciVSAcwyATWg/s4000/35%20-%20calves%20lying%20next%20to%20horse%20pens.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwOoY-cN7C0cvsoDrqrerlg4_CoR0o7GISG2m6R1MJfuVmfwAd49uBCDJAKubi3PyJIuSZkNClFhu6miRzdx7yznTFxm68icRShd0d6H0AAtNfZJf095KJMB1OizD4kIxBG2d-E-nCKViWWujQtC0_tQD_3w0CAOj2ihbTWM7OKvsx3ciVSAcwyATWg/w400-h300/35%20-%20calves%20lying%20next%20to%20horse%20pens.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves lying next to horse pens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The grass in the horse pasture is really tall and when they lie down in it you can hardly see the calves.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oNjnLtDA3eufzZDYFmkn1zYaQTNqt3hV-9bSCTLbkH1BdYGeGBx30QOHSSjINqphibtlcNA3Vyrx5tzRwDOz61C2246daAhtjyPUPeYtNmy3vmn1MVWGVqkermWF_72ChxSgda4uFIag21kP3qtDW0QnU1z877UFdwWVpPNa8SWHbRyRFIM2RQ8Tlg/s4000/36%20-%20calves%20in%20tall%20grass.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oNjnLtDA3eufzZDYFmkn1zYaQTNqt3hV-9bSCTLbkH1BdYGeGBx30QOHSSjINqphibtlcNA3Vyrx5tzRwDOz61C2246daAhtjyPUPeYtNmy3vmn1MVWGVqkermWF_72ChxSgda4uFIag21kP3qtDW0QnU1z877UFdwWVpPNa8SWHbRyRFIM2RQ8Tlg/w400-h300/36%20-%20calves%20in%20tall%20grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO3OUi8TKofSAhNke6reqXjgttryiUG556fJzucUR8OCu4DHb8fkNQGGjPP20ZT31pBXQhweNE8VprztwMceJzfqabLl4Rxtp0eHx2goepV_oDovNUysQM0spAHGFqnKmn0t1MCm0XD2_a0kqm10jZxaP4BqnOLUkyB5Og2WEDsF1wZcP1l-mt-IgGA/s4000/37%20-%20calves%20in%20tall%20grass.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeO3OUi8TKofSAhNke6reqXjgttryiUG556fJzucUR8OCu4DHb8fkNQGGjPP20ZT31pBXQhweNE8VprztwMceJzfqabLl4Rxtp0eHx2goepV_oDovNUysQM0spAHGFqnKmn0t1MCm0XD2_a0kqm10jZxaP4BqnOLUkyB5Og2WEDsF1wZcP1l-mt-IgGA/w400-h300/37%20-%20calves%20in%20tall%20grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bJssh-tuErdwKmxpsT5_bs5CEAiRway33ukaey76FMBK5kkb8KENoYJN4GW8QygphGhNngJKFsBysrmKT6yYkF-6ARpbfxRdLSW4-__yZj6-vI40QbqFELg9Hi5-94abPlEA1aikQy31P888pT5TTOzkQwA74ptgMjV1uR54gMKibgQFkqZAMsmt1g/s4000/38%20-%20calves%20in%20tall%20grass.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2bJssh-tuErdwKmxpsT5_bs5CEAiRway33ukaey76FMBK5kkb8KENoYJN4GW8QygphGhNngJKFsBysrmKT6yYkF-6ARpbfxRdLSW4-__yZj6-vI40QbqFELg9Hi5-94abPlEA1aikQy31P888pT5TTOzkQwA74ptgMjV1uR54gMKibgQFkqZAMsmt1g/w400-h300/38%20-%20calves%20in%20tall%20grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves in tall grass</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Emily and AJ took Christopher to his appointment in Missoula with the heart specialist and had his heart murmur checked. The doctor determined that it’s not serious enough to need any treatment or surgery, so that was good news.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today we moved the cows and calves from heifer hill and let them into the field below that pasture. I helped Andrea pick up the rest of the step-in posts that she’d taken out—to remove the temporary fence around that field that kept the 6 pairs (the cows we sold and their calves we weaned) out of the hayfield. They grazed the tall grass around the edges for quite a while.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The horn flies have really multiplied lately and the weaned calves were covered with them and driving them crazy. So we brought those calves into the pen by the barn and put my orphan bull calf (Kung Fu) with them—and put 4 at a time into the little chute by the headgate so we could pour insecticide on them. That took care of the flies and there are no more flies on those calves.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-74468196817558896742022-11-06T15:40:00.001-08:002022-11-06T15:40:22.554-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – June 23 through August 1, 2022<p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JULY 1</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Thursday the water tank on the hill pasture was nearly empty so Andrea, Lynn and I took the pump and hoses up there and pumped from the ditch across the road and filled it again for the 6 pairs that are still grazing up there. Andrea and I rolled out the hoses and Lynn monitored the pump after we got it running.</span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvKnrQombx5WgbW-QT6C7T0HOfAruC9XwuZoL6w2t4cnVmre_mqsPOq-AzLMVzLxn30C8o9hfDzSMMjj0S3EEmnUaZTMUZiYfEu992x57IGHyT_NBQwpkbzAW07ZrJxB92kTFwPCPdSOlWInH2vdzagnpCsWv9gWCDPVu9GAovpI4WvSCR1Gw1mML8w/s4000/1%20-%20pumping%20water%20out%20of%20the%20ditch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBvKnrQombx5WgbW-QT6C7T0HOfAruC9XwuZoL6w2t4cnVmre_mqsPOq-AzLMVzLxn30C8o9hfDzSMMjj0S3EEmnUaZTMUZiYfEu992x57IGHyT_NBQwpkbzAW07ZrJxB92kTFwPCPdSOlWInH2vdzagnpCsWv9gWCDPVu9GAovpI4WvSCR1Gw1mML8w/w400-h300/1%20-%20pumping%20water%20out%20of%20the%20ditch.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pumping water out of the ditch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are a few more photos that Andrea took as we filled the tank for the cows. The cows and calves were there by the, and many were thirsty, and some of them drank as we were filling it.</span><br /></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxT4CYeXgLaCKvPNo0U4oRo1OfFr8TO4x-jU-3AtktknH-SGArW6XcbQjv6dnPb3omYyj5q9r8zJoyIO-Ukt3v2TNVBCwBA5dFHx2H_Z-FHbKYIFHo73zDITm7XMCUJbeZX1oof4LGIJ6IKzL0WEYsyhqkrD6jABmZJZvNRGBfqokQDtsYRsiXvhR5g/s4000/2%20-%20filling%20the%20tank.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxT4CYeXgLaCKvPNo0U4oRo1OfFr8TO4x-jU-3AtktknH-SGArW6XcbQjv6dnPb3omYyj5q9r8zJoyIO-Ukt3v2TNVBCwBA5dFHx2H_Z-FHbKYIFHo73zDITm7XMCUJbeZX1oof4LGIJ6IKzL0WEYsyhqkrD6jABmZJZvNRGBfqokQDtsYRsiXvhR5g/w400-h300/2%20-%20filling%20the%20tank.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL84OIfpvWScmAvcCeg52J-jhN6fM4pmHtSvk7VO9PVIEv7ib9NChedWF0AQhYBwAUN9Mmv6HEefM1Ww76Cz2b9QsBPynLO0QnzTfDht5Gu9nV2dS3CsvakCTL5GhzjjFsWdN6cNYN_-Gkw9z7uFMQTh0CoK93ULPVmac1ew-NumDli8ZWNB1ykV7ZUg/s4000/3%20-%20calf%20trying%20to%20get%20a%20drink.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL84OIfpvWScmAvcCeg52J-jhN6fM4pmHtSvk7VO9PVIEv7ib9NChedWF0AQhYBwAUN9Mmv6HEefM1Ww76Cz2b9QsBPynLO0QnzTfDht5Gu9nV2dS3CsvakCTL5GhzjjFsWdN6cNYN_-Gkw9z7uFMQTh0CoK93ULPVmac1ew-NumDli8ZWNB1ykV7ZUg/w400-h300/3%20-%20calf%20trying%20to%20get%20a%20drink.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf trying to get a drink</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJT7s_PzjMoA6AjpmZ01GT2pJs7Gn5HhUZP3rnFZCiI7eZEnprUgVcQlH7zPZErEbK4ESiMIa6S4jW2DhjsotSrMOdxVSU0_WCo5TJk8eE07t7381vlSsdPmedFKS8XnZuisLyQfVsoujVABTqWgloRieEJOM6kQR6Kl6JFalgCWlCzK3OPgulsCYNw/s4000/4%20-filling%20trough.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieJT7s_PzjMoA6AjpmZ01GT2pJs7Gn5HhUZP3rnFZCiI7eZEnprUgVcQlH7zPZErEbK4ESiMIa6S4jW2DhjsotSrMOdxVSU0_WCo5TJk8eE07t7381vlSsdPmedFKS8XnZuisLyQfVsoujVABTqWgloRieEJOM6kQR6Kl6JFalgCWlCzK3OPgulsCYNw/w400-h300/4%20-filling%20trough.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">filling the tank</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a couple photos as Andrea finished filling the tank. As the cows got a drink, some of them started back up the hill to go back to grazing.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-0-g6LeHKEeRJzs2FgBWyBic4iRY21mZWOQnqAVlYYFIr1Q-qXqHCERFBeLx0ccV2tbePRl0DuAGESvr06iqOOI-FHnNnS0MMKQmn7-ISGTV3ZJ_YJPvFlAONwwryhkEGTOHsDmg-NMN90K0wp48P9_EUERlwgZ-2L2OR1f1osKFtk4B88p0CvUBhA/s4000/5%20-%20filling%20the%20tank.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-0-g6LeHKEeRJzs2FgBWyBic4iRY21mZWOQnqAVlYYFIr1Q-qXqHCERFBeLx0ccV2tbePRl0DuAGESvr06iqOOI-FHnNnS0MMKQmn7-ISGTV3ZJ_YJPvFlAONwwryhkEGTOHsDmg-NMN90K0wp48P9_EUERlwgZ-2L2OR1f1osKFtk4B88p0CvUBhA/w400-h300/5%20-%20filling%20the%20tank.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzAZchaDWNxPqivY7_egEfULuykGuqTT4weBgYaQYOHxHRZsHMsw44m_zc9YHxc-XTfN2CYw3-B8THFCLZ2ngSORhFy8KO6yK86was33t1x23GfgBn1FRL9jF-ETIkfjbrdVR_dABJXkqmWnwYuIS87CkyqVghaFMH6TfUhlqAFu5iqPlW5hPfqJ_Pg/s4000/6%20-%20filling%20the%20tank.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZzAZchaDWNxPqivY7_egEfULuykGuqTT4weBgYaQYOHxHRZsHMsw44m_zc9YHxc-XTfN2CYw3-B8THFCLZ2ngSORhFy8KO6yK86was33t1x23GfgBn1FRL9jF-ETIkfjbrdVR_dABJXkqmWnwYuIS87CkyqVghaFMH6TfUhlqAFu5iqPlW5hPfqJ_Pg/w400-h300/6%20-%20filling%20the%20tank.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">filling trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon I helped Andrea finish putting up the electric fence to split the big pasture above the horse pasture, in preparation for moving the main group of cows to that new grazing area. Then Lynn and I made a fast trip to town to record the deed to our upper place—transferring it to Michael and Carolyn. They’ve been making payments and improvements to the fences, ditches, etc. for 22 years and finally got it paid for, so now it is officially their ranch.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Friday Charlie came out and helped us with some of the machinery repairs (and changed oil in the big tractor) so we can hopefully start haying as soon as the repaired part for the mid-size tractor comes back. Lynn bladed some of the old straw away from the backstop where we’ll need to stack our little bales, and I made a fake fence for sprout to let her graze in the stackyard a few hours each day—to clean up some tall grass and weeds before we stack hay there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim has been sick a few days, and tested positive for COVID. He spent several days in bed. Andrea took care of Christopher a few nights at AJ’s place in town while Em was at work, not wanting to bring that little kid out here and expose him to COVID.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday the water tank for the cows was nearly empty again, so Andrea put more water in the ditch to heifer hill that morning so we could pump out of it to fill the tank again. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent us photos of Joseph “helping” on the day they put in a new water system, and a photo of the new well—pumping water to their cows into a big tire tank.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtpkoLfXMAXmvFe2vSkqyXAbucc4iBj2u0zeReC8VElEx5HSl7684LLthAExYrGh3jc_YSdv9epbHON2x4lCnDYElh8iTIOeJcqzIb6OO3PLLoMaYuydRyztya_KSMIzB5lRcp7okavpKMt14K3FejJX6LLTdx9EysfL7mOix9wh6CukGmTjKzuA-VA/s4032/7%20-Joseph%20shoveling%20dirt.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtpkoLfXMAXmvFe2vSkqyXAbucc4iBj2u0zeReC8VElEx5HSl7684LLthAExYrGh3jc_YSdv9epbHON2x4lCnDYElh8iTIOeJcqzIb6OO3PLLoMaYuydRyztya_KSMIzB5lRcp7okavpKMt14K3FejJX6LLTdx9EysfL7mOix9wh6CukGmTjKzuA-VA/w300-h400/7%20-Joseph%20shoveling%20dirt.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph shoveling dirt</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZPcxG3u4OVAwioS1Db6S1SHxAO_FXqoVGFksH_poLYOnaq9SxcCqvwo9DePJrS4MN-6u4T01grge3SmAaUlBRjLdCLtr-B0vpY2Yvh6KFh17qHqVPDctfeuJfMZRqd1vy56NYthCW43gUnzWZeapZN9IJI_z_A_5MytYtIjaZqwHhMbJaBW-ZZ9Lpg/s4032/8%20-%20fresh%20water.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLZPcxG3u4OVAwioS1Db6S1SHxAO_FXqoVGFksH_poLYOnaq9SxcCqvwo9DePJrS4MN-6u4T01grge3SmAaUlBRjLdCLtr-B0vpY2Yvh6KFh17qHqVPDctfeuJfMZRqd1vy56NYthCW43gUnzWZeapZN9IJI_z_A_5MytYtIjaZqwHhMbJaBW-ZZ9Lpg/w400-h300/8%20-%20fresh%20water.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fresh water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They have been very pleased to have water for their cows in those far pastures, and no longer need to haul water to them. Being able to “witch” a good location and have a relatively shallow well that produces a lot more than 50 gallons per minute has been a big improvement!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The past few days have been really hot, up in the 90’s. Monday was a very sad day. When I went out to do chores early that morning I checked on the cows and calves as always—to make sure they were all doing ok, and to write down any cows that are being bred, so we’ll have their estimated calving dates for next spring. As I went out into that pasture above the house I saw one cow lying flat, and a group of cows gathered around her, which was an ominous sign that something was very wrong with that cow.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">As I hurried closer I could see that it was China Doll (my favorite young cow) and that she was still alive. I thought maybe she’d gotten a little bit on her back and couldn’t get up, but the place where she was lying was relatively flat. I rushed up to her to try to startle her enough to make her try to get up, and though she raised her head, she could not get up. She wasn’t bloated; something else was wrong. I tried briefly to get her up, then ran back to the house to get Lynn and to call Andrea. She came hurrying down on her 4-wheeler. We put a halter on China Doll and tried to pull her head around a bit and get her upright onto her belly instead of lying flat (a cow can’t breathe very well if she stays flat very long, and tends to bloat), but we could not get her very upright.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We propped her up with some saddle pads under one shoulder, and kept her head tied to the 4-wheeler to keep it up. I took her temperature and it was only slightly above normal. I ran back to the house to call our vet, Dr. Cope, for advice. There’s no way he could come out to the ranch to diagnose the problem; he’s been confined to a wheelchair for several months, with no use of his legs due to cancer in his spine. We have no other cattle vet here in our valley—just a few veterinarians who only work on pets and horses. Cope thought from the description of the cow and the fact we’d recently moved them into a new pasture that had grown fast (after the weather finally warmed up this spring) and was heavily fertilized by all the manure from the cows being in there during calving season, that she might be suffering from “grass tetany” (magnesium deficiency that causes limited function of the muscles). This can kill cows very quickly if the condition is not reversed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So Andrea drove to town, to Cope’s house, to get a bottle of magnesium and the tubing we needed to give it to her in a large amount of IV fluid and some dexamethasone. China Doll was still alive when Andrea got back, but fading fast. We managed to run the fluid into her but it was too late; she died just as we finished.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next task was to take care of the carcass. I’d asked Cope if what we were giving her would be ok if we had to butcher her, and since we hadn’t given her any antibiotics he said the meat would be safe to eat. The big problem was getting the cow butchered in time. It was going to be 90-plus degrees again that day.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpKdbIPHohlrcDfjoAd5Vfglqy6EXguVmO1tY3IWhVpOO-xd0EjkNyb4TLPV8JdGXIkn0Anhf2NiesBAEx-6Dr3FMQxQT-osxxkoIMJOp4L87eSel5bNIKDhVDWMbJZi3UsFUuh-2WVcjF48Q59SoPYF7eQIuSHtRMlMxevQkvCBnv2Ca1nTnbsHEOw/s4000/9%20-%20Andrea%20hooking%20chain%20around%20the%20cow's%20neck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSpKdbIPHohlrcDfjoAd5Vfglqy6EXguVmO1tY3IWhVpOO-xd0EjkNyb4TLPV8JdGXIkn0Anhf2NiesBAEx-6Dr3FMQxQT-osxxkoIMJOp4L87eSel5bNIKDhVDWMbJZi3UsFUuh-2WVcjF48Q59SoPYF7eQIuSHtRMlMxevQkvCBnv2Ca1nTnbsHEOw/w400-h300/9%20-%20Andrea%20hooking%20chain%20around%20the%20cow's%20neck.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea hooking chain around the cow's neck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrYtHLmo7wMkrdMQPY3pAfJVIzEpA4Z65ZKss1yoJPAybwG7Qz9g62BRApQc7wCAwptHKIwc_p2GZFHCYpVIXeCA5tvuDBOB0y9OL2hSxbvexbN47iuZaJ8A7wlqXjXyRImeco5uPyvBPyXHUsRBnuEI9eHZBj9XO5b-8TFzIQ1gXG3KJUAwqvgfhdw/s4000/10%20-%20ready%20to%20lift%20her%20up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYrYtHLmo7wMkrdMQPY3pAfJVIzEpA4Z65ZKss1yoJPAybwG7Qz9g62BRApQc7wCAwptHKIwc_p2GZFHCYpVIXeCA5tvuDBOB0y9OL2hSxbvexbN47iuZaJ8A7wlqXjXyRImeco5uPyvBPyXHUsRBnuEI9eHZBj9XO5b-8TFzIQ1gXG3KJUAwqvgfhdw/w400-h300/10%20-%20ready%20to%20lift%20her%20up.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to lift her up</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu6KFYNd6Fv9TK5awd1BaQtS3Q6bD5V94lt3APvwYxq9Nfi9I-CwuRrW_IB3t82M5OU4RoyfJvuvnfg9GDs5SEzSXlPk6iDh-m8_jOSbo4nq7X3O69si2VXh8d-eQaT4xvtLWBmjotmPHDkPI7PQ0GJyvltUPVH4E25q3d_jUQgKeOuPucMYazVMskw/s4000/11%20-%20ready%20to%20put%20China%20Doll%20on%20the%20flatbed%20truck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidu6KFYNd6Fv9TK5awd1BaQtS3Q6bD5V94lt3APvwYxq9Nfi9I-CwuRrW_IB3t82M5OU4RoyfJvuvnfg9GDs5SEzSXlPk6iDh-m8_jOSbo4nq7X3O69si2VXh8d-eQaT4xvtLWBmjotmPHDkPI7PQ0GJyvltUPVH4E25q3d_jUQgKeOuPucMYazVMskw/w400-h300/11%20-%20ready%20to%20put%20China%20Doll%20on%20the%20flatbed%20truck.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to put China Doll on the flatbed truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put the herd into the horse pasture so they wouldn’t be in our way, and took the hot wire down so we could drive to the dead cow. Lynn got the tractor and Andrea brought the flatbed feed truck and we were able to get the cow loaded onto the truck. China Doll was quite heavy and it was all the tractor to do to lift her high enough to get her onto the truck. They drove over the dump hill to dress her out over there and not have a gut pile in our field. I shoveled dirt over the blood where we’d bled her out—so the cows and the bull wouldn’t go crazy over the smell of it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While the herd was in the horse pasture I got part of them into the orchard and lured them into the calving pen, to capture China Doll’s calf. He’s not quite 3 months old and we needed to get him in where we can feed him better, after losing his mom. We put him in one of the 2nd day pens by the calving barn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea got the cow gutted out and they brought the carcass to hang from the loader next to Andrea’s house, on the shady side, so she could skin off the hide and try to split the carcass. The meat room we made a few years ago (when we had to butcher Lida Rose—the yearling heifer with the broken foot) wasn’t quite cool enough even with the air conditioner unit running, so Jim went to town to get ice blocks. The cow was too big to try to cool out by hanging her in that meat room, so Andrea put ice blocks all around the quarters, and started cutting up meat. It was a race against time to get the meat cut up and packaged because we couldn’t keep it quite cool enough to completely chill out. She worked at it into the evening, and left ice blocks around the carcass all night.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">China Doll’s calf, Kung Fu (the one we’re keeping as a bull), was desolate. There was some green grass in his pen and I gave him a tub of water, but he spent most of his time pacing around, crying for mama.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was very hot again. Andrea kept cutting up meat. She periodically brought coolers full of packaged meat down here to put in our freezer, and finished the hindquarters—as much as she could salvage. Even with the ice, some of the larger, thicker areas didn’t cool out well enough and there was some she couldn’t save because it was starting to “sour” but most of it was good enough to package. She had to go to town for a doctor’s appointment mid-day and brought home more ice—and kept cutting up meat. Our tractor part was finally repaired, in Idaho Falls, so Jim drove over there (150 miles) to go get it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday Andrea spent all day again cutting up meat. The front quarters had cooled out better (not being so large and bulky) being surrounded by ice, and she was able to salvage almost all of that meat—not only chunks for roasts, but also put a bunch of it in coolers to grind for hamburger. Charlie came out and he and Lynn got the tractor put back together so we can finally start cutting hay.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put a feed tub on top of a cinder block in one corner of Kung Fu’s pen and tied it to the fence (so he can’t root it off) and put some calf manna pellets in it with a little block of salt. He tried it out—licking the salt—and ate some of the pelleted feed. We decided to see if we could get him sucking a bottle, since he’s not quite 3 months old and will probably do better if he has a little milk replacer for a while.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Andrea and I caught him behind a gate panel (so he couldn’t get away—we tied a rope behind him, securing the panel to the fence so it acted like a squeeze chute) and she kept him from backing up while I got the nipple into his mouth. At first he was too scared to swallow any, but as some trickled down his throat he decided it tasted pretty good and he sucked the bottle.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning we fed him another bottle, but he was more leery this time and wouldn’t go into the “trap” between the fence and the gate panel and we had to put him in the head-catch by the barn. He finally did suck the bottle, but coughed a lot; we realized it would be counterproductive if he gets milk in his windpipe and gets aspiration pneumonia. He is starting to eat the calf manna better, so we decided he’ll probably do ok just on grain, and we won’t try to feed him any more milk replacer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea checked the cows’ water tank on the hill pasture and they were nearly out of water so we pumped water for them. After lunch Lynn took the swather up to the field by her house and cut that hay. Andrea went to town and got more freezer bags and started grinding the meat for hamburger.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim took his pickup, trailer and side-by-side up the creek to camp for a while and try to take it easy and finish recovering from COVID, and hopefully cut a little firewood on days he feels up to it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JULY 15</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">L</span><span style="font-size: medium;">t was challenging to get our hay put up; we had thundershowers periodically. Not enough rain to do much good for the dry conditions, but just enough moisture to stop the haying. And instead of having really high quality hay, the rain and having to re-dry made it less green and fresh (lower protein level) and dustier. Lynn did the cutting and Andrea did most of the baling on the 5 little fields. Christopher was here for a few days (Andrea took care of him while Em was working, and he wasn’t going to day care) and he drove his little tractor around in her driveway.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yGNvFH25t6fdfX--i7RsupwkLizJvEhQ2xI4WhLkLicaYE7wk9q_OkZRCziKrA0pWOV-xJ_58QKMRQS9-iUO72awu_o7HeEr_bKdiKW5BC06HKVlqB7W-7rnau1ZGhTcU4uKBeppxtDseEJfhVJSgCXJy2PvJr_sBofwDQeujiSf2-B9jD7oEfW3cA/s4032/12%20-Christopher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yGNvFH25t6fdfX--i7RsupwkLizJvEhQ2xI4WhLkLicaYE7wk9q_OkZRCziKrA0pWOV-xJ_58QKMRQS9-iUO72awu_o7HeEr_bKdiKW5BC06HKVlqB7W-7rnau1ZGhTcU4uKBeppxtDseEJfhVJSgCXJy2PvJr_sBofwDQeujiSf2-B9jD7oEfW3cA/w400-h189/12%20-Christopher.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher</span></i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He enjoyed riding in the swather with Lynn part of the time when Lynn was cutting hay on heifer hill.</span><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbIIOvtgM1NcKRcbEmuKG0PhzgynYE5tjmbbvog_IYRxwEyycxW2nhYXYZYPgS2r6tIHAdyVIrGNZqQEL8XuwWP09UcDjPhhtCwj-morUVuJ9jjOuFi41ddzMKwmMBI-ZQZTT6VsrwOz9sq-xi4mP0PP9XTlcA0EaeLa3O1Gzu7Imr3sdcp9mhhsldg/s4032/13%20-cutting%20hay%20on%20heifer%20hill.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbIIOvtgM1NcKRcbEmuKG0PhzgynYE5tjmbbvog_IYRxwEyycxW2nhYXYZYPgS2r6tIHAdyVIrGNZqQEL8XuwWP09UcDjPhhtCwj-morUVuJ9jjOuFi41ddzMKwmMBI-ZQZTT6VsrwOz9sq-xi4mP0PP9XTlcA0EaeLa3O1Gzu7Imr3sdcp9mhhsldg/w400-h189/13%20-cutting%20hay%20on%20heifer%20hill.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EcOKb-7jNoztSapNOtMx2BliKH5nQewy7LHEiZYoXPxMW2c3Z6u8MHwtdrY7yU4qktlDv7CQ5LATn6OGVh8cUgHHgB0SwhQHf0tO8XMf3WugJRvE_OiNqTbTTuNUdXX5avh_0SVt8GgvRzLPNFXQl-BoeEHgR4Q5e8RkzcpnotsJ44wowx1XCbRpCg/s4608/14%20-%20cutting%20hay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-EcOKb-7jNoztSapNOtMx2BliKH5nQewy7LHEiZYoXPxMW2c3Z6u8MHwtdrY7yU4qktlDv7CQ5LATn6OGVh8cUgHHgB0SwhQHf0tO8XMf3WugJRvE_OiNqTbTTuNUdXX5avh_0SVt8GgvRzLPNFXQl-BoeEHgR4Q5e8RkzcpnotsJ44wowx1XCbRpCg/w400-h190/14%20-%20cutting%20hay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cutting hay on heifer hill</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">He also got to ride in the tractor for a little bit of the baling. He was in the tractor with Lynn when Andrea helped hook up the baler, and rode around for part of the baling in the field by Andrea’s house.]</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXUqP1dCqShZJ8RFscGjnR3gWQfKlRMR3Mf6m7Jj9Bv0IRDsROA_Q8x1iJdIciuRn568CY6l3cMOTkOsMHeoK28nYCVRz8-L5lhR6UAazrYc7kGD0QhxyU25jIGZR-mKK9bJy7IAVJVNjYjJdKC8YbT4n6uPynrxmrbZb4-5gworloHdSxTgrOyPCbA/s4032/15%20-%20hooking%20up%20the%20baler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXUqP1dCqShZJ8RFscGjnR3gWQfKlRMR3Mf6m7Jj9Bv0IRDsROA_Q8x1iJdIciuRn568CY6l3cMOTkOsMHeoK28nYCVRz8-L5lhR6UAazrYc7kGD0QhxyU25jIGZR-mKK9bJy7IAVJVNjYjJdKC8YbT4n6uPynrxmrbZb4-5gworloHdSxTgrOyPCbA/w400-h189/15%20-%20hooking%20up%20the%20baler.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hooking up the baler</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyPOYIPO7C9QMQ5ii6xW7L3g07Nt45bIvxmNV7jUcNiWnyBZWOuojb4U56_0SJQdBgeM9s4u3xDXSlFJvffzJDUHCV1pXc_6UoQ7xr61mzHbv5EEJxcsHad4gJkUUDfLiLJDnzMJQ3lB_NNyQvFtet1CUgNciGeb2pygPkHzitTVyz7O_y-9vLmnehA/s4608/16%20-%20baling%20hayin%20field%20%20by%20Andrea's%20house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibyPOYIPO7C9QMQ5ii6xW7L3g07Nt45bIvxmNV7jUcNiWnyBZWOuojb4U56_0SJQdBgeM9s4u3xDXSlFJvffzJDUHCV1pXc_6UoQ7xr61mzHbv5EEJxcsHad4gJkUUDfLiLJDnzMJQ3lB_NNyQvFtet1CUgNciGeb2pygPkHzitTVyz7O_y-9vLmnehA/w190-h400/16%20-%20baling%20hayin%20field%20%20by%20Andrea's%20house.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baling hay in field by Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Sunday after cutting the final field of hay, we cleaned off the swather before parking it in the new machinery parking lot where it will stay until next year’s haying. I cleaned all the hay off the top of it (and gave it to Sprout to eat) and cleaned all the grass seeds off that accumulated on it. I scattered those over the bare ground where Michael and crew built our new loading chute, after pulling up all the weeds that grew in there this spring. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Maybe some of those seeds will grow and make that area a grassy spot rather than a bunch of weeds. Christopher rode with Lynn in the tractor to take the swather around to the new parking spot.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ynI8-JE42Iw1eqqlUeUUojFaN9VaiphxntwWw_Ta31hs6sCVNznt-1IBbJjmBBhFvxtEds2Zkw8_gtDu3VduclZPVRQTu9rzxMlEhqJcANikkErlrSL5uY_p2IXIFWrRsfHmj9FHI7Ue35Dj9pKgJDmFZ4TQO9nyqdymLOGGOeHCt30rwFcqjt-6Pw/s4000/17%20-ready%20to%20move%20%20the%20swather.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ynI8-JE42Iw1eqqlUeUUojFaN9VaiphxntwWw_Ta31hs6sCVNznt-1IBbJjmBBhFvxtEds2Zkw8_gtDu3VduclZPVRQTu9rzxMlEhqJcANikkErlrSL5uY_p2IXIFWrRsfHmj9FHI7Ue35Dj9pKgJDmFZ4TQO9nyqdymLOGGOeHCt30rwFcqjt-6Pw/w400-h300/17%20-ready%20to%20move%20%20the%20swather.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYw1FYZMk2w5jH56sNBUM8_01mo0beckPpO2zWLfdhj1otk1Yd5zxvQJYlzDw2zFySTU0E_i4jP6vVcCeBwiSbt_G64Xjc40h2vl_A68_OipilPbmcjf21MEhMMq_Y5Nub4exGeaYkMh5dqZKcxLTHUWoBCK1yqpC_7-KR7O5kT1sWFdcDHj-nR9VmA/s4000/17A%20-%20ready%20to%20move%20the%20swather.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJYw1FYZMk2w5jH56sNBUM8_01mo0beckPpO2zWLfdhj1otk1Yd5zxvQJYlzDw2zFySTU0E_i4jP6vVcCeBwiSbt_G64Xjc40h2vl_A68_OipilPbmcjf21MEhMMq_Y5Nub4exGeaYkMh5dqZKcxLTHUWoBCK1yqpC_7-KR7O5kT1sWFdcDHj-nR9VmA/w400-h300/17A%20-%20ready%20to%20move%20the%20swather.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to move the swather</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We thought we would have to turn some of the hay before we could bale it (since it got rained on and was damp again) but the wind was blowing so hard most days that it helped dry the hay, and we were also afraid to turn it--and put it more at risk for the wind to pick up the windrows and scatter the hay. Even so, the wind rolled up some of the windrows into big piles, and we had to use pitchforks to put them back into place so the baler could handle them. There were still some green wads in some of the hay—that didn’t fully dry out—and they will probably mold. As long as they don’t heat (and get to the point of spontaneous combustion, which could burn down our haystacks) they will probably be fine. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We opened some of the bales to let them dry out, but none of them were heating, so we ended up stacking most of those wet ones. There was enough really dry hay in those bales along with the green wads that the dry portions dissipated the moisture; there’s probably no risk of the bales heating.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Tuesday the cows on the hill pasture were out of water again, so we pumped and filled their tanks. Andrea and I got the last of the extra hay out of my hay shed and hauled some of it over by Sprout’s pen and some in the lane toward Rishiam’s pen. To make that corner with the loaded feed truck, she had to back into Dottie’s pen, but when I opened that gate for her to back in there, the darn gate fell off its hinges! We had to bend the top hinge back into place and put the gate back on, and I tied it up with baling twine also, to make sure it never does that again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The old stackwagon worked fairly well this year in spite of its bad clutch; we never really had a chance to try to fix it. It only stuck a few times, but didn’t cause any real problems or accidents. Here’s a photo of Lynn taking it up to the field to start hauling the hay by Andrea’s house.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yLZJGkGxsFSX9KrxUewKlnzQIquI45T6GOFL0uzrsNd6LfxVytg1AEx7qCQpYZCTaVakUt9HyNWDuwQfwYo9o1LDxOwPcEoCTJ1aI9ytganjlXzZ2WonhQQpD8RXNlAjST99P3kbEgJug8dJdGmRC7qXzTM424fGamBj53mM58UOc-PNkQb1pt3BHg/s4032/18%20-%20taking%20the%20stackwagon%20to%20field%20by%20Andrea's%20house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yLZJGkGxsFSX9KrxUewKlnzQIquI45T6GOFL0uzrsNd6LfxVytg1AEx7qCQpYZCTaVakUt9HyNWDuwQfwYo9o1LDxOwPcEoCTJ1aI9ytganjlXzZ2WonhQQpD8RXNlAjST99P3kbEgJug8dJdGmRC7qXzTM424fGamBj53mM58UOc-PNkQb1pt3BHg/w400-h189/18%20-%20taking%20the%20stackwagon%20to%20field%20by%20Andrea's%20house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the stackwagon to field by Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When he brought the first load to put in my hay shed, he didn’t realize he had a low rear tire and when he tipped the load up, that corner dragged on the ground. There was no way we could safely stack that load, or get the stackwagon back to the shop where the air compressor is, to re-inflate the tire, so Andrea kept filling the little portable air tank at the shop and bringing it up to my hay shed on her 4-wheeler, to put air in that tire. After 3 trips, we got the tire up to pressure and Lynn was able to stack that load.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The 2nd load went better and we got it unloaded ok, and the 3rd one—but then on his way back out to the lane, Lynn ran it into the gate post in the calving pen and splintered the top of the post. Fortunately the old stackwagon is built sturdy, and it didn’t seem to hurt it much.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1gx4pd8XwEuEZFKupPB-sqJQqGtALy5pCp29lRrBwG_BRc88pAeFmW5W6DmdqrWKSYnOiT98sERkByEKvs4raFVN3FJo4EhDTK7QMOrJIihaDZPhu9uSxWEt8y1Y3Eu8QlsdVq-COo-gH31hHozst5doOW8-NG7d2rh_FtT8D_aIl3Fv9fhSG8Sq8g/s4608/19%20-back%20for%20another%20load.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm1gx4pd8XwEuEZFKupPB-sqJQqGtALy5pCp29lRrBwG_BRc88pAeFmW5W6DmdqrWKSYnOiT98sERkByEKvs4raFVN3FJo4EhDTK7QMOrJIihaDZPhu9uSxWEt8y1Y3Eu8QlsdVq-COo-gH31hHozst5doOW8-NG7d2rh_FtT8D_aIl3Fv9fhSG8Sq8g/w400-h190/19%20-back%20for%20another%20load.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">back for another load</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtajZQ4JGSKdtek3hRiyOLTjfIUdhzzO1dP6QV_ljoR05Y-8foCrziPTTLTTgW3Fi5GP2Fj894Etye1hoRayX2wb0Qy9vrxc4jUWULR9mLEqEVX1Fpd5cqujrMGsVllSkJpgGEBaQj93SLiOqPBVu4ck8LhNwVCC3AasUkn8qBbE2WjBHElgVwK4fB8A/s4032/20%20-picking%20up%20another%20load.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtajZQ4JGSKdtek3hRiyOLTjfIUdhzzO1dP6QV_ljoR05Y-8foCrziPTTLTTgW3Fi5GP2Fj894Etye1hoRayX2wb0Qy9vrxc4jUWULR9mLEqEVX1Fpd5cqujrMGsVllSkJpgGEBaQj93SLiOqPBVu4ck8LhNwVCC3AasUkn8qBbE2WjBHElgVwK4fB8A/w400-h189/20%20-picking%20up%20another%20load.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">picking up another load</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He hauled a couple more loads that day but was getting tired, and when he drove back up to my hay shed to unload one of them he ran into Dottie’s fence and broke the top rail off. At least that fence is really old—and was always too close to the hay shed, making it difficult to drive between the hay shed and the fence with something as wide as the stackwagon. We cobbled up the fence and it will be ok until we can have Michael rebuild the whole thing this winter and set it back a few feet to make that lane wider.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a thunderstorm Wednesday morning, and had to wait a few hours for the hay bales still in the fields too dry out enough to bale and haul. We did get a little more baled but ran out of daylight, and a couple more loads hauled.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea nearly finished baling the field below heifer hill, but some of that hay was still too damp and it was starting to get dark. She quit for the night, and brought all her milk jugs down to refill; she hauls a lot of water around with her in the baler, to periodically pour over the roller bearing on one of the rails. That bearing is froze up and instead of rolling, it just slides on the rail and the friction makes it hot. It would be a major expense and tough job to replace it, so we haven’t. If we pour water on it when it gets too hot, it keeps the baler from burning up! The old baler still works and makes good bales, and we can’t afford another one—not for our small amount of hay that we bale each year.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning was cool and cloudy. Andrea and I gathered up all the loose hay in the field below the lane—the fat windrows that had some hay missed when the baler went through. We got it all, in a couple of trips, and unloaded it by Sprout and Shiloh’s pens so I can feed it to them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a hard rain for about 5 minutes but it didn’t take long for the hay to dry out again so Lynn could finish hauling the rest of the bales. He finished out my hay shed and started a stack over in the main stackyard. Here are photos of my full hay shed with a couple extra loads in front of it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGD4yWgemQhYaJTky7UD2QeL7UBL-kZnw74jT_sMdfs358mGYm_px_v6vuTPCP6oK9noEF4_KrJ6LaqUY2lvRdBokwN884fy6KOhmiMfOuNmOr73Dd544aYu4QmcQj8-g2LaF2SIL1QGpaOszbNUQ-9kucf2h5yuIGWbR0UMeuyYG0s_pVQO-mXBQBw/s4000/21%20-hay%20shed.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGD4yWgemQhYaJTky7UD2QeL7UBL-kZnw74jT_sMdfs358mGYm_px_v6vuTPCP6oK9noEF4_KrJ6LaqUY2lvRdBokwN884fy6KOhmiMfOuNmOr73Dd544aYu4QmcQj8-g2LaF2SIL1QGpaOszbNUQ-9kucf2h5yuIGWbR0UMeuyYG0s_pVQO-mXBQBw/w400-h300/21%20-hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0nSObYV09Bnl0hcKbHYRPpo3s-8R4byp-QE6PAivwfcCpsShAFUUCttlt0kg7ct7exHmup4k9iy_Ia0WCS2-O7th7mm7r8cj_OMKjfGUycyTzO7eDhMpdii72Xmz7zKwF8UMygQp-SMDM3jcmYcz0tior65TbZybKJvRxhY988GSRguyI8iiVLzb1w/s4000/22%20-%20full%20hay%20shed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0nSObYV09Bnl0hcKbHYRPpo3s-8R4byp-QE6PAivwfcCpsShAFUUCttlt0kg7ct7exHmup4k9iy_Ia0WCS2-O7th7mm7r8cj_OMKjfGUycyTzO7eDhMpdii72Xmz7zKwF8UMygQp-SMDM3jcmYcz0tior65TbZybKJvRxhY988GSRguyI8iiVLzb1w/w400-h300/22%20-%20full%20hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">full hay shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When Lynn went to get the first load of hay from heifer hill, to start a stack in the main stackyard, I pulled a bunch of weeds over there, and took out the rest of my “fake” fence where I grazed Sprout in there earlier. By the end of the day we got all the rest of our hay hauled. We are done haying!</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We did have to make a repair when the stackwagon hooked the electric wire over the driveway, and tore it down—AND the old telephone pole it was hooked to. That old pole was rotted off, and we’d reinforced it once a few years back, but lately it had been leaning a bit. The wire it was holding up (that spanned the driveway, between the power pole on one side and the old telephone pole on the other) had sagged just enough that the stackwagon hit it. That was all it took to pull the old pole over and break the wire.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Lynn moved it out of the way and Lynn was able to take the stackwagon on up the driveway to the main road to go haul the bales from heifer hill. After he got those bales hauled, Andrea and I put the wire back up across the driveway (so there would be electric current to all the hot wires above the driveway, around the horse pens and pastures, etc.) using a long piece of white PVC pipe as a “pole” to get the wire high enough. We tied it to the fence corner at the bottom of the orchard, with a short piece of wood pole underneath it to give it enough height. It isn’t high enough for the stackwagon to get under, but will be high enough for anything else to drive under. Before haying season next year we may have Michael and crew put a buried electric wire under the driveway this winter when they are here to rebuild a few more of our old fences. That would eliminate the problem. Here are photos of the temporary pole we rigged up.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJ0wA1XlUq81pBcWpljyCuAxmbSDqFC4C2K9asfiHiXoFfwlK6G94AxCuHnY6SBa2iYrrf5_H8dfy0p_bYh3RMOCEpoWI6Q7M625-Ew2VYy5Qt2Cij4ayhprBDvHTXv86iXB74iUTZM5o9SRBo4BCd2NYa9_TBTSHhrabUwKPdkRtljE3ptzq4h1V6Q/s4000/23%20-%20old%20pole%20that%20broke%20off,%20and%20temporary%20fix.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEJ0wA1XlUq81pBcWpljyCuAxmbSDqFC4C2K9asfiHiXoFfwlK6G94AxCuHnY6SBa2iYrrf5_H8dfy0p_bYh3RMOCEpoWI6Q7M625-Ew2VYy5Qt2Cij4ayhprBDvHTXv86iXB74iUTZM5o9SRBo4BCd2NYa9_TBTSHhrabUwKPdkRtljE3ptzq4h1V6Q/w400-h300/23%20-%20old%20pole%20that%20broke%20off,%20and%20temporary%20fix.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old pole that broke off, and temporary fix</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDO7nrIeltR4Ak1mmSRIpdb7nYrH2I_8PJbxKOgPhoJICLt38rAx6PnCgWgIYqSfqP9IpJrxP5P1pS_LqhT9LM2ExNk362UtfKIOjlvXHvgC4eSoarJceLArb3fNyL8F-g3n24eeaNceruLczektQH1UzUFRZLDBfTGJ6JN3gDIoECHd-N99qgVXaJcA/s4000/24%20-%20white%20PVC%20pipe%20tied%20to%20fence,%20holding%20up%20electric%20wire.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDO7nrIeltR4Ak1mmSRIpdb7nYrH2I_8PJbxKOgPhoJICLt38rAx6PnCgWgIYqSfqP9IpJrxP5P1pS_LqhT9LM2ExNk362UtfKIOjlvXHvgC4eSoarJceLArb3fNyL8F-g3n24eeaNceruLczektQH1UzUFRZLDBfTGJ6JN3gDIoECHd-N99qgVXaJcA/w300-h400/24%20-%20white%20PVC%20pipe%20tied%20to%20fence,%20holding%20up%20electric%20wire.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">white PVC pipe tied to fence, holding up electric wire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning we pumped water for the cows again, and put duct tape over the leaks in the bottom of the aluminum tank. I’d been putting mud packs over those holes, but that meant we had to totally empty and rinse the tank every time we pumped (since the force of the water as we pumped it in would always disrupt the mud packs and make the water very dirty), and repack the mud after the tank was full. The duct tape meant the water stayed cleaner, and stopped the leaks pretty well.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea got a couple of her ditches started again, to try to get water back on our parched fields now that we finally have the hay off. It will be a race to get the fields watered and growing again (for fall pasture for the cows) before the creek is too low and doesn’t have enough water to utilize all our ditches.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening she and I took the feed truck up to heifer hill and gathered the last few bales that didn’t fit on the stackwagon’s final load. We put them over by Sprout and Shiloh; I can feed that hay to them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday morning the guy who will be putting a metal roof on Andrea’s house came by to do the final measurements so he can order the materials. Even though her house isn’t very old, the shingles keep blowing off and there are huge bare areas down to the plywood. A metal roof will be more durable.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn tended Christopher while Andrea changed the irrigation water, then she and Christopher gathered up some of the step-on posts between the hayfield and pasture and moved the fence. She took some photos while he was trying to help.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGWTH_QsBCLOnb6TlxNjcz9L6rBs2GmcPMOVwGqEIggXwr9TwJzMejdn1FsMa6EcdfoHuHIhGsvnS17KLFUpJFGCqgkFiYwkol1bYvSzvnCjcnr7RggrULvzmwRkIxeh0exHIYtQpZ4ZDaoftXNECccWuRqNDUbWeVS-8d6GZDZHZyTSovjjavFxNzQ/s4032/25%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20with%20fence.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzGWTH_QsBCLOnb6TlxNjcz9L6rBs2GmcPMOVwGqEIggXwr9TwJzMejdn1FsMa6EcdfoHuHIhGsvnS17KLFUpJFGCqgkFiYwkol1bYvSzvnCjcnr7RggrULvzmwRkIxeh0exHIYtQpZ4ZDaoftXNECccWuRqNDUbWeVS-8d6GZDZHZyTSovjjavFxNzQ/w189-h400/25%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20with%20fence.jpg" width="189" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS_W0GpyDhmwZf0UvHjuHfUMEbQzbOi5E2EtZpO-e8xxxqjLwVfVadzq0EaN-L1lyYhJ6xglcNx_Pmom2wrn-ApnOYV-eUSqSJbvqvIRMcJccsEQzOz2E79H9ezrVwXC2xDrsc3tidOrnpS4dTSfUAILvKXMBEHTj9qDG4XhCpc10pTgdgM_-AnGsUQ/s4032/26%20-Christoper%20helping.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrS_W0GpyDhmwZf0UvHjuHfUMEbQzbOi5E2EtZpO-e8xxxqjLwVfVadzq0EaN-L1lyYhJ6xglcNx_Pmom2wrn-ApnOYV-eUSqSJbvqvIRMcJccsEQzOz2E79H9ezrVwXC2xDrsc3tidOrnpS4dTSfUAILvKXMBEHTj9qDG4XhCpc10pTgdgM_-AnGsUQ/w189-h400/26%20-Christoper%20helping.jpg" width="189" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqXrcc0u_iq9zph-aRHwsJrB04Te6Tkn9KssIV6YOqq2wd3Wvdwu7uKkMNDKaybkEUczd7NPHUHG_8Eopd7LGPBZfMx3VVRFEW1UOl88FBiaOtIAxdCvG14shsgxH0Xv2QrizdjCYCIUBPx8EasissQM5eK_9JbhIoO2luQDSj2T4lR8IiE46lqjq6Q/s4032/27%20-%20Christopher%20trying%20to%20help.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqXrcc0u_iq9zph-aRHwsJrB04Te6Tkn9KssIV6YOqq2wd3Wvdwu7uKkMNDKaybkEUczd7NPHUHG_8Eopd7LGPBZfMx3VVRFEW1UOl88FBiaOtIAxdCvG14shsgxH0Xv2QrizdjCYCIUBPx8EasissQM5eK_9JbhIoO2luQDSj2T4lR8IiE46lqjq6Q/w189-h400/27%20-%20Christopher%20trying%20to%20help.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher trying to help with fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then I took care of Christopher in the house (it was hot and the mosquitoes were biting him out in the field) while Andrea finished that fence project. She also moved another fence over a few feet–out of the tall grass and into the hayfield, to include some windrows the cows will have to eat because that hay was a little too wet and the field was too boggy to get them baled.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Andrea took her dog and Christopher up the creek to the woods where Jim was camping, and took her tent, and Christopher enjoyed a campout. The next morning when she got ready to come home, her pickup wouldn’t start. It was not in a location where Jim could get near enough with his pickup to try to jump-start it, and was blocking his pickup’s access to the road, so she borrowed his side-by-side to bring Christopher and her dog home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn babysat Christopher while Andrea and I took the hay out of the baler and gathered all the loose hay in the field below the lane that the baler missed. Then she helped me get my new haystack more user-friendly; she climbed up the backside of the hay shed to get on top of the bales and went out to the far end of the final stack and knocked down enough bales to stack and stair-step so I will be able to climb up and pull bales down to feed the horses.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnI78neEMZwbMSKrcHvL777Qe4kXXxXZ9WG58dlar1J4Nb3Do5aXTfUBqThO_t_G_S97adIUCET637Ses1290vtQX7hPZfqUwGrLLMfb63-o8Ai4CTOl5Bo63DelcyMBDGi2vXLNsmWkDIWpwWYGGG-xzs7lbK8pt7PxBUqq0QWKMTdJd9_yve8hqew/s4000/28%20-%20Andrea%20starting%20to%20push%20a%20few%20bales%20off%20the%20top%20of%20the%20tall%20stack.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnI78neEMZwbMSKrcHvL777Qe4kXXxXZ9WG58dlar1J4Nb3Do5aXTfUBqThO_t_G_S97adIUCET637Ses1290vtQX7hPZfqUwGrLLMfb63-o8Ai4CTOl5Bo63DelcyMBDGi2vXLNsmWkDIWpwWYGGG-xzs7lbK8pt7PxBUqq0QWKMTdJd9_yve8hqew/w400-h300/28%20-%20Andrea%20starting%20to%20push%20a%20few%20bales%20off%20the%20top%20of%20the%20tall%20stack.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9K4K6rxJ2xEMFeCEdQIrmdQMR_cEJ7jZ4OgCehCvQs-PUwNKo0UPtx9XgpKjsKNBYZofggmwgmwfY_cVdwT-GfDoIXOQntBSpi4I75UTPEU_-kWDHjJzHhO1lVaNmgxTN28-lDPAcNPO44MPRq9wT2B5hWnl48MQdHKcyPaWmAU9EX46CDMaHGRJulA/s4000/29%20-%20pushing%20bales%20off%20the%20top.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9K4K6rxJ2xEMFeCEdQIrmdQMR_cEJ7jZ4OgCehCvQs-PUwNKo0UPtx9XgpKjsKNBYZofggmwgmwfY_cVdwT-GfDoIXOQntBSpi4I75UTPEU_-kWDHjJzHhO1lVaNmgxTN28-lDPAcNPO44MPRq9wT2B5hWnl48MQdHKcyPaWmAU9EX46CDMaHGRJulA/w400-h300/29%20-%20pushing%20bales%20off%20the%20top.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea starting to push a few bales off the top of the tall stack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNRkI6S73kZoDoiMKDUwrpM3moEEHsFz7104H30OZza4iXJyHIv2QrjOX_ylQSiRQMxoImtLyDAjM8I_QImHhXhkVpzk7YJPZ5Ho1-bGbBjbnVtsdtu4qw-VXwRjFqqv_6THsma4iqiMnotbAJIqBVUUsCfM5v8sGSpkgpcw3Rj472eSg5T_V3MH9bA/s4000/30%20-pushing%20a%20bale%20%20down.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuNRkI6S73kZoDoiMKDUwrpM3moEEHsFz7104H30OZza4iXJyHIv2QrjOX_ylQSiRQMxoImtLyDAjM8I_QImHhXhkVpzk7YJPZ5Ho1-bGbBjbnVtsdtu4qw-VXwRjFqqv_6THsma4iqiMnotbAJIqBVUUsCfM5v8sGSpkgpcw3Rj472eSg5T_V3MH9bA/w400-h300/30%20-pushing%20a%20bale%20%20down.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pushing a bale down</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then I tended Christopher while she and Lynn parked the stackwagon in its slot and put the baler back in the sick barn. Here is our new machinery parking lot with most of the haying equipment (and the old manure spreader) parked there.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT25HjDOA7SttH3qizzrqZ8UG4Ilp1Vcq3UKz1g_68-enwg8AX5Clrn7fiBfxYZ7gs5HVqI6q-Yt1kp5LX--YBap4QOBp9XJz34ehlcXLjvxWsznQBMEqVnE1QPJpdkqL-Cr_2cXf2XpOQF1smZie0FBDk5OAEaKPErYgGIVfjH6iBrZ0ji268NJoyAA/s4000/31%20-Machinery%20parking%20lot.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT25HjDOA7SttH3qizzrqZ8UG4Ilp1Vcq3UKz1g_68-enwg8AX5Clrn7fiBfxYZ7gs5HVqI6q-Yt1kp5LX--YBap4QOBp9XJz34ehlcXLjvxWsznQBMEqVnE1QPJpdkqL-Cr_2cXf2XpOQF1smZie0FBDk5OAEaKPErYgGIVfjH6iBrZ0ji268NJoyAA/w400-h300/31%20-Machinery%20parking%20lot.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8Owk9ZkbA2tV5jV0oI5JUYf_E-wwt4wEYyPyGDRANJU9PyrsD_uVrBRs7TLjgJE0HtGIeBnpCPaUqlZ7G_JFwMfZGDRsrOgYbRVQe-j0RP3ohEqpWobS7U6IkKlnMk0mcN-zn1PjSRH24tVAJsgiLup1qAfAZZlfYWTHuYAxTO3cArQz42Xrm-zaXQ/s4000/32%20-%20machinery%20parking%20lot%20by%20bull%20pens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8Owk9ZkbA2tV5jV0oI5JUYf_E-wwt4wEYyPyGDRANJU9PyrsD_uVrBRs7TLjgJE0HtGIeBnpCPaUqlZ7G_JFwMfZGDRsrOgYbRVQe-j0RP3ohEqpWobS7U6IkKlnMk0mcN-zn1PjSRH24tVAJsgiLup1qAfAZZlfYWTHuYAxTO3cArQz42Xrm-zaXQ/w400-h300/32%20-%20machinery%20parking%20lot%20by%20bull%20pens.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">machinery parking lot by bull pens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out after work and he and Andrea drove up the creek and got her pickup started. It seems to be ok except the old batteries are low.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When I did chores Christopher helped me, and we took all the hay from the baler around to my horses, in a cart. He rode in the cart on top of the hay, but when we brought the cart back from the final load he wanted to pull the cart himself, and he did. He’s a very strong little boy! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Lynn went up to Andrea’s house to babysit Christopher while she changed the irrigation water, then she and I moved the cow herd down to the calving pen from the field above the house. We sorted off Biffidy Boffidy Boo Hoo (the yearling heifer that’s been sucking Blindy) and a couple other heifers (that were recently bred and won’t need to stay with the bull) to keep her company in a separate group. We took the main herd to the first segment of pasture below the lane. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put the 3 heifers in the little ditch pasture by the road. Biffidy desperately tried to get out of that pasture to go back to the cow herd, and we realized that the fence along the top of Shiloh’s pen was bad—mainly held in place by the tall sagebrush in the fence line. So Andrea got her chain saw and sawed out some of the chokecherry trees along the trail between the fence and the ditch so the heifers could go along it easier, and used those little trees as poles to tie into the old saggy fence to make it taller. We laced and tied little trees into it and reinforced it so there’d be no way the heifers could crawl through into the horse pen. That darn yearling heifer that was robbing milk from Blindy spent the next three days pacing the fence and bawling, having to be “weaned” all over again! Blindy is happy to be rid of her, and so is her calf; he can now have all of his mom’s milk!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday morning Phil Moulton called to tell us he was bringing hay that day (some of the hay we are buying from him), so Lynn put air in the low front tire on our big tractor—the one Phil uses to unload and stack the hay when he brings it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea, Lynn and I pumped water for the cows on the hill pasture, then Andrea took a tub of protein supplement up there for the cows, since the native bunch grass on that pasture is drying out and doesn’t have as much protein in it anymore. Then she finished changing her irrigation water. Phil brought all 4 loads that day—big square bales of first cutting alfalfa and stacked them next to our stack of little bales. I took a photo of the stack he started, next to our little bales, and a photo of our little bales.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDCd_Y5PwAcLWTo8NXO6HPuX_qGV5pGwekQIuNS6QNj42nl4h09KgAjoZdkm-TA4nCBl40zQA0kCJbSbWD05JkUr2_IqhXU3t0zBxSyyq66L_6eUj2e0PjNP4h2XQKuB3tx23Z9hk81l6C2rWA2guBDcaE1T6zDx2sdYkCZqCL8TsFX0l3XO1tML7sQ/s4000/33%20-%20tractor%20by%20start%20of%20big%20bale%20stack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqDCd_Y5PwAcLWTo8NXO6HPuX_qGV5pGwekQIuNS6QNj42nl4h09KgAjoZdkm-TA4nCBl40zQA0kCJbSbWD05JkUr2_IqhXU3t0zBxSyyq66L_6eUj2e0PjNP4h2XQKuB3tx23Z9hk81l6C2rWA2guBDcaE1T6zDx2sdYkCZqCL8TsFX0l3XO1tML7sQ/w400-h300/33%20-%20tractor%20by%20start%20of%20big%20bale%20stack.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tractor by start of big bale stack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pI3pIoIi0Gzlus4WG-zBQlzf77NxRaA2ZbsvLNXn-IGjaqbd-Oncfi_ye6OrykH39NFU1MonK-HzbG4YG1u_nuc0ajzJsu9fddWffcS1nx-6QIkr543qWKrfbLoBavZej3Jilphn-8flT7xU9QraYzk5liQNEJ7csLSdFcAMnPrPNEoplmA5rqRgDA/s4000/34%20-%20our%20stack%20of%20little%20bales.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pI3pIoIi0Gzlus4WG-zBQlzf77NxRaA2ZbsvLNXn-IGjaqbd-Oncfi_ye6OrykH39NFU1MonK-HzbG4YG1u_nuc0ajzJsu9fddWffcS1nx-6QIkr543qWKrfbLoBavZej3Jilphn-8flT7xU9QraYzk5liQNEJ7csLSdFcAMnPrPNEoplmA5rqRgDA/w400-h300/34%20-%20our%20stack%20of%20little%20bales.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our stack of little bales</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Little Kung Fu (China Doll’s orphan bull calf) is doing very well, eating his grain meal twice a day. He ate most of the grass in the 2nd day pens so I let him have access to the pen in front of the barn where there is a lot of nice green grass. He grazes a lot, along with eating his grain, and is growing nicely and staying plump. I took photos of him eating his grain from the tub in the corner of one of his pens.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPW3kx5QBN263X4Kv_yAfRHWEqSDzKswDbldaSiBih6Ll2eLuGrDCPgCxwEtg9h8897Mhl-7By8SDryjce4cJbkxsXzKqnuKAh_iJ0f7_2Ha4IuSl6JGqgN_2SV8j2DhZUPpWSMroYR-Q5F92_Eud33AAmq-QpIWEDFrNnBrBnZKz87oWLAslNaA4UA/s4000/35%20-%20Kung%20Fu%20eating%20grain.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPW3kx5QBN263X4Kv_yAfRHWEqSDzKswDbldaSiBih6Ll2eLuGrDCPgCxwEtg9h8897Mhl-7By8SDryjce4cJbkxsXzKqnuKAh_iJ0f7_2Ha4IuSl6JGqgN_2SV8j2DhZUPpWSMroYR-Q5F92_Eud33AAmq-QpIWEDFrNnBrBnZKz87oWLAslNaA4UA/w400-h300/35%20-%20Kung%20Fu%20eating%20grain.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkDs_wSZV8xnpYMIymsb3h9iII5ccjgv532jc_FV9GWf37HfXK-EAv5t0mWoGfhwQ3h2NNzTnzEbPcE9MAW7grjQb1bRxgKK3PbwHpuE8BFnacvOCJrjZe9WzdSbGzLuScAIJkFeOEX_8TfVgtZoJHcwTK9KGPvyMyZAAt-YDry4DRjFxGHgf7XFzOw/s4000/36%20-%20Kung%20Fu.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJkDs_wSZV8xnpYMIymsb3h9iII5ccjgv532jc_FV9GWf37HfXK-EAv5t0mWoGfhwQ3h2NNzTnzEbPcE9MAW7grjQb1bRxgKK3PbwHpuE8BFnacvOCJrjZe9WzdSbGzLuScAIJkFeOEX_8TfVgtZoJHcwTK9KGPvyMyZAAt-YDry4DRjFxGHgf7XFzOw/w400-h300/36%20-%20Kung%20Fu.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzSHGPRsGu_5wPAXL-t2H3AGvnhet1WfzRZVWToWce1vtsgtvxAT_AhL_Q_JFtGzmMuaJaEfqR2Am-5bNH6ZZO-Z0_03-vtbidvIKAplIN6jhoTKjYbo3XT1wuJglQhm5sYpvHjyVC07r-I3L4rqd7koKUoK0vdRLcYwjZhMcVmKCrxXK3epT7L1CIA/s4000/37%20-%20Kung%20Fu%20enjoying%20his%20grain.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTzSHGPRsGu_5wPAXL-t2H3AGvnhet1WfzRZVWToWce1vtsgtvxAT_AhL_Q_JFtGzmMuaJaEfqR2Am-5bNH6ZZO-Z0_03-vtbidvIKAplIN6jhoTKjYbo3XT1wuJglQhm5sYpvHjyVC07r-I3L4rqd7koKUoK0vdRLcYwjZhMcVmKCrxXK3epT7L1CIA/w400-h300/37%20-%20Kung%20Fu%20enjoying%20his%20grain.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kung Fu enjoying his grain</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day after Andrea changed her water, we rode Willow and Dottie up through the ditch pasture above her house to go to her upper driveway and cross the creek. We grazed that little pasture once this spring with the cows but it has grown back really tall.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJSV2Q_W4keFgEMWCQ87D_IDmHc233TbrKoAmuUzFzRRW9cs_APTEx8VRLmeFtJB-e69Kxc2abCfSDLEFMgQosGG2pc9JocyT15nst1Fy5zZkl3FH-X7MZZ6KsmfgjxtvyHUSwozQQldsXgvmw3vKRqa3inrCTZrtV5cCsZ7JpMpyDZcyzdmZC8F8NA/s4000/38%20-%20riding%20through%20ditch%20pasture.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJSV2Q_W4keFgEMWCQ87D_IDmHc233TbrKoAmuUzFzRRW9cs_APTEx8VRLmeFtJB-e69Kxc2abCfSDLEFMgQosGG2pc9JocyT15nst1Fy5zZkl3FH-X7MZZ6KsmfgjxtvyHUSwozQQldsXgvmw3vKRqa3inrCTZrtV5cCsZ7JpMpyDZcyzdmZC8F8NA/w300-h400/38%20-%20riding%20through%20ditch%20pasture.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTU0_qrmM1I-amNE_-OYxxrYuN73pm0MrafSDKb5uzlFikoDM4unBy1hLXrU96uQuW7SukM8Ouoxi8zVpsj_b4LYzCoPNyl2WHncsMekbXP9-ifWJA1uLjTLssIOyAI7BOt2inWQp4AE3YWMHl_GYzvbIgX7Ddo44Bk3UuF_HfNq4Qp-KMuu8lzWJEA/s4000/39%20-%20tall%20grass%20in%20ditch%20pasture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbTU0_qrmM1I-amNE_-OYxxrYuN73pm0MrafSDKb5uzlFikoDM4unBy1hLXrU96uQuW7SukM8Ouoxi8zVpsj_b4LYzCoPNyl2WHncsMekbXP9-ifWJA1uLjTLssIOyAI7BOt2inWQp4AE3YWMHl_GYzvbIgX7Ddo44Bk3UuF_HfNq4Qp-KMuu8lzWJEA/w400-h300/39%20-%20tall%20grass%20in%20ditch%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding through ditch pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode past the new jack fence that Michael and crew built last winter (to replace the old falling-down barbed-wire fence in the brush) at the top of the swamp pasture and I took photos of it. The grass in the upper end of that pasture is as tall as the new fence!</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvDGJFctYzkjNieA6w0uj1CslpM7HO5Y9MCz4UGFh1u6-46PehR2bqFTa1yJ5OUkmgjU9NC5Tfln14idvswZV0ssobls1TE9EGlX_jzRr5iG_S1XRPiPnDVhJdGp-_zQY0j1VOYFV-Zffk9MkSCvbDQVjkA9Jx6sBkfa_EWbN47RKTOzR6ZsEFiceSQ/s4000/40%20-new%20jack%20fence.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYvDGJFctYzkjNieA6w0uj1CslpM7HO5Y9MCz4UGFh1u6-46PehR2bqFTa1yJ5OUkmgjU9NC5Tfln14idvswZV0ssobls1TE9EGlX_jzRr5iG_S1XRPiPnDVhJdGp-_zQY0j1VOYFV-Zffk9MkSCvbDQVjkA9Jx6sBkfa_EWbN47RKTOzR6ZsEFiceSQ/w400-h300/40%20-new%20jack%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new jack fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMDpPvPDGSfyRXXKjaGjYboodU1Wj2vIPA27wW9gAxBVBj27Tyvs_ED_k3_4f5CUJKJrEWmdsKbBtlsgNTWPAFX9b6Km8OsYJABxmTh9wy4cSpUUFvismmMDdKPIHb2lpuk7HmTTzfTQotiVTWXHp5N7YIQX8yGv1tGriY5I4oAfl4VivmVvWr6s3mA/s4000/41%20-%20tall%20grass%20in%20upper%20swamp%20pasture.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMDpPvPDGSfyRXXKjaGjYboodU1Wj2vIPA27wW9gAxBVBj27Tyvs_ED_k3_4f5CUJKJrEWmdsKbBtlsgNTWPAFX9b6Km8OsYJABxmTh9wy4cSpUUFvismmMDdKPIHb2lpuk7HmTTzfTQotiVTWXHp5N7YIQX8yGv1tGriY5I4oAfl4VivmVvWr6s3mA/w400-h300/41%20-%20tall%20grass%20in%20upper%20swamp%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tall grass in upper swamp pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we rode along her lane and across the bridge to heifer hill so we could go out through that gate and across the road to our hill pasture to check that group of cows.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3S6d75HxijqljRebKja0opIayhC3Yq1kHJcS1HG5O5FZTFvLYlqjEZtrIhA-Vr1AImnNYq3eLG7qS4wdeA4nC-dGmhfOCscZwYdcxGcSfWKe8sh1aMZoz94p54B_52Xp_Je5FAdRD4YYTwGAnqwBESKr1_t3tfqYM8PTTAd-86x_cnuDNGTMdV2BZg/s4000/42%20-%20riding%20along%20Andrea's%20upper%20driveway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr3S6d75HxijqljRebKja0opIayhC3Yq1kHJcS1HG5O5FZTFvLYlqjEZtrIhA-Vr1AImnNYq3eLG7qS4wdeA4nC-dGmhfOCscZwYdcxGcSfWKe8sh1aMZoz94p54B_52Xp_Je5FAdRD4YYTwGAnqwBESKr1_t3tfqYM8PTTAd-86x_cnuDNGTMdV2BZg/w400-h300/42%20-%20riding%20along%20Andrea's%20upper%20driveway.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding along Andrea's upper driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfcFt8ouKSyGJifwObpbp7PPaRKpiIsgFYst-fHffQ2i-DGm35gp_Rvvtt25K9pEK7p9-_O7P7a6KEhlICCg70VPjTz2oUvXUfKylPZL0psvXPKkixc4PQto5GlkiTtl1myC6u5gNGAd-LBQsWhixEacKDRd7MQ7PeC-wJtYkwiO-kgCHjwviL7Ux1Q/s4000/43%20-%20across%20the%20bridge%20to%20heifer%20hill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfcFt8ouKSyGJifwObpbp7PPaRKpiIsgFYst-fHffQ2i-DGm35gp_Rvvtt25K9pEK7p9-_O7P7a6KEhlICCg70VPjTz2oUvXUfKylPZL0psvXPKkixc4PQto5GlkiTtl1myC6u5gNGAd-LBQsWhixEacKDRd7MQ7PeC-wJtYkwiO-kgCHjwviL7Ux1Q/w300-h400/43%20-%20across%20the%20bridge%20to%20heifer%20hill.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">across the bridge to heifer hill</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Those cows were still doing well, content, and still had some protein supplement (but are eating it rapidly). We wanted to evaluate how much grass is left up there. We rode out the top gate onto the range and rode around to the saddle out of Gooch’s Basin and down to Baker Creek and made a loop over the low range and home again. There is hardly any grass out there after Alfonso’s and Miller’s cows were out there too long.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7xZ78czU9l3yWkPPvQmlUay5vlLd2YDPESgwP0oNG__9M5mIJZtaRkthGu-p4RG-9UNoSVPAiGV2zRH4zCKPofc3LYVAgXqItvE0YklyaejdDI0-HAps0sGoA5Y4J8hwgVco1zvl09dl08zWKpqHe2b_hEzNbCp_QcbFLdPdGCR86KGdBXdmjJgElA/s4000/44%20-coming%20home%20through%20low%20range%20-%20no%20grass%20left%20out%20there%20at%20all.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7xZ78czU9l3yWkPPvQmlUay5vlLd2YDPESgwP0oNG__9M5mIJZtaRkthGu-p4RG-9UNoSVPAiGV2zRH4zCKPofc3LYVAgXqItvE0YklyaejdDI0-HAps0sGoA5Y4J8hwgVco1zvl09dl08zWKpqHe2b_hEzNbCp_QcbFLdPdGCR86KGdBXdmjJgElA/w300-h400/44%20-coming%20home%20through%20low%20range%20-%20no%20grass%20left%20out%20there%20at%20all.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming home through low range - no grass left out there at all</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrC9epzxCnVlPUBkKRnt30Y8fO6B9ZtXQ9z2tE7F9xwxAH1BeqZE5EFfJgqWnHwejO45Y5W33eIzGF6OT4TvJVne2yScapfZxALDphpicP_wlHmD0LG_ZDtHCfh_b9qs-Crex-T03TriVBks1c3Dm655Xw3sVIKFVJQCDxQ5ZXOLk8rCSvUwWmnm63w/s4000/45%20-coming%20through%20tall%20sage%20on%20low%20range.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCrC9epzxCnVlPUBkKRnt30Y8fO6B9ZtXQ9z2tE7F9xwxAH1BeqZE5EFfJgqWnHwejO45Y5W33eIzGF6OT4TvJVne2yScapfZxALDphpicP_wlHmD0LG_ZDtHCfh_b9qs-Crex-T03TriVBks1c3Dm655Xw3sVIKFVJQCDxQ5ZXOLk8rCSvUwWmnm63w/w400-h300/45%20-coming%20through%20tall%20sage%20on%20low%20range.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPLccPKizFJquLUw_dt-9_d_BhjnR5MnqXMcnOQsIr8SLIOmVa-P4-DAOf2NhDTBHzp5i1C5qRbxkdeWjxzG8nZ8Ei4KlWR5LgFI1QWDnQOnPDA2Ik8rQWBBnA4DwyWvtkBxkCXd3FttiVn6yWwvm1nJRGh1ca-0xmXH71CaEN9Fvkh9CrF8a-hur3Q/s4000/46%20-%20coming%20back%20home%20from%20low%20range.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPLccPKizFJquLUw_dt-9_d_BhjnR5MnqXMcnOQsIr8SLIOmVa-P4-DAOf2NhDTBHzp5i1C5qRbxkdeWjxzG8nZ8Ei4KlWR5LgFI1QWDnQOnPDA2Ik8rQWBBnA4DwyWvtkBxkCXd3FttiVn6yWwvm1nJRGh1ca-0xmXH71CaEN9Fvkh9CrF8a-hur3Q/w400-h300/46%20-%20coming%20back%20home%20from%20low%20range.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming through tall sage on low range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim brought a trailer load of firewood home from his camp, unloaded it, and went back up the creek. The hot wire below the lane wasn’t working very well and 3 calves crawled through it and out into the hayfield. Andrea, Lynn and I gently herded them back in, after turning the fence off and laying a section of it down on the ground for them to walk over. We moved the herd to the next segment of their pasture.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon we had a bad lightning storm and a lot of wind. In town, the wind blew the metal roof off the NAPA store, blew over a building and a big tree by the junior high school, and blew over the bleachers next to the track and football field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was hot again, up to 90 degrees, with more wind. But that morning, before the wind came up, Andrea and I took some black plastic around to the stackyard and covered most of the stack of big square bales that Phil brought.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was hot again, and threatening rain quite early in the morning. Andrea and I put black plastic over the rest of the square bales (except a few on the end of the stack) and put plastic over our stack of little bales. We finished just as the wind and rain hit. It didn’t rain much, but the wind was fierce.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily brought Christopher out here before she went to work, and Lynn took care of him for a while since Andrea was putting an electric fence around the hayfield on heifer hill, so that we can graze cows around the edges (the tall grass along the ditch and fences) and let the field grow back.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">AUGUST 1</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– T</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">he past 2 weeks have been horribly hot, dry and windy—up in the 90’s most days—and the air has been filled with smoke from the fire on the other side of town. Our fire season started with a bang a couple weeks ago, on the weekend, when a fire started along the river north of town, but was actually seen and reported by our grandson Nick, from the top of Sal Mountain (behind our ranch). He was hiking/running up our creek and went to the top of that mountain (elevation 9564 feet), to the old lookout, which he usually does every year.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This old abandoned lookout has a view of more of the surrounding country than any other Forest Service lookout in this part of Idaho. It was built in the early 1930’s and though it hasn’t been manned for more than half a century, the lookout building is still intact. Our kids used to enjoy hiking up there now and then.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN_7ja3qtaQrBbBSbdka2eLfALUrv4guCMyllKFQ7d9xYP8hXaSI69ggCTrzyQvitDUl_Q881jGuveqEE5YFcecxCqZRHREdVz-l1vqyOs-W08oU3G6tCL9S4qqTkf1X6L0_D7TBoX2iQAR-knGy-lqpUh8v_F6DlwuRTbUYijZWqINGwcBw5vfC87A/s1100/47%20-%20Sal%20Mountain%20lookout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1100" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwN_7ja3qtaQrBbBSbdka2eLfALUrv4guCMyllKFQ7d9xYP8hXaSI69ggCTrzyQvitDUl_Q881jGuveqEE5YFcecxCqZRHREdVz-l1vqyOs-W08oU3G6tCL9S4qqTkf1X6L0_D7TBoX2iQAR-knGy-lqpUh8v_F6DlwuRTbUYijZWqINGwcBw5vfC87A/w400-h225/47%20-%20Sal%20Mountain%20lookout.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sal Mountain lookout</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The fire was still very small when Nick saw the smoke along the river (near Highway 93 about 15 miles northwest of Salmon) and called it in. With the heat and strong winds, it grew rapidly in spite of attempts to contain it, and within a few days had expanded upriver toward North Fork and down river into Moose Creek. People were being evacuated from their homes along the river and creeks in that area, and many are still on notice that they might have to evacuate at short notice.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That Sunday morning (the day it started) Andrea changed water while Lynn babysat Christopher at her house. We put a little hay in the round corral and side pen. We moved the 3 heifers from the ditch pasture below the driveway to the ditch pasture above it, then moved the cows to the next (lower) segment of pasture in the field below the driveway, and took out the dividing fence.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we rode Willow and Dottie up to Andrea’s house, and I held Willow while Andrea helped Lynn get Christopher ready to come with us to help move cows; Lynn and Christopher came on Lynn’s 4-wheeler and we all went across to heifer hill on her upper driveway and out the gate to the road. Andrea and I rode up into the hill pasture and gathered the 6 pairs that had been pastured there for 28 days, and brought them out through the gate, and Lynn and Christopher helped head them across the road and down the horse road, then drove down the road to help head them down the driveway when they got down there.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rZ4U2YSW8Xz_U1_Yb3mNdw-nSnII32lQoZ88LHr-7Joq4ZFeULA7OD8ywG2YfdfxizSD3ulG4OAcA2bx1kV4BOZM2infq350x-OpmbkGKRsDV_h8cDIGSJUk4yQnA-Fa1KKwRK5EexuH6sm_VZAMlSAINxwBk9IL3l8oOIfETAyaMZyNi_b8gzt_Og/s4032/48%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Christopher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rZ4U2YSW8Xz_U1_Yb3mNdw-nSnII32lQoZ88LHr-7Joq4ZFeULA7OD8ywG2YfdfxizSD3ulG4OAcA2bx1kV4BOZM2infq350x-OpmbkGKRsDV_h8cDIGSJUk4yQnA-Fa1KKwRK5EexuH6sm_VZAMlSAINxwBk9IL3l8oOIfETAyaMZyNi_b8gzt_Og/w189-h400/48%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Christopher.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We took them to the round corral and side pen where they can graze the tall grass in those pens for a couple of days, augmented with a little hay. They needed to fill up with not-very-lush grass before they go to a green field, to make sure they don’t get “emphysema” (a deadly condition that sometimes occurs with a sudden change from low-protein dry forage to lush green forage). They can eat the tall drier grass and weeds in those pens and Babe’s old pen.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put our horses away and Lynn and I took care of Christopher while Andrea did more irrigating. Jim came home from the woods with all his camping stuff and another load of firewood. He was doing much better and seemed to be over COVID.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea put up more hot wire for her fence around the heifer hill hayfield, and drove up to the hill pasture to bring home the cows’ salt block. They ate all of the protein supplement.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea and Lynn moved the rest of the haying machinery back where it belongs. I put elk panels up around the gas and diesel barrels and we shut the gate into the sick barn so we could let the 6 pairs (from the corral) into that barnyard area to graze for a couple days. Andrea and Jim put another pole on the bottom of the corral fence next to the new loading chute, so a calf couldn’t try to go under it. When we got everything secure, we let those pairs into the barnyard.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I secured the black plastic a little better on our haystacks in the stackyard; the wind has been getting underneath (billowing the plastic up) and threatening to rip out the “ears” we made for tying it down. To more adequately secure it, we tied long baling twines together to make long “ropes” to put over the stacks in multiple places. To get them over the stacks, we tied a rock to the end of each “rope” and Andrea threw it over the stack; the weight of the rock carried the twine on over and I got hold of it on the other side. Then we tightened and tied it on each side. The stack of little bales was too tall for her to throw the rock/rope clear over it, so she got up on top with a ladder, taking a bunch of the long “ropes” with her, which she put down over the sides for me to tie.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">By that evening the smoke from what they are now calling the Moose Fire had rolled in so thick that it was making visibility poor here at our ranch. The fire had blown up and was headed for North Fork on the one side, and toward Stormy Peak and back of the fairgrounds (where Lynn’s sister Jenelle lives) on the other side. Michael and his fencing crew were working on a project up 4th of July Creek and they were showered with ash and burned branches, blown from the fire. Their equipment was covered with charred material. To be safe, they pulled all their equipment out that evening and brought it home, but were able to take it back the next morning and finish that job.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We heard sad news that day; one of the big Chinook helicopters that had been dipping water out of the Salmon River to dump on the fire crashed in the river (due to some kind of malfunction) and both pilots died. One was from Post Falls, Idaho and the other was from Anchorage, Alaska. Loss of human life is always the worst kind of tragedy associated with these catastrophic fires that destroy so much!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather and Gregory called us that evening from Saskatchewan. They recently had a terrible hailstorm that completely ruined some of their neighbors’ crops but had been lucky in that they only lost about 25% of their grain crop. The main reason they called, however, was to tell us that Gregory had been able to “water witch” several more well locations, and they’d all turned out exceptionally good, with plenty of water. They now have adequate water for their cattle in multiple pastures, using solar-powered pumps, and even a new well for their house water. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Heather sent photos of the pump house they made from an old metal grain bin, and of Joseph and James playing in the mud from the water tank installation project.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ovorpo531KAl-JEQj__R4X3dV50MP0_b5qpNDPkQlAGIthS51DDuBRKL4UjunhasMMhUrvyDP-LBhSyZ29cHkRWoTClWzpRRrxqJYFzpsK33zGm6qD8FdHoKrxYL9DMfDirv5Vw4uP8rhYQ1JB36o-h8t9QvDFdIhsSWxzlvNbOit09gxafKMCVBGw/s4032/49%20-%20pump%20house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ovorpo531KAl-JEQj__R4X3dV50MP0_b5qpNDPkQlAGIthS51DDuBRKL4UjunhasMMhUrvyDP-LBhSyZ29cHkRWoTClWzpRRrxqJYFzpsK33zGm6qD8FdHoKrxYL9DMfDirv5Vw4uP8rhYQ1JB36o-h8t9QvDFdIhsSWxzlvNbOit09gxafKMCVBGw/w400-h300/49%20-%20pump%20house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pump house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7-J0k0_u2OC10ZwNwvoy2vLyfPaxnoeGRWhnCGeNDuija8JOQCDZvRAeUe_7-G-JM1bA4UPi9-h2sjr_COlbFrOMAvpwPzL9oD3wIAlenlksT5kJkmIbB60J_8tdFKQXoK0LnP7yeJTpB5Kq0S6JeBxGuJXxzEzDO6Bg4Xh9yGfGOJ5JnM8xiCHx0w/s4032/50%20-%20boys%20making%20mud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7-J0k0_u2OC10ZwNwvoy2vLyfPaxnoeGRWhnCGeNDuija8JOQCDZvRAeUe_7-G-JM1bA4UPi9-h2sjr_COlbFrOMAvpwPzL9oD3wIAlenlksT5kJkmIbB60J_8tdFKQXoK0LnP7yeJTpB5Kq0S6JeBxGuJXxzEzDO6Bg4Xh9yGfGOJ5JnM8xiCHx0w/w300-h400/50%20-%20boys%20making%20mud.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">boys making mud</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhl74ZEGtiPJFhIQWL_1BPnz43ZJCQ3r_FPlz_U1G0h2Py7cmDZmll5rQM_LJUmuwWNhs7Q6is4uxGiOGzn4YD1TPtBsLz8nLlwzz3HTAK3qZDGcRf-k7Jl6ADXi265a9xGBrK_5K1vuzrAU3qAtlb-hMrAOpvqKUqrPGk8XtxLvQQPnW6wkgX-Y3Eg/s4032/51%20-%20boys%20playing%20in%20mud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhl74ZEGtiPJFhIQWL_1BPnz43ZJCQ3r_FPlz_U1G0h2Py7cmDZmll5rQM_LJUmuwWNhs7Q6is4uxGiOGzn4YD1TPtBsLz8nLlwzz3HTAK3qZDGcRf-k7Jl6ADXi265a9xGBrK_5K1vuzrAU3qAtlb-hMrAOpvqKUqrPGk8XtxLvQQPnW6wkgX-Y3Eg/w400-h300/51%20-%20boys%20playing%20in%20mud.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing in the mud</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She also sent a photo of Joseph and James snuggled into a cozy blanket on a chair, hamming it up for the camera.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74QskOpEmJfkQbo0mo5uhs6lzu2sUUtCsczSeYFqYMoyg8DloopawShnd7I6drJCLyz0_F6dApj5sq1QoEUTkEWH3zCvMH86AKUpylHKLtRVi0Wme_4OY04dAixrl2FENCIvKE75G-qRRGfYPxWjMwI7rLzjvpJhLq_4VD4SUkLUnNLsw0G_qOuDLfg/s3264/51A%20-%20Joseph%20&%20James.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh74QskOpEmJfkQbo0mo5uhs6lzu2sUUtCsczSeYFqYMoyg8DloopawShnd7I6drJCLyz0_F6dApj5sq1QoEUTkEWH3zCvMH86AKUpylHKLtRVi0Wme_4OY04dAixrl2FENCIvKE75G-qRRGfYPxWjMwI7rLzjvpJhLq_4VD4SUkLUnNLsw0G_qOuDLfg/w300-h400/51A%20-%20Joseph%20&%20James.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph & James</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea finished putting up the electric fence around the hayfield on heifer hill, except for hooking it up. She had a lot of electric wire to unroll and created an innovative way to hold the spool of wire on her 4-wheeler while she pulled it out and unrolled it to create the fence. She secured the spool of wire to her shovel and a broom handle on her 4-wheeler.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzrJt1iYR2Stk5oY-iKBpl4PVlv3bKx9m6aEIKnKgXnaYCFapeunTl6rYPnolZMeDlkFua1N80E_k4KjHC-qfN2xhnsVwaAA5AmEXbddSOy2vLWHc_Nm84RFi9MMt8-xDmPb99YF-YH6aebv7wTTi5R_0vC63UG5C1b0fGVj8OqWAcmzt7J0Hu5foBQ/s4000/52%20-%20innovative%20hot%20wire%20unroller.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqzrJt1iYR2Stk5oY-iKBpl4PVlv3bKx9m6aEIKnKgXnaYCFapeunTl6rYPnolZMeDlkFua1N80E_k4KjHC-qfN2xhnsVwaAA5AmEXbddSOy2vLWHc_Nm84RFi9MMt8-xDmPb99YF-YH6aebv7wTTi5R_0vC63UG5C1b0fGVj8OqWAcmzt7J0Hu5foBQ/w400-h300/52%20-%20innovative%20hot%20wire%20unroller.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">innovative hot wire unroller</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">That day she got a phone call from Sam, who had suffered severe whiplash when a car behind her at a stoplight ran into her, going about 35 miles per hour. The lady driving the car drove off—a hit-and-run—and still has not been identified and located. Sam’s vehicle wasn’t too badly damaged, but Sam had to go to the ER and was in severe pain from lower back injury. The doctor prescribed some powerful muscle relaxants and she was not supposed to drive because these drugs make her sleepy. So Andrea planned to go down there and spend a few days helping her.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She adjusted her irrigation water the next morning, to some places where it would be ok to run for several days while she was gone. She and Lynn and I moved the 6 pairs from the barnyard area they’d been grazing, and took them up the horse road to the outer fringes of heifer hill. Andrea had hooked up the hot wire, and opened the gate between the lower end of that pasture and the horse road, so it was easy to move those cows and calves. Lynn followed them on his 4-wheeler, Andrea and I headed them up the horse road at the top of the driveway.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTXfLldI24ct43Xge8OL8wJifFvZB5YCH4XopnjmreyGw443ndoWiwj1ioHpRTpNK4q4kBntpEQB0_9tfSd71sKZW5qAbE6iZrqq47-QmbtTBToXL8K0Xf-2STfhJxXV5HC20vZbHG7ki_4HRJzMcDplPHb4icRgjtHmbtzIJwtPNPCbCo475pm7PgQ/s4000/52%20-%20Lynn%20bringing%20cattle%20up%20the%20driveway.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTXfLldI24ct43Xge8OL8wJifFvZB5YCH4XopnjmreyGw443ndoWiwj1ioHpRTpNK4q4kBntpEQB0_9tfSd71sKZW5qAbE6iZrqq47-QmbtTBToXL8K0Xf-2STfhJxXV5HC20vZbHG7ki_4HRJzMcDplPHb4icRgjtHmbtzIJwtPNPCbCo475pm7PgQ/w400-h300/52%20-%20Lynn%20bringing%20cattle%20up%20the%20driveway.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSiN_q1IAbJHBB89USXTxm8auaqK6T20KZaynY6VI0a-PFPoepqs4Ec9CXgoYWy3PV1dTn5iy3ogmibAnWNq9QIsi85gM7X3D_Pnw7IQytNcQGkAbaPtePvV1xE6q60wSu83feFPatXLVQ7NATyX9FE_SZxhLptriQ97Ey-PsTmF_ac-OncPQm5Bbzg/s4000/53%20-%20cows%20coming%20up%20the%20driveway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSiN_q1IAbJHBB89USXTxm8auaqK6T20KZaynY6VI0a-PFPoepqs4Ec9CXgoYWy3PV1dTn5iy3ogmibAnWNq9QIsi85gM7X3D_Pnw7IQytNcQGkAbaPtePvV1xE6q60wSu83feFPatXLVQ7NATyX9FE_SZxhLptriQ97Ey-PsTmF_ac-OncPQm5Bbzg/w400-h300/53%20-%20cows%20coming%20up%20the%20driveway.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn bringing cattle up the driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then I walked ahead of them and called them (they will follow me anywhere, to new pasture) while Andrea went on up the main road to make sure none of them tried to go up that steep bank. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a few photos as Lynn brought up the rear on his 4-wheeler, as I led the cows and calves up the horse road and in the gate at the bottom corner of heifer hill.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZUjTy9Y3UGE9yP00l10YujQuoXYinUUq4yYKl0yC9FSWPKCQlznKuKH-ZjRRdYLsQG9wrFEB4HA8U2HE9SwU7XITXuyLpcEpnV9FadusyDtrH-m9sJYNVaFqgrwuMllqAyv-Hvy6yj7TVfqq5BwzUHbbxhSL7I0Ei0WcESJ53gK_BCDokMFyJ6HuOA/s4000/54%20-%20bring%20the%20cows%20up%20the%20horse%20road.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidZUjTy9Y3UGE9yP00l10YujQuoXYinUUq4yYKl0yC9FSWPKCQlznKuKH-ZjRRdYLsQG9wrFEB4HA8U2HE9SwU7XITXuyLpcEpnV9FadusyDtrH-m9sJYNVaFqgrwuMllqAyv-Hvy6yj7TVfqq5BwzUHbbxhSL7I0Ei0WcESJ53gK_BCDokMFyJ6HuOA/w300-h400/54%20-%20bring%20the%20cows%20up%20the%20horse%20road.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Tc-gRGnkCVwXAzC0wNtdCvHn23JclOM8_5ktPmeL-YFZMHsIpItS5ReT03Eq90GSxru_nJxih32gypkr58fOW_s2dnYei5o6125u_4uax5t2o30cAsYZtooTkeoZ5oChdU6va9qAwQQKvwIwk6Nig0AntVrLUUqJBIJ4nj3Snr-lEPTAIDMa3PGxsg/s4000/55%20-%20Lynn%20following%20cows%20up%20the%20horse%20road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Tc-gRGnkCVwXAzC0wNtdCvHn23JclOM8_5ktPmeL-YFZMHsIpItS5ReT03Eq90GSxru_nJxih32gypkr58fOW_s2dnYei5o6125u_4uax5t2o30cAsYZtooTkeoZ5oChdU6va9qAwQQKvwIwk6Nig0AntVrLUUqJBIJ4nj3Snr-lEPTAIDMa3PGxsg/w300-h400/55%20-%20Lynn%20following%20cows%20up%20the%20horse%20road.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn following cows up the horse road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took photos also, as I led the cows in through that gate and Lynn brought the stragglers; some of the calves were at the back end of the herd.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOUJcp3fs6-5WuPDOF2iC2FROTlEyDw-7BCZH4CxWPp0tJPqM8eWQQrEx5JY0_sMXHnWoPZirwYaIiHO0Y0_WjMxTQBSU1FO9u-dKr1xZeSFyCGXHPqkJuILbqBGYVnJ6q76GnvktwfLVrv_yucehPI8EDIJk3n3-BFtETT8AR-cKlD87v48TuNxyfw/s4032/57%20-%20leading%20the%20cows%20to%20the%20gate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOUJcp3fs6-5WuPDOF2iC2FROTlEyDw-7BCZH4CxWPp0tJPqM8eWQQrEx5JY0_sMXHnWoPZirwYaIiHO0Y0_WjMxTQBSU1FO9u-dKr1xZeSFyCGXHPqkJuILbqBGYVnJ6q76GnvktwfLVrv_yucehPI8EDIJk3n3-BFtETT8AR-cKlD87v48TuNxyfw/w189-h400/57%20-%20leading%20the%20cows%20to%20the%20gate.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">leading the cows to the gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1ltEt5mOrX12y3f-CgTkvcPEyWy7HGuFLg-_ALhqQTH_SUGBdp09YOEO9NSYClPW8wZLMKS27Qi4ENc1Jnh7z6GWRx8LVDeo22qznyy9B8flGiKDL93dtspVW4lyh9f3QVpmem0SliK1PUavq6BpICcntYw4Y-V5Txgn8UhbQuAt8npHsoXHmPSi5g/s4032/58%20-%20Lynn%20following%20herd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY1ltEt5mOrX12y3f-CgTkvcPEyWy7HGuFLg-_ALhqQTH_SUGBdp09YOEO9NSYClPW8wZLMKS27Qi4ENc1Jnh7z6GWRx8LVDeo22qznyy9B8flGiKDL93dtspVW4lyh9f3QVpmem0SliK1PUavq6BpICcntYw4Y-V5Txgn8UhbQuAt8npHsoXHmPSi5g/w400-h189/58%20-%20Lynn%20following%20herd.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn following the herd</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmkQmu3DwXx5nuPJrtCQjmYRO2MWlt_7g0LGQpxOZZZkBIV4wVsYwY0pgYHX_x0ucwTGh-VpcFTcKDevO_4N71u2kAaW4CZHDr9hm2gVgaj35Y5sQPOM33UWH0ZyHXfuEWNFIIWxRlFWOacIHl4Xbua4OxCCFeI4QXZ_n9A8e3LgLYcGMcZwvLCIGOw/s4032/59%20-%20bringing%20the%20stragglers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmkQmu3DwXx5nuPJrtCQjmYRO2MWlt_7g0LGQpxOZZZkBIV4wVsYwY0pgYHX_x0ucwTGh-VpcFTcKDevO_4N71u2kAaW4CZHDr9hm2gVgaj35Y5sQPOM33UWH0ZyHXfuEWNFIIWxRlFWOacIHl4Xbua4OxCCFeI4QXZ_n9A8e3LgLYcGMcZwvLCIGOw/w400-h189/59%20-%20bringing%20the%20stragglers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing the stragglers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The grass around the hayfield is very tall but still a little green (and some of the grass down at the lower end that was irrigated along with the hayfield was really lush and green), so the cows were very happy to go into that pasture.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSRet33EawKkU_hlSADBERO_oAvNU3RAub4bfdSlcOCpHn1C0ziytH6u0CtGObTec6uylkUAcQyIERXMNP5apeBovy-AJRl0tr3YISTuf80MiAJ3LtuDa361V4NzNplt9AwLAoHFNV91MTEG8596Fx6x0gIonxKImXmuZ_E0B6T6AygfYzVrkgLl5Pg/s4000/60%20-%20cows%20coming%20into%20the%20tall%20grass.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSRet33EawKkU_hlSADBERO_oAvNU3RAub4bfdSlcOCpHn1C0ziytH6u0CtGObTec6uylkUAcQyIERXMNP5apeBovy-AJRl0tr3YISTuf80MiAJ3LtuDa361V4NzNplt9AwLAoHFNV91MTEG8596Fx6x0gIonxKImXmuZ_E0B6T6AygfYzVrkgLl5Pg/w400-h300/60%20-%20cows%20coming%20into%20the%20tall%20grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQKA4KDSdZp4WVo4KAXXWvPUqoybEksBw6WkyVk-5E0t3GCMGLp6wLzE0FwFZzz6HqADCryg_zlZCBlf7cop3zQ_sDN990TitfGyPSh-gilcqg0li6ZzVc3PaUbFwu-6Rtg6V2txcN3CTQzZxv3T8lfW0KulriYG6hMGScKZcc0XnHArRvI-OgF9R4A/s4000/61%20-tall%20grass.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQKA4KDSdZp4WVo4KAXXWvPUqoybEksBw6WkyVk-5E0t3GCMGLp6wLzE0FwFZzz6HqADCryg_zlZCBlf7cop3zQ_sDN990TitfGyPSh-gilcqg0li6ZzVc3PaUbFwu-6Rtg6V2txcN3CTQzZxv3T8lfW0KulriYG6hMGScKZcc0XnHArRvI-OgF9R4A/w400-h300/61%20-tall%20grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows coming into the tall grass</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Fencing off the hayfield and keeping the cows out of it will allow it to regrow while they eat the tall grass around the edges. Otherwise they would eat the lush new green grass into the ground and ignore the taller grass around the edges. This way we get more efficient use of the entire pasture and grazing days later this fall after the hayfields regrow.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNyI8uQKT8rgQSEwl4MIhRtKfLqYrwG0Q0e2xHHgGBt4CdMD9IBnnRoiIcQMsHBFahgeVtrDmoZfNt31AqU1YO8g-0AGkU8FfOfVzWrGvq9tHUUJ2OdCki7bi7w9xN6jmEOV-Q8ukOMsxcnr5x_e1HTNyDW9ciBEHrJCOqc50ELhND1JIinC7rFc-tQ/s4000/62%20-hayfield%20fenced%20off;%20cows%20can%20eat%20tall%20grass%20around%20the%20edges.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNyI8uQKT8rgQSEwl4MIhRtKfLqYrwG0Q0e2xHHgGBt4CdMD9IBnnRoiIcQMsHBFahgeVtrDmoZfNt31AqU1YO8g-0AGkU8FfOfVzWrGvq9tHUUJ2OdCki7bi7w9xN6jmEOV-Q8ukOMsxcnr5x_e1HTNyDW9ciBEHrJCOqc50ELhND1JIinC7rFc-tQ/w400-h300/62%20-hayfield%20fenced%20off;%20cows%20can%20eat%20tall%20grass%20around%20the%20edges.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hayfield fenced off; cows can eat tall grass around the edges</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ5rKFfz5VHIeOtRos3Rmv6_-rOZ3aygtLm431czurGs4jg2iNeKtCIJ0wvQgQW-_3ezYp8GzNtgUWxxKJ753-aS2gPgsssPfEK-FB243AndejMul96RbPYxcpvjXdBFpLLpIKhPCSLljeXj6nsmJkVSZIeMDEQlxV56X2dibhhi6Z9JrjIsz0y9DjQ/s4000/63%20-%20short%20grass%20on%20hayfields.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQ5rKFfz5VHIeOtRos3Rmv6_-rOZ3aygtLm431czurGs4jg2iNeKtCIJ0wvQgQW-_3ezYp8GzNtgUWxxKJ753-aS2gPgsssPfEK-FB243AndejMul96RbPYxcpvjXdBFpLLpIKhPCSLljeXj6nsmJkVSZIeMDEQlxV56X2dibhhi6Z9JrjIsz0y9DjQ/w400-h300/63%20-%20short%20grass%20on%20hayfields.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">short grass on hayfields</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea went to town to take some things to Emily and Christopher and gas up her car, and drove to Twin Falls to spend several days with Sam. That evening at chore time Lynn and I drove up to heifer hill on his 4-wheeler and I hiked around in the brush below the ditch where the cows were bedded (in the shade), to check on them.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked them twice daily while Andrea was gone, to make sure they were doing ok and making the adjustment to the greener feed without getting emphysema.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile the fire on the other side of town was raging, devouring more and more acreage as the hot weather and strong winds kept it from being readily controlled. People in the area from North Fork to the fairgrounds (including Lynn’s sister Jenelle) were preparing for evacuation. By that time the burned area had grown to more than 20,000 acres, with more than 500 firefighters (many coming in from other states) and was not a bit controlled.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was hot and windy again, and the fire took another big leap. Andrea was still in Twin Falls with Sam, helping her fix her refrigerator and taking her to the doctor again. She sent me a few photos, including a selfie of her and Sam, and one of Sam with her pet lizard Gizmo.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7B-xt9xf4-8-Ftv5Oi6ByFAS9g1U2LNf9XtRjAL6Zxfc5NgTc4ktNciGsKwdELXmtnSKOW5b2GHyUZp_8O1V84SHwZiLgPb4I41sj5qrNkiMuMZmvAhc56KwjZekpqH-fhngS7x_DKacjXVxTPMLoW3eUdrWSHOeIPWvuLg77089LRho6H4Otg7rsg/s3968/64%20-Andrea%20&%20Sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3968" data-original-width="1880" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7B-xt9xf4-8-Ftv5Oi6ByFAS9g1U2LNf9XtRjAL6Zxfc5NgTc4ktNciGsKwdELXmtnSKOW5b2GHyUZp_8O1V84SHwZiLgPb4I41sj5qrNkiMuMZmvAhc56KwjZekpqH-fhngS7x_DKacjXVxTPMLoW3eUdrWSHOeIPWvuLg77089LRho6H4Otg7rsg/w190-h400/64%20-Andrea%20&%20Sam.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea & Sam</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8Ba0Vtts2yX5Rx1DGF37UfGWFGtDFdJ-_VTQ83QKlyDbqDnXR_DMZ-fE4TzIL6CRcH8M34fwxjfC_FteuIYZImc3qPBSikUXeJtmqgcwKwwB1SOsjpqY7cn3BpM2WZoduzE8qnto0N0gG4v6Hxi5tKbPtCwXZuUqZTDI8SRWVJeQ49aILYOXVkbhTQ/s4608/65%20-%20Sam%20&%20pet%20lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE8Ba0Vtts2yX5Rx1DGF37UfGWFGtDFdJ-_VTQ83QKlyDbqDnXR_DMZ-fE4TzIL6CRcH8M34fwxjfC_FteuIYZImc3qPBSikUXeJtmqgcwKwwB1SOsjpqY7cn3BpM2WZoduzE8qnto0N0gG4v6Hxi5tKbPtCwXZuUqZTDI8SRWVJeQ49aILYOXVkbhTQ/w400-h190/65%20-%20Sam%20&%20pet%20lizard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam & pet lizzard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam was spending most of the time in bed, sleeping. At one point when she was awake, she and Andrea did manage to call our good friend Pete Wiebe in Canada who recently lost his wife, Bev. She died very suddenly with a rare type of brain tumor. She will be greatly missed. Pete and Bev are some of our dearest friends who came into our lives after Andrea’s burn injury, to help us through the toughest challenges. Pete was a burn survivor and was a bit farther along in his journey to get back to a relatively normal life, and he was a big inspiration to us. We corresponded by letter and phone for several years, and then Pete and Bev visited us a few times as they came through on their way south to donate their time and efforts in building homes for people who had lost their homes in disasters. They dedicated their lives to helping others. We cherish the visits we had with them; they always stayed a few days at Andrea’s house when they came, and her kids all dearly loved them.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Now Pete has not only lost his wife, but is also suffering from Parkinson’s disease and early dementia. When Andrea and Sam called him, Andrea suggested that maybe one of Pete’s kids and spouse might sometime drive him down here for a visit, to stay again for a while.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With the hot dry weather our creek has been dropping daily, and the watermaster came out to put locks on headgates, to regulate how much each ditch is using. The problem he encountered, however, is that the new locks that the new secretary-treasurer purchased (cheap bicycle locks she found online) do not fit through the headgates and face plates. Another problem is that Alfonso has never put his face plates back into his headgates and is running most of his ditches wide open—with no check-down—taking more than his right, and the watermaster didn’t even bother to put those face plates back in. So with Alfonso using most of the creek above us on the Gooch place, our ditches weren’t picking up enough water to fill our right. Andrea discovered this when she got home from Twin Falls Saturday morning and went to check her water; some of the water she’d set 3 days earlier hadn’t even run clear across the fields because there wasn’t enough water in her ditches!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We brought the cows in from the pasture below the lane; it lasted them 11 days but was getting short. We sorted off the heifers and put them in the area next to Sprout and Shiloh’s pens, to graze that down before Phil brings us some 2nd cutting alfalfa to stack there. We took the cows and calves to the corral and sorted off the bull and put him back in his pen. Our breeding season is over. We like it short (about 4 ½ weeks—which gives every cow and heifer a chance to be bred) so that next year’s calving season will also be short. Any cow or heifer that didn’t settle during that time, we will sell this fall.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday we put the 11 yearling heifers in the pen below the bull corral. We haven’t grazed it yet this year, and the grass was about 4 feet tall or higher, and the areas where Michael and crew removed the big willow patches and burned them (to rebuild the fences around that pen) had all grown to weeds—ragweed more than 10 feet tall! It was a true jungle—too thick to walk through--but the heifers (which we’ve nicknamed jungle bunnies) loved it. They are eating the tall weeds and made trails through them, and eating the new willow shoots, as well as the grass. They will be our best tool to keep the weeds and willows trimmed back and eventually the grass will fill in those areas. I wish I’d taken a photo of that dense jungle of tall weeds when we first put the heifers in there, but I didn’t. Here are photos I took a few days later after the heifers had eaten most of those weeds, but you can see how tall the remaining ones are—like small trees!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JAQGwfdQfOSRy0lCtkS5QKd_1BMKXSVXLq6YxNS_Xlk3zsb129EmlubHD56XNuHVpyiRcxNE1tqnyVQVOIPsIjSB5CSiRBGdsjXzEfwSZNbwJexCNVre7bO1BX9a1VVXPTwFd8JnoSUZiOZUwA6IvUCxE1OaIRHWzTk84pfHlq0hvuWXjBZ6gq7J4g/s4000/66%20-%20tall%20weeds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5JAQGwfdQfOSRy0lCtkS5QKd_1BMKXSVXLq6YxNS_Xlk3zsb129EmlubHD56XNuHVpyiRcxNE1tqnyVQVOIPsIjSB5CSiRBGdsjXzEfwSZNbwJexCNVre7bO1BX9a1VVXPTwFd8JnoSUZiOZUwA6IvUCxE1OaIRHWzTk84pfHlq0hvuWXjBZ6gq7J4g/w400-h300/66%20-%20tall%20weeds.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tall weeds</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHQxX_ZbGpjo62pWwloEPo3l-4ne19wM_HioRWQeDUfm7JV3Ba1OZKxAvPryyB6xMBC0e9MxXx6BdgCgcpVnjoOGutf5KM5IxWpILAX0Kx6LD_sOrxdZ-YkhDbFjnyanGd_mQacGclHmm3iEQYoeaZgJGgRMcRX3VUdD035vQC-exq88LyIcdLBNLhA/s4000/67%20-%20ragweed%20patch%20mostly%20eaten%20by%20heifers.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsHQxX_ZbGpjo62pWwloEPo3l-4ne19wM_HioRWQeDUfm7JV3Ba1OZKxAvPryyB6xMBC0e9MxXx6BdgCgcpVnjoOGutf5KM5IxWpILAX0Kx6LD_sOrxdZ-YkhDbFjnyanGd_mQacGclHmm3iEQYoeaZgJGgRMcRX3VUdD035vQC-exq88LyIcdLBNLhA/w400-h300/67%20-%20ragweed%20patch%20mostly%20eaten%20by%20heifers.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSVQ1foYEhiC7HACTaowBljT5u0bbtXklDnNa4cTQDqghGpXKRs-BbAOznvBPNLIlOFSZVEuTH7b29l9rYS3MfYs4OtEW2etlu-3xDJ-6inysos7PUcfDdu6kShwzp2ldo7EGguztcfidi2Yj26aHrsSX4d-u12eD-RwOLwKSZchKFrABALMkWTrU-w/s4000/68%20-%20remaining%20weeds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSVQ1foYEhiC7HACTaowBljT5u0bbtXklDnNa4cTQDqghGpXKRs-BbAOznvBPNLIlOFSZVEuTH7b29l9rYS3MfYs4OtEW2etlu-3xDJ-6inysos7PUcfDdu6kShwzp2ldo7EGguztcfidi2Yj26aHrsSX4d-u12eD-RwOLwKSZchKFrABALMkWTrU-w/w300-h400/68%20-%20remaining%20weeds.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ragweed patch mostly eaten by heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hbXWzBLlpRgcmd4IGktphYUrgD_pN2p7gnbx9cD44A-tbL5ZXFbvCeUAlbR4tQnshqUDkxPmcUjrj4afQiu56zHRc1AInM38JgAW5O7D0CF7cZApU31CGtkwORNy5A402hgKrOVuU7YLvYDNT_i0nJQFUE_6WnCjLqdCqNoEebt0whsVVYCusWe9_g/s4000/70%20-weeds%20were%20more%20than%20twice%20as%20tall%20as%20the%20heifers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2hbXWzBLlpRgcmd4IGktphYUrgD_pN2p7gnbx9cD44A-tbL5ZXFbvCeUAlbR4tQnshqUDkxPmcUjrj4afQiu56zHRc1AInM38JgAW5O7D0CF7cZApU31CGtkwORNy5A402hgKrOVuU7YLvYDNT_i0nJQFUE_6WnCjLqdCqNoEebt0whsVVYCusWe9_g/w300-h400/70%20-weeds%20were%20more%20than%20twice%20as%20tall%20as%20the%20heifers.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">weeds were more than twice as tall as the heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">That whole week was really hot, up to 95 degrees and higher in the afternoons. Our ditches were short of water again, so Andrea hiked up to see where it went. Alfonso had his two ditches on the Gooch place going full blast, with not much coming down to our headgate for the ditch that comes through his pasture and down to the field by Andrea’s house. She spent several hours digging sand away from the headgate—sand that accumulated there during high water. She was able to get enough water into that ditch to increase the flow to about half of our allotted right—which was enough to make do for now, until the watermaster can come adjust and lock Alfonso’s ditches.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn babysat Christopher while Andrea was working on the ditch; they always have fun together. That little kid loves to torment his great-grandpa and his latest bit of fun is tickling him. When Andrea came back from irrigating she took a photo of Christopher tickling Lynn.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKtdJ7uL7yc9bOSxsjBXeED2Y6cpv1Vzjmsi4x0PxWDrQXLE-Tgf-PA0Wi91827HMli9eFJLCGktp7-d4mOuD6EglkIX55QHC-l52aIAY0prXzPZlLqE4_c2RxtIEOt4fFWtZ-Q3ZVf2gdjxQYEJAADz9qOREtIffUAhUaRqVjAUTWG2zGSd_ayhJcQ/s4032/71%20-%20tickling%20Lynn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpKtdJ7uL7yc9bOSxsjBXeED2Y6cpv1Vzjmsi4x0PxWDrQXLE-Tgf-PA0Wi91827HMli9eFJLCGktp7-d4mOuD6EglkIX55QHC-l52aIAY0prXzPZlLqE4_c2RxtIEOt4fFWtZ-Q3ZVf2gdjxQYEJAADz9qOREtIffUAhUaRqVjAUTWG2zGSd_ayhJcQ/w189-h400/71%20-%20tickling%20Lynn.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tickling Lynn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim has spent several days splitting the wood that he sawed up earlier and brought down from the woods. It looks like we should have enough winter wood for our house, Andrea’s house and Jim’s shop. I took a few photos of him splitting some of the last of the wood, with his loyal dog Ezra helping.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOeexFV7c89BtCPBIi_WeSG0td54RCQGTGA15x6LHHDn5T0ixPPN9KZzH3glwJ8j25ayHxzibpqOEuq9b6LJ75vl37WRWOTeqcoy_8Ow4H3Z0yAJbSOsNNIE003rtYN7XxtD8DbR6wBRYq0rJoF-GwbigqV_E5V-nKgoFzen6PcANRKEp_Ga1UYYCGQ/s4000/72%20-%20Jim%20splitting%20wood.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOeexFV7c89BtCPBIi_WeSG0td54RCQGTGA15x6LHHDn5T0ixPPN9KZzH3glwJ8j25ayHxzibpqOEuq9b6LJ75vl37WRWOTeqcoy_8Ow4H3Z0yAJbSOsNNIE003rtYN7XxtD8DbR6wBRYq0rJoF-GwbigqV_E5V-nKgoFzen6PcANRKEp_Ga1UYYCGQ/w400-h300/72%20-%20Jim%20splitting%20wood.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-tRtT8unLJemTx0ogvj-6IlKTrwC1sCKchQGiDqzOtPFLn7cxPiftjYHXNPeMU_gE7GfOv9sFB9RQPju3xQfvDzVPvU2yBW9qMjR28KMLK3TjhvbkqzwWMu-1RKO_eHuXVZFYBoBSwhbqqNqtS8JHxyuYp30YU4IcWyiHzGCJ1TyzI4p6Ph7vKT2eg/s4000/73%20-%20Jim%20&%20Ezra%20splitting%20wood.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0-tRtT8unLJemTx0ogvj-6IlKTrwC1sCKchQGiDqzOtPFLn7cxPiftjYHXNPeMU_gE7GfOv9sFB9RQPju3xQfvDzVPvU2yBW9qMjR28KMLK3TjhvbkqzwWMu-1RKO_eHuXVZFYBoBSwhbqqNqtS8JHxyuYp30YU4IcWyiHzGCJ1TyzI4p6Ph7vKT2eg/w400-h300/73%20-%20Jim%20&%20Ezra%20splitting%20wood.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpyamKwPSZRulJi7wDlv9B3P-JKVTDR0124OaSWPj_saHiGoB5UQPqEfrFcKhtx6-dY99fXykuuRXgwdwRbzHVPXclI2_L55mqGnG_x6r4xyGTh6dBooIHrpI9m-i3wV8m62VQIzk2jUqr7E4Y2FYRLiTs5v6fat8GJncah8CBSK3Ek7vB1SlrTFa9A/s4000/74%20-%20splitting%20wood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijpyamKwPSZRulJi7wDlv9B3P-JKVTDR0124OaSWPj_saHiGoB5UQPqEfrFcKhtx6-dY99fXykuuRXgwdwRbzHVPXclI2_L55mqGnG_x6r4xyGTh6dBooIHrpI9m-i3wV8m62VQIzk2jUqr7E4Y2FYRLiTs5v6fat8GJncah8CBSK3Ek7vB1SlrTFa9A/w400-h300/74%20-%20splitting%20wood.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim & Ezra splitting wood</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea created another temporary fence above the hayfield between our house and heifer hill, so that we can graze cows there when they run out of pasture where they are, and let the hayfields keep growing back. The key to having enough pasture for our cows (and still grow some hay) and be able to expand our herd numbers a little is to rotationally graze every little piece of ground that isn’t a hayfield. By grazing ditch banks and barnyards, we’ve extended our grazing days quite a bit.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn located a site for a well for one of our neighbors, and was contacted by some other folks to find a well on property they are buying at the mouth of 4th of July creek. The fire was so bad down there for a while that it had to be postponed a week, hoping conditions would get better. A few days ago, however, the fire had burned more than 43,000 acres and there were more than 900 firefighters working on it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning Andrea was changing water on heifer hill and bent down to pick up a rock by her ditch, to use it on the dam she was about to put in the ditch, and heard a rattle and realized there was a snake under that rock, and it’s head was right there poking out. She was inches away from being bitten. So she backed up and grabbed her shovel to flip over the rock and kill the snake and then took a photo of it.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho23yMmb1iYgH07KAlQunvWPg91VBhQuzZ6hsYsz1fxjeCwAeLA6GyZcyGsn0NFVVaK5R46cbTlDn-2CQBIEf0E3ybjKq8HAoRLRCTZT210c7HvkMIqNRMkghVcoqaU-ZvSLBrTrQDsPSUiJBKtGkaHMCEKv7Oicdgk3oenZbh4laBXFvHTBgyMlPMbA/s4032/75%20-the%20snake%20Andrea%20killed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho23yMmb1iYgH07KAlQunvWPg91VBhQuzZ6hsYsz1fxjeCwAeLA6GyZcyGsn0NFVVaK5R46cbTlDn-2CQBIEf0E3ybjKq8HAoRLRCTZT210c7HvkMIqNRMkghVcoqaU-ZvSLBrTrQDsPSUiJBKtGkaHMCEKv7Oicdgk3oenZbh4laBXFvHTBgyMlPMbA/w189-h400/75%20-the%20snake%20Andrea%20killed.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the snake Andrea killed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We don’t want the risk of anyone (including our cows and calves in that pasture!) being bitten. Last year a man in our county was bitten on the arm by a snake in his garden and died on his way to the hospital.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been letting Sprout graze in the backyard to eat down the grass and weeds, and letting Ed mow the front yard for about an hour each morning. It’s good to get that tall dry grass eaten so it won’t be a fire hazard or a place for snakes to hide. I took photos of Ed from the window.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUrg8Mf93agNTDNHLBDhCdK9ULZg3sWW_r_4CdDk3HAD079f1Au8rUac3DMnNJKT-nWur_f2Ni-_Fy7MRg0A-ZcBSr87dr4noJJXG29Q1ccfzFV96Qt4m3kxorShWle9uW3FbNlO7fFW4kwF1mBCSMxOg5J7bgmu5rgTkJMYNhA4-rgNYRY5e41pdLw/s4000/76%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20in%20front%20yard.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUrg8Mf93agNTDNHLBDhCdK9ULZg3sWW_r_4CdDk3HAD079f1Au8rUac3DMnNJKT-nWur_f2Ni-_Fy7MRg0A-ZcBSr87dr4noJJXG29Q1ccfzFV96Qt4m3kxorShWle9uW3FbNlO7fFW4kwF1mBCSMxOg5J7bgmu5rgTkJMYNhA4-rgNYRY5e41pdLw/w400-h300/76%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20in%20front%20yard.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO0SNw1EaSwEOopSUpyXBTm3Fx5Ztf1WZB9aaHbP2IOnHPrq5cRTtYrUYW4virtcFHw96v6xk2JuIHHe5PcubuDlbXiruPKMc07105IXULB8Y_jLHLqJ0AvKCMwB8J2aNJI0aD-G15C9bPdQLHRTwllZP4Cn9E9aSgewDNeqTfu-fEbsrmqDDUV2p5w/s4000/77%20-%20Ed%20in%20yard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO0SNw1EaSwEOopSUpyXBTm3Fx5Ztf1WZB9aaHbP2IOnHPrq5cRTtYrUYW4virtcFHw96v6xk2JuIHHe5PcubuDlbXiruPKMc07105IXULB8Y_jLHLqJ0AvKCMwB8J2aNJI0aD-G15C9bPdQLHRTwllZP4Cn9E9aSgewDNeqTfu-fEbsrmqDDUV2p5w/w400-h300/77%20-%20Ed%20in%20yard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed grazing in front yard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSctnqV2Gs7tp-XCTnqYiCEykJ2I2_95I9ujmMUZ8vGq_ymxjsR3RLHVPtz3KW34LJMyDsUU5BmckAfVuXiRp0hpVZlsWyGz3Hl1r6MTWxoInwZ0Qk-tCZRFp9H1F2UOwNEdj9PA-ZuBopkI_08ijf6i1hzj7a7duDoKk9aVTtHfawL63oRJcOhQCAQ/s4000/79%20-Ed%20enjoying%20the%20grass%20in%20yard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidSctnqV2Gs7tp-XCTnqYiCEykJ2I2_95I9ujmMUZ8vGq_ymxjsR3RLHVPtz3KW34LJMyDsUU5BmckAfVuXiRp0hpVZlsWyGz3Hl1r6MTWxoInwZ0Qk-tCZRFp9H1F2UOwNEdj9PA-ZuBopkI_08ijf6i1hzj7a7duDoKk9aVTtHfawL63oRJcOhQCAQ/w300-h400/79%20-Ed%20enjoying%20the%20grass%20in%20yard.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">enjoying the grass in yard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The flies were bothering her, so every now and then she rubbed up against the little tree (chokecherry) to brush them off.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DnyQSj1_H5FDbYpDHBIJZphQF3vDr5mhuc_1xXHs1zsVpITAxNmlofjCt68qF2Dfbh_GWo08r0K8YKnag5q2PDDL56jCNYYElp3QvSuoc1IcBvG_e8OqC3AOztt_ZEWuplMw5kxJ6dMQa72_5qrVRpZSxq4hTyiofC5tZau-o0X0FTBJ1Zk4_jbp_A/s4000/78%20-%20rubbing%20flies%20off%20with%20tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_DnyQSj1_H5FDbYpDHBIJZphQF3vDr5mhuc_1xXHs1zsVpITAxNmlofjCt68qF2Dfbh_GWo08r0K8YKnag5q2PDDL56jCNYYElp3QvSuoc1IcBvG_e8OqC3AOztt_ZEWuplMw5kxJ6dMQa72_5qrVRpZSxq4hTyiofC5tZau-o0X0FTBJ1Zk4_jbp_A/w400-h300/78%20-%20rubbing%20flies%20off%20with%20tree.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">rubbing flies off with tree
</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday afternoon she and Lynn drove down to 4th of July Creek to locate water for a well for some people from Pocatello who are buying property there. The new owner and the real estate agent drove down there also. We weren’t sure if it would be safe, since that’s right across the river from where the fire is burning, and there is a lot of fire-fighting equipment/traffic on the road. We also worried that the hillside area where he needed to try to locate water might be covered with dry grass and sagebrush and not safe to drive out into for fear of the vehicles starting a fire. But the access onto the property was already a well-beaten track, being used as a vantage point for firefighters who were monitoring the blaze on the mountain across the river.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn was able to locate a good spot for a well—in an area that had already burned at an earlier time in the past; the sagebrush was gone, and there were remnants of an old cabin that had burned up. Andrea took photos of Lynn finding the water.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AU8qRP5TFeoMIMDDxL3JefoFqGuoL9gQP8KFIunsjJwDaRoCIs99MoDhqxx5Vqv3R7RnVQbF5M2bfA2HF6Wy_l7_qCJDN8PKG9mxsvZHHTh1YI5guWZDSyseb46bXJSHqf4PDHxJODnXNCyFFYu28PGmd8yl7FWB0xfmMOo2CK95mpYK7CxTjLP1Sg/s4032/79A%20-%20Lynn%20walking%20around%20to%20locate%20water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9AU8qRP5TFeoMIMDDxL3JefoFqGuoL9gQP8KFIunsjJwDaRoCIs99MoDhqxx5Vqv3R7RnVQbF5M2bfA2HF6Wy_l7_qCJDN8PKG9mxsvZHHTh1YI5guWZDSyseb46bXJSHqf4PDHxJODnXNCyFFYu28PGmd8yl7FWB0xfmMOo2CK95mpYK7CxTjLP1Sg/w189-h400/79A%20-%20Lynn%20walking%20around%20to%20locate%20water.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn walking around to locate water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrs_p5Q_rYjhcXBPk9bCzU2YBtN6NN0jLAdoO2s_Ilwlh1jgj9PpfIBXHEjmZkMmE2wGwJzmFX-uBobu_bWsAEpsQ6KGhxtfEBa3I35hPDgn31REWXfxTnjQow7tF0HJtOay6fBN5Tgfoj7h1OvJgyn8RN8g05Gy-45cF3MnNNIeyR-6H2cO-wf6ecA/s4032/79B%20-counting%20with%20the%20bobbing%20stick%20to%20estimate%20depth%20of%20the%20water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrs_p5Q_rYjhcXBPk9bCzU2YBtN6NN0jLAdoO2s_Ilwlh1jgj9PpfIBXHEjmZkMmE2wGwJzmFX-uBobu_bWsAEpsQ6KGhxtfEBa3I35hPDgn31REWXfxTnjQow7tF0HJtOay6fBN5Tgfoj7h1OvJgyn8RN8g05Gy-45cF3MnNNIeyR-6H2cO-wf6ecA/w189-h400/79B%20-counting%20with%20the%20bobbing%20stick%20to%20estimate%20depth%20of%20the%20water.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">counting with the bobbing stick to estimate depth of the water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She also took photos of the mountains across the river and the areas that have burned.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE47FKle3eWCnTGgbtY2ZeMLhMoF9MQ5jelvFfw0kVolInYc3iBN5gqD99ZURWU_iXTzQk7qJUUIxrdOt9QS3FY0w4YYjeZ4JsrQLzYcEBNDh12AepEsEogStdsn6gv-x8TkJMsj1W1FcYTEGuHYo_r34uPVknG8I62u0-YCOum4mUTu9hTmXeJ7jKw/s4032/79C%20-%20areas%20that%20have%20already%20burned.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWE47FKle3eWCnTGgbtY2ZeMLhMoF9MQ5jelvFfw0kVolInYc3iBN5gqD99ZURWU_iXTzQk7qJUUIxrdOt9QS3FY0w4YYjeZ4JsrQLzYcEBNDh12AepEsEogStdsn6gv-x8TkJMsj1W1FcYTEGuHYo_r34uPVknG8I62u0-YCOum4mUTu9hTmXeJ7jKw/w400-h189/79C%20-%20areas%20that%20have%20already%20burned.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOpUrjSDPlK7HBcM72HdBLv0lqr-4ExNj3nrYB_jeJ-VXFa4GJQGuo0MImoLg2vG6Qhoy_6iJ51BAMlkXRRnpIrx1HzZ1JFqDKTfBotuk3ln4t5LMZGP-mn6TNvLVWBx_obMfMixWKBCYWqsKpfqoMf7Fz0WzKH0NHPUmQkPtz0texOyQN-0I43KFAQ/s4032/79D%20-burned%20areas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOpUrjSDPlK7HBcM72HdBLv0lqr-4ExNj3nrYB_jeJ-VXFa4GJQGuo0MImoLg2vG6Qhoy_6iJ51BAMlkXRRnpIrx1HzZ1JFqDKTfBotuk3ln4t5LMZGP-mn6TNvLVWBx_obMfMixWKBCYWqsKpfqoMf7Fz0WzKH0NHPUmQkPtz0texOyQN-0I43KFAQ/w400-h189/79D%20-burned%20areas.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">areas that have already burned</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">While they were there, the fire on the mountains across the river took off again with more smoke, and Andrea took a few photos of the fire as it put more smoke into the air.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjE4SML8_lzu5Rpy7T72o3nqt8EPRiJp9rFivzdk8eVv-3_rM59V03PJtJ4QmwE588Qk3i0vgzvw9pAHdiUYT39Fm6jphfxVezSrTmWJuzR3p4fTk11MZUEQVb4UCJ1D7SBXsh7-2KDTWymY4MKvbKbp9YcU_cyye7MmqBorFYbmEJpj-egrcA4YgRxA/s4608/79E%20-%20fire%20going%20again.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjE4SML8_lzu5Rpy7T72o3nqt8EPRiJp9rFivzdk8eVv-3_rM59V03PJtJ4QmwE588Qk3i0vgzvw9pAHdiUYT39Fm6jphfxVezSrTmWJuzR3p4fTk11MZUEQVb4UCJ1D7SBXsh7-2KDTWymY4MKvbKbp9YcU_cyye7MmqBorFYbmEJpj-egrcA4YgRxA/w190-h400/79E%20-%20fire%20going%20again.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3N-p__jGmfI7wTWlQdYiTVXGZnYx7D2v_0ra2AtH8rdjpZBwOrtXajg1lm2A0w9wgrufgYp1eDnX8cK9te7OFGHkFISCqdsq-tTVjrVHlC3xc09QcYEhwVPQDkpTM3QXqP-1fUddeA8dTJf0izjFbk7goCiFy6tKMaj-7tBUHoKkvexiMm2RBXhC5GQ/s4032/79F%20-fire%20going%20again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3N-p__jGmfI7wTWlQdYiTVXGZnYx7D2v_0ra2AtH8rdjpZBwOrtXajg1lm2A0w9wgrufgYp1eDnX8cK9te7OFGHkFISCqdsq-tTVjrVHlC3xc09QcYEhwVPQDkpTM3QXqP-1fUddeA8dTJf0izjFbk7goCiFy6tKMaj-7tBUHoKkvexiMm2RBXhC5GQ/w400-h189/79F%20-fire%20going%20again.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fire going again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OGhBdrJhZDEpk0_R-lVCIRLidWdzj3jhUlNyuzu8LQEbLRUvsJzA0qw13b_bzUWQ01RiKbdP1mpYc1M7lTGpE22YQwXGSSEfvWagqZ8_53GUVtaLXZJB2sCzXXe_K5DLA0j6mPxHRNLiTOg_N7zYwMFn4oZNQB-EXvLb-kOpyacrCKRlLQICmq7Zzw/s4032/79G%20-more%20smoke.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OGhBdrJhZDEpk0_R-lVCIRLidWdzj3jhUlNyuzu8LQEbLRUvsJzA0qw13b_bzUWQ01RiKbdP1mpYc1M7lTGpE22YQwXGSSEfvWagqZ8_53GUVtaLXZJB2sCzXXe_K5DLA0j6mPxHRNLiTOg_N7zYwMFn4oZNQB-EXvLb-kOpyacrCKRlLQICmq7Zzw/w400-h189/79G%20-more%20smoke.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofM7K1DN5Ft5A3FBxrjiswH-KtbYbbdt0SSEpkzn17hXDLqPRlUr7auLJtFXemlhBo9K7wjqSVWGOteG1A-klYA8F7b0fPfbNp67ymTYyxzUUs6llG9mIhLdffBy85l5bvg18_x0QFqq_UgOWDTrnHyCWZ4lnPpXUpnWkH9QhGyUPmNh4I_5YCNMkQ/s4032/79H-%20a%20lot%20more%20smoke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLofM7K1DN5Ft5A3FBxrjiswH-KtbYbbdt0SSEpkzn17hXDLqPRlUr7auLJtFXemlhBo9K7wjqSVWGOteG1A-klYA8F7b0fPfbNp67ymTYyxzUUs6llG9mIhLdffBy85l5bvg18_x0QFqq_UgOWDTrnHyCWZ4lnPpXUpnWkH9QhGyUPmNh4I_5YCNMkQ/w400-h189/79H-%20a%20lot%20more%20smoke.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a lot more smoke</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She and Lynn also met three of the crew that were monitoring the fire from that spot. One of them was a firefighter from north Idaho who has worked on other fires where Andrea has worked (during her years helping at various fire camps) and he was also on the fire up our creek in 2003. He was training the two younger crew members who were with him on the current fire. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was horribly hot in that canyon, and after Lynn finished locating the site for a water well, he and Andrea drove back to town and got some big strawberry milkshakes to take back out there to those firefighters and they were very grateful!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6TJVMHPGBnuWl_wxW91BkoRZH_qaeljvocZuPr2P9HFxYh2HEH6BPWdE_GgEDEiQJvMC4nIhI3cl-KGSJ8g_gkB8WjaEVmLVHPTEE3gqIPD-sEZI8yECGaLta06UbkMuH05BfWfGQNUufop-guT4c1CO6qlGo0E-9qSTfk3P7JRs06myK4fP9Z2stQ/s4608/79I%20-firefighters%20with%20their%20milkshakes.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6TJVMHPGBnuWl_wxW91BkoRZH_qaeljvocZuPr2P9HFxYh2HEH6BPWdE_GgEDEiQJvMC4nIhI3cl-KGSJ8g_gkB8WjaEVmLVHPTEE3gqIPD-sEZI8yECGaLta06UbkMuH05BfWfGQNUufop-guT4c1CO6qlGo0E-9qSTfk3P7JRs06myK4fP9Z2stQ/w190-h400/79I%20-firefighters%20with%20their%20milkshakes.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Ma16o6ebuv1BokOnoA1wrmySeDdJmLXOwFicPf4x0ruAD9xcGjmD87Fv_IlYQ-BlGNuIloxfXmRlgZrI7iqQ_Fb0Fy_VCLlyjf3lXHcXhvlyPgi34L14EgptIiLDp8TPXN3vwP_gXtCf03FSYyOwS9xjjvNda1P2ZwxCcxKzNCgwLDGFPqbQaoBhA/s4608/79J%20-happy%20firefighters%20with%20milkshakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE_Ma16o6ebuv1BokOnoA1wrmySeDdJmLXOwFicPf4x0ruAD9xcGjmD87Fv_IlYQ-BlGNuIloxfXmRlgZrI7iqQ_Fb0Fy_VCLlyjf3lXHcXhvlyPgi34L14EgptIiLDp8TPXN3vwP_gXtCf03FSYyOwS9xjjvNda1P2ZwxCcxKzNCgwLDGFPqbQaoBhA/w400-h190/79J%20-happy%20firefighters%20with%20milkshakes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">happy firefighters with their milkshakes</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday morning the smoke had temporarily dissipated here at the ranch and we had blue skies for a while. Andrea changed her irrigation water and Jim split more wood. Then that evening the smoke rolled in again, thicker than ever, from both directions—the Moose Creek fire from the north and the Wood Tick fire near Challis, from the south.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday it was still a little smoky and very hot. It’s been getting up in the high 90’s every afternoon. In the morning while it was still relatively cool, we moved the yearling heifers from their jungle bunny pen (where they’ve eaten most of the grass and 10-foot high ragweed) to the upper end of the stackyard to eat down that grass. We also moved the cows and calves from the lower swamp pasture to the pasture above it, and Christopher helped us. He sat on the 4-wheeler to help head them through the gate, and make sure none went past the gate. He is very good about staying quiet on the 4-wheeler and waiting for “Gammy” (Andrea) whenever she tells him to stay and wait for her.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuh83FM3eQivD13w1zJGa8HPtb_lXFvJd4xTBWW2rPSsf4RSlDCF_iptzqSk1FhPfeHV60vJaQ0jSiLZv3KFqlJwL6zfTmZZjQTqQaugG8YqQ6Sd-6v5bTqwLUS2hJVBZUiWQ4wucp3arE2Hxm6JTvB03PoJKyHb_2reGhcuGo2lue9HkW1fbB1F3EQ/s4000/80%20-%20Christopher%20heading%20the%20cows.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAuh83FM3eQivD13w1zJGa8HPtb_lXFvJd4xTBWW2rPSsf4RSlDCF_iptzqSk1FhPfeHV60vJaQ0jSiLZv3KFqlJwL6zfTmZZjQTqQaugG8YqQ6Sd-6v5bTqwLUS2hJVBZUiWQ4wucp3arE2Hxm6JTvB03PoJKyHb_2reGhcuGo2lue9HkW1fbB1F3EQ/w400-h300/80%20-%20Christopher%20heading%20the%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIMcc8X2Lo8SiiPdxRUrdBNkHd_59rYnkIDdoy6aww3hBSMvPluVbS9vALuHkeAHsEzFIA3Nw6I_iupGw0UwxD1m8ipTPNmhZc0PP4JZ9BRqPpThOXQVl6MdW5mNPT0_hPRN0RaT3ONCxvGZZ0HI9g_JTux6sHsedPvXZQyn2w6DmGf-TvJACUSpEBg/s4000/81-%20Christopher%20on%204-wheeler%20heading%20cows%20through%20the%20gate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIMcc8X2Lo8SiiPdxRUrdBNkHd_59rYnkIDdoy6aww3hBSMvPluVbS9vALuHkeAHsEzFIA3Nw6I_iupGw0UwxD1m8ipTPNmhZc0PP4JZ9BRqPpThOXQVl6MdW5mNPT0_hPRN0RaT3ONCxvGZZ0HI9g_JTux6sHsedPvXZQyn2w6DmGf-TvJACUSpEBg/w400-h300/81-%20Christopher%20on%204-wheeler%20heading%20cows%20through%20the%20gate.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher on 4-wheeler heading cows through the gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtkjlkuxLV_MikuNUIcpdSaQHS45wM6tH7iunOj5UtadowKnGjgSrAQwQ9kYtK6MSwoUBr6CmuAWJNJ3aJwFEZNaUu-TrALQLPNQWzDzYwFdCg4YS0rMQdCsWJ0RQyuiD1Zh69aoO2TtSZFyWzTSdgZR2iuv6avWcDjNuh_kobYFOOKlEEdZMwDCdKw/s4000/82%20-%20cows%20all%20moved;%20Christopher%20waiting%20for%20Gammy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBtkjlkuxLV_MikuNUIcpdSaQHS45wM6tH7iunOj5UtadowKnGjgSrAQwQ9kYtK6MSwoUBr6CmuAWJNJ3aJwFEZNaUu-TrALQLPNQWzDzYwFdCg4YS0rMQdCsWJ0RQyuiD1Zh69aoO2TtSZFyWzTSdgZR2iuv6avWcDjNuh_kobYFOOKlEEdZMwDCdKw/w400-h300/82%20-%20cows%20all%20moved;%20Christopher%20waiting%20for%20Gammy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows all moved; Christopher waiting for Gammy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He also had his first horseback ride this year, on dear old Ed. He rode her a couple times last year, but his little legs were so short that it was harder for him to stay balanced on the saddle. His legs are still too short to quite reach the stirrups, but he had a secure seat in the saddle with no danger of tipping or sliding off. We took photos as we led Ed up the lane…</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMQwRV1CtQOBbGjAjpCMPKec-Slemwy1-O7aM_8UkEybqkl1NKa5P8ms3FdqmkoU4owcWtgMS42r1ADO19JheUz-X0DH2XUQTkGjpJjDV_aTYa2EEorjjjTJ7aQEW8FCPbltngj6aRlRA4Z3WHNPzwqCtmqw797gp_Bs5I9tvzQ9qTe1kP-9vJ-wtWA/s4000/83%20-%20riding%20up%20the%20lane.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwMQwRV1CtQOBbGjAjpCMPKec-Slemwy1-O7aM_8UkEybqkl1NKa5P8ms3FdqmkoU4owcWtgMS42r1ADO19JheUz-X0DH2XUQTkGjpJjDV_aTYa2EEorjjjTJ7aQEW8FCPbltngj6aRlRA4Z3WHNPzwqCtmqw797gp_Bs5I9tvzQ9qTe1kP-9vJ-wtWA/w400-h300/83%20-%20riding%20up%20the%20lane.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwQJObP3KoPpXufXtvq2mguvCdt5CSY09ra5V_6JOOFZ7nh0HUDYBa0sAFMmtP0j-LrTCCaSLtuEXJBkJ6IZ6gdUFv63AKclrfTp51slSHjFnXhC_4263cefFuRElFgqbbB059xro-4EBegM_uV3jM6_CpcyQVHEvPKxyCPr_uT0pCMpycr6HQY1F0Q/s4000/84%20-%20heading%20up%20the%20lane%20on%20Ed.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwQJObP3KoPpXufXtvq2mguvCdt5CSY09ra5V_6JOOFZ7nh0HUDYBa0sAFMmtP0j-LrTCCaSLtuEXJBkJ6IZ6gdUFv63AKclrfTp51slSHjFnXhC_4263cefFuRElFgqbbB059xro-4EBegM_uV3jM6_CpcyQVHEvPKxyCPr_uT0pCMpycr6HQY1F0Q/w400-h300/84%20-%20heading%20up%20the%20lane%20on%20Ed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-6CYnNxu_xf8GsENH21XhuAKJvNj5o135JfqV93QMjDTJNNqokfxnl_kVwNxeiJr20jx-VTtDY_XgwMNsuBsN4EYo33HKJecISGHKsyw4NHJes7bNq57ac181YwgDf6kZ7SUEpCptkHuSRsJWAzWk3b9nQRpoCb9dTzNmIFgehAH-7otmm7p3DHmQg/s4000/85%20-%20Andrea%20leading%20Ed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk-6CYnNxu_xf8GsENH21XhuAKJvNj5o135JfqV93QMjDTJNNqokfxnl_kVwNxeiJr20jx-VTtDY_XgwMNsuBsN4EYo33HKJecISGHKsyw4NHJes7bNq57ac181YwgDf6kZ7SUEpCptkHuSRsJWAzWk3b9nQRpoCb9dTzNmIFgehAH-7otmm7p3DHmQg/w400-h300/85%20-%20Andrea%20leading%20Ed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea leading Ed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbmUrdXxTLfMUu6SWh6669H_mm7LIkrfWV-5Tr77qve0k00UvBPCv2XY5n-tiF_Gxv7NbijGxlYyO-Ih1lpLWd-dsjtzLPdfr4r7om1kKh_u0Yxpmg8VM72XpNNITrT8Y_PZE_nEy9jk-G4_ESHn1f7Gvw10hT8b0J9O5v1Nve1iH_PQhzjt4sB5Vtg/s4000/86%20-%20riding%20Ed%20up%20the%20lane.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikbmUrdXxTLfMUu6SWh6669H_mm7LIkrfWV-5Tr77qve0k00UvBPCv2XY5n-tiF_Gxv7NbijGxlYyO-Ih1lpLWd-dsjtzLPdfr4r7om1kKh_u0Yxpmg8VM72XpNNITrT8Y_PZE_nEy9jk-G4_ESHn1f7Gvw10hT8b0J9O5v1Nve1iH_PQhzjt4sB5Vtg/w400-h300/86%20-%20riding%20Ed%20up%20the%20lane.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading up the lane on Ed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GPpBQfPdqhXmDlP2W5ad6u79KJe33gMqTJcs79ax4FN5Hlimnlu61RNsY-gLF_tMegvD-jMO5e7uKUGWELVa_NPZFbx5FJR9Nv9CLL6mmsm3JAobuOSy8uvmrHS50tbo-IDRCVoXmwShbHQvfdwvE8KZVxmrEkjftPXL5yGJmWRJU_9KYgQOb0rULg/s4608/86A%20-%20grandma%20leading%20Ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5GPpBQfPdqhXmDlP2W5ad6u79KJe33gMqTJcs79ax4FN5Hlimnlu61RNsY-gLF_tMegvD-jMO5e7uKUGWELVa_NPZFbx5FJR9Nv9CLL6mmsm3JAobuOSy8uvmrHS50tbo-IDRCVoXmwShbHQvfdwvE8KZVxmrEkjftPXL5yGJmWRJU_9KYgQOb0rULg/w400-h190/86A%20-%20grandma%20leading%20Ed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">grandma leading</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">At the top of the lane Ed wanted to stop for a snack, so we let her grab a little grass and some of the tall alfalfa that grows along the driveway.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvT-MLKilMUVjDku-2fzR8Zgo7NmmzTYEqU9U6_ToImRe8KU_8EXSQHfXfyn36dbmCkcm4Jqwet8l7d0M8rRdkIHRu_rma4WY7qVl3dbVRQyv2TpSndgdaGGBhz4_vVLmfFEeW2f2kmVfgQaLZDvr7OVYPtNgHx7AbURfDJH2w6D3bmzc7sEri8QVxA/s4000/87%20-mouthfull%20of%20food.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnvT-MLKilMUVjDku-2fzR8Zgo7NmmzTYEqU9U6_ToImRe8KU_8EXSQHfXfyn36dbmCkcm4Jqwet8l7d0M8rRdkIHRu_rma4WY7qVl3dbVRQyv2TpSndgdaGGBhz4_vVLmfFEeW2f2kmVfgQaLZDvr7OVYPtNgHx7AbURfDJH2w6D3bmzc7sEri8QVxA/w400-h300/87%20-mouthfull%20of%20food.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mouthful of food</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8sYH2XxKZnxQzqgJE0S9cM0D8WT3ykY9ZWsrXK4SzT9cM8tjH2hrkdpYgHsTTfK7S-MHvKj34zOC925fu3CNeIRUlu3uU9K53_hwi_Ts0UUWtOlYk9wCaP8CyFJ5OdiIwa5sTiZPKTOezcVWx1VM8uzOKH01MXi1j0DVMtkTMoCKi_jQhnMFSgcrQw/s4000/88%20-%20lunch%20break%20-%20stopped%20for%20a%20snack.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ8sYH2XxKZnxQzqgJE0S9cM0D8WT3ykY9ZWsrXK4SzT9cM8tjH2hrkdpYgHsTTfK7S-MHvKj34zOC925fu3CNeIRUlu3uU9K53_hwi_Ts0UUWtOlYk9wCaP8CyFJ5OdiIwa5sTiZPKTOezcVWx1VM8uzOKH01MXi1j0DVMtkTMoCKi_jQhnMFSgcrQw/w400-h300/88%20-%20lunch%20break%20-%20stopped%20for%20a%20snack.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lunch break - stopped for a snack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6rbpQ6AVYHo4OBWEnPdd7R7O53EzQsdDopBaaDQMW2hDQOH4itkLmzNu2R1UT9oiXXxraPL6vI2occet-kfCh9FMacdHRvyfQ-ZufOcANn05aiDcS7WUHEF_SJbWiqdRKEpyqvEcOZBVhX7vONxSheAtuAXfQ3MHWPFLkH_mLtq607ILt-WRDcVaHw/s4608/88A%20-good%20snack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6rbpQ6AVYHo4OBWEnPdd7R7O53EzQsdDopBaaDQMW2hDQOH4itkLmzNu2R1UT9oiXXxraPL6vI2occet-kfCh9FMacdHRvyfQ-ZufOcANn05aiDcS7WUHEF_SJbWiqdRKEpyqvEcOZBVhX7vONxSheAtuAXfQ3MHWPFLkH_mLtq607ILt-WRDcVaHw/w400-h190/88A%20-good%20snack.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">good snack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Christopher rode her out to the end of the driveway to the main road..</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vdmYlZolpaFeNfsPWtZtQn-AMwaJbhNUlia87TjZUgquECwqO-9qBohAnSjyDoG2lDH6g3iIcrM92MiEtQp-fF3OqFkAurQYJEYocO4Qoaf9a-X_R8YOqWgJRHhacvxL7bzwm6cWWe0-RBYtxNAxYmDPBDhEX2OI0tvbSl2r_WlbK0K2XjtgognohA/s4000/89%20-%20out%20to%20the%20end%20of%20the%20driveway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vdmYlZolpaFeNfsPWtZtQn-AMwaJbhNUlia87TjZUgquECwqO-9qBohAnSjyDoG2lDH6g3iIcrM92MiEtQp-fF3OqFkAurQYJEYocO4Qoaf9a-X_R8YOqWgJRHhacvxL7bzwm6cWWe0-RBYtxNAxYmDPBDhEX2OI0tvbSl2r_WlbK0K2XjtgognohA/w400-h300/89%20-%20out%20to%20the%20end%20of%20the%20driveway.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">out to the end of the driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">And then back again, and down to the house, pausing once to get one more good mouthful of good green “lunch”.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs0lkj7kw2_vRigqeKmq1_b20VMOGPgQpDoGoSjmq_iN2JJAnd7MVqIx5sZsedmYTFc-FC5f7BT1LR6GYCnGavDzhjfsMq96AZctJsGVrtyng05LMEVNprzJm6H_lN2Mx80blYEH87q8FBL-94O1qkttI5br8VNhcAG_yQX-dMJcZWBSyoQShRpoV0g/s4000/90%20-riding%20back%20home%20again.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs0lkj7kw2_vRigqeKmq1_b20VMOGPgQpDoGoSjmq_iN2JJAnd7MVqIx5sZsedmYTFc-FC5f7BT1LR6GYCnGavDzhjfsMq96AZctJsGVrtyng05LMEVNprzJm6H_lN2Mx80blYEH87q8FBL-94O1qkttI5br8VNhcAG_yQX-dMJcZWBSyoQShRpoV0g/w400-h300/90%20-riding%20back%20home%20again.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding back home again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOI69PPDPszD7XD87XOVdm9R79qIFCQRaGY-uFMULrVMQIB5_EHb6Vwi8UBgNu64d4Jb3H_CdoIQB3PCYXlqKqFlUe8vvTYkeVv26-WhBNaCph2X0Efv8291rgOIUnGJxyJMy7guLjNCQePsU8LoeOLgdhb8feCfCTLXbCTTOtow_OzqelUqde8vRLdA/s4000/91%20-%20heading%20back%20down%20toward%20the%20house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOI69PPDPszD7XD87XOVdm9R79qIFCQRaGY-uFMULrVMQIB5_EHb6Vwi8UBgNu64d4Jb3H_CdoIQB3PCYXlqKqFlUe8vvTYkeVv26-WhBNaCph2X0Efv8291rgOIUnGJxyJMy7guLjNCQePsU8LoeOLgdhb8feCfCTLXbCTTOtow_OzqelUqde8vRLdA/w400-h300/91%20-%20heading%20back%20down%20toward%20the%20house.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading back down toward the house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahqcL9ji0dIIthvu54M66Ddw2Ebmj6ug2pPm1nfihIEUnieqqN6tJ9oHu598Nr2PQQQU5oXu6yZoLpQ4v10DlG24gTY1u-SGHKFRfJ1CEnd_ZmBjXMYBEMIaOa1v7y7Qsvw5EfwmyKBEYSNB2KsiFJVFXxLsd21HZif5NfmW3Shbbyag5DAYQGmKb2A/s4000/92%20-%20pausing%20for%20one%20last%20bite%20of%20good%20stuff.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjahqcL9ji0dIIthvu54M66Ddw2Ebmj6ug2pPm1nfihIEUnieqqN6tJ9oHu598Nr2PQQQU5oXu6yZoLpQ4v10DlG24gTY1u-SGHKFRfJ1CEnd_ZmBjXMYBEMIaOa1v7y7Qsvw5EfwmyKBEYSNB2KsiFJVFXxLsd21HZif5NfmW3Shbbyag5DAYQGmKb2A/w400-h300/92%20-%20pausing%20for%20one%20last%20bite%20of%20good%20stuff.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pausing for one last bite of good stuff</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He and Ed posed for a “good little cowboy” photo…</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRg7DW6ioHG77N8kQHrSbBeiKhwdkx-MOTggVk34g_L9YRnh_RTeMuwkdGvCaps3_SwnnBh88EeOsrhBqeaEdVr1DYLQRfva8Cj8_XWvc4pYAz-G7tXz8fZocFrMOP-LpxALfTlXNfVdrDHuE4P6hyDLy9sN-U_9i5-MEOrxlGgXB23x_lFYkvq3tPRw/s4000/93%20-%20good%20little%20cowboy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRg7DW6ioHG77N8kQHrSbBeiKhwdkx-MOTggVk34g_L9YRnh_RTeMuwkdGvCaps3_SwnnBh88EeOsrhBqeaEdVr1DYLQRfva8Cj8_XWvc4pYAz-G7tXz8fZocFrMOP-LpxALfTlXNfVdrDHuE4P6hyDLy9sN-U_9i5-MEOrxlGgXB23x_lFYkvq3tPRw/w300-h400/93%20-%20good%20little%20cowboy.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">good little cowboy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then after we got back to the house and took the saddle off, Christopher helped me lead Ed back to her pen. He really enjoys interacting with the horses.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qBr05psuRbsBb6kqrDcp-JUmM-8N5vVaD8rM5HSjhm2OTYDPpI4svgka0W64L9WG1_gib1wwAh5w8Egexu2gSjI-tfShhqWkUzKKrChyLihIki0gh2IvwE8LelCijM-kEKtmSv_CaLBuItB8Dv1BWs-aNt3BZFbtjjgJqUNKt9dj7b4PJ9TtrbbcCQ/s4032/94%20-%20leading%20Ed%20back%20to%20her%20pen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qBr05psuRbsBb6kqrDcp-JUmM-8N5vVaD8rM5HSjhm2OTYDPpI4svgka0W64L9WG1_gib1wwAh5w8Egexu2gSjI-tfShhqWkUzKKrChyLihIki0gh2IvwE8LelCijM-kEKtmSv_CaLBuItB8Dv1BWs-aNt3BZFbtjjgJqUNKt9dj7b4PJ9TtrbbcCQ/w400-h189/94%20-%20leading%20Ed%20back%20to%20her%20pen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">leading Ed back to her pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-33645555268861762872022-09-18T11:49:00.000-07:002022-09-18T11:49:21.144-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch –May 11 through June 22, 2022<p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MAY 20</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">For nearly a week we had cold weather, sometimes freezing at night. Last Wednesday, May 11th, Lynn’s sister Edna and two of her daughters (Stacy and Mary) were in Salmon briefly, on their way to a family reunion in Boise. We took advantage of that opportunity to get together with them for dinner and a visit, at “The Ranch” (a supper club north of town). Lynn’s sister Jenelle set it up, and we all met there, including Andrea, Dani and her friend Roger, Emily and AJ, and Christopher. Emily couldn’t stay because she had to work that evening, but it was a chance for a nice visit. Here are a few photos from that get-together. Andrea took a photo of Lynn and his sister Edna, and in the background is Emily talking with Stacy.</span></p><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWauYloh-3vSJHYDvYjtIvPqEDMm17ImDmt1iUMYVeXir2a5Yvtx_odi4EhHQOngrzCX_5rRwbtNISK1vg97MFijvqTsaXjCHC5fo2S33vIjZ3LKtI2tw-q472OcOAjwVozkiu2k_eVOcpCnhmDNMECdvrVE5CRyP6XUmKXQU_CzQT7sTzntYPPFOM3w/s4032/1%20-%20Lynn%20and%20Edna.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWauYloh-3vSJHYDvYjtIvPqEDMm17ImDmt1iUMYVeXir2a5Yvtx_odi4EhHQOngrzCX_5rRwbtNISK1vg97MFijvqTsaXjCHC5fo2S33vIjZ3LKtI2tw-q472OcOAjwVozkiu2k_eVOcpCnhmDNMECdvrVE5CRyP6XUmKXQU_CzQT7sTzntYPPFOM3w/w400-h300/1%20-%20Lynn%20and%20Edna.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and Edna</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Next she took a photo of Lynn and his two sisters, and of Emily & Christopher talking with me and Lynn, as we waited for some of the others to arrive…</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ56kirPlW09MdTLzBNzJtLxRXglnjFkuzrYHhBi04vddjMxzaxnslX0M1_jnEtG29OtP_Rgp4DHmsMB1K4EjdKY2d4_zFQJ4TM0mWzNUtUq5H4OSDxNmueptDWYo-n0h0BWFuv-TUxJAhMRsqqGCirUzZmR529RRYtx6vmt8RgkZwkEOynLAFF8tjyw/s4032/2%20-%203%20siblings%20-%20Lynn,%20Edna%20&%20Jenelle.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ56kirPlW09MdTLzBNzJtLxRXglnjFkuzrYHhBi04vddjMxzaxnslX0M1_jnEtG29OtP_Rgp4DHmsMB1K4EjdKY2d4_zFQJ4TM0mWzNUtUq5H4OSDxNmueptDWYo-n0h0BWFuv-TUxJAhMRsqqGCirUzZmR529RRYtx6vmt8RgkZwkEOynLAFF8tjyw/w400-h300/2%20-%203%20siblings%20-%20Lynn,%20Edna%20&%20Jenelle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">siblings - Lynn, Edna & Jenelle</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMN6iBX3u8skgvjMXBnd_j5UYnuUQ0agkwuDguNtbDQUSkvlecUYMbF9hREtzlncZqpWu2EiraCAqZzlQT3H9JQpQe8x60sEp6bpGs7kI8G125E06wr9svi5J0wNz3J1ttgqohJcM6SgqvSL7K0d4ORUOfG6CndG_I8MjKf6HNM6p8Lv4USEN651rpw/s4032/3%20-%20Em%20&%20Christopher%20&%20us%20old%20folks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeMN6iBX3u8skgvjMXBnd_j5UYnuUQ0agkwuDguNtbDQUSkvlecUYMbF9hREtzlncZqpWu2EiraCAqZzlQT3H9JQpQe8x60sEp6bpGs7kI8G125E06wr9svi5J0wNz3J1ttgqohJcM6SgqvSL7K0d4ORUOfG6CndG_I8MjKf6HNM6p8Lv4USEN651rpw/w400-h300/3%20-%20Em%20&%20Christopher%20&%20us%20old%20folks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em & Christopher & us old folks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…and a photo of the older generation (me, Lynn, Edna and Jenelle).</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQVg-uVU54BcsklppJpknR0z_hU5KaB9rBA-nv-kWhvm21PjA84n9brde25Xjw4pIFbahUFsXgGw4T43t-QrQdqG8-y4w2bASosezgggxBaTR7usRSByibO7SgAgRsp21el8xKaGDMIQbZ096lZHXCLvDBRUfFI78wsJRoWjss90gP_nyfP_ExVc8NQ/s4032/4%20-%20the%20older%20generation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiQVg-uVU54BcsklppJpknR0z_hU5KaB9rBA-nv-kWhvm21PjA84n9brde25Xjw4pIFbahUFsXgGw4T43t-QrQdqG8-y4w2bASosezgggxBaTR7usRSByibO7SgAgRsp21el8xKaGDMIQbZ096lZHXCLvDBRUfFI78wsJRoWjss90gP_nyfP_ExVc8NQ/w300-h400/4%20-%20the%20older%20generation.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the older generation</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…and of Christopher and Stacy, and Christopher getting acquainted with the other relatives.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToA01GwKbeltyO3p_t5FY1O75V1sFn8wJGME3NxVhtZ7YNGGXe4N83jaIiL2iDJYrNIYCEDBpaRzUcsmwGiSxt4xCQNKPdaqmuO51yYOQufVOorO0rrPB0pWx3PT2PSBTMKmT8YdbezYtUHMv7W3Ed1PKuTWnqc95rZS9-VGzIZJ_0GXLNQwUaJeEfA/s4032/4A%20-Christopher%20with%20Stacy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjToA01GwKbeltyO3p_t5FY1O75V1sFn8wJGME3NxVhtZ7YNGGXe4N83jaIiL2iDJYrNIYCEDBpaRzUcsmwGiSxt4xCQNKPdaqmuO51yYOQufVOorO0rrPB0pWx3PT2PSBTMKmT8YdbezYtUHMv7W3Ed1PKuTWnqc95rZS9-VGzIZJ_0GXLNQwUaJeEfA/w300-h400/4A%20-Christopher%20with%20Stacy.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher with Stacy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXt-Uo-MMu7sl6PcP7XyXy5tua9RiHkopnxLdvCJ2FLPm0kLg9EkSK3jwQr2AgJ9KuUzZVesDmA1I2Ulvlk9PWlpJ7pZPy8uohrZRw4krA9nYDsCe0bB576MvHKVX-0x9N47pxPhq4pbbC5cZYW5taCBcQKvsTwXzFAlBGndlVJV2zP_fLWP_ZSAJwg/s4032/4B%20-%20Christopheer%20getting%20acquainted.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXt-Uo-MMu7sl6PcP7XyXy5tua9RiHkopnxLdvCJ2FLPm0kLg9EkSK3jwQr2AgJ9KuUzZVesDmA1I2Ulvlk9PWlpJ7pZPy8uohrZRw4krA9nYDsCe0bB576MvHKVX-0x9N47pxPhq4pbbC5cZYW5taCBcQKvsTwXzFAlBGndlVJV2zP_fLWP_ZSAJwg/w400-h300/4B%20-%20Christopheer%20getting%20acquainted.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher getting acquainted</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The next morning when I did chores, one of the yearling heifers (now named AWOL Alice) was out in the field, having crawled through the hot wire. In order to get her back in, I called the other 10 heifers into the pen by the calving barn, where there’s a little green grass (there’s none in the small area where their feeder is, because we are keeping them off the field so it will grow). They were happy in there, grazing, and not trying to come out into the field when I had to take down the electric fence to get Alice back in. I put her in the grassy lane with her buddies and locked them in while I shut off the hot wire and fixed it.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After Andrea and I fed the cows, we put up a second hot wire out in the field—about 15 feet from the first one—to create a buffer zone so that if any heifers get out again, they would be contained in that zone and happily eating green grass. This would make it much easier to get them back into their pen because they wouldn’t have the whole field to run around in.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Lynn helped Andrea put more rub poles on the net wire fence in Breezy’s old pen where Pandemonium and her calf are in jail. She’s been rubbing on the netting and stretching it and we don’t want her to break the fence.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Dani and Roger went to Sharkey hot springs to soak in that pool for a few hours. When they came home, Dani realized she’d forgotten her glasses, so they drove back up there to get them. We’d already gone to bed, but I heard her truck driving out and then stop and back up. I got up to see what was happening, and realized Dani and Roger were running around, and some heifers were running around in the driveway. I got dressed and went out there, and helped them put the heifers back in their pen. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They’d seen AWOL Alice in the driveway as they were starting to drive through, and when they got out of Dani’s truck to put her back, all the other heifers were coming out, too. Apparently they’d shoved the metal gate so hard that the pin came out of the post it hooks to (since the post was no longer firm in the ground and had some give to it, and the gate had come open. It was luck that they came along at the right time to get the heifers back in before they went anywhere on the ranch or out to the main road. After we got them back in, we tied the gate shut so it didn’t have to depend on the pin to hold it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we took another big bale to the heifers’ feeder, and also got the last round bale out of the stackyard (since that area is subbing water from the irrigating above it) and put it by the bulls where it won’t get wet. We’ll save that bale for Pandemonium, for when she runs out of the current bale in her feeder.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent us an e-mail and a couple photos – of baby Ian, and big brother Joseph (now 5 years old) riding on his tractor.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1hUxbTqIBAmHRoS3WqM15BriNU5X6BBErp8spsak3GOGDXpj6_iEkJGB-pw-SkQvoGnDJliG8AIcgESqpzXmopRgs2UgA-4FOETB705xhGnx-gQFO0YyKLWqKuc8tNymYPW8XEg9AmHa4_uXyvCVy1PkZTUMJc1V-gm060pKihACiAR7k6vZanuXhw/s4032/5%20-%20Baby%20Ian.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1hUxbTqIBAmHRoS3WqM15BriNU5X6BBErp8spsak3GOGDXpj6_iEkJGB-pw-SkQvoGnDJliG8AIcgESqpzXmopRgs2UgA-4FOETB705xhGnx-gQFO0YyKLWqKuc8tNymYPW8XEg9AmHa4_uXyvCVy1PkZTUMJc1V-gm060pKihACiAR7k6vZanuXhw/w300-h400/5%20-%20Baby%20Ian.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Baby Ian</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkjgsriioiMpp1erUP5aVfaetL9Cu4_Oc4NjHl5ZsQSJGGnjSYCgoMXZuGf6095O58TDinT9TRA2sBrAXOtP2C-I76ndpQbTO64k19IBeojc3HgT9HFo9ivnTZSolMjX7O5sAxTVDI4FV_ZVULZZmLYc_pYSkZADAxs02CMP2qB6sYxdb82kdT2-6Lg/s4032/6-%20Joseph.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkjgsriioiMpp1erUP5aVfaetL9Cu4_Oc4NjHl5ZsQSJGGnjSYCgoMXZuGf6095O58TDinT9TRA2sBrAXOtP2C-I76ndpQbTO64k19IBeojc3HgT9HFo9ivnTZSolMjX7O5sAxTVDI4FV_ZVULZZmLYc_pYSkZADAxs02CMP2qB6sYxdb82kdT2-6Lg/w300-h400/6-%20Joseph.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was cold, windy and rainy but we got things ready for branding (since the weather prediction for Sunday was supposed to be clear, with no rain). Andrea and I had to fix the hot wire by the calf houses when we fed the cows that morning; one of our plastic step-in posts got broken off by the cows. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While she irrigated, I raked all remnants of the old dusty hay out of the “sick barn” and hauled it off in a cart, then strung out hoses from the house outdoor faucet and sprinkled that barn stall to settle the dust. Then I spread a little bale of coarse grass hay over that for bedding, to make a clean, dust-free place to have the calves during branding. Roger helped Lynn put new pull ropes on the various levers on our old squeeze chute. I cooked a big pot of chili to feed the branding crew the next day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning I did chores early and got gates ready for moving cattle. AWOL Alice was out again, but grazing in the buffer zone between the two hot wires, which made it easy to get her back in. I locked all the heifers in the second-day pens so they’d be quick and easy to bring around to the corral for their vaccinations. I also locked Bimbo (the yearling bull) in the corridor to the new loading chute, so he’d be out of the main corral. There’s some grass in there, so he was quite happy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came to help brand, and Dani’s friend Jack, so we had enough crew—with Andrea, Dani, her friend Roger, and me. Lynn strung out the extension cords for the branding iron and clippers. Jack got here first, so he helped Andrea and me get the jailbird cow (Pandemonium) and her calf out of Breezy’s old pen and we took them around one of the side pens by the bull corral. Then we brought the cows and calves in from the pasture above the house and took them to the lane by the sick barn. By that time Charlie and the other kids got here and we sorted the calves off and locked them in the sick barn stall, then vaccinated the cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie caught their heads, Jack worked the tail gate, Dani and Roger kept the cows coming up the alley to the squeeze chute, and I vaccinated the cows. Andrea put the insecticide ear tags in.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSDI1wgdeOaudfCw_36Of_q_IQdHdgv9M3tMsjUPZXAmM1qls3WasiXMo9zHc2LmKfYEdPHFlGzp7P8SR2xgPv7VxaNgVWvid6AAWtbJ9rv2JJNDpOfwRC_fGqRSq28kyAEnZNnBWzDgyEf8SeB-KU-YYqY4rU2g8mF0J7qMmZ_uKv_3lB3fJeTa5Cg/s4000/7%20-%20chute%20crew.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmSDI1wgdeOaudfCw_36Of_q_IQdHdgv9M3tMsjUPZXAmM1qls3WasiXMo9zHc2LmKfYEdPHFlGzp7P8SR2xgPv7VxaNgVWvid6AAWtbJ9rv2JJNDpOfwRC_fGqRSq28kyAEnZNnBWzDgyEf8SeB-KU-YYqY4rU2g8mF0J7qMmZ_uKv_3lB3fJeTa5Cg/w400-h300/7%20-%20chute%20crew.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">chute crew</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9EDkJkOZ_99AXN8y_Ec6uE7AwtOwRjenI5eJDqe-tl2-8x7AtsjnD233UKqelLE39trVIKkgYfffGChexVC9Gjkj2wFaQc-Dfk5UVs3izJ6-iarTh8AtA4MV0WnQbxsWoLqDzgpVDkxerEdcBu171Bv5Xbe5zZF3FxN1g5RC83Dg6Dgm-dVrwrI7Eg/s4032/7A%20-Charlie%20&%20Jack.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG9EDkJkOZ_99AXN8y_Ec6uE7AwtOwRjenI5eJDqe-tl2-8x7AtsjnD233UKqelLE39trVIKkgYfffGChexVC9Gjkj2wFaQc-Dfk5UVs3izJ6-iarTh8AtA4MV0WnQbxsWoLqDzgpVDkxerEdcBu171Bv5Xbe5zZF3FxN1g5RC83Dg6Dgm-dVrwrI7Eg/w400-h300/7A%20-Charlie%20&%20Jack.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie & Jack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmFQBVWvCk4HruezNDyaj7nuU0lMXPDqbN5x6ohoYtuO5qRIXvtcucfb-3C9HeFEZA88K08Nzb2i6wrdR6tY-ax-NszAx9DwYvmFFAcSh9zjnJHk4YiABvAfhUePnJO4WDxJ6clpX7rptAwafrIHPw3fuon7js1s5M9ZnwcpYZco-pKduJnXDFeql7w/s4000/8%20-%20Andrea%20putting%20%20in%20fly%20tag.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWmFQBVWvCk4HruezNDyaj7nuU0lMXPDqbN5x6ohoYtuO5qRIXvtcucfb-3C9HeFEZA88K08Nzb2i6wrdR6tY-ax-NszAx9DwYvmFFAcSh9zjnJHk4YiABvAfhUePnJO4WDxJ6clpX7rptAwafrIHPw3fuon7js1s5M9ZnwcpYZco-pKduJnXDFeql7w/w400-h300/8%20-%20Andrea%20putting%20%20in%20fly%20tag.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea putting in fly tag</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hen we locked the cows in one of the side pens and brought the two bulls to the chute and vaccinated them and put in their insecticide ear tags, and put them back in their pens. Then we put Pandemonium down the chute and vaccinated and ear-tagged her, then took the pair down the lane to the calf table, so we could brand, vaccinate and put a fly tag in the calf—and then take that pair back to their jail pen.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After that we vaccinated, branded and put fly tags in all the calves. Dani and Roger brought the calves into the little hold pen from the sick barn, a few at a time, and pushed them one at a time into the calf table chute where I caught their heads, Charlie squeezed them and tipped the table (so the calf is lying flat), and I vaccinated. Andrea took a few photos when she had a moment.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCzIn6L9EfC3i5mylXcfEK1BrBuaiFW81BuPucUpCQh77jPvWjT2oHLeLTa47g49kB2oaGPYQfdkTTGwQayWY0IrK4tFHO4dQO8ltf1jFTA_MUhCaO9vII9qmmj_3g8qOKqR16O7xjegQX3k_CIApFaE3kXMo0yRreV_GAKeZD1waB3wnT82oggchJA/s4032/9%20-%20vaccinating%20a%20calf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCzIn6L9EfC3i5mylXcfEK1BrBuaiFW81BuPucUpCQh77jPvWjT2oHLeLTa47g49kB2oaGPYQfdkTTGwQayWY0IrK4tFHO4dQO8ltf1jFTA_MUhCaO9vII9qmmj_3g8qOKqR16O7xjegQX3k_CIApFaE3kXMo0yRreV_GAKeZD1waB3wnT82oggchJA/w400-h300/9%20-%20vaccinating%20a%20calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">vaccinating a calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzKfuleT85riXIkuHO9JUswOh05xVSI4aIwz7fen7_McwbDp3ExFR4r6NBHm8lKbtMgCZ0YxrttqhmfF2FpVUnWZy0bWA18ZTBDV3AFwKRyzVIXZ9PPjmCaS4YJ0gwm1jJtxzkRJYFFIC1KmcgnSNGYvXueMuS9uJkpMygpbP9linqLKoD6TGNgS5ag/s4032/10%20-Kids%20waiting%20to%20put%20the%20next%20calf%20in%20the%20chute.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzKfuleT85riXIkuHO9JUswOh05xVSI4aIwz7fen7_McwbDp3ExFR4r6NBHm8lKbtMgCZ0YxrttqhmfF2FpVUnWZy0bWA18ZTBDV3AFwKRyzVIXZ9PPjmCaS4YJ0gwm1jJtxzkRJYFFIC1KmcgnSNGYvXueMuS9uJkpMygpbP9linqLKoD6TGNgS5ag/w300-h400/10%20-Kids%20waiting%20to%20put%20the%20next%20calf%20in%20the%20chute.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kids waiting to put the next calf in the chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7uvzxyrWW7XwVmcYfC-sR0cFVCdUBMcWd9PMuHZ7NxBL5FLXXAPltlT8HQxZ-ugTdbLjmEva-bZBoSQb1Br6-KrdXQymaoPzvRtU83nUmmR4ITeBfldKWO-ZpIKk96Si9YpldNwSQlD2UvCe53MrXWDl_dBcFSsNqeThnwkRPVwcsfuSyIKtQG2fdA/s4032/11%20-%20Lynn%20supervising.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr7uvzxyrWW7XwVmcYfC-sR0cFVCdUBMcWd9PMuHZ7NxBL5FLXXAPltlT8HQxZ-ugTdbLjmEva-bZBoSQb1Br6-KrdXQymaoPzvRtU83nUmmR4ITeBfldKWO-ZpIKk96Si9YpldNwSQlD2UvCe53MrXWDl_dBcFSsNqeThnwkRPVwcsfuSyIKtQG2fdA/w300-h400/11%20-%20Lynn%20supervising.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn supervising</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">S</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he was generally pretty busy, however; she clipped the area for the brand, and branded each calf while Charlie held the tail straight up to immobilize the calf, then when we stood the calf back up Andrea put a fly tag in its ear.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtNuTz2oxAEdwkB2qgDvBjbbLeiy_3eP1lXARvFHI-fGo0ecyN4dc4V74Ts2XzBWPNJfDsLZoZkESsuB2Z0v-DWgMQqyOU-S2VUUfFw8nItW3CsbbdWFT7e5c0bQzrB-mE2j6VB5xEODphlMvB9kB1B3DKQ8pIXpVlsaAaDiDhLqR7L_GIYSqjDZgNQ/s4000/12%20-%20Andrea%20clipping%20the%20hair.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtNuTz2oxAEdwkB2qgDvBjbbLeiy_3eP1lXARvFHI-fGo0ecyN4dc4V74Ts2XzBWPNJfDsLZoZkESsuB2Z0v-DWgMQqyOU-S2VUUfFw8nItW3CsbbdWFT7e5c0bQzrB-mE2j6VB5xEODphlMvB9kB1B3DKQ8pIXpVlsaAaDiDhLqR7L_GIYSqjDZgNQ/w400-h300/12%20-%20Andrea%20clipping%20the%20hair.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2lhNhi_1V9DsfZkzsfNhu4Bu1fHopIVDDL7qOSknazwh71BvaGsKaqkh89TSUalU7C9DGe3-gh2eEAp86Xx1Vi3GJjoLSV9PALuLaQ2jUQYH9eES4OXdsT6L1ttwXVQPhCsOj3SjtPCFMw6Aph_IW_pmqycPQe1Z5VfD7-eGmt1ibNhS3CYv3i2Opg/s4000/13%20-%20Andrea%20clipping.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV2lhNhi_1V9DsfZkzsfNhu4Bu1fHopIVDDL7qOSknazwh71BvaGsKaqkh89TSUalU7C9DGe3-gh2eEAp86Xx1Vi3GJjoLSV9PALuLaQ2jUQYH9eES4OXdsT6L1ttwXVQPhCsOj3SjtPCFMw6Aph_IW_pmqycPQe1Z5VfD7-eGmt1ibNhS3CYv3i2Opg/w400-h300/13%20-%20Andrea%20clipping.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea clipping the hair</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1BLInZW8-_1N1XIZq0d2uoyeIEEnubzJPVStQDq4l8PBkfTVZSElACP2GGZU7Q_jy62i4gvQTC6ONMlKVnVdaMzlRyuVzCMFa03gdFyy9gw3fLkNMhZF_llDbcGx_-a2k6dk3wt1GYsYV-n4PUHy0yzMGXtJpE3pxQHqOCs5oItFRnFklU9R8EDWog/s4000/14%20-%20Andrea%20branding.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1BLInZW8-_1N1XIZq0d2uoyeIEEnubzJPVStQDq4l8PBkfTVZSElACP2GGZU7Q_jy62i4gvQTC6ONMlKVnVdaMzlRyuVzCMFa03gdFyy9gw3fLkNMhZF_llDbcGx_-a2k6dk3wt1GYsYV-n4PUHy0yzMGXtJpE3pxQHqOCs5oItFRnFklU9R8EDWog/w400-h300/14%20-%20Andrea%20branding.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea branding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We got done mid-morning and took the cows and calves back to their field, then got the yearling heifers and brought them to the corral. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn brought the tractor into the corral and parked it in front of the chute with the hay fork up high so we could tie a rope to it. After I vaccinated each heifer we put a halter on her and stretched her head and neck up a bit so Andrea could put in their brisket tags, with their permanent “cow” number. Here are photos of Dani putting on halters and pulling the rope tight.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFIIljMzJRNAqi-KCJeUf-kC0FIKCgj_qWPNm4-l4cRV-p6mKDxRCm-54N50vuL3Yjy3W3Z_Aad4iAv6mSdJME9qJUyZXFSKEc5uTp3eg7k05Q7DnuxJhUdwgXn6ErxQUNfobDeFuRu5GoiSrH8SuiPpsq2H5Jz6H6sSSop-cSeST_9w3E57qbFGEuQ/s4032/15%20-%20Dani%20putting%20a%20halter%20on.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoFIIljMzJRNAqi-KCJeUf-kC0FIKCgj_qWPNm4-l4cRV-p6mKDxRCm-54N50vuL3Yjy3W3Z_Aad4iAv6mSdJME9qJUyZXFSKEc5uTp3eg7k05Q7DnuxJhUdwgXn6ErxQUNfobDeFuRu5GoiSrH8SuiPpsq2H5Jz6H6sSSop-cSeST_9w3E57qbFGEuQ/w300-h400/15%20-%20Dani%20putting%20a%20halter%20on.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZOBn8kf1ye9OwyxbWmKo7Kf-3vddF5dDFSOiuurjIk7RLs1EkWN6VdE7wWAwEUxpYIVDcvydfc6SkVqbLRuF9oyusOGuFWvj_rn1YlUs1Nahk0lk9qoLisuovaDPYcCBJgSYnToCRe2YMzFvpmWTSt-k8hatY5tRSrXePaY2HUdndQ1r8730tjOaJg/s4032/16%20-%20Dani%20haltering%20a%20heifer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZOBn8kf1ye9OwyxbWmKo7Kf-3vddF5dDFSOiuurjIk7RLs1EkWN6VdE7wWAwEUxpYIVDcvydfc6SkVqbLRuF9oyusOGuFWvj_rn1YlUs1Nahk0lk9qoLisuovaDPYcCBJgSYnToCRe2YMzFvpmWTSt-k8hatY5tRSrXePaY2HUdndQ1r8730tjOaJg/w300-h400/16%20-%20Dani%20haltering%20a%20heifer.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani haltering a heifer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxE0fBkC5t1AJKK2OUhv_vFXY1ueo17pg7F9a1aaoK_9gfMjmmB-5afnNLPBxpvO9ki4HgvFpTYxNckv0KeSpaU5IYRmWOVo0u52Ko3xC2hNjPxvPiI3iEB99gGhiZ7t6QRzxoSHKDzUxEIYdFxmIKifrk4gvITv_maSsdfM7XAJGcvqJIuGj11_I3w/s4032/17%20-%20pulling%20the%20rope%20tight.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioxE0fBkC5t1AJKK2OUhv_vFXY1ueo17pg7F9a1aaoK_9gfMjmmB-5afnNLPBxpvO9ki4HgvFpTYxNckv0KeSpaU5IYRmWOVo0u52Ko3xC2hNjPxvPiI3iEB99gGhiZ7t6QRzxoSHKDzUxEIYdFxmIKifrk4gvITv_maSsdfM7XAJGcvqJIuGj11_I3w/w300-h400/17%20-%20pulling%20the%20rope%20tight.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pulling the rope tight</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hen Roger held the rope tight while Andrea put in the brisket tag.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPk3lMB720HAze-if460-b54O8Sooa05IzzrsIq-vyFhvd634x70g1oplfjNiQJMNcEvdnB0KSYJSJPSKxsIbX_1JsFb9LqXXUkQDQFcA9U3ALAmCGPOcQiZVx_7tAbX0neXN_6HB7ammpJxwuWpXYHzz2TJYJmngojommhMigClWrqNJJGLJoV4KBA/s4000/18%20-%20Roger%20pulling%20rope%20tighter.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPk3lMB720HAze-if460-b54O8Sooa05IzzrsIq-vyFhvd634x70g1oplfjNiQJMNcEvdnB0KSYJSJPSKxsIbX_1JsFb9LqXXUkQDQFcA9U3ALAmCGPOcQiZVx_7tAbX0neXN_6HB7ammpJxwuWpXYHzz2TJYJmngojommhMigClWrqNJJGLJoV4KBA/w400-h300/18%20-%20Roger%20pulling%20rope%20tighter.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger pulling rope tighter</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIW6MY-myYiOCv1txCKVtS9iZqC-CJNfsv6NqjajzpzljCVdqFJS5dTf5JiqQfYz9DdEMY-ZEqq_tmOshHa9y8ZQ4RqT_QyDDqImaNXkYRqkn4c6d_e2IJv9ORy_UMWBuy5LyDLzVR4NqZN_G8nufyh3IujFm97zpaGSWDb0j0Xuy4IqxthhBpAhvnw/s4000/19%20-%20Roger%20holding%20the%20rope%20tight%20while%20Andrea%20puts%20in%20brisket%20tag.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPIW6MY-myYiOCv1txCKVtS9iZqC-CJNfsv6NqjajzpzljCVdqFJS5dTf5JiqQfYz9DdEMY-ZEqq_tmOshHa9y8ZQ4RqT_QyDDqImaNXkYRqkn4c6d_e2IJv9ORy_UMWBuy5LyDLzVR4NqZN_G8nufyh3IujFm97zpaGSWDb0j0Xuy4IqxthhBpAhvnw/w400-h300/19%20-%20Roger%20holding%20the%20rope%20tight%20while%20Andrea%20puts%20in%20brisket%20tag.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger holding the rope tight while Andrea puts in brisket tag</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">o install a tag, Andrea punched a hole in the brisket skin..</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRVuixqtMdh5AFpu2NeeZe0zpSca43LtD0PSPB0IqmPHyHjn7Muu_pUjEtMAVsr9avtw6p80ZwQ9PApuGMUhVTmRSI1Lwcg6yXd5lduiCh8W0qrEjhu_gOLHRXm8sd9xbXsFfetEpxFcBpH96tiDUtAvHftsxl_VUnzQOFNEKbi43Irrje7Ul_HjEFQ/s4000/20%20-%20preparing%20to%20punch%20hole%20in%20brisket%20skin.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnRVuixqtMdh5AFpu2NeeZe0zpSca43LtD0PSPB0IqmPHyHjn7Muu_pUjEtMAVsr9avtw6p80ZwQ9PApuGMUhVTmRSI1Lwcg6yXd5lduiCh8W0qrEjhu_gOLHRXm8sd9xbXsFfetEpxFcBpH96tiDUtAvHftsxl_VUnzQOFNEKbi43Irrje7Ul_HjEFQ/w400-h300/20%20-%20preparing%20to%20punch%20hole%20in%20brisket%20skin.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">preparing to punch hole in brisket skin</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…then put the hasp through the hole…</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eOs9xnvWrcLSJvUW23zFFDR603-N07DCIMUcT8RkgdeC0lDPkCjcfDKnhs3dayA_B_FoJzBThIMU7kxmnoxzOmd8KFKDCVjFQ9KhADUhfMv8Yqz636b6GtuCJAzuO83_diMn-XpUsSfJVI8gPUayQyFxWE-uxjwNnDU4T_8PfNM_1b0TbpTQKbkrkA/s4000/21%20-%20putting%20the%20hasp%20through%20the%20hole.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eOs9xnvWrcLSJvUW23zFFDR603-N07DCIMUcT8RkgdeC0lDPkCjcfDKnhs3dayA_B_FoJzBThIMU7kxmnoxzOmd8KFKDCVjFQ9KhADUhfMv8Yqz636b6GtuCJAzuO83_diMn-XpUsSfJVI8gPUayQyFxWE-uxjwNnDU4T_8PfNM_1b0TbpTQKbkrkA/w400-h300/21%20-%20putting%20the%20hasp%20through%20the%20hole.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting the hasp through the hole</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…slipped the tag onto the hasp</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCCHjw768SEQiS8ocTXxbcnR1DZJRTro1qc5z489wWLP2h_SmKSJvErmMLS8Fsh4iss7Akjyr9uUGO5gnbjVp7NJRbtRsPZkjFDPmzCOElXyW4FDsWdo-iqtKodIDISUPWpHApATKZvpsfuxmLBvMQyLVqpv1aXBjBvGYzEY1soskoDkrrwTHKn98ng/s4000/22%20-%20putting%20the%20tag%20on%20the%20hasp.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivCCHjw768SEQiS8ocTXxbcnR1DZJRTro1qc5z489wWLP2h_SmKSJvErmMLS8Fsh4iss7Akjyr9uUGO5gnbjVp7NJRbtRsPZkjFDPmzCOElXyW4FDsWdo-iqtKodIDISUPWpHApATKZvpsfuxmLBvMQyLVqpv1aXBjBvGYzEY1soskoDkrrwTHKn98ng/w400-h300/22%20-%20putting%20the%20tag%20on%20the%20hasp.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting the tag on the hasp</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…and then bent each end of the hasp over so the tag can’t pull off.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDA7iWXYXe9wKMzsUygGlb3LAPAlfY4QuasR8U6KodfCGDAU1V9R-07tuXyS4ll2j6KLtQDt45Z6g5tR8mTXomQrhBa2uwBy2C8XFKJmzMv3hHnbxgsTdqPZ-Pf52JY364Onrq4dY-CXKx7oWgoMZPQgqME0zI6RJbwA8GYJ2ZH0o9MP2kg462l_hN8w/s4000/23%20-%20bending%20the%20ends%20of%20the%20hasp%20to%20hold%20the%20tag%20in%20place.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDA7iWXYXe9wKMzsUygGlb3LAPAlfY4QuasR8U6KodfCGDAU1V9R-07tuXyS4ll2j6KLtQDt45Z6g5tR8mTXomQrhBa2uwBy2C8XFKJmzMv3hHnbxgsTdqPZ-Pf52JY364Onrq4dY-CXKx7oWgoMZPQgqME0zI6RJbwA8GYJ2ZH0o9MP2kg462l_hN8w/w400-h300/23%20-%20bending%20the%20ends%20of%20the%20hasp%20to%20hold%20the%20tag%20in%20place.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bending the ends of the hasp to hold the tag in place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sIlIncdsAGu1NgvoDvUg6wqm5p69E7O9KKd3B3LDMrwvnZd4wZf3KICT1gpyeZTvo_yU9K-pYxCKSc-zfQ8qMxzxc8Pw4wIXnhmF40yQ9KXb-2Fmw625k3t5lg50sR8CdwSHF8oxPRqgx2_SKgr7VE9SWmTRUs7v7hRwfbkccOrB3G4720A6nbkVYQ/s4000/24%20-%20bending%20the%20other%20side.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sIlIncdsAGu1NgvoDvUg6wqm5p69E7O9KKd3B3LDMrwvnZd4wZf3KICT1gpyeZTvo_yU9K-pYxCKSc-zfQ8qMxzxc8Pw4wIXnhmF40yQ9KXb-2Fmw625k3t5lg50sR8CdwSHF8oxPRqgx2_SKgr7VE9SWmTRUs7v7hRwfbkccOrB3G4720A6nbkVYQ/w400-h300/24%20-%20bending%20the%20other%20side.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bending the other side</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">While their heads were caught, she also put in their fly tags; it made it easier with their heads restrained. They couldn’t sling their heads as much as the cows did when Andrea was trying to install their fly tags.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The fly tags are expensive, but they really paid off last year—not only in giving the cattle some relief from horn flies (which suck a lot of blood) but also face flies that spread pinkeye. We didn’t have any serious cases of pinkeye last year, whereas we had many that we had to treat, the year before. So we decided to use the fly tags again, choosing a different kind, so the horn flies won’t develop resistance to the insecticide.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we got finished and put the heifers back to their pen, we fed the cows and calves their hay for the day, and were finally able to have lunch ourselves! It got hot that afternoon, which was a bit stressful for the calves after being branded, etc. and some of them sought shade in the calf houses.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was cooler, with a little rain. I raked up the bedding hay out of the sick barn so Lynn could park his 4-wheeler back in there again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday was Lynn’s birthday; he turned 79. All of his sisters called to wish him a happy birthday. That was also the day Christopher had an appointment with a heart specialist in Missoula, Montana, to have his heart murmur checked, but he still had such a bad cold and cough that Emily rescheduled the appointment; it’s postponed until August.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I went to town to vote, and pay the second half of our property taxes. Going to town wears me out even more than hard physical work. We came home and took a nap.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">These past few days have been very cold and windy. The grass isn’t growing much, and we are still feeding hay to the cows and heifers. Fortunately we have some hay left; it’s too expensive to buy. Hay supplies around the West are in very short supply after last year’s drought.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We received another e-mail from granddaughter Heather in Canada and she sent photos of the guys getting the fields ready to plant—Gregory hauling rocks off a field, and little James checking out one of the fields.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1hJqIlgsGWWcdLbRqJsOP4BOsbapnfS36nBwH9JyM9OafJOo_XeGkdOuQzcdoVyW1ZvRVI6sdJ6DNGUh4xIXZu2n6lts8BczFuCHqHSIA8MrM5wu82CDVlPBAjJBtG8PapgUkfIH1ARAB9ASb5Bcv5NkUug3SlRiScU4mv0ReffpOE6cDoV_lLy4tw/s4032/25%20-Gregory%20hauling%20rocks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1hJqIlgsGWWcdLbRqJsOP4BOsbapnfS36nBwH9JyM9OafJOo_XeGkdOuQzcdoVyW1ZvRVI6sdJ6DNGUh4xIXZu2n6lts8BczFuCHqHSIA8MrM5wu82CDVlPBAjJBtG8PapgUkfIH1ARAB9ASb5Bcv5NkUug3SlRiScU4mv0ReffpOE6cDoV_lLy4tw/w400-h300/25%20-Gregory%20hauling%20rocks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gregory hauling rocks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoa-cZ3ay7DnvUDCeA2-r4Z6Z_5cooSi_DzRyLxiHzqlJEeEDFzDL0quDVe831IeThGLsYGMqzb0LjtyUKiKNlqTFjjNx-b5COHONQVdWflkaJZzBCJXgzPh9oh4yVZTqVeYaphAkQy5yJnhficoVZInCcdG78gvP3bP4hjSaMC8okPNrqWU0P0cW0A/s4032/26%20-%20James%20in%20field.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaoa-cZ3ay7DnvUDCeA2-r4Z6Z_5cooSi_DzRyLxiHzqlJEeEDFzDL0quDVe831IeThGLsYGMqzb0LjtyUKiKNlqTFjjNx-b5COHONQVdWflkaJZzBCJXgzPh9oh4yVZTqVeYaphAkQy5yJnhficoVZInCcdG78gvP3bP4hjSaMC8okPNrqWU0P0cW0A/w300-h400/26%20-%20James%20in%20field.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James in field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher has been getting a bad cold, and it was much worse by Wednesday, with a cough and fever so Emily and Andrea took him to the ER where the doctor x-rayed his lungs. He doesn’t have pneumonia this time, which was a relief. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger went with Jim that afternoon to get firewood up the creek and they came back with a nice trailer load, which they took to Andrea’s house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was very windy and cold. The weather was too cold and miserable to do any major projects—we simply got the cows fed and the irrigation water changed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cold again, but after we fed the cows we got rid of the magpie nest in the elm tree in our yard. We don’t need a bunch more magpies hanging around and stealing the cat food. Then Roger helped Andrea put some poles across the triangle corner in the heifer pen next to the 2nd day pens. The heifers are so hungry for green grass that they’ve been pushing that makeshift barricade apart, so it was time to secure some poles and make a real fence. Then this afternoon Roger helped Jim get another load of firewood.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher has been feeling much better and today he needed to get out of the house for a while, so Andrea took him irrigating with her. I took photos from our window as he went with her to change the water above the horse pasture.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFM87TpMzyHRU5n7QoH9aTrgqopf9RtO99bdksdDoz11mKzbcXuw5Srxl4Yx__Gr6k_D2-Z6ptmWCGknxfIHbEV2NA1kOyZMbfygJErvYq9JrbPyuHV68tf3dXV8_ufALCJSCmIEQ1o8ge_-JxWaVKN-yf-7a5KKaVEgw2Ni2cX-UzmROmYPlIaIsvg/s4000/27%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20Andrea%20irrigate.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFM87TpMzyHRU5n7QoH9aTrgqopf9RtO99bdksdDoz11mKzbcXuw5Srxl4Yx__Gr6k_D2-Z6ptmWCGknxfIHbEV2NA1kOyZMbfygJErvYq9JrbPyuHV68tf3dXV8_ufALCJSCmIEQ1o8ge_-JxWaVKN-yf-7a5KKaVEgw2Ni2cX-UzmROmYPlIaIsvg/w400-h300/27%20-%20Christopher%20helping%20Andrea%20irrigate.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fuaGoemSMXOWBKStEd3_AG3CvH2GNijkNz7mJWwbLTzG4_a-dyorm3mIanqSa966viZMnxlAP59RV4cJJt68VDXJY8TxN4d1j6FKfCTLidEHaFhcTM30WcSZdOHa4BETWEFGu-_fvLujwW070Clc8FhSVxnsx5QC3JlBjRdokOlM1WCXIi-b9nP_7Q/s4000/28%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Andrea%20irrigating.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fuaGoemSMXOWBKStEd3_AG3CvH2GNijkNz7mJWwbLTzG4_a-dyorm3mIanqSa966viZMnxlAP59RV4cJJt68VDXJY8TxN4d1j6FKfCTLidEHaFhcTM30WcSZdOHa4BETWEFGu-_fvLujwW070Clc8FhSVxnsx5QC3JlBjRdokOlM1WCXIi-b9nP_7Q/w400-h300/28%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Andrea%20irrigating.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping Andrea irrigate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She took some photos of him digging with his little shovel when they went to the other side of the creek to change water in the ditch below her house. He loves to go along with her to irrigate.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqg2-Aj9KJG2wqZqhKN1zCuj0HULddgjBj1J7uNoNyQiwlKU12zG707S3pkTUV9hbJhSaGdTJ2WbXtwhivEKnhDIINWqaTmnzfyduan_z7X9BbBRKWijGqu0DeMoMYfpNHhaNktIYu5SULxK5c6roWgIbmAj6Ii16QKhji4ReyG2ljWxOJgH-tFDe7w/s4032/29%20-%20Christopher%20irrigating.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmqg2-Aj9KJG2wqZqhKN1zCuj0HULddgjBj1J7uNoNyQiwlKU12zG707S3pkTUV9hbJhSaGdTJ2WbXtwhivEKnhDIINWqaTmnzfyduan_z7X9BbBRKWijGqu0DeMoMYfpNHhaNktIYu5SULxK5c6roWgIbmAj6Ii16QKhji4ReyG2ljWxOJgH-tFDe7w/w189-h400/29%20-%20Christopher%20irrigating.jpg" width="189" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwpk_diZX-j1cZxZYzfLUqLutwrUuLIPruD2tLks9b5haRefG-KKuG6NwocEbTvag-8HEwdiuuEYRny72RIFsJJTlrQ1-9HwmQvLKXR_MwO7FcXonepLj8Glr_jBmim5Bl7dlkty9gvDeq97H0-Jb3-JwBwGlTZjxey1PMwlMYXC8iHo8OFTrqmOo5A/s4608/30%20-%20Christopher%20digging%20in%20a%20ditch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDwpk_diZX-j1cZxZYzfLUqLutwrUuLIPruD2tLks9b5haRefG-KKuG6NwocEbTvag-8HEwdiuuEYRny72RIFsJJTlrQ1-9HwmQvLKXR_MwO7FcXonepLj8Glr_jBmim5Bl7dlkty9gvDeq97H0-Jb3-JwBwGlTZjxey1PMwlMYXC8iHo8OFTrqmOo5A/w190-h400/30%20-%20Christopher%20digging%20in%20a%20ditch.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher digging in a ditch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MAY 31</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Weather continued cold for quite a while. Last Saturday it was down to 30 degrees and snowing hard when I did morning chores, and my coat got thoroughly soaked. Andrea hiked down here to help me feed cows; her 4-wheeler wasn’t running very well. By afternoon it quit snowing, so Jim and Roger went to the woods again to get more firewood. Then it rained hard for more than an hour, and they had to quit and come home with only a part load.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">AJ and Emily came out and Christopher wanted to show them one of the mama cats and her kittens. Andrea has a protected place for them on the porch of the old trailer house, and the kittens are learning to eat solid food.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxE6BcAKuwp06P7ZowkfzqUpMKfIISlkMfcDfVZLsM2m2PcBkipRBb4dLYMJcN7PKlkL2ZTavrBqMLrBO5vrrppxemZ8hQHcjrD0cqcpP-1nRAobPDHqT3QvvCJ-aStWlr2WCRUcR3TC9vfSaoRXCpMKqniczs0jmcGjgseyI1cHwlh1rE7oeXGrZ3Q/s4608/31%20-%20Christopher%20showing%20kittens%20to%20Em%20&%20AJ.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxE6BcAKuwp06P7ZowkfzqUpMKfIISlkMfcDfVZLsM2m2PcBkipRBb4dLYMJcN7PKlkL2ZTavrBqMLrBO5vrrppxemZ8hQHcjrD0cqcpP-1nRAobPDHqT3QvvCJ-aStWlr2WCRUcR3TC9vfSaoRXCpMKqniczs0jmcGjgseyI1cHwlh1rE7oeXGrZ3Q/w400-h190/31%20-%20Christopher%20showing%20kittens%20to%20Em%20&%20AJ.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher showing kittens to Em & Aj</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he grass still wasn’t growing very well with the weather so cool, so we loaded another big bale on the feed truck, to feed the cows hay a couple more days. With the cool weather we were still building a fire every morning in our wood stove. Roger spent a few hours cleaning up some old hay twines and junk in the old stackyard below the barnyard, and Jim helped him one day; they took a couple trailer loads of junk out of there so it will be safer to graze the heifers in there later. They also got another load of firewood from up the creek.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso and John Miller finally put their cows out on the low range last week, so Andrea hiked along the 320 fence next to the low range to make sure it would hold cows. She fixed a couple places where the wires were detached. On her way home, hiking down the ridge, she picked up some petrified wood and other interesting rocks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Tuesday we finally let the cows out to pasture. I locked Bimbo, the yearling bull, in a side pen so we could bring the cows up through his corral. We called them out of their pasture and took them around through the barnyard and corrals and up into the lower swamp pasture. They are so hungry for green grass—so tired of eating hay!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1THbEIqP4iy1uSWNQl_HKbSB8c2h4eVi8-GMTGb_7fAwoONx7Vyqj_maejgrthhJNF8dp2xOlw93C5IswjBZgnGilsIcgJBD-rJTYzT97_UoFqd2-TP2z2vxekEfqMCAahivC1RBeo1Q0sgiDIhq1irMLr_S4daQvVhP0pQB1Oa1Pg0RymSp2-ht2A/s4000/32%20-%20taking%20the%20cows%20up%20through%20the%20pen%20above%20corrals.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif1THbEIqP4iy1uSWNQl_HKbSB8c2h4eVi8-GMTGb_7fAwoONx7Vyqj_maejgrthhJNF8dp2xOlw93C5IswjBZgnGilsIcgJBD-rJTYzT97_UoFqd2-TP2z2vxekEfqMCAahivC1RBeo1Q0sgiDIhq1irMLr_S4daQvVhP0pQB1Oa1Pg0RymSp2-ht2A/w400-h300/32%20-%20taking%20the%20cows%20up%20through%20the%20pen%20above%20corrals.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the cows up through the pen above corrals</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyZsqHclgKiTNe-YMTpFcsxiSz5kv5dEkjOaApyfzr2ASPnE-_lMzA9kx4H84rTVOPEy_MzJiqo-nA5l6nQYAc5etWXR1DAUieUXKWYCsMJMGeIhyQ_Apf0E1k4wuZT-LZ5-dlBNy3N9pHDb_lDji5nF4dOIc-V-NX80WpCy4Qk0R3y9w2IRnqEhFQg/s4000/33%20-%20cows%20and%20calves%20eagerly%20spreading%20out%20into%20the%20pasture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLyZsqHclgKiTNe-YMTpFcsxiSz5kv5dEkjOaApyfzr2ASPnE-_lMzA9kx4H84rTVOPEy_MzJiqo-nA5l6nQYAc5etWXR1DAUieUXKWYCsMJMGeIhyQ_Apf0E1k4wuZT-LZ5-dlBNy3N9pHDb_lDji5nF4dOIc-V-NX80WpCy4Qk0R3y9w2IRnqEhFQg/w400-h300/33%20-%20cows%20and%20calves%20eagerly%20spreading%20out%20into%20the%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows and calves eagerly spreading out into the pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea got the little tractor started and took the harrow up past my hayshed and harrowed the pasture we took the cows out of—and spread all their manure around. Now we can start irrigating that field and hopefully it will grow quickly so we can graze it in about a month.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then she went to town to do all the town errands and get more electric wire and step-in posts for pasture divisions and rotational grazing. Lynn drove to a subdivision near town, to determine depth for the well site he located for some folks a few weeks ago. The day he located the water, the wind was blowing so hard that he couldn’t use the bobbing willow to determine depth, so he went back again to do that for them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The past few days have been a little warmer and the grass is really starting to grow. I trimmed Dottie’s feet and Willow, and Ed; their feet haven’t been trimmed since last fall and were much too long. They need to be trimmed before we start riding.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I pulled the black plastic back over the big bales in the stackyard; the windstorms had torn out some of our “ears” that we’d tied to earlier, and blown most of the plastic off the stack. We need to keep it protected from weather, so it will still be good quality this fall and winter. It’s good to have a little bit of carryover, so we won’t have to buy as much hay; it’s going to be very expensive this year.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out and changed the oil in several of Andrea’s vehicles and got her 4-wheeler running again. Roger shoveled out the squeeze chute and got buckets of water from the creek to rinse off all the manure (from when we vaccinated the cows), so it won’t corrode the metal floor of the chute, and will be clean for the next use.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn started the big tractor and used it to carry the heavy tire chains (that we hopefully won’t need until next winter) and put them out of the weather in the sick barn. Then he put the harrow on top of the big tractor tires by Babe’s corral—out of the way for another year. Then he put the last big round bale in the heifer’s feeder. Once they ate that one, we’ll put the heifers out on pasture. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea helped Lynn take the hay fork off the tractor and put on the loader bucket so he could haul a bunch of big rocks up to heifer hill to put around the ditch culvert up there. Lots of ditch repair work to do this spring.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday we had a little more rain. I let the cows and calves into the hold pen above the corrals, to graze that area for a day, and helped Andrea finish putting electric fence around the lowest segment of ditch pasture above the swamp pasture. That afternoon Andrea and Lynn went to town to get the mail and groceries and more hot wire handles, and picked up Christopher from AJ’s and brought him home. He’d had a very full and exciting morning; he and Emily and AJ went for a free airplane ride. Emily sent me photos of their airplane adventure.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ivBhf8XHAWbl5HtdXuJbsWdT84uc_R7c06U-WWM0mLgvZhHowruI2NEDwe_LqeMrA8tNSWzlikieGrZZshT1uZCJf9jY4nVA3MpCPAqdwKVZpGwPNs5xqV35401kJ4PHxQ1Gow48gdV-EyipF6EUzcp2ue86AcVY8iPjRM_YzaKCKWegrBkV44m-Og/s4032/32%20-%20Christopher%20ready%20to%20fly.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ivBhf8XHAWbl5HtdXuJbsWdT84uc_R7c06U-WWM0mLgvZhHowruI2NEDwe_LqeMrA8tNSWzlikieGrZZshT1uZCJf9jY4nVA3MpCPAqdwKVZpGwPNs5xqV35401kJ4PHxQ1Gow48gdV-EyipF6EUzcp2ue86AcVY8iPjRM_YzaKCKWegrBkV44m-Og/w400-h300/32%20-%20Christopher%20ready%20to%20fly.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher ready to fly</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sc8QSL4Y31ZcuuCHBtlmV7sX6JD7Sk5kyf3WrjtsztSQwvhUoAKftzErhngWACtjNvHQUI5gaE65BoRoJmXRABLXplpKMUPDI7TjrGznOXtg9mMGgcKsbwgRBV2DwZoibRf311LHq1dioxJE2aYGWSSsNrbgRKPpeD2pAI4bU_znrNrBL_V-85YKzA/s3648/33%20-%20getting%20ready%20for%20airplane%20ride.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2736" data-original-width="3648" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sc8QSL4Y31ZcuuCHBtlmV7sX6JD7Sk5kyf3WrjtsztSQwvhUoAKftzErhngWACtjNvHQUI5gaE65BoRoJmXRABLXplpKMUPDI7TjrGznOXtg9mMGgcKsbwgRBV2DwZoibRf311LHq1dioxJE2aYGWSSsNrbgRKPpeD2pAI4bU_znrNrBL_V-85YKzA/w400-h300/33%20-%20getting%20ready%20for%20airplane%20ride.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">getting ready for the ride</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are the photos she took during the flight…</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUarHWfrXkANUewxbXylKCQ1F1iwCcv1TCvImWiu8Lo16xnQkeyHeaogAHu8mEGn0kpGhI4-BQpLJy_oSbCPTf_CQSpBEZXj3uUAgwRpWJp9PwKTDx2dIM975L09LYG1_Ws55fo5mPLMSbdH1AjGDgY00rE7RUUlaXvjdUyhcXwcnnjJ6SeJmXPJGzkA/s4032/34%20-%20looking%20out%20the%20window.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUarHWfrXkANUewxbXylKCQ1F1iwCcv1TCvImWiu8Lo16xnQkeyHeaogAHu8mEGn0kpGhI4-BQpLJy_oSbCPTf_CQSpBEZXj3uUAgwRpWJp9PwKTDx2dIM975L09LYG1_Ws55fo5mPLMSbdH1AjGDgY00rE7RUUlaXvjdUyhcXwcnnjJ6SeJmXPJGzkA/w300-h400/34%20-%20looking%20out%20the%20window.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking out the window</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1sfwLDos8oNJ0R8zAj0sKnEO8_uElvkiZHa9gAmgExzcOufQN2_TSYd50HKra-xLpe16-6UqGkSD-hoj1hyk_sysGSDilAIMsNX3LkwUSHL-znuiJ9YbE5ca9gunwQ-R8u65zu-kgwaPjQpt5cbzXivD4wVeQRQzdY6f9CazdfrWkWoOCVlhbg-ANA/s4032/35%20-%20view%20from%20the%20plane.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf1sfwLDos8oNJ0R8zAj0sKnEO8_uElvkiZHa9gAmgExzcOufQN2_TSYd50HKra-xLpe16-6UqGkSD-hoj1hyk_sysGSDilAIMsNX3LkwUSHL-znuiJ9YbE5ca9gunwQ-R8u65zu-kgwaPjQpt5cbzXivD4wVeQRQzdY6f9CazdfrWkWoOCVlhbg-ANA/w400-h300/35%20-%20view%20from%20the%20plane.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from the plane; Williams Lake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYXOlLcL9lTWBNfOOyobmMFCm1UnY0HFG0ldiqzchImove7MnnbddszutdHdxNcdO5oFxBrmb8j2fcfcpNeBLrPw_HJuXeFFW_WyYcA0rgcctfup2ttlB9y5UTJl28QD1Yt4qtRPWJx0WbC86MVYjikY-F4bhUwDR6DXhYS1Gn6o4nne4nW-205C7Ag/s4032/36%20-%20view%20from%20the%20plane.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYXOlLcL9lTWBNfOOyobmMFCm1UnY0HFG0ldiqzchImove7MnnbddszutdHdxNcdO5oFxBrmb8j2fcfcpNeBLrPw_HJuXeFFW_WyYcA0rgcctfup2ttlB9y5UTJl28QD1Yt4qtRPWJx0WbC86MVYjikY-F4bhUwDR6DXhYS1Gn6o4nne4nW-205C7Ag/w400-h300/36%20-%20view%20from%20the%20plane.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from the plane</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">…and as she and the other passengers were getting out of the plane afterward</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqeESCuiWEpFpnl2_URuoFHIctHD2VAKXMyAXxjrCPeMAJZ_G7frBY60iU3_xC3U5l3LgBY5CL-3aLCxa9DaVEnefQgoGdIHFUU_99fv42VrxOfQzsPqyJ2CrAyK6Uwbw1ocCV-ovndG5oNITAUFMsnupGSGjVGTKPu3TYLj59T9fuqp8RroVEWSaKw/s4032/37%20-%20Christopher%20inspecting%20the%20propeller%20after%20the%20flight.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVqeESCuiWEpFpnl2_URuoFHIctHD2VAKXMyAXxjrCPeMAJZ_G7frBY60iU3_xC3U5l3LgBY5CL-3aLCxa9DaVEnefQgoGdIHFUU_99fv42VrxOfQzsPqyJ2CrAyK6Uwbw1ocCV-ovndG5oNITAUFMsnupGSGjVGTKPu3TYLj59T9fuqp8RroVEWSaKw/w400-h300/37%20-%20Christopher%20inspecting%20the%20propeller%20after%20the%20flight.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher inspecting the propeller after the flight</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPg7O2UPElOXA00miE5glzvyXm8I5eCIUO27X23gEG5a9mAlJzsTvPONDyVdxwMKnLi4XnNQrUaX4sZu8MDWShtpITe4Q6DPYbGWOQFjdtOqNAstgiOluqkTplgjlQT1AK-b_-QilbRS9fmhXYnO4Sx0_a_2HZwONzgrTnmoJVqworpYkpx9vbc2GSg/s4032/38%20-%20Em,%20AJ,%20Christopher%20&%20the%20other%20passenger.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPg7O2UPElOXA00miE5glzvyXm8I5eCIUO27X23gEG5a9mAlJzsTvPONDyVdxwMKnLi4XnNQrUaX4sZu8MDWShtpITe4Q6DPYbGWOQFjdtOqNAstgiOluqkTplgjlQT1AK-b_-QilbRS9fmhXYnO4Sx0_a_2HZwONzgrTnmoJVqworpYkpx9vbc2GSg/w400-h300/38%20-%20Em,%20AJ,%20Christopher%20&%20the%20other%20passenger.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPi-7Z0GolvTQJWfuzyltYLq1R7auFeyJfeARzvEoEb-qZcOBnjT77unJIiABKeBDq3H0_F-hfszAf5fv6SH-iCrT0yc66On7ozc7yPTtpMoVuP9uaG9DV9IZAciAtl_xo5fqVREdHVdSD5oBpXEoSvXVr1Po2tRY8imo4HdMhjVRrfyNto-6p4ClEQw/s4032/39%20-%20after%20the%20flight.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPi-7Z0GolvTQJWfuzyltYLq1R7auFeyJfeARzvEoEb-qZcOBnjT77unJIiABKeBDq3H0_F-hfszAf5fv6SH-iCrT0yc66On7ozc7yPTtpMoVuP9uaG9DV9IZAciAtl_xo5fqVREdHVdSD5oBpXEoSvXVr1Po2tRY8imo4HdMhjVRrfyNto-6p4ClEQw/w400-h300/39%20-%20after%20the%20flight.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em, AJ, Christopher & Landon</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hey went back to AJ’s place where Christopher played in the back yard with a friend and they had a good time.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkEKdrXAn4yD5qfTdVm8LSoSlC4vLdjb87ePM624e9t9PD_xYdz5MJZolwNdDDHYngwqYoutazCYUV21GE2k0fL-jk5g_NLa0-gp9a9UGMHfKyO4_V3aBMX5Thp3QiLSzyCQZLe_ZDF9LyS_0HNlt7g7ceHn9thzPRZ_x9x0olCgEzr40bG9Sag0bwg/s4032/40%20-%20Christopher%20at%20AJ's%20place.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnkEKdrXAn4yD5qfTdVm8LSoSlC4vLdjb87ePM624e9t9PD_xYdz5MJZolwNdDDHYngwqYoutazCYUV21GE2k0fL-jk5g_NLa0-gp9a9UGMHfKyO4_V3aBMX5Thp3QiLSzyCQZLe_ZDF9LyS_0HNlt7g7ceHn9thzPRZ_x9x0olCgEzr40bG9Sag0bwg/w400-h300/40%20-%20Christopher%20at%20AJ's%20place.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht563uCOJVkOxFk3nhyurtAj7dC8I73h8C9iHqBPrdHV26K-v8O4B2ySCjCpizuftTQSDgQS-2oX1bC0yTrTqquoIV5f7j5brDBufHM_I0dc5ptijX1nDQEgsLaiLZ6YWd6WvWe1qK4yH1D7YgZ4ynuDWC-48ua0DMNwbaTFPZAjT0kEmt3nhzsU1Bkg/s4032/40%20A%20-%20playing%20at%20AJs%20house.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht563uCOJVkOxFk3nhyurtAj7dC8I73h8C9iHqBPrdHV26K-v8O4B2ySCjCpizuftTQSDgQS-2oX1bC0yTrTqquoIV5f7j5brDBufHM_I0dc5ptijX1nDQEgsLaiLZ6YWd6WvWe1qK4yH1D7YgZ4ynuDWC-48ua0DMNwbaTFPZAjT0kEmt3nhzsU1Bkg/w400-h300/40%20A%20-%20playing%20at%20AJs%20house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing with Landon at AJ's place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After Andrea and Lynn picked him up, he went to sleep on the way, so they left him here to nap on our couch while Andrea did more irrigating. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He slept until almost chore time and played a bit, finding all his favorite toys to strew around the livingroom. Andrea brought his boots, and he helped us do chores and feed horses and bulls. Then she took him home on the 4-wheeler.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefwT6VQ8m2G6VifHXzkWMZOq6GlgUUe9GsWzE0kXVvud1ht7Kjc4nX9CnIi5Etr_qUTddvcJJ-JvJxshXuX_3_s1LLil_AwFjuQuV4NGcCwt90PYAUNBT7vqPD-uYXo8GzCkwgcDVG7Niuxh55dgCrRwgrGJZB7X-5QJ0DiiXO59wh6-RWWsrFym5TQ/s4000/41%20-%20Andrea%20ready%20to%20take%20Christopher%20home%20from%20our%20house%20after%20she%20irrigated.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjefwT6VQ8m2G6VifHXzkWMZOq6GlgUUe9GsWzE0kXVvud1ht7Kjc4nX9CnIi5Etr_qUTddvcJJ-JvJxshXuX_3_s1LLil_AwFjuQuV4NGcCwt90PYAUNBT7vqPD-uYXo8GzCkwgcDVG7Niuxh55dgCrRwgrGJZB7X-5QJ0DiiXO59wh6-RWWsrFym5TQ/w400-h300/41%20-%20Andrea%20ready%20to%20take%20Christopher%20home%20from%20our%20house%20after%20she%20irrigated.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea ready to take Christopher home from our house after she irrigated</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he next day we moved the cows to the lowest end of the ditch pasture. This year Andrea made that piece a little larger, including some area on the hill above the ditch, with a lot of tall sagebrush where the calves can get a little protection from wind and rain. Andrea called the cows up to the gate, opened it, and let them through into that segment of the ditch pasture.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqCoV3BJtEW_CHxYK5mB7OT6KYoMAp-o5U6eJBM4c8FO9LhQgLPF9oBgUEno2-37uc4EKBqAmZxyWnUQ3UZbnUwtt4QCArxREvQDwua1RhBVemfuE2402zfadl8PtvluoFJFCUJDh0LJzxhIRB8ZEixMX-8oPOGOvBxOPIGLgsstuVvGb8Xon5a5DXQ/s4000/42%20-%20Andrea%20called%20%20cows.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieqCoV3BJtEW_CHxYK5mB7OT6KYoMAp-o5U6eJBM4c8FO9LhQgLPF9oBgUEno2-37uc4EKBqAmZxyWnUQ3UZbnUwtt4QCArxREvQDwua1RhBVemfuE2402zfadl8PtvluoFJFCUJDh0LJzxhIRB8ZEixMX-8oPOGOvBxOPIGLgsstuVvGb8Xon5a5DXQ/w400-h300/42%20-%20Andrea%20called%20%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlLjgZP_jo8HKE8QDhNseqWy-QC9LayA47h8rYitpM_gkA1vTsrU1khC8yOFvDgso3O9X3LuLXoaYOqT3F442OUd0-Uc9jromsQxRsJNZo9Xg1OVM_NwaVLB7EsAfFLQfUm1pwejfvY7jCiAbgMA7Nk0zly7AyCSwBghs7h4osQSzJe-QDxkRhGFY5g/s4000/43%20-%20Andrea%20called%20cows%20t%20hrough%20the%20gate.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlLjgZP_jo8HKE8QDhNseqWy-QC9LayA47h8rYitpM_gkA1vTsrU1khC8yOFvDgso3O9X3LuLXoaYOqT3F442OUd0-Uc9jromsQxRsJNZo9Xg1OVM_NwaVLB7EsAfFLQfUm1pwejfvY7jCiAbgMA7Nk0zly7AyCSwBghs7h4osQSzJe-QDxkRhGFY5g/w400-h300/43%20-%20Andrea%20called%20cows%20t%20hrough%20the%20gate.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea called cows through the gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and Christopher and I came along behind the cows and I took photos of them following the cows, and another photo after we got them all through the gate into their new piece of pasture.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsj20YZxii6-04Jneg6POT0naVfCEVMz1u9bzKomEewI47daXV5zSto0bHuXqBK-acEbM7kXxa6GewvFF55M3zZ-1CGnMBjkJ4I3K-601T7aarZh9Ftp8oF_j0KU_dovVf3Sgn2_Nq4gkhE2YeTkOEdHBfMxXfgJR8qpp6GiVmEnkdonqZ3VmKS3V9A/s4000/44%20-%20Lynn%20followed%20cows%20through%20barnyard.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsj20YZxii6-04Jneg6POT0naVfCEVMz1u9bzKomEewI47daXV5zSto0bHuXqBK-acEbM7kXxa6GewvFF55M3zZ-1CGnMBjkJ4I3K-601T7aarZh9Ftp8oF_j0KU_dovVf3Sgn2_Nq4gkhE2YeTkOEdHBfMxXfgJR8qpp6GiVmEnkdonqZ3VmKS3V9A/w300-h400/44%20-%20Lynn%20followed%20cows%20through%20barnyard.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn followed cows through barnyard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNP983XCh5uVVzqZ9OCCnblikcw6isgK9lWNZtz1gPje74eODPeykKwRHnRo-3PWZr9pvAsMzPMBmvDQeAyMH4oNeJbHSZYuvIUM3jgDGw6Zmssalq3cCBBiCGkqv85TXinypKnh6xer_B8in6DqWA8gXFJdSEBC72HOMxEKM5pI0o-9DKehJcWvYZw/s4000/45%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Christopher%20following%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiNP983XCh5uVVzqZ9OCCnblikcw6isgK9lWNZtz1gPje74eODPeykKwRHnRo-3PWZr9pvAsMzPMBmvDQeAyMH4oNeJbHSZYuvIUM3jgDGw6Zmssalq3cCBBiCGkqv85TXinypKnh6xer_B8in6DqWA8gXFJdSEBC72HOMxEKM5pI0o-9DKehJcWvYZw/w300-h400/45%20-%20Lynn%20&%20Christopher%20following%20cows.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn & Christopher following cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyky5CQA6-TToUTzX3TzHGLs1QQJAN-XXCkOWE1l4GNQlpt65Jo81R4m5GNX8MUIBkrSTyoMi5yOgcmAwglZgyxXsHFlmikw-y3JAFM8VzrsyNI_5G2LQ7GMWzbPBUUXZOoZsfRe4ltD7DwRdPFfAXQhJLvG01XrgRdWjz3PA8eF1P3bzeyKRQQvkPA/s4000/46%20-%20cows%20in%20new%20pasture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYyky5CQA6-TToUTzX3TzHGLs1QQJAN-XXCkOWE1l4GNQlpt65Jo81R4m5GNX8MUIBkrSTyoMi5yOgcmAwglZgyxXsHFlmikw-y3JAFM8VzrsyNI_5G2LQ7GMWzbPBUUXZOoZsfRe4ltD7DwRdPFfAXQhJLvG01XrgRdWjz3PA8eF1P3bzeyKRQQvkPA/w400-h300/46%20-%20cows%20in%20new%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows in new pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hen Christopher went irrigating with Andrea until it got too cold and windy. I took photos of him on the 4-wheeler with his little shovel, waiting for her to get on and go irrigating with him.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2NT-Aiz8816aDx3WMKuO-tFGXwyLpoHVjLS8bczWjUKUjxkBlJGEMTImtU7-GPdlLJhB4OHgSE9v843kPgskifsyEsOcu0bzCBNZd_uiPhEgqkLkEPNVjWIFNoUd4ss15rAOzO0UIo3xWd-pITNOCw8VAd-NHFTGL7UjGyL2KjEI1h_Yth2Fws24MA/s4000/47%20-%20ready%20to%20go.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2NT-Aiz8816aDx3WMKuO-tFGXwyLpoHVjLS8bczWjUKUjxkBlJGEMTImtU7-GPdlLJhB4OHgSE9v843kPgskifsyEsOcu0bzCBNZd_uiPhEgqkLkEPNVjWIFNoUd4ss15rAOzO0UIo3xWd-pITNOCw8VAd-NHFTGL7UjGyL2KjEI1h_Yth2Fws24MA/w400-h300/47%20-%20ready%20to%20go.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to go</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4w055hHRvM6vs0dIOSIrprR3O8nOJLZrITHtNvLyEsWmnkYXG0i6CcIXDBU--XE34dyWZUWIIgmcyoEcdXQb8XDJ-vK8BnGl8F3gNh4BLIhYzRcZpVierHBX24PeeXwy_IqfQG-M-49SgKRrDzryaJ4GnOybSeQBYYWpPIv0Qi2_b6mdSisC3NSqjw/s4000/48%20-%20come%20on%20Grandma!.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4w055hHRvM6vs0dIOSIrprR3O8nOJLZrITHtNvLyEsWmnkYXG0i6CcIXDBU--XE34dyWZUWIIgmcyoEcdXQb8XDJ-vK8BnGl8F3gNh4BLIhYzRcZpVierHBX24PeeXwy_IqfQG-M-49SgKRrDzryaJ4GnOybSeQBYYWpPIv0Qi2_b6mdSisC3NSqjw/w400-h300/48%20-%20come%20on%20Grandma!.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">come on Grandma!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtk3Wg9Op4DDsERp-i4nAdO4dSnwdGmFTBKGla-DpdctvOTfT7jF2ws1FklBWUJwW8qKfcIB_N3Jxz2OB2vahMLOagxFTvFcPnCAI3XWwC3h269ER_V24oXdaq9ERatzwlaREssnXyXHINxNsoUuxO2kD0b-q7pPL6031yNN2TYdtKarFnd13cRis8Q/s4000/49%20-%20let's%20go%20irrigate!.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhtk3Wg9Op4DDsERp-i4nAdO4dSnwdGmFTBKGla-DpdctvOTfT7jF2ws1FklBWUJwW8qKfcIB_N3Jxz2OB2vahMLOagxFTvFcPnCAI3XWwC3h269ER_V24oXdaq9ERatzwlaREssnXyXHINxNsoUuxO2kD0b-q7pPL6031yNN2TYdtKarFnd13cRis8Q/w400-h300/49%20-%20let's%20go%20irrigate!.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">let's go irrigate!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When it started to rain, she brought him here for a while to play in our livingroom while she finished irrigating.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday it rained again. We moved the cows and calves to the lower segment of the upper swamp pasture, then Andrea and Lynn went out to the cemetery to meet up with Jenelle and nephew Craig Hillis (who drove here from Oregon). Afterward they had lunch in town and had a nice visit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cool and cloudy again—cold enough that we had to start a fire in the stove again. I helped Andrea create cross-fences in the pasture part of the field below the lane, so we can start grazing it in segments.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JUNE 10</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We let the heifers graze the lane and pen in front of the barn, the first day we moved them to grass, and let them graze the main driveway before putting them into the ditch pasture above the orchard and horse pasture. They were happy to finally get out of their little area with the hay feeder. Jim went to the woods that day and got another load of firewood.<div><br /></div><div>Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent a couple photos of the boys—one with Grandma Barb leading Joseph on a pony, and one with young James getting acquainted with one of the new foals.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveAaIA2Wf_OAPDAHnl4EfjxKDt8m_0CxTK918C8ETkSGuq-Mo-Pm72QtRQYXUvJI1X8HqOtxb11zccweZjE7smVHDL8vNejQV_wFsJksu3w3cdsTGeXNJjQxkGyo0lY8Wl_3BL_b-AN-0APQkHwPrmOmOPl96JiipfD6V8sLcLkXKCF4_qvTzVNbKSA/s4032/50%20-%20Grandma%20Barb%20leading%20pony.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveAaIA2Wf_OAPDAHnl4EfjxKDt8m_0CxTK918C8ETkSGuq-Mo-Pm72QtRQYXUvJI1X8HqOtxb11zccweZjE7smVHDL8vNejQV_wFsJksu3w3cdsTGeXNJjQxkGyo0lY8Wl_3BL_b-AN-0APQkHwPrmOmOPl96JiipfD6V8sLcLkXKCF4_qvTzVNbKSA/w400-h300/50%20-%20Grandma%20Barb%20leading%20pony.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Grandma Barb leading pony</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQb9myCWt4lbZflidctVFmUVPZ98jJFvBGD7ZvgN-dSeL5ARXLyHkKD2vXhMtzQZiVlShsRGm4q29ogSvycphCiBpaPw79z6MYeRrKPvlv-J5WrRBmjrct4rNTgzD62eFL9T_uAwZB9hM1paYEoN_-JJAjPCyI2WeBLDDX5uaBEzZfNBJfAPEyIpwKQ/s4032/51%20-%20James%20with%20new%20foal.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirQb9myCWt4lbZflidctVFmUVPZ98jJFvBGD7ZvgN-dSeL5ARXLyHkKD2vXhMtzQZiVlShsRGm4q29ogSvycphCiBpaPw79z6MYeRrKPvlv-J5WrRBmjrct4rNTgzD62eFL9T_uAwZB9hM1paYEoN_-JJAjPCyI2WeBLDDX5uaBEzZfNBJfAPEyIpwKQ/w400-h300/51%20-%20James%20with%20new%20foal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James with new foal</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We need to start getting ready for haying, and Lynn got a piece of culvert from Bob Miner to extend the short culvert we have to drive equipment over to get from heifer hill to the field below it. Andrea dug out the ditch and put that extension on the old culvert and placed rocks around it, then Lynn took the tractor up there and carefully put a bucket-load of dirt over it. Now it will be easier to take the wide machinery across there without risk of putting a tire off the edge.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Friday Andrea and Christopher and Emily drove to Helena to get a used car that Emily found for sale online. It’s a 2013 Explorer in really good shape and just over 100,000 miles on it. Those cars are durable and last a long time and get good mileage, so she bought it—with her savings plus insurance money from her old car that was totaled earlier this year when a deer jumped in front of it. She’s been borrowing Andrea’s older Explorer but it has major issues and it was time to find a car of her own. Here’s a photo of the car she bought in Helena.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTeZ5VGtnskbSl889eZhzRIQ-7PwEWbU-13bp1BxOmIZ2_CiexPlU5H0RUvjYJhy4x-HeM0D2fJoGelTQO2HluMceY1HNrfACmCNiA2I06OAeEpp_o7WEGpaBLxdvIrW-u2__bve8e55-C1K45-EY0Bg06aIPvuR4aMpAKYvE6X3ZRW2jMqT0jJoG8A/s4032/52%20-%20Emily's%20new%20used%20car.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTeZ5VGtnskbSl889eZhzRIQ-7PwEWbU-13bp1BxOmIZ2_CiexPlU5H0RUvjYJhy4x-HeM0D2fJoGelTQO2HluMceY1HNrfACmCNiA2I06OAeEpp_o7WEGpaBLxdvIrW-u2__bve8e55-C1K45-EY0Bg06aIPvuR4aMpAKYvE6X3ZRW2jMqT0jJoG8A/w400-h300/52%20-%20Emily's%20new%20used%20car.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily's new used car</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday we moved the cows and calves to the first segment of pasture below the lane. They were goofy and running around and 3 calves ran through the hot wire and into the hayfield. We had to take a little portion of the electric fence down temporarily to get the calves back in. Hopefully they won’t do that again!</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was also time to move the heifers; they’d eaten most of the grass in their ditch pasture. Andrea and I brought them back to the driveway and split the group—we put 3 of them in our back yard and 8 of them in the larger area by Sprout and Shiloh’s pens, where the hay was stacked, until we used it all up. I put a hot wire around my little stack of horse hay so they couldn’t get into that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Those little pastures lasted till the next day, and we moved the heifers all down to the post pile pasture, which had finally grown tall enough to graze.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, the range cows of Alfonso and Millers are running out of grass on the low range but they probably won’t move them very soon. Michael and Carolyn spent several hours fixing fence where the range cows broke off several posts trying to get into their 160-acre pasture. They had to put in new braces and resurrect the broken fence.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday we had more rain. After a very dry year last year, and dry winter and spring, we are finally getting enough moisture to really help the grass on all the mountain pastures. That morning when I did chores, I discovered AWOL Alice had crawled through a really good fence to get in with the cows and calves, coming across the creek and through the brush from the post pile pasture. She was bulling, and decided she had to go try to find a bull!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She came through the main fence below the segment of pasture the cows are grazing, however, and so she went through the electric fence as well, to get in with them. I had to fix two places in the electric fence she broke down; she broke off one step-in post and stretched the electric wire and it was on the ground. I got it fixed, and then I put the whole herd in the lane by the barn to contain them. When Andrea came down to irrigate, we repaired the electric fence even better, and put a third strand of electric wire on the fence between the pasture segments and the hayfield.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we let cows back out, we kept Alice and one pair in that lane (a young cow that was also bulling). We locked them in the pen below the barn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea brought Christopher and he stayed with us while she irrigated, then she took a photo of him driving his three-wheeler around her driveway while he waited for his mom to come.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXjMk2Z2FXb3qz6QPwXUKnCyIDJlSjIN6sb8f3muYgbh01pOqx1Oy5uU5LS-EhovW0lYTxwJVstPT0IayIH0r1JUWCL7XAUu439ymR0pLyNXx-5peQqaudWIH0PX9SQ9Si5ccd6SN6GLrJr0PSKi2gLhW0peay1V1n6rH4JFsYRHjd60Bdf7TGoU1bQ/s4032/53%20-%20Christopher%20driving%20around%20Andrea's%20driveway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXjMk2Z2FXb3qz6QPwXUKnCyIDJlSjIN6sb8f3muYgbh01pOqx1Oy5uU5LS-EhovW0lYTxwJVstPT0IayIH0r1JUWCL7XAUu439ymR0pLyNXx-5peQqaudWIH0PX9SQ9Si5ccd6SN6GLrJr0PSKi2gLhW0peay1V1n6rH4JFsYRHjd60Bdf7TGoU1bQ/w400-h189/53%20-%20Christopher%20driving%20around%20Andrea's%20driveway.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher driving around Andrea's driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily and AJ came out to get him, and went for a drive up the creek with Jim to look for places to get firewood. Emily took some photos of Christopher while they were up the creek. He enjoyed exploring while they were looking for good firewood trees.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEUjmaN0owWuhvXgyJmgALdvpdSzZODBLCKQDqy6zTeDxjnOuaBp5V7iQyOtvArJcLW3rlF7EZLEHiv3C2ajohQ-S8HLoLcAabCdTDZURcAros5mzI7UYsVQw1HR-g_Y3Z92qsG7LtmPyynuFrxTwiVCq3Y57kNiK37c7qN2CxlBs0McP183XVafXKw/s4032/54%20-checking%20for%20places%20to%20get%20firewood.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEUjmaN0owWuhvXgyJmgALdvpdSzZODBLCKQDqy6zTeDxjnOuaBp5V7iQyOtvArJcLW3rlF7EZLEHiv3C2ajohQ-S8HLoLcAabCdTDZURcAros5mzI7UYsVQw1HR-g_Y3Z92qsG7LtmPyynuFrxTwiVCq3Y57kNiK37c7qN2CxlBs0McP183XVafXKw/w300-h400/54%20-checking%20for%20places%20to%20get%20firewood.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking for places to get firewood</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher discovered some nice flowers and picked a few for his mom.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPV5XGoGB5nBHYIoJ3cZLkb8OW8Zs4_EzWc0TPfcdZb55L0GutDnqy3CN1r1jWRR0n3_7S6LgXr983EveVWV9kWsubFh_Ood3bsJz2ywUzOCRr_0CcjUoK-IrreieRVe5MC12dbGt2y5p3wVbxqOQ80uGedjID68e7WjkuJa2NMoUIuRtUVs7czrnuOA/s4032/55%20-%20look%20at%20my%20flower!.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPV5XGoGB5nBHYIoJ3cZLkb8OW8Zs4_EzWc0TPfcdZb55L0GutDnqy3CN1r1jWRR0n3_7S6LgXr983EveVWV9kWsubFh_Ood3bsJz2ywUzOCRr_0CcjUoK-IrreieRVe5MC12dbGt2y5p3wVbxqOQ80uGedjID68e7WjkuJa2NMoUIuRtUVs7czrnuOA/w300-h400/55%20-%20look%20at%20my%20flower!.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">look at my flower!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hD3G-a3-xVOxfdJVKhjYge8hHadB8WGy0rLYF9pFvRSbSz1xWiZLuAzd_FTS-puykfFZoW8tgJ5KbRIXdGmlkis6uQ12pHaV5_VDp0Qqiyckpbt6IcXHyG1yRObKv_gVfe8R_uaG31o0tpXxEHAQdsMQf9AOJkZBud60-jkYrKTBCZl0FWvNEfLHkA/s4032/56%20-%20picking%20flowers%20in%20the%20woods%20up%20the%20creek.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hD3G-a3-xVOxfdJVKhjYge8hHadB8WGy0rLYF9pFvRSbSz1xWiZLuAzd_FTS-puykfFZoW8tgJ5KbRIXdGmlkis6uQ12pHaV5_VDp0Qqiyckpbt6IcXHyG1yRObKv_gVfe8R_uaG31o0tpXxEHAQdsMQf9AOJkZBud60-jkYrKTBCZl0FWvNEfLHkA/w300-h400/56%20-%20picking%20flowers%20in%20the%20woods%20up%20the%20creek.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">picking flowers in the woods up the creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On their way back down the creek Emily took photos of twin fawns by the road.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF3YcXv2dtNzEeUuYKqFHcnDhFl8NR9AhHj5qg34pCLVme9xhPwwUdmmAMk845r5297JoY1VWvslAeZR-5QTyO-hmncsbYRP9wfqflPFMN6MF_zijxQFpIQt7u1hetem_9bG54-wKVdlm7_Pcu-ui0H1Fhj9VsYQXtgA1Jirg4z1iikVPOO6GTTZ8-Q/s4032/57%20-%20fawns%20by%20the%20road.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinF3YcXv2dtNzEeUuYKqFHcnDhFl8NR9AhHj5qg34pCLVme9xhPwwUdmmAMk845r5297JoY1VWvslAeZR-5QTyO-hmncsbYRP9wfqflPFMN6MF_zijxQFpIQt7u1hetem_9bG54-wKVdlm7_Pcu-ui0H1Fhj9VsYQXtgA1Jirg4z1iikVPOO6GTTZ8-Q/w300-h400/57%20-%20fawns%20by%20the%20road.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADMVODnaYV2PiuoEPSGuMOxkRotBlq2LKrEWm3B8VCWZbxflBwHrQYCQbWPxe6bCVLrFJr3mh_aFOKNDAFOD42X1sbDDpvtMz0DkXtrDX8GVmJiPwI-1wrZyYDhpTWt9lZxX6gndlA8iSBqP8YrNDt9hsXfId1CXn7yr6fqKxINMZoxDCoSQG1hRHSQ/s4032/58%20-%20twin%20fawns.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADMVODnaYV2PiuoEPSGuMOxkRotBlq2LKrEWm3B8VCWZbxflBwHrQYCQbWPxe6bCVLrFJr3mh_aFOKNDAFOD42X1sbDDpvtMz0DkXtrDX8GVmJiPwI-1wrZyYDhpTWt9lZxX6gndlA8iSBqP8YrNDt9hsXfId1CXn7yr6fqKxINMZoxDCoSQG1hRHSQ/w300-h400/58%20-%20twin%20fawns.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">twin fawns by the road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hey were very new, and didn’t go very far; one of them plopped down in the bushes by the road to hide and wait for mom to come back, and Em took more photos.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYqMWK05TLEHvZ4C-B4b-Ta4eHdNzDpaeh2SCsMq1NdhVPWfxE-4MNKGytFEVOBTFWkiu5-93rMbKq4mQH_Ylu7x-P_qb0gkMU5AEIm_KHsSaBey7MytvduUO_XjQNdSUrJbfkgEDY_WFPaCFUTg6lo4epGSw7dIpWVrSCn63xFzcQKv09XvY1jx6uw/s4032/59%20-%20fawn%20hiding.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJYqMWK05TLEHvZ4C-B4b-Ta4eHdNzDpaeh2SCsMq1NdhVPWfxE-4MNKGytFEVOBTFWkiu5-93rMbKq4mQH_Ylu7x-P_qb0gkMU5AEIm_KHsSaBey7MytvduUO_XjQNdSUrJbfkgEDY_WFPaCFUTg6lo4epGSw7dIpWVrSCn63xFzcQKv09XvY1jx6uw/w300-h400/59%20-%20fawn%20hiding.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kNjJTmcQ_cPL-FZKi9UArL9DupklxMm2XE4i3iMWMQrED9FbMMO4OtpNg8aflPQjqnnDnzlm5zEl26-BHkhm6gUTL4_PLb-UjiZnRzsglng40wFmddv4Bg4oBV_YSlL-pYVFsGBDyzTvupKdxpYnKPjck8DVwn8TUa3eKusnqaYqB6cs4VbOjPKZuA/s4032/60%20-%20fawn%20hiding.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kNjJTmcQ_cPL-FZKi9UArL9DupklxMm2XE4i3iMWMQrED9FbMMO4OtpNg8aflPQjqnnDnzlm5zEl26-BHkhm6gUTL4_PLb-UjiZnRzsglng40wFmddv4Bg4oBV_YSlL-pYVFsGBDyzTvupKdxpYnKPjck8DVwn8TUa3eKusnqaYqB6cs4VbOjPKZuA/w300-h400/60%20-%20fawn%20hiding.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fawn hiding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On Tuesday Lynn went to locate water for some folks from Wyoming who are buying property in a subdivision near town. Andrea helped me make a barricade of poles and tree branches across the spot where AWOL Alice went down along the fence in the brush and wiggled through the fence. Then we took her back to rejoin her buddies in the post pile pasture, figuring that maybe she won’t try to crawl out again because she was no longer bulling. By the next time she comes in heat, we will have the bull with the cows and heifers and hopefully that problem will resolve! We moved the cows and calves to their next segment of the pasture they are in.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Andrea took a drive down the river to some of the campgrounds where Charlie and his work crew recently installed the fire pits and picnic tables they built this spring for the Forest Service. She took pictures of those, and also of an elk she saw along the way.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilebRazGQR1qECha4lenRtUkCp0Ak50yhCJiMOrkc6gNlDDWRUMiVo7T_I0Du_DuehO6nirHHdntJj0hsctgOGg6DftSxge7aJ6sxyOkg3I0m_aO7iiYxEHbqpn6bozoX7IlLg8j6pJrJDhjfHVhktiWCtmOdvGL3pOxpx7lg6UjaKpW8_vOrusqovAw/s4608/61%20-%20fire%20pit%20Charlie%20made.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilebRazGQR1qECha4lenRtUkCp0Ak50yhCJiMOrkc6gNlDDWRUMiVo7T_I0Du_DuehO6nirHHdntJj0hsctgOGg6DftSxge7aJ6sxyOkg3I0m_aO7iiYxEHbqpn6bozoX7IlLg8j6pJrJDhjfHVhktiWCtmOdvGL3pOxpx7lg6UjaKpW8_vOrusqovAw/w400-h190/61%20-%20fire%20pit%20Charlie%20made.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTDHFHjSWIfZjqdFPe6Yr58HMXKgZtz0oDLiaUYUWITULpNkltc2T2tPhUv9-QeAcmB8rW9V6545fKT6UGcLfdBIN4QLM4AbR_sVCNhgCEj0nPbffQd7tH-5ZNVS_Vo1Xc8vlLogS-UgNqwv3TOoZ7llu46Y6WDfjIsZ_hOJjwlgfB9n0t0dU-auJUw/s4608/62%20-%20Fire%20rings%20&%20picknic%20table%20Charlie%20made.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTDHFHjSWIfZjqdFPe6Yr58HMXKgZtz0oDLiaUYUWITULpNkltc2T2tPhUv9-QeAcmB8rW9V6545fKT6UGcLfdBIN4QLM4AbR_sVCNhgCEj0nPbffQd7tH-5ZNVS_Vo1Xc8vlLogS-UgNqwv3TOoZ7llu46Y6WDfjIsZ_hOJjwlgfB9n0t0dU-auJUw/w400-h190/62%20-%20Fire%20rings%20&%20picknic%20table%20Charlie%20made.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Fire rings & picnic table Charlie made</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cCFk_i9kpIVvYCrS8gHimeVsd3NzN2netR3dhBpsVVCjvBwsk6A1lBjI3urMihhnlIJOQYgfxdC21tBZNX-2EbmCTgD2zttqWTX_eJnLOcie8TBejeMF12EPHPzmBhzId6F952rqCuf79SCmJKVGih_jeBDZGJ7CQpyVpK_Cd6DruI6WqWzO1tbV4w/s4032/63%20-Elk%20down%20river.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cCFk_i9kpIVvYCrS8gHimeVsd3NzN2netR3dhBpsVVCjvBwsk6A1lBjI3urMihhnlIJOQYgfxdC21tBZNX-2EbmCTgD2zttqWTX_eJnLOcie8TBejeMF12EPHPzmBhzId6F952rqCuf79SCmJKVGih_jeBDZGJ7CQpyVpK_Cd6DruI6WqWzO1tbV4w/w400-h189/63%20-Elk%20down%20river.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Elk down river</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he next day Lynn went with Jim up the creek to get firewood—mostly for company and moral support since Lynn isn’t physically able to be much help with that task anymore. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took her dogs irrigating with her (she didn’t have Christopher that day—he was in town with Em & AJ) and I took photos of them when they stopped by our house. Those dogs love to go with her.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMbU0CSs_JzuxuJwQqMJMRk69uYUVoADwEeEgNm2PfAVd6p1693N4KIhGAlRvEXeJPwOxHiC4-j8hMbMvqxVAfGbvpk2c4OIDCTV8dpQqD3DmvPj75dIF_6nWZI_o1mzepi1EKG9fGHB-HdnQZZ-Zysi0s_OkUrvSAbujlcuYSc7rwIQ83bVclgp-3A/s4000/64%20-%20Andrea%20&%20dogs.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMbU0CSs_JzuxuJwQqMJMRk69uYUVoADwEeEgNm2PfAVd6p1693N4KIhGAlRvEXeJPwOxHiC4-j8hMbMvqxVAfGbvpk2c4OIDCTV8dpQqD3DmvPj75dIF_6nWZI_o1mzepi1EKG9fGHB-HdnQZZ-Zysi0s_OkUrvSAbujlcuYSc7rwIQ83bVclgp-3A/w400-h300/64%20-%20Andrea%20&%20dogs.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2P3XRZ5u1wMh1GQfBkrcs9qQj0z6gMG9_AQkw_CYYzvWmm7NjbPmTsUC3vwFjI-kSDfriyQ0Z9Xs0o0nrOaU6a4TTOo_YyC2vBSy1V-DRiwpb6UUGJfy30iTKPVHHI1UrUPXLMCEt5uRFNGhUJATHnnkxvxOPIw39Y0VYto4A8gtuT83tAgt-RuD7g/s4000/65%20-%20Andrea%20with%20Olive%20&%20Jasper.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2P3XRZ5u1wMh1GQfBkrcs9qQj0z6gMG9_AQkw_CYYzvWmm7NjbPmTsUC3vwFjI-kSDfriyQ0Z9Xs0o0nrOaU6a4TTOo_YyC2vBSy1V-DRiwpb6UUGJfy30iTKPVHHI1UrUPXLMCEt5uRFNGhUJATHnnkxvxOPIw39Y0VYto4A8gtuT83tAgt-RuD7g/w400-h300/65%20-%20Andrea%20with%20Olive%20&%20Jasper.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea with Olive & Jasper</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that day she took them with her to town in her pickup, and took Chewy along. Chewy is getting really old and senile and this might be her last trip in the pickup. Andrea will probably put her to sleep before winter and cold weather.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7yV7LGXtIF3qoL-AZxQbakckU-zQRgHdo2c-RBLW2xOzuCds56ABmoerSTQWzm86ev9nlM1iq3PsFb-ytOHyoIo9pMspUDyjKGOaKUznsXbJc_RbPkEAFYTglH_XG1hzGDvVOzhqKvDR2wXrv9h3QvITpr0xHbQV1bE4e6x5dVDuE0NSePqv9vlHXg/s4000/66%20-%20Chewy%20on%20her%20bed%20in%20the%20pickup.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7yV7LGXtIF3qoL-AZxQbakckU-zQRgHdo2c-RBLW2xOzuCds56ABmoerSTQWzm86ev9nlM1iq3PsFb-ytOHyoIo9pMspUDyjKGOaKUznsXbJc_RbPkEAFYTglH_XG1hzGDvVOzhqKvDR2wXrv9h3QvITpr0xHbQV1bE4e6x5dVDuE0NSePqv9vlHXg/w400-h300/66%20-%20Chewy%20on%20her%20bed%20in%20the%20pickup.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Chewy on her bed in the pickup</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was hot for a change, up to 80 degrees. Lynn has a really bad cold and cough and stayed in bed most of the day. I trimmed Dottie’s long front feet a little more (so she won’t stumble so much), then Andrea and I rode Willow and Dottie for a couple hours to check fences around our state land pasture and the lower fence on the 320. I took photos as we rode up the ridge and started checking the fence around our hill pasture, and had a good view of our fields. They look really good this year—nice and green. Andrea has done a good job of irrigating them.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyIx0LsuKyMnsI67W5d50LiKKW2V2jas4kPxVdDG12gXBd3vVVGBaahSFvu1HQEvvYSxySXhHOY_tqKR6CfhuTHOU3Uy9smUZHeS6IpxIpRrxccjC_BUqKjHE-uZPSDx7oJ9djTi3DQib9wo-OfsfQDhHMvLwyXwNMBiSG87E_Ddvxu81jA7KCoKm_w/s4000/67%20-%20riding%20up%20the%20ridge%20from%20our%20house.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyyIx0LsuKyMnsI67W5d50LiKKW2V2jas4kPxVdDG12gXBd3vVVGBaahSFvu1HQEvvYSxySXhHOY_tqKR6CfhuTHOU3Uy9smUZHeS6IpxIpRrxccjC_BUqKjHE-uZPSDx7oJ9djTi3DQib9wo-OfsfQDhHMvLwyXwNMBiSG87E_Ddvxu81jA7KCoKm_w/w400-h300/67%20-%20riding%20up%20the%20ridge%20from%20our%20house.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding up the ridge from our house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnMUJcBr1pBfb4kUy0p-lT-E8UfUDc_vavB30UMk7M6NzgkDoe0W7wQvKm7EkrLYsJXwTMOPqTa2cEOgHA879w_nUCvnngUX7ZX1Rca8r29Dj3GaaFEFaVqU1XOSZDJFGZry0Qbk0YSyLDZ6gBwjK8r13aLscfPT0b7KnF9P-CPSdbPbq-AoX5qIfXQ/s4000/68%20-%20view%20of%20the%20fields.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMnMUJcBr1pBfb4kUy0p-lT-E8UfUDc_vavB30UMk7M6NzgkDoe0W7wQvKm7EkrLYsJXwTMOPqTa2cEOgHA879w_nUCvnngUX7ZX1Rca8r29Dj3GaaFEFaVqU1XOSZDJFGZry0Qbk0YSyLDZ6gBwjK8r13aLscfPT0b7KnF9P-CPSdbPbq-AoX5qIfXQ/w400-h300/68%20-%20view%20of%20the%20fields.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view of the fields</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WSrL5PX_sulfwgu5tQp5Ow_csVbkvDVb-1GBn8HTSIo_yFZ0DmzXu26CMQp5zDR_zCJrVBmAWCziAW_XOkRdYfOAEwkQcclRfaLdJCpa1N-YlgmnLm20yPzwL2GV15B828Jb7f-tpYb9JzN2heDlWb-ddXwQfxxucVMboz28_pgAWUEAeK61XROZXg/s4000/69%20-%20checking%20the%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9WSrL5PX_sulfwgu5tQp5Ow_csVbkvDVb-1GBn8HTSIo_yFZ0DmzXu26CMQp5zDR_zCJrVBmAWCziAW_XOkRdYfOAEwkQcclRfaLdJCpa1N-YlgmnLm20yPzwL2GV15B828Jb7f-tpYb9JzN2heDlWb-ddXwQfxxucVMboz28_pgAWUEAeK61XROZXg/w400-h300/69%20-%20checking%20the%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he range cows (belonging to Millers and Alfonso) have eaten almost all the grass out there and have been reaching through our fences trying to find something to eat. I took a photo as we rode up the fence line between our place and the low range, and it was nice to see that “Mable” the maple tree (on our side) is doing nicely this year.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaHso2GsIP4m7s629JeFAs9TZbLobkl5hTc30zCZgiojwQAZ0HJ1Kg150KKtQVoYMEEFslCg7hCMP_uIks12_9vnC8YrOtFJvL5jwDHxaXI0J4PxlSEXlDgnRJeDAyrL_zmXX7JUmVyZFSQpPmdZyyi-2nZMB_nNlrP8kXjIbTbnlnMUhgX5ngGtMkQ/s4000/70%20-%20riding%20up%20the%20fence%20between%20our%20hill%20pasture%20and%20the%20range.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaHso2GsIP4m7s629JeFAs9TZbLobkl5hTc30zCZgiojwQAZ0HJ1Kg150KKtQVoYMEEFslCg7hCMP_uIks12_9vnC8YrOtFJvL5jwDHxaXI0J4PxlSEXlDgnRJeDAyrL_zmXX7JUmVyZFSQpPmdZyyi-2nZMB_nNlrP8kXjIbTbnlnMUhgX5ngGtMkQ/w400-h300/70%20-%20riding%20up%20the%20fence%20between%20our%20hill%20pasture%20and%20the%20range.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding up the fence between our hill pasture and the range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a photo of Andrea and Willow as we paused at the next ridge. There’s no grass at all left on the low range.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vTu9Fo5qCrokyZUS0O7CKKi_aJ94RIkUMp1uoXOlOz9tYqlua8HUPebRmeIiR3JLmBBvGy_Qjm-h2mKiRjacuZkjMaN6nMVLW9eCG0rq8OnzDhRgQj7c_d2V5Ab8AZ23pqNTznJySe2UwYOPmq78w70JhcqsdMHw3ZgZbpGYHfz_7joNoiXw6K2-nA/s4000/71%20-%20no%20grass%20left%20on%20the%20low%20range.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8vTu9Fo5qCrokyZUS0O7CKKi_aJ94RIkUMp1uoXOlOz9tYqlua8HUPebRmeIiR3JLmBBvGy_Qjm-h2mKiRjacuZkjMaN6nMVLW9eCG0rq8OnzDhRgQj7c_d2V5Ab8AZ23pqNTznJySe2UwYOPmq78w70JhcqsdMHw3ZgZbpGYHfz_7joNoiXw6K2-nA/w400-h300/71%20-%20no%20grass%20left%20on%20the%20low%20range.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">no grass left on the low range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hen we rode on up the ridges and around toward the 320 and I took some photos as we went along. The mountains above our 320 still have some snow; the view was nice but no grass—just lots of sagebrush and weedy plants and wildflowers the cows don’t eat. There were a few cows down toward the 320, lounging around a water trough that hasn’t worked for several years; Alfonso and Millers haven’t repaired the spring box.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XaA1KQnHy4vXseBho8YGStMrAOsZ2FpC9_7bvQJkaq79n89ybrENOqOV9pYUIo5-FH-_Jynz12sEdq2V3NWvjf4MreFC6qaUGZYuRwImAnBkSgerfSCzd9SnbXiioh1kbwzdYzPwvsZHMeuZPggqmRJUe4MawvxoCM3d49Y98KzHWhIl0j2Z0Sa9Eg/s4000/72%20-%20riding%20around%20toward%20our%20320.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XaA1KQnHy4vXseBho8YGStMrAOsZ2FpC9_7bvQJkaq79n89ybrENOqOV9pYUIo5-FH-_Jynz12sEdq2V3NWvjf4MreFC6qaUGZYuRwImAnBkSgerfSCzd9SnbXiioh1kbwzdYzPwvsZHMeuZPggqmRJUe4MawvxoCM3d49Y98KzHWhIl0j2Z0Sa9Eg/w400-h300/72%20-%20riding%20around%20toward%20our%20320.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding around toward our 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuh2CirEfiGVZNJnhFh-tb-1mtcOrFIk7gcJcIFST9uJ-dVBDJPRdcl_9MBIUmvRRtCyn1hD5hXnaj4PtxZvGPWTbNr96U6y5C6sEkOiC5aeM5Mxb1IBziFcpEX4yvKo5OKrU_JRBRp_NHlgs61NQJniiGCe7XWb2aDW5CRIZaep4styw4bVAdJ0CRw/s4000/73%20-%20view%20from%20the%20saddle%20looking%20toward%20320.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBuh2CirEfiGVZNJnhFh-tb-1mtcOrFIk7gcJcIFST9uJ-dVBDJPRdcl_9MBIUmvRRtCyn1hD5hXnaj4PtxZvGPWTbNr96U6y5C6sEkOiC5aeM5Mxb1IBziFcpEX4yvKo5OKrU_JRBRp_NHlgs61NQJniiGCe7XWb2aDW5CRIZaep4styw4bVAdJ0CRw/w400-h300/73%20-%20view%20from%20the%20saddle%20looking%20toward%20320.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from the saddle looking toward 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6W6y9UbYQ0ahgZCE1GuRGvrZsUgHq0VGuFa-DVbeubPv3BAhPEZL7p7JCUJB1DRCv00r67asI2iX2Cp0_5fMhwRvCn-cG0pXQzjt0AVuAgEuo8k0SyYKY8tss6_MBeiCKB_UDJ0KOFnDbFg53x7XLandP900BpZHNn7Q0EPKj0_x3ikuv101BA-iNw/s4000/74%20-%20a%20few%20cows%20by%20non-working%20trough.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6W6y9UbYQ0ahgZCE1GuRGvrZsUgHq0VGuFa-DVbeubPv3BAhPEZL7p7JCUJB1DRCv00r67asI2iX2Cp0_5fMhwRvCn-cG0pXQzjt0AVuAgEuo8k0SyYKY8tss6_MBeiCKB_UDJ0KOFnDbFg53x7XLandP900BpZHNn7Q0EPKj0_x3ikuv101BA-iNw/w400-h300/74%20-%20a%20few%20cows%20by%20non-working%20trough.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a few cows by non-working trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">W</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hen we came on down along our 320 and 160, we saw where Michael and Carolyn had to build a new brace and put in a bunch of steel posts to repair the 160 fence that the range cows broke down. We rode on down through the tall sagebrush on the low range, to the gate into our upper place.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDukRsu0qskuDKUPEvHV50QDI1ZWFfMhhWr1vf1v9iKwLGL4QzNLKQM5edNDxUvfR4havMifYroUS1J_ZBAvtMtk4jXw59ayXFx2ciR0kBhKu7DesQaQIASx69cK9zO5D9D95HGPQ-dOmCvUXX3UsjimWy9PPhcaauuVsQAdT9HDWil9gAgut3VIJCw/s4000/75%20-%20riding%20through%20tall%20sage%20on%20low%20range%20side%20of%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDukRsu0qskuDKUPEvHV50QDI1ZWFfMhhWr1vf1v9iKwLGL4QzNLKQM5edNDxUvfR4havMifYroUS1J_ZBAvtMtk4jXw59ayXFx2ciR0kBhKu7DesQaQIASx69cK9zO5D9D95HGPQ-dOmCvUXX3UsjimWy9PPhcaauuVsQAdT9HDWil9gAgut3VIJCw/w400-h300/75%20-%20riding%20through%20tall%20sage%20on%20low%20range%20side%20of%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding through tall sage on low range side of fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcXBUm0AtvfxWTL8ISk4BZHfnu9sGfp7CtrikjWzDpB0aO11vm7k4ZNLbiogJmWisgPgsiDY0Xp93nNWKYUGqfKx1FPIrEqsrwopgfMQOdnkU-4NbokO9EtmmJXzl5fzrPXCoDkjWpcuD3_AlF62MIebXLyYCHWfpu2OwDO6gavFKveEzmU4ub2GS2g/s4000/76%20-riding%20down%20to%20gate%20into%20our%20upper%20place.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLcXBUm0AtvfxWTL8ISk4BZHfnu9sGfp7CtrikjWzDpB0aO11vm7k4ZNLbiogJmWisgPgsiDY0Xp93nNWKYUGqfKx1FPIrEqsrwopgfMQOdnkU-4NbokO9EtmmJXzl5fzrPXCoDkjWpcuD3_AlF62MIebXLyYCHWfpu2OwDO6gavFKveEzmU4ub2GS2g/w400-h300/76%20-riding%20down%20to%20gate%20into%20our%20upper%20place.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding down to gate into our upper place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">oday was hot again, up to 84 degrees. Andrea irrigated, and Michael brought his skid steer and smoothed out the dirt piles that Allan Probst hauled in for us earlier this spring—to make a smooth pad by the new loading chute, to create a place to park our machinery. I took photos while he was doing it, spreading out the 4 piles…</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzUyxqQ3xQHnJo6wqN2WvkbDnVJfY-ES-Pj2ujc5vpNsQ4zixbsMu1UFLP999mPudcL4f5ueONC4iWY9T8BvVKmQ3mp2PULblVqK86wN447huQuRBjsvjz48wVrSCE8yUZXjg7CXDx9MNcNIBVgoCAGpoDKSzxgidp9R9gWM1eQGc3eMnUJSenclmsg/s4000/77%20-Michael%20spreading%20dirt%20piles.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpzUyxqQ3xQHnJo6wqN2WvkbDnVJfY-ES-Pj2ujc5vpNsQ4zixbsMu1UFLP999mPudcL4f5ueONC4iWY9T8BvVKmQ3mp2PULblVqK86wN447huQuRBjsvjz48wVrSCE8yUZXjg7CXDx9MNcNIBVgoCAGpoDKSzxgidp9R9gWM1eQGc3eMnUJSenclmsg/w400-h300/77%20-Michael%20spreading%20dirt%20piles.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4upxdMxYAOQjHt7x2ai3TXTJLgheWUxfgZsJTuFYXWQANhmhi83Cx5JMMxq7gos6ITaaLa0zmEFf1ZuqNJa42yvVWyPJU3Ifu_lnLkneAr3_JynWTKXazylteO3f7KTFuhD3JWfyC50n8UE86FSmCTDObDrF8c5RGNlswwMXLrCuNG7da2l2R_cFzw/s4000/78%20-spreading%20piles%20with%20skid%20steer.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS4upxdMxYAOQjHt7x2ai3TXTJLgheWUxfgZsJTuFYXWQANhmhi83Cx5JMMxq7gos6ITaaLa0zmEFf1ZuqNJa42yvVWyPJU3Ifu_lnLkneAr3_JynWTKXazylteO3f7KTFuhD3JWfyC50n8UE86FSmCTDObDrF8c5RGNlswwMXLrCuNG7da2l2R_cFzw/w400-h300/78%20-spreading%20piles%20with%20skid%20steer.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL9ZJfcPXa_TpRYTWrCtjdCbtKZWCQ1RYVj0tHJkfGiLt6NQkGTcxsVZFl6oSdIK9HRTNj9R1sbqiupbxU2cEW5rd_NZDKmPO9Cn_muhaWRQpVKb6BCzyzEDcvFEyCm0dMeBm3V8aklwqXc2QIRWBm4iyL1Nr9Y58uzwlKuSdI_PfGuoJsiqTf7meWg/s4000/79%20-%20spreading%20piles.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL9ZJfcPXa_TpRYTWrCtjdCbtKZWCQ1RYVj0tHJkfGiLt6NQkGTcxsVZFl6oSdIK9HRTNj9R1sbqiupbxU2cEW5rd_NZDKmPO9Cn_muhaWRQpVKb6BCzyzEDcvFEyCm0dMeBm3V8aklwqXc2QIRWBm4iyL1Nr9Y58uzwlKuSdI_PfGuoJsiqTf7meWg/w400-h300/79%20-%20spreading%20piles.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael spreading dirt piles with skid steer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiBlFY58lE04hx-OE4E5RgdPvVgYJc8KKnRcF0Dj2PwXhh5De3Dk6VoGrDgerQgaC3TN8JZlmTOrYCog-RKtha9K1A5CrjuuABqzxf9pa5lt2ISO69SzpNO7AI2oHICARNa9aG1Z1hBwwWLgUbqffjK5g3QQaCG5pa6B7dU16Q2YrTCmhyacY6zFwLg/s4000/80%20-%20spreading%20the%20last%20pile.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQiBlFY58lE04hx-OE4E5RgdPvVgYJc8KKnRcF0Dj2PwXhh5De3Dk6VoGrDgerQgaC3TN8JZlmTOrYCog-RKtha9K1A5CrjuuABqzxf9pa5lt2ISO69SzpNO7AI2oHICARNa9aG1Z1hBwwWLgUbqffjK5g3QQaCG5pa6B7dU16Q2YrTCmhyacY6zFwLg/w400-h300/80%20-%20spreading%20the%20last%20pile.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">spreading the last pile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…and smoothing it all up and packing it down.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH-7Jc8U6eaeDYfHOW6WuR8B9zUya7GoM7wLN16xjTuQiHWbSFlfNOpv3Gv5jpLVVghHqKFUVXDUeTv278N4fT07BzIAmEhmVLsiMAIxO8ZokjFTDidpv7KQRB7QyIoUo-rkBKPHjeVuQja7sx7meCsD9QAwHOaWSR7c4gGG3XrfvjQdCFS0SNMM_Lw/s4032/81%20-%20packing%20it%20down.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEH-7Jc8U6eaeDYfHOW6WuR8B9zUya7GoM7wLN16xjTuQiHWbSFlfNOpv3Gv5jpLVVghHqKFUVXDUeTv278N4fT07BzIAmEhmVLsiMAIxO8ZokjFTDidpv7KQRB7QyIoUo-rkBKPHjeVuQja7sx7meCsD9QAwHOaWSR7c4gGG3XrfvjQdCFS0SNMM_Lw/w400-h189/81%20-%20packing%20it%20down.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheN6QMOGHHEis8S_Ocrkd_sum6I4IhbGX79kxY9BfXONsItV5YwhQOmg89MQFFUUBLTgmMOxPu8vz6eNqdqgbEYCccaWqnoGPmBk--WYPdqKiZy5SkpIYykKcltubWPRaQ8W7SggEevXWaYtud5qrmpj2PRVoaf5ITvYFvX7ypZigjN6IOxDwquT7vdw/s4032/82%20-%20packing%20it%20into%20a%20smooth%20surface.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheN6QMOGHHEis8S_Ocrkd_sum6I4IhbGX79kxY9BfXONsItV5YwhQOmg89MQFFUUBLTgmMOxPu8vz6eNqdqgbEYCccaWqnoGPmBk--WYPdqKiZy5SkpIYykKcltubWPRaQ8W7SggEevXWaYtud5qrmpj2PRVoaf5ITvYFvX7ypZigjN6IOxDwquT7vdw/w400-h189/82%20-%20packing%20it%20into%20a%20smooth%20surface.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">packing it into a smooth surface</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">And afterward when it was all smoothed out..</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzTgIhqZhJevM3RRaitrm4L95_S65CLYx4jL85rGzPqE0van8RlDi4Iz5zga3MVz0R706thKzRcsMHPu66eC-C9nPbBBp3Eido0ProudIacJQ3ptxUQ1_FsFmqK70BWbvHmD8Wbz8rebHPzxgVBQhKhPObNVI0aAuW1jx-qUxwfqTV7qBeMS5p_G3CQ/s4000/83%20-%20all%20finished.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzTgIhqZhJevM3RRaitrm4L95_S65CLYx4jL85rGzPqE0van8RlDi4Iz5zga3MVz0R706thKzRcsMHPu66eC-C9nPbBBp3Eido0ProudIacJQ3ptxUQ1_FsFmqK70BWbvHmD8Wbz8rebHPzxgVBQhKhPObNVI0aAuW1jx-qUxwfqTV7qBeMS5p_G3CQ/w400-h300/83%20-%20all%20finished.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOuzmchRLFsLPRypn3C45aLdA_JwAyih5wmHE75YFvTYS5IVYTCNzH-rzfG-3WTdaIA_TOfwIh1FG_Z9NMnCdLQj4a5IMa0cCP-Q2doZfrEWZnhnwRLjrdgpsmHwdL89bAL7nLZRGXTU4L7WOq8gKbEYoTrPY843gdRgU96bvME12HWxeYxbg2EODwg/s4000/84%20-%20new%20parking%20area%20for%20machinery.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOuzmchRLFsLPRypn3C45aLdA_JwAyih5wmHE75YFvTYS5IVYTCNzH-rzfG-3WTdaIA_TOfwIh1FG_Z9NMnCdLQj4a5IMa0cCP-Q2doZfrEWZnhnwRLjrdgpsmHwdL89bAL7nLZRGXTU4L7WOq8gKbEYoTrPY843gdRgU96bvME12HWxeYxbg2EODwg/w400-h300/84%20-%20new%20parking%20area%20for%20machinery.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new parking area for machinery</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim got another load of firewood today and Andrea went to town to pick up Christopher so Emily could go to work, and she took Christopher with her this evening to change water. He loves taking his little shovel along to help irrigate.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8kc4nffmn27cTvtZgpSUl6pf88KyRDByYEYaJTHqxVanaNPZX6iRFdFhWxD4ymrYmQxatiedcabsubX-VZGRA9syEXz8BHSQk7NKQmR0UmBxUGEHO_igy9xkjePCxXtEHAVv5MYuAerVPNXwteYE5TxP3ir4WOR5AgT7rSH_D6luO1_MXkc7QyePxA/s4000/85%20-%20going%20irrigating.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH8kc4nffmn27cTvtZgpSUl6pf88KyRDByYEYaJTHqxVanaNPZX6iRFdFhWxD4ymrYmQxatiedcabsubX-VZGRA9syEXz8BHSQk7NKQmR0UmBxUGEHO_igy9xkjePCxXtEHAVv5MYuAerVPNXwteYE5TxP3ir4WOR5AgT7rSH_D6luO1_MXkc7QyePxA/w400-h300/85%20-%20going%20irrigating.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">going irrigating</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW95IF-BocuX4I2RA9XtxWvxH1TSeO7jap3ogtu31ZpxRY3TuTjvqdSgHhAtpLeL9JxEepUtuKoBC4-97FcmbAgiV8rFNj1r9WbifDHPn7aFWuhcekakW1DAQ51sz4Anki4akfSdGOR5-5QSRS27VYqTxVQfTCkK9NyimhLXVPEyoIt_P_fffwdfaJgw/s4608/86%20-%20irrigating.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW95IF-BocuX4I2RA9XtxWvxH1TSeO7jap3ogtu31ZpxRY3TuTjvqdSgHhAtpLeL9JxEepUtuKoBC4-97FcmbAgiV8rFNj1r9WbifDHPn7aFWuhcekakW1DAQ51sz4Anki4akfSdGOR5-5QSRS27VYqTxVQfTCkK9NyimhLXVPEyoIt_P_fffwdfaJgw/w190-h400/86%20-%20irrigating.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">irrigating</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When they came back from the fields, they ate supper with us and Christopher was pointing out some of the photos of people he recognized, on our walls.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8VZc3LgaDdOX4-Np_dNtx9vvLnY83lvMwoHUqmfp4ExtsNkon64e5TDutzELqdpka3MXT417p6iceWciQ5laTUBhrTG3W0E3MIUWxF5fXL49T5kMqYyGBR3TvSYcin2x5TOikXZQMukq2hnaH9Gr8gNgaRLN6VLlAYIWjSBhpjRJxStGnFHry83u_w/s4000/87%20-%20looking%20at%20a%20photo%20on%20the%20wall.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8VZc3LgaDdOX4-Np_dNtx9vvLnY83lvMwoHUqmfp4ExtsNkon64e5TDutzELqdpka3MXT417p6iceWciQ5laTUBhrTG3W0E3MIUWxF5fXL49T5kMqYyGBR3TvSYcin2x5TOikXZQMukq2hnaH9Gr8gNgaRLN6VLlAYIWjSBhpjRJxStGnFHry83u_w/w300-h400/87%20-%20looking%20at%20a%20photo%20on%20the%20wall.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking at a photo on the wall</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnrPP3DhlCXRTQA2y1utfs_PbAFu0LgNGQ_wfU6arH2jAD_T7ZCVRgySPj-iTnuZMx3xg4Cu6BvtkBZ1Xkqm_aMydajE58zY5w4nsTL-hOIC1fW2dddXuWFoicDGc12svG6oWyjpLgsRSncx_p2In6NZPo9lcRyHW3FKtWjoOYlwWOixylImCeIVvoA/s4000/88%20-%20Christopher%20eating%20with%20us.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDnrPP3DhlCXRTQA2y1utfs_PbAFu0LgNGQ_wfU6arH2jAD_T7ZCVRgySPj-iTnuZMx3xg4Cu6BvtkBZ1Xkqm_aMydajE58zY5w4nsTL-hOIC1fW2dddXuWFoicDGc12svG6oWyjpLgsRSncx_p2In6NZPo9lcRyHW3FKtWjoOYlwWOixylImCeIVvoA/w300-h400/88%20-%20Christopher%20eating%20with%20us.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher eating with us</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JUNE 16</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">After two days of hot weather it got cold and stormy again, with a little rain off and on. On Saturday we moved the cows down to the next segment of the pasture below the lane, and put up an electric fence to make a corridor so they can still come back up to the first segment to drink from the ditch, but fencing them off from the pieces they’ve already grazed, so those can start to grow back again. The secret to rotational grazing is short grazing periods on many small pieces, and long rest periods so each piece has adequate time to regrow.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily and AJ came out that day and took Christopher up to the woods with them to get firewood with Jim. The weather got really windy and stormy, however, so Andrea drove up there a little later and brought Christopher home. He was having fun but getting pretty cold. He went to sleep on the way home and she let him take a nap when she got him home. The rest of the crew sawed up a lot of firewood to bring home in Jim’s trailer and AJ’s truck.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took photos of Ed after I let her out to graze during morning chores. I’ve been letting her graze in the lane by my hay shed a couple hours each morning, to eat down the tall grass before we stack hay in there again. She is getting rid of the grass and putting it to good use (saving hay!) and it won’t just be mashed down by the stackwagon and wasted. She is very happy to have some green grass; she’s starting to show her age (she’s nearly 30) and it’s good for her to have the extra protein and vitamins in the green forage. She’s shedding out better now, and her hair coat is sleeker.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhUJ7ZpT3lK16LdyH7bZNqd7DRNmjIX3anYgU4JysMZIwEn62vAOJbMQbCmWgww0ZeLUQ4xvFw7D0_YTuqa7SDRu3sl1W-fnyJUROWNPCfQggDkMHGq2GCKbCLVfZJNSpPSi8SwEfpsgxihHmRZ5D-SOz8dsP4Zied3eu6rqyOy3UOV30dVEO0QzvGA/s4000/89%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20in%20lane%20by%20my%20hay%20shed.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRhUJ7ZpT3lK16LdyH7bZNqd7DRNmjIX3anYgU4JysMZIwEn62vAOJbMQbCmWgww0ZeLUQ4xvFw7D0_YTuqa7SDRu3sl1W-fnyJUROWNPCfQggDkMHGq2GCKbCLVfZJNSpPSi8SwEfpsgxihHmRZ5D-SOz8dsP4Zied3eu6rqyOy3UOV30dVEO0QzvGA/w400-h300/89%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20in%20lane%20by%20my%20hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1JX9tbbpHHyY6AYrqDQ6-u9MR9qLirSW9Caenf437Xic2fTpwv4syS1u7KdDdwe2j1op410ufAh_zJnPjsGjOkLg8S6XGOK7gBYxYyhjsDUp6VZjcT8egIC8cQb6-k32TWg3o0iLutkqIJtEoPojUNUsgaiA0Qu6H-vguXZ-cXh3dYKWwFhPRb2YiQ/s4000/90%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20by%20my%20hay%20shed.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij1JX9tbbpHHyY6AYrqDQ6-u9MR9qLirSW9Caenf437Xic2fTpwv4syS1u7KdDdwe2j1op410ufAh_zJnPjsGjOkLg8S6XGOK7gBYxYyhjsDUp6VZjcT8egIC8cQb6-k32TWg3o0iLutkqIJtEoPojUNUsgaiA0Qu6H-vguXZ-cXh3dYKWwFhPRb2YiQ/w400-h300/90%20-%20Ed%20grazing%20by%20my%20hay%20shed.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed grazing in lane by my hay shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also hiked down to check on the heifers in the post pile pasture, to see how much grass was left down there, and how many more days it might last for them. I took photos of them; when they saw me, they all came up to the gate to see me.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2tXf29V2fjFnVX3n1p6LRzpOfmuY4YFNaECa0JWeTP6PpQmxHNZiAI_IlB5-rGxh6aamBUrqRAdoMbCoGGVHJ5jeqK8hVzU6bSwEnnQQamcct-Lm_0SN8j-4ugvXYRBEd_-taxFco9wQXc85-QERkIVy7vL-mjBTUfT04APum-CjmIYSTcDqo7uCxA/s4000/91%20-heifers%20in%20post%20pile%20pasture.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH2tXf29V2fjFnVX3n1p6LRzpOfmuY4YFNaECa0JWeTP6PpQmxHNZiAI_IlB5-rGxh6aamBUrqRAdoMbCoGGVHJ5jeqK8hVzU6bSwEnnQQamcct-Lm_0SN8j-4ugvXYRBEd_-taxFco9wQXc85-QERkIVy7vL-mjBTUfT04APum-CjmIYSTcDqo7uCxA/w400-h300/91%20-heifers%20in%20post%20pile%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrI2sgRaHxRzu1FLacIWLP6Z2v2kLoVpMPljtUSfbfX-cN0KIWL7sKHUpvw-Ioz4fABAFFJqTwYjyg7m5FFJkGtAbJzGhqSMmO0nD0u5e6naweH65B4kcV3bbfitXOWRDf3v2T2ZUbZIH35tB-4DBX7_OES0g8B7NkMqZreahN150y78mKTp5sB0u4w/s4000/92%20-%20heifers%20grazing.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsrI2sgRaHxRzu1FLacIWLP6Z2v2kLoVpMPljtUSfbfX-cN0KIWL7sKHUpvw-Ioz4fABAFFJqTwYjyg7m5FFJkGtAbJzGhqSMmO0nD0u5e6naweH65B4kcV3bbfitXOWRDf3v2T2ZUbZIH35tB-4DBX7_OES0g8B7NkMqZreahN150y78mKTp5sB0u4w/w400-h300/92%20-%20heifers%20grazing.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers grazing in post pile pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-p9bBT3mNuPLFauLfFj6xftY5lazYjy102iZxEWn4mO_GIdFvwSYhwUwMe-KuMmdYwtGzbm1YqOAg94BzGXjABAawNPX5u8fFkYa1-SDIx8e9B5OyfCYDFUt9YhKmgDYrC3Aadv1omYnNyQmx-cF7sx_tLeGq6ZyaqnP9KOQVHOlHGZ6V8eULjnODTw/s4000/93%20-%20heifers%20came%20to%20the%20gate%20to%20see%20me.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-p9bBT3mNuPLFauLfFj6xftY5lazYjy102iZxEWn4mO_GIdFvwSYhwUwMe-KuMmdYwtGzbm1YqOAg94BzGXjABAawNPX5u8fFkYa1-SDIx8e9B5OyfCYDFUt9YhKmgDYrC3Aadv1omYnNyQmx-cF7sx_tLeGq6ZyaqnP9KOQVHOlHGZ6V8eULjnODTw/w400-h300/93%20-%20heifers%20came%20to%20the%20gate%20to%20see%20me.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers came to the gate to see me</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he next day was cold and windy with a little more rain. Andrea and I gathered more junk, old twines, etc. from the barnyard area below the corrals. I trimmed off the young chokecherry shoots that were growing prolifically by the fence in the hold pen next to Shiloh and Sprout (a 2-hour project) so we could take the loader bucket off the tractor and put it there, out of the way, and put the hay fork back on the tractor. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took a photo of the other batch of kittens at her house (a young mama cat with her first batch of kittens) that are now getting big enough to start eating food.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCc7Sh6Rx3pdkSpdBxzRdRUPMJ-yf5n7jZ4WT5Z91gN5klzZ5hpER18jfVaFr0P1yToPbDoZuMkFnWWjvHp_5yqNnu9EXiZI0csAXgCkJqbL9s7DEl9fQ3PRFMmybCAGRfSXvbELeaYMR52hDjSykf7ZHKxEa-M-8V2-OqyMC2dLUvCCFJxSqVGUgmQ/s4608/94%20-%20colorful%20kittens.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2184" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCc7Sh6Rx3pdkSpdBxzRdRUPMJ-yf5n7jZ4WT5Z91gN5klzZ5hpER18jfVaFr0P1yToPbDoZuMkFnWWjvHp_5yqNnu9EXiZI0csAXgCkJqbL9s7DEl9fQ3PRFMmybCAGRfSXvbELeaYMR52hDjSykf7ZHKxEa-M-8V2-OqyMC2dLUvCCFJxSqVGUgmQ/w190-h400/94%20-%20colorful%20kittens.jpg" width="190" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">colorful kittens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hat evening Andrea, Jim and Christopher went out to dinner with a friend who will soon be moving to Colorado, and they had a nice visit. Andrea took this photo of Jim and Christopher.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRM9vTtxD6XRv388-xyStc4VBa91M2TRwT8AKBsKw_7nd9JFrKgHr7F_HQ2FQ-1UK29Q50ud-14zandVL6xr1KThlAe9ddr5LyAx_QjBg34UuFyWWZ6wSzJNu8EoMIJv_2bu1qLpRtYGpHczFD7q44OU9jgE8Ov8qFJqyHSXsmY0-wDFQppSFM6Sxig/s4608/95%20-%20Christopher%20&%20grandpa%20Jim%20at%20restaurant.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRM9vTtxD6XRv388-xyStc4VBa91M2TRwT8AKBsKw_7nd9JFrKgHr7F_HQ2FQ-1UK29Q50ud-14zandVL6xr1KThlAe9ddr5LyAx_QjBg34UuFyWWZ6wSzJNu8EoMIJv_2bu1qLpRtYGpHczFD7q44OU9jgE8Ov8qFJqyHSXsmY0-wDFQppSFM6Sxig/w400-h190/95%20-%20Christopher%20&%20grandpa%20Jim%20at%20restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & grandpa Jim at restaurant</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday the new dirt pad by the corrals had dried out enough that Andrea and Lynn were able to pull the manure spreader in there and park it, and put the turner rake in front of it. This will be a great place to park the machinery so it won’t be taking up space in areas we can graze. We’re getting as much stuff out of the barnyard areas as possible, so we can graze those places again—to provide feed for the cattle and keep down the weeds and tall grass that serve as a fire hazard later in the year. Jim pulled an old trailer up to the end of our driveway, to get it out of there. It’s one that was useful in the past for hauling poles and firewood, but we don’t need it anymore and Michael can use it. He will pick it up sometime when he has a chance, and it will be handier for him to get it out by the road—and it’s no longer taking up space in our barnyard.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Jim, Andrea and Lynn worked on our little pump and got it running again. We need it for pumping water for cows in our state land pasture—which we haven’t used for two year, and haven’t used the pump either. This year we’ll need that pasture, to have enough feed for the cows this summer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At chore time the next day, I put mesh panels around the old baler that’s still in the barnyard, where there’s also some stacks of old rolls of fence wire. The panels will keep the heifers out of that hazard. The next morning I finished tying up all those panels and let the heifers into that barnyard area to graze. After breakfast Andrea came down and helped me fence off one last hazard—a junk pile that needs to be hauled off next winter when Michael and crew come back to do more fence projects. Andrea set some steel posts and we used those to secure a little “fence” of deer netting around that junk pile so the heifers can’t walk through it and possibly injure their feet and legs.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that day Dani and her friend Roger came out and they helped Lynn load up the pump, hoses and long plastic pipe (on our old feed truck) to take up the road to pump water for the state land pasture. I took photos as Lynn was loading on a couple brooms and a bucket; the brooms were for sweeping/cleaning out the water trough up there.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyq-4cfoRKwWy51a7PMgizQDPNpgzAGaEDZTlfzksC8gVaWVZ2mOMa0SR8xdSKdEelMV80avGrX_gFaBEa6E5hwabCHeeOvlrxGUlupUtlUgFPYcOrrPUGlr0SggfozXOyddS6IMZ3PodWqU5Get1w2E3CvoE9uuqbx4qtueOA0RU4nw1mhsE7H4WLqQ/s4000/96%20-%20loaded%20up%20&%20ready%20to%20go.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyq-4cfoRKwWy51a7PMgizQDPNpgzAGaEDZTlfzksC8gVaWVZ2mOMa0SR8xdSKdEelMV80avGrX_gFaBEa6E5hwabCHeeOvlrxGUlupUtlUgFPYcOrrPUGlr0SggfozXOyddS6IMZ3PodWqU5Get1w2E3CvoE9uuqbx4qtueOA0RU4nw1mhsE7H4WLqQ/w400-h300/96%20-%20loaded%20up%20&%20ready%20to%20go.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_-wDgK5sLBAYo8ZoUeADuDj38ajSG7qbJj_WXQHhhn8ZWpnMr8RpeFiM4NRW2rR_qbrZpcL1N4LWpoEwXb-NEjAOyDKEqvP2YxRJnUjl4aDPOU8rJtkIDRZvHHI-xMhDYXKJQbKlxB2o43mNwFJboqFMDGJdRCVMP_goa41tPeknkWWBpEZ_pjfhsQ/s4000/97%20-%20loading%20up.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl_-wDgK5sLBAYo8ZoUeADuDj38ajSG7qbJj_WXQHhhn8ZWpnMr8RpeFiM4NRW2rR_qbrZpcL1N4LWpoEwXb-NEjAOyDKEqvP2YxRJnUjl4aDPOU8rJtkIDRZvHHI-xMhDYXKJQbKlxB2o43mNwFJboqFMDGJdRCVMP_goa41tPeknkWWBpEZ_pjfhsQ/w400-h300/97%20-%20loading%20up.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">loaded up & ready to go</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took Christopher over there on her 4-wheeler, and by good fortune Charlie happened to come along about that same time, so we had lots of help to get the long pipe through the culvert under the road, hook the hoses to it, get the pump started (to pump from the ditch in the heifer hill field next to the road) tip the big tank up and rinse it out, and pump it full of water. The water will be there for when we take part of the cows up there later this week. After the trough was full Andrea took photos as the crew gathered everything up again. Roger was entertaining Christopher on the feed truck (to keep him out of harm’s way if traffic came along), Charlie helped Lynn get the pump and its big hose back up out of the ditch, and Dani rolled up the long hose that they’d put through the fence and over to the water trough.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YGe2HKF5eEEtnPe6rSLaAiclMiSBMAA5gXpzk7kPKNeOlLkxktZqjrZapVt7HMmZO0GqGHiKPr8LVg8gOwiSgMP8KSd-jjZcf-eExImD9eY7JGg66iXOYL6qVWjatu2DFlv7_vNA9uw6Xukfqmr6rwdcuWtHV9eUJJzBR8jpgtsYUhsBOOaqL-Iqxg/s4032/98%20-%20Roger%20entertaining%20Christopher%20on%20the%20feed%20truck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YGe2HKF5eEEtnPe6rSLaAiclMiSBMAA5gXpzk7kPKNeOlLkxktZqjrZapVt7HMmZO0GqGHiKPr8LVg8gOwiSgMP8KSd-jjZcf-eExImD9eY7JGg66iXOYL6qVWjatu2DFlv7_vNA9uw6Xukfqmr6rwdcuWtHV9eUJJzBR8jpgtsYUhsBOOaqL-Iqxg/w400-h189/98%20-%20Roger%20entertaining%20Christopher%20on%20the%20feed%20truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger entertaining Christopher on the feed truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMlRmJoug084VfRV765xaLdb2Q1c2cTVhvaHJZbUVNMaWDQkyvKBz3Bn9b4JD7Bfgzkiyhq11KT5-RMpo6RCpNATfZsucDPFHPnLr2dYo-PSA-IgrdDNv46RUus7oTOdMLZ9Af_wZhYf_diVb3EfBwGPALpnRW_ZFzQHQlvT_npIg5WYPKJm2qVD96A/s4032/99%20-%20Charlie%20helping%20Lynn%20gather%20the%20pump%20and%20hose%20from%20the%20ditch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYMlRmJoug084VfRV765xaLdb2Q1c2cTVhvaHJZbUVNMaWDQkyvKBz3Bn9b4JD7Bfgzkiyhq11KT5-RMpo6RCpNATfZsucDPFHPnLr2dYo-PSA-IgrdDNv46RUus7oTOdMLZ9Af_wZhYf_diVb3EfBwGPALpnRW_ZFzQHQlvT_npIg5WYPKJm2qVD96A/w400-h189/99%20-%20Charlie%20helping%20Lynn%20gather%20the%20pump%20and%20hose%20from%20the%20ditch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie helping Lynn gather the pump and hose from the ditch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhjl7o85gzKI5v4sHrzqHZ1Sh-jrLitoWD_VUv8IjAjBDyPygVAVLqHUqIN-QB2hyweO547Visrww4hNe4xFaQd9crcNcm7Pjf5cg_B3N8f0CZfJf3C7A05BHUiLOiAF0nPTKN50ogL5REJl0qsfnZGbgXEDcVs9UB1wbwXIoJ2T7w-CwNoIRdh1vuw/s4032/100%20-%20Dani%20rolling%20up%20the%20hose.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfhjl7o85gzKI5v4sHrzqHZ1Sh-jrLitoWD_VUv8IjAjBDyPygVAVLqHUqIN-QB2hyweO547Visrww4hNe4xFaQd9crcNcm7Pjf5cg_B3N8f0CZfJf3C7A05BHUiLOiAF0nPTKN50ogL5REJl0qsfnZGbgXEDcVs9UB1wbwXIoJ2T7w-CwNoIRdh1vuw/w189-h400/100%20-%20Dani%20rolling%20up%20the%20hose.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani rolling up the hose</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When they got finished, the kids all went to Andrea’s house, and Christopher showed Charlie the older batch of kittens. He calls Charlie “Unker” because he can’t quite say Uncle.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnxJga7-3CLs0C5KCBQ-Vu2jc4M3a2wf1kV4f96HI5eMuJ7ayxHw4whxYEqEb1UU55hw3UAXslnwp8JAvSSBRv7nroZ7ohEfbWVNKzf6OmdmFCL1n0-L4HloJSaixJEPfkpxrlU6A5NkykRYZx4OcHP4T-3VHUUIl2LRpOgBBOAmdZZhs4AHN01L60A/s4032/101%20-%20Christopher%20showed%20Charlie%20the%20kittens.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWnxJga7-3CLs0C5KCBQ-Vu2jc4M3a2wf1kV4f96HI5eMuJ7ayxHw4whxYEqEb1UU55hw3UAXslnwp8JAvSSBRv7nroZ7ohEfbWVNKzf6OmdmFCL1n0-L4HloJSaixJEPfkpxrlU6A5NkykRYZx4OcHP4T-3VHUUIl2LRpOgBBOAmdZZhs4AHN01L60A/w400-h189/101%20-%20Christopher%20showed%20Charlie%20the%20kittens.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher showed Charlie the kittens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took a few photos of the kids lounging around in her livingroom.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQxvSpgaWnn1DqHFRDC35cIH2a_l1bp-jWkTe3QYDP7fZtbH2O-aJRXhFKsX29eRMc0FL6v9ie3omUO_LXYFa_6hz_7sJjzhAgsCMGzccgTHQe9IqcslvznwqltHGgzMtntdbPqEhIFthGlWCpLab2YZ4_TK175E3mGrZw0CCrw8U8eoGuNQkTbXM8A/s4032/102%20-Dani%20&%20Roger.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYQxvSpgaWnn1DqHFRDC35cIH2a_l1bp-jWkTe3QYDP7fZtbH2O-aJRXhFKsX29eRMc0FL6v9ie3omUO_LXYFa_6hz_7sJjzhAgsCMGzccgTHQe9IqcslvznwqltHGgzMtntdbPqEhIFthGlWCpLab2YZ4_TK175E3mGrZw0CCrw8U8eoGuNQkTbXM8A/w400-h189/102%20-Dani%20&%20Roger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Roger</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtfTN7d4kNrzRCj_KyQkoqh6Dz-6xwRw_DLizqBCldhcAsK8CyOw4XFd6mmXgcuJHjjwTdm0Yn3T2vA3z4nhTHELjNue-eUtafQcPPcHr7EcyVxrgi2PuqlXfth5ev3X7oijdokoVocbl-aSxKhCxSwgJgcaU70b0J8vrYBIBfGAoF_tZ0jlCDtrU2A/s4032/103%20-Christopher%20entertaining%20them.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtfTN7d4kNrzRCj_KyQkoqh6Dz-6xwRw_DLizqBCldhcAsK8CyOw4XFd6mmXgcuJHjjwTdm0Yn3T2vA3z4nhTHELjNue-eUtafQcPPcHr7EcyVxrgi2PuqlXfth5ev3X7oijdokoVocbl-aSxKhCxSwgJgcaU70b0J8vrYBIBfGAoF_tZ0jlCDtrU2A/w400-h189/103%20-Christopher%20entertaining%20them.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqUSxfMxAKC9z4BSZ1kM9t_HvQ3dky3dEpLn5utnw7HwELdMgBNWPOA9VwbocKh0qJXEs75C8XxhIj60ZbqImeUMr0AhD0f0CPpgNpizfxpZel043Y4X5Pv7HveqlGG0XS1mySFoWmBMIZEuinnRc6HMaCR6Pi1byoJUBOppE8i8Ry4v_J6y02ZjNfA/s4032/104%20-Christopher%20with%20Dani%20&%20Roger.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTqUSxfMxAKC9z4BSZ1kM9t_HvQ3dky3dEpLn5utnw7HwELdMgBNWPOA9VwbocKh0qJXEs75C8XxhIj60ZbqImeUMr0AhD0f0CPpgNpizfxpZel043Y4X5Pv7HveqlGG0XS1mySFoWmBMIZEuinnRc6HMaCR6Pi1byoJUBOppE8i8Ry4v_J6y02ZjNfA/w400-h189/104%20-Christopher%20with%20Dani%20&%20Roger.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher entertaining them</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday our cows were very restless, even though they still had grass left in their segment of pasture below the lane. The range cows on the hill above the road were bawling and moving back and forth, some of them trying to come through the fence to find some grass, and there was a bull bellowing at our bulls in the corral. Andrea saw a couple of calves crawl through the fence by the Gooch place, to find some grass to eat by the road. The cows are pressing the fences on all sides of the low range pasture, trying to find something to eat. We started shutting our driveway gate in case more of them get through the fence onto the road.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea brought Christopher down on the 4-wheeler with her when she irrigated, and he helped carry the horseshoes and shoeing tools out from the house for me. He picked some grass for Dottie and petted her, then helped me lead her around from her pen so I could put front shoes on her.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_wyX3oATdmPOVEMgN5frEQpvMv205dow7iKkNTgfcVWGx9-fQAEwXfMimlzzYKF4RgrgN_wmQWGnmpkJAxZklBh-u8IuEbAwBx2jidPHRfRFA6WwP5EpXn-ti3n3w9i71SxpGm8AcOJr6FiL4eYbDUFhkqcq-3srz8VpbC1pzI6RpqAXD61IaChaeg/s4032/105%20-%20Christopher%20petting%20Dottie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw_wyX3oATdmPOVEMgN5frEQpvMv205dow7iKkNTgfcVWGx9-fQAEwXfMimlzzYKF4RgrgN_wmQWGnmpkJAxZklBh-u8IuEbAwBx2jidPHRfRFA6WwP5EpXn-ti3n3w9i71SxpGm8AcOJr6FiL4eYbDUFhkqcq-3srz8VpbC1pzI6RpqAXD61IaChaeg/w189-h400/105%20-%20Christopher%20petting%20Dottie.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher petting Dottie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6EWkld0wKYJRC1vdJeLQqjDCoAAdbTYhD-Bpx8zEoJtVaVjEGOh4GW9fhgX-6JCL6I2ZH1eZNAMmdRBYpchvRPlps3VvFr88Ym9iwbO7cZp61jBa-LSJ5NIGb1bUplT9vKZO-4oeffjd_RQsCAu9VXSZDNcfw3rObI-WP98yzKeCokLnEQdWgQZGXA/s4032/106%20-%20picking%20more%20grass%20to%20feed%20Dottie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt6EWkld0wKYJRC1vdJeLQqjDCoAAdbTYhD-Bpx8zEoJtVaVjEGOh4GW9fhgX-6JCL6I2ZH1eZNAMmdRBYpchvRPlps3VvFr88Ym9iwbO7cZp61jBa-LSJ5NIGb1bUplT9vKZO-4oeffjd_RQsCAu9VXSZDNcfw3rObI-WP98yzKeCokLnEQdWgQZGXA/w189-h400/106%20-%20picking%20more%20grass%20to%20feed%20Dottie.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">picking more grass to feed Dottie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMhr9ZyXuZF6J5hojHmlEVUUkVkavQ_I4nsvg9aiczQ2l1c9RQVCcl82q9BBMYARldMT3e8EkSe45MnhhQ9tpMtLBJba30jGuMIeEHR0sV2PP8JmemWJzu9ThmOiYZpsnFYd_RZzrkit9WN5P6djddHwZfXdHf_B549ptJS3w-K1_AH3M4KDJtpTDbQ/s4032/107%20-%20feeding%20Dottie%20grass.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMhr9ZyXuZF6J5hojHmlEVUUkVkavQ_I4nsvg9aiczQ2l1c9RQVCcl82q9BBMYARldMT3e8EkSe45MnhhQ9tpMtLBJba30jGuMIeEHR0sV2PP8JmemWJzu9ThmOiYZpsnFYd_RZzrkit9WN5P6djddHwZfXdHf_B549ptJS3w-K1_AH3M4KDJtpTDbQ/w189-h400/107%20-%20feeding%20Dottie%20grass.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding Dottie grass</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I moved the cows and calves up through the corrals and out to the lower end of the ditch pasture toward Andrea’s house, and moved the heifers to the slot next to the creek, above the post pile pasture. There’s enough grass there to last them a few days. I let Babe into one of the side pens to graze, so he can be used to green grass before we put him with cows this weekend. I’ve been picking some tall grass for him morning and evening to add to his hay, to help his gut adjust to green feed, so it won’t be an abrupt change from hay to lush green grass.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim went to the woods again to get more firewood and Christopher stayed with Lynn and me while Andrea finished irrigating. Then we took the last big round bale to Pandemonium (the cow in jail in Breezy’s old pen). Christopher rode in the tractor with Lynn to bring the bale to her feeder.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjq6Erq2DN4sFOebYgT4fM69rEas4YQPYh2aOKQMQzOoAyWB6nUeBE1uO9RxeqHcUPBPGc_Sz8pPuuvLynxaanBKyMqOxD356vYgOHc23vuD1h3NEVgYk7XfgIYL92GFFhp2md5TEBniKg8m3EMDe8QmaikkmAR2t94Z9QBwJkZP6ho0RKYix8HaBlNQ/s4032/108%20-%20Christopher%20riding%20in%20tractor%20with%20Lynn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjq6Erq2DN4sFOebYgT4fM69rEas4YQPYh2aOKQMQzOoAyWB6nUeBE1uO9RxeqHcUPBPGc_Sz8pPuuvLynxaanBKyMqOxD356vYgOHc23vuD1h3NEVgYk7XfgIYL92GFFhp2md5TEBniKg8m3EMDe8QmaikkmAR2t94Z9QBwJkZP6ho0RKYix8HaBlNQ/w400-h189/108%20-%20Christopher%20riding%20in%20tractor%20with%20Lynn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher riding in tractor with Lynn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hat afternoon Alfonso rode over the low range and opened the gates into the middle range so the range cows can start moving to their next pasture. He realizes they are out of feed and he doesn’t want them getting into his fields.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Roger were getting ready to go to Oregon to stay awhile and help take care of his younger brother (who is continuing to recover from the serious accident he had this spring, and is now home from the hospital). Andrea, Em and Charlie joined them for dinner downtown, since they were going to be leaving this morning.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fVqwpBKLgi5vnAtt-GVAW0znedSAvwrIzZag4RGOFkK2Rp8F0nhLLmfDFiqst15SgOvuzVfYJjB8Ffb7SSxplCFueUxRtYYei-2yHfb9Q7q0HH3gnt1YpWui11twxzuE7SmgQtIrje_csv1QxY_aq_wkZQHfyk5P8AdZEAkbYJFOugy6pcPDfq3WIQ/s4608/109%20-Dinner%20for%20Dani.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fVqwpBKLgi5vnAtt-GVAW0znedSAvwrIzZag4RGOFkK2Rp8F0nhLLmfDFiqst15SgOvuzVfYJjB8Ffb7SSxplCFueUxRtYYei-2yHfb9Q7q0HH3gnt1YpWui11twxzuE7SmgQtIrje_csv1QxY_aq_wkZQHfyk5P8AdZEAkbYJFOugy6pcPDfq3WIQ/w400-h190/109%20-Dinner%20for%20Dani.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dinner for Dani</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">oday was hot—up to 90 degrees by afternoon. In the early morning before it got hot, I put hind shoes on Dottie. Her feet are soft (from irrigation water running through her pen) and I don’t want her to stone bruise; she needs shoes before I ride her again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso and John Miller rode this morning to gather their cows off the low range. They missed a few, but took most of them up to the middle range. Andrea and I hope to ride tomorrow and check our 320 fence next to the middle range, to make sure there are no bad spots (trees blown down over it, or wildlife tearing it down) where range cattle could come through and get into our upper pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea changed more water then brought Christopher down with her, and he “helped” Lynn and Andrea get the old stackwagon started and he rode in it with Lynn to take it around to the new machinery “parking lot” that Michael created by the corrals. Then we went to hook up the swather to the mid-size tractor to take it around there, too. We want to park all the machinery in that new spot, out of the tall grass, where we can work on it (fix the stackwagon clutch, get the swather ready for cutting, etc.) and eventually be able to graze that area behind the barn instead of having machinery there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we started to take the swather out of there, however, we discovered that one of the hydraulic cylinders on the tractor was leaking badly. We got the swather moved, but had to unhook it again and leave the tractor in a spot where we can remove that cylinder and send it to a place in Idaho Falls that can repair it. So we are not quite ready to start haying yet!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim took Christopher to town, to Emily, and Andrea finished irrigating. Late afternoon Lynn went to town for mail and groceries and borrowed an impact wrench from a friend so we can hopefully get the leaking cylinder off the tractor.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JUNE 22</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Friday Andrea and I moved the cows and calves to the next segment of pasture along the ditch below her house. Then we rode Dottie and Willow for 3 hours to check the 320 fence that borders the middle range. On our way up the ridge we saw about a dozen range cows and their calves, and two bulls that Alfonso and John missed when they moved their cattle to the middle range. We were not happy to discover the bulls still there, because we don’t want any bulls next to the cows we’ll be putting on our state land pasture—the bulls will try to come through the fence to breed our cows.<div><br /></div><div>Then we went into the middle range and rode along the fence between the 320 and that range pasture. I took photos as we checked that fence, and the place along an aspen grove where Michael and Nick put in a bunch of steel posts a few years ago.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXppYXGOh1bWnKZwfHGXbbbeAHHHZ5ars7J_vJBmgkJPPtIZCrP-SEl4fV9hPEE7v3icudSk2MohTJuxxKVU1fuK_BnkzdhwxpSWcoqPk9R2MaIGORRkXfrWZWylLUYFAl86sP0u52jpDuziFE2-w00v8Q9JOtztowTIzTb-r9ssVa7gDCI3caelSDbw/s4000/110%20-%20checking%20fence%20between%20the%20320%20and%20the%20middle%20range.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXppYXGOh1bWnKZwfHGXbbbeAHHHZ5ars7J_vJBmgkJPPtIZCrP-SEl4fV9hPEE7v3icudSk2MohTJuxxKVU1fuK_BnkzdhwxpSWcoqPk9R2MaIGORRkXfrWZWylLUYFAl86sP0u52jpDuziFE2-w00v8Q9JOtztowTIzTb-r9ssVa7gDCI3caelSDbw/w400-h300/110%20-%20checking%20fence%20between%20the%20320%20and%20the%20middle%20range.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking fence between the 320 and the middle range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvgGWN1n3wrCDKPzaJwEOcIhqGfRxlT3auC_j5LvqdgqNdQNYcE2KNqr1IZKz1CYzqs9sGXANt2H70-66BW9mUD4_54XS2XRqe8aC_HG1O8_NCsx8yfSPcQjx3cDInQ4P79O5cnDAsHmCfsbsDrhCUvyOsDZgl7_qS6EDyopX6R5AFoeqEvpP-r66bA/s4000/111%20-%20Andrea%20riding%20Willow%20along%20the%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvvgGWN1n3wrCDKPzaJwEOcIhqGfRxlT3auC_j5LvqdgqNdQNYcE2KNqr1IZKz1CYzqs9sGXANt2H70-66BW9mUD4_54XS2XRqe8aC_HG1O8_NCsx8yfSPcQjx3cDInQ4P79O5cnDAsHmCfsbsDrhCUvyOsDZgl7_qS6EDyopX6R5AFoeqEvpP-r66bA/w400-h300/111%20-%20Andrea%20riding%20Willow%20along%20the%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea riding Willow along the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBk16muYm6mN6-GX_pejL4cQH6SrvrLG459U9mTP2HpJF-8fFdvsIqFZIo8bBgDGl_UQlxpB3pvXvcCXiv8iIa77YbCPa3vWMVrMlt5cOMMnq0sEJnlguNSTZ9o1rk76MXn8PpmQqfUwhCJX-98gQHTzFKXJ-Zy57AtvDv5VMVjOVF_xdZpSOxUfuLA/s4000/112%20-%20checking%20the%20fence%20where%20Michael%20and%20Nick%20fixed%20it%20a%20few%20years%20ago.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBk16muYm6mN6-GX_pejL4cQH6SrvrLG459U9mTP2HpJF-8fFdvsIqFZIo8bBgDGl_UQlxpB3pvXvcCXiv8iIa77YbCPa3vWMVrMlt5cOMMnq0sEJnlguNSTZ9o1rk76MXn8PpmQqfUwhCJX-98gQHTzFKXJ-Zy57AtvDv5VMVjOVF_xdZpSOxUfuLA/w400-h300/112%20-%20checking%20the%20fence%20where%20Michael%20and%20Nick%20fixed%20it%20a%20few%20years%20ago.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking the fence where Michael and Nick fixed it a few years ago</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a few more photos as we went across Baker Creek and all the down trees on the middle range side.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8di5wsFtQ1wc_nJI04mhjcylq3VPODLmIpdDiCDStmUCbjeR9nfYTKQV11fTPWrGT6i3oS5HXocPTTTb0GS_qOFnKdb71Qr39fz6Yka24b9hYD1D23ClSe7EZDCpNHCguRtaBOSBOgArL4PMT_q6Wk6gcRN0qJX2bkaFVS4mY_9ETnCO-W_34g4hlWw/s4000/113%20-%20riding%20through%20down%20trees.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8di5wsFtQ1wc_nJI04mhjcylq3VPODLmIpdDiCDStmUCbjeR9nfYTKQV11fTPWrGT6i3oS5HXocPTTTb0GS_qOFnKdb71Qr39fz6Yka24b9hYD1D23ClSe7EZDCpNHCguRtaBOSBOgArL4PMT_q6Wk6gcRN0qJX2bkaFVS4mY_9ETnCO-W_34g4hlWw/w400-h300/113%20-%20riding%20through%20down%20trees.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding through down trees</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjdeGNq3jkrUZ2Vt7ifT-acHzB2T-USJX1JOg4DzkXhSHuETmqN_z4gsPRuiUvbar74Bllb1eslK8jM592UiU_bpYP0uAOU1QwCxU3oocG-saA9QoYpc16xwdsMlT5elWnelq7Vs1TkQjNDVW8uf-bPoHlF-XNioDwcMAq8jFo3fzhDIJhoUCJA2W4A/s4000/114%20-%20Willow%20crossing%20over%20the%20logs.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjdeGNq3jkrUZ2Vt7ifT-acHzB2T-USJX1JOg4DzkXhSHuETmqN_z4gsPRuiUvbar74Bllb1eslK8jM592UiU_bpYP0uAOU1QwCxU3oocG-saA9QoYpc16xwdsMlT5elWnelq7Vs1TkQjNDVW8uf-bPoHlF-XNioDwcMAq8jFo3fzhDIJhoUCJA2W4A/w400-h300/114%20-%20Willow%20crossing%20over%20the%20logs.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Willow crossing over the logs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIFdhI7u3pcPuOlfQjmYKn0FDjI5v4ZjuubpSCcsbDMVWm3uYsJYgN73EhqJKWFQQMX7kiQcxWFCcs5L6wNaC0Nzh_xwvKza3LsGTFv1ElYW9la9ecsmwPb8sZK1XuciFzoV6d6N_PNdCXcrlR7HDsEHiBF8QkwZ36XOqekmXgQ4FS4tsWmukCDEH5w/s4000/115%20-%20going%20to%20the%20creek%20crossing.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtIFdhI7u3pcPuOlfQjmYKn0FDjI5v4ZjuubpSCcsbDMVWm3uYsJYgN73EhqJKWFQQMX7kiQcxWFCcs5L6wNaC0Nzh_xwvKza3LsGTFv1ElYW9la9ecsmwPb8sZK1XuciFzoV6d6N_PNdCXcrlR7HDsEHiBF8QkwZ36XOqekmXgQ4FS4tsWmukCDEH5w/w300-h400/115%20-%20going%20to%20the%20creek%20crossing.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">going to the creek crossing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">h</span><span style="font-size: medium;">e 320 fence was in pretty good shape on that side; the repairs we made last year were still holding, and no new trees have blown down yet over the fence. Andrea did tie a couple of logs to the fence where it crosses Baker Creek, because the cattle last year had pushed up the bottom wires so much that something might be able to crawl through.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After she got that spot secure, we rode on up along the fence, and took some photos of the logging project in the 320, and the logging truck and equipment.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2euwRKN5V6I31-8-6qemLhk-otGMtnMJT5xy60cffvHt83qeZzC42SIF2JbpVR_lKbWYIxPoj_iy25MBNV3USypgBu0Qa18xG0KamKuaVBt1K3oaog4TEYyfH5I8iqZhZUsWjDuqa8BHhIJsDg-jZ3yOufh-c0vl-BcJZlQcC5vSrrOOjk1lIl4r4Dg/s4000/116%20-%20logging%20in%20Baker%20Creek.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2euwRKN5V6I31-8-6qemLhk-otGMtnMJT5xy60cffvHt83qeZzC42SIF2JbpVR_lKbWYIxPoj_iy25MBNV3USypgBu0Qa18xG0KamKuaVBt1K3oaog4TEYyfH5I8iqZhZUsWjDuqa8BHhIJsDg-jZ3yOufh-c0vl-BcJZlQcC5vSrrOOjk1lIl4r4Dg/w400-h300/116%20-%20logging%20in%20Baker%20Creek.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">logging in Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUERn5H5DwUKvLQ78IUBzSnBky5Oeno6qU2GmY7NXQ_ksr4BiB6OgX3MtKE3QefODw7fpeGk68PfbNcxkLeASM3dN3Lba3B0IgIUJg7c-M9BaTOPBoU0tnmQOwwkWhdQ7z8wTa_sTfck_pcPPXF-pVu4unFD9yzfBXklz1Zd9f56mqeMlueeB-vsnog/s4000/117%20-%20loggers%20widened%20the%20old%20jeep%20road.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUERn5H5DwUKvLQ78IUBzSnBky5Oeno6qU2GmY7NXQ_ksr4BiB6OgX3MtKE3QefODw7fpeGk68PfbNcxkLeASM3dN3Lba3B0IgIUJg7c-M9BaTOPBoU0tnmQOwwkWhdQ7z8wTa_sTfck_pcPPXF-pVu4unFD9yzfBXklz1Zd9f56mqeMlueeB-vsnog/w400-h300/117%20-%20loggers%20widened%20the%20old%20jeep%20road.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">loggers widened the old jeep road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDc1teJVNF2HjEtLREBiQydD0eGM00UoZPjW5cky35nreVHy0WzSRf8_sVwZ6ii1oAWRn3QPdi11ModRVZjOH59S6zXyxBO6w7GMnezJS4NBimMIoVqkDswDDM2FGkEObrtCLlRIB2-JHkK5GaXn3MN1mbrYyEBDL7swox-lcL6Zwk6vGJSQTh3kyHQ/s4000/118%20-%20logging%20truck%20and%20equipment%20parked%20in%20Baker%20Creek.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDc1teJVNF2HjEtLREBiQydD0eGM00UoZPjW5cky35nreVHy0WzSRf8_sVwZ6ii1oAWRn3QPdi11ModRVZjOH59S6zXyxBO6w7GMnezJS4NBimMIoVqkDswDDM2FGkEObrtCLlRIB2-JHkK5GaXn3MN1mbrYyEBDL7swox-lcL6Zwk6vGJSQTh3kyHQ/w400-h300/118%20-%20logging%20truck%20and%20equipment%20parked%20in%20Baker%20Creek.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">logging truck and equipment parked in Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We went on up around the mahogany trees and cliffs, then checked the top end of the fence and came around through the top gate in Baker Creek and took more photos.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUOC6qmgk69GYeT86bb20NkG6DRwrJ7uaBxa_L6nPS7XpV6AE3i52EpMuvVwj9RA43vtA-R1fkNmgqCwIXYv-xQnj5wUFe01Uht4D5i_fobBfq_iiWkMIRsL9wGY4jbPiJewfqeQX_sC5T-bVP--MZQG2RTB1K9iCTA0PU_Cmxlt_WvhK1QWkhQeP6A/s4000/119%20-%20going%20up%20and%20around%20the%20fence%20that%20ties%20into%20the%20rock%20cliffs.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwUOC6qmgk69GYeT86bb20NkG6DRwrJ7uaBxa_L6nPS7XpV6AE3i52EpMuvVwj9RA43vtA-R1fkNmgqCwIXYv-xQnj5wUFe01Uht4D5i_fobBfq_iiWkMIRsL9wGY4jbPiJewfqeQX_sC5T-bVP--MZQG2RTB1K9iCTA0PU_Cmxlt_WvhK1QWkhQeP6A/w400-h300/119%20-%20going%20up%20and%20around%20the%20fence%20that%20ties%20into%20the%20rock%20cliffs.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">going up and around the fence that ties into the rock cliffs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBattzPEnH8Z1JOn-TZ650IJIvWWe6M-ukLhLofnZPbWLaCUGJmVizmw9VZpTccgu97oyGHazMANvMt4lH43o712ZBQUxq14UjXvoznso_dSPpLixjqDf_2MFveUYU3Rho0YKZ_skdw1vkmxakm808Y8XipDCc7cTmELkCvnA_SBUg15du3xH6e_aS9g/s4000/120%20-%20coming%20down%20to%20our%20gate.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBattzPEnH8Z1JOn-TZ650IJIvWWe6M-ukLhLofnZPbWLaCUGJmVizmw9VZpTccgu97oyGHazMANvMt4lH43o712ZBQUxq14UjXvoznso_dSPpLixjqDf_2MFveUYU3Rho0YKZ_skdw1vkmxakm808Y8XipDCc7cTmELkCvnA_SBUg15du3xH6e_aS9g/w400-h300/120%20-%20coming%20down%20to%20our%20gate.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming down to our gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On our way around through that little part of the high range we ran across a big pile of black poop—from some large predator (wolf, cougar or bear) that had been eating meat. It was the same area where we’ve found wolf-killed elk and cougar-killed deer and a calf of Alfonso’s in previous years.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We took a few more photos as we rode down Baker Creek, on the old jeep road that the loggers widened. One of their trucks was down in the meadow, loaded with logs, but no one was working there today. The loggers had eliminated the big bog at the main creek crossing; they’d put logs in it (that the water could run alongside and go through) and covered them with dirt to make a firm road for their trucks and equipment.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPm8Jfqa5JffcKNxiM4YViPbUEbS8u-1e8HcrWKtSQiZV6dmBV1qzZanCKT7HJem7Tfdg7sefGEvVUxxGrNBebYFcCRtnxqUX0npdZ7fEiYL8SiG7nECRTvUuWPJIHqOJugeEA7imPzhCg2s6bmRMQKeUOx3-VaLsIIOyPDL-nAl46k6Rx1pibu7NFw/s4000/121-coming%20down%20%20Baker%20Creek%20on%20old%20jeep%20road.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbPm8Jfqa5JffcKNxiM4YViPbUEbS8u-1e8HcrWKtSQiZV6dmBV1qzZanCKT7HJem7Tfdg7sefGEvVUxxGrNBebYFcCRtnxqUX0npdZ7fEiYL8SiG7nECRTvUuWPJIHqOJugeEA7imPzhCg2s6bmRMQKeUOx3-VaLsIIOyPDL-nAl46k6Rx1pibu7NFw/w400-h300/121-coming%20down%20%20Baker%20Creek%20on%20old%20jeep%20road.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming down Baker Creek on old jeep road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmImxeGx_vMrRQR7KItnMjHRMFcjy5BsVONZjjUSpRtqGTlJ0PJOWBR9y4dC_mVSl38-KbQLNijGO9-6TT7Cah8E4HJvfEQMFuLw0oWrzqorPELCvTfX2FgQEaXqfFyp4Y54KQ2hT7Lz6My7vG2dH0sjq1WvtV-xoKyBP-ge7ypZiY1dGhDlHzmvaCgg/s4000/122%20-%20the%20old%20trail%20across%20creek%20has%20been%20widened.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmImxeGx_vMrRQR7KItnMjHRMFcjy5BsVONZjjUSpRtqGTlJ0PJOWBR9y4dC_mVSl38-KbQLNijGO9-6TT7Cah8E4HJvfEQMFuLw0oWrzqorPELCvTfX2FgQEaXqfFyp4Y54KQ2hT7Lz6My7vG2dH0sjq1WvtV-xoKyBP-ge7ypZiY1dGhDlHzmvaCgg/w400-h300/122%20-%20the%20old%20trail%20across%20creek%20has%20been%20widened.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the old trail across creek has been widened</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6rtguIk8X_0czH2zE6c-7C4wU-AI_-7IaNCmivA3iVi7e01iD_EF5IRudYYcRRpvolXGOMaMZN7I_3EdaaO9tK6ptM85BYdL4HJHd1nkljFkgADNboK2whHGCOduDEE3dUMqIgYt4CeOb6dNx17aXTao1WtDrnTHetVLIA-IwgtrlztlPUxciUSfbA/s4000/123%20-logging%20truck%20and%20equipment.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6rtguIk8X_0czH2zE6c-7C4wU-AI_-7IaNCmivA3iVi7e01iD_EF5IRudYYcRRpvolXGOMaMZN7I_3EdaaO9tK6ptM85BYdL4HJHd1nkljFkgADNboK2whHGCOduDEE3dUMqIgYt4CeOb6dNx17aXTao1WtDrnTHetVLIA-IwgtrlztlPUxciUSfbA/w400-h300/123%20-logging%20truck%20and%20equipment.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">logging truck and equipment</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49vQ8NwP-lbIRI8-Qs0fRChTzJulOoni_FbcAESoAgFb1zvvplqtve6dH5qORs67sJbAslN4Ci508RJkRTTAkTNppZH2OtlQd6dH-qGOUvNIU7WRS82zgwLyYnFPLAA0Fw4ZMZ2lcJawS8Q9R3sgMwrcNZmLu_0xu8-kmgB5pfHnICReIuDgWwbyCnQ/s4000/124%20-%20bog%20at%20creek%20crossing%20eliminated.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49vQ8NwP-lbIRI8-Qs0fRChTzJulOoni_FbcAESoAgFb1zvvplqtve6dH5qORs67sJbAslN4Ci508RJkRTTAkTNppZH2OtlQd6dH-qGOUvNIU7WRS82zgwLyYnFPLAA0Fw4ZMZ2lcJawS8Q9R3sgMwrcNZmLu_0xu8-kmgB5pfHnICReIuDgWwbyCnQ/w400-h300/124%20-%20bog%20at%20creek%20crossing%20eliminated.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bog at creek crossing eliminated</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he wind was horribly strong on our way home down the ridge, blowing right in our faces and making it hard to travel against it. The horses didn’t like it very much either. It was blowing so hard into my nose that I could feel the air hitting the back of my throat! We were glad to get down off the ridge and home again.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day I called John Miller and Alfonso to let them know there were still some cows and 2 bulls on the low range. Alfonso rode that afternoon and got them moved to the middle range pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I put an electric fence across the orchard and put the heifers and Babe in the lower half. We’ve officially started the breeding season. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily, AJ and Christopher came out to work on the firewood. While Jim was getting the wood splitter started, Christopher wanted to get on our little John Deere tractor so Em helped him climb up there and they sat on it for a while.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezuqcvx2kug9uDElPZpWtO-OK7lRLsCUpoLPh_o4ujQDmpLRcJYpNRaLd1yan76-YSAtRGY233LYxI2NAjHFov2GfDmajkoiW5NE6o4PQojdOh1i9DGr8_7Lb3X7BS8y4HmF75LnDHy0AMHbdY0-HidKdROmYpwtWGF9TPGXH0demFhSeO8CqwSeHAg/s4000/125%20-%20Em%20&%20Christopher.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiezuqcvx2kug9uDElPZpWtO-OK7lRLsCUpoLPh_o4ujQDmpLRcJYpNRaLd1yan76-YSAtRGY233LYxI2NAjHFov2GfDmajkoiW5NE6o4PQojdOh1i9DGr8_7Lb3X7BS8y4HmF75LnDHy0AMHbdY0-HidKdROmYpwtWGF9TPGXH0demFhSeO8CqwSeHAg/w400-h300/125%20-%20Em%20&%20Christopher.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLkkudG9O16lAsEsw0tWteAf3UHmcNNYW2xKEWl26ANA9fQo_Mpa-P23aWa1IiLW4GmpXmFXWfZPovhxEu4lsu04q_eUCYT4DpoRGQfpATAsLW3dr0zSz_iKTwZOPt46MGX5XpgSqFcpNmIWgrOVvNuI2FhCdMZMb6XiY3LmVQMzdXHZ2rrzt37qlfg/s4000/126%20-%20Em%20&%20Christopher.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLkkudG9O16lAsEsw0tWteAf3UHmcNNYW2xKEWl26ANA9fQo_Mpa-P23aWa1IiLW4GmpXmFXWfZPovhxEu4lsu04q_eUCYT4DpoRGQfpATAsLW3dr0zSz_iKTwZOPt46MGX5XpgSqFcpNmIWgrOVvNuI2FhCdMZMb6XiY3LmVQMzdXHZ2rrzt37qlfg/w400-h300/126%20-%20Em%20&%20Christopher.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hen Jim split wood and AJ and Emily loaded the split wood into AJ’s truck.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1SkH2asKGx8IKtEIP1mHVK8GCE3mFTt141Gg9GY1amZprdhrcb59LG-5EWIo9XdLdq-zhWPC1NaOHq9Vy9VhhkFXOcHTnpvoNermbxVlhfpVnQuRCQrb853HxeOaMQtUzjeY1qZvv29wQFGQmSbC-EeVxjrBeNQPqjVLQsbGZ_kbcj-Xcf1kHK7v2w/s4000/127%20-%20Jim%20splitting%20wood.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1SkH2asKGx8IKtEIP1mHVK8GCE3mFTt141Gg9GY1amZprdhrcb59LG-5EWIo9XdLdq-zhWPC1NaOHq9Vy9VhhkFXOcHTnpvoNermbxVlhfpVnQuRCQrb853HxeOaMQtUzjeY1qZvv29wQFGQmSbC-EeVxjrBeNQPqjVLQsbGZ_kbcj-Xcf1kHK7v2w/w400-h300/127%20-%20Jim%20splitting%20wood.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim splitting wood</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helped for a little while, taking some of the blocks of wood to the front of the truck for his mom to stack, and even tried to stack some of it himself.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZi1axapE-HNOWcZmE2r9qlHcISGxW3eBTejtvZ2yr9orWWZqSTKxUYlxOMTUBIJAugH4raUQQcCCjpsSDXm0KSLVLngq20k4X7-64Vww-gldMdd6rHmVh6QZ0vDv--ykopBfz0Pu86L2YP1gFzGIbuoCqTiq5bAnFe2RBuqfsoGPGypowA6tz1Pviw/s4000/128%20-Christopher%20helping.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAZi1axapE-HNOWcZmE2r9qlHcISGxW3eBTejtvZ2yr9orWWZqSTKxUYlxOMTUBIJAugH4raUQQcCCjpsSDXm0KSLVLngq20k4X7-64Vww-gldMdd6rHmVh6QZ0vDv--ykopBfz0Pu86L2YP1gFzGIbuoCqTiq5bAnFe2RBuqfsoGPGypowA6tz1Pviw/w400-h300/128%20-Christopher%20helping.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher </span></i><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">helping</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrdB1x8_Qcgz_U4aLSc4eRyQlaZQhMFwSLcOpcEOAqOqdtQryhkVX0yfrJZKAmahHqjfPOngp8HMGzV2U-XLyS-XvI_zeKMdu7myaHHHrDpAVfLfrR9UFCojXLhktkwY5J8qEBIqAMU3LNi7U33qyroM6f615jOIyZFYdbIl4--eVLvlaVjnOnytIRw/s4000/129%20-%20Christopher%20carrying%20wood%20to%20his%20mom%20to%20stack.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrdB1x8_Qcgz_U4aLSc4eRyQlaZQhMFwSLcOpcEOAqOqdtQryhkVX0yfrJZKAmahHqjfPOngp8HMGzV2U-XLyS-XvI_zeKMdu7myaHHHrDpAVfLfrR9UFCojXLhktkwY5J8qEBIqAMU3LNi7U33qyroM6f615jOIyZFYdbIl4--eVLvlaVjnOnytIRw/w400-h300/129%20-%20Christopher%20carrying%20wood%20to%20his%20mom%20to%20stack.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher carrying wood to his mom to stack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpLwV49jg1uUaZbNsEARMe7xZMAfEchGs08YZfwCf7FEijBHxFULQpiKCPXJ_xpVqJ3hAvZfpCZJFhwQz5Z-C6V_DbbTKcV55uFES1OY5Hr4z3ob-oC3NGJBGi_Wn_fVB6_jSWvXlt7rQob8LqtQkbjo7mKDE3mPya861Yi_A-jXvi2KuYpDk1w3QOQ/s4000/130%20-%20grabbing%20another%20piece.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpLwV49jg1uUaZbNsEARMe7xZMAfEchGs08YZfwCf7FEijBHxFULQpiKCPXJ_xpVqJ3hAvZfpCZJFhwQz5Z-C6V_DbbTKcV55uFES1OY5Hr4z3ob-oC3NGJBGi_Wn_fVB6_jSWvXlt7rQob8LqtQkbjo7mKDE3mPya861Yi_A-jXvi2KuYpDk1w3QOQ/w400-h300/130%20-%20grabbing%20another%20piece.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">grabbing another piece</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QbeSOxVVHXebWKIJsANN59P_GudZ9R-mdCYZ7gNgj-6-uy0DNPzv6UoTvUzJyMI3x0tLZswZfhtl1dIX32tS_8eprF51z3cV7wULlyjn8rPEVFVuB4XrdXbQqknHTcvXgn10ca04FXk-YvQgEvWvu0-94Mbg-5pHjGO_xen-WWbtNR1zMrD0p2O8vA/s4000/131%20-stacking%20it%20himself.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QbeSOxVVHXebWKIJsANN59P_GudZ9R-mdCYZ7gNgj-6-uy0DNPzv6UoTvUzJyMI3x0tLZswZfhtl1dIX32tS_8eprF51z3cV7wULlyjn8rPEVFVuB4XrdXbQqknHTcvXgn10ca04FXk-YvQgEvWvu0-94Mbg-5pHjGO_xen-WWbtNR1zMrD0p2O8vA/w400-h300/131%20-stacking%20it%20himself.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stacking it himself</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">h</span><span style="font-size: medium;">ey also drained the old gas out of our generator and got it started, so we can use it to run the impact wrench to take the leaky steering cylinder off the tractor. Charlie came out after lunch and helped Lynn take that apart, so we can send the leaking cylinder to a place in Idaho Falls to be fixed.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily had to go to work (and Jim and AJ kept splitting and loading firewood) and Andrea went to the memorial service for Trevis French. He was the son of some good friends and neighbors who have a ranch nearby. Trevis was just a little older than our kids. He died unexpectedly in December. We wanted to go to that service also, but Lynn needed to help Charlie work on the tractor and someone had to babysit Christopher—so I took care of him that afternoon.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve all got bad colds again; I had a severe sore throat that night, and Christopher was coughing so much in his sleep that he gagged and vomited and nearly choked himself. Andrea was taking care of him that night because Emily was working until 2 a.m. Fortunately Andrea heard him coughing and gagging and took him to the bathroom to finish throwing up. He never did fully wake up, and might have choked to death on his vomit if she hadn’t helped him. He still has a bad cold and cough but is doing a little better by today.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday was cloudy and cool and supposed to rain. The rain held off long enough for us to take down the division electric fence in the orchard pasture and get the cows and calves down to the corrals and sorted. We took most of the pairs to the orchard to put in with the bull and heifers, and then I saddled Dottie and we took 6 pair (the older cows we plan to sell this fall) up to the hill pasture across the road from heifer hill. Lynn and Andrea went up the road on 4-wheelers to open the gate and head them into that pasture and I followed the cows up the horse road on Dottie.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgkZ01_7hdk7O6Xs7vs-nYiLfSOjBVFUEPSEc-WI9-EyjunGWWaXkruvVSD8H4XyzYleyh3grVeA-HHUasP6Xu32JT23uOtk4s0EDX62CwuScxPiZot5fgitI5W_oRE6X3L5LiuzN_LVsJUb--2CAC-bmHS9J9EdCHFm9smazrnMOi9zhqoF1UGkQ1Q/s4032/132%20-%20Following%20the%20cows%20up%20the%20horse%20road.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPgkZ01_7hdk7O6Xs7vs-nYiLfSOjBVFUEPSEc-WI9-EyjunGWWaXkruvVSD8H4XyzYleyh3grVeA-HHUasP6Xu32JT23uOtk4s0EDX62CwuScxPiZot5fgitI5W_oRE6X3L5LiuzN_LVsJUb--2CAC-bmHS9J9EdCHFm9smazrnMOi9zhqoF1UGkQ1Q/w400-h189/132%20-%20Following%20the%20cows%20up%20the%20horse%20road.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Following the cows up the horse road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">hen I took the cows up the jeep track and out over the top part of the hill pasture where there’s some good grass, and let them spread out to graze.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yZW_C3Xn5qdN4TnA19DzxsR3TB4PMQ4HI-LuBJP4IiG4A7-l3ZCfkaPwEZLnOHhLgNxQXkblyLLhDAC3-AF9MJny4bJaDNxLVoth1gmG-GssgP1kTQd_jVulDlKW2PmRP-AhS4ORrCfIWYMEh_QyMiDvyAfqeKIkvYinXbw163qRL807ZGn_m5CVKw/s4032/133%20-%20taking%20the%20cows%20on%20up%20to%20the%20top%20of%20the%20hill%20pasture.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yZW_C3Xn5qdN4TnA19DzxsR3TB4PMQ4HI-LuBJP4IiG4A7-l3ZCfkaPwEZLnOHhLgNxQXkblyLLhDAC3-AF9MJny4bJaDNxLVoth1gmG-GssgP1kTQd_jVulDlKW2PmRP-AhS4ORrCfIWYMEh_QyMiDvyAfqeKIkvYinXbw163qRL807ZGn_m5CVKw/w400-h189/133%20-%20taking%20the%20cows%20on%20up%20to%20the%20top%20of%20the%20hill%20pasture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the cows on up to the top of the hill pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9ZZvTfk_vV8oyYbuzLyXY8zBEfAJawAoLlYehHLA8lWuxWdR6uJazbf53rRmlGJBHdAdB0RVC4O5-p1DlnY-jRVuLBS-3GpzXouDbKRIOHfAA2mxYOLJ8H0ODmrQDCVEe3Oqx9q_QE3gn4lHRKX1XCFBShqhgNZ6KlfHULimOOnFvGJ-D0cTtKCYeg/s4032/134%20-%20top%20of%20the%20hill%20pasture.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9ZZvTfk_vV8oyYbuzLyXY8zBEfAJawAoLlYehHLA8lWuxWdR6uJazbf53rRmlGJBHdAdB0RVC4O5-p1DlnY-jRVuLBS-3GpzXouDbKRIOHfAA2mxYOLJ8H0ODmrQDCVEe3Oqx9q_QE3gn4lHRKX1XCFBShqhgNZ6KlfHULimOOnFvGJ-D0cTtKCYeg/w400-h189/134%20-%20top%20of%20the%20hill%20pasture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">top of the hill pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE35lHyrVXx-V7rhK-3NbvwNLjeEi44WaRtRGGh1OtdC93YUFU67uU4igijx6B2E8DLWkxtTkgz9yijCvOcv-KQ74VahuY-Dp5Ic2sSwIUw4fvfNb0nAJhs8o0FfKfKsPOs16v0Mb446wfXuLWSwDjCyZbBytK2oOwhILFzyRozYcpru_tCXkgvd-vEQ/s4032/135%20-%20letting%20them%20spread%20out%20to%20graze.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE35lHyrVXx-V7rhK-3NbvwNLjeEi44WaRtRGGh1OtdC93YUFU67uU4igijx6B2E8DLWkxtTkgz9yijCvOcv-KQ74VahuY-Dp5Ic2sSwIUw4fvfNb0nAJhs8o0FfKfKsPOs16v0Mb446wfXuLWSwDjCyZbBytK2oOwhILFzyRozYcpru_tCXkgvd-vEQ/w400-h189/135%20-%20letting%20them%20spread%20out%20to%20graze.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">letting them spread out to graze</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s no sense in putting those cows with the bull, and it will stretch our field pastures farther if they aren’t in the breeding group. The 70-acre hill pasture is really good this year; we didn’t use it the last two years and all the bunch grass went to seed and created a thicker stand of grass, and this year with all the rain and cool weather that grass is still green and nice. When we got the 6 pair up there, we let them drink at the trough (that we filled a few days earlier) and then took them up the mountain to where the grass is really good.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked the fence (between that pasture and where the hungry range cows had been pressing it trying to get in) and discovered that those cows broke off several brace posts, reaching through the fence as far as they could. The only thing holding the fence are the steel posts between all the braces. We’ll have to fix those braces.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It started raining that afternoon and rained hard through the night and off and on all day Monday. We sent the tractor’s steering cylinder to Idaho Falls to be fixed. Andrea and I put up an electric fence across the horse pasture in the rain and then let the cows out into the first half of that pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was doing a phone interview that afternoon and looked out the window and saw a calf wandering around in the calving pen. I wondered how a calf could possibly have gotten out of the horse pasture and orchard and then I saw his ear tag and realized he’d come down from the hill pasture! I finished the interview and ran out to lock him in the calving pen, and Andrea came down to help me resolve the problem. We drove up to the hill pasture on her 4-wheeler and up the hill to where the cows were. Alligator Eyes (the mother of the wayward calf) didn’t even realize he was gone. We brought her down to the gate and put her through it and out onto the road. About that time it started raining hard again, but as we started her down the horse road she could hear her calf bawling down in the calving pen, and then she was easy to bring down that trail. Andrea went ahead, down the road, on her 4-wheeler, to get some gates ready, and I followed the cow on foot. When she got down to the barnyard Andrea let the calf out of the pen and we put the pair down in the little pen below the barn. Then we both had to get dry clothes on; we got thoroughly soaked in the rain.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was sunny and warmer. Andrea changed a little irrigation water in the morning (but we’ve shut most of our water off now, to get the fields dried up enough to start haying), and in the afternoon we rode Willow and Dottie to take Alligator eyes and her calf back to the hill pasture. She and her calf started climbing back up the steep jeep trail when we got them up there, and we checked the fence up from the gate, where the calf might have come through. It was all in good shape except for one short section where the wires were stretched. We’ll probably need to put in a couple more stays in that part to tighten it up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that afternoon we saw that the old cow and her calf ended up in the corner above our house; she apparently didn’t find the rest of the group. Andrea and Christopher went up there on her 4-wheeler to the end of the jeep track and hiked over to the far side and had a picnic snack by “Mable” (the brave little maple tree that has been growing there for about 40 years in the far gulley next to the range). Emily named that little tree 18 years ago when she was riding with me as a young child (Mable the Maple).</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2TJBxqipJzFi2uZvV5Lo9tWSDPgm-1gZUPyjw5CK7308XJ5x3iKYaY1kGmzF98Rep71xQU1ncYtvmSXF87myocm3Qrv29okc4-a2amj-a9CR6Ub2JLQ9zPIPTeNT7b6mRnCBj4bIeq6lMh_drUFVJhzD-6hHiymMM7JSDtfeIYenWYbiapLLQHW09Q/s4032/136%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Mabel.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS2TJBxqipJzFi2uZvV5Lo9tWSDPgm-1gZUPyjw5CK7308XJ5x3iKYaY1kGmzF98Rep71xQU1ncYtvmSXF87myocm3Qrv29okc4-a2amj-a9CR6Ub2JLQ9zPIPTeNT7b6mRnCBj4bIeq6lMh_drUFVJhzD-6hHiymMM7JSDtfeIYenWYbiapLLQHW09Q/w189-h400/136%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Mabel.jpg" width="189" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXqeVxSaWG0kKKK1PlH2t6ITqILk6BeFAQSH0IehNOo_zJUca6XLLWbM_J4A3_U8-MbEPZIikLinJwTFuxZKlav3jEeEXzsqjSxt8mlDVy24K-dJhliqdlTYNWpu6_aoUvrQlezEh65S_4Qm-j5T0iOzS3MZeip7WnQw-HGUbvSjG6ZTQPfdKmh2a4w/s4032/137%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Mabel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfXqeVxSaWG0kKKK1PlH2t6ITqILk6BeFAQSH0IehNOo_zJUca6XLLWbM_J4A3_U8-MbEPZIikLinJwTFuxZKlav3jEeEXzsqjSxt8mlDVy24K-dJhliqdlTYNWpu6_aoUvrQlezEh65S_4Qm-j5T0iOzS3MZeip7WnQw-HGUbvSjG6ZTQPfdKmh2a4w/w189-h400/137%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Mabel.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Mabel</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMntgt9Bar-iHeyg9F8fd7wDUDEQbhI7N1nj__H388_9iCZs0IG2zwCVpYP-TK1bS9ZzvZGiv7zBM68TLI7-GTTbpP4jztKnv1ugswxPF4u_gPnTJfQbgcb3aeIqji0hdzHd_VAvR4ZJk4qTv8JyU3FF0ZcNp9bZA8aiI5LZyp6M2VGawDFmdTT0po-Q/s4032/138%20-%20after%20the%20picnic%20snack%20by%20Mabel.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMntgt9Bar-iHeyg9F8fd7wDUDEQbhI7N1nj__H388_9iCZs0IG2zwCVpYP-TK1bS9ZzvZGiv7zBM68TLI7-GTTbpP4jztKnv1ugswxPF4u_gPnTJfQbgcb3aeIqji0hdzHd_VAvR4ZJk4qTv8JyU3FF0ZcNp9bZA8aiI5LZyp6M2VGawDFmdTT0po-Q/w400-h189/138%20-%20after%20the%20picnic%20snack%20by%20Mabel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">after the picnic snack by Mabel</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">he photos Andrea took show the grass in that corner of our hill pasture, compared to no grass at all on the low range outside the fence—where the neighbors’ cows ate every bit of grass.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After they had their snack, Andrea and Christopher hiked to the brink of the hill where they could look down and see Alligator Eyes and her calf. Andrea called the cow, and the old cow hiked up the hill and followed them around to where she could see the other cows and join them. On their way back to the 4-wheeler Christopher got tired and Andrea carried him piggyback. Andrea took a photo of him back on the 4-wheeler and ready to go home. They came home and Christopher told me about his adventure!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSezzLYVLBS6qtPUdQFyG1dDvh8WVpNf6j1fRPvCNGnyrOJPb1nbnV7TdVuHm-JFm8y5nTuag9HE6YebBMXEKXArAhjop7akfB-1X9OKkJNxXEf5aOuGMx6K22WfQe4mfiCHJ-S6NgT9MtsOwCwFTNqVI3IGj-VZQ1rjXaaRSxv-axwvXGNaqW5GuxWQ/s4032/139%20-%20Back%20on%20the%204-wheeler.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSezzLYVLBS6qtPUdQFyG1dDvh8WVpNf6j1fRPvCNGnyrOJPb1nbnV7TdVuHm-JFm8y5nTuag9HE6YebBMXEKXArAhjop7akfB-1X9OKkJNxXEf5aOuGMx6K22WfQe4mfiCHJ-S6NgT9MtsOwCwFTNqVI3IGj-VZQ1rjXaaRSxv-axwvXGNaqW5GuxWQ/w400-h189/139%20-%20Back%20on%20the%204-wheeler.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">back on the 4-wheeler</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">My brother Rockwell sent me a photo of the poppies blooming at his house. When he and Bev built their house at the upper end of the upper place a few years ago, he wanted some poppies like the ones that we enjoyed as kids at the little cabin up the creek where we spent summers before Dad got the ranch. There were amazing poppies growing all around the old outhouse up there, and we have some that grow prolifically in our front yard. So when Rocky wanted some, I dug up a few of ours for them to transplant at their new home. A few of them survived the winter and struggled through the next couple summers, and now they are thriving and expanding on Rocky’s place.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZq_YSpxDJ9ibjzneySeq4c8A3g48T0YQ1P7-v3EaqW78nBimBP-_UgjdNH8om0RkYVrkhdlwB4MqiI5hM_j_tpsWHrgPMio_TTuKYwZyjrhvhLXJJWbGziWx0XdzwO2p3WRJMFzLEoXBNA7OwfOw44i2HBB39qfOV01GqlG2Ns2HzngYAgN7O-b7fA/s2016/140%20-%20Rocky's%20poppies.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQZq_YSpxDJ9ibjzneySeq4c8A3g48T0YQ1P7-v3EaqW78nBimBP-_UgjdNH8om0RkYVrkhdlwB4MqiI5hM_j_tpsWHrgPMio_TTuKYwZyjrhvhLXJJWbGziWx0XdzwO2p3WRJMFzLEoXBNA7OwfOw44i2HBB39qfOV01GqlG2Ns2HzngYAgN7O-b7fA/w300-h400/140%20-%20Rocky's%20poppies.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rocky's poppies</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">oday is another sunny day. We need to start haying soon, but the tractor part probably won’t be fixed for a few more days. We might have to start cutting hay with the big tractor (the one we use on the baler).</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The cows have eaten the grass in the orchard and bottom half of the horse pasture so today Andrea and I will let them into the rest of the horse pasture, and put up the next electric fence—out in the big pasture above it—so they can graze part of it next. The bull has been doing his job; several of the heifers and cows have been bred already.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had an extra critter this morning when I went out to do chores. The tiny little pony belonging to one of our Amish neighbors had come visiting during the night. She spent the night eating hay by my hay shed, and socializing with our horses in their pens next to the hay shed. She made himself very much at home--tearing up a couple bales of hay and pooping in the hay. I locked her in the calving pen (where the grass is about as tall as he is!) until his owners could come get her, and took a few photos. She’s so short that the grass in that pen was almost as tall as she is. David and his little boy came later this morning and the boy rode the little pony home.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3-dfF0U791eXLMkxz-XmLz429fU-zMaRslfFLEipHk2qkN1kR8SNDB5Mo1ISDQqE_2KE-1UCXEcVZb1C5sH80gRwVRQJrp1bc97BQaycjVP_w7dIokvD3_dPsBvZcCM7vaxN-3RARQSOsNwsgrTUUddTBpKuNyDb_RFMeSUjG9Jt5HhGjBM4_H2OQA/s4000/141%20-%20pony%20in%20calving%20pen.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3-dfF0U791eXLMkxz-XmLz429fU-zMaRslfFLEipHk2qkN1kR8SNDB5Mo1ISDQqE_2KE-1UCXEcVZb1C5sH80gRwVRQJrp1bc97BQaycjVP_w7dIokvD3_dPsBvZcCM7vaxN-3RARQSOsNwsgrTUUddTBpKuNyDb_RFMeSUjG9Jt5HhGjBM4_H2OQA/w400-h300/141%20-%20pony%20in%20calving%20pen.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileCshJhWv0pICN_Hgo4K80avU_8GmkNihSq6h6gtIhONhnGyhflA4tHb8LX2zy9Lbl8xHC62xh6XnlZWA82XcH2yPT3rgxeCEzotOzY4cIYCIQcdMKgAixl3pIKkyJms8oO2_qkOtfugJbzGSKxOQXknet9pzrym43E9fFCbodzSydE2oTBdEutuEzA/s4000/142%20-%20Amish%20pony.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEileCshJhWv0pICN_Hgo4K80avU_8GmkNihSq6h6gtIhONhnGyhflA4tHb8LX2zy9Lbl8xHC62xh6XnlZWA82XcH2yPT3rgxeCEzotOzY4cIYCIQcdMKgAixl3pIKkyJms8oO2_qkOtfugJbzGSKxOQXknet9pzrym43E9fFCbodzSydE2oTBdEutuEzA/w400-h300/142%20-%20Amish%20pony.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amish pony in the calving pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhGVbYN9oKf4dQUWfjNyx16l0ZuLVpGKZYsh24IgYEy4v5Oq3bNXICzCMrvnbPF0BmuKpdmcFLNmvYEDVZtnneJlY9-V--9rvxth1mPsXY87_GhQjM3aY6o2fJKgK9jgLoBGvBgCkKE7Z4AJL4buwmEWQiTHeetnelOxQdPXlmA_aKLvKNFcwSITLxA/s4000/143%20-%20grass%20is%20almost%20as%20tall%20as%20the%20pony.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIhGVbYN9oKf4dQUWfjNyx16l0ZuLVpGKZYsh24IgYEy4v5Oq3bNXICzCMrvnbPF0BmuKpdmcFLNmvYEDVZtnneJlY9-V--9rvxth1mPsXY87_GhQjM3aY6o2fJKgK9jgLoBGvBgCkKE7Z4AJL4buwmEWQiTHeetnelOxQdPXlmA_aKLvKNFcwSITLxA/w400-h300/143%20-%20grass%20is%20almost%20as%20tall%20as%20the%20pony.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">grass is almost as tall as the pony</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">T</span><span style="font-size: medium;">his afternoon we had another unexpected visitor; a bald eagle perched on the fence between Willow’s pen and the field above it, and stayed there all afternoon. I took photos of him from the house window. </span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P-B2jdRNgLYhm4ETT-4vjNqal4a1bE86HBbsFnwpKvn4LnlGpo1YWD7qw-buxX7tH_mTSNLMJyVG76LIm5pZHem5MIjoQhMVb8k2cRNmSZKUkWwCC-GH3wZwA4S6lzJxNmFPoB9Rigi8UhsNK-sZyCo5Qnyz0lAOupFmlg4iTci9t6gp6pnkysM7ew/s4000/144%20-%20bald%20eagle%20on%20fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2P-B2jdRNgLYhm4ETT-4vjNqal4a1bE86HBbsFnwpKvn4LnlGpo1YWD7qw-buxX7tH_mTSNLMJyVG76LIm5pZHem5MIjoQhMVb8k2cRNmSZKUkWwCC-GH3wZwA4S6lzJxNmFPoB9Rigi8UhsNK-sZyCo5Qnyz0lAOupFmlg4iTci9t6gp6pnkysM7ew/w400-h300/144%20-%20bald%20eagle%20on%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKfpYodlCPv8VjRawqOQ_FFZOg8zXtYqq6TwqQ4JcwGXKv-F6uLDU3UYWRcxqs5WtseuT3WQ3Wbsvy_43F803ar2yh9eAg7QEXdqdQ72_4KN0ibdMal1pKs4eP-sjKF2hpzkyl8CE-yOl0LUofa1G1fW-vQs5qpuprz62xBwofwwtINsu2ObQXBSQuw/s4000/145%20-%20bald%20eagle.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKfpYodlCPv8VjRawqOQ_FFZOg8zXtYqq6TwqQ4JcwGXKv-F6uLDU3UYWRcxqs5WtseuT3WQ3Wbsvy_43F803ar2yh9eAg7QEXdqdQ72_4KN0ibdMal1pKs4eP-sjKF2hpzkyl8CE-yOl0LUofa1G1fW-vQs5qpuprz62xBwofwwtINsu2ObQXBSQuw/w400-h300/145%20-%20bald%20eagle.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfkXl9DNPfMfGcspQTIiefPXTJuzN1Luvc6fYYqxG76maA3Sp8EATp6porquXtJGUkd40CRNQnSaPnB2nAyq0tpoAs1mJyeBi2RJy_jvlIJXnVYsS2StEreHgSzIELLrTCvlvgVpZDvoZ43EfyZShITATzVnyycKbE9iU9HlsUx7nizJUZI_ONrl0BA/s4000/146%20-%20bald%20eagle.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwfkXl9DNPfMfGcspQTIiefPXTJuzN1Luvc6fYYqxG76maA3Sp8EATp6porquXtJGUkd40CRNQnSaPnB2nAyq0tpoAs1mJyeBi2RJy_jvlIJXnVYsS2StEreHgSzIELLrTCvlvgVpZDvoZ43EfyZShITATzVnyycKbE9iU9HlsUx7nizJUZI_ONrl0BA/w400-h300/146%20-%20bald%20eagle.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bald Eagle on fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">He didn’t leave until I went out to do chores; when I went up by my hay shed he thought I was too close, and flew off. </span><span style="font-size: large; white-space: pre;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Later we realized why he stayed all afternoon. We found a big sucker fish on the ground just above that fence. We don’t have any of those in our creek. The eagle probably brought it from the river and couldn’t eat all of it, and left it there below him on the fence--and was guarding his future meal.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-8774463771314880072022-07-25T13:45:00.001-07:002022-07-25T13:45:32.529-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – April 20 through May 10, 2022<p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">APRIL 26</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">This past week has been cold and windy. Granddaughter Heather in Canada told us that the foal she was treating didn’t survive. They never were sure what caused the diarrhea. One of their other mares foaled the next day and had a healthy filly.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcxwdbP57_CTSS7DZ9tZHPWModubzqWQf9SEptzi9W2pGtk90VHI8pLqumzEFUCWeEpv57QjGVnW_uRZvzCHOE5BH_5Q6odBTSZN9jNVaAy4k-yCPSBRRsvrTcT6Myr4Ca1wZ0UZnbuNoLgkdhYMPBn0lhHTxkV4xdSX_hSlmqJd-K2chB7-Q2FoBKw/s1334/1%20-%20new%20filly%20in%20Canada.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcxwdbP57_CTSS7DZ9tZHPWModubzqWQf9SEptzi9W2pGtk90VHI8pLqumzEFUCWeEpv57QjGVnW_uRZvzCHOE5BH_5Q6odBTSZN9jNVaAy4k-yCPSBRRsvrTcT6Myr4Ca1wZ0UZnbuNoLgkdhYMPBn0lhHTxkV4xdSX_hSlmqJd-K2chB7-Q2FoBKw/w225-h400/1%20-%20new%20filly%20in%20Canada.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new filly in Canada</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The creek is still very low; with all the cold weather none of the high snow is melting yet, and it may be a few more days before we get much more flow in the creek. It was really low going through our place after Alfonso dammed off the whole creek to turn on one of his ditches on the Gooch place above it. Jack (who has the first water right) was so short of water that he drove up the creek to see where it was all going, and called the watermaster. Alfonso may have to share some water with the other users.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday Jim drove to Missoula to pick up his twin sister Melanie, who flew out here from New York. She is spending a few days here, to celebrate their mutual birthday on Saturday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Heather and Gregory have quite a few mares due to foal this spring and they got a couple more new babies recently. It was cold, so they were using a foal blanket on one of them to keep it warm enough.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHL2knOcK5mw6ytjwOtFmAoaB_cHN_BTuMtfzmvc6_Q9no5ztlDTAacrh8nGuZd1deXpWqWTzYWXGj3u_tt9ZxwfGLkjttsrKpYayHOjsXvQjkSYXFGFtooGpC3mGqL_GtIjCEO5khoABCg2B6A5QX_KsRso76qIdrm11W3Cog9rKO2JiFx__Csa-1g/s4032/2%20-%20new%20baby.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqHL2knOcK5mw6ytjwOtFmAoaB_cHN_BTuMtfzmvc6_Q9no5ztlDTAacrh8nGuZd1deXpWqWTzYWXGj3u_tt9ZxwfGLkjttsrKpYayHOjsXvQjkSYXFGFtooGpC3mGqL_GtIjCEO5khoABCg2B6A5QX_KsRso76qIdrm11W3Cog9rKO2JiFx__Csa-1g/w300-h400/2%20-%20new%20baby.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new baby</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_A4v0CWDww8RFAEHCxwVOw6cOm_Y4I03FQGu0EGhFnwxi9S1R76RxcQx6J63cMAABr_p6QVayB3xONLf2Bh0G8PM9Ti48S7yLI9xh-nS4YJ6h0mBJDq-vFMBRbk1dOE1SehiWq_lUjEh5zAMAz3RVXKL_1RnSrpH5YYm1cCtfjR2sxtUsufHY6Tvtg/s4032/3%20-%20foal%20wearing%20baby%20blanket.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_A4v0CWDww8RFAEHCxwVOw6cOm_Y4I03FQGu0EGhFnwxi9S1R76RxcQx6J63cMAABr_p6QVayB3xONLf2Bh0G8PM9Ti48S7yLI9xh-nS4YJ6h0mBJDq-vFMBRbk1dOE1SehiWq_lUjEh5zAMAz3RVXKL_1RnSrpH5YYm1cCtfjR2sxtUsufHY6Tvtg/w400-h300/3%20-%20foal%20wearing%20baby%20blanket.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">foal wearing baby blanket</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we fed cows Friday morning, I was starting to fill their water tank while waiting for Andrea to bring the feed truck, and noticed that Pandemonium (one of our first-calf heifers) was sucking Sweet Pea, one of the other first calvers. This was bad news. When she was a baby calf, Pandemonium robbed milk from a first time mama named TW (Training Wheels), even though her own mother (Panda) gave plenty of milk. We’d often see TW nursing both calves at once. This isn’t unusual—first time mamas letting other calves nurse besides their own. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But Pandemonium never outgrew her desire to nurse. After she was weaned, she occasionally nursed on other heifers in the weanling group that winter, even though they didn’t have any milk. When they went to pasture that summer as yearlings, we thought she’d quit. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then last year, when we put the heifers with the cows so they’d all be together to be bred by our new bull, about a week into the breeding season we noticed Pandemonium trying to nurse TW—the young cow she’d suckled as a baby. TW tried to fight her off, but Pandemonium was persistent and would nurse from behind while TW’s own calf was nursing. That poor calf wasn’t going to grow very well, with competition for the milk from that big yearling!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we put Pandemonium in “jail” by herself in the corral and fed her hay, until we could decide whether to sell her or eat her. After the breeding season was over we put the bull (Babe) in the corral with her and she kept him company so he wouldn’t be so upset about being separated from the cows. That fall, when our vet preg-checked the herd, we figured Pandemonium would be bred—after living with the bull the rest of the summer and fall—and she was, but she was bred very early (before we put her in “jail”) and was going to have an early calf. So, we decided to keep her, thinking that maybe after she became a mom herself, with “grown up” responsibilities, she might forget her bad habit, especially since we’d sold TW—the cow she insisted on nursing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So it was with frustrated discouragement that we realized she was still a big robber. Sweet Pea (one of her own “classmates” as a first-calver) didn’t seem to mind being nursed by this big friend of hers, but her own little calf (Popeye) was being seriously shortchanged. So Andrea and I brought Pandemonium and her little heifer calf (Panther) out of the field day and put them in the corral below the barn. Pandemonium was furious and upset, being separated from the herd, even though she had the yearling heifers through the fence for company. She paced and bawled and was very unhappy. She’ll have to live this summer apart from the herd while she raises that calf, and then we will definitely sell her or eat her! We decided to let her live in Breezy’s old pen but she’ll stay in the pen below the barn until we get a feeder figured out for her.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, Lynn tried to fix my cook stove. The big burner quit working again. We’ve bought 3 new burners in the past several years. He realized that the part going to that burner had a problem and was shorting out and had a burned spot, so he’d ordered a new part. But when he tried to put it in, it didn’t fit right, so we still don’t have a big burner that works. We’ll have to make do with the little ones.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather sent us a photo of baby Ian who is now two months old.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakHHfsUUN26YOKQM7mADCjk3NqfeA6T13lZwEY6ZpWARicEWKmfWmhsoJEyV1xHfjX42eLrK27r6xwT8s_2HzCf3fqXRYi_yClfmyfo02qeoYkzXELJ_c-qgYMH-lgYFMBbmUn1hOBVQ4qOI313C0tIeIzx3ZuQRI-ryfCMEUtBPVOAZsOUCE8UbyFQ/s2600/4%20-%20baby%20Ian.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2600" data-original-width="2070" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakHHfsUUN26YOKQM7mADCjk3NqfeA6T13lZwEY6ZpWARicEWKmfWmhsoJEyV1xHfjX42eLrK27r6xwT8s_2HzCf3fqXRYi_yClfmyfo02qeoYkzXELJ_c-qgYMH-lgYFMBbmUn1hOBVQ4qOI313C0tIeIzx3ZuQRI-ryfCMEUtBPVOAZsOUCE8UbyFQ/w319-h400/4%20-%20baby%20Ian.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baby Ian</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was Jim and Melanie’s birthday. It was a cold, windy day. Andrea and Charlie spent that morning at Fire School (to get recertified for working on wildfires) but Andrea came down here early, and helped me feed cows before she left. While we were feeding we saw Jack Jakovac drive up the creek and figured he was looking to see who was irrigating, since he’s probably short of water. He must have called Tony (the watermaster) because Tony came out later that day to check, also, and saw that Alfonso has the creek dammed off to put all the water out on the Gooch place above us. Tony stopped by after checking the creek, and we discussed the problem. Afterward, Andrea called Alfonso and told him that he needs to “share” some of the water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Lynn and I were supposed to go to dinner at Andrea’s to celebrate Jim and Melanie’s birthday, but when I did chores I discovered that the hot wire was shorting out by the upper calf houses, and wasn’t working. I got that fixed, then when I fed Sprout and Shiloh I saw that the heifers had stretched their hot wire and one of them was out in the field. Fortunately she hadn’t gone very far, and none of the others had gotten out yet, so I was able to call the rest of them into the lane by the barn and feed them a little hay to keep them there. Then I was able to take down the hot wire where the heifer got out, and drive her back over it, so I could lock her in the lane with her buddies. That gave me a chance to turn off that section of electric fence and get it fixed. I reinforced the “fence” with another strand of hot wire (to make 3 strands instead of 2) and make it more visible, and made sure it was all working before I let them out into their little area (with their feeder) again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It took a while, and I was reminded of a couple other times we were detained because of cattle getting out. The day of Michael and Carolyn’s wedding in April 1989 (which was here at our house, with my dad doing the ceremony) they were delayed getting down here from the Gooch place—where they were staying in the old original farm house up there—because the bulls got out. They had to change clothes and get the bulls back in, and then change back to their good clothes and come down here. The wedding had to wait until the cattle were taken care of!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The other time that came to mind was when Lynn and I were driving out our driveway to go to grandson Nick’s high school graduation ceremony, but we ended up being a little late because we discovered the range cows had broken through the range fence and were out on the road. Alfonso (his first summer here) had turned out a bunch of bulls that day and they were fighting the neighbor’s bulls. The bulls broke through the fence, letting cattle out on the road, and the herd was about to come down our driveway. That would put them adjacent to our own cows, and the bulls might try to get in with our cows. So I chased those cattle back through the hole in the fence and chased them over the hill, in my good clothes, while Lynn went back to our barnyard to get steel posts and the post pounder. He fixed the broken fence while I chased those darn bulls over the hill! We did get to town in time to see Nick graduate, but we were a bit late.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At least in the present situation it was much easier getting our heifer back in and fixing the hot wire, but by that time I was late getting done with chores, so Lynn and I had to hurry to get to Andrea’s house for dinner, to celebrate Jim and Melanie’s birthday. Charlie, Emily, AJ, Dani and Roger were there, and Emily’s friend Audra. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day after we fed the cows and the feed truck was empty, Andrea and I loaded a round bale feeder onto the truck and took it around to Breezy’s old pen. We only have 2 round bales of cow hay left in the stackyard (the rest is big square bales that we feed with the truck). Lynn brought a round bale to Breezy’s pen with the tractor and situated in a place that will stay dry and not get boggy. Then we brought Pandemonium and her calf from the pen below the barn and put them in their new home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Dani and Roger cleaned out the calving barn and hauled the old bedding up to the field, and some of it out in the heifer pen. Now the barn will be clean for next year’s calving season.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was a little warmer, up to 60 degrees (after freezing hard that morning). It was actually a pretty nice day, which was good, because Lynn was asked to go locate another water well that afternoon. Emily and Christopher had lunch in town with Jim and Melanie before Em had to go to work, since she wouldn’t have a chance to see Melanie again. Jim took Melanie to Missoula today to the airport, to fly home to NY. Emily sent me a photo of Christopher playing at the city part playground.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGawpldydqVOHHNDi9MLw3D7-2t9PztdG79W_rbBkoE9wi-MvBrETKQDyw-NpRt0fciEL5hzTCQiAJ35PMNO43ycKM4rfFMb3n0bMqR_g7bsCs7dWkvvhUbU50jyKvGsHFgQ4BwKQJZOPbnw29NADwf9rD8Pw0uItytIX4OJD897n_gM5E5w-4THbQw/s4032/5%20-%20Christopher%20enjoying%20the%20playground.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGawpldydqVOHHNDi9MLw3D7-2t9PztdG79W_rbBkoE9wi-MvBrETKQDyw-NpRt0fciEL5hzTCQiAJ35PMNO43ycKM4rfFMb3n0bMqR_g7bsCs7dWkvvhUbU50jyKvGsHFgQ4BwKQJZOPbnw29NADwf9rD8Pw0uItytIX4OJD897n_gM5E5w-4THbQw/w300-h400/5%20-%20Christopher%20enjoying%20the%20playground.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher enjoying the playground</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso moved his cows to the Gooch place yesterday, but had quite a rodeo trying to do it. A bunch of them missed the gate when he and two other cowboys took them out of the field below us, and those were all jammed up in the fence corner. It’s a good thing we rebuilt the old fence between us and that pasture a few years ago, so no cattle can ever get through it, or we’d frequently have his cattle in our field. The riders ran those poor cattle around and around and finally got some of them out the gate, but there were still several calves they couldn’t get. They pushed some of them through Alfonso’s bad fence and out onto the road, but some wouldn’t go through the fence, and the riders gave up on those.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later, Alfonso brought some cows back down the road, back to their calves, and managed to get them together and take them all back up the road. But he left 3 bulls—and left his gate open. So, we’ve had to leave our driveway gate shut for 2 days, to make sure none of his wandering cattle (that keep going up and down the road) don’t come in.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today after we fed our cows, Andrea harrowed the field above the house where they are (except the small strip where we fed their hay). She hopes to start some water on the field above that pasture, as soon as there’s enough water in the creek, and needed to harrow the pasture before we have water subbing down through it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn is getting a bad cold; he finally caught the severe cold that Jim and Andrea have had for several weeks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MAY 3</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had a little rain and even though it hasn’t been very warm (not much snow melting yet on the mountain behind us) there’s more water in the creek. Andrea was able to put a little water in a couple more ditches and try to get our fields watered, little by little. She put some black plastic in the ditch by her house where Michael filled the deep chasm with rocks. With the rock fill, the ditch is no longer deep and a danger for cattle falling in it, but the rocks act like a French drain; the water goes through them, making it hard to try to get any out of the ditch to water the field. The black plastic lining the ditch made it work so she can set dams and get the water out where she needs it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One of Andrea’s favorite cats (one that has extra toes) had kittens, and Andrea sent me a photo of them—after she and Jim got them untangled and cut apart; they were all connected and tangled up in their umbilical cords, tightly wrapped around their necks and legs. She and Jim had to carefully clip them apart, clipping each cord to each kitten, and untangle them. They seemed to be ok, after they were cut apart.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TitqUTXkLnNrO51yQI7Bn_QTRkENZPU2mDwj_CFABZdxdrFjefDde27XA0ri77fRxEJu8VCwHNd-h-Z34ZheYwgTCgDfCFRtYGaG7OCwCaGtEn5nhLYNzAy_GthsHLSOx-qFyNyQ753xrgwriQnBnMWdJhslJ6jr2ouC9dJ3r-z0TCl4PSwxGNfQyA/s4032/6%20-%20new%20kittens.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8TitqUTXkLnNrO51yQI7Bn_QTRkENZPU2mDwj_CFABZdxdrFjefDde27XA0ri77fRxEJu8VCwHNd-h-Z34ZheYwgTCgDfCFRtYGaG7OCwCaGtEn5nhLYNzAy_GthsHLSOx-qFyNyQ753xrgwriQnBnMWdJhslJ6jr2ouC9dJ3r-z0TCl4PSwxGNfQyA/w300-h400/6%20-%20new%20kittens.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new kittens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn was asked to locate another water well last Wednesday, but the weather was nasty, with rain and snow, and his cold was worse, so he postponed it until a later day. His cough is pretty bad.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we fed cows early, then Andrea and Charlie drove to Idaho Falls in her truck to get a bunch of parts for Bob Miner; he hasn’t been able to make the trip and desperately needed more parts for his sprinkler repair business. It was raining hard when they got home that night. We need the moisture. This will help our irrigation and also bring the creek up. The next morning everything was very wet and there was snow on the upper place.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was too wet and muddy to take hay to the heifers’ feeder without getting the tractor stuck, so Andrea dragged another big bale feeder around from the barnyard where we stored them (pulled it with her 4-wheeler), and dragged it down past the barn into the little grassy pen below it. We used her 4-wheeler and put several little bales of my horse hay into that feeder. We can feed them the heifers that way until the mud in their pen dries out enough to get a big bale to their other feeder.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam and her boyfriend were here visiting over the weekend, and stopped in to see Emily, AJ and Christopher—and Christopher showed them his newest toy.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz0rDUC1LeBmTu_54WBJXZlu0sbtJM0gkE3oS58DL6sBJ5E92lgTJeHe-72ODF6-68S7fJaUJ8-D9NZi6Jxs7XmOcm_Q2IWB8LV6ox-KOdjRKlaZ13KbVKPYS8o_SDobDW4ll0LHevUjIJ-uIcCKYV440p410wXykGlxyRRf1tBPWKyKldN-VaP5_ug/s4032/7%20-Christopher%20showing%20off%20his%20new%20toy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglz0rDUC1LeBmTu_54WBJXZlu0sbtJM0gkE3oS58DL6sBJ5E92lgTJeHe-72ODF6-68S7fJaUJ8-D9NZi6Jxs7XmOcm_Q2IWB8LV6ox-KOdjRKlaZ13KbVKPYS8o_SDobDW4ll0LHevUjIJ-uIcCKYV440p410wXykGlxyRRf1tBPWKyKldN-VaP5_ug/w400-h300/7%20-Christopher%20showing%20off%20his%20new%20toy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher showing off his new toy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea started making a shelter corner in Breezy’s old pen, so Pandemonium’s calf can get out of the snow and rain. She made a roof with long boards across that corner and is using some old pieces of tin along the fence for the sides.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That night I woke up at midnight hearing a cow bawling in the pasture above the house. She was still bawling at 1 a.m. so I got up and went out there. All the calves were snug in the calf houses, and out of the bad weather. China Doll had a big udder and was bawling. Her calf came out of the house and was thinking about nursing, but he had white mess on his butt—the first case of scours we’ve had this year—and that’s why he wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to nurse. We’ve been lucky so far, to have no sick calves for this long, but it’s partly because the ground was so dry. The scour “bugs” always seem to thrive better in wet conditions and mud and the calves are also more stressed (less immunity) when they get wet and cold. At least the calves are old enough now to not be so vulnerable to the serious effects of scours; they don’t get as dehydrated as younger calves, and are more likely to handle it without needing treatment.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Since I was up in the middle of the night, I plugged in our tractor, knowing we’d need it to load hay the next morning, and it never starts very well if it’s cold. It was already freezing at midnight. We hoped to feed early while the mud was still frozen.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea came down from her house early, right after I finished chores, and she tried to start the tractor so we could take a big bale to the heifers before the mud thawed out, with risk for getting the tractor stuck. But the darn tractor wouldn’t start! It acted like the batteries were dead, so we put the battery boost charger on it for an hour, and went to feed the cows while it was charging. It barely started, after that, and even though the mud was starting to soften up by that time, we were able to take a bale to the heifers and get a big bale from the stackyard to reload the feed truck.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, we called Chris Bird at the tire center (who works on tractors) to see if he had the kind of batteries we need for that old tractor, and he did. He sent a guy out later that morning to put the new batteries in our tractor. The old ones are more than 10 year old and haven’t been holding a charge very well for several years, and getting worse. It never would start without being plugged in for a long time if the weather was cold.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We got an e-mail from granddaughter Heather in Canada, and a photo she took at Joseph’s birthday party (he’s now 5 year’s old) with one of his cousins and her mom. His dad (Gregory) and Grandpa John are also in the photo.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGSmugP7aubuwXsE_9A851S9qGtgufp6kugnoNArejhKqw5aODw4OJOEgySN289bLjDEaFzG5jT_NmAfXHnYX5RatNr96C2KyZkPRX-PDLGFz-7RM7pswfRYcwD9fbkdSayx9_ihs8BQRtTx2OMkL_IikT-drV6ldxab1EjLMeObcz_3JJXLNpj1IaA/s4032/7A%20-%20Joseph's%20birthday%20party.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGSmugP7aubuwXsE_9A851S9qGtgufp6kugnoNArejhKqw5aODw4OJOEgySN289bLjDEaFzG5jT_NmAfXHnYX5RatNr96C2KyZkPRX-PDLGFz-7RM7pswfRYcwD9fbkdSayx9_ihs8BQRtTx2OMkL_IikT-drV6ldxab1EjLMeObcz_3JJXLNpj1IaA/w400-h300/7A%20-%20Joseph's%20birthday%20party.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph's birthday party</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was warmer, up to 60 degrees in the afternoon. Andrea did all our town errands, since Lynn still has a bad cold and isn’t feeling very well. Alfonso didn’t feed his cows, and a bunch of them got out through his bad fence and were grazing along the road and hillside next to the Gooch place.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today it started raining about 6 a.m. and rained hard for several hours—the most rain we’ve had all spring. Water was running down our driveway and pouring off our roof. This will be like a good irrigation for all our fields! The mud was deep and slippery when we fed the cows, making it tricky to drive up past my hayshed and into the pasture where the cows are, but we didn’t get stuck.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we fed, we needed to load another bale on the truck but the tractor wouldn’t start! We checked the battery terminals but they were ok. Probably the new batteries were not charged when they got put in. So we put the battery boost charger on, and it started, and we let it run for an hour. We got the rest of the little bales out of the stackyard (not very many left) while the truck was empty, and brought them around by the calving pen, then loaded a big bale on the truck. We use a few little bales every day to help stretch the big bales (1st cutting alfalfa, which is a mix of grass and alfalfa), so we’ll be sure to have enough hay to finish feeding this spring and maybe have a few left over for next year—and not have to buy so much. Hay is really expensive right now, about three times the price it was a year ago—after the drought last summer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MAY 10</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– T</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">he water crisis is over. With a bit of rain, snow and then some warmer weather, the creek is up, so everyone is trying to get as much water going as possible on the fields. Our high water may not last very long this year, with less snow than normal in the mountains. The creek may get short of water by mid-summer. So we want to get our grass and hayfields growing, and grow as much grass and hay as we can before we run out of water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After all the wet weather, several of the calves now have the scours, but they aren’t very sick—just off feed a bit for a few days. At least they are old enough that they don’t get very sick, which is a blessing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday Lynn felt a little better (though he still has a cold) and went to Carmen Creek to locate a well site for the guy he had to postpone the week before. Andrea went with him; it’s easier on him if she drives. She took a photo of him using a bobbing willow to determine the depth of the water.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQ75nLFY7LXCfx8n_mPKYT9JQRaeXlXqU3_qgMKqcgbUU8JmLTi9hNCOWMk0czN8IT4pGNz9QAMK3d77OWQ37KqZWZhHv7OLbTxDpKnkt5-dcmWY73Y6mA8yc5yr6kx_GPqATk1xMym0-6Qaup2t7GX2RrQVzCHC_wOT7Z0mDq1sFji0iWzHNskvALA/s4032/8%20-%20Lynn%20counting%20with%20the%20bobbing%20willow%20to%20determine%20depth%20of%20the%20water%20for%20the%20well.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaQ75nLFY7LXCfx8n_mPKYT9JQRaeXlXqU3_qgMKqcgbUU8JmLTi9hNCOWMk0czN8IT4pGNz9QAMK3d77OWQ37KqZWZhHv7OLbTxDpKnkt5-dcmWY73Y6mA8yc5yr6kx_GPqATk1xMym0-6Qaup2t7GX2RrQVzCHC_wOT7Z0mDq1sFji0iWzHNskvALA/w400-h300/8%20-%20Lynn%20counting%20with%20the%20bobbing%20willow%20to%20determine%20depth%20of%20the%20water%20for%20the%20well.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn counting with the bobbing willow to
determine depth of the water for the well</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher started going to a day care facility a couple days a week, but with weather getting better, Andrea can probably take care of him easier now for part of the time, because she’ll be able to take him with her when she goes irrigating. He loves to be outside, and is getting old enough to follow instructions and not go near the creek, etc. when she’s changing water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani’s friend Roger is trying to get a job in town but in the meantime is helping us. He raked all the old branches out of the creek in the main corral before the water got higher, and is leaning to irrigate. He’s been helping Andrea get some ditches started, shoveling mud and grass sod out of the ditches, putting rocks in the diversions to funnel more water into the ditches, etc.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We started the tractor again on Thursday to load the feed truck again, and this time the tractor started fine. Probably the batteries weren’t charged before they were installed, and now they are charged and working.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea took a kitten to Dr. Cope to have a hind leg amputated. When the kittens were born a few days earlier and all balled up and tangled together with umbilical cords (before Andrea and Jim cut them apart) one kitten ended up with a hind leg strangulated with no blood circulation. That leg was withering and dying, and the bone was starting to stick out. Even though Cope is now confined to a wheel chair (his legs no longer work, due to bone cancer in his spine) he still tries to do what he can, and thought he could take care of that kitten’s leg.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So Andrea took the kitten to town, and helped Cope remove the leg and stitch the stump—with the kitten on a board across his lap. It worked ok, and Cope felt good to be able to still do something useful. He loves cats and dogs and was glad to help Andrea’s kitten. Cope’s wife took photos with Andrea’s phone while Andrea helped Cope deal with the kitten. Andrea also got the vaccine from him that we’ll need for vaccinating the cows and calves when we brand next week.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYrVudHPl-s42Lw3gzgyn66ZXum5N4Evw9GE90TNjcVTmKyD169MXJBvTt6oZEyKdwGMObWmcAufEwd_l44D0DKxa5_lLaMIqi6VlPBBGo5YUAqKokGlSO98uqWXeJiZ-jzyHRLQlmCPeRXoDqWbsQoFpXLj-_8y0YiMbhUm4aEYoDilqtd2FexW43Q/s4032/9%20-%20Cope%20&%20kitten.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTYrVudHPl-s42Lw3gzgyn66ZXum5N4Evw9GE90TNjcVTmKyD169MXJBvTt6oZEyKdwGMObWmcAufEwd_l44D0DKxa5_lLaMIqi6VlPBBGo5YUAqKokGlSO98uqWXeJiZ-jzyHRLQlmCPeRXoDqWbsQoFpXLj-_8y0YiMbhUm4aEYoDilqtd2FexW43Q/w300-h400/9%20-%20Cope%20&%20kitten.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Cope & kitten</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yyTAeZ5eTdcZwdXK56JpMFwTWqodzUqWZQiXmm4sIe9HCoI8X_u32ZtTRTvuRWCWlGlUqujiminycEfS4uwdc_agXYPXj0NFJv2THP2utQYdn6FOJMTDY1Djf5w1flW3PiJOO4G7NPQkaMfaSW6-qQROd6iy5mqxZImIFX7G4a_m5R3YHpDkSykSNA/s4032/10%20-%20Cope%20amputating%20the%20leg%20&%20stitching%20it.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yyTAeZ5eTdcZwdXK56JpMFwTWqodzUqWZQiXmm4sIe9HCoI8X_u32ZtTRTvuRWCWlGlUqujiminycEfS4uwdc_agXYPXj0NFJv2THP2utQYdn6FOJMTDY1Djf5w1flW3PiJOO4G7NPQkaMfaSW6-qQROd6iy5mqxZImIFX7G4a_m5R3YHpDkSykSNA/w300-h400/10%20-%20Cope%20amputating%20the%20leg%20&%20stitching%20it.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Cope amputating the leg & stitching it</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjFQL78oNMr_RGTgwrbHPjsFvHPQIO2KDQWZITjM7PyK-5GOjNIKLmZtYsyPTy7zNKdwFtS2KfnuGFLB0vkrPkn3q5tHvwLYQVrDh4cwLM7Doy4eT7SszG_u-EFseTHB5pklJ4vy_cE6lz_NtKk6KlheaOhI5p7Kn22h-Y6oknICOl7bWUtKiNln3IA/s4032/11%20-%20Cope%20stitching%20the%20amputated%20leg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXjFQL78oNMr_RGTgwrbHPjsFvHPQIO2KDQWZITjM7PyK-5GOjNIKLmZtYsyPTy7zNKdwFtS2KfnuGFLB0vkrPkn3q5tHvwLYQVrDh4cwLM7Doy4eT7SszG_u-EFseTHB5pklJ4vy_cE6lz_NtKk6KlheaOhI5p7Kn22h-Y6oknICOl7bWUtKiNln3IA/w300-h400/11%20-%20Cope%20stitching%20the%20amputated%20leg.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cope stitching the amputated leg</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The light switch in our dining room quit working and we had to leave the lights on all night. Lynn was able to fix it the next morning, turning off the power to that part of the house and replacing the switch.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that day he went to another ranch to locate water for a well. Andrea went with him and took this photo of the land owner watching Lynn determine the depth of the water he located.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXld4nveS7_H-8jqyULvW3OGfwdOGFwNjhU1jfasrCdg1Z1s95p-Om04eJZK9copDKAVAXQo0FqjRa8IeHZl9DN-Zu1SH7FIbKyEsPyIyI3FM-Urty5LTeE83-UuiS_hPYOYj3OKAtU1RYZR3oxnAJGAK_tjvK-3u78TbRJd3tBUCLmYBA6Wf95M1QJQ/s4032/12%20-%20Lynn%20checking%20depth%20of%20water.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXld4nveS7_H-8jqyULvW3OGfwdOGFwNjhU1jfasrCdg1Z1s95p-Om04eJZK9copDKAVAXQo0FqjRa8IeHZl9DN-Zu1SH7FIbKyEsPyIyI3FM-Urty5LTeE83-UuiS_hPYOYj3OKAtU1RYZR3oxnAJGAK_tjvK-3u78TbRJd3tBUCLmYBA6Wf95M1QJQ/w400-h300/12%20-%20Lynn%20checking%20depth%20of%20water.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn checking depth of water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger helped Andrea irrigate again, and put a rub pole on part of the fence in Breezy’s old pen where Pandemonium and her calf are living now. That young cow keeps rubbing on the fence and we don’t want her to break the net wire. There are still a few more places we need to put rub poles, but Andrea didn’t have time that day; she was getting ready to drive town to Twin Falls to help Samantha and Colton move out of the tiny trailer they’ve been renting, to a nice old farmhouse that they were able to start renting. We were going to send a nice old chair (part of an old couch set) down for them, but the weather was so windy and rainy that we were afraid a tarp over it in the back of Andrea’s truck might blow off. It can go another time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took photos of some of the cows and calves that morning after we fed. The calves are really growing and are very sassy in spite of the cool, windy weather.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjp9aQY1cwv4QQGejSydj8WEv4xqfJ3Y4hQYx3fhhzV3GuJZJ5fktTQxmfEgMQ6dKvzkvBuTnwvtUy8Zjb33Z5QT-Yc_ZcfPOutCtO7hgmex3mT_uimjWHhSQhzD5htIvti37FxaqrsqyVa9hJzjBMFU2NCLESf8UQS8u7bj-UyG0AKupBvC_ckG9H-g/s4000/13%20-%20calves%20checking%20out%20the%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjp9aQY1cwv4QQGejSydj8WEv4xqfJ3Y4hQYx3fhhzV3GuJZJ5fktTQxmfEgMQ6dKvzkvBuTnwvtUy8Zjb33Z5QT-Yc_ZcfPOutCtO7hgmex3mT_uimjWHhSQhzD5htIvti37FxaqrsqyVa9hJzjBMFU2NCLESf8UQS8u7bj-UyG0AKupBvC_ckG9H-g/w400-h300/13%20-%20calves%20checking%20out%20the%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves checking out the hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdRT44XzF8yHJONXxrwW4MsKSm5CnyLhiVHkVYQiqRYSfRL2gIYvvJbpvFc103UIhL0M-mcdSw_Of7CyVt1xP4k0FUGGLM7rVkk-q9I6LNmWVRn7bY5zjJGIOJNI8KVx4gJLDWztiNfBBaFOitavYtYfwca0yrhX--5AE6hHEFbxxRdGjcsUimEO-DQ/s4000/14%20-%20Charlotte%20and%20a%20buddy%20playing%20in%20the%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdRT44XzF8yHJONXxrwW4MsKSm5CnyLhiVHkVYQiqRYSfRL2gIYvvJbpvFc103UIhL0M-mcdSw_Of7CyVt1xP4k0FUGGLM7rVkk-q9I6LNmWVRn7bY5zjJGIOJNI8KVx4gJLDWztiNfBBaFOitavYtYfwca0yrhX--5AE6hHEFbxxRdGjcsUimEO-DQ/w400-h300/14%20-%20Charlotte%20and%20a%20buddy%20playing%20in%20the%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlotte and a buddy playing in the hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a photo of Kung Fu, China Doll’s bull calf that we plan to keep as a bull. He was eating hay with Outlandish, one of the older cows.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSwor1ReKsW7Fe9QaCS2YFrzRpquIl4k89_Ry4hp1S2iVGa5e8kSBGq0RDdTziXbXyKil59LX_kEk5Pklq7E8iLndes56tWKsKFeEeTTTYJZdiLgkrn2Ljd8a7QJsVGCxNRqhAWApXYLjNE6RO60_q8OuS2cakXD4TfHrglvua8iwTw5hQkoT2Jfamg/s4000/15%20-%20Kung%20Fu%20and%20one%20of%20the%20older%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfSwor1ReKsW7Fe9QaCS2YFrzRpquIl4k89_Ry4hp1S2iVGa5e8kSBGq0RDdTziXbXyKil59LX_kEk5Pklq7E8iLndes56tWKsKFeEeTTTYJZdiLgkrn2Ljd8a7QJsVGCxNRqhAWApXYLjNE6RO60_q8OuS2cakXD4TfHrglvua8iwTw5hQkoT2Jfamg/w400-h300/15%20-%20Kung%20Fu%20and%20one%20of%20the%20older%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kung Fu and one of the older cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Magnolia’s calf wasn’t nursing very well (only two teats sucked out and the other two full), but he didn’t feel sick; he was running around playing with the other calves.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrn3s_YQaPkTk3bsoTxz9IbHT5Qv0ybABdXNgi4iyh-FdTmcWj9MNe0RLt_rM9tALAPHvkOlsf-IAGTPnm7XsgxuEK1c1cjy0GOJcOSvyTUqBp6QgF1UyMTTEtODG8GnBtgFsDvk9fp2RYnML2nfJtVbQLeb_r0rlX2KadiS4VNR8lUJ5ma3PPPgkPw/s4000/16%20-%20magnolia%20with%20a%20partly%20full%20udder.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrn3s_YQaPkTk3bsoTxz9IbHT5Qv0ybABdXNgi4iyh-FdTmcWj9MNe0RLt_rM9tALAPHvkOlsf-IAGTPnm7XsgxuEK1c1cjy0GOJcOSvyTUqBp6QgF1UyMTTEtODG8GnBtgFsDvk9fp2RYnML2nfJtVbQLeb_r0rlX2KadiS4VNR8lUJ5ma3PPPgkPw/w405-h304/16%20-%20magnolia%20with%20a%20partly%20full%20udder.JPG" width="405" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">magnolia with a partly full udder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was very stormy with wind and rain. Andrea, Sam and Colton and some of their friends were able to move most of their belongings to the new location between rainstorms, using several vehicles. It rained off and on here, too. Roger and Jim helped me feed the cows, and put some mesh panels across the old pole panels where the heifers are, next to the calf houses in that field below the lane. The heifers are trying to reach through and eat the grass that’s started to grow by those calf houses, and they are ruining those old panels and in danger of getting their heads caught, so we just covered the pole panels with the mesh panels and resolved that problem.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday was really wet. We had rain in the night that changed to snow, with an inch of new snow that morning. Andrea was still in Twin Falls helping Sam get moved so Roger helped me feed the cows. Andrea sent photos of the house they are moving into—one photo of the outside, and a photo of the dining area.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLthtFeDySnl_fytscLCTZhgH7sTfOLE8bSN_rxvjaaNskqx0l5HRtHRPk3Iu0QZI3cT45rD9dQkpogBa9tEAIjcABFh-YJ1LLnL6u7WQAa-l7I6cAbgDSHNhyulr__KcFa_dCrGGHKgNfu4Mctik3GpPY9UNXibbf8xa_o-cEIRCKT8W-gMMt0AZt3Q/s4608/17%20-%20the%20house.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLthtFeDySnl_fytscLCTZhgH7sTfOLE8bSN_rxvjaaNskqx0l5HRtHRPk3Iu0QZI3cT45rD9dQkpogBa9tEAIjcABFh-YJ1LLnL6u7WQAa-l7I6cAbgDSHNhyulr__KcFa_dCrGGHKgNfu4Mctik3GpPY9UNXibbf8xa_o-cEIRCKT8W-gMMt0AZt3Q/w400-h300/17%20-%20the%20house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoChdUwroCZxSYW2rhGOynWUdIFLQ7nONGMKgYjdnQhJRjyPAJM3_VgPn2n2z4HCA5eb-wOr4ARx8uRjTlRB1kXbbGR2OIUFY9B7hTS7ug8VGriK1krXOLGchrTT7_9s418wCKG5w06987nGhkgodsHlM6STyRDyHT2Q-i2gMNLdvmvqG8kjw9CFjU0A/s4608/18%20-%20dining%20area.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoChdUwroCZxSYW2rhGOynWUdIFLQ7nONGMKgYjdnQhJRjyPAJM3_VgPn2n2z4HCA5eb-wOr4ARx8uRjTlRB1kXbbGR2OIUFY9B7hTS7ug8VGriK1krXOLGchrTT7_9s418wCKG5w06987nGhkgodsHlM6STyRDyHT2Q-i2gMNLdvmvqG8kjw9CFjU0A/w400-h300/18%20-%20dining%20area.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">dining area</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She also sent photos that were taken while they were eating lunch during their moving process.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGkzG5m178T88bQT7QiEQoBQkkkdvfDJjNnEuZhmFG71DJqJrdD-PvY3ydHodB6SIa2C6TUG97rJpgj6ZDyUSCaL9wIVqivX2aEJ1xNRyaucXocVfR55_eqmH6xezYeGPwlymC9DVNr-BR24lbWCqgrt6lwT42hfKtJozU1BJURY56EFt6-uJPODNlw/s4608/19%20-%20Colton,%20Sam%20&%20Charlie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDGkzG5m178T88bQT7QiEQoBQkkkdvfDJjNnEuZhmFG71DJqJrdD-PvY3ydHodB6SIa2C6TUG97rJpgj6ZDyUSCaL9wIVqivX2aEJ1xNRyaucXocVfR55_eqmH6xezYeGPwlymC9DVNr-BR24lbWCqgrt6lwT42hfKtJozU1BJURY56EFt6-uJPODNlw/w400-h300/19%20-%20Colton,%20Sam%20&%20Charlie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Colton, Sam & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_f-0S3RrfoRw7yAZE5msz2DwNBKj9501G1QdzatJ4H45SZrFtVvAzr4ycbKQqMEtmrdRE7GpB-CpHq6xAjKBFHbmpDGpmpiMGKwCJCtlvSxk-ErSPsY5LEd5D2I_LoDoRrNeu8hEF5nbV46BjdyPdq7t6VFxF3Xx3_Fg5ZbbBjTfPXvCB-D7IzWXrw/s4608/20%20-%20Andrea%20with%20Sam%20&%20Charlie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_f-0S3RrfoRw7yAZE5msz2DwNBKj9501G1QdzatJ4H45SZrFtVvAzr4ycbKQqMEtmrdRE7GpB-CpHq6xAjKBFHbmpDGpmpiMGKwCJCtlvSxk-ErSPsY5LEd5D2I_LoDoRrNeu8hEF5nbV46BjdyPdq7t6VFxF3Xx3_Fg5ZbbBjTfPXvCB-D7IzWXrw/w400-h300/20%20-%20Andrea%20with%20Sam%20&%20Charlie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea with Sam & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was cold again, below freezing. Andrea went with Emily to town early to take Christopher to see if he qualifies for the Head Start program this fall, so Roger helped me feed the cows again. That afternoon he and Lynn found part of an old railroad tie in the “salvage pile” of old fencing materials that Michael and crew saved for us and stacked in the post pile pasture when they were doing all the fence rebuilding this winter. They used that, to replace the rotted off post that was protecting/supporting the upright pipe for the water hydrant above the house, where we water the cows. The cows had rubbed on the old post and it was breaking off at ground level, so Roger dug it out and they replaced it with the fully-treated railroad tie. Now the cows can’t damage the pipe rubbing on it, or accidentally turn on the hydrant while rubbing on it.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea brought Christopher home and left him here sleeping on our couch (he fell asleep in the car on the way home from town) and she changed the irrigation water. When Christopher woke up he wanted to go outside so he and I hiked around outside and checked on the post-setting project and he looked at the baby calves. He also wanted to play in the yard for a little while, on the swings and slide.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When he got tired of that it was nearly chore time so I took him around with me to feed the bulls, and take the net wrap off a new bale. Then he helped me finish chores and enjoyed helping feed the horses. When we went down below the lane to feed Sprout and Shiloh, our old cat Edna came with us, and Christopher enjoyed petting her and showing her a dandelion he picked.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LRTUN7FnCloYSoAJul_zpw8646ENUBsH7L5YjOy9MMyXST9Moh0TxI-VGw3T7FzIO0E14PDDhkBdLaQT0DXaS0pfxUiWo_k7aM0OFzNRMuO4gFOV1x5GfHEh4PIUb9a6Tu84nrW5zfoEzFQIvYqp9Wpd8royknLkDJNz9WvUlrDOttvkr1O3JMzjog/s2048/21%20-%20Christopher%20petting%20Edna.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="946" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3LRTUN7FnCloYSoAJul_zpw8646ENUBsH7L5YjOy9MMyXST9Moh0TxI-VGw3T7FzIO0E14PDDhkBdLaQT0DXaS0pfxUiWo_k7aM0OFzNRMuO4gFOV1x5GfHEh4PIUb9a6Tu84nrW5zfoEzFQIvYqp9Wpd8royknLkDJNz9WvUlrDOttvkr1O3JMzjog/w185-h400/21%20-%20Christopher%20petting%20Edna.jpeg" width="185" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher petting Edna</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani stopped by on her way home from school and also went up in the field to check on the post project. While she was sitting there on the ground, some of the curious calves came up behind her and one of them was rubbing its head on her, trying to push her over.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Andrea, Christopher and Roger helped feed cows. I took some photos as Christopher and I hiked up to open the gate, while Roger was helping Andrea load a few small bales from my horse hay shed to add to the partial big square bale on the truck.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd87-N-xBAqhT52x-Lf4oyUkuqJkNKMuuiX0VnzXKpC46E-qo6DUuPf0j3nrpys6GLD6o6GzpQjdDYTNcviTeJ0HTGrKrfdKldVZCkNpucmvd8yxRovNA7CwnIuWtoyYmr15Y2Dir-3-PY9PVKeuLzdC7RbOGtwCACia9M4sgNbi-UCTU40r6m2Ao7Rw/s4000/22%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20the%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd87-N-xBAqhT52x-Lf4oyUkuqJkNKMuuiX0VnzXKpC46E-qo6DUuPf0j3nrpys6GLD6o6GzpQjdDYTNcviTeJ0HTGrKrfdKldVZCkNpucmvd8yxRovNA7CwnIuWtoyYmr15Y2Dir-3-PY9PVKeuLzdC7RbOGtwCACia9M4sgNbi-UCTU40r6m2Ao7Rw/w300-h400/22%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20the%20cows.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher looking at the cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUcdDcIL_zgk121N3qzZ2tdvl0d1cdIvPPHozhoVlADGeFCT2jMHC95jIIfeRlGRNF-vKSnsSwGBjC2fbkmhnWKOMHcMHCJfofYHUkJwJakcuhZQMTz_HzvYixUCNHNL2SG-EVSk7As7xxsJvaiDNq59vbjyGXsW0MWWG9ChS7FTAte9oiK9PDzbBHA/s4000/23%20-%20Christopher%20watching%20the%20calves.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhUcdDcIL_zgk121N3qzZ2tdvl0d1cdIvPPHozhoVlADGeFCT2jMHC95jIIfeRlGRNF-vKSnsSwGBjC2fbkmhnWKOMHcMHCJfofYHUkJwJakcuhZQMTz_HzvYixUCNHNL2SG-EVSk7As7xxsJvaiDNq59vbjyGXsW0MWWG9ChS7FTAte9oiK9PDzbBHA/w400-h300/23%20-%20Christopher%20watching%20the%20calves.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher watching the calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher then rode in the truck with me while Andrea and Roger fed the hay. After we fed the cows we parked the truck and walked through the herd to make sure all the calves were healthy. Christopher enjoyed looking at the calves and they were curious about him. They were a little too curious and wanted to come right up to him, so Roger went with Christopher as we got farther up the field, to make sure no mama cows came to “protect” their babies from this little critter.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwgS1Gb-O8rx8Fkb7cy1ooKBRwsy7BXqnepKOpYYWNJFI8QiEazFDbZrZpw_UyK_ho0FmP1_BoCd_r045hRlYYtNMECLHPLbDdDaqukewCTZwICsU-ho6u34W-OSBIKXd7QiUcvqiYahr_qUr1s8SURFyznowxmFXczbgALDUq3lFQaeWhunaB8jzGw/s4032/24%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20calves.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwgS1Gb-O8rx8Fkb7cy1ooKBRwsy7BXqnepKOpYYWNJFI8QiEazFDbZrZpw_UyK_ho0FmP1_BoCd_r045hRlYYtNMECLHPLbDdDaqukewCTZwICsU-ho6u34W-OSBIKXd7QiUcvqiYahr_qUr1s8SURFyznowxmFXczbgALDUq3lFQaeWhunaB8jzGw/w400-h300/24%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20calves.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher looking at calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijM2c65SHZoHf50DgW97FSuEmS7PsebN5POFuA4rIQKh5bsKp8LUlhYCo4ATmge9IdZxZUJxOSA387--mbXGNp3nHj0Ca-FYPvBQCGQgdBNX1qCVVHdaIMxQmK6tDwWX2zbl0RewsKzRHjxqQNsW0nZSY2R8jtokFfpmG4sPK8vYqilJe3jYLJ-6xGXw/s4032/25%20-%20Roger%20supervising%20the%20getting%20acquainted%20process.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijM2c65SHZoHf50DgW97FSuEmS7PsebN5POFuA4rIQKh5bsKp8LUlhYCo4ATmge9IdZxZUJxOSA387--mbXGNp3nHj0Ca-FYPvBQCGQgdBNX1qCVVHdaIMxQmK6tDwWX2zbl0RewsKzRHjxqQNsW0nZSY2R8jtokFfpmG4sPK8vYqilJe3jYLJ-6xGXw/w400-h300/25%20-%20Roger%20supervising%20the%20getting%20acquainted%20process.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger supervising the getting acquainted process</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher was totally fearless and wanted to run right over to try to pet the calves, so Andrea had to slow him down a bit, and then she and Roger both went with him as we hiked up the field to look at all the cows and calves.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5TdDB5T4Zqa3hGVE4TNtku71j4tgnMCEmGgSW7CGnIYYGQbqzftEtWcUmT9xChi7LvrBpR9XyTBxvDjzVUsZoYCUN_cwGe4ouR7Q-NeIXtV4fL5-yq-3Pa4plTqW7ziz-VfCX_rUyVHMMVz6-aU3L7FSsEtDfkz1wJcXcuRhf8L5K62zd2GZ7Oq1dA/s4000/26%20-%20Christopher%20wanted%20to%20run%20right%20over%20to%20see%20the%20calves,%20and%20needed%20a%20little%20chaparoning.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ5TdDB5T4Zqa3hGVE4TNtku71j4tgnMCEmGgSW7CGnIYYGQbqzftEtWcUmT9xChi7LvrBpR9XyTBxvDjzVUsZoYCUN_cwGe4ouR7Q-NeIXtV4fL5-yq-3Pa4plTqW7ziz-VfCX_rUyVHMMVz6-aU3L7FSsEtDfkz1wJcXcuRhf8L5K62zd2GZ7Oq1dA/w300-h400/26%20-%20Christopher%20wanted%20to%20run%20right%20over%20to%20see%20the%20calves,%20and%20needed%20a%20little%20chaparoning.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher wanted to run right over to see the calves,
and needed a little chaperoning</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrBbEb7thUnqmmr9NvfEIW9Q6EbzDAm4GhH3-WpN-dExBsnbGZXKo0DzpY8r9glhtiuHVI1T2m5ysZdjgz7bx1g1dIAOSBlmXpGDKBqwsDGiyebgHTadXZBMY4d7O-CuqeyzJkf5nCriDgfyuLxnv0JfOrfTnCYyM87m4yoSvf9UpD0AMeoHEfX-PXg/s4000/27%20-%20Roger,%20Andrea%20and%20Christopher%20checking%20the%20cows%20and%20calves.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcrBbEb7thUnqmmr9NvfEIW9Q6EbzDAm4GhH3-WpN-dExBsnbGZXKo0DzpY8r9glhtiuHVI1T2m5ysZdjgz7bx1g1dIAOSBlmXpGDKBqwsDGiyebgHTadXZBMY4d7O-CuqeyzJkf5nCriDgfyuLxnv0JfOrfTnCYyM87m4yoSvf9UpD0AMeoHEfX-PXg/w400-h300/27%20-%20Roger,%20Andrea%20and%20Christopher%20checking%20the%20cows%20and%20calves.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Roger, Andrea and Christopher checking the cows and calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">This afternoon the UPS truck brought several packages. My books came—the ones I ordered from Workman Publishing using my author’s discount. I ran out of some of my cattle care books; several folks have ordered autographed copies from me, and I needed to replenish my supply.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-8580579935438528892022-06-04T15:24:00.002-07:002022-06-04T15:24:17.832-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – March 16 through April 20, 2022<p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 22</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday we started barn training the heifers. I put some bedding hay in a couple of the stalls and a little alfalfa hay on top—something they’d like to eat. I called the young cows into the calving pen, where I had some hay for “bait” and all the first calvers and a couple of second-calvers came in. Andrea and I took the little group to the pen by the barn; it helped to have the second-calvers to show them the way, since they’ve been in the barn before. They all went into the barn without need for persuasion and stayed in there eating hay while we finished the other chores and got ready to feed cows. We gave those young cows 5 daily sessions, taking them to the barn, and they eagerly went into the barn each time. For the rest of their lives they will be easy to put into the barn if we have bad weather when they are calving. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning was cold, down to 20 degrees. When we fed the cows, Andrea and I put a hot wire across the lower end of the horse pasture to fence them out of that end where there’s a ditch we don’t want them lying next to. It is always risky having heavily pregnant cows (clumsy!) lying very close to a ditch because when they reach around to lick and itch themselves they may overbalance and end up on their back in the ditch. Also, that corner of the horse pasture is impossible to see from the house, making it harder to check on them from the window. Ironically they seem to know we can’t see them, and they like to “hide” over there, which means we have to walk outside to see them all and to know if any of them might be calving. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent an e-mail and some photos. Their cows have already started calving. She sent a picture of some of their new calves, and of Joseph sitting in the hay next to one of their pens.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1MJHF-xQEsU0CXbh1ItUxWxWuKLKP34rmq5HYJBHn5EGxc_aLES6w7WZhJ09aBWpYyQYlWffpjGF4-pLQ-xpca6fSSFqf1kH03ZUESFNKIeFxfin7HJyGrCFJFqPou13qhB9dEw_AL5oc9KS4FiUchsBjMJvKxpb676ny5ZqqabeifB9gP2iVxnTeA/s2242/1%20-%20new%20calves%20in%20Canada.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2137" data-original-width="2242" height="381" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1MJHF-xQEsU0CXbh1ItUxWxWuKLKP34rmq5HYJBHn5EGxc_aLES6w7WZhJ09aBWpYyQYlWffpjGF4-pLQ-xpca6fSSFqf1kH03ZUESFNKIeFxfin7HJyGrCFJFqPou13qhB9dEw_AL5oc9KS4FiUchsBjMJvKxpb676ny5ZqqabeifB9gP2iVxnTeA/w400-h381/1%20-%20new%20calves%20in%20Canada.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new calves in Canada</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNFE5dZ6ejvQeQ2kdNpXIgJQtW3xOHwiGIWQZlt52JWUXLByxHibg9lEJ-aJbs8RN0Dok5HeA2fPBSI8ZjMy2Sb1YyBAOJUfXGag9R62k2HtUEi7xmr8CBts38fb-UNxbt5TqRv2_xAEAz9Ze-JeYR-jTe5cD7k69lKMUFxblMUwaR8AptfXGO1HiiA/s4032/2%20-%20Joseph%20in%20the%20hay.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikNFE5dZ6ejvQeQ2kdNpXIgJQtW3xOHwiGIWQZlt52JWUXLByxHibg9lEJ-aJbs8RN0Dok5HeA2fPBSI8ZjMy2Sb1YyBAOJUfXGag9R62k2HtUEi7xmr8CBts38fb-UNxbt5TqRv2_xAEAz9Ze-JeYR-jTe5cD7k69lKMUFxblMUwaR8AptfXGO1HiiA/w400-h300/2%20-%20Joseph%20in%20the%20hay.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph in the hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning I loaned Dani money for gas and she and her boyfriend Roger headed to Oregon. Roger’s younger brother was in a serious accident a couple days earlier and was life-flighted to a hospital in Portland, where he has broken ribs, broken jaw, and a head injury and is in a coma, so Dani and Roger are driving out there. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After Andrea and I fed the cows that morning we loaded the truck again, and also brought some round bales out of the stack yard—putting one in the feeder in the main corral and another one over next to the bull corral for Babe. After lunch Lynn and Andrea went to town and did all the town errands, and then went to Carmen Creek where Lynn located some sites for wells. Andrea is practicing (apprenticing!) and is able to locate water, too—and learning how to determine the depth as well as the location. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we brought the yearling bull out of the bull corral and put him in the main corral to live by himself. He needs to be separate from Babe. The young bull needs more feed and Babe needs less; Babe is getting much too fat and the young bull is thin—partly because the young bull is still growing and needs more “groceries” but also because he’s not as feed efficient. Babe is an easy keeper and doesn’t need much feed, and that’s one reason we want to keep any daughters he sires, because they will eat less than our bigger, less-efficient cows. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea did the town errands (getting the mail and groceries) and got some things at Murdoch’s (the farm supply store). She had Christopher with her and he spent some time looking at the baby chicks. He loves chickens and is fascinated with the chicks. </span></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvSGmzU0suN3BoPmVD3gCQWEJhksmis4HVrktDBdNYvIuAIQRl5KXy0OXN-qLg_PfMtTiisVKaZeJcYnKWINBXtg87oU-cVEYRgNFOeSlAQCK451l8dP15ComnY1bQBx7DC0qitwrGbVKF2K1lBGJ_beI8gzaYyIKQc1n8MgtLsuTJ6YxL_45ipkIcA/s4032/3%20-%20Christopher%20and%20chicks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikvSGmzU0suN3BoPmVD3gCQWEJhksmis4HVrktDBdNYvIuAIQRl5KXy0OXN-qLg_PfMtTiisVKaZeJcYnKWINBXtg87oU-cVEYRgNFOeSlAQCK451l8dP15ComnY1bQBx7DC0qitwrGbVKF2K1lBGJ_beI8gzaYyIKQc1n8MgtLsuTJ6YxL_45ipkIcA/w300-h400/3%20-%20Christopher%20and%20chicks.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher and chicks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that afternoon we started our “fertilizer” project. We have some big piles of old manure that Michael piled up when he sorted out the debris when he cleared off the junk and burned the big piles of strings, old fallen-down sheds, etc. and we need to spread the manure on some fields. Heifer hill needs fertilizer the most, since we haven’t been able to feed the cows on it enough (for them to spread their own “fertilizer”) but it took a day to get everything ready. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and Andrea greased the big tractor, took the harrow up to the field by her house where we’ll start harrowing, then took the hay fork off the tractor and put the loader bucket on—for loading manure. Then they had to get the little tractor started, and hooked up the old manure spreader (that Stan worked on last year and got functional again). When Lynn started loading the manure, the pile he started on in the main corral was still frozen, and Andrea had to break up the frozen chunks with a bar, and also sort out some rocks that might damage the manure spreader. It was late in the day when they got the first load ready to try, and they were afraid to take it clear up to heifer hill. Lynn spread it in the field below the lane where the heifers are—somewhere close so that if anything broke and needed fixed, it wouldn’t be so far from home. It all worked fine, however, and we were able to forge ahead the next day and take several loads to heifer hill. We need to do it while the weather is reasonably dry and the field isn’t too muddy to get around on. Andrea took photos of the first load being spread on heifer hill.</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lfJpLTfTdtM8CEEXyGKWI4srptBlr0nt7azknltgH4qt14XMutMCOSP1v1T7Obm8I3p38Quh4TGQr2AC3vMgPwnSo9k4Oqaojs5-uxWXARvgS779549atkd0j_r25aKZ_B_VxvoPKsKrC1TGTQDaNb-e43xnDAHZbSYL2YCpa3V7LaWBcYmmhJjxaw/s4032/4%20-%20spreading%20manure.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_lfJpLTfTdtM8CEEXyGKWI4srptBlr0nt7azknltgH4qt14XMutMCOSP1v1T7Obm8I3p38Quh4TGQr2AC3vMgPwnSo9k4Oqaojs5-uxWXARvgS779549atkd0j_r25aKZ_B_VxvoPKsKrC1TGTQDaNb-e43xnDAHZbSYL2YCpa3V7LaWBcYmmhJjxaw/w400-h300/4%20-%20spreading%20manure.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGSFHZ3KZpqpTjdOjc_xE7Y7L7F9LL5cPBO85X12DYyG3-Oe63q3m_ud9mY-O2mLtlyjsqO4xE5OZA4SeOcJ68hz5GlUmPlyoH7OTx_rIMCtlxgIBDyFLZ6b3yZB9mAQRMli0SiM3shOQzTmIrjY03tUZnTlx_zwomfuj9XxAFwMOkxoEHhQ_4mt4DA/s4032/5%20-%20spreading%20manure%20on%20heifer%20hill.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrGSFHZ3KZpqpTjdOjc_xE7Y7L7F9LL5cPBO85X12DYyG3-Oe63q3m_ud9mY-O2mLtlyjsqO4xE5OZA4SeOcJ68hz5GlUmPlyoH7OTx_rIMCtlxgIBDyFLZ6b3yZB9mAQRMli0SiM3shOQzTmIrjY03tUZnTlx_zwomfuj9XxAFwMOkxoEHhQ_4mt4DA/w400-h300/5%20-%20spreading%20manure%20on%20heifer%20hill.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">spreading manure on heifer hill</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday was cold and windy, but no snow, so we fed the cows early, and Andrea hurried home to cook breakfast for Sam and her boyfriend Colton (who drove over here the night before from Twin Falls, and stayed at Mark’s place). We all had a chance to visit with them briefly before they had to head back—for college and work the next day. While they were here, Colton helped Lynn and Andrea change the drawbar on the little tractor so it would be a better angle for pulling the manure spreader, and Lynn got it loaded again. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily brought Christopher down here on her way to work, and I took care of him all afternoon while Lynn and Andrea made a couple trips to heifer hill with manure and got it spread, then loaded it again before they had to change the loader bucket and hay fork so we could take a big bale to the heifers. It was chore time by then, so Lynn watched Christopher while I did chores and Andrea took another load of manure to spread on heifer hill. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday we didn’t get any manure spread—just fed the cows and got caught up with other things. Lynn went to town to do all the town errands and to put more money in Dani’s account for gas money so she could drive home. Roger’s brother is doing a little better and starting to respond to things even though he is still in a coma. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was a little warmer. Dani and Roger got home at 2 a. m. this morning. Jim started harrowing the field by Andrea’s house, pulling the harrow with his side-by-side. It actually does a better job than using the little tractor. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather sent us some photos of the boys –Joseph and little brother James, and James with his doll baby. The real baby brother was probably napping!</span></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nmzhVSBaTE5dJkqRMAa1lHGXKN6oEVq11Azae46KHtQ4qgnRbgMh87vFI-OR584cMavcsHoAkjmwREnu5GJhfaeLXOw60DlzFxIfEGfT37ToyPOX5gjdtmJua5FqU9oJr6TqpKpXCPjgmIs2bBnQVUU1pXn7R3ixKzYeWsYE5XfXn1Gn4WhqyiP4Tw/s4032/6%20-%20Joseph%20&%20James.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nmzhVSBaTE5dJkqRMAa1lHGXKN6oEVq11Azae46KHtQ4qgnRbgMh87vFI-OR584cMavcsHoAkjmwREnu5GJhfaeLXOw60DlzFxIfEGfT37ToyPOX5gjdtmJua5FqU9oJr6TqpKpXCPjgmIs2bBnQVUU1pXn7R3ixKzYeWsYE5XfXn1Gn4WhqyiP4Tw/w400-h300/6%20-%20Joseph%20&%20James.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph & James</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWwWeacxDIkQaVFnOtlZOhxYUda9P5woi35zesHacZlshohEihawNTlKG5YCB40TU_vpAZ8WtDxdMy61VRE5nmBZ_zzJVhJlqM4e_6PH_STSXWXL8y41boHaEpoQdCiAzsU8o3y_9QgfbHgE74OfdEFViQIV0lOFgHATIUOuJ0Rd34xMVhuIEAE67Mw/s4032/7%20-%20James%20and%20his%20doll.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzWwWeacxDIkQaVFnOtlZOhxYUda9P5woi35zesHacZlshohEihawNTlKG5YCB40TU_vpAZ8WtDxdMy61VRE5nmBZ_zzJVhJlqM4e_6PH_STSXWXL8y41boHaEpoQdCiAzsU8o3y_9QgfbHgE74OfdEFViQIV0lOFgHATIUOuJ0Rd34xMVhuIEAE67Mw/w300-h400/7%20-%20James%20and%20his%20doll.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James and his doll</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had our first calf today—about 12 days early—but it was almost a disaster. One of the older cows (number 113, named Outlandish) was probably in early labor this morning when I did chores because she was standing by the gate into the calving pen, which is a bit unusual. Sometimes the cows want to come into the calving pen when they start early labor, and this can be a sign they might calve within the next 12 hours. She wasn’t doing anything else that might give a clue, so I didn’t put her in the calving pen. Andrea and I fed the cows after breakfast, and I kept watch on old 113 through the rest of the morning and early afternoon, from the house windows. She seemed a little restless. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then at 4 p. m. I noticed she was lying down at the top of the horse pasture, next to the fence, and was lying flat out. This looked a bit suspicious, and when another cow came up to her and sniffed her (curious, sensing something was wrong), the old cow kicked with a hind leg, and I realized she couldn’t get up. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She’d lain in a slight depression (a shallow ditch) and was a little on her back. I yelled at Lynn to help me, and gave Andrea a quick call to let her know we had trouble—since a cow can’t be on her back very long or she’ll bloat and suffocate—and ran out the door. Lynn grabbed a halter and rope in case we had to try to pull on the cow to get her upright again. I sprinted to the top of the horse pasture and yelled at the cow and poked her with a sorting stick, startling her so much that she tried a little harder to get up. She flailed her head and legs and didn’t make it the first try, then as I kept at her she tried again and lurched to her feet. It was a relief that she wasn’t too badly bloated yet and that we didn’t have to try to shove and pull her upright. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea arrived about that time; she’d grabbed Christopher and brought him down with her on the 4-wheeler, not wanting to leave him alone in the house. Lynn watched him while Andrea and I brought the cow down to the calving pen. She had a membrane bubble emerging when she lurched to her feet, but it went back in when she got up. She was very upset and aggressive, not grateful at all for having her life saved—just angry that we were moving her away from the spot she’d chosen to calve. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She settled down after a while, and calved very quickly at 6 p. m. I did chores and the calf was soon on his feet and trying to find the udder. He got the job done by 7:15 and was ready to be moved. Andrea, Dani and Roger came down after supper, just before dark, and we took the cow and calf to the second day pens where he’d have a windbreak corner to sleep in. We needed to move the pair out of the calving pen in case another cow calved. Andrea took photos as we moved the pair to the second-day pens.</span></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIkhlvCxWyl1H9obVQpJNiv_M8gKAT-qM4jgI0ZRecJtFSVswO3renXNLG95kqwBjZDX7SETJwK43hk0igbiCLgpoEe7VggQ7ERVcQb7FJhzkD30Sq_bxkDpg3y47X7VW-kEfc5VF9lNkeZRcAN9ukbNq4R5ot6cnpDgG9cN-ON0-jMZ3msaPq1ZJLw/s4032/8%20-%20taking%20the%20cow%20&%20new%20calf%20across%20the%20driveway%20from%20the%20calving%20pen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnIkhlvCxWyl1H9obVQpJNiv_M8gKAT-qM4jgI0ZRecJtFSVswO3renXNLG95kqwBjZDX7SETJwK43hk0igbiCLgpoEe7VggQ7ERVcQb7FJhzkD30Sq_bxkDpg3y47X7VW-kEfc5VF9lNkeZRcAN9ukbNq4R5ot6cnpDgG9cN-ON0-jMZ3msaPq1ZJLw/w400-h300/8%20-%20taking%20the%20cow%20&%20new%20calf%20across%20the%20driveway%20from%20the%20calving%20pen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the cow & new calf across the driveway from the calving pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuWh1I2jp826Eocxprjc2F4NWyIok5qw31XCDKYS1xjRIXwuepfgOxfU3A05nPpzQCU0SKQDaOLLBBC_w3OHaWDOUd-52gCr0XekswXdMbBALAfWbZudonTPkSElkcZkhkdu5NcKT0w4tJL9RpHjPcaM1dmS9K19zFnEVc14jqwWscOezkFq1R-Cz0A/s4032/9%20-%20Dani%20pushing%20the%20calf%20into%20the%202nd%20day%20pens.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNuWh1I2jp826Eocxprjc2F4NWyIok5qw31XCDKYS1xjRIXwuepfgOxfU3A05nPpzQCU0SKQDaOLLBBC_w3OHaWDOUd-52gCr0XekswXdMbBALAfWbZudonTPkSElkcZkhkdu5NcKT0w4tJL9RpHjPcaM1dmS9K19zFnEVc14jqwWscOezkFq1R-Cz0A/w300-h400/9%20-%20Dani%20pushing%20the%20calf%20into%20the%202nd%20day%20pens.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani pushing the calf into the 2nd day pens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbf-3bWORkG8dvjTbfzhqWHZXL4MZfCZaNAjT8nFAaOUdGJzoorr_yzZ1TmaTvlIZhhCcXGQ-ZLLy1SoUMLHyjxxQA0eg1AuBiprFULrFdn7xKv0zvO2dqtkspkX7gGYf4tET29PR7oJyXJQISTFzMiB8KgTsT09tVvfggyW59x1c4-zlX7vkuegD4g/s4032/10%20-%20moving%20the%20pair%20into%20one%20of%20the%20pens.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTbf-3bWORkG8dvjTbfzhqWHZXL4MZfCZaNAjT8nFAaOUdGJzoorr_yzZ1TmaTvlIZhhCcXGQ-ZLLy1SoUMLHyjxxQA0eg1AuBiprFULrFdn7xKv0zvO2dqtkspkX7gGYf4tET29PR7oJyXJQISTFzMiB8KgTsT09tVvfggyW59x1c4-zlX7vkuegD4g/w300-h400/10%20-%20moving%20the%20pair%20into%20one%20of%20the%20pens.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">moving the pair into one of the pens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After we got them moved we put a hot wire across the top of the horse pasture so no cows can lie in that shallow ditch again.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 29</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We had some nice warm weather for several days, up to 60 degrees in the afternoon, and even up to 70 a couple days ago. It was perfect weather for spreading the rest of the manure, and also nice weather for calving. Spring break started Friday, so Dani didn’t have to be in school for a week, and she and Roger were able to help. <div><br /></div><div>On Wednesday I took care of Christopher all afternoon after Emily went to work, and Roger helped Andrea till Dani got out of school—sorting rocks and old hay twines out of the loads of manure being taken to heifer hill. Christopher and I had fun. Emily brought his new “tent” when she dropped him off, and he spent time playing in it, filling it with some of his toy “critters” and popping in and out of the little door saying “Cuckoo!” and I realized that at some point he must have seen a cuckoo clock.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIqwPuBQArO6Vpi1bc3HTyXukhtSXVrFcu7NvY9AwJPUTM6sU_btm0PKsvLroDqzLUSw9QGTHgauhsjgH_v9cLrN-qgf80wrf79ssUA_qH2cQQt9NTkPd26IAj_Mi4nC8W_Anrb92uShKMYd1wBhOgsvRtKNHs_iIXC1rI5YvpmvpWqB_AxL0oxLqDQ/s4000/11%20-%20Christopher%20popping%20out%20of%20the%20tent.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIqwPuBQArO6Vpi1bc3HTyXukhtSXVrFcu7NvY9AwJPUTM6sU_btm0PKsvLroDqzLUSw9QGTHgauhsjgH_v9cLrN-qgf80wrf79ssUA_qH2cQQt9NTkPd26IAj_Mi4nC8W_Anrb92uShKMYd1wBhOgsvRtKNHs_iIXC1rI5YvpmvpWqB_AxL0oxLqDQ/w400-h300/11%20-%20Christopher%20popping%20out%20of%20the%20tent.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher popping out of his tent</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUiATo3U0-N5E1m6hyH9YXuHdA-3ccS0hH8LlAnVUUD3B4vGyiFMMQy1Gv-s8IaQECWY33R2fhLWdJCat8rXfmQNw_16bDdK95mQjPHfrSaMKCxa7zy7oqAqRzKpq3JiswHQem3sXYXivGU7pqfrgVZQ8vWjIICINUUIp3WVwzw6CHdqI7wKh-m7FxA/s4000/12%20-%20saying%20cuckoo!.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYUiATo3U0-N5E1m6hyH9YXuHdA-3ccS0hH8LlAnVUUD3B4vGyiFMMQy1Gv-s8IaQECWY33R2fhLWdJCat8rXfmQNw_16bDdK95mQjPHfrSaMKCxa7zy7oqAqRzKpq3JiswHQem3sXYXivGU7pqfrgVZQ8vWjIICINUUIp3WVwzw6CHdqI7wKh-m7FxA/w400-h300/12%20-%20saying%20cuckoo!.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">saying cuckoo!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim harrowed two more fields that day. We needed to finish spreading manure and picking rocks (some rocks inadvertently ended up on the field from the manure piles in the corrals) before we can harrow heifer hill. Thursday Roger helped again, picking up twine and rocks, and Jim harrowed a couple more fields. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve been putting the cows most ready to calve in the orchard at night, where we can see them easier than in the horse pasture—easier to see them from the house window with spotlight and binoculars, and easier to walk through them. We are checking them fairly often during the night; Andrea usually comes down about midnight or so, and now with spring break Dani likes to check them once or twice during the night because she doesn’t have to go to school the next day. I tend to wake up every couple hours and look out the window with my spotlight, but it also helps to have someone walk through them and get a closer look, to see if any of them might be in early labor. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning after we fed the cows, Andrea and got all the fallen branches (from the old elm tree) out of the side pen next to the house, and scattered a couple bales of coarse hay in there for bedding. On nice days we can let a cow calve there, instead of having to put her in the barn. Dani and Roger replaced a couple burned-out light bulbs in the calving barn. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We finished hauling manure to heifer hill, and Dani and Roger picked rocks. Jim used his metal detector and a magnet on a handle to gather up old nails and other metal debris that ended up in the manure piles that Michael scraped up from the clean-up project—to make sure none of that was left on the field to puncture a tire or end up in a hay bale to be eaten by a cow. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday morning just as I finished chores, Michael called to tell us that Allan Probst was on his way with his dump truck and excavator to haul off the big pile of non-spreadable manure/debris that contained old metal and big rocks. He dug a trench in the post pile pasture and then hauled 5 dump truck loads down there to bury, then smoothed out the space that was once an old shed and huge piles of debris and baling twine. The space we’ve gained can become another corral, or a place to stack hay or park machinery. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On his first trip down to the post pile pasture with the dump truck, however, he got stuck after he dumped the load; the ground has thawed a bit and part of that pasture is a bog in the summertime. Luckily Michael came by about that time and was able to help him get unstuck; he drove the dump truck while Allan pulled it with the excavator. </span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that day Andrea and Lynn went to locate another site for a well for some folks who bought property the other side of town, while Dani and Roger picked more rocks on heifer hill. They put the rocks in one of the ditches that has become too deep; the rocks will keep it from eroding more. Jim harrowed that field as they finished getting rocks off it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening they gathered the branches in the front yard (that the wind blew off the elm tree during the fall and winter) and Dani mowed the grass and tall weeds so we can see the adjacent calving pen better from the house window. Now if a cow lies next to the fence as she calves, we can see what she’s doing. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday we parked the manure spreader back in its slot in the barnyard; we’re done spreading manure for this year. Andrea and Lynn did another water-witching job then stopped in to visit Cope and Terrie and show Cope another article I wrote about him; we’ll make a copy to give him the next time someone goes to town. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took pictures of our oldest calf and mama up in the field above the house.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBIOitJ0rvAIxXMnGkNXnui7s0aaCyre6h-r9yJdnGX6puHsKWupfhiBBICzSqjk_Nll6eaifESvGDkMj_Qjlds7kF6B7lUpmFZUubEMjEPf8Z9c8fR4HXrqr4Vb84gXCEuZWD0J9mN31r9EAxEJu148-OX0Nea57o6xhXQ_t_cbjGPqOL6b7dmAAPw/s4000/13%20-%20Outlandish%20and%20her%20calf.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBIOitJ0rvAIxXMnGkNXnui7s0aaCyre6h-r9yJdnGX6puHsKWupfhiBBICzSqjk_Nll6eaifESvGDkMj_Qjlds7kF6B7lUpmFZUubEMjEPf8Z9c8fR4HXrqr4Vb84gXCEuZWD0J9mN31r9EAxEJu148-OX0Nea57o6xhXQ_t_cbjGPqOL6b7dmAAPw/w400-h300/13%20-%20Outlandish%20and%20her%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1W6KdwTtydhAk-et6OtOtA67Mscdilt3nYKvvoFoBTwcsiawyVE79WKILJgIqV6QfA8s9i9RBODS1Cv2ubaKAS7RpbMe06hhfbkkZG4EC3tZgFMBSQZqzQoq_Ptg7rb0HMgLpEVXsaAJ_VpBGJGTuqAXABAvXs39NR0YAHzNYlrQGlvp0VIsBqrBJw/s4000/14%20-%20Outlandish%20&%20calf.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic1W6KdwTtydhAk-et6OtOtA67Mscdilt3nYKvvoFoBTwcsiawyVE79WKILJgIqV6QfA8s9i9RBODS1Cv2ubaKAS7RpbMe06hhfbkkZG4EC3tZgFMBSQZqzQoq_Ptg7rb0HMgLpEVXsaAJ_VpBGJGTuqAXABAvXs39NR0YAHzNYlrQGlvp0VIsBqrBJw/w400-h300/14%20-%20Outlandish%20&%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Outlandish and her calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took photos of the new gate posts in our corrals—that Michael set very deep after making the posts much taller by bolting railroad ties together.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhBh8GCjir0mbKRk7LStZL84DbXHEV-J8uz42wCOFpvZAzfmSy27dR68gtnv-GZc8EzTpL8wk1waEKBVDRHp0RcZ9jDwNd4k2pY88xgYyhZUBPkRDzGEDiAppl-0ttm9rGAb9igMNXC8GTCPTH3PQKu9xW9sTSuFb4enrmdTZpW5F7n6IpTBkWLlQMQ/s4000/15%20-%20railroad%20ties%20bolted%20together.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhBh8GCjir0mbKRk7LStZL84DbXHEV-J8uz42wCOFpvZAzfmSy27dR68gtnv-GZc8EzTpL8wk1waEKBVDRHp0RcZ9jDwNd4k2pY88xgYyhZUBPkRDzGEDiAppl-0ttm9rGAb9igMNXC8GTCPTH3PQKu9xW9sTSuFb4enrmdTZpW5F7n6IpTBkWLlQMQ/w300-h400/15%20-%20railroad%20ties%20bolted%20together.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroY3BOnuvWR_AGjlWnQN_kF_-cpxTw4olA2QC-wH14rqGT00ZWQuIjX4iLhZiPziU8JCTnmjtROogTxU-YBMWPLhlzrKJqS-Xl98Urgm_qGTClJigc-f7zOWOV85TPMAgjlJzD5IZqKFJmbH9jb3JH9LL5cB6vcRyGuOG1qiP5KO5Y6ZMuYj06164zQ/s4000/16%20-%20railroad%20ties%20bolted%20together%20to%20make%20deeper%20taller%20%20gate%20post.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjroY3BOnuvWR_AGjlWnQN_kF_-cpxTw4olA2QC-wH14rqGT00ZWQuIjX4iLhZiPziU8JCTnmjtROogTxU-YBMWPLhlzrKJqS-Xl98Urgm_qGTClJigc-f7zOWOV85TPMAgjlJzD5IZqKFJmbH9jb3JH9LL5cB6vcRyGuOG1qiP5KO5Y6ZMuYj06164zQ/w300-h400/16%20-%20railroad%20ties%20bolted%20together%20to%20make%20deeper%20taller%20%20gate%20post.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">railroad ties bolted together to make deeper taller gate post</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Roger washed the outsides of the windows on the side of the house next to the calving pens so we can see through them better, then they rolled up the deer netting we had around the haystacks, and folded up the black plastic we’ve taken off the hay we’ve used, and gathered up some of the twines, branches and debris around the barnyard. We’re trying to clean anything that might impede grass growing, since we hope to graze every bit of this place during the summer. It looks like it might be another dry year and we want to make sure we have enough pasture for the cows and heifers. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That night just before I went to bed I looked out the window at the cows in the maternity pen (the old orchard) and noticed one of the young cows (third-time calver) was restless and in labor, so I went out and put her in the calving pen and turned on the yardlight that illuminates it. She calved an hour later—a heifer calf. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday at chore time we put that pair in one of the 2nd day pens by the barn and fed the cows. Another young cow started calving and we put her in the side pen and she was very restless and trying to get out. She finally settled down and calved swiftly, just before noon. After the calf nursed, we put them in a 2nd day pen, in case we need that calving pen for another cow.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkf_YV6hBT6KNSqycIrohl6cr5chU9dOaJ6SNCdAsNGKQGIDHqwC_oOvlq0rVGLcuKIzTGjED_J0elldKnOEE1MwIPtXoaA2R05Aae3hR829A4Fqf4w5JLoHERfEyjk3537K5i24m5J9ezaW7OOr4EmCmOnO46jBXwY43Xih5vhLh_6RicvZac8V_QA/s4000/17%20-%20young%20cow%20with%20new%20calf.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOkf_YV6hBT6KNSqycIrohl6cr5chU9dOaJ6SNCdAsNGKQGIDHqwC_oOvlq0rVGLcuKIzTGjED_J0elldKnOEE1MwIPtXoaA2R05Aae3hR829A4Fqf4w5JLoHERfEyjk3537K5i24m5J9ezaW7OOr4EmCmOnO46jBXwY43Xih5vhLh_6RicvZac8V_QA/w400-h300/17%20-%20young%20cow%20with%20new%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">young cow with new calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9M6yiIN4_6aQ_Ae8FLBTntw13qU33ccN9DndC00s7XVK4IJCEZUunBm0ipBihJqwoT9Caf_L1qPbRZ4JEfouMM_k9YpHXRTw1808i0asaqin8E57fTVxJPargMBfyr6HEA0MogTa7xHrd0qgQ3ZFKxLpQbLZOS2uBN5qN1kBzR6_QBfC7kS05Y0SQA/s4000/18%20-%20new%20calf%20in%202nd%20day%20pen.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF9M6yiIN4_6aQ_Ae8FLBTntw13qU33ccN9DndC00s7XVK4IJCEZUunBm0ipBihJqwoT9Caf_L1qPbRZ4JEfouMM_k9YpHXRTw1808i0asaqin8E57fTVxJPargMBfyr6HEA0MogTa7xHrd0qgQ3ZFKxLpQbLZOS2uBN5qN1kBzR6_QBfC7kS05Y0SQA/w400-h300/18%20-%20new%20calf%20in%202nd%20day%20pen.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new calf in 2nd day pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out after work and went with Andrea to check on the water she’d turned on in two of her ditches, to follow the water through and get debris out of the ditches. If it’s going to be a dry year, we need to get some irrigation water going and get the fields growing as soon as possible, even though the creek is quite low; the weather hasn’t been warm enough to melt the high snow and start our high water. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was windy and cold; it rained a little in the wee hours of morning. After we fed the cows, Andrea and I put up a hot wire around the calf houses in the pasture above the house, and put some coarse hay for bedding into those little houses so the calves can have a sheltered dry place to sleep if the weather is bad—and the cows can’t get into that area and eat the bedding out of the houses. The hot wire also keeps the cows from rubbing on the houses; they’ve just about take the tin off the roofs, rubbing on them. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Allan Probst brought 4 dump-truck loads of dirt/small rocks for the cleared-out area next to the new loading chute Michael built. Eventually Michael will bring his skid steer and smooth that out so it won’t be low spot, and it will have a good base for a corral or hay shed. I took a photo from our livingroom window of Allan dumping a load.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo4aZmgrG81u95TDlceT90nAqu6-UoaNNNz5yb-UpawnnbrzqHdx2fev0qWGXBlG55uyV0hsfByThcFFbU6SEbJhuxDd5tzwFoH5im-njhpY6VsjrcGlwQHV2fXnCbwFyrWCpxsEvg1noVXgU4q4_zACp0m6Oxs95vj-3-L2MFqb9g86-XnmzRLv3bw/s4000/19%20-%20dumping%20a%20load%20next%20to%20the%20corral.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLo4aZmgrG81u95TDlceT90nAqu6-UoaNNNz5yb-UpawnnbrzqHdx2fev0qWGXBlG55uyV0hsfByThcFFbU6SEbJhuxDd5tzwFoH5im-njhpY6VsjrcGlwQHV2fXnCbwFyrWCpxsEvg1noVXgU4q4_zACp0m6Oxs95vj-3-L2MFqb9g86-XnmzRLv3bw/w400-h300/19%20-%20dumping%20a%20load%20next%20to%20the%20corral.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">dumping a load next to the corral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch when I looked out the window I noticed my blind cow (Capricious, AKA Blindy) was calving in the horse pasture. I went out there to bring her to the calving pen, but she didn’t want to get up. She’s very mellow and almost a pet; even though she’s blind in her left eye (from a bad case of pinkeye when she was a calf) she is totally trusting but also very independent. I had to poke and prod her to get her up and bring her to the calving pen, then Lynn and I put her in the barn because the weather was windy and cold. She was mad at me for putting her in the barn and stalled off on calving for a little while, then lay down and calved swiftly—a nice bull calf. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later this evening old Blackhead (the stubtail cow who lost part of her tail to a coyote as a calf) started calving so I put her in the calving pen. She calved swiftly, and the calf got up and tried to nurse but was getting cold in the wind. So Andrea and Dani helped me put the calf in our calf “sled” and pull it to the barn with the cow following. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She’s an aggressive mother and didn’t appreciate us taking her calf; I had to clonk her on the head a couple times so she wouldn’t walk all over Dani and Andrea. She wasn’t quite as ornery as last year, however, when she calved in the middle of the night in the orchard and Dani and I had to sled her calf to the barn. I really had to get rough with her that time to keep her from charging over Dani who was trying to pull the sled as I tried to keep the calf in it. Our cows are good mothers but some are just a little too aggressive and have to learn to respect us when we have to handle their calves. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We now have 5 calves, even though the herd wasn’t due to start calving until April 2nd. These babies have arrived a few days early (about 8 or 10 days ahead of their due dates) but being a little small they are born quick and easy, which is nice. We hope we won’t have to pull any calves this year. Babe (the new bull) is supposed to have easy-born calves, and so far they certainly have been easy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">APRIL 8</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday (March 30) was Christopher’s 3rd birthday but Emily waited until the weekend to have a little party for him. The party was at a game store downtown, with a few other little kids, including Christopher’s older half-sister Lillie that he dearly loves. Lynn and I stayed home in case we had any cows calving, but Andrea took photos of the party—of Emily showing Lilly & Christopher a video game, and the birthday cake.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzA_aHSm7VtvNTprESUD0EJ-NGhXoRyXu84s9aVUrxI05zuYtX6EJgEx5FGxNb37rUyz5NMv6qSwehrZOECb5te8s4cZg16onWRCZQ3WLNmgSTLQth0y-0pAw1Rc8L91-dImdyxRcs3w1OFdvIwlHQ_TKaUhc8_iXDdSTDYz7MdkXvttLLJ2bEeKlhA/s4032/20%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Lilly%20at%20his%20party.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBzA_aHSm7VtvNTprESUD0EJ-NGhXoRyXu84s9aVUrxI05zuYtX6EJgEx5FGxNb37rUyz5NMv6qSwehrZOECb5te8s4cZg16onWRCZQ3WLNmgSTLQth0y-0pAw1Rc8L91-dImdyxRcs3w1OFdvIwlHQ_TKaUhc8_iXDdSTDYz7MdkXvttLLJ2bEeKlhA/w300-h400/20%20-%20Christopher%20&%20Lilly%20at%20his%20party.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Lilly at his party</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntmThQfHIkTyrtar_EICl0xxlvkLp6KTkHfZAdMtAjpCGnB1wX2TUj4yhmH1l1V1yp9hTViXq2VkVNx-uCThRNIC6eCoXkFeL52aSqRrPTyLNg9xjP7ynJOYFvwwcj9-y8L0ceoY-V94naJ7bk0DzbJLfjMdsgODc_uR9x96asakbDCSAZkZ21hEnZg/s4608/21%20-%20Christopher's%20birthday%20cake.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntmThQfHIkTyrtar_EICl0xxlvkLp6KTkHfZAdMtAjpCGnB1wX2TUj4yhmH1l1V1yp9hTViXq2VkVNx-uCThRNIC6eCoXkFeL52aSqRrPTyLNg9xjP7ynJOYFvwwcj9-y8L0ceoY-V94naJ7bk0DzbJLfjMdsgODc_uR9x96asakbDCSAZkZ21hEnZg/w400-h300/21%20-%20Christopher's%20birthday%20cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher's birthday cake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After the party Andrea and Emily took Christopher to AJ’s house (Emily’s boyfriend) where he opened his birthday presents.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfyMMBEb9LnZ2LYf_046zFZMie6P7R0NZkWFT96u4rAVZ67Sd3iju_HkXLSOofK2GmfAkULOw35xHiV-Q61qlFQXAHu2HF0eWJo9bCXPAuzi02Qnf41qpEYhGfFjumnUm45UlB29Hi1sZlZuKaVAyKQRzFApbu5QrO34KDKuDmNa20XuGbvh2PAwf2A/s4032/22%20-%20opening%20his%20gifts%20at%20AJ's%20house.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfyMMBEb9LnZ2LYf_046zFZMie6P7R0NZkWFT96u4rAVZ67Sd3iju_HkXLSOofK2GmfAkULOw35xHiV-Q61qlFQXAHu2HF0eWJo9bCXPAuzi02Qnf41qpEYhGfFjumnUm45UlB29Hi1sZlZuKaVAyKQRzFApbu5QrO34KDKuDmNa20XuGbvh2PAwf2A/w300-h400/22%20-%20opening%20his%20gifts%20at%20AJ's%20house.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">opening his gifts at AJ's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To make sure we don’t have any more cows start calving (or calve unobserved) in the horse pasture, we locked them all in the orchard on Wednesday, where they will be easier to see. All of them were getting very ready to calve. That evening Pimples started calving so we put her in the barn; it was another cold night, with a nasty wind. She calved at 1:30 in the morning. The calf got a little chilled and took a while to get up and nurse but finally got the job done. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That day the power company had a planned outage to replace a couple of power poles below us on the creek, so we were without power for 6 hours. We made sure we had all the cows watered and some extra water collected for the house so we wouldn’t need to have the pump running during that time, and had some pots of water on the wood stove so we’d have plenty of hot water. The biggest inconvenience was no power for my computer and phone recorder so I couldn’t do any interviews or type any articles. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put some of the young calves and their mothers up in the pasture above the house with the other pairs, and I took photos as we took “Blindy” and her calf up to the pasture, past my hay shed and horse pens, and Andrea opened the gate for them.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdM7hRi9F8br9_xn2sFCoNY5WlYlLZ9efzPsxojJbq-dad3USlw9HIEwm7Dhyq8nLcIIiJPSKy1M9bWqJ8zelcLGUVd___gBmmoFJ2nnX2ZRqENOsOY4EXGEZDl3nyFd6IvDUWASFpgXnZAaxDPSQgAhfn0G8vD9aU4SLf02FtFcfo2Ec0LfLjy41lQ/s4000/23%20-%20Taking%20Blindy%20&%20calf%20up%20to%20the%20pasture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfdM7hRi9F8br9_xn2sFCoNY5WlYlLZ9efzPsxojJbq-dad3USlw9HIEwm7Dhyq8nLcIIiJPSKy1M9bWqJ8zelcLGUVd___gBmmoFJ2nnX2ZRqENOsOY4EXGEZDl3nyFd6IvDUWASFpgXnZAaxDPSQgAhfn0G8vD9aU4SLf02FtFcfo2Ec0LfLjy41lQ/w400-h300/23%20-%20Taking%20Blindy%20&%20calf%20up%20to%20the%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Taking Blindy & calf up to the pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGGdzdINuuyEGyEd68PRUGzgDT__71b4r_9L06kiwmjYTgyZV6lanYrMaW2k4qfBCfC6cUsiGTamo2WTi5ISvhU3qgrgkbk-G5yrfpJyYSzBupPJbHEv5PSFpKobvLGWJOlGWlaBFOomRusgMBkb36UIlYs32Wo5PrsOUvuDOhCNIqfHolUp64O4Xbg/s4000/24%20-%20Andrea%20opening%20the%20gate%20for%20Blindy%20&%20calf%20to%20go%20to%20pasture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXGGdzdINuuyEGyEd68PRUGzgDT__71b4r_9L06kiwmjYTgyZV6lanYrMaW2k4qfBCfC6cUsiGTamo2WTi5ISvhU3qgrgkbk-G5yrfpJyYSzBupPJbHEv5PSFpKobvLGWJOlGWlaBFOomRusgMBkb36UIlYs32Wo5PrsOUvuDOhCNIqfHolUp64O4Xbg/w400-h300/24%20-%20Andrea%20opening%20the%20gate%20for%20Blindy%20&%20calf%20to%20go%20to%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea opening the gate for Blindy & calf to go to pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Every time we put a new pair up there, the darn cows have to fight each other again. Even though they haven’t been apart very long (only a few days, in some cases, as the calved-out cows leave the maternity pen and go to the pasture with their babies), some of them still want to fight and re-establish who is boss. As we put Blindy and calf up in the pasture, she was no exception. As another cow came to check her out, Blindy pawed the dirt and woollied her head on the ground in threat posture, ready to fight.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9S71eewv7aNoR-5CO6IjkFXRAU4dlNnxSuxuPPgZCODsc15n9SkgctBf-U2Gn_w85Dko6u9n6XnzTRkCwlA46BFWk6-Mybrdy3pqhV393-sY-9jPoxYebW4VOfgSMj7q1UWZe0ghce1dG-4SQblnnfmIdfwbfaGqGh_-LLl7RLv39NgmxjZdyGlaRCQ/s4000/25%20-%20Blindy%20pawing%20the%20ground%20&%20threatening%20to%20fight%20the%20other%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9S71eewv7aNoR-5CO6IjkFXRAU4dlNnxSuxuPPgZCODsc15n9SkgctBf-U2Gn_w85Dko6u9n6XnzTRkCwlA46BFWk6-Mybrdy3pqhV393-sY-9jPoxYebW4VOfgSMj7q1UWZe0ghce1dG-4SQblnnfmIdfwbfaGqGh_-LLl7RLv39NgmxjZdyGlaRCQ/w400-h300/25%20-%20Blindy%20pawing%20the%20ground%20&%20threatening%20to%20fight%20the%20other%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Blindy pawing the ground & threatening to fight the other cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put Pimples and calf out of the barn but that young cow was a bit messed up. Even though it was her 2nd calf she not acting very motherly; she was kicking at it the calf when it tried to nurse, and she wanted to fight the heifers on the other side of the fence (in the field below the 2nd day pens). She also was not liking the water in her tub (slinging it around with her head instead of drinking). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The power company trucks were fairly close by, where they were putting in a new pole, and their equipment was making lots of noise, with people talking loudly. That young cow was so buzzed up and nervous that we put her and her calf back in the barn and left them there another day until she mothered the calf better. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was warmer and the wind finally quit blowing. With no wind, Andrea was able to safely burn some of the tall grass along the ditch to the back lower field; the grass has really clogged up the ditch. She wanted to burn it while there was some water in the ditch so she’d have a way to put out the fire if any sparks got away. Then Jim helped he burn some of the grass of the lower ditch, as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When Andrea and I fed the cows, I took photos of some of the cows and calves in the pasture and as Andrea was preparing to feed. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3bZbv5c3IeqBLmvg5nJ3wRxzFrA6I85BUyr77YiVEZreTHZP1W7Ip6GFRyB9bHM249Tb-IYclHdK5tKfAQ8fX9lEM8W6oJqp9roDyzVjPibEMoHrPpbn1rEG5WnY0w8VP0HQCvmfct5gt_NYlKWHaK_EY5KropQKL7TF4Pdi-Mga17ozv-fxoS0i7g/s4000/26%20-%20Andrea%20feeding%20the%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3bZbv5c3IeqBLmvg5nJ3wRxzFrA6I85BUyr77YiVEZreTHZP1W7Ip6GFRyB9bHM249Tb-IYclHdK5tKfAQ8fX9lEM8W6oJqp9roDyzVjPibEMoHrPpbn1rEG5WnY0w8VP0HQCvmfct5gt_NYlKWHaK_EY5KropQKL7TF4Pdi-Mga17ozv-fxoS0i7g/w400-h300/26%20-%20Andrea%20feeding%20the%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea feeding the cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NcaM6--KmRjERUx1_VyB6ukYkRVPoHVW0w4gEPlQEFeTtDupgllQsfRLcswzUpCwS5y36AY1bCml7Hma2BnDWnMW5ILFri7Zej6MQzpiqn39rHSmDcINuEdDQBaZqt0I0K4NpwLncOyNt8c3PgHeIPLqsSn5lkPI_5MCXGnrEbDj-jjBN3_O8neJew/s4000/27%20-%20some%20of%20the%20cows%20with%20their%20babies.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1NcaM6--KmRjERUx1_VyB6ukYkRVPoHVW0w4gEPlQEFeTtDupgllQsfRLcswzUpCwS5y36AY1bCml7Hma2BnDWnMW5ILFri7Zej6MQzpiqn39rHSmDcINuEdDQBaZqt0I0K4NpwLncOyNt8c3PgHeIPLqsSn5lkPI_5MCXGnrEbDj-jjBN3_O8neJew/w400-h300/27%20-%20some%20of%20the%20cows%20with%20their%20babies.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">some of the cows with their babies</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After we fed I took a few more photos, of the cows eating hay, and some of the babies running around and racing each other. Their mothers got worried and were trying to catch up with their babies. </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cpHanHHr2dFNze8F8B7CW16itmCPFLbGppKRpGg9Bm23TlE5LMd5LCQdpdPLv0NTVtkHY8oSWeR2kiPWlBEVdLMMGY9oK65sTpXqSNcAhrDRmhQjpRoN5aW6Gxzcy9_Ul5Vtg921yY5qo_ioGAnutKZAjYTalyBNWVDaDXkJPF-2qYD5iCYyGJvlTQ/s4000/28%20-%20cows%20eating%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cpHanHHr2dFNze8F8B7CW16itmCPFLbGppKRpGg9Bm23TlE5LMd5LCQdpdPLv0NTVtkHY8oSWeR2kiPWlBEVdLMMGY9oK65sTpXqSNcAhrDRmhQjpRoN5aW6Gxzcy9_Ul5Vtg921yY5qo_ioGAnutKZAjYTalyBNWVDaDXkJPF-2qYD5iCYyGJvlTQ/w400-h300/28%20-%20cows%20eating%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows eating hay </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmJ8RqTC9JsKMlvMOt-ICSHRZpr3fTTdhsfEj99ixnvBYe8FqXj8C5OmzC7NuzBn5TxQL6Vfm09WOzajzugzgLnPGEhmYb5msFIMAfF3mulHmL-7MF5qQ1N9J5T9zA0TjZPteBOZdhHHh7n-41RcUIG1EHLpOjxJOndBtVP-TjikFb9EStvb3jvRbLw/s4000/29%20-%20calves%20racing%20around.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmJ8RqTC9JsKMlvMOt-ICSHRZpr3fTTdhsfEj99ixnvBYe8FqXj8C5OmzC7NuzBn5TxQL6Vfm09WOzajzugzgLnPGEhmYb5msFIMAfF3mulHmL-7MF5qQ1N9J5T9zA0TjZPteBOZdhHHh7n-41RcUIG1EHLpOjxJOndBtVP-TjikFb9EStvb3jvRbLw/w400-h300/29%20-%20calves%20racing%20around.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves racing around</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, Sam had a bad day—with a serious nosebleed that wouldn’t quit. She wasn’t able to go to work. Instead she went to the ER, where a doctor cauterized part of the inside of her nostrils to try to halt the bleeding. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon we had another cow calving; I put Zorra Rose in the calving pen and she calved swiftly just as we finished supper. It wasn’t bitterly cold; the calf nursed ok before dark and we were able to leave them outside in the side pen instead of having to go to the barn. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday afternoon we had two heifers calving—Sweet Pea and Pandemonium (Panda’s last daughter). We put them in the calving pen, and when they were more serious in their labor we put them in the barn, in adjacent stalls. They calved easily, within about 15 minutes of one another, and both of them were good mamas. It’s nice to have the heifers calving this easy, without having to pull their calves! Babe gets an A+ for calving ease on the babies he’s sired so far. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea sent me some pictures of Christopher trying out some of his new machinery he got for his birthday—a backhoe, tractor and trailer. The weather has been a little too nasty for him to use them very much outside, but he did take the tractor and trailer out for a test run in their driveway.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mwFAym03c-CCcdY8jZyleevZVnZyc7NdZybPyLJez9W02QppT60yv9R-PvVxdO7K3okuDt0w-ioHPyjVuVJQ27SgjRruzN48wdq06K0Nxeg4wxeXal7JbumXu66ikxiKcvPp7DOlwP2rP2e4jZjoCV96BTGUdaEDIl7v327ZPfEFyhTl5kemVSlS5Q/s4032/30%20-%20Christopher%20trying%20out%20his%20new%20backhoe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0mwFAym03c-CCcdY8jZyleevZVnZyc7NdZybPyLJez9W02QppT60yv9R-PvVxdO7K3okuDt0w-ioHPyjVuVJQ27SgjRruzN48wdq06K0Nxeg4wxeXal7JbumXu66ikxiKcvPp7DOlwP2rP2e4jZjoCV96BTGUdaEDIl7v327ZPfEFyhTl5kemVSlS5Q/w300-h400/30%20-%20Christopher%20trying%20out%20his%20new%20backhoe.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher trying out his new backhoe</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqp0KRe-18WjaR92g2ORYzcTVy9sTGx_WlMUcpVJ-5H3xS68DuAPlJtK1Pfr4qJIgPxXf2Ylpbi7uE-OgVOWgvK9RBFU2jxuL3MAD1Muj0jV3xWmPNFtBFTCLx6nigvhfbTAPswOBAFiQTmG0FFQ310z8ULOu3oVmUQlXnmDeO62Md3_faJfzgjlHRlw/s4608/31%20-%20tractor%20&%20trailer.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqp0KRe-18WjaR92g2ORYzcTVy9sTGx_WlMUcpVJ-5H3xS68DuAPlJtK1Pfr4qJIgPxXf2Ylpbi7uE-OgVOWgvK9RBFU2jxuL3MAD1Muj0jV3xWmPNFtBFTCLx6nigvhfbTAPswOBAFiQTmG0FFQ310z8ULOu3oVmUQlXnmDeO62Md3_faJfzgjlHRlw/w400-h300/31%20-%20tractor%20&%20trailer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu09putdUDa_olJ52Qc9p_N3UobkhtIg69YzFdGdMGlVUUEOkFBF8LYKNx1vy_aWkwjldoMRf-6c0r4qVx4xWQrrJ4Ab57yrrVqhNx1eGUwd2vOMl0mN5EFv4yru6mvuAKYZK7aWgoC78QsZ0WhzwbacuI4NoHBr0y-UDgCgIongTcYkttMfPfVLB1g/s4032/32%20-%20tractor%20&%20trailer.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwu09putdUDa_olJ52Qc9p_N3UobkhtIg69YzFdGdMGlVUUEOkFBF8LYKNx1vy_aWkwjldoMRf-6c0r4qVx4xWQrrJ4Ab57yrrVqhNx1eGUwd2vOMl0mN5EFv4yru6mvuAKYZK7aWgoC78QsZ0WhzwbacuI4NoHBr0y-UDgCgIongTcYkttMfPfVLB1g/w400-h300/32%20-%20tractor%20&%20trailer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tractor & trailer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was very cold and windy—with a horribly strong wind. We’re glad we have good windbreaks in the 2nd day pens so the new calves can nestle down in those corners in the hay and be able to stay warm. Old Magarite was calving but it was too cold and windy for her to calve outside so we put her in the barn. Soon after that, her half-sister started calving and we put her in the barn also. By evening it was snowing, and China Doll was calving, too, so we put Magarite and calf out in a 2nd day pen to make sure we’d have enough barn space if anyone else calved that night. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There were only 5 left in the orchard by then, and it was snowing so hard we couldn’t see them very well. The spotlight merely lit up the flurry of snowflakes. So we just put them all in the calving pen next to the house, where we could see them easier under that yardlight. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">By the next morning it stopped snowing, but was cold and windy all day. The heifers were out of hay in their feeder when I did chores, so I took a couple small bales in the sled to put in their feeder, to give them something to eat until we could start the tractor and bring a big bale, after we fed the cows. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Two more were calving—Lillianni, nicknamed Alligator Eyes (our most aggressive cow when she calves, but easy to handle at other times) and her daughter—a first-calf heifer named Lilligator. We got all the other cows and calves out of the barn (except China Doll and her new baby that wasn’t quite ready for the nasty weather outdoors yet) and put new bedding in the vacated stalls so we could put these two new ones in. To make sure we didn’t run out of barn space, we also put bedding in the front half of the big roadside aisle that we haven’t had to use for several years—not since Michael and crew set new support posts in that old barn and remodeled the panel doors between stall aisles. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lilligator (the first-calver) calved first and it took a little while because the calf’s legs were hung up at the elbows and a bit jammed, but then the birth went swiftly after the heifer worked at it a bit. The calf was up within a few minutes, and trying to nurse, and the new mama was a bit confused. She was licking and loving it and mooing at the calf, but kicked viciously when it tried to approach the udder. Fortunately she didn’t connect with the calf and just kicked the barn wall! She soon settled down, however, and the calf was nursing. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The older cow wasn’t as far along in labor yet, so Andrea went home to rest for an hour. When she came back we went out to check on old Alligator Eyes. She got out to the barn first; I was a little slower getting my boots and coat on, and when I went out the door I could hear her yelling for help. I ran out there and found her up on the partition panel (where the cow couldn’t get at her) trying to get the sac off the newborn calf’s head with an old pitchfork handle (that we use as a weapon in the barn when necessary) because she didn’t dare get in with that cow. The calf had just been born as she went in the barn, but the sac and fluid were still around its head and it couldn’t breathe yet. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a cow that will eat you alive when she first calves; it always takes two people if we have to do anything immediately with the calf. So I jumped in there and clonked the cow a few times with the pitchfork handle while Andrea grabbed the calf and pulled the membrane away from its head and got it breathing. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put some new bedding in China Doll’s stall and gave her calf a shot of antibiotic because he was coughing a lot. He may have aspirated some fluid at birth the night before, or got some milk down the wrong pipe when he nursed, because he had signs of pneumonia—breathing fast and coughing. He’s a really nice calf that we plan to keep as a bull, so we don’t want him sick!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Before Andrea went home again to go to bed, we checked on the cows and calves in the pasture above the house, since they had been running and bellowing like there were predators in amongst their young calves. We discovered that they’d broken down the electric wire around the calf houses and some of them were in that space eating the hay bedding out of the little houses. They’d broken not only the hot wire, but also one of the big old wood corner posts that holds the hot wire. We had to make an instant temporary repair, tying the electric fence back together and rearranging the step-in posts to hold it up and try to brace it a little at that corner. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was very cold and windy. After we fed the cows Andrea and Lynn helped tag and band some of the young calves and move pairs. We could only feel one testicle on 105’s bull calf, however (the other one was up too far, above the scrotal sac) so we didn’t band him. We will castrate him when we brand the calves next month, hoping that the missing testicle will descend by then. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put China Doll and her bull calf out of the barn to a sheltered 2nd day pen and Andrea took a photo of her and the calf.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKusy6C8Wds1uxooFkU8f2dyZ5N5kCMcZKBhrSEp2uvRgmMM0qjKolxxa1RhxcWtEwcv__4NRZywyfg0QQgj2j-xe0gq2YYL3KfspthjQ9QG0abNNZhv8TouhXCAIu9aVwBISRDKkFoTqkeD3eT9Gt89Zf0HTsDJ6zyasZCatASLNNfpQeHxI26TjcYg/s4032/33%20-%20China%20Doll%20and%20bull%20calf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKusy6C8Wds1uxooFkU8f2dyZ5N5kCMcZKBhrSEp2uvRgmMM0qjKolxxa1RhxcWtEwcv__4NRZywyfg0QQgj2j-xe0gq2YYL3KfspthjQ9QG0abNNZhv8TouhXCAIu9aVwBISRDKkFoTqkeD3eT9Gt89Zf0HTsDJ6zyasZCatASLNNfpQeHxI26TjcYg/w400-h300/33%20-%20China%20Doll%20and%20bull%20calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">China Doll and bull calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We left Alligator Eyes and Lilligator and their calves in the barn and watered the cows in their stalls. The weather was too nasty to put their new babies outside that soon. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our last heifer (Kimona, a daughter of China Doll) started calving and I put her in the calving pen with the other two cows—the only ones left to calve—and watched her there from the house until she got more serious in labor and had to go to the barn. Andrea was home tending Christopher so Lynn and I put her in the barn, in the fresh stall that we’d bedded in case we needed it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, we noticed that China Doll’s bull calf was panting so fast and really struggling for breath so we took his temperature. It was 103. 6 so we gave him another shot of antibiotic. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The heifer we put in the barn (Kimona) was taking a while and very upset when her labor pains hit, trying to get out of the stall or throwing herself to the ground. She was still at it after supper, with no obvious progress after breaking her water. It looked like we might have to put her in the headcatcher and check her to see if the calf was coming wrong. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani was at her dad’s house and not feeling well and didn’t want to come help us, but Charlie offered to come out. By the time he got here, Kimona had progressed enough in her labor that the calf’s feet were emerging (and the nose showing) so at least it was positioned properly. But it was a big calf, and jammed up (elbows back, front legs not protruding much past the nose) and we realized we’d have to pull it. By this time Kimona was down and straining hard, and we didn’t have to put her in the headcatch. Andrea sneaked up behind her and got chains on the calf’s legs, and then Charlie and I quietly climbed into the stall and helped pull the calf. It was a big calf (from our smallest heifer) and needed help with the birth. We got it safely born, the mama loved it, and all was well. It was a girl, and we named it Charlotte (pronounced like Charlie, since Charlie helped save it). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was warmer and a nicer day. We put several pairs from 2nd day pens up to the field with the other cows and calves, and got Alligator Eyes and Lilligator and their calves out of the barn. We left the new calf in the barn a little longer. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took Christopher with her on the 4-wheeler to check on her irrigation ditches that she started a few days ago. She took a photo of Christopher on the 4-wheeler waiting for her to check one of the ditches.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPMidV-AhK6QBaZUw1R_0lXQdvvOFuTXGiaQSDi50ZkYbNKOBy_JGHBIxd04S6aD6pbOZxlH9R9bY4EF8NtBNqqUSgnzL9DhiBai-Egf-LLK-aN8R9yEcnyCO1fm8UyCYHdiwi1NyfTT1wlPm2EoX_8uIhHkZJ7wb3_ER2CWuVIOl8lMsb8hZ-ECujg/s4032/34%20-%20Christopher%20waiting%20on%204-wheeler.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPMidV-AhK6QBaZUw1R_0lXQdvvOFuTXGiaQSDi50ZkYbNKOBy_JGHBIxd04S6aD6pbOZxlH9R9bY4EF8NtBNqqUSgnzL9DhiBai-Egf-LLK-aN8R9yEcnyCO1fm8UyCYHdiwi1NyfTT1wlPm2EoX_8uIhHkZJ7wb3_ER2CWuVIOl8lMsb8hZ-ECujg/w400-h300/34%20-%20Christopher%20waiting%20on%204-wheeler.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher waiting on 4-wheeler</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea discovered that the diversion at 7 A (the “ghost ditch”) was washing out. So she brought Christopher down here for a few minutes so she could decide what to do to fix the ditch and take some material up there to stop the erosion. I took photos as she brought Christopher to our house on the 4-wheeler.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY1lMKmgsb-hYoilcXJnG4UecePoCbMYTT2Pz1xBpzHR4aTcqOiVBAfmWfx39cqgct2a7rFbLrKutekdt4zAF436tq5H9gUElfCyiTCe1N4HIJoCnzj2kDDKW41eIXiF2mROqtedL8qCuqtT_btJ3MC5uG7XEWRYsJ040PveHXCZVCWY7PGABNuk_iQ/s4000/35%20-%20Andrea%20bringing%20Christopher.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRY1lMKmgsb-hYoilcXJnG4UecePoCbMYTT2Pz1xBpzHR4aTcqOiVBAfmWfx39cqgct2a7rFbLrKutekdt4zAF436tq5H9gUElfCyiTCe1N4HIJoCnzj2kDDKW41eIXiF2mROqtedL8qCuqtT_btJ3MC5uG7XEWRYsJ040PveHXCZVCWY7PGABNuk_iQ/w400-h300/35%20-%20Andrea%20bringing%20Christopher.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGivS7YasHFuolrRVEovX60ocW3t9wecpRJuCG5KvLENpK9ivNQzfhgpROW52Q4L0equOyu0dQ3Bd9yDTS7QQsiTiovSQAhBoIb8fFVGO1Y8xp55pzp67TaDFJu_Tti02m2vMhrO_vrQsKdjfRtmld2Jdv871X_F1leTj0ybCCYz-y6Sffco53-nce1g/s4000/36%20-%20Andrea%20bringing%20Christopher.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGivS7YasHFuolrRVEovX60ocW3t9wecpRJuCG5KvLENpK9ivNQzfhgpROW52Q4L0equOyu0dQ3Bd9yDTS7QQsiTiovSQAhBoIb8fFVGO1Y8xp55pzp67TaDFJu_Tti02m2vMhrO_vrQsKdjfRtmld2Jdv871X_F1leTj0ybCCYz-y6Sffco53-nce1g/w400-h300/36%20-%20Andrea%20bringing%20Christopher.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea bringing Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">While she told us about the ditch problem, Christopher petted one of our old cats.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyzxVCaAQH38kI64u-gaLOBwPxvy6NI4Ur6o3IsESCKnnWBbwJRTEKxYKHqQq24biZnepAvJTLq92BFNzMcXGB734a2jx8VTHLD2XaTuig2w00gk7WlpI5oREqqCuHcJm5h19IBlXwqh1DRptVydroyw7wt_xxnouGWKrRh1spjjnthd5Zy8eLUfHSA/s4000/37%20-%20Christopher%20&%20cat.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNyzxVCaAQH38kI64u-gaLOBwPxvy6NI4Ur6o3IsESCKnnWBbwJRTEKxYKHqQq24biZnepAvJTLq92BFNzMcXGB734a2jx8VTHLD2XaTuig2w00gk7WlpI5oREqqCuHcJm5h19IBlXwqh1DRptVydroyw7wt_xxnouGWKrRh1spjjnthd5Zy8eLUfHSA/w400-h300/37%20-%20Christopher%20&%20cat.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & cat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He also wanted to see a calf, so we told him that if he was very quiet he could look at one of the calves in the 2nd day pens, so I took him to the alley to the barn where he could see into the pen and look at the calf.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV9U0sTvTAKDZvdh6AEUDBLEsXOMKssZMSB75cJGDAZEaUUlm7O4bfP7V1dOG3w7w-zEKb4OYhdz6fEFRijbIadjGmvnpwCLGfoFGz5yX260i3iJYBVcWaNY_gVe-SQlfSH3V2LTHpnx4AR6meT97aK0FS9fW0Y1twVvcjPCk0JXjMynSmyMe7IdU4Q/s4032/38%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20tne%20new%20baby%20calf%20in%202nd%20day%20pen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmV9U0sTvTAKDZvdh6AEUDBLEsXOMKssZMSB75cJGDAZEaUUlm7O4bfP7V1dOG3w7w-zEKb4OYhdz6fEFRijbIadjGmvnpwCLGfoFGz5yX260i3iJYBVcWaNY_gVe-SQlfSH3V2LTHpnx4AR6meT97aK0FS9fW0Y1twVvcjPCk0JXjMynSmyMe7IdU4Q/w300-h400/38%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20tne%20new%20baby%20calf%20in%202nd%20day%20pen.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher looking at the new baby calf in 2nd day pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then he played in our front yard while Andrea figured out what she was going to do, to repair the ditch. He enjoyed playing on the swing set—especially the slide—and went down the slide multiple times after trying out the various swings. He went so fast down the slide that I couldn’t take a photo fast enough to actually catch him on the way whizzing down.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxLkvBTyWHHN7Vglpmrt0gyX0Tda7MTOFsD-6_u3XiUFbRcHqufZqbo0JQ4z8Y_tPDnSSB6vJ2e1j1T713oTMeNC6ktfvR3BR_mXRgVBVoaCkwzxqcnh6pPH1D8wrCyAKnUYWQ-240j7JFcGAbpPlYbWnPesIxztR4Xjsy3AwkmtezaFArjaQtAkeUA/s4032/39%20-%20trying%20out%20the%20swings.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBxLkvBTyWHHN7Vglpmrt0gyX0Tda7MTOFsD-6_u3XiUFbRcHqufZqbo0JQ4z8Y_tPDnSSB6vJ2e1j1T713oTMeNC6ktfvR3BR_mXRgVBVoaCkwzxqcnh6pPH1D8wrCyAKnUYWQ-240j7JFcGAbpPlYbWnPesIxztR4Xjsy3AwkmtezaFArjaQtAkeUA/w300-h400/39%20-%20trying%20out%20the%20swings.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trying out the swings</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBF49TtqgI4djGAH86sDY7OIr-m_hgQH3yAPaVBZcbyXkuj2yif_nDx4AirUb2CCn2nvc9ofnpKJvymhG2KV77UzxcA4Ew37OBCuuuA_hs-5KIOnezQIcktrJb8qvmFUJvLOEpBzk_wqJy0L6oy81m9e13fx_vph1ieWhA5j2GxAm0_eB8boESfm2q3A/s4000/40%20-%20climbing%20up%20to%20the%20slide.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBF49TtqgI4djGAH86sDY7OIr-m_hgQH3yAPaVBZcbyXkuj2yif_nDx4AirUb2CCn2nvc9ofnpKJvymhG2KV77UzxcA4Ew37OBCuuuA_hs-5KIOnezQIcktrJb8qvmFUJvLOEpBzk_wqJy0L6oy81m9e13fx_vph1ieWhA5j2GxAm0_eB8boESfm2q3A/w400-h300/40%20-%20climbing%20up%20to%20the%20slide.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">climbing up to the slide</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsh86vKNIBYQaD2CU5XxqC-BSqhL6Uh4OoPL67OVR-ZU_YPf_Ajekos8XGGjTwqr_xbkZ3uz4cZbSOqiP6krTsbP16wljtWN9jfAqNBlsOJuOCAW390T37XKtFFnymQCGV9MivCReR3JbQmowqCC-sc0xKRmoH23uF7ukjp_J1PsWFS3suS_Txr57dw/s4000/41%20-%20ready%20to%20go.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTsh86vKNIBYQaD2CU5XxqC-BSqhL6Uh4OoPL67OVR-ZU_YPf_Ajekos8XGGjTwqr_xbkZ3uz4cZbSOqiP6krTsbP16wljtWN9jfAqNBlsOJuOCAW390T37XKtFFnymQCGV9MivCReR3JbQmowqCC-sc0xKRmoH23uF7ukjp_J1PsWFS3suS_Txr57dw/w400-h300/41%20-%20ready%20to%20go.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to go</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc86oCmprONlgEUQMMdmi3u18w--9UzH1mui75NTt7vm91LQkNY-akI6_2qaiWPZeOBFgeRGydevRXMUquNxfgg_T3gSDUnSayM_AKhx7BtqUeaVQtCku8dHIbP6Okq1dszQBXlWiPpZXYQotO97cTs30ffcR-CntCZWd6UXgnFiWwRsY5P9pbPtOp-w/s4000/42%20-%20starting%20down.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc86oCmprONlgEUQMMdmi3u18w--9UzH1mui75NTt7vm91LQkNY-akI6_2qaiWPZeOBFgeRGydevRXMUquNxfgg_T3gSDUnSayM_AKhx7BtqUeaVQtCku8dHIbP6Okq1dszQBXlWiPpZXYQotO97cTs30ffcR-CntCZWd6UXgnFiWwRsY5P9pbPtOp-w/w400-h300/42%20-%20starting%20down.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">starting down</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOynxk9JgPYd1ldvEpHp-KcUgTotD3OhrMXeWJWdGb1P7RR1H-stkj6hwMKUgWYtYOzyb3gamwH-GOLNcuUl40ycOXLuk7-E6nKXT6uwLAqNaw_nwLdtniVADJBypBlOrQ-4IZMvup917l2IOKTVrRdhMnjSY517-lwfzocFrJ5XzhvKkBr-faxBH0w/s4000/43%20-%202nd%20trip%20down.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjOynxk9JgPYd1ldvEpHp-KcUgTotD3OhrMXeWJWdGb1P7RR1H-stkj6hwMKUgWYtYOzyb3gamwH-GOLNcuUl40ycOXLuk7-E6nKXT6uwLAqNaw_nwLdtniVADJBypBlOrQ-4IZMvup917l2IOKTVrRdhMnjSY517-lwfzocFrJ5XzhvKkBr-faxBH0w/w400-h300/43%20-%202nd%20trip%20down.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">second trip down</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea took Christopher home and Lynn went up to her house to take care of him while she hauled some concrete blocks up to the ditch on her 4-wheeler to stop the eroding leakage of water. She sent us before and after photos of the leak and the fix.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTdsWa-hcIVx-oUlHjzsnNNi9BSi0Ueyo1dSvq9nEovF8nkjKr_AZYmt_u8iKV45fXhxr6qE9wcrGCUBCPzCZIwO-gPoPHtzSMfSTs8cqpsz66foPtc50-PVN8sZn4cGS8EbdhdMzKK9cTA4Cr_4eHzrOU8VQ2vjAKAAv2f8DnKZvIncKPdoMPer0gA/s4032/44%20-%20all%20the%20water%20running%20under%20the%20diversion.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOTdsWa-hcIVx-oUlHjzsnNNi9BSi0Ueyo1dSvq9nEovF8nkjKr_AZYmt_u8iKV45fXhxr6qE9wcrGCUBCPzCZIwO-gPoPHtzSMfSTs8cqpsz66foPtc50-PVN8sZn4cGS8EbdhdMzKK9cTA4Cr_4eHzrOU8VQ2vjAKAAv2f8DnKZvIncKPdoMPer0gA/w300-h400/44%20-%20all%20the%20water%20running%20under%20the%20diversion.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">all the water running under the diversion</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9pzjUF2_IXlQNxfFe2zHifIwsDCfrMx1NZB_4sn7I2WDEGf8b9O_ETuIPShiB8eeFiFGN01aaUjPRgjDBazLsKjoNC5KbbsuI5Itk-U32Q8l_RWybxfP6VKzuKnwsVwLo9wsFJJA8g1VnocMyiisd5cB8uHI94uyQn1pOHQhqCohHBkZVmT0gPQaRw/s4032/45%20-%20water%20running%20properly%20after%20the%20hole%20was%20plugged.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9pzjUF2_IXlQNxfFe2zHifIwsDCfrMx1NZB_4sn7I2WDEGf8b9O_ETuIPShiB8eeFiFGN01aaUjPRgjDBazLsKjoNC5KbbsuI5Itk-U32Q8l_RWybxfP6VKzuKnwsVwLo9wsFJJA8g1VnocMyiisd5cB8uHI94uyQn1pOHQhqCohHBkZVmT0gPQaRw/w300-h400/45%20-%20water%20running%20properly%20after%20the%20hole%20was%20plugged.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">water running properly after the hole was plugged</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After chores I put the remaining two cows in the calving pen for the night where I could watch them, and by midnight one of them (Starfire) was calving. We put her in the barn to calve. When she got serious about labor I sat out there in the barn to watch her, hiding behind the old stove in the next stall where she couldn’t see me. She got up and down a lot, but it was a good thing I was there because when she finally lay down to have the calf, her butt end was jammed against the stall panel. The calf’s feet and head were coming out but there was no room. This is the biggest disadvantage to calving in a barn; sometimes the cows lie too close to the wall or a stall divider. So I had to make her get up. She lay in a better spot and had the calf at 2:40 a. m. It was ok so I went to bed. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea came down this morning after chores and we fed the cows and checked on the new calf and it looked like it nursed. We moved the heifer and her calf out of the barn. Andrea took photos of the calf (Charlotte) and moving the pair out of the barn, and mama and baby in their new place in a 2nd day pen.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLX8Lm18VJljNktgjxvN1FmAkEKIIrWfEBPMdRU7CdyTXvUu5aMWqCZkRdH3exP1ffAsL2JU-_ABP3Ka4F-GdkqLN59fvZh3gkcZDG0hxxrdYzwqdIs9JeJXHEsE-jbF6IU0CozVvF_rcFSMyIJkCfl_MU4OmfE9Q7gzXdS2Jph2NUgd8NEZT2KR1B7A/s4032/46%20-%20Charlotte%20nestled%20in%20the%20barn%20stall%20before%20we%20moved%20her%20out.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLX8Lm18VJljNktgjxvN1FmAkEKIIrWfEBPMdRU7CdyTXvUu5aMWqCZkRdH3exP1ffAsL2JU-_ABP3Ka4F-GdkqLN59fvZh3gkcZDG0hxxrdYzwqdIs9JeJXHEsE-jbF6IU0CozVvF_rcFSMyIJkCfl_MU4OmfE9Q7gzXdS2Jph2NUgd8NEZT2KR1B7A/w300-h400/46%20-%20Charlotte%20nestled%20in%20the%20barn%20stall%20before%20we%20moved%20her%20out.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlotte nestled in the barn stall before we moved her out</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkCOgDP-5HdrROezMs_6ju8q2mpkxiYjGJCckgq13HZvtQoDmxugu6H6KURzE8ZuREcNle31xWmxwi8PhvjLejRuzRHCOSzR0_W5fSbbvOJZNMFtw_3WiMQxDZILMy_IWj8OZCkMc3dUFVznQdwXs8Khu_q9l0SjASxBo0zlzFnf90PC8RKME4leWBw/s4032/47%20-%20mama%20going%20out%20of%20the%20barn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifkCOgDP-5HdrROezMs_6ju8q2mpkxiYjGJCckgq13HZvtQoDmxugu6H6KURzE8ZuREcNle31xWmxwi8PhvjLejRuzRHCOSzR0_W5fSbbvOJZNMFtw_3WiMQxDZILMy_IWj8OZCkMc3dUFVznQdwXs8Khu_q9l0SjASxBo0zlzFnf90PC8RKME4leWBw/w300-h400/47%20-%20mama%20going%20out%20of%20the%20barn.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mama going out of the barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtq2KSE1deXXwIy7HXPKaFuBTV6HeoeDE5sM486NSuh2iRzHa3e2QINKzKe54TAKxNzUz_T3j4nX6OILl7D5xZ0xTxVvA1qh-OllhD6RFXK0rl4HAVCYV8oB83iSD8s9QM0cCqsWzoYmR_b03iZcJpbz-iMITF7idV0VKT-GJO-nnoqazZWG6-tOtyw/s4032/48%20-%20mama%20&%20baby%20out%20in%20the%20sunshine%20in%202nd%20day%20pen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtq2KSE1deXXwIy7HXPKaFuBTV6HeoeDE5sM486NSuh2iRzHa3e2QINKzKe54TAKxNzUz_T3j4nX6OILl7D5xZ0xTxVvA1qh-OllhD6RFXK0rl4HAVCYV8oB83iSD8s9QM0cCqsWzoYmR_b03iZcJpbz-iMITF7idV0VKT-GJO-nnoqazZWG6-tOtyw/w400-h300/48%20-%20mama%20&%20baby%20out%20in%20the%20sunshine%20in%202nd%20day%20pen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mama & baby out in the sunshine in 2nd day pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was the first day of the annual mule sale and horse sale, and Jim took his horse trailer down there to sell it, and also had a booth where he sold some of the jewelry and bolo ties he’s made in his shop—with the cut and polished stones that he’s been working with. He was able to sell his trailer. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later in the day Andrea went in also, and Emily took Christopher in there, to look at the horses and mules. On her way to town, Emily stopped her to show us Christopher wearing his T-shirt that we gave him for his birthday. It has a John Deere tractor on it, and the saying beneath it says “There Will Be MUD”. I was going to take a photo of him wearing it, but he took off running around her car and I couldn’t get a photo of the shirt!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlmj0VQaVnqsXQQa3PNkH23zCSAWAsYs-q0DFU8onWsl9EBmefxIegD7NHhzmKEO0E5GifJ850TMUjoZcTId6vHMiObDf4i-wVXjrHKDKzaevHdQguhANgdk7D9Sl0EHfTLboqhDqvadpGpzLaRljZi07PxwFJz-zU3DoHTYiwbYB4JpZZoZIGeztng/s4000/49%20A%20-%20Christopher%20running%20off.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlmj0VQaVnqsXQQa3PNkH23zCSAWAsYs-q0DFU8onWsl9EBmefxIegD7NHhzmKEO0E5GifJ850TMUjoZcTId6vHMiObDf4i-wVXjrHKDKzaevHdQguhANgdk7D9Sl0EHfTLboqhDqvadpGpzLaRljZi07PxwFJz-zU3DoHTYiwbYB4JpZZoZIGeztng/w300-h400/49%20A%20-%20Christopher%20running%20off.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher running off</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After they got to the horse and mule sale, he got to see some of the mules. Then he checked out some of the things in the booth where Jim was, and later had a can of pop.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrWqFqUvUWft-j_IcqsaxpWLchwC7ArNSx9kqkYaRkxzYIZ4hZvkyj1MWJ5gTRbANDb-IsVO3VvtrWl6DjA_rn7jlFEzZGyMM2aiRpsYiKfq3CUkPgPjnHGtOnNsqacbPSe9yoKfd4hw2fV8L-bOlzn363h-KucwTHpP0JPehyx6qGEpPb0HzgfJXgA/s4032/49%20B%20-%20Jim%20&%20Christopher.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijrWqFqUvUWft-j_IcqsaxpWLchwC7ArNSx9kqkYaRkxzYIZ4hZvkyj1MWJ5gTRbANDb-IsVO3VvtrWl6DjA_rn7jlFEzZGyMM2aiRpsYiKfq3CUkPgPjnHGtOnNsqacbPSe9yoKfd4hw2fV8L-bOlzn363h-KucwTHpP0JPehyx6qGEpPb0HzgfJXgA/w300-h400/49%20B%20-%20Jim%20&%20Christopher.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFihuqrK4OiI9IDC8FRe9dh8lcBLLGFUw38DUTthF37wH_PyP8oPK5vPerdy-PZNPrnw5lDK8mquY8yEX6xaScAxFR9pXNohKbzdxNp4vo0-STn_dPRgYxV89Jc8LR4bRNdBKgY0M2vlEhrC4ffplKnq5v01UQFr63L0S9NrkZ0wwRhSX7XtXF6qPgww/s4032/50%20-%20Christopher%20having%20some%20pop.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFihuqrK4OiI9IDC8FRe9dh8lcBLLGFUw38DUTthF37wH_PyP8oPK5vPerdy-PZNPrnw5lDK8mquY8yEX6xaScAxFR9pXNohKbzdxNp4vo0-STn_dPRgYxV89Jc8LR4bRNdBKgY0M2vlEhrC4ffplKnq5v01UQFr63L0S9NrkZ0wwRhSX7XtXF6qPgww/w300-h400/50%20-%20Christopher%20having%20some%20pop.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher having some pop</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">With all the cold weather the upper snow hasn’t started melting yet and our creek is very low. Jack (on the place at the mouth of the creek with the first irrigation right) was short of water today, so when Andrea came home this evening she turned off a couple of her ditches.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">APRIL 20</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week I took some photos of cows and calves in the pasture, including Malulalmae and her young calf, some of the calves running and playing, and one of the mamas worried about a couple of calves fighting.<br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDza_2DJjlIOhHZ30MOlumQVUQ95JF7x83kmJctyGGaFjdVdMGq3if7ZMOtTBK2Jf3oL1adhVY1UbanGlFziJcYdL8X0Kamimj9AVdtZDVGaREqaz7WqYp4rzJnHzXvCaW2KQUkvxCel2anL5vrcL-nzHQqGVNK4DBAokfcogSrh6094ySNAeekevSA/s4000/51%20-%20Malulamae%20&%20calf.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDza_2DJjlIOhHZ30MOlumQVUQ95JF7x83kmJctyGGaFjdVdMGq3if7ZMOtTBK2Jf3oL1adhVY1UbanGlFziJcYdL8X0Kamimj9AVdtZDVGaREqaz7WqYp4rzJnHzXvCaW2KQUkvxCel2anL5vrcL-nzHQqGVNK4DBAokfcogSrh6094ySNAeekevSA/w400-h300/51%20-%20Malulamae%20&%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Malulamae & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF4y5hPqDKbu0mL8LpTdpZwW58eNTQ1qydadNOXmSTf4gFJAM8u4R26bcQG1zCFpEm-sK1BlttjaXLEv6IXCfhCJjwVgI2FEfPoTcynwnedaXP8KHO4_wF1n5tPUzp2nsF3UI2YplnXy2ozTCGZjSp40iYd5GSd0nNrIneqS9zl9XrXkxgV8XtCBRgQ/s4000/52%20-calves%20running%20and%20playing.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFF4y5hPqDKbu0mL8LpTdpZwW58eNTQ1qydadNOXmSTf4gFJAM8u4R26bcQG1zCFpEm-sK1BlttjaXLEv6IXCfhCJjwVgI2FEfPoTcynwnedaXP8KHO4_wF1n5tPUzp2nsF3UI2YplnXy2ozTCGZjSp40iYd5GSd0nNrIneqS9zl9XrXkxgV8XtCBRgQ/w400-h300/52%20-calves%20running%20and%20playing.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves running and playing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb80C-Pb0N1XKanrsxqwpu3j2zk0cueQWB5MncnEN0HK7P3JmTi2Ev4xweOd_CvfmpF7VuqWnoQ91LH0kgHpLVNEgifSzJQ605NJxus9TbM6KjnP2VBf8V3F1R5KpBPy6WCn8XMLmcspXEbw3Q41mXBvEuAl12qy6JwwpPpSCjUDqBE4PDQ4j_JeicIw/s4000/53%20-%20mama%20trying%20to%20referree%20a%20kid%20fight.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb80C-Pb0N1XKanrsxqwpu3j2zk0cueQWB5MncnEN0HK7P3JmTi2Ev4xweOd_CvfmpF7VuqWnoQ91LH0kgHpLVNEgifSzJQ605NJxus9TbM6KjnP2VBf8V3F1R5KpBPy6WCn8XMLmcspXEbw3Q41mXBvEuAl12qy6JwwpPpSCjUDqBE4PDQ4j_JeicIw/w400-h300/53%20-%20mama%20trying%20to%20referree%20a%20kid%20fight.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mama trying to referee a kid fight</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took a photo of Pandemonium (one of the first-calf mamas) nursing her baby Panther, and some of the cows grazing. They are so hungry for green grass, and there is a little new green grass starting to grow up through the old grass in that pasture. The last photo I took was of Outlandish and her calf (the oldest calf) playing peek-a-boo around the power pole.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMldtZ-f9jFqK3lA9NGrQ86__O3pdNd7XHDlfTYH6W4sSrG3aa5ri0YY06lBVvSMMD0kG3PuIiSTWKchSqGHN6gXu67Uc0x1kOia4tMgSmKgsGJfR7W-sfgsH-k1EDe9YFJzX7tiU2tww3nkCcs9Sfx3B5snteUNaP-RLootDzEc0CWD6c5sIoUEhvgQ/s4000/54%20-%20Pandemonium%20&%20calf.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMldtZ-f9jFqK3lA9NGrQ86__O3pdNd7XHDlfTYH6W4sSrG3aa5ri0YY06lBVvSMMD0kG3PuIiSTWKchSqGHN6gXu67Uc0x1kOia4tMgSmKgsGJfR7W-sfgsH-k1EDe9YFJzX7tiU2tww3nkCcs9Sfx3B5snteUNaP-RLootDzEc0CWD6c5sIoUEhvgQ/w400-h300/54%20-%20Pandemonium%20&%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pandemonium & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbzC3N2NLvKxYsLBnfg8AwQXdC-00LNcB8wXtuFnUV37mIsNvABZ53UrT9xRQBLH0IaGEgNPkJjaX3Rqu4ISWrGHQwZnUiD8NOmBaAIFIWe_IYUP8qQEKfpZgBBuxNP-wXuB_DNYF4m_xbZUQyAOUo-lUIyoc0xupa8jc-ejkD9Ho8T2ytgrm-UnTdA/s4000/55%20-%20cows%20grazing.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZbzC3N2NLvKxYsLBnfg8AwQXdC-00LNcB8wXtuFnUV37mIsNvABZ53UrT9xRQBLH0IaGEgNPkJjaX3Rqu4ISWrGHQwZnUiD8NOmBaAIFIWe_IYUP8qQEKfpZgBBuxNP-wXuB_DNYF4m_xbZUQyAOUo-lUIyoc0xupa8jc-ejkD9Ho8T2ytgrm-UnTdA/w400-h300/55%20-%20cows%20grazing.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows grazing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ8l6StgQZZViuqAk_Cad1-wYYgu4CtzKpacjNPkcOF9eO_j_LWbIabIcZd7U2vDN9SW7RZMvtw17PQaAu_nKbqMK_D8zdcQ7b_QRRURMbNb5HSOIv1yAk4flP5CLb4wsT5F00fISOZoeofiSRAJ2gTBxe8rVIdsFIwqx-iXb6_lLo8a9BCll2Ci3UQ/s4000/56%20-%20Outlandish%20&%20calf.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQ8l6StgQZZViuqAk_Cad1-wYYgu4CtzKpacjNPkcOF9eO_j_LWbIabIcZd7U2vDN9SW7RZMvtw17PQaAu_nKbqMK_D8zdcQ7b_QRRURMbNb5HSOIv1yAk4flP5CLb4wsT5F00fISOZoeofiSRAJ2gTBxe8rVIdsFIwqx-iXb6_lLo8a9BCll2Ci3UQ/w400-h300/56%20-%20Outlandish%20&%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Outlandish & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After those few nice days in late March, it’s been cold and windy most days, and the grass hasn’t grown very much. We had really nasty weather 10 days ago, when our last calf was born. Andrea, Jim and Christopher all had bad colds and Jim slept all day. Andrea helped me feed cows and put a few pairs up to the pasture above the house with all the other cows and calves, and we took a big bale to the heifer’s empty feeder. I took photos as we brought Kimona (China Doll’s daughter) and her baby Charlotte out of the 2nd day pens and up to the pasture.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeyuxPQoCZY_AEwMSjNoOL7LcuJSo0XKrfSYRGSezNQJuStnlrkp42CChEBn0y3hx8UasN1lTdpdvqHBA2X5pOaV7CyHYZElIjm78ZyotXdCU3N2XOo6f2c6JmwNxQff9_hBYfpxZDUN35cYARyKNPHnEuyJGqcdsy1n_QFcJh6Cg2wlJZpEUesfVXg/s4032/57%20-%20Kimona%20and%20calf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioeyuxPQoCZY_AEwMSjNoOL7LcuJSo0XKrfSYRGSezNQJuStnlrkp42CChEBn0y3hx8UasN1lTdpdvqHBA2X5pOaV7CyHYZElIjm78ZyotXdCU3N2XOo6f2c6JmwNxQff9_hBYfpxZDUN35cYARyKNPHnEuyJGqcdsy1n_QFcJh6Cg2wlJZpEUesfVXg/w300-h400/57%20-%20Kimona%20and%20calf.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kimona and calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKHV3JApYGN1GvspzCQo9uiLAn5tLhayiREDqFAhKMLKR-mfIiX8MKwuuvuB6k0DVbIVGtGmrouvNtQLvpuFI9pzW60aWkeCYT5nkkUGn4cyAEHbpDQDaGX33cZoRTAGKmiILj7M33hA9ndnfurz5rA3A0vCiMTt0LXwy4beYpgcnSPwOZW0Vg_khnw/s4032/58%20-%20Kimona%20and%20Charlotte%20heading%20across%20the%20driveway%20toward%20the%20lane%20to%20the%20pasture.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKHV3JApYGN1GvspzCQo9uiLAn5tLhayiREDqFAhKMLKR-mfIiX8MKwuuvuB6k0DVbIVGtGmrouvNtQLvpuFI9pzW60aWkeCYT5nkkUGn4cyAEHbpDQDaGX33cZoRTAGKmiILj7M33hA9ndnfurz5rA3A0vCiMTt0LXwy4beYpgcnSPwOZW0Vg_khnw/w300-h400/58%20-%20Kimona%20and%20Charlotte%20heading%20across%20the%20driveway%20toward%20the%20lane%20to%20the%20pasture.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kimona and Charlotte heading across the driveway toward the lane to the pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out that afternoon to help us tag and band the youngest bull calves (Alligator Eyes’ calf and Lillilgator’s calf) since it’s getting harder for Lynn to kneel down on the ground and work on calves. Andrea, Charlie and I can do it more easily; he helps put the calf on the ground, I hold the head and front end while Charlie holds the back legs and Andrea applies the rubber band with the elastrator tool. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie arrived just as Lynn was parking the big tractor after taking a bale to the heifers. He parked his truck behind the tractor. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7z3eM0NY5i0qOQP1Z6umQen0cK0tchfzhJddcy3BFJKeYN_gcFENf665xYWysbLDxxKqL9ry8WE4jQfC9wFebDUoGEL5b5mw8v5VH9GS92uOdRdyMDyDJPXZeqI7dN2HQKjCxpI3TXQDHsxArFW7I_epRicn3iF4UhOD-LkCghI0rwi0AV9tJD4Ilg/s4032/59%20-%20Charlie's%20truck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7z3eM0NY5i0qOQP1Z6umQen0cK0tchfzhJddcy3BFJKeYN_gcFENf665xYWysbLDxxKqL9ry8WE4jQfC9wFebDUoGEL5b5mw8v5VH9GS92uOdRdyMDyDJPXZeqI7dN2HQKjCxpI3TXQDHsxArFW7I_epRicn3iF4UhOD-LkCghI0rwi0AV9tJD4Ilg/w400-h300/59%20-%20Charlie's%20truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie's truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we got the calves tagged and banded, Charlie helped Andrea put a couple of elk panels on the upper gate out of the pasture above the house—to keep any coyotes or other animals from coming through. The fence around that pasture is predator-proof and tall enough to keep out anything that can jump, but deer, coyotes, wolves and dogs can get through and under the gate. We don’t need anything coming in and harassing the cows and baby calves. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The Fish and Game released a bunch of turkeys all around the county (planning to have some turkey hunts) and we have 12 of them—all males—wandering up and down our creek. Andrea took photos of them a few days ago, in our swamp pasture just across the creek from the cows.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4oa3HtXBA9t0bpwe7X4DfwAt2lw-G2GvDRxjhOv8J0y_7kGvnGcF19uXP7F5BQk8aHHviTplUdf0ZY-4clgVInIGhMJE-RUWZ_c1lWtLxSzGpA8GvnQKBFdUmnczA2rnhtG8CXv6k9CtCFwwn_SzANnYH4wPM1QHUUOmhmhTrbYy33XaPoDmmNKqNA/s4032/59A%20-%20turkeys%20in%20our%20swamp%20pasture.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy4oa3HtXBA9t0bpwe7X4DfwAt2lw-G2GvDRxjhOv8J0y_7kGvnGcF19uXP7F5BQk8aHHviTplUdf0ZY-4clgVInIGhMJE-RUWZ_c1lWtLxSzGpA8GvnQKBFdUmnczA2rnhtG8CXv6k9CtCFwwn_SzANnYH4wPM1QHUUOmhmhTrbYy33XaPoDmmNKqNA/w400-h300/59A%20-%20turkeys%20in%20our%20swamp%20pasture.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPManQreP0jzNeOuUnzFN3ff-SuDVWnZZk2mXqgm2rHVzR6D8nGLqQaH6rsNdpgx78WHZruEhKQl5AQFN6yP4C33HXKdNEMST6T8v-i1VnhXHBcaXV7kShFuqH9KTiFXKz4oDQyP5cXHuF_ySteFOKdKD3UPRGKN2cOF9PVMWGeWgUG35SMRA5PBoV4g/s4032/59B%20-turkeys%20released%20by%20Fish%20&%20Game%20Department.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPManQreP0jzNeOuUnzFN3ff-SuDVWnZZk2mXqgm2rHVzR6D8nGLqQaH6rsNdpgx78WHZruEhKQl5AQFN6yP4C33HXKdNEMST6T8v-i1VnhXHBcaXV7kShFuqH9KTiFXKz4oDQyP5cXHuF_ySteFOKdKD3UPRGKN2cOF9PVMWGeWgUG35SMRA5PBoV4g/w400-h300/59B%20-turkeys%20released%20by%20Fish%20&%20Game%20Department.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">turkeys released by Fish & Game Department</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg18ey25wAlcVOkoQean4pQqv1GqUxTyC2PAGglc7y6NprJazir7SNX3ZYytbwNSHMkZFRFfTqgbhpI2zs_qn38DcliWubdwEDp7xw_LTPH7nboYxOn_mTijDUF9C4XZV0UqgonvG5X3aPvNNy-jrEPafZFUGG3v1Urz3Nid2MEaXaGxYu82U1lsvwXA/s4032/59C%20-%20male%20turkeys%20in%20our%20swamp%20pasture.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg18ey25wAlcVOkoQean4pQqv1GqUxTyC2PAGglc7y6NprJazir7SNX3ZYytbwNSHMkZFRFfTqgbhpI2zs_qn38DcliWubdwEDp7xw_LTPH7nboYxOn_mTijDUF9C4XZV0UqgonvG5X3aPvNNy-jrEPafZFUGG3v1Urz3Nid2MEaXaGxYu82U1lsvwXA/w400-h300/59C%20-%20male%20turkeys%20in%20our%20swamp%20pasture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">male turkeys in our swamp pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They really upset the cows when they come through their pasture, and the cows run around bawling and trying to find their calves and they all stampede around the pasture, with risk of running over a calf. The panels on the gate will also keep those darn turkeys from getting into that pasture. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While Charlie was here he also helped Andrea put an electric fence across the top part of the field below the lane where the heifers are. I called the heifers into the lane by the calving barn, where there’s a little grass and I also gave them some hay. It’s nice to have those yearlings trained to come when I call them! We locked them in there for a couple hours so Charlie and Andrea could put up the electric fence to divide that pasture for later (to graze the creek side and leave the other side to grow for hay) and across the top to keep the heifers in a small area by their feeder, so the rest of it can grow. They’ve been so hungry for green grass that they’ve been eating it off as fast as it tries to grow. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather was bad and snowing and blowing before they got the fence finished. Their hands got cold so they came in to warm up by the wood stove. About that time our last cow (Magnolia, a second calver) was obviously in labor and I’d put her in the calving pen. She was pacing around trying to get out and trying to crawl under the gate into the orchard, so Andrea and Charlie tied a couple poles under that gate. She was in early labor for a while so I kept watching her, and Andrea and Charlie went home to her house to warm up and relieve Lynn of babysitter duty taking care of Christopher. Andrea fed Charlie some supper, and Lynn helped me put Magnolia in the barn after she got more serious in labor and broke her water. By then it was snowing hard. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea came down again soon after, and we watched the cow until she calved (very swiftly, once she got down to business), to make sure everything was ok. I checked on the pair later that evening before we went to bed, and the calf had nursed. We were done calving!!From start to finish, our calving took only 20 days. That was our shortest calving season ever; all of the cows bred on their first heat cycles. Nice to have it over with quickly and not have to get up in the night to check cows!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was also cold and windy with snow flurries. We put a couple more pairs up to the field when we fed the cows, and put the last pair out of the barn—into the 2nd day pen that has a little roof over one corner so the calf can get out of the wind and snow. Lynn went to town to do all the town errands after locating a site for a well, and got it accomplished just before it started snowing and blowing a lot worse. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea started the tractor and brought some bales around to the hold pen from the stack yard, in case the snow got worse, since we no longer have chains on the tractor and it can’t get around very well in snow or mud. We got several inches of snow that evening and Emily had a hard time coming home from work at midnight with the snow blowing across the road, with bad visibility. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The deer hit our haystacks pretty hard, and the bales Andrea set in the hold pen, by morning, so we put elk panels around those bales and shut the stackyard gate. Up until then the deer had been chasing green grass, but with it snowed under, they were like a hoard of rabbits eating on our hay. The elk panels will keep the deer from eating on those spare bales.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnjRWIGbuHLYDtPN8BKJ28kDjk09mrVUJLNxe3gssSOAkmepdnX8qGDcGBAUyGaaRJ6B1EKCKYxlw6iNMSMwyP_CYlamBqYm41YSXlwZA98-MQhVmxfMFyqP8cqyK2fwZlXfKxcMBYjQiagiGXAxP5RIL3oH6opBDCG9-XPMkvTSkLfCYGddwMIORxQ/s4000/60%20-%20Andrea%20tying%20elk%20panels%20together.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJnjRWIGbuHLYDtPN8BKJ28kDjk09mrVUJLNxe3gssSOAkmepdnX8qGDcGBAUyGaaRJ6B1EKCKYxlw6iNMSMwyP_CYlamBqYm41YSXlwZA98-MQhVmxfMFyqP8cqyK2fwZlXfKxcMBYjQiagiGXAxP5RIL3oH6opBDCG9-XPMkvTSkLfCYGddwMIORxQ/w400-h300/60%20-%20Andrea%20tying%20elk%20panels%20together.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea tying elk panels together</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgW_FPiafQIMV9HT4rY1Yf99iLGbxX1dfsOb0rr1cL7hAD1NPIA9XpN-i_S2arHs0OnMOzCw1CiWzxgzfoXGA5vf_ZoZfrtfDNxeTzhgvHzZE0xB8aUyFlsoB3Co-O71XtXOOtm3m6hEALgvkWZKVh3qFIcJkHA5zlCmq9x8sBaSQF_bANJvh8-ZLRQ/s4000/61%20-%20Andrea%20putting%20elk%20panels%20around%20the%20spare%20bales.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQgW_FPiafQIMV9HT4rY1Yf99iLGbxX1dfsOb0rr1cL7hAD1NPIA9XpN-i_S2arHs0OnMOzCw1CiWzxgzfoXGA5vf_ZoZfrtfDNxeTzhgvHzZE0xB8aUyFlsoB3Co-O71XtXOOtm3m6hEALgvkWZKVh3qFIcJkHA5zlCmq9x8sBaSQF_bANJvh8-ZLRQ/w400-h300/61%20-%20Andrea%20putting%20elk%20panels%20around%20the%20spare%20bales.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea putting elk panels around the spare bales</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfJgDlY8DFabxWT3rVFAjze7w7Qv3SktSqsKXNDAI0YwHNy2Hom2hhDdsjRa4wJSS-KMLIqBj9VgBfiAQlg3G67iKPQ2bMlsFKXsL8OXQp3Orw4jjWGag4xqMuB9BEu5j6SPZXC7w1hF2HERFsqYCSVcVHDWttvKq91WwlNP-Ds6U5ERsQw4-PnaHbQ/s4032/62%20-%20elk%20panels%20around%20the%20bales.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDfJgDlY8DFabxWT3rVFAjze7w7Qv3SktSqsKXNDAI0YwHNy2Hom2hhDdsjRa4wJSS-KMLIqBj9VgBfiAQlg3G67iKPQ2bMlsFKXsL8OXQp3Orw4jjWGag4xqMuB9BEu5j6SPZXC7w1hF2HERFsqYCSVcVHDWttvKq91WwlNP-Ds6U5ERsQw4-PnaHbQ/w400-h300/62%20-%20elk%20panels%20around%20the%20bales.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">elk panels around the bales</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning was cold and I had to break ice on all the horse tubs and the cow’s water tank. Winter just won’t release its grip! I took photos when we fed the cows and calves. Some of them were trying to eat the hay off the truck.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXa33mV30IeyWj-PtVGelz8jopJkvOMpSvk-IyNpLvENeD9HBqklkuy5Cr49y6p2Z_w0UsZRkcn8QgW36Jij63V2aU5vB_-H2c6_lgGYccOPtSZXHmx_PVnaQO46NJNiJAxrrSpWfnsLE0bUKu3jIT63GU_QdTfvrtOWYAEUYdT3r8stAFM-7IvN8qw/s4000/63%20-%20feeding%20in%20the%20snow.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXa33mV30IeyWj-PtVGelz8jopJkvOMpSvk-IyNpLvENeD9HBqklkuy5Cr49y6p2Z_w0UsZRkcn8QgW36Jij63V2aU5vB_-H2c6_lgGYccOPtSZXHmx_PVnaQO46NJNiJAxrrSpWfnsLE0bUKu3jIT63GU_QdTfvrtOWYAEUYdT3r8stAFM-7IvN8qw/w400-h300/63%20-%20feeding%20in%20the%20snow.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding in the snow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HyukBs9OG29Ld61VmiQIQiyILRxz_-ZFbavUZEt-rAC9DkrdT40PgwgInaVUzqvt76LUNNFIz64W3UVsKRyjfAXBNHGhstd8tkAUr0qik7TZy8u4B73-3BL_sjWI5h9zMKw2WlRGMPhmodU_aqP-9hbRKwFEu6Tmfm3wgqLmOEtfFrBis_6OK7wBhw/s4000/64%20-%20trying%20to%20eat%20hay%20off%20the%20truck.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-HyukBs9OG29Ld61VmiQIQiyILRxz_-ZFbavUZEt-rAC9DkrdT40PgwgInaVUzqvt76LUNNFIz64W3UVsKRyjfAXBNHGhstd8tkAUr0qik7TZy8u4B73-3BL_sjWI5h9zMKw2WlRGMPhmodU_aqP-9hbRKwFEu6Tmfm3wgqLmOEtfFrBis_6OK7wBhw/w400-h300/64%20-%20trying%20to%20eat%20hay%20off%20the%20truck.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trying to eat hay off the truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w_T9YA68fxb8KtFc3yLTxgWaUr-rShdg3VTPx2HpaguP_jJkR-39NUuLrgh0QtfgJdGR5XDaq_6XoiE2HfNzFMIgBmdnAc2uqTlvfhfvu15k-QoZZVLGseQe8Z_TmC7p8HsyweXLemv5bWhWa67KPEvQqCBrDi9X6q08Qt6fEUIShzSrKCkEusZU_A/s4000/65%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6w_T9YA68fxb8KtFc3yLTxgWaUr-rShdg3VTPx2HpaguP_jJkR-39NUuLrgh0QtfgJdGR5XDaq_6XoiE2HfNzFMIgBmdnAc2uqTlvfhfvu15k-QoZZVLGseQe8Z_TmC7p8HsyweXLemv5bWhWa67KPEvQqCBrDi9X6q08Qt6fEUIShzSrKCkEusZU_A/w400-h300/65%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaG4FELXlvsB6KAH4TL9-mTwBA8WssXlZa8qRShBcsgoCmEBhQTOFwU1eAPTx5s7uOa1bctHU8a0rvkF587bqb5yQzSE3EPm-Ifh0OtoCIkmciRPxLhvMaj1XnF-RqWCwwUOZvMbsHCMo05U7E31wDUqPwLTe7yCKgoYdCpcKfs-2_SUQw5N7jBLGIg/s4000/66%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtaG4FELXlvsB6KAH4TL9-mTwBA8WssXlZa8qRShBcsgoCmEBhQTOFwU1eAPTx5s7uOa1bctHU8a0rvkF587bqb5yQzSE3EPm-Ifh0OtoCIkmciRPxLhvMaj1XnF-RqWCwwUOZvMbsHCMo05U7E31wDUqPwLTe7yCKgoYdCpcKfs-2_SUQw5N7jBLGIg/w400-h300/66%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">A few of the calves were still in the calf houses, where they stayed dry and out of the wind during the stormy, cold weather. After they came out they were frolicking around and many of them were happy to lie down in the hay.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyxylnGbEm4WCs_clem--U-I8rsUOzrpsW49r8iQEDqmV6Rg1lgLqjj8vVzF2vQyYFBdRrKl64P4g0TAzU4yhxq9HGeXcDJ9tqbrndvYHONFh76lTQ_WGFMtq_1LN2iBtQkztv4Q5i7N13Hi0KTlGbx9sUd5PBGNCKszOnYrwQmDPXstGvi-A-VHsqw/s4000/67-calf%20in%20calf%20house.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgyxylnGbEm4WCs_clem--U-I8rsUOzrpsW49r8iQEDqmV6Rg1lgLqjj8vVzF2vQyYFBdRrKl64P4g0TAzU4yhxq9HGeXcDJ9tqbrndvYHONFh76lTQ_WGFMtq_1LN2iBtQkztv4Q5i7N13Hi0KTlGbx9sUd5PBGNCKszOnYrwQmDPXstGvi-A-VHsqw/w400-h300/67-calf%20in%20calf%20house.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf in calf house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDrEl3XR-MWXyOWEj0yy56ujSaWD8YtrIWujMxU6JbuTmZGtNLfti9sTxs357FrHwkMVHWMWE5AluMqdZ68wm6Yhh9kBObgySy93CnOvmbXIsMp_xjmv76kEhm-wtpd63oDgLyVQM53ZKhWU9VKBjX4qpHpUsFhZlzl0PtmYfQK8RhP1h-TfXBUIVKg/s4000/68%20-%20out%20in%20the%20snow.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDrEl3XR-MWXyOWEj0yy56ujSaWD8YtrIWujMxU6JbuTmZGtNLfti9sTxs357FrHwkMVHWMWE5AluMqdZ68wm6Yhh9kBObgySy93CnOvmbXIsMp_xjmv76kEhm-wtpd63oDgLyVQM53ZKhWU9VKBjX4qpHpUsFhZlzl0PtmYfQK8RhP1h-TfXBUIVKg/w400-h300/68%20-%20out%20in%20the%20snow.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">out in the snow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSuqdIgy4ms0cH7XQtbx6j-H81KtPSFOY_-iRiw0Wi4qBrj-nEMrDz6XeaKPNdlhCnKccnSgzQ9CHnvb5hoCfTSBSFjdPcMGgulODbgYqxMWncgXn1yY4XXza_YgVHCCPYFKBXrj07Pft9pFvEWqXiqzUXh9XkCoWvjxDPk-7c-rlYOflToyue6pKOw/s4000/68%20-%20snug%20in%20calf%20house.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsSuqdIgy4ms0cH7XQtbx6j-H81KtPSFOY_-iRiw0Wi4qBrj-nEMrDz6XeaKPNdlhCnKccnSgzQ9CHnvb5hoCfTSBSFjdPcMGgulODbgYqxMWncgXn1yY4XXza_YgVHCCPYFKBXrj07Pft9pFvEWqXiqzUXh9XkCoWvjxDPk-7c-rlYOflToyue6pKOw/w400-h300/68%20-%20snug%20in%20calf%20house.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snug in calf house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTQy4YCEAtpIoo4jAbjlMgulCbTGbV9q_JvM3h5XdpxdvZSEnmpdzfqgLgDtgv_suMuLNx_07DdhTL2C6sr6kwY540DJtNpzdAavsenGvu6sBpp5r0qgo2P0M-lxpZ-C8vfSEiD-zXl3oqFvdu7m4MRRW9a6LgZ7Ucu4qCN34PLMXzYKJG9H2BIQmLA/s4000/69%20-%20lying%20in%20the%20hay.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTQy4YCEAtpIoo4jAbjlMgulCbTGbV9q_JvM3h5XdpxdvZSEnmpdzfqgLgDtgv_suMuLNx_07DdhTL2C6sr6kwY540DJtNpzdAavsenGvu6sBpp5r0qgo2P0M-lxpZ-C8vfSEiD-zXl3oqFvdu7m4MRRW9a6LgZ7Ucu4qCN34PLMXzYKJG9H2BIQmLA/w400-h300/69%20-%20lying%20in%20the%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09jJ7P4argqjV853_6hVWDuW4FdZVVCOCldLU2BJ_4VW8QTEh5by6oO1GWLGhn7xS2b8oy6SquqZbm5XQOnrEfKy__kPyOzU5GlG36e0BtAsGOEOOY7pb_9Dtp1BKmesrHv8M8-a4mVGL0yBlN2TmrH8yB0oWAR5avhAELS4kGHiMzhG-CEK1_dQcwA/s4000/70%20-lounging%20around%20in%20the%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg09jJ7P4argqjV853_6hVWDuW4FdZVVCOCldLU2BJ_4VW8QTEh5by6oO1GWLGhn7xS2b8oy6SquqZbm5XQOnrEfKy__kPyOzU5GlG36e0BtAsGOEOOY7pb_9Dtp1BKmesrHv8M8-a4mVGL0yBlN2TmrH8yB0oWAR5avhAELS4kGHiMzhG-CEK1_dQcwA/w400-h300/70%20-lounging%20around%20in%20the%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lounging around in the hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took Christopher to town with her again, and tried to find some irrigating boots her size, since her old ones are worn out and leaking. She went to all the stores that carry boots but couldn’t find any her size. While she was in Murdoch’s Christopher remembered where the baby chicks were, and spent time looking at them again.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24FawUKzHogVs6bv92Tqfg8lAerd-iSpfkowwYSMRGv4czr6O-KGm4JX-BfqttEwTlDsc8CznCsvhGgSicMkoE9qnAIO_4LjK13i6J0t-aGJaHEbBijr3tvN50kLgVLCgfV6M7ADdUxkd1Nam7CY0zdKvnT5gqgV6tTWLwMJqzI_U8SuhsXx94UJ6SQ/s4032/71%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20baby%20chicks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24FawUKzHogVs6bv92Tqfg8lAerd-iSpfkowwYSMRGv4czr6O-KGm4JX-BfqttEwTlDsc8CznCsvhGgSicMkoE9qnAIO_4LjK13i6J0t-aGJaHEbBijr3tvN50kLgVLCgfV6M7ADdUxkd1Nam7CY0zdKvnT5gqgV6tTWLwMJqzI_U8SuhsXx94UJ6SQ/w400-h300/71%20-%20Christopher%20looking%20at%20baby%20chicks.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher looking at baby ducks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and Carolyn had birthdays (April 14 for Carolyn and April 15 for Michael) so I made cards for them, using some old photos that I took when they were gathering and moving cattle on the range. Going through the old photos to pick some out for their cards, I was struck by the fact that the range looked so good, back then. There was lots of grass, and plenty of grass left when we rounded up in the fall. By contrast, fter we sold our range permit and the new neighbors took it over, it’s been eaten into the ground and their cows come home skinny. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was fun looking back through the old photos to find some to use for the birthday cards, and Michael stopped by to pick them up. It was nice to have a chance to visit with him for a few minutes, though he had to hurry to town to take his pickup to be fixed; the 4-wheel drive had quite working. It’s been a good old truck; he’s put 200,000 miles on it in just a couple years, with his custom fencing business. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There was still snow on the ground when we fed that day.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6c4QbrCpw438YR8CZjSIQK4D0YkOvu3dt6tUvtxvt1Bk8c3fYt4V_6CQNW2kK1kGgI84_hjLfFlhw7Gl-3iaC5Yt3nSGiu4aVOghkQSRXJIunrC-ukpwLCyoFPZqqwolcns0pCKZUJTTsP41X1TPfIpXhlhLiAkiPFCQxVe3jTB4VI1nXQ4zk0O6uSQ/s4032/72%20-%20still%20snow.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6c4QbrCpw438YR8CZjSIQK4D0YkOvu3dt6tUvtxvt1Bk8c3fYt4V_6CQNW2kK1kGgI84_hjLfFlhw7Gl-3iaC5Yt3nSGiu4aVOghkQSRXJIunrC-ukpwLCyoFPZqqwolcns0pCKZUJTTsP41X1TPfIpXhlhLiAkiPFCQxVe3jTB4VI1nXQ4zk0O6uSQ/w400-h300/72%20-%20still%20snow.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">still snow on the ground</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">But by evening chores it was melted and I took more photos of cows and calves when I watered them.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcw6Be9VG1vuz9bkJIHc3duNqgV-1Y_QX_iXy5CqPtFoXJ33PT6rkyU0V_pa0R76HRHxzPOjbeaCtC1qzR7iQdgCKUxIlNlKr8hSL6vxLsE0U_GWz_Rj9fa0C9IH8d3lRgtVYS6ZLJ2zyuXlp0RrSbROMruAvugDkQnwmCxyejBtYSBZtSdfcnpXuFAg/s4000/73%20-%20Old%20Blackhead%20and%20calf%20&%20a%20buddy.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcw6Be9VG1vuz9bkJIHc3duNqgV-1Y_QX_iXy5CqPtFoXJ33PT6rkyU0V_pa0R76HRHxzPOjbeaCtC1qzR7iQdgCKUxIlNlKr8hSL6vxLsE0U_GWz_Rj9fa0C9IH8d3lRgtVYS6ZLJ2zyuXlp0RrSbROMruAvugDkQnwmCxyejBtYSBZtSdfcnpXuFAg/w400-h300/73%20-%20Old%20Blackhead%20and%20calf%20&%20a%20buddy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Old Blackhead and calf & a buddy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEjH3vUdQ0fQGYZe_z3o2ZkSxxzbx6W_-8zCgWBAlPMObPw8-E2CrvAaNB_kfRLrlBTlrYY3ON_41VDUS56MDqQ3m5jrcc2MxO91gBbHOZZf6qztPcbvVSvG0qNtHJzFVNUu7vkqVK8JEroSIgLoiRnZTpRiuUsYfkLkAB6d0yjBeyzPCWYjLoieolg/s4000/74-Alligator%20Eyes%20&%20calf.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKEjH3vUdQ0fQGYZe_z3o2ZkSxxzbx6W_-8zCgWBAlPMObPw8-E2CrvAaNB_kfRLrlBTlrYY3ON_41VDUS56MDqQ3m5jrcc2MxO91gBbHOZZf6qztPcbvVSvG0qNtHJzFVNUu7vkqVK8JEroSIgLoiRnZTpRiuUsYfkLkAB6d0yjBeyzPCWYjLoieolg/w400-h300/74-Alligator%20Eyes%20&%20calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alligator Eyes & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW9cQy9hyW7vYRh2Qbwt8VPLzsxmlTq8F25rn4pXkkmZS1m9KNFXcGaqKHjGun5sUo5Tw2sb78tw_2hdCxVCYKcUZzA3PNkzUlX4rBA2DsqrbMkpOMDYljzLqX0exG2nanjDaW4ifCLaNZpph-jF2mQ1jVKzmj3cgc_Gjq5uRiDim57PtxL4QyrQwiw/s4000/75%20-%20curious%20calves.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaW9cQy9hyW7vYRh2Qbwt8VPLzsxmlTq8F25rn4pXkkmZS1m9KNFXcGaqKHjGun5sUo5Tw2sb78tw_2hdCxVCYKcUZzA3PNkzUlX4rBA2DsqrbMkpOMDYljzLqX0exG2nanjDaW4ifCLaNZpph-jF2mQ1jVKzmj3cgc_Gjq5uRiDim57PtxL4QyrQwiw/w400-h300/75%20-%20curious%20calves.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">curious calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TqXo1yOBeVj3qtVxdAntKVmA2jjgdLLOyuINhgZ3iAqnNYfCDeuorHeXefIw65Yj4XyEwWt3kWAD4wItPsti20CdMLgmVtWex26MdJQVnoVKm9PdeANozyPna1gflTaPiHDGpbyvFa68ucRscYORam4xOSqmuPxzsYYhA-qJMARUVaeBu6eSlQ0r1Q/s4000/76%20-%20comfortable%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TqXo1yOBeVj3qtVxdAntKVmA2jjgdLLOyuINhgZ3iAqnNYfCDeuorHeXefIw65Yj4XyEwWt3kWAD4wItPsti20CdMLgmVtWex26MdJQVnoVKm9PdeANozyPna1gflTaPiHDGpbyvFa68ucRscYORam4xOSqmuPxzsYYhA-qJMARUVaeBu6eSlQ0r1Q/w400-h300/76%20-%20comfortable%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">comfortable cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With mud from the snow melting, we had to start early the next day to load hay and take a new bale to the heifers before the mud thawed out. We managed to get all the hay moved around before it got too slippery. Speaking of hay, our neighbor Alfonso didn’t feed his cows the day before, and they got out on the road looking for something to eat. We shut our driveway gate that night to make sure they didn’t come into our place and get into our haystacks. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out later after work, and helped Andrea and me tag and band the last calf (it was a bull calf). We put Magnolia into the next pen while we did it, so she wouldn’t attack us while we did the calf. Even so, she tried to come through the fence to protect her baby. Andrea took a photo of the cow and calf in their sheltered corner after we put them back together.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc3XM8XU2kxlQSd5x_i-sDQcNanu_b76ybrBZECe9sSxzqYI2NCDmid6XwE64yD_zVa2loCnZOouRO_JqYUaSgp2zgbSZpIj1RGvxmFjajszEXab3wj5KkbjfbH0p22JS3LOftm8hIRDyqVgWp5Lc_KL0Erc7Qx5NPj4ydOTvoPb4jy3vLduz-xaP7w/s4032/77%20-%20Charlie%20and%20the%20cow%20&%20calf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc3XM8XU2kxlQSd5x_i-sDQcNanu_b76ybrBZECe9sSxzqYI2NCDmid6XwE64yD_zVa2loCnZOouRO_JqYUaSgp2zgbSZpIj1RGvxmFjajszEXab3wj5KkbjfbH0p22JS3LOftm8hIRDyqVgWp5Lc_KL0Erc7Qx5NPj4ydOTvoPb4jy3vLduz-xaP7w/w300-h400/77%20-%20Charlie%20and%20the%20cow%20&%20calf.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie and the cow calving</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Charlie stayed, and Andrea fed him supper. He enjoyed playing with Christopher, who later wore out and went to sleep on his bunk bed.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAlhF4pTv0H157urpfquVOKQmfdYbibEGdqGIKHwZ6jGiZLJXAlyh5wg4UDPOHHF3Oq-wHM7QenieAjYtdzQc8-ThbMRIn60DVWZUum4wiuN6R3LVQgUWUrhVFsHXdC38ihE3PO5awSF_EjBs-SGSXrE114NPtUys50S7L2iX2DaN-txv0hBWRJ2VeQ/s4032/78%20-%20Christopher%20sleeping.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYAlhF4pTv0H157urpfquVOKQmfdYbibEGdqGIKHwZ6jGiZLJXAlyh5wg4UDPOHHF3Oq-wHM7QenieAjYtdzQc8-ThbMRIn60DVWZUum4wiuN6R3LVQgUWUrhVFsHXdC38ihE3PO5awSF_EjBs-SGSXrE114NPtUys50S7L2iX2DaN-txv0hBWRJ2VeQ/w300-h400/78%20-%20Christopher%20sleeping.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher sleeping</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Easter weekend Sam and her boyfriend Colton came up from Twin Falls to visit her family and his. Andrea and I fed the cows early Saturday morning so we’d be done when they came out here. She took photos of the cows and calves from the feed truck.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq5iaCXbRegeA3Ncn86ofclKzcSQgjn-QwmbFjWt69FedPWTzQeJOBdRnsO2sFxEf5hRCnPtwa-jchsfLZ3pmmiesa9gBF2RUJ0GiAh5-16GK60Uw-k5IrbQ_OrrdYzo0XN8nS_fQjAePGAg71aaegyun5lcUmAUz1nfmaLENEvmoaNgyEWB_GD75VQ/s4032/79-%20calves%20following%20truck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcq5iaCXbRegeA3Ncn86ofclKzcSQgjn-QwmbFjWt69FedPWTzQeJOBdRnsO2sFxEf5hRCnPtwa-jchsfLZ3pmmiesa9gBF2RUJ0GiAh5-16GK60Uw-k5IrbQ_OrrdYzo0XN8nS_fQjAePGAg71aaegyun5lcUmAUz1nfmaLENEvmoaNgyEWB_GD75VQ/w300-h400/79-%20calves%20following%20truck.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves following truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVrvNfRayRKLFiV2VT5CD0FbOdxbcGvQLOqejAc0rVXOZxPYOAgx5ojkJj-9CyaT7_OC1ZMqHrXrTRsN2ZZi5m3LZdPjPsf8u0c3H6dnQK8szkvoSORpE-5LjTPZmxbgWaGmccC4StFNC4tSnua-5oLii7Ws7xRzHmoeaeXV9caQFXT6qzXTRYUYA1g/s4032/80%20-%20China%20Doll's%20bull%20calf.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVrvNfRayRKLFiV2VT5CD0FbOdxbcGvQLOqejAc0rVXOZxPYOAgx5ojkJj-9CyaT7_OC1ZMqHrXrTRsN2ZZi5m3LZdPjPsf8u0c3H6dnQK8szkvoSORpE-5LjTPZmxbgWaGmccC4StFNC4tSnua-5oLii7Ws7xRzHmoeaeXV9caQFXT6qzXTRYUYA1g/w400-h300/80%20-%20China%20Doll's%20bull%20calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">China Doll's bull calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIOkTYHblhitIMx6VR6qsjuvbB7FIksphvbPcuHBMKCnSBBLW5ypM1wIBQk1JYoOe5gFNkjjnYtt405JgKDTmrckzHNKQCXd5PT_H1csBx7sAldPxwHyeBFAvO-D8Fa02As8os977T07RqRenYHoi3TkCLLPAVTHaTIMvBYlwA4CwEi_8HUPSPoAtmQ/s4032/81%20-%20calves%20checking%20out%20the%20feed%20truck.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIOkTYHblhitIMx6VR6qsjuvbB7FIksphvbPcuHBMKCnSBBLW5ypM1wIBQk1JYoOe5gFNkjjnYtt405JgKDTmrckzHNKQCXd5PT_H1csBx7sAldPxwHyeBFAvO-D8Fa02As8os977T07RqRenYHoi3TkCLLPAVTHaTIMvBYlwA4CwEi_8HUPSPoAtmQ/w300-h400/81%20-%20calves%20checking%20out%20the%20feed%20truck.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves checking out the truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam and Colton came out here briefly that afternoon before they had to head back to Twin Falls. It was fun to see them. While they were at Andrea’s house, Andrea took photos of them with Emily and Christopher, and Sam helping Christopher with his backhoe.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELPiefUPEawL2z17SO0vFxnegnT4anae7pN6hnrjzjONhFVCj4juc5MJERkUBD8iiqZ9IgOpej0AzH-N8Q0qz81XFEdp6fL9WdUxOCSqeAFF_1lXynz_JuXQ_r3XxkToZMmvjpBtJKh-Rzji9mw9wiPEhz3iSDd1x-1MaQmW3yJWrMdxi4PKKbfd3tQ/s4032/82%20-%20Em,%20Sam,%20Andrea%20&%20Christopher.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELPiefUPEawL2z17SO0vFxnegnT4anae7pN6hnrjzjONhFVCj4juc5MJERkUBD8iiqZ9IgOpej0AzH-N8Q0qz81XFEdp6fL9WdUxOCSqeAFF_1lXynz_JuXQ_r3XxkToZMmvjpBtJKh-Rzji9mw9wiPEhz3iSDd1x-1MaQmW3yJWrMdxi4PKKbfd3tQ/w400-h300/82%20-%20Em,%20Sam,%20Andrea%20&%20Christopher.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em, Sam, Andrea & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTmiyfPyjjmTLavbBYdRPgyc2060vUw3diGm55PgsHeQ1Y5zchCirRK4bC5C1Mj08X9hKnQ0eVL7xJ3_2higYyxXfsHOSDF6Yfod_854nEynVso5CTJyxpmW9T6v6dGlpGA2QR2XmeFX29zwvsfZc_dNH4U2T1UC1iilG_NDwKoaq5a-qfS259NpUVA/s4032/83%20-%20Em,%20Sam%20&%20Colton.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrTmiyfPyjjmTLavbBYdRPgyc2060vUw3diGm55PgsHeQ1Y5zchCirRK4bC5C1Mj08X9hKnQ0eVL7xJ3_2higYyxXfsHOSDF6Yfod_854nEynVso5CTJyxpmW9T6v6dGlpGA2QR2XmeFX29zwvsfZc_dNH4U2T1UC1iilG_NDwKoaq5a-qfS259NpUVA/w400-h300/83%20-%20Em,%20Sam%20&%20Colton.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em, Sam& Colton</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMW1kiji1WzGVJxo2QOhM8Z7UmERg0XVfxTpcSbAzewSmhaln862uqjd9oybG-_0xeRtqw3XT2CeoXTgdF9CuQO4RoOErPKHeleozIxrrKOlaeT2k96ZuhU3JCp6ouvpryAWGHl_sGnkjUcdOe1MULJJChZ7ZbzDPl9sS8bMV1tIkHYqFs_5uYeoR5w/s4032/84%20-%20Sam%20helping%20Christopher.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMMW1kiji1WzGVJxo2QOhM8Z7UmERg0XVfxTpcSbAzewSmhaln862uqjd9oybG-_0xeRtqw3XT2CeoXTgdF9CuQO4RoOErPKHeleozIxrrKOlaeT2k96ZuhU3JCp6ouvpryAWGHl_sGnkjUcdOe1MULJJChZ7ZbzDPl9sS8bMV1tIkHYqFs_5uYeoR5w/w400-h300/84%20-%20Sam%20helping%20Christopher.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam helping Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Easter Sunday was cold, but warmed up a bit in the afternoon. Charlie came out and helped Andrea move a little of her irrigation water. She still has a bad cold but tries to keep doing a little every day. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon granddaughter Heather in Canada called us. They are about done calving, and just started foaling. The first foal arrived the evening before--a big colt. They had to help deliver it—a bit of a pull—but it seemed to be doing ok and was able to get up and nurse. But by the next morning (Easter Sunday) it had diarrhea and was wobbly and not nursing. Heather was unsure what could have caused this problem so quickly. We discussed possibilities and possible treatments. There are no large animal vets in their area that work on horses, and it would be difficult to get hold of any vet by phone on Easter Sunday for advice. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So she opted to give the foal an antibiotic (in case the infection was bacterial) and Banamine (an anti-inflammatory) to ease the foal’s pain and hopefully enable him to feel well enough to try to nurse—since it would be difficult to try to give the foal fluids by stomach tube or IV. When she went to treat the foal he was very dull and weak, lying on his back and rolling around with colic pain, and sweating behind his ears—which could have been a sign of pain and shock. She gave him the penicillin and Banamine, milked the mare and tried to feed him by bottle (which he refused) and by syringe into his mouth, but he fought and spit most of it back out again. The situation didn’t look very good. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When she went out again later to check on him, expecting him to be worse or dead, he was perky and feeling better, actually trying to nurse. She gave him more penicillin in the middle of the night, and more Banamine early the next morning, and he was trying to nurse the mare a little. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We took photos again when we fed cows, and some photos of the calves frolicking and lounging around.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggN5zaspGBWWTkxLytkZuoKjS46I6eG2crt4oqFTOwILJDJSyHPlbNsWvicMM1XnabnpKW8S7wy0nXArfxXa-J1YSj2WKTQkqOnBGQKuUEUIDGwbQYTfyxi1li_qtVjLBShQoPc0CMXI0DiwezEVFvhzxoQBfb8joziPLNNJt8FvgitEGFIDt32sA-Ew/s4000/85%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggN5zaspGBWWTkxLytkZuoKjS46I6eG2crt4oqFTOwILJDJSyHPlbNsWvicMM1XnabnpKW8S7wy0nXArfxXa-J1YSj2WKTQkqOnBGQKuUEUIDGwbQYTfyxi1li_qtVjLBShQoPc0CMXI0DiwezEVFvhzxoQBfb8joziPLNNJt8FvgitEGFIDt32sA-Ew/w400-h300/85%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDVd09xz5HN8PkMsIiY4_GBE9ir0a0tmJIVH08V73jm1G5OOVXLdXJ3eWKuTWKXCu_rdScTf6TVOeLVPDjV-a8snFkiJnsRCeLkRhTb3Hn_83TvbvZ89YKynN8XG1ylxuDUfipD6IFTvZ0RHDpwYGZX5pcAytf4IuYs2MCViycuBvZP2HUYG8kX-hSQ/s4000/86%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDVd09xz5HN8PkMsIiY4_GBE9ir0a0tmJIVH08V73jm1G5OOVXLdXJ3eWKuTWKXCu_rdScTf6TVOeLVPDjV-a8snFkiJnsRCeLkRhTb3Hn_83TvbvZ89YKynN8XG1ylxuDUfipD6IFTvZ0RHDpwYGZX5pcAytf4IuYs2MCViycuBvZP2HUYG8kX-hSQ/w400-h300/86%20-%20feeding%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySp4y9B_wXsXDcxVL4StuWOaJnqHSEof2rqoTN28b4uHfXaFpu3l0C5zds9cUjkLn5ASzOCoTrTS_HzM6R1Y12gP4IJBdSt_CRGaC53TlQOT_vOLvuG8FtAJAQ41U48g8nIW6wyr4JBydBuJAkzu6od7LVz8DYBRVCVwRQODV_OozLCwMhONFwfReiQ/s4000/87%20-%20calves.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySp4y9B_wXsXDcxVL4StuWOaJnqHSEof2rqoTN28b4uHfXaFpu3l0C5zds9cUjkLn5ASzOCoTrTS_HzM6R1Y12gP4IJBdSt_CRGaC53TlQOT_vOLvuG8FtAJAQ41U48g8nIW6wyr4JBydBuJAkzu6od7LVz8DYBRVCVwRQODV_OozLCwMhONFwfReiQ/w400-h300/87%20-%20calves.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKebhVgDQwqBszlYhZuEFwUduYT4pkJnbk1M3B2seC49UTyeWeiT-J2UCXGkDtOkKNvxdJIXpo_Cz_tQ8bo4KpucyG-5CFSha5AcxRpeVuwTpAA6N0008VENZFSSIuAj3nlZIz3zm22lbv6B75GXAkm66tpWcrfQqFj8_5CSq8DUh7Lrrp0hGKpJ8v4w/s4000/88%20-%20calves.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKebhVgDQwqBszlYhZuEFwUduYT4pkJnbk1M3B2seC49UTyeWeiT-J2UCXGkDtOkKNvxdJIXpo_Cz_tQ8bo4KpucyG-5CFSha5AcxRpeVuwTpAA6N0008VENZFSSIuAj3nlZIz3zm22lbv6B75GXAkm66tpWcrfQqFj8_5CSq8DUh7Lrrp0hGKpJ8v4w/w400-h300/88%20-%20calves.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out again Sunday afternoon and helped Andrea change a little water and move one irrigation dam. He’d like to help irrigate this summer after work and on weekends, so Andrea plans to buy him some irrigating boots. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday we started gathering up any hay that we could feed the cows—a couple little bales by the 2nd day pens, some bales in the barn that we didn’t use for bedding, etc. We may run out of hay this spring, so we are making sure there is none wasted. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher went with Andrea to irrigate and had fun splashing in the water and floating leaves and twigs in the flowing water.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYt8AKyJNcHdoZazYBvdR023UR1okFDkbNLM947edt5n_g6_k0pxmxA4HQofsKucLGRmV6LFKItTeTku7KNTBZtBL1aFu4skogqKNEEfmrcbB-6K1jq-tPdt0JKYShe-2-JM-8smUcJX8piTYYVQ3ibgDSDnZ4nig9WME5YynIHzAsO2VyT_98M5dFA/s4032/89%20-%20Christopher%20playing%20in%20the%20water.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAYt8AKyJNcHdoZazYBvdR023UR1okFDkbNLM947edt5n_g6_k0pxmxA4HQofsKucLGRmV6LFKItTeTku7KNTBZtBL1aFu4skogqKNEEfmrcbB-6K1jq-tPdt0JKYShe-2-JM-8smUcJX8piTYYVQ3ibgDSDnZ4nig9WME5YynIHzAsO2VyT_98M5dFA/w300-h400/89%20-%20Christopher%20playing%20in%20the%20water.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing in the water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim (and his dog Ezra) harrowed the orchard and horse pasture, pulling the harrow with his side-by-side. That dog loves to be the co-pilot whizzing around the fields! Now we are done harrowing until we move the cows and calves out of that pasture (after the grass in our other pastures grows tall enough for grazing!) so we can harrow it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ae-I3Py3Udlx8_ncYhD3bxon30oOM97TkZ8clNTtQLKEz6USsZPLpN2ErSuj6avR3TuswoA6UL6byRHkMbe1RexbI87Ei-X7dEF4ys4gaftiUvrGe9eGUv17zZO9rZWRG13jeOWua9MgbAoyx5L5Pfo7f4bFyloiIStymIJukO4_ZHtQAgM20SXfSA/s4000/90%20-Jim%20harrowing%20the%20orchard.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ae-I3Py3Udlx8_ncYhD3bxon30oOM97TkZ8clNTtQLKEz6USsZPLpN2ErSuj6avR3TuswoA6UL6byRHkMbe1RexbI87Ei-X7dEF4ys4gaftiUvrGe9eGUv17zZO9rZWRG13jeOWua9MgbAoyx5L5Pfo7f4bFyloiIStymIJukO4_ZHtQAgM20SXfSA/w400-h300/90%20-Jim%20harrowing%20the%20orchard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim harrowing the orchard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9haXlHKXPLZoSvk3ZC0BLxEoI44oeLGuymQvqvp3p1OeKUXg43K-F6nBUgc2j6LN1iw2DGCFC6LtPgfktFiLj8N0HyRg1czQUM-NdaKQhmwAEBt7fqmeJmNT4IHzSgRm2oQTEGy03JMGoz78IQ0ad9TQJs9xcUq-9g8vaaWGKlStVH9iP3IAm3oYlDQ/s4000/91%20-Jim%20&%20Ezra%20harrowing%20with%20the%20side-by-side.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9haXlHKXPLZoSvk3ZC0BLxEoI44oeLGuymQvqvp3p1OeKUXg43K-F6nBUgc2j6LN1iw2DGCFC6LtPgfktFiLj8N0HyRg1czQUM-NdaKQhmwAEBt7fqmeJmNT4IHzSgRm2oQTEGy03JMGoz78IQ0ad9TQJs9xcUq-9g8vaaWGKlStVH9iP3IAm3oYlDQ/w400-h300/91%20-Jim%20&%20Ezra%20harrowing%20with%20the%20side-by-side.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim & Ezra harrowing with the side-by-side</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeklu75jMHV9WwXsGX-xqb2oHLt-5mnUadzSjG6sMARD1LkG6YyScl29MdjahKocTSHb-t-jsiPkp9vQaAlh25xYpHRR0bobLetIexj6iViWxETygQ59ijmxQ8dCPj4ymTO5N9psO95MuAJNGw1_37kKFos38oERIpkhhaZvyhVfc8XcexoWbBpqoBnA/s4000/92%20-%20whizzing%20around%20the%20orchard.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeklu75jMHV9WwXsGX-xqb2oHLt-5mnUadzSjG6sMARD1LkG6YyScl29MdjahKocTSHb-t-jsiPkp9vQaAlh25xYpHRR0bobLetIexj6iViWxETygQ59ijmxQ8dCPj4ymTO5N9psO95MuAJNGw1_37kKFos38oERIpkhhaZvyhVfc8XcexoWbBpqoBnA/w400-h300/92%20-%20whizzing%20around%20the%20orchard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">whizzing around the orchard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZcxsuVPLVjo9ht6HrnYDt5JZjoB3lVG8_q-h37OO0q5SCFdQMlv3f2C39W1Wv7jZ3k-bQfO4wgJEiSBU1egu7JEz8bye0r_dgBVd9lpVtws7iwhPVIrXQWuqT3U4t1_ghdgt9nuUmPzNAJfBvY0gRK8MrCDgt0w9Ihp-ct_nY88FDvu0dQ6wOD6rYg/s4000/92%20A-%20Jim's%20dog%20Ezra%20loves%20to%20help.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0ZcxsuVPLVjo9ht6HrnYDt5JZjoB3lVG8_q-h37OO0q5SCFdQMlv3f2C39W1Wv7jZ3k-bQfO4wgJEiSBU1egu7JEz8bye0r_dgBVd9lpVtws7iwhPVIrXQWuqT3U4t1_ghdgt9nuUmPzNAJfBvY0gRK8MrCDgt0w9Ihp-ct_nY88FDvu0dQ6wOD6rYg/w400-h300/92%20A-%20Jim's%20dog%20Ezra%20loves%20to%20help.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim's dog Ezra loves to help</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVu_S8eQ5izbOfcnb3tiLbJrVJCEKgLoKwH1DPhaoQJ3KaG4j2zup5t9o-2cPQfqZXxwdnvERiUPFb0tX_Fov3-iX7f07vYXDM92u9BtkOvcPqCKlCwHS8aEV7J71TFPsPL8rpNtb0JYT55GPhFxIPCaZ7O_N8ib0OxVw5Kz04jdjOGx8iFZrYhYUyDg/s4000/93%20-%20done%20with%20the%20orchard%20&%20heading%20for%20the%20horse%20pasture.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVu_S8eQ5izbOfcnb3tiLbJrVJCEKgLoKwH1DPhaoQJ3KaG4j2zup5t9o-2cPQfqZXxwdnvERiUPFb0tX_Fov3-iX7f07vYXDM92u9BtkOvcPqCKlCwHS8aEV7J71TFPsPL8rpNtb0JYT55GPhFxIPCaZ7O_N8ib0OxVw5Kz04jdjOGx8iFZrYhYUyDg/w400-h300/93%20-%20done%20with%20the%20orchard%20&%20heading%20for%20the%20horse%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">done with the orchard & heading for the horse pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-57838613471842657542022-04-14T13:25:00.000-07:002022-04-14T13:25:46.096-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – February 14 through March 16, 2022<div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FEBRUARY 21</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I have been feeding the cows every day and I took photos last weekend when she was untying the hay to get ready to feed the young cows below heifer hill, and after we fed the older cows and she was tying the bale back up again, saving some for the next day.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0VqnKmOavx21W2GN6bJZo4CenTJLMtCmQtgP6rR3yFX9LDqxXsT820H388mWoSvaBFr49o4ztfhYgmCKiTa---ficHj2Amy23QEoJVVnFoZvslm6H60LX1mhvyBP7dEntcBmB7gWLTjPSWn12pU41XaSJWOTfObaPTZOfUsnIEvi-gxjM0TOos1mMA/s4000/1%20-%20Andrea%20getting%20ready%20to%20feed%20young%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0VqnKmOavx21W2GN6bJZo4CenTJLMtCmQtgP6rR3yFX9LDqxXsT820H388mWoSvaBFr49o4ztfhYgmCKiTa---ficHj2Amy23QEoJVVnFoZvslm6H60LX1mhvyBP7dEntcBmB7gWLTjPSWn12pU41XaSJWOTfObaPTZOfUsnIEvi-gxjM0TOos1mMA/w400-h300/1%20-%20Andrea%20getting%20ready%20to%20feed%20young%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea getting ready to feed young cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKCVwUD1Q8Ps18QsDcdpWdeh6QM6PSRnpqm_K-skzDcfJxaDubItPkdB-aJrSc7SFXJVz4Sm0p7Rzl7c7TIt-ccCYiqVREN9GcASmyvDssrQo_wL7nfxd5ReELt6XHi_-EGJOnNePaCDQILU6tvK5V7lZuRTcG7eokEgFzVWnrM-cltb3GypAOMsyUQ/s4000/2%20-%20Andrea%20untying%20the%20big%20bale.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBKCVwUD1Q8Ps18QsDcdpWdeh6QM6PSRnpqm_K-skzDcfJxaDubItPkdB-aJrSc7SFXJVz4Sm0p7Rzl7c7TIt-ccCYiqVREN9GcASmyvDssrQo_wL7nfxd5ReELt6XHi_-EGJOnNePaCDQILU6tvK5V7lZuRTcG7eokEgFzVWnrM-cltb3GypAOMsyUQ/w400-h300/2%20-%20Andrea%20untying%20the%20big%20bale.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea untying the big bails</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5CcMt_LyF5HlNNKJ-Tr3UCkrnSzFzYL2WQPauTn6SkZQfK6cRGDJuElNHVvfv_pIltFUAAGg2XIPmIqskOwNmWBv6tctx35ypKgdqCKOhUbxuWvlH44IxfTbyUkeNkMWVpPgh6VI08Xbw3w9KCNXkt3n9mY1pklN0Thu0hKPQ8n7PomrngTsIELm0A/s4000/3%20-%20Andrea%20tying%20up%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20bale%20after%20feeding%20the%20older%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL5CcMt_LyF5HlNNKJ-Tr3UCkrnSzFzYL2WQPauTn6SkZQfK6cRGDJuElNHVvfv_pIltFUAAGg2XIPmIqskOwNmWBv6tctx35ypKgdqCKOhUbxuWvlH44IxfTbyUkeNkMWVpPgh6VI08Xbw3w9KCNXkt3n9mY1pklN0Thu0hKPQ8n7PomrngTsIELm0A/w400-h300/3%20-%20Andrea%20tying%20up%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20bale%20after%20feeding%20the%20older%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea tying up the rest of the bale after feeding the older cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was warmer—actually a really nice winter day—and Dani went with us to help feed. She took another bucket of loose salt and mineral for the young cows. I took photos of her putting the mineral in their tub, and a photo of Andrea taking a photo.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLR8EPQbQY74mUhknIbc8rm0HosVvg0-EA_6fy_IBGIAqStVg0UqnyzQblhGxoVURAuy-3oLr0YWLdNwDyw_6wM7QifFR0ImvmCnumx-XufxPN3_UH_Qs8TT8r1kJRcAcRjGuKH3-at5jXdzbP78JW0R2zGtDdSsT_eLS9vZ0xarR0_38FIMhFEQjOhQ/s4000/4%20-%20Dani%20putting%20more%20mineral%20in%20the%20tub%20feeder.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLR8EPQbQY74mUhknIbc8rm0HosVvg0-EA_6fy_IBGIAqStVg0UqnyzQblhGxoVURAuy-3oLr0YWLdNwDyw_6wM7QifFR0ImvmCnumx-XufxPN3_UH_Qs8TT8r1kJRcAcRjGuKH3-at5jXdzbP78JW0R2zGtDdSsT_eLS9vZ0xarR0_38FIMhFEQjOhQ/w300-h400/4%20-%20Dani%20putting%20more%20mineral%20in%20the%20tub%20feeder.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani putting more mineral in the tub feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NcDN8-ewtcjbWthDw7Cdw4trBjPzmyjOnmsxsL2feq6QkKuc6uPxrg91cGNBO2qx9Dz3xjjVyI9DZ4zSr05oK-nqoERVj_II_UOYIRIgCixn5y_zW9tWUa2KQgEmnjm5Fw4VA46XKqz62RM_sKwAMKVN7_KxTiEYAadDdaH6_QbK58SUsjdowK_Lsg/s4000/5%20-%20Dani%20stirring%20up%20the%20salt%20and%20mineral.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NcDN8-ewtcjbWthDw7Cdw4trBjPzmyjOnmsxsL2feq6QkKuc6uPxrg91cGNBO2qx9Dz3xjjVyI9DZ4zSr05oK-nqoERVj_II_UOYIRIgCixn5y_zW9tWUa2KQgEmnjm5Fw4VA46XKqz62RM_sKwAMKVN7_KxTiEYAadDdaH6_QbK58SUsjdowK_Lsg/w400-h300/5%20-%20Dani%20stirring%20up%20the%20salt%20and%20mineral.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani stirring up the salt and mineral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-T3wOgoR-TNM0e0v1mmZMJglDqD2iDoE0-iau6Nr2_vMVTg5NFeENd_fTu-E5Zv0Hvn0kDtiAFqzk9d6Ol8MFasgck9b2YXzyDNCG3trCDlpAPP-sMTObLvCGI0o7KlYpv88K3224yo-gGqwu99m5qwuIa1tSnZXOwt77qFXZpNgYdF6va9LrAZDYw/s4000/6%20-%20Adrea%20taking%20photos%20of%20Dani.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-T3wOgoR-TNM0e0v1mmZMJglDqD2iDoE0-iau6Nr2_vMVTg5NFeENd_fTu-E5Zv0Hvn0kDtiAFqzk9d6Ol8MFasgck9b2YXzyDNCG3trCDlpAPP-sMTObLvCGI0o7KlYpv88K3224yo-gGqwu99m5qwuIa1tSnZXOwt77qFXZpNgYdF6va9LrAZDYw/w300-h400/6%20-%20Adrea%20taking%20photos%20of%20Dani.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea taking photos of Dani</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Monday Michael brought a rented mini-excavator and started pulling all the junk away from the old loading dock in our barnyard, and moving the things that we need to keep—the old post pounder, some big old tractor tires, the harrow, etc. and took those to a new location out of the way. Then he lit the smaller burn pile at that location--debris from the fallen-down shed, big string pile, etc. By afternoon it was almost all burned.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOqU8NepU4eUMzmtIWDcNGdz60GK1qXDGHRfhmG6l1KMPFcDkePD1OHV-aweRk1_SZ_mgj227TvqUVAISzfQ1ZAaYkhxy5g5A_8shZU1yKs7JRTsryUwLKyQrS9mwpJQnUcX1KIu9VfdYFHVZoxSiLZv-2AykDyd6sBAViWl26j9EgfYVGTf8GgskwA/s4000/7%20-%20burning%20the%20small%20pile.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimOqU8NepU4eUMzmtIWDcNGdz60GK1qXDGHRfhmG6l1KMPFcDkePD1OHV-aweRk1_SZ_mgj227TvqUVAISzfQ1ZAaYkhxy5g5A_8shZU1yKs7JRTsryUwLKyQrS9mwpJQnUcX1KIu9VfdYFHVZoxSiLZv-2AykDyd6sBAViWl26j9EgfYVGTf8GgskwA/w400-h300/7%20-%20burning%20the%20small%20pile.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">burning the small pile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQzsuiMcPPyaNtWldrUJMOsjAiEz4Uynaw1GtU1ZiArX5E0SO7Ldwpt0GkkjzGtAvqyh65FfYR3KGKhCexfInsRmYNHXFrvhRgwtBpzB6vSt7m2I-BzASOgLAMV9CVFr908yZbBqk6wq1ggJPQb0Ney8__7MoPwI5DMPmo4roHCwlwv7rTgw-jerx_g/s4000/8%20-%20small%20pile%20almost%20burned%20up.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQzsuiMcPPyaNtWldrUJMOsjAiEz4Uynaw1GtU1ZiArX5E0SO7Ldwpt0GkkjzGtAvqyh65FfYR3KGKhCexfInsRmYNHXFrvhRgwtBpzB6vSt7m2I-BzASOgLAMV9CVFr908yZbBqk6wq1ggJPQb0Ney8__7MoPwI5DMPmo4roHCwlwv7rTgw-jerx_g/w400-h300/8%20-%20small%20pile%20almost%20burned%20up.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">small pile almost burned up</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The fence crew started burning the brush piles again, and taking down the rest of the ancient falling-down fence in the pen below the bull corral. I took photos of the brush piles being burned, and the fence crew at work taking out the old fence, and hauling off the old material.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa6P6LbojascfJ4-YsF4uEGMZqeAYgWYnCD95yEAL1nVjypy8LYaZl5IOYExMc--MQYg2qfM7B6bfcV2m06RCP5nLivUSQru3K-nrSpbe6AR-Vnk_IL7k1Q8B8TQXl0DDWaPjnFEEeX40ailTnZVLqHEQwNjwL-I1fa9CsHiizqrERShXX3p0EbYI3g/s4000/9%20-%20burning%20more%20of%20the%20brush%20piles%20in%20pen%20below%20bull%20corral.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioa6P6LbojascfJ4-YsF4uEGMZqeAYgWYnCD95yEAL1nVjypy8LYaZl5IOYExMc--MQYg2qfM7B6bfcV2m06RCP5nLivUSQru3K-nrSpbe6AR-Vnk_IL7k1Q8B8TQXl0DDWaPjnFEEeX40ailTnZVLqHEQwNjwL-I1fa9CsHiizqrERShXX3p0EbYI3g/w400-h300/9%20-%20burning%20more%20of%20the%20brush%20piles%20in%20pen%20below%20bull%20corral.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">burning more of the brush piles in pen below bull corral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WIJOCk5EyoX4fiIksXBsngHkV8nZWw7DX72Jfw7ij2RP2mwkAwIkYlogtOqZfa4mMfmZtE0M3jbEoLn1ey-t1dfj1cDzGLYjWLtrWW_dy6ubCjZnvTla2n_brzozmehCsvC3tCAu-CLpCR03C82qUVW8KEGfIGIs2bAeXyhX18wrCtGwqCp4yNMQaw/s4000/10%20-%20fence%20crew%20taking%20out%20old%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WIJOCk5EyoX4fiIksXBsngHkV8nZWw7DX72Jfw7ij2RP2mwkAwIkYlogtOqZfa4mMfmZtE0M3jbEoLn1ey-t1dfj1cDzGLYjWLtrWW_dy6ubCjZnvTla2n_brzozmehCsvC3tCAu-CLpCR03C82qUVW8KEGfIGIs2bAeXyhX18wrCtGwqCp4yNMQaw/w400-h300/10%20-%20fence%20crew%20taking%20out%20old%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fence crew taking out old fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNjOoH_98VkvaGNCE_DNI_gEiqYh91tZYDpMJTcNQblMsc0PXyAS8C4nEh4jtcU1klJQgFzG1oG_fbLxyjr3bS6efFhYZmo7fXKx6vFrpR-gW7gKN5WLoktc_adpY8ChEjg0ZGXvJZm0sj3VeN3aRxkjW5pNTBCQzv8ahJ_sm7UVsjlnNw8aHlKeJMw/s4000/11%20-%20hauling%20off%20old%20fence%20material.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnNjOoH_98VkvaGNCE_DNI_gEiqYh91tZYDpMJTcNQblMsc0PXyAS8C4nEh4jtcU1klJQgFzG1oG_fbLxyjr3bS6efFhYZmo7fXKx6vFrpR-gW7gKN5WLoktc_adpY8ChEjg0ZGXvJZm0sj3VeN3aRxkjW5pNTBCQzv8ahJ_sm7UVsjlnNw8aHlKeJMw/w400-h300/11%20-%20hauling%20off%20old%20fence%20material.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_ahwTPKYmMKIwwWZ3Dj83pl5hUEJB_P9jT1OR_Rd7_wVk1bhXW1Fvz7k8KDMst0-1rpxXnvUK8WKWa8pAjekwuFrlQZxULna8TQ_4ujkoYL34uuoA3o1gMW5FcL1M1cu_ltdJsPmArsTW_S9ZlWdBAhdT8WC0U6DvAHoFjkbn-R0_JLL5aZyYWt7XQ/s4000/12%20-%20hauling%20old%20fence%20and%20debris%20with%20skid%20steer.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_ahwTPKYmMKIwwWZ3Dj83pl5hUEJB_P9jT1OR_Rd7_wVk1bhXW1Fvz7k8KDMst0-1rpxXnvUK8WKWa8pAjekwuFrlQZxULna8TQ_4ujkoYL34uuoA3o1gMW5FcL1M1cu_ltdJsPmArsTW_S9ZlWdBAhdT8WC0U6DvAHoFjkbn-R0_JLL5aZyYWt7XQ/w400-h300/12%20-%20hauling%20old%20fence%20and%20debris%20with%20skid%20steer.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hauling old fence and debris with skid steer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael spent most of the day using the mini-excavator to tear out brush where we need to build the new fence, and piling it to burn.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawpqpZshGrTNLlGe7k6oxhV90MvsQQOlwtRi33kraRItJ5TdqtoKaWxGZi9y-JlmipgUmcN4YMO2ISKbBlJFxafs55-AxAhR3sXLBY87r7n1svh8JtyyICSxYsk1LxrEr1jFycqD5gPC4pXrNFzNZZm3o5EQD8CiH-_NsphMMQ8SA9IEQ66ZmYTPYDQ/s4000/13%20-%20Michael%20tearing%20out%20brush.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhawpqpZshGrTNLlGe7k6oxhV90MvsQQOlwtRi33kraRItJ5TdqtoKaWxGZi9y-JlmipgUmcN4YMO2ISKbBlJFxafs55-AxAhR3sXLBY87r7n1svh8JtyyICSxYsk1LxrEr1jFycqD5gPC4pXrNFzNZZm3o5EQD8CiH-_NsphMMQ8SA9IEQ66ZmYTPYDQ/w400-h300/13%20-%20Michael%20tearing%20out%20brush.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3STNXuMm9jH9JO-5xv4ZaHlaJiyYdNNtQs2MgFiwVMwMw77FqramLN8cjOPuww0-FYv1XD9E1kODHXdqDJdxlUWJD4_UC-Kvif3B9h0FJIVatXlRNNWBLIJOuMgj0QdjS_JAsii51X12AuPbpMDIebrJ1PWI_RQCmSpU3swPJ_Nh19QPTL0BwWCJCoA/s4000/14%20-tearing%20out%20brush%20in%20the%20fence%20line.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3STNXuMm9jH9JO-5xv4ZaHlaJiyYdNNtQs2MgFiwVMwMw77FqramLN8cjOPuww0-FYv1XD9E1kODHXdqDJdxlUWJD4_UC-Kvif3B9h0FJIVatXlRNNWBLIJOuMgj0QdjS_JAsii51X12AuPbpMDIebrJ1PWI_RQCmSpU3swPJ_Nh19QPTL0BwWCJCoA/w400-h300/14%20-tearing%20out%20brush%20in%20the%20fence%20line.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDhfNS2PPRfRCALcN-0oXP1Q-qRybPYayBYVaj5xn8A0WNH4iWRihtQmu6LNTDeAfAvlSJMVk-YgoN6HP4PeV_FPPWdqg7z4hotq1tV_9z9yz0w0y4I7axDQ9YrnDjlw0nsUWr4M4lGAU5eZyb7-oyoEmbAtX9XYtCFpgp0dF-6ofcGJj16sKboT0LQ/s4000/15%20-%20tearing%20out%20brush.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDhfNS2PPRfRCALcN-0oXP1Q-qRybPYayBYVaj5xn8A0WNH4iWRihtQmu6LNTDeAfAvlSJMVk-YgoN6HP4PeV_FPPWdqg7z4hotq1tV_9z9yz0w0y4I7axDQ9YrnDjlw0nsUWr4M4lGAU5eZyb7-oyoEmbAtX9XYtCFpgp0dF-6ofcGJj16sKboT0LQ/w400-h300/15%20-%20tearing%20out%20brush.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael tearing out brush in the fence line</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjrCTFUVSlL9YoRIhqUm3eHenGCboco0zIUOFGsoE3EDhZsVKZ31EKFErVdWFBqxzLgxAIB6RQ5J4vV9U_I07te4NLOCCroRAwiJpt1dl6QqLEeDX6ttpFDqL-45k9aeBMkzK3XfnqP522cggL8xAraLEdtIv-RGurWxJzuSKJD4UDdbPRLXOpCdKng/s4000/16%20-%20piling%20brush%20to%20burn.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIjrCTFUVSlL9YoRIhqUm3eHenGCboco0zIUOFGsoE3EDhZsVKZ31EKFErVdWFBqxzLgxAIB6RQ5J4vV9U_I07te4NLOCCroRAwiJpt1dl6QqLEeDX6ttpFDqL-45k9aeBMkzK3XfnqP522cggL8xAraLEdtIv-RGurWxJzuSKJD4UDdbPRLXOpCdKng/w400-h300/16%20-%20piling%20brush%20to%20burn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>piling the brush to burn</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we had 3 inches of new snow. This made ideal conditions to go ahead and start burning the bigger pile of old material (remains of another old shed that got bulldozed out of the way many years ago, and old posts and poles) without danger of sparks starting anything else on fire. So then we had two burn piles going nicely, and with all that material to burn up it would take several days.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4PCirDYHe-xQQGtqNeYqMgDigN44J5getnPKKG5e3X7sDFcGWdMKi45iZJiFX1moLJ8pkwW2SBmvWCE9gyceZ7ofinS4BqHVV5bjc0xeoUc-mvLglr9cDGlWCy64IRToTck7S115Oq1u3sx42R2sQ2vZIueBn8wi-7CvbRu2u6_AMeZ9r6_w-WxAbw/s4000/17%20-%20the%20%20bigger%20burn%20pile.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4PCirDYHe-xQQGtqNeYqMgDigN44J5getnPKKG5e3X7sDFcGWdMKi45iZJiFX1moLJ8pkwW2SBmvWCE9gyceZ7ofinS4BqHVV5bjc0xeoUc-mvLglr9cDGlWCy64IRToTck7S115Oq1u3sx42R2sQ2vZIueBn8wi-7CvbRu2u6_AMeZ9r6_w-WxAbw/w400-h300/17%20-%20the%20%20bigger%20burn%20pile.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yApGs7WCZV1sbMYydZkH4OwEXe2JIS88Q6NNAT7SQgwTYRIOMFsCYf6o5H4IOKUtL3GrL9mhedW2l9NqXVpoPbvZrIeCoF8WYEfrd04bZ4x7CNkabfIWbeX_jv1CSgOuIu39RaRDDln8fjPrFC2jXHQp9_vl3oYhhUZIALYnT8mT_jqP6MrVHesRBw/s4000/18%20-big%20pile%20burning.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_yApGs7WCZV1sbMYydZkH4OwEXe2JIS88Q6NNAT7SQgwTYRIOMFsCYf6o5H4IOKUtL3GrL9mhedW2l9NqXVpoPbvZrIeCoF8WYEfrd04bZ4x7CNkabfIWbeX_jv1CSgOuIu39RaRDDln8fjPrFC2jXHQp9_vl3oYhhUZIALYnT8mT_jqP6MrVHesRBw/w300-h400/18%20-big%20pile%20burning.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the bigger burn pile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The fence crew kept going on their projects. Andrea and I fed cows and gave the yearling heifers a couple more bales of coarse grass hay for bedding. I took photos as we drove up to feed them, with the smoke from the burn piles in the background. We came home a different way so we didn’t have to drive through the heavy smoke and area where the guys were hauling more stuff to put on the burn piles.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlCDTzHgfcj-IglIgxzQT4gx24pn9pJ76RTqa5LB9xtl_pWm2y0wU_cDw8Mdy9KaZfZx_BEzyvX8UQPkS8EHzXuYTRH8_tpOqcPo_y3hIzsUDgpuELUdl_uoHWtEluWwcA-J8TZQ7kwDr5Rr8LmCRPZhJ4heySu3PJUS594tv9h51bxPa2rdj1CsuMw/s4000/19%20-%20feeding%20young%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlCDTzHgfcj-IglIgxzQT4gx24pn9pJ76RTqa5LB9xtl_pWm2y0wU_cDw8Mdy9KaZfZx_BEzyvX8UQPkS8EHzXuYTRH8_tpOqcPo_y3hIzsUDgpuELUdl_uoHWtEluWwcA-J8TZQ7kwDr5Rr8LmCRPZhJ4heySu3PJUS594tv9h51bxPa2rdj1CsuMw/w400-h300/19%20-%20feeding%20young%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding young cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDOG_KElWPggEgeZKQhyX4ZOFjRI-ZOuejZnBFnk7HqpaRyJ1zBWjtbh2YjpYWnbA4vgZ_X7HbTNYQok3I-vpYwtcV-EJxRiayS2-INlpmSlB5MjaLIXShtUVbCLU4zh8KUmJittu3Ufr_Kr-94ts3sq9FSOABm7nJfUsIem9zpJ1Mq8dsDKz9d2fvw/s4000/20%20-%20coming%20back%20from%20feeding%20cows.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDOG_KElWPggEgeZKQhyX4ZOFjRI-ZOuejZnBFnk7HqpaRyJ1zBWjtbh2YjpYWnbA4vgZ_X7HbTNYQok3I-vpYwtcV-EJxRiayS2-INlpmSlB5MjaLIXShtUVbCLU4zh8KUmJittu3Ufr_Kr-94ts3sq9FSOABm7nJfUsIem9zpJ1Mq8dsDKz9d2fvw/w400-h300/20%20-%20coming%20back%20from%20feeding%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming back from feeding cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon I took pictures of the piles nearly burned and gone.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKiD5rx7x9tDgH0i3dn077ByQ5mqJo1wh60ZyhsplqkXmw3-acJ38oChT6hOjYWpzG0oG_svdq-gZBlWABDkxfcWkW_s3j4d3vFpNnQ2VjAN_nsB2VvRn8PYN65BIF8VwpV16nd8CSiotpKjf1noeOzGLRZyzwfOs0xJMPY41EYyiCrD3TeA-rA3aYg/s4000/21%20-%20old%20string%20pile%20burning.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFKiD5rx7x9tDgH0i3dn077ByQ5mqJo1wh60ZyhsplqkXmw3-acJ38oChT6hOjYWpzG0oG_svdq-gZBlWABDkxfcWkW_s3j4d3vFpNnQ2VjAN_nsB2VvRn8PYN65BIF8VwpV16nd8CSiotpKjf1noeOzGLRZyzwfOs0xJMPY41EYyiCrD3TeA-rA3aYg/w400-h300/21%20-%20old%20string%20pile%20burning.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old string pile burning</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBJmCmoyeqaZyJcc6YoWSfhxTyOjuo9v3W2y_rdTsDndlbXJj2ITikL2GBgTih6K8JxXI8tuTgu4YlFkpSZJinbW423cb_K5SlkuUXUqdz00HpIRFcMzoNnJXw09kWyLfcuka0-tLgZ5xj8v-3uGRUmMyX_GVR-Tvyc9u6dporjMZPMKojl_N7S2bnQ/s4000/22%20-%20burn%20pile%20nearly%20gone.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBJmCmoyeqaZyJcc6YoWSfhxTyOjuo9v3W2y_rdTsDndlbXJj2ITikL2GBgTih6K8JxXI8tuTgu4YlFkpSZJinbW423cb_K5SlkuUXUqdz00HpIRFcMzoNnJXw09kWyLfcuka0-tLgZ5xj8v-3uGRUmMyX_GVR-Tvyc9u6dporjMZPMKojl_N7S2bnQ/w300-h400/22%20-%20burn%20pile%20nearly%20gone.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRMPVLZTmw58TBpYi1Ja-B1FiFQhQNQ2QXfQX-CyIvIh47lObQrfBRuQpG1R9Li8HH93XfifXzsP3HrvBYCnlx75BAvHo8DSZRPc-WiLqrsrqrTISli9h8Mox3AcmeGHdI9beJawugzU7q_MPiUQq-n8gVsTqSntz35LTaz-TvX0WWO5doUDLVJOSWw/s4000/23%20-%20string%20pile%20and%20old%20debris%20nearly%20all%20gone.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDRMPVLZTmw58TBpYi1Ja-B1FiFQhQNQ2QXfQX-CyIvIh47lObQrfBRuQpG1R9Li8HH93XfifXzsP3HrvBYCnlx75BAvHo8DSZRPc-WiLqrsrqrTISli9h8Mox3AcmeGHdI9beJawugzU7q_MPiUQq-n8gVsTqSntz35LTaz-TvX0WWO5doUDLVJOSWw/w400-h300/23%20-%20string%20pile%20and%20old%20debris%20nearly%20all%20gone.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">string pile and old debris nearly all gone</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took photos of the crew getting ready to rebuild a new fence on the creek side of the main corral, now that all the old fence and brush is gone. They got the jacks laid out and the poles cut to length.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrMxaGwAlzzqxQ4jQcnxCagJhz0Rh8Jq32zwivFRpEeMfnH_yjiiiA_6ggA7L1mmLGgpOyh2KmpAQYuTFNfGlnlIoCrOkp74FH8clPc7GF_2Wd3dPt_d_m2UBwVUGJJ2p34j9q3RfzK7zddB56EC4MuF6t1CZcp6Nsvn1SL5jCzOl9qNXKcMxyS8pDg/s4000/24%20-fence%20crew%20laying%20out%20poles.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOrMxaGwAlzzqxQ4jQcnxCagJhz0Rh8Jq32zwivFRpEeMfnH_yjiiiA_6ggA7L1mmLGgpOyh2KmpAQYuTFNfGlnlIoCrOkp74FH8clPc7GF_2Wd3dPt_d_m2UBwVUGJJ2p34j9q3RfzK7zddB56EC4MuF6t1CZcp6Nsvn1SL5jCzOl9qNXKcMxyS8pDg/w400-h300/24%20-fence%20crew%20laying%20out%20poles.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fence crew laying out poles</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1TSESJtE_jwIm76WR_wxart9jcpT43xDJmgKrfjP8ak0KQanWnJkMBJqwaHBOc6mXzxjJIlGAQw9yR0rTtjbP0gCeJuh52z_sXnYTmDaiCJo6NsTbau9EmzmUyD4qp1Da1-p9Fy6RlBZ4vcDPjeJ4_5OVULwegH8TZK3YcYykp3PWnOvVsT0JnSY9A/s4000/25%20-%20getting%20ready%20to%20rebuild%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1TSESJtE_jwIm76WR_wxart9jcpT43xDJmgKrfjP8ak0KQanWnJkMBJqwaHBOc6mXzxjJIlGAQw9yR0rTtjbP0gCeJuh52z_sXnYTmDaiCJo6NsTbau9EmzmUyD4qp1Da1-p9Fy6RlBZ4vcDPjeJ4_5OVULwegH8TZK3YcYykp3PWnOvVsT0JnSY9A/w400-h300/25%20-%20getting%20ready%20to%20rebuild%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">getting ready to rebuild fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8Z0RVwZhVGjRHzdXnroZq8y2WKN2zn99EXW8aCNcGDTOBl_O_ccbL5XgN6FbHDtKNWblxSQ-sWOYu5iHK9qfthUZRVePxJqlI_kgaIM8COcxDUmjmRPIs2a9ypm1PpA7rUEIQqRwGKYjA9wauzWUu2XDMUV2eiuF-MVnr_yrAEzv2P-BcUcdMoh0Rw/s4000/26%20-%20laying%20out%20rails%20for%20jack%20fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8Z0RVwZhVGjRHzdXnroZq8y2WKN2zn99EXW8aCNcGDTOBl_O_ccbL5XgN6FbHDtKNWblxSQ-sWOYu5iHK9qfthUZRVePxJqlI_kgaIM8COcxDUmjmRPIs2a9ypm1PpA7rUEIQqRwGKYjA9wauzWUu2XDMUV2eiuF-MVnr_yrAEzv2P-BcUcdMoh0Rw/w400-h300/26%20-%20laying%20out%20rails%20for%20jack%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6blFVaHpYWExPSuoJm1Xe7SJ8XFMiGwFEKczGErNWxaGAN2KrumxgIhO7Vg3u8VOXb_aE9H3Ln7fAznO39Ncg6xeXPiQgqloYr_f-HjjkI3-y3Otn_se2xrCzxJBcR_wKVqQ5xRZueJALN6O6-Fgu_mRPTWkszrbTmAiNc5PqLMGxt3b8dbIwSF8Tg/s4000/27%20-%20laying%20out%20jack%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6blFVaHpYWExPSuoJm1Xe7SJ8XFMiGwFEKczGErNWxaGAN2KrumxgIhO7Vg3u8VOXb_aE9H3Ln7fAznO39Ncg6xeXPiQgqloYr_f-HjjkI3-y3Otn_se2xrCzxJBcR_wKVqQ5xRZueJALN6O6-Fgu_mRPTWkszrbTmAiNc5PqLMGxt3b8dbIwSF8Tg/w400-h300/27%20-%20laying%20out%20jack%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">laying out rails for jack fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea made a nice stew that afternoon to take to Cope and Terrie for their supper. Dr. Cope has been our main cattle veterinarian for 44 years, and in the past few weeks has been forced to abruptly stop doing large animal work, due to health problems. During the past few years he’s had heart problems (and received a pacemaker), a ruptured appendix and peritonitis, and prostate cancer, which all slowed him down, but he kept going. Then the cancer went into his spine, and he can no longer walk. He still tries to help all of his clients, since we don’t have any other large animal vet here in our county who works on cattle. There are a couple vets who work on cats and dogs, and one that works on horses, but Cope is our only cattle vet. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He has always “been there” for his rancher clients—preg-checking thousands of cows every fall, testing bulls, Bangs vaccinating heifers, coming out in the middle of the night to pull calves or perform C-sections, taking care of any health problems that needed attention. He is like family to most of the ranchers in our county and we are devastated by his predicament. He still gives advice over the phone, and he will still go out to ranches to supervise various procedures from his wheelchair, if someone else can do the physical task required—and he can work on small animals and calves at his home, on a table. He recently worked on a calf with a broken leg, at his house, but it’s tearing him up emotionally to not be able to do all the things he’s needed for.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Having him here for the past 44 years has been a huge blessing to our ranching community because he’s not only been an excellent veterinarian, but in his research efforts he also solved several major cattle disease issues that were plaguing the cattle industry when he arrived. As just one example--with his research and recommendations, ranchers in this valley were the first in the nation to use modified live (rather than killed) vaccine to halt BVD (bovine virus diarrhea) in their herds, making sure every heifer had 3 doses of vaccine before breeding. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He has made a huge difference in the cattle health and livelihoods of ranchers in this area, but it was just a fluke that he came to Salmon, Idaho. He was a Kansas boy who’d planned a career in the Navy. He received some prestigious scholarships and was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy, but a high school injury (playing basketball, damaging a knee) disqualified him from service so he went to Kansas State University instead and became a veterinarian. His first job, working for another veterinarian in North Dakota, wasn’t going well, and after two years there, he saw an ad in the American Veterinary Association Journal about a mountain practice in Idaho for sale. Cope decided to look at it, and the rest is history. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I am writing a tribute to him for one of the regional papers, and I looked through some of my old photos to find some that had him in them, when he was here at our place, and here are a couple pictures—of Cope when he was Bangs vaccinating heifers, and semen testing some bulls.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJI5g8xsJTxR6VFc5wSAbFOfOP47ts6pBaeFT9vA0bXkFm3TIrjEHoHZ7u8lVqNi3y-g5dZgszL3-mEuMcE7GTLs3HpabDqKMWUpy8prOEPk9Dpc8saDhdhnhNp_0tSaLHPeHlvO7rp_lgBGia4WkZEiILppBCQNT674qhxgJLG47kttamDAJ4Fsqug/s1968/28%20-Cope%20preparing%20to%20vaccinate%20heifers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1835" data-original-width="1968" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJI5g8xsJTxR6VFc5wSAbFOfOP47ts6pBaeFT9vA0bXkFm3TIrjEHoHZ7u8lVqNi3y-g5dZgszL3-mEuMcE7GTLs3HpabDqKMWUpy8prOEPk9Dpc8saDhdhnhNp_0tSaLHPeHlvO7rp_lgBGia4WkZEiILppBCQNT674qhxgJLG47kttamDAJ4Fsqug/w400-h373/28%20-Cope%20preparing%20to%20vaccinate%20heifers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cope preparing to vaccinate heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc30iLVBLfkNv53BtYOiqwzX57nXKEYxDDmBCS-eXkcocTgbGOM7tdKbbiE6tyZpP4upLJv7DOY_4Gjd2Utw0nuP5jd3Im5c1yceaPpf7R9r2L1NfDYp6bSzndzNduFEgFZPdMNJJB7OoWsD0uDev6N-p2VHFxEEVR_gRhsxRUsniWBdkA9AWFGB2kg/s2844/29%20-Cope%20checking%20bull%20semen.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2844" data-original-width="1968" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtc30iLVBLfkNv53BtYOiqwzX57nXKEYxDDmBCS-eXkcocTgbGOM7tdKbbiE6tyZpP4upLJv7DOY_4Gjd2Utw0nuP5jd3Im5c1yceaPpf7R9r2L1NfDYp6bSzndzNduFEgFZPdMNJJB7OoWsD0uDev6N-p2VHFxEEVR_gRhsxRUsniWBdkA9AWFGB2kg/w276-h400/29%20-Cope%20checking%20bull%20semen.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cope checking bull semen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When I talked with Cope on the phone a few days ago, checking up on him, he told me, “Lou Gehrig was wrong. He said he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth, but in reality I was that luckiest man. I wandered in here and found my true home. I was able to spend 44 years doing what I loved, with the people I loved, and where I loved doing it. I’ve lived a life that other men could only dream of!”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He drove into Salmon for the first time in October 1977. “I am not a big John Denver fan, but I like some of his music, and the opening line of ‘Rocky Mountain High’ says it all: ‘He was born in the summer of his 27th year, coming home to a place he’d never been before,’ and damned if that didn’t happen to me!” Cope told me. His friends and clients (who are also his friends) are glad that he did find Salmon, Idaho. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We are all grateful for his help and his friendship, all those years. In our own herd, he helped us save a number of unusual and/or otherwise hopeless cases of sick or injured animals, and he was always willing to share his knowledge and advice—often just over the phone. Sometimes when I needed a veterinarian to quote for some of my cattle articles (especially at times an editor gave me a short-notice assignment and there wasn’t time to line up someone from elsewhere in the country) he graciously gave me the information I needed, for an “expert” to quote.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So, now his rancher friends are wondering what we are going to do, without him. He has many visitors each day, and several ranchers pitched in and built a wheelchair ramp at his house. Andrea gave him the wheelchair she’s had since her burn injury—because the wheelchair Cope was given is too wide to fit through most of the doors in his house, and hers is a little narrower. She has been dropping by to see Cope and Terrie nearly every time she goes to town, and taking them food or something special. The day she made the stew she took him the wheelchair, and was pleased to see that it will work in their house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day I started writing a long letter to Cope, thanking him for all the help he’s given us over the years, and recalling some of the “special” and unusual cases he helped us with.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That was also the morning we got a phone call from granddaughter Heather in Canada. Her baby boy arrived at 4 a.m. that morning. The weather was terrible and their roads were bad, but Gregory managed to drive her safely to the hospital in time to deliver that new little member of the Eppich family. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long, and they named him Ian Thomas Eppich. We were delighted with their choice of names! Ian was my dad’s middle name. Here are the photos she send us of that new little kid.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTfbee3q2JLKBriP_kK2mnaiSmMV3GSfZpXl9JSXn1QhkDN8TuEn2_uAlJCuvExKAYJ-dFpEwZ_72GBfYIiFHAkzVRXp7KVuQL1uheO1boVrTfO9J6ZS_7n9VNYGlQgEzrquNa8MogwVSvwZ97txZAy4bVonXRYH8Iv5aO6rNyaKqgF1odGFci7utJw/s4032/30%20-%20new%20little%20Eppich%20baby.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTfbee3q2JLKBriP_kK2mnaiSmMV3GSfZpXl9JSXn1QhkDN8TuEn2_uAlJCuvExKAYJ-dFpEwZ_72GBfYIiFHAkzVRXp7KVuQL1uheO1boVrTfO9J6ZS_7n9VNYGlQgEzrquNa8MogwVSvwZ97txZAy4bVonXRYH8Iv5aO6rNyaKqgF1odGFci7utJw/w400-h300/30%20-%20new%20little%20Eppich%20baby.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new little Eppich baby</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1uD3ILkJFKw1FS48VuMZTnhua9r7VPphkFI_TYlsId1RdH7WLd4nXg3xxlGLgkDClhv_7pRW__WCTJLD00Rgh7WCuq7SG73AGkAOS1gucwYmsuAITR0ODv24nSh-4EiJk1L6sVvuVtX6JD88HVqw9JgCN-yGxx8eQk4V9ESmUS2omZto8hU47dvoAg/s4032/31%20-%20Ian%20Thomas%20Eppich.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp1uD3ILkJFKw1FS48VuMZTnhua9r7VPphkFI_TYlsId1RdH7WLd4nXg3xxlGLgkDClhv_7pRW__WCTJLD00Rgh7WCuq7SG73AGkAOS1gucwYmsuAITR0ODv24nSh-4EiJk1L6sVvuVtX6JD88HVqw9JgCN-yGxx8eQk4V9ESmUS2omZto8hU47dvoAg/w400-h300/31%20-%20Ian%20Thomas%20Eppich.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ian Thomas Eppich</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05BWrMLE_hu4E2peXM46qS4BG-MHof9CCDAIcKd4o5qeSRQ9EgGJXqZSLnEOAbb08MVNgTdUtOqSprK8EQRyGesRFcWZbxGHYMtR95CKuMqn0hFJkQiA-efhdTQa7mi_Lozgh9DkY8A1okTgTAEyIKfiJyI8oWJ0_SOtfor22ioK4_WUbMrEnh67qPQ/s4032/32%20-%20Granddaughter%20Heather%20Eppich%20and%20baby%20boy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh05BWrMLE_hu4E2peXM46qS4BG-MHof9CCDAIcKd4o5qeSRQ9EgGJXqZSLnEOAbb08MVNgTdUtOqSprK8EQRyGesRFcWZbxGHYMtR95CKuMqn0hFJkQiA-efhdTQa7mi_Lozgh9DkY8A1okTgTAEyIKfiJyI8oWJ0_SOtfor22ioK4_WUbMrEnh67qPQ/w400-h300/32%20-%20Granddaughter%20Heather%20Eppich%20and%20baby%20boy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather Eppich and baby boy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When Michael and his fence crew arrived here that morning we congratulated Michael on his new grandson. The burn piles were still smoldering and the crew added more material to them as they cleared more debris away from their fence lines. I took photos of the smoldering piles and Michael stirring them and adding to them.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1DpzCKVk2_7NZ8mLdojVNmuUJcx5HCC_MvEIOu-aOjYvg6GOa-4mA1F07JNOq0NGMAnACR99HUVFbfCGc2RhkmGTtkBE25vRcHqbtkFbjouq1WhJ5mhJv4IY57Yk6rFIzuPffvMJeuipAjdbgREZjbLPKqKEn0Csvj8If3J0GrNLCE0BKVjpqB04Vg/s4000/33%20-%20smoldering%20burn%20piles.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv1DpzCKVk2_7NZ8mLdojVNmuUJcx5HCC_MvEIOu-aOjYvg6GOa-4mA1F07JNOq0NGMAnACR99HUVFbfCGc2RhkmGTtkBE25vRcHqbtkFbjouq1WhJ5mhJv4IY57Yk6rFIzuPffvMJeuipAjdbgREZjbLPKqKEn0Csvj8If3J0GrNLCE0BKVjpqB04Vg/w400-h300/33%20-%20smoldering%20burn%20piles.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">smoldering burn piles</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeLHmLT95unA09ai8KwNC6f_WFhNGcltXq0u01AY8oV04VhaxiHOfRoNVw4JWlvNYGXTapx3pWcppqJS44Y25fuK6OPLmL7L39q7FisIepIl-0bYbqBkLltcD2GyOqj8aSk2r90fWKP5EHvHSuW-mzt2zMEdfyoG2wyVx3RAkIgjBBeis7fbgeoigLQ/s4000/34%20-%20Michael%20stirring%20up%20and%20adding%20to%20burn%20piles.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLeLHmLT95unA09ai8KwNC6f_WFhNGcltXq0u01AY8oV04VhaxiHOfRoNVw4JWlvNYGXTapx3pWcppqJS44Y25fuK6OPLmL7L39q7FisIepIl-0bYbqBkLltcD2GyOqj8aSk2r90fWKP5EHvHSuW-mzt2zMEdfyoG2wyVx3RAkIgjBBeis7fbgeoigLQ/w400-h300/34%20-%20Michael%20stirring%20up%20and%20adding%20to%20burn%20piles.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael stirring up and adding to burn piles</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took photos of the completed fence on the creek side of the main corral.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6LVzrPAHdzOOSIN-kpJmb03FgcC2SV8wpSDv_qdyNx13NPZNi3mh0EWYzEHLsuQZqKbp3zeHzYRKnhGim3-0DeI-epfLkAw_qmmFRv13IHi2Tk4yLK0Qa0sE67pzfGx9HiVBe08fK3ILmwLMEEHCBP9fheFNJ9a7L4X5wmxlY1hz_uUenu5SPU4qxA/s4000/35%20-%20completed%20fence%20across%20creek.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN6LVzrPAHdzOOSIN-kpJmb03FgcC2SV8wpSDv_qdyNx13NPZNi3mh0EWYzEHLsuQZqKbp3zeHzYRKnhGim3-0DeI-epfLkAw_qmmFRv13IHi2Tk4yLK0Qa0sE67pzfGx9HiVBe08fK3ILmwLMEEHCBP9fheFNJ9a7L4X5wmxlY1hz_uUenu5SPU4qxA/w400-h300/35%20-%20completed%20fence%20across%20creek.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvKQO5bjwKbJJk_ZWXmzAHQSa_UbivZt1FpYMHEEsPmsUyQ3TrEv4PJxGd3QY9GovUYSKsXk7KpzZ7-Yrn6u1UEaHXPMyCCiegifQU6Hz4PfW_EWw9iW1VCl1aArtHwSU3fV9182QtE6-gS5f-VLl6X8M6Hg6rosaF9RDm5vh0Jrc2o8jP9vJYu2zcA/s4000/36%20-%20completed%20fence%20in%20main%20corral.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSvKQO5bjwKbJJk_ZWXmzAHQSa_UbivZt1FpYMHEEsPmsUyQ3TrEv4PJxGd3QY9GovUYSKsXk7KpzZ7-Yrn6u1UEaHXPMyCCiegifQU6Hz4PfW_EWw9iW1VCl1aArtHwSU3fV9182QtE6-gS5f-VLl6X8M6Hg6rosaF9RDm5vh0Jrc2o8jP9vJYu2zcA/w400-h300/36%20-%20completed%20fence%20in%20main%20corral.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q2jNFoznNCHAv9MzICYgk2vccg3KbruNEk2xgymtQNtsPr9IO28n5FqrEAqdkTnB2q6FdNtnpk8Mc9J_l6u9tjId16h5RR8-reOTXnxZfwoefH1AavHOyrBEm2R6fFD0jBB17MMSU3SPdbBM98Xn5EhWlLRRzq4AdShwLD7ohWht96Em21Upjbom6w/s4000/37%20-%20completed%20fence%20that%20crosses%20creek.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q2jNFoznNCHAv9MzICYgk2vccg3KbruNEk2xgymtQNtsPr9IO28n5FqrEAqdkTnB2q6FdNtnpk8Mc9J_l6u9tjId16h5RR8-reOTXnxZfwoefH1AavHOyrBEm2R6fFD0jBB17MMSU3SPdbBM98Xn5EhWlLRRzq4AdShwLD7ohWht96Em21Upjbom6w/w400-h300/37%20-%20completed%20fence%20that%20crosses%20creek.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">completed fence in main corral across creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The fence crew spent the day working on the new fence around the little swamp pasture below the bull pen and Michael did more digging with the excavator and sorting the burnable stuff from the dirt in those big piles next to the main corral.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea went to town for a doctor appointment and did all the town errands for us, and took one of my books (Cow Tales: More True Stories from an Idaho Ranch) to Cope, since he played a role in some of those adventures with some of the “critters” we saved.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day I took photos as we finished feeding cows, when Andrea was dividing the rest of the bale for the next feedings..</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzwjn9SuPMP_1CQ88RYoEc0VyyT9RBNi2in5Dd8FNktRyZsL8C9azKURSrjM12_y4uNHiwrnGCFmGZD8cHBKZiNLN4mnpaqEFyRSUSjC1MyucCGzJX_d4zMlp-EdDoY5HL9G8hmVO0W-hVirIZxhiD-OgUUQz_G3t6ND7xpMJIUNBtdmV-tw7HiU5og/s4000/38%20-%20Andrea%20dividing%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20bale%20for%20the%20next%20feedings.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfzwjn9SuPMP_1CQ88RYoEc0VyyT9RBNi2in5Dd8FNktRyZsL8C9azKURSrjM12_y4uNHiwrnGCFmGZD8cHBKZiNLN4mnpaqEFyRSUSjC1MyucCGzJX_d4zMlp-EdDoY5HL9G8hmVO0W-hVirIZxhiD-OgUUQz_G3t6ND7xpMJIUNBtdmV-tw7HiU5og/w400-h300/38%20-%20Andrea%20dividing%20the%20rest%20of%20the%20bale%20for%20the%20next%20feedings.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea dividing the rest of the bale for the next feedings</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">..and of the new fence the guys were building below the bull corral, replacing the old falling down fence that they took out. I took photos of the crew building a brace and stringing the wire along the new posts, and stapling the wire to the posts.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGYrkgH3vW6S7L1L338F2C65Ed3vWmC5QOGGsJEUhgy_CGrdLs4VRPPxE17iBI2my2R0B-rwQSfoMoyCkuu5249w5Bab_Pnqo46KslaVN3OiNqhiyZL_yd7GFyZNq3dSnf6umLQC4JlSuUjlEjoDrS46V-8vepMz7DmB5_Dq7QNkuct08ogYkjjVxuQ/s4000/39%20-%20rebuilding%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJGYrkgH3vW6S7L1L338F2C65Ed3vWmC5QOGGsJEUhgy_CGrdLs4VRPPxE17iBI2my2R0B-rwQSfoMoyCkuu5249w5Bab_Pnqo46KslaVN3OiNqhiyZL_yd7GFyZNq3dSnf6umLQC4JlSuUjlEjoDrS46V-8vepMz7DmB5_Dq7QNkuct08ogYkjjVxuQ/w400-h300/39%20-%20rebuilding%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">rebuilding fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhzH_LP_KMXCxAAZ3vC_INBwYshK1412jKLjdZOeZbh7Bop5mt0XTVTA2ge_XeIvnTTmh0nY012iyEpoZZgmbZapLvv-C_7a3j7HNlqL6Z5BOQudTOjVWZpbm9GQgKmhWb1YsVmpnUlF_vUUfcf-89WXwzg6cBQVYl4eGmvfNQ5jjEYTn3xr40KZMbw/s4000/40%20-%20building%20a%20new%20brace.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhzH_LP_KMXCxAAZ3vC_INBwYshK1412jKLjdZOeZbh7Bop5mt0XTVTA2ge_XeIvnTTmh0nY012iyEpoZZgmbZapLvv-C_7a3j7HNlqL6Z5BOQudTOjVWZpbm9GQgKmhWb1YsVmpnUlF_vUUfcf-89WXwzg6cBQVYl4eGmvfNQ5jjEYTn3xr40KZMbw/w400-h300/40%20-%20building%20a%20new%20brace.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">building a new brace</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qZ2hYPq21pz8ZjW6HuzIKhgx7rFYyOiYXU_gUguVOrvhDjv46ZcsDwJ8Aksi3qj-8xA8lI6mG6wBmNE1D8tHPfuAPfU4b4C_RY4yX-JvCtEYnnfhfl3p1tt4pC74hku3RjEVTkgeQf3tNbfPyXsrvO9ec9zBx_wVnQSKIyMB6axrafaeUMt-eIx-WA/s4000/41%20-%20stringing%20out%20wire%20for%20new%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qZ2hYPq21pz8ZjW6HuzIKhgx7rFYyOiYXU_gUguVOrvhDjv46ZcsDwJ8Aksi3qj-8xA8lI6mG6wBmNE1D8tHPfuAPfU4b4C_RY4yX-JvCtEYnnfhfl3p1tt4pC74hku3RjEVTkgeQf3tNbfPyXsrvO9ec9zBx_wVnQSKIyMB6axrafaeUMt-eIx-WA/w300-h400/41%20-%20stringing%20out%20wire%20for%20new%20fence.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stringing out wire for new fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW3IgVE8acDSWpl88vN5zBEgkwqYWwpl1zYeWFaXTjuqKmtYJFAEmPRnWub11hW4Oi654UsDzNnh4UMlkwKg4SJMLFSi7d82mYCmvfc_ghnT3UPTpIqkihUj8hrwRe4CEhB3SkTG-moTtS-CbiZFa1QJ0kelgYDW5zso93NNOdqpe-JUklKZyBdwyFQ/s4000/42%20-%20stapling%20wire%20to%20new%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuW3IgVE8acDSWpl88vN5zBEgkwqYWwpl1zYeWFaXTjuqKmtYJFAEmPRnWub11hW4Oi654UsDzNnh4UMlkwKg4SJMLFSi7d82mYCmvfc_ghnT3UPTpIqkihUj8hrwRe4CEhB3SkTG-moTtS-CbiZFa1QJ0kelgYDW5zso93NNOdqpe-JUklKZyBdwyFQ/w400-h300/42%20-%20stapling%20wire%20to%20new%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stapling wire to new fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took photos of the new jack-fence they’d already build around the bottom end of that pen, and a photo of the new fence at the top of the post pile pasture.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylf1gMr0ZZrm_mblNNuzEnhn3ERMwTkyipCwA7FbHGruX4_1JprO8OcYHSvAqhGI4qQwQ8-dT9XvaRj0-QjaWJ1pqlhahaCjivncCUrbPdn8TyC6gQTeD32Y906KmnBJThzBlxXl3Cy0lZGJZ6uTeYpm-iz_32b8ijR6nqOjB9jr8_x13EYhiLewniA/s4000/43%20-%20new%20jack%20fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiylf1gMr0ZZrm_mblNNuzEnhn3ERMwTkyipCwA7FbHGruX4_1JprO8OcYHSvAqhGI4qQwQ8-dT9XvaRj0-QjaWJ1pqlhahaCjivncCUrbPdn8TyC6gQTeD32Y906KmnBJThzBlxXl3Cy0lZGJZ6uTeYpm-iz_32b8ijR6nqOjB9jr8_x13EYhiLewniA/w400-h300/43%20-%20new%20jack%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_ITOQmo5kUpOQGTSAfooOvJSZyQ-GPAdjbkKz9W5WzyKyO9-QXnHcYHmWzad19Rpzf5vXzqIqo5o9ptbQhPdSh2x_RzKEYwgX-76mRBzl2jQYWZV4rLHL0gsPyAW-tV8skoiSF-cIM2Z5e_ygubPfO1Ap4xSLfFvuoME9-w7u8z1I0zPgg2gJrLMaQ/s4000/44-%20new%20jack%20fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_ITOQmo5kUpOQGTSAfooOvJSZyQ-GPAdjbkKz9W5WzyKyO9-QXnHcYHmWzad19Rpzf5vXzqIqo5o9ptbQhPdSh2x_RzKEYwgX-76mRBzl2jQYWZV4rLHL0gsPyAW-tV8skoiSF-cIM2Z5e_ygubPfO1Ap4xSLfFvuoME9-w7u8z1I0zPgg2gJrLMaQ/w400-h300/44-%20new%20jack%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLMEibma8wYZiuCA84-wjvkpWF6z86hUH3aBxj1mdV5XtOcofv0luIKMWXlzuKsj8kVGJP4SBxty_EmMUgw_kyFYbjlkMk_r5oVx-2akxjL_7UavgAUHCfEB7TdJ_Y29aXhX1rnydQitTByi7kav86CH88QQCWEmBPnPR24B62Kei7nTD4uczCO62PA/s4000/45%20-%20new%20fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdLMEibma8wYZiuCA84-wjvkpWF6z86hUH3aBxj1mdV5XtOcofv0luIKMWXlzuKsj8kVGJP4SBxty_EmMUgw_kyFYbjlkMk_r5oVx-2akxjL_7UavgAUHCfEB7TdJ_Y29aXhX1rnydQitTByi7kav86CH88QQCWEmBPnPR24B62Kei7nTD4uczCO62PA/w400-h300/45%20-%20new%20fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new jack fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Lynn and Andrea went to town and out to a property by the airport where Lynn located water for a well. Since they were very near Cope and Terrie’s place, they stopped there on their way home to say “Hi” and to give Cope the letter I wrote him, in appreciation for all he’s done for us and our critters.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sammy called that afternoon, all excited, to tell us she got a job (working from 4 pm to 10 pm) as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant at the Twin Falls Transitional Care of Cascadia. This will fit in nicely with her college courses.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday Michael spent most of the day here working with the mini-excavator getting the burn piles sorted and the metal junk taken down to the pit in the post pile pasture to bury. We also need to get some rocks to put in a couple of eroded ditches in the field by Andrea’s house, so yesterday when Michael was here finishing up some of dirt work Andrea showed him those spots. He will order several dump-truck loads of rocks to resolve those ditch problems. The eroded channels are so deep it’s nearly impossible to put a dam in them to divert the irrigation water to the field, and they are also a risk for cows to get stuck in the ditch.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cold and windy. At chore time I moved the bulls from their pen to the main corral. They can live there while part of the fence in their pen is being rebuilt. The old fence is nearly 40 years old and the posts and poles are disintegrating.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea went to town early for her GI tract scoping. Dani’s friend Roger is here visiting, so they helped me feed cows, and also took a little bale to the heifers for bedding. Jim brought Andrea home after her scoping.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather is supposed to be really cold and windy for several days (below zero) so the fence crew will be taking a few days off until it warms up a little again. The wind was so fierce and strong that it tore loose part of the black plastic on our big haystack and also kept the trash pile fire burning briskly, well into the night. The temperature is dropping below zero tonight.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 1</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Tuesday stayed very cold and windy, with a high that afternoon of 10 degrees. The wind chill made it like well below zero. It was so cold that day and the next that I didn’t water the horses at morning chores, but waited until after breakfast—when they’d be thirsty enough to drink, after eating part of their hay. I didn’t want the water to freeze up before they had a chance to drink it. Andrea had her barium enema scoping (CT) to more fully check out her GI tract, but won’t know the results until later. She helped me feed cows later that morning after she got home from town. We had to break ice for the bulls and cows. The ice was so thick on the creek where the cows drink that it took her 2.5 hours to break it out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I interviewed several ranchers to get their input for the feature I’m writing about Dr. Cope. They had some interesting things to say, and some great memories about some of their experiences with him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather stayed cold for several more days (below zero some nights), creating a big chore breaking ice, and necessitating having the tractor plugged in for 24 hours (with a tarp over the motor) on the days we needed to start it, to load hay or take a new bale to the heifers. Our neighbor Alfonso came back from Mexico (where he spent the last couple months). This year the blackbirds came back before he did!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning was cold and we didn’t have the bathroom sink faucets dripping enough, and the cold water line froze. The old walls on that side of the house are not insulated, and also some cold air comes in through the floor by the water tank and the line from the pump. It took several hours of running an electric heater—aimed under the sink—to thaw out the cold water line.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The tractor started ok that day, however. We had it plugged in for more than 24 hours. So we were able to take another bale to the heifers, load the feed truck, and take down 3 more big bales from the stack to have on hand for the next few days’ feeding.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday I spent all morning doing a very condensed version of my tribute to Cope, to send to the Farm & Ranch section of the Post Register (daily newspaper). It was still twice as long as the editor prefers, but he decided to use it anyway. Michael and his fence crew worked all day on the fence projects. They got the back fence finished on the bull corral, and most of the round corral finished except for putting in the major gate posts. Here’s what the new fence looks like in the bull corral, and the side pen heading to the bull corral from the round corral.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-w8Frws07JMGNVv8bw5yX3BmCM_vliwJwV-e1avzSl2syjS24208vNnfv14l3T1LIr6ZKaTzEa3_d_4vda_EVv3t9v4rG1FhhpF4mwfLOJN5hc3uwd-Z3Se2wYvDbL1zlxXMpTWc3_n2Sf0mJwC8m-g5TPbqXUoghwA4GOOZsl6PD1Fo7flx4RrZmGA/s4000/46%20-new%20fence%20in%20bull%20corral.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-w8Frws07JMGNVv8bw5yX3BmCM_vliwJwV-e1avzSl2syjS24208vNnfv14l3T1LIr6ZKaTzEa3_d_4vda_EVv3t9v4rG1FhhpF4mwfLOJN5hc3uwd-Z3Se2wYvDbL1zlxXMpTWc3_n2Sf0mJwC8m-g5TPbqXUoghwA4GOOZsl6PD1Fo7flx4RrZmGA/w400-h300/46%20-new%20fence%20in%20bull%20corral.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new fence in bull corral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzbkd_gkAAn3buQsnxOKkYqD7gfgJV4AUNjfzmGCLke83kuHPvEWSMgSazZ4-2eQT7t_n6fKX08ip80eZQBlI05dciGfp1bJNXflmp4Y3G2CLRNhxeE9_6Z9mjn9fbR2nXoJOvQKaA6BEuILP7omwOUNP0MAX_EkgMQh5GBajBMpWnpU0fqRaaQzmRQ/s4000/47%20new%20fence%20in%20side%20pen%20toward%20bull%20corral.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkzbkd_gkAAn3buQsnxOKkYqD7gfgJV4AUNjfzmGCLke83kuHPvEWSMgSazZ4-2eQT7t_n6fKX08ip80eZQBlI05dciGfp1bJNXflmp4Y3G2CLRNhxeE9_6Z9mjn9fbR2nXoJOvQKaA6BEuILP7omwOUNP0MAX_EkgMQh5GBajBMpWnpU0fqRaaQzmRQ/w400-h300/47%20new%20fence%20in%20side%20pen%20toward%20bull%20corral.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new fence in side pen toward bull corral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The guys also bolted together some railroad ties to make taller, stout gate posts for the round corral, since they need to be set deeper than a regular railroad tie because of all the water underneath the surface, and the frost heaves every year—and remain secure and solid for holding a heavy gate without shifting. So by adding several feet of length to the railroad tie, it can be set deep enough and still have enough height to hang a big gate. Here are photos of the guys bolting railroad ties together.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEL1hzvE8M6njza_3ZV2Gw8oobFnQxC4xBEJ1XX-VU8gQY78kGvCAEbQm0AzFPtVaR5u6r4NQKUrOimfubLb1UC8Sx3NPt3SQUHfviUUU2cJT41DmbxRE2g9FDFe7Ph4440xdJ7Bc2pY7Qd2GqAJpsEPnk2FWnd2YQQSRwj4wlwsB5lTDyBk5sgmNdw/s4000/48%20-%20bolting%20railroad%20ties%20together.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEL1hzvE8M6njza_3ZV2Gw8oobFnQxC4xBEJ1XX-VU8gQY78kGvCAEbQm0AzFPtVaR5u6r4NQKUrOimfubLb1UC8Sx3NPt3SQUHfviUUU2cJT41DmbxRE2g9FDFe7Ph4440xdJ7Bc2pY7Qd2GqAJpsEPnk2FWnd2YQQSRwj4wlwsB5lTDyBk5sgmNdw/w400-h300/48%20-%20bolting%20railroad%20ties%20together.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bolting railroad ties together</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40T9pN6dXhnES9F6ijbgFSOJ-GLOIxsAKZRtsqeSp9AfdAW6VArC-Rdo7l-aZ80BCxviD1JhHOyMmPDkJM8hcc02N-WVYeIJ4Nk1D5iWmD8ie6qHVctoRSNHpgG8_dciU7Roa9SSt9LmfnsGk7O3d-99SXy_m4Xzlu1Bym_07j7RIqKgLkZBR5WRozA/s4000/49%20-%20measuring%20and%20bolting%20railroad%20ties%20together.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh40T9pN6dXhnES9F6ijbgFSOJ-GLOIxsAKZRtsqeSp9AfdAW6VArC-Rdo7l-aZ80BCxviD1JhHOyMmPDkJM8hcc02N-WVYeIJ4Nk1D5iWmD8ie6qHVctoRSNHpgG8_dciU7Roa9SSt9LmfnsGk7O3d-99SXy_m4Xzlu1Bym_07j7RIqKgLkZBR5WRozA/w400-h300/49%20-%20measuring%20and%20bolting%20railroad%20ties%20together.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">measuring and bolting railroad ties together</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was warmer. It didn’t even freeze last night, and got up to 54 degrees by late afternoon. The fence crew finished tearing out the old rotten jack-fence up the hill behind the bull pen, and clearing the brush away, and got the new fence rebuilt. They got that project done in the nick of time; with the warmer weather the snow is melting and the ground is thawing out, and that area is a horrible bog when it’s not frozen. They would have trouble doing that job after it completely thaws out. Here’s what the finished jack-fence looks like.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY67qw0vZBMkF-00qXEHDFN5OP4pvl0zEHnEU2992qb4enpHCY1WE5yTwAXHpHWPM5i1y-GMVW5rFCtOzXFbnIx_pqZX4BRKrge2Sfr1RJqq149OO9uPuyMgJ5lsW_TCwbF2J_7IDQb7EqLqzvuWtfCdySvZIZkPDKCNRdw9yPjC_zgET1gN7VhiPcg/s4000/50%20-%20new%20jack%20fence%20up%20the%20hill%20behind%20bull%20corral.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoY67qw0vZBMkF-00qXEHDFN5OP4pvl0zEHnEU2992qb4enpHCY1WE5yTwAXHpHWPM5i1y-GMVW5rFCtOzXFbnIx_pqZX4BRKrge2Sfr1RJqq149OO9uPuyMgJ5lsW_TCwbF2J_7IDQb7EqLqzvuWtfCdySvZIZkPDKCNRdw9yPjC_zgET1gN7VhiPcg/w400-h300/50%20-%20new%20jack%20fence%20up%20the%20hill%20behind%20bull%20corral.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new jack fence up the hill behind bull corral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">They got that finished and started working on the new loading alley (after tearing out the old loading dock we built 50 years ago for loading trucks). We haven’t hauled cattle in trucks for a long time, and need a better way to load them into stock trailers. Michael and Nick measured the space where they plan to build the new loading chute.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ToxZ6narssyQhKIqQWwiGCujTOVnVoszqNoNk4AIMHTC-wsqD56SSQ8cY4xJ5zPhXGzSyqdvSZKecMO0k5obZTYRTzjtc5XL1omVu0bsv7vNaCF9qK3SKpR3C1FhdlNMcxlqs31UpYna4jUXlACyXd1izYmmuJoVwkIEpQbRlQhVcm9SIw1GzHLXyw/s4000/51%20-%20Michael%20&%20Nick%20measuring%20for%20width%20of%20a%20new%20loading%20chute.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ToxZ6narssyQhKIqQWwiGCujTOVnVoszqNoNk4AIMHTC-wsqD56SSQ8cY4xJ5zPhXGzSyqdvSZKecMO0k5obZTYRTzjtc5XL1omVu0bsv7vNaCF9qK3SKpR3C1FhdlNMcxlqs31UpYna4jUXlACyXd1izYmmuJoVwkIEpQbRlQhVcm9SIw1GzHLXyw/w400-h300/51%20-%20Michael%20&%20Nick%20measuring%20for%20width%20of%20a%20new%20loading%20chute.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael & Nick measuring for width of a new loading chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With snow melting, water was running down off the hills above the fields and filling our ditches. By this evening it was starting to flood down across our lower swamp pasture and into the barnyard and areas where the guys will be working again tomorrow on the fence. So Andrea brought Christopher down here (since Em was at work) and I took care of him while she and Lynn and Jim took dams up to the two ditches that are a problem, and tried to set dams higher up the ditches to divert the water directly to the creek. They worked on it until dark and got most of the floodwater stopped.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher and I had fun; he played with some of his toys here, and played the piano for a while…</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5CqkOwSAzmOXSBq-QJ-DAK-D7ydFou_ColkCzwsrm5qoH7gympadNKZWBzyWUDVScCI5YJLTWc_w7O1yOL0g8eHLBfO3gDK6F0f8p5EMpvT4AkrQLd0VjMw0DDzUdiBF3-7NQ0rB5kBOx2U2Xo8Y661qI1tok1Fs5YAYM2DWeUrP_pILaEwIzS4Wvg/s4000/52%20-%20Christopher%20playing%20piano.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5CqkOwSAzmOXSBq-QJ-DAK-D7ydFou_ColkCzwsrm5qoH7gympadNKZWBzyWUDVScCI5YJLTWc_w7O1yOL0g8eHLBfO3gDK6F0f8p5EMpvT4AkrQLd0VjMw0DDzUdiBF3-7NQ0rB5kBOx2U2Xo8Y661qI1tok1Fs5YAYM2DWeUrP_pILaEwIzS4Wvg/w300-h400/52%20-%20Christopher%20playing%20piano.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing piano</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZFoeAfJpuh0k_cF8PTsIN2rMZC4fw5bFj330v0boiGXYw69G8Eq7VaXIy5SnJQAuv5b3U6-NSHJ6JzXVdTihG2_BSj7DVHpGPYqBNz-1d3bkNqURGSjrWlTl-JsHHo2f0rHGI2DZpLckizNvw5x7o8xuxzJ2gGEo_njodvQNC6qUp9sDnS9eKwZhkg/s4000/53%20-%20our%20youngest%20pianist.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZFoeAfJpuh0k_cF8PTsIN2rMZC4fw5bFj330v0boiGXYw69G8Eq7VaXIy5SnJQAuv5b3U6-NSHJ6JzXVdTihG2_BSj7DVHpGPYqBNz-1d3bkNqURGSjrWlTl-JsHHo2f0rHGI2DZpLckizNvw5x7o8xuxzJ2gGEo_njodvQNC6qUp9sDnS9eKwZhkg/w300-h400/53%20-%20our%20youngest%20pianist.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our youngest pianist</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…then spent the rest of the evening in the swing, watching one of his favorite movies (Madagascar) while I sorted the piles of magazines and papers stacked on our dining room table. I filled several big sacks with stuff that we don’t need to keep, and it will go to the burn pile, and also took a couple photos of him multi-tasking—swinging in the swing, playing with his roller-coaster train cars, and watching TV.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78dzbvT48tiL3f2-3_YTbrk-Y3aDFFLwe-ybupTugWPRMTAJves-n4XkANjCXkhvt70u855MN_zTxXG70XXogWmLw_IsXJNVlwu47KZvZkAX_5NTeM5fx7G80Ggn_-WYCXTnRfRfGkZ2DgtNzwlboJjxH5OIRWLmdORmynKVsHBGA3pimNMfhu3QRWQ/s4000/54-%20swingin%20kid.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78dzbvT48tiL3f2-3_YTbrk-Y3aDFFLwe-ybupTugWPRMTAJves-n4XkANjCXkhvt70u855MN_zTxXG70XXogWmLw_IsXJNVlwu47KZvZkAX_5NTeM5fx7G80Ggn_-WYCXTnRfRfGkZ2DgtNzwlboJjxH5OIRWLmdORmynKVsHBGA3pimNMfhu3QRWQ/w400-h300/54-%20swingin%20kid.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">swingin kid</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxxpCWh11pyiDFgkLW5FcaWJCBixtePJPjquM6WQWvlSP_c87GfOwtw9g_HEsAvd4gYpN6tBISicl3GryX0T9ZTgWSnTe4bUu4rPA9AZomDmnVHuqWEnaOnmMzXzXZzKX024MnhjDCoxEAm21Dhziq-1L9IV3vNp2Rn3cqId4DYrLbQBrl88OO17bbQ/s4000/55%20-%20multi-tasking%20-swinging,%20playing%20with%20roller%20coaster%20cars%20&%20watching%20TV.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGxxpCWh11pyiDFgkLW5FcaWJCBixtePJPjquM6WQWvlSP_c87GfOwtw9g_HEsAvd4gYpN6tBISicl3GryX0T9ZTgWSnTe4bUu4rPA9AZomDmnVHuqWEnaOnmMzXzXZzKX024MnhjDCoxEAm21Dhziq-1L9IV3vNp2Rn3cqId4DYrLbQBrl88OO17bbQ/w400-h300/55%20-%20multi-tasking%20-swinging,%20playing%20with%20roller%20coaster%20cars%20&%20watching%20TV.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">multi-tasking -swinging, playing with roller coaster cars & watching TV</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 7</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday I did chores really early so I could get back in the house in time to do a phone interview at 7:30 and then Andrea and I fed the cows. Michael and the fence crew arrived early also and spent a long day working on their projects. The snow around our barnyard was melting and nearly gone. It was a good thing we got the flood stopped the evening before, or the areas where the guys are working would have been too boggy. They started building the new loading chute and got it finished by the end of the day.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGbcwGycWeRwdhgrzSq3tIlzYuu2bFpKSItDmHLBANIwIWHpouJ9CU9jyO-Am1N3rpv4-OlqqAzh5KmfKwc_ZKspIijwh3ny9U986r1VlPpxf4xdEpG1WXm36Lx-gVUYNJHOnd45l5PRx3wwOWfUTjBObP-XFJ8uXkdG8Osc0nmJ1Sur-T68tNoXQ9A/s4000/56%20-%20working%20on%20the%20new%20loading%20chute.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDGbcwGycWeRwdhgrzSq3tIlzYuu2bFpKSItDmHLBANIwIWHpouJ9CU9jyO-Am1N3rpv4-OlqqAzh5KmfKwc_ZKspIijwh3ny9U986r1VlPpxf4xdEpG1WXm36Lx-gVUYNJHOnd45l5PRx3wwOWfUTjBObP-XFJ8uXkdG8Osc0nmJ1Sur-T68tNoXQ9A/w400-h300/56%20-%20working%20on%20the%20new%20loading%20chute.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrfHnaRR9mCjvHjs5JZhJMzrUG7A4DbKECCiK_MmLX9ndZF513ma-1rNlOvM4h5ArTiYcjS1OocKAlwbV3r3La1GUcMlwS7xYDgKUBsYdxipH23fXhfuvdgC9B7M9XnwvyTUyLp76xc4LJfmo9NXhJzgpCJnZibJ3Y9lNfaG7VD-bmBh1vGGnGhIfjw/s4000/57%20-%20working%20on%20the%20chute.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrfHnaRR9mCjvHjs5JZhJMzrUG7A4DbKECCiK_MmLX9ndZF513ma-1rNlOvM4h5ArTiYcjS1OocKAlwbV3r3La1GUcMlwS7xYDgKUBsYdxipH23fXhfuvdgC9B7M9XnwvyTUyLp76xc4LJfmo9NXhJzgpCJnZibJ3Y9lNfaG7VD-bmBh1vGGnGhIfjw/w400-h300/57%20-%20working%20on%20the%20chute.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">working on the new loading chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I had an early lunch and then went to town at noon to do a couple errands and go to the water meeting (annual meeting for our irrigation district). Even though Tony (the watermaster we hired for last year) didn’t keep records of any water measurements (of actual use for all the users) like he was hired to do, and never has turned in his watermaster report that was due before the end of the year, he had prepared a big presentation showing his hours and mileage, and how he’s going to use an average of use for the past 9 years to create the “charges” for water use, and budget for next year. He’s a fast talker and appointed himself as watermaster again, and promised to do it correctly this year. We voted to have him send an e-mail report to all the users at least once a week this year, to show the amounts and any changes he makes in the ditch diversions. I think he was expecting to be paid for last year after his big presentation, but he can’t be paid until he turns in an official watermaster report.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After the meeting, Lynn and I drove out by the airport to visit Cope and Terrie, and take them the uncondensed version of the tribute I wrote about him. Even though the condensed version hadn’t come out yet in the paper, the editor had already posted it on the Farm & Ranch website, and it immediately went viral. Many people in our valley saw it and sent it to their friends, and some sent it to Cope. He and Terrie were amazed at how many people contacted them about it, from all across the country, and even one guy from Europe. Cope has made many friends in the past 44 years, not just locally, but also nationally because he spent a lot of time behind the scenes on many national advisory boards trying to help shape policies affecting the West and public land use. He has spent time on issues as diverse as wolves, weeds, sage grouse, wild horses, WOTUS, roadless areas in the Forest Service lands, and many others issues that affect ranchers and rural communities in the West.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a great visit with Cope and Terrie, though he was getting tired and we had to let him rest—and went home to do our chores. When I got home I had an e-mail from my editor and Farm & Ranch, attaching a list of the most read stories on the Post Register website as of 4:30 p.m. that day. His e-mail said, “I've never seen a story on Farm & Ranch make that list, let alone top the list. But there's Dr. Cope at No. 1. Super cool!” I responded to him and replied: “I didn’t really write anything super cool... I just had a super cool guy to write about!”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was warm again, and the fence crew finished up a couple projects, including rebuilding the falling-down short piece of fence at the top of our driveway, with new gate posts so the little gate there will actually swing again and be easy to open.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvV2q7t-FpIpQyTQqAQ1Z34TYaADTryDaBV27_nCqFYNpM-t9nd51mog9Syf3boKLwQgrhfw2tkbLj7nXF561t2hElFlcKjPgjWRfIHtzTO2Hf-7e0dQN8swEw_p6iCuK2QejGbkf2dlw7u2IXSKOZzK8fTdjgf8Sx_bDmyu_BnqSQXA-2MlJj1yJgg/s4000/58%20-%20new%20fence%20at%20top%20of%20driveway.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvV2q7t-FpIpQyTQqAQ1Z34TYaADTryDaBV27_nCqFYNpM-t9nd51mog9Syf3boKLwQgrhfw2tkbLj7nXF561t2hElFlcKjPgjWRfIHtzTO2Hf-7e0dQN8swEw_p6iCuK2QejGbkf2dlw7u2IXSKOZzK8fTdjgf8Sx_bDmyu_BnqSQXA-2MlJj1yJgg/w400-h300/58%20-%20new%20fence%20at%20top%20of%20driveway.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new fence at top of driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgRC792KBdsQJTmYmon6aLHqP2M5xKNAPC1-dVoadYwSLC2-5hYdav8TByrfe4tHQNR49o6l6sxRdXCP-BaLYlr7dcsBJalyS8airnW7VfMLGZsCwBSWPgbBsI80OwjIfHb0yQDbTVePpLbS9QpOSKvPFqmo35fKg5OfYsN5bUiaDqOnVpM48LzlcCg/s4000/59%20-%20new%20fence%20and%20gate%20posts.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjgRC792KBdsQJTmYmon6aLHqP2M5xKNAPC1-dVoadYwSLC2-5hYdav8TByrfe4tHQNR49o6l6sxRdXCP-BaLYlr7dcsBJalyS8airnW7VfMLGZsCwBSWPgbBsI80OwjIfHb0yQDbTVePpLbS9QpOSKvPFqmo35fKg5OfYsN5bUiaDqOnVpM48LzlcCg/w400-h300/59%20-%20new%20fence%20and%20gate%20posts.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new fence and gate posts</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitY-n_QzdiTduyeHyeiT9kC8U3UZE2aA2wgYEotuBdxSmT4boVP83k37ejL7fxyfMwZdYa9wyZ1jANLLv3N7grY6B4TGXJ4kkNtyIrOQOwlzBgc3QZFEXInewcEbc1l2VZHdxFusmR_LWdF8zxFj5xRKrFf2rHDy2UiaImpOwXferdccxYBxuS77yqxg/s4000/60%20-%20new%20fence%20&%20a%20gate%20that%20actually%20swings%20again.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitY-n_QzdiTduyeHyeiT9kC8U3UZE2aA2wgYEotuBdxSmT4boVP83k37ejL7fxyfMwZdYa9wyZ1jANLLv3N7grY6B4TGXJ4kkNtyIrOQOwlzBgc3QZFEXInewcEbc1l2VZHdxFusmR_LWdF8zxFj5xRKrFf2rHDy2UiaImpOwXferdccxYBxuS77yqxg/w400-h300/60%20-%20new%20fence%20&%20a%20gate%20that%20actually%20swings%20again.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new fence & a gate that actually swings again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">With the ground thawing, it’s too muddy to keep driving up past my hay shed to the field above it, without making deep ruts, so Andrea and I took the feed truck up the road and fed the young cows on heifer hill—above the field where we’ve been feeding all winter. Those young cows were confused at first, but after we fed them and walked down toward the gate to call them, they figured it out and came running, and found the gate. Andrea called them and led them up and across the ditch culvert to the field, where they ran and bucked and galloped down to the hay we’d fed them.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_z4m9mM11QpkU22UeUg3wdKGg3_fFRn5lT4hDV9NABYnGdkCi1Xd3kCYs4k8ydMsjrwbAo_wY3PiHWvghEQZKJjox7oWEhhgB5YBEXGxD4pu7v-upVUUoE_7CQwCvj8VBlYq8pebdhzPiU5Rl7uzfR426As0pRtoXt3NdLN6fpYunFYkQpjLHgYFQhw/s4000/61%20-%20young%20cows%20came%20running%20&%20found%20the%20gate.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_z4m9mM11QpkU22UeUg3wdKGg3_fFRn5lT4hDV9NABYnGdkCi1Xd3kCYs4k8ydMsjrwbAo_wY3PiHWvghEQZKJjox7oWEhhgB5YBEXGxD4pu7v-upVUUoE_7CQwCvj8VBlYq8pebdhzPiU5Rl7uzfR426As0pRtoXt3NdLN6fpYunFYkQpjLHgYFQhw/w400-h300/61%20-%20young%20cows%20came%20running%20&%20found%20the%20gate.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">young cows came running & found the gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHp86Er7OH9CtuVcmFFS1SynNQOSlbfj5QdW1TM35MyM1fMY3FOweyyM3MZQ5Wud5vfW8WXXKpl7eOPKiuyk8uOFxnvA13Z0O_tERyMMz077JU9xQhBPripfgtJd6l54eGKxZP0eXO-0ifC_7vKGi8jtM5e-ivNYRbQHbbIa5897rQBkzlBURnyHGTw/s4000/62%20-%20Andrea%20leading%20them.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWHp86Er7OH9CtuVcmFFS1SynNQOSlbfj5QdW1TM35MyM1fMY3FOweyyM3MZQ5Wud5vfW8WXXKpl7eOPKiuyk8uOFxnvA13Z0O_tERyMMz077JU9xQhBPripfgtJd6l54eGKxZP0eXO-0ifC_7vKGi8jtM5e-ivNYRbQHbbIa5897rQBkzlBURnyHGTw/w400-h300/62%20-%20Andrea%20leading%20them.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea leading them</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7zRl-L44fevgQFVBa9eVWp2jRPbKJ9IoiRMuKrOIzYjU7rE3Srq4Vy5fxYzc-LGzKgh5pI_eE0QU_hAyj9Mboe_fDwDifSnDt53POzBgsvNM7GV_XdK5AN-fktlqlN8HAVEps-65kjRIFY8eHWgBp-rlMrxXXMTEBj5EMErmGh8FcaY2oQDKA5VISA/s4000/63%20-%20galloping%20down%20to%20the%20hay.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7zRl-L44fevgQFVBa9eVWp2jRPbKJ9IoiRMuKrOIzYjU7rE3Srq4Vy5fxYzc-LGzKgh5pI_eE0QU_hAyj9Mboe_fDwDifSnDt53POzBgsvNM7GV_XdK5AN-fktlqlN8HAVEps-65kjRIFY8eHWgBp-rlMrxXXMTEBj5EMErmGh8FcaY2oQDKA5VISA/w400-h300/63%20-%20galloping%20down%20to%20the%20hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">galloping down to the hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we crossed the bridge and drove to the next field to feed the older cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn was asked to locate another site for a well, so as soon as we got done feeding, he and Andrea drove up the Lemhi to do that. Emily dropped Christopher off here on her way to work and I took care of him until Andrea and Lynn got home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The place he had to locate water was a bit challenging, on a muddy hillside, and it was a little difficult to get around, but he managed. After they got home, Andrea took Christopher with her to put another dam in one of the ditches that she dammed off earlier, since a little water was leaking past it. Christopher was very good; she told him to sit on a big rock next to the ditch and not go anywhere until she was finished putting the dam in place. He’s finally old enough to follow instructions (most of the time!) and not get into predicaments, so he may be able to go with her this summer when she is irrigating.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday was windy and cold. Andrea and I took more little bales to the lane by the bulls, since it will be a few more days that they’ll need to stay in the main corral. We won’t be able to move them back to the bull pen until the fence crew can get the gate posts set and gates rehung in the side pens and round corral.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We fed the young cows on heifer hill again. That field desperately needs more fertilizer and it’s too bad the snow was too deep the last two winters to feed cows there, since that’s the best way to add fertility to the soil, with the cow manure and hay litter. But now that the snow is suddenly gone, we can feed here for a few days.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM4lfYbOQmFw_WOsPUUt0FXYeuOAM9qlK62mgJsoaKosaeXFpFb0MtzIKyIBm-sLbItouGqyZHq2PmfqkNVq5jpoDShYDCq8KowVX5AUSXrOK1QIIFZnD6JY1aeKQW72cFoDj_mBj1nmjhCrb_fYxTqQ1STzjhEfDTM82J9-tpYiKsRKta_moE6GWcQ/s4000/64%20-%20feeding%20the%20young%20cows.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitM4lfYbOQmFw_WOsPUUt0FXYeuOAM9qlK62mgJsoaKosaeXFpFb0MtzIKyIBm-sLbItouGqyZHq2PmfqkNVq5jpoDShYDCq8KowVX5AUSXrOK1QIIFZnD6JY1aeKQW72cFoDj_mBj1nmjhCrb_fYxTqQ1STzjhEfDTM82J9-tpYiKsRKta_moE6GWcQ/w400-h300/64%20-%20feeding%20the%20young%20cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAtP15ZXtcj1izJPYnOD3N5QoSqFSymv7p_3C0PsjM5an1TYIoSL8KIVBlcteZ_mjpcPqTVIOy7j-Y1eJwCp2Tleu4UWRpPodeDx7bk2HpoEfmizMon2Ttmxr0AAWadj9eHyIvOJ0LNxT7gFOvceWFjNQS7IcN-6LsbsTbUgmcPxElWfOnIqOZcWdBA/s4000/65%20-%20feeding%20young%20cows%20on%20heifer%20hill.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAtP15ZXtcj1izJPYnOD3N5QoSqFSymv7p_3C0PsjM5an1TYIoSL8KIVBlcteZ_mjpcPqTVIOy7j-Y1eJwCp2Tleu4UWRpPodeDx7bk2HpoEfmizMon2Ttmxr0AAWadj9eHyIvOJ0LNxT7gFOvceWFjNQS7IcN-6LsbsTbUgmcPxElWfOnIqOZcWdBA/w400-h300/65%20-%20feeding%20young%20cows%20on%20heifer%20hill.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding young cows on heifer hill</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">At chore time that evening I took photos of the new loading chute the fence crew finished a few days earlier.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYOKlD-ueQwhH0xlWGEUPNzFBm4OaFp-4OLWWuD-DIPlTUj2yASo48irOoAmqpYGdmrOa8ieVtGp6XHzUg0CKk-eK23N4WEjymdlknhTxGeRCgxgiOAkOJ-Jt9CEG8ZZP0Mvv_oXjPL8kYa-TvSNYR9oB8dNgSt1wHjhB3hbBNOOWD2aH02PUoEvNtg/s4000/66%20-%20new%20loading%20chute.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYOKlD-ueQwhH0xlWGEUPNzFBm4OaFp-4OLWWuD-DIPlTUj2yASo48irOoAmqpYGdmrOa8ieVtGp6XHzUg0CKk-eK23N4WEjymdlknhTxGeRCgxgiOAkOJ-Jt9CEG8ZZP0Mvv_oXjPL8kYa-TvSNYR9oB8dNgSt1wHjhB3hbBNOOWD2aH02PUoEvNtg/w400-h300/66%20-%20new%20loading%20chute.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81RPQudFJQ7-anO13wTqYUwFDMi_60TNzge8SLjKxbosoVHCof-HYnZUc39xkRmlYAMU1qSeTFL0eeq46RV9CbQ3r2ArVG-LKNRlg0fHHhRDWfpjQqruTchw_zRf7bhX6fZ4avRKm8menozsL8Z05dze2eqxFalLBhXs5A1UnZCIrJgHyVpXEFUb1DA/s4000/67%20-%20loading%20chute.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj81RPQudFJQ7-anO13wTqYUwFDMi_60TNzge8SLjKxbosoVHCof-HYnZUc39xkRmlYAMU1qSeTFL0eeq46RV9CbQ3r2ArVG-LKNRlg0fHHhRDWfpjQqruTchw_zRf7bhX6fZ4avRKm8menozsL8Z05dze2eqxFalLBhXs5A1UnZCIrJgHyVpXEFUb1DA/w400-h300/67%20-%20loading%20chute.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new loading chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea spent Friday and Saturday (after feeding cows) helping her friend Anita clean and redecorate an apartment complex that Anita and her husband are fixing up so the rooms can be rented. Christopher spent some time there also, during the hours Em was busy and couldn’t take care of him, and he was really good, playing in the vacant rooms and hallway, without getting into trouble.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday night was colder, and it started snowing at chore time. By the next morning we had over an inch of snow and it took all day to melt. I plugged in the tractor at 5 a.m. when I got up, then typed articles till chore time—and fed the little heifers a small bale. After breakfast Andrea helped me feed the heifers another little bale, move their empty feeder, and uncover a big bale in their stack. After she helped me feed the cows she went to town to help Anita again, to finish up the cleaning on the apartment. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I took a big bale to the heifer feeder that afternoon, then cleaned house a little bit (cleared the piles of magazines off the table and swept the floor—we’ve tracked a lot of mud into the house lately). It was our 56th wedding anniversary and we invited Nick to come have supper with us. We cooked chicken and potatoes and gravy, and it was all ready to eat when I got done with evening chores. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then as we started to eat, Emily stopped by with a lovely meat loaf (her special “famous” recipe) and some banana bread she made that afternoon—so we had lots of good food. She made 3 meat loafs—one for us, one for her own crew (Andrea and Jim and Christopher) and one to take to town for Cope and Terrie. They love her meat loaf!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was cold and windy. When we fed the cows we fed all the hay on heifer hill. Then we moved the older cow group across the bridge and into heifer hill, to have both groups of cows all together. We’ll soon be moving them down to the “maternity” pasture for calving. Also it will be good to have the cows gone from the field by Andrea’s house when the fencing crew is working up there to rebuild the fence at the top of the swamp pasture—where those cows go down to the creek to drink. I took photos as we moved the cows from the field by Andrea’s house and across the bridge to heifer hill. They were reluctant at first to go through the open hot wire gate, since they don’t want to take a chance on being shocked, but after they realized it was open they came through it and followed the feed truck across the bridge to heifer hill—except some of the cows are too leery of the bridge and insisted on crossing the creek just above the bridge instead of walking across it.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwvugn8vHBnlNDa7jOVYF07z1K288ASdXqkGSt-YbVgRFkYHdkyD8zZP7BLmiww42bVuhlMoKJGvj7Ik2v1OTbjnOV7iSpVyQ1Jdwd9_50jN4YWWRjiGnmgv_-lO2c0-GB0hBKtXYnjB04NCoU_G2wqZ6mrhSQlDhTzVB-Mw5T_8-6Yr49xl7krqnFg/s4000/68%20-%20cows%20coming%20to%20the%20hot-wire%20gate%20to%20follow%20the%20feed%20truck.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwvugn8vHBnlNDa7jOVYF07z1K288ASdXqkGSt-YbVgRFkYHdkyD8zZP7BLmiww42bVuhlMoKJGvj7Ik2v1OTbjnOV7iSpVyQ1Jdwd9_50jN4YWWRjiGnmgv_-lO2c0-GB0hBKtXYnjB04NCoU_G2wqZ6mrhSQlDhTzVB-Mw5T_8-6Yr49xl7krqnFg/w400-h300/68%20-%20cows%20coming%20to%20the%20hot-wire%20gate%20to%20follow%20the%20feed%20truck.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows coming to the hot-wire gate to follow the feed truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVS7ImQiaZ81jmuDWbn9y_nSmQEK8_2w0fzZs23vuHZ_knwdiDaa5X_vfePaVFnZnitkc1tktSdob0PFXvT40dIoLH3ahp3Is8hCVHuHr7j1OaFHPLUkJsR0IevGf7NkmFj4CO0fFhBf5OPmdH-Fm1KH_qVe06tukdfmqkSIkMvcovPbhcslGJN3_S-g/s4000/69%20-%20going%20through%20the%20gate.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVS7ImQiaZ81jmuDWbn9y_nSmQEK8_2w0fzZs23vuHZ_knwdiDaa5X_vfePaVFnZnitkc1tktSdob0PFXvT40dIoLH3ahp3Is8hCVHuHr7j1OaFHPLUkJsR0IevGf7NkmFj4CO0fFhBf5OPmdH-Fm1KH_qVe06tukdfmqkSIkMvcovPbhcslGJN3_S-g/w400-h300/69%20-%20going%20through%20the%20gate.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">going through the gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XVanQFzyJlTdOzXn5zU2LDtg8tXpSFg6gfYid4kyl0Ux_M9W19NgvcYiWdwxSP9Hp1TxKWmClbDchRqWYzpEBhO3hd5yIsYDRDNqrljUJdIBdczMbh0YzB2LHFd4jbfttdXgEmQ7mDP4prb7xnmK9hI_ggbwzFNuDhzCpsaKGCfYofvf0l15pLzLsg/s4000/70%20-%20crossing%20the%20bridge%20&%20the%20creek.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XVanQFzyJlTdOzXn5zU2LDtg8tXpSFg6gfYid4kyl0Ux_M9W19NgvcYiWdwxSP9Hp1TxKWmClbDchRqWYzpEBhO3hd5yIsYDRDNqrljUJdIBdczMbh0YzB2LHFd4jbfttdXgEmQ7mDP4prb7xnmK9hI_ggbwzFNuDhzCpsaKGCfYofvf0l15pLzLsg/w400-h300/70%20-%20crossing%20the%20bridge%20&%20the%20creek.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">crossing the bridge and the creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today it was a little warmer, up to 32 degrees in the afternoon, but snowing a little. Andrea and I fed the cows early so she could go to town to a couple doctor appointments. The fence crew also arrived early and Michael hauled posts and poles up through the field by Andrea’s house. The guys started working on the new jack fence and got it completely finished by this afternoon. They also burned the pile of brush that was in their way. Lynn went to town to locate a well site for some folks who bought a piece of property above town, and then we loaded a big bale on the feed truck when he got home. It was snowing more by chore time this evening.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 16</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Tuesday it snowed hard all morning. Andrea and I fed the cows very early, then she and Lynn went to a property north of town so Lynn could locate water for the new owners. It snowed quite a bit but was letting up by the time they got there, and finding the water wasn’t too miserable.<div><br /></div><div>The storm moved this way, however, and it snowed here all morning. The fence crew worked all day in spite of the nasty weather. They got cold and wet, but kept going. They finished up part of the round corral, setting a couple of the stout “extended railroad ties” 5 feet in the ground to hold the gates. There’s water about 2 to 3 feet under the surface and the posts have to be deep enough to get below those water courses and not be affected by frost heaves. The old gate posts didn’t stay in place very well and the gates didn’t stay level and were dragging and hard to open and close. These posts will hold the gates a lot better. They couldn’t finish setting all those posts, however; they are waiting on a load of rocks to put around those posts to hold them in place better than dirt would.</div><div><br /></div><div>The guys also drove 3 very tall posts next to our yard-light pole in the orchard (driving them 5 feet into the ground) and bolted the old pole to the new posts. The posts were so tall that the post pounder had to start them at an angle and then move them closer to the post (and tight against it) as it finished driving them. Then the guys bolted those posts to the old light pole. I took pictures from our house window.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitG0f0NZ6rd0tKLxXezMaSTiw_H9n2cqNm2NZF_oFqiR86803WcS8TbHVbzFIs3WO6brMDp5ttMk8j_uhLIPcRWND5eDAT3ziZl6VgniLFx1Gz2E93WbOYvxiItv30ti7A53byy9bOjnkNSB0fuohHrJy71O5fVvHM74AGeKfAslyj29DdRgby-JN4Aw/s4000/71%20-%20preparing%20to%20pound%20post.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitG0f0NZ6rd0tKLxXezMaSTiw_H9n2cqNm2NZF_oFqiR86803WcS8TbHVbzFIs3WO6brMDp5ttMk8j_uhLIPcRWND5eDAT3ziZl6VgniLFx1Gz2E93WbOYvxiItv30ti7A53byy9bOjnkNSB0fuohHrJy71O5fVvHM74AGeKfAslyj29DdRgby-JN4Aw/w400-h300/71%20-%20preparing%20to%20pound%20post.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">preparing to pound post</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3bZs6XGPvQ06sn-HNv9In9L4TuESM36l-Qqzck4E_Bjk5OX1W5II3wQ92pnjeEqyzTfe0E66-GuW2Z2_sTge-cobyiclgkm9LCuF37esbgs-bpPs0_Y78iVkfsLShEzYerjQSkfA6Km97V3IYzQLTy4JQPh7SYVTOwHLf55hduTJrvNuyVwkxFJILQ/s4000/72%20-%20pounding%20the%20post.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf3bZs6XGPvQ06sn-HNv9In9L4TuESM36l-Qqzck4E_Bjk5OX1W5II3wQ92pnjeEqyzTfe0E66-GuW2Z2_sTge-cobyiclgkm9LCuF37esbgs-bpPs0_Y78iVkfsLShEzYerjQSkfA6Km97V3IYzQLTy4JQPh7SYVTOwHLf55hduTJrvNuyVwkxFJILQ/w300-h400/72%20-%20pounding%20the%20post.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDjvO5Smtz-71IXNB6lKBQfE_HSLlcdmtd6l863_APm24t8nBxRQV5g1MFoWIwR2-i40Z9pfvFcRX4m44qtxm22eNly_DrXgnZBzVFgD8-ryhYdDtdMnO9l1Gb69Gi2j8fzU1XubrrXXrabMEre8oslToPevP0Fr1T8vIqJxrfmMSzEY5O82p4Uw40w/s4000/73%20-%20pounding%20a%20post%20next%20to%20the%20light%20pole.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnDjvO5Smtz-71IXNB6lKBQfE_HSLlcdmtd6l863_APm24t8nBxRQV5g1MFoWIwR2-i40Z9pfvFcRX4m44qtxm22eNly_DrXgnZBzVFgD8-ryhYdDtdMnO9l1Gb69Gi2j8fzU1XubrrXXrabMEre8oslToPevP0Fr1T8vIqJxrfmMSzEY5O82p4Uw40w/w300-h400/73%20-%20pounding%20a%20post%20next%20to%20the%20light%20pole.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pounding a post next to the light pole</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugKC1UnPLacnZdQxw2ZZ3FWovwV1vJsb0na97xVYg7QjPbujBKlYnxZQkkcHrovuunifSwZC0MLXsHrTS-UGQmMVsP24vvLHgsoEdiCqvU38itMIr6UJGbqpC9hSaqxkoED4ZagdrvvBAFl7nVXw0e7NrQ6-i8LKbMOfGbD1lMj3yRNZZY-ZsGajKXw/s4000/74%20-%20pounding%20post.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjugKC1UnPLacnZdQxw2ZZ3FWovwV1vJsb0na97xVYg7QjPbujBKlYnxZQkkcHrovuunifSwZC0MLXsHrTS-UGQmMVsP24vvLHgsoEdiCqvU38itMIr6UJGbqpC9hSaqxkoED4ZagdrvvBAFl7nVXw0e7NrQ6-i8LKbMOfGbD1lMj3yRNZZY-ZsGajKXw/w300-h400/74%20-%20pounding%20post.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTymz3UcUdC74IbpI3c2UfT9_7cI8V2abAeVDZ6eblBOBHa4gl1j-01xJ7yLhkBrimYztsS5V-Op4p0VWFqXzspSJkl7iCU9S_Sy6gPV9D2tnvkmAk1V09dGEKcaq1ICqOxcnpQL4Yu2Iwaau0pukKnarkheBdVmDkvw0bd7BRM4d-WDo4_KImqwu16g/s4000/75%20-%20preparing%20to%20pound%20another%20post%20next%20to%20light%20pole.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTymz3UcUdC74IbpI3c2UfT9_7cI8V2abAeVDZ6eblBOBHa4gl1j-01xJ7yLhkBrimYztsS5V-Op4p0VWFqXzspSJkl7iCU9S_Sy6gPV9D2tnvkmAk1V09dGEKcaq1ICqOxcnpQL4Yu2Iwaau0pukKnarkheBdVmDkvw0bd7BRM4d-WDo4_KImqwu16g/w400-h300/75%20-%20preparing%20to%20pound%20another%20post%20next%20to%20light%20pole.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">preparing to pound another post next to light pole</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oXWQ8Xl5DJzzCEEF7BG1KzIn3Y72c3TP3HCVoKvLl5C1nRun_0C7dzniS1wshBnuzmLy5ZvUvP848mzDqk2WmBX1UWsiHoZColFJb1k1BuyI9SCdYbuLWQpugeaiblRBKmIZieb-FRf_obeCVE-v97lhsGUXeD1lna_Dxn2_zWbOOF4SU4Yfgd1pBQ/s4000/76%20-%20pounding%20the%20post.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4oXWQ8Xl5DJzzCEEF7BG1KzIn3Y72c3TP3HCVoKvLl5C1nRun_0C7dzniS1wshBnuzmLy5ZvUvP848mzDqk2WmBX1UWsiHoZColFJb1k1BuyI9SCdYbuLWQpugeaiblRBKmIZieb-FRf_obeCVE-v97lhsGUXeD1lna_Dxn2_zWbOOF4SU4Yfgd1pBQ/w300-h400/76%20-%20pounding%20the%20post.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pounding the post</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The light pole is very old and was starting to rot off; it was part of the original power line that was put up our creek in 1950. We salvaged this pole when the power company had to move the power line by our driveway in 1970, and replaced that pole. We put it at the top of the orchard/maternity pen as a yard-light; Lynn dug the hole for it with a little tractor-mounted backhoe that we had at that time. So the old pole is 72 years old—almost as old as we are! No wonder it was getting tired and wobbly! With the new strong posts around it, however, it should last many more years.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was bitterly cold—12 degrees that morning and a nasty wind—so the crew took a day off. I fed the horses early but didn’t water them until after breakfast because it would have frozen in their tubs before they drank. When I went out later to water them, I discovered that I didn’t drain the hose completely, the day before, and there was a bit of ice in it. I had to bring it into the house to thaw out. By the time we fed the cows and broke ice on the water holes in the creek, the hose had thawed and I took it back outside to water the horses.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The fence crew wasn’t here that day, but Michael came to fix a hydraulic hose on the mini-excavator, to have it ready again for the next day. While he was here he helped Lynn put more hydraulic fluid in our tractor.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent a photo of their family, taken at the christening of little Ian Thomas Eppich.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxbVWlmb65Qfvj9P1ddbHrus1dIAgYyVAubb_J2Dq7Hg1QAU-UjjodctE3Br_enUjUnbeaK4_nb-pIkqyoWChutujMZEO6KrI9RD39A-4o3twWOeDTGjQ-b6RpJKGpzBgHBSIuRGYYmU69p_OfPxwfI5H7YMoB7VfIO0B6HvJQAEGzAuLjS7nOd_qbg/s4032/77%20-the%20Eppich%20family%20&%20priest%20-%20christening%20baby%20Ian.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkxbVWlmb65Qfvj9P1ddbHrus1dIAgYyVAubb_J2Dq7Hg1QAU-UjjodctE3Br_enUjUnbeaK4_nb-pIkqyoWChutujMZEO6KrI9RD39A-4o3twWOeDTGjQ-b6RpJKGpzBgHBSIuRGYYmU69p_OfPxwfI5H7YMoB7VfIO0B6HvJQAEGzAuLjS7nOd_qbg/w300-h400/77%20-the%20Eppich%20family%20&%20priest%20-%20christening%20baby%20Ian.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the Eppich family & priest - christening baby Ian</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning was 2 below zero, but no wind, and it got up to 24 degrees. The guys were able to work on the fence again. We had to load the feed truck but we kept the tractor plugged in for more than 24 hours, with a tarp over the engine to help keep it warm, and we were able to start it by late morning and use it to load hay and take a new bale to the young heifers.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The load of rocks we ordered several days earlier finally came, so the guys were able to finish digging and seating the gate posts in the round corral, filling in with rocks around them so they won’t shift around with the frost heaves. We ordered 4 more loads of rock, to put along ditches in the field by Andrea’s house, to fill in some eroded places, but those loads didn’t come till the next day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday was warmer and the guys were able to finish the corral. It looks really good and the gates swing nicely again! I took photos of the finished round corral and rehung gates. The swinging, hinged ends are hooked to the well-buried railroad ties (with extensions) and the gates, when closed are tied to very long, deep posts.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Vbm8sc448m9r7bYVeYd-xcS8zH3kYpYj4JlYTmOhuR8ZfnvdX0lBPPbm0ff5_kP3eF9SA--AvSHEZdJQ5eZbAVh59y6ICtLK06GzA2dtTac863Z9aWo7xsxnH8dW-07IDzg4gd7fPiMGHUVhP8ray6jpoJ3EapiLivTyiwdljvC8UHP3UjwNRjFnRA/s4000/78%20-%20new%20gate%20posts.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Vbm8sc448m9r7bYVeYd-xcS8zH3kYpYj4JlYTmOhuR8ZfnvdX0lBPPbm0ff5_kP3eF9SA--AvSHEZdJQ5eZbAVh59y6ICtLK06GzA2dtTac863Z9aWo7xsxnH8dW-07IDzg4gd7fPiMGHUVhP8ray6jpoJ3EapiLivTyiwdljvC8UHP3UjwNRjFnRA/w400-h300/78%20-%20new%20gate%20posts.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRe2_h6iH8dLxZTJwDlxjbaa5ieCRwemYIxkuSGHwiKSgy6yvpgR7RdG2i9TINMePzmueLoAldlBsJwo4ZKsMlpQk8djXz9Vrw8avLuVkpis0y7h7waezSx4TrOXoJGuyalDckj40Sd0h6mEOBIJQWdGF7hpXON7CUG-X-jBzKnULXbavrfTiRu3H3Q/s4000/79%20-top%20end%20of%20round%20corral%20and%20new%20post.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRe2_h6iH8dLxZTJwDlxjbaa5ieCRwemYIxkuSGHwiKSgy6yvpgR7RdG2i9TINMePzmueLoAldlBsJwo4ZKsMlpQk8djXz9Vrw8avLuVkpis0y7h7waezSx4TrOXoJGuyalDckj40Sd0h6mEOBIJQWdGF7hpXON7CUG-X-jBzKnULXbavrfTiRu3H3Q/w400-h300/79%20-top%20end%20of%20round%20corral%20and%20new%20post.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new gate posts - top end of round corral and new post</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They gathered up a lot of the debris to burn, and stacked some of the re-usable poles and boards down in the post pile pasture. This fencing project is almost finished. The rocks we need for the ditch repair didn’t come until afternoon however, and the ground was starting to thaw by then—so the truck made some ruts in the field. The last load came after dark. But it’s good to have those loads here before the frost goes out of the ground; some of that field is boggy and the truck would get stuck if we tried to haul rocks after it all thaws out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday I did chores really early so Andrea and I could feed cows early, before she had to go to town. We fed the hay in the orchard and horse pasture and then drove up through the fields to heifer hill and led the cows down with the feed truck. Some of them are starting to develop udders and it was time to bring them down where we can start watching them. The first ones are due to calve the end of March, but if one or two of them calve a bit early, we don’t want them calving up in the field where the coyotes or cougar might try to get a newborn calf. Some of the cows were a little goofy and ran around a bit as we led them down through the field, but they willingly came into the horse pasture because we’d already put hay in there for them. I took photos as the cows came down into the horse pasture and orchard.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUh9fmlqvvL2h-G2LtwYeCoL4jORcIRa8T6zdXb5y_DbOc6fNSjfR55bJaJpfwG8on95W6rBKv-aXtsGJxNc8QiMOQRH5aWHI5X3VOA1i5Jhl_iMa4grOgUUb61f0gLTgNAeXYgQPLvTgBkmuVA-EJVAqRMKP_kyYjzeLWldEVee1P6PngqztofvSthg/s4000/80%20-%20cows%20in%20orchard%20&%20horse%20pasture.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUh9fmlqvvL2h-G2LtwYeCoL4jORcIRa8T6zdXb5y_DbOc6fNSjfR55bJaJpfwG8on95W6rBKv-aXtsGJxNc8QiMOQRH5aWHI5X3VOA1i5Jhl_iMa4grOgUUb61f0gLTgNAeXYgQPLvTgBkmuVA-EJVAqRMKP_kyYjzeLWldEVee1P6PngqztofvSthg/w400-h300/80%20-%20cows%20in%20orchard%20&%20horse%20pasture.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4ElZ7IyoZpvbqC4FsiBEig6_8a4EJCaivJ4LU2IepxVyOMnPawN_1QAVBFGnv0F-1XSqyC0_phZkaF-87otsqriIY9PpdDa0VwY0JWkz3d2HcF-KpNDLjGdgq9V7Xv7FukwzUn7GB19nqS6nhYHyAp57zNYPvzC5PJwFwo1fmDK2VRe9Y6j1WBS_Uw/s4000/81%20-cows%20finding%20the%20hay%20in%20the%20orchard.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4ElZ7IyoZpvbqC4FsiBEig6_8a4EJCaivJ4LU2IepxVyOMnPawN_1QAVBFGnv0F-1XSqyC0_phZkaF-87otsqriIY9PpdDa0VwY0JWkz3d2HcF-KpNDLjGdgq9V7Xv7FukwzUn7GB19nqS6nhYHyAp57zNYPvzC5PJwFwo1fmDK2VRe9Y6j1WBS_Uw/w400-h300/81%20-cows%20finding%20the%20hay%20in%20the%20orchard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows finding hay in orchard & horse pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon I got a couple barn stalls ready to start training the heifers. Dani and her friends got all the old soiled bedding cleaned out last spring after we finished calving, and the stalls had a chance to dry out completely over the summer and fall. I put bedding hay around the edges of two stalls, so we can put some good hay along those edges (and it won’t be right down on the dirt). We can entice the young expectant mamas in there a few times to eat some good hay. Then they will willingly go into the barn if we need to put them in there when they calve—if the weather is stormy and wet or cold. At chore time I let the 7 young cows into the calving pen to eat a little good hay, so they will be eager to come in whenever they do start to calve.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I let them in again on Sunday morning (before we fed the herd) and this time the ones that were a little reluctant the day before knew what it was all about and came to the gate when I called them. After Andrea and I fed the cows, she brought more little bales around on the truck, to offload onto our stack by the calving pen. It’s always handy to have some extra hay there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Even though it snowed off and on all afternoon, Nick and Michael spent part of the day finishing up some loose end on the fence projects, cleaning up more stuff out of the barnyard. Nick used the skid steer to carry a bunch of old junk down to the disposal pit. Michael used the mini-excavator he rented, and placed the 4 loads of rocks in the ditches where needed (above and below the field by Andrea’s house). He filled in the deep chasms that eroded over the past several years—so no cow will get stuck in the ditch, and so it will be easier for Andrea to set dams to get water out of the ditch to put across the field. Then they loaded up the skid steer to haul to their next fencing project up toward Leadore.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday morning Jim and Andrea left early to drive to Idaho Falls for Jim’s scoping procedure. He had to check in that morning and start drinking the “gorp” to get cleaned out for the upper and lower GI tract scoping.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I fed the cows, and then Lynn went to town to do all the town errands. I dumped and scrubbed out the heifer’s water tank and unplugged it and refilled it. The weather is a bit warmer now and ice probably won’t be such a big problem. We won’t need the tank heater plugged in anymore. Michael, Nick and one of their fence crew finished up the last of the fencing project and then headed off to their next job.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily dropped off Christopher on her way to work early that afternoon and we took care of him until suppertime when Emily’s friend AJ came to pick him up. I took photos of Christopher and his great grandpa Lynn watching one of Christopher’s favorite movies, and Christopher playing with toys and running his tractor over the footstool.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3Xh4xmLMLL6IBLNOES-1ZM95kCiIqofFbJNVXCSG-ZNb0VJIBWIvbpxs5B0dfy5WbR-w18ic04arUcZ-3IBKCQ4wl8PeuD9WC7cLI6wZ5Phz_JTXzuR-RF4TgwPAm-_iqyvW_EgCEFO4FS6jaMqLYcc7MNpHQBIDJopvE5ZnSKmx6f2Q2BJQeYf4yw/s4000/82%20-%20Christoper%20&%20Lynn%20watching%20TV.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3Xh4xmLMLL6IBLNOES-1ZM95kCiIqofFbJNVXCSG-ZNb0VJIBWIvbpxs5B0dfy5WbR-w18ic04arUcZ-3IBKCQ4wl8PeuD9WC7cLI6wZ5Phz_JTXzuR-RF4TgwPAm-_iqyvW_EgCEFO4FS6jaMqLYcc7MNpHQBIDJopvE5ZnSKmx6f2Q2BJQeYf4yw/w400-h300/82%20-%20Christoper%20&%20Lynn%20watching%20TV.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Lynn watching TV</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa0EuKS7wbVCVFJlriGeBOjRpal79wGDG7OC-gHT_82TVw7tLNeBufCb9llGVA3MHCIQUfzKWK446yz9w_ia0ajDWbueAKdph4YpFMb-yFMbwhZ2qZtkzYB4U6gYLK7lq-DydBLT3QiLA8ayv5S2827cCfC6nVTsTaFRAjIiRWHSDkp8hWe9tz8WF7Q/s4000/83%20-%20Christopher%20playing%20with%20his%20toys.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqa0EuKS7wbVCVFJlriGeBOjRpal79wGDG7OC-gHT_82TVw7tLNeBufCb9llGVA3MHCIQUfzKWK446yz9w_ia0ajDWbueAKdph4YpFMb-yFMbwhZ2qZtkzYB4U6gYLK7lq-DydBLT3QiLA8ayv5S2827cCfC6nVTsTaFRAjIiRWHSDkp8hWe9tz8WF7Q/w400-h300/83%20-%20Christopher%20playing%20with%20his%20toys.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing with his toys</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOIkUqsCrJupZdfWOT5E0DkUYSNFyzkXkcBiyvm2fVKjWen7_jyhafbtFNKW1p6VCkKdCCp2EDp1lK0hBsmwNx6PCnSUNfXH3fAvlTiIg7Nbd9xCQcSH4zCykZHPZsUtrj6uH-s0dDsdqNFJFiwh_woRGWrKkOMoum8Ep98gp98QAui-ZYIpMxfrGvw/s4000/83%20-%20Christopher%20running%20a%20tractor%20over%20the%20footstool.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOIkUqsCrJupZdfWOT5E0DkUYSNFyzkXkcBiyvm2fVKjWen7_jyhafbtFNKW1p6VCkKdCCp2EDp1lK0hBsmwNx6PCnSUNfXH3fAvlTiIg7Nbd9xCQcSH4zCykZHPZsUtrj6uH-s0dDsdqNFJFiwh_woRGWrKkOMoum8Ep98gp98QAui-ZYIpMxfrGvw/w400-h300/83%20-%20Christopher%20running%20a%20tractor%20over%20the%20footstool.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">running a tractor over the footstool</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie came out here after work, to feed all the pets at Andrea’s house, and he had supper with us. He stayed the night up there to “house sit” while everyone was gone.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning Jim had his upper and lower GI tract scoping at the hospital in Idaho Falls and it went well. It was done there (rather than in our local hospital) because with his various health problems his platelet counts are too low and if he were to have a serious bleeding episode they would not be able to deal with it in our hospital. But all went well, and he was able to come home that afternoon. Andrea drove him home.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-88294202311087015772022-03-25T16:58:00.000-07:002022-03-25T16:58:04.033-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – January 14 through February 13, 2022<div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JANUARY 24</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather this month has been steadily cold, often getting down toward zero or below at night, and rarely above 25 degrees during the day. We’ve been breaking ice daily on the creek water holes for the cows, and I’ve had to break ice morning and evening for the bulls in their corral; there’s just a tiny nose hole through the ice on their spring channel that I try to keep open for them. Andrea and Jim took a lot of dirt (in a plastic sled) several different days—digging it out of the dirt pile in Shiloh’s pen that isn’t very frozen—and spread it over the icy bank at the cows’ water holes, and finally got it to where it wasn’t at all slippery, and #38 (the timid cow that was reluctant to go down the slippery bank to the creek) is drinking from the creek again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea also took more loose salt and mineral to the young heifers, and took a photo of them after she put the mix into their mineral feeder.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYOfrVGIyqzO0Yk1l2kPoP_iKp8M3pddCQEfiNflXZiRwakNa4GJQjmHXgFp6N3kUbCIaMTgteV9xBLR7yzu0ot0yELDW3FL7wv2cLDW2yp-7nE-hJgHRkp9X-d7keBCNqniMrKfhtZ8fef-wO9pm6EWmVDBDTkT3D7oN9AdKeKh0oEuk1QMaTl0H_dw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYOfrVGIyqzO0Yk1l2kPoP_iKp8M3pddCQEfiNflXZiRwakNa4GJQjmHXgFp6N3kUbCIaMTgteV9xBLR7yzu0ot0yELDW3FL7wv2cLDW2yp-7nE-hJgHRkp9X-d7keBCNqniMrKfhtZ8fef-wO9pm6EWmVDBDTkT3D7oN9AdKeKh0oEuk1QMaTl0H_dw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers checking out their new salt & mineral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn was asked to locate water for a well for some folks who bought property up Carmen Creek, so Andrea drove him up there. She and a couple other people broke trail through the deep snow to make it easier for him to walk around and locate the water, and it worked out ok.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Saturday we had to open up the big haystack some more, to get several days’ worth of bales down, which meant taking the black plastic off another row of bales—and shoveling the foot-deep packed snow off the plastic so we could remove it. We backed the feed truck next to the stack and put the ladder on the flatbed, and Dani went up the ladder to get onto the stack to shovel the snow off. She is afraid of heights but volunteered to do it because she wants to get over her fear of heights. Then we got the plastic off, and Lynn got several more big bales out of the stack, and loaded one on the truck for feeding the next day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea and Dani helped feed, and I took a photo as Andrea was measuring the bale to divide it for the two groups of cows. We split each bale into two days’ feed and then split that day’s feed between the young cows—who get slightly less of it because there are less of them—than the older cows. Andrea does the measuring and then ties off the portion to be left on the truck, so none of it will come off as she feeds the current group.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3FrG_9U3W0Gi0qvqyCSvluKmv-Q3VKjMBD-O7Id-zGCwwfe1_M7lsnQ4u1Cer5HBgyPRzWZsgeXlfeenIzJvMTDS01gJfmEjBOUkgVUeyGr6P2DMGOyMtcyHGDJl75OI9xE6cNSVePANCpZudnITVGYF4YwRxL_GaSquWdpjhCH853vmZKY6ryj4nag=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3FrG_9U3W0Gi0qvqyCSvluKmv-Q3VKjMBD-O7Id-zGCwwfe1_M7lsnQ4u1Cer5HBgyPRzWZsgeXlfeenIzJvMTDS01gJfmEjBOUkgVUeyGr6P2DMGOyMtcyHGDJl75OI9xE6cNSVePANCpZudnITVGYF4YwRxL_GaSquWdpjhCH853vmZKY6ryj4nag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea dividing the bale</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We took some more loose salt and mineral to the young cows. After we finished feeding their portion of the bale, Dani took the bucket of salt/mineral to their tub that’s tied to a small tree near the sheltered area where they sleep.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiElNl1ONE4WYEnHpyFV8qBywqMxh4rEbdXz7ys-PbJrSzthTEOq4Dh695jTjtY8Kd2mrEaB4vtiztEeQpJ2L3eEbBIZHmJu7frK1ip8TvQpGKQxtSHIyMe0movmerz5eJdRxdgTw5lc1tBjba3yop8oaxxnj21cjWsmHX5PTEVwoRGmhhT1d-aQq7Gdg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiElNl1ONE4WYEnHpyFV8qBywqMxh4rEbdXz7ys-PbJrSzthTEOq4Dh695jTjtY8Kd2mrEaB4vtiztEeQpJ2L3eEbBIZHmJu7frK1ip8TvQpGKQxtSHIyMe0movmerz5eJdRxdgTw5lc1tBjba3yop8oaxxnj21cjWsmHX5PTEVwoRGmhhT1d-aQq7Gdg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani taking a bucket of mineral to young cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMWBCnnjcjPQbXe7PLgpO7nqEZYg23QWVmfca1HyvJaERt8kmf7Nk8m1vINOPF1EBm42va3kWAkm-DGHzDEDqW66KfZ-vQugfZ70gkUjqdyiQKsvnqQsP--XkNGLJFnxMkX_-KfraWtFxldkRGJaWFBmYVoRNQKrXH7b7_2bIYArDlLb4UZgcrefGVwg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMWBCnnjcjPQbXe7PLgpO7nqEZYg23QWVmfca1HyvJaERt8kmf7Nk8m1vINOPF1EBm42va3kWAkm-DGHzDEDqW66KfZ-vQugfZ70gkUjqdyiQKsvnqQsP--XkNGLJFnxMkX_-KfraWtFxldkRGJaWFBmYVoRNQKrXH7b7_2bIYArDlLb4UZgcrefGVwg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">dumping in the salt and mineral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She mixed it all up together so the cows will get the proper amount of mineral when they lick the salt.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQU5-ZcZ3vUuCPK8nparwqBq-C5ZwnjzVgo-_R42AZY2V8ZyOY90e-YEqsGyIMjUYW-j7Y6UOMqJHXCnrBrEcOLP6G5gf1FAGyKk0qwvRcvI53iUNJsmshr5KkCOG-ZJp5eVeJMk8B0x_Dpm0FMjTh1ZTNXkVybMNklF7rIjEzQPkI4_KN7Zk4uazndQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQU5-ZcZ3vUuCPK8nparwqBq-C5ZwnjzVgo-_R42AZY2V8ZyOY90e-YEqsGyIMjUYW-j7Y6UOMqJHXCnrBrEcOLP6G5gf1FAGyKk0qwvRcvI53iUNJsmshr5KkCOG-ZJp5eVeJMk8B0x_Dpm0FMjTh1ZTNXkVybMNklF7rIjEzQPkI4_KN7Zk4uazndQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">replenishing the salt & mineral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEpWmigW0mbbOV9aSccoY7LPMC0Pt8UXo1DmTgQBrKBbLgYCBLXcVqtCRJOiLGk79gysmmdUXayuup_6ZgJvmukZablH4tagwTIie3oETxvpRpf7gAha6ADcMhIhN6AmAw_XY5cYKhjKwQIKB1tyCubqEtuoay9ZweYXXfKn5sz5CBZ710Nfv4oXKfVA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEpWmigW0mbbOV9aSccoY7LPMC0Pt8UXo1DmTgQBrKBbLgYCBLXcVqtCRJOiLGk79gysmmdUXayuup_6ZgJvmukZablH4tagwTIie3oETxvpRpf7gAha6ADcMhIhN6AmAw_XY5cYKhjKwQIKB1tyCubqEtuoay9ZweYXXfKn5sz5CBZ710Nfv4oXKfVA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani stirring up the mix</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That night Emily hit a deer on her way home after work; it jumped out in front of her car and crashed into the radiator and banged up the car pretty badly. She was able to drive it off the road, and called Andrea, who went to get her. A tow truck came to get it the next morning. Fortunately her insurance covers deer collisions, since that’s the most common cause of vehicle accidents in our part of the country.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea had a doctor appointment Monday morning, so she helped me feed the cows early (right after she called the insurance agent about Emily’s car) and hurried to town. I loaded 10 little bales onto the empty feed truck to bring around by the calving pen to replenish our dwindling stack of little bales (we take 3 or 4 every day to augment the big bale, to have enough hay for each group of cows).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday was a little warmer; it was actually 18 degrees that morning and got up to 30 degrees in the afternoon, and Wednesday was also a bit warmer, which meant the ice wasn’t as bad on the water holes, and easier to open up for the cows (and bulls).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The Christmas package we sent to Canada for Heather and Gregory and their two little boys finally got there. Heather sent me photos of James and Joseph wearing the T-shirts I sent (with the horses I drew on them). She said they wore them all day and insisted on wearing them to bed that night.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB3JppjBSNoyhT8aR5elUXhwNaD2WFHPpF9qIoNR3T_M2bYRGzT6kAjq8V06AqBxyjcGZRJwB-BTxhjv0V7rYirI2zytubgjWjaPdByww56psm6WvGZD64S_FkofFbyLGYMt26VXH0rBg9tz5T9U3GMhLje5uSBNH4M9mVSElmrOYUUB6b95n4QCI6dw=s4032" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB3JppjBSNoyhT8aR5elUXhwNaD2WFHPpF9qIoNR3T_M2bYRGzT6kAjq8V06AqBxyjcGZRJwB-BTxhjv0V7rYirI2zytubgjWjaPdByww56psm6WvGZD64S_FkofFbyLGYMt26VXH0rBg9tz5T9U3GMhLje5uSBNH4M9mVSElmrOYUUB6b95n4QCI6dw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTBDfNBIq-QaiEphvbKJE-WWNRsgSksNr9aoV3-NS21hyRA6Th0hRjorNqIPiNn44Lwp3cM1kBp4d7rrEwAuKANTkAISwTnqATULyM6169_rHs8yj-PJTlyaSSie1q-qQGYtEu0IMmq9iNn74U1iTtkfMMFWOfzGAVzCLNw8os4kvNoUmyi_UbhL70Yw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTBDfNBIq-QaiEphvbKJE-WWNRsgSksNr9aoV3-NS21hyRA6Th0hRjorNqIPiNn44Lwp3cM1kBp4d7rrEwAuKANTkAISwTnqATULyM6169_rHs8yj-PJTlyaSSie1q-qQGYtEu0IMmq9iNn74U1iTtkfMMFWOfzGAVzCLNw8os4kvNoUmyi_UbhL70Yw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James & Joseph and their Christmas T-shirts</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea helped me feed Wednesday morning then she and Dani and Emily got ready to go to Idaho Falls; they were taking Christopher a day ahead, to be ready early Thursday morning for the surgery on his teeth (to take out the one broken off tooth and repair his broken front teeth). They stayed that night at a motel near the hospital.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim helped me feed the cows the next morning and Lynn drove the feed truck. When we got done feeding we had a call from Andrea to tell us that the doctor was unable to do the surgery on Christopher’s teeth and they would be bringing him home fairly soon. Andrea and Em had been a little concerned beforehand because he seemed to have a bit of a cold and a cough, but he was bright and felt good and didn’t have a fever so the doctor had decided to go ahead with the procedure. But when they had him prepped and under anesthesia his oxygen level plummeted and heart rate dropped and they discovered one lung was congested. They put a tube into it (which was probably a mistake, irritating the lung worse) and realized that this kid had a more serious respiratory problem than they thought. So they didn’t proceed. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Instead they kept him there just long enough that he was out from under the anesthesia and sent him home. That was another mistake; they should have monitored him a big longer and evaluated his lungs more fully because by the time they got home late afternoon he had a high fever and didn’t feel very good at all—with a horrible cough. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On their way home it started snowing and was snowing hard by the time they got here, and we were glad they made it home safely with the bad roads. Andrea and Emily were awake with Christopher most of the night, trying to keep his fever down. He was very congested and having a hard time breathing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning Andrea and Dani helped me feed cows and give the heifers more bedding hay—and Emily took Christopher to the ER at the hospital. As soon as we were done with all the feeding, Andrea went to town to check in on Christopher and Em and do all the town errands and then came home to get ready to drive back to Idaho Falls. The ER doctor realized that Christopher had very serious pneumonia and was preparing to have him sent back to Idaho Falls on a life flight. The poor little kid was panting fast and shallow, not getting enough oxygen; x-rays showed the one lung completely congested and non-functional. His blood oxygen was down to about 80%. They were not able to put him on oxygen because he was screaming and fighting it and struggling for breath and they were afraid to give him any kind of sedative to calm him down because his condition was too precarious. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So Emily and Christopher went on the life-flight, and Andrea drove back to Idaho Falls so she could help with his care in the hospital there. We alerted friends and relatives about Christopher’s condition and asked them to keep him in their prayers.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I loaded the feed truck and he plowed all our driveways again. The UPS truck tried to bring a package to our place and got stuck in the driveway and had to put chains on to get turned around and back out. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher had a very rough night. He was miserable and restless and screaming a lot, and Emily was trying to keep him calm. Andrea sent this photo she took late that evening.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwI0fVy6gaprhl6oH3esHkztjB3v4XdDcc-SUmp0-p_B_QMsROPAsEkl75cBRwIEvGaOUUbj4h8gQ5_JJyav1I50LPfh49rGGFaWksEYwASEz3Bt0BAGbe0wIYrh4myCYaVcbu0px9ff-mn-OHEpmKUlmlophjfmRFWn4ItPCpJg9NdLA0QnWC40APZQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwI0fVy6gaprhl6oH3esHkztjB3v4XdDcc-SUmp0-p_B_QMsROPAsEkl75cBRwIEvGaOUUbj4h8gQ5_JJyav1I50LPfh49rGGFaWksEYwASEz3Bt0BAGbe0wIYrh4myCYaVcbu0px9ff-mn-OHEpmKUlmlophjfmRFWn4ItPCpJg9NdLA0QnWC40APZQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily comforting Christopher in hospital</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea sent me an e-mail message at 5 a.m. Saturday morning saying that Emily was trying to sleep a little bit by that time, lying next to Christopher on the bed, but Andrea stayed up all night trying to help keep his fever down. He still had an IV going but it was hard to keep the oxygen mask on him because he kept taking it off. She had to just hold it next to his face unless he was asleep and not trying to take it off. His respiration would go down to about 140 when he was relaxed and sleeping and the Motrin was kicking in but otherwise when the fever went back up and he was awake, he was very agitated and his respiration about 180. Without the extra oxygen his blood oxygen dropped into the 70% range, which was not good. She sent me a photo of Emily sleeping next to him, and Christopher in one of his rare moments of relaxed sleep, not trying to take off the oxygen mask.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhANPHfg-E_hpI1COxYHKwfAJ3WLCz3vANcx092sbOqfJpJWQdveHm8kD_gfi4FlkZIIh72DZrcQjrYoI9M7tI5S2UkmMuqcxEsjwhc2QlLqiAhrECl6vVwB7SXOE66u1kGEXEud3iXn1FCOYyymNIKQzDBXYIwvyrbFAwTLSs1qyrIUY-TQEWOrrP1cw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhANPHfg-E_hpI1COxYHKwfAJ3WLCz3vANcx092sbOqfJpJWQdveHm8kD_gfi4FlkZIIh72DZrcQjrYoI9M7tI5S2UkmMuqcxEsjwhc2QlLqiAhrECl6vVwB7SXOE66u1kGEXEud3iXn1FCOYyymNIKQzDBXYIwvyrbFAwTLSs1qyrIUY-TQEWOrrP1cw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily sleeping next to Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7HsImLncuFVRZdrCIJ-bKHNxMxqiMk72JRqsRO1l_eWns8GXTBCojF3FmpfvQlv52-lakriZ8gN_iiXBLro4j3JUVQqeSOaJZOoSgGfFEYheI3f_LhnerSQ5Cl67wM_EYJaG29Jj-MsHtfJh0W4RvN7QV9Mv3Pt6Dwxe4VpQj0ITfXb93OtbhUmKfHg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7HsImLncuFVRZdrCIJ-bKHNxMxqiMk72JRqsRO1l_eWns8GXTBCojF3FmpfvQlv52-lakriZ8gN_iiXBLro4j3JUVQqeSOaJZOoSgGfFEYheI3f_LhnerSQ5Cl67wM_EYJaG29Jj-MsHtfJh0W4RvN7QV9Mv3Pt6Dwxe4VpQj0ITfXb93OtbhUmKfHg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Asleep at last, and leaving the oxygen mask alone</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That morning I did chores early and Jim came down to help Lynn and me feed the cows. Dani’s friend Roger arrived from Oregon and will be staying here a few days, so the two of them carried in some sacks of wood pellets for Lynn’s stove, and more firewood. They can help us with all the feeding chores while Andrea is gone. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next morning Dani and Roger helped me feed the cows and Dani took more salt and mineral to the young cows. The hay dust really bothers both of them so they were wearing masks to try to not breathe much dust.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXEG7fBk7qluS6-oWXH_jOtjDL2qOvEt9De2aQWSTDzbylKj01HNv8l8EwbC9ucRwN0ka8zC1gXyrgR8KFvV8rJRmWBuQ1YYEaOETqOaOsQ2VjH-fTGKs2SevmiAMAJDlCPjWX4Tl2Iyu4tSilzN1nq9HvgSRwPhHIg_C4JyTA1omzN-wRCOaJk4Jtqw=s2208" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1656" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXEG7fBk7qluS6-oWXH_jOtjDL2qOvEt9De2aQWSTDzbylKj01HNv8l8EwbC9ucRwN0ka8zC1gXyrgR8KFvV8rJRmWBuQ1YYEaOETqOaOsQ2VjH-fTGKs2SevmiAMAJDlCPjWX4Tl2Iyu4tSilzN1nq9HvgSRwPhHIg_C4JyTA1omzN-wRCOaJk4Jtqw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">frosty morning</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXVuRq8zdGR1hdxRnNHnNDF0eaB26a89Zo2G43rgbEdCv6X2VaehjEJdT-m2zSfmbyFw9ze__ebbvfq4P7p7S8sTaEEEJHnTzRGFdI_fYjDPM4WWP0KD0eRVivZ3uYl-v0ByGL3oLv9e2ilPUb5ZIshy2lEhAiVg4joZ8nt8Y1hBGcUPnzgiuElsz0Gw=s2208" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1656" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXVuRq8zdGR1hdxRnNHnNDF0eaB26a89Zo2G43rgbEdCv6X2VaehjEJdT-m2zSfmbyFw9ze__ebbvfq4P7p7S8sTaEEEJHnTzRGFdI_fYjDPM4WWP0KD0eRVivZ3uYl-v0ByGL3oLv9e2ilPUb5ZIshy2lEhAiVg4joZ8nt8Y1hBGcUPnzgiuElsz0Gw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani taking more salt & mineral to young cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnRu4eqQ_LBNi5GhyZsPuEGmf5Xfqgl_WHRIcDoLZFUbs7uSKXd2w9fNiUbdFsWAEglpoUSoVVqIiqHzmCShQbPxW9sf1FY0TmcQtMdV8AQrGqz2nLHFtbzHtXYJ9YsKAQ-G6nw38YQo0XB6f3HJ6a75mWiicMQE463ziF89qqSk_QRAPwBDmMob6NlQ=s2208" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2208" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnRu4eqQ_LBNi5GhyZsPuEGmf5Xfqgl_WHRIcDoLZFUbs7uSKXd2w9fNiUbdFsWAEglpoUSoVVqIiqHzmCShQbPxW9sf1FY0TmcQtMdV8AQrGqz2nLHFtbzHtXYJ9YsKAQ-G6nw38YQo0XB6f3HJ6a75mWiicMQE463ziF89qqSk_QRAPwBDmMob6NlQ=w213-h400" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">masked helpers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday we had hopes that Christopher could come home. He had a better night and was able to sleep more (though his oxygen level still dropped too low when he was asleep and they still had to make sure he had the mask close by) but by morning he was brighter and his fever was down. Andrea sent me a couple photos she took during the night when he was feeling a little better.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcRKYbvv1-c5SuoRcPaebjM_w59lo4mEPIngpp_KcO0mN6S-_lPDcPmqgG7crifAfMkeHWS3gk_Z4pCrXRYzy4p-CF8LHATflRKgsCdWE44RxRY6JVcFE4FMWgT2KMMC20I40sS6CdaIf_b9WZ4zK5aA-NwMgffzD4RpEEZTBAFkTnOwWvMYWS-NnAWw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgcRKYbvv1-c5SuoRcPaebjM_w59lo4mEPIngpp_KcO0mN6S-_lPDcPmqgG7crifAfMkeHWS3gk_Z4pCrXRYzy4p-CF8LHATflRKgsCdWE44RxRY6JVcFE4FMWgT2KMMC20I40sS6CdaIf_b9WZ4zK5aA-NwMgffzD4RpEEZTBAFkTnOwWvMYWS-NnAWw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">night of Jan 22 - a new toy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOrU3rGhkxLL6PEpXEt2cNpn1waZ3xMHguuQcfjXGCIAVPkbPyubGPjlKKv943lkuHds7oUKrwqFVivw6KmeQWtTGfzrRnbrcZYu_df3EZLj3rFPhwnXS0kk3yl-WDnjeXXuHzkLndtXoDbf036aNhUB7NohPzN6_aBemGxLoV4Vws1A_8JDPrijFZqA=s4032" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOrU3rGhkxLL6PEpXEt2cNpn1waZ3xMHguuQcfjXGCIAVPkbPyubGPjlKKv943lkuHds7oUKrwqFVivw6KmeQWtTGfzrRnbrcZYu_df3EZLj3rFPhwnXS0kk3yl-WDnjeXXuHzkLndtXoDbf036aNhUB7NohPzN6_aBemGxLoV4Vws1A_8JDPrijFZqA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNfC3YpYoReDv-qNnwSkMkXqSUWgR7FoGTDCo1V3E3ZFKhT8Vx9lYKQpJcKKNn107R6NHC4iJUjdRpgP_UC4llSREzU7nF82L4PNWVEFBKj-O532-Zop69rzB6pqE0Vy4a6VglcJe9VagixozK4751x4nBuUT-rfNsJ_rDYrDIlWqL3vWP--AO60a8sA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNfC3YpYoReDv-qNnwSkMkXqSUWgR7FoGTDCo1V3E3ZFKhT8Vx9lYKQpJcKKNn107R6NHC4iJUjdRpgP_UC4llSREzU7nF82L4PNWVEFBKj-O532-Zop69rzB6pqE0Vy4a6VglcJe9VagixozK4751x4nBuUT-rfNsJ_rDYrDIlWqL3vWP--AO60a8sA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">night of Jan 22-23 feeling a little better</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They thought he might be able to come home that afternoon, if they could check his oxygen level again while he was asleep and see if it stayed at a better level and might be safe to let him come home. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But a different doctor that came on shift discovered that he had a heart murmur, and wanted to check it out today. Also, his oxygen wouldn’t stay up high enough yesterday without the oxygen mask, so another day in the hospital. I received an e-mail message from Andrea this morning and she said: “Christopher just had the echo on his heart, and we’re now waiting to hear the results. Those results have to come from Denver and take a couple hours. The X-ray crew also came in and took a new picture of his lungs. They look a lot better than they did the other day in Salmon. I got more sleep last night. Em stayed up till 2:30 a.m. watching his oxygen. It dipped down but then recovered. So hopefully we'll be headed home after hearing the report from his heart.”</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She also sent a few more photos, taken that morning. Christopher was looking and feeling better but still had dark circles under his eyes.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhmjqvbbdnVkutwAyAVFBczrG2D_Yhb7Eo_o9UTOUGs0IjYxf5EFWZo7EO4CID_pXFTlzHzYphR85Is5aGsK6JJTm-ubNXfbINtIyODNa7Ee5sS9Ci9FmRLPLlqj-rFCweDkLtCVPrTrzdPIcYezQrFC5EmMRz4r7sjX6jzVnKJKcCEWUNKtY72MEXzQ=s4032" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhmjqvbbdnVkutwAyAVFBczrG2D_Yhb7Eo_o9UTOUGs0IjYxf5EFWZo7EO4CID_pXFTlzHzYphR85Is5aGsK6JJTm-ubNXfbINtIyODNa7Ee5sS9Ci9FmRLPLlqj-rFCweDkLtCVPrTrzdPIcYezQrFC5EmMRz4r7sjX6jzVnKJKcCEWUNKtY72MEXzQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisvCixInxChuSJ9qDYRGdaf5mwubSt5RgbAdFS1BmF_J0RIvqXqRyy3xtjjiAQfp1ner5vMmTxN5yQ_MbSB2QR23ouWG0309FLn4kjj7jKO5EBam_AqRVxYNnxYJh8VMs69l483KxkpO_Dn9srIo7JFtJQvITlumPJCOAywVP82rTtIIVaPyd-471-Bg=s4032" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEisvCixInxChuSJ9qDYRGdaf5mwubSt5RgbAdFS1BmF_J0RIvqXqRyy3xtjjiAQfp1ner5vMmTxN5yQ_MbSB2QR23ouWG0309FLn4kjj7jKO5EBam_AqRVxYNnxYJh8VMs69l483KxkpO_Dn9srIo7JFtJQvITlumPJCOAywVP82rTtIIVaPyd-471-Bg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm08ryfqLh93_KbhTBriDQFjzzZk_rI7968wH0mJuP2POHLvhdJppg9vSobbpZBADQIYbSQ-kzQi6p1XTToRttzyyfX7YmuFeiBVHldgFM9j1y4MJcYarBU2gX93uqqEqpTeMZ5wuFm0Cv18ySybdUlUZJpqj2ecFcA_Iy2j8as_4TgSQ5fREC6rgUog=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm08ryfqLh93_KbhTBriDQFjzzZk_rI7968wH0mJuP2POHLvhdJppg9vSobbpZBADQIYbSQ-kzQi6p1XTToRttzyyfX7YmuFeiBVHldgFM9j1y4MJcYarBU2gX93uqqEqpTeMZ5wuFm0Cv18ySybdUlUZJpqj2ecFcA_Iy2j8as_4TgSQ5fREC6rgUog=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jan 23 - a little better</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitV-NykVAeNhkZZddFVMJuH4S2kfIBFFZa7LR-BRi2YYUPFbpLBbcTaQciDKJU35LcnNGwcanVIJq74YHr2M1xx3fxzHRmY5k8YZHIPXTHUMLR7NN4xJyWy3EB8lyb4jI0F4CltMMIA-_JTzg0BqXPLkuCjuVdy-N8U5Qzo0TtKQ0DVkbnlBAkSsONOg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitV-NykVAeNhkZZddFVMJuH4S2kfIBFFZa7LR-BRi2YYUPFbpLBbcTaQciDKJU35LcnNGwcanVIJq74YHr2M1xx3fxzHRmY5k8YZHIPXTHUMLR7NN4xJyWy3EB8lyb4jI0F4CltMMIA-_JTzg0BqXPLkuCjuVdy-N8U5Qzo0TtKQ0DVkbnlBAkSsONOg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mom & kid</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A few hours later she called and told us that Christopher has a leaky valve between the right ventricle and right atrium, but the doctor didn’t know how serious it is because Christopher was fussing too much when they did the echo ultrasound and the technician was only able to check about ¾ of what she wanted to look at. So this is something that will need to be checked again more thoroughly to see if anything needs to be done about it, and perhaps monitor it over time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The doctors let him come home today, and they arrived home this evening. We are glad to have that little fellow safely home again!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was quite cold today and very frosty this morning. I took several photos of the frost on the trees around the house and barnyard..</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrMYvBcdT_OqWzxDsr0gkeb2FSLQDxXcvdT85hBH2OJLsxrPZUwfvk8vYpw1q2twJ0nQXQ7k0cEZSz3Er8FTW4wjzsXuZDP04xiLd5avz8kmg_JELIeN5s5JXM-Dga0hHKQzqbTwjYbVqoOsyUb-kLqXJMQGsQDYinsOSeeMBATd4OG81YTG4kKYH2Wg=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrMYvBcdT_OqWzxDsr0gkeb2FSLQDxXcvdT85hBH2OJLsxrPZUwfvk8vYpw1q2twJ0nQXQ7k0cEZSz3Er8FTW4wjzsXuZDP04xiLd5avz8kmg_JELIeN5s5JXM-Dga0hHKQzqbTwjYbVqoOsyUb-kLqXJMQGsQDYinsOSeeMBATd4OG81YTG4kKYH2Wg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOaYPVf3jnalwuyQw6W8LpB1uHf-txgTD4UVQQUSkGmS7QXcNhpN2KYGqw9TlRSFAi8Bj_2BpJcWwqHVnXI-yqIEw5lKGEgxZhmTeUVIZBQwY9QsGH5SsdCcEHzezfRLadZyFMaODDR9MwZW3Yl9QROc-Tqfv8fa7gbVvVCvOC6RW0tQzCUrXbJLS8Cw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOaYPVf3jnalwuyQw6W8LpB1uHf-txgTD4UVQQUSkGmS7QXcNhpN2KYGqw9TlRSFAi8Bj_2BpJcWwqHVnXI-yqIEw5lKGEgxZhmTeUVIZBQwY9QsGH5SsdCcEHzezfRLadZyFMaODDR9MwZW3Yl9QROc-Tqfv8fa7gbVvVCvOC6RW0tQzCUrXbJLS8Cw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggDGmseZWXRwbpS8t0mzHgorDrtxnYvDUOeIoJ097XMnQXu_2Cvs9kv8AqxFwS4ICI3Xx7TOeHvmlQyD4vl4yxlZtOWI33JbvIhF_SPaAclfTCNLTw4rhDukSu5ctmnrXZh3D5uaCES-uV0bbG8pptBOsOrr_VwY7NlekeF4m0nO7ipsa8uHepacJsqw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggDGmseZWXRwbpS8t0mzHgorDrtxnYvDUOeIoJ097XMnQXu_2Cvs9kv8AqxFwS4ICI3Xx7TOeHvmlQyD4vl4yxlZtOWI33JbvIhF_SPaAclfTCNLTw4rhDukSu5ctmnrXZh3D5uaCES-uV0bbG8pptBOsOrr_VwY7NlekeF4m0nO7ipsa8uHepacJsqw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">frosty barnyard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6ab8MNBo5gWXVsIrRjeJObBM1fvfMkmPxoerZqZGKLLnJK1_vZ64sIgJS5Svci9FmHVpiDYVk-1Zpv0OecW4gVngAmS9LxMb5m5eICC52ynNnZaQphCNuMyWFtAGxjvOOfnlFHe-mhebuJAcAUPiBXu60i1naWKbQb4rNgNSHlE32bi8Zqwv9zZG2UQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6ab8MNBo5gWXVsIrRjeJObBM1fvfMkmPxoerZqZGKLLnJK1_vZ64sIgJS5Svci9FmHVpiDYVk-1Zpv0OecW4gVngAmS9LxMb5m5eICC52ynNnZaQphCNuMyWFtAGxjvOOfnlFHe-mhebuJAcAUPiBXu60i1naWKbQb4rNgNSHlE32bi8Zqwv9zZG2UQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">frost on the elm tree in our yard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">… and photos of frost on the horse pens.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglzTTX6jfLcaS1KeXEeZCeeUnHc8Ogeo7GR95D-t6Nk3aAv-mDHeyQUnhrEJzZyDYN4MeN0F5EB5N83f8lxah4ZdpSssFp6B-RD1ODAujd6KH001cHOK7qMl6AEXHT5Qdv4kagU6dbvEYXOBKHr68X_1oli4swdwDTkKU-4zJGZNE78o85tNPGDkwcDA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglzTTX6jfLcaS1KeXEeZCeeUnHc8Ogeo7GR95D-t6Nk3aAv-mDHeyQUnhrEJzZyDYN4MeN0F5EB5N83f8lxah4ZdpSssFp6B-RD1ODAujd6KH001cHOK7qMl6AEXHT5Qdv4kagU6dbvEYXOBKHr68X_1oli4swdwDTkKU-4zJGZNE78o85tNPGDkwcDA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">frost on the pens by the house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixhloXcEahDNln8Ewp0y_MIB1HILNLwxB_dR-gpl1GyqSCDJMuez8-KcZtMd9oWWtO4piUP_jU5fajWVXyUh6jP8JwIZhoUUOsI6TJBTx9bei0t7vqzvLYaMz5m6TgNNDNYfiUfKFr462vXyKqhE9XkGuJIQrJfev7LO0JOli9qep1J4kKCytoEHRRKw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixhloXcEahDNln8Ewp0y_MIB1HILNLwxB_dR-gpl1GyqSCDJMuez8-KcZtMd9oWWtO4piUP_jU5fajWVXyUh6jP8JwIZhoUUOsI6TJBTx9bei0t7vqzvLYaMz5m6TgNNDNYfiUfKFr462vXyKqhE9XkGuJIQrJfev7LO0JOli9qep1J4kKCytoEHRRKw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9vswifXyIJghiRZzRMqySeWCjD2SJsHNQY5-TN1b9BggkYzg1SmUdRKNbWf6pdbyZta4NnirWvpvBYi_4jpMzXdZb-oJrucneoti1Xx1Q8z2lV2_n8zHha-HV8xQ8HG52jP7yAVs7kGlBt6Az9i_WcM2Flr6y8NA76eWPQDs0ara60lrS5jckSFCrZA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9vswifXyIJghiRZzRMqySeWCjD2SJsHNQY5-TN1b9BggkYzg1SmUdRKNbWf6pdbyZta4NnirWvpvBYi_4jpMzXdZb-oJrucneoti1Xx1Q8z2lV2_n8zHha-HV8xQ8HG52jP7yAVs7kGlBt6Az9i_WcM2Flr6y8NA76eWPQDs0ara60lrS5jckSFCrZA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">frost on the horse pens</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FEBRUARY 3</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather has continued cold—some nights below zero and only into the mid-20s in the afternoons.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The day after Andrea and Emily brought Christopher home from the hospital in Idaho Falls, Andrea helped me feed cows. Dani and her friend Roger also helped, and then brought in more sacks of wood pellets and filled our wood-box. It’s nice to have some young, strong people do those chores!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4o0TANZdjjSTrVPhg5UqcPcIrz49LUVitM7oEyUwPXWHFOUEDUfIKp-7bBoXr6Ax3QChFPMsr2UFeXvjzm8xBntA1VVNKjOY9ORbgPmIcrTi6wYu-tlNxA9-wlJ2ZOWtBhVBH9f6ejE4T5BlHkEYFCn49JvxFeiOKp8nmGtgeEopgYTLmWQMhAaSrNA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4o0TANZdjjSTrVPhg5UqcPcIrz49LUVitM7oEyUwPXWHFOUEDUfIKp-7bBoXr6Ax3QChFPMsr2UFeXvjzm8xBntA1VVNKjOY9ORbgPmIcrTi6wYu-tlNxA9-wlJ2ZOWtBhVBH9f6ejE4T5BlHkEYFCn49JvxFeiOKp8nmGtgeEopgYTLmWQMhAaSrNA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Roger feeding hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXq4n6rsCBSfDwFeqaEFPjWsrdqQc-UoOiLbgbDa46dTv7z1BSilnT_IjsUlzSV6ybg_Ef6zjahUaP_pdWF-cDlWFQ7oJuCAD-PrJD5K9DdDS0wml4TKeMMFuwCtDeYDYct93Z_puQhVBYguqxWSGqUxi9x1ToWDLVBNLOw-Tah_FPQmpT4SCS3AJ13g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXq4n6rsCBSfDwFeqaEFPjWsrdqQc-UoOiLbgbDa46dTv7z1BSilnT_IjsUlzSV6ybg_Ef6zjahUaP_pdWF-cDlWFQ7oJuCAD-PrJD5K9DdDS0wml4TKeMMFuwCtDeYDYct93Z_puQhVBYguqxWSGqUxi9x1ToWDLVBNLOw-Tah_FPQmpT4SCS3AJ13g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view of the mountains from the feed truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgz_OKnkKuI9wdrrDDAz7nbcWByiSDpj_O_uTR0s5PdZ1Tms8j-4JbMsVRSKEX_ogA6g_n3ngfobzAmLzdChnvgKDWXk4JrljYc_XRL83nKjWQD0qzexTVfhxTIHO7d0QznZxT7LkH2qTfpAD-QVWYwfVp2587VWMbRn2TXe2Y70IsUYIEui0XW77HrkQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgz_OKnkKuI9wdrrDDAz7nbcWByiSDpj_O_uTR0s5PdZ1Tms8j-4JbMsVRSKEX_ogA6g_n3ngfobzAmLzdChnvgKDWXk4JrljYc_XRL83nKjWQD0qzexTVfhxTIHO7d0QznZxT7LkH2qTfpAD-QVWYwfVp2587VWMbRn2TXe2Y70IsUYIEui0XW77HrkQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Roger helped feed hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It stayed cold that day, but we were finally able to get the tractor started by late afternoon (it got up to 23 degrees) so we could load another big bale on the feed truck. Anything below about 22 degrees and the tractor won’t start—even if it has been plugged in for 24 hours; we have to use the battery charger to help it out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning was 3 below zero and our high was 17 degrees. It was so cold when I fed the horses that morning that I didn’t water them. They already had ice in their tubs and the water would just freeze before they drank it. They usually don’t drink any until they’ve eaten part of their morning hay. So when Andrea came down to help me feed cows, she first helped me break ice out of all the horse tubs and water them, and they were ready for a good drink by that time. I took photos while we fed cows.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYyi1i2_0iNRQu6ScMEXrr7U8Q-aVDqQeWlaycvtFKNBNegmTf1X0sr-jeDt6QeJBAze-k0QKbRAf0iZSJEmb4KeAaBhBVP-hjxoGJoFsORVPrqpzLbk3fyPtQKWdATVNT1xrRXR44BxD15vz5dCkmm2RmL53wIV8D3Ec1AokGHPsQvjGaL0J7TzhthQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYyi1i2_0iNRQu6ScMEXrr7U8Q-aVDqQeWlaycvtFKNBNegmTf1X0sr-jeDt6QeJBAze-k0QKbRAf0iZSJEmb4KeAaBhBVP-hjxoGJoFsORVPrqpzLbk3fyPtQKWdATVNT1xrRXR44BxD15vz5dCkmm2RmL53wIV8D3Ec1AokGHPsQvjGaL0J7TzhthQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHcMpfZoL2bU6NtKpn17_FYIFv4i2l5iYUUXAXHCmN3SMuE_V2EOoOPnUda5lPA4wvKn32TB104bNVJlb31Yo6Hs10mCMBUU30Q_TuoJSZpRaJP8pzdCqX48-ngjvojrmONMlgzHpXDj4HqJRP8l6gDJpcej6rVL1QkBrqxhL64rc_0-BziHHNMzphGw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHcMpfZoL2bU6NtKpn17_FYIFv4i2l5iYUUXAXHCmN3SMuE_V2EOoOPnUda5lPA4wvKn32TB104bNVJlb31Yo6Hs10mCMBUU30Q_TuoJSZpRaJP8pzdCqX48-ngjvojrmONMlgzHpXDj4HqJRP8l6gDJpcej6rVL1QkBrqxhL64rc_0-BziHHNMzphGw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiskXWVJSK60GzseXZEBQUooY2OazpOtx0RUr7NuJsai8X7JkI-P8pl03viC7iq3TNOKFFEiQQjBAS7XN6gpN9dr6mDMvKVtxSkb_aTb5GhVbu7LBa6KZ9Cas6q1RRayDSJLezy59zmqQMBaXa-gcn5VAA3hfjq4FX6wjK1ZLwgK_guCYopxewi5UnOzA=s2208" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1656" data-original-width="2208" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiskXWVJSK60GzseXZEBQUooY2OazpOtx0RUr7NuJsai8X7JkI-P8pl03viC7iq3TNOKFFEiQQjBAS7XN6gpN9dr6mDMvKVtxSkb_aTb5GhVbu7LBa6KZ9Cas6q1RRayDSJLezy59zmqQMBaXa-gcn5VAA3hfjq4FX6wjK1ZLwgK_guCYopxewi5UnOzA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I was running out of hay for the bulls, so she also helped me take down the “Babe cage” of deer netting by the bull pen, so we could put a couple more big round bales in there. A couple bales will last Babe and Bimbo about 5 or 6 weeks. We also got some snow off the black plastic on our big stack and removed more of the black plastic, and got the snow and plastic off a couple round bales. While the feed truck was empty we loaded up more little bales to take around to our “spare hay” stack by the calving pen. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then she and Jim loaded up the plastic sled with dirt from Shiloh’s pen and dragged it up through the fields to work on the water holes for the cows. They chopped out more ice, and spread the dirt on the icy banks so the cows won’t slip and fall down when they try to go down into the creek to drink. Dirt works so much better than sand because it holds the heat of the sun and tends to melt down a bit into the ice. A bunch of dirt over the ice makes good footing for the cows and they are more confident about going down the bank without falling. The ice had gotten really bad again during the past week so it was time to resolve the precarious footing. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was too cold to try to start the tractor so we used the battery charger on it late afternoon and it did start, so Lynn and I were able to put a big square bale on the feed truck and take two big round bales to the “Babe cage” for the bulls. The deer haven’t been coming lately to try to get into the haystacks, so we didn’t bother to put the “cage” back up. It could wait until I had more help.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning was 10 below zero and our high for the day was 15 degrees. I’ve been plugging in the feed truck every morning when I get up at 4:30 or 5 a.m. to type articles and interviews, to make sure it will start readily when we feed the cows. That morning I did chores early (to be back in the house in time for an early morning phone interview) and didn’t water the horses or feed the bulls until after breakfast. The ice on the water hole in the bull corral has been very thick and I have to chop it out again every morning and evening.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch Michael came down to look at the places we need fences rebuilt and new gate posts set. He and his fence crew will be through with one of their big projects soon, and part of the crew can come in a week or so to work on our fence projects.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher is doing much better and seems to be over his respiratory infection. Andrea took this photo of Dani helping him line up all his toy cows and horses.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxR_2awuqhNxbCuF9ZFFdXuI2z4QEqotHbctRiw35GCvBqrpdWM7sImaFSQE4lLJpbzDW0xPrgHPusWEx5BK63GcpmU-vTn-Siuw7icnK4Btp7kUAMCL_v6FTUaNk484eFTjwM0B6MtHeedDosWO2gi9Pm1rTylole_QrL7YuGxOz9_XBh_DWyikK-sA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhxR_2awuqhNxbCuF9ZFFdXuI2z4QEqotHbctRiw35GCvBqrpdWM7sImaFSQE4lLJpbzDW0xPrgHPusWEx5BK63GcpmU-vTn-Siuw7icnK4Btp7kUAMCL_v6FTUaNk484eFTjwM0B6MtHeedDosWO2gi9Pm1rTylole_QrL7YuGxOz9_XBh_DWyikK-sA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher lining up his critters</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was 10 below zero again. After we fed the cows, Dani and Roger helped me and Andrea pull the deer netting back around to set it in place for the cage around the bulls’ hay. We stood it back up between the two trailers and propped it on both sides with poles to keep it upright in the middle. It was a lot easier with several people! This will keep the deer out of the hay until we have to take it down again to put new bales in there, but by that time maybe the weather will be warmer and the snow melting and the deer won’t be such an issue; they might be able to graze again on the hills and fields.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon we needed to load another bale on the feed truck, and take a now bale to the heifers’ feeder, but the high was only about 11 degrees. Even being plugged in 24 hours, and using the battery charger, the poor old tractor barely started.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was 10 below zero again the next morning. Jim took more dirt up to put on the ice by the water holes on the creek.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday morning was warmer, but it started snowing and blowing—a nasty blizzard. Andrea and Emily took Christopher to town (he had a doctor appointment, for a checkup, and Andrea had an appointment with the doctor who was going to check out her hernia—that needed to be repaired a couple years ago and is getting worse) so Jim helped me feed cows. Both appointments were canceled, however; the doctors were both sick with COVID.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani helped Jim break ice for the cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea spent most of the afternoon working on stuff for our water district, trying to get last year’s financial stuff (including tax requirements) and records complete before deadlines and the annual meeting in early March. She can’t pay the watermaster (Tony) yet, because he hasn’t completed his report and there’s no way to know how much to pay him. She’s been bugging him since October to get it done so she can pay him and finish the year’s records, but he hasn’t sent in his report because he didn’t record any of the water measurements when he checked headgates and changed the use in the various diversions. There is no way to make the assessments of water use for any of us because there are no measurements recorded! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It’s a real mess, so Andrea talked to the new IDWR guy who took Cindy Yenter’s place when she retired last summer, but he doesn’t know much about how any of this works, so she talked to Steve Adams, the watermaster we had in 2020 who did a great job, and who trained Tony last spring to be our watermaster. Tony is refusing to talk to Steve, and trying to blame him and say Steve didn’t tell him how to do this stuff, but in reality Tony is trying to cover up for his own failure to do the job. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So the water users will not be happy to find out that they are being charged for water use on a 4-year average instead of what they actually used. This means most of us will be overcharged because during this past summer’s drought there wasn’t much water in the creek and none of us were able to use our full water rights. Some of the folks on the creek used hardly any water (or none, after the creek went into regulation) but will be charged anyway. It won’t be a very happy meeting when they find out. Andrea has done everything she can to complete her tasks but it’s a mess and she has decided she won’t be secretary-treasurer again. She got talked into it for this past year because no one else would do it, but now they’ll have to come up with someone else.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani started back to school. She stopped going to school a year ago, after she failed to get the help she needed from anyone at the school, and finished up the year by getting help through the summer from friends who were homeschooling their grandkids; she drove up to their ranch several times a week and got caught up with her studies and passed her tests. Then she decided to just get her GED instead of going through the school hassle again, and started working on that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In the meantime, several people encouraged her to go back to school and she decided to give it another try, and this time the principal promised to get her the help she needs. So she is back in school and hoping to graduate with her class.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher was sick in the night in the wee hours of Tuesday morning (vomiting and diarrhea) so Emily and Andrea didn’t get much sleep, staying up with him. Andrea was exhausted by morning and also not feeling very well—and her hernia is bothering her again—but she came to help me feed cows and check their water holes in the creek.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was really cold again but Andrea was feeling a little better and we got the feeding done easier, and ice broken for the cows. Then she went to town to meet up with Dani at school and meet with her counselor, and also talk to the accountant for our water district and get all the tax stuff up to date. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The cold weather made crazy icicles that are curving down off the roof toward the windows; the sun melts the snow on the roof a little and the icicles slide down a bit but because it is so cold they still hang on and just curve toward the house.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT_D28x9SdSlqP8BAv-wjCnRimfkeMqk7FSlxGBHK71vH6p7nO7UxG99XGYpRMZ70d10bvlI9RC2l-P7hxGn8J3dpLjbj4QuffwYA9nMqKrgvTSiVfi7fm5g-YRVX3lwg6DAQCagZdlPpXvCj5Si2bGH5YtNMboCKyHf8hqejDVeXggvLINMxWxyfMPw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiT_D28x9SdSlqP8BAv-wjCnRimfkeMqk7FSlxGBHK71vH6p7nO7UxG99XGYpRMZ70d10bvlI9RC2l-P7hxGn8J3dpLjbj4QuffwYA9nMqKrgvTSiVfi7fm5g-YRVX3lwg6DAQCagZdlPpXvCj5Si2bGH5YtNMboCKyHf8hqejDVeXggvLINMxWxyfMPw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicoAOxQ_tuleYHFpjThN4D2uXHjCqtK3CpHmGImCF-0BUN5tak51QQ_ATj3KvKg1CQTHKehFftx4Ep3XvFZTaZa1uDUGo4vQF_aS3ztr6QEgFrc32Z2Dh_q4K9XJwx9-zX73Dd_3iDPcDKQfmgi-hmN1vMj4kKm8gXcWCTr2Qj_84qZXnZCT5I6UV5UA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEicoAOxQ_tuleYHFpjThN4D2uXHjCqtK3CpHmGImCF-0BUN5tak51QQ_ATj3KvKg1CQTHKehFftx4Ep3XvFZTaZa1uDUGo4vQF_aS3ztr6QEgFrc32Z2Dh_q4K9XJwx9-zX73Dd_3iDPcDKQfmgi-hmN1vMj4kKm8gXcWCTr2Qj_84qZXnZCT5I6UV5UA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">icicles curving toward window</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I got the tractor started and the truck loaded again for morning feeding. Emily took Christopher to the doctor for a checkup and referral to a pediatric heart specialist in Seattle, who comes occasionally to see patients in Missoula, Montana. Missoula is a lot closer to us than Seattle, so Christopher will have an appointment set up with that doctor to more thoroughly check out his heart valve problem and see if he needs to have it corrected.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was a little bit warmer. After we got the cows fed, Emily left Christopher here with us while she and Andrea went to town. He enjoyed swinging in his doorway swing and watching some of his favorite TV movies.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHctHY_9l3aoWWC9LSA_N3y9wyl0o-ZPoZdI_wEq2vHOMuHwJgxpO0XV2IxHl5YXSDhI5o7oaIGCrrDZvYvN1pSYWtzQUI-X8uH2qFJQ9dk82cXk-1BLeg6xmGwNR-_3m55vQrMaOkjpAKOvIKpItUhk6KDdvaRCeDan963Uae4SexftVDQLmPrWkR7Q=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHctHY_9l3aoWWC9LSA_N3y9wyl0o-ZPoZdI_wEq2vHOMuHwJgxpO0XV2IxHl5YXSDhI5o7oaIGCrrDZvYvN1pSYWtzQUI-X8uH2qFJQ9dk82cXk-1BLeg6xmGwNR-_3m55vQrMaOkjpAKOvIKpItUhk6KDdvaRCeDan963Uae4SexftVDQLmPrWkR7Q=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvDRqJ5lt9zuq-iNhLydyr1llVbF_4J2pBMruSNEWOZazIuoXkLTsNcn3GSsdB8mHTRPtxxFo3LzGrfJnUbFTai5jN-Es5OUVoK_xX2M9o89DcSp_6vY9RS3ADHFkhNE4v2XexWxKEp3nOL6fvyDDQq0tFquvOeD_x5fxrWA8GH7J5u1RFD3pV3JpA5A=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvDRqJ5lt9zuq-iNhLydyr1llVbF_4J2pBMruSNEWOZazIuoXkLTsNcn3GSsdB8mHTRPtxxFo3LzGrfJnUbFTai5jN-Es5OUVoK_xX2M9o89DcSp_6vY9RS3ADHFkhNE4v2XexWxKEp3nOL6fvyDDQq0tFquvOeD_x5fxrWA8GH7J5u1RFD3pV3JpA5A=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">swinging & watching a movie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The insurance paid part of what Emily’s car was worth (totaled by the deer collision) and another guy wanted to buy it for salvage and fix it because he really likes that kind of car, and he paid her $2200 for the car and it’s new snow-tires plus the original tires and rims. So altogether Emily will have enough money to make a down payment on another car. She is looking for a good used car that has 4-wheel or all-wheel drive (for our winter roads) and a little more room in it than her old car. After Emily got the transactions accomplished to sell the car to the guy who wants it, she went to work.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea met again with some of the personnel at the school, to get Dani started with a program that will help her, and give her the encouragement and support she needs. Christopher spent the afternoon and part of the evening with us and enjoyed swinging and watching movies, and I was able to do a phone interview and finish an article and get chores done while Lynn “hung out” with Christopher.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily got sick at work (vomiting) and seems to have the same “bug” that Christopher had, so she had to come home early that night. We hope it’s a short-lived illness for her, too!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">FEBRUARY 13</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week Michael brought his skid steer down here and plowed the driveways wider and plowed the snow away in the barnyard to have more parking space for the fence crew. He also cleared all the snow out of the hold pen so he can bring posts and poles and put them there for the fence projects. After Lynn and I took another big bale to the heifers and loaded a bale on the feed truck, he used the tractor to pick up the old non-working snowmobile that’s taking up space in the barnyard and loaded it in Jim’s trailer to haul to town and get rid of it. Andrea’s friend Robbie hauled it out here quite a few years ago thinking he could get it running, but couldn’t, and it’s been taking up space ever since. So Jim hauled it to the guy who runs the motorcycle/4-wheeler/snowmobile shop, to use for parts. Now we’ll have more space in the barnyard and Michael can finish clearing snow away for the fencing crew.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening after we were done for the day and I was about to do chores, my brother Rocky called. His wife Bev had gotten her jeep stuck in the neighbor’s driveway (slid into the deep snow berm) and they needed help. Bev had taken supper to their neighbors (the Yoder family), who were not home at that time, and had gotten stuck trying to drive back up the steep driveway.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The reason she was taking supper to them was because they’d had a family emergency the evening before. Their little boy (one of the youngest of 6 kids) had drunk lamp oil (probably kerosene) and Rock and Bev took the little boy and his mother (Rosina) to the emergency room, since the Amish don’t drive. Rosina spent the night in the hospital with her little boy. He was ok, since none of the oil got into his lungs—which could be deadly, since oil in the lungs can’t be removed as readily as water and some of the ingredients could be more dangerous in the lungs. Vomiting creates risk for the oil getting into the windpipe and lungs. If it stayed in the stomach and none got into the lungs it would mainly cause irritation and diarrhea but not be as life threatening.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, the little boy was doing better by that next afternoon when Bev took supper to the family, but they were not home, so when she got stuck in their driveway she had to walk home—about ¼ mile. Rocky was recovering from shoulder surgery a few days earlier, and had only one functional arm—and his own jeep was down town and being fixed. There was no one to assist in getting Bev’s vehicle out of the snowbank, so Rocky called us.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Fortunately it was still daylight, and our tractor had been running a couple hours earlier and would probably start again, so we could come to their aid. Andrea and Dani were home, and could help. Lynn started the tractor (which barely started!) and started slowly up the road—3 miles to Yoders’ place. He couldn’t go very fast because the chains on the tractor have several broken and missing links and are patched together and he didn’t want the chains to come off. I went out to do my evening chores and break ice for the bulls before dark.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Dani bundled up Christopher and gathered up chains, tow-straps, and ropes and went up the road in Andrea’s pickup. They caught up with Lynn and the slow-moving tractor, and passed him, and went on up to Rocky’s place to get him, since he thought he could at least steer the vehicle as it was being pulled out of the snow berm.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Dani were hooking up the tow strap to the vehicle (Dani had crawled under it and found a secure bar in front of the axle, to wrap it around—and then be able to hook longer chains to the tow strap), when Michael and Carolyn came up the creek.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Luckily they had seen Lynn go slowly by their place in the tractor and realized there must be a serious emergency because otherwise he would not have been driving our old tractor, with chains on, clear up there, just before dark. Michael has had a lot more experience pulling stuck vehicles, including a couple other situations at that same driveway that Yoders created after they bought the property from Binnings. The original driveway came in from the other direction at a more gradual gradient, but Yoders created a new one—a shortcut, right up to the main road on the lower end of the property. It is much too steep and sidling for winter traffic, and several vehicles (including a van that hauls the Amish) have gotten in trouble trying to drive out of there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The way Bev’s jeep was off the driveway and stuck in the snow put it at risk of tipping over. So Michael had Andrea and Dani bring the chain through the trees and across the ditch and up to the main road, for a better angle for pulling. It took two long chains, hooked together, to be long enough to reach the tractor up on the main road. Michael pulled the vehicle a little bit and then had to reposition everything and come back down the road a ways with the tractor, to get the vehicle up onto the road safely without it tipping over. If he hadn’t come along and done the actual engineering and pulling, it would have been a serious (and maybe fatal) disaster. So we thanked God that everything lined up just right to have all the help we needed for the rescue mission.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher watched it all from his car seat in Andrea’s pickup, and then he rode home with Lynn in the tractor. He loves tractors and was delighted to have his longest tractor ride ever. It was dark by the time they got home; Andrea and Dani got here a little quicker. So we had 4 generations of rescuers—Lynn, our two kids (Michael and Andrea) and Andrea’s daughter and grandson.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was a little warmer and got above freezing. The ice was easier to break on the creek and also in the bull pen. I took advantage of that and chopped a much bigger hole for the bulls, so it will be less likely to close down and clog up with more ice. When Andrea and I fed the cows I also helped her break more of the ice so there are larger open areas; the cows are less afraid of going down into the creek if they can actually get down in there and drink and turn around and climb back out. We also spread more dirt over the ice on the bank. The dirt makes it much less slippery for the cows.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9J20m3XgjbEICfSfiJIIqI_pKcvkauTc2hkcCjAOl7j0_XGvBFcSjWpU-ViwWeBZbjNn-vHCnP6-7H7b5zgfIIHfUZoxYFTX1YZEsP4cyx3BHRwnUQG0TrKxkg-_BGsKNva54MZhU5tgqbuWfFjgYUcQPMjh2sUzrukFy86fKqIJhP_cOnO6cucR84g=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9J20m3XgjbEICfSfiJIIqI_pKcvkauTc2hkcCjAOl7j0_XGvBFcSjWpU-ViwWeBZbjNn-vHCnP6-7H7b5zgfIIHfUZoxYFTX1YZEsP4cyx3BHRwnUQG0TrKxkg-_BGsKNva54MZhU5tgqbuWfFjgYUcQPMjh2sUzrukFy86fKqIJhP_cOnO6cucR84g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfamhL5X4_jhk8kQKv9hgTOcWgoHVEQxawfV1N93bTBM_gCiRmjs1VXNg0BrGwkwhp7zRw5O6AWwzwHnhxJoq7SwSjBKoBE_lE52345reR_tYdVS_5hbouK77_j8i-ZREr31qGtfvjB1OvqRwUs9TusVg4cLEAqLo7MyKdvKQUZKD5PdD-l50SfZy0jg=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfamhL5X4_jhk8kQKv9hgTOcWgoHVEQxawfV1N93bTBM_gCiRmjs1VXNg0BrGwkwhp7zRw5O6AWwzwHnhxJoq7SwSjBKoBE_lE52345reR_tYdVS_5hbouK77_j8i-ZREr31qGtfvjB1OvqRwUs9TusVg4cLEAqLo7MyKdvKQUZKD5PdD-l50SfZy0jg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLWY0Pc08G9YFR10kVbGMc-pcgs03BKvXMwrfCr07gYLhQk5S3fqcRGpg958mrF58ruigwJH5jcgtPYjioVK4n9vcUs2C1rgX2iNMeByYFacrvmyVO6b-ATsLs2q10e7CTwa-dQjta3tIirX0da9TZXcufMwW1k7flAgX1CS0b93pshrIfRlSncaZCCw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiLWY0Pc08G9YFR10kVbGMc-pcgs03BKvXMwrfCr07gYLhQk5S3fqcRGpg958mrF58ruigwJH5jcgtPYjioVK4n9vcUs2C1rgX2iNMeByYFacrvmyVO6b-ATsLs2q10e7CTwa-dQjta3tIirX0da9TZXcufMwW1k7flAgX1CS0b93pshrIfRlSncaZCCw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKYh18xITne86E-VuNFDpOVHq1Iu7GW515VrnIeBTe0NfdHg2L6K9TRdp_xjcaiaH6lgB9dM9a0EsfhBzxfEyvqRmBMQGP1riuElK7LjeLgR2jTtc3vg_S-4BJdNt8txA9SNVjnPRSkdSA6t02ATCcnbhMfDAHzvZE7uEi5d2xYD8XwWA77IRjaODyRA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKYh18xITne86E-VuNFDpOVHq1Iu7GW515VrnIeBTe0NfdHg2L6K9TRdp_xjcaiaH6lgB9dM9a0EsfhBzxfEyvqRmBMQGP1riuElK7LjeLgR2jTtc3vg_S-4BJdNt8txA9SNVjnPRSkdSA6t02ATCcnbhMfDAHzvZE7uEi5d2xYD8XwWA77IRjaODyRA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea spreading dirt on the icy bank</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening when I was doing chores, our other Amish neighbors (over the hill from us) John and Ruby Miller, came up the creek with their horse and buggy and stopped by our place. They had visitors—an older Amish couple from Montana—and were showing them around the area, and those folks wanted to meet me. They have several of my cattle care books. The older gentlemen got out of the buggy to shake my hand, and his wife said that the women in their family like to read the books when the men are gone, to know how to take care of calving problems. So I guess my books are being read, and helpful, and I was humbled and flattered that they wanted to meet me.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday the weather was mild again and we took advantage of it and vaccinated our cows. They need their pre-calving vaccinations, to make sure they have adequate antibodies in their colostrum to give good passive transfer to their calves at calving time, to protect them from the common causes of calf scours (rotavirus, coronavirus, E. coli and Clostridium perfringens). It was time to do this—about 6 weeks before calving—so the cows would have a chance to build maximum antibody levels. Also we needed to get it done before the fencing crew tears down the lane to the corral (very old fences that are falling down and repeatedly patched) to rebuild.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani helped Andrea and me get the cows in from the field by her house. They don’t like to come down to the corral this time of year and are always suspicious because they know we are not moving them to another pasture (no grass!) and they don’t want to come to the corral. Andrea led them with a little bale of hay on her 4-wheeler and Dani and I followed them down. It was a good thing there were two of us following them because they rebelled along the way and wanted to run back to the field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We fed them the little bale in the hold pen as a reward for coming into that pen, and they ate it while we got the young cows (that will be first and second-calvers) in from the field on the other side of the creek. They followed the 4-wheeler nicely till they got to the gate into the lane past my hay shed and then a couple of them started fighting and goofing around and wouldn’t go in. Andrea kept the first ones from running back out, and Dani and I finally got the naughty ones through the gate.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">By then Charlie had arrived and he helped us. We put the young cows through the chute first. Andrea pushed them along the alleyway into the chute, Charlie caught their heads, I vaccinated them, and Dani deloused them.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXhBn0AC4pnUgSWkJieWBgMLyRMjzDr9FVSYABmML1eAR3i8lK9q_y43P3Cl3Q1jMN7ZUeI-huAXX9zpogsZ4GoAHzXas9pDIGgUHBEgTgvbYiqp4BJTCECn-iAIP541gcw4U162r-zXQQmxAcPIWmXcJvdft8lZSxeY8lsh0M2k5tmCbTC9L3S8VuHw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXhBn0AC4pnUgSWkJieWBgMLyRMjzDr9FVSYABmML1eAR3i8lK9q_y43P3Cl3Q1jMN7ZUeI-huAXX9zpogsZ4GoAHzXas9pDIGgUHBEgTgvbYiqp4BJTCECn-iAIP541gcw4U162r-zXQQmxAcPIWmXcJvdft8lZSxeY8lsh0M2k5tmCbTC9L3S8VuHw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie caught their heads</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani is really good at delousing the cows, being tall with long arms, pouring the delousing liquid all along their backs from tail to head, patiently making sure to do it thoroughly. I took photos as she meticulously applied the oil.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUxaYS6HyQWPYQ2yFHnSi50MFnV7tFGbCu7tE_36reEzNOcdU1eZHZZ4s4GzYLsAjrws0BENrQSocIvYdabN4mybWzeu5lPJhhznByzruGBU8Zg_UO1TjANOWWYEa7G90jGrAn8Gc99X9izS9K2nhrG9DdoW4HOmz6sBuZRPp96FYBWyhunw8TTbTm4g=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUxaYS6HyQWPYQ2yFHnSi50MFnV7tFGbCu7tE_36reEzNOcdU1eZHZZ4s4GzYLsAjrws0BENrQSocIvYdabN4mybWzeu5lPJhhznByzruGBU8Zg_UO1TjANOWWYEa7G90jGrAn8Gc99X9izS9K2nhrG9DdoW4HOmz6sBuZRPp96FYBWyhunw8TTbTm4g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnStepLBejxqshrHD7O-N6qGGIv68UfU-_xPNr9SpUoeO7DCXHkPrJDELT8fHZrEO3kXNnVGgUN8S9-d6xg3s2j_q5yD45Cfd1VLygAyNoXZVhovEtBHkpUK9VWEEVUjcdVLqplDWq43jXrP7F16AsBcFnaDNpnUhES0oyP1HLXgUgxkjE8pwxiRtMAw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnStepLBejxqshrHD7O-N6qGGIv68UfU-_xPNr9SpUoeO7DCXHkPrJDELT8fHZrEO3kXNnVGgUN8S9-d6xg3s2j_q5yD45Cfd1VLygAyNoXZVhovEtBHkpUK9VWEEVUjcdVLqplDWq43jXrP7F16AsBcFnaDNpnUhES0oyP1HLXgUgxkjE8pwxiRtMAw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRaLbQMffh-f2NlpGSI86L46E0zdiqBUixp0P4IIHuJVXy9CL1y7CguArfroK2Fzxe2dqU3gL-8JyeWe7m533NrkQWFT2x3GUfJc7HeFxzh1J2U1jvU4SL10qpEYjMrQWLibWlB5b34n4JpWnoYTETY7klUmoKafXnVpUBxRTGduy9PUNtU07aJF7nrA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRaLbQMffh-f2NlpGSI86L46E0zdiqBUixp0P4IIHuJVXy9CL1y7CguArfroK2Fzxe2dqU3gL-8JyeWe7m533NrkQWFT2x3GUfJc7HeFxzh1J2U1jvU4SL10qpEYjMrQWLibWlB5b34n4JpWnoYTETY7klUmoKafXnVpUBxRTGduy9PUNtU07aJF7nrA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani applying the delouse oil on the neck and head</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyjk-Je6l-hKxbOCQak1TxO3fQLF896hBP--chGJPhAISGGK5QQfgEyqA8AmEVICr6qpgAjD8B3YRmGFf_brAoTTs2IsHVFZG2DlKW4BuYKHfbS3u_KxHoC-dD88EIOeE9yIJwWg-c2hH8RgpfsjyVa4QBRw0VruKSFwqAkVhTljjOH-Di9lpGoej4_w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyjk-Je6l-hKxbOCQak1TxO3fQLF896hBP--chGJPhAISGGK5QQfgEyqA8AmEVICr6qpgAjD8B3YRmGFf_brAoTTs2IsHVFZG2DlKW4BuYKHfbS3u_KxHoC-dD88EIOeE9yIJwWg-c2hH8RgpfsjyVa4QBRw0VruKSFwqAkVhTljjOH-Di9lpGoej4_w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani delousing cow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie with his mellow nature was a good distractor for the cows as she put the last of it onto their neck and head; the cows were focused on Charlie and stayed calm and didn’t flip their heads.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9S430fYU80SCNQWcuIj3FzKYdD8SAWncrSC4gKhdfQbQBIkhHLKM_G-OD2sGuuuEgfBMqhJBWqTKTY2IQs-Ge45CJecEngqg4ytu_eysY0YitSrOAarCktyg9-QBcph8bPVV5rYhDS3zgzcFtYjgtrEk4qOMmTzenychsBJL7wVSDxyu2y3TJneSQYg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi9S430fYU80SCNQWcuIj3FzKYdD8SAWncrSC4gKhdfQbQBIkhHLKM_G-OD2sGuuuEgfBMqhJBWqTKTY2IQs-Ge45CJecEngqg4ytu_eysY0YitSrOAarCktyg9-QBcph8bPVV5rYhDS3zgzcFtYjgtrEk4qOMmTzenychsBJL7wVSDxyu2y3TJneSQYg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie pacifying the cow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiUIUfv5pGi-IVRlIZbiHcq_uUbiaKQd0bYlHiIYisM5Oio757IgWDmXSUokTsDUowoPX2DDu0MU9FWHHukPjfV6Vo_1Ge5pLv0QKGK5sHe8s85rHDjYOM_QrCZI18Rx1pXkJaJ1uLM5Hd5uSRYGomBOTbfnYZB0_i_dTSbLlVPRFoGpnwu3rCNRxiYg=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgiUIUfv5pGi-IVRlIZbiHcq_uUbiaKQd0bYlHiIYisM5Oio757IgWDmXSUokTsDUowoPX2DDu0MU9FWHHukPjfV6Vo_1Ge5pLv0QKGK5sHe8s85rHDjYOM_QrCZI18Rx1pXkJaJ1uLM5Hd5uSRYGomBOTbfnYZB0_i_dTSbLlVPRFoGpnwu3rCNRxiYg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;">We got them finished and took them back up to their field and fed them the bale on the 4-wheeler, then put the older cows through the chute. We took them back up to their field afterward and then fed them their big bale. I took photos as the kids herded the cows out of the corral.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixdzGSEeKmleFOwsCkx_b9xS1rn69B0f9x6l_aKVm4tmIVxBT4fuaHffC3pNE72dzTY53mTpsjhNzjsxSwCjBWrqAHtzqUlTlLZDgw1CMnWDtnYq5Enwhxj09sERjtO-SUAu-3Fc1Fb8QEa4Z1cQ_E_4NgqBucDkHKHoN4RfS5pqorUBlC5nvkmouJ3w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixdzGSEeKmleFOwsCkx_b9xS1rn69B0f9x6l_aKVm4tmIVxBT4fuaHffC3pNE72dzTY53mTpsjhNzjsxSwCjBWrqAHtzqUlTlLZDgw1CMnWDtnYq5Enwhxj09sERjtO-SUAu-3Fc1Fb8QEa4Z1cQ_E_4NgqBucDkHKHoN4RfS5pqorUBlC5nvkmouJ3w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">herding the cows out of the corral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghafvetVm7Ouuwao6Lu7EQVb304-HT1b5Qy7dS_eJNJUcCpNHiun0BCy3dOS7yxrM9thI3t1iaRdTGWIkvnSxDODHaxPPtJpS3vrP4Og2JJef9lysaRJ5ZaneBMPu_VuHUA_fvNsL8X1QHtmUPLFiZV1M3Ln9Y8buDyeFq50V6nEi1jIJjm_Saw5dX1A=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghafvetVm7Ouuwao6Lu7EQVb304-HT1b5Qy7dS_eJNJUcCpNHiun0BCy3dOS7yxrM9thI3t1iaRdTGWIkvnSxDODHaxPPtJpS3vrP4Og2JJef9lysaRJ5ZaneBMPu_VuHUA_fvNsL8X1QHtmUPLFiZV1M3Ln9Y8buDyeFq50V6nEi1jIJjm_Saw5dX1A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking cows out of the corral to go back to the field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">As we drove up into the field for the young cows, our feed truck ran out of gas! I guarded the hay (so the cows wouldn’t pull any off the truck) while Andrea and Charlie hiked back to the house, got his gas can out of his truck, filled it, and brought it back with the 4-wheeler. After we fed that group we put gas in the feed truck. That’s the first time in a very long time that we’ve run out of gas while feeding cows!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We fed the other cows, and Charlie stayed out here at Andrea’s house the rest of the afternoon. Jim taught him how to play cribbage.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That night was cold again (8 degrees) and it only got up to 24 during the next day but it was sunny and pleasant. Michael, Nick and a couple guys from their fencing crew came and started on the fencing projects—tearing out a couple old deteriorated fences in the lane to the post pile pasture and the top end of that pasture. The guys sawed out the brush by the creek so they can build a jack-fence through there, and Michael took the old posts, poles and brush to the burn pile with his skid steer. Nick took out the old rotten gate post that needs to be replaced.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOgociakyiJzMK01xZVZSvsFTBEkAJasbYnKrIVohEg0Tt63-3qG1mMY15TBp2mmiLLhRr7vm093MnTuoqFGq3Q8o4nKh_M9_WYartYXACwdIV5PRklguaG0EQ6CL6kqxDjRzorFC_2NNr-6xiLKqKza-IORla34EiYL5pBMMFkYWtZ_2XKbiQdBfkCw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOgociakyiJzMK01xZVZSvsFTBEkAJasbYnKrIVohEg0Tt63-3qG1mMY15TBp2mmiLLhRr7vm093MnTuoqFGq3Q8o4nKh_M9_WYartYXACwdIV5PRklguaG0EQ6CL6kqxDjRzorFC_2NNr-6xiLKqKza-IORla34EiYL5pBMMFkYWtZ_2XKbiQdBfkCw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking out the old fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUvH-mVIvbaI6qpb81Iy8t4RJEAW_dwz1-xPffrrJ97UENJDn8yWzxNxtU6s2kSIeDK4N6jhHpcIgu-BZDdA9Hj5qekb9oPGb3Bh_hTs1MgnkkUxsGvLxGoklxYrtRwv0WWwaJZ865h_7nD7Tr4AYPbk3eN9c6Alu3J_BtZxCBcDRE6NCjqbVzBFvZ_g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUvH-mVIvbaI6qpb81Iy8t4RJEAW_dwz1-xPffrrJ97UENJDn8yWzxNxtU6s2kSIeDK4N6jhHpcIgu-BZDdA9Hj5qekb9oPGb3Bh_hTs1MgnkkUxsGvLxGoklxYrtRwv0WWwaJZ865h_7nD7Tr4AYPbk3eN9c6Alu3J_BtZxCBcDRE6NCjqbVzBFvZ_g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the brush to the burn pile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOf5X_tDhkISEo3I9MAL0pOCKmrjIOGYb2gGbYHkvJela5APkytS4BAOYkVKAlBdjvLmUl_a0DvXXa_0_xa9tywC5PeXGGsuezk5AgauWONxitEqGR5lbZ3NKEclg_48xBA3eLO61adwxedUj7hjJV8JVZBWy0lBdBbDeP5BZy5k1TIm9Gg5DBo7Jt-w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOf5X_tDhkISEo3I9MAL0pOCKmrjIOGYb2gGbYHkvJela5APkytS4BAOYkVKAlBdjvLmUl_a0DvXXa_0_xa9tywC5PeXGGsuezk5AgauWONxitEqGR5lbZ3NKEclg_48xBA3eLO61adwxedUj7hjJV8JVZBWy0lBdBbDeP5BZy5k1TIm9Gg5DBo7Jt-w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nick taking out the old gate post</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">They also burned the old junk piles—where old fencing materials from past rebuilding projects were stacked in that pasture. It was time to get rid of those—while the ground is snow covered and no risk of the fire getting away from them.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh4mIHAZ5oj4gdmUDDBbkxhPsXguJA7gBbx47KMQVANaJjXnVx6Tr_k-vnN2uhydMnZrio1P1trCIyG0JtpzdHEfAdI3AYFN6nd2JPagSOK4Lu9CJFNjCKyjqsgDGCJ25QTbzdLfvTx99aBHyA6HCphQD-VbRSy3NlMpGurO0TGkHVzTWTc-xNrTAscQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhh4mIHAZ5oj4gdmUDDBbkxhPsXguJA7gBbx47KMQVANaJjXnVx6Tr_k-vnN2uhydMnZrio1P1trCIyG0JtpzdHEfAdI3AYFN6nd2JPagSOK4Lu9CJFNjCKyjqsgDGCJ25QTbzdLfvTx99aBHyA6HCphQD-VbRSy3NlMpGurO0TGkHVzTWTc-xNrTAscQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL6x3K3THKF0WZ1LuhNx8gQHuJIrSWA0bqtjn4HFU1cXrEPOMgElrIPVuWVlPuQYi5FaL-jGmHt0zoz0ZvQhWpInqnoE0BrfCrLtezoin_ECAyxzpbt08jusEkG6FJALWhxuZYwRNikWlD4tPAoy_9UvA7Vw8wONeuAjYQ1pbScSFyu0gDoL9otiQkaw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgL6x3K3THKF0WZ1LuhNx8gQHuJIrSWA0bqtjn4HFU1cXrEPOMgElrIPVuWVlPuQYi5FaL-jGmHt0zoz0ZvQhWpInqnoE0BrfCrLtezoin_ECAyxzpbt08jusEkG6FJALWhxuZYwRNikWlD4tPAoy_9UvA7Vw8wONeuAjYQ1pbScSFyu0gDoL9otiQkaw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRAbz0zem0FEKjR1pWdzICqG8mZLCa7l1PRgFpbMTDKITLk8EaI9XrbAvRnjj9wkwhbyvgm-wj91P79AFW7FLBHcs0l6UjGrthHg1p55lbtPocaboYDSebirPelZCCfNmtaq0R4r415jRl0g6dFKwdk7akQ9Xp9rYS1oz3OXSQmXYjf1_NnqVuTmNPRw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRAbz0zem0FEKjR1pWdzICqG8mZLCa7l1PRgFpbMTDKITLk8EaI9XrbAvRnjj9wkwhbyvgm-wj91P79AFW7FLBHcs0l6UjGrthHg1p55lbtPocaboYDSebirPelZCCfNmtaq0R4r415jRl0g6dFKwdk7akQ9Xp9rYS1oz3OXSQmXYjf1_NnqVuTmNPRw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">burning old fence material & brush</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea helped me feed cows then went to town for two doctor’s appointments—her regular pain doctor, and also to schedule an ultrasound to check out her hernia and gut problems before she sees the doctor who wants her to have hernia surgery. Lynn got the tractor started and we put a new big bale on the feed truck.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was still a bit cold but sunny and the fence crew had a good day and got part of the jack fence built, and took out more of the old fence along the lane that needs to be replaced. I took photos of the progress.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB5zQxNzNAiTWMKkbLP_AqdTaYdUIWThRIgS2A_3VM8D0upn_C3uqGhgchjSwpFHEBBIyImNuQvrTMWb4b7GU2ApICXQZy-p9fjxJHXDeRI-j-n8-y5id-ZLUMPTMWJNIzl3wEpp5BqyfqfJDREPy7WkV159S2kRJQo2ihhiw8gK-3ohxzKonvB8ukIA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiB5zQxNzNAiTWMKkbLP_AqdTaYdUIWThRIgS2A_3VM8D0upn_C3uqGhgchjSwpFHEBBIyImNuQvrTMWb4b7GU2ApICXQZy-p9fjxJHXDeRI-j-n8-y5id-ZLUMPTMWJNIzl3wEpp5BqyfqfJDREPy7WkV159S2kRJQo2ihhiw8gK-3ohxzKonvB8ukIA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">jack fence across creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvNRMadnARYqNKZ2XdAo8y-8CtoIiFnKWz7ijG12psdAAxNdQDd_IGplVJV6e8si03PJJWXXllDPejeaeVlblMFW12myi_LuZ5LAe9c22Pv7rCv1DIVsvR0BkKLCVJ7jegQr_pRvFtYxiT7DT-OYBL742sbIUk5FGqF52svfvUAxoLqySbjY-bF9D7qA=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvNRMadnARYqNKZ2XdAo8y-8CtoIiFnKWz7ijG12psdAAxNdQDd_IGplVJV6e8si03PJJWXXllDPejeaeVlblMFW12myi_LuZ5LAe9c22Pv7rCv1DIVsvR0BkKLCVJ7jegQr_pRvFtYxiT7DT-OYBL742sbIUk5FGqF52svfvUAxoLqySbjY-bF9D7qA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGmNzKebq7DsE5t7XoqQnYFyq4yjlJIjZBpxZmktngghhz9B00h38BvEO4lDEZWpJNZTGaYjqAierJwJHi1WkckHR4By7dPaWg5oj6ntcBgYyrOjA6XycqoCUJxiFQNrB5F0iUFneb-lN3oXOjsS0U0QvrzLuN4pUDImkAOu9PhTD06vQirH7l0qt3uQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGmNzKebq7DsE5t7XoqQnYFyq4yjlJIjZBpxZmktngghhz9B00h38BvEO4lDEZWpJNZTGaYjqAierJwJHi1WkckHR4By7dPaWg5oj6ntcBgYyrOjA6XycqoCUJxiFQNrB5F0iUFneb-lN3oXOjsS0U0QvrzLuN4pUDImkAOu9PhTD06vQirH7l0qt3uQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old lane fence gone</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn went up to Andrea’s house after evening chores and she gave him a haircut. I called my Uncle Bob in Tennessee. He’s my dad’s youngest brother, but in his 90’s and the last living sibling. He had a stroke a few years ago and has a little trouble getting around but his mind is still sharp and it’s always a joy visiting with him on the phone. This time he was reminiscing about UFO’s that were so prevalent in our area during the 1950’s and 1960’s and his experiences with them up close and personal when he spent a summer here as a young man on one of the Forest Service lookouts.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday Andrea went to town early morning for the ultrasound on her hernia, and afterward she got our mail and groceries. We fed the cows mid-day after she got home. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and crew worked on the fencing project again, and finished building a new jack fence across the top end of the post pile pasture and made new gates. Then they started tearing out the ancient fences in the lane from the main corral to the driveway and “sick barn”—the area where we bring cattle from the corral to the lane for loading into a trailer, and also for branding the calves.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7ZKu5LcE2lt10RAbAySe38hytCxxnxeSXaVWElFz7hPjr87qpr7MnFUqXZIP74HGtyB8SwWDDiZZeV9RogLSzdfJoR9FDXBNnTSHaLT5OEpuBotIVfdizX1-I5kGKiXC3e6Ta0eTdZ3TUFWfo4A81NdILGeh7RkrUZ2M69WBxk-SLs4Y6DAHE3axIUw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7ZKu5LcE2lt10RAbAySe38hytCxxnxeSXaVWElFz7hPjr87qpr7MnFUqXZIP74HGtyB8SwWDDiZZeV9RogLSzdfJoR9FDXBNnTSHaLT5OEpuBotIVfdizX1-I5kGKiXC3e6Ta0eTdZ3TUFWfo4A81NdILGeh7RkrUZ2M69WBxk-SLs4Y6DAHE3axIUw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new jack fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgntZhmGy_E4amvxhH96T1gC3Q4s0FuGTajhBgfCEsxCB_YwPaecSfPGKEso8tZNSq4-PGaxosMbCZvQeuzzxgHGUNhfSBbfL_eeWgct55Wxeb9iFGeiUb_UU8_s1_QQncUnYwFseVeDB88b97t9bOofvtAOrpZ_FGRt8-SiuKm_x-vQTgMk95DSgM_9w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgntZhmGy_E4amvxhH96T1gC3Q4s0FuGTajhBgfCEsxCB_YwPaecSfPGKEso8tZNSq4-PGaxosMbCZvQeuzzxgHGUNhfSBbfL_eeWgct55Wxeb9iFGeiUb_UU8_s1_QQncUnYwFseVeDB88b97t9bOofvtAOrpZ_FGRt8-SiuKm_x-vQTgMk95DSgM_9w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tearing out old fence toward corral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon we needed to load and move some hay, and since Emily was at work, Andrea brought Christopher down and he rode with Lynn in the tractor for all the hay moving, and loved “helping” drive the tractor. We took a new big round bale to the heifers’ feeder, and then went around to the stackyard to get more big square bales out of the main stack. Andrea climbed up onto the stack with a ladder and got the snow off another row of bales so we could remove the black plastic covering and get to the bales. Lynn and Christopher took out 6 more bales—one to load on the feed truck and 5 to set in a row for future use—covered with a long tarp. This makes it easier for Lynn and me to grab a bale to reload the feed truck every other day, without having to get into the big stack. Christopher didn’t mind being in the tractor all that time, and it was a good way to keep him out of harm’s way while we were moving bales around.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we got done moving hay, we hiked down to the post pile pasture to check on the fence progress and I took photos of some of the new fences.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7MXEGO_cJMy75XyfIpvvYA9zGR9jPHVXtr-hIsUlef-GG7VCmiG1oVWoU0ihp2xhjUohANCSq1HM7JTGny61TKwRafe8_mFnZ96gcxS2CwcPh0LU4U6LhzURon872BNgWONU_U30dvEH-MWWTKlbzih6UPTktKqfoJmE-x21qC5pxzrK8kiRZk9UNeQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh7MXEGO_cJMy75XyfIpvvYA9zGR9jPHVXtr-hIsUlef-GG7VCmiG1oVWoU0ihp2xhjUohANCSq1HM7JTGny61TKwRafe8_mFnZ96gcxS2CwcPh0LU4U6LhzURon872BNgWONU_U30dvEH-MWWTKlbzih6UPTktKqfoJmE-x21qC5pxzrK8kiRZk9UNeQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new fence in lane to post pile pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUlghvRgZSdjv8U34RkRJGZhbES_byU6NQQg6QuQWjh-FAiGHJvQOXQttVQXNmuTXKDhFjpJkNIJj8Ja_axamBq_LI35mtCURr41d4SHgB2KDdmF5g_CYjYJVD4nRsnAR7BTEgWuvBmRzl9qFYJkLP2CihIbcRoZWtYdFUHNzUp_RQOXLX9DW9b-JR-w=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUlghvRgZSdjv8U34RkRJGZhbES_byU6NQQg6QuQWjh-FAiGHJvQOXQttVQXNmuTXKDhFjpJkNIJj8Ja_axamBq_LI35mtCURr41d4SHgB2KDdmF5g_CYjYJVD4nRsnAR7BTEgWuvBmRzl9qFYJkLP2CihIbcRoZWtYdFUHNzUp_RQOXLX9DW9b-JR-w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1agkJL9o9OfLEXioZfq2KzlfjYfDg3xMCv9zbsapaGTJhwbeLZsBPEkh6xZj2h_630PnMNhLfX-j9ca7W6Ys6YEv5nE2pAdeMhPNehgVj2gzx21RhU3BLq_UGKb_Pk244pP4oll53NfKaAFGVq5jTB5t2-ok6Xih_Rg6OWZAAGE2wtWdLrfa3zKZ8wg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1agkJL9o9OfLEXioZfq2KzlfjYfDg3xMCv9zbsapaGTJhwbeLZsBPEkh6xZj2h_630PnMNhLfX-j9ca7W6Ys6YEv5nE2pAdeMhPNehgVj2gzx21RhU3BLq_UGKb_Pk244pP4oll53NfKaAFGVq5jTB5t2-ok6Xih_Rg6OWZAAGE2wtWdLrfa3zKZ8wg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new fence & gate at top of post pile pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher went with us, and had fun stomping around in every puddle he came to, and wading in the little bit of spring water running across the lane.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzD7A-e0YpPefDkRj-FsHis48gbdVT2mp2UzX15HEfbulqzep-67FNLVR33ikCe38JVTD20jOWYa8LhFajJzBmWw6TsY5b-vRyw3yq6ZigrKVyEOUdmn51kgyg47EXFK7fQGoB4bg3q2WoSCF5X8020Xps_jLF4tlt2Nfz-Uh9Lg8ud4_g8Bc4aICLMA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzD7A-e0YpPefDkRj-FsHis48gbdVT2mp2UzX15HEfbulqzep-67FNLVR33ikCe38JVTD20jOWYa8LhFajJzBmWw6TsY5b-vRyw3yq6ZigrKVyEOUdmn51kgyg47EXFK7fQGoB4bg3q2WoSCF5X8020Xps_jLF4tlt2Nfz-Uh9Lg8ud4_g8Bc4aICLMA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher wading in the water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday was warm again and the snow settled a lot, and water was running down the driveway. When Andrea and I fed the cows she took a couple little bales on her 4-wheeler to put in the brush for bedding for the cows in that field—to try to entice them to bed there instead of along the ditch where some of them have been sleeping. There’s always risk for a cow getting upside down in a ditch when they lie too close to one. I took pictures while we fed cows, and spread the hay in the brush.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiu_ncirTGGGDFwEZlNV4EVTcwAfXwrvh8Q0YBAkNtaDORSkT9oim3ay_HG3bSnYVWIbdOS_-s6f9Q-tYhR4GCv5KKqKc6pC3h3uCMPWbZkz0-pB2eq5kzoNn6opjfkSw-iJUl0cQfZ_wwOzF52-dT0eGTeSJHyOD7MZ6x25gXBNBq2YESPekw5-W9kZg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiu_ncirTGGGDFwEZlNV4EVTcwAfXwrvh8Q0YBAkNtaDORSkT9oim3ay_HG3bSnYVWIbdOS_-s6f9Q-tYhR4GCv5KKqKc6pC3h3uCMPWbZkz0-pB2eq5kzoNn6opjfkSw-iJUl0cQfZ_wwOzF52-dT0eGTeSJHyOD7MZ6x25gXBNBq2YESPekw5-W9kZg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPlwmeF9prW9xu1-FuLDgDZq0XvrWh80-Xyp6-ar1XXZLTXt6d9XXv_VeXHKegpO1DNMTQ9uSnpy55jqb4b6Y3A_Fg6XD-3Hg3DlIkbsUGNgpozwiWtnojuusZyiTn3abBX4iubjkivfPyx20QY1EVD8xhug8Ttxp-2NTZiru_zCdS3taiNKHNtbwXVw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPlwmeF9prW9xu1-FuLDgDZq0XvrWh80-Xyp6-ar1XXZLTXt6d9XXv_VeXHKegpO1DNMTQ9uSnpy55jqb4b6Y3A_Fg6XD-3Hg3DlIkbsUGNgpozwiWtnojuusZyiTn3abBX4iubjkivfPyx20QY1EVD8xhug8Ttxp-2NTZiru_zCdS3taiNKHNtbwXVw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to spread hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpXy-DAZo4P2oBpheXVAeuamGEePcIR4bKSiEClMmGYM-QUxmBMwzuMRfA_NIodZpoZhbSYCqagpv-EGgOdhSl6SIovBct1cI90nojGRe-rJwNv0ORAMyUyJF6kDnLQ8Z8fu8UrjPDDbdX1yJvliCpgApcxeUnRzs07Xk2GiNWJ7yESD7XFBInE5i6Hg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpXy-DAZo4P2oBpheXVAeuamGEePcIR4bKSiEClMmGYM-QUxmBMwzuMRfA_NIodZpoZhbSYCqagpv-EGgOdhSl6SIovBct1cI90nojGRe-rJwNv0ORAMyUyJF6kDnLQ8Z8fu8UrjPDDbdX1yJvliCpgApcxeUnRzs07Xk2GiNWJ7yESD7XFBInE5i6Hg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hay for bedding in the bushes</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that afternoon when I went to do chores I took a photo of Babe, the bull.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKoMqGtlvfEMr9O74B3B8TBJPRFDh3WNNNtqTCbjv_CzaJkbs441IKeo7wbdrB9hzNnogniGLxyvgdVJv5vKvoV3RYUbduSmtoD7oaclW513o2LncLPPidaZ9TKUbRW9puSfoUtyea7sdIsqBAkLFl_uGZ8Jtn6WZW66w0YhlZN3h-CyRCTBcJQofAuQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKoMqGtlvfEMr9O74B3B8TBJPRFDh3WNNNtqTCbjv_CzaJkbs441IKeo7wbdrB9hzNnogniGLxyvgdVJv5vKvoV3RYUbduSmtoD7oaclW513o2LncLPPidaZ9TKUbRW9puSfoUtyea7sdIsqBAkLFl_uGZ8Jtn6WZW66w0YhlZN3h-CyRCTBcJQofAuQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Babe</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">That day the fence crew took down the old loading chute and the fence on the back side of the main corral; it’s all old and rotten (we built the loading chute 45 years ago and don’t use it anymore because we no longer haul cattle with trucks; they are always loaded into a trailer at ground level). I took photos of the old chute, and the guys sawing down the old fence leading to it, and Nick sawing out the sides of the chute.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjOVSRPsavanWIMINOkle_dmDqHhHiBMRkW7uUmksCiUY6IG36pMCc9xzm2gSt1EeU0W3rUcr3TXWzrCHlWBjJ7fYB_8hOIzN5AcH0gDdrDy4yJXt0aD6BMypRDx0TOFGvl0BOZdy7BodCBWVUpMEtu7wYe7rAs-9hYDW2cSlgWTvoJDLiCcYZ0SviFw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjOVSRPsavanWIMINOkle_dmDqHhHiBMRkW7uUmksCiUY6IG36pMCc9xzm2gSt1EeU0W3rUcr3TXWzrCHlWBjJ7fYB_8hOIzN5AcH0gDdrDy4yJXt0aD6BMypRDx0TOFGvl0BOZdy7BodCBWVUpMEtu7wYe7rAs-9hYDW2cSlgWTvoJDLiCcYZ0SviFw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old loading chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU-PEkzvS01Sp1zkmB7xksCwhqbEdxF7WAdu-PVO6OjUOxUytEzRfzcvUiYIH3Et4s2dONnwyf1sMlPv_gMqE3duLeEvsGT9PqXryR60N7rloXjEY6raQPYfNFjvi-KN2UnGkpGbmOmHR0YLv3bXut7k_Pb1loYmwcicYZP9ZxKRg9_YCor7cLmN8cFg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU-PEkzvS01Sp1zkmB7xksCwhqbEdxF7WAdu-PVO6OjUOxUytEzRfzcvUiYIH3Et4s2dONnwyf1sMlPv_gMqE3duLeEvsGT9PqXryR60N7rloXjEY6raQPYfNFjvi-KN2UnGkpGbmOmHR0YLv3bXut7k_Pb1loYmwcicYZP9ZxKRg9_YCor7cLmN8cFg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking down fence & loading chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJwivHPWy53XEC5BT3TnnwlhKCwJyKC1oj3YPHzA2L94kBqbXRXo4eeD33Cyx__A95BTEjoVQSC7OsTVhrf1PKY35sXsgUJFkHrpsSs-nTcIfJd7AA3RZegpUjNOs1iI6PV4jtNVtu5r_auAVtgZD6ASJZYDfZraBaDC9JvgMOI7UjrY6JxZ_uonnygA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJwivHPWy53XEC5BT3TnnwlhKCwJyKC1oj3YPHzA2L94kBqbXRXo4eeD33Cyx__A95BTEjoVQSC7OsTVhrf1PKY35sXsgUJFkHrpsSs-nTcIfJd7AA3RZegpUjNOs1iI6PV4jtNVtu5r_auAVtgZD6ASJZYDfZraBaDC9JvgMOI7UjrY6JxZ_uonnygA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Nick sawing down sides of chute</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We plan to burn the old pile of baling twines and the heap of old poles and boards that were plowed aside when one of the old falling down sheds was demolished and moved out of the way. If the old fence and loading dock is gone, it won’t be at risk of burning up when we light those junk piles next to it. Then we can rebuild that side of the main corral, and create a new loading alley to back up a stock trailer for hauling cattle, and have a lot of space between it and the lane to stack hay. This is a great opportunity to get rid of those big piles of old poles and boards and an old caved-in shed, and gain some valuable space. I took photos of the old piles that need to be burned and removed.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAeESMPd0jnVqG9TfubcNW_WFVSsR3phf_umf6h0j-p-a15gLIzs12zx8meAELWcEDZTeEk936tUdBRuNbZIBUQpOAKYaEQ0oMTRXcCr8117ivfe5drhy1oRZDvvnspt7nJ8UW3Q3z2NWD2HkBBQMpbk7v6XwDZlZFsI_gDmkk1s9BV_4vqyf2ULnu3w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiAeESMPd0jnVqG9TfubcNW_WFVSsR3phf_umf6h0j-p-a15gLIzs12zx8meAELWcEDZTeEk936tUdBRuNbZIBUQpOAKYaEQ0oMTRXcCr8117ivfe5drhy1oRZDvvnspt7nJ8UW3Q3z2NWD2HkBBQMpbk7v6XwDZlZFsI_gDmkk1s9BV_4vqyf2ULnu3w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old fallen-down shed & string pile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjF-mGjAG72Pij7GNQsY_K5ou-EqNOmH-0VbXZR6n-bZKu9wl8wCU8vOZhOmOPGGcuTiJkuJA5JDFACCwZYN4ic3ENP481GRGk8wagR6Ra6BJSIn8UTpqvE2vjB_5sg0eFABnt6b-ZREje2FvwkfDN6QzxIDmvfa4-1w3MSHQL0v2tamNBzlwQo6Yfdw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjF-mGjAG72Pij7GNQsY_K5ou-EqNOmH-0VbXZR6n-bZKu9wl8wCU8vOZhOmOPGGcuTiJkuJA5JDFACCwZYN4ic3ENP481GRGk8wagR6Ra6BJSIn8UTpqvE2vjB_5sg0eFABnt6b-ZREje2FvwkfDN6QzxIDmvfa4-1w3MSHQL0v2tamNBzlwQo6Yfdw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old piles that need burned</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Late that afternoon Andrea and Christopher went to town to do all the town errands and took the old worn-out 4-wheeler tires off Lynn’s 4-wheeler, to get new ones. He hasn’t been able to drive if for a while because a couple of the tires kept going flat; it was definitely time for some new ones! The warmer weather enticed the snow to slide off our house roof a little more, and I took photos of its unique configurations.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieNBk2yMJKuujqfGdmePC-t1AzEMNPiQZe6BkPKRpYTDmEu9zqp-AHr-a6dzkk6ITYwRBOG88H4OwclKDEMIL3McSirVVAnhPi5RKtCcBwI-fQlM-i5On7jy0o0eFjXw8j0F2x9Pxoe4Vp_HEfwyEVa-RbGVepXyY3m2zbxdR95pZusm-iAPx3PcNcWA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieNBk2yMJKuujqfGdmePC-t1AzEMNPiQZe6BkPKRpYTDmEu9zqp-AHr-a6dzkk6ITYwRBOG88H4OwclKDEMIL3McSirVVAnhPi5RKtCcBwI-fQlM-i5On7jy0o0eFjXw8j0F2x9Pxoe4Vp_HEfwyEVa-RbGVepXyY3m2zbxdR95pZusm-iAPx3PcNcWA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">40 years accumulation of strings next to fallen down shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixw5igo3ARSrU3TATAOlURoB3_fuN9axfpJJSiNyvWBAWXgTFnjJqGIVsTZNTVZ2LsCiElVbV0SlemO2yaMzHz3_S_kLimP9slOA5LPs4UN67z-mGj18H8tDxNuAxN_ZuoDQrkM9kx_mFlsy-dPekmDR62GRAWUeQ6TB7mNO297IDMgbRIpVwvacvf3Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixw5igo3ARSrU3TATAOlURoB3_fuN9axfpJJSiNyvWBAWXgTFnjJqGIVsTZNTVZ2LsCiElVbV0SlemO2yaMzHz3_S_kLimP9slOA5LPs4UN67z-mGj18H8tDxNuAxN_ZuoDQrkM9kx_mFlsy-dPekmDR62GRAWUeQ6TB7mNO297IDMgbRIpVwvacvf3Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow coming off roof</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMaTY6OSP8R4hArIjcrgg8qGVEjPgArOEuzybwBCRFNRmo1gZA9-sRNr2N5r2DdwNVKguNdtUJ0jLT9wNm4Knc9hjk62wXpB_wxiviHJrb4OKaUqu8IsbM14wbHomPAz9z83UoFRvyKa8YjGwNHgDcb2ZvAB-gOAfDZlxLmsnviOYcMTFJp3VSI9b48A=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgMaTY6OSP8R4hArIjcrgg8qGVEjPgArOEuzybwBCRFNRmo1gZA9-sRNr2N5r2DdwNVKguNdtUJ0jLT9wNm4Knc9hjk62wXpB_wxiviHJrb4OKaUqu8IsbM14wbHomPAz9z83UoFRvyKa8YjGwNHgDcb2ZvAB-gOAfDZlxLmsnviOYcMTFJp3VSI9b48A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow coming off roof</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Friday was warm again; another nice day for the fence crew. Michael rented a mini-excavator, and used it to tear out all the brush along the creek in the main corral where we need to rebuild that fence. He used the mini to tear out the brush, and the fence crew cut it to make manageable loads for the skid steer, for Nick to haul it down to the burn pile. Once the brush and old fence are cleared out, they can rebuild the fence that has to cross the creek in two places.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUqNYU0qvs0JyCWTarALeT4mDsFZXX7hwEvxXA-RK1Ijzj10MkOBvRGKTdY6iu0m5LNx2I3GmmhXKVZpVvWdlLUo6qPjWYrSsPnTCPNoFlQY1WN9_mogxa-3QW-sDLADHyw6qb9TEdcAM8xg_nuYJeDBb3Nm_34MAfAh25iTYufb4VP9nI-rkB9F_8Hg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUqNYU0qvs0JyCWTarALeT4mDsFZXX7hwEvxXA-RK1Ijzj10MkOBvRGKTdY6iu0m5LNx2I3GmmhXKVZpVvWdlLUo6qPjWYrSsPnTCPNoFlQY1WN9_mogxa-3QW-sDLADHyw6qb9TEdcAM8xg_nuYJeDBb3Nm_34MAfAh25iTYufb4VP9nI-rkB9F_8Hg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">using skid steer and mini excavator to tear out the brush along the creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjavns3ri9mXvoD3v8AgjMleq3IYo-2svxnoRhRmQSrG5PKng82jJwNO6lUiA2UAqA3_Kckp7lGQF5Vjdv0eMPVMNBcfILFDL4Tg-1oqJYrkStxQO2KgFXij9NHShGmBp5sJchRt8z4OHKN8YE78ylROh4pEcyHednu2r2O_knb6CgNfbZTOV-CV2OnXQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjavns3ri9mXvoD3v8AgjMleq3IYo-2svxnoRhRmQSrG5PKng82jJwNO6lUiA2UAqA3_Kckp7lGQF5Vjdv0eMPVMNBcfILFDL4Tg-1oqJYrkStxQO2KgFXij9NHShGmBp5sJchRt8z4OHKN8YE78ylROh4pEcyHednu2r2O_knb6CgNfbZTOV-CV2OnXQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">getting rid of brush so we can rebuild the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfhuBK8J_VGY3RuqP8PjTfZq_ApezULZ7au40IuJZS1hsurxeLYTrH57hV-BBVswFA046SZp5QQOXDIcSpunboI5ICJ4ErgU6ofj4buk06f5_LX-Ahzfg30P9UTg_aMqnWx3YbEo9hJaSe-HNTbAsEaHY6UjdEQs6osQw2fzP41QB8X0tu-DdKCz_uCA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfhuBK8J_VGY3RuqP8PjTfZq_ApezULZ7au40IuJZS1hsurxeLYTrH57hV-BBVswFA046SZp5QQOXDIcSpunboI5ICJ4ErgU6ofj4buk06f5_LX-Ahzfg30P9UTg_aMqnWx3YbEo9hJaSe-HNTbAsEaHY6UjdEQs6osQw2fzP41QB8X0tu-DdKCz_uCA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hauling off the brush</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVEEVtHZ5lukHixJlxldY9Yha1kKg5zuTZ-9cnLXR9eqPsUedPX6XMhEnuEBqPrhEUQqslxFxN12x4YHtFzpBK9tpdnXi8zV7e1t1rPZD4mpAeg8E3MqRxuOauEW9mrcWVcpzKcZYmaI8vmSH4TAB7Ib7MtoYiYHDdCTsjWs7ooeiIcBbondTrOrxQpQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVEEVtHZ5lukHixJlxldY9Yha1kKg5zuTZ-9cnLXR9eqPsUedPX6XMhEnuEBqPrhEUQqslxFxN12x4YHtFzpBK9tpdnXi8zV7e1t1rPZD4mpAeg8E3MqRxuOauEW9mrcWVcpzKcZYmaI8vmSH4TAB7Ib7MtoYiYHDdCTsjWs7ooeiIcBbondTrOrxQpQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tearing out brush & old fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Michael used the mini to tear out brush along the old fence in the little pen below the bull corral. The brush and willows have grown huge in the 45 years since that old fence was built, and this was too big a job to try to handle with his skid steer. The old pole fence was rotten and falling down, and though we’d patched it in multiple places it was not going to hold up forever and this is a good time to rebuild it. After he got the brush away from the fence, his crew sawed out the old posts and poles so we can rebuild that stretch of fence.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA_j5AvUKB6jt88hc6qZQE9kOFlsvRbLcSPNy9ue64emF-OO5ICF6zCoFIiOb9OhyTICmJ-ksTQvoK9nk_hjmtPodCLmW378MZwvr9lu3PAkN1dqimiy0FYfa7K0WhXdsn6n7ovV9CNxeRJQyKmQ5oo-3G6gvpfc6MnZgAmFwNJgSUDQMQdzD4WcMOGg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgA_j5AvUKB6jt88hc6qZQE9kOFlsvRbLcSPNy9ue64emF-OO5ICF6zCoFIiOb9OhyTICmJ-ksTQvoK9nk_hjmtPodCLmW378MZwvr9lu3PAkN1dqimiy0FYfa7K0WhXdsn6n7ovV9CNxeRJQyKmQ5oo-3G6gvpfc6MnZgAmFwNJgSUDQMQdzD4WcMOGg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tearing out brush in swamp pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE19bTEVYwwA0572zfAaPbP70EewRBwQLwRE_mOM7w6mfGRyl_TGvTpRZkwAWxEJh76M8fZIHLgap2s1-Cje3SgyI9AdcXWgUMHsifMIo57CMq-pb_E79jJ7iyuMzg3T8J13BMRDcuT7sN5jqAHHgfttLOjcG8R3wsTw5QEnWeX38kNyt8Im9VDE-pyg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiE19bTEVYwwA0572zfAaPbP70EewRBwQLwRE_mOM7w6mfGRyl_TGvTpRZkwAWxEJh76M8fZIHLgap2s1-Cje3SgyI9AdcXWgUMHsifMIo57CMq-pb_E79jJ7iyuMzg3T8J13BMRDcuT7sN5jqAHHgfttLOjcG8R3wsTw5QEnWeX38kNyt8Im9VDE-pyg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael tearing out brush along old fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifwVTxU1pMbaQBQzJbKmUo3Bq981LjUP5JUIbHLxLhseemxPK1tIzf7C3-JAvK9Wnark34Uj5bAsDxFW5dgC5XN81L1Knrkyw0Ny9opBCFkKD_qYAHmUaXxdaKUX9qkzsR2guLZ5YtdIpmhfWOIAV3F3LDsfznqFsCtk-9Cln310U7QjlZSBADlvt30g=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifwVTxU1pMbaQBQzJbKmUo3Bq981LjUP5JUIbHLxLhseemxPK1tIzf7C3-JAvK9Wnark34Uj5bAsDxFW5dgC5XN81L1Knrkyw0Ny9opBCFkKD_qYAHmUaXxdaKUX9qkzsR2guLZ5YtdIpmhfWOIAV3F3LDsfznqFsCtk-9Cln310U7QjlZSBADlvt30g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrhAK-r5mrBKchiIVqtSu485GrMiBl0-GUiC1Om6VzUBBv7UIMNedulOWsII3EEODmOBep3b6V-jasj0Z1ciJYadDRnzIuxFzHZyGuKIGpZB36QkXQxFYpkKzmHnJ4ZdqUbh6XDGoXhiXmso_JFTyRvCyt1KN-Ce1YbY787ZctYkUo0S7aiBVUVa6lag=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrhAK-r5mrBKchiIVqtSu485GrMiBl0-GUiC1Om6VzUBBv7UIMNedulOWsII3EEODmOBep3b6V-jasj0Z1ciJYadDRnzIuxFzHZyGuKIGpZB36QkXQxFYpkKzmHnJ4ZdqUbh6XDGoXhiXmso_JFTyRvCyt1KN-Ce1YbY787ZctYkUo0S7aiBVUVa6lag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fence crew sawing out old fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Andrea, Jim and Dani made several trips with his trailer and Dani’s truck to haul the unstacked wood up to Andrea’s house and stacked it there. She should have enough wood now for the rest of the winter, and we’ll have enough here—with what’s stacked by the corner of the shop and along the side of our house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Lynn and I went to Andrea’s house after chores and feeding, for a brief birthday celebration. Christopher brought me some presents and diligently supervised my opening them—some new shirts and some nice seamless pants for riding; my old ones wore out last summer. I think Christopher was disappointed that I didn’t get any toys in my presents!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDpIPVuGzhByy1Owfpi5nXnm_yKICjU7jhW-9dStitYrkWg0u2rzFLYzx34dr6CsXNkWPU0rCKL8iFnSTGo9IH92j4CJzlCPJ_rj68OAyE-4WR_nEBKO0tIhhOniEC6xbofaf2_-wTfvoe2PXg3r9uQiMbqtydYeFC07wevkjzNSpDDANHhUYJ4QQlvA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDpIPVuGzhByy1Owfpi5nXnm_yKICjU7jhW-9dStitYrkWg0u2rzFLYzx34dr6CsXNkWPU0rCKL8iFnSTGo9IH92j4CJzlCPJ_rj68OAyE-4WR_nEBKO0tIhhOniEC6xbofaf2_-wTfvoe2PXg3r9uQiMbqtydYeFC07wevkjzNSpDDANHhUYJ4QQlvA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Christopher helped with my birthday gifts</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea made a nice card, with an old photo taken when Emily was a baby and just learning to crawl. We all looked a lot younger then, and little Emily looked a lot like Christopher did at that age.</span><br /><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-12669778554268636192022-02-26T06:36:00.000-08:002022-02-26T06:36:24.217-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – December 14 through January 13, 2022<p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">DECEMBER 22</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We got a little rain and snow and lots of wind last week. With the cold weather we started our pellet stove in the living room, for the first time this winter. We use it at night and use the wood stove during the daytime. We only run both stoves if it gets really cold, like down to zero.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday I did chores in the dark so I could get done in time to do a phone interview at 8 a.m. (I do a lot of my interviews, for articles, in the mornings but often have to juggle chore time around them). Then Andrea helped me feed the heifers a bale of my horse hay and a little alfalfa. We are getting them gradually adjusted to the rich alfalfa so they won’t bloat when we let them have it full time in their feeder. The cows were still doing well on heifer hill grazing (with the protein supplement blocks).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When Andrea did our town errands the next day she bought several packages of white T-shirts so I can draw horses on them to make Christmas presents for family and friends. That’s my traditional gift that’s unique and personalized for everyone.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday was very cold and windy and that night it got down to 13 degrees. Saturday was cold again but we probably won’t have to start feeding hay to the cows until we get a lot of snow. There is still plenty of grass and we gave them 2 more protein blocks. A friend brought us a Christmas wreath and Lynn hung it by the back door.</span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXhNK2PhkjxrR1AR7b-L7aQckmn6EiqPVBKLqaNxI7gxlrzDFFxhUSxNaMMW-mOnllmPL7eFc-tbmXtN-pZAgxuvye4B7ivy2Tdm2Y_ttwaGjSjYbGqRYyHAqTFM4TccgFjXKgqb17_jibOguHil9aVprTLHkFO6UKG5-T5-BwQJPqi-lHmaCjROEFHQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXhNK2PhkjxrR1AR7b-L7aQckmn6EiqPVBKLqaNxI7gxlrzDFFxhUSxNaMMW-mOnllmPL7eFc-tbmXtN-pZAgxuvye4B7ivy2Tdm2Y_ttwaGjSjYbGqRYyHAqTFM4TccgFjXKgqb17_jibOguHil9aVprTLHkFO6UKG5-T5-BwQJPqi-lHmaCjROEFHQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christmas wreath</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Sunday and Monday Andrea put in some step-in posts and put up a hot wire along the deep ditch at the top of the field by her house, and across her driveway so the cows can’t get into her yard when we put them in that field. She went to town Monday afternoon to pick up Christopher (who was in town with his mom) so Emily could go to work; she got called to come to work on her day off because a staff member at the care center came down with COVID and they needed someone to fill in.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday Emily worked again and Andrea had to go to town to do some last minute things before Christmas, and left Christopher with us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today was warmer and this morning Andrea and I moved the cows from heifer hill to the field by her house. They were scattered out grazing when we went up there, but came when I called, and followed me across the creek, but my little blind cow didn’t see which way the herd went. She headed down along the brush on the wrong side of the creek so I had to go back to the field and call her, and she came.</div><div><br /></div><div>There is a lot of grass in the new pasture (we didn’t graze it after we cut the hay on that field and it has about 6 to 8 inches of regrowth) and grass on the hillside above it, so this forage should last several weeks unless we get deep snow.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">DECEMBER 30</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span>Last Thursday, just before Christmas, one of my editor asked me to do two articles that she needed by the next day (Christmas Eve). Apparently the writers who had originally been given those assignments were unable to do them, so I was given the job at the last minute. At least both people I was asked to interview were very helpful and did the phone interviews on short notice, and I spent the day typing those up, sending rough drafts to them to check over, and it all worked out on time—in spite of having a lot of other things to do that day. </div><div><br /></div><div>We got the tractor started and gave the heifers a new bale in their feeder, and then I helped Andrea and Lynn load an old antique stove (that Stan bought last summer) into her pickup. She hopes to go visit him sometime after Christmas, in California, and take the stove for him. Jim split more wood, and Andrea took Christopher to town so Emily could take him to see the Parade of Lights that evening. I tried to finish some of the T-shirts for gifts, and wrapped gifts for kids and grandkids.</div><div><br /></div><div>Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent us some photos of the two little boys helping Gregory get a little Christmas tree…</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh71AcCwSHF-RmKCdTiwNQaLPOPQQTk11nZNULWaopHD6BL8iU-LLzEmkS2lXVMQlg6QHGAOuoptz8kS7uDU2Q80xZD4k2FmmsoePY_miGZVaDZJT36avjkXUH7Lbx9lbjJTG9PmWxI1L3Dr63wVb2MKncFPy3aKg5UKbpNdvOHtX2IZ8JBQtxWupuRgg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh71AcCwSHF-RmKCdTiwNQaLPOPQQTk11nZNULWaopHD6BL8iU-LLzEmkS2lXVMQlg6QHGAOuoptz8kS7uDU2Q80xZD4k2FmmsoePY_miGZVaDZJT36avjkXUH7Lbx9lbjJTG9PmWxI1L3Dr63wVb2MKncFPy3aKg5UKbpNdvOHtX2IZ8JBQtxWupuRgg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James & Joseph helping their dad get a little Christmas tree</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>..and photos of the boys with the tree after they helped decorate it, and sitting with their dad next to their tree.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidX4smXyscXRDyZeUa9QtueF2gbn36r9LoVUykEF1rBIupRoUKfPSpFtnsow9wPRDMUIwmEBWBm40ig7Mc-RIzjJ8LGn4GvYsjXn2RNCHe5CVJdGCp7a60yKHGVn2XPCvC6wNsyQe5w_TG_NT8-N_8OzO5mJonezJbcM4dTQm5l3RKXJ1NMAtnTWOEpA=s3456" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="1927" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidX4smXyscXRDyZeUa9QtueF2gbn36r9LoVUykEF1rBIupRoUKfPSpFtnsow9wPRDMUIwmEBWBm40ig7Mc-RIzjJ8LGn4GvYsjXn2RNCHe5CVJdGCp7a60yKHGVn2XPCvC6wNsyQe5w_TG_NT8-N_8OzO5mJonezJbcM4dTQm5l3RKXJ1NMAtnTWOEpA=w223-h400" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph & James & their tree</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo4O7grnXaIjCRuwO23ZWWADeosV9NFOsYWgU7dUlz4BpTEfHq3R4bBaFT2sxeGREQ12smRICNWUvvuzbbwdRZ9QGSatmA0mmd0lIZNM1MQacyE1M4QHPDYgb3O__Enb_UFysBv6syMEXwHWb3ROVbFcQBtYX2ytnH9JPk8xZ_j67se7a1wVObdAUHUQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjo4O7grnXaIjCRuwO23ZWWADeosV9NFOsYWgU7dUlz4BpTEfHq3R4bBaFT2sxeGREQ12smRICNWUvvuzbbwdRZ9QGSatmA0mmd0lIZNM1MQacyE1M4QHPDYgb3O__Enb_UFysBv6syMEXwHWb3ROVbFcQBtYX2ytnH9JPk8xZ_j67se7a1wVObdAUHUQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the boys & their dad and the tree</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>We had 2 inches of snow the day before Christmas, and it looked like all the deer in the neighborhood spent the night in our haystacks. Up until then they’d been leaving our good hay alone because there was still a little green grass in some of our fields. With the snow, however, the deer decided it was easier to just eat our hay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea helped me put deer netting around the heifer hay (the stacks next to Shiloh’s pen), and we made a “cage” around the big haystack in the stackyard across the creek, to try to keep the deer out. Those projects took all morning. At least our cows are still grazing in the field by Andrea’s house and on the hillside; the snow isn’t deep enough to completely cover that grass. I took photos of the “cage” we made around the heifer hay next to the horses.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwjGsZ1yaGS0tgWO_KRuBZbKqjXUyLW6oLSjlrO5QHqcXaXHBun5NAKTVhobQbH-lrZjm0WPuF8u1CXW2efSqwwhtTVJY1WGbm2OQg88Ggw_H0JxaTCLAANGPPGQFU75CrN9a8EKJYzP8CgifPwduHEVDVs-1l60m5-Yj_pKrRqyKgIYXMLPL1B428mQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjwjGsZ1yaGS0tgWO_KRuBZbKqjXUyLW6oLSjlrO5QHqcXaXHBun5NAKTVhobQbH-lrZjm0WPuF8u1CXW2efSqwwhtTVJY1WGbm2OQg88Ggw_H0JxaTCLAANGPPGQFU75CrN9a8EKJYzP8CgifPwduHEVDVs-1l60m5-Yj_pKrRqyKgIYXMLPL1B428mQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer netting around haystack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAFE2-YLnVy5q5T4v8GUnQ9-12JvdsDcsB3gtoEanzjn2hMXKNU-3uQDSpazjZyGOqUH9XoCgachkkGfRYTl_eiouNA9R55ECVMzo_b9Q4P2ZhSWx9ZKSOR5re9mTf6tDGGHWIC92-0r_EqWzHU7o3UnbBMGdee2DwWz0Uu1qXOyaQR_l7n58OQYEg2A=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhAFE2-YLnVy5q5T4v8GUnQ9-12JvdsDcsB3gtoEanzjn2hMXKNU-3uQDSpazjZyGOqUH9XoCgachkkGfRYTl_eiouNA9R55ECVMzo_b9Q4P2ZhSWx9ZKSOR5re9mTf6tDGGHWIC92-0r_EqWzHU7o3UnbBMGdee2DwWz0Uu1qXOyaQR_l7n58OQYEg2A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer netting around haystacks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Michael came by and we exchanged gifts—for his family and ours. At chore time that evening I took a wagon load of hay around to the bull pen—grass hay from my stack to mix with the grass/alfalfa big round bale I’ve been feeding him. Charlie stopped by on his way to Andrea’s house, and helped bring in more sacks of wood pellets from the shop across the driveway, since we were about to run out of pellets here in the house.</div><div><br /></div><div>We had horrible wind during the night, and it blew down one part of our “deer cage” around the heifer hay stack, so I had to repair that when I did morning chores on Christmas day. Then I made a big fruit salad and Lynn and I went to Andrea’s house. Sam was home from college for a few days, so she and her boyfriend came, along with Charlie and Emily’s boyfriend AJ, so all of Andrea’s kids were here for Christmas. I took photos of Christopher riding his little tractor and visiting with the guys while Andrea and crew got dinner ready.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIb15Rg4w6tnzWM10F0be4wFopgkXRyJPV3iEjpyc14GsOfKPEEu--lWhZUyLzUdzBSWKSe0jdj6yHzQLlvjl596UgZIdA-vi-2uEE58thQxysnVnWhoiOAwoeMJmfx6-6tiCbVoBeWCrOEzOTPniVAuh_GN7yYMKxLiwBv1b0jPo77lGYK06BKWs4mQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIb15Rg4w6tnzWM10F0be4wFopgkXRyJPV3iEjpyc14GsOfKPEEu--lWhZUyLzUdzBSWKSe0jdj6yHzQLlvjl596UgZIdA-vi-2uEE58thQxysnVnWhoiOAwoeMJmfx6-6tiCbVoBeWCrOEzOTPniVAuh_GN7yYMKxLiwBv1b0jPo77lGYK06BKWs4mQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher driving his toy tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfAqBTFyzxhnwdKw5nDJgrWX167paLGmjqu6vVNY0KIYIU7nYE8bw0v6L1bm6IWWZ_JDVhK8FSSRRTtT58f_POgTg60bknYQIly1txJiWx3hHiCjtPQHGMU9a69SyhInmglgB9S6mwjhk-92zGOidOTSRR-0jNJ3-r901eYDUNtTSLfETlA76BlUuG9Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfAqBTFyzxhnwdKw5nDJgrWX167paLGmjqu6vVNY0KIYIU7nYE8bw0v6L1bm6IWWZ_JDVhK8FSSRRTtT58f_POgTg60bknYQIly1txJiWx3hHiCjtPQHGMU9a69SyhInmglgB9S6mwjhk-92zGOidOTSRR-0jNJ3-r901eYDUNtTSLfETlA76BlUuG9Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>some of the boys visiting</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>We had fun watching Christopher open his presents, and Andrea cooked a wonderful dinner and we all ate too much. I took photos of Christopher trying out some of his new toys..<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf_q2uhGdJo9rR9za50AleX2NeMCc9MLi7GustZ5vI-SYSUeDnTxWlzaeHbYIdCfrXZDRlzXoijeaoYgfMywdtc6uYlqDhC-Z5Z5869hGrUBH59_WfUbuC0866l0fybldw2XRuQQ_cZu9WjHYQSUmVRklJYZ4Yh3Ux82kDg7rF8OcmhGhdDtPsoN9trg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhf_q2uhGdJo9rR9za50AleX2NeMCc9MLi7GustZ5vI-SYSUeDnTxWlzaeHbYIdCfrXZDRlzXoijeaoYgfMywdtc6uYlqDhC-Z5Z5869hGrUBH59_WfUbuC0866l0fybldw2XRuQQ_cZu9WjHYQSUmVRklJYZ4Yh3Ux82kDg7rF8OcmhGhdDtPsoN9trg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher tries out his rocket launcher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt63EZ1zTbGKomLKrTTDxf_f46uqPbZmQVl2f8m4rhwS_08DmAA7lsHAMY-LVLj3DT5TjOqE0SrnM6HJ8CPIIsc84IApoYurpdwFYHFN5woh2WlifXvZ-wC09c2wo9VUpLdeBK5FhWvs1ZhwZZ3NVX3rfu6XLHUrd7kQF_g6XH6YgzVJwF7fI00h_WPg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt63EZ1zTbGKomLKrTTDxf_f46uqPbZmQVl2f8m4rhwS_08DmAA7lsHAMY-LVLj3DT5TjOqE0SrnM6HJ8CPIIsc84IApoYurpdwFYHFN5woh2WlifXvZ-wC09c2wo9VUpLdeBK5FhWvs1ZhwZZ3NVX3rfu6XLHUrd7kQF_g6XH6YgzVJwF7fI00h_WPg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a fancy farm set with barn & critters</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>…and a nice blanket that Jim’s sister made for him that utilized some photos of Christopher and his grandpa Jim.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj43E6EDjXnid3qk1KxBgQZbEjuhoc23I88J-iZNEV8400lKL4a6zp0if0DXCTYc1PsHfSnzARgk95XjFle-Jw8MjjXUaQKP9JIokK_mmqnMNDMB06ZntPrMuMyxrMa5qH3Y3BNgiDRN5P0zLcyiV9UCBV5YnEo-iUfDLhjACNdLCOJOPZhyodqJkPXMw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj43E6EDjXnid3qk1KxBgQZbEjuhoc23I88J-iZNEV8400lKL4a6zp0if0DXCTYc1PsHfSnzARgk95XjFle-Jw8MjjXUaQKP9JIokK_mmqnMNDMB06ZntPrMuMyxrMa5qH3Y3BNgiDRN5P0zLcyiV9UCBV5YnEo-iUfDLhjACNdLCOJOPZhyodqJkPXMw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">blanket with photos on it</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>As Lynn and I headed home to do evening chores, I took a photo of the cows grazing in the field by Andrea’s house, and a view of our stackyard and barnyard from her driveway.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqvW6gYvRmCvi9NmsTYe5CuqkE0H8sbr1Wyp8RQoyh4-n7K7kAzhS6MpiuaH-g5QfksG5jaiBuCSOmnaZPlvmHqBpbw7-7UzfuyJNDJpl691yrtSg8tj_SltWgfQHm13U4HmYM5MpSs_PUvFoZrMgau9byjxyvaMtKb7Fpt_iU7cYDRcSPZ2RwLfBFMA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqvW6gYvRmCvi9NmsTYe5CuqkE0H8sbr1Wyp8RQoyh4-n7K7kAzhS6MpiuaH-g5QfksG5jaiBuCSOmnaZPlvmHqBpbw7-7UzfuyJNDJpl691yrtSg8tj_SltWgfQHm13U4HmYM5MpSs_PUvFoZrMgau9byjxyvaMtKb7Fpt_iU7cYDRcSPZ2RwLfBFMA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows grazing in field by Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSmejSWMl3loX0Un7dK6BZ9qJAJ_nbUJDFTUzMS9JefE4f5prq488rRgXatz1dkSx-InE_e2MLPGKpL-g2AV0RD6npSHBVIwTssHg0Pn9hr_Fp0aSNosaKrdRVGEwNHDYTl3dEfbPrXHMF4KmKqyVsDw9qKL0bV4flVSEXlVXZjWLcGABZXr8mIs6jpg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSmejSWMl3loX0Un7dK6BZ9qJAJ_nbUJDFTUzMS9JefE4f5prq488rRgXatz1dkSx-InE_e2MLPGKpL-g2AV0RD6npSHBVIwTssHg0Pn9hr_Fp0aSNosaKrdRVGEwNHDYTl3dEfbPrXHMF4KmKqyVsDw9qKL0bV4flVSEXlVXZjWLcGABZXr8mIs6jpg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view of the barnyard from Andrea's driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The next day we had more snow, and it was windy and cold all day. Our cows were still grazing, in spite of the snow. We took a few blocks of protein out to them, to encourage them to keep grazing. There’s still a lot of grass and we don’t want to start feeding hay just yet. The longer they can graze, the more likely our hay will last through winter. Hay got much too expensive this year during the drought to buy any extra.</div><div><br /></div><div>The storm and bad roads made driving treacherous, but Sam and her boyfriend made it back safely to Twin Falls. Some of the roads were closed and they had to take some alternate routes, which took longer.</div><div><br /></div><div>I took a few photos around the barnyard that day, with the new snow—a photo of Lynn when he was getting an armload of wood to bring into the house, and of one of our old cats sitting on an old tire by the barn, enjoying the warmth of the sun.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrQAY8Q6eyFaeiehux94Ar9_1kcbr_NpHG4o-jT_d7YmvQkkNZD1smnnsu9CpxjD1YCGDfHKZJqYJhMK_3-By-M5OEWboFCQlepC2f8oDnw04tf5lXOv6QrE6vVKbBnq1oo-WTtAwGdq0vIOkPDilm1zWw663kSfIU3aKIx31wMHkPrlp3NsaJWRPJ0A=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhrQAY8Q6eyFaeiehux94Ar9_1kcbr_NpHG4o-jT_d7YmvQkkNZD1smnnsu9CpxjD1YCGDfHKZJqYJhMK_3-By-M5OEWboFCQlepC2f8oDnw04tf5lXOv6QrE6vVKbBnq1oo-WTtAwGdq0vIOkPDilm1zWw663kSfIU3aKIx31wMHkPrlp3NsaJWRPJ0A=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn getting an armload of firewood</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAN1DhYqKOQEuM7PwdodDjIXrQAkoUrwGoXAKHQT4UDskfEfWPtTJoI69ipqDYtL4PRtJ5Sb5uD6HDR1BLTzntS-IyhiwyPtnHg2k19LntI9ScKyd-PEdCPMN9Vx19oPqX2zXg7X7mA1Cjy4p0OK6AGplH7-mRErX_S5auyI74SPB8f6vdV2lX52U37w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAN1DhYqKOQEuM7PwdodDjIXrQAkoUrwGoXAKHQT4UDskfEfWPtTJoI69ipqDYtL4PRtJ5Sb5uD6HDR1BLTzntS-IyhiwyPtnHg2k19LntI9ScKyd-PEdCPMN9Vx19oPqX2zXg7X7mA1Cjy4p0OK6AGplH7-mRErX_S5auyI74SPB8f6vdV2lX52U37w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cat enjoying the sunshine</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I also took photos of our calving barn and my hay shed, and the heifers lounging around their hay feeder in the field below the lane.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTH4IwKLtodj2b1GGkz9FeRkI8BAmj4at4ADY3s7WREZRn_dk2LOOyq0oNMLsjcVxH2qDdVy_A-nImR0b1Aow7c5q7y8UqWCdX8GAzU1lnkyktm71pWE1Tbvoo7sg_juTdakePZI9p-3tuIYutm-YgJnBiuhIhgCAHw314o9aLNpe0WY7jtiaXdCdAwA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTH4IwKLtodj2b1GGkz9FeRkI8BAmj4at4ADY3s7WREZRn_dk2LOOyq0oNMLsjcVxH2qDdVy_A-nImR0b1Aow7c5q7y8UqWCdX8GAzU1lnkyktm71pWE1Tbvoo7sg_juTdakePZI9p-3tuIYutm-YgJnBiuhIhgCAHw314o9aLNpe0WY7jtiaXdCdAwA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calving barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrKi4ICdvCmEknP9p00313Cwvf9Y7lsPv4J2RKTheExfbz6_B2yzb_f_UDfWEAh2VOzWWTuZikLXWgnBH62174GzF8jRCLjT0DKr3OqKuO9_9VBwkXNrJ2E_I3cYi07X090QOygifV__HkSGhdRtkMlDhIYMrVLGVwzDGHcdwwH3QUotSJhPI5PHhi7g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrKi4ICdvCmEknP9p00313Cwvf9Y7lsPv4J2RKTheExfbz6_B2yzb_f_UDfWEAh2VOzWWTuZikLXWgnBH62174GzF8jRCLjT0DKr3OqKuO9_9VBwkXNrJ2E_I3cYi07X090QOygifV__HkSGhdRtkMlDhIYMrVLGVwzDGHcdwwH3QUotSJhPI5PHhi7g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hay shed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNcee8TZiSfCml_xseaj4UwlJ3Bl9td8SD0xZ_TvigHVnJknlHiq1fGDNq0U898EqqH44zx24Acy0BqvEowjqxATZVXorsawqi2gbK5LkeKhdQvQvuO9NCq6SEJKBmD21A2sSxNdXKHv1jApMVnjfQ1eCs-IHvVu95oLofjqeHR_vt49k3PdEpcyJu5Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNcee8TZiSfCml_xseaj4UwlJ3Bl9td8SD0xZ_TvigHVnJknlHiq1fGDNq0U898EqqH44zx24Acy0BqvEowjqxATZVXorsawqi2gbK5LkeKhdQvQvuO9NCq6SEJKBmD21A2sSxNdXKHv1jApMVnjfQ1eCs-IHvVu95oLofjqeHR_vt49k3PdEpcyJu5Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers at their hay feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The horses were lounging enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun and I took photos of several of them.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFMucrR-GNwIoICjPh1n5uQGKMX6Gro6kP_QFwSIqgJoWXsqCAl2FFaSBqbUvDMbrku4-gYF7QHTzLg0ELrkiAbhXbXXC9WmS0W0u6DRaV2zE-b0OzhmfBfKLO_G7jQobJQp0FkmX7AH0d15nvjt01E-quUS8SHKkmv3ZNc69WW_uh9GCGiCdsH1aXrw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjFMucrR-GNwIoICjPh1n5uQGKMX6Gro6kP_QFwSIqgJoWXsqCAl2FFaSBqbUvDMbrku4-gYF7QHTzLg0ELrkiAbhXbXXC9WmS0W0u6DRaV2zE-b0OzhmfBfKLO_G7jQobJQp0FkmX7AH0d15nvjt01E-quUS8SHKkmv3ZNc69WW_uh9GCGiCdsH1aXrw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sprout</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7wC2IM6bhrH9sclMrOaiyZlUmY442RgV3cgf3GOh2jL-ksVC0X3Cxi2ldQeXvU_iCuqCCuMtQvPkmVhNq8vDRUiUEL8t8Mwg901jmOALsFXLSt7DAbl3bsi3onz0aADEbQHrW2fQvmcm3tQzykUW6NToZ447VEO1UbarTOKiBgHxYAiKd2Tb0eQUz4Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7wC2IM6bhrH9sclMrOaiyZlUmY442RgV3cgf3GOh2jL-ksVC0X3Cxi2ldQeXvU_iCuqCCuMtQvPkmVhNq8vDRUiUEL8t8Mwg901jmOALsFXLSt7DAbl3bsi3onz0aADEbQHrW2fQvmcm3tQzykUW6NToZ447VEO1UbarTOKiBgHxYAiKd2Tb0eQUz4Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Shiloh</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia6MrXs1LKprje4mWVW8A0LLN9U-zhoNU3IDG7LjzRKjLpI65mXKnGs5HTELekejbHu7rYv4t64z-qkRrW2bhrh2aQS34Ks98GMEthxNfFJbKtFVz58Lq0cP-noDao2Yb3OwnXKqwhwO-GDEbegWwA-EXzjiYd_oy2tZtFERq4oMcOU4ZOMIkoWpMWuA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia6MrXs1LKprje4mWVW8A0LLN9U-zhoNU3IDG7LjzRKjLpI65mXKnGs5HTELekejbHu7rYv4t64z-qkRrW2bhrh2aQS34Ks98GMEthxNfFJbKtFVz58Lq0cP-noDao2Yb3OwnXKqwhwO-GDEbegWwA-EXzjiYd_oy2tZtFERq4oMcOU4ZOMIkoWpMWuA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dottie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijQqrm8YWm_3lNzVc7-dTwI1ZM3SvjBIKOBDQhui2S5Dv26P7LuM3U0jOgoCXhuJWP7ZREf9GOOJ9ZJo9H2AJnP1-IZ-NbsqCamC7hYYWo2dF97wDyKK4SBH6uCoNxyE8iiaodALba5i0CsZiQM7McP55f8uaRMJYETHFpCPf8DFfQ_fgMidt4fQeujQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijQqrm8YWm_3lNzVc7-dTwI1ZM3SvjBIKOBDQhui2S5Dv26P7LuM3U0jOgoCXhuJWP7ZREf9GOOJ9ZJo9H2AJnP1-IZ-NbsqCamC7hYYWo2dF97wDyKK4SBH6uCoNxyE8iiaodALba5i0CsZiQM7McP55f8uaRMJYETHFpCPf8DFfQ_fgMidt4fQeujQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh70bvIO8F32wS5hRhMxWP_2sEwYsV89QaYpbSpqArX8FAwvugXCrVfMVnPIttYvjNIiTDxHkeW_tUWtMVBl-LdpJab1C-UT9OCoz2bQGpFe072RAtFjri37v7n6VlD5JhmWm2MndLdmiJ3sIiAgF11x55ba5MDlElFs8klVxEH6PxRvi8WRgH04Wq2JQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh70bvIO8F32wS5hRhMxWP_2sEwYsV89QaYpbSpqArX8FAwvugXCrVfMVnPIttYvjNIiTDxHkeW_tUWtMVBl-LdpJab1C-UT9OCoz2bQGpFe072RAtFjri37v7n6VlD5JhmWm2MndLdmiJ3sIiAgF11x55ba5MDlElFs8klVxEH6PxRvi8WRgH04Wq2JQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Willow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Then weather turned cold; we’re having to break ice on the creek where the cows drink, and break ice on the water channel that goes through the bull pen. Monday morning when Andrea was breaking ice at the creek she noticed blood and hair and found where coyotes had chased a deer through the field during the night, across the creek and over the fence into the next field, where they killed and ate most of it.</div><div><br /></div><div>That night it got down to 8 degrees and the next day stayed very cold. Andrea took our pickup up to Scott Kesl’s ranch and got 6 more protein blocks. We don’t know how long the cows can keep grazing, but unless the snow gets deeper there’s probably at least 3 more weeks’ worth of grass—and protein blocks are cheaper than hay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alfonzo went to Mexico a couple weeks ago and one of his friends is taking care of his cows while he’s gone, but those cows are running out of grass and very hungry. Some have been getting out on the road and going down toward Baker, grazing along the road. We also noticed that the creek ice has gotten really bad on that lower place, and those cows are having a hard time finding any water to drink. We talked to the guy who is trying to take care of them, and he said he would come break ice, but that Alfonso told him to not start feeding hay until another week. In this cold weather, with snow covering what tiny bit of grass they might have left, those cows need to be fed.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday was cold again and Andrea broke ice for our cows. We’re glad they are still able to graze, and they seem content and full—having enough protein to balance the dry grass. Today we had a little more new snow. We had to give the heifers another big bale, and Em was at work, so Andrea brought Christopher down (all bundled up in his winter clothes) and he rode with Lynn in the tractor while we got the big bale for the heifers, and then went around to the stackyard and started that stack. In case we have to start feeding the cows at short notice, Lynn (with co-pilot Christopher) took down 3 big bales after Andrea and I got the black plastic off this end of the stack, so we have those bales easy to access. Christopher loves riding in the tractor, helping Lynn. Andrea took photos of him in the tractor helping Lynn drive, and making faces at us out the window.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiUiHD3pSNEZVzoAYYnevBDEVh-Bww8MqNawSIfFDqkOmB-KERFvNUYb4zdgKuHutFaby2WOx64euoqY0BGefn18w5EiqloyEvSAIbhQN0vd_WNsPPer3xAVuwbFoz1rXrhK-HNJtOqljdyxzZ_qZbUX0J3vAv8JhxvJjUzFgFN7cKXn2FE2jxsB77Ug=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiiUiHD3pSNEZVzoAYYnevBDEVh-Bww8MqNawSIfFDqkOmB-KERFvNUYb4zdgKuHutFaby2WOx64euoqY0BGefn18w5EiqloyEvSAIbhQN0vd_WNsPPer3xAVuwbFoz1rXrhK-HNJtOqljdyxzZ_qZbUX0J3vAv8JhxvJjUzFgFN7cKXn2FE2jxsB77Ug=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping Lynn move bales</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8LJi7BdVIwZrnbsal557XbqkrWKLklkBCdnzFqpGPCH8xRPyFLKtyc3I6v8He9OW1SQpG8cuG2euKI8674R2aHUnXwaaQN4V8NXAqg_2JDsWL07ek5qoZ-5nwQ62D4ohD1uJobTX_p6UV_ivAWgNmGoT3CAw17gEzk_7l-SbMxKAeOofBrsgpNhlswQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8LJi7BdVIwZrnbsal557XbqkrWKLklkBCdnzFqpGPCH8xRPyFLKtyc3I6v8He9OW1SQpG8cuG2euKI8674R2aHUnXwaaQN4V8NXAqg_2JDsWL07ek5qoZ-5nwQ62D4ohD1uJobTX_p6UV_ivAWgNmGoT3CAw17gEzk_7l-SbMxKAeOofBrsgpNhlswQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping drive tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JANUARY 5</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span>On New Year’s Day winter hit for real. It was 10 below zero that morning, and the high for the day was 13 degrees. The cows were still happily grazing on the hill and in the field, but the creek ice was thick and Andrea spent quite a bit of time opening up their water holes. She also helped me open up the channel for Babe in the bull pen. Nick stopped by that evening to say Hi and to thank us for the Christmas gifts. He and Michael and their fencing crew have been really busy trying to get all their contracted jobs done, and the weather has made it challenging.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday was a little warmer, but not much. Even though we had the tractor plugged in all night, it didn’t want to start that afternoon when Charlie came out to help us put the chains on it. We had to use the battery charger, and then it did start. I took a photo of Charlie and Andrea helping Lynn put chains on the tractor.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoVqar3vuC_tKVRyyhQooNYQOcTCHojhDxgHKmeTid2snXkgXNYo0sGfUZPzw0aaZwze-dIlXP4kDOo_iWgbqmWFxZpX9vcHI0VYMiqJDRaDcXzS87ysIzMYAwDQ7Bw24hyzCP-SOMZwa6p8FamTwc3RKN4X6H7-UphYh-eVd3bhHO9zWZjat9IL7chg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoVqar3vuC_tKVRyyhQooNYQOcTCHojhDxgHKmeTid2snXkgXNYo0sGfUZPzw0aaZwze-dIlXP4kDOo_iWgbqmWFxZpX9vcHI0VYMiqJDRaDcXzS87ysIzMYAwDQ7Bw24hyzCP-SOMZwa6p8FamTwc3RKN4X6H7-UphYh-eVd3bhHO9zWZjat9IL7chg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Charlie helping Lynn put chains on tractor tires</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>AJ and Emily came down, and brought Christopher in a sled—and I entertained the kid while Charlie helped Lynn put chains on the tractor and Emily helped stack some wood that Jim was splitting. Christopher was trying to help, except that he was getting pieces of wood from the stacked pile and bringing them to Jim to be split!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWM0N9yeUJzqKewRLZmzCg67mlc0AiiPx89p2DZxKrCYH8J5ticoWqUoG-KdPXplJmn9L8x_t4Zb2seO6YCWISkMlDQS53XR4vPdnE67Xym0qvSfrI5-D3c7R33OFnRh7e3_1f9BPrqkU_A1QiRdYj0NfFgLaoBOzIGTv1RIM15DGNYq0u0WKARlCPVA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWM0N9yeUJzqKewRLZmzCg67mlc0AiiPx89p2DZxKrCYH8J5ticoWqUoG-KdPXplJmn9L8x_t4Zb2seO6YCWISkMlDQS53XR4vPdnE67Xym0qvSfrI5-D3c7R33OFnRh7e3_1f9BPrqkU_A1QiRdYj0NfFgLaoBOzIGTv1RIM15DGNYq0u0WKARlCPVA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher getting a piece of wood from the pile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0OGyqKrOSasINfABHAjXgYap9u2IlRkOo_D-pat_uTkW9_bXfIC6DcYlmGMaQ3lZoQrWbviP5Tx61fdY-F54CHdA3oOxImMsazpfasM82E_n9t8PKZSH5h0TZIbeTkoKelowr0ohGaMin0qFWX_g8uhTGTtUUiwD17xUwkwCdXf02mSur6U7Q7DPt8g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0OGyqKrOSasINfABHAjXgYap9u2IlRkOo_D-pat_uTkW9_bXfIC6DcYlmGMaQ3lZoQrWbviP5Tx61fdY-F54CHdA3oOxImMsazpfasM82E_n9t8PKZSH5h0TZIbeTkoKelowr0ohGaMin0qFWX_g8uhTGTtUUiwD17xUwkwCdXf02mSur6U7Q7DPt8g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing the wood back to Jim at the wood splitter</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Andrea and AJ were stacking some of the wood as Jim split it.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOnZoYSYwLlmPfQU-EsYHQty74zcdx45ome3TsBawasOnIDLAgsCc_0fE-BWcBaduJnNsac2TRbdOy1SJio3mCcvk7KkVdoZ4HKT_c46uvHgrCVfCbjVTJtuMqW-NPh1L2GhADSInYt8ex0xeDhDhOufCqAb-55PAeUjpwJhY_DAFrjvekIFYDAxArPQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOnZoYSYwLlmPfQU-EsYHQty74zcdx45ome3TsBawasOnIDLAgsCc_0fE-BWcBaduJnNsac2TRbdOy1SJio3mCcvk7KkVdoZ4HKT_c46uvHgrCVfCbjVTJtuMqW-NPh1L2GhADSInYt8ex0xeDhDhOufCqAb-55PAeUjpwJhY_DAFrjvekIFYDAxArPQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stacking wood</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>To try to keep Christopher out of the way, Emily pulled him around a little in the sled, and Jim’s dog Ezra joined in the fun.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwAzts2ud_8HpiClk9v2klAisHr-kBm4kPrOpfq_WhC0SAUTe6XCZvKrxVUdPFn7ZhKkPsr_FCvlYwG--4qi8ARhdvYBOEytcK-XVGfIWcodGG26NS20W4vc31Zk5-IzJjTlnjG2SXxQ30SWNjEzitsoBYTyYKhAO_zLbXhUii5F6lnoxUvt95L5_QFw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwAzts2ud_8HpiClk9v2klAisHr-kBm4kPrOpfq_WhC0SAUTe6XCZvKrxVUdPFn7ZhKkPsr_FCvlYwG--4qi8ARhdvYBOEytcK-XVGfIWcodGG26NS20W4vc31Zk5-IzJjTlnjG2SXxQ30SWNjEzitsoBYTyYKhAO_zLbXhUii5F6lnoxUvt95L5_QFw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em pulling sled</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmvbBRdcCQvkqeGukch1Tpi6YsY2BBFo36bSe6epjvyUXuHfherf_fZbxoAOJz6-8E9zXjBEPBYMuz-wqUzoRzyy_A97Y2n-qxpmrCsW8Ut0aEfxoe6T5tOTFam2404UzW1TggU9e__iIlwKfziQ7ACSW65ZUVPleQMX4Pg-ty4GcMdvVdsISGDOvpww=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmvbBRdcCQvkqeGukch1Tpi6YsY2BBFo36bSe6epjvyUXuHfherf_fZbxoAOJz6-8E9zXjBEPBYMuz-wqUzoRzyy_A97Y2n-qxpmrCsW8Ut0aEfxoe6T5tOTFam2404UzW1TggU9e__iIlwKfziQ7ACSW65ZUVPleQMX4Pg-ty4GcMdvVdsISGDOvpww=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ezra helping with sled project</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihiRBpcFbuZUwdCkFhSB4or6HlmRZLwtkFqtq2a84tP-S7ntkD1SXo4I8aZDC6Wzvm-K9LrFnOdCegx3jqUqeoLQUSldeNV6Ol1AqBGwhBfSgJ5C-nELNYbYkRrbWukih48huXuIQy7xrKvSxSYhTpR8_hI4FhJ4Xpmiw4Zjxhyij-3A-uJUL8lCOYhA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEihiRBpcFbuZUwdCkFhSB4or6HlmRZLwtkFqtq2a84tP-S7ntkD1SXo4I8aZDC6Wzvm-K9LrFnOdCegx3jqUqeoLQUSldeNV6Ol1AqBGwhBfSgJ5C-nELNYbYkRrbWukih48huXuIQy7xrKvSxSYhTpR8_hI4FhJ4Xpmiw4Zjxhyij-3A-uJUL8lCOYhA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">sledding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Then I pulled Christopher around to the stackyard in the sled, where Andrea and I put a covering over the 3 bales we took out of the stack. She also dragged a long elk panel over there with her 4-wheeler, to put up across the area where the deer have been going behind to stack to eat on it. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then Emily had to go to work and Andrea took Christopher home. Charlie filled our wood-box, brought more sacks of wood pellets into the house, and helped Jim split more wood.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday was cold but actually got up to 31 degrees that afternoon. The ice buildup was pretty thick on the bull’s waterway after all the cold nights, so Andrea helped me chop a channel so it could run through faster and not freeze up so quickly. Then she took two more protein blocks to the cows.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lynn went to town for mail and groceries, and got a ton of wood pellet sacks. That should be enough to last through the rest of the winter for our pellet stove.</div><div><br /></div><div>That night we had another storm with a lot of wind and more snow. Yesterday Andrea did some town errands and Emily took Christopher to the doctor for a wellness check before he goes to Idaho Falls later this month for dental surgery.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jim helped me remodel the bull’s feed manger; the big pole where the bull reaches through to eat was a little too high. This bull doesn’t pull out hay and waste it like the earlier bulls did; they always had a big buildup of hay that they stood on. When we cleaned the manure and hay away from the feeder last winter (after we sold those 2 bulls) the new young bull wasn’t quite tall enough to reach into the manger very comfortably, and the feed manger was still a bit too high for him. Since it’s time to put the bull calf in there, the manger needs to be more accessible for short critters. So Jim used his drill gun and backed out the big screws holding that pole, and we dropped it down a few inches and refastened it to the posts. This made the gap a bit too big, which might tempt a critter to climb through the manger, so we put some poles on the top to reduce that space.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today we had 10 inches of new snow so it’s now about 14 inches deep in the places that haven’t been previously disturbed. It’s been snowing hard most of the day. This morning Andrea and I brought the young bull around to put in the bull pen. We kept one bull calf and he’s been living with the heifers, but they are approaching 9 months of age and we don’t want to take a chance on any of them getting bred by him. None of them have reached full puberty yet, but some have been showing signs of hormonal changes, so it was time to move him out. </div><div><br /></div><div>We took him and 5 buddies around to the corral (much easier to move cattle as a herd than try to take one animal by itself, since they panic when they don’t have some buddies). We sorted him off to the bull pen with Babe, and took the heifers back to their field to put back with their group.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then Lynn started the tractor and brought it around to take a new bale to the heifers. Andrea noticed that the chains we put on the tractor a few days ago were not tight, and about to come off. So she used baling twine to tighten them up before Lynn took the bale out to the heifers.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I shoveled a foot of snow off the feed truck while Andrea did more adjustments on the tractor chains and Lynn adjusted the blade so he could plow our driveways after we loaded a big hay bale for the cows. Andrea and I fed the cows while Lynn plowed our driveways. It was challenging to get the feed truck up through the field with that much snow, but with a 1600-pound bale of hay on the back we had plenty of traction. The cows were grateful for the hay. With the deep snow, their grazing days are over for this winter.</div><div><br /></div><div>Plowing the upper driveway to Andrea’s house, Lynn crossed the bridge over the creek, and something broke as he crossed it. The tractor didn’t fall through the bridge, so possibly it was one of the supports underneath that gave way. We’ll have to check it out sometime in better weather to see what needs to be fixed.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JANUARY 13</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span>Last Thursday we had more snow, so it’s getting deep. Andrea and Dani came down to help feed the cows the rest of the big bale that was on the truck, then we loaded up about 30 little bales from the stackyard and brought them around to make a small stack by the calving pen. This will make it handy to grab an extra bale or two on the way by to feed cows if we need a little more for them. On cold days we’ll feed a bit extra besides the big bale. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was the first time this winter we’d gotten into the stack of small bales, and we had to get more than a foot of snow off the tarp. Then Andrea and Dani helped Lynn unload the 50 sacks of wood pellets off our pickup and stack them in the shop across the driveway from the house. </div><div><br /></div><div>After lunch Lynn plowed our driveways again; they had almost as much snow as the day before when he plowed them the first time. He also drove the tractor around the field above the house to make a few trails through the deep snow so it would be easier to drive up there with the feed truck and not get stuck.</div><div><br /></div><div>That evening Emily, Dani and Christopher went snowmobiling on heifer hill, until they ran out of gas, and Andrea had to take some gas over there on her 4-wheeler. She took photos of Dani on the snowmobile, and Christopher playing in the snow.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQjyVnsgY_4Vb-ptLNSST_-5JdUw9d2p4X5Of3mTIzp9XFsRsxY7xXSM5I7JZLth5QjNOM1h_pNVXzVRugp9rEAitF1ibLPaoiIN52lbLJkOBA7KTdBZS5ZV_quHqqSdp_8SFbLJ4fFF7d8KEGpKXA4On5cm4UWzm0Au_15RX7yHP2355rGgkOSVDvtw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQjyVnsgY_4Vb-ptLNSST_-5JdUw9d2p4X5Of3mTIzp9XFsRsxY7xXSM5I7JZLth5QjNOM1h_pNVXzVRugp9rEAitF1ibLPaoiIN52lbLJkOBA7KTdBZS5ZV_quHqqSdp_8SFbLJ4fFF7d8KEGpKXA4On5cm4UWzm0Au_15RX7yHP2355rGgkOSVDvtw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & snowmobile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPK_VywcvH1Otmmq883_5GmSLrRyjl_jplpey8nADQl7V5iuB2I8WnCZFvBqXHvBr-iR0JCDtoijlQ40c_d97C_CE_izpftdJrceXeLNkvgwQahZhSOQ5f2LlJkv1Oo18jeZn0mllh_nNZE_0xMBX8eQPNVQ6fNND33-LzREyliJ1tGwXZIqmNabs8hw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgPK_VywcvH1Otmmq883_5GmSLrRyjl_jplpey8nADQl7V5iuB2I8WnCZFvBqXHvBr-iR0JCDtoijlQ40c_d97C_CE_izpftdJrceXeLNkvgwQahZhSOQ5f2LlJkv1Oo18jeZn0mllh_nNZE_0xMBX8eQPNVQ6fNND33-LzREyliJ1tGwXZIqmNabs8hw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">sledding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day was warmer; it actually got above freezing in the afternoon and the snow settled a little. It started to come off our tin roof on the house, but was still cold enough to hold together and made a big carpet/curl of snow that hung there many days. I took photos of the oozing, folding snow hanging off the roof.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh79gekphz6omRLgniV3zjV3CQIXNKNZ0UK4OCJ4K3kH_w2DT3pulznfMoXLoPcnLo8DjUfTpkhQkx8W3XHbY0shh9-CuUgNGiuYhOFUaKp6jU337_NX2PwTIgQNCapjOPSqpFYys-rvwyXBLO8iFDnlJB_OMmgCzfggWTzwXzwSS3qfjtgqsyCh_AVoQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh79gekphz6omRLgniV3zjV3CQIXNKNZ0UK4OCJ4K3kH_w2DT3pulznfMoXLoPcnLo8DjUfTpkhQkx8W3XHbY0shh9-CuUgNGiuYhOFUaKp6jU337_NX2PwTIgQNCapjOPSqpFYys-rvwyXBLO8iFDnlJB_OMmgCzfggWTzwXzwSS3qfjtgqsyCh_AVoQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow coming off roof and folding over</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPCSe4dCUdyIg1W0YP2JTcdTpQwPYyUSWfMUUgpJ49rZ3cuEZ3zxIJbEZqyX7Iwzg-yPb7gE4YOcqYz3kCgcS7v1oL1ahTlSo9eFBuK8Rks0m434BbPmKRB9t8yaQIboH18ysAymqKwp5FT6h8brLjdgoIzvL8ju-W4Z7kcpy4_NGJcfeP8OP18vhjmw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPCSe4dCUdyIg1W0YP2JTcdTpQwPYyUSWfMUUgpJ49rZ3cuEZ3zxIJbEZqyX7Iwzg-yPb7gE4YOcqYz3kCgcS7v1oL1ahTlSo9eFBuK8Rks0m434BbPmKRB9t8yaQIboH18ysAymqKwp5FT6h8brLjdgoIzvL8ju-W4Z7kcpy4_NGJcfeP8OP18vhjmw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow folded up as it oozes off the roof</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFlZrcp1jGSRJpf28UbvhYF_xip5dgYFrUSNGeGnbG-0IiV5nzt7jUifJBXR4pOTLbKf8FiXmZMDBTrd9fYYtAk8_Kb6hoG-qprg1ZAXuDiJ0gs44YPWzWIdHdrct-px4R47GykXTDXSHEbj4r6PeG8v_aG_fqxKCciSQBKjdOi2fRpjPkYf4XXAWWng=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFlZrcp1jGSRJpf28UbvhYF_xip5dgYFrUSNGeGnbG-0IiV5nzt7jUifJBXR4pOTLbKf8FiXmZMDBTrd9fYYtAk8_Kb6hoG-qprg1ZAXuDiJ0gs44YPWzWIdHdrct-px4R47GykXTDXSHEbj4r6PeG8v_aG_fqxKCciSQBKjdOi2fRpjPkYf4XXAWWng=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">slow hanging together as it comes off roof</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That morning we planned to split the herd and put the young cows in the field above the house where we can feed them separate from the old cows and give them the best hay and more of it, since they are still growing as well as pregnant. The bossier older cows eat more than their share if they are all in one group.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea came down on the 4-wheeler before we fed the cows and the young ones followed her down—which made it easy to put them in the corral. We only had to sort off two of their older buddies that will be staying in the “old cow” group. Then Dani came down to help us and we took the young cows around through the barnyard and up to the field above the house, and fed them up there. Then we fed the other cows that were left in the field by Andrea’s house.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lynn came with us and rode in the feed truck. I took photos after Andrea got the cows fed and as they came to the hay to enjoy their breakfast.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnvxlOfg3VLJufIbfEEv4lDEinLfsfpyZsosN9on1xzSj0CJ6g_dVOpUFfisKtP8KHPzQEM3wC5Owt8o31kHmOXrS5hsZOzcFdfgT7c-sgUCQ_e6tFpLQIJiZkG2uaGAI0KK0MKuJKMSd14k609-HMHy_T-dNYKUrnUWvt6UdtR9z5i5g4bpsbHiCmrQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnvxlOfg3VLJufIbfEEv4lDEinLfsfpyZsosN9on1xzSj0CJ6g_dVOpUFfisKtP8KHPzQEM3wC5Owt8o31kHmOXrS5hsZOzcFdfgT7c-sgUCQ_e6tFpLQIJiZkG2uaGAI0KK0MKuJKMSd14k609-HMHy_T-dNYKUrnUWvt6UdtR9z5i5g4bpsbHiCmrQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding the cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Zzg9EzpHwZDhN_zjmLE-E3cWW2-wZEegUzBoVgpvpFOdreePBb37bh66NvpfQSxxCXXoAz3r0zo7cgUOqcI8VypuZU4SUzX67tRYQyEt7858ucUgOfwMGu6IEloTgwap42wP94v-7SHNp3DfCCE4nlpKMztLxXsSTisO2tb6a5tLDJt2AV14rrYS5g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Zzg9EzpHwZDhN_zjmLE-E3cWW2-wZEegUzBoVgpvpFOdreePBb37bh66NvpfQSxxCXXoAz3r0zo7cgUOqcI8VypuZU4SUzX67tRYQyEt7858ucUgOfwMGu6IEloTgwap42wP94v-7SHNp3DfCCE4nlpKMztLxXsSTisO2tb6a5tLDJt2AV14rrYS5g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows in field by Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZm4XXA8Z7rnUObYupXMLopg0Csl2ZY3M1p2AfEN9QtjDIQqhMlko8GHolPrUIfIlbeIPfoi5oAcXS79zNJoZf_CC7_TEjk7fYBWMC_GYtrwhUvi_fIgvPntAFW2MsqnmytJzz_yVuO9uOSDVmfPFnVaR86N1b0HW7i-hTMIHcFa5bhMX-2Jrua-LMBA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZm4XXA8Z7rnUObYupXMLopg0Csl2ZY3M1p2AfEN9QtjDIQqhMlko8GHolPrUIfIlbeIPfoi5oAcXS79zNJoZf_CC7_TEjk7fYBWMC_GYtrwhUvi_fIgvPntAFW2MsqnmytJzz_yVuO9uOSDVmfPFnVaR86N1b0HW7i-hTMIHcFa5bhMX-2Jrua-LMBA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows coming to breakfast</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>…and a photo of Andrea getting back in the truck to drive back to the barnyard.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2wTrny3MS3gP4dOKJJ_rLv00YQMEOMrUkWeGLWh9FKwA_gJpPsR_KugKA3xuOgurKZe62_ktcox24GqryH4sIVmmpyAFlqXO1dD-lBTFXzrMxM619GPJ3QJsu98s6akmdRafQEA7p41J06i7T505uGoGFzwqHolLgsCqzFnyUVmArJO8pcwFAk0JVvw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2wTrny3MS3gP4dOKJJ_rLv00YQMEOMrUkWeGLWh9FKwA_gJpPsR_KugKA3xuOgurKZe62_ktcox24GqryH4sIVmmpyAFlqXO1dD-lBTFXzrMxM619GPJ3QJsu98s6akmdRafQEA7p41J06i7T505uGoGFzwqHolLgsCqzFnyUVmArJO8pcwFAk0JVvw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea getting back in</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Saturday was colder again, and windy, with a little more new snow. Andrea helped me feed all the cows, and take some salt and mineral mix to the young cows. Jim finished splitting the pile of wood here, and took the wood splitter up to Andrea’s house to split the wood that Stan cut and hauled last summer from up the creek. I took photos as he finished splitting the wood at our house, and of his dog waiting in his side-by-side, and one of our cats sitting on Andrea’s 4-wheeler.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPeqYp9bQgS_wdxXskCH4XPzcuDtfLHvmzeCt2HcZrNkzNxhHIQQ5niPJqMAYsO5wsBhhKCx2YFZyRWV6JxEoiLHjE-JsoAODDOsg8T2TmQN0B51AbH7yOqpXa0o7CbBNZY9KaGml5GT4PR_wMRFPjjK9CyDLyGpHLlorcI68dvQuYBjMlLyZ5D7ehYQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPeqYp9bQgS_wdxXskCH4XPzcuDtfLHvmzeCt2HcZrNkzNxhHIQQ5niPJqMAYsO5wsBhhKCx2YFZyRWV6JxEoiLHjE-JsoAODDOsg8T2TmQN0B51AbH7yOqpXa0o7CbBNZY9KaGml5GT4PR_wMRFPjjK9CyDLyGpHLlorcI68dvQuYBjMlLyZ5D7ehYQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim & wood splitter</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4UvjCImx2HzxHtXpaWkh2aGMMRms4LgkTSKDllaebapMFZKr59Pw4gH9T2_zvv7M4p7L00YVuUKKsGI7hRghGHcVsXWNFspVp0ooGgZkaEgZJRncxTQx33MvF6jTbm0f9FEfXpswa-cHMqvqsavMk41qO3T3ZwfRc7gQeuaFSs6947Iv0M8ka2zuQeA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4UvjCImx2HzxHtXpaWkh2aGMMRms4LgkTSKDllaebapMFZKr59Pw4gH9T2_zvv7M4p7L00YVuUKKsGI7hRghGHcVsXWNFspVp0ooGgZkaEgZJRncxTQx33MvF6jTbm0f9FEfXpswa-cHMqvqsavMk41qO3T3ZwfRc7gQeuaFSs6947Iv0M8ka2zuQeA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ezra patiently waiting</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8UQnZ3cDvd4sVIfLBEaQpExX93_c1yzCOzLkv7d_SKPfdPxUWR5vm_srgmMwy3ZX3sUkNy1LasIGnKwKWG_ehFLEwYtBjxO6IYojlyL9_e9p4jn02gwDIFqBoc0jKIicz6QQiFTB0gOyFFuLluWrSKt5tP1q_ZzdvE5ke45DT3tcjrAzuewgfFrv4Fg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8UQnZ3cDvd4sVIfLBEaQpExX93_c1yzCOzLkv7d_SKPfdPxUWR5vm_srgmMwy3ZX3sUkNy1LasIGnKwKWG_ehFLEwYtBjxO6IYojlyL9_e9p4jn02gwDIFqBoc0jKIicz6QQiFTB0gOyFFuLluWrSKt5tP1q_ZzdvE5ke45DT3tcjrAzuewgfFrv4Fg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cat on 4-wheeler</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Jim and Andrea resurrected the old tent by her house that has been used for several years as a woodshed. The deep snow collapsed it and broke the support pole, and they put in a new post to hold it up.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday morning was 2 below zero and it finally got up to 18 degrees that afternoon. Andrea helped me break the ice out of all the horse tubs that morning, and then we fed the cows and brought more little bales around for our “emergency” hay stack by the calving pen—so we can always grab an extra bale or two to feed in the colder weather. Andrea took a photo of Babe and Bimbo sleeping in their shelter corner.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi96S41lw2LnmQ4QqTaswQV2HXg9BnQZyhbv94jpyeZwMqq6fWcZZVm_SIFtoGez-bhf-V-_FhkOLW38Q9Dgo-pMf4Dpd9HJtgTISMbOv5IIAFlB2BZOOUUTjjo8bzQzwJ-yec7_5pbYdnECTdSSdkTPdfm-uTo2YD7OpU1IELBIsu0uTdSsghtvtR7KA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi96S41lw2LnmQ4QqTaswQV2HXg9BnQZyhbv94jpyeZwMqq6fWcZZVm_SIFtoGez-bhf-V-_FhkOLW38Q9Dgo-pMf4Dpd9HJtgTISMbOv5IIAFlB2BZOOUUTjjo8bzQzwJ-yec7_5pbYdnECTdSSdkTPdfm-uTo2YD7OpU1IELBIsu0uTdSsghtvtR7KA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bulls sleeping in their shelter corner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>We had to use the battery charger to get the tractor started (even though it had been plugged in for nearly 24 hours), so we could load another big bale on the truck and get three more big bales out of the haystack for later. Charlie came out to help Dani replace one of the hoses in her pickup so that it will run properly again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday morning was also below zero, and we took some extra bales—some of the coarser slough-grass hay—to put in the bushes where the cows bed, to give them a warmer place to sleep at night. I took photos as Andrea was untying the big bale so she could start feeding it to the young cows after feeding them a couple small grass bales, and the cows coming to the feed truck to check out the hay still on the truck.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0oRDEE7tkADoTx3mVttMNtq-wbqdR6tEDC8sj7lFBb3cLXaPnGqEh5lMCeZedbb5qU6WpnotzFqEf1QupZI7vHOb08n25z2vxXNmdjbPgsUTwHBya7wOiUeDUWeOU3u4PFxO8UCAkttlkTJqiCx25BKt6bvqEZXEyGf2kfiLCnn6ZbrZnCIllqxeNUQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0oRDEE7tkADoTx3mVttMNtq-wbqdR6tEDC8sj7lFBb3cLXaPnGqEh5lMCeZedbb5qU6WpnotzFqEf1QupZI7vHOb08n25z2vxXNmdjbPgsUTwHBya7wOiUeDUWeOU3u4PFxO8UCAkttlkTJqiCx25BKt6bvqEZXEyGf2kfiLCnn6ZbrZnCIllqxeNUQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea untying bale to feed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2HXGzBFdiNuP4cXaNbTrfbturnEM_TnJX-YcTSvDBb7FxCe51uYm4aTkkjaAJXjP5c0PTwQWcNL6hJ4D8GbbjHnJhYzu1mBdfyM3lsFMMjCqZpKz3G0CAq7d1Umo44MF8nYGjMOwkc1aDA7pPzOFWNGQKHU7KZ-oaIWUC31ZOgaL8WE5xBd3Z_pOTvQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2HXGzBFdiNuP4cXaNbTrfbturnEM_TnJX-YcTSvDBb7FxCe51uYm4aTkkjaAJXjP5c0PTwQWcNL6hJ4D8GbbjHnJhYzu1mBdfyM3lsFMMjCqZpKz3G0CAq7d1Umo44MF8nYGjMOwkc1aDA7pPzOFWNGQKHU7KZ-oaIWUC31ZOgaL8WE5xBd3Z_pOTvQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">young cows coming to check out the better hay on the feed truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I took more photos of her tying up the rest of the bale after feeding the cows—so it wouldn’t fall apart until we could feed again the next day, and photos while we spread a couple little grass bales in the bushes for bedding.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_d5aL2tW5IBFhODstPazO63gRNfwmB9hZJeRfPTwG403i60pA5GOIG-rUjhrem1uK6dh6u9agpxbxVXAwXSJnLS5kkqwjIX44L0Cl4LdFJ13C64I2Tv8VkoyxdeN9KXACKQCpPV4WkpxlgrxqlPEDObrdhCo4WPgVUBG5dxBpX-7D-QFEfKlPYXZ-hg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_d5aL2tW5IBFhODstPazO63gRNfwmB9hZJeRfPTwG403i60pA5GOIG-rUjhrem1uK6dh6u9agpxbxVXAwXSJnLS5kkqwjIX44L0Cl4LdFJ13C64I2Tv8VkoyxdeN9KXACKQCpPV4WkpxlgrxqlPEDObrdhCo4WPgVUBG5dxBpX-7D-QFEfKlPYXZ-hg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea tying up the remainder of the bale to take to the older cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsQxS-xIzSRgJy8C9rEx_6ZoXj-gsCFObQSvv5yRjFGHXdP5wzPGxIydXonsUMmWOy2urqa6DVtG7yu8u94I1h0Vt_dA8dmlFt_j4RPY-1tUPAizKKO3AZlMRwDoLmV3_KSB5P8AW2S7TWLF2sN-IgB95Zf1w-U7iq6nUbAEmnRRAvboqZZm0m3mLrdA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjsQxS-xIzSRgJy8C9rEx_6ZoXj-gsCFObQSvv5yRjFGHXdP5wzPGxIydXonsUMmWOy2urqa6DVtG7yu8u94I1h0Vt_dA8dmlFt_j4RPY-1tUPAizKKO3AZlMRwDoLmV3_KSB5P8AW2S7TWLF2sN-IgB95Zf1w-U7iq6nUbAEmnRRAvboqZZm0m3mLrdA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting bale in bushes</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHMA8VRjSNvfsIt--gVY03Q-icyrpnM4XzMy4hAEQlj7FqtOsyTmVZEZMMr0x8S7quIHvezXQZtbIUFfSFJNnL9c_B_DKxumpG_iwVFtn-RHavgg0L3Gqw1wHA5acNb-pmq8JOJMMYuWuXK3acHJBPb2sa8svKYJLZcpxieYlIBS6CzpFgOP5vEqs8gQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHMA8VRjSNvfsIt--gVY03Q-icyrpnM4XzMy4hAEQlj7FqtOsyTmVZEZMMr0x8S7quIHvezXQZtbIUFfSFJNnL9c_B_DKxumpG_iwVFtn-RHavgg0L3Gqw1wHA5acNb-pmq8JOJMMYuWuXK3acHJBPb2sa8svKYJLZcpxieYlIBS6CzpFgOP5vEqs8gQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">spreading hay in bushes for bedding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then we fed the older cows and I took photos as they came to the truck, ate hay off the truck, and a photo of Zorra Rose itching her neck on the truck. The cows all have lice by now and it will be good to delouse them when we get a chance to put them in the corral and give their pre-calving vaccinations. We’re hoping for some warmer weather to do that, so our syringes and needles won’t freeze up!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjYSg0slHZCvGjgu7_s4lS76KBsu-jK3ep5A8WctufTfBdOVPtiLoQoESbs5u1aq4GZ7aAmwTEPiUbC0yKPazMpAAKdprGjrZT_DXcaDO8-BXcR6WP_s76GmGQ9DOOGcuEX_dlByz1hqSkaU2pd5BiPt1V8f3UPY0VgThh9i5VauZZrP39Y95pvr16cQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjYSg0slHZCvGjgu7_s4lS76KBsu-jK3ep5A8WctufTfBdOVPtiLoQoESbs5u1aq4GZ7aAmwTEPiUbC0yKPazMpAAKdprGjrZT_DXcaDO8-BXcR6WP_s76GmGQ9DOOGcuEX_dlByz1hqSkaU2pd5BiPt1V8f3UPY0VgThh9i5VauZZrP39Y95pvr16cQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows eating hay off truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilnveBc5j_pHa_bYmdnVsju9W5Ef-U90IgDdAzhhDq8Uq3LHzkaxtUa1OGj7uxq5cfyR4NW3GRlUp5SCjTD1QzuXhSyp3hbEvMM0fI_q6-l3VusgaVTFeu_y_8vqkJfPKd7jGpeH3GUgraZ4Cn1p9rRAXfVU89jxLNvnbnwaaRAcwPzusvZMxkmgOTqQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilnveBc5j_pHa_bYmdnVsju9W5Ef-U90IgDdAzhhDq8Uq3LHzkaxtUa1OGj7uxq5cfyR4NW3GRlUp5SCjTD1QzuXhSyp3hbEvMM0fI_q6-l3VusgaVTFeu_y_8vqkJfPKd7jGpeH3GUgraZ4Cn1p9rRAXfVU89jxLNvnbnwaaRAcwPzusvZMxkmgOTqQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows coming to truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzJw_KsumTBrbLtgRC2k4PO6H5V96nQqgcDq4QPBF4qX1UwbgYjPiS1rhCOIPhOdx_XRtju5YKISFZ5QPemuJmq-6AzJZrKg1BgdRFl3YXpy5vT_F-XjoZCaQ6y89mwL1BWH-CQSGOvErf099QfKYcHZpDh1Afy0lrnTvhfwM9p3ej2uPiw0f06LdCMw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzJw_KsumTBrbLtgRC2k4PO6H5V96nQqgcDq4QPBF4qX1UwbgYjPiS1rhCOIPhOdx_XRtju5YKISFZ5QPemuJmq-6AzJZrKg1BgdRFl3YXpy5vT_F-XjoZCaQ6y89mwL1BWH-CQSGOvErf099QfKYcHZpDh1Afy0lrnTvhfwM9p3ej2uPiw0f06LdCMw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Zorra Rose itching her neck on feed truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>As we finished feeding I took photos of the cows eating their hay, as we drove back down to the barnyard.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0kufX8Gsia9Mw2iu3yCU2f0dsd-oDbdZaVBy0La8fVHo58250y4HqCNRnBWJ_e3B8oSnhxOqFACLxD_qbYcTQIi_eQp7rG5o-dJzX4aMb_FAmGtD5Np7k6SJEC7kBa5cTiGFnyGhGZhusiDTXZ-KYulzETWEUHZnXr98HuweAKqmtpdrVGf49-tx3Hw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0kufX8Gsia9Mw2iu3yCU2f0dsd-oDbdZaVBy0La8fVHo58250y4HqCNRnBWJ_e3B8oSnhxOqFACLxD_qbYcTQIi_eQp7rG5o-dJzX4aMb_FAmGtD5Np7k6SJEC7kBa5cTiGFnyGhGZhusiDTXZ-KYulzETWEUHZnXr98HuweAKqmtpdrVGf49-tx3Hw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhltKELyIy_XdxJ37cOVLqsFgOV9G7nQEH4wxCbWNvN2xeYxYxlk1jPNBMIkfD8rT5npRJdyXhrH98trUAAUNFQb_kmF-ufl8hNESXcPzDdvFAgTeN9Bata1uh0dwuENhiAKQcXQbIdNkgGGe683tlD6-yHJpcTyogwDoDVewR3zUyQmIKSsZPf9HNNrA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhltKELyIy_XdxJ37cOVLqsFgOV9G7nQEH4wxCbWNvN2xeYxYxlk1jPNBMIkfD8rT5npRJdyXhrH98trUAAUNFQb_kmF-ufl8hNESXcPzDdvFAgTeN9Bata1uh0dwuENhiAKQcXQbIdNkgGGe683tlD6-yHJpcTyogwDoDVewR3zUyQmIKSsZPf9HNNrA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows eating hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>After we fed the cows we put another bale of coarse hay in the shelter corner of the bull pen to give those boys some bedding. The little guy is now sleeping in there next to his big buddy and I am sure they are both staying warmer!</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday was still cold; it never got above 14 degrees, so we had to use the battery charger again to get the tractor started that afternoon. Meanwhile, Andrea and Dani helped me feed cows. I took photos as they fed the rest of the hay off the truck for the older cows.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBa9lo7SfbVFgVb9CrgL4vXYvEgbo3RlCA4Iec5T1l7uifzDGTLh6Q0OVlyDt2Ay5oXQTw872hU4gK_89_Y7jZd_c4u-W8nJTztAuelLt0yJxrH0yWLNH1Ztx4ZUJVrjus778rszNnsCgbmaJjDDYx2mfBQsn6sRm3E7fzI6EpTYghDfSEhw7FCw0Exg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBa9lo7SfbVFgVb9CrgL4vXYvEgbo3RlCA4Iec5T1l7uifzDGTLh6Q0OVlyDt2Ay5oXQTw872hU4gK_89_Y7jZd_c4u-W8nJTztAuelLt0yJxrH0yWLNH1Ztx4ZUJVrjus778rszNnsCgbmaJjDDYx2mfBQsn6sRm3E7fzI6EpTYghDfSEhw7FCw0Exg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Dani feeding cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmVv44WzNIhftbzlzgaJTsj8R0SUFfSIR82PFfe1qVNz-tsMC6rIWP8UzUqbg9dm3FNwUiyYqBFX8GP7oP6-wJWz6Vb5UR8v10kybTsiasUBcCdnnZlWCqW1Fb9uFMPlm4MvQTyfmvBteO0oTgcRZyso1QBNQ7PDeZNJoOCEuiETk1Fx_WqNIVWQi1wA=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmVv44WzNIhftbzlzgaJTsj8R0SUFfSIR82PFfe1qVNz-tsMC6rIWP8UzUqbg9dm3FNwUiyYqBFX8GP7oP6-wJWz6Vb5UR8v10kybTsiasUBcCdnnZlWCqW1Fb9uFMPlm4MvQTyfmvBteO0oTgcRZyso1QBNQ7PDeZNJoOCEuiETk1Fx_WqNIVWQi1wA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcm-mWd7uSSn_Y85fRCXXM4U-79jjfAEXgUxpPOwahHKblPtF5mNWcB8h5nIag91THpoqqdppSIaneelO7bJyAVZ914bWmHP-4yd6VN4l8S9js5lxxc7-9hKeqdbDoHB-tqeA1JDEPaWby16wIT3WKSv5GvEeeCGTlJuoLYLRfoo0hGBV33UCGL7lWIQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcm-mWd7uSSn_Y85fRCXXM4U-79jjfAEXgUxpPOwahHKblPtF5mNWcB8h5nIag91THpoqqdppSIaneelO7bJyAVZ914bWmHP-4yd6VN4l8S9js5lxxc7-9hKeqdbDoHB-tqeA1JDEPaWby16wIT3WKSv5GvEeeCGTlJuoLYLRfoo0hGBV33UCGL7lWIQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Feeding the rest of the hay off the truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then they hiked down to the creek to break ice on the water holes.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDiv4Z3ReBkjDqAIi5_4A4gaViXOP7B6EpjpOStxD0ulllVlwBL8RggqzOqkY1imKbUTFWX2Y_-VSBmDG-9Su0HFHcuGe5buNi7KUHv02TOxjZKHVBVUSqGWnMILgJyi3T0BIxk8kmM_BgDt8wyt-ESNLk-5yNtwwNumW0P0DbhFGZeMFfqBFNPbmUBg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDiv4Z3ReBkjDqAIi5_4A4gaViXOP7B6EpjpOStxD0ulllVlwBL8RggqzOqkY1imKbUTFWX2Y_-VSBmDG-9Su0HFHcuGe5buNi7KUHv02TOxjZKHVBVUSqGWnMILgJyi3T0BIxk8kmM_BgDt8wyt-ESNLk-5yNtwwNumW0P0DbhFGZeMFfqBFNPbmUBg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Dani hiking down to the creek to break ice</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>With the truck empty, we drove into the stackyard and loaded more little bales from the haystack. Dani helped get the tarp off the end of the stack, and roll the bales down so Andrea could load them on the feed truck.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPQkZrVMiYsqcJVugWocOVC57E4XfTAthZiJ12plCjkYB-8a6WaV7NbSwW8Ly4NdP5HsYOaW9zOkuyvj3TAtKSn5uJTtj5fznKYBvDaHnrTQ16wLiSqQT4Bz-CpBOr_M_2B8FLnkmFtRDMaPefTUh2NqbpRv1SbEyGNhqoPkZO0rH8ryzQzVDnb48FKA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPQkZrVMiYsqcJVugWocOVC57E4XfTAthZiJ12plCjkYB-8a6WaV7NbSwW8Ly4NdP5HsYOaW9zOkuyvj3TAtKSn5uJTtj5fznKYBvDaHnrTQ16wLiSqQT4Bz-CpBOr_M_2B8FLnkmFtRDMaPefTUh2NqbpRv1SbEyGNhqoPkZO0rH8ryzQzVDnb48FKA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">loading little bales on the truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyJTmoJ2CZQlKhEx9rsWPX_hEpgcVo833YpJUFh2Z-JoyesRQn9osnKWDJz9Jf3dATZhPKg4KCj69x0PZumgAdIDl5PSlCDCamRfzm4VgxpaX9EmbzANkYnXELxtE0FiN6JuvkfB-ONg9XMA4m7IQFWc_t1PA3rdAiXs4ZyE6xzS3tWPWf42plip6ckA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyJTmoJ2CZQlKhEx9rsWPX_hEpgcVo833YpJUFh2Z-JoyesRQn9osnKWDJz9Jf3dATZhPKg4KCj69x0PZumgAdIDl5PSlCDCamRfzm4VgxpaX9EmbzANkYnXELxtE0FiN6JuvkfB-ONg9XMA4m7IQFWc_t1PA3rdAiXs4ZyE6xzS3tWPWf42plip6ckA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani getting the tarp out of the way</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRBiw5FaqLcaP64oC0izh4lirKAAw8gr8lZysdwWQ4FSbBjRH9mLH0eP7Ix343WSPElxIQUK4pqWjwKQPiZexaPYU0vTOKdZPXi_IT3Btp5xtET51SFDiXzGsEKupVAk8b3XH_vBeM2cl2foRsldWXSLXtjx8S39noNsf4R9oLDShwaLpv-TY9lVdurQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjRBiw5FaqLcaP64oC0izh4lirKAAw8gr8lZysdwWQ4FSbBjRH9mLH0eP7Ix343WSPElxIQUK4pqWjwKQPiZexaPYU0vTOKdZPXi_IT3Btp5xtET51SFDiXzGsEKupVAk8b3XH_vBeM2cl2foRsldWXSLXtjx8S39noNsf4R9oLDShwaLpv-TY9lVdurQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">loading hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Dani and also goofed around under the hay tarp while Andrea was stacking hay.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrWzNmKPm5BlAGftaNmC4uQ9SCJ7ULOiKU3_ht8ALuCiLd4fs8a0OWTrmdept7RSe6tCb-gssaXPnq5xqE5XnQ_zgU0kdRz94H_rslyYNFBObL9ufmNc5Y742tsWvXXJPQYzeRB-jKtfoNjEYvvcnLalqv1OWzea67OoiOrlOe64VL0xTilcGRIhLEmQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrWzNmKPm5BlAGftaNmC4uQ9SCJ7ULOiKU3_ht8ALuCiLd4fs8a0OWTrmdept7RSe6tCb-gssaXPnq5xqE5XnQ_zgU0kdRz94H_rslyYNFBObL9ufmNc5Y742tsWvXXJPQYzeRB-jKtfoNjEYvvcnLalqv1OWzea67OoiOrlOe64VL0xTilcGRIhLEmQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani under tarp</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>When we got the truck loaded, we pulled the tarp back over the end of the stack and tied it down so the wind won’t take it off.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpC2a44SDPmjqWmytJjOylS1BxCod0c85yxXIh_mLhgFVVnS-WZ3gKwPOjBBV_sIxhgKxKJQB2lnR8ixN8_lwP8eV9YD6tf27l1tM5VlLfvGIkaFf5FgXt2eqqtKLGTIW89vR7TtGeZYYuLG73rer0aTP-Qsh5KzLyme0idZeBdLLmgSkpG_CoL2FNVA=s4608" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="3456" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpC2a44SDPmjqWmytJjOylS1BxCod0c85yxXIh_mLhgFVVnS-WZ3gKwPOjBBV_sIxhgKxKJQB2lnR8ixN8_lwP8eV9YD6tf27l1tM5VlLfvGIkaFf5FgXt2eqqtKLGTIW89vR7TtGeZYYuLG73rer0aTP-Qsh5KzLyme0idZeBdLLmgSkpG_CoL2FNVA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tying the tarp</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then we took some of the hay around to the field below the lane for the young heifers. They have been sleeping in the snow and don’t have a good place to bed, so we scattered several bales next to the calf houses that can serve as a windbreak. This made a good place for them to sleep, and the heifers had fun rooting the hay around while we spread it, and were curious about Dani.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwS0evcrLQJWPhE4BliFtspoPeg1WJn7nW3YqESaK4g2OQshgvti2LGxaL9TlJKHA7LlKWPXWIeIIkqOc9w3-o-EL208mYfMXZfjTn6MCGz7vbLT5N3HmXVGpRYYFKFWfjDsSRlG3GP6wAtJnKPk375CdnktYwxgd-sXpsI_uEaufbAIZ_tGz9Uqy4rQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgwS0evcrLQJWPhE4BliFtspoPeg1WJn7nW3YqESaK4g2OQshgvti2LGxaL9TlJKHA7LlKWPXWIeIIkqOc9w3-o-EL208mYfMXZfjTn6MCGz7vbLT5N3HmXVGpRYYFKFWfjDsSRlG3GP6wAtJnKPk375CdnktYwxgd-sXpsI_uEaufbAIZ_tGz9Uqy4rQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">spreading hay for bedding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhruFXmfPM7KY1FB74jOZidLICGXeo-naGQiEeGENnBUrTFdQAuk7OKOIJ8FKk7RHNANvevEflBpQJ0IjdyOca1bh_bY9JYY8cDWqw88oBjXff1LK68irRp0T43nNrTZks3PrANkgQ0zcSj1v7k1Gp3hby2Op4DOwj8aPBuW3e5_pR2YaECawxploJK8w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhruFXmfPM7KY1FB74jOZidLICGXeo-naGQiEeGENnBUrTFdQAuk7OKOIJ8FKk7RHNANvevEflBpQJ0IjdyOca1bh_bY9JYY8cDWqw88oBjXff1LK68irRp0T43nNrTZks3PrANkgQ0zcSj1v7k1Gp3hby2Op4DOwj8aPBuW3e5_pR2YaECawxploJK8w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani spreading hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Afterward Dani sat in the hay and the curious heifers came up to sniff her and check her out.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipjyJcqWMCCjTaP259MJnAnapEcigQN73Oz289hEAHxzTBQ4lW8QJNSwTEwLvvfoHaOxHYkE5EKRPaDVbLs0nfA7rqxH-BPlGTnw_npPRz8TmqyKj0bY78XNC7YY60eKnGRvkKtwJsnbh8E9AMzYgtyA352VPePZ5tV4k771Zmr89q8pFFRukjwVuW3g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipjyJcqWMCCjTaP259MJnAnapEcigQN73Oz289hEAHxzTBQ4lW8QJNSwTEwLvvfoHaOxHYkE5EKRPaDVbLs0nfA7rqxH-BPlGTnw_npPRz8TmqyKj0bY78XNC7YY60eKnGRvkKtwJsnbh8E9AMzYgtyA352VPePZ5tV4k771Zmr89q8pFFRukjwVuW3g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers curious about Dani</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>It was so cold and humid that day that we got pretty cold, so Dani warmed her feet by the stove (and had a bowl of hot turkey soup that I made from Andrea’s Christmas dinner turkey leftovers) while Andrea and I moved the heifer’s feeder so we could put it in a clean place before we gave them a new big bale of alfalfa hay.</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon at chore time Andrea took a block of salt up to the cows in the field by her house and put some sand on the slippery icy bank at the water hole where she chops away shore ice every day so the cows can get down there to drink. One old cow is reluctant to brave the ice, however. Old #38 (Lillianny, alias Alligator Eyes) has been timid about walking out on ice ever since she was a young cow, and doesn’t like to use the regular water hole. Maybe she slipped and fell or got knocked down by bossier cows when she was young, but when there’s an icy bank, she won’t drink. </div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea tries to keep several water holes open and give #38 some options, but right now the ice is so bad on all of them that this old cow probably hadn’t drunk water for several days. She was standing there hopeful at the water hole when Andrea went up there that evening, so Andrea dipped water from the creek into a tub and let her drink out of that. The creek is shallow and she could only get a few inches of water each dip, but after about 6 dip trips to the creek, the cow got her fill and went back to finish eating hay. The good thing about that old cow is that she is smart, and trusting, and came to drink from the tub that Andrea presented to her.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday Dani helped us feed cows and break ice on the creek, and Andrea had to water old # 38 in the tub again. We’re hoping to get the water hole open enough eventually and the shore ice less slippery so she won’t be afraid to try to drink from the creek. We’ll probably have to do a lot of chopping, and put more dirt on the icy shore.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we were putting a few little bales on the feed truck (to feed along with the big bale, to give the cows more hay during the cold weather) the 9 quail that have been living in our barnyard were sitting on the fence by the lane and I took photos of them.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4iMUN1tkuuqJvCwnpMfujquNZCfugqPhAInjZSq8VIS6GP0hUgAMXbOF8oPZIgb-yExU2YjcYMvgHypWWN1z7YPOwlN6XfP3S138x6B-IfUfGx0bbYTgMfHaDdjAKqocH3nZqEjtUmgTQ7GP6UVy9oPFZT8Sr821jP19ruxTAg-OibVdkRRR8ADPO6A=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh4iMUN1tkuuqJvCwnpMfujquNZCfugqPhAInjZSq8VIS6GP0hUgAMXbOF8oPZIgb-yExU2YjcYMvgHypWWN1z7YPOwlN6XfP3S138x6B-IfUfGx0bbYTgMfHaDdjAKqocH3nZqEjtUmgTQ7GP6UVy9oPFZT8Sr821jP19ruxTAg-OibVdkRRR8ADPO6A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJTa_toxRvGLlQ7eoddhiVfLiC7fz-I_feo8WXaRtkoGJ-Z9uz4AZOQg8K0mv_IDlsgVnFvHKMpcwshs2oKqnHdPP3HH6o1oxzOO6s01qRHOvboy2vvLx_EV4PTjriYqHPlAo2qshgE8fbRmR0eJsHJIDsuQ51wa-ZCs0ySTvNPdHXj5H3TZ6tMNSo0w=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJTa_toxRvGLlQ7eoddhiVfLiC7fz-I_feo8WXaRtkoGJ-Z9uz4AZOQg8K0mv_IDlsgVnFvHKMpcwshs2oKqnHdPP3HH6o1oxzOO6s01qRHOvboy2vvLx_EV4PTjriYqHPlAo2qshgE8fbRmR0eJsHJIDsuQ51wa-ZCs0ySTvNPdHXj5H3TZ6tMNSo0w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB1ObbYUrHGADdWKuu9GfzB_ANOdKsegukw3KTUVrPiGwDMqz6nmWF0LE9_2XuvmsATp3Y52UW3QwVAzFjimhksdJaUAT_x8GSUVkw6FXbx58D4s2lqoqo1XyqKxuBSYtwoiNRjnTZpU3Su-A8HSrscijvy8NxcJw9Cend3AiEFzYlZR6Awrce8YVKGw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgB1ObbYUrHGADdWKuu9GfzB_ANOdKsegukw3KTUVrPiGwDMqz6nmWF0LE9_2XuvmsATp3Y52UW3QwVAzFjimhksdJaUAT_x8GSUVkw6FXbx58D4s2lqoqo1XyqKxuBSYtwoiNRjnTZpU3Su-A8HSrscijvy8NxcJw9Cend3AiEFzYlZR6Awrce8YVKGw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">quail sunning themselves to get warm</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Dani and a friend helped feed, and the big bale was coming apart when Andrea cut the strings so the two girls leaned against it to hold the hay on the truck until Andrea could get it tied up. Then we fed the cows and the girls helped keep the hay from falling off in one big pile.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLBi4abKrb8pyN2r9N4xbT350AuHSTHamWQ2SrvgxTJc44bQy6ALHlLz2Nvcs6eBfXWJR-jkLB2q-fZrnlJjapSmIYHOH04UeOTH3tQHzteZYbEhs79jOGjJlZnKAzovXN1qSvSVLJRt68L0ljSBhQtd2wWNWCdl6ULnZZwYY2TQGfiNUawKoM3FpIKA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLBi4abKrb8pyN2r9N4xbT350AuHSTHamWQ2SrvgxTJc44bQy6ALHlLz2Nvcs6eBfXWJR-jkLB2q-fZrnlJjapSmIYHOH04UeOTH3tQHzteZYbEhs79jOGjJlZnKAzovXN1qSvSVLJRt68L0ljSBhQtd2wWNWCdl6ULnZZwYY2TQGfiNUawKoM3FpIKA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & friend leaning against the hay bale</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFZGy4ORSIm5808mo0lUrESo_k6yOQK_JbxZ7ZfuyNn6p4BP_RDCUl5IuvB69rFUKZ21OpcSDOmLC5_qsO8JOT1pvzzV6MD7BcoPylhfiIUVNAr-c7tfBy8fRdUN0wMN2gHwiJpq96RfnRdZxLqxEiZzq2mkiB9UFzDlzLyz4H2IV_bFiqC3eMQJ8wzA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgFZGy4ORSIm5808mo0lUrESo_k6yOQK_JbxZ7ZfuyNn6p4BP_RDCUl5IuvB69rFUKZ21OpcSDOmLC5_qsO8JOT1pvzzV6MD7BcoPylhfiIUVNAr-c7tfBy8fRdUN0wMN2gHwiJpq96RfnRdZxLqxEiZzq2mkiB9UFzDlzLyz4H2IV_bFiqC3eMQJ8wzA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">young cows eating</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>When we finished with that group, the girls leaned against the hay again while Andrea secured it with strings so it would stay on while we drove over to feed the older cows in the next field.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsRJe9YubianwdZ6UY3o4x4SdWgNSpDIOqJWU5pfH5-ffA5OTUa6L8cw319FsGEHhANuYKxStg16wjGpnmeP9tUbhwkHbJHPrVMoQiUr5qKNJ-_HarEfHVACI0IXstEaROvBijXe5ABIIxANPy39hEf7QqnzRUmF-TUavPPrtNWV8zIFD0jAfgWqvj9g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsRJe9YubianwdZ6UY3o4x4SdWgNSpDIOqJWU5pfH5-ffA5OTUa6L8cw319FsGEHhANuYKxStg16wjGpnmeP9tUbhwkHbJHPrVMoQiUr5qKNJ-_HarEfHVACI0IXstEaROvBijXe5ABIIxANPy39hEf7QqnzRUmF-TUavPPrtNWV8zIFD0jAfgWqvj9g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">girls leaning against hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0o5gL9TICDcUJ2apoPsbj6pexowT9GM1nhS-tTlZ4vVYQcRnYFxKovCLoMZs7fdvu6DoLdG2UOiHhhd0VG7qTkPmToxJBYobBxq68URgwmmWnvMDLHhcFpMbGIKiwyFn5PM1CRyEVM3tOAZhFKuyyMqixmGPxre4-4Y6IFhSedrsnQUbrR5gtrzHKSw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi0o5gL9TICDcUJ2apoPsbj6pexowT9GM1nhS-tTlZ4vVYQcRnYFxKovCLoMZs7fdvu6DoLdG2UOiHhhd0VG7qTkPmToxJBYobBxq68URgwmmWnvMDLHhcFpMbGIKiwyFn5PM1CRyEVM3tOAZhFKuyyMqixmGPxre4-4Y6IFhSedrsnQUbrR5gtrzHKSw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">girls leaning against hay while Andrea secured it</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I took a few photos of the older cows after we fed them—while Andrea and the girls hiked down to the creek to break the ice on the water holes.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijhYOfEZ5zjVbRAYxjeVYKVgu_Ec9RtSX_RjXqX6Gs4tLCdmKoKdgLSoTR9EXy805h3I7UCty5qaxaByQWbtIarw2_BrqI2Ldo94yC3Dh8-utJnK761LI2QMyR8S-38Z6MCyxkbHA_NNiVxSEbz8a4C7IO00zHfvqaDjagrzbwVvAxJrp7uo_qWPFsaQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijhYOfEZ5zjVbRAYxjeVYKVgu_Ec9RtSX_RjXqX6Gs4tLCdmKoKdgLSoTR9EXy805h3I7UCty5qaxaByQWbtIarw2_BrqI2Ldo94yC3Dh8-utJnK761LI2QMyR8S-38Z6MCyxkbHA_NNiVxSEbz8a4C7IO00zHfvqaDjagrzbwVvAxJrp7uo_qWPFsaQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows wading through snow to eat hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSSh_ujpDcDomnb0KZ3c261Feh50FurnApqhl3_MIX-DoPjYn-3VC8rLlxce5sqWOywoqJ_f79FhUHW-JAhF_YEcdx3HhbNkkp4NUD-ckLuvShRUfBXiFsLABdWIxCZj68zrHMKp4j--2EZHG3JnE0Skz-anM0r8zm9u_maPaU14EVsxNtYGk0td8thA=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSSh_ujpDcDomnb0KZ3c261Feh50FurnApqhl3_MIX-DoPjYn-3VC8rLlxce5sqWOywoqJ_f79FhUHW-JAhF_YEcdx3HhbNkkp4NUD-ckLuvShRUfBXiFsLABdWIxCZj68zrHMKp4j--2EZHG3JnE0Skz-anM0r8zm9u_maPaU14EVsxNtYGk0td8thA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX8o74nXwufvjXFFPHqy1wWRsQ4b8Ogkb40ZD3lcw-ZILC1WmXUdtYEgL1J2dZv4vBZ2ppPnpcmyhvoJ0LZ3dfwNrp_mBu2b28MifV11KH6eiuw1afNGoVoyisYe21QkzvdLYr5cTXBrdKKeo3ZPZMMJo_28kKHd3DDwwEjKcO-3ou52Pw1-vhvFYuVw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjX8o74nXwufvjXFFPHqy1wWRsQ4b8Ogkb40ZD3lcw-ZILC1WmXUdtYEgL1J2dZv4vBZ2ppPnpcmyhvoJ0LZ3dfwNrp_mBu2b28MifV11KH6eiuw1afNGoVoyisYe21QkzvdLYr5cTXBrdKKeo3ZPZMMJo_28kKHd3DDwwEjKcO-3ou52Pw1-vhvFYuVw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYog4-t3kMCFpft8-DVydOB4ovLPFQgQaEMbmd8FTP__6cW1rpixtraH28ny_Y0lXJ5Zt5R6NLGeYOve90g325pf00lpt_FDKpzqi6Suyf6RMsKehs3BvC2soZ96K04P-HMeNekVn2gvzdtQtlfFvHPGQHPVpi8FUtTH4oFz1et0Ki9Ay3EH4Zbj_2yg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYog4-t3kMCFpft8-DVydOB4ovLPFQgQaEMbmd8FTP__6cW1rpixtraH28ny_Y0lXJ5Zt5R6NLGeYOve90g325pf00lpt_FDKpzqi6Suyf6RMsKehs3BvC2soZ96K04P-HMeNekVn2gvzdtQtlfFvHPGQHPVpi8FUtTH4oFz1et0Ki9Ay3EH4Zbj_2yg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">older cows eating</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Dani and her friend had fun last evening snowmobiling in our lower field, but Dani hurt her ribs trying to start the darn thing, and they were hurting so much this morning that Andrea took her to the doctor to be checked, so see if she tore something loose. There’s nothing broken, so it may just take a little time to heal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea was going through some of the old photos on her phone this afternoon and came across a photo that Stan took a couple years ago out on the range—of Andrea and Willow. Andrea sent it to me and I thought it was a really nice photo and decided to post it here—a way to think about summertime in the midst of all this cold weather and snow!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU2zK1DGPHExtepjb3xojPtfhKEABxINfEGwIQVgh3vr0VTy_FHBCldkbereNDPLjocnvh48wh3H4xjST0OtHrTPstnjwAjgjtHfjfxgpXltE29C3w6IMiUZXffKnDBNTLDzl74AUisfJRnsQr61NkSqQYUXFbg5oOeuwso0fh6JiYKV9Jl0_eE7dlMw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU2zK1DGPHExtepjb3xojPtfhKEABxINfEGwIQVgh3vr0VTy_FHBCldkbereNDPLjocnvh48wh3H4xjST0OtHrTPstnjwAjgjtHfjfxgpXltE29C3w6IMiUZXffKnDBNTLDzl74AUisfJRnsQr61NkSqQYUXFbg5oOeuwso0fh6JiYKV9Jl0_eE7dlMw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old picture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Contrast that with the photos I took this afternoon looking out our window toward the back yard—of the ball of snow still sitting on the roof, and icicles hanging above the window.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglYO4b54bLzu1iKUBa-BxkVnnAC7ouoQl-7W_hqtdiGgzO01j9GBUZUjx_wAXvpKON0DuhE2iJrBR1y0q107SQ5InqMc8hNKmnKl8n1HBvQgX1fIw3bKG0VwW2a08vMnmgi2myBtC7GBGbc-_E159zXPhFtTV62YUFVJ3ds02qmW0UC3f3xktuYEMNcQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglYO4b54bLzu1iKUBa-BxkVnnAC7ouoQl-7W_hqtdiGgzO01j9GBUZUjx_wAXvpKON0DuhE2iJrBR1y0q107SQ5InqMc8hNKmnKl8n1HBvQgX1fIw3bKG0VwW2a08vMnmgi2myBtC7GBGbc-_E159zXPhFtTV62YUFVJ3ds02qmW0UC3f3xktuYEMNcQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow still hanging on the roof</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHHKHrCc8y-2WSM9iInLeI7lYRRL6BjAcFQiX4UvgPKE-VUy_H8Jh9DtNRS9mmoHI_6DkaAJGumsF8TekRS3f3P4ZI-zPUPpEhJ56EDTEj1hoBgsdixU7dKyjlmUMQzStkdwcMEgoHUJ2JHRtYlAHb5tTgTQgykdP5gxoerkKLaWWEvIVhqnkuc3bzeQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHHKHrCc8y-2WSM9iInLeI7lYRRL6BjAcFQiX4UvgPKE-VUy_H8Jh9DtNRS9mmoHI_6DkaAJGumsF8TekRS3f3P4ZI-zPUPpEhJ56EDTEj1hoBgsdixU7dKyjlmUMQzStkdwcMEgoHUJ2JHRtYlAHb5tTgTQgykdP5gxoerkKLaWWEvIVhqnkuc3bzeQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">icicles above the window</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div></span>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-5816576419174260622022-02-10T19:09:00.003-08:002022-02-10T19:09:54.073-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – November 17 through December 14, 2021<div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOVEMBER 27</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">When I went out early Wednesday morning to do chores last week, I discovered one of Alfonso’s horses in our barnyard, next to Sprout’s pen and squabbling with Sprout. It looked like the horse had been here most of the night, from the various poop piles around the barnyard and up by my hay shed, and all the hay I’d laid out for feeding the horses had been nibbled on and stirred around. The only reason the horse hadn’t gotten into the haystacks next to Sprout and Shiloh’s pens was because my “fake” hot wire around those was still in place, for when I was letting Sprout graze in there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The stray horse came trotting out of that pen and into the lane so I herded it up the lane—even though it didn’t want to go that direction—and shut the gate at the top of the driveway. The horse wanted to come back, and paced back and forth at the gate, upset and whinnying. When I finished chores I called Alfonso and he said he would come get his horse. He’d moved it down to his camp on his lower place (taking it from its buddies on the Gooch place) but failed to shut his gate, so it came back out of his pasture and up the road to our place.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that morning Andrea came down with her little jeep and loaded up two protein tubs from our feed truck. After putting more air in her jeep tires (which were a bit low) we took the protein tubs to the 320. There was still a little left up there, but it was time to re-supply. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we checked the upper water trough, we discovered the overflow was plugged with fir needles that had blown off surrounding trees and into the water. We got it unplugged and working again, so the trough would quit running over and making a mud hole and ice flow where the cattle come to drink.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIALAb2nCyYq40B2-6fVGcHgpRw2tQtUtOnPJbQ0f8__E3Gv_IJqU480eWjrIJGiF3oQ9-vMbzG73lfw25I9CTi1rji6sfV0tEEuqausLbz_ORkZzY7GZgQFFzM7vNQSW3AXfQVoNFTjIN7c1P1QiAeXW_YibgXIn1Q2fS58ZWrxlZ6aZSJK829MmDiw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIALAb2nCyYq40B2-6fVGcHgpRw2tQtUtOnPJbQ0f8__E3Gv_IJqU480eWjrIJGiF3oQ9-vMbzG73lfw25I9CTi1rji6sfV0tEEuqausLbz_ORkZzY7GZgQFFzM7vNQSW3AXfQVoNFTjIN7c1P1QiAeXW_YibgXIn1Q2fS58ZWrxlZ6aZSJK829MmDiw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea driving her jeep</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea drove the little jeep down the lower road for the first time, and we had to move the logs out of the way—from the tree that fell across the road this past spring that Stan sawed into pieces so we could ride through with our horses and a 4-weeler. There wasn’t quite enough room for the jeep, however, so we rolled one of the logs farther out of the way. I took photos of her rolling the log and driving down past it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY9XEOVr-K5QHB6GOtkDUa3YQ6RHE4ZA7GeNfqad_0EQOw8PvxMoazjDY0gyCzLuRd3be8nWArFNEeNwfYJpf6waTSKv6ZXzF04FbLXesqN_tDFt2IJEXOBDdOdTmJodBXZCUI_v1-APq7j6mM0YL_BXeOpvyKmfdGnzfjbZJe91iRsJ58S5_09E57mQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiY9XEOVr-K5QHB6GOtkDUa3YQ6RHE4ZA7GeNfqad_0EQOw8PvxMoazjDY0gyCzLuRd3be8nWArFNEeNwfYJpf6waTSKv6ZXzF04FbLXesqN_tDFt2IJEXOBDdOdTmJodBXZCUI_v1-APq7j6mM0YL_BXeOpvyKmfdGnzfjbZJe91iRsJ58S5_09E57mQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">log in road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjJrFQ1BXduei0hdASEkDes3xVhxm2VXxM8I-a9YWgxTVhFgSUYfadml8wlpdmKs9sL4r5j0nnDm6eRvUQ-X1f0G1wGRaRLht6Ewzx5tdPxISV-ln4QLekIp0QHZ9poC-_t5dnRRNAo-05BM0fkpbjo3FF0W67BfUXRkmxqQouWX8MYYxg_Fz726HTlA=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjJrFQ1BXduei0hdASEkDes3xVhxm2VXxM8I-a9YWgxTVhFgSUYfadml8wlpdmKs9sL4r5j0nnDm6eRvUQ-X1f0G1wGRaRLht6Ewzx5tdPxISV-ln4QLekIp0QHZ9poC-_t5dnRRNAo-05BM0fkpbjo3FF0W67BfUXRkmxqQouWX8MYYxg_Fz726HTlA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3M1RFpz0Q0u51FLOej6pe0D5NrVWKCf-rm_80j28s7WnsWzxCxEK7y2dPieDcryvafAmwxX_R5Nx7jfb4vOXnQAyws7VJHZq9MJV4TBuOFWdwvV-sU57BayqYho-BirEvTKXLKy-F6mknnk5OWCHeYNeqNs3SDQrY9CCSqFHLb77kVoSAIescYX3DUg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3M1RFpz0Q0u51FLOej6pe0D5NrVWKCf-rm_80j28s7WnsWzxCxEK7y2dPieDcryvafAmwxX_R5Nx7jfb4vOXnQAyws7VJHZq9MJV4TBuOFWdwvV-sU57BayqYho-BirEvTKXLKy-F6mknnk5OWCHeYNeqNs3SDQrY9CCSqFHLb77kVoSAIescYX3DUg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea rolling log out of the road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXfM_ySK3pyptCKlVVBUDR5rfj44OrXXpWIRlnYAcZnknZO7q7KjTNlSOVxkcanOgke0oi6eA4TVXgNsrDTzAJWWOVrCvf9iPBxQLA439hhutzC_cpGCvTH9DWh0_ExnNJ3UFt8W2kB8B1xMLB8ScIGdxd6LIO2DmjXyTMM-S1QBdDRfneBpsA9Mq1_Q=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXfM_ySK3pyptCKlVVBUDR5rfj44OrXXpWIRlnYAcZnknZO7q7KjTNlSOVxkcanOgke0oi6eA4TVXgNsrDTzAJWWOVrCvf9iPBxQLA439hhutzC_cpGCvTH9DWh0_ExnNJ3UFt8W2kB8B1xMLB8ScIGdxd6LIO2DmjXyTMM-S1QBdDRfneBpsA9Mq1_Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea driving down past logs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We made it down toward the bottom trough, and hiked over to it. The ice was about 2 inches thick (after the temperature got down to 15 degrees in the night), so we chopped it up into manageable chunks and took all the ice out of the trough so it wouldn’t be as likely to freeze over again.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaCj81_YFiq8cJ5NwK55W0W_ReBdmX0gXfYmSJYz3x3s98nWapub3scOULRHbng6wWTZ3PwuSF_sH9Cz6hTDcH8GIarz0nbNI06o_LJaIhsX3fSDarqcQDAxxopYnYOllMog8W5UofuoN_AGg0WSDABleua3KA0Iu5mBFwqc9SLAvQMT-JNrCJzXnqWQ=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaCj81_YFiq8cJ5NwK55W0W_ReBdmX0gXfYmSJYz3x3s98nWapub3scOULRHbng6wWTZ3PwuSF_sH9Cz6hTDcH8GIarz0nbNI06o_LJaIhsX3fSDarqcQDAxxopYnYOllMog8W5UofuoN_AGg0WSDABleua3KA0Iu5mBFwqc9SLAvQMT-JNrCJzXnqWQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNBNmRvNWmNrIbCrHDIm1R_GqZbHM5A2KjbdP-LuM82zblIJObkGUFGIMEoQV7rnOesBWTGmxyF3QFaCkZgMVuoTFCuSCR7HR1WnPlVqkcwQkELXAM02KM9FYoW29JPz-0fLOoZ4lm1YTVn9rYEnsIezFrK3_E5l5Yi409wJzaljnNVajLGpw-EX9e1A=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjNBNmRvNWmNrIbCrHDIm1R_GqZbHM5A2KjbdP-LuM82zblIJObkGUFGIMEoQV7rnOesBWTGmxyF3QFaCkZgMVuoTFCuSCR7HR1WnPlVqkcwQkELXAM02KM9FYoW29JPz-0fLOoZ4lm1YTVn9rYEnsIezFrK3_E5l5Yi409wJzaljnNVajLGpw-EX9e1A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea shoveling ice chunks off trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">It wasn’t quite as cold the next day, but we went up to the 320 again to check on the cows and water. The ice wasn’t as thick, and the cows had been able to drink in an open spot where the water comes into the tank, but we cleaned all the ice off again.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwswELBQna0nNicbrlMROUfFH59jMD-648aQzBNWD5p6V8FRflYcHJ4pEgibbkEwRsJNPPSSuDD3-M0lE9Yk9gUYy_FnPx2LBrN6xd_CBDz6yqm_0zQQXEGhrb7SrPwXfgleMNutqfHFtOATV0fZCg_2Lg-s47fRjku0EhKCtRHMzDPmBM3TRJKnnAEQ=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwswELBQna0nNicbrlMROUfFH59jMD-648aQzBNWD5p6V8FRflYcHJ4pEgibbkEwRsJNPPSSuDD3-M0lE9Yk9gUYy_FnPx2LBrN6xd_CBDz6yqm_0zQQXEGhrb7SrPwXfgleMNutqfHFtOATV0fZCg_2Lg-s47fRjku0EhKCtRHMzDPmBM3TRJKnnAEQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIDTVRm9qeuAQKc9J6tYC-qqYWXg-bp-VNichiBN3GiX6vLEWRaHpisE5LqJsaD1pnT39WT0AWGye5am4pzEliCpS1iUyEQZhq3cDeDPxRKQP1hpDzGeWk-PyMeR143ZFjVt__FYdmVYLdQfONMZXkKpNQQUl1hUH3t9AU5MwTGXyy1fECYE4AFcB5-Q=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjIDTVRm9qeuAQKc9J6tYC-qqYWXg-bp-VNichiBN3GiX6vLEWRaHpisE5LqJsaD1pnT39WT0AWGye5am4pzEliCpS1iUyEQZhq3cDeDPxRKQP1hpDzGeWk-PyMeR143ZFjVt__FYdmVYLdQfONMZXkKpNQQUl1hUH3t9AU5MwTGXyy1fECYE4AFcB5-Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV10u0DXJrqrJr-4G5BMLzDH6JG-8bXn73PpP-WpgXVB40k5SVHcSRN3czcflwQZstP-omuK1xc3v5Z6eG487LfEYqy-TOaboyPRtGo4rZ4I22WD8tmxvriNjAUwwxI_XjZ6iMB8dlsHzpyEYxiWTZJ7hdKh-0_fEpoObB7qo7vbuCYakMuhlXbZPNPw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjV10u0DXJrqrJr-4G5BMLzDH6JG-8bXn73PpP-WpgXVB40k5SVHcSRN3czcflwQZstP-omuK1xc3v5Z6eG487LfEYqy-TOaboyPRtGo4rZ4I22WD8tmxvriNjAUwwxI_XjZ6iMB8dlsHzpyEYxiWTZJ7hdKh-0_fEpoObB7qo7vbuCYakMuhlXbZPNPw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea getting ice off trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we drove on up to the upper bedground and found Michael’s cows all there at the protein tubs. We didn’t see our cows, but looked across the canyon and saw them on the far side, grazing out from Baker Creek.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIvs0M9-RQf8xvIL8LW1xDiuM_xegcO3JeleHGGoJJtUDr_oGFCPg5HR7Nd-XPGndtIfwwwmX1QPv4p8tI26no9845kWq8f_gd8d0-yGuMNcwAjpxEMbf2dPAVKIGhdSieWEjXCoqR-qURQZ3cpJGlg7G-s7BcNEMoaFCeZ0zjfx9HTf5pG0bKqbMR4A=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIvs0M9-RQf8xvIL8LW1xDiuM_xegcO3JeleHGGoJJtUDr_oGFCPg5HR7Nd-XPGndtIfwwwmX1QPv4p8tI26no9845kWq8f_gd8d0-yGuMNcwAjpxEMbf2dPAVKIGhdSieWEjXCoqR-qURQZ3cpJGlg7G-s7BcNEMoaFCeZ0zjfx9HTf5pG0bKqbMR4A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael's cows at protein tubs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghY_woc0z-p7qdr4RPvi8qefQ_IXL2lEburchgJNlrLhkPnBW4I_muTgS-9kSPvYc6dXlblDPHJTnGNxEkPwzPyNSgUkkaKvm_DVdG6XqDtwZTvyX8v7NVFswiXMr4k984GJf7BpU9XDoHFCztQ8jNkiVpK6j-vRTRF_roS3mQWA96awjJes7Sf9BLgw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghY_woc0z-p7qdr4RPvi8qefQ_IXL2lEburchgJNlrLhkPnBW4I_muTgS-9kSPvYc6dXlblDPHJTnGNxEkPwzPyNSgUkkaKvm_DVdG6XqDtwZTvyX8v7NVFswiXMr4k984GJf7BpU9XDoHFCztQ8jNkiVpK6j-vRTRF_roS3mQWA96awjJes7Sf9BLgw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking for our cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn went to town for mail and groceries, and some new parts for the bathroom sink. The drain was plugged and leaking and we need a new drain pipe before we can use the sink again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday was warmer and we didn’t need to go to the 320 to break ice. Andrea and I called the 9 young cows from the lower back field and took them through the barnyard and up the horse road to heifer hill, where there’s more grass. Lynn helped us head them the right way at the top of our lane, to put them up the horse road.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then he worked all afternoon on the bathroom sink. He got the old leaky pipe out but had trouble with the new pipe, and realized that the whole sink was worn out and needed to be replaced. So the next day he went back to town to get a new sink, and more protein for the cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday was cold again, but Michael and Carolyn went to the 320 to take more protein to the lower saddle, and they broke ice on the lower trough. Andrea and I helped Lynn take the old bathroom sink out, but the bolts holding it were very tight. Dani came along late afternoon and was able to get a few more out, with her longer arms, lying down under the sink.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea and I took more protein to the top saddle in the 320.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv4u0mf1RPscvrIbCHLJaMtYeTjDRnRf6daIv8h0tGYMrW3-2Z9ln9bKk6QyTnjZsVIvOkK0qEybN2w68lAduCONP58nHTp6H8SKsKpGAsaN7j3wclyVHqDkMTJrZWzh_MS8CsN0_KV93K9LwaFS31nHymjaIoBzgo51jevmOfe7L2jgajhIo0rBDN5A=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjv4u0mf1RPscvrIbCHLJaMtYeTjDRnRf6daIv8h0tGYMrW3-2Z9ln9bKk6QyTnjZsVIvOkK0qEybN2w68lAduCONP58nHTp6H8SKsKpGAsaN7j3wclyVHqDkMTJrZWzh_MS8CsN0_KV93K9LwaFS31nHymjaIoBzgo51jevmOfe7L2jgajhIo0rBDN5A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">more protein tubs to the cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we took all the ice off the lower trough again. The cows had managed to drink in one small open area, but taking all the ice off whenever we go up there helps ensure that it doesn’t get too thick and freeze over the small open area where the trickle comes in. I took a photo as we were leaving, showing the ice all cleared off again.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-O8QnvJmcOfV3W_Do9bO9smSQjEIhBO9lX7WUlA0hONLPK1UQkm2NhTN0zxdYlpZRf-lUc7T5OJ60oRcrujoyVVEgnwFAlLFeiG2rnw7ZCm9t28kE20UpVd65IiUGIUwhRRoXw2GXxOKS_3PjqG-LjcIFHg7NxFHaWs3BbyeaQIzivEoJ8QCptnB_Cw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-O8QnvJmcOfV3W_Do9bO9smSQjEIhBO9lX7WUlA0hONLPK1UQkm2NhTN0zxdYlpZRf-lUc7T5OJ60oRcrujoyVVEgnwFAlLFeiG2rnw7ZCm9t28kE20UpVd65IiUGIUwhRRoXw2GXxOKS_3PjqG-LjcIFHg7NxFHaWs3BbyeaQIzivEoJ8QCptnB_Cw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trough ice cleared off again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn went to town and got more protein tubs and more parts for our bathroom sink. We have to get it working before the weather gets really cold, because we need to let those faucets drip at night or the whole water line freezes up in this old house with no insulation in the bathroom area.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday morning Andrea came down to help Lynn work on the sink but after they got started they realized the drain part we got earlier didn’t fit the new sink! So after lunch Lynn went to town again to try to get the right one, after unloading the protein tubs out of his pickup onto the flatbed feed truck. Andrea went to the 320 on her 4-wheeler to check the cows and break ice. None of the cows had been down to that bottom trough and the ice was very thick. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily dropped Christopher off here when she went to the chiropractor and then to work, and he entertained himself in his swing, watching a movie, while I worked on a couple articles that had urgent deadlines. Andrea got home from the 320 just as it started to snow, and just after Christopher got sleepy and started dozing off in his swing. We put him in his playpen for a nap and she went home to try to do a few things while he napped.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael has been very short of fencing materials for the projects he is trying to finish on 4th of July Creek. The father-son outfit in Oregon that were bringing him poles earlier had run out of poles and are now working on a timber sale across the valley up Warm Springs Creek, but Michael has to take his pickup and trailer up there to get those poles. He goes up that mountain every other day or so to haul out what those guys manage to get cut, and the road is steep and treacherous now that there’s snow and ice. He has to chain up his pickup and flatbed trailer for the last 8 miles up (and down) the mountain.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday Andrea helped Lynn finish the sink project, and we finally had a workable bathroom sink again! At least cold water. The hot water facet still leaked (we didn’t replace the hose to it, so we had to wait a couple more days for full function, after he went to town again to get another hose!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZXreYG7qZD8AI_yhn3mNLjPSL6r3GJQmMY7iUubidl5It7j1wDp8vKrWAgm2saGytTIendQr_Yf2Gu9Zu8_8vsdeHHAXjx3rqxTl2l6B2Iz2mGScbGstryNHX-hmD7QKq0UgNUZW_ntRLkiH8GGM0RZRISZRx6aT4xRKjW_VD6xTj39WEwqr_Bd9Ltg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZXreYG7qZD8AI_yhn3mNLjPSL6r3GJQmMY7iUubidl5It7j1wDp8vKrWAgm2saGytTIendQr_Yf2Gu9Zu8_8vsdeHHAXjx3rqxTl2l6B2Iz2mGScbGstryNHX-hmD7QKq0UgNUZW_ntRLkiH8GGM0RZRISZRx6aT4xRKjW_VD6xTj39WEwqr_Bd9Ltg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea helping with the sink project</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhySm1u9Af6NAUb63tVBZ1Hqg84qRBmCdfW9CGNyjTkho9EhOXdOyL-bJYslWM1jE08lZHED4QEqEkrN4jwCpkOak8kz-3ZyzJOpC8MiRtGKg34hGP9XcXUXz05LCKAW0kyyuou4hh46T7R_20T6BiRLRA3envj5bHoZXTiOdKQOY5DVVjWXBVwsuyNtA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhySm1u9Af6NAUb63tVBZ1Hqg84qRBmCdfW9CGNyjTkho9EhOXdOyL-bJYslWM1jE08lZHED4QEqEkrN4jwCpkOak8kz-3ZyzJOpC8MiRtGKg34hGP9XcXUXz05LCKAW0kyyuou4hh46T7R_20T6BiRLRA3envj5bHoZXTiOdKQOY5DVVjWXBVwsuyNtA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to put in the new sink</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Andrea and I took two more protein tubs to the 320. The jeep tailgate has to be bolted shut or it comes open, and she absent-mindedly left her wrench and socket on the flatbed truck after we slid the two 125-pound tubs into her jeep and shut the tail gate. We realized we’d left those behind, when we were partway up the mountain. Fortunately she had a wrench and her leatherman in the jeep and we were able to use those to undo the bolts to unload the tubs up on the upper bed-ground. Michael’s cows were all up there and I took photos of them eating protein.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWbdmgAgXEQMfGWQ5r6wt9Gdr-blLYAhIMOLdclcN0ot21izn5Ngd4vRa1yo34fgt6k35gEjrPMf2acKa-ybiIqIVGvOZrDD6JtychbeY7pV3bJtMsFbwHPA-o-MbT60Zt55Um0WlB5pDDmO7Avxf4Es9HlO-HISfAlE7biEQdZ-lA9H20OYbxKYY5UA=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWbdmgAgXEQMfGWQ5r6wt9Gdr-blLYAhIMOLdclcN0ot21izn5Ngd4vRa1yo34fgt6k35gEjrPMf2acKa-ybiIqIVGvOZrDD6JtychbeY7pV3bJtMsFbwHPA-o-MbT60Zt55Um0WlB5pDDmO7Avxf4Es9HlO-HISfAlE7biEQdZ-lA9H20OYbxKYY5UA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOS4mTPunCH-xxR2uMtFPe3XdCg6-o3JAHAggZ2pZ3pnm017lpjPvKmVg45SxoyAG4mxK72952_jKfySwVUAbkbelHp77mwHTdY-4K10FyfJjgpkWhDlfed4xCfvF48F7xSwhaUgmO4Wu1e0MR0g6-HcnvECGQOM_-egeA88lfNHeXkovxYd_N6WsAAA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOS4mTPunCH-xxR2uMtFPe3XdCg6-o3JAHAggZ2pZ3pnm017lpjPvKmVg45SxoyAG4mxK72952_jKfySwVUAbkbelHp77mwHTdY-4K10FyfJjgpkWhDlfed4xCfvF48F7xSwhaUgmO4Wu1e0MR0g6-HcnvECGQOM_-egeA88lfNHeXkovxYd_N6WsAAA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael's cows eating protein</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked the troughs and broke ice again. The cows are still grazing and looking good, and there’s enough grass up there to last a few more weeks if it doesn’t snow under. I took photos of Andrea clearing the ice off the bottom trough, and our cows all down by the gate at the lower bed-ground where we have protein blocks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzy3XG3p-3FaPFgeuR0Qt0QrY4M136uGTbegzu-uvH_8HaOLW9OOOvju_RPleSNxnNNAo8nQnIzEV5mx-I9ulkw7W9gucIou5btgDyeNd8jTBzCX1NyjA3Vj95mYo1MI9c7JGAOwN0Gb2Fu1NYKwlh76J9Bs8O08IQL6KSO8ti2BMKthYIK2VT6jTIRQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzy3XG3p-3FaPFgeuR0Qt0QrY4M136uGTbegzu-uvH_8HaOLW9OOOvju_RPleSNxnNNAo8nQnIzEV5mx-I9ulkw7W9gucIou5btgDyeNd8jTBzCX1NyjA3Vj95mYo1MI9c7JGAOwN0Gb2Fu1NYKwlh76J9Bs8O08IQL6KSO8ti2BMKthYIK2VT6jTIRQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">shoveling ice out of bottom trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4wosarO7ZBU7xPQgxS6hQHosIyQLbunHzyjekX9k4kl0M9S2yqFL2lUN51UUjHPPZce1ep2hHSvqcEn3-4q84RjelMSiL_nlBYWOVacbJrBQxXAiCRyJ82zeCozNxgT3OAcm_w4G7-1MiX97A9Eo7K-e6n8zEvMgQGRpKNEE_I1uNpvNkSeu0QSOxlw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4wosarO7ZBU7xPQgxS6hQHosIyQLbunHzyjekX9k4kl0M9S2yqFL2lUN51UUjHPPZce1ep2hHSvqcEn3-4q84RjelMSiL_nlBYWOVacbJrBQxXAiCRyJ82zeCozNxgT3OAcm_w4G7-1MiX97A9Eo7K-e6n8zEvMgQGRpKNEE_I1uNpvNkSeu0QSOxlw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our cows were all down by the gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was warmer and we gambled on the ice not freezing very thick on the water toughs, and didn’t go to the 320—which was nice, because this was the day we celebrated Thanksgiving. It was a day that all of Andrea’s kids could be here and we had dinner at her house this afternoon.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie brought down pies to cook in my oven (since Andrea’s oven had the turkey cooking) and he helped Lynn put the new hot water hose under the bathroom sink and we finally got everything working! It was a lot easier for Charlie, with his long arms, to lie under there and get it all hooked up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we all gathered for dinner at Andrea’s house, including Lynn’s sister Jenelle, Emily’s boyfriend AJ, and her friend Audra and Audra’s dad. I took photos of Christopher playing with his toys before dinner and having a sip of milk.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvTwlJasurVkcBrle7Fso5p6BOSnnXA1aGYmX250Nw2VdiDj0FMUQ-VIQRjn0yN9DBnHeO643Un4PoHEwxS8wSOl38h6izKzFL6MwyemNi4XGcLJfo33rY9eVzYUtJjFe05pTtr62WMnZtCRx6Gjxhj8QRurx717UyuQC1dFzQ3efxl9YnmwSa18S0QQ=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvTwlJasurVkcBrle7Fso5p6BOSnnXA1aGYmX250Nw2VdiDj0FMUQ-VIQRjn0yN9DBnHeO643Un4PoHEwxS8wSOl38h6izKzFL6MwyemNi4XGcLJfo33rY9eVzYUtJjFe05pTtr62WMnZtCRx6Gjxhj8QRurx717UyuQC1dFzQ3efxl9YnmwSa18S0QQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0H7jQl1Jgt81yrz7GvaG9B7ODGKqZnCnXgqoxUPv3qHeenM2-TRd1R8gKTTyF2cMr3B4-voqRVHQuKkdIfUKHFzCfYwvkuafLyoVbZdxqEZjHqL99aWdpIxjf_I9F0hfl3kIjhGLopmlx9CCkKYTSwjJR40_1KORWJ5gIAuDYXyjT-tn_tifcokugnw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0H7jQl1Jgt81yrz7GvaG9B7ODGKqZnCnXgqoxUPv3qHeenM2-TRd1R8gKTTyF2cMr3B4-voqRVHQuKkdIfUKHFzCfYwvkuafLyoVbZdxqEZjHqL99aWdpIxjf_I9F0hfl3kIjhGLopmlx9CCkKYTSwjJR40_1KORWJ5gIAuDYXyjT-tn_tifcokugnw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWCXC547QckUHoS7xEvepsDAbnRGiPWyGc5lHEgEp-zX9weookGBtX7a5KkQAnt9lzA13YkZYxoB0LNkv5EmyAtycmjfRTwz9ywqLFQk9qHJyL3iCWS7MtBBEiwL7khbL1srdPIEJk6qzbelwzM_nwv3nJ2tQgTT89tNsIn6nlouDHwLAzoCRF8erkGA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWCXC547QckUHoS7xEvepsDAbnRGiPWyGc5lHEgEp-zX9weookGBtX7a5KkQAnt9lzA13YkZYxoB0LNkv5EmyAtycmjfRTwz9ywqLFQk9qHJyL3iCWS7MtBBEiwL7khbL1srdPIEJk6qzbelwzM_nwv3nJ2tQgTT89tNsIn6nlouDHwLAzoCRF8erkGA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a little pre-dinner drink of milk</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">And a photo of the cooks preparing the food.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNoqVJH4o7HTzS3-GQyueMq9VsU-sMNio24TdUouuQuDB5NF0uXjluD0a5edY_GHLNWfSiWGrl4IeKZ1EbmV8nnEU7aCHz38TVVAegdYsTKe5SEo39WZ23g2P8TTAJolIHFjFl9v7TADDbrqcxEg3vFk-kAtQdMkVDQoskvc5190npKJnyck0Qt3aiIQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNoqVJH4o7HTzS3-GQyueMq9VsU-sMNio24TdUouuQuDB5NF0uXjluD0a5edY_GHLNWfSiWGrl4IeKZ1EbmV8nnEU7aCHz38TVVAegdYsTKe5SEo39WZ23g2P8TTAJolIHFjFl9v7TADDbrqcxEg3vFk-kAtQdMkVDQoskvc5190npKJnyck0Qt3aiIQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cooking dinner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We all ate too much and then Lynn and I came home before dark, to do chores.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">DECEMBER 6</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a couple days of warmer weather last week and took advantage of it, getting a few projects done before winter. Andrea helped me take the shoes off Shiloh and Dottie. Michael and Carolyn took more protein blocks to the 320 for the cows and left them on the lower saddle just through the gate. I grazed Sprout for a few days in the driveway between the main corral and the bull pen, letting her eat the tall grass along the edges and using step-in posts and fake “hot wire” (baling twines) to fence her in there for a few hours each day.<div><br /></div><div>Last Monday Andrea took her pickup to Scott Kesl’s ranch to get 10 protein blocks (100 pounds each) and the next day we took 4 of those blocks to the 320 in her little jeep and put them on the upper salt ground. With what Michael and Carolyn put at the lower saddle, it should last quite a while. We also checked the water troughs.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNdRBCwL8GkK4FSWRtevGZz0PhFB6EhMgsVaTsyLOto1iX70m2Vqdy4gQ4pjYsc5zUeEXrkEC0WKa4r6dzXM0mUTZTp_OlaX2u8F21s0L9ayTGDIlrnNR07s8Z3mVdw1KG_JAFqVWCdXYNk0nDddpuzOd-SPEuUMVt1_TLVwm1ujHNyYyqYiCH_J9GVQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNdRBCwL8GkK4FSWRtevGZz0PhFB6EhMgsVaTsyLOto1iX70m2Vqdy4gQ4pjYsc5zUeEXrkEC0WKa4r6dzXM0mUTZTp_OlaX2u8F21s0L9ayTGDIlrnNR07s8Z3mVdw1KG_JAFqVWCdXYNk0nDddpuzOd-SPEuUMVt1_TLVwm1ujHNyYyqYiCH_J9GVQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows enjoying their protein</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUYWcrmFc2mvnVW1mWg8xfewSLMocBJvhd4LzQG5TA5R9luexa4NNkjYiyxxS5bkAyB7E0b-9XnJV-BsScDbZsVdGc54a-Z6ZnsBOr69J8-DMcU8R-UjOX6wI6ecqYjHmeeG54Od9TEyQGS5GzlYqBBzWQmGlv0NePwWtHrsh9AEgpZbYR7QlHjR-_VA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUYWcrmFc2mvnVW1mWg8xfewSLMocBJvhd4LzQG5TA5R9luexa4NNkjYiyxxS5bkAyB7E0b-9XnJV-BsScDbZsVdGc54a-Z6ZnsBOr69J8-DMcU8R-UjOX6wI6ecqYjHmeeG54Od9TEyQGS5GzlYqBBzWQmGlv0NePwWtHrsh9AEgpZbYR7QlHjR-_VA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking lower water trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Loggers brought equipment and unloaded it at upper stackyard. Michael made a deal with the guys who have been cutting poles up on Warms Springs. They want to harvest the timber on the Baker Creek side of the 320 (a 3-year project) in exchange for improving the road into that area and supplying Michael with a year’s worth of poles for his fencing business. They spent Friday and Saturday working on the road but were unable to complete the part that goes up Baker Creek (the ground was too frozen on that shady side) so they hope to bring out a little timber this fall from the upper road and down the ridge, and will finish the lower road in the spring.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I did our Christmas letter this week and Emily put together a group of photos for it. After 55 years of sending out Christmas letters, we finally have photos with it! Here is what she put together for me:</span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;">December 2021 Box 215, Salmon, Idaho 83467 208-756-2841</span></div><div><span id="docs-internal-guid-3298021a-7fff-1e7d-2420-b5479f35a2d1"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span> </span><span> </span>Greetings from Withington Creek. Our family is grateful for our many blessings in spite of numerous challenges. Lynn and I are still able to take care of our cattle, with help from our daughter and granddaughters, and we enjoy having family around us. Michael and Carolyn stay busy with their custom fencing and landscaping business, along with their own cattle. Winter weather, snow and frozen ground make their fencing job more challenging, but they continue to have a crew working most days.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Grandson Nick is still coaching cross country at the high school and middle school. His runners did very well again this year; the girls’ team took first place in the state, and the boys second place (after being first in the state the past several years) which is amazing for our small school. Nick also works in his folks’ custom fencing business. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Granddaughter Heather Carrie and husband Gregory had a busy year on their grain farm in Saskatchewan (also taking care of their cattle and horses) with their two young boys. Joseph will be 5 years old in April, and James will be 2 in February. They are looking forward to arrival of a new sibling in February.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our daughter Andrea continues to help us, taking care of cattle, irrigating, fence-moving (creatively rotating pastures with portable electric fences) and haying. Her friend Stan from California visited multiple times and helped keep our ancient haying equipment running and learned how cut and bale hay. We were grateful for his help!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Andrea’s oldest daughter Emily has her CNA license, working toward becoming a registered nurse; she’s now working at Discovery Care Center, an assisted living facility. The rest of us help take care of Christopher (Emily’s nearly 3-year-old son) when she is at work. Christopher loves cats, tractors, and anything mechanical.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Charlie (age 20) worked again this summer for the Youth Employment Program as a crew leader, clearing trails, building fences, etc. on public lands and also works as a mechanic at an auto body repair shop.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Samantha (soon to be 19) got her CNA license, graduated from high school with a 4 point grade average, and received the state Louie Armstrong Jazz award for best trumpet player in the Jazz Band. She is now a freshman at the College of Southern Idaho with a double major, planning to become a nurse.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Danielle (age 17) still enjoys horses and cattle and helped us during calving season again, and plans to help this year. She lost her pickup when it caught fire while she and several friends were driving in the mountains above the ranch, but thankfully they all got out of it before the gas tank exploded, and none of them were hurt.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Emily and her boyfriend AJ took a short trip with Christopher to Spokane in early summer, and later when Emily had a few days’ vacation time she took Christopher and Dani on a trip to the Seattle-Tacoma area. They stayed on Fox Island at the Durham family cabin—where Christopher enjoyed the beach and the water.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Lynn and I are getting older and slower but still moving! He continues to locate sites for water wells; many people are moving into our part of Idaho, wanting to build homes and needing a well. I continue to write articles for livestock, farming and horse publications, doing phone interviews with people across the country. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of my favorite cousins, Roger Smith, passed away this spring. He wanted to have his ashes scattered on our 320-acre mountain pasture, where he spent many hours as a young man building fence for my dad. In July my brother Rockwell and I honored his wishes and took Roger’s ashes to the 320 and spread them, overlooking Baker Creek</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After weaning the calves this fall (two-stage weaning with nose flaps) we put our cows on our mountain pasture where they’ve been able to graze for more than 2 months. The grass was very dry, due to severe drought this summer; we’ve been taking protein supplement up there for the cows. Andrea and I rode up there often, to check on them, until my horse injured a hind foot (jabbing a stick deep into the coronary band, where it broke off and had to work out). She developed an infection, necessitating daily soaking and then bandaging for several weeks. We continued checking cattle, on 4-wheelers and hiking up there, to see the cows. Spells of cold weather the past last several weeks made it necessary to go up almost daily to break ice on one of the water troughs.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">We pause this time of year to remember the many special people in our lives, and the Love that God shared with us when he sent his Son to show us His love. We wish you a wonderful Christmas, and God’s blessings in the New Year.</span></p><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Heather and Lynn Thomas</span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="640" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GgAiTCX2_fKXac3mCtTJ11HIstjZr6gFRwTnPHFd47DR_VHK6ynigsYwVQt5YePP_sml-o9an-Dmgt1NhVCz_79W1UWA6sid2tkdZ89dqbRDvfeauuTUfkv76IWvJg=w411-h640" style="font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 0px; margin-top: 0px; white-space: pre-wrap;" width="411" /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Somehow I lost my list that I’ve had for 40-plus years, of all the family members’ addresses and phone numbers. This is a list that my mom created for me many years ago and I’ve added to it and updated it, but now it’s gone. So I have been recreating it, connecting with cousins to get their addresses and phone numbers. I called my Uncle Bob Smith (my dad’s youngest brother and the only sibling living, in that generation) and had a good visit with him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea helped me take shoes off Willow; now all the horses are barefoot for winter. She also helped Lynn put power service in all the tractors so that they will be more ready for cold weather and the diesel won’t gel. To circulate it in the diesel tanks they had to start the tractors and let them run a few minutes. To do that, they had to plug in the big tractor for a while, and had to use the battery charger on the little one. The middle Johnny was the only one that started without help in this cooler weather.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My brother Rocky was supposed to have shoulder surgery this week. The doctors got him all prepped and under anesthesia and then his blood pressure plummeted and his oxygen level dropped dangerously low, so they postponed and sent him home, and will reschedule it later.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani was working on her pickup during the weekend, out at her dad’s place; he’s helping her make the necessary repairs to get it more roadworthy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The deer starting eating on the alfalfa bale stacks by the horse pens, so yesterday Andrea helped me put the plastic netting around the end of the stack they’ve been eating on, to keep them out of it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I did a couple phone interviews (early this morning) then Andrea helped me take a protein tub to the young heifers (on her 4-wheeler). We’ll soon have to start feeding them hay, but there is still a lot of grass in their pasture. It’s getting drier (freezing at night) and has less and less protein all the time, so we decided to give them a protein supplement until we start feeding their big alfalfa bales.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Lynn went to town for the mail and groceries, and Andrea and I went to the 320 to check on the cows and water tanks. We met the father and son logger crew, and their two big dogs, Panda and Tuffy, at the camp they’ve set up on the first big bench in the 160-acre pasture.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgesZ0SVNBMdO3rsQ16Bin6LxSap3v_ia5eiaJwY6mgmMfFZgjNfNLX4j1S6TPCgalToYzAbdtBv5g8A26dEWRKNviMFJdNR9Nqno3JYavubS_cgEbY9OyC8jg58NgSsREBkxxsYz3vyE86aTkItQTp7_eCVDK_HNt8aTmet4cwhXr9OcpWrAy-s17ZqA=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgesZ0SVNBMdO3rsQ16Bin6LxSap3v_ia5eiaJwY6mgmMfFZgjNfNLX4j1S6TPCgalToYzAbdtBv5g8A26dEWRKNviMFJdNR9Nqno3JYavubS_cgEbY9OyC8jg58NgSsREBkxxsYz3vyE86aTkItQTp7_eCVDK_HNt8aTmet4cwhXr9OcpWrAy-s17ZqA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfES-AOVrVslh0lPAw4HTrfrYrscJuCIdAsaPGsX7wOKFY5OkgVk2Pa8NtYw9WZiNCgrgki_ZbmQNOtXQuSvtbQjMzuovShh_4WwZ3FcKrTjr5IDiV_zzTZ4pRI9y5nGqR_2wA1ETAWy1KV-qiFc-AwMjNs0Zie3MnrURnaN7jVDpIm0BthW9uSJTZAQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfES-AOVrVslh0lPAw4HTrfrYrscJuCIdAsaPGsX7wOKFY5OkgVk2Pa8NtYw9WZiNCgrgki_ZbmQNOtXQuSvtbQjMzuovShh_4WwZ3FcKrTjr5IDiV_zzTZ4pRI9y5nGqR_2wA1ETAWy1KV-qiFc-AwMjNs0Zie3MnrURnaN7jVDpIm0BthW9uSJTZAQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">logger's camp on 160 pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh41IeAu2p9kfvcRNu4W6LuG9JkIP_6SKy7CfBBM-kgCAmG8c8-lPFvoyMVdVWk9I0CcXQfLSQIGnKaCJCy4r4M2Yt-UCH1dRwE5KjkOIAatOHMafImAMlrlWtNDDVWJDugYnWpeZZtsqtPb7-3yJWLjwh867uv-g8ni0h3_QRodwPvSJC-ghEojbZGGg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh41IeAu2p9kfvcRNu4W6LuG9JkIP_6SKy7CfBBM-kgCAmG8c8-lPFvoyMVdVWk9I0CcXQfLSQIGnKaCJCy4r4M2Yt-UCH1dRwE5KjkOIAatOHMafImAMlrlWtNDDVWJDugYnWpeZZtsqtPb7-3yJWLjwh867uv-g8ni0h3_QRodwPvSJC-ghEojbZGGg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">logger dogs Panda and Tuffy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The road is a little rough with all the new rocks they’ve turned up in widening it, especially up to the main ridge, but we made it on up to the top bed-ground to check on the protein. Then we drove down into Baker Creek to check the cows and water. I took photos as we drove down our old jeep road, where the loggers have widened the road and started cutting a few trees.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigVyU_e17nW1m-fTrAqQgZTH7VvinSaHdkQ1YcHCVOJOnHtrOwqqwFTmGPuB95uxJ8OavlYLqUsktKmk3944h6z3O9Kik7V5WNz1K2AnMdAKlk7hfrMJhF8TDbpDrwvmhGlafrFd-2-lfon4BieHO7Z1PCkBZr2AJZkWC-ockrO48KPPxnhqIruatRNw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigVyU_e17nW1m-fTrAqQgZTH7VvinSaHdkQ1YcHCVOJOnHtrOwqqwFTmGPuB95uxJ8OavlYLqUsktKmk3944h6z3O9Kik7V5WNz1K2AnMdAKlk7hfrMJhF8TDbpDrwvmhGlafrFd-2-lfon4BieHO7Z1PCkBZr2AJZkWC-ockrO48KPPxnhqIruatRNw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">driving down toward Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_lW0OYHbQXaCZBYVNyY65fuqPnh66HnQuburXzOgXEW4rHv4h2rhdSFICtgQeFg8fVtEz7E5sw19oQ8R7QhL1EsXhTfhc1EMM33NTHrTlF64vPxHhSQ2jmuX7xFX-g1Edo9Dk6eXmtjkh7lKlyRP9rgmsJp31EKyMisxP0YzoqZ-SjqgPdxmTRNW_EQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_lW0OYHbQXaCZBYVNyY65fuqPnh66HnQuburXzOgXEW4rHv4h2rhdSFICtgQeFg8fVtEz7E5sw19oQ8R7QhL1EsXhTfhc1EMM33NTHrTlF64vPxHhSQ2jmuX7xFX-g1Edo9Dk6eXmtjkh7lKlyRP9rgmsJp31EKyMisxP0YzoqZ-SjqgPdxmTRNW_EQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">widened road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">There were a lot of down trees by the upper trough and some branches and slash across the cow trails.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4fHN2J48a2wf_HDyKQE3GSeac5MbB5J-kD10L80X9cYhfbTwYdGnd-o996pjRGwppp93fujMx7xxbHj-U-Ci5g-125499KKtRD5eZGNr0CHKjBLXIXclPYj3FB-Wf2CwlZQpf60My3kvTgmBIsnEfqpw7TdYvuDI_iTtSNT8iUQj3lWszehlF-V_Bww=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4fHN2J48a2wf_HDyKQE3GSeac5MbB5J-kD10L80X9cYhfbTwYdGnd-o996pjRGwppp93fujMx7xxbHj-U-Ci5g-125499KKtRD5eZGNr0CHKjBLXIXclPYj3FB-Wf2CwlZQpf60My3kvTgmBIsnEfqpw7TdYvuDI_iTtSNT8iUQj3lWszehlF-V_Bww=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">logging activity</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG88CZRxGisJ492svv1j2rCqehEzCjpMS_zHtQId9Ao2wP687IUCivKAkRhDNlHv0JcU80QjnOUN6-fIiyEzy3CSw_haP3giT1CnT2zFDqwIuB_8IfaiVT_1HP4oYk7ATISRrfpVJs6VY6kc3HVaW8SNCgDYo4c_KTrGU1Syfu96eEm9wPyiDWSWCzhg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgG88CZRxGisJ492svv1j2rCqehEzCjpMS_zHtQId9Ao2wP687IUCivKAkRhDNlHv0JcU80QjnOUN6-fIiyEzy3CSw_haP3giT1CnT2zFDqwIuB_8IfaiVT_1HP4oYk7ATISRrfpVJs6VY6kc3HVaW8SNCgDYo4c_KTrGU1Syfu96eEm9wPyiDWSWCzhg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">big old trees gone</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1Pa3GWIQpHNfgiiFYUm-8AQc5yZNCpg_6eOnwYsVdoAHBq-8Z0V3Mf36cJG8Rwkg42ORNBqnxoozFshGXun455IBReWxC3BzGDcwN7U05zT01M0B5E_vn8e16JfmsDkWsm7k3wX8eqnVCeNbh6_9-HUStKeNa9JfPBCooVg7ZYyzPeqKoWSlWACLQYA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1Pa3GWIQpHNfgiiFYUm-8AQc5yZNCpg_6eOnwYsVdoAHBq-8Z0V3Mf36cJG8Rwkg42ORNBqnxoozFshGXun455IBReWxC3BzGDcwN7U05zT01M0B5E_vn8e16JfmsDkWsm7k3wX8eqnVCeNbh6_9-HUStKeNa9JfPBCooVg7ZYyzPeqKoWSlWACLQYA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trees gone on hill above trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We had to unplug the overflow pipe on that trough because it had been occluded by lots of fir needles that had fallen into the trough.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">DECEMBER 14</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I got our flu shots last Tuesday. Jim got here from Colorado. He is done with his job as manager for the guy he’s been working for during the past three years, putting in an apple orchard. He will spend the winter here and work in his shop (that he set up several years ago in the old trailer that was used for a while as a calving camp when Michael and Carolyn were calving their cows down here with ours).<div><br /></div><div>Wednesday afternoon Andrea and I went to 320 to check cows and troughs. We had to unplug the overflow on the upper trough again—a lot of fir needles and small boughs had fallen into the trough from the tree-cutting right above it. I took photos of Andrea scooping the floating needles and debris out of the trough and unplugging the overflow pipe that had a wad of debris clogging it. This time we took along an OB glove/sleeve for her to wear over that arm to keep her hand dry so it wouldn’t get so cold). The pipe was full of fir needles again and it took a while to get things running through.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7EXkNHSnWZh8W7t9C9CkenaDEH_KZTa5WsAvympjsfJgWxK5sJGZLRfDHoMeKDLnCU73ezKSOLQVvaX2JU3zIuLxEKLfJwdzcVJ37lgkF_hMNdUxLltguO2m9ixUOAHGRNd1L63Cuc98iai5HvRGMtsBmsBhXMQe5YG8f5ne79rbQY3lMywLCZtEMHQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7EXkNHSnWZh8W7t9C9CkenaDEH_KZTa5WsAvympjsfJgWxK5sJGZLRfDHoMeKDLnCU73ezKSOLQVvaX2JU3zIuLxEKLfJwdzcVJ37lgkF_hMNdUxLltguO2m9ixUOAHGRNd1L63Cuc98iai5HvRGMtsBmsBhXMQe5YG8f5ne79rbQY3lMywLCZtEMHQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea unplugging overflow entrance</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPg5hfKirAgxrHQgbS0R9oYg8wbJK9M2kIdq9N_CW2OnPbVBQhbxx-YhXcOIKx_HN5KRGOHPG5MONEat1rHgkQg2vFJ-oyQ622WkAcJ-uS_wZbZUetCaZnGazP3Xu8PRDvVscG-fxu1ZJtUVPL0E7Z6IgCSpzwVaQou1bkmy9lpVzJaevDCUH0XPtMlg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPg5hfKirAgxrHQgbS0R9oYg8wbJK9M2kIdq9N_CW2OnPbVBQhbxx-YhXcOIKx_HN5KRGOHPG5MONEat1rHgkQg2vFJ-oyQ622WkAcJ-uS_wZbZUetCaZnGazP3Xu8PRDvVscG-fxu1ZJtUVPL0E7Z6IgCSpzwVaQou1bkmy9lpVzJaevDCUH0XPtMlg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">water gushing out from the overflow pipe after it was unplugged</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we drove on down the creek and checked the lower trough. The ice wasn’t very thick on it, but Andrea shoveled it off anyway so it wouldn’t build up thicker during the cold nights.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHF_JU8TPN3ORltm_aGAv1V7jqFwMsCAAzxfgHEJeZLLwwfxIpozXCDwwd_Mkrv4BHcrmx18te7mBlND4kxfw_DcwfJspTdOZpzeU3sghIpd1hAcl7D7z1Mx0BnlPc8h3Hh0bAOG1dMjTgdZEUQQnFTHtZT0NHyiv1MIvstUIKETIL9mxqn9OI_ZPQZw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHF_JU8TPN3ORltm_aGAv1V7jqFwMsCAAzxfgHEJeZLLwwfxIpozXCDwwd_Mkrv4BHcrmx18te7mBlND4kxfw_DcwfJspTdOZpzeU3sghIpd1hAcl7D7z1Mx0BnlPc8h3Hh0bAOG1dMjTgdZEUQQnFTHtZT0NHyiv1MIvstUIKETIL9mxqn9OI_ZPQZw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ice not very thick</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdnAh6bHkKJOM6nyhIzsw3kc0dBS4ffmcTCCTZbDaVbCwXondc2mBy3wUhF8wGTAK6pmQpnKqDJIdPTNranAEwkvBc4U50aMQSxlmPXapH3tneB8l8rfdxhciOyzOK2XeoaydRJSG2u8CR2S7_bbzCB3noAkCkihvYEznAmC3rV5k_t193VGDA_5QXnw=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdnAh6bHkKJOM6nyhIzsw3kc0dBS4ffmcTCCTZbDaVbCwXondc2mBy3wUhF8wGTAK6pmQpnKqDJIdPTNranAEwkvBc4U50aMQSxlmPXapH3tneB8l8rfdxhciOyzOK2XeoaydRJSG2u8CR2S7_bbzCB3noAkCkihvYEznAmC3rV5k_t193VGDA_5QXnw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrBB97jiFoxCLK4Kt3oKpy2AvgNTSAIUyuGHKsFxu-q3gqPmIAkK-fCnfuJNpd80FX91IZ33-sO2LM8NtmHwtMo6Mo4dtee51bIn5_hVVPpASej7NM73M8xg-v7rp0AaQkFMykq35oZk0IqDY-RgNuOPkpnmAU-6Vbe7th5BZYLXO7C3HLKfn9nqoRFA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrBB97jiFoxCLK4Kt3oKpy2AvgNTSAIUyuGHKsFxu-q3gqPmIAkK-fCnfuJNpd80FX91IZ33-sO2LM8NtmHwtMo6Mo4dtee51bIn5_hVVPpASej7NM73M8xg-v7rp0AaQkFMykq35oZk0IqDY-RgNuOPkpnmAU-6Vbe7th5BZYLXO7C3HLKfn9nqoRFA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">shoveling ice off lower trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">All the cows were down at the lower end, probably because the logging activity at the top had disrupted them a bit. Hopefully the cows and the logging can co-exist for a while longer, since there is still grass up there.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9krFVIiEymoIzrHTUexde3PhJ0y1vnAhUHZm3Qz_9yaiAU7c8HNEtDdMtxI_nIPk67A1-Ohko6YcaYRp9HzedtrnLjosIPe805yZ59xwMk06dY1XrmniuPv1s7ppWmxPbUbyXNpvur91NJdQ0Pvzsk-D1_OM86K61P8aFmI9CZ4jivAuJgj_Eg4LSBg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9krFVIiEymoIzrHTUexde3PhJ0y1vnAhUHZm3Qz_9yaiAU7c8HNEtDdMtxI_nIPk67A1-Ohko6YcaYRp9HzedtrnLjosIPe805yZ59xwMk06dY1XrmniuPv1s7ppWmxPbUbyXNpvur91NJdQ0Pvzsk-D1_OM86K61P8aFmI9CZ4jivAuJgj_Eg4LSBg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our cows all down at lower bedground</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On our way down into the 160-acre pasture we cleaned off all the ice on the big trough between the 320 and 160 where Michael and Carolyn’s horses drink.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It snowed that evening. Em’s car spun out when she came home, and she had to back down Andrea’s driveway and leave her car in our barnyard. Dani drove down here, and took her and Christopher home in her pickup.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With the snow, all the whitetail deer that had been still grazing in our fields and pastures decided to munch on our haystacks instead. A bunch of them spent the night eating on the big bale by the bull pen and pooping and peeing in his feed manger. So the next day Andrea and I put the deer netting up around that area, using the two little trailers as “fence corners” as we’d planned. The racks on the trailers are tall enough to hold up the tall netting and gave us something to secure to, since that ground is too rocky to set steel posts and add taller poles. We used elk panels to secure the short spans across the ends, and one of those upright panels I can swing open a little to go in and out of this big “cage” to feed the bull.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhghqwmPw0ERX30ywaOXd_PB1Yi2FbKEBdbOM8qh5XSvYuXp01XFvRaB7wOENbZfCXgQ0tR6wNRQ3BnRSRwPupvdh3T1mfYQLJ-UIATQxeh5ofDMc2ErVtrBqFsfL5mnFPYyPx7Fr3nJSSGNqKbifrujctUVi3JFW3Vr0y8Br5yHiFzacEkkBQdnJTyWA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhghqwmPw0ERX30ywaOXd_PB1Yi2FbKEBdbOM8qh5XSvYuXp01XFvRaB7wOENbZfCXgQ0tR6wNRQ3BnRSRwPupvdh3T1mfYQLJ-UIATQxeh5ofDMc2ErVtrBqFsfL5mnFPYyPx7Fr3nJSSGNqKbifrujctUVi3JFW3Vr0y8Br5yHiFzacEkkBQdnJTyWA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">two old trailers help hold up deer netting</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjx656jKLw_sEk-KmPryC85QzU5S7s8JsSkSBJL2ZV3iF5qboRtSMKim890d6Mnb2F7qf7QDe0c64yMkC7c2oqMu77UYymSPb1SNpYltTqi9PuKHe6_LKS2cn2aPMNn2c6AXrC2YRveVNXgwLPOPmLaAEi0wCXe90bl1umz80A3XsNZNLP1Uy-CwRh-8Q=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjx656jKLw_sEk-KmPryC85QzU5S7s8JsSkSBJL2ZV3iF5qboRtSMKim890d6Mnb2F7qf7QDe0c64yMkC7c2oqMu77UYymSPb1SNpYltTqi9PuKHe6_LKS2cn2aPMNn2c6AXrC2YRveVNXgwLPOPmLaAEi0wCXe90bl1umz80A3XsNZNLP1Uy-CwRh-8Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmKd16eo6rJ_fsHmAtj6PI5L8TAuO_fFF-y0dMijLP_a-4gTvFsBWvKGancScVJf9tNSGtWlNXnJwmEVvXGoB0hRTHsUGmPO1jjeT_0Qh5sYPfl3aG049zxnOGoOjyueUuSNo7RloImvFC8NhEZ-IkvV0nLRoCVVdI6h3ZO_fxOJdcYe_aJxpCXyn9_Q=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgmKd16eo6rJ_fsHmAtj6PI5L8TAuO_fFF-y0dMijLP_a-4gTvFsBWvKGancScVJf9tNSGtWlNXnJwmEVvXGoB0hRTHsUGmPO1jjeT_0Qh5sYPfl3aG049zxnOGoOjyueUuSNo7RloImvFC8NhEZ-IkvV0nLRoCVVdI6h3ZO_fxOJdcYe_aJxpCXyn9_Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">netting cage around bull hay to keep deer out</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Here is a photo of Babe in his pen, and a photo of the upright elk panels that serve as a gate to get into the “Babe hay cage”. I can swing one of them to the side to go in and out to put hay in his in-fence feed manger.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0eB_LlYBfKzyMmBfGVMz-uvPGWeMNhbM88ztYjyfdY4itcHxoPgjynGEYMR2DEUlVbDPFC0m_eRGARavHJnL9nBmmIQ-IuU_00xTBpFhfv9ETzm0KjqsbroCvKA58g7107NXqVnxO4X33euG2upcRSHL14awD7Rn4ltemjpEKwQE3UzasaOP6eAfhjQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj0eB_LlYBfKzyMmBfGVMz-uvPGWeMNhbM88ztYjyfdY4itcHxoPgjynGEYMR2DEUlVbDPFC0m_eRGARavHJnL9nBmmIQ-IuU_00xTBpFhfv9ETzm0KjqsbroCvKA58g7107NXqVnxO4X33euG2upcRSHL14awD7Rn4ltemjpEKwQE3UzasaOP6eAfhjQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Babe in the bull pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp2WWnUiaLYA4x_oVEY0yTpNmsBtzRxHl32b63gogJTlul-vNOeQpH8aTy81tItaXIlNd9pm2Dg8Au2MgaaApqxVJiE1lwzlCZNsQsDPziQEdUYCvY77URzvkpISwgaMDWVbIWNuS_Z0gxpoShmXQc-xwYvXsUOQ1DhUxw9mLG6cvtTFI5Gh_yXm-wsQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp2WWnUiaLYA4x_oVEY0yTpNmsBtzRxHl32b63gogJTlul-vNOeQpH8aTy81tItaXIlNd9pm2Dg8Au2MgaaApqxVJiE1lwzlCZNsQsDPziQEdUYCvY77URzvkpISwgaMDWVbIWNuS_Z0gxpoShmXQc-xwYvXsUOQ1DhUxw9mLG6cvtTFI5Gh_yXm-wsQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">gate into hay cage</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily took her car to town to get snow tires put on it, so she’ll be able to make it in and out of our driveways. Later that afternoon Andrea brought her pickup down here (after having it plugged in a while so it would start) and we off-loaded the rest of the protein blocks into the camper shell on the old jeep—a place where they will stay dry and we can be able to load them onto a 4-wheeler to take them to the cows when needed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday morning was cold, and the young heifers were slow to go graze, so I took a little bale of horse hay out there in my wagon and fed them. It wasn’t enough hay for 12 head, but it got them started and they happily went to grazing that afternoon. It will soon be time to put their bale feeder out there and start their winter feeding program.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We knew the ice would be thick on the lower trough on the 320 so Andrea and I dressed very warm and drove up there on her 4-wheeler. All the cows were down at the lower end and I took photos of some of them on the saddle by the ridge gate.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfIVXpeSWjLVFx2DDhjTd7O-atK1HZIm6MEKBJzjWycZwOerrZwntJBkTojOXbrWyA1N9VOU_wEOW7wqF3emTOiKoo0cuZOLLDshwsG-z-p7y4djv3tbXs4jdefk1jk7L6Nej47s2oLeDoTgZKb51UQm0z_TT6KZyiERBKGBlZuvk7xaSUWD20tZ_kFg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfIVXpeSWjLVFx2DDhjTd7O-atK1HZIm6MEKBJzjWycZwOerrZwntJBkTojOXbrWyA1N9VOU_wEOW7wqF3emTOiKoo0cuZOLLDshwsG-z-p7y4djv3tbXs4jdefk1jk7L6Nej47s2oLeDoTgZKb51UQm0z_TT6KZyiERBKGBlZuvk7xaSUWD20tZ_kFg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows on ridge</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We looked up the ridge where the loggers had been dragging a few logs down, after the snow, but didn’t drive up that way.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Rl860blAiVY46HcPh9GPyB01BOIqD1wSoHQTiEfGP1xzOk-tu_V2j4Q3Il_39XYm_Vs73v2lL2bwaCcib-yC6wXq4ZFp5RU22-nvoiy5zusgDzYkyt9jiLNhfbFfzv1B5ONAnp5egUcCVEi1DNuCzKeuOUPrcNBtPKNluHsDSUl7DSzzeyYZjjcWnA=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8Rl860blAiVY46HcPh9GPyB01BOIqD1wSoHQTiEfGP1xzOk-tu_V2j4Q3Il_39XYm_Vs73v2lL2bwaCcib-yC6wXq4ZFp5RU22-nvoiy5zusgDzYkyt9jiLNhfbFfzv1B5ONAnp5egUcCVEi1DNuCzKeuOUPrcNBtPKNluHsDSUl7DSzzeyYZjjcWnA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">road up the ridge to top bedground</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We first went into Baker Creek to break ice on the bottom trough first, since we knew it would be thick after the cold nights. It was completely iced over, with ice about 2 inches thick.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhj_mWmNs6qpiQr4ckR_ICpYaLVboaYOe-YHAqAFxDU6Ao9m8EH0RqupoMTxBiJeOybH_1xNWeUrkN3YsANdqgyHT-0Bn8hAThZ6lv64hSTqDhjLxN_JuZHZPcNe1XxqoZtHd2-OZfOsIedXqY_h2095Y2MgNVARG1k4CGZj6Ibjwaeer2J08yJ5i9omA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhj_mWmNs6qpiQr4ckR_ICpYaLVboaYOe-YHAqAFxDU6Ao9m8EH0RqupoMTxBiJeOybH_1xNWeUrkN3YsANdqgyHT-0Bn8hAThZ6lv64hSTqDhjLxN_JuZHZPcNe1XxqoZtHd2-OZfOsIedXqY_h2095Y2MgNVARG1k4CGZj6Ibjwaeer2J08yJ5i9omA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bottom trough iced over</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Fortunately there was a small hole in the ice, underneath the pipe trickling the water in, and the cows had been able to drink there, probably just one at a time. I took photos of Andrea breaking the ice and shoveling it out of the trough.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghwOKZ-hXvAHDks-qzMIgGosyqW3Nfr_cQhgqx9Dbwwr6m1VNX_hvzbsdp2Jyf9_1-d9N0KfhpxAT6VsjlVwuw8V7NETKkvT9Y6V6tlkhFItdq_T1UTS36zNyeJceu4wblnC8L3PjX7zQLo9mhPNaRbyCecTXAGU1noNS0aL_4RMep-t3GxNKLKTi8Tw=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghwOKZ-hXvAHDks-qzMIgGosyqW3Nfr_cQhgqx9Dbwwr6m1VNX_hvzbsdp2Jyf9_1-d9N0KfhpxAT6VsjlVwuw8V7NETKkvT9Y6V6tlkhFItdq_T1UTS36zNyeJceu4wblnC8L3PjX7zQLo9mhPNaRbyCecTXAGU1noNS0aL_4RMep-t3GxNKLKTi8Tw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2lqieedtEV4Ogca2GbWluz6EmYKyywiOBKVJNPMcNyZRmpfTKe_QYpfbE1E-tXDp6o8wek3-AFXPpcRmlu5vjrDVJkUeDVUkJaa-iVtIjf_YNvtMUjbx0Pujj6lNfhHD7wlki2CmbYDa0_A-OTVANzFgAdr0lt1-coa1MB1vYG1ZGepFIHmJwaphs4Q=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2lqieedtEV4Ogca2GbWluz6EmYKyywiOBKVJNPMcNyZRmpfTKe_QYpfbE1E-tXDp6o8wek3-AFXPpcRmlu5vjrDVJkUeDVUkJaa-iVtIjf_YNvtMUjbx0Pujj6lNfhHD7wlki2CmbYDa0_A-OTVANzFgAdr0lt1-coa1MB1vYG1ZGepFIHmJwaphs4Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea breaking ice loose from edges of trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3QWOrne_73WUbUf6mrxe44K3Sc7qUG1XTYbGMH8E3VIPEnBbJOwvRCMBEYvMZme4hzCJBDGez1P8SZpMIt4tJlBEBeRINrUkn88BBYSe9DI_O2vROe30nv0drSOa_E9UJ28qg1yUXk80x6Ei4WBxrEogsfXdc6BsNW22xwWTjYUCK0FRxvd2mLyYfEw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3QWOrne_73WUbUf6mrxe44K3Sc7qUG1XTYbGMH8E3VIPEnBbJOwvRCMBEYvMZme4hzCJBDGez1P8SZpMIt4tJlBEBeRINrUkn88BBYSe9DI_O2vROe30nv0drSOa_E9UJ28qg1yUXk80x6Ei4WBxrEogsfXdc6BsNW22xwWTjYUCK0FRxvd2mLyYfEw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">shoveling the ice out</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we drove up the low road to the top trough. We discovered that the loggers had cut a bunch more trees, and had taken a semi-load of logs out of there. We also saw that the cows had not been up to the upper water trough or the protein blocks at the top bed-ground since before the snow. Also from the looks of all the dog tracks up there, we realized those two dogs had been at large, roaming around, while the loggers sawed more trees and skidded the trees out. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Realizing that the cows are no longer using that top trough or the protein on that top ridge, Andrea and I loaded up a couple of the tubs (the lightest ones, that had the least amount of protein left, that we could stack together) that we could lift onto her 4-wheeler, and I walked along behind to help steady the tubs. We very carefully brought those tubs ¾ mile down the ridge to the lower bed-ground, to put with the scanty remains of the protein there. With all the cows using that protein, it was nearly gone. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had to come very carefully down the ridge because the road was rougher than it used to be (with rocks upturned by the widening of it by the loggers). In places where it was very tippy we both had to walk alongside the 4-wheeler and push against those tubs to keep them from sliding off the side. We got the tubs safely down, and then on our way back through the 160 coming home, we broke ice off the big trough in the 160-320 fence-line.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was not quite so cold, but very windy, so it actually felt colder. I fed the heifers a little more horse hay, then Andrea and I went to the 320 again while Lynn babysat Christopher. Emily worked a late night shift and wasn’t home yet.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The loggers hadn’t come back yet to start cutting more trees, but the cows were still staying away from that upper end of the 320; all of them were down in the bottom corner. They had probably been so impacted by the presence of the loggers’ dogs at the top trough and bed-ground (there were dog tracks all over those areas) that the cows stayed far away, just as they would if there were wolves in the area.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we went up the ridge and loaded up the last two partial blocks of protein (about 70 pounds each) on the 4-wheeler and this time strapped them on and just carried the empty tubs. We took them down to the lower bed-ground where the cows had eaten almost all the protein we’d taken down there the day before.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5_rUkDD9-2Hu_P76Y1YNqlr8QdnA6flpikBlgSOtAKk0b1ju-W-bZUAGW7_gnlhs-tAugXj0J3MFFX23VMil1TRXcukEUF9kjGGZuCuGh43s9Lo9NZIBOb5ntNifAc-YiM-2RF1LoXDteqhKFxDXHMb-1fKXRVg7Ani-PTExK2bmfHY_WFBnsEcs1-A=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5_rUkDD9-2Hu_P76Y1YNqlr8QdnA6flpikBlgSOtAKk0b1ju-W-bZUAGW7_gnlhs-tAugXj0J3MFFX23VMil1TRXcukEUF9kjGGZuCuGh43s9Lo9NZIBOb5ntNifAc-YiM-2RF1LoXDteqhKFxDXHMb-1fKXRVg7Ani-PTExK2bmfHY_WFBnsEcs1-A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgwrR0gGsoilPDfiIkiPyPxnciib9Z2cOSVnPSjKre-mh3AdmpiK5UA4PUiIaKBxXellBKhXbYDkrkU8CMf-YS673n3Vik98NLcO4K3YFmGUe3OtPiQouTog0diZixLi8CaOKuaNZZqH0Vwh8t9nhn8QGnqGgVW-7QXPUKaKDLB2Nqu1u-OHyyGGTgmg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgwrR0gGsoilPDfiIkiPyPxnciib9Z2cOSVnPSjKre-mh3AdmpiK5UA4PUiIaKBxXellBKhXbYDkrkU8CMf-YS673n3Vik98NLcO4K3YFmGUe3OtPiQouTog0diZixLi8CaOKuaNZZqH0Vwh8t9nhn8QGnqGgVW-7QXPUKaKDLB2Nqu1u-OHyyGGTgmg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">protein blocks we brought down strapped to 4-wheeler</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We then went down into Baker Creek and broke ice on the lower trough.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUhV1F3zmJysv6ljbmb9ABj-qozEOiEQIYcN5it8UfBLdPaPQ1Npumcb5qnrpOXmAF4gG8ZdTlRWk-s_gi_9ykWXSothSNC-G9Ll2ACQ6GYeSuWDItQKx5IZEJ5VfffpKhDtf5WxnmK_drN8EKjGD_GV3MIVDKqsRLRU47RLnFoj1OQEYJ73ylDc4JuQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUhV1F3zmJysv6ljbmb9ABj-qozEOiEQIYcN5it8UfBLdPaPQ1Npumcb5qnrpOXmAF4gG8ZdTlRWk-s_gi_9ykWXSothSNC-G9Ll2ACQ6GYeSuWDItQKx5IZEJ5VfffpKhDtf5WxnmK_drN8EKjGD_GV3MIVDKqsRLRU47RLnFoj1OQEYJ73ylDc4JuQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">clearing the ice off lower trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our days up there with cows are numbered; we thought we would probably have to bring them home next weekend when Michael and Carolyn can help, and sort their cows from ours at their corral.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Sunday, looking at the weather forecast for more snow and then much colder weather (with ice becoming a bigger problem on water troughs, and maybe even making it hard to get a 4-wheeler started to go up there every day), we discussed the situation with Michael and Carolyn and they decided we should probably bring the cows home sooner than later. Even though the cows had a little bit of protein left, and a little grass left, if it gets very cold or the grass snows under, the cows will probably start losing weight. With mild weather we could have stayed up there another week or 10 days, but it’s not worth gambling with bad weather. The cows need to stay in good body condition going into winter, and not lose weight before calving.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and Carolyn locked up their bull and 3 calves in one part of their corral, and went up on 4-wheelers to bring the cows down from the 320 and sort them at their corral. They put their bull with their cows and took the 3 calves to the pens by their house. Then they called us and we took the feed truck up there, with one bale of my horse hay to be a lure for our cows to follow the truck.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea went up on her 4-wheeler and shut the gates along the way (all the neighbor’s driveways, and a couple gates out to the range). We brought the cows down; they readily followed the truck as I called them and lured them with bits of hay, and Andrea followed the cows to make sure they didn’t dawdle along the way and try to graze weeds along the road. She took photos of the cows following our feed truck as we led them past the upper place.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEQkN_VTlSfP6GexkYdy9tZRlZZcFjlcnv_LVjRxnI8wAPGD6l_9HxtKcbXWMMBQ6wh4XBbaI6GTx9GLt1Jo85sUeofkdf_0uwYAsBZbCv3eXCczrDQ4CLWTDrNkbH2ka-LUc8p_jtsF0whoX9j-ohtyQgcBVHgNzQgPtjus-dfJFmkE3sGhpL4NeHkQ=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgEQkN_VTlSfP6GexkYdy9tZRlZZcFjlcnv_LVjRxnI8wAPGD6l_9HxtKcbXWMMBQ6wh4XBbaI6GTx9GLt1Jo85sUeofkdf_0uwYAsBZbCv3eXCczrDQ4CLWTDrNkbH2ka-LUc8p_jtsF0whoX9j-ohtyQgcBVHgNzQgPtjus-dfJFmkE3sGhpL4NeHkQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing the cows home</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilhpsc1OJghmpH2bfNrn4zjOOQuFsjm05xVLvp1rq6Qq3a23Eae4_QX8NYcD2Mb8Ms281Km01GENbqaSLyFqa3LXCreUkI4GMbsnHPma1QJkdv69oF_B-FmJu540QH8rcdZTZDEA0DJlLCeIl2iKxXdY4rw3LZRw2iDUgKxH9aXZxnGDrDbRJCOp3e1Q=s4032" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilhpsc1OJghmpH2bfNrn4zjOOQuFsjm05xVLvp1rq6Qq3a23Eae4_QX8NYcD2Mb8Ms281Km01GENbqaSLyFqa3LXCreUkI4GMbsnHPma1QJkdv69oF_B-FmJu540QH8rcdZTZDEA0DJlLCeIl2iKxXdY4rw3LZRw2iDUgKxH9aXZxnGDrDbRJCOp3e1Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">leading the cows with feed truck - past the upper place on their way home</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We were lucky on traffic; we only met one outfit—the Yoder family coming home from church in their buggy. Andrea had gone ahead to block a neighbor’s driveway that didn’t have a workable gate, so our cows were on their honor following the feed truck as we came around that corner and met the horse and buggy. The cows were startled by this strange type of vehicle they’d never seen up close before, and for a few moments they were a bit spooked and thought about running back up the road, but then they came on past the buggy to follow the truck.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put them in the heifer hill pasture with the 9 young cows that stayed home from the 320, and gave them all some protein supplement (one tub and one block). There’s enough rough feed left in that pasture to last the combined herd a couple weeks, with the protein to balance their diet—if the grass doesn’t snow under. It’s a relief to have the cows safely home from the 320, and they look good. They also trimmed their long feet, walking around on the rocks up there for 3 months, and being able to graze up there saved many tons of hay.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim bought a wood-splitter a few days ago, and while we were moving cows he started splitting the rest of the wood.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUVWt2LdAUQtxSB5hoOOCbxSoL86sIqn3tFu8-bWXC8r29WlMpo2VN2TkUvFotxNVBuxCb8u-cCZKF_tTdc_xeaNPlfZgOsTThF38rfwrV691rknANxn8fOqm5PVYMYVrFDGHTXgmeQe8HAug2a5yNQWJ9J0nXzBNMKGidfZlqXYRCTMlnyz2BA9GJWg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUVWt2LdAUQtxSB5hoOOCbxSoL86sIqn3tFu8-bWXC8r29WlMpo2VN2TkUvFotxNVBuxCb8u-cCZKF_tTdc_xeaNPlfZgOsTThF38rfwrV691rknANxn8fOqm5PVYMYVrFDGHTXgmeQe8HAug2a5yNQWJ9J0nXzBNMKGidfZlqXYRCTMlnyz2BA9GJWg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim trying out his new wood splitter</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then he and Andrea went to the 320 on his side-by-side and brought down the last remains of the protein blocks that the cows hadn’t eaten. </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJwUGnweCCu7WnAhSvK3Sm8ApEHd4NV3dZejj1HKbWkeaFR_Hhdc9nDQ0sJNxDawvZ2PSp8oINavA35puQyOrVPDiDIQyODDNbCNjt9xZcnEH4rwxdGI4teOPA-7toI2GiyCHvLWVayZMYCX6tl698M7jP01zv3fPcrLJFtJGCHccwmcytbe29AsjWBA=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJwUGnweCCu7WnAhSvK3Sm8ApEHd4NV3dZejj1HKbWkeaFR_Hhdc9nDQ0sJNxDawvZ2PSp8oINavA35puQyOrVPDiDIQyODDNbCNjt9xZcnEH4rwxdGI4teOPA-7toI2GiyCHvLWVayZMYCX6tl698M7jP01zv3fPcrLJFtJGCHccwmcytbe29AsjWBA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim & Andrea ready to go to 320 to get remains of protein</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">While they were up there, Emily and Christopher were down here for a while. She stacked some of the wood, and Christopher took off to go see the horses, packing his sippy cup along to drink on the way.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuyQ6qeyJcCG9T_fDlTsjr_7lfm4KSvJROclpSugrKwex9Sx3Xd0REOLpaqH1c8de865vKKpyX0bG_N0exR80Zfi0pJfKUOqfQjHll5jaF4zsHuLV7QdJyLqJTIwSAG_MuIdntnEMI_1eYBUzVz1u4yQit_3ca7DXkBkFbQ2MPFZhHmS-nlPLqh1RSxw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiuyQ6qeyJcCG9T_fDlTsjr_7lfm4KSvJROclpSugrKwex9Sx3Xd0REOLpaqH1c8de865vKKpyX0bG_N0exR80Zfi0pJfKUOqfQjHll5jaF4zsHuLV7QdJyLqJTIwSAG_MuIdntnEMI_1eYBUzVz1u4yQit_3ca7DXkBkFbQ2MPFZhHmS-nlPLqh1RSxw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily stacking wood</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6W2GnZQktROUSWElt3K3P-4H_IhHimGVpSjqHGrA9QrBxWwK3hWYJqpxkA707FTQKJDrfUNk2pZchoOLHmNYzy2EEDAc2eyaCcDBWG71hCln2NZtOSvFwastWT1ZDp7pzpusMJ0ubSkUMUZJ6-ljmmQgoBhg2tHGpsh39Lj4rrlwRTiDdcOlXKtPL0g=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6W2GnZQktROUSWElt3K3P-4H_IhHimGVpSjqHGrA9QrBxWwK3hWYJqpxkA707FTQKJDrfUNk2pZchoOLHmNYzy2EEDAc2eyaCcDBWG71hCln2NZtOSvFwastWT1ZDp7pzpusMJ0ubSkUMUZJ6-ljmmQgoBhg2tHGpsh39Lj4rrlwRTiDdcOlXKtPL0g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher heading for the horses</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He said hello to Dottie for a moment, and petted her..</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjVHUKNIrs0JKxmjs_bh0CDhCvRbCC37GHWwBxmy3i32iifeI-WykWlqDnSiRHPepZmrGW8lxE_scrHBaj0nUOy07B2Js3_0eWMMsJsItpticLxWBL2EmuKvcgNBbsEIzIaOjTCddAHZOyIeq1pWnNcJLdzGWsle-8kh_rlR-iFA7iMm9iBpO82T1dVQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgjVHUKNIrs0JKxmjs_bh0CDhCvRbCC37GHWwBxmy3i32iifeI-WykWlqDnSiRHPepZmrGW8lxE_scrHBaj0nUOy07B2Js3_0eWMMsJsItpticLxWBL2EmuKvcgNBbsEIzIaOjTCddAHZOyIeq1pWnNcJLdzGWsle-8kh_rlR-iFA7iMm9iBpO82T1dVQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher saying Hi to Dottie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFZMoD3e13ll2LuFAEGonmpu9YMzMH36XqqxLWprGACUUfYuT1gbKc4MsTKJIOjo5PepyhpKb27vGXZkGB3SaSjMGL10QYTD2jzalxABJGPHvyg5duBz969sUy7xO5rbTpuhJ1iqQy6KNPIfwg2CnwoO1JVUspE_jSDRLYjznhXYJEKNjIEzNffmUsNQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFZMoD3e13ll2LuFAEGonmpu9YMzMH36XqqxLWprGACUUfYuT1gbKc4MsTKJIOjo5PepyhpKb27vGXZkGB3SaSjMGL10QYTD2jzalxABJGPHvyg5duBz969sUy7xO5rbTpuhJ1iqQy6KNPIfwg2CnwoO1JVUspE_jSDRLYjznhXYJEKNjIEzNffmUsNQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher petting Dottie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then fed her some bits of hay through the gate. He loves to feed horses!</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRUT5K4RdIzVduqsnBiQcUJ2SKKqwXlnv8xkIGse6j6_EOnVGvKZYtJoXqrzAjPtw-FZ2-_T3AxIeX0Ljx6c-YoohTBrw5I5bX1r9f1nwKZAwDm1d0n7BcEJvXh7kAi6x3QVyBJPMXsFvYBdzA-6LPcBA5u0h8j1PATZQLgrJTWaa2TKKds0aP4C87iw=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgRUT5K4RdIzVduqsnBiQcUJ2SKKqwXlnv8xkIGse6j6_EOnVGvKZYtJoXqrzAjPtw-FZ2-_T3AxIeX0Ljx6c-YoohTBrw5I5bX1r9f1nwKZAwDm1d0n7BcEJvXh7kAi6x3QVyBJPMXsFvYBdzA-6LPcBA5u0h8j1PATZQLgrJTWaa2TKKds0aP4C87iw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSi2TtfsvvqHMXtBV7sZTTWmY2fEKESmw5nmka9D9WQ51wLfTPagbddQfRqXmf69K6XNrHK4yJi8tcrnSw1Ey3UT1G-nbfA8z2zZYk57zY1BdVD8QXDwpOkNTyy-CeMAZ-NUY4-xoTtlR5KNqdeD3-0bQuaBSu7cvyEYQMCdcSGHRih60JY4fwEy0fHw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSi2TtfsvvqHMXtBV7sZTTWmY2fEKESmw5nmka9D9WQ51wLfTPagbddQfRqXmf69K6XNrHK4yJi8tcrnSw1Ey3UT1G-nbfA8z2zZYk57zY1BdVD8QXDwpOkNTyy-CeMAZ-NUY4-xoTtlR5KNqdeD3-0bQuaBSu7cvyEYQMCdcSGHRih60JY4fwEy0fHw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding wisps of hay to Dottie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday it snowed a little bit again, with a nasty wind. We’re glad we’d already brought the cows home from the 320! Lynn started the big tractor and we fed the heifers their first big bale of alfalfa hay. Andrea dragged their feeder out to the pasture with her 4-wheeler, and we took a big bale out there with the tractor. It was such lush alfalfa (and very fine-stemmed grass/alfalfa) that we feared they might bloat—not being accustomed yet to eating alfalfa, so we only let them eat for a short while and then wrapped tall deer-netting around the feeder.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The piece we took out there wasn’t quite long enough to go around the whole feeder, so Andrea cut a short piece off another roll, to cover the gap. We realized this was actually a good thing; we can undo that short piece (on one end, like a gate) and take some hay out twice a day and spread it around for them, limit-feeding the rich alfalfa and gradually increasing the amount until it is safe to let them have access to the feeder full time. That way maybe none of them will bloat.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-N3rwY_BcRc1Ub2KvqeYY4MXTNQ4dYxL2-CiyWZn6EZY71hOYX6W2KfWV6w0fIHnYQ5uc2uwoO6ELAgAZcRbdWAfPNhE6Fbhsc3LZ5iO5hIzkmJ22aDFGQOSS5tWwysL5-7Cv9At2EcXTN2ZNOq41TaPdX1HNhs9lDNhQS6MUV6ZFBusPcIyZtdHIbg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-N3rwY_BcRc1Ub2KvqeYY4MXTNQ4dYxL2-CiyWZn6EZY71hOYX6W2KfWV6w0fIHnYQ5uc2uwoO6ELAgAZcRbdWAfPNhE6Fbhsc3LZ5iO5hIzkmJ22aDFGQOSS5tWwysL5-7Cv9At2EcXTN2ZNOq41TaPdX1HNhs9lDNhQS6MUV6ZFBusPcIyZtdHIbg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer netting around the bale & feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjes6eGetq9FvbUASZOwtdjfMgWeNIVKO_G4iNS4MvS6adtqeLk3jsNfNpCc9KSdVTx-pQlmFdOAWkyciws1WAGSVsNzniC-VRzAKz8mSGwAcUWaK4tEhkBTDl4mZ6tYsD5HJGi2uRcyNTy52kolCxf2P4Qne76fvjeTl4E8RlIB-gx6yNxijRjK68uCA=s4000"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjes6eGetq9FvbUASZOwtdjfMgWeNIVKO_G4iNS4MvS6adtqeLk3jsNfNpCc9KSdVTx-pQlmFdOAWkyciws1WAGSVsNzniC-VRzAKz8mSGwAcUWaK4tEhkBTDl4mZ6tYsD5HJGi2uRcyNTy52kolCxf2P4Qne76fvjeTl4E8RlIB-gx6yNxijRjK68uCA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIDotYPWrfzrjWTTsD1xljKwTp4b4ADUXBmL2gaz0nBNP-ZaaAEULjrSkSi2xV81OcQE7RXSjKuWtLf2uzcJ1t60pM69hc9Vp-CBYwey94AcWGBhCnOA2-SkEXOm_A7tl_rue8yIuqEG_3Sj6pN34WdHWDZEcSiUHH4F9RHEP56PF0Mh_dBuoCFMa5Jw=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIDotYPWrfzrjWTTsD1xljKwTp4b4ADUXBmL2gaz0nBNP-ZaaAEULjrSkSi2xV81OcQE7RXSjKuWtLf2uzcJ1t60pM69hc9Vp-CBYwey94AcWGBhCnOA2-SkEXOm_A7tl_rue8yIuqEG_3Sj6pN34WdHWDZEcSiUHH4F9RHEP56PF0Mh_dBuoCFMa5Jw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">netting to keep the heifers from eating the alfalfa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The netting served three purposes; it will help us limit-feed the heifers and gradually adjust them to the rich alfalfa, keep the deer out of it, and keep the wind from blowing it away. This particular bale is such fine hay—almost like lawn clippings—that it was falling apart after we took the net wrap off, and bits of it were blowing away in the wind. Now it is contained and we won’t lose so much of that really good hay.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jim has been working on some nice stones that he puts into his antler art and yesterday made several string ties for a customer, using polished stones set into an antler base as the holder. He got a shipping box and bubble wrap from me, to get them ready to mail to the guy, and I took a few photos of his finished product.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwk_2ViseXCmQrunl_2RaTweozktvyXXf_4Y15Qv6ed_ip8eeijZCpal7lZefBFVopXg6gO72v_b9QvMqNc-C0f3CQz4F0QGerxZ1M3LPjjb9itW2VP_r-tUjHNxuFOwwTe8f7mkkUviEa6sTw0obANYpMEKyy7VxaqMvDxZsDnr0OsX89GcfcVZjxMg=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwk_2ViseXCmQrunl_2RaTweozktvyXXf_4Y15Qv6ed_ip8eeijZCpal7lZefBFVopXg6gO72v_b9QvMqNc-C0f3CQz4F0QGerxZ1M3LPjjb9itW2VP_r-tUjHNxuFOwwTe8f7mkkUviEa6sTw0obANYpMEKyy7VxaqMvDxZsDnr0OsX89GcfcVZjxMg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">string ties (bolos)</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYomu-y5pgxo-BHpOIR3UuluUx_c1xvWCovcEK-uIpYdW2Cx99UT7FRceEuiHs9GJXqBzxKLs2pfcijE7qPguiuFuqgiyBTk4jDklZ2Qj9DzCIuR75fNnCl3_4vQw_q5mfNwUJsZcxHue2fDzHc8qOnBlhg3WBXdLxVdAj0xWLOP4au0N4sUq3tuRbYQ=s4000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYomu-y5pgxo-BHpOIR3UuluUx_c1xvWCovcEK-uIpYdW2Cx99UT7FRceEuiHs9GJXqBzxKLs2pfcijE7qPguiuFuqgiyBTk4jDklZ2Qj9DzCIuR75fNnCl3_4vQw_q5mfNwUJsZcxHue2fDzHc8qOnBlhg3WBXdLxVdAj0xWLOP4au0N4sUq3tuRbYQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">string tie holder-clasp</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He hopes to do a lot of stone work along with his antler products this winter, to sell to various customers.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-3338070236315477852022-01-27T12:29:00.002-08:002022-01-27T12:29:54.971-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – October 13 through November 17, 2021<div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 21</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a little more snow this past week but the weather was warm enough that most of it melted except for some on the north slopes of the high pastures. Andrea and I checked on the young cows in the back field a week ago and they were still doing ok, with plenty of grass. I helped her shut off the ditch in the post pile pasture so it won’t make an ice flow across that little pasture when the weather gets colder.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I both haven’t been feeling very well, like a bad cold that won’t go away. She’s had some chest pain with hers, especially when she exerts very much, so we’ve tried not to do anything more than the necessary chores.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent us photos of the two little boys with their grandpa John, and young Joseph giving a posed grin for the camera.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuY7mYvUzcjSRej5UvRxoqYceTShUui4tvm_f0XNELcqWMBZ5TowLydik-ikCuOokr2DewNPA9Wnwt4IuTrY2gin-fdYRBCkArOBBvatv_wEiy23w3IdgsJL00Thz2BUwJE3y5GmWNjKrDd2PzCB_kDJerL1DV4xYeFPAFnHZxKQzHhiFwKiBZOLHPIQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuY7mYvUzcjSRej5UvRxoqYceTShUui4tvm_f0XNELcqWMBZ5TowLydik-ikCuOokr2DewNPA9Wnwt4IuTrY2gin-fdYRBCkArOBBvatv_wEiy23w3IdgsJL00Thz2BUwJE3y5GmWNjKrDd2PzCB_kDJerL1DV4xYeFPAFnHZxKQzHhiFwKiBZOLHPIQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James & Joseph with their grandpa John</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigIyL_UU9Lv-PF-pSfuC3pm6_vdezjLElMFcCXMnK2OLzLxPP4dh6qwJTPbgi40409kahROsSBpi1fPoGkDLjQFF2JEd65Li2n6IkCtNjXJog3xNlWlnuFewEA79tFkZPeQbVqzSsveYOmPDw1z4EAvS05p6VMQUzFKfkCyR4GJGYotv2UPKNYaZA3bQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigIyL_UU9Lv-PF-pSfuC3pm6_vdezjLElMFcCXMnK2OLzLxPP4dh6qwJTPbgi40409kahROsSBpi1fPoGkDLjQFF2JEd65Li2n6IkCtNjXJog3xNlWlnuFewEA79tFkZPeQbVqzSsveYOmPDw1z4EAvS05p6VMQUzFKfkCyR4GJGYotv2UPKNYaZA3bQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph hamming it for the camera</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That day, Dani saw a moose in one of the fields along the highway on her way home from town; the moose was right amongst the cattle.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One of our old acquaintances from Laurel, Montana (the son of the old rancher my dad used to enjoy riding with when my folks lived at Laurel) called us a few evenings ago and wanted to order some of my books (Horse Tales, Cow Tales, and Ranch Tales). He’d seen them mentioned in one of the magazines he reads.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Friday Andrea and I redid Dottie’s bandage. When Andrea snipped off the old one and started washing the foot, she noticed a bulge in that open spot where we took out the piece of wood 2 weeks ago.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGKnd6lYkxgcy3rIXQ2WXzJ_ZRIofM0t2FeSP1zZ18IqT5OX1rH6hhPoiioKCQJlZ2HMpoKalpRlCTfMN3auyThuMIxvr7wcdnnTyyXttyIeuwUFHwrt_koy0tA_SgCvSOwZEeoUwGEFQcwT2oOQLr7CygwlRk00_ZhWWFu4cPzcw5WzhGygW-mg_LeA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgGKnd6lYkxgcy3rIXQ2WXzJ_ZRIofM0t2FeSP1zZ18IqT5OX1rH6hhPoiioKCQJlZ2HMpoKalpRlCTfMN3auyThuMIxvr7wcdnnTyyXttyIeuwUFHwrt_koy0tA_SgCvSOwZEeoUwGEFQcwT2oOQLr7CygwlRk00_ZhWWFu4cPzcw5WzhGygW-mg_LeA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking off the old bandage</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea was able to grab the protrusion with her fingers and pulled out two more pieces of wood that were about an inch long and each of them the same size as the first one! Hopefully that’s the last of the foreign material that was embedded in the wound at the coronary band. We washed it thoroughly but didn’t soak it; the hole was fairly open and it looked like anything else in there could drain out. We applied more medication (nitrofurazone, mixed with DMSO to help it fully penetrate the wound and also decrease any inflammation), put gauze over that again, and rewrapped the foot with several layers of bandage material and duct take on the outside to keep it secure and waterproof.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea and I got in the two open cows from the ditch pasture below Andrea’s house and put them in the lower swamp pasture. They were goofy and we were lucky to get them down through the gate. Their obnoxious nature is one reason we didn’t breed them this year because we don’t want to keep them. We were going to butcher them (one for us and one for a friend who wants some beef) but Andrea isn’t feeling up for that task so we decided to sell them, even though the price for cull cows has fallen dramatically since we sold the earlier ones. The price always drops in the fall as more cows come to market. Many cows coming off the ranges this year are horribly thin and aren’t selling very well, but at least these two cows are fat, which might help.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The two cows were suspicious and naughty and didn’t want to come on down to the corral so we left them in the lower swamp pasture, with the gate open to the hold pen and the corral. I put some hay in the feeder in the corral, and a little bit just outside the corral. Andrea watched the cows from her house, and after a couple hours they came down on their own, into the hold pen, where there’s some really good grass. Andrea sneaked through the field and came down behind them, then sprinted the last little ways—to shut the hold pen gate before they ran back out. Then we were able to get them into the corral, where they could stay overnight and eat from the feeder.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea and I went to the 320 on her 4-wheeler to check on the cows up there—after the brand inspector came to look at our two cows in the corral. They have to be brand inspected before we can haul them to the sale at Butte, Montana. Anything going out of state needs to be inspected, for proof of ownership. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When Andrea and I got to the 320, Michael and Carolyn’s horses were lounging by the gate between the 160 and 320, and I took a photo of some of them.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSthriULwNW6XZrcpmxsc6_z7a5oBBsbA6OEaMuKNgTlbDOUB60loZjka-saRRnkKJvR-yeSdVU5hWLVG5iwZwVapzoG_mdHb5dw_Z_kvEFIGgac16xUAawZCbLxmXiRR6I46ev81KVEXW8fHRBn2wdl1vPVCi2t0N8hh0Bc4WyTUy4Geoq1536ezD3Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSthriULwNW6XZrcpmxsc6_z7a5oBBsbA6OEaMuKNgTlbDOUB60loZjka-saRRnkKJvR-yeSdVU5hWLVG5iwZwVapzoG_mdHb5dw_Z_kvEFIGgac16xUAawZCbLxmXiRR6I46ev81KVEXW8fHRBn2wdl1vPVCi2t0N8hh0Bc4WyTUy4Geoq1536ezD3Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">some of Michael & Carolyn's horses </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we drove up the ridge to see how well the protein tubs are lasting, but there were no cows there. We could see that our cows were all down in Baker Creek, so we drove home that way. There was still a few inches of snow in the timber on that side, and as we started down the jeep track we saw a blood trail coming down through the timber and off the steep bank onto the road. Just below the road, in the snow, was a dead fox that had recently been shot, and bleeding profusely through a chest wound. He hadn’t been dead very long so someone must have been trespassing hiking/hunting in our 320 and plinked that fox. I took photos of Andrea checking the fox’s fatal wounds.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAdaARxgvIoQMzfQh4-qFF8pL1sXLsi9j7dfEuqiWk47Czcg6tpFjCJ8LeZrt9CRrrftZiL6ieY5bJtD1faP7wIkt6wWSg0zIE0bAcT-65kuCq_S89SAtRd14UFDTCD7SQp8Sbk8MvuGzEbMMiIDLJp5auK490QtAXK328KGOaI6yj_0kMi8XSJg4oYg=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAdaARxgvIoQMzfQh4-qFF8pL1sXLsi9j7dfEuqiWk47Czcg6tpFjCJ8LeZrt9CRrrftZiL6ieY5bJtD1faP7wIkt6wWSg0zIE0bAcT-65kuCq_S89SAtRd14UFDTCD7SQp8Sbk8MvuGzEbMMiIDLJp5auK490QtAXK328KGOaI6yj_0kMi8XSJg4oYg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2i6qs_UHb7OIsbj4vYSBPbzEyeK7LpGWx0rWO7cms-uHr0cB0BJilDpP1K3iEY0aPpmUfLQTrGN7yUOKKDRFw947S8Y6qy8Zk8afmqvJH_vYkY27v0VgkeBcfm6jkbIE-4rXiCfGC35NTPIEekrPfbkJgakwvl3teYr4_G1a98ZJ7Z32-1gfyp5yFCg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2i6qs_UHb7OIsbj4vYSBPbzEyeK7LpGWx0rWO7cms-uHr0cB0BJilDpP1K3iEY0aPpmUfLQTrGN7yUOKKDRFw947S8Y6qy8Zk8afmqvJH_vYkY27v0VgkeBcfm6jkbIE-4rXiCfGC35NTPIEekrPfbkJgakwvl3teYr4_G1a98ZJ7Z32-1gfyp5yFCg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea examining dead fox</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked on the cows lounging around in Baker Creek at the top of the little meadow halfway down the creek. They were more content (and not as empty) as the day we checked them earlier, right after the new snow. Enough of the snow has melted that they can easily graze. I took a photo of one cow drinking out of a wallow (a pool created by elk and the bears, next to Baker Creek, where they rolled around in the mud earlier this fall and made a big puddle) and a photo of some of the cows lounging around on the sunny slope just out of the shady area.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUfGGGAw71H8lt871pUWfw2-M5XYTA6WvTfP3YhlK7oAG7BQ-sTk1ch3IW7Qij2ZnqVUAsTqXIq-fo3ts3opsQroHEmlySCz6srirpydHn3_vhZLTVsW5fuXMqIaGIF_SiJRMxnfb9qSMlY5jKIC1q4NlmKSBiKG_aI-THj9S8b49iNEDPojYVmIeEKA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUfGGGAw71H8lt871pUWfw2-M5XYTA6WvTfP3YhlK7oAG7BQ-sTk1ch3IW7Qij2ZnqVUAsTqXIq-fo3ts3opsQroHEmlySCz6srirpydHn3_vhZLTVsW5fuXMqIaGIF_SiJRMxnfb9qSMlY5jKIC1q4NlmKSBiKG_aI-THj9S8b49iNEDPojYVmIeEKA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cow drinking out of elk wallow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkrgCG_fUracoMqlMxLiA4OVVovsrHN-_e6NMmKpmIEK4tceiWkxnnrR1GTa0WQOQjsg1FL4esXqHiahSZeVSJAllfNt61DJ3vKsNE17bhwO-NjbY_ypYC5zlRS1-AZsq0Co6OFyKCg-rJOC7lBIzdEgrEjYLCXrMV_JZ5rKvPlDt-BH1JIe_FXH_JFg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgkrgCG_fUracoMqlMxLiA4OVVovsrHN-_e6NMmKpmIEK4tceiWkxnnrR1GTa0WQOQjsg1FL4esXqHiahSZeVSJAllfNt61DJ3vKsNE17bhwO-NjbY_ypYC5zlRS1-AZsq0Co6OFyKCg-rJOC7lBIzdEgrEjYLCXrMV_JZ5rKvPlDt-BH1JIe_FXH_JFg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows lounging on sunny side of Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took another photo as Andrea shut the gate on the ridge (between the 2 portions of the 320) after we came through on the 4-wheeler.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMSM6TN1Ehz53FEG_hMX8mGND8hRB6HsWCcQb2QgNhkoYwvC3bLJVACFYXz16BNAX1S3CEdKzHz0xlYuTBLO9ZqnHTJolmhmSAmrlcoEz4gYxU2mM2u9o_x43MST4XeXd618ichjX4v1m9h675X9fLFYNn9vRtb3Rcsu5u-Xg1EeI9ibwdUi_N6oB5IA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjMSM6TN1Ehz53FEG_hMX8mGND8hRB6HsWCcQb2QgNhkoYwvC3bLJVACFYXz16BNAX1S3CEdKzHz0xlYuTBLO9ZqnHTJolmhmSAmrlcoEz4gYxU2mM2u9o_x43MST4XeXd618ichjX4v1m9h675X9fLFYNn9vRtb3Rcsu5u-Xg1EeI9ibwdUi_N6oB5IA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea shutting the gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On our way down the main road (after we got down out of the 320 and 160) we met Nick coming up the creek in his little blue pickup and he stopped and talked with us for a while. It was nice to visit with him; he is so busy with his jobs that we rarely get a chance to see him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea gathered up more of her irrigation dams and shut off another ditch for winter, and Dani helped her stack more of the split wood. They took some of the split wood over by Jim’s work trailer so he’ll have some firewood there this winter after he comes back from his Colorado job. Christopher drove down from Andrea’s house with his little tractor and trailer when Andrea and Dani came down to stack wood, and I took photos of him while he “helped” and came along with me to do chores on his little tractor. He got frustrated a couple times when he ran his tractor into the fence and into the woodpile because he’d forgotten how to back it up.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGXLoeY8MHZyAWaIlrO8oc1lCXoUZsihyy3XQA4LmMrMbBZtXEqra_6XsowJG1QoFpyDEjYkkkVRxe6XozrghzH2T3Up22mPq4glur_EM0UykG6DJfKSNnddHUstPtmFYg57YRV18uy9-oN5PnPvAirC2LfDhLplGp62NwlquLVOJRFFf3pRhykfDLOw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGXLoeY8MHZyAWaIlrO8oc1lCXoUZsihyy3XQA4LmMrMbBZtXEqra_6XsowJG1QoFpyDEjYkkkVRxe6XozrghzH2T3Up22mPq4glur_EM0UykG6DJfKSNnddHUstPtmFYg57YRV18uy9-oN5PnPvAirC2LfDhLplGp62NwlquLVOJRFFf3pRhykfDLOw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher's tractor and trailer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqqpHkrIhV1ow0KXE9fDc7-1qRhJabm-ueLnK2LkW4jFX24Wcx2MY5MGfCwmMsnK1_gw_h70_SYGuJSqv9I_WkVuVxyE-H58UNPJIISzolHbiUnL-dv2tRGgL-_tYvO-3_lA0Tbee6BMK6-iQV9wz-v5kLpaI0kMXSPWCCYiMkwSbJQXeYrZ8hAP6mMA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqqpHkrIhV1ow0KXE9fDc7-1qRhJabm-ueLnK2LkW4jFX24Wcx2MY5MGfCwmMsnK1_gw_h70_SYGuJSqv9I_WkVuVxyE-H58UNPJIISzolHbiUnL-dv2tRGgL-_tYvO-3_lA0Tbee6BMK6-iQV9wz-v5kLpaI0kMXSPWCCYiMkwSbJQXeYrZ8hAP6mMA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">driving around on his tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga7CHC9NcS68_FcE17-yyTj7u-thKhsSaqmxu1Ud2xsaBo2IPvtsHSJEgAAKSWCutcashVMP6e0-fHjUBLalAN8qZ7L9yDbrWO3tcos55RA9r4TnpvijMuBoxFN0Z29a8lFMCMThnXB2qyp9ZWHZhpSEMMGI-_Dsavfkq-bA6j5tnHhB42vptTj1QSag=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga7CHC9NcS68_FcE17-yyTj7u-thKhsSaqmxu1Ud2xsaBo2IPvtsHSJEgAAKSWCutcashVMP6e0-fHjUBLalAN8qZ7L9yDbrWO3tcos55RA9r4TnpvijMuBoxFN0Z29a8lFMCMThnXB2qyp9ZWHZhpSEMMGI-_Dsavfkq-bA6j5tnHhB42vptTj1QSag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">he ran his tractor into the woodpile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I got him “unstuck” a few times, and helped keep him out of the way of the wood stacking. He rode in my cart when I took more hay around to the two cows in the corral.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea backed our trailer up to the loading spot by the sick barn, to be ready to load the two cows the next morning, and I put a little hay in the front of it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday was nice weather. Even though it froze hard that morning, it got up to 62 degrees that afternoon. I did chores really early, and after breakfast Andrea and Dani came down to help load the two cows. We were able to get them in the trailer without them running over us. Andrea and Dani took them to Butte, to be sold in the regular sale on Tuesday. Emily brought Christopher down here on her way to work that afternoon and we took care of him until Andrea and Dani got home that evening and picked him up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was another nice day. Andrea went to her pain doctor appointment and then to her regular doctor for an EKG to check her heart and do some bloodwork. Her heart is ok, and her test results weren’t bad, but she does have COVID, which explains the symptoms (like a severely bad cold and sinus infection) that she’s had for about a month. My symptoms have been similar so I suspect I had a mild case of COVID in spite of the vaccinations Lynn and I got in late March and early April. And Lynn hasn’t gotten sick so perhaps he had a little more immunity from the shots.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Lynn went to town for fasting blood work and an EKG and he is doing ok. Andrea and I redid Dottie’s foot bandage and the wound is finally filling in with healthy tissue and closing up. We’ll just keep it bandaged awhile longer to keep dirt and mud out of it until it’s more fully healed. I took photos this time of all the steps we’ve been going through, keeping that foot protected and bandaged—taking the old bandage off, and checking the wound. It looks really good this time.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ8HwQMzxkNS7ql0igdBioY53r2VwFKMOEBeBDk4L2wxR76mtbBdDLrabxqjpCj9sVyh3FgBLzJ6xw2lr5QITIpDpsNwCGBa9ZTtqNypVUb2wjhKW0T50B26aqNtOLjvPkAJq3ip-kb6UwsG9LUjsjK17tQGaCyVYdtbylBlPdSuhqeoC8dbH8SSyLig=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZ8HwQMzxkNS7ql0igdBioY53r2VwFKMOEBeBDk4L2wxR76mtbBdDLrabxqjpCj9sVyh3FgBLzJ6xw2lr5QITIpDpsNwCGBa9ZTtqNypVUb2wjhKW0T50B26aqNtOLjvPkAJq3ip-kb6UwsG9LUjsjK17tQGaCyVYdtbylBlPdSuhqeoC8dbH8SSyLig=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the old bandage off</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifBa-8n2PoRpaCpnkhjstUDh1Np-Fjl9DkaC6yT61iO-skw8AhokUo1W4B6zjAfEVMYyqXoxtLWVMyua6cAb75C5L-DLw-1nGGf6sxTYWGkncctwsX_yajhmo3u8y16WOjXAzdTeyilIloCHI8zP0VKSebajaGLTkhWQnRqUV4qF9WloRLfbbzUpCyyg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifBa-8n2PoRpaCpnkhjstUDh1Np-Fjl9DkaC6yT61iO-skw8AhokUo1W4B6zjAfEVMYyqXoxtLWVMyua6cAb75C5L-DLw-1nGGf6sxTYWGkncctwsX_yajhmo3u8y16WOjXAzdTeyilIloCHI8zP0VKSebajaGLTkhWQnRqUV4qF9WloRLfbbzUpCyyg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking the healing wound</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea washed the foot thoroughly, especially the wound.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJDdZliE_zsbYHJD6Yx_xN6dvC7STSNSdQMxwTMhIqOy7ZD0zoRljIHh4fyyVZxQ2HfqN_dPMoBVw7J1c-R7z36NaSNuKn2Gi5YYwbM6ySqVJLy1iNGRSC-mNSpg7vDwtPOcWtic4KSLzQSO_MqdwjBHb4KyU0ffi6vcTwml9IbujrHv91CyGst8vNGw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJDdZliE_zsbYHJD6Yx_xN6dvC7STSNSdQMxwTMhIqOy7ZD0zoRljIHh4fyyVZxQ2HfqN_dPMoBVw7J1c-R7z36NaSNuKn2Gi5YYwbM6ySqVJLy1iNGRSC-mNSpg7vDwtPOcWtic4KSLzQSO_MqdwjBHb4KyU0ffi6vcTwml9IbujrHv91CyGst8vNGw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW-yn_UopaaqN1kC0TvCIVH01U3PqsnWgWWyqv4_3UjMFkhKzK4tv-fatF2yM8kEXLwi6hG74fToWO_49ZHAhYI4LaIC87IKD_r4lEoGQfKPkWPmnABQ1XM2XUGTeY610sIE4FNo5ejLuLFQ7K3ZXrCVUkcIbt6vES8O9Mf1nRfG3Ylgx_Fp8b_Vu0Jw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhW-yn_UopaaqN1kC0TvCIVH01U3PqsnWgWWyqv4_3UjMFkhKzK4tv-fatF2yM8kEXLwi6hG74fToWO_49ZHAhYI4LaIC87IKD_r4lEoGQfKPkWPmnABQ1XM2XUGTeY610sIE4FNo5ejLuLFQ7K3ZXrCVUkcIbt6vES8O9Mf1nRfG3Ylgx_Fp8b_Vu0Jw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">washing the whole foot and making sure the healing wound is very clean</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took photos as we wrapped it up again, with clean gauze over the wound area, and stretchy soft VetRap around the whole foot to hold the gauze in place.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEL3QGELvrL_sgOXS5xHLvAaqMAWQfJ8cpnqAAC_eMcw59Pco-KbbZg4FMDt_8AYBJoeZtGIdXhm8VMTME4MwdVRP-o8hAgVePu-9zy0RR5zfF7MyAaK6iW3iwfR0CohVJx0byg_Q_CW_EwVu8TzYG9kKMn58MSeBIWPCAhiJORERgZflOgz4oDxCk0w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEL3QGELvrL_sgOXS5xHLvAaqMAWQfJ8cpnqAAC_eMcw59Pco-KbbZg4FMDt_8AYBJoeZtGIdXhm8VMTME4MwdVRP-o8hAgVePu-9zy0RR5zfF7MyAaK6iW3iwfR0CohVJx0byg_Q_CW_EwVu8TzYG9kKMn58MSeBIWPCAhiJORERgZflOgz4oDxCk0w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">gauze over the wound</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTUMsQuiB3Ss57hQoQ2PLVuRCT276XMWTbm6gLHx1fJWN7mHWfDTC6c7RYOSH0pVHjYZrRpH5Tczg2A_92Ll3RfyROPtpIN9ewKTD-SAoka7bbLoA6Z-a0dMutglb0qVrRINMhuF027UU750pJAHvb9EXKKpMVoOJrHsL0tPlb5yMTNZbizXHqiIsz_g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTUMsQuiB3Ss57hQoQ2PLVuRCT276XMWTbm6gLHx1fJWN7mHWfDTC6c7RYOSH0pVHjYZrRpH5Tczg2A_92Ll3RfyROPtpIN9ewKTD-SAoka7bbLoA6Z-a0dMutglb0qVrRINMhuF027UU750pJAHvb9EXKKpMVoOJrHsL0tPlb5yMTNZbizXHqiIsz_g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stretchy VetRap to hold the gauze in place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-gMsT-pBahJ1X-0hJT3IuY7qG28bLtG2FjigQ8FEKI9sITPzj36DLXuOiAG8Bpw1-YB_dr-mbCitUIJL8H0lGbN3MnN5sYSu9U-nKHhXL5bHMHOGft-nqgpy7Vonl5U-M0eloXPgLAaTKkxVJjpOsJpeiT3yV9qS7PnWUQ7c9O-n-t2_TNIpo7mHlCA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-gMsT-pBahJ1X-0hJT3IuY7qG28bLtG2FjigQ8FEKI9sITPzj36DLXuOiAG8Bpw1-YB_dr-mbCitUIJL8H0lGbN3MnN5sYSu9U-nKHhXL5bHMHOGft-nqgpy7Vonl5U-M0eloXPgLAaTKkxVJjpOsJpeiT3yV9qS7PnWUQ7c9O-n-t2_TNIpo7mHlCA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stretchy VetRap around the whole foot</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put adhesive tape around the VetRap to hold it on.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvPRSbi6Y6kwv1ygp9KK1-LWByIarKdG0J9zORzDHIMIEml56KlF1jkIQiJBEU2yOiESivDcEHi7j2fHaxlbfppG7z4VPwE2dzTqUDVDChzZRSoccOCS7jOjPQv-g_FGp9JTjAB1zMLVncmT4qoj72QVitbwptk9W_smrmnHJi2bdWEaHger-RXCSpAw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvPRSbi6Y6kwv1ygp9KK1-LWByIarKdG0J9zORzDHIMIEml56KlF1jkIQiJBEU2yOiESivDcEHi7j2fHaxlbfppG7z4VPwE2dzTqUDVDChzZRSoccOCS7jOjPQv-g_FGp9JTjAB1zMLVncmT4qoj72QVitbwptk9W_smrmnHJi2bdWEaHger-RXCSpAw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">adhesive tape over the Vet Rap</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfAXDLpuh4fbwwL9JbY3QL2VOxr3p8A35f_lEJ46uMNA5qY_u3ihv7tveXcTVF-AZaYi0l8CA6leuybO6lfFH1ao_vTHHTJT22EukKmsL5Ygdrat72IqHBmt-V-Ll7Y0BhM-g-pF97Nu8GisbrWhE0ZEBw1w5dteBlJyO9_PfhB7DLBmb0hQx1tGN3cg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjfAXDLpuh4fbwwL9JbY3QL2VOxr3p8A35f_lEJ46uMNA5qY_u3ihv7tveXcTVF-AZaYi0l8CA6leuybO6lfFH1ao_vTHHTJT22EukKmsL5Ygdrat72IqHBmt-V-Ll7Y0BhM-g-pF97Nu8GisbrWhE0ZEBw1w5dteBlJyO9_PfhB7DLBmb0hQx1tGN3cg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Adhesive tape around the whole foot</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The last step was to cover everything with waterproof duct tape; this makes sure the bandage can stay intact and not wear through or come off, and protect the wound from mud, dirt or moisture for several days as it continues to heal. The duct tape gives enough durability that the bandage can last about a week before it needs to be redone.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoltDWL1NRg1ce3bqpSCoiJkgJLRykIBN981jdUvSqn0nGpUJcZlIwiwF8edrapLGP1nZ1ItR5_gb9ZKTRoD6E34eDmtzWdfVB-DeYFUrfFAD8Mamc14QDofKoOZeQ5ykd1tzhgCShr1IQOPszvkOl1s4y7-azFqYxyHkJczp0F_RuUoLDpyhOMfNnug=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgoltDWL1NRg1ce3bqpSCoiJkgJLRykIBN981jdUvSqn0nGpUJcZlIwiwF8edrapLGP1nZ1ItR5_gb9ZKTRoD6E34eDmtzWdfVB-DeYFUrfFAD8Mamc14QDofKoOZeQ5ykd1tzhgCShr1IQOPszvkOl1s4y7-azFqYxyHkJczp0F_RuUoLDpyhOMfNnug=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIQQcUGH7CKKkhOLZBpu3FZK4umKXzJEB2_q07HXxwanNwRYe_MQo-9DJrzpL3ryuB9wiLNWHdSxugrGrqtnU4RC923-tl99gCAy_euccKWagyuhIot-4CguUEwl0G6xQksp-Y64J4x0XTTnboNwSO3QSIlZUtmPxiZFESsLfJk8WI2y332u5x7dFV9w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIQQcUGH7CKKkhOLZBpu3FZK4umKXzJEB2_q07HXxwanNwRYe_MQo-9DJrzpL3ryuB9wiLNWHdSxugrGrqtnU4RC923-tl99gCAy_euccKWagyuhIot-4CguUEwl0G6xQksp-Y64J4x0XTTnboNwSO3QSIlZUtmPxiZFESsLfJk8WI2y332u5x7dFV9w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">final wrap with duct tape</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4QuF-NgbuuelwKAlUvEjOizYxx3oz5ijCkmVekAt40ciPlpHwYZ5UrgCtOVqvLYrn6yW7tH--oXhYF3ca3C4ysV-NqSRmNS5DSxdQ91UFVGM6bVo5fJR9cfV7mAu_H7ODAZoOeDQ5pFzHoGk3_ja9xpgPrc-nK1D5LWXYZYk9ZIqVz7Y_pj9Ps73O3g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg4QuF-NgbuuelwKAlUvEjOizYxx3oz5ijCkmVekAt40ciPlpHwYZ5UrgCtOVqvLYrn6yW7tH--oXhYF3ca3C4ysV-NqSRmNS5DSxdQ91UFVGM6bVo5fJR9cfV7mAu_H7ODAZoOeDQ5pFzHoGk3_ja9xpgPrc-nK1D5LWXYZYk9ZIqVz7Y_pj9Ps73O3g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">duct tape made a waterproof outer covering</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon I took down the fake fence around the haystack and obstacles in our stackyard where I’ve been letting Sprout graze for a few hours each day. She’s eaten all the grass and weeds around the stacks. Andrea helped me put up a fake fence in the little swamp pen below the bull corral; I will graze Sprout in there next, to clean up the rest of that grass that regrew after the heifers grazed it this summer. The fake fence will keep Sprout out of the thick brush and bogs at the lower end of that little pen. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We also backed the stock trailer into the place we’ll leave it for winter, but we left it hooked to Andrea’s pickup temporarily so we could load Shiloh into the trailer once as a refresher lesson on trailer loading, since she hasn’t been in a trailer since granddaughter Heather brought her here from Helena quite a few years ago (when Shiloh “retired” from being a school horse and Professor Ann Perkins gave her to me, thinking she’d do better as a ranch horse with a real job to do). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Shiloh got into the trailer just fine but was very nervous in there. We did get her settled down long enough to eat a little grain. We could probably trailer her somewhere at some point in the future if necessary, but realized she’d do better with a buddy. She’s a bit high strung and nervous by herself.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we took some more tin around to the bull pen and created a better windbreak shelter in one corner, for the bull for winter. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Late afternoon Andrea brought Christopher down and I entertained him (and he helped me do chores again) while she finished stacking our wood. We needed to get all the split wood piled and out of the way before the next load of wood arrives. I took photos of him “helping” stack wood and then helping me with chores, climbing around in the hay by my hay shed.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWQFA3c3nIqDGSCyGDU1xaVDUhic4zw8PCoRgcPF9RxEUvUuhsk2-plHySNsAGI2JW3ewtzTFb5xUwjHCzAJ7Hb1TS_6myxqI7u7uJO-vtyRkaUnGKRXKGGZnfJmh2LKsV5iAm_fHl5nVTpZ4wW8ktEPVWtbXKHAvWlz63wtl2QWVB1bs4hDIeHm1yKg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWQFA3c3nIqDGSCyGDU1xaVDUhic4zw8PCoRgcPF9RxEUvUuhsk2-plHySNsAGI2JW3ewtzTFb5xUwjHCzAJ7Hb1TS_6myxqI7u7uJO-vtyRkaUnGKRXKGGZnfJmh2LKsV5iAm_fHl5nVTpZ4wW8ktEPVWtbXKHAvWlz63wtl2QWVB1bs4hDIeHm1yKg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher supervising the wood stacking</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBc8uIH2507wG-AwvfdIXnklNB7DtkQWPrf4JI77u312bLR-faMaj5HVDFnSaBp6UZfHZCfmVEBTZm_6dYwLKeHzL2EdlEYg797puhGomNZMB82W3OeMY-5uiSAhCLgAi3igL5TccaVBAUc0Vl4n1-sChg3cyrIBuzD9DiH54Bf1IQUfbf2MsmCED-UA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBc8uIH2507wG-AwvfdIXnklNB7DtkQWPrf4JI77u312bLR-faMaj5HVDFnSaBp6UZfHZCfmVEBTZm_6dYwLKeHzL2EdlEYg797puhGomNZMB82W3OeMY-5uiSAhCLgAi3igL5TccaVBAUc0Vl4n1-sChg3cyrIBuzD9DiH54Bf1IQUfbf2MsmCED-UA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping me do chores</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took some hay in my wheelbarrow to one of the horse pens, and Christopher climbed onto the load to have a ride, then went with me to feed Shiloh and Sprout, and water the heifers. The heifers were curious about this little guy and came up to the gate to see him.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimO6I6u9otDtP3lsinz8NYylAlui-AhbcMWeY0cmX4xJZjRkJwDxCEd1d7LJPqzqDzac45mtKFwah9JKuLrzL4YEXMexCiUodltcBE5sUiNtOD5TZMLNazzx0W06BW5ZSyJ0kT1_R-KmN6ANaCW0-LKQv4KIsmHt-QljiAfClw-Kx_1rqFVIPAPg49ng=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimO6I6u9otDtP3lsinz8NYylAlui-AhbcMWeY0cmX4xJZjRkJwDxCEd1d7LJPqzqDzac45mtKFwah9JKuLrzL4YEXMexCiUodltcBE5sUiNtOD5TZMLNazzx0W06BW5ZSyJ0kT1_R-KmN6ANaCW0-LKQv4KIsmHt-QljiAfClw-Kx_1rqFVIPAPg49ng=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher ready to ride on the load of hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYf7apX7tG1CESVSubOJSx_g6TEJTYZC0oha1P1vxZprwI9v5xpdxj8dMqlrmHmfqn4X4QjoiqGbqgODEtfgA2emNl7c-qZ_mnA_a1Qx-7CCuHtYC7RuDIr0et3wHTIgcdTQN1IWWy87TQWNUugzxzWuJutQAT8F42M3JcAOZPnB7WF7JZRtyRg2H-dA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYf7apX7tG1CESVSubOJSx_g6TEJTYZC0oha1P1vxZprwI9v5xpdxj8dMqlrmHmfqn4X4QjoiqGbqgODEtfgA2emNl7c-qZ_mnA_a1Qx-7CCuHtYC7RuDIr0et3wHTIgcdTQN1IWWy87TQWNUugzxzWuJutQAT8F42M3JcAOZPnB7WF7JZRtyRg2H-dA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher checking out the heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Andrea and Christopher ate supper with us.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning Lynn went to his appointment/checkup with the heart doctor that comes here periodically from Montana. Andrea and I were going to check on the cows again on the 320 but she discovered that the refrigerator in her trailer house (where she stores things, and has a spare refrigerator) quit working, and all the frozen stuff in its freezer had thawed. So she spent the day trying to salvage what she could salvage, and throw the rest away and clean out the refrigerator—and hope that it can be workable again. It may have quit when we had a power glitch a few days ago.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She brought a few things down to put in our spare refrigerator, and then we went up to the 320, rather late in the day. I took photos as she looked with binoculars to see where our cows were.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBmTi9p2l8wYYmbnerzh-iUkDe8BiRUiUnyH1XfXzHMZcQ6vHtieQ1qalMIf_QjNwTbNfIwTc2amqwxiwdBArm6etTduuAYUhcYzVtDQQlOqb5nbB-_xJ9wHP9hAkH6UYtkEWbHeJTc5Vkoou7RhjA2W2NxPMOfqJ3jPHSOEcGA46a_AbSlk_KSr1ppw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBmTi9p2l8wYYmbnerzh-iUkDe8BiRUiUnyH1XfXzHMZcQ6vHtieQ1qalMIf_QjNwTbNfIwTc2amqwxiwdBArm6etTduuAYUhcYzVtDQQlOqb5nbB-_xJ9wHP9hAkH6UYtkEWbHeJTc5Vkoou7RhjA2W2NxPMOfqJ3jPHSOEcGA46a_AbSlk_KSr1ppw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking for our cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlbDag41jEiN_UykOzlmUKLmUaFftVZrs_dVV3MJ4zByrugq8-HbP--5PAbN2QHy8xWn7yDlGgqIAUUTmHSj3WVpTPahn5MuYObHjeEf11zmF5ax5KwBZ8XJnVUjoAcRhobJ2k9xrjtYlcalgS5tbXDLZTn5ATjuU4TOyLILk0UHY6p7s0Eu9Ubi_LIw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjlbDag41jEiN_UykOzlmUKLmUaFftVZrs_dVV3MJ4zByrugq8-HbP--5PAbN2QHy8xWn7yDlGgqIAUUTmHSj3WVpTPahn5MuYObHjeEf11zmF5ax5KwBZ8XJnVUjoAcRhobJ2k9xrjtYlcalgS5tbXDLZTn5ATjuU4TOyLILk0UHY6p7s0Eu9Ubi_LIw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking for cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Our cows were nowhere in sight, but when we drove down into Baker creek we found them lounging there in the trees by the top gate by Baker Creek.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSlV1nRBm80nvRG51gKXxbGXUM46tMyeHlMPKnjzzo3ktE503JTcmzblkZOPyHRqlGeLTKZLfISvyGWP7XUfXCt3LnEfp3QM9oapA2rter4N5MhzH25n9Z5JkmBgeVAt8ll2mvGB2sbPfEhtgSorK0efCwG_8acV9Hk5TCD6fHnp-ySjqCr_Xo_qqsUg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSlV1nRBm80nvRG51gKXxbGXUM46tMyeHlMPKnjzzo3ktE503JTcmzblkZOPyHRqlGeLTKZLfISvyGWP7XUfXCt3LnEfp3QM9oapA2rter4N5MhzH25n9Z5JkmBgeVAt8ll2mvGB2sbPfEhtgSorK0efCwG_8acV9Hk5TCD6fHnp-ySjqCr_Xo_qqsUg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows lounging in upper end of 320 near Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and Carolyn had put 14 cows in the lower part of the 320, with a couple big protein blocks. They are hoping there’s enough grass in that lower section to last the cows a week or two, since they are really short on fall pasture. Their horses grazed that part most of the summer, but there is still some feed left, so maybe their cows will be able to graze there for a while. They sold a bunch of cull cows and even some bred heifers this fall, cutting their herd to bare minimum of good, dependable producers, since they will be short on hay as well as pasture. Their remaining cows look good, however, and I took a photo of them as we drove back down through that part of the 320 to come home.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZBa_FKHTqiWBQJrQw3Utx_whagefevAZkD9o8-tAGJs_5p0thrwPF3TczX2t8fH010Ji7DnQLjdnniyBynPh6V6cwLs71ziy_i4wzwvi-_yJ0Yjm4qEegwGiN71tL1rTzkEKRnXp7IDaTda1YfAGg_M-eHWQkIrpnHqtPUcDT-TZV7UiXmSCB1ENJHg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZBa_FKHTqiWBQJrQw3Utx_whagefevAZkD9o8-tAGJs_5p0thrwPF3TczX2t8fH010Ji7DnQLjdnniyBynPh6V6cwLs71ziy_i4wzwvi-_yJ0Yjm4qEegwGiN71tL1rTzkEKRnXp7IDaTda1YfAGg_M-eHWQkIrpnHqtPUcDT-TZV7UiXmSCB1ENJHg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael & Carolyn's cows in lower part of 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Dani went deer hunting with her friend Jack and shot a small buck. They helped Andrea clean the stored stuff out of the meat room we built a couple years ago (when we had to butcher Lida Rose) and hung the deer in there. The weather has been quite warm in the afternoons, so they put the air conditioner unit in there (that Andrea took out of her house a while ago for winter) and it will probably help keep it cool enough in there for the meat. Here are photos of her deer hanging in the meat room.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzH4m_JQbmb_ePUM-UtWPjpgu8paVKw6Fe1AyRHpwwHgEevK5uRE9Kni0irlnspzE77kpuT58G4C1NrzOoCMClwfU5WxAhQzpeu9UTEoxC8jXmEqp6AXZy-sJpKKuwgQ5g_Bdt2v8Wqb0vX7ZNUx6apzMjPmvhLxm2g_acKHJhZeTE1NvbpsoxxY8aPg=s4032" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhzH4m_JQbmb_ePUM-UtWPjpgu8paVKw6Fe1AyRHpwwHgEevK5uRE9Kni0irlnspzE77kpuT58G4C1NrzOoCMClwfU5WxAhQzpeu9UTEoxC8jXmEqp6AXZy-sJpKKuwgQ5g_Bdt2v8Wqb0vX7ZNUx6apzMjPmvhLxm2g_acKHJhZeTE1NvbpsoxxY8aPg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOzFH7nhRODS0tfpGh2fJg09XKsH6r2-mlOH8P3I5Hox_OLOoV8Gke1O5Evl4d-XjRImS4AYFjYuxbqfUh7jIZxGNbfaKkRokfbXKix7l3l5I-ND6c9g28cUt4qL6aqCuzIt8R6d1xsFmiFVxgCibSiUUXVhjK_yMgWkBR0324fTBrOM6kUJJGVjD71Q=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOzFH7nhRODS0tfpGh2fJg09XKsH6r2-mlOH8P3I5Hox_OLOoV8Gke1O5Evl4d-XjRImS4AYFjYuxbqfUh7jIZxGNbfaKkRokfbXKix7l3l5I-ND6c9g28cUt4qL6aqCuzIt8R6d1xsFmiFVxgCibSiUUXVhjK_yMgWkBR0324fTBrOM6kUJJGVjD71Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani's deer hanging in meat room</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 30</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had another week of relatively moderate weather. Even though the temperature dropped below freezing several nights, the afternoons have been fairly warm. Last Friday I cleaned out the hay and manure in the stock trailer, after hauling the cows to the sale. We’d locked them in the front half of the trailer (so they would ride better and not bounce around so much) and the hay I put in there absorbed most of the loose manure and made everything very easy to clean out. I just pitched it out the little side door. Then Andrea and I checked on the 8 young cows in the lower back field and were pleased to see that they still have some grass left and are doing well. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day I gathered up a few more things we needed to put away before it snows—water hoses, and big loops of rolled-up electric fence wire and stacks of temporary step-in posts we’ve gathered from various fields and pastures. I labeled each coil of fence wire with the field it came from, so we can use it in the same field again next year and it is already the proper length (no splicing or cutting necessary).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn bucketed the water out of the tank in the orchard (what was left after we had the calves in there after weaning them) and we rinsed and tipped the tank over for winter. We don’t want it full of ice!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent a photo of the two little boys playing outdoors (Joseph pulling little brother in the wagon), and a photo of some new heifers they bought this fall.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHxH-3vqxeSTWiBRt3Az2Isdz75BCdrdQR8SHZqoN1nqJdUfHyqjpn1O4FhuhgxCmK7H1BZu1WMfsTbeWrwDf8EUQ1eQ-iYYAw795_H8CkpDp8j7hR9TZjeVc8zLp7R0AFwiii9Fg6AGGlmjiA6mp-RvF8nW3j8JR6R0saJH8OGZiOEw_UMNUrEFtRfA=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHxH-3vqxeSTWiBRt3Az2Isdz75BCdrdQR8SHZqoN1nqJdUfHyqjpn1O4FhuhgxCmK7H1BZu1WMfsTbeWrwDf8EUQ1eQ-iYYAw795_H8CkpDp8j7hR9TZjeVc8zLp7R0AFwiii9Fg6AGGlmjiA6mp-RvF8nW3j8JR6R0saJH8OGZiOEw_UMNUrEFtRfA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph & James</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSSucSmcVodKul5xnRI_o_5oG8-ZpxVgmKwKOf36lIfanUm13TBCQy-TMWXPZ9fgs0ECtgzkcczLkrvwm0u0GRk9ljUbAh4jcC-M3TcSk-z1gpUMNP9u1VFW-CWkIZDFo54nUrO64kbem3uoLDy4487nM47s0vILlLRwPFQHyCpeI4DT1I2cVeexXsgg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSSucSmcVodKul5xnRI_o_5oG8-ZpxVgmKwKOf36lIfanUm13TBCQy-TMWXPZ9fgs0ECtgzkcczLkrvwm0u0GRk9ljUbAh4jcC-M3TcSk-z1gpUMNP9u1VFW-CWkIZDFo54nUrO64kbem3uoLDy4487nM47s0vILlLRwPFQHyCpeI4DT1I2cVeexXsgg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new heifers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily’s friend A.J. got a deer and an elk during hunting season and those have been hanging in his garage for a while, hopefully staying cool enough during the warm weather we’ve had. On Saturday and Sunday Andrea, Dani and Emily helped him cut up and package the meat. Dani entertained Christopher while the others worked on meat and got some of it ground into burger.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday it rained a little off and on, but Andrea and I braved the wet windy weather and went to the 320 on her 4-wheeler to check on the cows. We wore our riding chinks/chaps to keep our legs dry and warm. The cows are doing ok, but Michael’s cows have eaten most of the protein on their part of the pasture, and ours have about a week’s worth left on their side. There’s still a lot of grass up there, so we’ll probably try to take more protein up there if we don’t get a bunch of snow. As we drove down out of there, our cows and Michael’s cows were getting acquainted through the fence.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrsRrxFe7u_iS47BSbFut9pXTuei0J39x1Fjs-leNn5uJBa94akdDsunlgOBPr_C9SIYKVMnaZd5m-bJfBdftHAJYh9LOkYx2-YwoBK1dxeWxT-kS2yxscrewzBInKBZwy4jahIln8c2qBy-iYINg70e14nq7ZDj19K9WbKSTzShvqzgI2NToiDfRzNA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrsRrxFe7u_iS47BSbFut9pXTuei0J39x1Fjs-leNn5uJBa94akdDsunlgOBPr_C9SIYKVMnaZd5m-bJfBdftHAJYh9LOkYx2-YwoBK1dxeWxT-kS2yxscrewzBInKBZwy4jahIln8c2qBy-iYINg70e14nq7ZDj19K9WbKSTzShvqzgI2NToiDfRzNA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows on each side of the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It rained harder after we got home, and rained most of the night, turning to snow by the next morning. There was a fair amount of snow on the upper place but by the next afternoon it warmed up enough that most of it melted or settled. The weather was fairly decent by late morning so we redid Dottie’s foot bandage, and were pleased with how well the wound is healing; it’s almost completely closed in now. The bandage now is simply keeping it clean a bit longer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I put a roof over the windbreak corner shelter in the bull pen, using several old irrigation dams, supported by boards and poles across the corner area. This will provide protection during winter storms.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfU7TqHsPzaOei150xKIEt8aWhjiF4A9o39kl2qvFE8iGbQjdLtX6QtwGEELgPfYArn8O58zm_IG2tk6tS5jyxXHQowESTRm-JiE4fK2pgvNK8f9ZTyILFvcyczmP83p2PymO1fwJTSeQzPltuooFBgTZ4JlhdNmrlBKY-YBq5BkaJXmurBXkX5cErog=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfU7TqHsPzaOei150xKIEt8aWhjiF4A9o39kl2qvFE8iGbQjdLtX6QtwGEELgPfYArn8O58zm_IG2tk6tS5jyxXHQowESTRm-JiE4fK2pgvNK8f9ZTyILFvcyczmP83p2PymO1fwJTSeQzPltuooFBgTZ4JlhdNmrlBKY-YBq5BkaJXmurBXkX5cErog=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">roof over Babe's windbreak corner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Lynn took his 4-wheeler up to the field by Andrea’s house and helped her take down the electric fence that separated the field from the ditch pasture. He drove along and gathered the posts she took out, and she rolled up the wire. That’s the last temporary fence to take down and put away for winter.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday was windy and cold all day. My brother stopped by on his way home from work at the Radio Station to pick up his belated birthday card and gift from us. Lynn went to town for mail and groceries and bought a couple more tubs of protein supplement for our cows on the 320.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Tom Miller (from Spring Creek—down river) and some of his family brought us 4 cords of wood in their big truck and unloaded it here, next to our stacked split wood. The gals had their youngest kids with them—a little boy age 3 that “helped” on top of the truck, and a set of twin girls 6 months old. They make most of their living getting firewood for people around the valley.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Emily took Christopher to town that evening to go trick-or-treating, in his superman costume. He didn’t want to wear his hat/mask but was pretty cute anyway. Here he is in his costume.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp1Xrebl_7-v614E1qT6xkxNhQcUSn8lMMcOzuwk4GoKYOWy9_5lBKlAmDe3NjaRtWR4jnI2X5IYpgQtyoCfPiG9TC0WrS0caw4vnV7P3MTuNeZwyvnqSrG2S_ghZTBoaUtu5HU5Y-jMIejtfAt9X3EZS8vPOsw8iQdKPDtnuraWD0BgTRDewl4Cwc1g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhp1Xrebl_7-v614E1qT6xkxNhQcUSn8lMMcOzuwk4GoKYOWy9_5lBKlAmDe3NjaRtWR4jnI2X5IYpgQtyoCfPiG9TC0WrS0caw4vnV7P3MTuNeZwyvnqSrG2S_ghZTBoaUtu5HU5Y-jMIejtfAt9X3EZS8vPOsw8iQdKPDtnuraWD0BgTRDewl4Cwc1g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher headed to town for Hallowen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-f2kjfb4HCDhIhuFiBAWc6Kd7ycf7b58jIYxusy_QkH77QdrF4OvW4LQjOVcQPhqZUFN-OCfzLgWU37Upxx69aERRgNpnQGZTXfhJ0LTF-W8xjhe_K0Xpqz3fa6zrBcAG39etCPwnATrTbRHIijXBq36h-agqikA_SEIUoAlcsK5jKyaaGu32XbScXw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-f2kjfb4HCDhIhuFiBAWc6Kd7ycf7b58jIYxusy_QkH77QdrF4OvW4LQjOVcQPhqZUFN-OCfzLgWU37Upxx69aERRgNpnQGZTXfhJ0LTF-W8xjhe_K0Xpqz3fa6zrBcAG39etCPwnATrTbRHIijXBq36h-agqikA_SEIUoAlcsK5jKyaaGu32XbScXw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher - little superman</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Andrea brought her little jeep down to our place and loaded the two protein tubs into it (125 pounds each), from the back of our pickup. Lynn went to town for mail and groceries and Andrea and I took the protein to the cows on the 320. When we went through the lower part, we rescued one of the protein blocks that Michael and Carolyn’s cows had rooted and rolled under the fence into the 160 by the gate, and their horses were eating it. We put it back over into the 320 for their cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our cows still had several days’ worth of protein left, and the new tubs should last them 2 or 3 more weeks. We unloaded those, then drove down into Baker Creek to check their water trough, and brought the salt block out to the ridge to put near the protein, in case the snow gets too deep later to drive down in there and retrieve it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijBe1clXx31DA2Un3AXT40IH6wyHGccm_moSbrCeq9xR2r94-f5cor298Uo0MP0SM-7AyI1rc9WMVYIf1EHQ3qZFg4HcoFGjXPEpw_hWG6BrdyggWoK090qqxjgxkKUcCfPPyazoWj0bMjaOEzMAVbr28dbAE52GaVPLdzpIhg69-q2NcqAfD5gStZfA=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijBe1clXx31DA2Un3AXT40IH6wyHGccm_moSbrCeq9xR2r94-f5cor298Uo0MP0SM-7AyI1rc9WMVYIf1EHQ3qZFg4HcoFGjXPEpw_hWG6BrdyggWoK090qqxjgxkKUcCfPPyazoWj0bMjaOEzMAVbr28dbAE52GaVPLdzpIhg69-q2NcqAfD5gStZfA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje_uGnLsVs7q3ibrc2hyp0xmFnqWpbQ3mVZMjDWKGPKzsdDxqtfoKuggOwZxxPEsAI4qHLtBKNMlD8XJTzr1h5WS9cmLJAxkbwlhD47hQUPDRPo4JRr4OLdZdT2rPJDiJukRlcd4NWtlO8bByVVzNVAun-aeiSdjOSi6iNgRBLKuq9EcTkyCBOphoEGQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEje_uGnLsVs7q3ibrc2hyp0xmFnqWpbQ3mVZMjDWKGPKzsdDxqtfoKuggOwZxxPEsAI4qHLtBKNMlD8XJTzr1h5WS9cmLJAxkbwlhD47hQUPDRPo4JRr4OLdZdT2rPJDiJukRlcd4NWtlO8bByVVzNVAun-aeiSdjOSi6iNgRBLKuq9EcTkyCBOphoEGQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea unloading protein tubs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOVEMBER 9</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week Andrea cut and wrapped Dani’s little deer. The meat had kept nice and cool and was in good shape. Lynn gave our heifers more loose salt and mineral; they’d cleaned up everything in their mineral feeder. We took care of Christopher that evening.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday Andrea and I repositioned one part of the big “tarp” (black plastic) that the strong wind had rearranged on our big haystack. We’ve had a lot of wind lately and it tore some of the “ears” off the tarp that were holding the strings we tied it down with. We got it tied down a lot better and maybe that will keep the hay protected through the rest of the winter. We also took the plastic off the little stack of round bales, and Lynn brought the tractor around and took a couple new bales to put by the bull pen—where I feed him in the fenceline manger.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we had a little rain. We’re still very dry from the long dry summer, so every little bit of moisture helps. Andrea covered our woodpiles with some of the irrigation dams she’s gathered up out of the fields.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She and I took her 4-wheeler up to the 320 on Wednesday to check on the cows. They’d eaten most of the protein in the two tubs and had one tub down off the steep hill toward the timber and we had to retrieve it. When the tubs start to get empty they are not as heavy and the cows move them around quite a bit and can tip them over. Even though they start out on a flat spot, after a few days they can get them down the hill. The other tub had been pushed against the fence and tipped over, and Michael and Carolyn’s cows had apparently found it and reached through the fence and got the piece of protein out of it and had been eating it on their side. We put it in a smaller tub, farther away from the fence and left it on their side to encourage their cows to use that higher corner of their part of the 320. Then we drove on up to check our cows. Some were down in Baker Creek drinking at the upper trough.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBx-lKsRjNlOKtOrvDL6SBT3NLmAPWhZ3tTo9z5ZHmEEGDSlH8_9z0fRfdafeeGh48W-tbRFUL4gNxDZdBExPKdSH0yreVxrGNi59F65OHTVmIcKHjNBoIgTPVxIceG8fdKeSOBnaXATErgLcDvM-ODHeCnH1_bvJwc6o9_6wOF1SKr0WaKAqA0eYr3w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBx-lKsRjNlOKtOrvDL6SBT3NLmAPWhZ3tTo9z5ZHmEEGDSlH8_9z0fRfdafeeGh48W-tbRFUL4gNxDZdBExPKdSH0yreVxrGNi59F65OHTVmIcKHjNBoIgTPVxIceG8fdKeSOBnaXATErgLcDvM-ODHeCnH1_bvJwc6o9_6wOF1SKr0WaKAqA0eYr3w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows drinking at trough in upper Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Andrea took Dani, Emily, Christopher and Charlie to dinner and invited Dani’s dad and his new girlfriend to celebrate Dani’s 17th birthday. They had a nice dinner and a good visit. It’s great that Dani can now have a relationship with her father again, now that the old girlfriend (who lived with Mark for many years and was so mean to Dani) is no longer in the picture. We are all hoping for progress in family relationships again. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Here are photos of Dani (and Andrea) on Dani’s birthday.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4ilf49LZsuAJImrl002YXPmODPdXWUjIglK7LSfKI_OnrCe5jRy8b9WJ3SQyPZOr8wnDZAT0y-AnrlkYr225cz5Q4oAxbsPjAuwq6aA1_GTpguXf4-ocfsoZzexgNlfGqIP0ATswTOY748wGBSZE_kF7F-zbmdvtQoQj775g2gBwX5QiQNcwugABzIw=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4ilf49LZsuAJImrl002YXPmODPdXWUjIglK7LSfKI_OnrCe5jRy8b9WJ3SQyPZOr8wnDZAT0y-AnrlkYr225cz5Q4oAxbsPjAuwq6aA1_GTpguXf4-ocfsoZzexgNlfGqIP0ATswTOY748wGBSZE_kF7F-zbmdvtQoQj775g2gBwX5QiQNcwugABzIw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani on her birthday</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv0yWtdZ8n2XZxd1OUnICKMEmJKY0TR5Z8MCodTW3p5SU_8M_1UXQYMyAM1ksPAm2r9DUza7VMO1BUtN5lPgrXDYbk81ajpvQIEaMjNi9ZeX2FTH1TKwbkfA6ESkClhCpeAMMIFwmXJUVkW8B7JmehbK0-WaS0RjgvC3DD5hG4cibzigRypqh5ZUyyxg=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="483" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiv0yWtdZ8n2XZxd1OUnICKMEmJKY0TR5Z8MCodTW3p5SU_8M_1UXQYMyAM1ksPAm2r9DUza7VMO1BUtN5lPgrXDYbk81ajpvQIEaMjNi9ZeX2FTH1TKwbkfA6ESkClhCpeAMMIFwmXJUVkW8B7JmehbK0-WaS0RjgvC3DD5hG4cibzigRypqh5ZUyyxg=w201-h400" width="201" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Andrea - Dani's 17th birthday</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday evening Lynn called his oldest cousin, Emerson, who is 97 years old, and had a good visit with him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea, Em, Dani, Charlie and Christopher went to Idaho Falls for a couple of appointments and to get a few more things for Dani’s birthday, and Charlie picked up some auto parts his dad needed. Emily got a fish tank and some fish for Christopher. It was stormy on their way home but they got home before it snowed.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily sent me photos she took of Christopher enjoying his new pet fish.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvnm_ycgkDkMfTIXiiG0OxigFSXrDNfr1DAGLRuidAMTg9O0fNIOnLb_l0ayMOFiPv5tgumwf9Xf4raZ16orT9lEeQq5PVFi-ugyHIMG74l9bkCJBHM2rOtspidKjG0CN8s54r-KAkEb7837WnW2TvK8EsauHdZNudk1MxGKb68RFr81dR7cDdxYBp9w=s1080" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvnm_ycgkDkMfTIXiiG0OxigFSXrDNfr1DAGLRuidAMTg9O0fNIOnLb_l0ayMOFiPv5tgumwf9Xf4raZ16orT9lEeQq5PVFi-ugyHIMG74l9bkCJBHM2rOtspidKjG0CN8s54r-KAkEb7837WnW2TvK8EsauHdZNudk1MxGKb68RFr81dR7cDdxYBp9w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj33oFoLBvnyB7ZTtMWbU7Si3bQkIe4jqKAx9wJSd-UzHI_a0sYNTGnEnzE6zMJ2HN48QrS26t74ZJvagVYVsrb6aC9lgWJRN9FzqN8gHd_Ktq2jlNxPrSHBkJ4z_Q49G3fm0AO7yvAnkOHQlEAL2e5k-HVZnoQ9I1tIY1VnuZ1VR79Uw9J6UV7DF2l7g=s1080" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj33oFoLBvnyB7ZTtMWbU7Si3bQkIe4jqKAx9wJSd-UzHI_a0sYNTGnEnzE6zMJ2HN48QrS26t74ZJvagVYVsrb6aC9lgWJRN9FzqN8gHd_Ktq2jlNxPrSHBkJ4z_Q49G3fm0AO7yvAnkOHQlEAL2e5k-HVZnoQ9I1tIY1VnuZ1VR79Uw9J6UV7DF2l7g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvqIh42ZrtLCWb-DZAkPwn_YloX0j4cCzeQwgUL40TXlXgeeF6ARYcwl_4NRzRzx_3LNhrs0p7uvjOsIGrpQSr33e8EC0PLlwi3To7BWN5llaOHEsBSMoeNP7HM54QbLwNXGVv05sSxNGFHk7ZUoL4NwUcoh_v4Agfjb5LKKNVVkveRoBqYUfIWbnBVg=s1080" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1080" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjvqIh42ZrtLCWb-DZAkPwn_YloX0j4cCzeQwgUL40TXlXgeeF6ARYcwl_4NRzRzx_3LNhrs0p7uvjOsIGrpQSr33e8EC0PLlwi3To7BWN5llaOHEsBSMoeNP7HM54QbLwNXGVv05sSxNGFHk7ZUoL4NwUcoh_v4Agfjb5LKKNVVkveRoBqYUfIWbnBVg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher enjoying his new fish and fish tank</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sadly, yesterday two of them died. Em realized she probably made a mistake showing him how to feed them. Even though she put the fish food in a high cupboard, that precocious child found an old packet of fish food and knew it was for fish because it had a picture of fish on it—and he fed a big bunch of it them. Andrea and Emily had to take out the remaining fish and clean the tank and flush it out a few times and get rid of all that fish food! The surviving fish seem to be doing ok.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday I took Dottie’s bandage off and didn’t rebandage her foot. It has healed enough that it no longer needs to be protected from dirt and mud.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS799L1A0oR1XBRgLi60OnGs2xd-VeVsz39luXJXU_qn_FPUeNK8MIgBLozlbX3PswpeamoNfC74gDfYALbdlJB2B9dJx6dywT_UQcgK6nXTkZUK9cWhIkF3MmRrCIZ5ci3rdn6RaRz5vYGOVOaFxVqvSSiXMQG_agC0OKM6wlx6T9xM1TVjydM6tiXw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS799L1A0oR1XBRgLi60OnGs2xd-VeVsz39luXJXU_qn_FPUeNK8MIgBLozlbX3PswpeamoNfC74gDfYALbdlJB2B9dJx6dywT_UQcgK6nXTkZUK9cWhIkF3MmRrCIZ5ci3rdn6RaRz5vYGOVOaFxVqvSSiXMQG_agC0OKM6wlx6T9xM1TVjydM6tiXw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dottie's foot - wound closed in and mostly healed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Andrea and I drove up to the 320 in spite of the snow, and it’s not very deep. The cows are doing ok but they’d rolled one of their protein tubs down off the hill and we couldn’t find it. I took a photo of one of our cows licking protein from one of the tubs.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU7DtATM3hY4Gphp2a9IfBF_OemKFg29DiG3dD_7jnbOKCNIRGZk0NJP-rRjj9ILzca1IaM4yXdjMbtdChDT80ZxVc4DDOkpP9q1tFMQnZYtYysjE7yaJRo_7PPkSvgn58s2kc2kgwWOP7aPVZN-LxhYEkuwZ8bt4L24n2igp8oAJxIdQy2OkBpQ0MPQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhU7DtATM3hY4Gphp2a9IfBF_OemKFg29DiG3dD_7jnbOKCNIRGZk0NJP-rRjj9ILzca1IaM4yXdjMbtdChDT80ZxVc4DDOkpP9q1tFMQnZYtYysjE7yaJRo_7PPkSvgn58s2kc2kgwWOP7aPVZN-LxhYEkuwZ8bt4L24n2igp8oAJxIdQy2OkBpQ0MPQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cow eating protein</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that day we gave Dani her belated birthday gift – an old pistol that is practically brand new. Lynn bought it for me about 50 years ago but I never used it. Dani wanted a pistol, so she was delighted to have it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUrCGeXEayMBWE74bI0DUX-QHqPN9qPUtGd0geq9Oaw7Q3i7xLRsgeYYIW0fLW03OqW-Z1CvXeAjz45_ypW1ImrUWgHAISjv108MXfZHr3D-hdFz0ZMYK-68LjZhsM4usaLamh-OcEJMaL7s1vpiU2cAlPtg9bZssKRJofD7NfbViT2Sj8DC29GBCH1g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUrCGeXEayMBWE74bI0DUX-QHqPN9qPUtGd0geq9Oaw7Q3i7xLRsgeYYIW0fLW03OqW-Z1CvXeAjz45_ypW1ImrUWgHAISjv108MXfZHr3D-hdFz0ZMYK-68LjZhsM4usaLamh-OcEJMaL7s1vpiU2cAlPtg9bZssKRJofD7NfbViT2Sj8DC29GBCH1g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani opening present</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggZcR_7LRqG2a4Wb2Wy3tZWUctp981xSrlvVPUiIZp816rGM-QOAG55TKjv3epxnsER_X3I181cYl2g6gUMrpF14ivy2m19qZzdqi7-9OVsoesek1P_OmDO0tgA-fdTVzWa68pyIKNR-WrRxeTWgMbUFuvS3C9wGQfOGLNDf0-KcEPDOHy5c7EHppI8g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggZcR_7LRqG2a4Wb2Wy3tZWUctp981xSrlvVPUiIZp816rGM-QOAG55TKjv3epxnsER_X3I181cYl2g6gUMrpF14ivy2m19qZzdqi7-9OVsoesek1P_OmDO0tgA-fdTVzWa68pyIKNR-WrRxeTWgMbUFuvS3C9wGQfOGLNDf0-KcEPDOHy5c7EHppI8g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani's new pistol</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1EYhS2zeP1u7h4Zktn60Pdb4lXr-KEuUsGxl3MaocjOX7mE-C1-uNQ-iWjz9g_tpto3K7kuYm5FrWTUdZX4pQN1golsgWWPWQsKAMOI-EyE4X3qtK0spcLj96WXYoL4zzZhHxj8kQ4iUfEnJc-b2MnL5oE3C5nrDBSWiKe4ba-LhKE-6GZm5XMPWoFA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1EYhS2zeP1u7h4Zktn60Pdb4lXr-KEuUsGxl3MaocjOX7mE-C1-uNQ-iWjz9g_tpto3K7kuYm5FrWTUdZX4pQN1golsgWWPWQsKAMOI-EyE4X3qtK0spcLj96WXYoL4zzZhHxj8kQ4iUfEnJc-b2MnL5oE3C5nrDBSWiKe4ba-LhKE-6GZm5XMPWoFA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new old pistol</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a spell of colder weather; yesterday morning the temperature dropped to 15 degrees. I had to take the ice off the horse tubs and the heifers’ water tank. Today was a little warmer. We let the young cows from the lower back field into the post pile pasture where there’s some new green grass, but left the gate open so they can go back and forth; there is still a lot of grass in the rough edges around the lower back field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We hooked up the tank heater to the heifers’ water trough so we won’t have to keep breaking ice for them, and I plugged in the tractor early this morning so it would start by mid-day. We used it to drag a couple old trailers out of the weeds in the barnyard to place them on either side of the big bales we put by the bull corral. We can use those trailers to anchor some deer netting to make a protected area that the deer can’t get into—so they can’t get into the hay or into Babe’s feed manger and poop in his hay.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put the blade on the tractor for winter, and Lynn used it to scoop mud and manure away from that feed manger so the bull won’t be standing in mud to eat.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOVEMBER 17</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">One of our neighbors is still missing a bull that never came home from the range—on the rangeland bordering us to the south. Every time we go to the 320 to check our cows, we look across the canyon (the other side of our ranch) to scan the mountains on that range, but haven’t seen any cattle.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiirOjzQJAIMtEvLXk-EmB8ZjHWl_FjGgo1Bq4MXDJgmDtgYsytxSA8SlIH7FEqEdAtxHBuOLKZeRyrsrun-C8kIFcUeocprhyZPuX8Mx1CKRR7gpvRevrMdla-y7feyCsKw5C6p5vovvyYpTR77uaa-v0bKkDdHj42h7sdEi7S6eeRAkDNN4NLwEcPrQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiirOjzQJAIMtEvLXk-EmB8ZjHWl_FjGgo1Bq4MXDJgmDtgYsytxSA8SlIH7FEqEdAtxHBuOLKZeRyrsrun-C8kIFcUeocprhyZPuX8Mx1CKRR7gpvRevrMdla-y7feyCsKw5C6p5vovvyYpTR77uaa-v0bKkDdHj42h7sdEi7S6eeRAkDNN4NLwEcPrQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea scanning the far side of the canyon</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday we drove up there and checked on the cows and the amount of protein they had left.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgugsp1-2kBUVWEcS7Pnc8p5hoCbH7n2-8YnVeEhWRspRNiTLMtldf-yl6boyqtfq1G6f9tVjjT_CcQFn8N2Jee2ZecIWFUpDwk9-zSMaiHDcLpSZvywRJC4akZxAW8NiR89DAlZUuJgIOXy-nnBIzMo0iaIrOnjK8JKDVKPS8RvU52cErGDheE8b4dJg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgugsp1-2kBUVWEcS7Pnc8p5hoCbH7n2-8YnVeEhWRspRNiTLMtldf-yl6boyqtfq1G6f9tVjjT_CcQFn8N2Jee2ZecIWFUpDwk9-zSMaiHDcLpSZvywRJC4akZxAW8NiR89DAlZUuJgIOXy-nnBIzMo0iaIrOnjK8JKDVKPS8RvU52cErGDheE8b4dJg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">th</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdey6HpdoirXZctS-jIvdJCv1zw7C0hPjIXE-vfBQqKc-tK724Zz1GnMBQSdZZc25NnW9gt6SkUfvBq3aqz4MClKUC4sn3qb3e-pq8xHzWVqM8PkP8_StGe0uShIY6IZZboFY8zz2LPga1O1Sfpi_D5Y5eM8NK0cnXgJgMwNaxcfvNkjru6QTISANqXw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdey6HpdoirXZctS-jIvdJCv1zw7C0hPjIXE-vfBQqKc-tK724Zz1GnMBQSdZZc25NnW9gt6SkUfvBq3aqz4MClKUC4sn3qb3e-pq8xHzWVqM8PkP8_StGe0uShIY6IZZboFY8zz2LPga1O1Sfpi_D5Y5eM8NK0cnXgJgMwNaxcfvNkjru6QTISANqXw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows enjoying protein</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Thursday afternoon Lynn went to Kirtley Creek to locate a well site for some folks who bought some acres in that subdivision. He’s now located more than 30 wells on that creek—on the ranch that we leased for a year (in 1970) from our family doctor who owned it at that time. There was never enough irrigation water and we spent a lot of time and money trying to make a hay crop (buying sprinkler pipe, and Lynn commuting back and forth from our place (10 miles away) to irrigate it. We only leased it one year, and it nearly broke us, but in later years, after it got sold and subdivided, he’s made a lot more money locating wells for all the people who have been buying property there!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening we went to a meeting in town, with Andrea (she drove us in and back since we no longer like to drive at night). Two people representing the Idaho Water Resources Board explained to irrigators in the Lemhi Basin their settlement proposal for resolving conflicts regarding use of high flows on the Lemhi River and its tributaries.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Traditionally, all ranchers who irrigate with water from the river and the many creeks that feed it use high water in the spring and early summer, in excess of their decreed water rights, in order to get over all their fields and pastures before the stream flows drop in late summer. This is the only way that these ranches can be adequately watered to grow a hay crop and pasture, and use of the high flow in this manner fills the aquifer and feeds the springs and wetlands that help keep the streams flowing longer in late summer. Now however, there are other interests wanting the water—for fish, or demanding a minimum stream flow, etc. and there is risk for losing our use of water that is crucial to the survival of these ranches. So the Water Board’s working group has spent 2 years coming up with a way to protect our traditional use of this high flow. The meeting was held to explain their strategy (and possible settlement of certain lawsuits and issues) to the irrigators.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day I took my camera with me when I did chores, and took a photo of Babe in his pen, and a deer in the brush just below his pen.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhK1vQJWlVcDf7avJT0JZCr689u-q9heubNia7w411Jv0NQmABskjpAlOAj_MPTPO-n7OS64w5-D1N44Z2S55S_D69QCPl4-we7Wmh46efN6OmUmjOos_Gb-QlbPkSDOrhmK3bmx1TMroRWetP4VWa1a-yYml1aIKx76pfZ1rW_5KxybKzL8aIrhN49w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhK1vQJWlVcDf7avJT0JZCr689u-q9heubNia7w411Jv0NQmABskjpAlOAj_MPTPO-n7OS64w5-D1N44Z2S55S_D69QCPl4-we7Wmh46efN6OmUmjOos_Gb-QlbPkSDOrhmK3bmx1TMroRWetP4VWa1a-yYml1aIKx76pfZ1rW_5KxybKzL8aIrhN49w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Babe in his pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqT4ikwvZo9Ycvcj9jMrmykZhOmd9WSebskQivVU0s8jKqV0HPOILsYi4Ss4w4BgEGV0Zk1-iz2BKkMN30SiPuxOXSomxT11Lu5M_lnIYZp4oi9HyqCnfAFjjyJ3oMoP8kNTmwd4AuoH_eWLmsf-3hziNeHB4-QdkHPBgmrRTVPmomDuy2bkLWc2_Ttw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqT4ikwvZo9Ycvcj9jMrmykZhOmd9WSebskQivVU0s8jKqV0HPOILsYi4Ss4w4BgEGV0Zk1-iz2BKkMN30SiPuxOXSomxT11Lu5M_lnIYZp4oi9HyqCnfAFjjyJ3oMoP8kNTmwd4AuoH_eWLmsf-3hziNeHB4-QdkHPBgmrRTVPmomDuy2bkLWc2_Ttw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAcaS6kC096njNkp0AGFTfqw3l_urEGi901KkGP9Vz29LEPGBgZesyMmRxKA1GDqB7U5_cZF7NZN2BCzGh5aX3bZUGa4jBG6Cilfo35tCrkWGzTtuUMOK-rnFZBRXpyFs7hmpd7JQxHzqpCNTzYuzCKoUxH72E960TfX5axIDQVlPzc1y3DjHdoME13w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAcaS6kC096njNkp0AGFTfqw3l_urEGi901KkGP9Vz29LEPGBgZesyMmRxKA1GDqB7U5_cZF7NZN2BCzGh5aX3bZUGa4jBG6Cilfo35tCrkWGzTtuUMOK-rnFZBRXpyFs7hmpd7JQxHzqpCNTzYuzCKoUxH72E960TfX5axIDQVlPzc1y3DjHdoME13w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer in bushes</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took photos of the heifers in their pasture below the lane, and some of them licking salt and mineral out of their mineral feeder.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4k6EVg4bkCe6NovAe-glnWX8ZWNpjPFlSnl7qEsKQFRGZGoe8j-9Lw-i9BLoPT-Ph101R0yzYhNE07eFm7Cyv-X60FBcltXMhKmA-lsmS36DuHCajmYovSaMIe6hzkvQJLaRVaeeO4QItDk1pf9qV7EtCukqdV-l6hinsQqEao4B1IqdoXcLVbiA-ew=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4k6EVg4bkCe6NovAe-glnWX8ZWNpjPFlSnl7qEsKQFRGZGoe8j-9Lw-i9BLoPT-Ph101R0yzYhNE07eFm7Cyv-X60FBcltXMhKmA-lsmS36DuHCajmYovSaMIe6hzkvQJLaRVaeeO4QItDk1pf9qV7EtCukqdV-l6hinsQqEao4B1IqdoXcLVbiA-ew=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers in their pasture below the lane</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBhAR0BMy9pv0-D_GRRxcDIRI6UUwSYM-eEk19qq98gjlm3mtITn0MXIR8V2N0GJARXp6WqY6SR1M1JNkxbV25EeSeoM0s-BhmDGd_Uc_N5nte6kvLXBLntiHGw5QKoJ6gHwlEuWJP9HgfZi7RhEFwcJv_XRs7Q1YPmc89Z7o0ESwkZpzNc8HCG9vl5g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBhAR0BMy9pv0-D_GRRxcDIRI6UUwSYM-eEk19qq98gjlm3mtITn0MXIR8V2N0GJARXp6WqY6SR1M1JNkxbV25EeSeoM0s-BhmDGd_Uc_N5nte6kvLXBLntiHGw5QKoJ6gHwlEuWJP9HgfZi7RhEFwcJv_XRs7Q1YPmc89Z7o0ESwkZpzNc8HCG9vl5g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers licking salt & mineral</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday Michael and Carolyn moved their cows from the lower part of the 320 to the Baker Creek side and upper part, to join our cows. The grass is just about gone in the lower portion and there is still a lot of grass left on the Baker Creek side, so we will let them all graze it together until we get snowed out. They took more protein blocks and put them on the saddle toward Baker Creek, just through the lower gate.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The past few days have been warm and all the snow melted on the 320. If weather stays mild and the feed doesn’t get snowed under too deep, the cows can do well up there for several more weeks. Andrea and I went up there Sunday to check on them and to see how long our protein tubs at the top bedground will last. Michael’s cows were full and content on the lower saddle, and our cows were all at the upper part.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhITYgwYVF7VAEf-JSjenjs5jyuK27hZ5GsV20gYgaAfoNlOdr80rh9C2Z1fnLER9dDd3THsNZW_L0F9KZiOv-iczL-ObGlw36JzPa4I5wpgAULVazRvwkIOH_iacIoHcvjO4-8O5aOVv_seJRujvhf7lPOC-hOI3pEUIKOoOb-I0iMzl5ckRfEun9I3Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhITYgwYVF7VAEf-JSjenjs5jyuK27hZ5GsV20gYgaAfoNlOdr80rh9C2Z1fnLER9dDd3THsNZW_L0F9KZiOv-iczL-ObGlw36JzPa4I5wpgAULVazRvwkIOH_iacIoHcvjO4-8O5aOVv_seJRujvhf7lPOC-hOI3pEUIKOoOb-I0iMzl5ckRfEun9I3Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our cows at upper protein tubs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tWibR7mhtbDJTsxA3GZJzA_GHEqLgwZzaKucif_ux3h7AMNmKvAGB0mtzzkQ__KAWjiG6fWaXjz2698yqV8ndzC4lZR_SuLoU41HcFjQ8-Y3R_xjF-DWikzZip6oXJ9h89sS4Hd312zRrX5bCZZa4T9mS9Er6avMcWlKZwbcVt0NGzytFkFPrF6d_g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg_tWibR7mhtbDJTsxA3GZJzA_GHEqLgwZzaKucif_ux3h7AMNmKvAGB0mtzzkQ__KAWjiG6fWaXjz2698yqV8ndzC4lZR_SuLoU41HcFjQ8-Y3R_xjF-DWikzZip6oXJ9h89sS4Hd312zRrX5bCZZa4T9mS9Er6avMcWlKZwbcVt0NGzytFkFPrF6d_g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael's cows eating protein on lower bedground</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We drove down into Baker Creek and fixed the overflow on the water trough; it was plugged with fir needles and the trough was running over and making a mud-hole that will eventually freeze and make icy footing around the trough. It was good to get the overflow pipe unplugged and working again. I took photos of Andrea getting the fir needles out of the overflow pipe and getting it working again.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBDkXzgZOHpDGGP7Vv6WKsITX3-D4huUei44vDLkt8IacTnmq6KY3-aSYF7f4lnLqduSFC8cRSjlHR611HgSOohaNHlVqUwjdxHuqBUssR_J85aaqA3_9objHvjzGozfe6UAGythVYSdzDoeS34U6tuv1GDEPga53rspuG692tI8iG_nrXK5kn-15rGw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhBDkXzgZOHpDGGP7Vv6WKsITX3-D4huUei44vDLkt8IacTnmq6KY3-aSYF7f4lnLqduSFC8cRSjlHR611HgSOohaNHlVqUwjdxHuqBUssR_J85aaqA3_9objHvjzGozfe6UAGythVYSdzDoeS34U6tuv1GDEPga53rspuG692tI8iG_nrXK5kn-15rGw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trough in upper Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0fhkB1lBralnCmEV123gbvrM2cf202CRZvaoVyBjDdvYlthIffe2Ki83OvJuqQTWmLfr3c9mUl8rD5Xim_ljFCKNJz9uBF4CERTzZ5FmKgxurG3QKKvahn1g2CHi2c-T3EBFQkTH4UR17I6jQN0V2UQZ4ybY-yMjylWyqBrr5NdG7V_-hGGueoP6Hdg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg0fhkB1lBralnCmEV123gbvrM2cf202CRZvaoVyBjDdvYlthIffe2Ki83OvJuqQTWmLfr3c9mUl8rD5Xim_ljFCKNJz9uBF4CERTzZ5FmKgxurG3QKKvahn1g2CHi2c-T3EBFQkTH4UR17I6jQN0V2UQZ4ybY-yMjylWyqBrr5NdG7V_-hGGueoP6Hdg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trough running over on lower side - overflow pipe plugged</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1XgfjiAXkzLXQtajFR5MIEOdmL4OBlHxDiwHIfgmnGOoAgvW_lV5MkDJBazVJzI9BL65T-7F9hYZ8Jiv8v151766xclKHSK-AoCMfWD1-Cq5I2rCXnRinIjWElj9vmTPT4Dc7rXSp05SvI176knWWNs0Q_UfTryTN_eA8kxmAaquV93pXxF14XleILA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1XgfjiAXkzLXQtajFR5MIEOdmL4OBlHxDiwHIfgmnGOoAgvW_lV5MkDJBazVJzI9BL65T-7F9hYZ8Jiv8v151766xclKHSK-AoCMfWD1-Cq5I2rCXnRinIjWElj9vmTPT4Dc7rXSp05SvI176knWWNs0Q_UfTryTN_eA8kxmAaquV93pXxF14XleILA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea digging fir needles out of the overflow pipe to unplug it</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was warm and Dani helped us do several things. We checked on the young cows in the post pile pasture and I took a photo of Dani feeding a handful of grass to Pimples—a 2-year old cow.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3lNRjTl_ygUCGl8JA0emqRcVqopnDRVi4ibyUDT6lf7cRctt7gxHw4tEXlTofuK35Mx8QnJtGmSIWtM4qp6KdXan7DYD5UWwQfjdFvYYlqQv9_ZINtvdYDV3faFRs_LWqvuTpsv6ATGyuEWSNZr1TfWex2iwVF2OUsRFu1-wQso2WsF-TQSb_SQXseQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3lNRjTl_ygUCGl8JA0emqRcVqopnDRVi4ibyUDT6lf7cRctt7gxHw4tEXlTofuK35Mx8QnJtGmSIWtM4qp6KdXan7DYD5UWwQfjdFvYYlqQv9_ZINtvdYDV3faFRs_LWqvuTpsv6ATGyuEWSNZr1TfWex2iwVF2OUsRFu1-wQso2WsF-TQSb_SQXseQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani feeding Pimples a bite of grass</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we took advantage of the nice weather and took Ed’s shoes off. They’ve been on since summer and her feet were getting too long. Dani is learning how to do a little more hoof care; she took off the front shoes.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm9mkan27fdHJ0f4fKL4OvUVj2krWgvipgmSd4XI9SNb-2hGqFKzXtdqv19YCsVJBErTl8YiCwfTFWHNqrMV9XivBxf5YgxG1W3bBhGiwDZ8v6TcQMzyr6q5uNBce4wQproTSoGtZWz74d7hPym5kqEFQPqU0xgRb9FXHUG9OEcaL2AUh8Q_oSStMQgA=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjm9mkan27fdHJ0f4fKL4OvUVj2krWgvipgmSd4XI9SNb-2hGqFKzXtdqv19YCsVJBErTl8YiCwfTFWHNqrMV9XivBxf5YgxG1W3bBhGiwDZ8v6TcQMzyr6q5uNBce4wQproTSoGtZWz74d7hPym5kqEFQPqU0xgRb9FXHUG9OEcaL2AUh8Q_oSStMQgA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUTXlLY8kDCJJHu55qsity-yYoY39Qw1UQ5YZx9rPx97CpNioSzRUWLYyMmvOTtQBkxk9_6LlQS8JKUfiHaomOWI4J4UMMukXUquM6rEp93BOwL4_BWBJapUvlAviv620bPMnoec0IDmLqxuqOrbMV8bG7C26DGmoha9FaODMnAS18weKPg94ENXzzSg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUTXlLY8kDCJJHu55qsity-yYoY39Qw1UQ5YZx9rPx97CpNioSzRUWLYyMmvOTtQBkxk9_6LlQS8JKUfiHaomOWI4J4UMMukXUquM6rEp93BOwL4_BWBJapUvlAviv620bPMnoec0IDmLqxuqOrbMV8bG7C26DGmoha9FaODMnAS18weKPg94ENXzzSg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani learning to take off shoes - taking off Ed's shoe</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took off the hind shoes and trimmed those feet, since Ed has arthritis in her hock joints and doesn’t like to have a hind foot held up very long, and I could do it quickly. But she was very patient with Dani taking off the front shoes, and after I showed Dani how to trim one of them, she trimmed the other.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVWCOUkGaBcU1DHoyooG8S0fNC8UF_FWZepEXGAkvdL_lAKKQtDQ4_Mk0ZcIOpgICLtjuFifw7qylwGSItX7yrVc4fDIJHYGfTfjQJ8xayT_vxTIU9uP8MzzQEu3YrGgwFab1I1lwnSbirVTjvUj4AN6kTd9XEmhsm80v4bduWZrmmNkHZMBFAsrsr8Q=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVWCOUkGaBcU1DHoyooG8S0fNC8UF_FWZepEXGAkvdL_lAKKQtDQ4_Mk0ZcIOpgICLtjuFifw7qylwGSItX7yrVc4fDIJHYGfTfjQJ8xayT_vxTIU9uP8MzzQEu3YrGgwFab1I1lwnSbirVTjvUj4AN6kTd9XEmhsm80v4bduWZrmmNkHZMBFAsrsr8Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIkunIkJD0ytAPrJ8fRLUHpnxwh3qFCW8uWuwzpGCaM-e_7l61xoeOEWdSSt5D2cCHKKjHKozM3HTGJ8WQiGjJxxe-jfUlMa9z8S9NNCU5ylvWe0vluM6vgxITCBB4uFiAVlLBFGgulpRR7eROVJNduacd41zxe0CjdPrLEYWjqocaGCv6rzN935eh-g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIkunIkJD0ytAPrJ8fRLUHpnxwh3qFCW8uWuwzpGCaM-e_7l61xoeOEWdSSt5D2cCHKKjHKozM3HTGJ8WQiGjJxxe-jfUlMa9z8S9NNCU5ylvWe0vluM6vgxITCBB4uFiAVlLBFGgulpRR7eROVJNduacd41zxe0CjdPrLEYWjqocaGCv6rzN935eh-g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani trimming Ed's foot</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We were going to take Shiloh’s shoes off, too, but about that time a strong wind came up, and we decided we’d wait and do it on a nicer day so Shiloh wouldn’t be nervous and flighty. We also still need to remove shoes from Willow and Dottie before winter. Snow balls up worse in a shod hoof, creating ice balls, and that makes it more difficult for the horses to walk around.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The wind continued and got worse, and blew all night. Yesterday was miserably cold and windy. Our weather is definitely heading into winter.</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-41889844908925926632022-01-01T12:42:00.004-08:002022-01-01T12:45:56.013-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – September 23 through October 13, 2021<div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEPTEMBER 27</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning at chore time I called the 5 sale cows (4 cows and a heifer) up from the field below the lane and put them into the pens by the barn. Then I put the calves into the calving pen from the orchard. They are pretty gentle so it wasn’t hard for one person to quietly herd them through the gate.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast Andrea and Dani came down from their house and we took the cows to the corral, then sorted the calves—leaving all the heifers and the little bull (put them back in the orchard) and took the steers around to the corral. Jerry Gregson got here in time to help us load them; we put the steers and cows together and put them into the trailer, except Training Wheels (Dani’s pet cow that’s open, that she didn’t want us to butcher) refused to get into the trailer. Rather than keep beating on her to try to make her go in, we let her stay off—and put her back in the corral. After Dani got really upset and mad at that cow she decided that maybe we could just butcher her after all! So now we’ll have two cows to butcher, because we’d already left one open cow with our “home” group, to sell to Jerry, who wants to buy a cow for beef.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Dani hauled our sale cattle to the auction market at Blackfoot, to be sold in their regular sale the next day. Jerry drove down there also, in his car, to be of help in case they had any trouble (flat tire, etc.) but the trip went well. Jerry had a doctor appointment in Idaho Falls later that day so it worked out well for him to go down there with them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I fed Training Wheels some hay in the corral; she can live there a few days. Then I did a load of washing, and Emily brought Christopher for Lynn and me to babysit when she went to work that afternoon, and Andrea and Dani picked him up on their way home that evening.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had an e-mail message from granddaughter Heather in Canada and photos of the two little boys. Joseph and James were riding herd on the living room, mounted on two of their toy critters, and the other photo showed them at the table finishing a meal.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk_B6Y-m3vb-VbJhiiL-0fmt9MlD_R_RDOsVfydLPY3sCWMgtX90c3QDtL_YFiFC-l_CJWDWAN7mEN5ET0_2-KQKqslX5QkG4N30xnsplX-UuCNouH_3s7fSzPDmfuewR0XX-y-J9DseNe-IKbaRK27NM_vUhY7ovV0doHI12qDsZzxVGDeylUroQx1w=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhk_B6Y-m3vb-VbJhiiL-0fmt9MlD_R_RDOsVfydLPY3sCWMgtX90c3QDtL_YFiFC-l_CJWDWAN7mEN5ET0_2-KQKqslX5QkG4N30xnsplX-UuCNouH_3s7fSzPDmfuewR0XX-y-J9DseNe-IKbaRK27NM_vUhY7ovV0doHI12qDsZzxVGDeylUroQx1w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph and James riding their critters</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuxixcK3Y1G8BUienqLd-o7tmKwSgK3Auy86qzMPhDOGl5Mybtq2T8U20Bnin7JOQP-zURBHI2bjiA9WskdTGJb2rDdpI8XxSuZPIHd7X701gdaE7CY0s-_5tJ7uaLjKLe0toDUNvH2lBrHRb9KJiG_REZoHEGw8gh7TWGECsNNkCEurK-5woRuPOpcg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhuxixcK3Y1G8BUienqLd-o7tmKwSgK3Auy86qzMPhDOGl5Mybtq2T8U20Bnin7JOQP-zURBHI2bjiA9WskdTGJb2rDdpI8XxSuZPIHd7X701gdaE7CY0s-_5tJ7uaLjKLe0toDUNvH2lBrHRb9KJiG_REZoHEGw8gh7TWGECsNNkCEurK-5woRuPOpcg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">brothers finishing lunch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday we took some of the cows to the 320, to graze through the rest of the fall, leaving just the young cows home on the back pasture. The ones to go to the 320 were in the little pasture above the house, where they’d be already sorted out and handy to move. We’d planned to haul those cows up the road in the trailer to the upper place (to get them past the Gooch place where Alfonso’s fences are falling down and flat), and then take them up the mountain from there with horses. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Jill Minor and her grandson Jake were going to help us; they planned to ride the 2 miles up here from Minor’s place at Baker, and Dani and I would ride with them to the upper place—and Andrea would drive up and get Dani and Jake to come back and help load the cows while Jill and I held the horses until they brought the cows up the road. Then Andrea was going to take the trailer home while we 4 riders took the cows on up to the 320 and into Baker Creek. Andrea was getting a bad cold and didn’t feel up to riding anyway, and it seemed logical that we could manage to get the cows on up the mountain without her.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Early that morning we brought the cows in from the pasture above the house and took them to the corral, to have them there while we got our horses ready and waited for Jill and Jake to arrive. But realizing how big those cows are, and the fact they might not all fit very easily in our small stock trailer, and how difficult it might be to load them since most of them had never been in a trailer before, Andrea and I both had a bad feeling about trying to haul them. We didn’t want anyone to get hurt trying to load them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we quickly went to plan B. With the extra riders, we figured we might be able to just take the cattle up the road the 3 miles, past all the bad fences, if a couple riders went along the fence on the inside of Alfonso’s field to keep his cows from trying to get out and join our herd, and to discourage our cows from trying to go through the fence to get into the field. So Andrea rode with us on Willow, and there were 5 of us to escort our small herd up the road.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got up around the corner to the Gooch place, Dani and Jake went into that field and chased Alfonso’s cows away, and rode along the fence. Andrea, Jill and I were able to keep our herd mainly on the hill side of the road and away from the fence (which was flat in several places). There were a few places along the upper fields where we also had to make sure the cows didn’t get down off the road and next to the fence because over the years the road graders have partially buried that fence and it’s not very tall. Someday Michael will need to rebuild that fence, but at least it’s not as flat as Alfonso’s fences!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn came along on his 4-wheeler and helped block a few of the neighbor’s driveways where there are no gates. We got the cattle safely up the creek without any of them trying to go through the various fences, and headed them up the hill. Andrea rode ahead and opened the first gate, and then I rode Dottie up ahead to open the gate into the 320. We were glad it was a cool day because the cows were fat and the trek was all uphill, especially the last mile up into the 320 and then up the steep jeep road to the ridge gate heading toward Baker Creek. I took photos as we waited a bit and let the cows head up the jeep road at their own pace; here are photos of Jill and Dani following the cows at a distance.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGPRMhdUQEhuAnLlYFu0XE9N5Gx6JlB3gBvbRYnhOxSsLpnjdHkbMbYrrzBFqoJ1YP4jve_mPM6xD8tqZI8_bf5iLnVXPY3dEiZOw38MMMxRix1X1jSJ21cT-BGUZUlhKrjoxZh1L_6kkWE5OJ-WQRZh2qGN5p1rB0D77I70Lx5xVUuziG_O-wEDcmIQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGPRMhdUQEhuAnLlYFu0XE9N5Gx6JlB3gBvbRYnhOxSsLpnjdHkbMbYrrzBFqoJ1YP4jve_mPM6xD8tqZI8_bf5iLnVXPY3dEiZOw38MMMxRix1X1jSJ21cT-BGUZUlhKrjoxZh1L_6kkWE5OJ-WQRZh2qGN5p1rB0D77I70Lx5xVUuziG_O-wEDcmIQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdC_YGTLkkxDe4Z1zyfgOEBG8QMvs_IpVR-pxN9Vo5rRu_TayEKA6OVQ2rwZTsvqoypPwsCadkv6vpol4COlDOLxFtwJ0E3e4BSfUBs25hbxWWEOORq9skg_uwD_QLXbqkdMYg2ajAkMqUxPL5lDU_3C1-LlGWimwWfCAeJNg_zbV5mO9c0XIhvjzGXg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhdC_YGTLkkxDe4Z1zyfgOEBG8QMvs_IpVR-pxN9Vo5rRu_TayEKA6OVQ2rwZTsvqoypPwsCadkv6vpol4COlDOLxFtwJ0E3e4BSfUBs25hbxWWEOORq9skg_uwD_QLXbqkdMYg2ajAkMqUxPL5lDU_3C1-LlGWimwWfCAeJNg_zbV5mO9c0XIhvjzGXg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jill and Dani following cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of those cows had been up there for fall pasture before, and knew where they were going. None of them tried to run back (like happened a couple years ago with some of the younger cows that had never been up there before). We were able to just let them go their own speed and not get too tired and overheated. They lined out and hiked slowly up the steep trail to the ridge.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Jerry had left the ridge gate open (in the internal cross-fence) two days earlier when they took the protein tubs up the ridge in the jeep, in preparation for bringing the cows, so no one had to hurry up past the cows to open the gate. The cows went through the gate and headed down into Baker Creek, knowing there would be good grass and water down there. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had planned to leave them at that point and ride home down the ridge, but as we came through the saddle to follow the cows a short distance, there was a brief point at which we could see through the trees up toward the highest ridge on the high range between Baker Creek and Withington Creek (about 2 miles on up the mountain) and Andrea noticed what looked like a cow on the hill above Cat Hole trough. I got out my monocular and she looked more closely and determined that there were a couple animals there. Millers and Alfonso still had some cows out on the range.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we went to Plan C. Jill needed to get home for an afternoon appointment, so Andrea gave Dani her gate key, and they rode home down the ridge. Andrea and I followed the cows into Baker Creek and left them there in the good grass, and rode on up through the 320 and out to the range—and on up Baker Creek. There were no fresh tracks in Baker Creek and none coming in from the timber to any of the water troughs. We rode out to the big salt ground and there were no tracks or fresh manure there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Hopefully the only stray animals left out on the range were the two we’d seen up by Cat Hole trough. So we rode on up the steep trail through the timber and over to that trough and as we came over the hill we saw the two animals; it looked like a bull and a heifer. As we got closer, however, we could see it was two bulls. The young skinny one had looked like a yearling heifer from a distance. Both of them were emaciated and the older bull looked like he’d been sick. His ears were drooped down and he was dull—and when he stood up we could see a large swelling at the back of one hind leg, just below his buttocks. It looked like he may have been snake-bitten or had a torn muscle from injury, but even though it was severely swollen he was able to walk. He’d probably been more crippled earlier in the summer and was healing. Both bulls belonged to John Miller.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We didn’t want to leave them there, because they might be attracted to our cattle and try to get through the fence into the 320. Michael is planning to put his cows on the lower portion of the 320 for a couple weeks, and his bull would be with them. Bulls fighting through the fence would not be good! We had to get these bulls off the range. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our best option to get them rounded up and home to John was to take them over the ridge into Withington Creek, and bring them down Withington Creek to Alfonso’s 160-acre leased pasture, where John would be able to find them and come get them. So we started easing them up the trail toward the ridge. The young bull was very insecure and stayed with the bigger bull, but that bull was a bit reluctant to travel and kept trying to hide in the trees. We got them through the patches of trees until the very last patch, where that bull hid out and refused to move. The big tree he hid under was too low to get in under with the horses and we were reluctant to get off and try to chase him out on foot. Andrea got a couple of rocks and chucked him, but he wouldn’t budge. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dottie (being a small skittish horse) was afraid of the bull and he knew it. Willow wasn’t afraid but she was too big and tall to get in under the tree. Finally she ducked down and crashed through the branches right at the bull, and Andrea had to duck down alongside and nearly got knocked off her horse with a big branch, but they plowed right in at the bull and he came out the other side. Andrea had a headache for a while after crashing into that branch, but we got the bulls out of the trees and over the ridge. I took a photo after we got them over the ridge and started around the hill.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEYIzX4ujJ2FRG5IrBUkj1_mdpaEa4wZgwTBkic9sZSVQd1w5OC8glGKBDQAclm3pcMXl4q_sBoF7qMppqA5ONS8Qlxj4qC8_k7L5KUVUhVz0BvbiFIgH34slrMVackJj0spQP8QuPkM9hfyrgn-GrTh3UztrC76-jHEtoCsbUZHtslepY4IUMtc6FSA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEYIzX4ujJ2FRG5IrBUkj1_mdpaEa4wZgwTBkic9sZSVQd1w5OC8glGKBDQAclm3pcMXl4q_sBoF7qMppqA5ONS8Qlxj4qC8_k7L5KUVUhVz0BvbiFIgH34slrMVackJj0spQP8QuPkM9hfyrgn-GrTh3UztrC76-jHEtoCsbUZHtslepY4IUMtc6FSA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">following the bulls around the mountain toward Withington Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we simply had to take our time and get them down off the mountain into Withington Creek, through some steep treacherous terrain. When we reached the fence between the BLM and the Forest Service and let them start down along the fence into Withington Creek I took photos showing the big swelling on the older bull’s hind leg.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2DMxWvczkWiaO0_tUJJdJutEzYsOgpb_a0spK1JbjnxbNmz66M7TZLCsXmAkFFbK6BuhZDlxT2TozfiHkXz59tL_JN8dLQZ-Eeui17RItlRuj8NKIX3LRGxUfZ7Z5zNMoa_8g43dyFMgjJsKbXdka0pT5otzB9O4Y7gLl1mu5xv4JFeJZoSco7TF1Cw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2DMxWvczkWiaO0_tUJJdJutEzYsOgpb_a0spK1JbjnxbNmz66M7TZLCsXmAkFFbK6BuhZDlxT2TozfiHkXz59tL_JN8dLQZ-Eeui17RItlRuj8NKIX3LRGxUfZ7Z5zNMoa_8g43dyFMgjJsKbXdka0pT5otzB9O4Y7gLl1mu5xv4JFeJZoSco7TF1Cw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">swollen hind leg on bull</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhJnHrBJlzult-1tOAw2lzs7eAP0Seau2tA41_4yLAPRJ35JYcM6uE9_yxHGZoX6_PJB8O7o1fraCeu35YnlAOJobB4wSj8afL6lWZ9Egf1G2lGyAXu6OLyTUt1qciBZNr8VbZGYcyFBZ3bgvvzCFhebvS2JKGTNy0NQ3SjxNpDXZCE8bJa4rGGrhoKQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhJnHrBJlzult-1tOAw2lzs7eAP0Seau2tA41_4yLAPRJ35JYcM6uE9_yxHGZoX6_PJB8O7o1fraCeu35YnlAOJobB4wSj8afL6lWZ9Egf1G2lGyAXu6OLyTUt1qciBZNr8VbZGYcyFBZ3bgvvzCFhebvS2JKGTNy0NQ3SjxNpDXZCE8bJa4rGGrhoKQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bulls starting down the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took another photo as Andrea followed them down along the fence.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif6HH0MRgYKm4xJq68alXtK9fE8UvjW6y9zXwuPKu-hJblEdt43Vu3C5PsIRncknup0nvEYNsZo85b6eOszG3hpNkLf52ApeNHQg_-YzgLiqL1zqUn9SR9xYEV6XbXjAI9f91p7M9WGYhszi0nDgWaTY1NbR6u0u_LbyAp8jW14GKxH85h7FNKPU0oug=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEif6HH0MRgYKm4xJq68alXtK9fE8UvjW6y9zXwuPKu-hJblEdt43Vu3C5PsIRncknup0nvEYNsZo85b6eOszG3hpNkLf52ApeNHQg_-YzgLiqL1zqUn9SR9xYEV6XbXjAI9f91p7M9WGYhszi0nDgWaTY1NbR6u0u_LbyAp8jW14GKxH85h7FNKPU0oug=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea following the bulls</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then when we finally got them down to the creek we had to patiently follow them down the jeep road, hoping that they wouldn’t dive off down into the jungled brush of the creek bottom where it would be impossible to follow with a horse. Both bulls were tired and very sore-footed and we let them go their own slow speed and didn’t press them, and they stayed on the jeep road. It took 3 hours to bring them down a couple miles, but we eventually got them into Alfonso’s 160-acre leased pasture and let them go to the creek. We stopped at Rocky’s house to use his phone to try to call Millers to tell them where their bulls were, but didn’t get anyone, so we rode on home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I couldn’t get hold of Millers after we got home either, but left a message on their phone. Eventually Ruby called me back, and said John had been gone for a week hunting but would be back later that night. She was glad to hear that we’d found those bulls, but told me there were short three bulls, which meant another one was still out there!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">At chore time Andrea and Christopher came down and helped me feed horses; Christopher loves to put handfuls of hay in my wheelbarrow, and likes to stick bits of hay through the fence for the horses. My wheelbarrow had a bolt coming loose, so Andrea helped me fix it and Christopher rode in the wheelbarrow. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After supper, just before dark, my brother Rocky called to tell us the bulls had finally come on down to the meadow across the road from his house and he was hoping they wouldn’t come through Alfonso’s bad fence—like the big herd of cows had done a couple weeks earlier; the whole herd came across the road and got into Rocky’s place. There’s no grass in Alfonso’s rented pasture and those bulls were already starving. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we called Andrea, and she and Christopher came from her house. We loaded a couple bales of my horse hay into our pickup and drove there, and fed those bulls all of it, just at dark. That would keep them busy eating until John could come get them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">John called us that next morning and was grateful that we’d found the bulls and taken the time to bring them down off the range, and said he planned to get them that day. I told him we’d be riding again to check the cows we put on the 320 and that we might take another ride through the range to try to find his other bull. He told me that the bull that’s missing is dangerous and that if we find him we shouldn’t try to do anything with him—but just tell him where we see him and he’d go get the bull.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I did a couple phone interviews that morning (for articles) and then Andrea, Dani and I rode for 5 hours to check our cows and look for the missing bull. When we went through the 320 we went up the ridge and didn’t see our cows anywhere, but found their tracks at the protein tubs and knew they’d made it up there and found the tubs. There were a few tracks out toward Preacher Spring but we didn’t see the cows, and figured they’d gone back into Baker Creek for water. We rode on out the top ridge gate to make a bigger loop through the high range to look for John’s bull. I took photos as we looked over the ridge into Withington Creek.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoxoHk3hbN6g27N4LnVvqUmxqAq7XFK7066M4-jojyNpLAcpVxIt5WF-yeA5iI6xK3q2s-On8-VpNC1cMJYVPMZ2ODed2X0mO0nexlXG1B1zrTnAdf4Qi1i72l4vLnDEaBmFAIJAlAgcZatnEPr5idvJXT30zadtr8vf0bwQJ0qKklPbpsuv6QBHP-Iw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoxoHk3hbN6g27N4LnVvqUmxqAq7XFK7066M4-jojyNpLAcpVxIt5WF-yeA5iI6xK3q2s-On8-VpNC1cMJYVPMZ2ODed2X0mO0nexlXG1B1zrTnAdf4Qi1i72l4vLnDEaBmFAIJAlAgcZatnEPr5idvJXT30zadtr8vf0bwQJ0qKklPbpsuv6QBHP-Iw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiESFAW0wVjOQKNAN6c2_GxuumVpK4UqRGuzNdscyWP2xjOAPSqXBNJJ6YbU6Pw8lAh9f_l39FkDAjVpA9vbh7bEzFZ22wCh8ds7RlMXcG_wtS9sx3ayWxM9rHlMKFpnpsS5fEKjsS5w9PiCSpRTUPAx7HetFD1ccJq_PcL6zKa-D9H89sb4pOgZk354w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiESFAW0wVjOQKNAN6c2_GxuumVpK4UqRGuzNdscyWP2xjOAPSqXBNJJ6YbU6Pw8lAh9f_l39FkDAjVpA9vbh7bEzFZ22wCh8ds7RlMXcG_wtS9sx3ayWxM9rHlMKFpnpsS5fEKjsS5w9PiCSpRTUPAx7HetFD1ccJq_PcL6zKa-D9H89sb4pOgZk354w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking over the ridge and down into Withington Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">There was cell service on the ridge so I took a photo of Andrea and Dani using their cell phones. Andrea called Lynn to tell him we might be late getting home and that he might need to babysit Christopher if Emily had to go to work before we got back.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZbvvTkSaPwum4ykul7hyAH0fJlA8Mm0r9T9sW9vooZk22OofNq_ww8wtYABdRKf2c3lH_oenNxBG-hhRT_udYaHLRX3SYIQ55cZnXShY1VAx4K8AVhtxrP8a_-xsERzYadkK7wZP96wulMH1OSsZc_uevMoxnIS_E03HqpcUAu73NHAS8CPYnO6u8SQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZbvvTkSaPwum4ykul7hyAH0fJlA8Mm0r9T9sW9vooZk22OofNq_ww8wtYABdRKf2c3lH_oenNxBG-hhRT_udYaHLRX3SYIQ55cZnXShY1VAx4K8AVhtxrP8a_-xsERzYadkK7wZP96wulMH1OSsZc_uevMoxnIS_E03HqpcUAu73NHAS8CPYnO6u8SQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">gals using their cell phones</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We finally picked up some relatively fresh bull tracks at Lower Cat Trough that were headed toward Basco Basin. We knew it had to be a bull; the tracks were too big to be a cow. We rode through that area and found a few tracks, and went on down through the open gate into French’s range. All the range gates were open. We found a few more tracks but no cattle. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode back into our range and down through High Camp and across the top of the middle range, and saw nothing. So we went back around to the 320 to see if we could find our cows in Baker Creek and check on them. We came in the side gate and as we headed down into the creek we looked across the little meadow into the trees and saw a mama bear and her 3 cubs. She saw us and sent them scattering; one ran a little ways up the hill and hunkered down in the brush, one ran behind a big tree and the third one tried to climb the tree. He got partway up it and just hung there, trying to seem invisible. The mama bear crouched down in the grass. I took photos of the mama, and the baby hanging onto the tree; it turned out a bit blurry because Dottie wasn’t standing still.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhshkdBk1-Mvvo_k85jHNuoba9ipetw-Im227bJ3I8chjBHZQG-bXDrLiw1CqGRYLifh-wmLFxd00DkRlTjt-6_Bu0iIt3t4QXRCf0lsrw8h18DhDdLT-1_JLe003bo532DmVkH0GqNykbLWawvwdhTCKej9FnBkwCE_iQpbbXF9qsNdIY6P3E8ykH3sg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhshkdBk1-Mvvo_k85jHNuoba9ipetw-Im227bJ3I8chjBHZQG-bXDrLiw1CqGRYLifh-wmLFxd00DkRlTjt-6_Bu0iIt3t4QXRCf0lsrw8h18DhDdLT-1_JLe003bo532DmVkH0GqNykbLWawvwdhTCKej9FnBkwCE_iQpbbXF9qsNdIY6P3E8ykH3sg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mama bear</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgalDNfbHkZtZqMjhdjQl5lOVFohLbglkykiFF_IGI0gKYtd-RdX8raYg0Xki94AY6vqEjehN3m_xdTH_7XFoTfPMjXVLG-CQw7rFEAjUPt_T0RKOpQeBnRop6SV97Eng7EDj3kWaWHGJVArnsDZ0JSrzy7SIL_2oVyhBvZwfaqyKaC7w8iL8R-nS7IPw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgalDNfbHkZtZqMjhdjQl5lOVFohLbglkykiFF_IGI0gKYtd-RdX8raYg0Xki94AY6vqEjehN3m_xdTH_7XFoTfPMjXVLG-CQw7rFEAjUPt_T0RKOpQeBnRop6SV97Eng7EDj3kWaWHGJVArnsDZ0JSrzy7SIL_2oVyhBvZwfaqyKaC7w8iL8R-nS7IPw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baby bear hanging on to the tree</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Our horses weren’t too worried about the bears, but Dottie kept trying to eat grass and wouldn’t stand still enough for me to focus my camera on zoom so I got off and went a little closer so I could get a better picture. That alarmed mama bear and she got up and made a little rush toward us and woofed. The baby that was hanging on the tree was getting tired and he slid back down and hid behind the tree with his brother, and mama went over to be next to them. I took a few more photos but they were also a bit blurry.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcBxlhJWwIbIadbcODAvMx0Bst2_VpwwklcUiylxoz0tCKkrtQTJyB6g89Y5t8XdNwW6tvlHJqp0FRJUPq5pIx7KynDjhx_rOzec_y63uhNYgrc5EohaplvMeUUeTlVPsQ_tYT3luHBGK1y0m9ETFJhzqfvWyBMThU8LpPv6ZIQygNK2Ufs3YDr_RG-A=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcBxlhJWwIbIadbcODAvMx0Bst2_VpwwklcUiylxoz0tCKkrtQTJyB6g89Y5t8XdNwW6tvlHJqp0FRJUPq5pIx7KynDjhx_rOzec_y63uhNYgrc5EohaplvMeUUeTlVPsQ_tYT3luHBGK1y0m9ETFJhzqfvWyBMThU8LpPv6ZIQygNK2Ufs3YDr_RG-A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the two cubs hiding behind the tree</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWkCPvJvLy7dSgEMgGhsgjpbb-4wYIIInE6HBv2quwnFVQcGIYF7TiD-K3Vpo9wmel8VTozu3DwoUh0e1XhmicOTiXHaAvsTjBtxUga6cRd_lxXCxrMh8bno2v0UDou4siaAVBkAAUnU4jDINcktXuphv864pEcRup59hrK2DHckJizbzXxlkc2eihcA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWkCPvJvLy7dSgEMgGhsgjpbb-4wYIIInE6HBv2quwnFVQcGIYF7TiD-K3Vpo9wmel8VTozu3DwoUh0e1XhmicOTiXHaAvsTjBtxUga6cRd_lxXCxrMh8bno2v0UDou4siaAVBkAAUnU4jDINcktXuphv864pEcRup59hrK2DHckJizbzXxlkc2eihcA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mama bear lying down before I got off my horse</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-Nybh3-5HE2AiwRye3Q066JLApGvj6b450GQ50wCYH0nP9uurzbyUJkpN1uuRU0boDHAaWU6_dAldaA_BjVTw7ztH1TY9jExdgIC-f_eleIYT0qjERx5ddrkn8ksGO2cG7SZ5an8c4KMSypKz5JA_YBRb5wsD950Daz3wjvbqLlqbLF1TS-3LefsuIA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-Nybh3-5HE2AiwRye3Q066JLApGvj6b450GQ50wCYH0nP9uurzbyUJkpN1uuRU0boDHAaWU6_dAldaA_BjVTw7ztH1TY9jExdgIC-f_eleIYT0qjERx5ddrkn8ksGO2cG7SZ5an8c4KMSypKz5JA_YBRb5wsD950Daz3wjvbqLlqbLF1TS-3LefsuIA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mama bear up and upset at us</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I held Dani’s horse while she got off and took some photos, then we rode on down the creek and met our cows coming up the creek. They’d apparently been down to the lower trough and were coming back up. The bears probably wouldn’t be too happy about seeing so many people and cows! At least the mama would probably leave the cows alone. A grizzly will often kill cattle but our black bears rarely bother them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Andrea helped me bring the cows from the lower back field into the lane by the post pile pasture, and we sorted off the other open cow that we plan to butcher. We put her with Training Wheels in the corral and took the two of them to the upper swamp pasture where they can live together until we get a chance to butcher them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Shiloh had some kind of eye infection/irritation; the lids were swollen and the eye was running. I put ointment in it for 3 days and it’s doing better now. Andrea’s cold is worse and I seem to be getting it now. I had a fever last night and feel pretty rotten today. It probably didn’t help that we both overdid for several days, with all the cattle work and riding so long in the heat bringing home Miller’s bulls and looking for the other bull. Fortunately, the third bull showed up. The tracks we saw coming down out of the high range were probably his; he came down through the middle range and low range and into Alfonso’s field. He was there in the field when John brought the other two bulls down the road. John was able to take all three bulls out the back side of Alfonso’s place and over the hills and home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was hot again. Andrea and I still didn’t feel very good but we rode for a couple hours to check on our cows on the 320. I took a photo as we rode into Baker Creek. The cows were all in Baker Creek, lounging around in the shade and a I took a photo of some of them.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZHVwFGkimkmuDorAP0Vg4ZvnKkSarGtZt5mcgtgpDDc2rXosorxX5fScRRUUXshL0hnqoRLD4F9XynLSvvItAo7pwgR_EuLewQVOFFqsprmJpVz47WeRbV-Zz1R1QRnsZvL4QTxSaGlrB0dGk3vHUYFhcAT1MPiNz1_G64mcGWMPwpYek1vZaXz7zfQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZHVwFGkimkmuDorAP0Vg4ZvnKkSarGtZt5mcgtgpDDc2rXosorxX5fScRRUUXshL0hnqoRLD4F9XynLSvvItAo7pwgR_EuLewQVOFFqsprmJpVz47WeRbV-Zz1R1QRnsZvL4QTxSaGlrB0dGk3vHUYFhcAT1MPiNz1_G64mcGWMPwpYek1vZaXz7zfQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding into Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiya208cq1u2MCal79BaGndyyjZgSpJktUAfwwn3rZ0eBCjzPRRk6-DaJnDig_10kqnn90h49vs3usT4hXd9GbhhFRbWCuAiR7M7k1wXXVW55CQgPUCjoMhQHtksb0MzYgUIAyqj7AIqUjdTyyegQxd-_AYTI8LZC3VHhIjAKfPk8BwKaT79HJzbwP9lQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiya208cq1u2MCal79BaGndyyjZgSpJktUAfwwn3rZ0eBCjzPRRk6-DaJnDig_10kqnn90h49vs3usT4hXd9GbhhFRbWCuAiR7M7k1wXXVW55CQgPUCjoMhQHtksb0MzYgUIAyqj7AIqUjdTyyegQxd-_AYTI8LZC3VHhIjAKfPk8BwKaT79HJzbwP9lQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows lounging in the shade</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They had been to the protein tubs—we saw their tracks on that ridge--and something else had been there, too. There were deep scratch marks in the protein, and we don’t know what kind of critter was trying to eat it. Hopefully not the bear!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On our way home Andrea noticed that Dottie had a bloody hind foot. She must have hit her coronary band on a rock or something sharp; it had an inch-long slice along one side of her foot just above the hoof, and it had bled a lot. She wasn’t lame, however, and we didn’t think much of it at the time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily had another COVID test today. Where she works at Discovery Care Center she gets tested about twice a week, and this time she tested positive, in spite of having the shots a few weeks ago. She’s not very sick, and will continue to work, but only short days, mainly serving meals to the patients in the COVID ward.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We finally got our check from the cattle we sold at Blackfoot. The market is dropping off on cull cows and isn’t very good on calves; they didn’t sell as well as the cattle last year. We also lost about $500 selling them at Blackfoot versus the sale in Montana (comparing the prices from each sale) but it was easier taking them to Blackfoot (a better road and easier haul). Another year, however, we’ll probably go back to selling in Montana.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 6</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I both have been pretty draggy for several weeks, with a head cold and sinus infection, but no longer have a sore throat or fever. Last Tuesday she parked the stock trailer partway up the driveway where she could reach it with the hose from the hydrant and belatedly washed all the manure out of it, from hauling the cattle to the sale. We hope to try to find time and energy to load the horses sometime and refresh their trailering lessons, since none of them have been in a trailer for a very long time.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening Christopher was jumping on his bed and slipped and hit his face, and broke out his front teeth again and cut his lip. That kid is too rambunctious! Andrea and Emily took him to the dentist the next day to have the damage checked, but the dentist can’t do anything this time (at least not for quite a while) because he’s not able to do dental surgery at the hospital right now. It’s all shut down again because of the increase in COVID cases.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After chores that morning when I brought Sprout back from letting her graze for a few hours in the stackyard, I led her into the trailer. She went in readily; she remembers her early trailering experiences and would be easy to haul again if we ever had to. Then I put Sprout back in her pen and caught Ed and brought her to the trailer, and she also hopped right in. Ed was trailered many times in the past, when Michael and Carolyn had her; they hauled horses to their other leased places to move cattle and ride range on other ranges. Here’s a photo of Ed—always eager to come out of her pen, whether to go for a ride, eat grass, or get into a trailer.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9bDgDEx_FuFnede6t2u4Fhiny7fdukZyvXbDuXSxDr8-3V2c_p3ZXTxARqfivLI7KlZIyQd5lzfjC9wnALpol0KMoUVwmvIO5_QJqK1DSwfGXY2BmJsHLJG3WsCHTr8nXa7wpLmV3Ny79_PszdU1o95ImU2g-y50AFx4F0O5txHxpj77iXgjU1WlsZw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9bDgDEx_FuFnede6t2u4Fhiny7fdukZyvXbDuXSxDr8-3V2c_p3ZXTxARqfivLI7KlZIyQd5lzfjC9wnALpol0KMoUVwmvIO5_QJqK1DSwfGXY2BmJsHLJG3WsCHTr8nXa7wpLmV3Ny79_PszdU1o95ImU2g-y50AFx4F0O5txHxpj77iXgjU1WlsZw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ed is always eager to come out of her pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Now the only trailer lessons we need to refresh are the younger horses. Willow and Dottie only had a couple trailer-loading lessons the winter after we bought them, and Willow was bolder than Dottie about going into the trailer. That was 10 years ago.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning we were planning to lead Willow and Dottie around to the trailer and entice them in with a little grain, but when I went to get Dottie she was lying down and didn’t want to get up. When she did get up, she staggered and almost fell down. Her hind foot was swollen (up past the fetlock joint) and she was very lame and very dull. So I brought her out of her pen and took her temperature. It was 102.5 degrees (normal for a horse is 99 to 100.5) so she definitely was sick. Apparently she’d belatedly developed an infection in the injured coronary band.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we washed the foot, soaked it in hot Epsom salts for 30 minutes, then dried it off and applied DMSO and nitrofurazone (an antibiotic ointment) over the open cut and bandaged it to keep it clean and dry. I gave her an injection of penicillin for the systemic infection. It seemed a bit unusual for her to develop a problem 3 days after the injury, so she must have gotten some contamination into the open cut. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Lynn went to town for mail and groceries—to get a bunch of case goods for us and Andrea during the annual case goods sale at the store. Dani helped Andrea and me take down the temporary electric fence dividing the field below the lane. None of us felt very perky (still had bad colds) but with three of us it was fast and easy to gather up the step-in posts and roll up the wire.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">By chore time that evening Dottie was feeling a lot better, starting to put more weight on that hind foot and it wasn’t as swollen. Maybe we caught the infection quick enough to turn it around fast. I took photos of her bandaged foot, with the swelling about gone.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9wLzygrXtEDXFjthy7xNtl7McXBmknRVNue6RKTWJt_3L3kMm6fRI_txGQFQFKp5mW-2Z_2A5R9ue_04agNPIpc6pGN8rgF7J8sYdLquCW0L0zudX1UilQJsjt15d8VOcaDybVkua_dF-lkdCRO0o2glIhgTm3uX6gh654YzO8tFwPJsp4_eAAVJI4w=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9wLzygrXtEDXFjthy7xNtl7McXBmknRVNue6RKTWJt_3L3kMm6fRI_txGQFQFKp5mW-2Z_2A5R9ue_04agNPIpc6pGN8rgF7J8sYdLquCW0L0zudX1UilQJsjt15d8VOcaDybVkua_dF-lkdCRO0o2glIhgTm3uX6gh654YzO8tFwPJsp4_eAAVJI4w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtq92q-yoXfrI1Rpvhr-ryJ85s4EojwLr12VYM-d9wizhUsOFBa_axkLoWQWMiZHIRzkMPJ6XmVmWR2nEsix9jYmcuQcnIx18QClnwM4xvmyrldWBv8-fbQLnmbcOzmm03wiiZR5_wwRY_75B-sfkas4Amz6fT-hVjI0ozhAr1mByPB2F5DfzK2ucUYQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtq92q-yoXfrI1Rpvhr-ryJ85s4EojwLr12VYM-d9wizhUsOFBa_axkLoWQWMiZHIRzkMPJ6XmVmWR2nEsix9jYmcuQcnIx18QClnwM4xvmyrldWBv8-fbQLnmbcOzmm03wiiZR5_wwRY_75B-sfkas4Amz6fT-hVjI0ozhAr1mByPB2F5DfzK2ucUYQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dottie's bandaged foot</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day she was walking even better and the swelling was just about all gone, and her temperature was back to normal. Andrea helped me take off the bandage and we soaked her foot again, and re-bandaged it and gave her another shot of penicillin.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily’s aunt and uncle (Jim’s sister Barbara and her husband Marty) came from Florida on a trip around the West and arrived here that evening. They’ll be here a couple days to visit. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was really nice –not too hot, and no more smoke in the air. Dottie’s foot was doing better when we took the bandage off that morning, but when Andrea started to wash the foot, there looked like a little bulge of something in the deepest hole. Andrea was able to grab it with pliers and pulled out a piece of wood about an inch long. That explained the problem; it wasn’t just a slice and abrasion, but a deep puncture that probably took some dirt in with it and set things up for the infection. We soaked her foot again and massaged the swollen coronary band in that area to try to work out any other possible debris—then applied more DMSO and antibiotic ointment and re-bandaged it—and gave her a final shot of penicillin. It would probably be able to heal now that the piece of wood was out of it. She must have jammed it into the top of her hoof when we rode through a bunch of brush in the 320 on our last ride to check the cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch Emily’s aunt and uncle came out to the ranch from their motel. Emily had a couple days off from work so she could spend time visiting with them. Barb wanted to ride a horse, so Dani caught and saddled good old Ed for her, and Dani rode Shiloh, and took Barb for a short ride over the hill on the low range. Andrea took a photo of Barb and Dani on their short ride.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivnmF2HG8psis78oSkO2Nh9v5CYy55J6LJfzCY01pgM4OpNE-5flQQyDZvo8xMwAdI1rF1sCEiGHxwQWQguZ03OvOtTTQQYDT1olRCJxYkczPVExIImzD2IcKwXbUSh2ftlsFDY0_ehiLTEqJ1KU5Ur0VNTGgC5kbdQXiw4XFFMb4RdLtmOyUhGHjgqQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivnmF2HG8psis78oSkO2Nh9v5CYy55J6LJfzCY01pgM4OpNE-5flQQyDZvo8xMwAdI1rF1sCEiGHxwQWQguZ03OvOtTTQQYDT1olRCJxYkczPVExIImzD2IcKwXbUSh2ftlsFDY0_ehiLTEqJ1KU5Ur0VNTGgC5kbdQXiw4XFFMb4RdLtmOyUhGHjgqQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Barb riding Ed & Dani on Shiloh</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher and Emily visited with Marty while they rode, and Christopher wanted to go into Shiloh’s pen and play on the dirt pile in there.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwU5NFDrb8FHZc43SUqGQswSMHa0oPowpnZuTQnFgPBL4szSPPw7kpKcIR1ZIPRGDilP_YKj_SdJfpsVWRFsBYN4KCGx3lH8EFb7sEqe9KYHXBSpUxwuoHbyRKEQ0eHZ5qYSlssnp_dLfmqVcZ43dSM4gdds3gU5tjY_kZqawpztb40oGpj06jzEjPUQ=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiwU5NFDrb8FHZc43SUqGQswSMHa0oPowpnZuTQnFgPBL4szSPPw7kpKcIR1ZIPRGDilP_YKj_SdJfpsVWRFsBYN4KCGx3lH8EFb7sEqe9KYHXBSpUxwuoHbyRKEQ0eHZ5qYSlssnp_dLfmqVcZ43dSM4gdds3gU5tjY_kZqawpztb40oGpj06jzEjPUQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Em visiting with Marty by Shiloh's pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqX53rqvp-028CyKnvVhuktvX9P0i3U7c-ZeLqby_EScJMXVcKgnQVpIc-zR6w0oUvLqDkw2IYELhlbL1yrbNE69KCzeGRq15FDuVJ04N8OhbHAJg1Bkf1uMNj87tk96RTxIFZOE3qQNRHquxan9H84MXsqW7m_zLZkDL_lZ2A5RGrnJ1CWSenY9jDrw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgqX53rqvp-028CyKnvVhuktvX9P0i3U7c-ZeLqby_EScJMXVcKgnQVpIc-zR6w0oUvLqDkw2IYELhlbL1yrbNE69KCzeGRq15FDuVJ04N8OhbHAJg1Bkf1uMNj87tk96RTxIFZOE3qQNRHquxan9H84MXsqW7m_zLZkDL_lZ2A5RGrnJ1CWSenY9jDrw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Marty in Shiloh's pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then he wanted to go in our yard and play on the slide—the old swing set that is set back against the house in the tall grass. He had fun climbing up the slide and going down it.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVtjcIZV_7DZ0tPhGFZIS7tQhQHPGBizGriI2nQLp8TwKGLLhwN94uvMNf8dsjND3boMlydk8zmXbmtz41GBD5xR_f5Kbll36o6B74VnZTp_O0CP2P3XHMSBDCtYM2GH3tSURf6KFx4RbCYQn1BBOo-wOr1Q8G5xD3cer5jUev5sn6ieoqfw4MDif0gw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVtjcIZV_7DZ0tPhGFZIS7tQhQHPGBizGriI2nQLp8TwKGLLhwN94uvMNf8dsjND3boMlydk8zmXbmtz41GBD5xR_f5Kbll36o6B74VnZTp_O0CP2P3XHMSBDCtYM2GH3tSURf6KFx4RbCYQn1BBOo-wOr1Q8G5xD3cer5jUev5sn6ieoqfw4MDif0gw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPWkoI_8oq7n-wm5M2lhFtmEQ_-80aZ-MIawBR0vypSI_MaF4KbF0FlaWNA0yeMgrI4Ix32HD2rk3_WAaZexsMpYMdjc221dYZNOY-waRTlLDGlizAo63FmPVu0RioVrJdLpgEsCSpfn3fGXdq7LjWWcAr8KXahRfHDSiBupboPZwve-F4dmiIBeHgLQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPWkoI_8oq7n-wm5M2lhFtmEQ_-80aZ-MIawBR0vypSI_MaF4KbF0FlaWNA0yeMgrI4Ix32HD2rk3_WAaZexsMpYMdjc221dYZNOY-waRTlLDGlizAo63FmPVu0RioVrJdLpgEsCSpfn3fGXdq7LjWWcAr8KXahRfHDSiBupboPZwve-F4dmiIBeHgLQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher checking out the old slide</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then after Barb and Dani got back from their ride, Christopher sat on Ed with Barb for a few minutes.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU71_CahIYcRvVpBqmD2wTSF-mTME-OChWp5zAN0bndZi7NrXqXF0PpDNbeUdBlzjW85KgKWEUwzoWprqZnOJqgwAIIFxKjf-zpRltByO-yZxBMSavsAXvJiYyoCJJ3kPVGX7uYj6FzGdqZIMYkUav4JjziAkXVWFgRl2hhQA5VKw-NBErnfu8bpiQFg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU71_CahIYcRvVpBqmD2wTSF-mTME-OChWp5zAN0bndZi7NrXqXF0PpDNbeUdBlzjW85KgKWEUwzoWprqZnOJqgwAIIFxKjf-zpRltByO-yZxBMSavsAXvJiYyoCJJ3kPVGX7uYj6FzGdqZIMYkUav4JjziAkXVWFgRl2hhQA5VKw-NBErnfu8bpiQFg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher on Ed with Barb</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZsaXOs18X0LyGdout1Bf9PR0uhd1XurJtoauxVDuzviHq6bS_CNnoLGCXQNNvLAY3U1_sT65GMcSmpTEjnqBia3wosrZrFRE-Q6LWmhob_UQmuUPlWdDEu877ZyLT7AUzJQLQRvbRDeRFsUQyMA36GAGW8ttyZ7tbtJtj9KXatjVia474AoncGhDIgg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgZsaXOs18X0LyGdout1Bf9PR0uhd1XurJtoauxVDuzviHq6bS_CNnoLGCXQNNvLAY3U1_sT65GMcSmpTEjnqBia3wosrZrFRE-Q6LWmhob_UQmuUPlWdDEu877ZyLT7AUzJQLQRvbRDeRFsUQyMA36GAGW8ttyZ7tbtJtj9KXatjVia474AoncGhDIgg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher sitting on Ed with Barb after they got back from their ride</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then they all went home to Andrea’s house and she took a photo of Christopher checking out a gift that his Great Aunt Barb brought for him.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNBd1wLJZLy56LDyi-jTVKH1kmpaejI0qsthqhHzSWk06MUObqppp7x3p-d5b-PUwv-fDn7H25kjXAwkbjZzTgTRv1Vq-ycY6TrFwH1teSUJfz96YlkZcvEk4MmztbJE4xJjqOD3IXL-hDEdtlLdtMWab03qkXtzOMRgh52LQQcITNilG5Xva7PCQ6AQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNBd1wLJZLy56LDyi-jTVKH1kmpaejI0qsthqhHzSWk06MUObqppp7x3p-d5b-PUwv-fDn7H25kjXAwkbjZzTgTRv1Vq-ycY6TrFwH1teSUJfz96YlkZcvEk4MmztbJE4xJjqOD3IXL-hDEdtlLdtMWab03qkXtzOMRgh52LQQcITNilG5Xva7PCQ6AQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher looking at a present from his great Aunt Barb</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday we skipped Dottie’s soak and bandaging, figuring that it could go a couple days now that the foreign body was out of the wound and it was doing better. Emily and Christopher spent the day in town visiting with Barb and Marty and Andrea joined them later for pizza at their motel.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I moved the weaned heifers from the orchard and horse pasture and put them in the big field below the lane. They’d eaten the best grass and I’d been feeding them a little bit of hay just to help gentle them, and this made it really easy to move them into the calving pen; they followed me with some hay. Then we put them across the driveway and down to the big field. The green grass (regrowth from the haying) is tall there, and should last them through the fall unless it snows under. I took photos as we moved them from the calving pen—across the driveway and through the pens by the barn, and out to the field.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX_xbpb1sO3M2As9jeJchgeSxA4EfhywVIyv8yV8w66nYtTOnta91xyS4rMXFusPC887xnE2cDvRyU95K1y1wlO0y4uB-0EIGCxRrFvSyshyX7jbkboWjXIilvk-YYciRmn8cfUqw8cAHcdZJ0a1WurZn2Cbw767eeXzhVAIST9ny00t8FPF6cpUoOPg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgX_xbpb1sO3M2As9jeJchgeSxA4EfhywVIyv8yV8w66nYtTOnta91xyS4rMXFusPC887xnE2cDvRyU95K1y1wlO0y4uB-0EIGCxRrFvSyshyX7jbkboWjXIilvk-YYciRmn8cfUqw8cAHcdZJ0a1WurZn2Cbw767eeXzhVAIST9ny00t8FPF6cpUoOPg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">moving the heifers out the the calving pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDp3FwBXrbp6LUCK0UsPiMn_2l1nzEc_rnx7X5sQus1vtouPT0ED3WXVopmbql7uW9gJ9EYletfQ34RK7QhP6clF2Tn8fV0ZDFo0NpZyjuixbtYh9oFQqImIVlojugptRoh9SbAMc2KjaVjgqHLWkSi4FDJWkWZtxmTOA_tb9NtSMohSu-SnbnwsSgew=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgDp3FwBXrbp6LUCK0UsPiMn_2l1nzEc_rnx7X5sQus1vtouPT0ED3WXVopmbql7uW9gJ9EYletfQ34RK7QhP6clF2Tn8fV0ZDFo0NpZyjuixbtYh9oFQqImIVlojugptRoh9SbAMc2KjaVjgqHLWkSi4FDJWkWZtxmTOA_tb9NtSMohSu-SnbnwsSgew=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">moving the heifers across the driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took another photo as they went out into the field and some of them stopped to check out the block of salt, and then as they spread out over the field enjoying the lush green grass.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUTCISrO9FhgB6tpRbPC3d97nTPg4KKORsN9Hy8SR9Sq3ycCc8uDh8ZdrK8RObR8xmR-npZXWwtRIlLYBjOZXB9nGwJZNTie_Hlptb0i0ARVu9Z7R8gSFW8f15fqMMCGkDXvXx8ANGPWoNP3j-XikjEeg37DZIEb5vB8Va-vobZmPOolAszfn-SwzoMg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUTCISrO9FhgB6tpRbPC3d97nTPg4KKORsN9Hy8SR9Sq3ycCc8uDh8ZdrK8RObR8xmR-npZXWwtRIlLYBjOZXB9nGwJZNTie_Hlptb0i0ARVu9Z7R8gSFW8f15fqMMCGkDXvXx8ANGPWoNP3j-XikjEeg37DZIEb5vB8Va-vobZmPOolAszfn-SwzoMg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking out the salt block</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIyOE24gsyIyqkTw0h0A-WUR5qovQD9qWLkH9hK4qC1TWDfp3hZWB7pVh6zM950tOu0AjEsLTg2H4A6RzFiCfFpFCxuA6crH8LUuccvBweT6BYPtawsJvpW9gBDWwjHtQMqIFRIzzHbMkVerMfI2HFZxa6kfWfnOK1myDSMzVYNIrJ7SMj9-HIa0ij1w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIyOE24gsyIyqkTw0h0A-WUR5qovQD9qWLkH9hK4qC1TWDfp3hZWB7pVh6zM950tOu0AjEsLTg2H4A6RzFiCfFpFCxuA6crH8LUuccvBweT6BYPtawsJvpW9gBDWwjHtQMqIFRIzzHbMkVerMfI2HFZxa6kfWfnOK1myDSMzVYNIrJ7SMj9-HIa0ij1w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">grazing the new pasture</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took a candid photo of Lynn sitting on the old tire by the driveway, with his favorite old cat Edna that loves to follow him around.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg14gg8caD-0KhiiBIWNkS-LMDwVfZL35GnN9f82T2NLyvJs-3gY5YKywK6BTm4VxnnaLSOXWYDi7etwTwNehrk8yJFG3Z4tFp5m0gPSMDMWfJsFv-DWCK6ApW1G13FDXU61NyRrbpYCQVcETPejg0CDI-U-kr4wb1lYTGdkevvwW92eL9BEQzTXytX3w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg14gg8caD-0KhiiBIWNkS-LMDwVfZL35GnN9f82T2NLyvJs-3gY5YKywK6BTm4VxnnaLSOXWYDi7etwTwNehrk8yJFG3Z4tFp5m0gPSMDMWfJsFv-DWCK6ApW1G13FDXU61NyRrbpYCQVcETPejg0CDI-U-kr4wb1lYTGdkevvwW92eL9BEQzTXytX3w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and his old cat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso took his cows up to the Gooch place (after having them a few days on his lower place) and hauled calves off to sell. Now his cows are going through his fences and coming back down the road to try to find their calves, so we’ve had to keep our lane gate shut for several days, so they won’t try to come down here—attracted to our calves.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday we soaked Dottie’s foot again. It’s looking really good and healing but there is still some heat on that side of her foot. We re-bandaged it and figured we could probably get by with doing it every other day. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily and Christopher had fun on her day off, playing with some paints and paper plates out on the deck.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-0zVUSzK3Ww-YnT-awUKFixd1oxTwbkonAicYu-ydKdhOGfd7TbrUiTE6iGXmpDdk9TvelYEHm8DgnCA6sQtGAl52w8m5q0NeWuzUPx4sIqMXswfxlD6sKGqyIQluynSBINUpSmLPwb7FoTqyyzZ8_5kKdDNE9yY9KvNFLvFW_MWpqKaWG_GDlb47Kw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-0zVUSzK3Ww-YnT-awUKFixd1oxTwbkonAicYu-ydKdhOGfd7TbrUiTE6iGXmpDdk9TvelYEHm8DgnCA6sQtGAl52w8m5q0NeWuzUPx4sIqMXswfxlD6sKGqyIQluynSBINUpSmLPwb7FoTqyyzZ8_5kKdDNE9yY9KvNFLvFW_MWpqKaWG_GDlb47Kw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing with paint</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I rode to check the cows, and I rode Ed. It will be a while before I can ride Dottie again; we need to get her foot completely healed first. I took photos as we rode into Baker Creek, and as we went up past the rock cliffs where we had to build a fence to keep the range cows from coming down through the rocks into the 320.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP8V5PiVvrKgmMlUqCx6zXcJ0m-jmR5v86t-VstViff18dQQ7lTHRZEuvL4ZzHgVswO3krxT1xkQ-x8ORvudE7-Z2xRiOyBU6M7bB6BkvAAAMyPgPkQpuja2tM6VG2o1Lxdx7zXZsZJfavBGwS4ZKQvlj5RefyQwUC_BytnqtIOzbVp24uCX9m7pASTA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjP8V5PiVvrKgmMlUqCx6zXcJ0m-jmR5v86t-VstViff18dQQ7lTHRZEuvL4ZzHgVswO3krxT1xkQ-x8ORvudE7-Z2xRiOyBU6M7bB6BkvAAAMyPgPkQpuja2tM6VG2o1Lxdx7zXZsZJfavBGwS4ZKQvlj5RefyQwUC_BytnqtIOzbVp24uCX9m7pASTA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding into Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJT1iClkllvaQ6ke-PSrCY3HNgqXhfmUb1Qej2m6wETOfWA-dzMD-X0ysAEDtyMYFDVjNGhMnslsiJu4q4kZhkoG0yiF8wNdZcLMiINak59ljaSSfT7cMsy8UGDYvIvfyz8Y4xbOoNjYDjvDJsN4Z0BllduokS36Uag8oFBeMW_Ib9gjxbWULNhtASHQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJT1iClkllvaQ6ke-PSrCY3HNgqXhfmUb1Qej2m6wETOfWA-dzMD-X0ysAEDtyMYFDVjNGhMnslsiJu4q4kZhkoG0yiF8wNdZcLMiINak59ljaSSfT7cMsy8UGDYvIvfyz8Y4xbOoNjYDjvDJsN4Z0BllduokS36Uag8oFBeMW_Ib9gjxbWULNhtASHQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the rock cliffs where we had to build the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took more photos as we looked for the cows along Baker Creek, and then rode out to the ridge from the top end of the 320.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjH3Zq6Bz8RRE8mo5amul5tyBmt0_sw5Ear-xZpjJARMFj1osN-ppVoU2fgTCw_hSLkkG9Bw-xECxn03RaprZNlkSyJh0JeKkqTEZeeiVZdtW1oXzfQmyBmvbIzG--BzFLMTQvAvHgVloaZBvIFH6GOwNdW0rLxWS65L6Qg8tZaaQS3PBQi5Jc4K4QBA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjH3Zq6Bz8RRE8mo5amul5tyBmt0_sw5Ear-xZpjJARMFj1osN-ppVoU2fgTCw_hSLkkG9Bw-xECxn03RaprZNlkSyJh0JeKkqTEZeeiVZdtW1oXzfQmyBmvbIzG--BzFLMTQvAvHgVloaZBvIFH6GOwNdW0rLxWS65L6Qg8tZaaQS3PBQi5Jc4K4QBA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking for cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWX1781gGV7STTlOLYg4Tz8u8dllqFQ2bNt1mpr-4Mr7_piE2RJwi6Owgt6PJzmDd8or6q7Ig3DY2KukjcYoSfJP31k027904P7oMkOFzn_noI9UjMXCKS8RwKvgnZncCubR0N3w7PZ_yunctS78cFdlkKxhDMsICO1MabMEwz5RUn4sXvV69Mh_POTw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWX1781gGV7STTlOLYg4Tz8u8dllqFQ2bNt1mpr-4Mr7_piE2RJwi6Owgt6PJzmDd8or6q7Ig3DY2KukjcYoSfJP31k027904P7oMkOFzn_noI9UjMXCKS8RwKvgnZncCubR0N3w7PZ_yunctS78cFdlkKxhDMsICO1MabMEwz5RUn4sXvV69Mh_POTw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding out to the ridge</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The cows were all at the ridge, licking the protein tubs. They haven’t lost any weight and are managing ok on the very dry grass, augmented by the protein. In fact, a lot of them look like they are fatter now than when they went up to the 320.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVrQIKA6tqgnmkt8mt4HxfpUgdBab456wdFBs7kMVuM7yPyj6aMUMWei5bgpqggeB3MAuVHuoGvuk60O8zFx67sgNxIYOO6JpdDxDXTSDLc7oUYEhDiyRDzjszuhb7ipCoDnd8vUq-uekc-8gUzHN71et_uTkP402d0JyJnJ5sV6pTq_6T5FNXTLl3vg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVrQIKA6tqgnmkt8mt4HxfpUgdBab456wdFBs7kMVuM7yPyj6aMUMWei5bgpqggeB3MAuVHuoGvuk60O8zFx67sgNxIYOO6JpdDxDXTSDLc7oUYEhDiyRDzjszuhb7ipCoDnd8vUq-uekc-8gUzHN71et_uTkP402d0JyJnJ5sV6pTq_6T5FNXTLl3vg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows on ridge</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTHjK5VMl10QNM9VaDQOQA5msoNZgRvVT-PxFRnl288TCr5nwATs4kvzgbCe2gulL856BT53Gm8XEcfQsr0u2llOzLvsC8aNdYFXGx1oXgxuc9m6rlzMMALqbNMoam_9J_yW6-jX_DjMQP0sz0Vo4YJUZ9hsv-AQIaZZ0_X9ljHIPnjC0_pr_hVYp5HA=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiTHjK5VMl10QNM9VaDQOQA5msoNZgRvVT-PxFRnl288TCr5nwATs4kvzgbCe2gulL856BT53Gm8XEcfQsr0u2llOzLvsC8aNdYFXGx1oXgxuc9m6rlzMMALqbNMoam_9J_yW6-jX_DjMQP0sz0Vo4YJUZ9hsv-AQIaZZ0_X9ljHIPnjC0_pr_hVYp5HA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJlbdxPT1UAxNSxjWeJWhd-PPV5_jXYRtsi5DOvyrodAN1sfM5VsfUUP1pPCgtTXUKDS7XHsZlbrMM9TTfpb3PO9G-zseymw3HHEHkWPnsqNpOA1N6gEk_wkLhKJFs9LSO9R_fZ6artFcxkkWeyR7Wj-puZRG9AATgVNeIlZK9552bI1qMMH8mHgwRQQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhJlbdxPT1UAxNSxjWeJWhd-PPV5_jXYRtsi5DOvyrodAN1sfM5VsfUUP1pPCgtTXUKDS7XHsZlbrMM9TTfpb3PO9G-zseymw3HHEHkWPnsqNpOA1N6gEk_wkLhKJFs9LSO9R_fZ6artFcxkkWeyR7Wj-puZRG9AATgVNeIlZK9552bI1qMMH8mHgwRQQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cos licking protein tubs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu00UoOoZ1dChwwKcD8GuWYzr12_YFpmJ6fSCLDfEZamBDZgzNKl7eylBJ4w5LlLGWv4ciFbu-ml2YHo3hr4r6F9eDxd0eShVI3r2RNjL_NiDcQ7qrh8gC3xiSi6L9XKC-W5aUJmEJlhR893g871P0OECAbDR1chiz41BGAabj5vgDcC_cGFb4OiY8Og=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhu00UoOoZ1dChwwKcD8GuWYzr12_YFpmJ6fSCLDfEZamBDZgzNKl7eylBJ4w5LlLGWv4ciFbu-ml2YHo3hr4r6F9eDxd0eShVI3r2RNjL_NiDcQ7qrh8gC3xiSi6L9XKC-W5aUJmEJlhR893g871P0OECAbDR1chiz41BGAabj5vgDcC_cGFb4OiY8Og=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fat cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">As we came down the ridge to head home, several deer were grazing in the sagebrush below us. They didn’t notice us at first and we stopped and watched them. </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1FwIyWl12yUqO2LX890KxyozZpJ9eBJhqmfrWsWYiRCTcLD8ApbFzFZt_Ib2dLuCjDEbsiIAvdYPEXLZKNrfXZRN2kPQp3wmFBYZdJb1rG6aObjnorFj92cY5dKbLRVtPafA8927LuDwOsgZPubmxQf1L_oRQsZH_QJgUhfSpURM6z_daMwVdg2fasw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1FwIyWl12yUqO2LX890KxyozZpJ9eBJhqmfrWsWYiRCTcLD8ApbFzFZt_Ib2dLuCjDEbsiIAvdYPEXLZKNrfXZRN2kPQp3wmFBYZdJb1rG6aObjnorFj92cY5dKbLRVtPafA8927LuDwOsgZPubmxQf1L_oRQsZH_QJgUhfSpURM6z_daMwVdg2fasw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea & Willow watching deer below us</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">They still didn’t see us until we got quite close, and then they watched us for a moment before bounding away.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioWuMzns5g59dMGbp-GYBSNE0i5xgeJfN2KEsytjUWKxbrLYw68RBU-Wg3IoPscVkffLFrSWJU1ft4q9onUxiC92Lei-NmuFFpI8OQNJCb6oJ-lNsCavLcDKe5l3r2ucIgo4vUHhz4_K8MPl7M-wNP-Oy9jopdvIj5IqLqXx2RjYVzuJNB3rvWaqIgvg=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioWuMzns5g59dMGbp-GYBSNE0i5xgeJfN2KEsytjUWKxbrLYw68RBU-Wg3IoPscVkffLFrSWJU1ft4q9onUxiC92Lei-NmuFFpI8OQNJCb6oJ-lNsCavLcDKe5l3r2ucIgo4vUHhz4_K8MPl7M-wNP-Oy9jopdvIj5IqLqXx2RjYVzuJNB3rvWaqIgvg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPgkejwy5-pnN9S_kdUVzLAHjvXyYt2N4BvMQb3IsK06bxtWB35Hhsih5BMQbGtodNn0e_J3BoYVpvIsCi9uMbgAMPQ6M7BARoL8QBeh88zmYqjDgSv1ZGkYy19csnrqtucLH20B3jvFLmGl6b1x5-Ciqm_M1xrHAYM42uIy95rkdrxxsA9i8PK2uyWg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPgkejwy5-pnN9S_kdUVzLAHjvXyYt2N4BvMQb3IsK06bxtWB35Hhsih5BMQbGtodNn0e_J3BoYVpvIsCi9uMbgAMPQ6M7BARoL8QBeh88zmYqjDgSv1ZGkYy19csnrqtucLH20B3jvFLmGl6b1x5-Ciqm_M1xrHAYM42uIy95rkdrxxsA9i8PK2uyWg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer watching us come down the ridge</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got home we took Willow and Ed to the trailer. I loaded Ed and let her eat a few bites of grain in there, then took her out and Andrea loaded Willow. It was the first time Willow had been in a trailer since she was a weanling, and even though she hesitated a bit, she went in, and then the rattling noise scared her. She jumped around a little, but soon calmed down as Andrea reassured her. Then she relaxed and ate the grain. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday we took Willow around to the trailer again, and she did a little better—still a bit nervous but didn’t jump around so much, and was content to stand in there awhile and eat grain. Afterward we put her back in her pen, Andrea and I hiked down to the lower back field to check on the young cows down there. They are fat and sassy and still have quite a bit of grass, so it might last them another week. On the way back I took photos of some ancient antique barbed wire that Lynn found in one of the areas where he was locating water wells this past summer. He brought some of it home and it’s very different from any barbed-wire from modern days.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhOipEQlKDOZhNPVHrUQUENd8lKrH_Pcqi2S8xC--BmDLzgbfPXThwYEZ7RGajw2wTwoOxjeWiJjQEOJeS5QS_F1Oyjpf28JfZ3tTTUT6XUEPCViZHJRpWZqMTK_sijNmwL9jDJ38Vxx071mEQO5mZYVT3Dx-PfuxI_TTaH7-07D2Atf-QxnhxgIRz5w=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjhOipEQlKDOZhNPVHrUQUENd8lKrH_Pcqi2S8xC--BmDLzgbfPXThwYEZ7RGajw2wTwoOxjeWiJjQEOJeS5QS_F1Oyjpf28JfZ3tTTUT6XUEPCViZHJRpWZqMTK_sijNmwL9jDJ38Vxx071mEQO5mZYVT3Dx-PfuxI_TTaH7-07D2Atf-QxnhxgIRz5w=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZS6rNrA7r2oWI-rrDdvMB4wylETsUMhstYFyrowEVVT849cGdMJSB6X13xfEE-1vPb6FWI3zp4RM5yMeFbb-mHCSlNF6Vhvaw3CglAWWPe0qaS1IY4PKQ6Psg2mvrkhosw0rmdqnzFrJH_i-Kr1pLiCt8ggRzx-uy_bgPBixQBKlHUplt4PplNqExNw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZS6rNrA7r2oWI-rrDdvMB4wylETsUMhstYFyrowEVVT849cGdMJSB6X13xfEE-1vPb6FWI3zp4RM5yMeFbb-mHCSlNF6Vhvaw3CglAWWPe0qaS1IY4PKQ6Psg2mvrkhosw0rmdqnzFrJH_i-Kr1pLiCt8ggRzx-uy_bgPBixQBKlHUplt4PplNqExNw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old style barbed wire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cooler and windy. Andrea helped me put a new bandage on Dottie but we didn’t soak her foot, though that part of her hoof still had some extra heat in it. The wound itself is looking much better, and healing.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">OCTOBER 13</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had colder weather—suddenly going from summer to winter without much transition in between. Lynn helped Andrea get her pump out of the ditch (that she uses for watering her tiny yard by her house) and put it away for winter. Andrea got the rest of the split wood at her house stacked, and stacked part of ours. She doesn’t have much energy or endurance, still getting over the bad cold.<div><br /></div><div>On Friday she tried to do a little irrigating; we only have a little water in a couple of ditches and it takes a while for it to get very far over our dry ground, but she wants to get some of the dry fields watered a little more before winter. That morning we re-bandaged Dottie’s foot. Finally it is looking healthier, the wound is smaller, and there’s no longer any heat on that side of her foot.</div><div><br /></div><div>The cold nights are signaling a change of season and the leaves are starting to turn golden. I took photos of trees along the creek in the fields above and below the house.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpjZf3anEUVXRN1-H805xdTPdcn96WrhJf1UbQMZzZJikY3sQDREpAECEo-rrpOKm35lztugyGJaazXztNrsiEpcISr5EYtUBnyRdsk4TmXSAEvznmCIyO5Y3Qvstii5HnFhqOQULVOcKfTO5k0IM66v3rhvLraGfLqtW8FiTaed-327vV-w04BlMW6g=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpjZf3anEUVXRN1-H805xdTPdcn96WrhJf1UbQMZzZJikY3sQDREpAECEo-rrpOKm35lztugyGJaazXztNrsiEpcISr5EYtUBnyRdsk4TmXSAEvznmCIyO5Y3Qvstii5HnFhqOQULVOcKfTO5k0IM66v3rhvLraGfLqtW8FiTaed-327vV-w04BlMW6g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fall colors</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinOEQKa7q6EAaf96Fint_zIREZuj_WLet6bnhoNVo4XMEI-ZBBH-XTHV1pd4f16l0OiKNwqbyqQB5S1fWC5vzvflvWAxT9mbNvG4CamXH8rfUFC_6JuJwwPl5qQNo4ciHrdd6WudhT4jVRA3EPjBmMQh79pJYtIy0CLkCdxkCmEIEA1Dcz3LRq7upvFA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEinOEQKa7q6EAaf96Fint_zIREZuj_WLet6bnhoNVo4XMEI-ZBBH-XTHV1pd4f16l0OiKNwqbyqQB5S1fWC5vzvflvWAxT9mbNvG4CamXH8rfUFC_6JuJwwPl5qQNo4ciHrdd6WudhT4jVRA3EPjBmMQh79pJYtIy0CLkCdxkCmEIEA1Dcz3LRq7upvFA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trees changing colors</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was cold and windy. Andrea changed water again, while Lynn tended Christopher, and she let the two “butcher cows” into the little pasture below the ditch above the swamp pasture, where there’s still some green grass. We want them to continue to gain weight.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday was colder and I plugged in the tractor that morning when I did chores, to make sure it would start by afternoon. Andrea and I went up to the 320 on her 4-wheeler to check on the cows and make sure the top ridge gate was still shut and locked, with all the hunting pressure. We don’t want people hiking or driving through the cows or that would disrupt their grazing and they might think it’s time to come home. I took a few photos of the fall colors on our way up the creek—along the wild meadow on the upper place, with Michael’s cattle grazing on gopher meadow across the creek, and the view above Michael’s corrals—Binning’s old place where the Yoder family lives now.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3UgSekqY1w70zibl6NO1T3zb5YOLDHaU9EG12iCFYO7ngiM9hX2X8jLrRGWMegtVYze7qoUlRzjKuMT9ngY4MI4kK3gWem-1hTzPZ5Obd-bOvC77vr-lhNBT1Fin9ERCfxOePX8Olzw49QowWQyoZ3y9a0nDYq3cskg4m7RxEcXcw_TJn81Ag5m9lXQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj3UgSekqY1w70zibl6NO1T3zb5YOLDHaU9EG12iCFYO7ngiM9hX2X8jLrRGWMegtVYze7qoUlRzjKuMT9ngY4MI4kK3gWem-1hTzPZ5Obd-bOvC77vr-lhNBT1Fin9ERCfxOePX8Olzw49QowWQyoZ3y9a0nDYq3cskg4m7RxEcXcw_TJn81Ag5m9lXQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcbJy4hEB2PQ7nTCIckuGNpo8Vq5_yC8FYWQ5aTQHGOrd2cz2U7djYd-kUua14tfx0Fhjygsm5tGDXdVNFpRxyx2zcMOYnmIYysAjuKI7lbCEM847vqpG5vdl_FndYd8wWF76ipYbYMA68Tw8WdAEcJzl7bEAjZIcaXPjmK5GkixQMLKyZ-5BoyOxl3g=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcbJy4hEB2PQ7nTCIckuGNpo8Vq5_yC8FYWQ5aTQHGOrd2cz2U7djYd-kUua14tfx0Fhjygsm5tGDXdVNFpRxyx2zcMOYnmIYysAjuKI7lbCEM847vqpG5vdl_FndYd8wWF76ipYbYMA68Tw8WdAEcJzl7bEAjZIcaXPjmK5GkixQMLKyZ-5BoyOxl3g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQQWzofxA0UXQ7FuLv-UgJTmLKfngvpzt7TMwIuUZQ-1dKYk48dhnyYHD_v1pBHz4hLjoS-HKcil5EiKgtJC1gmnBlxlCQ6G4yvVdlap-CKNjjJmxjPZ9WJeg5KtL2bl9R7L72eWqS7Y4MNVGyTc5WKDPjmtCxUn6HBx4YtpvUUybVJP0HgoiCiqEN3w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhQQWzofxA0UXQ7FuLv-UgJTmLKfngvpzt7TMwIuUZQ-1dKYk48dhnyYHD_v1pBHz4hLjoS-HKcil5EiKgtJC1gmnBlxlCQ6G4yvVdlap-CKNjjJmxjPZ9WJeg5KtL2bl9R7L72eWqS7Y4MNVGyTc5WKDPjmtCxUn6HBx4YtpvUUybVJP0HgoiCiqEN3w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">wild meadow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWV7iEOemlkgWKxwRRL5Ha_8TdEVw8YBmBD9OmkQIJrcQbQtHRC4Lmz9ZxRWGeaK-oWHl6Gkjtmu6ebmRCWo0oZR9hMDpfWwDqxvUUjfYwFw_m6bhCHLHDI6ro-Ab-IChhqAyBGkYAO8KYgjZEg6OCHS43OkBr38Mcuy71g6PTZvvMHpvQrOHVcMwO7w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWV7iEOemlkgWKxwRRL5Ha_8TdEVw8YBmBD9OmkQIJrcQbQtHRC4Lmz9ZxRWGeaK-oWHl6Gkjtmu6ebmRCWo0oZR9hMDpfWwDqxvUUjfYwFw_m6bhCHLHDI6ro-Ab-IChhqAyBGkYAO8KYgjZEg6OCHS43OkBr38Mcuy71g6PTZvvMHpvQrOHVcMwO7w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view above Michael's corrals</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We drove on up to the 320 and looked for the cows. They were nowhere in sight as we went up the ridge, but they’d made a pretty good dent in their protein tubs (about 1/3 of both tubs eaten). I took a photo of Andrea looking across the canyon with her binoculars, searching for the cows.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizkpEwqI8mPF-GyuaGQ-9F9V2Xjv3llqg076ZWg1CzjeMnxhciuO9PQZ6qyCLnS9PFVr-3Ws1b8SGL7jdHLqXxAJG85IhGMitcvseiQB252kOudTf0UwjHCVUq6gU2CxlPYcP-NN_cgk63ZcFgBE2xQ_PuOWFJczp_tPE_Rmu25-D7QBvBTOX0umLp0w=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEizkpEwqI8mPF-GyuaGQ-9F9V2Xjv3llqg076ZWg1CzjeMnxhciuO9PQZ6qyCLnS9PFVr-3Ws1b8SGL7jdHLqXxAJG85IhGMitcvseiQB252kOudTf0UwjHCVUq6gU2CxlPYcP-NN_cgk63ZcFgBE2xQ_PuOWFJczp_tPE_Rmu25-D7QBvBTOX0umLp0w=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea looking for cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We drove down into Baker Creek to check the top trough, and found the little herd hiking up Baker Creek to the trough to drink. We took photos of them drinking and then waited for all of them to get there—and drink.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvtIdQM8RkHPJAPMCLbtlshvWWrnEL6QLhlIyl7v8NfJh9effxaIR0cR0LamEy6WeJQJwv3hCvd-zuTfNHvRjf5ydVaDU7lTFDw-cAx9T8_z3MdqWcuZKuFBzscEtKO7rW2JlomNIBMnPP5Ry9wQFi-H6xpVx2LcaiPFhs63OvGyuHd_O7rwUTtWXNMQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvtIdQM8RkHPJAPMCLbtlshvWWrnEL6QLhlIyl7v8NfJh9effxaIR0cR0LamEy6WeJQJwv3hCvd-zuTfNHvRjf5ydVaDU7lTFDw-cAx9T8_z3MdqWcuZKuFBzscEtKO7rW2JlomNIBMnPP5Ry9wQFi-H6xpVx2LcaiPFhs63OvGyuHd_O7rwUTtWXNMQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows coming to water trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3LkC6JEuVUt7xFFaMaIr0pwL5PhX0wtamPn65ZyVztrcljIxoLwS7gPodaOfK4VV3FQxePLd3p3H0OpR7CaqVevPIgtLxvBxTCmDK-LifvgMuTVHYRiRPnY94i-8K9cRMr7gb7hOvQy40a3nyG0BV9MMHJDNYTDGwV_LPu7VdHN4zjACLKhex5NDMGg=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3LkC6JEuVUt7xFFaMaIr0pwL5PhX0wtamPn65ZyVztrcljIxoLwS7gPodaOfK4VV3FQxePLd3p3H0OpR7CaqVevPIgtLxvBxTCmDK-LifvgMuTVHYRiRPnY94i-8K9cRMr7gb7hOvQy40a3nyG0BV9MMHJDNYTDGwV_LPu7VdHN4zjACLKhex5NDMGg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDsjWSlFvEa_72613KefvTWPt36Qhj_Uex0XCIJz1ccxu7gYbPCqpdOTHcv0_u37sinLa1FWKh16GwQtRcBfg8yjp9SNkt6po2jeaJds8aZAz9ho-loTLdJeoxEsydWrvUmQ5pW5V7IINHsRjT4xgcCQxsp_JNwNX3XchHqHFzYw2BeU-Vy26qyLTWfw=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDsjWSlFvEa_72613KefvTWPt36Qhj_Uex0XCIJz1ccxu7gYbPCqpdOTHcv0_u37sinLa1FWKh16GwQtRcBfg8yjp9SNkt6po2jeaJds8aZAz9ho-loTLdJeoxEsydWrvUmQ5pW5V7IINHsRjT4xgcCQxsp_JNwNX3XchHqHFzYw2BeU-Vy26qyLTWfw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows drinking, then heading up the trail</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then they headed out the high trail to go back out to the ridge to their protein tubs. We waited for them to hike up the trail from the trough (so they wouldn’t be tempted to follow us when we went down the jeep road) and I took photos as we waited.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRBJxDvSfhx4Z0ON3EjUxAwQy1JJsiAruV80VtBT_9v4vL75MCRaGYAY6cxYLPpmdEtV8qWq-cxPGE1jr78o0Zt09s9z4XXmBCT6TlwFwML-wahB98IXjOS2eh7k4PpfmnewglpcZve-NNLIDYKH15XDFDn5xEx5oGJgcAoRCU73h4sVs3qTIAU8NTYQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRBJxDvSfhx4Z0ON3EjUxAwQy1JJsiAruV80VtBT_9v4vL75MCRaGYAY6cxYLPpmdEtV8qWq-cxPGE1jr78o0Zt09s9z4XXmBCT6TlwFwML-wahB98IXjOS2eh7k4PpfmnewglpcZve-NNLIDYKH15XDFDn5xEx5oGJgcAoRCU73h4sVs3qTIAU8NTYQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows heading up from trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghiuvYmsXlhWqsVxT_myVYZ9t6SWg1lW_jFLCc9Y83TN2s2ilh8b2paiW-DS5Xp6VHq6A-e-_rTPvEiXCHUeloJ8F5wRvwuKzdptsnJ01Aqxnd--naS8BmInIeWwoBnsGuf-9l3yhFolhUj4tE38IPuoeXkL4TFSsz2Urckng3XRWPOrMJbSHyRJojBQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghiuvYmsXlhWqsVxT_myVYZ9t6SWg1lW_jFLCc9Y83TN2s2ilh8b2paiW-DS5Xp6VHq6A-e-_rTPvEiXCHUeloJ8F5wRvwuKzdptsnJ01Aqxnd--naS8BmInIeWwoBnsGuf-9l3yhFolhUj4tE38IPuoeXkL4TFSsz2Urckng3XRWPOrMJbSHyRJojBQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaVbUaBe1ryUBXkwih4o9kOGEi4Vgk3pAFlAYerxC9AVr9lozWqVpR1r6Tz7jTz1X1HRLOY339I5aH69gXQTV0vKGoYG93CD3n0HVkfxbVlOeQ582QwrRGQRYbkTiUQIhODbLq1jVkoU_GzgUN9P9BLfydW2DILufjBgSPURK-1_Hzoj6PSlgQ3OcJBQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaVbUaBe1ryUBXkwih4o9kOGEi4Vgk3pAFlAYerxC9AVr9lozWqVpR1r6Tz7jTz1X1HRLOY339I5aH69gXQTV0vKGoYG93CD3n0HVkfxbVlOeQ582QwrRGQRYbkTiUQIhODbLq1jVkoU_GzgUN9P9BLfydW2DILufjBgSPURK-1_Hzoj6PSlgQ3OcJBQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows heading up trail to go out to ridge</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We drove on down Baker Creek and back through the 160. As we came down to the main road I took photos of the golden trees along Withington Creek, and my brother Rocky’s house.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiD5y0XhpqVvKhMDYDEY5-aBEzcGEx3gYaSO5QBSOv66vvdKMGpfNbPhEmQUjzFEMsPROt4aJFcRX5_CF-SPCrO7bbIVAK2BfyuCeFpa-bywhp2hiFwvXbyW3Y5fDVFE8-3WOaBlqE3gNrrYiNRYnWkqajSsTZ80zR5DKM4xN4UZq4db-jlvvYBKwHVBw=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiD5y0XhpqVvKhMDYDEY5-aBEzcGEx3gYaSO5QBSOv66vvdKMGpfNbPhEmQUjzFEMsPROt4aJFcRX5_CF-SPCrO7bbIVAK2BfyuCeFpa-bywhp2hiFwvXbyW3Y5fDVFE8-3WOaBlqE3gNrrYiNRYnWkqajSsTZ80zR5DKM4xN4UZq4db-jlvvYBKwHVBw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQBSExLlGrPQzQ9FpAJVqodqH3yGGM_CeSGb5QiUmyLI3t1CNwLtQo8imNM4rq83GPtHk61sH4P2B2fm39h6kXXARUTopfC7eYQNRn1hWQ21hU_2Ypi98ybHKX35ZSH-Vl2JFtrfq-Ri3F1OyKCZr8RlzNT6Q-Qte-yFatmdMJOP7aWKy2_IZtiTZdlQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQBSExLlGrPQzQ9FpAJVqodqH3yGGM_CeSGb5QiUmyLI3t1CNwLtQo8imNM4rq83GPtHk61sH4P2B2fm39h6kXXARUTopfC7eYQNRn1hWQ21hU_2Ypi98ybHKX35ZSH-Vl2JFtrfq-Ri3F1OyKCZr8RlzNT6Q-Qte-yFatmdMJOP7aWKy2_IZtiTZdlQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">golden trees along the creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_T6geXBgAcLPdS1IW62kdJzFugCnabj7tnp6vaVgF0MmtMRUfGPU4kVLl2GcYF931VBSorewoQe1ra_hEopRN8T3bR7W4PglBX-JSRVfPmHsMB0a_gWHM0nWHvuidTWTjrGCtkTYUFTPze1BxPGQENBl0dMgjgxw2BJUllCL6py75pSI2txOVf7GIQg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_T6geXBgAcLPdS1IW62kdJzFugCnabj7tnp6vaVgF0MmtMRUfGPU4kVLl2GcYF931VBSorewoQe1ra_hEopRN8T3bR7W4PglBX-JSRVfPmHsMB0a_gWHM0nWHvuidTWTjrGCtkTYUFTPze1BxPGQENBl0dMgjgxw2BJUllCL6py75pSI2txOVf7GIQg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rocky's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We got home about noon, and Lynn started the tractor. We took a new bale around by the bull’s feeder, since the old bale was nearly gone. Andrea changed water again and turned on the #9 ditch for one last bit of watering on heifer hill, now that the locks are off the headgates for winter. We’ll try to get some of the dry fields wet up and then shut the ditches off before things ice up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That night it rained (the first real rain since the end of July) and the rain turned to snow before morning. It was very cold, snowing and windy all day. Lynn had to go to Leadore (a 30 mile drive on wet treacherous roads) early that morning to locate a water well for a rancher up there. There wasn’t a lot of snow, but it was cold and miserable. Andrea took a photo from her house showing snow on the mountains, and I took a photo from one of our windows.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHHc3B7-VP8GIAUqmIJ9Ou2DPv0-4AbfD5eKHGBMcFWvRn5W3TXuMHyppzJu0inr3rXIjGooPpAwDRlOngJ-FYD8mtytdQ_j14sJEICwTi-SdJTXiFrHCKisjntVwhbLjZ96MuhpL1fye4wNoG-8TL3q_zp4wjFChgMs5NnbcESnaFwWAntfax8DyztQ=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHHc3B7-VP8GIAUqmIJ9Ou2DPv0-4AbfD5eKHGBMcFWvRn5W3TXuMHyppzJu0inr3rXIjGooPpAwDRlOngJ-FYD8mtytdQ_j14sJEICwTi-SdJTXiFrHCKisjntVwhbLjZ96MuhpL1fye4wNoG-8TL3q_zp4wjFChgMs5NnbcESnaFwWAntfax8DyztQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWbb7-rbjMp71kaTONkmJLSRzSZgYjHrWfKv72x6g5cfdmqeM2Fdc7H_8vJiytYBmELJz9HWKCloGCqSxPztaedHRR0orLjIwngKioDhOj5w5HvXRwgvaXtEDTcPDJC9d6RFhVuzvvAUi8m9QKgt-V5m8BIQbYw8_ziYnz8nltGPTYosVH25Zy_jdbFg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWbb7-rbjMp71kaTONkmJLSRzSZgYjHrWfKv72x6g5cfdmqeM2Fdc7H_8vJiytYBmELJz9HWKCloGCqSxPztaedHRR0orLjIwngKioDhOj5w5HvXRwgvaXtEDTcPDJC9d6RFhVuzvvAUi8m9QKgt-V5m8BIQbYw8_ziYnz8nltGPTYosVH25Zy_jdbFg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from our window</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It never got very warm, but there was a brief span of time with less wind so Andrea and I re-bandaged Dottie’s foot. She was cold and shivering, but stood nicely while we cut off the old one (which was getting raggedy after 3 days). There was some dirt inside the bandage, but the area over the wound was still clean, and it is healing. We got a new bandage on and put a lot of duct tape around it to try to keep it dry in all the snow and mud. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When I got back in the house, Cody Hamilton called (the guy who was going to work on our tractor tires sometime this week) and said he was coming out that day. I quickly plugged in the big tractor (because it won’t start when the weather is cold) and told him it would be a few hours before we’d be able to move it out of the way. So Cody decided to do his other field call first and come up here second, to give it time. By the time he got here early afternoon Lynn got home and was able to get the tractor started and moved, so Cody could drive back of the barn and get to the tractor that needed the fluid pumped out of its tire—and he also fixed the old valve stems on the little tractor.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather sent a couple more photos of those two little boys in Canada; they are pretty cute!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8I09fFKZQJg8eXmTcHn8DzcA-DZ0IblkIhYKH7PqhprSiDjtL0_h46-HV0FWjaedeqoFJxqPhxujciLjNm6Ejm0e_vbpuBEmyBY3nzhxcf7sz5uzOPQwSa32WH1Q7xquQHoyFYU99_X1CLurUQ3DeYq9o7fc2ls2Stq75DR4eFnuZnS7geGuwy1wsxw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8I09fFKZQJg8eXmTcHn8DzcA-DZ0IblkIhYKH7PqhprSiDjtL0_h46-HV0FWjaedeqoFJxqPhxujciLjNm6Ejm0e_vbpuBEmyBY3nzhxcf7sz5uzOPQwSa32WH1Q7xquQHoyFYU99_X1CLurUQ3DeYq9o7fc2ls2Stq75DR4eFnuZnS7geGuwy1wsxw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij05SqjHuARga7nT6fp92uzzYHKVzPsCPlgAG9v0ZX3EPK6XUzI78zP3j7PUEX74ROEXHJnrbWW8vMdcN3GKoYaI5WIfQwFpDQpZViZgpIKjUHOI3pyLP84HWwZ74tcpc4w2S92tTp_hg5YKfcfhm8iOavOCOFmSXoCLnOE8Luc0ua209X__ZQNwO6tg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEij05SqjHuARga7nT6fp92uzzYHKVzPsCPlgAG9v0ZX3EPK6XUzI78zP3j7PUEX74ROEXHJnrbWW8vMdcN3GKoYaI5WIfQwFpDQpZViZgpIKjUHOI3pyLP84HWwZ74tcpc4w2S92tTp_hg5YKfcfhm8iOavOCOFmSXoCLnOE8Luc0ua209X__ZQNwO6tg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning I was scheduled to do an interview with some ranchers in Canada, but our phone wasn’t working. The phone company had to come out to Baker and fix the line. Lynn went to Carmen Creek yesterday afternoon to locate a well site for some folks from Montana who bought property there. It was cold and miserable again, but not as windy as where he had to locate the well near Leadore.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">With this much moisture we don’t need to keep irrigating very much so Andrea shut off a couple ditches. Later that day, by chore time, there was water coming down through the horse pens so Andrea and Christopher came down on the 4-wheeler and helped me shut off that water—and Christopher hiked around to the bull pen with me to feed the bull. He had fun jumping into all the mud puddles along the way. Then he gathered up some of the loose hay on the ground and put it in a rubber tub and plunked the tub in the feed manger. That little kid is so busy!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cold again, but not stormy this morning. It was clear this morning and I took some photos from our front room window – of snow on the mountains, and my hay shed with K Mountain in the background.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmc2zflu_ufVwG99lGbfWhb63pM7TV8zzN9YSc30Jz83g6oTW1WrdA5XL-PV3M1g1Ig-XPH1296sYYi6RrFQWXNaTYHaRFpT3iQCjfK13TqZFQP3voGU6MXYk4_MdPxEPyv2PWst5uZsVVwFI_uVV61f_E_du8lP7IZWoEmNrZU2oKRXMk83_9EkLpGg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmc2zflu_ufVwG99lGbfWhb63pM7TV8zzN9YSc30Jz83g6oTW1WrdA5XL-PV3M1g1Ig-XPH1296sYYi6RrFQWXNaTYHaRFpT3iQCjfK13TqZFQP3voGU6MXYk4_MdPxEPyv2PWst5uZsVVwFI_uVV61f_E_du8lP7IZWoEmNrZU2oKRXMk83_9EkLpGg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow on the mountains</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBJ8ptZE8af-7viI0cbYIzSApvBLecQxNVyjEafGpfGRcrQc6rzam-Q4mBono3hBfLqKdSryknQVyqstmng0SEBCMY510hFV0Owi5T65UJEcLBnNLJqh6nH3qTJamqMyV8HsklnNjT8fRmbcNgY-cNV8L25pfK2WA74wY9welXsog1H9YLvnIJQ4UtDQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgBJ8ptZE8af-7viI0cbYIzSApvBLecQxNVyjEafGpfGRcrQc6rzam-Q4mBono3hBfLqKdSryknQVyqstmng0SEBCMY510hFV0Owi5T65UJEcLBnNLJqh6nH3qTJamqMyV8HsklnNjT8fRmbcNgY-cNV8L25pfK2WA74wY9welXsog1H9YLvnIJQ4UtDQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKYBIZFh2KodjslMpw8mC2ecBNrFfihbS6ru0hlsZvCyGD5D6GmwzAFERHig2lz9gSduUkl3vDkD1rVI66WCPeqFh5Pfzh24ocAq75Wi_rXE0GlJdnRULwMVcQcN2EOytBjmFCUi-Dxujvi6sOGfdQHqmP0-DWKkwXftTIqbcV74_4exxUshp7rEaYfg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKYBIZFh2KodjslMpw8mC2ecBNrFfihbS6ru0hlsZvCyGD5D6GmwzAFERHig2lz9gSduUkl3vDkD1rVI66WCPeqFh5Pfzh24ocAq75Wi_rXE0GlJdnRULwMVcQcN2EOytBjmFCUi-Dxujvi6sOGfdQHqmP0-DWKkwXftTIqbcV74_4exxUshp7rEaYfg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">photo of snow on K mountain</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea and I drove up to the 320 to check on the cows and see how they are faring with the snow. We took the old red 4-wheeler this time, because it has 4-wheel drive. I took a photo as we drove up the creek, and another when we got up to the protein tubs to see how much protein was left.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivsnIzqLfmUcMW9Ole1frMqSCO_e9oQpPPRfhJXT3gitga0wFgBMjGYsTO1e50GKbqORXXU7d4rbgVQrY3XGvNc3NIHRktFeZGrQb0A-NrXG7hackLsluA-SCFEkpJgNx2sz0rVy5gXmofMpy_Zb0kswDOvMROKYc-bDoBTPiTaNKaY0oLVlrhnWlwrQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivsnIzqLfmUcMW9Ole1frMqSCO_e9oQpPPRfhJXT3gitga0wFgBMjGYsTO1e50GKbqORXXU7d4rbgVQrY3XGvNc3NIHRktFeZGrQb0A-NrXG7hackLsluA-SCFEkpJgNx2sz0rVy5gXmofMpy_Zb0kswDOvMROKYc-bDoBTPiTaNKaY0oLVlrhnWlwrQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">snow on the upper place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbTvqS_AiJqh2OHjtdw6fbCTDx2kbLvxy49xwooFDfO7HxEtRXJRaCKz19SrVfuaVivB5m3-qZ-lW6ExV95hrx4-Lv0ypxkTSMt8btUfaQCLvkRxY5FTVKYiuSOkCajT2CnVYPWypC4Tozj_DERn43KtEWfI0NNh1pLSvv3N1fEu7nFU54jwKtQ6_ypA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbTvqS_AiJqh2OHjtdw6fbCTDx2kbLvxy49xwooFDfO7HxEtRXJRaCKz19SrVfuaVivB5m3-qZ-lW6ExV95hrx4-Lv0ypxkTSMt8btUfaQCLvkRxY5FTVKYiuSOkCajT2CnVYPWypC4Tozj_DERn43KtEWfI0NNh1pLSvv3N1fEu7nFU54jwKtQ6_ypA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking the protein tubs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">There was about 5 or 6 inches of snow up there on Monday but by today it has settled to about 3 inches. The cows looked a little empty but it was still early in the day—so we are hoping they are grazing enough. The snow mashed down a lot of the grass but there’s still quite a bit of grass. As long as the snow stays soft, and not crusted, the cows should be able to find enough to eat.</span><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-83335906223156087252021-12-23T14:27:00.008-08:002021-12-23T14:29:03.216-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – September 2 through September 22, 2021<p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEPTEMBER 6</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">This past week we had hot weather except for a couple of cold nights that got below freezing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A week ago we saw some cows in the corner of Michael’s Cheney Creek mountain pasture, next to the fence between that pasture and Alfonso’s leased place, and figured that some range cows from the south side must have gotten in, since Michael and Carolyn don’t have any cows in that pasture. So Andrea and I rode up there to check on those and found that they were two pairs belonging to John Miller. There was no way they could have gotten into that pasture (since Miller’s and Alfonso’s cows are on the range bordering our ranches on the north side) except through Alfonso’s place. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea had seen some cattle in Alfonso’s field the day before, and we realized that these were the same cows. They’d come off the range on the north side into his field (since he always leaves his field gates open so he doesn’t have to open and close them when he drives through to irrigate), and he’d put them up into Michael’s place. The cows on both ranges are starving, due to lack of grass in this drought, and trying to get into any place they can find something to eat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The two pair up along the fence were trying to come back (since there’s not much grass in Cheney Creek—already grazed earlier in the season by Michael’s cows—and what’s left is very dry). There’s no way John Miller would be able to get them from that pasture, except through Alfonso’s place, so we put them back down into Alfonso’s field (and they knew exactly where the gate was, since Alfonso had put them through it just a few hours earlier), and when we came home we called John Miller to tell him where his cows were. Alfonso should have called John, rather than putting those cows onto Michael’s place! Michael and Carolyn are working on a fencing project down river and won’t be home for several days, and weren’t here to defend themselves.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a photo of one of those poor starving cows.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOuEQ0NKXNGRIrrMZPwMU-qdMVkFAW2fiSLHtNmHDlYimCN_MJmyI6L5QMk2RD_lCO72Rqvv0KZFOpymKqMAKtMq2tBgNr8-AyEBvufRC3m7uPBNUqG0ivCE-HDhoPbTXwWzocj5VeftFirRxAsANQmaTeAJqKV2FpaZoNZ0Q2SM36e2hP5jxWM4NBTQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhOuEQ0NKXNGRIrrMZPwMU-qdMVkFAW2fiSLHtNmHDlYimCN_MJmyI6L5QMk2RD_lCO72Rqvv0KZFOpymKqMAKtMq2tBgNr8-AyEBvufRC3m7uPBNUqG0ivCE-HDhoPbTXwWzocj5VeftFirRxAsANQmaTeAJqKV2FpaZoNZ0Q2SM36e2hP5jxWM4NBTQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">starving cow of Miller's</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They were happy to get back to some green grass when we put them through the gate. Michael has had problems before, with cattle coming into his place, so he put a lot of steel posts in the fence last year, to repair it and keep range cows (and Alfonso’s cows) out of his pasture. There were a couple other pairs in there, from the range on our south border, and we wondered how they could have gotten in, and then discovered that someone had taken the top wires off the new gate Michael built last year, at the top of his Cheney Creek pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While we were up on the hillside bringing Miller’s cows down to the gate into Alfonso’s field, we noticed the ditch on the far side of the creek had water in it. After we got the cows through the gate, we rode over to the creek and Andrea looked at the headgate and discovered that it wasn’t locked, and that the ditch indeed had been full of water earlier in the morning. This explains why we’ve been short of water on our ditches. Alfonso has been using water illegally at night (since his right has been shut off for a while, with the creek being low), shortchanging the senior rights on down the creek.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2kisPBSjaxUU_Cu6SKuGSPVsCLBEazr7czfansOyoN8UmryXqkoV0paVd2InW1yISUfS51DB2hipTFneJqFZqh-KHlgxd42KHhaLVG9PIgFL7U7F7Qz9K3JOfCvgNCP_MZSG6wlAUKsBXBTeFmys6APasyMbuxwoDKKFgnpQCa72NpNyFbdVhsAdIvw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2kisPBSjaxUU_Cu6SKuGSPVsCLBEazr7czfansOyoN8UmryXqkoV0paVd2InW1yISUfS51DB2hipTFneJqFZqh-KHlgxd42KHhaLVG9PIgFL7U7F7Qz9K3JOfCvgNCP_MZSG6wlAUKsBXBTeFmys6APasyMbuxwoDKKFgnpQCa72NpNyFbdVhsAdIvw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea riding down to the creek to check the ditch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we made a short ride up to Andrea’s house and up the hill behind her house and had a nice view of our fields as we checked the fence between our place and the range. That was the last clear day we had for a while.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcFg7y2s6XwdyDsRRl_Ay8u4BCvZhepLaGFoxr0_u_uTXp5AEZiNC4GmXbVCqFm56H7d3KeiDit98Fj3i7UzoOkqXTgm2daNWDjW2JdbmfIvaleLunIberTFT_4cyQt2XvHVVkNxI92LYarWSM3vvNGLnSUtR77tNYYERdATly2RUj00vZKZPfxoFE0w=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcFg7y2s6XwdyDsRRl_Ay8u4BCvZhepLaGFoxr0_u_uTXp5AEZiNC4GmXbVCqFm56H7d3KeiDit98Fj3i7UzoOkqXTgm2daNWDjW2JdbmfIvaleLunIberTFT_4cyQt2XvHVVkNxI92LYarWSM3vvNGLnSUtR77tNYYERdATly2RUj00vZKZPfxoFE0w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6iIHirGB_5UodlW8EcFkX3w9UtMHw3U-EPDYLwO08aajzQh-7WhLY7P8_AU6fQeY4Qax5dQbgn9MV2c3nrfQTU_zcffXjD28cRgD1KULH65mT0N_gzl3HYFUNh1lwjwuRrGPvuYj85E-oxYJ0WP-o7oCNUE5GMcVXWlpT9J1Ho7FvQbWhB6O0JruKQA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6iIHirGB_5UodlW8EcFkX3w9UtMHw3U-EPDYLwO08aajzQh-7WhLY7P8_AU6fQeY4Qax5dQbgn9MV2c3nrfQTU_zcffXjD28cRgD1KULH65mT0N_gzl3HYFUNh1lwjwuRrGPvuYj85E-oxYJ0WP-o7oCNUE5GMcVXWlpT9J1Ho7FvQbWhB6O0JruKQA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> view from the hill behind Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAhoBMu_5pdb852AoIJBxe-5bCs49k9sPjNY7dR3Szi5w14ggE2di5Ai42EIKtgs7ZZyAl79FWe1QA8CbrnOkqgxV3z9aEr16A3a6XtLgbAZzpMi5WwC1mQRfT5x6cdDpIuPWF7XSoI-23m5WDUOjoqdiYw7HnGJHHiR2yKGjEFFEQofpns2IBVNEz3A=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAhoBMu_5pdb852AoIJBxe-5bCs49k9sPjNY7dR3Szi5w14ggE2di5Ai42EIKtgs7ZZyAl79FWe1QA8CbrnOkqgxV3z9aEr16A3a6XtLgbAZzpMi5WwC1mQRfT5x6cdDpIuPWF7XSoI-23m5WDUOjoqdiYw7HnGJHHiR2yKGjEFFEQofpns2IBVNEz3A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea riding Willow on hill above fields</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next few days were very smoky; we’re getting a lot of smoke drifting in from nearby fires, and some from as far away as California. The Dixie fire in California is burning up a tremendous amount of timber and grassland, not only destroying ranchers’ rangelands but also wiping out several small towns.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I made a fast ride to the 320 to make sure no range cows are getting into that pasture. Then we made a temporary fence above the haystacks (with panels) so we could let the heifers graze that top portion for a few days, without them getting into the haystacks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we moved the cows and calves from the lower back field and took them to heifer hill. Lynn went to Jeff Minor’s shop and picked up a new rasp and the old chaps Jeff repaired for me. Those chaps are close to 100 years old and were in need of repair; some of the stitching was coming out. I use them for shoeing, to protect my legs, rather than a leather shoeing apron. Those chaps belonged to the Pepper Witteborg, the son of the ranchers my dad bought our upper place from, in 1955, and I’ve used them ever since. The chaps were old when I got them in 1955, so they’ve seen a lot of use.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After Andrea and I got back from moving the cows, I put hind shoes on Willow. Her feet are really hard and tough; she went 16 rides without hind shoes—but they were worn down enough that it was time for shoes.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning we had a vet (Cid Hayden) come out and look at the lump on Dottie’s hind leg (up high on the inside of her thigh) because it’s in a place that gets rubbed when she travels. It looked like a melanoma. It came on fast and we hadn’t noticed it until now. It was close to a vein, so we couldn’t burn or freeze it off. Cid sedated Dottie and put a tight band around the lump, to hopefully kill the blood supply to it and have it dry up and fall off. We’ll see how that works.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that day Andrea and Stan went for a long drive in the mountains in her jeep and we babysat Christopher. The watermaster stopped by and mentioned that he’d found Alfonso using an illegal diversion (putting a dam in the creek where there is no headgate or weir) on the lower place (below us) so that’s another reason that the first right (below Alfonso’s place) was short. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Friday Andrea and I rode again to check the 320, and I rode Ed this time, to give Dottie some days off while her melanoma is hopefully resolving. Ed is nearly 30 years old but still a tough old gal; she can go a lot of miles even when she’s not in shape, and does pretty well in spite of a bit of arthritis. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">As we were riding up Baker Creek I took photos of a pine squirrel in one of the fir trees along the trail.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZHPFx0axjJbTKDjyhXhdU2vydxDX5ls1OI2PbD-Sbksx4rOw2oJmkwJrptFNtqDmR-ymjNT6Qr21wBFxzXGHPL7sRlqaSqu7yPZpuBAfKqZwJpL190WKXIRo5kAGCOV1jigy8Qfw3ltQOKQI1LYO8kBYsi-OYM1bggt_99LCb0PfA-mZdZfL_HcKObA=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiZHPFx0axjJbTKDjyhXhdU2vydxDX5ls1OI2PbD-Sbksx4rOw2oJmkwJrptFNtqDmR-ymjNT6Qr21wBFxzXGHPL7sRlqaSqu7yPZpuBAfKqZwJpL190WKXIRo5kAGCOV1jigy8Qfw3ltQOKQI1LYO8kBYsi-OYM1bggt_99LCb0PfA-mZdZfL_HcKObA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAx_4ful5fjFh_2XsykFRHA5DfLfMcRFPM4HYizPPOOVwmng2fTTwEssTsPVz0cdYY7tS-1DAZxug7UB1Y8JYVgI4R7c85_ZgiLdg1Qq_zkjD49rgokWyVFVdZMH4y1Ls49MnDq0zSpGbrl9GnV_zAt2K27otUg15a6rQm8XV35R28NrViqY4FDabjcA=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgAx_4ful5fjFh_2XsykFRHA5DfLfMcRFPM4HYizPPOOVwmng2fTTwEssTsPVz0cdYY7tS-1DAZxug7UB1Y8JYVgI4R7c85_ZgiLdg1Qq_zkjD49rgokWyVFVdZMH4y1Ls49MnDq0zSpGbrl9GnV_zAt2K27otUg15a6rQm8XV35R28NrViqY4FDabjcA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pine squirrel</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We made sure there were no range cows in the 320 then made a loop up through the high range and saw a lot of skinny, starving cattle. We keep hoping that Alfonso and Millers will take them home soon, but instead they just keep taking them back up Withington Creek. The cattle then come over the top, into Baker Creek, and drift down into Alfonso’s 160-acre leased pasture (where there’s not much fence to keep them out) and have nothing left to eat in there, either. They try to get out of that one to come across the road into my brother’s place, so then the cowboys chase them back up again. Those cows are footsore and starving and need to go home. I took photos of some of those skinny cows that had come into Baker Creek for water.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtRhQ2701MkhIztLQUZ7DDZgX8rPkPpJ3XrZF58LYikpbQbkX5DgjgLHLgkGKInQFgX8FWwIEWX-7Pk_ML0EQPTwGXM8_rbfN7rRMk9ieLsvOsFSrKjjiK4Rm0r6CY5ilsoQDGdiavppOB-T9knZLyeGcRsD8Txhik8XhJdpY-_vjbi99jQWDK3paOPg=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjtRhQ2701MkhIztLQUZ7DDZgX8rPkPpJ3XrZF58LYikpbQbkX5DgjgLHLgkGKInQFgX8FWwIEWX-7Pk_ML0EQPTwGXM8_rbfN7rRMk9ieLsvOsFSrKjjiK4Rm0r6CY5ilsoQDGdiavppOB-T9knZLyeGcRsD8Txhik8XhJdpY-_vjbi99jQWDK3paOPg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjisdaNgaaieYCJSUwDoSXjbMxej2lqxGVJVx0W1v5CPot-1pBGOi4zMy6ePTqGpH5gd9pJvzH7X59_G6VRqJyBGrTGA1lTPGBTmY0tEoPn_YkQBZ-O-F9iaJaClS7elpK6vsPuIfg8BySYFoxGGBfvHl5Jxazs12tfTRqtjG5f84uq3zqKqZ9HcbNVsQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjisdaNgaaieYCJSUwDoSXjbMxej2lqxGVJVx0W1v5CPot-1pBGOi4zMy6ePTqGpH5gd9pJvzH7X59_G6VRqJyBGrTGA1lTPGBTmY0tEoPn_YkQBZ-O-F9iaJaClS7elpK6vsPuIfg8BySYFoxGGBfvHl5Jxazs12tfTRqtjG5f84uq3zqKqZ9HcbNVsQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSRJPNiNaP58NRP5JurLyLrUp1Ufxjm1w5s5RQMTGr3MOg6CPPpwUBmimixTyN81RHpkH3iqHsj2XyW_HJsrGIoGkncWhrpj_nQTMKmB8ahP2EDPpVRygCVxu2IPnU62KAM0X5uMUqhp61XrN6NNW2NeKHj8cI9Dvx3MrDeKFhLKr0fjvMCpY0tl1DYg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSRJPNiNaP58NRP5JurLyLrUp1Ufxjm1w5s5RQMTGr3MOg6CPPpwUBmimixTyN81RHpkH3iqHsj2XyW_HJsrGIoGkncWhrpj_nQTMKmB8ahP2EDPpVRygCVxu2IPnU62KAM0X5uMUqhp61XrN6NNW2NeKHj8cI9Dvx3MrDeKFhLKr0fjvMCpY0tl1DYg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">skinny cow and calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday, Stan and Andrea took a chainsaw, steel posts and wire to the 320 on 4-wheelers to fix the fence between the 320 and the middle range along Baker Creek. Stan sawed several big trees off the fence and he and Andrea rebuilt the portion of fence that had been smashed. The last few years, we’d cobbled up barricades over those trees on the fence, to keep cows out, but it’s better to have those bad spots fixed for real.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent us an e-mail message to catch us up on their family news, and sent a photo of the two boys.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUlYOtEiiYWNVImONkaayfjyktX-aZuQNcgfhcYwiWNst2DWU_I8OnuUa79Dm3BpwNnqK_ADEAWcPvJG4-aBvJg9YA4vMrBeXcpl0jFlcz1AtNL3N9B648_9Au0_zKZtDsT1nQrsFxDj1c6s-jibHtIQjaBvaFW4pLYQXzi39jJBV2vqdYsGnqqqywnw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUlYOtEiiYWNVImONkaayfjyktX-aZuQNcgfhcYwiWNst2DWU_I8OnuUa79Dm3BpwNnqK_ADEAWcPvJG4-aBvJg9YA4vMrBeXcpl0jFlcz1AtNL3N9B648_9Au0_zKZtDsT1nQrsFxDj1c6s-jibHtIQjaBvaFW4pLYQXzi39jJBV2vqdYsGnqqqywnw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James & big brother </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I’ve been letting Sprout graze in our driveway every morning for a couple hours and she’s cleaned up all the tall grass and weeds. Grazing her around various places in the barnyard and corrals has saved some hay, and she likes to eat the grass and weeds.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday we moved the heifers to the post pile pasture. Hopefully it will last them several days; it’s regrown a bit since we took the cow herd out of there. That evening we all had dinner at Andrea’s house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I put new shoes on Dottie’s front feet. The old shoes were worn out and her feet were getting long. Andrea helped me take off one of the old shoes and trim a bit; she wants to learn how to shoe.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEPTEMBER 14</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had more hot weather, into the high 80’s most afternoons, and more smoke. Stan drove back to California, hoping to get called to one of the California fire camps with his wash station.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani found a reasonably-priced used pickup to replace the one that burned up. It needs a lot of work, but her dad is going to help her fix it up.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3dUbl-LGhsB293vSNLmpV135QQmpOrQzX2PKsuPUYd8PG846vJrQjO_Mi9pw0SLJT1b6KbyG-2NCaYVl666IRs0nSxn1chIBa7ym9slETIzOS0eCM-quIXjoTKR19nFL8Br8zWKMdiusNH47XewvkSM7KELGZiWpkvY0rwUaRR07aPHYyg5RG0MhuzQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3dUbl-LGhsB293vSNLmpV135QQmpOrQzX2PKsuPUYd8PG846vJrQjO_Mi9pw0SLJT1b6KbyG-2NCaYVl666IRs0nSxn1chIBa7ym9slETIzOS0eCM-quIXjoTKR19nFL8Br8zWKMdiusNH47XewvkSM7KELGZiWpkvY0rwUaRR07aPHYyg5RG0MhuzQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani's old new truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">On Wednesday Andrea and I rode to check the 320 (so far no more range cows have gotten in) and Lynn babysat Christopher while Emily went to town for her 2nd COVID shot. By late afternoon the smoke was so thick it was almost suffocating; it really hurt to breathe. I took a couple photos as Andrea and I rode through the 320.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQFw9KnnD6CWSrozCB_6-9SEpNhZtkwC41P00Paa0Iqokq3FnJ5E3PDcUqDnIysIDqLOLzhBfauD2NMIHCWLkF3m-TVrHn9QHm3DzbAQYlPl9efc7WEFDjIeHDJkcd1Z1eq69i-8qd3YeMMVtFfsb3J8hg5MovPdargjVu_WOPl6gas5KhKnNUCuW_ZQ=s4000" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjQFw9KnnD6CWSrozCB_6-9SEpNhZtkwC41P00Paa0Iqokq3FnJ5E3PDcUqDnIysIDqLOLzhBfauD2NMIHCWLkF3m-TVrHn9QHm3DzbAQYlPl9efc7WEFDjIeHDJkcd1Z1eq69i-8qd3YeMMVtFfsb3J8hg5MovPdargjVu_WOPl6gas5KhKnNUCuW_ZQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8gF2ZLAx5V_zhHMLNLY8m4iW_gbVtNt82cfc27v2XT0nzpkBQYrdD11-iG5kojQvLTyshXZ68-eT3kcsU2VpH3WukYJ80r21MisvwB5qXyZXuXlfrRuYL97Rq576zdioCGVtf3qkMLm4pnY8mH-KTDxtAOl8b9qQsxitCtFP5fUtkdwcAA0R1t62e1Q=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg8gF2ZLAx5V_zhHMLNLY8m4iW_gbVtNt82cfc27v2XT0nzpkBQYrdD11-iG5kojQvLTyshXZ68-eT3kcsU2VpH3WukYJ80r21MisvwB5qXyZXuXlfrRuYL97Rq576zdioCGVtf3qkMLm4pnY8mH-KTDxtAOl8b9qQsxitCtFP5fUtkdwcAA0R1t62e1Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding through 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had a lot of wind and the black plastic on our big haystack was shifting off some of the bales, as some of the “ears” we tied to have torn out. So during a lull in the wind on Thursday Andrea and I spent several hours getting the black plastic back into proper position, tying more “ears” on it to hold it down, and putting several long “rope” strands (baling twines tied together to be long enough) over the top of it in multiple places so the wind can’t get under it as easily. Later that afternoon I was about to go do chores and watched several deer wandering past the house and took a photo of one of them out the back room window.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbqsLdmomo45pgi-dX_d3E0QkDV9HECB-euxGR9Q5TDrGTwS1nKGrWx-sEZO_vnH8oR1feCbgm5RfYWSVYD5QtQxSYOrxIQ4YdwoOPzJi2aO623VK9yS7VqVg5vSdO2UfgDem9qW2SNPjuxdCaNfBuARVD-A1E3JPIZihGmO4BAnp4pwTPgf6x1s4ow=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUbqsLdmomo45pgi-dX_d3E0QkDV9HECB-euxGR9Q5TDrGTwS1nKGrWx-sEZO_vnH8oR1feCbgm5RfYWSVYD5QtQxSYOrxIQ4YdwoOPzJi2aO623VK9yS7VqVg5vSdO2UfgDem9qW2SNPjuxdCaNfBuARVD-A1E3JPIZihGmO4BAnp4pwTPgf6x1s4ow=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deer in driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea and I redid the electric fence in the field below the lane and re-activated it, so we could put the heifers on the pasture part of it for a few days, and keep them out of the hayfield regrowth (that we are saving for later, for the calves after we wean them). That evening we had strong winds again and a tiny bit of rain, but not enough to wet the ground.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday and Saturday Em had those days off work. She and Dani, Andrea and Christopher went to Bay Horse Lake on Friday to visit her friend Audra and boyfriend who were camping there, and took some photos.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9CLFUdnsledJYGEwrS_uJWo1hvJX9g0cbvm9L_qUdPYQA8JpWxoWxYHZJpSeZPUrI2eeiU6dMvQ0uhPhbfC2jmdFsvs00yPqDFIzmD75fubPBALX7_EN-d3D_nZoHde86B5at-A8g_jIVV4nWzbN1OvLp0vxRbBoNGxI88WiY3FnmhjZmPhWtczGZww=s4032" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj9CLFUdnsledJYGEwrS_uJWo1hvJX9g0cbvm9L_qUdPYQA8JpWxoWxYHZJpSeZPUrI2eeiU6dMvQ0uhPhbfC2jmdFsvs00yPqDFIzmD75fubPBALX7_EN-d3D_nZoHde86B5at-A8g_jIVV4nWzbN1OvLp0vxRbBoNGxI88WiY3FnmhjZmPhWtczGZww=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiajdIle_jsRnaV5tbsVMA8Oiie6BI-PAptdYbPtFHahtVVNMtI1AyGuBdJGeo1Inkvm6JMg9EWlECtQ-PJH8nrU2zBtfuNx_iwJzcCtiBs9NAa_8HsKCxZvD7FcFtM4_QxA-5l_WTxCGsDEq3AOnZoH_YMGvnLCNJikgZuGNO3c4iIVFtfapMZL3Q6Gw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiajdIle_jsRnaV5tbsVMA8Oiie6BI-PAptdYbPtFHahtVVNMtI1AyGuBdJGeo1Inkvm6JMg9EWlECtQ-PJH8nrU2zBtfuNx_iwJzcCtiBs9NAa_8HsKCxZvD7FcFtM4_QxA-5l_WTxCGsDEq3AOnZoH_YMGvnLCNJikgZuGNO3c4iIVFtfapMZL3Q6Gw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bay Horse Lake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Emily she took Christopher with her when she and her friend A.J. went up to Cougar Point to get a load of firewood. Andrea took them all a picnic lunch and took this photo, then A.J.’s friend Stefan brought a pickup load of firewood to Andrea’s house, which she purchased.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_TqMFoOhxvojZR402rg7heBCvtz8o5KvkpavWfWURjDxaJOoxhpdjYbdkWMFIcSaaHfqXY8uPxCFA-6LZOuOvS5B_OUGjtljTvev_98q7AEx2E3bXYqAKcHNosHFwpvHtKu1wEl1TnJfuVZzSGpWzCCuHJBXGVvJz5nyIQ5739gYGU2lQAEfe89oDYw=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh_TqMFoOhxvojZR402rg7heBCvtz8o5KvkpavWfWURjDxaJOoxhpdjYbdkWMFIcSaaHfqXY8uPxCFA-6LZOuOvS5B_OUGjtljTvev_98q7AEx2E3bXYqAKcHNosHFwpvHtKu1wEl1TnJfuVZzSGpWzCCuHJBXGVvJz5nyIQ5739gYGU2lQAEfe89oDYw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">getting firewood at Cougar Point</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning Lynn woke up with a serious nose bleed that took all day to halt. It finally stopped by late afternoon, and I helped him remove the huge clot that was hanging out a couple inches from one nostril. It was dried out around the edges so I soaked it in a cup of cold water (held up to his nose) to soften the stuck part so it wouldn’t start bleeding again as I gently pulled it out. He later realized that he must have swallowed quite a bit of the blood because his bowel movements were black all through the next day. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday morning at 1 a.m. Rocky called me to get Alfonso’s cell phone number; the cows in Alfonso’s pasture across the county road from Rocky’s place had broken the fence down; the whole herd was in Rocky’s yard, garden and meadow. Alfonso answered Rocky’s call but refused to come do anything about the cattle until later in the day. That was the day Alfonso and Millers finally started rounding up their range cows to take them home. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They had a lot of them gathered by afternoon, and brought them down the road and sorted them by Alfonso’s big field on the Gooch place, putting Alfonso’s cows in that place and letting Millers’ cattle come on down the road. They started trickling past our place a few at a time, very thin, weary and lame. Most of the cattle were quite sore-footed, after having been chased multiple times back up the creek every time they made the loop and tried to come home. We kept our gate shut all day and night in case any more starving cows trickled down later, to keep them from coming down our lane.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Stefan came out with another load of wood that we bought from him and he spent the day splitting 4 cords we purchased earlier from another wood-getter. Andrea and I rode to the 320 to make sure no cattle got forced through our fences on the big cattle roundup yesterday. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie and some of the youth work crew brought a pickup and trailer out here to cut and haul off some willows that they need for a streambank repair project. We donated as many willows as they’d like to take, since we have an abundance of them growing along the creek and some of our ditches. Andrea took photos of Charlie and crew collecting Willows along her upper driveway.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifDpMHBGfxbKgovIUey_E7AIf9SGVi4H_b1OM_Itk-bcXjbsIwh5mU7mkvHOC0G0EaAY7dnv1pbF8rZau9YUD5r9tseqfx3BoqDDUQvqiQ4ni190lIuIKwdUNQQqe6fdbK77NDotuI9V6SVdXHuJpynapMf3Yyu12B8Z2bmYryfIebObqMGSOZfrekAQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEifDpMHBGfxbKgovIUey_E7AIf9SGVi4H_b1OM_Itk-bcXjbsIwh5mU7mkvHOC0G0EaAY7dnv1pbF8rZau9YUD5r9tseqfx3BoqDDUQvqiQ4ni190lIuIKwdUNQQqe6fdbK77NDotuI9V6SVdXHuJpynapMf3Yyu12B8Z2bmYryfIebObqMGSOZfrekAQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie & crew cutting willows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">This evening we let the cows and calves come into the hold pen above the corrals, and locked them there, in preparation for vaccinating and preg-checking them tomorrow.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEPTEMBER 22</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday we preg-checked and vaccinated the cows and weaned the calves. When I did chores that morning I called the heifers in from the pasture below the lane; it’s so handy having them trained and trusting! They were down at the far corner grazing, but when they saw me at the gate and heard me call them, they came galloping up the field and into the pens by the barn. I fed them a few flakes of hay as a reward. <div><br /></div><div>After breakfast Andrea came down from her house and we took the heifers around to the corrals and put them in a side pen, then brought the main herd into the corral and sorted the calves off the cows. By that time Dani came down, too, and we were ready to start when Dr. Cope arrived. We preg-checked and vaccinated the cows, and were pleased that we had only two open cows and one open heifer; the new little bull did his job very well. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then we put the calves through the chute and Dr. Cope gave all the heifers their Bangs vaccinations (and ear tattoos and clips to show they’ve been vaccinated) and we gave all the calves their other vaccinations—and Andrea put in their nose flaps. Dani kept them pushed up in the alleyway, and braced against the rearmost one to keep it from backing up. I took a picture of her manure-coated jeans afterward.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxZvyFAqmgm3juePxfPHW9N_ZkLwz_gR8OwZ9vxivX20caPC5zKby9pri7wSXfAfq2MefEAiAYXdFYz__3jpS3x3-yj-jTL-eHzH_ylVDSUBv03cqAAlU34_jVrPP_UMzJERrbMKXzPzL7gKzt3pZ62QRGYdIEVWg1fjMb5eGQmsPYHUlLWjbU770Fdw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjxZvyFAqmgm3juePxfPHW9N_ZkLwz_gR8OwZ9vxivX20caPC5zKby9pri7wSXfAfq2MefEAiAYXdFYz__3jpS3x3-yj-jTL-eHzH_ylVDSUBv03cqAAlU34_jVrPP_UMzJERrbMKXzPzL7gKzt3pZ62QRGYdIEVWg1fjMb5eGQmsPYHUlLWjbU770Fdw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani with manure on her butt </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put the cows and calves in the pasture above the house, where they can still be together for a few days but the calves can’t suckle. This is the easiest way to wean them; they still have mom for companionship and comfort but can’t get any milk and the cows can start to dry up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We took the heifers to the upper swamp pasture; there’s enough grass left in that pasture for them. We only have a limited amount of pasture where the pairs are weaning and we want to make sure it will last through the 5 days of weaning.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stefan came out that morning to help us work the cattle (he ran the head-catch on the chute) and then split some wood for Andrea. Later that afternoon Lynn and I took care of Christopher (Emily was at work) so Andrea and Stefan could take more steel posts and the post-pounder up to the 320 to take up the steep slot in the rocks where we need to build a fence to keep the range cows from coming down through those rock cliffs.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher enjoyed hiking around with me to do chores and feed the horses; he likes to stuff hay through the fence for each one of them. Here’s a photo of him feeding some hay to Willow.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIdR6br5_oLyHg4J4ssYj3nJTUSbEpXlHZ-1k3ErqpUlLBczdfwk9L2W-yTj26BO09vIU77Sr8a6B45f6zTofeL1I-A2xzN2FFdjZ-A_mhYPfTwcVRuNErmwp2g0ECpalFSintV7LFYmEU5AxBFnxN5Jj-EPU1CLk5djLhpBjwZWd_QBplCjyoUAj3Gg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIdR6br5_oLyHg4J4ssYj3nJTUSbEpXlHZ-1k3ErqpUlLBczdfwk9L2W-yTj26BO09vIU77Sr8a6B45f6zTofeL1I-A2xzN2FFdjZ-A_mhYPfTwcVRuNErmwp2g0ECpalFSintV7LFYmEU5AxBFnxN5Jj-EPU1CLk5djLhpBjwZWd_QBplCjyoUAj3Gg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher feeding Willow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was cold and windy. The wind was terrible and really battering the black plastic on our round bale stacks by Shiloh’s pen, so Dani and I put more ties over the top of them in several places (tying a bunch of baling twines together to make a long “rope”, tying a rock to one end and throwing it over the stack, so we could tie it down on both sides).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I checked on the cows and calves and took photos of calves with the nose flaps.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUowZykgFM9lo4rs4pFuMZW9U_S0bviGsqeypvJsKuiCAEPMVAMR11LWaf-6NeYupo7HpFTkrnNLvNjdo8MBnIL6zYrs2szDYp2NvJKT8UFZw3Dic7nsNAWVgkWUtw9HjaADIZl98cZDpKHO4qM_EbMLk7BH2utl80fL6l2LHtoRUX6zGUUZPDEiFoFw=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUowZykgFM9lo4rs4pFuMZW9U_S0bviGsqeypvJsKuiCAEPMVAMR11LWaf-6NeYupo7HpFTkrnNLvNjdo8MBnIL6zYrs2szDYp2NvJKT8UFZw3Dic7nsNAWVgkWUtw9HjaADIZl98cZDpKHO4qM_EbMLk7BH2utl80fL6l2LHtoRUX6zGUUZPDEiFoFw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf with nose flap</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJKPz0UCc2FqUk2ebDmoevj8ZqgRU3Jc0Yi1lZqmSUY9fnnIo4AqBZKXNqCOUJw5vG4xMhBbTYztBrXpQP7WA2th4tmNqXAUMewXIs7k-GG9Y6VHkBYt8Ez1E7-aoKW2j1up_WAIdUGVNeaEVmXg7vT0Q2DKPb0_vumg2ZlUV6opM1cZH3xC8CyeuTbQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJKPz0UCc2FqUk2ebDmoevj8ZqgRU3Jc0Yi1lZqmSUY9fnnIo4AqBZKXNqCOUJw5vG4xMhBbTYztBrXpQP7WA2th4tmNqXAUMewXIs7k-GG9Y6VHkBYt8Ez1E7-aoKW2j1up_WAIdUGVNeaEVmXg7vT0Q2DKPb0_vumg2ZlUV6opM1cZH3xC8CyeuTbQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf can't nurse</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">And photos of 129’s calf trying to nurse, but unable to get a teat in his mouth. The calves are frustrated, but not upset and bawling, because they still have mom!</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJSKN2NccBwB6ow362olxVq8BF__xvTCMRVx_82d4L2iRjKFOjacNWLbCc32GyMnU0-q9E3YM7iLWnLBzNfuw4vWe9KzA8ji9T282eo3FmIifv0frcG_e6yGPTM8EGtcBWWWFmr2r_se_Rzm095TAkjeQp04RgGallrprYpzZaxhCALkM4n3_-C7fotQ=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJSKN2NccBwB6ow362olxVq8BF__xvTCMRVx_82d4L2iRjKFOjacNWLbCc32GyMnU0-q9E3YM7iLWnLBzNfuw4vWe9KzA8ji9T282eo3FmIifv0frcG_e6yGPTM8EGtcBWWWFmr2r_se_Rzm095TAkjeQp04RgGallrprYpzZaxhCALkM4n3_-C7fotQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">trying to get teat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWLxA-BRxCKI3QlubZEbhSXFu1egxEiqhB9WNWeV6pDfoFfIcLaVorh0DTxYiG-yT0bMnsjdJLFIBFTQASgZWaQhaX662tqVQkgIcHpdT2YCSDk8TL3yaUPHOtZT0Xjnm-chwj4FOjkMcOYnu22kvDwVOVA1yUTcbpDRbvalqjAUkfnyYbrM-CjFwZLg=s4000" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWLxA-BRxCKI3QlubZEbhSXFu1egxEiqhB9WNWeV6pDfoFfIcLaVorh0DTxYiG-yT0bMnsjdJLFIBFTQASgZWaQhaX662tqVQkgIcHpdT2YCSDk8TL3yaUPHOtZT0Xjnm-chwj4FOjkMcOYnu22kvDwVOVA1yUTcbpDRbvalqjAUkfnyYbrM-CjFwZLg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">can't get teat in mouth</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Stefan came out again and split more wood for Andrea, then they took his pickup and more materials (including two rolls of old net wire that we can recycle) up to the 320. They spent several hours creating a fence across the slot in the rock cliffs, setting several steel posts (a tough job in that rocky terrain) and putting the netting on. Now there’s an actual fence that the cows won’t come through!</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyiVjaegmIcNaIGwTECAckGiyARcGO9YWqotmL0LwmEr_kWa0vWw0GrjpHu2k8qUenFXVH5zi2h7IDdO0wiz5GPtiaC8AOtgcqJCsh3Pvx1nLf8AToAGJI9_P_5KTt4jqTCX7DYyK7LQkIs0YK9rBu54jjwAvonsIPVQfEAGCdSkttc_g76D6R4uDmCQ=s4032" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyiVjaegmIcNaIGwTECAckGiyARcGO9YWqotmL0LwmEr_kWa0vWw0GrjpHu2k8qUenFXVH5zi2h7IDdO0wiz5GPtiaC8AOtgcqJCsh3Pvx1nLf8AToAGJI9_P_5KTt4jqTCX7DYyK7LQkIs0YK9rBu54jjwAvonsIPVQfEAGCdSkttc_g76D6R4uDmCQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-S11Eu_MauQU6ylX5eSvOJlDHikXKNOV0Z8gMX8bQ2liVdyDCldvh3R20NcpKHp4sLn3qaY8U46lVwUMKpYtZ8dPhqiFzt2NxNrQ_6MD7DrgwGYDQWptUTKby3y1fdyoTB0iHh_EuP7dC2d_9aV7dxE14YLkJmZpuqIff0Bf28_fxY62DwPK7Zjw1Tg=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-S11Eu_MauQU6ylX5eSvOJlDHikXKNOV0Z8gMX8bQ2liVdyDCldvh3R20NcpKHp4sLn3qaY8U46lVwUMKpYtZ8dPhqiFzt2NxNrQ_6MD7DrgwGYDQWptUTKby3y1fdyoTB0iHh_EuP7dC2d_9aV7dxE14YLkJmZpuqIff0Bf28_fxY62DwPK7Zjw1Tg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fence in rocks</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Friday was cold (23 degrees that morning). Andrea had an early morning appointment with her pain doctor, for injections into the knotted muscles in her neck and shoulders. These injections give her some relief from her constant neck and back pain.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was warmer; it didn’t freeze, and temperature went up to 82 degrees by afternoon. Andrea helped me take out the cross-fence (temporary hot wire on step-in posts) above the house so the cows and calves could graze the other side of that pasture and have some new lush green grass.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was warm enough by late morning that Lynn was able to start the tractor and we took a big round bale from the stackyard to put by the bull pen; I’ve run out of the little bales I was feeding the bull and his companion heifer (Panda’s daughter named Pandemonium). She’s the one we had to lock up in the corral earlier in the summer because she was nursing her big sister—stealing milk from her sister’s calf.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">More range cows are trickling home and coming down the road to Alfonso’s fields. We kept our driveway gate shut that afternoon so they wouldn’t come down here.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday was cold; it never got above 50 degrees. I was going to put new hind shoes on Dottie but decided to wait for a warmer, less windy day. Andrea sent me a photo she took of Christopher lounging around with his favorite cat.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjANwAsJ1k2IZi2s7zTkSYgPEYkePp_EbsiXDq9Dxf2Q9-9AGObOFRXoICtEwYd8fwDpd4wDibiwg4aJJF43aU1p4oqBVeQiBmKSx7EW7eXg32OKibkTtQ-2LQhsxNlaZeS3KeoaHAcqCFO0IBypWSqZdVOONjFDXBAgsDMCTBhzm1AwkgmpuvMLuIWag=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjANwAsJ1k2IZi2s7zTkSYgPEYkePp_EbsiXDq9Dxf2Q9-9AGObOFRXoICtEwYd8fwDpd4wDibiwg4aJJF43aU1p4oqBVeQiBmKSx7EW7eXg32OKibkTtQ-2LQhsxNlaZeS3KeoaHAcqCFO0IBypWSqZdVOONjFDXBAgsDMCTBhzm1AwkgmpuvMLuIWag=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pals</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was a nicer day. Andrea and Dani helped me bring the cows and calves back to the corral. We sorted the cows into their various groups (some that we’ll take up to the 320 for grazing the rest of the fall, the young cows that will stay home on pasture, and the open cows that we’ll haul to the sale along with the steer calves to sell) and put all the calves through the chute to take out their nose flaps. We took the calves to the orchard, where there’s some nice green grass. They are essentially weaned.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was cool but sunny, without much wind. I took advantage of the pleasant weather and took off Dottie’s worn-out hind shoes and put new shoes on her. I put Sprout in the stackyard that morning to graze, and saw some piles of fresh bear poop in there. Emily told us that she saw a young bear by the stackyard when she came home in the middle of the night after her late shift at work at the care center. Her headlights scared the bear and he took off running. Hopefully he won’t try to eat chokecherries along the creek in the stackyard while Sprout is grazing in there, or he may scare her!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We have a lot of wildlife living here, including a big skunk that keeps eating the cat food that Andrea puts in the little shelter where her cats eat. She startled him one evening when she went in there to give the cats a little more food and found him in there cleaning up some of the cat food she fed earlier that day. No wonder the cats hadn’t eaten it all; they were staying out of that stinker’s way and letting him eat it.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaOBDoFVIB_P44DvprMQTqnqiv1GdDEJFwm-u6XrNw6RcqWmXFmsO3BNE4sE5vz2x3Y9IkWg1uKaTlrbFnRJzht0uhsc2jrGgWfiJ1K-1fZzOcvHPFq3bBmHSeVkTIgBfjpdHknmv_-v73wj9yfA3voy5FThY6_QlZSDeVju-nGsMXT-2EXRXutXpetQ=s4032" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaOBDoFVIB_P44DvprMQTqnqiv1GdDEJFwm-u6XrNw6RcqWmXFmsO3BNE4sE5vz2x3Y9IkWg1uKaTlrbFnRJzht0uhsc2jrGgWfiJ1K-1fZzOcvHPFq3bBmHSeVkTIgBfjpdHknmv_-v73wj9yfA3voy5FThY6_QlZSDeVju-nGsMXT-2EXRXutXpetQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">extra cat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Andrea hooked up the stock trailer. She and Lynn took it for a test drive to make sure the brakes work ok after being adjusted, so we can haul cattle to the sale tomorrow.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Jerry Greggson came out and helped Andrea take a couple protein tubs to the 320. Only one at a time would fit in her jeep (these are bigger tubs than we used last year) so they made two trips. The cows will need a protein supplement when we take them to the 320 for fall grazing; the grass is so dry this year, with the drought, that the protein level in it is very low.</span></div><div><br /></div></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-45978828242863856002021-12-15T15:28:00.001-08:002021-12-15T15:28:37.467-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch – August 4 through September 1, 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">AUGUST 13</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week was really hot, in the 90’s, but recently it’s been cooler, especially at night, getting down to 40 degrees in the early mornings, which makes it easier for the fire fighters.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday Stan hooked up the wash station trailer he created last winter (sink units for firefighters to have hot and cold running water and towels, for washing up when they get back into camp after a long day on the fire lines) and headed for central Montana to a spike camp on the American Fork fire. He will be working there until that fire is under control.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea moved our cows into the next section of pasture along the lower portion of the field by her house (ditch pasture) then she and I rode for a couple hours to check the 320. As we headed up the ridge from our house, I took some photos to show how green our fields are—on this dry year—and how good a job Andrea has done with the irrigating.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjviFbi-cJXkBl7rCleIlarfxYOBde_4quxJeinNtKXK5gDyccTl7T48iCNO4T68DEMCqAnAJEb2skrTgUzNFgAofXfCglyrtrKIAddxcSad5_IZGqgkKlXSXsfkbyBN_2vYaRDMnASgukR9ybDyNS0CtgpJmJwAHe0jlEgS7u7dJIsCO57UA9CNcTrsQ=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjviFbi-cJXkBl7rCleIlarfxYOBde_4quxJeinNtKXK5gDyccTl7T48iCNO4T68DEMCqAnAJEb2skrTgUzNFgAofXfCglyrtrKIAddxcSad5_IZGqgkKlXSXsfkbyBN_2vYaRDMnASgukR9ybDyNS0CtgpJmJwAHe0jlEgS7u7dJIsCO57UA9CNcTrsQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWSwFVNkYX0no-YEEr-aBKeCcW0akhcNDyd5AHTTtrr5BxfW-92eB0MyavUIxzWCrcaQZ3Ihi9dtyeMkVoQo6OytQSMj9zv7gX9LyetSRU5jvLotJ1RO6vQofFv8KixeFTy2sCia0luQNKWj-u6Av5NMkf_P-Y_6x403p93OPKXrif0jqLjn-VFwNgDQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhWSwFVNkYX0no-YEEr-aBKeCcW0akhcNDyd5AHTTtrr5BxfW-92eB0MyavUIxzWCrcaQZ3Ihi9dtyeMkVoQo6OytQSMj9zv7gX9LyetSRU5jvLotJ1RO6vQofFv8KixeFTy2sCia0luQNKWj-u6Av5NMkf_P-Y_6x403p93OPKXrif0jqLjn-VFwNgDQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">green fields above our house and below Andrea's house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">It had been 9 days since we’d been up to the 320 to check our fences, and the cows outside our place--out on the range--are starving because of the drought and lack of grass and it was past time to check our fences. I also took photos as we rode down through the 320 on our way home, showing how tall and green our grass is, compared with the no grass on the range outside our fence.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE0EZpk0D6BciBzYFO9c9TxfZc1MNly5O3IyT_i9bifUWk9W206-Ew1AoQ3ed1bg42zL2P_Ffmb6V0-0nkBSdOlKc3oKGOeiMdLJIHcBrY58R_NGIJuZ8IhPfS6abulKOTE6Gl4xLn_fUXuylpYxz-U4FjLFXOjvJudVkk5ZoIgKhlZMKGt9zGCyOJyw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhE0EZpk0D6BciBzYFO9c9TxfZc1MNly5O3IyT_i9bifUWk9W206-Ew1AoQ3ed1bg42zL2P_Ffmb6V0-0nkBSdOlKc3oKGOeiMdLJIHcBrY58R_NGIJuZ8IhPfS6abulKOTE6Gl4xLn_fUXuylpYxz-U4FjLFXOjvJudVkk5ZoIgKhlZMKGt9zGCyOJyw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea riding down through 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPgtBywctskl5YT98Mw40cM7K0mYVAvdKKyuNg3KZPa6Zaw1YuN-SdEe6nS1XJnEyYqyz2mOunQssg2bSFlcp_G6QJjr3zRNtfg8QVXsfZoicyudIdmIJdQjC98gjyGn6NgIoFCTzjkPlDB2p8umBZht67sYNIUMFukr9X2jCn6Ypwb5VUlHvbZmKOEA=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjPgtBywctskl5YT98Mw40cM7K0mYVAvdKKyuNg3KZPa6Zaw1YuN-SdEe6nS1XJnEyYqyz2mOunQssg2bSFlcp_G6QJjr3zRNtfg8QVXsfZoicyudIdmIJdQjC98gjyGn6NgIoFCTzjkPlDB2p8umBZht67sYNIUMFukr9X2jCn6Ypwb5VUlHvbZmKOEA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR0eTawZWeyupsUkvaHMSK9p_iMIYe6T0R55rFv3vP_CVe-WMXV8qWSQgGvfJ9cHOkC2VogItECmv0P2MVtotmDEaPbt9_cKZyKPZndzGWE_RsPsGMAL1Pt-Tcv7k-SUArT5Ln7Ady5qqcIhu86GHBqjDGtI7F38tTLyckz5Os_tdFoVnlhQHhgIwK7A=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhR0eTawZWeyupsUkvaHMSK9p_iMIYe6T0R55rFv3vP_CVe-WMXV8qWSQgGvfJ9cHOkC2VogItECmv0P2MVtotmDEaPbt9_cKZyKPZndzGWE_RsPsGMAL1Pt-Tcv7k-SUArT5Ln7Ady5qqcIhu86GHBqjDGtI7F38tTLyckz5Os_tdFoVnlhQHhgIwK7A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea riding down Baker Creek in 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We discovered two of Alfonso’s cows in our pasture. They were some older cows he bought this spring; they had his fresh brand on them. From the looks of all the manure in the lower end of the 320, they’d been in for several days, but they didn’t have their calves with them, and they had full udders so we knew they weren’t dry cows. We looked all along the fence, trying to find where they might have climbed through it, but couldn’t find any bad places, and didn’t find their calves. The cows wanted to go back into the middle range to go find their calves but we don’t have a functional gate on that side on the low end of our pasture, and it would have been impossible to take those cows (both of them wild, and a bit belligerent) up through the brushy creek bottom and out the side gate that was ¾ mile up the fence line. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We didn’t have a lot of time, since Emily had gone to work and Lynn was babysitting Christopher and we needed to get back home, so we decided to leave those cows in our place and come back the next day to try to get them out. We hurried home, but I took a few more photos as we came down the ridge toward our fields, and as we rode down our lane to the house.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5pQ-qS3gJWX5wgw05RrcNyC79GtpvOBrImpG0qri8_Fehsopxoc6lY99-KpYFR5I3Q3zd2J0NCT9JDiFnPvLBvrifn4PdftGPN7scVy0FdcjjNRH-Q-HiYohqUAJNSaJ4Br6-lB1FF07q8FQMuvCPlukiw4POhS-Ad9ZdCDz-12EmScD83KA8z_OKmg=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5pQ-qS3gJWX5wgw05RrcNyC79GtpvOBrImpG0qri8_Fehsopxoc6lY99-KpYFR5I3Q3zd2J0NCT9JDiFnPvLBvrifn4PdftGPN7scVy0FdcjjNRH-Q-HiYohqUAJNSaJ4Br6-lB1FF07q8FQMuvCPlukiw4POhS-Ad9ZdCDz-12EmScD83KA8z_OKmg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMTpg4C9N3ldc4nzB3OH_UZgqxc925dw06IeGx1T20VivTyVPpBzd6KFpfCYt09ORu0BoUntpgG8uHMgTc-xKT8K9rCLszB_QTtQzs0tEjZG0sSKVFuifOzgE34fz6pvLachobrbpbtKHoh-ubjzs0Pew1qz-tGgK9LYzu-lkGjNmSLaLsyxPTAagIKw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMTpg4C9N3ldc4nzB3OH_UZgqxc925dw06IeGx1T20VivTyVPpBzd6KFpfCYt09ORu0BoUntpgG8uHMgTc-xKT8K9rCLszB_QTtQzs0tEjZG0sSKVFuifOzgE34fz6pvLachobrbpbtKHoh-ubjzs0Pew1qz-tGgK9LYzu-lkGjNmSLaLsyxPTAagIKw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pasture and fields above our house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbMg4nDoJdwxRRl0_oW1B5R446hmZjLtHZn2w6IQk4J8EQ5o8Ef-QJm_9Hh2VHuMjudRfIzzaFClVyo1sF74w5iEAVwFI2HDgeNZ3nidR86MG5GX-3IN6fTtohUwfKN_EC0kG6kWF971ZgNa-a66_jYhCBcDpXloO3CLuGla9jTe0lmoQCcBMk7e7LQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiDbMg4nDoJdwxRRl0_oW1B5R446hmZjLtHZn2w6IQk4J8EQ5o8Ef-QJm_9Hh2VHuMjudRfIzzaFClVyo1sF74w5iEAVwFI2HDgeNZ3nidR86MG5GX-3IN6fTtohUwfKN_EC0kG6kWF971ZgNa-a66_jYhCBcDpXloO3CLuGla9jTe0lmoQCcBMk7e7LQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding down the lane</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode up to the 320 again the next day, prepared to cut a hole in the lower fence corner (and then repair it) to get those cows out. To make sure we could find all the cows that might be in, we rode up the ridge first so we could come down the whole length of Baker Creek and find any cattle that might be in that canyon along the creek, where the grass is still fairly green (the most likely places they would be). I took photos as we went up the ridge and came back down Baker Creek.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgUj7mUQRDjJ9saGXsyBckbRDcqMOPbgdFFjMdrUHQ4j0zK_6tlNhgA6-GPUybqAINwjaNPAqhsXyR5Qb-vpLL3r-pKufscIfx0SynSo8_8L9oHoNeeZw_juC9RsH5002dc_tY01RnKul47JxN8xglbCyy0CBhbi0nqxkvBj6SFEnZi4M_rghy7kQKEA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgUj7mUQRDjJ9saGXsyBckbRDcqMOPbgdFFjMdrUHQ4j0zK_6tlNhgA6-GPUybqAINwjaNPAqhsXyR5Qb-vpLL3r-pKufscIfx0SynSo8_8L9oHoNeeZw_juC9RsH5002dc_tY01RnKul47JxN8xglbCyy0CBhbi0nqxkvBj6SFEnZi4M_rghy7kQKEA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding up the ridge in the 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga9MIkt3uOmBU6ZklZD527iACjtCzU1SXK8r_Z7yS69A6VuJg96OdcU6mflzP6K6_EIohnzA57VkqyQnZaQZvIPpDca23wNs8Lh60bt8v12znMWDPeB1zhdCUrO3vocIzGw6rC9GRBknPQ4ux-M87UGj-6_SblmbbxgTzm7xSxh3_BFlM7awcE0thxWA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEga9MIkt3uOmBU6ZklZD527iACjtCzU1SXK8r_Z7yS69A6VuJg96OdcU6mflzP6K6_EIohnzA57VkqyQnZaQZvIPpDca23wNs8Lh60bt8v12znMWDPeB1zhdCUrO3vocIzGw6rC9GRBknPQ4ux-M87UGj-6_SblmbbxgTzm7xSxh3_BFlM7awcE0thxWA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming down into Baker Creek from the top</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHb-6xKAlKnsM-thta5f7vZo827FI0egu9wDuZ13kLC3YExAH_xSo3OzwQzznHIHkI6GdV_BkGLAZtJATjtRG1ccOf-rCyQkuYEMf5snmoF5jVLboANvMePHTBS5tBeUmD_TARwXYsWdA83ia9CMzLnJswCWD70sC2UVs0U2TYewY3r4kHpQ_fkBW57w=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHb-6xKAlKnsM-thta5f7vZo827FI0egu9wDuZ13kLC3YExAH_xSo3OzwQzznHIHkI6GdV_BkGLAZtJATjtRG1ccOf-rCyQkuYEMf5snmoF5jVLboANvMePHTBS5tBeUmD_TARwXYsWdA83ia9CMzLnJswCWD70sC2UVs0U2TYewY3r4kHpQ_fkBW57w=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgXT7CU1w6JYqvFWzPlL-O4m5_pSSJ9u-1cH2Gw96ya_-w1osljqgJMjkQgEHvH8XlELu34nQryDBtUsiU7ozkqire4lgLJjjc6I_lpGu879UPqSvCTgoEfRzlkqOmBjJtSqXpBW4pWIT3OXr2BmXnvvgvsjTZXHOj_0gAkDBTNEFhPgXm4zQoig9v1Q=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjgXT7CU1w6JYqvFWzPlL-O4m5_pSSJ9u-1cH2Gw96ya_-w1osljqgJMjkQgEHvH8XlELu34nQryDBtUsiU7ozkqire4lgLJjjc6I_lpGu879UPqSvCTgoEfRzlkqOmBjJtSqXpBW4pWIT3OXr2BmXnvvgvsjTZXHOj_0gAkDBTNEFhPgXm4zQoig9v1Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming down Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We found only one cow still in our place. The other one apparently found a way to get back out and go to her calf. The one that was still in had an ear tag number R-75 and was really mean (she looked like she’d charge at a horse if we got very close) and looked a lot like the tall skinny cow that came down our driveway this spring and went up past my hay shed and tried to jump in with our cows and calves. That one also had a fresh brand and her ear tag was R-67. She’s the one that tried to attack me when I went up past my hay shed to try to herd her back out to the lane—and I was only able to defend myself because I grabbed the pitchfork by my haystack! I think those two cows came from the same place when Alfonso bought them and they are probably related.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Anyway, the R-75 cow was down by the creek when we found her that day, and I took a photo of her.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh30AHkulpDLPL8fd5uFDGkbp-qRq_zreBaLwMfOVptkGp4s7AmU-A2I0hQ6wzrcNyneheNTK9j4Z4-ZcVpbnDoQ3Sf4ZQP8lrjTxhLtImUC7ijKnlbDsUlBxUz9fxMRWBFh8m_6sHSnKJ_DNu27FeIj5Qg66Hq3B1PfOnVvp_6wDmk8C7vgKTzdiqMkQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh30AHkulpDLPL8fd5uFDGkbp-qRq_zreBaLwMfOVptkGp4s7AmU-A2I0hQ6wzrcNyneheNTK9j4Z4-ZcVpbnDoQ3Sf4ZQP8lrjTxhLtImUC7ijKnlbDsUlBxUz9fxMRWBFh8m_6sHSnKJ_DNu27FeIj5Qg66Hq3B1PfOnVvp_6wDmk8C7vgKTzdiqMkQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso's wild, mean cow</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After looking all through the brush and realizing she was the only one still in, we were able to get her going up the jeep road—instead of along the fence. Andrea rode along the steep hillside below the jeep road, to keep her from coming down off it, and I followed the cow, and we managed to get her out to the ridge and heading down the ridge trail. Andrea hurried on ahead, and opened the ridge gate, and we got her out the gate—and didn’t have to cut a hole in the fence in the bottom corner to get her out. We took her down the ridge a ways, then came on home. That evening we actually got a little bit of rain, but not enough to do much good.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was a little cooler and cloudy and we had too many things to do and didn’t have a chance to ride. I had several phone interviews (for future articles) and Andrea caught up on her irrigating. Bob Minor came over to look at our trailer and did a little work on one of the latches to make it more secure. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">John Miller returned a phone call; I’d left him a message a few days earlier to ask if the halter Andrea and I found in the timber in the high range might be his (since we knew he and Alfonso had moved a bunch of cows from the high range back into the middle range—after they’d gone into the high range several weeks too early). He did lose the halter, actually lost two that day. The halters were tied to the pack saddle on a mule he was leading. The halter we found was one that John and Ruby’s son Jeremy had made for John for his birthday, the first year they were here, so it had sentimental value. Lynn drove over to their place and took the halter to them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took her Dodge pickup to town to get new tires on it (before we have to pull a trailer load of cattle) because her old tires were worn out. On her way home late afternoon she saw Millers’ lame bull (the one that’s had a severely injured hind leg since June and got really skinny) coming down off the low range to try to find some feed and water. She was surprised to see that he was still alive. The last time we saw him—after Millers put him below the middle range gate in Baker Creek and into the low range—he looked so bad that we thought he would die. Since there is no water this year on the low range this summer, with the drought, she opened the gate and let him come on down to the road, and he went into Alfonso’s field through his open gate. She told Alfonso she’d put the bull in there, and called John that evening to tell him where his bull was.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She also told Alfonso that we would help him move some of those range cows up out of Baker creek—where there is no grass left (and that’s why they keep trying to get into our place) and offered to help put them on the high range. Alfonso told us he planned to move some cows on Sunday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So the next day (Saturday) I got up at 4 a.m. and typed some articles with urgent deadlines, then after Andrea changed the irrigation water we rode to the 320 to make sure there were no cows in. We weren’t very surprised to find the same two cows of Alfonso’s back in again. The cow we’d put out the ridge gate 2 days earlier had gone through two fences to come back into our 320 again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They both had full udders again, and no calves. This time, however, they were up in the meadow along Baker Creek, above the brushy area and downed trees that a horse can’t get through, and they headed up the hill toward the rocky cliffs between our place and the middle range. As we suspected, they had found a way through the barricade that we created many years ago in that slot in the rocky cliffs, and had been coming and going through that steep slot—going back and forth to their calves that apparently stayed out there on the middle range somewhere. We patiently gave them time to scramble up that steep slope and up through the rock cliffs, and back to the middle range. I didn’t think about taking a picture of them as they weaved up through those rocks (I was too focused on making sure they went up there) but took a photo after they were safely out, to show where they’d climbed up through. Here’s a photo of those rocky cliffs, and a closer-up view of the slot the cows climbed through to go back out.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2-lA3M-v653WhwuhUYxkqQUJj9kHhFgJmxU61AapOcjf_hwHfnzR9COUOBmMFT9IqthgOorqKzU36wPjWRNZBZzSaY9Dw29ulmrBWj6eLabzuLMk6_9zP0BD1WROi0Kt8BFImu0ZwHh5nu2DvT2uhi8FyGZvAX_ZV3jwn6RW39xEabrJge7ZD1yTDTA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2-lA3M-v653WhwuhUYxkqQUJj9kHhFgJmxU61AapOcjf_hwHfnzR9COUOBmMFT9IqthgOorqKzU36wPjWRNZBZzSaY9Dw29ulmrBWj6eLabzuLMk6_9zP0BD1WROi0Kt8BFImu0ZwHh5nu2DvT2uhi8FyGZvAX_ZV3jwn6RW39xEabrJge7ZD1yTDTA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the rocky cliffs the cows came down through</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1BpQpoyVCg2HPt9FVEgN2nX-IiK788xIaH6l7RFxJtu2zbqQLj1R7q6zByZpChnFz1mvtfuhjglfk5lprfTu9sCpV4apXzpSTO0QGRbsj1QGt6cDLOFLvmG_fk4HLEGKrYs46UZ7jJ_5se_-uJwvKcueGRFg1_jmGwBhT9Y1GyfKBTvphnIaPHbV9NQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1BpQpoyVCg2HPt9FVEgN2nX-IiK788xIaH6l7RFxJtu2zbqQLj1R7q6zByZpChnFz1mvtfuhjglfk5lprfTu9sCpV4apXzpSTO0QGRbsj1QGt6cDLOFLvmG_fk4HLEGKrYs46UZ7jJ_5se_-uJwvKcueGRFg1_jmGwBhT9Y1GyfKBTvphnIaPHbV9NQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a closer look at the slot through the rocks that the cows went back up</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">After the cows were back where they belonged, and heading down the mountain to go find their calves, Andrea and I rode out our side gate just past those cliffs, and rode back to those rocks. I held her horse while she propped up several posts that were flattened and tied them to sagebrush and a mahogany bush to keep the fence upright. That fence was ok when we checked it earlier this year, but those cows had trashed it. I took photos of her tying the fence up to bushes to hold it upright.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8kedtf6a2aomYGX_WpiqYR9FE3YA7fH4QEBZl0VDCEuc1OFro3T6CkJQNq_04GSJzhVUzVDAmkKpqUXAAeX9LMFu75YPrQa4WZj7AvpcVZklIU6M1DEXpW9qG9G1fkmgkzERzcCixNS0Wu5bGfjL2U77k0MILOrX71mNzqfu33Z_26fDO_dttnpfj9A=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh8kedtf6a2aomYGX_WpiqYR9FE3YA7fH4QEBZl0VDCEuc1OFro3T6CkJQNq_04GSJzhVUzVDAmkKpqUXAAeX9LMFu75YPrQa4WZj7AvpcVZklIU6M1DEXpW9qG9G1fkmgkzERzcCixNS0Wu5bGfjL2U77k0MILOrX71mNzqfu33Z_26fDO_dttnpfj9A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLzRdbfQHCskFiZRRXlqyjCkkfhnA7pzDW3h3hGo7ycRw1819-EH7H4HKxqWIRT3z_ImbLcrLKgYimoL6rAAKfhGkWcXyq5kiPPri5x1yTnZls4F4J4sSjti5u6WUdc7HQdm7jCAr-KG4w6mRjna2JTmK4HAvK4w1PQqOBIXIIP-yHut_2B2hCl_Rsqg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLzRdbfQHCskFiZRRXlqyjCkkfhnA7pzDW3h3hGo7ycRw1819-EH7H4HKxqWIRT3z_ImbLcrLKgYimoL6rAAKfhGkWcXyq5kiPPri5x1yTnZls4F4J4sSjti5u6WUdc7HQdm7jCAr-KG4w6mRjna2JTmK4HAvK4w1PQqOBIXIIP-yHut_2B2hCl_Rsqg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea tying the fence up to a mahogany bush </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When she went on down to the end that ties into the big rocks, she started to prop it up and nearly stepped on a big rattlesnake. She had to kill it before she could safely finish propping up the fence. I took a photo as she propped up the rest of that fence.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK2-DFPFB9i8-cMy9jvcWF6RYL8dn3a-tkI1aeSa-7F0ZA9sh9L4PlPkoPQTim8ZybBtXnr0XRPfezXrD1d9tdPmZZHRR8jtDyo3JjO1cQkWF6zWKc7YHa7KUHRVXIESqfuGAmWoWNM2u582Ul8p1SMI6tV_MGb1QCcbpxsY634xqqSjtjrVwRyZ1OOA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhK2-DFPFB9i8-cMy9jvcWF6RYL8dn3a-tkI1aeSa-7F0ZA9sh9L4PlPkoPQTim8ZybBtXnr0XRPfezXrD1d9tdPmZZHRR8jtDyo3JjO1cQkWF6zWKc7YHa7KUHRVXIESqfuGAmWoWNM2u582Ul8p1SMI6tV_MGb1QCcbpxsY634xqqSjtjrVwRyZ1OOA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">propping the fence up on the end next to the rocks - after killing snake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When we went on around to the slot through the cliff, we could see that our old barricade was trashed and non-existent where those two cows had been coming and going. Again, I held Willow while Andrea created another barricade, using sagebrush and twines (I always carry baling twines in my coat pockets, in the coat tied to my saddle). I took a photo as she started down into those rocks, taking some baling twines to try to find a way to tie up the old fence again. I took a photo afterward, looking down toward that slot, but it barely shows the bushes she tied up across the top of that narrow slot down through the rocks.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKdH3CkPHRYtQLNjsQnFbXciXSwAisMiTt5QOYhp8zss7TZcEedwjNzMFPVUQYVeEUgJyNR-kpXE_1RxU6BIsn01HSk5Z1noA1p64N0aOGeBf1bxVw2OfkDXY-Bquxbimv4nsYWixcr80qzZ9HxjGeR9Kh2wZS0PLL2hmw12htUsfET0t0-Stgkov2bw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKdH3CkPHRYtQLNjsQnFbXciXSwAisMiTt5QOYhp8zss7TZcEedwjNzMFPVUQYVeEUgJyNR-kpXE_1RxU6BIsn01HSk5Z1noA1p64N0aOGeBf1bxVw2OfkDXY-Bquxbimv4nsYWixcr80qzZ9HxjGeR9Kh2wZS0PLL2hmw12htUsfET0t0-Stgkov2bw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea taking twines down into rock slot to try to patch fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKfJrZDbR2RWFhwr_IrpqezZcbrbu1VugbJPGo7Jr_P3Mhll9JBkRS1mSD5PaBMUycCO4hxwbObaVBnmG1aj78vcU-EW4gGgzghaZHZq4pG7-WVJhF8_wraLg5XdCjZFxMXSHKzD8zeMHzlj9PtUFRqiu2skPrgsDyySfG5KP7ikmBDGtkTs__RoZOYg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjKfJrZDbR2RWFhwr_IrpqezZcbrbu1VugbJPGo7Jr_P3Mhll9JBkRS1mSD5PaBMUycCO4hxwbObaVBnmG1aj78vcU-EW4gGgzghaZHZq4pG7-WVJhF8_wraLg5XdCjZFxMXSHKzD8zeMHzlj9PtUFRqiu2skPrgsDyySfG5KP7ikmBDGtkTs__RoZOYg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bushes tied up to make barricade</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we rode on down through the middle range and I took a few photos of the horribly skinny cows all grouped there at the gate to the low range, hoping they could go somewhere else.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVzuFkHMOBkA5MVxeIZEzWK83pNnC4BWtKnrfTbQKM4XYPNfSbLbqXSUZ6DqKnHkoqHjNKw4hhMJRETbE2RXxo6mTxFqiBMFYvKhXE5LblF2OKnvHVRnp1M3tlet7GtJn4K4A6GqMwZTDvRsS2XUTifurzKue98J874y4BxnQyjVlm9BaaaaS0Zsi_Wg=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjVzuFkHMOBkA5MVxeIZEzWK83pNnC4BWtKnrfTbQKM4XYPNfSbLbqXSUZ6DqKnHkoqHjNKw4hhMJRETbE2RXxo6mTxFqiBMFYvKhXE5LblF2OKnvHVRnp1M3tlet7GtJn4K4A6GqMwZTDvRsS2XUTifurzKue98J874y4BxnQyjVlm9BaaaaS0Zsi_Wg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIgOvWJQ2a4BTTnBaZR9SYeo0eVxq5SImS6CGzBS63MLJ3x-NGqkxHEy2Dr8UOZNNJhjN6cpwR23JNxgLNdKFiRKHw23DJQWO3iAAhWLtBm0L6r8UMLbhfY1gTWht9I3sbDI3Cwxbp73WCua79LDj4gu9xfzkwsMqhGyGFeAb9qXzLpaKM6vySepS-gg=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIgOvWJQ2a4BTTnBaZR9SYeo0eVxq5SImS6CGzBS63MLJ3x-NGqkxHEy2Dr8UOZNNJhjN6cpwR23JNxgLNdKFiRKHw23DJQWO3iAAhWLtBm0L6r8UMLbhfY1gTWht9I3sbDI3Cwxbp73WCua79LDj4gu9xfzkwsMqhGyGFeAb9qXzLpaKM6vySepS-gg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_xzs3FAXhztuVOTYO9qDQAmdDWhZ358p7ErceMzjN9_Af1JHpdXFj6t_4u7sY13lB0-7dKT1TlF4JaqD4YEIhpf8d1JjUvmfwhTV2Oe-509wl096hd9tu9-79ISB8cKHcT8dRtk4NRg9dDJ6OFubm3h9w89LHryirK5rusvQ9wZBxzoaRWki2BPrN5w=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_xzs3FAXhztuVOTYO9qDQAmdDWhZ358p7ErceMzjN9_Af1JHpdXFj6t_4u7sY13lB0-7dKT1TlF4JaqD4YEIhpf8d1JjUvmfwhTV2Oe-509wl096hd9tu9-79ISB8cKHcT8dRtk4NRg9dDJ6OFubm3h9w89LHryirK5rusvQ9wZBxzoaRWki2BPrN5w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">skinny cows gathered at gate</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They were so hungry, and wanting to go home, that they mobbed us as we went through the gate, and we feared they might trash the gate after we shut it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We hurried home to relieve Lynn of his babysitting job (he took care of Christopher when Emily went to work).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday Andrea changed water and then she and I rode out to the middle range to help Alfonso move cattle. She rode Ed that day (since Willow doesn’t have shoes on yet, and Ed does). We knew we’d be crashing around through a lot of rocks and didn’t want to take a chance on Willow chipping her feet or stone bruising. Her feet are really tough and hard, but we didn’t want to risk problems.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We got out there ahead of Alfonso and could see that there were cows still spread all over the mountain on the other side of Baker Creek; none of them had come down yet for water. They have been spending more and more time grubbing around on the steepest slopes and in the rocks, trying to find some grass. Usually by late morning they come down for water, but not that day. Some were starting to drift toward the ridge into Baker Creek, however, and we figured we’d just wait a little bit for Alfonso and give the cows time to come down off the hill. But as we waited, we saw two people on mountain bikes heading around toward the jeep road gate into the middle range. The cows we saw moving toward Baker Creek as we came up the ridge through the low range never did come into view and we realized they probably got distracted by the bikers coming up into the middle range. Those cows thought those people were going to let them through that gate so they turned around and went back that direction!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we rode up that steep mountain and around it to start gathering those cows, about the time Alfonso showed up. We gathered them off that mountain and down into Baker Creek, and took them up along our mile of 320 fence, to go to the high range. We didn’t see either one of the renegade fence-crawler cows, but also didn’t see them in the 320 when we pushed the herd up the mountain past our place. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we helped Alfonso get the herd started up the last hill, we rode into the 320 through the side gate to see if those cows were in there and hiding, but found no sign of them, and no fresh manure, even though we could see that they’d trashed the barricade that we recreated the day before. So we went back out and helped Alfonso finish taking the big herd of skinny cows into the high range. He went back home, and we came down through the 320, the whole length of Baker Creek, searching for those stray cows, but didn’t find them. I took photos as we rode down through our place, looking.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3PW83WpABYpIwoxRDclcVX48iWk0EzoGm7jbDRV66YjcF1JxbWGv-tcw35wAdGac-7CJoh0g2PcCSRPrY8ERZ1yk5wQRF84lU9hAfTX8pW7k35ZEuktEt6mQ3nF3khA2V3QEMhHACy1SAh5W8tTz8y47h-qesmHVw5FP11zQHuq91gUeK1rQNuFz_oQ=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3PW83WpABYpIwoxRDclcVX48iWk0EzoGm7jbDRV66YjcF1JxbWGv-tcw35wAdGac-7CJoh0g2PcCSRPrY8ERZ1yk5wQRF84lU9hAfTX8pW7k35ZEuktEt6mQ3nF3khA2V3QEMhHACy1SAh5W8tTz8y47h-qesmHVw5FP11zQHuq91gUeK1rQNuFz_oQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCGWgpU_eSmdrE6zh_2eQZyigYdnRIG-NDuvcXYn6aUxThDDweRw36tfOre-zKvU0SBTJ1D1B6Jt6pps6zf5C6fvP41QbFt4q5bXlOBSNg5Dn4ujXgvYhn720DCn1YwH3XnZBf_fA0m1CF_i29NtC9DTX4sE8P1_BcFojOYKo09tsjKXHgC_m6JVTc7g=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCGWgpU_eSmdrE6zh_2eQZyigYdnRIG-NDuvcXYn6aUxThDDweRw36tfOre-zKvU0SBTJ1D1B6Jt6pps6zf5C6fvP41QbFt4q5bXlOBSNg5Dn4ujXgvYhn720DCn1YwH3XnZBf_fA0m1CF_i29NtC9DTX4sE8P1_BcFojOYKo09tsjKXHgC_m6JVTc7g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7m0z7xK49M_I4cL8HajlPw1i-dmOqTmqqbPKQ6MQiJEcor964qXMyil0UEU-ZMyACZ9QebqwrOW2dGt_Z7uBFbIpq4kYo7Dwr2FDaosnskF2R9j24YKCqEHjNcWdspgPMFd2AgWlDPYuB1L_Ha63_ZZHxWaDDS4OHCTeml1r8I7l8GL81ytC3srhDqw=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj7m0z7xK49M_I4cL8HajlPw1i-dmOqTmqqbPKQ6MQiJEcor964qXMyil0UEU-ZMyACZ9QebqwrOW2dGt_Z7uBFbIpq4kYo7Dwr2FDaosnskF2R9j24YKCqEHjNcWdspgPMFd2AgWlDPYuB1L_Ha63_ZZHxWaDDS4OHCTeml1r8I7l8GL81ytC3srhDqw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXkJ_NyTMy1GbdvCYAnnBYfahpmsAwHJth4Ow4KuD5MRlNjx-OvtNWkpy4SzqIsjLsJHbXJ_UyBIl98v1OGJqXTV3T25VE3VihUAlkhlLknmZBhTS7ukKrB9wD0sy48xkEDSjD1aEUaBz_Tr4ez5Y8qlvLKf-ZAi92L4HmiPjbqt5ivZFE5tUcPzrJyQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXkJ_NyTMy1GbdvCYAnnBYfahpmsAwHJth4Ow4KuD5MRlNjx-OvtNWkpy4SzqIsjLsJHbXJ_UyBIl98v1OGJqXTV3T25VE3VihUAlkhlLknmZBhTS7ukKrB9wD0sy48xkEDSjD1aEUaBz_Tr4ez5Y8qlvLKf-ZAi92L4HmiPjbqt5ivZFE5tUcPzrJyQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea on Ed, looking for cows in 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got home a huge windstorm hit, blowing several branches off the elm tree by our house, and raining a little. It cleared off by chore time, however, and I gave Ed some bute (anti-inflammatory drug, similar to aspirin) so she wouldn’t be too stiff and sore the next day, from her ride. She is a tough old horse and did really well for age 30 and not in shape. She’d only been ridden once this year—a brief ride in early Spring when Dani rode her over the hill on the low range.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Andrea put up more hot wire around the hayfield on heifer hill, so we can move the cows over there and keep them out of the regrowth on the field. Then we rode again, to go check the 320 to see if those darn cows were in again. Dani and her friend Jake rode with us. Dani rode Shiloh, and Jake rode up here from his grandparents’ place (Jeff and Jill Minor, at Baker). We were hoping to do a more thorough check through the 320 (in the brush and timber) to see if those 2 cows were back in again, since we didn’t see them the day before. I took photos as we rode up the ridge from our house, when Jake stopped to tighten his cinch, and as we rode on up the long ridges toward the 320.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKVIWfrSmDRr-N70UetM936D1uXAsIYXiGyQ_v7ZVhQ2DZUty2azk_S1LK6za0cMVkcQUXpB2x_RBgSi7BXalakDo7Qs_KMdl8XKstTe1j3e7-c60Z75rw4kMMhXrzW-oMyYLjNRmlcCt92R3ePIED53oIeHc1PfJuySKGXtbsSieukHYaIfuCHypStw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKVIWfrSmDRr-N70UetM936D1uXAsIYXiGyQ_v7ZVhQ2DZUty2azk_S1LK6za0cMVkcQUXpB2x_RBgSi7BXalakDo7Qs_KMdl8XKstTe1j3e7-c60Z75rw4kMMhXrzW-oMyYLjNRmlcCt92R3ePIED53oIeHc1PfJuySKGXtbsSieukHYaIfuCHypStw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jake tightening his cinch</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2WFlhMTxRIOMFS0T1-m-AfSC_kVHCG2DJTZD5zKVRnS7XaY2tHkA6_sxHA3z-Tij3GjNLtda2PkSK6l8_irfTPhD2baRX1y212X941nnG2eZrUUJ5QB6VaoVoO3UyUh3tHTJISXbl6uQ7vgLi7KhPJtZJ9ee_IFaPvyaqWnMkuGg5ANWZuceM7DT63A=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2WFlhMTxRIOMFS0T1-m-AfSC_kVHCG2DJTZD5zKVRnS7XaY2tHkA6_sxHA3z-Tij3GjNLtda2PkSK6l8_irfTPhD2baRX1y212X941nnG2eZrUUJ5QB6VaoVoO3UyUh3tHTJISXbl6uQ7vgLi7KhPJtZJ9ee_IFaPvyaqWnMkuGg5ANWZuceM7DT63A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Iy0FRRDMyPfQtA3FMz_o4Zm840zSQ1qBoxL8938IonyNOrL36mp6EecSaji46t9HgqKT_dSGfWTst4XYNVaVmEiORz9LK3cPjrOV06jYRhz3rqNfQn42qD_LAfBkwuRDmbp8Qi57-N3VcHO9u58R0kbAgkATplXAIJOTn_GHtu9sCTfaW7sn_ipCaw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_Iy0FRRDMyPfQtA3FMz_o4Zm840zSQ1qBoxL8938IonyNOrL36mp6EecSaji46t9HgqKT_dSGfWTst4XYNVaVmEiORz9LK3cPjrOV06jYRhz3rqNfQn42qD_LAfBkwuRDmbp8Qi57-N3VcHO9u58R0kbAgkATplXAIJOTn_GHtu9sCTfaW7sn_ipCaw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Jake riding up the ridge to 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7WUDH18Gs4qDWgX4JrN9bayAKQEUF-6baU_77Hm1HRNVsu2yUrwZvsVIUo_RXNd06Rmz32yRkkRP7MouYNCyF2a9l6U6y1jW4XpO--pQx7UQr6yWykyhbdTtBAzjSvXHT36pT7SKJvci3kzSduEN_sMmDgyMXS_T9E_2a2E1Q3FemZtUNTbR9uuiqZA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7WUDH18Gs4qDWgX4JrN9bayAKQEUF-6baU_77Hm1HRNVsu2yUrwZvsVIUo_RXNd06Rmz32yRkkRP7MouYNCyF2a9l6U6y1jW4XpO--pQx7UQr6yWykyhbdTtBAzjSvXHT36pT7SKJvci3kzSduEN_sMmDgyMXS_T9E_2a2E1Q3FemZtUNTbR9uuiqZA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding up ridge just below 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When we went into the 320 we didn’t find the cows in their usual places and kept going on up the creek. I took photos of Dani and Jake going up Baker Creek.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVZBrZ8imfxlyka2NOhg_bi0FdF2pdjpcjRkPrCW7t8GLZYFsY2GoLvVJukTzk8-ALz6cbqyXxsCrYf_Vedcu4GomtW_QGc0XBvo9y_SdHJXJGw-s63ZJroUfaNzyc_VoBtTrB_Jr9yy4FYFfhZ8JQvY5IaD7MurIpDnIxXWUFqu-qp9Vd0rkK11DSgA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVZBrZ8imfxlyka2NOhg_bi0FdF2pdjpcjRkPrCW7t8GLZYFsY2GoLvVJukTzk8-ALz6cbqyXxsCrYf_Vedcu4GomtW_QGc0XBvo9y_SdHJXJGw-s63ZJroUfaNzyc_VoBtTrB_Jr9yy4FYFfhZ8JQvY5IaD7MurIpDnIxXWUFqu-qp9Vd0rkK11DSgA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">going up Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghDP7p9O5YUXniM6wz-s67f3ohXA6pZxT0_rn8vCVDLIQMficLSv-CqHTzp-miMZjtqwc13fhoS-Ow6UBCxVGH-_yGAhd6r8rVkk4QoOJiSupaboIyyUuvqmGWr_pKtdhO1jN3sOE1IhQkKigMikWoVaUdqmYKwReKP0kTwi0PWxyTfv5qhF3mZBHXHg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEghDP7p9O5YUXniM6wz-s67f3ohXA6pZxT0_rn8vCVDLIQMficLSv-CqHTzp-miMZjtqwc13fhoS-Ow6UBCxVGH-_yGAhd6r8rVkk4QoOJiSupaboIyyUuvqmGWr_pKtdhO1jN3sOE1IhQkKigMikWoVaUdqmYKwReKP0kTwi0PWxyTfv5qhF3mZBHXHg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Jake & Dani in Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We finally found those trespassing cows—with their calves, for the first time—at the top end of Baker Creek. This was handy because we were able to put them out that gate, and join them with a group of cattle that was hanging down there on our fence. There is no grass at all on the high range in Baker Creek, so we took that group, picking up a few more cattle along the way, and moved them all the way up the creek to where we could put them out on the big ridge between Baker Creek and Withington Creek where there is actually a little grass left—that wasn’t eaten by the cows that got into the high range a month early. It was nice having Dani and Jake help us because we could split up and be more effective moving those cows up through the creek bottom and heading them out through the timber to the ridge.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was also nice that Shiloh got along well with Jake’s mare, and they could work together on one side of the herd while Andrea and I handled the other side. I took photos as Andrea and I moved the main bunch up the creek bottom.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSGaH8GN5s3CNY4I0syaPJOLMS6M6q3idkyGlbYIx6nQeeDeciYSfaykIx4TA6qmo9SRa5UtEd82ZRAzvKTTpv95iMTwJ7C59kwzKM6mSI7q0tr6E8zTqXXRWjgC1qMlvwBqTrWkrPi2xNlnL06S9H_U0ckMWUsajxBbBhsQ2TG94F8otPcoLhv6cFQQ=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSGaH8GN5s3CNY4I0syaPJOLMS6M6q3idkyGlbYIx6nQeeDeciYSfaykIx4TA6qmo9SRa5UtEd82ZRAzvKTTpv95iMTwJ7C59kwzKM6mSI7q0tr6E8zTqXXRWjgC1qMlvwBqTrWkrPi2xNlnL06S9H_U0ckMWUsajxBbBhsQ2TG94F8otPcoLhv6cFQQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRT76aDtalCvynRAN2UhetMUqpEQmNxatLfFB0f1ar4MP8TTWDfzW27gXu2biqFaSN3HJudMPfQcK1O4Knm_bX8U-TYBEV8wVg7cP7SsGiuYrszBg1jBI4Lg6wbUXh4-1UKISIhBkQHAZJur5IBTdcMpvnK_eNgdLMuy_Wiayg9RcTfHUNozycgUWMSg=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRT76aDtalCvynRAN2UhetMUqpEQmNxatLfFB0f1ar4MP8TTWDfzW27gXu2biqFaSN3HJudMPfQcK1O4Knm_bX8U-TYBEV8wVg7cP7SsGiuYrszBg1jBI4Lg6wbUXh4-1UKISIhBkQHAZJur5IBTdcMpvnK_eNgdLMuy_Wiayg9RcTfHUNozycgUWMSg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf0dlOAQWzHhxFya8omq-RHJsJNgVC6sLbm0ewXYHKj43pJ2w7iXbuoXt6uuOta5C9Hd8sPCWBo8ATe5RQmVHrHQBrDt9JPrmGhuFKTvyiM6y1yMW8gfUEIwlZ9EsaHa9Xa2Wn5ZF-7SNTWHVrZtXrnGS4ju_GHj4380zj9RYTRv6aQrE0QQJseCV1Jg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgf0dlOAQWzHhxFya8omq-RHJsJNgVC6sLbm0ewXYHKj43pJ2w7iXbuoXt6uuOta5C9Hd8sPCWBo8ATe5RQmVHrHQBrDt9JPrmGhuFKTvyiM6y1yMW8gfUEIwlZ9EsaHa9Xa2Wn5ZF-7SNTWHVrZtXrnGS4ju_GHj4380zj9RYTRv6aQrE0QQJseCV1Jg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> taking the cows on up Baker Creek in the high range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got home, I fed everyone lunch, and Jake took his mare to the creek in the corral so she could have a drink.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After lunch Andrea hauled some steel posts down to our lower back field, in preparation for building a fence around the deep chasm that eroded down the hill from the ditch (created after Robbie used a mini-excavator to clean the ditch and made a spillway down the hill, not understanding that it would create horrible erosion). That chasm is about 15 feet deep in one spot and very narrow, and if a cow or calf fell in it they would never get out. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She also hauled a couple rolls of net wire (that we saved for recycling after rebuilding some old fences) down to the bottom of the post pile pasture so we can put it along the jack fence down there.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We talked to Heather and Gregory in Canada and they were excited and happy at how their well drilling project turned out. One well was only 40 feet deep and producing 100 gallons a minute, with the water rising to within 5 feet of the surface. They hadn’t drilled the second one yet, but they are delighted that they will have plenty of water for their cattle in that pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday was hot and we didn’t ride. I helped Andrea finish the hot wire around the edge of the hayfield on heifer hill, then Jake and Dani helped us move the cows from the ditch pasture by Andrea’s house into heifer hill. Then they helped Andrea for a couple hours, setting steel posts and fencing off the chasm on the hill in the lower back field. Lynn went to town for mail and groceries and more staples for our fencing project. I took photos of the fence around the chasm in the back field. The grass around it is tall and it’s hard to tell that the little “ditch” in the pictures is actually about 15 feet deep.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyGOleWEMFbvT1TrMfFIooeu5mhvH0Mc_x4tCjKt9tRdrROzTf0_SlEUsOsgseP13aU05n_3wyoXuspaobaAvsqOIi3uvdIsWu9auOFJvldyAjgmSRur_DHq7lvCBFdhThj7GRya2XmXgt5c_68LjONPjvgIOS9pkMP8S3_eiXkGeP6_Kq9dpEZRuVrA=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiyGOleWEMFbvT1TrMfFIooeu5mhvH0Mc_x4tCjKt9tRdrROzTf0_SlEUsOsgseP13aU05n_3wyoXuspaobaAvsqOIi3uvdIsWu9auOFJvldyAjgmSRur_DHq7lvCBFdhThj7GRya2XmXgt5c_68LjONPjvgIOS9pkMP8S3_eiXkGeP6_Kq9dpEZRuVrA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIskVhydjO17zm2EJDsVpZoTimAn7jZyIbImG6anr617A8tMsFhoSYYyaVgyCnMCKGAdXf6KRdYoJkLUci9z7_r-BoXW_neKE1XKmabetVeVaYxkrGXxCxhAtUBb2irWtqRYZHVMK1kNkLYKQvbV7abazn1s5liKGKV7gW1Vm5VcLIf_mvsLO-7KakDw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIskVhydjO17zm2EJDsVpZoTimAn7jZyIbImG6anr617A8tMsFhoSYYyaVgyCnMCKGAdXf6KRdYoJkLUci9z7_r-BoXW_neKE1XKmabetVeVaYxkrGXxCxhAtUBb2irWtqRYZHVMK1kNkLYKQvbV7abazn1s5liKGKV7gW1Vm5VcLIf_mvsLO-7KakDw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">fence around the deep chasm</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Gregory called that evening to tell us that the second well for their cattle turned out nicely also—at 50 gallons a minute.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Wednesday Dani had to work at the motel, but Jake and one of his friends came and helped Andrea staple netting to the jack fence in the post pile pasture. This will ensure that no calves can crawl through the jack fence. We need a very secure boundary between our pasture and Alfonso’s field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Andrea, Dani and Dani’s friend Kendall took our stock trailer over to Phil Moulton’s place to help him haul some cattle to Blackfoot for the sale. Phil has helped us haul cattle a few times so this was payback; he had too many cattle for one load so Andrea hauled 7 cows and a bull in our trailer. After they were loaded, the tires on our trailer were pretty low, and Phil put more air in them before they started the trip. We realized that the tires that came with that old trailer were too small; they were camp trailer tires, not adequate for a stock trailer hauling more weight. The wheels also got hot and the trailer brakes weren’t working very well. We were glad they made the trip safely; we’ll have to get new, bigger tires, and check the brakes. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While they were gone we helped take care of Christopher and he had fun playing for several hours in our cluttered livingroom. He found some little hand weights that Lynn used at one time for physical therapy for his shoulders, and he immediately lay down on the floor and played with them like he was a weight lifter, lifting weights. We were amused at that because he must have seen people doing that on television.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgdNB4nKxaTUqplO5fi_822oynnsB0F9z0uZ-y81EPZveZNYJO3o6ZRA7k1N-kC9d6SxYrhQfqM4wMPgS0opT3YJu7XuxYhdZc0GndML5-f_GbLRVftN7xEti1cWTLz-rkVogM4kj49gDaaENjjk1L3EgyoR4JM8-8U2ULidc7p3lFfaj5yFQtkQGZMQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhgdNB4nKxaTUqplO5fi_822oynnsB0F9z0uZ-y81EPZveZNYJO3o6ZRA7k1N-kC9d6SxYrhQfqM4wMPgS0opT3YJu7XuxYhdZc0GndML5-f_GbLRVftN7xEti1cWTLz-rkVogM4kj49gDaaENjjk1L3EgyoR4JM8-8U2ULidc7p3lFfaj5yFQtkQGZMQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher lifting weights</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioCnPOFTaNCmt1Or6wbf2xCnvOzYhMuHPeu1FCuEAPOYjHprynfw46HXIo0pQmRJ8B3buXibIDlyIMEELj-jiQrT-YAFi0QFiuWqFP59TfteRWbmx9O8-KJtju5iY6iRe0bPkdAxLXFjmBxmUSbiU-3x1RpJK6_UhBov7cM6F_rm-O6fREFKI3kcXuYw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEioCnPOFTaNCmt1Or6wbf2xCnvOzYhMuHPeu1FCuEAPOYjHprynfw46HXIo0pQmRJ8B3buXibIDlyIMEELj-jiQrT-YAFi0QFiuWqFP59TfteRWbmx9O8-KJtju5iY6iRe0bPkdAxLXFjmBxmUSbiU-3x1RpJK6_UhBov7cM6F_rm-O6fREFKI3kcXuYw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher in our living room</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When he got tired of that he played with some of his toys, then found Lynn’s old radio and was checking it out. He figured out how to turn it on and pull up the antenna and change the station. That kid is too smart and likes to try to figure everything out.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeTT_tdVIaXcA28yljHSM11xaZXB7pisHGk_nxIC5CGoexHcfpVNT0M-4wZsypk3omZa5EyP8e3oAQ7Tq5mFatGa3KNR2R0h6JVShPU7kuzmMhTnYtfghjM2Qd9rvQmtfZlmFjcuO8KxmweEN2oxY_wBkWwitK08kJSvi9KIHYKfQtvUnnVHr_X2nvqw=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeTT_tdVIaXcA28yljHSM11xaZXB7pisHGk_nxIC5CGoexHcfpVNT0M-4wZsypk3omZa5EyP8e3oAQ7Tq5mFatGa3KNR2R0h6JVShPU7kuzmMhTnYtfghjM2Qd9rvQmtfZlmFjcuO8KxmweEN2oxY_wBkWwitK08kJSvi9KIHYKfQtvUnnVHr_X2nvqw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiddxCFYlCHNFiQFXN90q6diJnarflSMrrYkLPaXyxc-6XkwM9gwzd62Snrcjlwv6k6sYAikxIWjmit3GhYSUFmiAT0BBOIAmXx9Mud1At3OMMkIXw8fifCwg7ehaSxg3wq6aQdL2DzHS0of9UhuqEm78yVzCkcfj-D3iKy3IlDLsiKJ0t_GZkRvtO8ag=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiddxCFYlCHNFiQFXN90q6diJnarflSMrrYkLPaXyxc-6XkwM9gwzd62Snrcjlwv6k6sYAikxIWjmit3GhYSUFmiAT0BBOIAmXx9Mud1At3OMMkIXw8fifCwg7ehaSxg3wq6aQdL2DzHS0of9UhuqEm78yVzCkcfj-D3iKy3IlDLsiKJ0t_GZkRvtO8ag=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing with Lynn's old radio</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was hot again. Andrea took her truck and trailer to town to get new tires for the trailer. They weren’t able to figure out the brakes, however, so we’ll have to take it somewhere else for that problem.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">AUGUST 22</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– Last Saturday Lynn went with his sister Jenelle to Blackfoot to get a new PTO shaft for a tractor; it broke down while baling her hay. Andrea and I made a fast ride to the 320 to check and make sure no cattle were getting in from the high range side. I took a photo of Andrea looking toward the south fence to see if there were any range cattle on that side of our 320.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS409GyVTYJnMpVemjIBvLQ4Wr5LQsNuZ6kAvv1Ah2usuQYC-lNzmxJRZjjX1t3bY-zPRAN3HERjFZFtRkiDjW4leoHorGWDPCvf9K4L-uz1dB48GF-lB8QAFvHMtmS6IHbrulsgIIt32UutGrJvye0Lp7itDmIIqmdjRBKSyL6bkFAa1uqOmFTVtVXg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhS409GyVTYJnMpVemjIBvLQ4Wr5LQsNuZ6kAvv1Ah2usuQYC-lNzmxJRZjjX1t3bY-zPRAN3HERjFZFtRkiDjW4leoHorGWDPCvf9K4L-uz1dB48GF-lB8QAFvHMtmS6IHbrulsgIIt32UutGrJvye0Lp7itDmIIqmdjRBKSyL6bkFAa1uqOmFTVtVXg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea checking 320</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got back, we moved our cows from heifer hill to the upper swamp pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day I put front shoes on Willow. She’s done really well to make 9 rides without shoes, but we don’t want to risk a stone bruise; it was time to put shoes on. Then Andrea and Lynn took our stock trailer over to Vern England for more fixing. He lowered the tongue a bit so it will be more level and not so much weight on the rear axle when loaded, but he couldn’t fix the brakes. He suggested taking it to the Good News Garage—an auto shop that’s good at working on trailer brakes, so we made an appointment with that shop.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea’s friend Jerry came out that afternoon and helped her put net wire all along the jack fence in the lower back field, so there will be no chance for the range cattle to crawl through into our place. There was a bull down in the swamp below the fence, and Andrea chased him over the hill, but he was back again the next day.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday Andrea took Christopher to his swimming lessons. At age 2 he’s not afraid of the water but needs to learn how to swim.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I hauled 9 small bales from the stackyard on the feed truck and I put them in the lane by the main corral so we can feed the bull and his heifer companion for a while in that corral when we have to move them out of the bull pen.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and Jake rode for 3 hours on the low range, just for fun, and had a picnic by the Baker Grove. When they got home they helped Andrea for a couple hours, putting more staples on the netting on the jack fence in the lower back field (Andrea and Jerry ran out of staples the day they put the wire on, and we had to buy more staples), and a couple more poles on the jack fence. I took photos of the jack fence with net wire on it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia-2GBEu8GVT2ubbcmxAPPjV0wqrdVPKRlTDd-1Jv-cPbZDXgmkZy3TC0EQCQ5u_S9tSftXa8o01wCfTv0adu000t3Sej6BTNmrRHcr5NvXwXCYAp9Z_cipA6-BVh0k34199Xgv8dV8U4ZG01sFjwMXfUk7DjfkAsZO--EDToDe0DDaXmDA6aSHknEXA=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEia-2GBEu8GVT2ubbcmxAPPjV0wqrdVPKRlTDd-1Jv-cPbZDXgmkZy3TC0EQCQ5u_S9tSftXa8o01wCfTv0adu000t3Sej6BTNmrRHcr5NvXwXCYAp9Z_cipA6-BVh0k34199Xgv8dV8U4ZG01sFjwMXfUk7DjfkAsZO--EDToDe0DDaXmDA6aSHknEXA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimCcTBJezxCsaZMfyNk9fxnzVFdFCMzHLVrVJc7W_CU_exKHeedJiiR8RvPLNfn-8pKr2Zyg7xXVtdGJNmJwrtcJXG8fo-aChTmm9GXWZyquCiRXNa_GamDIDaBsF08a88DSwHBey1j9gh3NLjnOnlvgYKMTkHwksO2dTRedM_js38rhNI_i0uPOXanQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEimCcTBJezxCsaZMfyNk9fxnzVFdFCMzHLVrVJc7W_CU_exKHeedJiiR8RvPLNfn-8pKr2Zyg7xXVtdGJNmJwrtcJXG8fo-aChTmm9GXWZyquCiRXNa_GamDIDaBsF08a88DSwHBey1j9gh3NLjnOnlvgYKMTkHwksO2dTRedM_js38rhNI_i0uPOXanQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">net wire on jackfence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we moved the cows and calves to the back lower field and I put the bull and his companion in the main corral so they would not be adjacent to those cows (the bull corral is next to the upper part of that back pasture). Since we have 3 cull cows in that group that we didn’t put with the bull this summer—knowing we will be selling them—we didn’t want to have them next to the bull in case one of them comes into heat and the bull would try to go through the fence.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea drove to Montana to spend a few days with Stan, and spell him off on the wash station, since government regulations specify that no one can work on these fires more than 14 days in a row; they have to take 2 days off and then resume the job. Andrea has her qualifications to work at fire camps, so she was technically in charge of Stan’s wash station while he took those 2 days off.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The weather turned cold over there, and it rained, which helped a bit with the efforts to control that fire. Andrea took her irrigating boots and was the only one in camp who had totally dry feet! We had cool weather here, but no rain. We desperately need rain. While Andrea was gone, Lynn and I took care of Christopher while Emily was at work. Em didn’t work on Wednesday, however, so she took care of him that day, and we had her and Christopher here for supper. Dani spent a few nights at her dad’s house; he is helping her work on an old pickup to get it running so she can drive it. Currently she is still borrowing our old car (“Luna”) to drive to work.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While Andrea was gone, Lynn and I changed the irrigation water, but there wasn’t much to change since the creek is low and we are cut down to one ditch. Andrea drove home on Friday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was still cool, with a tiny bit of rain. Andrea changed water and set a few more steel posts along the lower end of the chasm in the back field, and put several strands of wire on those posts so no cattle will fall into that lower end. The chasm there isn’t very wide, but quite deep.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Andrea and Lynn helped me move the heifers from their ditch pasture by the driveway and put them in the little swamp pen below the bull corral. Being able to rotate them around a lot of small areas where we can’t graze the whole herd helps extend our pasture and provide forage for the heifers for the whole summer except when they are with the main herd during breeding season.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then I put front shoes on Shiloh. Her feet are generally so hard that they are hard to trim and hard to drive nails for shoeing, but after the little bit of rain the day before they were softer and I was able to get her front feet trimmed and shod. They were starting to get a bit raggedy after traveling through so many rocks on Dani’s recent rides so it was time to put shoes on.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily brought Christopher down that afternoon and we gave him his first ride on Ed, using the little saddle that we got for Dani when she was little. He was delighted to be up on that horse!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXBReFaNFLQoroWWhFT5KiFy7eOMEAs4bi8Fh3hXwJXiJZV_bmmbsuTV-SdA_kG8XERBm2moqEYrzS6e3RGwklW2vN4RYwDJmtV1anzfFUbtBXKeCGjrGXKwPiJXi7ZhNtVDFdDcqi55-ktpcTItS7eJrP-OSx0JTkxs7WHoxIJ8OfpCWltmT-t5ncqQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXBReFaNFLQoroWWhFT5KiFy7eOMEAs4bi8Fh3hXwJXiJZV_bmmbsuTV-SdA_kG8XERBm2moqEYrzS6e3RGwklW2vN4RYwDJmtV1anzfFUbtBXKeCGjrGXKwPiJXi7ZhNtVDFdDcqi55-ktpcTItS7eJrP-OSx0JTkxs7WHoxIJ8OfpCWltmT-t5ncqQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher proudly rides Ed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">His legs aren’t long enough yet to reach the stirrups, but he hung onto the saddle horn and enjoyed the ride while we led Ed up the lane and out the driveway and back, and he didn’t want to get off when it was time to put her away.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHUbPoSN54xpc2v_c8h3FcBWlp22sZpd4hwsl63FF0tlXqNTjLS1RoaxIOC8gcgFii8GoLH-_RbwmVilNnxWio2u50V_63lZbYKOYHdRUXKNV70HWPneNrumyMoTbrflHxIpYr8nKQt2XeAjMRiNI7-TOknKorOdcOWmf2JOHaRZKXDGeUjw9lrGqpCA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHUbPoSN54xpc2v_c8h3FcBWlp22sZpd4hwsl63FF0tlXqNTjLS1RoaxIOC8gcgFii8GoLH-_RbwmVilNnxWio2u50V_63lZbYKOYHdRUXKNV70HWPneNrumyMoTbrflHxIpYr8nKQt2XeAjMRiNI7-TOknKorOdcOWmf2JOHaRZKXDGeUjw9lrGqpCA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher riding Ed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBpVXzX5I6o-OTIX4Ezmj-Z5NBj22uhtCbeo77pqCYblOl5jscGgeuwXhQ3ptqmBvlbH3QZZa05gToImkKC-YeLtXFHFNeH6u2tMPyYE-NXcbTve0X06PurhjH0nxLDzYzn0KDWAcCifVzDmrMFDgAHZEiUNwpmrl8QYwimK8MhQUmnSuV746-DTTiGQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBpVXzX5I6o-OTIX4Ezmj-Z5NBj22uhtCbeo77pqCYblOl5jscGgeuwXhQ3ptqmBvlbH3QZZa05gToImkKC-YeLtXFHFNeH6u2tMPyYE-NXcbTve0X06PurhjH0nxLDzYzn0KDWAcCifVzDmrMFDgAHZEiUNwpmrl8QYwimK8MhQUmnSuV746-DTTiGQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea leading Ed up the driveway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He “helped” lead her back to her pen, and fed her some handfuls of hay. After we put Ed back in her pen, Andrea changed water, and killed a rattlesnake on the ditch bank just below the driveway. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today I’d planned to put hind shoes on Willow, but she still has a fair amount of hoof wall left (and her feet are hard to trim if they are dry and not soft from mud) so Andrea and rode to check the 320 (no cows in!) and went on up into the high range. Those poor cows up there have no salt (not since early June when they were still on the low range) and are spread out over the big mountain down toward Withington Creek—the only place there is still a little grass, but it’s about gone.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWLwEy47ab9giRHd4KA-6nj5CYExT3weUuXA4idNmamAP1NW2BLuiYgha_ytm2n3y9ewHVB7uKCCpPGFH2QEbNisLxAprB5Xf3iQi7lLX6jkuqVGQzWS-qUpYjwvLzMq2smUoyNK5j-Xeze1ZgoBTBKbdbYNjdMYsvKfh7ScwhpxAIILA3T642qEdHIg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjWLwEy47ab9giRHd4KA-6nj5CYExT3weUuXA4idNmamAP1NW2BLuiYgha_ytm2n3y9ewHVB7uKCCpPGFH2QEbNisLxAprB5Xf3iQi7lLX6jkuqVGQzWS-qUpYjwvLzMq2smUoyNK5j-Xeze1ZgoBTBKbdbYNjdMYsvKfh7ScwhpxAIILA3T642qEdHIg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding on the high range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">This evening Heather and Gregory called to tell us their exciting news. They let Joseph (4 years old) tell us first, saying that he is going to have a baby sibling in February! He said he wants a sister this time, because he already has a little brother and he’d like to try a sister. If all goes well, the baby will arrive in late February, about the time young James has his 2-year-old birthday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">SEPTEMBER 1</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Tuesday (August 24) was Charlie’s 20th birthday. Andrea, Em and Christopher had lunch with him in town, and that evening we had dinner at Andrea’s house to celebrate his birthday, after he got off work.<div><br /></div><div>That afternoon Andrea and I made a short ride up through the fields to check on our ditches; we asked the watermaster to put a little water back in # 8 for us, and a little more in # 7. We’ve been really short of water lately, with less than our 70 inch right. We discovered that there was still a little water in #8 but none of it is getting down to our place. It’s all dammed off on the Gooch place above us. We rode up the horse road to go into heifer hill, and I took photos as we went through the tall sagebrush along the way. These tall bushes are Basin Sage, that sometimes grow as tall as a small tree, but it takes them many years. The sagebrush along the horse road are more than 50 years old. I took photos as we rode up through them, and when we came back down.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMcneacb9APVA1m0QREStYjjIg7D_qoyqO7lh0DZWfjA-6r1gEbiHnAcieMe6L_NpPl_O93l5WXuDoC9WdMd4JOI792XhqQ2pZNKaZ2P4VpQAW_LSZlgsZRkdnLmxrgQZn-iUUcHA2-fKkd_tj-ZYFEaqKH2aEswS2JdbWP_eoYCuAvnTjxMZBpreQvg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMcneacb9APVA1m0QREStYjjIg7D_qoyqO7lh0DZWfjA-6r1gEbiHnAcieMe6L_NpPl_O93l5WXuDoC9WdMd4JOI792XhqQ2pZNKaZ2P4VpQAW_LSZlgsZRkdnLmxrgQZn-iUUcHA2-fKkd_tj-ZYFEaqKH2aEswS2JdbWP_eoYCuAvnTjxMZBpreQvg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding up the horse road to go to heifer hill</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSM7YagIVRDb0lbPKukme_cFrHMeXM4v646yzwOCqVFxHH3jS9sd9r1EjgMZc5t5dJ09HdYLdjN94r3ajgQwclvmRSPq_mTiihU6pSCZV0NH5q6vLdIvEG1pgBINZdR7Bmg4gPZBJKNXj_MyR1gz9GlUN6vuiYObUtM2lNE6BMNapCrp6Wo37UY9VJuA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhSM7YagIVRDb0lbPKukme_cFrHMeXM4v646yzwOCqVFxHH3jS9sd9r1EjgMZc5t5dJ09HdYLdjN94r3ajgQwclvmRSPq_mTiihU6pSCZV0NH5q6vLdIvEG1pgBINZdR7Bmg4gPZBJKNXj_MyR1gz9GlUN6vuiYObUtM2lNE6BMNapCrp6Wo37UY9VJuA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">coming back down the horse road</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEzAUIwuczsJniMjrCG39wjgM9wK_Uzp0ec7LoN6ILLLBW_Zo7fVSSL42IpwHYOaOJ2OIdI1aIABuddq5U3SMMV0-PiiKnIkkfayEOvUPsoRlwNXw9LCOfxLgFgnGdmnFKLtwam9TrFl1WcF_jaG3NWeE-oVDn9KXMjH99ZTZJdfWfzeXrknxq1HIIbQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEzAUIwuczsJniMjrCG39wjgM9wK_Uzp0ec7LoN6ILLLBW_Zo7fVSSL42IpwHYOaOJ2OIdI1aIABuddq5U3SMMV0-PiiKnIkkfayEOvUPsoRlwNXw9LCOfxLgFgnGdmnFKLtwam9TrFl1WcF_jaG3NWeE-oVDn9KXMjH99ZTZJdfWfzeXrknxq1HIIbQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding through the tall sage</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon after Dani got home, she spent an hour trimming the overhanging brush out of the runway to our chute. It’s become so overgrown that the cows have a hard time going down that alley when we need to put them in the chute, and we wanted the brush cleared out before we preg check and vaccinate in mid-September. The young bull was curious about Dani standing in the alleyway (and standing on the poles to reach the higher brush) and he stood next to the poles licking and chewing on her shoes!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening we all went to Andrea’s house for Charlie’s birthday dinner, but as Lynn and I were about to go out the back door, we saw our little friendly skunk eating the last crumbs of cat food on the porch, so we didn’t want to startle him by opening the door and bumping him. He knew we were there but he didn’t leave. He is so used to me walking past him here and there around the barnyard when I do chores morning and evening that he doesn’t spray—but he might if he was startled. So we patiently waited there inside the screen door while he finished crunching/eating all the cat food and after he left we ventured out, and I took photos of “Stinky” gobbling the cat food.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYDDnuSbWdCUpeTyGAH5bgcSZ8dtFOfy4gSS002ykvIX-RYAzw5RZnu4YvPg761SWhG1JBZCjqNAkJB7t8JbZ_Grx1ZtXRjrJEH7cEmqGDHi13P7J2EYDD8NVfGnx7hsdm1Ph8uJJ59thVKuGDRUWlrJWGPL4Jde1JXTeY4wXC3c3oGJ60FgQlELkLrA=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYDDnuSbWdCUpeTyGAH5bgcSZ8dtFOfy4gSS002ykvIX-RYAzw5RZnu4YvPg761SWhG1JBZCjqNAkJB7t8JbZ_Grx1ZtXRjrJEH7cEmqGDHi13P7J2EYDD8NVfGnx7hsdm1Ph8uJJ59thVKuGDRUWlrJWGPL4Jde1JXTeY4wXC3c3oGJ60FgQlELkLrA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYqnz40hkQ3rqffM2AFvhrHNCH36wekKaCa5uvqpg2TkfHsBFJgQGrzzTQt0DKyYqHWfqy-c5Z4J_Mzt0dNRFNZQuYZsVmZ_TjgwI_0kivgSSrZY0_AxPqkOpkiFD-ZBqYNkk1JSIpguHYkpQUGkE_Ad1L6USDav8nX8sjcCh3iZuB3NZdIL4I-WckFw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgYqnz40hkQ3rqffM2AFvhrHNCH36wekKaCa5uvqpg2TkfHsBFJgQGrzzTQt0DKyYqHWfqy-c5Z4J_Mzt0dNRFNZQuYZsVmZ_TjgwI_0kivgSSrZY0_AxPqkOpkiFD-ZBqYNkk1JSIpguHYkpQUGkE_Ad1L6USDav8nX8sjcCh3iZuB3NZdIL4I-WckFw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stinky the skunk eating cat food</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the cats was there, too, hoping to eat some of the food, looking wistfully at the skunk gobbling it up. It was one of our older cats, nicknamed Fencing Cat (because she likes to tag along with us when we are fixing fences around the barnyard).</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGpY-qgd2l0C440OvzdyMJTU3fnWhjhNfIxGRiD-z5n0-tirkZJabmT0ZpLFUuUGpo7oxeUZisWJl1FKB9A8FtPrCvoWBkAAJVKto70sfxfyXaAKIILbzBGmHWD7_aIKuY5r0b9rNheLziO5WMjjhyCGJprs5fK7dsP51DjTcr8eAP2G6p2xVRo2VW2g=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiGpY-qgd2l0C440OvzdyMJTU3fnWhjhNfIxGRiD-z5n0-tirkZJabmT0ZpLFUuUGpo7oxeUZisWJl1FKB9A8FtPrCvoWBkAAJVKto70sfxfyXaAKIILbzBGmHWD7_aIKuY5r0b9rNheLziO5WMjjhyCGJprs5fK7dsP51DjTcr8eAP2G6p2xVRo2VW2g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cat watching skunk clean up all the food</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE0MViI0PosVL42l7Oaj4ZdmBx2oSYnRv-Uh00CaSjN3kE7OGVs19Ffc6D2nkoHpafCLTmaWR8G-7wonA00XBu5i-blzCE-fmPa3P0toulEsqO3RRAVCbyYHHYEfRSk0vsfuYcjMrkPzxcHB_dKuPUMyvtYWhxonO4BxBkOknMZ3KYcREXoJ-JU65uKA=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgE0MViI0PosVL42l7Oaj4ZdmBx2oSYnRv-Uh00CaSjN3kE7OGVs19Ffc6D2nkoHpafCLTmaWR8G-7wonA00XBu5i-blzCE-fmPa3P0toulEsqO3RRAVCbyYHHYEfRSk0vsfuYcjMrkPzxcHB_dKuPUMyvtYWhxonO4BxBkOknMZ3KYcREXoJ-JU65uKA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stinky eats it all</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When we were finally able to go out the door, we went up to Andrea’s place for Charlie’s birthday dinner (20 years old!), and I took photos of Christopher playing with his toys before dinner, and some photos of the family during dinner.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXjxl7JSBPIHYl_8Etprr8eKKEk9ubbH7-RZAAp11Pn8_Jp-5unjFBDGdt-pow31l4Avx0In9wWbd84qsm1-dkp3agQ8TA-OP46kq89t832JGF03MxMRI-D5R4WRb0S7VBeSooO2amSTnKbPTAlz9pR-27n2hJAPP0esGpCdSbdSBzvEK2ZRNxZHjPnQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXjxl7JSBPIHYl_8Etprr8eKKEk9ubbH7-RZAAp11Pn8_Jp-5unjFBDGdt-pow31l4Avx0In9wWbd84qsm1-dkp3agQ8TA-OP46kq89t832JGF03MxMRI-D5R4WRb0S7VBeSooO2amSTnKbPTAlz9pR-27n2hJAPP0esGpCdSbdSBzvEK2ZRNxZHjPnQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHqa__oZ1GqVaFbJUZcqwAWbTtNV_KoJYf3jy75trik-zNpFKbL2IKSRAy0Q6OntaM3uUN6zkkdQddgwj44b4hZYxqVL82qusTsemYL-VzUYmzFaSdKuQUYlS41R-DvDl3T35HaUQ6vv97OMSVAdGS1x5iVe_TC9QFctv-l4hwvao6yXv5vTcy75rn4A=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiHqa__oZ1GqVaFbJUZcqwAWbTtNV_KoJYf3jy75trik-zNpFKbL2IKSRAy0Q6OntaM3uUN6zkkdQddgwj44b4hZYxqVL82qusTsemYL-VzUYmzFaSdKuQUYlS41R-DvDl3T35HaUQ6vv97OMSVAdGS1x5iVe_TC9QFctv-l4hwvao6yXv5vTcy75rn4A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-x1BOz32KoPLweayT2zUQ27Lk8OlynQF74WAKRg12rKHkK_vltEwpab59jO0LyqFxraF8Jv_V-CqQjMNnjhTCuF4cj0H-sqgb6hKXtKf8hl-OBhNqB6DrIt-g0L_FZ5YF0t6zm2tHBTid7hTNCg3I6tKbM1YAIt2RD0n5Dy845QF4LgfEA_iXgrKKQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjA-x1BOz32KoPLweayT2zUQ27Lk8OlynQF74WAKRg12rKHkK_vltEwpab59jO0LyqFxraF8Jv_V-CqQjMNnjhTCuF4cj0H-sqgb6hKXtKf8hl-OBhNqB6DrIt-g0L_FZ5YF0t6zm2tHBTid7hTNCg3I6tKbM1YAIt2RD0n5Dy845QF4LgfEA_iXgrKKQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie and Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLIyrHv7eWCuM5d4WBnLxdtkHm7M_4_dCRchNylADvk7wwqS4_3cbMjO71n6aGqK5S-xmfh0ysL1XJoGubKPP3hck9nmH-VcQbMN4S7UMWodyUdjsbpizFzvuzYegbfTJkKbwOz1ZYOn6EZLeCLJMZYArKDUF_7paLooM9g1dUzsILtK8QP3csZFp1Kg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhLIyrHv7eWCuM5d4WBnLxdtkHm7M_4_dCRchNylADvk7wwqS4_3cbMjO71n6aGqK5S-xmfh0ysL1XJoGubKPP3hck9nmH-VcQbMN4S7UMWodyUdjsbpizFzvuzYegbfTJkKbwOz1ZYOn6EZLeCLJMZYArKDUF_7paLooM9g1dUzsILtK8QP3csZFp1Kg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie's birthday dinner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Emily brought Charlie the special carrot cake she made for him, and Christopher admired it and wanted to eat the candy carrots off it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj93-imkgvHMV4KxHb9jeWEwbqwFV43zbQVkPFXqJjGK3Hq017wvLNmoLg-iXGEvuiJnJNFhbFU66OFvS3uVY58sNMAF1QFdmiKzJP81aojLOZ3TaXNMkcjrA9z-ynaHJYSNQdVKED1Mc-POWvMHPp4vsDxkr9DRlLeq7dC9H8iG1KtG8QYr5dWpzP0SQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj93-imkgvHMV4KxHb9jeWEwbqwFV43zbQVkPFXqJjGK3Hq017wvLNmoLg-iXGEvuiJnJNFhbFU66OFvS3uVY58sNMAF1QFdmiKzJP81aojLOZ3TaXNMkcjrA9z-ynaHJYSNQdVKED1Mc-POWvMHPp4vsDxkr9DRlLeq7dC9H8iG1KtG8QYr5dWpzP0SQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em presenting Charlie with cake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg34mVxW9zi1aWvHds8-Jgrxd9d0TE0jo56ttlJR0-Gzgsvs0L93Iep7t_QaSpmBDr3lN97uL8HOg8g0lKjQrgpNP07Wdinzp4Bg6vFVxZXGt9OuFSzyWOngYUIjHiZbzcEB9ub0ZPLaHgV20ixLZb4fDHKO7s3ctiTN8lP3N2tEywRyRd2omBe2bgkuQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg34mVxW9zi1aWvHds8-Jgrxd9d0TE0jo56ttlJR0-Gzgsvs0L93Iep7t_QaSpmBDr3lN97uL8HOg8g0lKjQrgpNP07Wdinzp4Bg6vFVxZXGt9OuFSzyWOngYUIjHiZbzcEB9ub0ZPLaHgV20ixLZb4fDHKO7s3ctiTN8lP3N2tEywRyRd2omBe2bgkuQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher admiring cake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then Charlie opened his birthday presents, and I took photos of him opening a gift, and of the funny card I made for him that had a photo taken 10 years ago on his 10th birthday.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOwnQt2WWH6xiHctXkjaWG84LeqVEPEI09zSScvTrawi5YStKjCm9PfA-iwdBfuXtOXVWV0FvqvQgGxaPRsjMrdIQUxeb23_DDSNKpI9Sl9qSTAV741WQEWNMarMtWpYW4ZR_xRtovahkRiFTRSUP2gzJzbcmTgOltBPK0WJPkVa_7PHItb32K9xXVHw=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgOwnQt2WWH6xiHctXkjaWG84LeqVEPEI09zSScvTrawi5YStKjCm9PfA-iwdBfuXtOXVWV0FvqvQgGxaPRsjMrdIQUxeb23_DDSNKpI9Sl9qSTAV741WQEWNMarMtWpYW4ZR_xRtovahkRiFTRSUP2gzJzbcmTgOltBPK0WJPkVa_7PHItb32K9xXVHw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">opening birthday present</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRyxPKNIEbWQHCbeO_xwFFkm-TevmwMmCZnOcCpL9HTbH4087WnqSPSqP1Tf4LmtU10gc_Q1baHOoGM3_QjW9CrAr3C55NnJTkO0VD28wqjX5UQXWiCajf3T8GetosCE-Shc_Eraz-CtXCFwQM7trEtc2kvRz_D6yOfcDYiGW2j_-N-2UbBRFlzLZdUQ=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRyxPKNIEbWQHCbeO_xwFFkm-TevmwMmCZnOcCpL9HTbH4087WnqSPSqP1Tf4LmtU10gc_Q1baHOoGM3_QjW9CrAr3C55NnJTkO0VD28wqjX5UQXWiCajf3T8GetosCE-Shc_Eraz-CtXCFwQM7trEtc2kvRz_D6yOfcDYiGW2j_-N-2UbBRFlzLZdUQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old photo of his 20th birthday</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next morning Andrea and Lynn went to town early to take Andrea’s pickup and stock trailer to the Good News Garage to have the brakes checked. They figured out that there was a communication problem between the trailer brakes and the pickup, and ordered a new “controller” for her pickup.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Phil Moulton brought us two loads of second cutting alfalfa (for our heifers this winter) and stacked it next to Shiloh’s pen. With the drought, hay is scarce and high priced. Phil didn’t have quite as much 2nd cutting for us as we’d wanted to get from him, but I think we’ll still be ok unless it’s a long hard winter. He did honor the price he told us it would be, when we ordered it from him this spring, even though hay prices have nearly doubled what they were at that time. The drought is hurting a lot of folks—many ranchers are running out of pasture, and will have to feed hay sooner than usual, and the hay is costing more.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We were going to put black plastic over the two new stacks that afternoon but the wind came up horribly, with a little bit of rain, and we didn’t get a chance to cover them. It didn’t rain much, but did clear the smoke out of the air briefly.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had horrible smoke all summer, from fires near and far. It’s been one of the worst fire seasons across the West, due to hot dry weather but mainly due to the ‘let burn’ policy of the government land management agencies—both state and federal. They often don’t try to put small fires out immediately, and they become big fires, and less easily controlled. I was asked to write a series of articles about this growing problem and have interviewed some interesting people.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday afternoon Lynn tried to put more air in a leaking tractor tire on the mid-size John Deere (fortunately not the tractor Phil used for unloading the hay for us) but the valve stem broke off. It’s been leaking fluid as well as air (those big tires are partially filled with calcium chloride to give them more weight) and the leaking fluid had eaten up part of the valve stem as well as corroding the rim. So the tire went completely flat. We had to call the tire place to have them send out a guy the next day, to pump out the rest of the fluid and replace the inner tube and valve stem.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That morning we were able to put black plastic over both new haystacks; it didn’t rain enough the night before to soak in and make them too wet, and now they are safely covered if it does rain for real---which we hope it does! Jeff Minor came up that morning and put hind shoes on Shiloh. He can do it quicker and easier than I can! Now she has shoes on all four feet and won’t get tender-footed traveling through rocky terrain.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The creek is low and Jack (who has the first right) has been short of water, so Tony (our new watermaster shut down our ditches even more. The creek didn’t seem that low where it goes through our place, however, so we suspected that Alfonso is still using his illegal diversion (a ditch just below our place that has never had a headgate and weir, and is illegal for him to use except in high water, since it can’t be controlled or measured; to use it during regulation, he is essentially stealing water). </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So on Friday when Andrea and I made a short ride through our cows on the back pasture and out that far side onto the other range to chase some cattle away from our fence. There is hardly any grass out there, and the range cows want to come into our fields. I took a photo as we rode out there, and it shows there is no grass left.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwD2hSfIrDWiYEaJ9idLDp7wLLlhGFeJLg407ScxicMmaqWELQr4rsF_2e2ccHYc9r2HXKQQOq7B3mWL0wJXmK_Hs7fiAgHyR2dFqlX4EssbouqNZSAippFQ62Z6KK9e331ROu_S7Y2qYgMQUn2CUyaHT0NOeKcVFp4MzzTXX2NoHEZA2ZM9BTc3OO9g=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhwD2hSfIrDWiYEaJ9idLDp7wLLlhGFeJLg407ScxicMmaqWELQr4rsF_2e2ccHYc9r2HXKQQOq7B3mWL0wJXmK_Hs7fiAgHyR2dFqlX4EssbouqNZSAippFQ62Z6KK9e331ROu_S7Y2qYgMQUn2CUyaHT0NOeKcVFp4MzzTXX2NoHEZA2ZM9BTc3OO9g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding on the neighbors' range on the south side of our place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we chased those cows over the hill, we rode down the ridge and looked at Alfonso’s fields on the back side—and it looked like he’s been using the illegal diversion all summer. This is probably why Jack (who has the first right, below Alfonso’s fields) has been short of water lately as the creek dropped; even if we send more water down the creek, some of it goes out Alfonso’s illegal ditch and never gets to Jack. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So we called Tony and mentioned that this might be part of the problem, and that it happens every year, and has been the reason that our creek had to go into regulation some years much sooner than necessary (making the upper users shut off their ditches) because Alfonso was stealing water. Tony was not aware of that illegal ditch, and he hiked down along the creek that evening and found it. So he wants to find out (from his boss at IDWR) what he can do (beyond making Alfonso take out the dam across the creek, diverting it into the illegal ditch) to make sure he won’t continue doing it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday, I got up at 3 a.m. and typed some interviews and articles, to meet some urgent deadlines. Later that morning Andrea and I made a short ride to chase range cows away from our fence again on this back side. There’s no grass left out there and those hungry cows are trying to get into the field with our cows. There is a bog just below our place, and one cow was out in it trying to get a little taste of green grass (it grows in the bog when everything around it is too dry). Andrea got Willow a little too close to the bog and one of Willow’s hind legs went clear down in that bottomless mud, and as she tried to turn around and get back out of it, all four legs went down and she was in mud past her belly, with Andrea’s feet and stirrups clear down into the mud. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Willow floundered and struggled but didn’t panic, and Andrea didn’t dare get off for fear of being wallowed into the bog by the struggling horse. Willow finally lunged and lurched out to firmer ground. That poor mare was mud from feet to tail/shoulder. But she seemed ok (no pulled joints or strained muscles) and her lurching around in the bog scared the cow on out of the other side and we were able to take the cattle over the hill and about 2 miles to join them up with some other cattle. Hopefully they won’t come back—and hopefully their owners will gather them up and take them home soon, because they are starving.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, the same problem is occurring on the range above us on the other side. Alfonso’s and Millers cows are coming down into Alfonso’s leased pasture above my brother’s house on our upper place, and coming through Alfonso’s bad fence, out onto the road, and getting into my brother’s yard and garden. Bev called me to find out how to get in touch with Alfonso and was able to call him on his cell phone and he came up and got the cows out of their place and did a little patching on his fence.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The fire Stan was stationed at was finally under control that day, and the crews were demobilized. He drove home and arrived here that evening. He and Andrea took Christopher to the rodeo at the Fair (Emily was working that evening).</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-11478777139742375062021-12-10T13:16:00.002-08:002021-12-10T13:16:27.563-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - June 24 through August 3, 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JULY 5</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We finished haying earlier this year, with fewer breakdowns than most years. While we were getting our hay baled, Phil Moulton brought us several trailer loads of big square bales (we bought 70 tons from him) and stacked it in our stackyard across the creek. We started baling with the mid-size John Deere tractor, since the big tractor was being used by Phil to unload and stack the hay he brought us.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">We moved the cows to the field above the house and grazed it in two segments, making them clean up the first half (including the tall grass they tromped down) before we let them into the second half. We took their salt up there (and tire rim salt holder, to keep the salt up out of any irrigation water) and I took a photo of one of the young cows licking salt.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIgEzoxlVMG0St8k3AESxB7yl4tS9T5ggDQeTdHZ1YdoYlIM3bKYklpBWenhYvjEjZDWfZzMW2ADSKEKJ_YrrzUnvxy3lBJRIsI5Xvv5v1AGDgP5LHFsk2v7bXp1rilCX8t7L_GHflwuyKjw-pbx6TAw2RyHPI1k9_1fnAee0FPLYNpX5gFOXgLocsQA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhIgEzoxlVMG0St8k3AESxB7yl4tS9T5ggDQeTdHZ1YdoYlIM3bKYklpBWenhYvjEjZDWfZzMW2ADSKEKJ_YrrzUnvxy3lBJRIsI5Xvv5v1AGDgP5LHFsk2v7bXp1rilCX8t7L_GHflwuyKjw-pbx6TAw2RyHPI1k9_1fnAee0FPLYNpX5gFOXgLocsQA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cow licking salt</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea did most of the baling, and also showed Stan how to run the baler and he enjoyed baling some of the fields. Dani and her friend Jake helped for several days, rowing bales (rolling some off the steeper hills and some up out of the wet places) to make it easier for the stackwagon to pick them up. We stacked part of the hay in my hay shed and the rest in the stackyard. We put a new pole on the back of my hay shed to reinforce the spot where we nearly broke one pole last year, pressing the hay too hard against it. The middle Johnny tractor started a serious hydraulic leak when Andrea brought it down from heifer hill so we put the baler on the big tractor instead, and finished bailing the rest of the fields with it. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We started balling the field by Andrea’s house and discovered that Alfonso was flooding the top end of the field with water from his ditch, so we had to divert the water and get those bales off as soon as we could. Some bales were too wet to stack, however, and we had to spread them out in a couple places next to our horse pens and cut them open and spread them out so the hay could dry and not mold.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On one trip through the corrals Lynn ran the stackwagon into the upper corral gate and we had to pull the gate post back into proper position with another tractor. Andrea was trying to finish baling the field by her house so we could get all the hay off and stacked before any more of the bales got wet, but had a flat tire on the baler. We were able to rob a tire off one of the old balers that has been parked in the bushes for several years (an old one we’ve robbed parts from before, to try to keep the other baler going). Stan was able to change the tire, and we finished baling that field before dark.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a week of 90-plus degree weather which made it miserable for haying (with tractor cabs that have no air conditioning) but it was good drying conditions for the hay and we got it all done without any rain on it. Jake and Stan helped me put black plastic over the stacks of big bales that we got from Phil.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn managed to get the hay stacked, even though the old stackwagon is difficult to operate and sometimes the tip tables don’t work right. Stan helped him get it working a few times and rearranged the odd bales on the stackwagon. Andrea took photos while gathering the bales off the fields, picking them up with the stackwagon, and Dani and her friend Jake rowing up some of the bales for Lynn to pick up. Christopher was with them, too, enjoying the fun.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw-O2VD9zxLkbhEHbhwWVvP25TgpgqafynoOe2YIYQ_nGCYrIKDd5aHvkgGEXBJzjpwtYsQPLUUmKJhAPLkfG3hKdr-gRlD3o-n58MQ6ClTr01fOqLgDIbYGWz4AncDwh8IfIOdEne9v7itfeh5la8IoHiObIw58_ALCFZOcclvIGdE4KMUQgH1mcp3g=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgw-O2VD9zxLkbhEHbhwWVvP25TgpgqafynoOe2YIYQ_nGCYrIKDd5aHvkgGEXBJzjpwtYsQPLUUmKJhAPLkfG3hKdr-gRlD3o-n58MQ6ClTr01fOqLgDIbYGWz4AncDwh8IfIOdEne9v7itfeh5la8IoHiObIw58_ALCFZOcclvIGdE4KMUQgH1mcp3g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stackwagon loading hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1QFnZPQ52Be7GlmWccwy7-jws-WFSnSm0GypeFTtG0Sd8hVucgXoVcTStKUX5AQcyqs5GVqBRr39pW8FtNzWFYax8YhOz-nG-1vONosh5c1u7-jTKKi0fe-3UTDKXygtmlNTMLsRsdRfH2gRVSJ1e-lFkuf0DnL0sEcEJ5QQpfYpuDU5JWhyDwabt8Q=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1QFnZPQ52Be7GlmWccwy7-jws-WFSnSm0GypeFTtG0Sd8hVucgXoVcTStKUX5AQcyqs5GVqBRr39pW8FtNzWFYax8YhOz-nG-1vONosh5c1u7-jTKKi0fe-3UTDKXygtmlNTMLsRsdRfH2gRVSJ1e-lFkuf0DnL0sEcEJ5QQpfYpuDU5JWhyDwabt8Q=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">everybody helping!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our old stackwagon tires are wearing out and we were hoping they wouldn’t blow out while we were hauling hay. It’s such an old model that the tire dealer no longer carries those tires, but was able to order some from an outfit in Oregon. Our old tires held up, however, and Stan changed the tires after we got done haying.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The 120-year old crab apple tree above my hay shed keeps overgrowing the gate to the field, so Stan trimmed it back quite a bit before we brought the haystacker through that gate, and also trimmed the chokecherry trees that were overgrowing our fence below the lane. Dani and Jake hauled several loads of branches away, on the flatbed feed truck.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The last two days of hauling hay it was up to 96 degrees. Lynn tried hauling one load in the evening after sundown but he was tired and that load fell down. Stan, Andrea, Dani and Jake restacked it by hand. Andrea got a photo of that load before it fell down!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1hE75cp5HBDiIUyox-Pa8IbCBDdoXQ_DLHltIK5Z9m8EFF1NMX4bRhSb60-7tGSM-XlGJdmWcuvdLN4NLFMOjpNbuI8tdBogcmGpijWm4RJMbq1M_7KttHXNOeJKJhqBVC53gWLqBdWRwd9bd4UMBWHDfzLeFoV-zPp0vcriCl0emFkw-PIviNY4_NQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1hE75cp5HBDiIUyox-Pa8IbCBDdoXQ_DLHltIK5Z9m8EFF1NMX4bRhSb60-7tGSM-XlGJdmWcuvdLN4NLFMOjpNbuI8tdBogcmGpijWm4RJMbq1M_7KttHXNOeJKJhqBVC53gWLqBdWRwd9bd4UMBWHDfzLeFoV-zPp0vcriCl0emFkw-PIviNY4_NQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">starting to unload the hay against the stack</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of the bales were broken, and I gathered them up the next morning on the feed truck and hauled them around to the bull pen were we made a pile and put a tarp over it, to feed the bull later this fall when we take him out of the cow herd. We finished hauling the last of the hay that morning, then Andrea and Stan put a tarp over it. What a relief to be done haying! Dani and Jake helped me gather up the rest of the broken bales. We put them over by the horse pens and put tarps over them.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, Andrea and Emily took Christopher to the hospital early last Tuesday morning for dental surgery to repair his broken front teeth. He’s had several crashes and broke off his top teeth, but the dentist was able to salvage and reconstruct them.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIXp1nWjAPDcvNA513L5qnI9B9aA8tJUiwH7aeZjeZVegasEL7gXo1aRS9qhBPHu1icllEDWXFiYb7ZSy52DJ5riiroDRdfwIDHekkQPwuv3t4ryZU1fSz3FAMIFqDeo0K_TMR3sfhAoVgfWNO0Y0N-HFpmpAKFt68mh4qRKgLT2EB9fMhxZyDJY_N8g=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiIXp1nWjAPDcvNA513L5qnI9B9aA8tJUiwH7aeZjeZVegasEL7gXo1aRS9qhBPHu1icllEDWXFiYb7ZSy52DJ5riiroDRdfwIDHekkQPwuv3t4ryZU1fSz3FAMIFqDeo0K_TMR3sfhAoVgfWNO0Y0N-HFpmpAKFt68mh4qRKgLT2EB9fMhxZyDJY_N8g=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher preparing for dental surgery</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday we put a tarp over the finished stack of little bales in the stackyard, and put a piece of black plastic over the tiny stack of old hay where the old tarp ripped off in the wind.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A couple of Millers young cows came down off the middle range, through the low range, and were pacing up and down the fence along the road for several days, trying to get to the fields, and some water. There’s hardly any grass left on the low range and the water sources have dried up. They managed to get through the fence and into Alfonso’s field and that evening he chased them out and put them back on the range.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Friday Andrea, Stan and Christopher went to see the parade in town, and later went out to the Fairgrounds to watch a rodeo. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening one of Millers cows managed to get through the fence again and this time came down our driveway instead of going into Alfonso’s field. I happened to see her when I was taking Sprout back to her pen, just before dark. I have been letting Sprout graze for a couple hours in the morning and again in the evening, to clean up the grass and weeds in the barnyard. I managed to stop the cow before she got clear down the driveway—before she had a chance to go up into my haystack or try to get in with our cows—and shut our driveway gates. Then she paced back and forth along the horse road, trying to get through that fence to get in with our cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had to leave our driveway gates shut for several days, to make sure we didn’t have any strays coming in. Both of those cows got back into Alfonso’s fields and he chased them out of his lower place—where they spent time in another neighbor’s garden, and eventually got chased on down the road and toward their own home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took Christopher to town with her a few days ago and spent a little time with him at the city park where he had fun going down the slide and also found the only puddle in the whole area, and jumped into it with his good shoes in, to see how much it would splash.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1o9WOslUMZVqSnXXmqU2SBxpBAihJIvI6nhzuQRlJ3e2jF5Se6IrU80f9emEL-j-9xRgcEU81vPck2RKNhe_GMWOEXSQSs1LuFZ6_wiAzG1NtuMzOEV-2YzVh0jkhdoC_lUA4bB5w2WGPo78GP-PlHO0K_nKt4FSQ9cvJeX1o00C3ArmC4wpCaNodUw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1o9WOslUMZVqSnXXmqU2SBxpBAihJIvI6nhzuQRlJ3e2jF5Se6IrU80f9emEL-j-9xRgcEU81vPck2RKNhe_GMWOEXSQSs1LuFZ6_wiAzG1NtuMzOEV-2YzVh0jkhdoC_lUA4bB5w2WGPo78GP-PlHO0K_nKt4FSQ9cvJeX1o00C3ArmC4wpCaNodUw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher on slide</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGaat2m7Z-GfLDG3p_LbwD-pdY1NpsZNfMrmQvCy5Vddkctdlp81ltfvEfzXjKApfCq4UENNVB1EsxvrmgzidPH74Qc8haN3tIk9EtLAw2xlbGaz9Uw6jGJjRm4GxDohuyaKw9dscNAALppheuF3tnWuBAECnwHDy1zdnc2R5zv4dsBk_639X2-3rcnQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhGaat2m7Z-GfLDG3p_LbwD-pdY1NpsZNfMrmQvCy5Vddkctdlp81ltfvEfzXjKApfCq4UENNVB1EsxvrmgzidPH74Qc8haN3tIk9EtLAw2xlbGaz9Uw6jGJjRm4GxDohuyaKw9dscNAALppheuF3tnWuBAECnwHDy1zdnc2R5zv4dsBk_639X2-3rcnQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">puddle jumper</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve had several lightning storms but not much rain. Lightning started a fire a few miles from us, just below K Mountain. Helicopters were dropping water on it for a couple of days.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan put the new tires on the stackwagon, so it will be more ready to go next year without risk of the old ones coming apart. Emily and Dani hauled one of the 4-wheelers to town for the balloon bash at the Fairgrounds—part of the 4th of July weekend celebration events. They competed with a couple other teams (one person drives and the other tries to bash the other team’s balloons) and had a great time. Afterward Andrea took a photo of Em, Dani, and Christopher with Mark (Dani’s dad) and friend June</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUHY6CChs1KLabJszpZ12N3JZPXDdb_VYEpvfbU1v9p9siTXzKQsJ7Gi6lGjgfit6H8ynUSP_kXZKmuxyIj_yn2cOPglrPqlhNuV2syaGcBkHccw5IF06WBW3aUqXOKT5mHlOUWvVzamH1JW1GDczsVhMOU9II5xXFs_34dn1FgG58JHDRXFVWezLdBw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUHY6CChs1KLabJszpZ12N3JZPXDdb_VYEpvfbU1v9p9siTXzKQsJ7Gi6lGjgfit6H8ynUSP_kXZKmuxyIj_yn2cOPglrPqlhNuV2syaGcBkHccw5IF06WBW3aUqXOKT5mHlOUWvVzamH1JW1GDczsVhMOU9II5xXFs_34dn1FgG58JHDRXFVWezLdBw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">after the Balloon Bash</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday after Andrea got her irrigation water changed, we rode Shiloh and Dottie for 3 hours to check the 320 fences. We discovered that a lot of Millers and Alfonso’s cows are already in the high range—more than a month early—so their cows are pressing our fences on two sides now. One of Alfonso’s cows was in our place, grazing near the upper water trough in Baker Creek. We were able to get her out, mainly because her calf was not with her and she was willing to go back out to find her calf. We patched the fence that she’d pushed through, and took her up Baker Creek to join a little group of cows farther up—and her calf was with those cows. It looks like the cow had been going in and out of our place daily to graze, going back to her calf periodically.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We checked the rest of the fence on that side, from Baker Creek up the hill to the fence corner next to the high range and middle range, and saw that the brace was completely falling apart (someone had loosened the staples and taken the wires off so they could ride through it). Andrea patched it up, tying the wires back together and making it look like a fence again.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvkkVnF1wsTwmKA_O_QkckK6LSvQIobJW9679nCieO9k8vtngSy6R2r8y-AUJzzwTx9SUmHCiFZTG8g0D_qLChemNL-4PsbrLFzOFf6Q7Fdjc1BttBFdAUOKbUb4Es7nDCofO6Ca4W-w9Y552CRblADHW5tsCJbEQE2GzyJOdMBaVjy8lYUNS47BXrEA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvkkVnF1wsTwmKA_O_QkckK6LSvQIobJW9679nCieO9k8vtngSy6R2r8y-AUJzzwTx9SUmHCiFZTG8g0D_qLChemNL-4PsbrLFzOFf6Q7Fdjc1BttBFdAUOKbUb4Es7nDCofO6Ca4W-w9Y552CRblADHW5tsCJbEQE2GzyJOdMBaVjy8lYUNS47BXrEA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea putting the brace wires back on</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUCxDupsB3WnnE5Rc7s8DKa2_doet61_oyRcV1HoIzgbQNfpOBfkZr45DzOtqORpKRPX45n0HrSDgIHsYfigWqppyPc2OR8I2HNPthX-NxEu_TvgV6XwRcAYXiShl2noTSMbcUpDjMm-wTmKJ0jBL5nRo6-L2C85EmeGF86PdOIbU0qlkDIAFaUdtKZQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUCxDupsB3WnnE5Rc7s8DKa2_doet61_oyRcV1HoIzgbQNfpOBfkZr45DzOtqORpKRPX45n0HrSDgIHsYfigWqppyPc2OR8I2HNPthX-NxEu_TvgV6XwRcAYXiShl2noTSMbcUpDjMm-wTmKJ0jBL5nRo6-L2C85EmeGF86PdOIbU0qlkDIAFaUdtKZQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting the brace back together</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We also patched up a falling-down brace partway down the fence line—tying it up to some steel posts to temporarily keep it upright until it can be properly fixed.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5U-40CaUFxrb_NOf9g_vuCaETql26far_qs8I9n-ziWSRsf9sxfDtAadnvalHpuPlR_bydNDfTrqHXjIM1-lRTH_ZzzqbasRF-wDYITp2-Ok0e2vtD6pzSjJRTB5sVqTaQhzqp7CIS7wwnDuTftlLL7CpfOoxFHKbBT9hwxbFZ5KhCaVdx-z1ZvZi1g=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5U-40CaUFxrb_NOf9g_vuCaETql26far_qs8I9n-ziWSRsf9sxfDtAadnvalHpuPlR_bydNDfTrqHXjIM1-lRTH_ZzzqbasRF-wDYITp2-Ok0e2vtD6pzSjJRTB5sVqTaQhzqp7CIS7wwnDuTftlLL7CpfOoxFHKbBT9hwxbFZ5KhCaVdx-z1ZvZi1g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tying the wires up and propping the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjCTt0PCy3wr9RqonkO5qLk-hrZd7EG88TELITESAYL9EHZAozzAl6NP-pDbcCkzNhldR79t5w14Z46W0DfSRSG0_kbVGZXs2vb5oCUtdgIEDauFFhRYMkY5HvrfWsffWgmruNb17209TqrxquXMd74i-odmxhT4PsVJcGhQ1ULnRGFSKezhNN44zKTg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjjCTt0PCy3wr9RqonkO5qLk-hrZd7EG88TELITESAYL9EHZAozzAl6NP-pDbcCkzNhldR79t5w14Z46W0DfSRSG0_kbVGZXs2vb5oCUtdgIEDauFFhRYMkY5HvrfWsffWgmruNb17209TqrxquXMd74i-odmxhT4PsVJcGhQ1ULnRGFSKezhNN44zKTg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea putting the fence back together</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We came home through the middle range, checking that side of our fence more closely, but there were no places needing major repairs. We saw Millers’ crippled bull again, but this time he was on the low range. Apparently John had tried to take him home and that’s as far as he got. The poor bull can barely walk. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we hurried home so Andrea could take care of Christopher while Emily went to work. It was fitting that we were riding that day, in celebration of still being able to ride together to do cattle work. It was 21 years ago on the 4th of July that Andrea and I were riding our good old cow-horses gathering 5 pairs off the range to bring home (our 5 cows that had bull calves we were keeping as future bulls). It was a wild and challenging ride, to find and get that little group together and bring those cattle home because they didn’t want to come down off the range. But we got the job done, thanks to our very agile horses with good endurance. That was the last time I was able to ride range with my daughter for several years, because the next day (July 5, 2000) she had her burn accident that nearly took her life, and she spent the rest of that summer in the burn ICU and then in physical therapy and bandage changing on her skin grafts. It was a long road back, but she was determined to regain as much physical ability as possible, and she did. I rejoice that I still have my daughter and we are still able to ride range together!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday afternoon we moved the cows to new pasture, and that evening Andrea, Stan, Dani and Christopher went to a friend’s house for a picnic and fireworks.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was hot again. Lynn helped me put up a hot wire for the cows, then we tended Christopher here while Emily went to work and Stan and Andrea took her little jeep for a drive. They didn’t get very far, however; a rock went through the radiator. Dani took Andrea’s pickup to go rescue them and they pulled the poor little jeep home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JULY 17</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week Stan took more fencing materials to the 320 on his 4-wheeler, to Baker Creek, and carried them up the hill to work on the fallen-down braces. He set new posts and rebuilt the braces, doing it in two stints. It was a challenging job in the hot weather, but the braces turned out well, for his first attempt at this kind of project. Andrea helped him the first day, and they came home mid-day to take a couple more posts up there. Here are photos of the finished rebuilt braces.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5g-EqPgaiw_du_S9Fom2_keXAJqs22x1oHIDIG_WDcZh8EpUCu2_HGDmqG5OGzam9ihz36NXg3qysfeVUw4RwGkimmpXjecn5K1IM_s-4eKGek23iXACmKnKu2UIh32_TLhoSnIrDC_ux1mcSVs10yKGH_xFL2Exaqwqk1cooAZTsNG_8j7z2TylfQQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5g-EqPgaiw_du_S9Fom2_keXAJqs22x1oHIDIG_WDcZh8EpUCu2_HGDmqG5OGzam9ihz36NXg3qysfeVUw4RwGkimmpXjecn5K1IM_s-4eKGek23iXACmKnKu2UIh32_TLhoSnIrDC_ux1mcSVs10yKGH_xFL2Exaqwqk1cooAZTsNG_8j7z2TylfQQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">rebuilt corner braces</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_fd4XX8YjcNyHylZLjAgUiAykBN5p9J2MEiJHhlq6RwDJZUPY3MTQ3ROGqnv0yKG4Re_X51VuoGUa5YWdD8cpkhJnvtYW2Q-OmBzei8u_z2h0gR3DSuqIqCNoPmqFbQMytOLwbXHrFzIYXfJJMpH-N6QqOCrzvB_Shg8UQ8jnIqsSzhLElI9xQtqfBA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_fd4XX8YjcNyHylZLjAgUiAykBN5p9J2MEiJHhlq6RwDJZUPY3MTQ3ROGqnv0yKG4Re_X51VuoGUa5YWdD8cpkhJnvtYW2Q-OmBzei8u_z2h0gR3DSuqIqCNoPmqFbQMytOLwbXHrFzIYXfJJMpH-N6QqOCrzvB_Shg8UQ8jnIqsSzhLElI9xQtqfBA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">rebuilt brace in fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon we had a brief rain with a lot of wind and lightning, but not enough moisture to help our parched dry hills and pastures.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One of our yearling heifers (Panda’s daughter, named Pandemonium) is suckling her big sister, T.W. (a second-calf cow that’s Dani’s favorite cow). The cow tries to kick the heifer off or chase her away, but the heifer is smart and persistent, and nurses while T.W’s own calf is nursing. The heifer sucks from behind, where the cow can’t kick her. The calf was being shortchanged on dinner every day by this big moocher, so we brought Pandemonium in from the field and put her by herself in the corral and I’m feeding her hay. We will probably butcher or sell her this fall, since we may not want to gamble on keeping her. She might try to continue this bad habit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea remembered that this heifer was a robber last year, as a calf. Even though her mom (Panda) gave plenty of milk, this heifer suckled some of the first-calf cows, too. Andrea had photos of her suckling T.W. along with that year’s calf, and here they are.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXN54C1l6eAxUYiaZ02U8prhe6XoZ7XmVImEc2qpfmbzGzUTG5bEkcUon6bfotvVHzsCQYkn6Yj3mGpub_QLyoMIu6QM4mS0zgMzAgNZJgZEpRk35pHhywsES66bZnQ0CUcFDg4mJIfSQBGxb_9LzCG0w5IJ_DxICwrhDLuyG4VIi3Htg19qQz5VXOqw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXN54C1l6eAxUYiaZ02U8prhe6XoZ7XmVImEc2qpfmbzGzUTG5bEkcUon6bfotvVHzsCQYkn6Yj3mGpub_QLyoMIu6QM4mS0zgMzAgNZJgZEpRk35pHhywsES66bZnQ0CUcFDg4mJIfSQBGxb_9LzCG0w5IJ_DxICwrhDLuyG4VIi3Htg19qQz5VXOqw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">two calves nursing TW</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4OY5ConJzU4KDIPg8Z12oUBkbgQWdbgykVPEzyh_wOS2kaQrJcfO5R2YRuPBzn9upudQ7C465MI62BHmjs5QUHfVKdrK4wF5v3V8rYdzI3ZxMuo3fFaYTDyZaGjqImv84EUwF72bxtFXEkvp_WldBnYt245_fJmGwJLUcMoV08M54GE1Dv7OWcPvgqQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4OY5ConJzU4KDIPg8Z12oUBkbgQWdbgykVPEzyh_wOS2kaQrJcfO5R2YRuPBzn9upudQ7C465MI62BHmjs5QUHfVKdrK4wF5v3V8rYdzI3ZxMuo3fFaYTDyZaGjqImv84EUwF72bxtFXEkvp_WldBnYt245_fJmGwJLUcMoV08M54GE1Dv7OWcPvgqQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pandemonium sneaking a meal from her big sister</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week I put shoes on Ed, in case we need to ride her this summer. Even though she’s old and a bit stiff, she’s a better cow-horse than Shiloh, and if we got into a situation where we needed to deal with neighbor’s wild cows or get more of them out of the 320, it would be good to have Ed functional and able to go chase cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That Friday, Andrea had more neck injections (in the joints) from her pain doctor, and they seem to help a bit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Saturday I helped her re-establish the hot wire to divide the pasture below the lane. We mashed down the tall grass that had grown up along the fence lines, so it won’t short out the fence. The next day we moved the cows to the top end of that pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Steve Adams, our water master, came out this evening to show the new young water master (Tony) where the ditches are. He is training the new guy to take over as water master. Andrea took Christopher for a ride on her 4-wheeler and they went down to Baker to visit one of the neighbors.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Monday Stan worked on the middle-size tractor that has the hydraulic oil leak and took off the cylinder that’s leaking. We can send it to a repair shop in Idaho Falls to be fixed. Andrea and I rode for 3 hours to check the 320 fences, etc. This was her first ride on Willow this year, and that mare did pretty well in spite of having so much time off (not ridden since last fall). I took photos as we went up the ridge and on up through Baker Creek</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2g7S4uLFOv4x5taBGg156pDOIaM7DP9xpndoTlxGxR3gesNuTAJkOfd7pZxwR3ZQQ0vGoutbozNqib6sRWilcac9wDhtIDmAja7NrAM0Lmg7YSpY-Gi756GHICU_s8AGkH1x8i7jjfa7ebGGD_Qyj-3FXjOzYClF1UjnlLuw2MB0PbIn8g_6m8645-A=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2g7S4uLFOv4x5taBGg156pDOIaM7DP9xpndoTlxGxR3gesNuTAJkOfd7pZxwR3ZQQ0vGoutbozNqib6sRWilcac9wDhtIDmAja7NrAM0Lmg7YSpY-Gi756GHICU_s8AGkH1x8i7jjfa7ebGGD_Qyj-3FXjOzYClF1UjnlLuw2MB0PbIn8g_6m8645-A=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">First ride for Willow this summer</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfpOsKiAW0991Wsbo-_rG6Al8ngVT5nqybTE0j8D87o2Ywf2MHWs6O-CCD-uqesW2WfeHl_GToSfwxdSNsnogefodXEVkYul7UiILGMI57rNzfOQVR-NwFkltqBgBFE5FkYmelgYsFjXorvpKm8CYm-w-8whGHlz-x88kygKdXUvVItr4NUBhmbUQGEw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfpOsKiAW0991Wsbo-_rG6Al8ngVT5nqybTE0j8D87o2Ywf2MHWs6O-CCD-uqesW2WfeHl_GToSfwxdSNsnogefodXEVkYul7UiILGMI57rNzfOQVR-NwFkltqBgBFE5FkYmelgYsFjXorvpKm8CYm-w-8whGHlz-x88kygKdXUvVItr4NUBhmbUQGEw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading up Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode across the top part of the 320 to check the fence on that side, next to the range, and out through the timber to check the gate.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBBcw0Jr3YRyRhWAj0GxJNpjxH8DUG49--1pbusH5NiXEJYlXmIWFgTBK0NfGOzCWSfkKOip4GySMqmcxgccB9T8cmD2cxIMIf1Xy-g_mRPwvujZ-hjPofMxGXhsd9gDPPGem9ygrospcZ-4tiHESojyw751byExOmoUbvamZ2BBXhdG8ceSFZQWNq5Q=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBBcw0Jr3YRyRhWAj0GxJNpjxH8DUG49--1pbusH5NiXEJYlXmIWFgTBK0NfGOzCWSfkKOip4GySMqmcxgccB9T8cmD2cxIMIf1Xy-g_mRPwvujZ-hjPofMxGXhsd9gDPPGem9ygrospcZ-4tiHESojyw751byExOmoUbvamZ2BBXhdG8ceSFZQWNq5Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heading toward range fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhWOSuES2C5pSvg3ciMSpp3JMXIJE4jie419Bh7hmdvLZ8meohErbmyc6vD1i6kwrDGurirIP16XwuMkSbm92bjb75GlLCvqv_KksqeHZYQjysSZUmVAxc86rQrjphMUVWT7bLrKG_sRcIH19aKAOejJTG-anMNZ5O0sB-0VVY00AI0qPGq9oxAO2_zg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhhWOSuES2C5pSvg3ciMSpp3JMXIJE4jie419Bh7hmdvLZ8meohErbmyc6vD1i6kwrDGurirIP16XwuMkSbm92bjb75GlLCvqv_KksqeHZYQjysSZUmVAxc86rQrjphMUVWT7bLrKG_sRcIH19aKAOejJTG-anMNZ5O0sB-0VVY00AI0qPGq9oxAO2_zg=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">out through the timber to check the fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we hurried home so Andrea could take care of Christopher while Emily went to work. Andrea took him for a ride on the 4-wheeler up the creek took him up the creek, where he played in the water and had a lot of fun.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigikE9LAADUbmdr7_hy7JttdBQhs0qR1w08NmdS9jALw7HLLzqmWa8ClWXR_J27qhq6Xldms-W0CbEmF_qBDCYhaiysyxLXqnPct6PjkR4s2c7_cmSOC11bwr76BlCYU1Xc3AgElVzcDnyCKIP8zJ5fjDgrpp6zGD6uuCdXDilarV8GpgYtJ6I4ydzGA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEigikE9LAADUbmdr7_hy7JttdBQhs0qR1w08NmdS9jALw7HLLzqmWa8ClWXR_J27qhq6Xldms-W0CbEmF_qBDCYhaiysyxLXqnPct6PjkR4s2c7_cmSOC11bwr76BlCYU1Xc3AgElVzcDnyCKIP8zJ5fjDgrpp6zGD6uuCdXDilarV8GpgYtJ6I4ydzGA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher in the creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn went to locate water for someone who is buying property on 4th of July Creek, and we had a very late lunch when he got home at 4:30 p.m.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Tuesday we had a near tragedy. Late that afternoon Dani and some of her friends drove up the creek in her little pickup. They were up in the Forest Service rangeland--almost to the where the road splits—to go on up to the old Harmony Mine and the switchback from the left fork that goes to Mulkey Creek--when her pickup suddenly wasn’t running right, and she stopped. Then they all saw smoke coming out from under it. They got out, and there was fire on the underside. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They tried to put it out with some pop, and Jake tried to throw dirt on it, but they had no water and no fire extinguisher and they soon realized they couldn’t control it; the pickup was on fire. Transmission fluid had leaked down on the hot exhaust pipe and caught fire. They quickly grabbed a few of their things out of the pickup and got away from it. A couple of them started hiking up the hill to try to get cell service to call for help (and took a photo on their phone of the vehicle on fire).</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXuRpHD4rkACGwq-pKrP_DNyx1SOtg4cUYcHmbN8le2eaHeQTzI1z2DAVKTlGUmz45W3NaaAf-xcRaUtW2dbTtHwwi01mejKcZb6aB5MjXQZ-L4r07YuN0sxfg9eZwzHqIANytnQWcYcf6I6vv3uu8JbXxaVKVA-kMsD6uFsODZmpBGI0OwogH6SeFqw=s960" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="486" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXuRpHD4rkACGwq-pKrP_DNyx1SOtg4cUYcHmbN8le2eaHeQTzI1z2DAVKTlGUmz45W3NaaAf-xcRaUtW2dbTtHwwi01mejKcZb6aB5MjXQZ-L4r07YuN0sxfg9eZwzHqIANytnQWcYcf6I6vv3uu8JbXxaVKVA-kMsD6uFsODZmpBGI0OwogH6SeFqw=w203-h400" width="203" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani's truck on fire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">But there is no cell service in that canyon, so the two boys ran down the creek to try to get help. Dani and Kendall were thankfully well away from the pickup when the gas tank blew up—and started a fire in the grass around it. The explosion was so loud that my brother Rocky heard it, two miles downstream, at his house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso and some other riders had been taking some of their range cattle back up the creek (the ones that had come down off the mountain and down into Alfonso’s pasture just above Rocky’s house) and left a horse trailer parked below the cattle guard, and Jake stopped there to see if he could find the riders, but they’d already gone too far up the right fork and weren’t in sight. Austin, the other boy, kept running on down the creek to the little cabin above Rocky’s place.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There was no one home at John’s cabin, so he ran on down to Rocky’s house. Fortunately Rocky was home, because the Amish neighbors (at Binnings old place) were not, and it would have been another 2 miles to a phone. Rocky just happened to be outside working in his yard, and had his phone in his pocket, so they called 911 and the fire department. Rocky drove up the creek in his jeep to get the other kids and Austin stayed at Rocky’s place to show the fire department and first responder crews where to go. The first we knew of all this was when a county fire engine (the one stationed at 17-mile was the first to arrive, since it was closer than Salmon) and several vehicles went roaring up the creek, past our house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Multiple vehicles and several fire trucks (including BLM and Forest Service crews) went up the creek a bit later, and Rocky brought the kids down here—and they told us what happened. Dani was extremely emotionally upset and having a panic attack, and Jake was trying to soothe and calm her. Andrea and Stan came within a few minutes after we called them, and got the kids that were here and went up to see what was happening with the fire and try to find Dani’s bag with her wallet in it; she’d grabbed it out of the pickup but left it along the road when they hurried down out of there. Andrea took a photo of one of the firefighters at the scene.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjftcg0VCrOW9WN8Np_tRbEh8xcQ9tuu1X-9CwRBooGrQC_5powVmJFOyJJKixTMnsx5aaHVIss5cR0F0q_UMjuWDdxXZzMUciXlghktpQp08krpmoWGsZ4f_jc4WEVuDXpsLGyQOvIWUOEgzyfZ1P2Gd98yGJitYjYhX-3XweGo7dnKT7Vu89d5RJaJg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjftcg0VCrOW9WN8Np_tRbEh8xcQ9tuu1X-9CwRBooGrQC_5powVmJFOyJJKixTMnsx5aaHVIss5cR0F0q_UMjuWDdxXZzMUciXlghktpQp08krpmoWGsZ4f_jc4WEVuDXpsLGyQOvIWUOEgzyfZ1P2Gd98yGJitYjYhX-3XweGo7dnKT7Vu89d5RJaJg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Firefighters at the scene</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The ambulance was up there also, and the EMT’s checked all the kids to make sure they were ok. Dani was having such a breathing problem that the EMTs thought she was going into shock and put her on oxygen. They insisted on taking her to the hospital, so Andrea and Stan went in, too. After keeping Dani there a few hours and giving her some breathing treatments and medication they let her come home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of her stuff and some of her friends’ things were still in the pickup when it blew up, and she felt badly about that, but we’re just thankful that they all got out of the vehicle and that none of those kids was hurt or killed—and that her pickup didn’t blow up on the highway somewhere or in town, where more people might have been hurt. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The exploding gas tank set the surrounding grass on fire, and started a fire in some trees next to the road on the creek side, but the fire departments and emergency crews got up there very quickly and worked on the fire, and had it under control within a few hours. Andrea took photos as the crews were getting the fire under control.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUb9IvZTmeOdYpNhLJdOZe6f12mvrv1Xrs2RmXZSUvIc-par1BvvVWGiQfKvczSn-e0-6gl0FA3bVbGLnAuZB3j4TtpgH_CgBAcrK4pKbj5NdsdBJhZA_3RpsTYSvxCgCgNsL2sQhDPqOMNGiAabIWIXr0T9R3BftVButuQ-woeR_OU1zREJEg4Y6YNw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUb9IvZTmeOdYpNhLJdOZe6f12mvrv1Xrs2RmXZSUvIc-par1BvvVWGiQfKvczSn-e0-6gl0FA3bVbGLnAuZB3j4TtpgH_CgBAcrK4pKbj5NdsdBJhZA_3RpsTYSvxCgCgNsL2sQhDPqOMNGiAabIWIXr0T9R3BftVButuQ-woeR_OU1zREJEg4Y6YNw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">crews working on the fire</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEil_t0SOgsQf-xugoN8210KCE-t5NsvwI5xJ1tsZVc4ul-GxPb3hb6e3Wj7VDOoM7H6BV6dKAF-dbX_cqlF23Mj_RtCocFTHZJqlEzQxG1MBdPePwSFC4i_im4Y3b3gZwgs05fr-yzXMoYPW0Kw3NOxKU42B1ZVmr6Lj9jghlH1NUZQe_1hyQjnxBfhDA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEil_t0SOgsQf-xugoN8210KCE-t5NsvwI5xJ1tsZVc4ul-GxPb3hb6e3Wj7VDOoM7H6BV6dKAF-dbX_cqlF23Mj_RtCocFTHZJqlEzQxG1MBdPePwSFC4i_im4Y3b3gZwgs05fr-yzXMoYPW0Kw3NOxKU42B1ZVmr6Lj9jghlH1NUZQe_1hyQjnxBfhDA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">getting the fire under control</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A helicopter with a bucket dipped water out of the pond across from Michael and Carolyn’s house and made 9 trips to dump on the fire. The helicopter scared their horses pretty badly –their mare and foal and another horse were in the corrals right there by their house. The horses panicked and tried to jump out of their pens, but thankfully only suffered some dings and scratches. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The fire burned about 2 acres before they got it under control and a crew stayed with it through the night to make sure it didn’t get going again. The good thing was that it happened before the kids got up into the timber, or it wouldn’t have been so easy to control. The grass fire on the hillside only travelled as far as the switchback; that road acted as a firebreak on that side. The most risk was from the tree that caught fire, and the crews and helicopter water dumps were able to contain it before it got into very many other trees on that side.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Slightly less exciting that evening was when Jeff and Jill Minor (Jake’s grandparents) drove in our driveway to pick up Kendall (who stayed here when Andrea and Stan took Dani and Jake back up the creek to try to retrieve her wallet and a few other things they’d left along the road when they fled the fire). A huge rattlesnake was lying in the driveway by our back door. Jeff saw it, grabbed a shovel, and killed it as it started heading into the back yard. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The kids stayed at Andrea’s house that night; Dani was grateful for their moral support, as she was still pretty shook up. The next excitement was a pack rat that got into Andrea’s basement that night through a window that was partly open. It took several people to chase it down and grab it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After realizing how beneficial it was to have the pond for emergency water supply for a fire, we gave up a day of irrigating on our place to have our allotment of water put into Michael’s ditch that comes around the hill to Dr. Myers’ place to refill the pond.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We loaned our old white car to Dani to drive until she can replace her pickup. “Luna” is the little Lumina Chevrolet we bought 2nd hand the summer we needed something more dependable for Lynn’s many trips to Salt Lake when Andrea was in the burn ICU (and Emily was 2½ years old and staying here at the ranch with me). During that trip, young Emily named the car Luna.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday night we had lightning storms but no rain, and several more fires started around the area—on Kirtley Creek, Bohannon Creek, Panther Creek, and one right above us just over the rim of the mountain behind the Harmony Mine. We are immersed in smoke, and the weather continues hot and dry. Yesterday Andrea and I were going to ride to check the 320 but there were too many other things we needed to do.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Stan fixed the wheel on the swamp pasture gate on Andrea’s driveway so that it can be opened and closed easier, and helped Lynn rehang the dragging gate to the field above my hay shed. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I rode Willow and Dottie to check the 320 and I took a few photos as we rode up Baker Creek. The hot dry weather is taking a toll; there is very little water in the creek where we cross it.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMXlqLAK3X6cwGI1fAPdOa1HCA_FjZaKFWiKWLxtrkd2xEOxWAP1nEgeD3Caf3rEm6Z0ZvPCFlCoH3HW1l6bkJswSPbmnzp23MKpB2i0JOjjYnidGavP8eq00NEBYZmGoGVoNA6Y2BwO5hnm8_zeShB6aZV4oP3XwWrMp4o7nHise5U_xFZfvsAdx7vQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMXlqLAK3X6cwGI1fAPdOa1HCA_FjZaKFWiKWLxtrkd2xEOxWAP1nEgeD3Caf3rEm6Z0ZvPCFlCoH3HW1l6bkJswSPbmnzp23MKpB2i0JOjjYnidGavP8eq00NEBYZmGoGVoNA6Y2BwO5hnm8_zeShB6aZV4oP3XwWrMp4o7nHise5U_xFZfvsAdx7vQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding toward Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2VtlKbFIPk785QdnOu8QHlxy4PtaRH_nrZ-RLnXRKhPLO0Gme6KsgeOl-9ZYX0i9_fOX-SyBgt4ZvuaKJ5UxAv0JfEV4heNbjEPhYk1wBLwrngcbSTAIkyYseIxnk58tALiquK1qkLNxy-4iu1akjdFZWISfumY8nAxVfNwodgRbeVZeBtABptYJhyg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi2VtlKbFIPk785QdnOu8QHlxy4PtaRH_nrZ-RLnXRKhPLO0Gme6KsgeOl-9ZYX0i9_fOX-SyBgt4ZvuaKJ5UxAv0JfEV4heNbjEPhYk1wBLwrngcbSTAIkyYseIxnk58tALiquK1qkLNxy-4iu1akjdFZWISfumY8nAxVfNwodgRbeVZeBtABptYJhyg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">crossing Baker Creek</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode on up the trail and past the sawed up tree that fell across our main trail and jeep track. Stan sawed it up earlier this summer so we could get through there with our horses and with a 4-wheeler.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7QlyAagc8sCuM_ZhYH0zf_Hq5rqhOqDgOfQLlO5iTJG-UIUAMi_ym_QaRM6xEJ8j8NR-gr6qVIi3XVrpw9F-UJ7ZoDDyA9-plbKEhAuiiO1sf35Wh6Ct4lpaYOZO6wpu51jWgRsKhxYuXsb4_VTbd9MGfgYlrwvTzVPpVI3ujE66dwlRnAHTznwnnLg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7QlyAagc8sCuM_ZhYH0zf_Hq5rqhOqDgOfQLlO5iTJG-UIUAMi_ym_QaRM6xEJ8j8NR-gr6qVIi3XVrpw9F-UJ7ZoDDyA9-plbKEhAuiiO1sf35Wh6Ct4lpaYOZO6wpu51jWgRsKhxYuXsb4_VTbd9MGfgYlrwvTzVPpVI3ujE66dwlRnAHTznwnnLg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding through the sawed-up tree logs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There were a few range cows hanging down against our top gate in Baker Creek, including the cow of Alfonso’s that had been getting in before we fixed the fence. We moved them up Baker Creek to where there was some water, and found that Alfonso and Millers had gathered most of their cows that had been in the high range (for almost a month, too early) and put them back on the middle range, but there is hardly any grass left in either pasture. They’d left one cow on the high range without her calf, however. They were bawling at each other through the fence, so we let the cow get back to her calf. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got home, Emily dropped off Christopher at our house on her way to work, and he had fun “helping” us put our horses away, picking them some grass to eat, and carrying Dottie’s halter back to the house for me.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We got an e-mail from granddaughter Heather in Canada and she sent photos of James helping Gregory drive their pickup, and young Joseph hugging his favorite foal.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8Dh_hTDnngdhqe126rfz675aNekyrNAfKM7UQNI6nDSDSwP1AjAe3utkETfoSpXHj1zS2L4SIMSKt7Wei9xjRgqmTYwScczwunS-pv-tXa7XVtlVA2yby9-Grn1ysBr3j4U_tPpTG-iKJSp3lkxMoafv0ZXbQv1us-AP9L24JrLdSoLPoDAEL6chpfw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj8Dh_hTDnngdhqe126rfz675aNekyrNAfKM7UQNI6nDSDSwP1AjAe3utkETfoSpXHj1zS2L4SIMSKt7Wei9xjRgqmTYwScczwunS-pv-tXa7XVtlVA2yby9-Grn1ysBr3j4U_tPpTG-iKJSp3lkxMoafv0ZXbQv1us-AP9L24JrLdSoLPoDAEL6chpfw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James driving</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2bQa6RSFweJL4QB5Z8uTPwabaHq8NMz1W73zUtRA4ccgQvP9XtBkPpAS_FfUCt3FSss0VRJPW5fnMnycmN2sjSzWYR9OVFS3q0qNHeJrfwYXWLLOjauUIssXDWeIi4f4dA8TOUwBy_178_FwkdBsiYE_k5foo_FXimRGNlvztsX5BSxWsYk8a1yBDmA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg2bQa6RSFweJL4QB5Z8uTPwabaHq8NMz1W73zUtRA4ccgQvP9XtBkPpAS_FfUCt3FSss0VRJPW5fnMnycmN2sjSzWYR9OVFS3q0qNHeJrfwYXWLLOjauUIssXDWeIi4f4dA8TOUwBy_178_FwkdBsiYE_k5foo_FXimRGNlvztsX5BSxWsYk8a1yBDmA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph hugging foal</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span></div>AUGUST 3</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">The fire behind the ridge above the Harmony mine eventually burned several hundred acres and we had thick smoke for many days. It burns our eyes and makes it hard to breathe.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’ve been short of water for irrigation. Even though the watermaster put part of our allotted water right in the ditch that comes down to the field by Andrea’s house, only half or less ever got down to our field. Andrea had to continually go up the ditch and shut off the taps on parts of Alfonso’s fields that mysteriously got opened.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Saturday one of my old college classmates and one of her friends stopped by to visit. She’s written a book about various places in Idaho (and had me do a short piece in it for our area) and wanted me to see a copy, now that it is published. She and her friend were also interested in having a copy of my book Beyond the Flames; A Family Touched by Fire (about Andrea’s burn injuries 21 years ago, and how that affected our family). Later that afternoon Charlie came out and we had a good visit with him. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day, Andrea and I made a fast ride on Willow and Dottie to check the 320, to make sure no hungry range cows had gotten in. We hurried back, to get home in time to see Emily, Dani and Christopher before they left on their trip to Fox Island. Em took a week off from work for this trip—something she and Dani have been planning for several months.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Fox Island is a special place for our family; it’s where my mom and her siblings grew up, in a cabin my grandfather built, before he died at a young age (when my mom was only 6 years old). Here is an old photo of that cabin, that Lynn took when he and I spent a few days there in 1967 (sort of a belated honeymoon, a little more than a year after we were married—since our “honeymoon” after our wedding was to go home to his rented dairy farm in Gooding, Idaho and milk the cows).</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh8OeeQDjwIqXMnQAuksVWHhsprO9hcC-wujPbJ-ZXgDGwgW3DPMGM03kE7UJQJSWvuMNseF1slDlcJ13TRNVQyPBxOCDYuSUHrAyxreVNfKIA3bhyOzNa17NYCJu1rZKoeUip9SDRgPpuIHiSXk0MwdD6olYDxV4-6-Zk6j6oyakbkgoURE8Cv0EqZw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgh8OeeQDjwIqXMnQAuksVWHhsprO9hcC-wujPbJ-ZXgDGwgW3DPMGM03kE7UJQJSWvuMNseF1slDlcJ13TRNVQyPBxOCDYuSUHrAyxreVNfKIA3bhyOzNa17NYCJu1rZKoeUip9SDRgPpuIHiSXk0MwdD6olYDxV4-6-Zk6j6oyakbkgoURE8Cv0EqZw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">old cabin on Fox Island in 1967</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That Fox Island property next to the beach, and the cabin—which was later replaced by a newer building by my mom’s sister and brother-in-law) is graciously made available to family members (to stay there by reservation) by my cousins and their kids, who continue to maintain it. Andrea, Lynn and I took all of Andrea’s kids to Fox Island in 2007 for the 100-year celebration of that property (my mom’s parents bought it in 1907 and built the original cabin, back when there were less than 60 homes on that island—and now there are several hundred). The 100-year celebration was also a family reunion and a birthday celebration for my Aunt Marjorie (mom’s older sister, who was 97 at that time).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To attend that reunion, Andrea drove us there in her car and we stayed several days, spending nights with relatives in the Seattle/Tacoma area. The kids all had a great time, catching crabs on the beach, wading in the water, going out in the rowboat with their second cousins. Emily (at age 8) and Charlie (almost 5) were old enough to remember the trip, but Sam and Dani were still very young. Dani was only 2 so Fox Island was just a memory of something other family members talked about. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily had a chance to go there again when she went with Andrea to Tenino (just across the bay) for the funeral of the wife of my cousin Ned. Emily loved Fox Island so much that she went back again after she was older, so this was her 4th trip. For Dani, however, this was a new adventure, to actually experience the special place that was only in her memory as stories told about that early visit when she was just a toddler—about the age that Christopher is now.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After they left on their trip, Andrea and Stan took a scenic drive in the mountains, and Lynn and I had a phone call from Gregory and Heather in Canada. They are having severe drought there on their farm, and are short of water for their cattle in several pastures. They’ve been hauling water many miles to some of their cows. She sent a photo of their cows drinking from a trough after they hauled water.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd4jJ7tG3Gohl23wfXI94S6b7v17pd95NP3OVG4IHMwYWU2Q0kZKv4LPOaF3cSXUvdvU6aTARK60vDdRzGDEJ5k7Jr-EtKNy9wN4af3G5YpaPu7Gv_UoK4EoZYsAW35tFxw2SVLucqomQsfTvbpiPa-LbiCRkG6S4gMFZoAumA1jXr1N2KQpTjju3ClA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjd4jJ7tG3Gohl23wfXI94S6b7v17pd95NP3OVG4IHMwYWU2Q0kZKv4LPOaF3cSXUvdvU6aTARK60vDdRzGDEJ5k7Jr-EtKNy9wN4af3G5YpaPu7Gv_UoK4EoZYsAW35tFxw2SVLucqomQsfTvbpiPa-LbiCRkG6S4gMFZoAumA1jXr1N2KQpTjju3ClA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows drinking hauled water</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They tried to dig another collection pond (dugout) where historically there was a little bit of water underground, and used a backhoe and then an excavator to go down quite a ways, but ended up with just a big dry hole. Gregory wants some advice from Lynn on water witching, to try to find a spot for a possible well. Lynn gave him tips on how to use welding rods and willows to locate the water, and how to use a long, thin willow as a “bobber” to count with and determine the depth. Along with all the advice and tips, we had a great visit with Gregory and with our granddaughter Heather. We hope that someday we’ll get to meet their two little boys (Joseph is 4, and James is 1½ years old).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was horribly smoky from all the fires around us. The cows were running short of grass in the field below the lane, and it was time to move them to the lower swamp pasture (which has regrown since we grazed it earlier this summer). We brought the cows up through the second day pens by the barn, and noticed that the bull was a little lame on one hind foot. It looked like the beginning of foot rot, with a little swelling around the hoof. So when we took them up through the corral to go to the swamp pasture we put him in the chute and gave him antibiotics to treat the foot rot, then let him go with the cows to the new pasture.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, we’d brought the three cull cows and their calves (the ones we didn’t put with the bull because we knew we were going to sell them this fall) in from the upper swamp pasture and had them in a side corral. After we went through with the cows, we took them around to the pasture the cows came from. There’s enough grass left there (including some that the cows tromped down) to last about 10 days for those three pairs.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Gregory called us again and was ecstatic. He wanted us to know that his efforts at finding water were successful. He found three spots that might work for a well, and had test holes drilled—and sure enough, there was water. One spot was very promising, with a wide seam of water that was only 76 feet underground, and rose up the test hole to within about 13 feet of the surface—which will work perfectly for the kind of shallow well they want to put in for stock water. The thing Gregory was most excited about however, was that his estimation of depth, using the bobbing willow, was within 6 inches of the actual depth of the water they hit! The well driller will be coming in about a week to do the well.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Tuesday Andrea and I rode nearly 4 hours, checking the 320 fences and making a loop through the high range and down through Basco and High Camp and down through the middle range. Here are photos taken as we headed over the ridge toward Basco and down through the timber.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitCMGCaQsqSGfejdkf9jtmSGBS0Yf7oBng1j6kYAw--FektbTVdqk6xu4KZ8xbnsmAYQuswSN_wCZ7FErPLX9IRrVo0cjs6gOxk69ccAS41gaoSF5ijgkVOU0fj_fu3bUb2fpulLoRED6jiIZOSyR32EG39KC39b3c9HZejDXb_hphXp_xXRQ35Broog=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEitCMGCaQsqSGfejdkf9jtmSGBS0Yf7oBng1j6kYAw--FektbTVdqk6xu4KZ8xbnsmAYQuswSN_wCZ7FErPLX9IRrVo0cjs6gOxk69ccAS41gaoSF5ijgkVOU0fj_fu3bUb2fpulLoRED6jiIZOSyR32EG39KC39b3c9HZejDXb_hphXp_xXRQ35Broog=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">going over the ridge into Basco</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFQ5jDvR56sdJtqKyi74gzMAeP-Nr96sLweWSb1nNYsj4j-K48XJy9ozRvD4WPzrM_6Buzm4_FCEHBpIbrgrbF4jH7yQrL7SYeksM2NK5aHKLfTziAIHC57mDzdY-7bJp593W5LTZfiZsZNPIOVcRzILenJpcE5cPZxNaFYpgLLjQuo3V8X1EFFXK73w=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhFQ5jDvR56sdJtqKyi74gzMAeP-Nr96sLweWSb1nNYsj4j-K48XJy9ozRvD4WPzrM_6Buzm4_FCEHBpIbrgrbF4jH7yQrL7SYeksM2NK5aHKLfTziAIHC57mDzdY-7bJp593W5LTZfiZsZNPIOVcRzILenJpcE5cPZxNaFYpgLLjQuo3V8X1EFFXK73w=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">down through the timber</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiptiHGwrDM34RyadbUux6OF44JUotVVEojM0aJ3QEqS-Mh4fyM-wh78qwkW0JKz0dcVYMYl-vw-UfAYJCrdr1VkzSDpGlbANXYVyR0fstjYlMvFeyKfcFFMs9vVL0XCSMwmD42wtYAm_uNMiii4eFE1BkREQ0rcWs2E_gffzlFt276jZ4CbVzyZSPalw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiptiHGwrDM34RyadbUux6OF44JUotVVEojM0aJ3QEqS-Mh4fyM-wh78qwkW0JKz0dcVYMYl-vw-UfAYJCrdr1VkzSDpGlbANXYVyR0fstjYlMvFeyKfcFFMs9vVL0XCSMwmD42wtYAm_uNMiii4eFE1BkREQ0rcWs2E_gffzlFt276jZ4CbVzyZSPalw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">down through the timber above Basco Trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We rode on through that basin and back into the middle range toward High Camp Trough, which was barely working, and then down through that patch of timber.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirC_VoIQTDT8hyyGcF5rLDuKvXzau6lodhSY81hWQxECJkWuUCAAFZpzOYGlpP6mim9Q2cOIX5LAla7lmM3pLkUUmYYiOm40S2k0nUHw6msbmzJpDGYzm8wd4AtPTjM-iVEJfFYJmXJLkFqdMEWMa_fpSxAa_9UV5QusYKBybLMbxirol-tHmxslneTg=s2048"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirC_VoIQTDT8hyyGcF5rLDuKvXzau6lodhSY81hWQxECJkWuUCAAFZpzOYGlpP6mim9Q2cOIX5LAla7lmM3pLkUUmYYiOm40S2k0nUHw6msbmzJpDGYzm8wd4AtPTjM-iVEJfFYJmXJLkFqdMEWMa_fpSxAa_9UV5QusYKBybLMbxirol-tHmxslneTg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg92nJqpPTHlU9AU2q7rwfygdDWYwgjLRplHU1-fMdiAc0BA5GcFT9uenK3eIHLkDcW8lmqMiiu9O3Ca51s1pUW4LMEeX38-AAAHGitQQyyWe17hdPLD95ing-DUrZRDpjpOXBTWzdIKoD3qG5G0mPNRQt1WLwMZGpS2YbLxTNk42GqFbzbBFQAyTljgA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg92nJqpPTHlU9AU2q7rwfygdDWYwgjLRplHU1-fMdiAc0BA5GcFT9uenK3eIHLkDcW8lmqMiiu9O3Ca51s1pUW4LMEeX38-AAAHGitQQyyWe17hdPLD95ing-DUrZRDpjpOXBTWzdIKoD3qG5G0mPNRQt1WLwMZGpS2YbLxTNk42GqFbzbBFQAyTljgA=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">down through timber below High Camp Trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">There’s hardly any grass out there, and no range cattle on the high part of the middle range because that grass has been completely gone since mid-June. Many folks around the valley are bringing their cattle home from their range allotments early, due to lack of grass in this drought, and we hope Millers and Alfonso will bring theirs home, too, before some of their cows starve to death. I took photos as we looked around this barren range, and paused at the old “Green Trough” to let the horses drink.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6b3D5lJSG46jHnzEOZOP-x_GmTySlzBgD60B2LyDRuRIiS9W5xkWJEN4MWxz5qPG9jHeOHqq-YE4JWMfq5FKuYoHI53yJ1oCIf8QIsYoE5yoz2RStjRNCH-CseS46gNmmQMsCiQuIug3rkUZAA-XB_bTVVWQQzRn4qZOl8s-g-90-FTxzH5NjgSacnA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6b3D5lJSG46jHnzEOZOP-x_GmTySlzBgD60B2LyDRuRIiS9W5xkWJEN4MWxz5qPG9jHeOHqq-YE4JWMfq5FKuYoHI53yJ1oCIf8QIsYoE5yoz2RStjRNCH-CseS46gNmmQMsCiQuIug3rkUZAA-XB_bTVVWQQzRn4qZOl8s-g-90-FTxzH5NjgSacnA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">looking around at barren range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXuMzwjf93goAcqGy-APWqxKrACdq_1IRk8v4zGVpD456FN057_HptUEUHAuqsIz_cnsAWqe2CQD98r4Ci6-_QEyeDWZW5TprZ42KFtQ6sCGfksSyLJk_hLCSqVM4s1DtEvyV4brvdW1_sCe6MwmDvEtrAxT400U7vxXgQzofc5hVeu2F68kA91caQNg=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXuMzwjf93goAcqGy-APWqxKrACdq_1IRk8v4zGVpD456FN057_HptUEUHAuqsIz_cnsAWqe2CQD98r4Ci6-_QEyeDWZW5TprZ42KFtQ6sCGfksSyLJk_hLCSqVM4s1DtEvyV4brvdW1_sCe6MwmDvEtrAxT400U7vxXgQzofc5hVeu2F68kA91caQNg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">drinking at Green Trough</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We saw a handful of cattle at the bedground above Crawley trough, and took a photo of the bare range (no grass left) and one of the skinny cows.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdcrd4yV41xxpXbsrSkJRprbHdU3rKtr7SQmqBQqb_J4Tb1Sdl2g7y6z_Sgyw560ttB2CnItBa6_iyT8T1a51sq7XAK8DYLzNIt4oDDsFag4oHeyUXeNTr-0AyVpMzdH6-K3H8AguXpR6RWFhDtUhitmJxG5tY-Rfwp1s2ftfNthl23w6lutdUvd8jKQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdcrd4yV41xxpXbsrSkJRprbHdU3rKtr7SQmqBQqb_J4Tb1Sdl2g7y6z_Sgyw560ttB2CnItBa6_iyT8T1a51sq7XAK8DYLzNIt4oDDsFag4oHeyUXeNTr-0AyVpMzdH6-K3H8AguXpR6RWFhDtUhitmJxG5tY-Rfwp1s2ftfNthl23w6lutdUvd8jKQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows on barren range at Crawley bedground</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz_14NSOYLQNaWZwekqViSIj0SQ0VaIrmysJfGHhdFYXML2qEAkPCOEmn1DxxYx3d9C6wySw_X7M3cfBU_I00XuJty3aqSU5xycrZFf0acgb9qkKKQnK-ykEsqOwCAUfeegnufGbX3yMnR44e92AG0cNfZ2437WMZb6ytByq4bC3SCJPxWwSfNSN7TkA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjz_14NSOYLQNaWZwekqViSIj0SQ0VaIrmysJfGHhdFYXML2qEAkPCOEmn1DxxYx3d9C6wySw_X7M3cfBU_I00XuJty3aqSU5xycrZFf0acgb9qkKKQnK-ykEsqOwCAUfeegnufGbX3yMnR44e92AG0cNfZ2437WMZb6ytByq4bC3SCJPxWwSfNSN7TkA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">skinny cow at bedground</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we got home we rearranged the hot wire in the pasture below the lane and put a water trough below the gate so we can water those 3 cows and their calves with my hose and the trough, since there’s no more irrigation water running through that pasture for them to drink.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our parts came for the tractor, so the next day Stan put it back together. Lynn used the big tractor and loader to lift up the front end of the smaller tractor. They got it fixed, and it works fine. Andrea went back to the dentist to have the crown put on her tooth that had the root canal and temporary cap. It’s a relief to have that abscess finally resolved and the tooth salvaged.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam has been getting ready to go to the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, to continue her nursing courses and get her RN degree. Thursday she and Andrea spent most of the day together cleaning out her old room, sorting through her things here—some that she wants to take, and some that they took to Rags and Wags to be given away.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The new watermaster came out to make the changes we requested on our ditches (putting our allotted water in 2 different ditches and shutting off the ones we’d been using) and we got to meet him. He seems like a nice young man. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily, Dani and Christopher had a great time at Fox Island. The neighbors had a 6 year old girl that enjoyed playing with Christopher on the beach and sharing some of her toys. They went out on a float, found seashells and starfish, and had a lot of fun. Here are pictures of the kids on the float.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYOn6JtrZQjNWlRWjDloktGVioKPJGZwjNEG4X93zQd-3mQCR-9QKsoWFqHEUbKB_mCC3YGUfbWuyTGUFK1mAI4x4ahCAxBEjHokP-fI_qppqdoO_pP5lpkLhr8iisPbfG6aFdKT9iOnPR0AcPb2ALdqkBzCIVf4giznbQrG_0vJYnGDM9HWOntD_kSQ=s2048"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiYOn6JtrZQjNWlRWjDloktGVioKPJGZwjNEG4X93zQd-3mQCR-9QKsoWFqHEUbKB_mCC3YGUfbWuyTGUFK1mAI4x4ahCAxBEjHokP-fI_qppqdoO_pP5lpkLhr8iisPbfG6aFdKT9iOnPR0AcPb2ALdqkBzCIVf4giznbQrG_0vJYnGDM9HWOntD_kSQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUh8piTftO-kMkOZa0m0fWqlMhELOo2_WqsgLvO9f8gURH1LojtkcULPNHP793q8rbgODhrJJOt-iUP9wp2c_GFbV7MZ-ufDjGwm5XtV9u3X74jYq1mMW1EtFzIGMXKvRR1tQYdCeq7z7wp9lLQyy1--Ck5vbaRMt904xd5nSy2Lyht2vf7UERPLQvPQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUh8piTftO-kMkOZa0m0fWqlMhELOo2_WqsgLvO9f8gURH1LojtkcULPNHP793q8rbgODhrJJOt-iUP9wp2c_GFbV7MZ-ufDjGwm5XtV9u3X74jYq1mMW1EtFzIGMXKvRR1tQYdCeq7z7wp9lLQyy1--Ck5vbaRMt904xd5nSy2Lyht2vf7UERPLQvPQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">kids enjoying the float</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Emily also took photos of Christopher’s first encounter with a starfish.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDmfa6oINfrzNgcxPME_3OX5bRe3wCOdK5Y59WH0AqtEuGmYfKYy28D3aAs2gVeSEZe4lA3gMZ-QM00igoJ_6EW0nRULNIFQZQaAglUBocqlyH4kqwHfdZKg0YwGwfA_giS3C5pJsfIjNyRKkfJDBlHMY2b5UV6nNPw0rB8p3IqxYaEjKXq4B7Pha8oA=s756" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDmfa6oINfrzNgcxPME_3OX5bRe3wCOdK5Y59WH0AqtEuGmYfKYy28D3aAs2gVeSEZe4lA3gMZ-QM00igoJ_6EW0nRULNIFQZQaAglUBocqlyH4kqwHfdZKg0YwGwfA_giS3C5pJsfIjNyRKkfJDBlHMY2b5UV6nNPw0rB8p3IqxYaEjKXq4B7Pha8oA=w296-h400" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher examining starfish</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaD1M3Hq6caYP6xmojs-2peD4giYCZaKQriUE12V9TZhlLFDCgasDyjbKLPXOW7VVurKTuB6_NnMVijA4IN9maeggEOdCgN-TmAXrfNMDP1S0J8s9n0c6CglzdsuCSZXMPoxH7qzF1fQhZ4ZzAafQ039-g_a3b4XRF5sYpb4elcFsYQwOyYj3Zp9cbHQ=s756" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="560" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjaD1M3Hq6caYP6xmojs-2peD4giYCZaKQriUE12V9TZhlLFDCgasDyjbKLPXOW7VVurKTuB6_NnMVijA4IN9maeggEOdCgN-TmAXrfNMDP1S0J8s9n0c6CglzdsuCSZXMPoxH7qzF1fQhZ4ZzAafQ039-g_a3b4XRF5sYpb4elcFsYQwOyYj3Zp9cbHQ=w296-h400" width="296" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">what is this thing?</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">To decorate the table in their cabin, Emily made a bouquet of dahlias that she got to cut at the neighbor’s garden.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7oasYPRRYQZ4jAxpTQHMU4rUH6qpumLfq-4xieNBBhQJKjHqijNt-8rmGfGv2KBeOLMkeuOo7Sdwp6CXihYtNFIIC83rgm-T0WWxfr6rZ90U-ZsIvDGYb2HqRpwpl67yaX15OHJuoRdsU66MOZgFrKeZwVEzrYU5zzyfrH4EfUfVVp3u0jQQ1oFS4yg=s2048"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi7oasYPRRYQZ4jAxpTQHMU4rUH6qpumLfq-4xieNBBhQJKjHqijNt-8rmGfGv2KBeOLMkeuOo7Sdwp6CXihYtNFIIC83rgm-T0WWxfr6rZ90U-ZsIvDGYb2HqRpwpl67yaX15OHJuoRdsU66MOZgFrKeZwVEzrYU5zzyfrH4EfUfVVp3u0jQQ1oFS4yg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNVdAVWTMTEASYqMUtEDJfkeLr1p9s53laV4oF91vAWEy_FQaC1m4CV6nUZ-3-bewJpULBzBl9OsBnx8x7NbKdwSicqG4_FAYR7YKdkTaXFQCw8-3fcM-k0eFCw2G_2gWcStnrYMWyNpy-8qdhtFU3ULZQrBv3opQQyv0N3KG7ol6R6J_WD_2MdFWuQQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNVdAVWTMTEASYqMUtEDJfkeLr1p9s53laV4oF91vAWEy_FQaC1m4CV6nUZ-3-bewJpULBzBl9OsBnx8x7NbKdwSicqG4_FAYR7YKdkTaXFQCw8-3fcM-k0eFCw2G_2gWcStnrYMWyNpy-8qdhtFU3ULZQrBv3opQQyv0N3KG7ol6R6J_WD_2MdFWuQQ=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Emily's bouquet</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">While they were there, they drove back to the mainland a few times (there’s a bridge now, whereas when I was a kid and my family went to Fox Island we crossed over on a ferry boat). They visited the aquarium at Point Defiance and went up to the top of the Space Needle in Seattle, and Christopher got to see all sorts of new things.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmY7MJ5X36-qoih2NQwRAV5K5XwMmZEaAitK2nK8PoBzz2t8TCUf7BIt6sPfocc7ZSUflFcXf0jnsxFpWSaXcyRPp60ElfFrguyjnWERolupnOV7Mj8uNSKJwshczVZyy7Wir1fN3UzqN5RFT9YPKbfVh0nT9JQ8lyR69CdaA-JK4rts9nfL3CkuP7uA=s2048" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhmY7MJ5X36-qoih2NQwRAV5K5XwMmZEaAitK2nK8PoBzz2t8TCUf7BIt6sPfocc7ZSUflFcXf0jnsxFpWSaXcyRPp60ElfFrguyjnWERolupnOV7Mj8uNSKJwshczVZyy7Wir1fN3UzqN5RFT9YPKbfVh0nT9JQ8lyR69CdaA-JK4rts9nfL3CkuP7uA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAOT_Xq9nezwtM2boMrZqBneYSXPqSP1vpk8tv4_ScbOcEnNwm6nRnFlbo5jidSTQWiY2x3rBwAiT-f1IS_aSUI7QcWpdxD_Jflrh1RPKRWjgSgCVflAU829-xKVx7tA5_esbZ1Cvl4iUdIXaGprInA_ldvmUfAuxzTTkwmeS2KCB6pRjzpVhpLyHgxw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjAOT_Xq9nezwtM2boMrZqBneYSXPqSP1vpk8tv4_ScbOcEnNwm6nRnFlbo5jidSTQWiY2x3rBwAiT-f1IS_aSUI7QcWpdxD_Jflrh1RPKRWjgSgCVflAU829-xKVx7tA5_esbZ1Cvl4iUdIXaGprInA_ldvmUfAuxzTTkwmeS2KCB6pRjzpVhpLyHgxw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">view from space needle</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily also took a photo of the city lights at night, across the bay from the cabin.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDGOpED6ExNl9jxEUM4kmNKzxH2FLEK1tOfFbDUv4bqFoMZsPqqD5zR9KGJVGdyWv9fvRCQPBXY1wD7OT3vgJP7tNB0FDl7dH10G34T_gyOZROpSDtcN9-XNpWN8jNDS66pah_JOjwiU5UYOHW9Xx2JZlkXwNClHvNkplLjOGaRpMjvqPdfGHQ_MBtNw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjDGOpED6ExNl9jxEUM4kmNKzxH2FLEK1tOfFbDUv4bqFoMZsPqqD5zR9KGJVGdyWv9fvRCQPBXY1wD7OT3vgJP7tNB0FDl7dH10G34T_gyOZROpSDtcN9-XNpWN8jNDS66pah_JOjwiU5UYOHW9Xx2JZlkXwNClHvNkplLjOGaRpMjvqPdfGHQ_MBtNw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lights across the bay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They had the family cabin rented for just 4 nights, so on Friday they cleaned it up and washed the sheets, to leave it all in good shape for the next family visitors, and headed home early that afternoon. We were hoping they would make it home ok, since the clutch in Emily’s little car wasn’t working right (with all the stop/go traffic in the cities) and the heat was terrible (109 degrees for most of that afternoon). But everything kept working and they drove through the night, making it home at 1:30 a.m.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">They didn’t have much time to sleep, however, because they wanted to go out to Mark’s place before 8 a.m. to say good-by to Sam before she left that morning for college. They took Christopher with them and had a good visit with Sam, then stayed and visited with Mark and Charlie after Sam left. Charlie got out some toys for him, and Mark let him ride the lawnmower with him. Everyone enjoys that exuberant little boy!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That morning Stan worked on the fence at the end of our driveway (the one at the end of the ditch pasture that Alfonso burned up this spring when he was burning his end of ditch that comes out there from our place). Andrea took photos of him working on the fence.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoKX7QcD0mMhFtS4NgzDACacP-DfcPFfk3CM6drfWlDcx3HB_VrXf5ajgwhljExmqBNa65ET_v5F9io7zyJkQFuHVdh6RZxgPw2NmHZ0JMyQzRgMiu0W9wesZZA5pHt_sYv8-UwOUgABjECehwqtmojvwLotR0jDODuf4qhx-L0ESOvcKh5J02yLzCfg=s2048"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhoKX7QcD0mMhFtS4NgzDACacP-DfcPFfk3CM6drfWlDcx3HB_VrXf5ajgwhljExmqBNa65ET_v5F9io7zyJkQFuHVdh6RZxgPw2NmHZ0JMyQzRgMiu0W9wesZZA5pHt_sYv8-UwOUgABjECehwqtmojvwLotR0jDODuf4qhx-L0ESOvcKh5J02yLzCfg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeicwMs-iuoHAVSFjmqFBP2IuD5EZT5zmnFxtGa_6MPSg85BJbGxX55R3iKrseQe5P1_R7bTgIEKEcFoGwDgBlpj27L7dkocjnB7oM0xd2efVGIkEe8sLetpFymbt1NrdMgtC4kFlnezfY9dCVr4iDvIZZQf_RY940g7AWXkrR3msTazL6-TUkVwRd2w=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeicwMs-iuoHAVSFjmqFBP2IuD5EZT5zmnFxtGa_6MPSg85BJbGxX55R3iKrseQe5P1_R7bTgIEKEcFoGwDgBlpj27L7dkocjnB7oM0xd2efVGIkEe8sLetpFymbt1NrdMgtC4kFlnezfY9dCVr4iDvIZZQf_RY940g7AWXkrR3msTazL6-TUkVwRd2w=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan's fence rebuilding project</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso told us he would fix the fence he burned up, but he didn’t fix it, and we had to put some temporary panels across that stretch in order to graze our heifers there. Stan set some new posts and is rebuilding the fence. We couldn’t wait for Alfonso to rebuild it because he never will. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I sorted Babe (the bull) out of the cow herd and put him in the corral with the jailbird heifer (Pandemonium, the one who was sucking one of the cows and had to be locked up). The bull recovered from the foot rot, but it was time to take him out of the cows. We don’t want a long calving season next year. If one or two cows didn’t get bred in a short breeding season, we prefer to sell them rather than calve really late.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we let the cow herd into new grass--a small segment of pasture above the swamp pasture gate, but left them access to the swamp pasture because there’s still a couple days’ worth of feed left in it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather sent us a photo of their smashed, bent baler that ran into a big rock when Gregory was trying to bale some of their hay. It took him most of the next morning to take everything apart and straighten it out and then put it back together.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSoybDUy1ixHnnEbYMs1tS-LhDu0trPHSL3pnFV5ENk09ToEd9ThLLA_0BMb2x9A3bA4kRy_Z7jErkPuJoJgAUFmlu4XoD9htCEYn-xsOkQa4OypMkeiGpLSmqJCdzVqPxlnEZE89mzrrcijsxDCJ1ER2U3MM0wACIyTUSVVaM4ers6P_sX24UDGfOkQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSoybDUy1ixHnnEbYMs1tS-LhDu0trPHSL3pnFV5ENk09ToEd9ThLLA_0BMb2x9A3bA4kRy_Z7jErkPuJoJgAUFmlu4XoD9htCEYn-xsOkQa4OypMkeiGpLSmqJCdzVqPxlnEZE89mzrrcijsxDCJ1ER2U3MM0wACIyTUSVVaM4ers6P_sX24UDGfOkQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baler pickup smashed by rock</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea brought Christopher down here late afternoon and we took care of him while she helped Stan for a while on the fence project. After Christopher eagerly ran around our livingroom finding all the toys he hadn’t seen for a week, I took him with me to do chores; we’d had a tiny bit of rain that cleared the air and it wasn’t very smoky. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He enjoyed running around to see all the horses, and helped me feed each one, stuffing a little hay through the fence for them. The only problem was when he tried to stuff some hay through the fence for Shiloh and accidently touched the electric wire on her side before I could get to him to redirect his enthusiastic effort to a better spot to put the hay through. It shocked his arm and he cried—and I had to console him for a few moments. But then he forgot about his traumatic experience when he got to help spray Shiloh’s hay (to settle the dust so she won’t cough), and help take Sprout around to the barnyard where I’ve been letting her graze down the tall grass and weeds. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea had come back from helping Stan by then and she put Christopher on Sprout to have a short ride as I led her out to the driveway. Then Christopher helped me lead her the rest of the way, holding onto the end of the rope as he walked between Andrea and me as we took the horse around to where she could graze. He helped us feed the bull and heifer in the back corral, then wanted to climb up and get in all the tractors when we came back to the house. That kid loves tractors, and when he looks through old farm magazines he looks at all the tractor pictures and points them out to us. Tractor was one of his first words.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday Stan worked on the fence again. He got the barbed wire on it and got it finished except for putting stays in. Andrea and I sorted the 4 heifers out of the cow herd and put them on the ditch bank pasture above the orchard and horse pasture. Andrea brought Christopher down on the 4-wheeler and then went home just before a major thunderstorm that poured rain for a few minutes. This was the first real rain we’ve had for many weeks. Another big storm hit a few hours later and altogether we probably got an inch of rain, which will really help our parched, dry hills and help stretch our scanty irrigation water. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Stan finished the fence (put in the stays) and we took photos of it.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHDS3YRWVVMhAtADtgqzKekuxlikx6ewiTTsrMgL6s_W5BqLxczQZFDMLZM14rIe-1gEkSrJ3RN3PXa713d9w1saNg6Txwd7Sv8J4jt458Sb5wJmS-Sq2HObBTr0JFVPb5mPxa3yH2u6n5FmNQTrh05jUY9gk5y2pZHxQd_U5j5r1Glt7-5bxwVnibLg=s2048"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgHDS3YRWVVMhAtADtgqzKekuxlikx6ewiTTsrMgL6s_W5BqLxczQZFDMLZM14rIe-1gEkSrJ3RN3PXa713d9w1saNg6Txwd7Sv8J4jt458Sb5wJmS-Sq2HObBTr0JFVPb5mPxa3yH2u6n5FmNQTrh05jUY9gk5y2pZHxQd_U5j5r1Glt7-5bxwVnibLg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXrRdd1v2Omy_h265XGmdWstWf0GaE2gmsX-oQfpBjwZtuEJuVAlz4YUS8l0x3UncnxMjxSDzrg2n8Q0NXtsNvFuo1DFN7tf3ps9kN1D0JqRpLMYiZxRljM6iHkdyeE2xJxXPqYPm3TmhpO8Qp741Xw8rRGPWwlV8pMasWl9q9nxsMHRASyCYRAAVpRQ=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXrRdd1v2Omy_h265XGmdWstWf0GaE2gmsX-oQfpBjwZtuEJuVAlz4YUS8l0x3UncnxMjxSDzrg2n8Q0NXtsNvFuo1DFN7tf3ps9kN1D0JqRpLMYiZxRljM6iHkdyeE2xJxXPqYPm3TmhpO8Qp741Xw8rRGPWwlV8pMasWl9q9nxsMHRASyCYRAAVpRQ=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">finished fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took photos of the signs that Stan repositioned at the end of our driveway</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYcBh7kKpfurYdDeBFwugdti2hfiDshOPCZOxZv4bdwWYOlgBN2hrroEgwG4FJ0N_Gjl-vaDCbAZOrFM2JmKdZZ3BTD01GjfPtczoC6MOER4M47lMCYoFEBUclVSrNs5KsniTyNR7TIAUjHrRwTWnsnYKzXCJCNAAXIbUv3OJf5gCoe3HWbZhK_ozRkw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYcBh7kKpfurYdDeBFwugdti2hfiDshOPCZOxZv4bdwWYOlgBN2hrroEgwG4FJ0N_Gjl-vaDCbAZOrFM2JmKdZZ3BTD01GjfPtczoC6MOER4M47lMCYoFEBUclVSrNs5KsniTyNR7TIAUjHrRwTWnsnYKzXCJCNAAXIbUv3OJf5gCoe3HWbZhK_ozRkw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea's sign</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-NYg1rAf9BWOrB5kiHT0fLRRIDpJSvQhG6kDsfAYvhuhNfHYei_jDfir8wQkS_aBjmHrAHqZCVsddNG2zItSj4ESrKfbTsPEPPepXgPNbnYk1NUeVzUPIXJ2osHDl91oggJGBx_RvQC8044Z_SssrEXNwnRihSYhYxA1i2xlPFAAjAY82XGH9l-FjAw=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj-NYg1rAf9BWOrB5kiHT0fLRRIDpJSvQhG6kDsfAYvhuhNfHYei_jDfir8wQkS_aBjmHrAHqZCVsddNG2zItSj4ESrKfbTsPEPPepXgPNbnYk1NUeVzUPIXJ2osHDl91oggJGBx_RvQC8044Z_SssrEXNwnRihSYhYxA1i2xlPFAAjAY82XGH9l-FjAw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our driveway sign</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the calves in the pasture below the lane got through the hot wire (probably when it was so wet during the night and not working very well) and went into the field that’s growing back after being cut for hay. Andrea and I had to take down the hot wire in one place in order to get her back through it because by then it was working again and she was reluctant to touch it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had another hard rain late yesterday afternoon, so altogether it was nearly equal to an irrigation on the fields that haven’t had much water. The air was so moist this morning that there was ground fog at daylight, and I took photos of it out the window.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkb1tqB781vz8CFFxrhDt5vJeezgOm3iO9n4GWXy_FN15ePuApGJ1EbxnFvkSKunR6S4n5tS4dVB3ckCNBFEYDXhaHqWJelObwWGpQCW9WdKHKNFNGkfi-82L1TZbjdv6LrRWL7f9pVSSwf0bJoaCsO5YsWrT8tpgdCGMnXeWK-cpozX_0Oh7_rZE5yw=s2048"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjkb1tqB781vz8CFFxrhDt5vJeezgOm3iO9n4GWXy_FN15ePuApGJ1EbxnFvkSKunR6S4n5tS4dVB3ckCNBFEYDXhaHqWJelObwWGpQCW9WdKHKNFNGkfi-82L1TZbjdv6LrRWL7f9pVSSwf0bJoaCsO5YsWrT8tpgdCGMnXeWK-cpozX_0Oh7_rZE5yw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTLTvNnBGM4I-XIbwinYC9v-CcRPTmRQXX0J5wqkF5m8iiQLwwIhUtVs-xWAhTGXX1Y2yu5Q1cmt-odVA89MfNfybx8JlEgANhxpTZznGGVLL52obR9ke1jr4UbL7mx0Zo9_5jSvASMSvfXstWj7Rk15j3GE9m0zrjZ5b9wD6MeZSXf4nBQ7Rc5yWSrA=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgTLTvNnBGM4I-XIbwinYC9v-CcRPTmRQXX0J5wqkF5m8iiQLwwIhUtVs-xWAhTGXX1Y2yu5Q1cmt-odVA89MfNfybx8JlEgANhxpTZznGGVLL52obR9ke1jr4UbL7mx0Zo9_5jSvASMSvfXstWj7Rk15j3GE9m0zrjZ5b9wD6MeZSXf4nBQ7Rc5yWSrA=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ground fog - looking from our window</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Lynn and Stan were figuring out how to reinforce the door latches on our stock trailer so they can’t ever come open while hauling a load of cattle. Ever since our neighbor’s trailer door came open while hauling some of our calves down the creek road (the fall of 1997), dumping a bunch of steers on the road (fatally crippling 4 of them, that had to be shot and butchered, and injuring several more that could not be sold until later, after they recovered) we have been very fussy about making sure trailer doors can be latched securely!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then this afternoon Stan got a call to go out on a fire in central Montana (American Fork fire), to bring his wash station trailer to a fire camp. So he spent the rest of the day getting everything ready to go, so he can leave first thing tomorrow morning.</span></div></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-81573335301535024172021-11-30T09:48:00.000-08:002021-11-30T09:48:03.033-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - May 13 thru June 23, 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">MAY 20</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week our phones and internet quit working for a couple days and I was unable to do phone interviews or send articles to my editors, but fortunately was able to make my deadline on articles after things started working again, and able to reschedule the interviews for later dates for later articles. We take modern technology for granted, but it doesn’t always work! At least it doesn’t affect our ranch work; we can still take care of the cattle and change the irrigation water in our ditches.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam came out to Andrea’s house briefly for a visit and Andrea took a photo of her and Christopher.</span></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FI37do-OO2E3EOjKvxySZi6d1H5io11jbF8Jn7xYKmm1hAwXkjXj45XqYJu3q8pyTfdJG3DO8EDzPV86zXi4EjXBlARxmABd5SmdKuitCkPIYTxsvdsqqNqefZ115QUyGyDX9KSTpWlN/s2048/1+-+Sam+%2526+Christopher.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1FI37do-OO2E3EOjKvxySZi6d1H5io11jbF8Jn7xYKmm1hAwXkjXj45XqYJu3q8pyTfdJG3DO8EDzPV86zXi4EjXBlARxmABd5SmdKuitCkPIYTxsvdsqqNqefZ115QUyGyDX9KSTpWlN/w300-h400/1+-+Sam+%2526+Christopher.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Friday Andrea went to the eye doctor and Lynn went to Carmen Creek to locate a site for a well, for some folks who bought property in one of the subdivisions up that creek. That afternoon Andrea and Dani went back to town for Andrea’s dental appointment and left Christopher with us, since Emily was at work. The dental specialist who was supposed to do the root canal on her bad tooth wouldn’t do it, however. She’s been on antibiotics for a month waiting for this and now has to wait longer and has to go to another dentist.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday Emily and Andrea drove to Leadore (and took Christopher along) to get a couch set that someone was selling, to replace the worn-out one in Andrea’s living room. This one folds out and makes a nice bed. Lynn located another well that morning on a property close to town, then after lunch went to another place the other side of town to locate another one. People are moving here from all over, and buying up property to build homes on, and need wells.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday evening was the high school prom, and Andrea took a photo of Sam and her date, and a photo of Dani’s prom dress.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-voHvXdzdhcBj9Uk-e9fHy4gpCPVlAx9zHoOdeKmu6T5Pls1xVEgemRSMBiro2jWXLOkOvdo4ck-2sm_lwclsiX-vSQDVgzuxQuC0db-5iY99tKxVXt0cqm3hKnX04rZq1iYzrLV92VZK/s2048/2+-+Dani%2527s+prom+dress.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-voHvXdzdhcBj9Uk-e9fHy4gpCPVlAx9zHoOdeKmu6T5Pls1xVEgemRSMBiro2jWXLOkOvdo4ck-2sm_lwclsiX-vSQDVgzuxQuC0db-5iY99tKxVXt0cqm3hKnX04rZq1iYzrLV92VZK/w300-h400/2+-+Dani%2527s+prom+dress.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani's prom dress</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77tU0cjvp2L_JkdYJwT5V-MCpWoKQi_GYEuDrAiDIEGO-dnlrY03b0bQDfBCznTf8F3F1M2O-xhvQEv0XtXzSMy4AqkTyJWuAw9MqiWpCFm_LSAerI7Fyo7BZexBgZhshfnGbdwuZHEye/s2048/2A+-+Sam%2527s+prom.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77tU0cjvp2L_JkdYJwT5V-MCpWoKQi_GYEuDrAiDIEGO-dnlrY03b0bQDfBCznTf8F3F1M2O-xhvQEv0XtXzSMy4AqkTyJWuAw9MqiWpCFm_LSAerI7Fyo7BZexBgZhshfnGbdwuZHEye/w400-h300/2A+-+Sam%2527s+prom.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam's prom</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>That evening Dani and some of her friends had their own “prom” at Andrea’s house. They didn’t want to attend the one at the high school, and had more fun doing their private prom and playing card games late into the night. Andrea took photos of their informal prom.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SCwI4YVsDFUvfZFWoXzCV-XwtoNvN8LwP5NmeS3s9KHEvWf6FXKMGTJ57NhvT-x29b8t5be44Da0TjmhPrL1dMOO0KZRMqCfo7rGAm9OhxYVQMS2xkSAtJhzT0ImyI1DzSsKJwGVrpuy/s2048/3+-+private+prom.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SCwI4YVsDFUvfZFWoXzCV-XwtoNvN8LwP5NmeS3s9KHEvWf6FXKMGTJ57NhvT-x29b8t5be44Da0TjmhPrL1dMOO0KZRMqCfo7rGAm9OhxYVQMS2xkSAtJhzT0ImyI1DzSsKJwGVrpuy/w300-h400/3+-+private+prom.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">private prom</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Sunday morning after we took two more big bales out to the cows Andrea held Dottie for me while I trimmed her feet. I need to start riding her soon, but her feet were too long, from her winter vacation.</div><div><br /></div><div>I cleaned out the hay bedding that we put in the shed for the calves for branding day, and since it was still good hay, I hauled it in several wagonloads to feed to Rishiam. The barn will be easier to get ready for branding next year, with no old dusty bedding—we’ll simply need to put in new fresh bedding.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea and Emily took Christopher with then to town, and Andrea took a photo of him playing on the lawn at the little park by the river.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFhRD_j_Gn_CrsMCYvjO_sfj1PQHHKgj0A-DNOZCIcT5BOvGf_aLDAvsf8t-zVsdvkSo1cmrwF-MEaF3CwnhBCFqiQupaEOsq1kcLbsaMU63_evFW34TGYCN72a0eDKjPB5H9MYnZ7QJ9/s2048/4+-Christopher+playing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyFhRD_j_Gn_CrsMCYvjO_sfj1PQHHKgj0A-DNOZCIcT5BOvGf_aLDAvsf8t-zVsdvkSo1cmrwF-MEaF3CwnhBCFqiQupaEOsq1kcLbsaMU63_evFW34TGYCN72a0eDKjPB5H9MYnZ7QJ9/w300-h400/4+-Christopher+playing.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Monday Andrea went to a different dentist who took x-rays of her abscessed tooth and put her on another antibiotic—and will do a root canal on Friday. These past few days I’ve been cleaning house and sorting through a lot of piles—old papers and magazines that have accumulated over many years, and some that I probably won’t need for future research because I probably won’t be writing any more books on public land issues, wolf issues, wild horse issues, etc. I realize that at age 77 my time and energy are running out. As my dad used to say, in his old age, I am in “the final quarter of the game” and there are only a certain number of plays left in the game. I can downsize and get rid of some of the stuff that would have been helpful for future projects that I no longer have time or energy to do. I’ll stick to writing articles for horse and livestock publications, doing interviews for some of those, instead of writing books that take lengthy research.</div><div><br /></div><div>After cleaning out piles and piles of stuff I’ll never need, I have more space in my “office” part of the house and we can see more of the floor again! Andrea and Dani took about 20 bags of stuff to the dump on their way to town on Tuesday (for Andrea’s pain doctor appointment) and that many bags again yesterday. Christopher stayed with us part of the day on Tuesday and enjoyed swinging in his doorway swing and watching movies on TV while I sorted piles and cleaned house. Andrea took him home on her 4-wheeler after she finished irrigating that evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent photos of young Joseph and little brother James out playing. I hope we get to meet those little boys in person some day!</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgcGXVZySKrtbmdUoA67_Y_59bt-M43JyhCtyJQpxSsAZh_seGEj83PbD8Vv_ckyvDM2VYLezHCnPEfubfWZ_udEbmeB8Z21zf8xgOpxmuVghFA1aCxg0GSrVVeG94phIjz0R-IruGmHx/s2048/5+-+James+in+the+wagon.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgcGXVZySKrtbmdUoA67_Y_59bt-M43JyhCtyJQpxSsAZh_seGEj83PbD8Vv_ckyvDM2VYLezHCnPEfubfWZ_udEbmeB8Z21zf8xgOpxmuVghFA1aCxg0GSrVVeG94phIjz0R-IruGmHx/w300-h400/5+-+James+in+the+wagon.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James in the wagon</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp96JmUXTHWPR3oRpGQdRBs2tmNxvCgsmicNBDOQd7pEyaGREBvqGM4vhfOlFUxG122ApRAgK2fHmpEDjb4y83W_EZSGsQu-TueHaftv5uk2I0cojhnfh0-Rddg-Z91Wm9cPKU5A9hnVr/s2048/6+-+Joseph+%2526+little+brother.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLp96JmUXTHWPR3oRpGQdRBs2tmNxvCgsmicNBDOQd7pEyaGREBvqGM4vhfOlFUxG122ApRAgK2fHmpEDjb4y83W_EZSGsQu-TueHaftv5uk2I0cojhnfh0-Rddg-Z91Wm9cPKU5A9hnVr/w300-h400/6+-+Joseph+%2526+little+brother.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph & little brother</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Yesterday was cool and cloudy; our weather was changing from hot to stormy. Andrea changed irrigation water and helped us take 2 more big bales to the cows. They are eager to go to green grass but it’s been so cold and dry this spring that the pastures are not very far along; they’ll have to be on hay a few more days. We desperately need some rain and better growing weather. After we took the bales to the cows, Lynn used the tractor to bring 3 old pole panels from the discard pile in the post pile pasture (where Michael and crew stacked up old stuff from the fences they took out so they could build new fences).<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9NFMHWo8cG9Nr_8Lpnx_zlI9Yu64J7409zzyRiTaujkMps4YPXwl9lun2tcZgDZ76Y91TMfoDG58eMaPhJKmudQ2gP1BQDhHoPN7SgvPisxE0c4rYgkMtIk2IUK1N6SzbsOiTMYXXdEm/s2048/7+-+bringing+old+panels+with+tractor.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9NFMHWo8cG9Nr_8Lpnx_zlI9Yu64J7409zzyRiTaujkMps4YPXwl9lun2tcZgDZ76Y91TMfoDG58eMaPhJKmudQ2gP1BQDhHoPN7SgvPisxE0c4rYgkMtIk2IUK1N6SzbsOiTMYXXdEm/w400-h300/7+-+bringing+old+panels+with+tractor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing old panels with tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Lynn took those old panels to the end of our driveway where we hope to set them up in the fence line as a temporary “patch” in the area where Alfonso burned the old fence—when the fire got away from him the day he burned his ditch banks below our place. He said he would rebuild the burned up fence for us, but he hasn’t yet, and we’ll need to graze our side very soon with our heifers. So the old panels will make a quick fix.</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon Dani helped me clean our back room and sinks and stove, and helped Lynn put up some pictures on our wall (she’s more agile on the stepladder than we are). These are photos that Lynn’s sister Ann had enlarged—old pictures of their dad in his younger years, working with the sheep, and horses. While she was up on the stepladder she also swept a bunch of cobwebs and dust off the ceiling fan and afterward had so much dirt and dust on her face that I took a photo of her.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEInHQZEexhyphenhypheno-W9FMs5_DKeoUP8-MqNadY0Opni_TZsTI4PrLoHaMMUCWaNK9ThOXoqv2oW1TyWDXPpjApkWC0WA52qN4gJdnETczhf07h8VA7X3a-wEnQ3OihLbxYCMqSeHVU2IFerl/s2048/8+-Dani+with+dust+all+over+her.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEInHQZEexhyphenhypheno-W9FMs5_DKeoUP8-MqNadY0Opni_TZsTI4PrLoHaMMUCWaNK9ThOXoqv2oW1TyWDXPpjApkWC0WA52qN4gJdnETczhf07h8VA7X3a-wEnQ3OihLbxYCMqSeHVU2IFerl/w300-h400/8+-Dani+with+dust+all+over+her.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani covered in dust</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Today was cold, with rain and snow! It didn’t get above 42 degrees, and we built a fire in our wood stove. Lynn drove to 4th of July Creek to check on another well site. Then we tended Christopher this afternoon while Andrea changed irrigation water—and nearly froze her hands in the cold. Dani came this evening and washed some of our windows (the inside parts) that hadn’t been washed for several years. It rained again this evening, turning to snow.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">MAY 29</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span>My cousin Ned Moser and his wife Pam arrived here last Friday (on Andrea’s birthday) to stay a few days. It was still raining/snowing and they had snowy roads over the mountain, coming from Missoula Montana. They had flown to Montana from Texas, spent a few days at Kalispell and drove through Glacier Park, then came here to visit, staying a few nights at Andrea’s house (she cleaned out Charlies old room for them). We were looking forward to a visit with them; we hadn’t seen them since they were here for Emily’s wedding 4 years ago.<div><br /></div><div>Andrea was pretty miserable the first evening they were here; she had her root canal done that morning—and the tooth abscess was still draining. Emily took Christopher to town with her when she went to work, and he stayed with friends until Dani picked him up and brought him home. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ned and Pam got here mid-afternoon and visited with us until chore time, then drove on up to Andrea’s house. We all went up there for Andrea’s birthday dinner; Sam and Charlie joined us, and visited before dinner. Here are photos of Sam greeting Pam and Ned, and Charlie visiting with Ned.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskLzxECuOs0eSPm4To99LHQRcdhgsdoJW90_XukiunJvF8AJySl6u6r-SPUF1cNbKh65rHP_2f0ZNtq4ixa16jF54wiiviF3kg53WUchsZMH8FlrC56d6JCPxXAdimbShk-MiTEg07UI3/s2048/9+-+Sam+greeting+Pam+%2526+Ned.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskLzxECuOs0eSPm4To99LHQRcdhgsdoJW90_XukiunJvF8AJySl6u6r-SPUF1cNbKh65rHP_2f0ZNtq4ixa16jF54wiiviF3kg53WUchsZMH8FlrC56d6JCPxXAdimbShk-MiTEg07UI3/w400-h300/9+-+Sam+greeting+Pam+%2526+Ned.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam greeting Pam & Ned</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcsFH3-O5d45qxrq0fFltadEwQ3sT9mWuz8hUuCaGlw9zy4fBBpfAY1p8cR6uvDztkeqhmdifPW3dEf8dOdPIez9L1BkaOILS26msDjTYnnjkv4SxxlRy1prPuEBPJ6vCJ1VLVlCZrSCH/s2048/10+-+Ned+%2526+Charlie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcsFH3-O5d45qxrq0fFltadEwQ3sT9mWuz8hUuCaGlw9zy4fBBpfAY1p8cR6uvDztkeqhmdifPW3dEf8dOdPIez9L1BkaOILS26msDjTYnnjkv4SxxlRy1prPuEBPJ6vCJ1VLVlCZrSCH/w400-h300/10+-+Ned+%2526+Charlie.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ned & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>It was a nice get-together except for Andrea’s very sore jaw. Sam helped her finish the meal preparations and did a great job. We all sat visiting for a while until dinner was ready, and Christopher showed Pam some of his favorite toys.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRdyIzbt-nI2I21Cc25i7fahmmKI5q6UX80zOOdXzKlNriHtrpgwE2ZMBIy7p-dKEqJ_JXLMYQ8dKSF_q2VLMVRP_h-kGAbkjcdqRiwlnmrK6CV_Zhr0-faHo2TMvDHPH6hCLKBI8b5xJ/s2048/11+-+visiting+while+Sam+helps+fix+dinner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGRdyIzbt-nI2I21Cc25i7fahmmKI5q6UX80zOOdXzKlNriHtrpgwE2ZMBIy7p-dKEqJ_JXLMYQ8dKSF_q2VLMVRP_h-kGAbkjcdqRiwlnmrK6CV_Zhr0-faHo2TMvDHPH6hCLKBI8b5xJ/w400-h300/11+-+visiting+while+Sam+helps+fix+dinner.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">visiting while Sam helps fix dinner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTqZ7KEzL7okneATsm7v2jQsqMG8fXbmZQKphXRoy46sMAkrtYDMKumojlz5qKRWUzOU6g3HaOFvvWSQaPFsWrbRra3yW1FNZmfdQyc3FYyxU2-xrWxyoDAiU-oIWc1UyXfslCoKKSiuc/s2048/12+-+Christopher+showing+Pam+some+favorite+toys.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBTqZ7KEzL7okneATsm7v2jQsqMG8fXbmZQKphXRoy46sMAkrtYDMKumojlz5qKRWUzOU6g3HaOFvvWSQaPFsWrbRra3yW1FNZmfdQyc3FYyxU2-xrWxyoDAiU-oIWc1UyXfslCoKKSiuc/w400-h300/12+-+Christopher+showing+Pam+some+favorite+toys.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher showing Pam some favorite toys</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I took more photos during dinner, of Sam and Charlie, and after Andrea opened her gifts a photo of Sam looking at an old recipe book I gave Andrea—and a photo of Andrea and Christopher.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkx1dPPMfC9-qIh9Z_t7bbZ3zGIntDUTB6TPkYAH8D3Yyq_Sy9fE1RjrEuCDyO9ceqemNh_0mcuwHznCrKSEB-rRDM2W9PuiVfL_YRtgUbCSGNR1uH-qissO1LQO1IRlm4G8Ht2it3uNN/s2048/13+-+Sam+%2526+Charlier.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkx1dPPMfC9-qIh9Z_t7bbZ3zGIntDUTB6TPkYAH8D3Yyq_Sy9fE1RjrEuCDyO9ceqemNh_0mcuwHznCrKSEB-rRDM2W9PuiVfL_YRtgUbCSGNR1uH-qissO1LQO1IRlm4G8Ht2it3uNN/w400-h300/13+-+Sam+%2526+Charlier.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_nZKRjFale8bSj8J9H_e3KJY8RZWVbRNiXFjb5IOIclcTnUhPfB8dPLGXFFs6ha5ixGBOXmUE_Q9AGnElkaaGL2LST8nbnL159ZLGBaHwMqq4HPZvnZuY3SH8i7XH-Fh_-TV0HTaCRbi/s2048/14+-+Sam+checking+out+old+recipe+book.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1_nZKRjFale8bSj8J9H_e3KJY8RZWVbRNiXFjb5IOIclcTnUhPfB8dPLGXFFs6ha5ixGBOXmUE_Q9AGnElkaaGL2LST8nbnL159ZLGBaHwMqq4HPZvnZuY3SH8i7XH-Fh_-TV0HTaCRbi/w400-h300/14+-+Sam+checking+out+old+recipe+book.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam checking out old recipe book</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55hJa-dE0m8jNb6Kb4xo2StcOZACuOySNwaxXEzxARgKtBw685587wbGK8TKinW4mJN7izK_9-_dx729vmgQkbqFmWoNYWIUW-8VjBmhLxx1GJO1fQpR1KX4NgYPS9SYkSLWmpwyhpU1t/s2048/14A+-+Andrea+%2526+Christopher.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55hJa-dE0m8jNb6Kb4xo2StcOZACuOySNwaxXEzxARgKtBw685587wbGK8TKinW4mJN7izK_9-_dx729vmgQkbqFmWoNYWIUW-8VjBmhLxx1GJO1fQpR1KX4NgYPS9SYkSLWmpwyhpU1t/w400-h300/14A+-+Andrea+%2526+Christopher.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>While Pam was helping clean up dishes after dinner, Christopher got one of the leftover pieces of corn on the cob and used it as a make-believe microphone; he stuck one of his toy balls on top of it and was talking into it, and I thought that was very innovative for a 2-year-old kid.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1X3xS2ZuREybbHnvqYJaAJkjAEZIoZSjs9T78QAR55uRxXea_Hwqa5wT8x_cXxnGdWAxo4T85xNC-dNBwrh1EZyTqbJD8edxxj87xHaz2o5M5D7PoIpaw0avgpkdbmPZYBj33HXJyiB6F/s2048/15+-+corn+cob+%2526+ball+become+a+microphone.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1X3xS2ZuREybbHnvqYJaAJkjAEZIoZSjs9T78QAR55uRxXea_Hwqa5wT8x_cXxnGdWAxo4T85xNC-dNBwrh1EZyTqbJD8edxxj87xHaz2o5M5D7PoIpaw0avgpkdbmPZYBj33HXJyiB6F/w300-h400/15+-+corn+cob+%2526+ball+become+a+microphone.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">corn cob & ball become a microphone</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJurPiGHtIobu9Iv70jYBPxFTN7LMM3I3D20bdPGywt8PPr9pFZM-a9n4mhaovCr_mqLaB26_PiUWi56mgRAUg0gy6InJ3L8_gxRpl9fYPvY7p3T2pxT1ncfvBveIf7QhyFXU3zfKLmy4/s2048/16+-+Christopher%2527s+makeshift+microphone.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoJurPiGHtIobu9Iv70jYBPxFTN7LMM3I3D20bdPGywt8PPr9pFZM-a9n4mhaovCr_mqLaB26_PiUWi56mgRAUg0gy6InJ3L8_gxRpl9fYPvY7p3T2pxT1ncfvBveIf7QhyFXU3zfKLmy4/w300-h400/16+-+Christopher%2527s+makeshift+microphone.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher's makeshift microphone</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>We all stayed late visiting, and it was still snowing when Lynn and I drove home to our house. </div><div><br /></div><div>The next morning was very cold and still snowing. The cows were out of hay in their feeders and it was too muddy to get around in the stack yard with the tractor or to take bales up to the field without getting stuck, so we decided to put the cows out on pasture. Lynn and I took a couple little bales from my hay shed to put into the calf houses in the lower swamp pasture, for bedding for the calves (they needed to be able to get out of the cold, wet weather), then Andrea helped us move the herd from the field above the house, up through the barnyard to the lower swamp pasture. The cows were happy for green grass. Ned and Pam took care of Christopher while we did this.</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon the rain stopped for a while, and Lynn’s younger sister Ann and her husband Tom came by for a short visit; they came over from Washington the day before, to bring Jenelle (Lynn’s other sister) an old cream separator. It was fun to see them, and they enjoyed meeting and visiting with Ned and Pam. Ann and Pam compared notes about quilting (which they are both good at) and Ned and Tom helped Lynn and Charlie load an old car (from our barnyard) onto a car carrier. Charlie wanted the old car for parts, so we gave it to him, and he hauled it out to his dad’s place to work on.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea and Dani took Christopher to the high school rodeo (where Dani’s friend Kendall was competing in barrel racing) and I cooked dinner for Ned and Pam and we had a nice visit with them until late that evening. Andrea sent me a photo she took of Christopher sitting on one of the horses.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PcO4bOCWfSszWB3d2VRwzVHVXZmGIh32hQzjCHZkMxr6nxYPhftF5m5zjv1lANquaHbmQtu2sSpyRtIrADdTWY-Ri4whP7ntO-89RK6wsEi0_INBC8oKvMg1LL8jeFAY6OVthagXietM/s2048/17+-Christopher+at+high+school+rodeo.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-PcO4bOCWfSszWB3d2VRwzVHVXZmGIh32hQzjCHZkMxr6nxYPhftF5m5zjv1lANquaHbmQtu2sSpyRtIrADdTWY-Ri4whP7ntO-89RK6wsEi0_INBC8oKvMg1LL8jeFAY6OVthagXietM/w300-h400/17+-Christopher+at+high+school+rodeo.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher at highschool rodeo</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Sunday it rained almost all day. I checked on the cows and calves when I did morning chores, and almost all the calves were snug in their calf houses, out of the rain. Lynn and I put the heifers into the driveway to eat green grass, finally off hay. After a few hours grazing there, we put them on the ditch pasture above the orchard. Andrea helped me take several wagon loads of hay from their feeder (pulled two wagons hooked together, with her 4-wheeler) and took it around by the bull pen and put a tarp over the pile) to mix with grass hay for the young bull. It was hard to pull the wagons through the deep mud around the feeder but once we got out of that field it was easier.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that the cows and calves are out of the little field above the house, Andrea started irrigating it. Until this rain, that poor field was very dry, but we didn’t want to water it with the cows and calves in there or the cows wouldn’t have any dry place to bed. The young calves are also more vulnerable to disease and scours when everything is wet (old “bugs” in the ground come to life!) so we try to have them in a dry place until they are a little older.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the heifers gone from the field below the lane, we took out the temporary electric fence that held them in the upper end (so the rest of the field could grow, without constant grazing) and started putting the step-in posts on down the field to divide the swamp part (which we will graze with cows) from the hayfield part.</div><div><br /></div><div>That evening we all had dinner at Andrea’s house, and Sam and Charlie came out again. Emily didn’t have to work that day so she was able to join us, too. Here are photos taken that evening, including photos of Pam & Ned and Andrea’s kids.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3BRFzVn33d8AWiyzISujI_8Sn_jUumW_I9bMJ3OLBQ3bLZOtPyleZ1HtfVOIsTYAbIzTTtqtA4RsGz4jRGGRCvn3U-uljRmflSjHQYsCYnV-R0DPxNsxdsg0dX4-1NEqKNOhHq3-guFi/s2048/18+-+Pam+%2526+Ned+with+Charlie+%2526+Sam.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG3BRFzVn33d8AWiyzISujI_8Sn_jUumW_I9bMJ3OLBQ3bLZOtPyleZ1HtfVOIsTYAbIzTTtqtA4RsGz4jRGGRCvn3U-uljRmflSjHQYsCYnV-R0DPxNsxdsg0dX4-1NEqKNOhHq3-guFi/w300-h400/18+-+Pam+%2526+Ned+with+Charlie+%2526+Sam.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pam & Ned with Charlie & Sam</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebx112mcttrlOrP-Mjq2COsSFJFg_C1tVw6R-p-BLc49T26WIKaSSliqIlD8gW4kfCU8qZ_B8WgThEWBdsffu_IYIb7Bi7vn_V2GboYCEUWHqt_je3Tw_i6hyphenhyphenpDnDo6IyKjt8912rA2C4/s2048/19+-+more+mug+shots.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhebx112mcttrlOrP-Mjq2COsSFJFg_C1tVw6R-p-BLc49T26WIKaSSliqIlD8gW4kfCU8qZ_B8WgThEWBdsffu_IYIb7Bi7vn_V2GboYCEUWHqt_je3Tw_i6hyphenhyphenpDnDo6IyKjt8912rA2C4/w300-h400/19+-+more+mug+shots.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">more mug shots</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck7Zm34IIobaVvlk-_AITOYoUrOgTNdjndeD1r31puDU3SeB_jKzBuIdo2wzildX4NaptjC8IGLz2ceny6E5m3OWfIsBibyAiBGnWKf4EeWQF6HBvflonDOvEd_Ess5HOBLJLckhOgcA-/s2048/20+-+Christopher+joins+the+line-up.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhck7Zm34IIobaVvlk-_AITOYoUrOgTNdjndeD1r31puDU3SeB_jKzBuIdo2wzildX4NaptjC8IGLz2ceny6E5m3OWfIsBibyAiBGnWKf4EeWQF6HBvflonDOvEd_Ess5HOBLJLckhOgcA-/w300-h400/20+-+Christopher+joins+the+line-up.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher joins the line-up</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Monday was cool and cloudy but not as much rain. Ned and Pam visited with us for a while before they headed back over the mountain to Missoula, in preparation for flying home to Texas the next day. One more photo was taken, when Dani had a chance to tell them good-bye.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDpkIyxnBK-8babPwcL4cUkM37clz_hIhlYum-BaOgZk2gDjCnZ8ZERj6r8uvJasCOt54tKRNEs9VloaqDn9ldtAGF4VX7Kb8dRi5IvupF8guvljY3uYKmLjk_m2ihw9IerJLZNhVhyphenhyphen7i/s2048/21+-+Dani+saying+goodby+to+Pam+%2526+Ned.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDpkIyxnBK-8babPwcL4cUkM37clz_hIhlYum-BaOgZk2gDjCnZ8ZERj6r8uvJasCOt54tKRNEs9VloaqDn9ldtAGF4VX7Kb8dRi5IvupF8guvljY3uYKmLjk_m2ihw9IerJLZNhVhyphenhyphen7i/w300-h400/21+-+Dani+saying+goodby+to+Pam+%2526+Ned.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani saying goodbye to Pam & Ned</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That afternoon Andrea started putting up hot wire for the temporary fence along the creek in the upper swamp pasture. We want to be able to graze it soon and not risk the calves drowning in the creek during high water. The creek isn’t very high yet but soon will be, as the snow on the mountains is now starting to melt.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day we had more rain, and it rained hard that afternoon. Altogether in several days of “winter” weather we received about 2 inches of rain, total, which was enough to really help our dry conditions and get the grass growing on the hillsides.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday was cool but our rain was over. It was the first day in about a week that we didn’t start a fire in our old wood stove.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea went back to the dentist and he prescribed another antibiotic, trying to finish clearing up the abscess before he puts a crown on that tooth. He also looked at Christopher’s broken front teeth; that kid has taken several tumbles and damaged his teeth and they need to be fixed.</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon Andrea helped me take wire panels up to the end of our driveway and tie them in the burned-up fence line, and one of the old pole panels, since Alfonso still hasn’t fixed the fence he burned. We let the heifers into that ditch pasture after we got the fence fixed so they can’t get out.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Thursday the culvert at the top of our driveway was plugged—where the ditch goes under the driveway—due to debris that washed into the ditch, and the water was running down the driveway and about to flood the barn/shop across from the house. Lynn and Andrea used a long pole to poke into the culvert and jar the blockage loose.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then we put netting over the new jack-fence along the creek side of the field below the lane—so calves can’t crawl through the poles—and finished the electric fence dividing off the top part of that pasture so we could put the cows and calves in there; they’d run out of grass in their first pasture. Andrea dragged the feeders out of the field above the house (where the cows and calves spent this spring, being fed hay) so we can get that whole field irrigated and growing grass for later.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday Andrea went to her pain doctor again and had injections in her neck between some of the vertebrae and we’re hoping it will help relieve some of the pain she’s had for several years. </div><div><br /></div><div>Emily took Christopher to town with her and spent some time at AJ’s place, and Christopher had fun on the riding lawnmower with AJ’s stepdad.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccj83qpa7sNhbmjgF3IX6J15BIUV8Tj1WdeSmesEKeIID_LuJ59MKsJJzUdMoEtXkNxlx9oJNAMXl2DXII_RvTnIqDvqLPXPDAkvPuYw1aqbIsbGPRUpr_ekW8ztTDgpXYvN7qQ03vTI7/s2048/22+-+Christopher+with+AJ%2527s+dad.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgccj83qpa7sNhbmjgF3IX6J15BIUV8Tj1WdeSmesEKeIID_LuJ59MKsJJzUdMoEtXkNxlx9oJNAMXl2DXII_RvTnIqDvqLPXPDAkvPuYw1aqbIsbGPRUpr_ekW8ztTDgpXYvN7qQ03vTI7/w400-h300/22+-+Christopher+with+AJ%2527s+dad.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher with Aj's stepdad</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Today we put up the next hot wire and moved the cows into their next segment of the pasture below the lane. Then we moved the heifers from the lower ditch pasture to the pens around the barn; the grass has grown up nicely in those pens and will probably last for a couple of days’ grazing for the heifers. I patched some of the old fence in the little swamp pen below the bull corral, so we can move the heifers in there next.</div><div><br /></div><div>Michael brought his flatbed trailer this afternoon and loaded three of our round bales (some that were left over from winter, that we didn’t need) to take up to his cattle. Most of his cows are out on grass now, too, but he needs just a little more hay. Since we had the tractor running to load those bales, Lynn used it afterward to take our feeders around to the corrals and put them in an out-of-the way corner of the lane for summer.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JUNE 9</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span>The Sunday before Memorial Day Lynn, Andrea and Christopher went out to the cemetery with Jenelle (Lynn’s youngest sister) to put flowers on family graves. Andrea also looked up the headstones of several old family friends, including Jerry and Velma Ravndal (ranchers who raised Arabian horses for many years and were my 4-H leaders in the 1950’s and 1960’s), and Dennis Morgan (a relative of the folks we bought part of the ranch from, and also a good friend and pilot—who died young). Christopher enjoyed checking everything out, and carefully smelling the flowers at Lynn’s parent’s gravesite.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXacnlJYnSPmIKZfDumXjCMjJsSfLOvtXmI5TbsqFe-gV4zX-SRqZ0mP2XmEwHssqUAgGzQmgd5wub3VO0LiJHx-NEr0SfXgQy3GrEPaAGpkxCHHo7OcDmpSpnf8Oh4PZ4lp0YqcQIeRt9/s2048/23+-+Christopher+smelling+the+flowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXacnlJYnSPmIKZfDumXjCMjJsSfLOvtXmI5TbsqFe-gV4zX-SRqZ0mP2XmEwHssqUAgGzQmgd5wub3VO0LiJHx-NEr0SfXgQy3GrEPaAGpkxCHHo7OcDmpSpnf8Oh4PZ4lp0YqcQIeRt9/w400-h300/23+-+Christopher+smelling+the+flowers.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher smelling the flowers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxxIC7ljElE6e2DxX-gG7VNQVk_IDYqCsk6VwPnnISO7cv-VWUBxl-HNy0LuVE0T0TfW4eBL4cakZT6Uyp2JPQ7r_eAJeHbd-pgxrmTGIsqm4cbOZjXCvT4Nt7MFyfL4PrwuNhgp9DVdK/s2048/23A+-+headstone+-+Don+and+Betty+Smith.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRxxIC7ljElE6e2DxX-gG7VNQVk_IDYqCsk6VwPnnISO7cv-VWUBxl-HNy0LuVE0T0TfW4eBL4cakZT6Uyp2JPQ7r_eAJeHbd-pgxrmTGIsqm4cbOZjXCvT4Nt7MFyfL4PrwuNhgp9DVdK/w400-h300/23A+-+headstone+-+Don+and+Betty+Smith.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">headstone - Don and Betty Smith</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_tK-Zut2gUTBMasfyBskeY_YPUup2KTezZ81VEM76tp9-lcOyL6r6dSDRKd6CntYKPOULMU3BQQEYb6RHHhRG_hyUNwRIA-v3HG7urTL3V8rMH6nWuFnBxRldoWsUZm4z5Ccmn3R8kPo/s2048/24+-+Andrea+at+Dennis+Morgan%2527s+headstone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM_tK-Zut2gUTBMasfyBskeY_YPUup2KTezZ81VEM76tp9-lcOyL6r6dSDRKd6CntYKPOULMU3BQQEYb6RHHhRG_hyUNwRIA-v3HG7urTL3V8rMH6nWuFnBxRldoWsUZm4z5Ccmn3R8kPo/w400-h300/24+-+Andrea+at+Dennis+Morgan%2527s+headstone.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea at Dennis Morgan's headstone</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That evening we put the bull back into the main corral so we could move the heifers into the grassy pen below the bull pen and they wouldn’t be nose-to-nose. We don’t want the bull trying to go through the fence; it’s not quite time to put him out with the cows and heifers yet.</div><div><br /></div><div>That night Michael and Carolyn’s mare foaled. She had a little filly. Everything seemed to be going well for the first day but then they noticed swelling under her belly at the navel area that was getting bigger. They had a vet come out and examine the foal but he wasn’t sure if it was an infection or a hernia, so they loaded up the mare and foal and hauled them to a horse vet in Challis (70 miles away) who told them it was fluid leaking from the bladder (that cord didn’t seal off). The vet drained the fluid but kept the mare and foal at the clinic for a week, to make sure it would heal up, without infection.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Memorial Day Andrea helped me create a corridor in our swamp pasture after we moved the cows down to the 3rd segment of the pasture, so they could still come back up to the ditch to drink, but not go out into the segments they’ve already grazed—so those segments can begin to grow back again. Emily took Christopher out to AJ’s place again, where he had fun on the riding lawnmower again with AJ’s stepdad.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhDqbnkt-AqmzkR0QTItCQW6ZATPQmVf9tvb27qSyFAEVcWowSTupYHLsCgEPHShryiKYOkdw7jSsIlFA2bsgPQnaCB9G3QLsqfPc5aJOycgw3LQlwQziYh2Ilk0nQ0B1xWwzvez5ppyH/s2048/25+-mowing+the+lawn.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWhDqbnkt-AqmzkR0QTItCQW6ZATPQmVf9tvb27qSyFAEVcWowSTupYHLsCgEPHShryiKYOkdw7jSsIlFA2bsgPQnaCB9G3QLsqfPc5aJOycgw3LQlwQziYh2Ilk0nQ0B1xWwzvez5ppyH/w400-h300/25+-mowing+the+lawn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mowing the lawn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I had an interesting message from a lady in Wisconsin named Sara who read my blog and was fascinated by our creek because her great-great-grandfather spent time at the old Harmony Mine in the 1920’s. She wanted to learn more about the mine, and the history of our creek because she’d heard about it as a little girl, from her grandmother. We had a couple of phone conversations and she told me her great-great-grandfather’s name was Julius, and he was the president of the bank in Grand Mound, Iowa. His family was well-to-do and he was very involved with the town (he was on the fire department and school board and was respected and well-liked). But then he started investing people’s money without their knowledge. </div><div><br /></div><div>In the mid-1920s his bank failed, and several people in town went bankrupt because he had invested all their money in the Harmony Mine. Julius had a childhood connection to a man named Niemann who told him he could double everyone’s money if they put it all into the mine. He did, and lost everything. Then he panicked and hopped on a train to try to go to Idaho and try to turn the mine around himself. Eventually his wife Hattie joined him and their son Rhodie (Sara’s grandma’s uncle) joined him too, and Hattie worked at the mine, possibly as a cook. Meanwhile back in Iowa, the police were sorting through what happened and searching for Julius to arrest him. </div><div><br /></div><div>He got on a train to go home, was met by authorities along the way and arrested, and taken into custody. He spent a couple of years in prison. Oddly, a distant relative who was a young girl in Grand Mound at the time said she remembers how everyone dressed in their Sunday best and met the train he took back to town upon his release from prison. She said they all excitedly welcomed him home, so maybe they were able to forgive him. He didn’t stay there, however; he and his wife moved to Chicago. I found that interesting when Sara told me this, because during that time the controlling interest in the Harmony Mine was owned by Al Capone (famous Chicago gangster). Anyway, I was able to tell Sara more about our creek, and send her some photos.</div><div><br /></div><div>We had an e-mail from granddaughter Heather in Canada and she sent us some photos along with the update on their family news.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgj8-PKALjHxg-DNrx3nEZb9J08snppSSz2jvSgojaTTP6EPW_QbuDSxxa2AWoOuyMz7666mu_Fu5nl649oAM6Vj9li5YYz-ee5iAp96_1Nfo3Rs9yvmq0oGEf_CvQ8J9x34WSSXKgj3z/s2048/26+-+Gregory+%2526+kids.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgj8-PKALjHxg-DNrx3nEZb9J08snppSSz2jvSgojaTTP6EPW_QbuDSxxa2AWoOuyMz7666mu_Fu5nl649oAM6Vj9li5YYz-ee5iAp96_1Nfo3Rs9yvmq0oGEf_CvQ8J9x34WSSXKgj3z/w300-h400/26+-+Gregory+%2526+kids.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gregory & kids</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVW1AJMb6a_ENZpRFHZw8TKRX6cPJNsouXqMNzgPpP2hO6K8BhCMVKvHSAuJyAayHqvULjzKdjl8vmiHsFTniD3ZIkaBtNyAAeXTp14UxT3-tMSTDS-VmAY1UuXxSQLCUJhkQyP_grUcUa/s2048/27+-+taking+little+brother+for+a+ride.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVW1AJMb6a_ENZpRFHZw8TKRX6cPJNsouXqMNzgPpP2hO6K8BhCMVKvHSAuJyAayHqvULjzKdjl8vmiHsFTniD3ZIkaBtNyAAeXTp14UxT3-tMSTDS-VmAY1UuXxSQLCUJhkQyP_grUcUa/w300-h400/27+-+taking+little+brother+for+a+ride.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking little brother for a ride</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqETve-6_UeZLIQMssOE6SB5H54TtNPS1dnUMmKdE62JY38qjUEFEXcwf1WvMU1Y4R08GDYVYIvfhCDdUolZ5RRTgCFbKbPBVwDVs2JSbA7Fh5VgK4pfgmHzyTgENa4m9R-SD7LxqCjl5A/s2048/28+-+very+tired+little+brother.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqETve-6_UeZLIQMssOE6SB5H54TtNPS1dnUMmKdE62JY38qjUEFEXcwf1WvMU1Y4R08GDYVYIvfhCDdUolZ5RRTgCFbKbPBVwDVs2JSbA7Fh5VgK4pfgmHzyTgENa4m9R-SD7LxqCjl5A/w300-h400/28+-+very+tired+little+brother.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">very tired little brother</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Stan drove here from California, and on Wednesday he and Andrea and Dani left at 6 a.m. and drove to Soda Springs (near the Utah border) to get a used stock trailer that we bought sight unseen from a gal who needed to sell it. We need a trailer of our own (and not have to borrow one every time we haul cattle to the sale or need to haul some up or down the creek) and found this one on a classified ad website. It’s an older trailer (1978 model) but in fairly good shape for its age, and has new tires. It was cheaper than the newer one trailers, and for what we’ll need it for it will probably last a long time.</div><div><br /></div><div>They got back with the trailer early that evening, and Andrea helped me move the cows to new pasture. We took them up through the corrals to the lower end of the upper swamp pasture.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next few days were very hot, above 90 degrees in the afternoons. Stan worked on the wheel bearings and brakes on the trailer we bought; the brakes were dragging a bit on the two wheels on the driver’s side. On Friday he took the trailer up to Andrea’s house where he could use his welder and put more supports under the flooring and put log oil on the old brittle floor boards to give them a bit more life. He also welded some old breaks in the door latches, and added an extension on the partition to make it higher so no cattle would ever try to jump over it. This trailer has had a lot of wear but with some fixing it will probably work for our purposes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea and I put deer netting around the few bales left in the stackyard—so the heifers wouldn’t try to eat the hay, and then put the heifers in the stackyard to graze for a few days and clean up all the grass before we need to stack hay in there.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday afternoon we went to the high school to listen to the Jazz band and Legacy Choir. They weren’t able to have their spring concert last year because of COVID so it was nice to be able to attend it this year, since it is Sam’s last year in the band and choir, as a senior. Andrea took photos of Sam with me and with Charlie after the event when we were congratulating her for all the awards she received.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDxCBhogCMqpRN2c1UvPYuiEyNSvWTTThwwxeWHeT1TwvJTemQq1kXDqL8Od0oTRxHcbR_s9UbwU-gyKP5CkFa-8bMO6Reg1qjSFOnXLXZ6VbI64jWM3Xh01dHCTr6_pzlG3hoUbgb7mR/s2048/29+-Sam+%2526+Charlie.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDxCBhogCMqpRN2c1UvPYuiEyNSvWTTThwwxeWHeT1TwvJTemQq1kXDqL8Od0oTRxHcbR_s9UbwU-gyKP5CkFa-8bMO6Reg1qjSFOnXLXZ6VbI64jWM3Xh01dHCTr6_pzlG3hoUbgb7mR/w300-h400/29+-Sam+%2526+Charlie.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam & Charlie</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWDQIu2Vd8wFFjBgALNfTXs9F-XpYBUmcTTo7YNlyEd056F_yguWjpuO_w6Y3f1fVr0AZCD8zFLESajuGPCssAAvCY7EirZBQL5JAOSknEdbzcIgx7P1Q82Yh1PsSEwm-ByyYFN1pp7Wu/s2048/30+-+Sam+%2526+me.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWDQIu2Vd8wFFjBgALNfTXs9F-XpYBUmcTTo7YNlyEd056F_yguWjpuO_w6Y3f1fVr0AZCD8zFLESajuGPCssAAvCY7EirZBQL5JAOSknEdbzcIgx7P1Q82Yh1PsSEwm-ByyYFN1pp7Wu/w300-h400/30+-+Sam+%2526+me.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam & I</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>She got several year-end awards in music, including the Louie Armstrong Jazz Band award for best senior, for the state of Idaho, for her 4 years of excellence with her trumpet playing.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAstUuqR_AUoP1cMajJN93-urr_gB4Hgda8Tcx1PYkrx8lRol8gUrIXoseWQehCNxyNVBRFbGsQLOIMVWEbABBrpGYFFbCw9J6aGLq5zZC-pdDL3VBremwfFRfM8bXC0nvIP8YUxrCFFv/s2048/31+-+Sam%2527s+awards.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqAstUuqR_AUoP1cMajJN93-urr_gB4Hgda8Tcx1PYkrx8lRol8gUrIXoseWQehCNxyNVBRFbGsQLOIMVWEbABBrpGYFFbCw9J6aGLq5zZC-pdDL3VBremwfFRfM8bXC0nvIP8YUxrCFFv/w300-h400/31+-+Sam%2527s+awards.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam's awards</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTHCmqQCVY0QmUAogQ_f-pYxNu-ZbUQZ-6iGGCObnPY9f_bDeVDOyM6olKoH2hrVRvoNlDWzbVlNugq82SqmZfDrURHauWu8Tb5wOG8LSrTewijTqjXCAiC_YZrfw1mkGoARg474_k1dz/s2048/32+-+Sam%2527s+award+for+best+trumpet+player.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSTHCmqQCVY0QmUAogQ_f-pYxNu-ZbUQZ-6iGGCObnPY9f_bDeVDOyM6olKoH2hrVRvoNlDWzbVlNugq82SqmZfDrURHauWu8Tb5wOG8LSrTewijTqjXCAiC_YZrfw1mkGoARg474_k1dz/w300-h400/32+-+Sam%2527s+award+for+best+trumpet+player.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam's award for best trumpet player</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On our way home from that evening Lynn and I were driving up the creek ad met a horse with a halter on it, trotting down the road, and a young Amish fellow running along behind it. We helped catch his escaped horse.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday morning Andrea discovered that a cougar had recently killed a doe on heifer hill, dragged it into the ditch and partially covered it with grass and brush (as cougars often do, to hide their kills from scavengers.</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon Andrea finished the temporary hot wire around the lowest segment of the ditch pasture below the field by her house, and we moved the cows into that pasture. We moved them into the next segment on Sunday, then Andrea and I rode Shiloh and Dottie for their first ride this year—just a short ride out over the low range.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8l2cuozdV-yj-KSOgVDqM6IKEP2XCg21R8Q9JheULDE8T0pzWZ88oJ_Xz_yW4YtUFg-Ur23GYrzraXMmxYrfIcMXieOlUKUNGxwwY8-L1XXBzLNxBcyhdMQ3xNaSpbm4vh7R6jbDxOZe/s2048/33+-+first+ride+for+Shilow+this+year.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8l2cuozdV-yj-KSOgVDqM6IKEP2XCg21R8Q9JheULDE8T0pzWZ88oJ_Xz_yW4YtUFg-Ur23GYrzraXMmxYrfIcMXieOlUKUNGxwwY8-L1XXBzLNxBcyhdMQ3xNaSpbm4vh7R6jbDxOZe/w400-h300/33+-+first+ride+for+Shilow+this+year.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">first ride for Shiloh this week</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2OlmZEaJwfSGDjFt9V9YcoRpTc-TkINlZVkVN7K4QeecQgh0MHDgJBU2n11JUK3icGwkUFwtgWty7KrEYjemQJbmPZ0G-e_RyMVnPJqCP3qLhc2vLtb6uVG2yNnjrnn4cFKiDuOVpMQE/s2048/34+-+riding+over+the+low+range.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT2OlmZEaJwfSGDjFt9V9YcoRpTc-TkINlZVkVN7K4QeecQgh0MHDgJBU2n11JUK3icGwkUFwtgWty7KrEYjemQJbmPZ0G-e_RyMVnPJqCP3qLhc2vLtb6uVG2yNnjrnn4cFKiDuOVpMQE/w400-h300/34+-+riding+over+the+low+range.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding over the low range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The neighbor’s cows are still on that first pasture and they are out of feed; there wasn’t much grass out there to begin with (a very cold, dry spring) and it wasn’t able to grow with all the cattle out there eating it too soon. On the way home I took photos of the signs Stan made for our “street address” at the end of the lane, using horseshoes to create the names and numbers.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnk7cw5mr3E3iIAiyLQcANFQxqaeYW2qxASVzWl2ja5CkSIdbkiNYlTLYzrhFIYE8uEAu_ZMbvA8kK_vlnqB4NrMvIf_nAjS9g-AFL8apdOUsUsca7ie-57vVuaEBgcKnyt25_S0xHJwD/s2048/35+-+signs+Stan+made.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZnk7cw5mr3E3iIAiyLQcANFQxqaeYW2qxASVzWl2ja5CkSIdbkiNYlTLYzrhFIYE8uEAu_ZMbvA8kK_vlnqB4NrMvIf_nAjS9g-AFL8apdOUsUsca7ie-57vVuaEBgcKnyt25_S0xHJwD/w400-h300/35+-+signs+Stan+made.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJq0hr1I5vqAxTNNWCpvn09Ug56QC7VlMk1PoaRqbrwjcUDTqBnkVGrHcq-i9C5GkopiPMeUJOZWMvNEr-DLW_PhoCRcWt_W9qX0rRtQh6Ea14Pb82QC_v293mbsgI7Jv5YKCK_F3FJQ8/s2048/36+-+our+ranch+signs.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuJq0hr1I5vqAxTNNWCpvn09Ug56QC7VlMk1PoaRqbrwjcUDTqBnkVGrHcq-i9C5GkopiPMeUJOZWMvNEr-DLW_PhoCRcWt_W9qX0rRtQh6Ea14Pb82QC_v293mbsgI7Jv5YKCK_F3FJQ8/w400-h300/36+-+our+ranch+signs.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">our ranch signs that Stan made</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>While we were riding, Stan drove up the creek and got a pickup load of firewood (sawing up some dead trees that had fallen down across the road).</div><div><br /></div><div>On Monday Stan and Andrea drove to Pocatello to take Dani to an appointment with a doctor there. Emily started her new job, at the Discovery Care Center. She enjoyed working at The Meadows (a smaller care facility for elderly people) because she had great rapport with the patients there, but that facility was understaffed and had a few other issues, so it was time to switch jobs. She has better hours, better wages and better working conditions at the new job. Lynn and I took care of Christopher while she was at work, until Andrea and Stan got home that evening. Lynn tended Christopher while Andrea and I moved the cows and reconfigured the fence for the next grazing segment, finishing just before dark.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday Stan finished all the welding on the trailer and it’s good to go now, as soon as we have the title transfer accomplished and can get it licensed. I trimmed Willow's front feet. Hopefully Andrea will have a chance to start riding her soon. Andrea and Stan took Christopher up the creek on 4-wheelers and picked wild flowers.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDZo4xYpxH5SzPi_6-hnRuGUK6GCu4rGTEdbubPYWrUzApHhsqtcbelwqS6N2dk5XXgijX2bNulOaQ4hDtQlBMv4Kk-rO8B9nD_SCnk-AndLPUnbSnB-zzKF6LrM9fwgi8JoxFzO69cFN/s2048/37+-+bringing+home+wildflowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWDZo4xYpxH5SzPi_6-hnRuGUK6GCu4rGTEdbubPYWrUzApHhsqtcbelwqS6N2dk5XXgijX2bNulOaQ4hDtQlBMv4Kk-rO8B9nD_SCnk-AndLPUnbSnB-zzKF6LrM9fwgi8JoxFzO69cFN/w300-h400/37+-+bringing+home+wildflowers.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing home wildflowers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYAOZtNwQhFYwvxc1tY9aexKGYX3US7aKOIDKz1Ctw6Cn7U7iV1CukDw9WK36UAwjS4ism6zv1GUe1oU77sPM7AfrBPgiyJ3dSKpBgQOvTpnQ2EhFexH7mwBTsvtG3TusMafiZJZUFoBD/s2048/38+-+Christopher+helped+pick+the+wildflowers.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXYAOZtNwQhFYwvxc1tY9aexKGYX3US7aKOIDKz1Ctw6Cn7U7iV1CukDw9WK36UAwjS4ism6zv1GUe1oU77sPM7AfrBPgiyJ3dSKpBgQOvTpnQ2EhFexH7mwBTsvtG3TusMafiZJZUFoBD/w300-h400/38+-+Christopher+helped+pick+the+wildflowers.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helped pick the wildflowers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Today we moved the cows to the 4th segment of their ditch pasture. Lynn and Stan took the stock trailer to town to have it inspected for its Vehicle Identification Number certificate so we can eventually get the title for it. Andrea and I made another short ride on Shiloh and Dottie; we went up the ridge from our house and patched some broken wires in the fence around our 50-acre hill pasture. We rode around the whole fence to make sure the rest of it was ok.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmaqWMOxSM21uvH3RElfo1fb371dabXMnqCtNqvtIZju7Mk9Uil6Bqqa1WvpqpFEt2AYZIYUubfQaRYJ13dmVj0KMNHettiEHC5qHfPFMH6FGn-TmI8NJUNQGAmcx4Q9l4_xERlFeXCh3/s2048/39+-+Andrea+patching+fence+on+rideg.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmaqWMOxSM21uvH3RElfo1fb371dabXMnqCtNqvtIZju7Mk9Uil6Bqqa1WvpqpFEt2AYZIYUubfQaRYJ13dmVj0KMNHettiEHC5qHfPFMH6FGn-TmI8NJUNQGAmcx4Q9l4_xERlFeXCh3/w300-h400/39+-+Andrea+patching+fence+on+rideg.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea patching fence on ridge</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Stan got another load of firewood then he and Andrea helped Lynn hook up our little tractor to Jenelle’s old damaged swather that’s been parked in our stackyard ever since Andrea and Stan pulled it home from John Miller’s place last year. Jenelle loaned it to Millers several years ago but it didn’t work for them (trying to pull it with their teams of draft horses) so one of their son’s used it to cut hay for Alfonso and ran it into a ditch and bent it all up and ruined the springs. Jenelle didn’t realize it was damaged and wanted to loan it to us last year when we were having swather problems, but when Andrea and Stan went to get it at Miller’s place Andrea realized it was too damaged and would never work. So we stored it here for Jenelle, and now we need to get it back to her place—so she can fix it if she wants to, and so it will be out of the way when we need to stack hay this summer. Christopher rode on the tractor with Lynn to the stackyard, and while they were hooking up the swather to the tractor to pull it out of the stackyard, I entertained Christopher and took him for a piggyback ride.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGIDb0AE4oIp8ayTsXois04H9C3i5ltxOrKE921EvflW-8_IQpskGGw-waGKGRHr2O4SyQWUqcQ47YgXotMAuw1smVGH87boc5XfWqn-DN9ZpGjTh3dnudo8kfhL_t0EjzjiEDLwan1St/s2048/40+-+Christopher+helped+Lynn+bring+the+tractor+to+the+stackyard.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigGIDb0AE4oIp8ayTsXois04H9C3i5ltxOrKE921EvflW-8_IQpskGGw-waGKGRHr2O4SyQWUqcQ47YgXotMAuw1smVGH87boc5XfWqn-DN9ZpGjTh3dnudo8kfhL_t0EjzjiEDLwan1St/w400-h300/40+-+Christopher+helped+Lynn+bring+the+tractor+to+the+stackyard.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helped Lynn bring the tractor to the stackyard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz-N6IMtEaze622se52cehgAVgDGZV_WOASQusWoRVM6KglyD9xnnYUK-kFu_ge2UV-VlypDcZjYhn_XGyxQo1Ch66-5oMBnTSG3bXpZyYfob4pgyrmjXOwHTD1-WTbM_6JLhiMlkNFwd/s2048/41+-+piggyback+ride.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgz-N6IMtEaze622se52cehgAVgDGZV_WOASQusWoRVM6KglyD9xnnYUK-kFu_ge2UV-VlypDcZjYhn_XGyxQo1Ch66-5oMBnTSG3bXpZyYfob4pgyrmjXOwHTD1-WTbM_6JLhiMlkNFwd/w300-h400/41+-+piggyback+ride.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">piggy-back ride</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Lynn and Stan were able to pull the wrecked swather out of the stackyard and up to the top of our driveway. Christopher rode on the tractor with Andrea when she brought the tractor back down the lane and parked it.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96889SZDgh_AMshK3UxwM_23rYLxwOAT0vneSA9VV5srGMcR4mZ_mxF07Dtp3XPkLYi8RKDsykCLAApifwwIdF58HnvUF2BI_WokgXuZO2Wynqqi5JyVHrarL0xXbJUsLRmJUYdv0HNLv/s2048/42+-bringing+tractor+back.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96889SZDgh_AMshK3UxwM_23rYLxwOAT0vneSA9VV5srGMcR4mZ_mxF07Dtp3XPkLYi8RKDsykCLAApifwwIdF58HnvUF2BI_WokgXuZO2Wynqqi5JyVHrarL0xXbJUsLRmJUYdv0HNLv/w400-h300/42+-bringing+tractor+back.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjwgoUV24RkFKLLlnAxAWb-kVrp_fH2AHqHu3WlRbkJvvs9BJ8qONsQ1TSnv7xUY0RHITJHk5LbFpt6caHye1xXDx4tYC6eac0P4CHmICsYbJHwEI91ttMBWXs0uJhNY4XZDARzIMX8zL/s2048/43+-+driving+back+down+the+lane.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyjwgoUV24RkFKLLlnAxAWb-kVrp_fH2AHqHu3WlRbkJvvs9BJ8qONsQ1TSnv7xUY0RHITJHk5LbFpt6caHye1xXDx4tYC6eac0P4CHmICsYbJHwEI91ttMBWXs0uJhNY4XZDARzIMX8zL/w400-h300/43+-+driving+back+down+the+lane.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">driving back down the lane</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5em1d6e2JmuEuVpP5YGOda8QF1GLV4KvhGDa0mjwwgjiTG5A4WNE-DyO0IoY5d_UcdK5_7EfzOust6Bcgis2LqhLCzmvryVLCTm_99X7UU8BInLChksnqpP-_mMk5nCxvjXYQFA_i1Xpn/s2048/44+-+parking+the+tractor.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5em1d6e2JmuEuVpP5YGOda8QF1GLV4KvhGDa0mjwwgjiTG5A4WNE-DyO0IoY5d_UcdK5_7EfzOust6Bcgis2LqhLCzmvryVLCTm_99X7UU8BInLChksnqpP-_mMk5nCxvjXYQFA_i1Xpn/w400-h300/44+-+parking+the+tractor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">parking the tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then Christopher helped me feed the horses, and before he went home with Andrea and Stan he wanted to sit on the tractor again!<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5KfFBiaSIwvLQvc9t9r_530L0nCqx0D5jq1EbYolFXK6hoDAm9KbHMN9ZRrKfay-CbJuuStG79J1WEwocikS39AR9WHKriqyMGm0SNI_uny2c_BWo3SAyZ-5LZWTKbxTDLUPL04AFXg0/s2048/45+-+helping+feed+horses.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5KfFBiaSIwvLQvc9t9r_530L0nCqx0D5jq1EbYolFXK6hoDAm9KbHMN9ZRrKfay-CbJuuStG79J1WEwocikS39AR9WHKriqyMGm0SNI_uny2c_BWo3SAyZ-5LZWTKbxTDLUPL04AFXg0/w400-h300/45+-+helping+feed+horses.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">helping feed horses</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0tYcbxYibjoSmxa42xL_eNfhylmGoD6gjOXwb3D5EG-5B4cv6NTz-0qw-qBr7u3qpdCelI-qxKxxo_mxrnyckLjnHla80QgjBZ4iAZLSj7Pl4-ip40px-Brc9TrPZoz24K8Y3yUNgBMk/s2048/46+-+back+on+the+tractor+again.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0tYcbxYibjoSmxa42xL_eNfhylmGoD6gjOXwb3D5EG-5B4cv6NTz-0qw-qBr7u3qpdCelI-qxKxxo_mxrnyckLjnHla80QgjBZ4iAZLSj7Pl4-ip40px-Brc9TrPZoz24K8Y3yUNgBMk/w400-h300/46+-+back+on+the+tractor+again.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">back on the tractor again</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHy5X5JNK6kvgIYSiZDnWdcS1K1ahRT-7rx4EfN82rUenuL8pp_Geje9GXxEH0V2qWCILoEsJUq5p_1GP0pTpB2Ks0a7S6aWZFuKhyphenhyphenx578toI8_w32xkgv43WqtHaWS48RugXxpCFQtnJ/s2048/47+-+always+wanting+to+drive+tractors%2521.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNHy5X5JNK6kvgIYSiZDnWdcS1K1ahRT-7rx4EfN82rUenuL8pp_Geje9GXxEH0V2qWCILoEsJUq5p_1GP0pTpB2Ks0a7S6aWZFuKhyphenhyphenx578toI8_w32xkgv43WqtHaWS48RugXxpCFQtnJ/w400-h300/47+-+always+wanting+to+drive+tractors%2521.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">always wanting to drive tractors!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JUNE 23</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span>A couple weeks ago I put front shoes on Dottie. A big windstorm hit just after I finished, and I was glad it didn’t hit us while I was still nailing that last shoe on, because it would have really spooked Dottie. <div><br /></div><div>Andrea and Stan took Christopher with them when they went to town (while Em was at work) and spent a little time at the park, and Andrea took a photo.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2hWLccKxFwCLMwWgwW7VfQTUdO76slQ9CV4_k1mf9G839-jseO2jvJgHD7qMX_1sGnYEOzmrkKs6-gbUtTNqWTcolCLSlsZ94JtrFPbZhhEHKMMCK_e-V6YmVbcITy8fbrcdLtoHx77M/s2048/48+-+Christopher+%2526+Stan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp2hWLccKxFwCLMwWgwW7VfQTUdO76slQ9CV4_k1mf9G839-jseO2jvJgHD7qMX_1sGnYEOzmrkKs6-gbUtTNqWTcolCLSlsZ94JtrFPbZhhEHKMMCK_e-V6YmVbcITy8fbrcdLtoHx77M/w300-h400/48+-+Christopher+%2526+Stan.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher and Stan</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day Alfonso and Millers finally moved their cattle to the middle range pasture (so they are not right down here trying to get through the fences into the fields) but they missed about 20 head. That evening we went to Sam’s graduation. It was a nice ceremony and the seniors in the Jazz Band played Moon Dance—with Sam having a solo with her trumpet. Andrea took photos when the seniors received their diplomas, of Sam receiving hers and coming back to her seat with the band.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwN1XfcITQF9G-bFINH1GFwFOyn6KxZe3LLcbPSU05uATxaaHCrYBTGJ5I5qNzCj7QpfAWjVdVDIN8zP-iBklBWq-X-JDWKwFJhuVBWKtf_L3rAn0Xpe4EK5-mjztZwE6N_HyE5COmTnj/s2048/49+-+Sam.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwN1XfcITQF9G-bFINH1GFwFOyn6KxZe3LLcbPSU05uATxaaHCrYBTGJ5I5qNzCj7QpfAWjVdVDIN8zP-iBklBWq-X-JDWKwFJhuVBWKtf_L3rAn0Xpe4EK5-mjztZwE6N_HyE5COmTnj/w400-h300/49+-+Sam.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBASm8fFQvOWHy4o6ufbFK-LljhD3Lssndx3C3UgSo5_wJe3fU0chgAIQUTujqY3EOR12fvdOSHuhq57PVTIW18X3PqiERs3ScZ8zMpm9t8uoVLf12z8Xd0EuMlhGgjZNMJx_YuDOy9hT/s2048/50+-+Sam%2527s+graduation.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZBASm8fFQvOWHy4o6ufbFK-LljhD3Lssndx3C3UgSo5_wJe3fU0chgAIQUTujqY3EOR12fvdOSHuhq57PVTIW18X3PqiERs3ScZ8zMpm9t8uoVLf12z8Xd0EuMlhGgjZNMJx_YuDOy9hT/w400-h300/50+-+Sam%2527s+graduation.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7gJlPphAGfvOzpusvj3A7_uSrX6zMAUQbCux_J89w3_DKCDRG9PXV1rcEKsAXL0KqFHfitamwWjucaLbQsZVkJCFasPhy_-rME9wo0JTDHj9dzb_d2vnAAOvgdltzP0Q5GYR7855oG2k/s2048/51+-+Sam%2527s+graduation.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7gJlPphAGfvOzpusvj3A7_uSrX6zMAUQbCux_J89w3_DKCDRG9PXV1rcEKsAXL0KqFHfitamwWjucaLbQsZVkJCFasPhy_-rME9wo0JTDHj9dzb_d2vnAAOvgdltzP0Q5GYR7855oG2k/w400-h300/51+-+Sam%2527s+graduation.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam's Graduation</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Christopher and Em sat next to Lynn and me and Christopher was pretty good for a restless 2-year-old, and clapped when everyone else clapped, for all the seniors. </div><div><br /></div><div>More photos were taken outside, after the ceremony, of Sam with her siblings and her dad.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6P4cro5rSottZ7Glu3-fTnDmSGj3NE-Ip-MHSNjyDniysAS5DpVVXvGE5lH_MeioZAVPPtW_5Q8Ix3FlJlJcNj7YIw1pTVutX6Qs9fp38xQkGH6OgCvC8u7daGTDmy4AnQ4rPSK-Ee75j/s960/52+-+Sam%2527s+Graduation.jpeg"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6P4cro5rSottZ7Glu3-fTnDmSGj3NE-Ip-MHSNjyDniysAS5DpVVXvGE5lH_MeioZAVPPtW_5Q8Ix3FlJlJcNj7YIw1pTVutX6Qs9fp38xQkGH6OgCvC8u7daGTDmy4AnQ4rPSK-Ee75j/w300-h400/52+-+Sam%2527s+Graduation.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLI3ElrtbtZ5J-AArk5PDrhJDBxNNspo-qD6M5GxGuR6iSzvGaZJmZV063y3jrA16Ub9H-mBf4BPRhKrqg6bJvdCKZq4WBoF9VoJY9NvX8_pNpxHc_DFFeqlgqqKtmQq0XRwCfQF_fOQCm/s960/53+-+Sam%2527s+graduation.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLI3ElrtbtZ5J-AArk5PDrhJDBxNNspo-qD6M5GxGuR6iSzvGaZJmZV063y3jrA16Ub9H-mBf4BPRhKrqg6bJvdCKZq4WBoF9VoJY9NvX8_pNpxHc_DFFeqlgqqKtmQq0XRwCfQF_fOQCm/w300-h400/53+-+Sam%2527s+graduation.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam's Graduation</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Afterward, Lynn and I were taking him home to stay with us (everyone else was staying longer) but as Emily put him into our pickup and went back to her car to get some of his toys, she twisted her foot and broke a bone in her foot by her little toe. She had to go to the ER to have it x-rayed and is still wearing a walking boot to help stabilize and support it as it heals.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day Stan pulled Jenelle’s swather out to her ranch the other side of town, and Lynn followed in our pickup with flashing lights, to make sure no one would run into the back of it on the highway. That evening we ate supper at Andrea’s house; Stan barbecued the last 3 packages of Wagyu meat that we’d had in our freezer for a special occasion (the meat that Feddersens in Iowa sent me, after I wrote an article about their Wagyu breeding program for the Wagyu World magazine).</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday was hot. I hooked up the electric fence in our back yard and Andrea helped me bring the heifers down from the stack yard (where they did a good job of grazing all the tall grass, so it will be easier to stack hay in there) and we put them in the back yard for one day, to mow that grass. I took a photo of them through the dining room window while they were lounging around after eating grass.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_oRQsB5bltBz7bxb3wzAJpIK-lN69ViFPhuVnYv2Jeiv7qzo2n3U0aVWBvEcmW4MBNN3OBhNei_QCstKcUuAhi-XzFK7bZmUjtu6-ACLb_VL741RWHzi3iHsvqfpiweoNTZnN3q9jVuj/s2048/54+-+heifers+lounging+in+back+yard.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_oRQsB5bltBz7bxb3wzAJpIK-lN69ViFPhuVnYv2Jeiv7qzo2n3U0aVWBvEcmW4MBNN3OBhNei_QCstKcUuAhi-XzFK7bZmUjtu6-ACLb_VL741RWHzi3iHsvqfpiweoNTZnN3q9jVuj/w400-h300/54+-+heifers+lounging+in+back+yard.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers lounging in backyard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I’ve also been letting the young bull graze a few hours each day in the side pens around the corral—where the grass has grown up—to get him adjusted to green grass. Then it won’t be an abrupt transition when we take him out of the corral (fed hay) and put him with cows on lush green pasture. A gradual transition will help ensure that he won’t get emphysema (a serious and usually fatal lung condition) from an abrupt change.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea and I were about to saddle our horses and ride up to the 320 to check all the fences around that big pasture (now that the range cows are in the middle range and next to our mountain pasture for a mile). There’s not much grass yet on the middle range and we don’t want the range cows trying to get into our place. But before we actually saddled the horses Lynn got a phone call from our neighbor who is an EMT, saying that Dani had run off the highway on her way to work (where she does housekeeping at one of the motels in town) and her pickup went through a fence. </div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea and Stan immediately took off to go see what happened and make sure she was ok, and I put our horses away. Dani was dazed and disoriented and the ambulance had arrived to take her to the hospital to check for injuries when Andrea and Stan arrived. Andrea went on in to town to the hospital to be with Dani and Stan drove Dani’s pickup back out onto the highway and took it to town to get parts to fix the headlight and brakes. She took out 4 fence posts and banged up one side of the hood and bumper, etc. She wasn’t badly hurt—just bumps and bruises—and thought she blacked out when she ran off the road.</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon I put up a temporary hot wire around the small haystack in the hold pen next to Shiloh and Sprout, and the next day we moved the heifers into that pen to graze for a few days and eat down the tall grass.</div><div><br /></div><div>After we moved the heifers, Andrea and I rode 2 ½ hours and checked the fence along the 320, next to the middle range. The fence was ok except one place where we patched it last year after a big tree blew down over it. The tree branches we’d tied over that spot had sagged a bit so Andrea put a long slim dead tree over the top and tied it in place, to make a better barricade.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvn3AdciVZ4Ot_83ifJf8-DmPotKTpVuBZnNawx6ChP14tm-9wZzQk1FnnsIj50nEb6yEf_3IdKusOukVXKjjEGvl6bqB7CmLn0ybmUIFprAWP2-fIZ9f7T4rD_3TwvHcXIIs-opeQmcai/s2048/54A+-+Andrea+patching+fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvn3AdciVZ4Ot_83ifJf8-DmPotKTpVuBZnNawx6ChP14tm-9wZzQk1FnnsIj50nEb6yEf_3IdKusOukVXKjjEGvl6bqB7CmLn0ybmUIFprAWP2-fIZ9f7T4rD_3TwvHcXIIs-opeQmcai/w400-h300/54A+-+Andrea+patching+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHmbP3k2pHM5XGhdqj8k3QeN6_dconhbzd61YLuHk6eHyd9MHRREJCLhrxVqLa6aV2V42DM_WpiVBV74m1eId8lDSo6My6rrSDkpC0zevilwrLnDR7PXLoMaOE2dHbhMkcvq1lgscuMRZ/s2048/55+-+Andrea+patching+fence+where+tree+fell+over+it.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHmbP3k2pHM5XGhdqj8k3QeN6_dconhbzd61YLuHk6eHyd9MHRREJCLhrxVqLa6aV2V42DM_WpiVBV74m1eId8lDSo6My6rrSDkpC0zevilwrLnDR7PXLoMaOE2dHbhMkcvq1lgscuMRZ/w400-h300/55+-+Andrea+patching+fence+where+tree+fell+over+it.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea patching fence where tree fell over it</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>While we were down in Baker Creek we found one of John Miller’s bulls lying down by the creek, all by himself (no cows within a mile or more) and he didn’t look normal. We made him get up and discovered that his right hind leg was very swollen (from foot to thigh) and he would not put any weight on it. It was worse than swelling from snakebite; it looked like a serious injury like a broken leg. When we got farther up the mountain checking the rest of the fence, where we had cell service, Andrea called John to tell him about his crippled bull and where it was. We checked the rest of that fence and took a few photos, then we hurried home so Andrea could tend Christopher when Em went to work at 2 p.m.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi3rf4gG41kFlffSDaU0l0vg4vk5ku5eXMPnkYlj-4kPgoaoX6GPi4NP7xOesYUODkhlpgzeGAwtXFwrzz1fVOqfL-Vecu6kVzJZJlcD-WT4pOtL3Ag8YJ3fxJOpwbRm_gk1qTPEqfQu8/s2048/56+-+checking+fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi3rf4gG41kFlffSDaU0l0vg4vk5ku5eXMPnkYlj-4kPgoaoX6GPi4NP7xOesYUODkhlpgzeGAwtXFwrzz1fVOqfL-Vecu6kVzJZJlcD-WT4pOtL3Ag8YJ3fxJOpwbRm_gk1qTPEqfQu8/w400-h300/56+-+checking+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbZZ6Wc8Bbm7Cs6iqcC5NFmkcnll0BqNVCFDdDKX2t0N_rrzBZxjZH4t1cs4P7L6cBE9foqnntv_PJQOXv4dGpgMKYt4dUwLUsXB_rHaucJyYpgJnX3XE4nbZ-oC0PBz7QK0S2tFNZZTL/s2048/57+-+Checking+fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbZZ6Wc8Bbm7Cs6iqcC5NFmkcnll0BqNVCFDdDKX2t0N_rrzBZxjZH4t1cs4P7L6cBE9foqnntv_PJQOXv4dGpgMKYt4dUwLUsXB_rHaucJyYpgJnX3XE4nbZ-oC0PBz7QK0S2tFNZZTL/w400-h300/57+-+Checking+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5ADpf_iN078UEBJ4nUXJSuehNdzsUFZoGABmWnzyRFkt2ptRVyk-h1sJ8mMng4ih7NeKELxScHuFYB_E7rYNfMs127ze6qK6Une8PEnkbrY8eSw6XJ_I1L365m6OtorlFoBlP3SvFigN/s2048/58+-+riding+up+around+the+rocks+to+check+fence.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF5ADpf_iN078UEBJ4nUXJSuehNdzsUFZoGABmWnzyRFkt2ptRVyk-h1sJ8mMng4ih7NeKELxScHuFYB_E7rYNfMs127ze6qK6Une8PEnkbrY8eSw6XJ_I1L365m6OtorlFoBlP3SvFigN/w400-h300/58+-+riding+up+around+the+rocks+to+check+fence.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding up around the rocks to check fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Lynn did all the town errands that morning and bought 4 big buckets of log oil (shingle oil) and Stan started putting it on our house. The old wood siding hadn’t been oiled for many years and was showing a lot of sun damage, so it was overdue to have more oil and weatherproofing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Christopher is extremely fascinated with our tractors and always wants to get on them and ride with Lynn or Andrea or climb on them and try to drive them, so Emily bought a little battery-powered tractor (with trailer) for Christopher and Stan to put it together. Andrea took a photo of Christopher trying out his new tractor.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJW3iGXi5ihrobUu0anB5rl1wKe7JVQqyL9S79sYwcgXFXn4vZqaKIkbk3WSo1xlkpNx8yYkH4Y1JCaWXWp6OtWfFlRfLst9xdztS16f4eJO-2-V5kvyFc9tr7d4LjXe1BkBO4Rx2O3_M/s2048/59+-+Christopher+learning+how+to+drive+his+own+tractor.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJW3iGXi5ihrobUu0anB5rl1wKe7JVQqyL9S79sYwcgXFXn4vZqaKIkbk3WSo1xlkpNx8yYkH4Y1JCaWXWp6OtWfFlRfLst9xdztS16f4eJO-2-V5kvyFc9tr7d4LjXe1BkBO4Rx2O3_M/w400-h300/59+-+Christopher+learning+how+to+drive+his+own+tractor.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher learning how to drive his own tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>On Tuesday Christopher drove it all the way down here from Andrea’s house to show us (nearly a half mile down the driveway, with Emily and Dani coming along with him to make sure he didn’t run it off the edge) and then he drove it back again. He had a little trouble getting it up the hill, and Emily tried to push it but he insisted on doing it all by himself. Very determined 2-year-old tractor driver kid.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNFxmoyAlCsMNrbQIO0x6AhtPcxy0LCbOSK9h1UrLiMX3hYvZ03r6G3DAExZaHYI9NuGk6rdQr99_D5azU_O4r_LFUyT55wSqc3B0KTj6FuS1x3izQJRSpiniC53uyvg19Qx6dwkQ5QsF/s2048/60+-+Christopher+driving+tractor+down+to+our+house.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNFxmoyAlCsMNrbQIO0x6AhtPcxy0LCbOSK9h1UrLiMX3hYvZ03r6G3DAExZaHYI9NuGk6rdQr99_D5azU_O4r_LFUyT55wSqc3B0KTj6FuS1x3izQJRSpiniC53uyvg19Qx6dwkQ5QsF/w400-h300/60+-+Christopher+driving+tractor+down+to+our+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher driving tractor down to our house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RaWeuS4ov-iMuqH6gTFvXbVc1mtOVdia5dKsyE0r6IaERMb-Jx88wL-Aj65-av2R1eL_HZuH0L05xaRnJbwFZAOm2nzLgouVCfp-cipjW2EKUpmQvt5KCZYTnGPTAcg4TD-1xL6tw8t4/s2048/61+-+Christopher+heading+back+again+on+his+tractor.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RaWeuS4ov-iMuqH6gTFvXbVc1mtOVdia5dKsyE0r6IaERMb-Jx88wL-Aj65-av2R1eL_HZuH0L05xaRnJbwFZAOm2nzLgouVCfp-cipjW2EKUpmQvt5KCZYTnGPTAcg4TD-1xL6tw8t4/w400-h300/61+-+Christopher+heading+back+again+on+his+tractor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher heading back again on his tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitw428sb_RZkTDZ4r_hqUEJ58umOOwMhKh1Hl7izpz-vXgYttJ1OJf6-xvZrTkm0K9kFOP0ngGyzJFr6iVNdk-KZ05zetEpr09vKZvzJqKAAZe3ZIpADDQPaaAWCVc4IXIDpkD3MQTJeTI/s2048/62+-+driving+it+back+home.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitw428sb_RZkTDZ4r_hqUEJ58umOOwMhKh1Hl7izpz-vXgYttJ1OJf6-xvZrTkm0K9kFOP0ngGyzJFr6iVNdk-KZ05zetEpr09vKZvzJqKAAZe3ZIpADDQPaaAWCVc4IXIDpkD3MQTJeTI/w400-h300/62+-+driving+it+back+home.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">driving it back home</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That afternoon Lynn babysat Christopher while he napped (wore him out doing all that tractor-driving!) while Andrea and I gathered up all the division-fence hot wire in the upper swamp pasture so we could move the cows in there from the ditch pasture and let them have the whole area. The creek is no longer high (no danger of drowning a calf if they cross it) so we let them have both sides of the creek. We rolled up all the wire on spools and gathered up the step-in posts.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day we tended Christopher while Stan and Andrea went to the 320 on 4-wheelers and then on up through the high range and made a loop down through the middle range and home. They checked on several water troughs on the middle range and none of them were working. Andrea tried to fix one water line that was plugged up and got a trickle coming through, but those poor cows out there are very short of water.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day she and I rode for several hours and checked fences and some of the other troughs, and on our way home saw that there are still a few cows on the low range that didn’t get moved to the middle pasture. We may have to help those guys finish moving their cows, and help them fix some of their water troughs. I took a few photos during that ride.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCPV0-g_21myrw3Wc_YFQHopG11NVOnFBPNbHNIac3Rxnt2G-ObgIdcrjpKGt-4VKfrBe3IY5X6qk7eVJUhm9x6EFRHrQ8HIFKy5QK7D7-zJshQCLfTgmPvtgxPxiz5W6JrRgK-4EjzdF/s2048/63+-riding+to+check+the+range+fences.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCPV0-g_21myrw3Wc_YFQHopG11NVOnFBPNbHNIac3Rxnt2G-ObgIdcrjpKGt-4VKfrBe3IY5X6qk7eVJUhm9x6EFRHrQ8HIFKy5QK7D7-zJshQCLfTgmPvtgxPxiz5W6JrRgK-4EjzdF/w400-h300/63+-riding+to+check+the+range+fences.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">riding to check the range fences</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia4OS818ondJJ7u51uUQXAnqCCPcW1LRhsSuETv1qaYZ5sEODwyyQ8FHDUiYgkLgqMLyTbh0He5l1_e2ds7xgZlkZ03Jib9X8cf8Ee8fXTlQvePH3Kg6d-epv2ECH3yp5_KKXxMfBrch6/s2048/64+-+Andrea+on+Shiloh.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia4OS818ondJJ7u51uUQXAnqCCPcW1LRhsSuETv1qaYZ5sEODwyyQ8FHDUiYgkLgqMLyTbh0He5l1_e2ds7xgZlkZ03Jib9X8cf8Ee8fXTlQvePH3Kg6d-epv2ECH3yp5_KKXxMfBrch6/w400-h300/64+-+Andrea+on+Shiloh.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea on Shiloh</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhacrQFuHREUon0-1llx4g1G4UZu5Zs5sc7mhb2m0LGprZAgTx0uU4CxRSjGiobncdPHJPn03x4wjJmLtx6Qg-t3rMB7_sYJ6iTUaaOp2r0BofjbMIxTDTeQqG_89g_d4YifQF1CEQ8_S/s2048/65+-+checking+the+middle+range+fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIhacrQFuHREUon0-1llx4g1G4UZu5Zs5sc7mhb2m0LGprZAgTx0uU4CxRSjGiobncdPHJPn03x4wjJmLtx6Qg-t3rMB7_sYJ6iTUaaOp2r0BofjbMIxTDTeQqG_89g_d4YifQF1CEQ8_S/w400-h300/65+-+checking+the+middle+range+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">checking the middle range fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Friday I put hind shoes on Dottie, then Andrea and I took some wire panels down to the post pile pasture to fence off a place we don’t want the cows going into a small bottleneck area by the creek, then moved them into that pasture. Then Andrea went to town for her appointment with the pain doctor.</div><div><br /></div><div>Late that afternoon we all went up to Rocky’s place to meet him there and go to the 320 to scatter my cousin Roger’s ashes. He died Easter Sunday of a massive stroke. Roger was a few years older than me (he was the oldest child of my dad’s older brother Arthur), and spent some time with our family when he was growing up. He later lived in the log cabin above our upper place a few times (his dad owned it at that time). Roger loved the 320; he and one of his college friends stayed in the cabin the winter of 1959-60 and got out posts and poles from the forest above the ranch, peeled and treated hundreds of posts, and then in the summer of 1960 built most of the fence around the 320 for my dad. It was his family’s wish to have his ashes scattered up there. </div><div><br /></div><div>Roger had a fantastic singing voice, and sang solos at many churches. For the past 30-plus years he also sang for opera companies, including one in Sacramento until it shut down. Then he joined the Vallejo Opera Company, where he sang and created backdrops for some of the operas (he was also a very talented artist and did a lot of paintings). Part of the magnificent Egyptian-style backdrop that he created for Aida (performed in Vallejo) may now be for sale, along with Roger’s paintings at the Lakeport Art Museum.</div><div><br /></div><div>My father wanted Roger to sing at his funeral service, which he did, when Dad passed away in April 2007. Roger was one of my favorite cousins and when his family asked me to scatter his ashes on our ranch and make a video of it to be viewed at his memorial service on June 27th, I was glad to honor those wishes, with help from my brother Rocky and granddaughter Emily. We planned to do it Friday (which was Emily’s day off from work), which turned out to be the nicest day of the whole week (not as windy, no lightning storm). We drove up there in Rocky’s jeep and on two 4-wheelers, and Andrea kept track of Christopher (who went with us and enjoyed hiking around in the rocks and sagebrush, picking wildflowers and poking at ants with pieces of grass) while Emily took a few videos. We scattered Roger’s ashes on the ridge across from Preachers Spring.</div><div><br /></div><div>She put the videos on a thumb drive that my brother Rocky was able to work with to create something to send to the family for the memorial service. She also took a few still photos, some of which I’ll share here.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzpJOLmXqIBn1068eMACtgeQ43x6L-CpkLhyrLjXweZasJD7vsLtXb2rJiz4BOFd5NqKAq-iRUClE50ZKyRZa-SnowKmeizwh1QT8GXqB3EqoE-XmGv5oiTz0ZeiqNK9ymseStV13Jvig/s2048/66+-+Rocky+%2526+me+on+the+320+with+Roger%2527s+ashes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzpJOLmXqIBn1068eMACtgeQ43x6L-CpkLhyrLjXweZasJD7vsLtXb2rJiz4BOFd5NqKAq-iRUClE50ZKyRZa-SnowKmeizwh1QT8GXqB3EqoE-XmGv5oiTz0ZeiqNK9ymseStV13Jvig/w400-h300/66+-+Rocky+%2526+me+on+the+320+with+Roger%2527s+ashes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rocky & me on the 320 with Roger's ashes</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTu7RG9HNdn0Tkx0fJYI2MJTHhw06vFmNzaoI1IVAPIYPoBmhS0bnhobIWV7CMiI6tSxl2vkJSr_CBbIOtpTdZNSykxJu4O2xaiKcN9SE6sAoXruUTFw7G70j-kMOg_qlcoj9lLroKApB/s2048/67+-+preparing+to+scatter+Roger%2527s+ashes.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjTu7RG9HNdn0Tkx0fJYI2MJTHhw06vFmNzaoI1IVAPIYPoBmhS0bnhobIWV7CMiI6tSxl2vkJSr_CBbIOtpTdZNSykxJu4O2xaiKcN9SE6sAoXruUTFw7G70j-kMOg_qlcoj9lLroKApB/w400-h300/67+-+preparing+to+scatter+Roger%2527s+ashes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">preparing to scatter Roger's ashes</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Saturday we brought the heifers down from their ditch bank strip pasture and put them with the young bull in the corral, then moved them to the orchard. Andrea changed water and shut off some of her ditches to get some fields dried up so we can start cutting hay. That evening Christopher drove down here again on his little tractor, with Stan driving along with him on a 4-wheeler, and took a few detours to get off and pick grass to feed to Dottie, and to go climb up on all of our big tractors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday (Father’s Day) I checked on the cows and calves in the post-pile pasture and discovered that the ditch was overflowing and running into the bog crossing that Andrea was trying to get dried up--where we drive out to the lower back field with the haying equipment. So Andrea and I shoveled/cleaned out that ditch—shoveling out the sod that was overgrowing the banks—so it won’t overflow at that spot.</div><div><br /></div><div>Emily and her friend A.J. took Christopher to church with them, and then Em brought Christopher home for Lynn and me to babysit while she went to work. Andrea took him home later that afternoon on the 4-wheeler after she got done irrigating. She and Stan were having a family dinner that evening with all of us and a few other friends; Stan was barbecuing and I brought some fruit salads. Sam, Charlie and Dani were there, too, but Em had to work.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a nice “indoor picnic” and everyone enjoyed it, until our friend Jerry choked. No one noticed him choking, however, but Stan saw him heading for the door like he was going to go outside, and then collapse, hitting his head. He was blue and unconscious, not breathing, when everyone rushed over to help him. Sam immediately called 911 and stayed on the line for 30 minutes, calmly stating the situation, where to send the ambulance, and updating Jerry’s circumstances. Dani drove the 4-wheeler down through our barnyard to the end of our lane to meet the ambulance and direct the driver where to come. Jerry’s son, Andrea, and friend June (who has been an EMT) kept working diligently on Jerry, placing him on his side, doing Heimlich compressions to try to dislodge the obstruction, and finally some fluid, food and blood came out of his mouth and he started breathing, though still unconscious. Lynn and I distracted Christopher, away from the frantic actions, and I also consoled Jerry’s daughter-in-law who was emotionally distraught because she’s very recently lost her own father and was fearing that her husband was about to lose his father.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the time the first responder from the Sheriff’s department arrived, Jerry was conscious and responsive, and by the time the ambulance and EMT’s arrived he was able to sit up and walk—with help—out the door to be placed on the gurney to be taken down the steps to the ambulance. He didn’t want to go to the hospital, but with the blow to his head, and the vigorous efforts to dislodge the blockage in his throat (which may have cracked some ribs) it was best to have a doctor check him.</div><div><br /></div><div>His family went to the hospital also, as did Andrea and Stan, and Lynn and I came home and took care of Christopher here until Emily got home from work at 11 p.m. Andrea gave us a report on Jerry; he was doing much better and mainly just had bruising but no broken bones. It was a huge relief to know that he’s ok, thanks to the quick actions of several people who rushed to revive him.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The next day Andrea talked to him and he was doing a lot better—just a black eye from hitting his head when he fell.</div><div><br /></div><div>I had another e-mail from Granddaughter Heather in Canada and she sent a cute photo of Gregory hiking along with little James next to their garden, with Dude the dog, and it was amusing to see the same posture in father and son.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6ilV4RVYtttSNET6Ro-l6AwhUolsbVMZqz0ICnO4_QC7LerG7BnaIrcHEZ1BvtHMz1MqZGVodq8rUuQWpGEZIrvInJq2_fbNH-2GFj0mQiMZogOutoUToo6RDEa_b3PzmnyxEcOexFLq/s2048/68+-+Gregory+%2526+James+walking+with+Dude.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK6ilV4RVYtttSNET6Ro-l6AwhUolsbVMZqz0ICnO4_QC7LerG7BnaIrcHEZ1BvtHMz1MqZGVodq8rUuQWpGEZIrvInJq2_fbNH-2GFj0mQiMZogOutoUToo6RDEa_b3PzmnyxEcOexFLq/w300-h400/68+-+Gregory+%2526+James+walking+with+Dude.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Gregory & James walking with Dude</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That morning Andrea changed water and helped me bring the cows and calves up from the post pile pasture and sort off the 3 cows that we know we will be selling this fall and we put them back down in that pasture. There’s no point in putting them with the young bull; he will have plenty of cows to try to breed. We put the main herd with him and the heifers in the orchard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later that morning Andrea went to the dentist to have the temporary cap put over her tooth until the crown is put on it next month. Lynn and Stan serviced the mid-size tractor and got the swather working and ready to cut hay, then took the blade off the big traction (that we bale with) and used it to move some of the obstacles in the stackyard (the old plow, and hay grabber) that have been parked along the edge for many years. We need to make more room for stacking hay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday we moved the cows to new pasture and Stan sawed down the willow trees that have overgrown our bridge, so the stackwagon can come through with loads of hay without rubbing on those branches. Lynn started cutting hay and cut the field below the lane, and that afternoon cut the lower back field. Lynn rode around with him in the tractor and learned how to run the swather.</div><div><br /></div><div>I took care of Christopher all morning and then when Dani and some of her friends came out, one of them babysat him while Dani and a couple other kids helped me haul two truckloads of hay out of my hay shed and stack it over by the Shiloh and Sprout’s pens and put a tarp over it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today was hot and we continued haying. Stan propped up the falling-down fence along our bridge while Andrea and I took out the hot wire division in the horse pasture and let the cows have the whole pasture. I took a photo of the cows enjoying the new pasture.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiq3hVRbe8_bpNNZt3g2nPkeW_BlXkkAJOYr0jql6O7dQByk-434fIsiRJ6-sxYcgQT0p0X8acAKCRve_B0m7kk45GEmiA4fKXJ71ER0i9_wvrk_Q9QYV2XVG0nbQDsCeef5P4AvLH7Z-/s2048/69+-+cows+in+new+grass.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiq3hVRbe8_bpNNZt3g2nPkeW_BlXkkAJOYr0jql6O7dQByk-434fIsiRJ6-sxYcgQT0p0X8acAKCRve_B0m7kk45GEmiA4fKXJ71ER0i9_wvrk_Q9QYV2XVG0nbQDsCeef5P4AvLH7Z-/w400-h300/69+-+cows+in+new+grass.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows in new grass</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then we hauled another truck load out of my hay shed and started a small stack next to Rishiam’s pen. Lynn took the swather up through the corrals to the field by Andrea’s house and Stan did part of the cutting. Then they took the swather up the road to heifer hill and Andrea cut that field. Stan cut the field below it, and we are done with all the cutting for this year! I took photos of him cutting that field.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB6IPa0gSd3SYlxo4jfq5Ob9PNoIikAT3rHbl1SXWI4fiVakINoQo-wUhQABPzB_oNIv9luE6vZRyOv4x7OuMAtBGK9wpdcsp-l6RmVyIlONK5Sf_qrIWmjFOeSqqpbdjHYSZNRgIhPrI/s2048/70+-+Stan+cutting+hay.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCB6IPa0gSd3SYlxo4jfq5Ob9PNoIikAT3rHbl1SXWI4fiVakINoQo-wUhQABPzB_oNIv9luE6vZRyOv4x7OuMAtBGK9wpdcsp-l6RmVyIlONK5Sf_qrIWmjFOeSqqpbdjHYSZNRgIhPrI/w300-h400/70+-+Stan+cutting+hay.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKG2_436kR43tcuwN6dK6oyxD_E5zpY8N0dCwGp8mnZOYHIND3nhSTGjLTtHNhHSOBVN8cJ7FYtmgDrHw6SyPYDerIuAvyln1D82_VnNkToIc9uaSr6FncmK4UMOiS5smiYLR0-mziDc7/s2048/71+-+finishing+cutting+the+last+field.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKG2_436kR43tcuwN6dK6oyxD_E5zpY8N0dCwGp8mnZOYHIND3nhSTGjLTtHNhHSOBVN8cJ7FYtmgDrHw6SyPYDerIuAvyln1D82_VnNkToIc9uaSr6FncmK4UMOiS5smiYLR0-mziDc7/w400-h300/71+-+finishing+cutting+the+last+field.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnpjvDFlXEZ5h9Sp9tGjIp_gl_qLigNd1aEb27NAdozRqh0p8YstZRdafJzT5_cCK_f0gKi9sf5jm45WrpWpJuhSL6HJJPEWtGt8Cjx0lfOyOG46cplimzHhbzRmCXQu8TAr0tO71NTrr/s2048/72+-+Stan+cutting+the+final+field.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnpjvDFlXEZ5h9Sp9tGjIp_gl_qLigNd1aEb27NAdozRqh0p8YstZRdafJzT5_cCK_f0gKi9sf5jm45WrpWpJuhSL6HJJPEWtGt8Cjx0lfOyOG46cplimzHhbzRmCXQu8TAr0tO71NTrr/w400-h300/72+-+Stan+cutting+the+final+field.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan cutting the last field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-14692358583966721832021-11-18T12:48:00.002-08:002021-11-18T12:48:28.306-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - April 21 through May 12, 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">APRIL 27</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday was warmer and actually felt like spring. Andrea, Lynn and I tagged and banded my “Crash” Cow’s young calf. That afternoon Dani re-filled our wood-box and then brushed Ed (helping her shed some of her long winter hair) and rode her for the first time this year, making a short ride over the low range.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Later that afternoon my blind heifer (Cupricious, daughter of Cupie Doll) started calving. She was the last heifer to calve. We put her in the calving pen with Dani’s pet cow (TW) for company, then put them both in the barn before evening. Andrea watched her while I did chores. We knew we would probably need to pull the calf, since the bull she was bred to sires calves that are a little too big for heifers.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani’s friends—Kendall and Jake—came out to the ranch and had supper at Andrea’s house, and were “on call” if we needed to pull the calf. After the heifer started serious labor we had those kids come down here, to be ready to help. It was a big bull calf, and the wasn’t making much progress after the feet began to show, so Andrea sneaked up behind the heifer and got chains on the legs, and we all pulled the calf. It was a hard pull, but we got him delivered safely. After we got him born, Andrea took photos of the calf after we got him breathing and Dani was rubbing him.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJI_nhSk3zHBST_NSlfIY6xMUjHjTuTE1VpSQKgisEv2L_9RSzmm60AlkKnVH34EOuKKBl8nRhl8rchFXb6e2kTnwsc0dYXpr-rh1PYUq9-EB-4TFpREhUuN2_QXdlN6RN53RXrnxtVKN/s2048/1+-+new+calf+safely+born.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJI_nhSk3zHBST_NSlfIY6xMUjHjTuTE1VpSQKgisEv2L_9RSzmm60AlkKnVH34EOuKKBl8nRhl8rchFXb6e2kTnwsc0dYXpr-rh1PYUq9-EB-4TFpREhUuN2_QXdlN6RN53RXrnxtVKN/w300-h400/1+-+new+calf+safely+born.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new calf safely born</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QNCtlMp1ssU436TM3vLnnoxsNHaySqEJzqoX2h2PDl9z20S8NOzJJwPrZwIzxCvMzSCpp9N-OWJCuqVeoSwPceSUMcKhzGDvyD3OUNPuxVTSK3PM-cSXsqa9hlx7oYnhkoD_XuXJzNxg/s2048/2+-+Dani+rubbing+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QNCtlMp1ssU436TM3vLnnoxsNHaySqEJzqoX2h2PDl9z20S8NOzJJwPrZwIzxCvMzSCpp9N-OWJCuqVeoSwPceSUMcKhzGDvyD3OUNPuxVTSK3PM-cSXsqa9hlx7oYnhkoD_XuXJzNxg/w300-h400/2+-+Dani+rubbing+calf.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani rubbing calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then the kids went home and went to bed, but Andrea and I stayed and monitored the pair to make sure she mothered him ok. She loved her baby but was too intent on licking him and facing him and he couldn’t get to the udder, and she was too nervous and worried to let us assist him. So we warmed up a bottle of colostrum to feed him—to give him energy and “fuel” to keep warm (since the temperature had dropped to 20 degrees by then), and buy him some time We toweled him dry and I fed him the bottle.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04QpYeqqdxqyymgUrmUOU8HW8_E_JaDdZODlWjRpH-ixejJkXF64esgHZQjBpJGMtaVsCoHQTMWsQ-ap3I2xSwbtdJgSGFXIVs9d_mQfrVtYsux3pe-KcdLBo4xQjfOnsjWHROyA0HgZl/s2016/3+-+feeding+the+new+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04QpYeqqdxqyymgUrmUOU8HW8_E_JaDdZODlWjRpH-ixejJkXF64esgHZQjBpJGMtaVsCoHQTMWsQ-ap3I2xSwbtdJgSGFXIVs9d_mQfrVtYsux3pe-KcdLBo4xQjfOnsjWHROyA0HgZl/w400-h300/3+-+feeding+the+new+calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding the new calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We went to bed at midnight. By morning the calf had suckled at least one teat and the pair was well bonded. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher was sick in the night and had a fever of 103 degrees so Emily gave him a cool shower to cool him down, and gave him some baby Tylenol to help reduce his fever. He was doing a little better by that evening but still sick.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea had a horrible toothache all day, but helped us put big bales out for the cows in their feeders. Then she went home to rest, and Stan helped me move the blind cow and her baby out of the barn and into the 2nd day pen that has a roof over one corner for shelter, since it was raining a little.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We still had three cows left to calve, and I checked them periodically during the night. The next morning Lynn drove to 4th of July Creek to locate a well site for some people from New York who are buying property up there. I typed several interviews (to send rough drafts to the people I’d interviewed for various articles) and we had a very late lunch when Lynn got home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent an e-mail with their family news, and photos of some of their new foals.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhNtkFC-bL7EztFp8wOL1u7rYdf-VW2fkF3izz66qjVKZPs3gKIdy4UjWXaclw1q-qq57vtshdyjQhFdcayUezdtVUjBOqCSAS2fKR4PX6b_juiJjkI9UUj4m3abM0a7v7F5S99M_pcuw/s2048/4+-+mare+%2526+foal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizhNtkFC-bL7EztFp8wOL1u7rYdf-VW2fkF3izz66qjVKZPs3gKIdy4UjWXaclw1q-qq57vtshdyjQhFdcayUezdtVUjBOqCSAS2fKR4PX6b_juiJjkI9UUj4m3abM0a7v7F5S99M_pcuw/w400-h300/4+-+mare+%2526+foal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mare & foal</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxt6QRoBvtIbpz8lFQc6NvQPJfaPoOO0-Q6nHul3xod8vu8ABkd63nlXwCyb5QgTDa9WFyyu1S61ZgbWDXo_D8cOKXi-mWUUPamNZ9ieaSMnN5rntViD4TNgA0wNa_CxaiLE4BC7Jan4jy/s2048/5+-+mare+with+new+foal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1850" data-original-width="2048" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxt6QRoBvtIbpz8lFQc6NvQPJfaPoOO0-Q6nHul3xod8vu8ABkd63nlXwCyb5QgTDa9WFyyu1S61ZgbWDXo_D8cOKXi-mWUUPamNZ9ieaSMnN5rntViD4TNgA0wNa_CxaiLE4BC7Jan4jy/w400-h361/5+-+mare+with+new+foal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>mare with new foal</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She also sent a photo of one of the babies, taken during its first leading lesson.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZWrNxCqw3oo_TYyJRSeQkYFL-1wzz-ZE1ZRYh6G30KyHICmz7NY2gTrIrvdTiGHTXs4IJJuUA5jUgbYx9UnRGVUJnbs6T5P8zu7n1IVNMz3W6HVRMTAg21K51Rp_GE_80HL9b8YpR1JX/s2048/6+-+young+foal+during+first+leading+lesson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZWrNxCqw3oo_TYyJRSeQkYFL-1wzz-ZE1ZRYh6G30KyHICmz7NY2gTrIrvdTiGHTXs4IJJuUA5jUgbYx9UnRGVUJnbs6T5P8zu7n1IVNMz3W6HVRMTAg21K51Rp_GE_80HL9b8YpR1JX/w300-h400/6+-+young+foal+during+first+leading+lesson.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">young foal during first leading session</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Stan changed some of the irrigation water then Andrea went to town for an appointment with a new pain specialist who now comes here once a month (so she won’t always need to drive clear to Idaho Falls for her appointments). He was able to renew her antibiotic prescription for the infected tooth—since the dentist who prescribed it doesn’t work on Fridays.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I called my cousin Naida to let her know that her brother’s ashes arrived here safely last week. We will scatter his ashes up on the 320 a little later in the spring when the grass is growing and the wildflowers are blooming.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We also called our grandson Nick to wish him a belated happy birthday and let him know we have a card and gift for him here if he wants to stop by and pick it up sometime. He is no longer working at Murdoch’s; he is helping his dad (Michael) again with the custom fencing—along with coaching track and cross-country runners at the high school.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day one of the young cows in the second day pens had a full udder and was kicking her calf a little and not letting it nurse, so we put her in the headcatch and Charlie was here and helped us. We put a rope on the cow’s hind leg so she couldn’t kick and Charlie held the rope, and the calf was able to nurse. After the calf suckled and the cow’s udder wasn’t so full and sore she quit kicking, and everything was fine after that.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8nrfwv5ZchYj0i_CV_CYKFqZYjX4DKhU9PIJIt7QHxGdjmGTzO9l_KAzG8lhYDznz66lXnnN1A9NtkWRluQJnjDRGqLDlnUZcsGJXnQCyOwJ5tqWC8kYBrfaaxlWYQ1xGM9OZYTJep3S/s2048/7+-+Charlie+holding+rope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="2048" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk8nrfwv5ZchYj0i_CV_CYKFqZYjX4DKhU9PIJIt7QHxGdjmGTzO9l_KAzG8lhYDznz66lXnnN1A9NtkWRluQJnjDRGqLDlnUZcsGJXnQCyOwJ5tqWC8kYBrfaaxlWYQ1xGM9OZYTJep3S/w400-h297/7+-+Charlie+holding+rope.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie holding rope</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">While he was out here at the ranch, Andrea took a photo of Dani and Charlie.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHHxu1yupMGNK0OelLrBRC0bPCybV09ghbqOZuQOURe2fODxPeLMYeJVkdhTKc0AGKqz8hZ5hV9zO1Eiwq2-m0c6Kq2dtMaJU-GkBGWlAqyWKUI6s3Lo-WO3yFkb58YkslbAfYb1pseav/s2048/7A+-+Dani+%2526+her+big+brother.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYHHxu1yupMGNK0OelLrBRC0bPCybV09ghbqOZuQOURe2fODxPeLMYeJVkdhTKc0AGKqz8hZ5hV9zO1Eiwq2-m0c6Kq2dtMaJU-GkBGWlAqyWKUI6s3Lo-WO3yFkb58YkslbAfYb1pseav/w300-h400/7A+-+Dani+%2526+her+big+brother.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & her big brother
</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was cold and windy all day, with a tiny bit of rain. We need more rain; the ground is very dry. Stan helped Andrea irrigate, and they started the water in our ditch that originates from the creek above heifer hill on the old Gooch place. They discovered a dead calf of Alfonso’s next to the ditch—probably the sick one that Stan helped Alfonso move up there earlier—the one that was so sick it didn’t want to travel and Alfonso left it along the road by our place. We hope that there won’t be any contamination from that carcass getting into our ditch that brings water down to our cows and calves!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We got another e-mail from granddaughter Heather in Canada, and she sent more photos of some of their new babies.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9xB5HqLrJLwtN9sSeo4xHeGS2kTyH99Lrp9fXRFVQJGSkH7-ycJjWJyM-0NZcYIg7ZM-M6JcIWOP1XXPUfrsQ_fI9GADS0ShgAe_2kRMGLM56pIkuvsXMwz8bJIZ97NiyuEFxQnjS4jw/s2048/8+-+mare+%2526+foal.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2041" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ9xB5HqLrJLwtN9sSeo4xHeGS2kTyH99Lrp9fXRFVQJGSkH7-ycJjWJyM-0NZcYIg7ZM-M6JcIWOP1XXPUfrsQ_fI9GADS0ShgAe_2kRMGLM56pIkuvsXMwz8bJIZ97NiyuEFxQnjS4jw/w399-h400/8+-+mare+%2526+foal.jpg" width="399" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgMWogz4QImqfHoeVJVoLXamhn9bGopTbtZNUczmOuEanLMtnCGgXG30BaE9NNX6Z7pH1U0C3bYULqdHSS3mThgcRF2_bHGBFC-ONfqLzE-vFo6wU_-sqBpiHbjK8XkHvXL70E91xVwTl/s2048/9-+new+foal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDgMWogz4QImqfHoeVJVoLXamhn9bGopTbtZNUczmOuEanLMtnCGgXG30BaE9NNX6Z7pH1U0C3bYULqdHSS3mThgcRF2_bHGBFC-ONfqLzE-vFo6wU_-sqBpiHbjK8XkHvXL70E91xVwTl/w400-h300/9-+new+foal.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>mare & new foal</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She also sent a photo of young Joseph (now 4 years old) sitting on one of his favorite horses.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DoVPAklWsJay_GsIjEW5QPTudSZ6rFXgo-NrTH2_aJEA5mMAZbtPKmhidQEhlsgxhT-KV67GHz6fpdUbZ-bAWlAIG5ryqemBDjWg-DhVTvqUXjBJrChhqcChpqpFLfceO_aVYdS_tOMT/s2048/10+-Joseph+on+one+of+his+favorite+horses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2DoVPAklWsJay_GsIjEW5QPTudSZ6rFXgo-NrTH2_aJEA5mMAZbtPKmhidQEhlsgxhT-KV67GHz6fpdUbZ-bAWlAIG5ryqemBDjWg-DhVTvqUXjBJrChhqcChpqpFLfceO_aVYdS_tOMT/w400-h300/10+-Joseph+on+one+of+his+favorite+horses.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph on one of his favorite horses</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday we had a little more rain, off and on. I had just finished chores and was back in the house when I heard our cows bawling. I looked out the window, and a skinny cow of Alfonso’s had come down our driveway and through the calving pen and was going up by my hay shed past the horses. I ran outside and she was up by the gate trying to get into the field with our cow and calves. I realized I’d need some help to get her back up the driveway –so she wouldn’t run down the other way--so I quickly shut the calving pen gate and started to up around her to put her into the calving pen to contain her until I had some help. She came running at me and I had to grab the pitchfork (by my hay shed) to defend myself. She skirted on past me and into the calving pen and I got the other gate shut. While she was bouncing off the fences trying to get out, I called Andrea. She and Stan and Dani came down from her house, and Lynn came out to help, as well. That crazy cow was ready to run over anything and anybody in her way—acting like a Mexican fighting bull! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I shut all the other gates she might go through, and we blocked the driveway by the house while Dani took her stock whip and went into the calving pen to get the cow out. Cracking the whip, she was formidable enough that the cow didn’t charge at her; the cow ran out into the driveway and Dani chased her up the driveway and headed her down the road, and chased her into Alfonso’s field and shut the gate. The problem we have is that Alfonso never closes his gates; he doesn’t want to have to open and shut them when he drives into his fields. So his cattle are often coming out and going elsewhere. This cow had a fresh brand—so it’s a cow he recently bought—and she doesn’t know where she is supposed to be, and doesn’t seem to have a calf.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">She’s probably the cow we’ve seen down along his place for several days, grazing out on the road, and she apparently decided to come to our place to try to get in with our cows. We’ll have to leave our gate shut on the driveway (awkward for all the people driving in and out of here to and from Andrea’s house as well as ours) unless Alfonso will keep his field gate shut.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We were upset that this cow came through our calving pen and left a lot of her poop. No telling what pathogens she may be shedding (BVD, Johnes disease, etc.) since Alfonso buys cows from here and there at auctions and never vaccinates. This skinny old cow might be carrying some disease that we don’t want—and to have her poop in our calving pen is the worst place! If one of our cows lay down to calve and got that poop on her udder, it would be very serious for the newborn calf. So much for biosecurity! Andrea got a bucket and shovel and scooped up all the fresh poop from that cow and disposed of it. As a precaution, however, we won’t put any of the cows in that pen to calve, this year; we are glad there were only three left to calve. We’ll put them in the barn or into the side pen, but not in the main calving pen.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One of our cows (MalulaMae) did start labor that afternoon, and we put her in the barn to calve, since it was still raining and very windy. She had a big bull calf, and this year no problems; last year her calf was breech (backward but with hind legs forward and only the rump coming into the birth canal—which is an impossible position for birth) and we had the vet come deliver that one. We were glad she had no problems calving this year, and Andrea took a photo of her with her new calf.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJ-luGR1IFTI9p1gqsVn9Z8QMrbaQZlrl1hwutYbAcQaSVGGV_Vz3FpR-1BIVJqmSRT8xYWkxq9Xn9RHxVw2sxvwDW3RAlNHVCom8o8qqeeH-B4TwkhKkkBzzHy6JUruFyv_6BBvYf9y6/s2048/11+-Malulamae+%2526+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDJ-luGR1IFTI9p1gqsVn9Z8QMrbaQZlrl1hwutYbAcQaSVGGV_Vz3FpR-1BIVJqmSRT8xYWkxq9Xn9RHxVw2sxvwDW3RAlNHVCom8o8qqeeH-B4TwkhKkkBzzHy6JUruFyv_6BBvYf9y6/w400-h300/11+-Malulamae+%2526+calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">MalulaMae & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">That left just two young cows to calve, and one of them started labor that evening so we put her in the barn in the stall next to MalulaMae. She calved just before midnight and had a heifer calf and I took a photo of her and her calf. We’ve had twice as many heifers as bull calves this year!</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2Re6tKM00rSOtm_yaoCtz_5NjZSpy2SaZl4fCS_2BqBc9bAuNiukUs4I51Vu9OgVNUX5hsUa1SF6BVgBVtSf3yINAUhLU594KV8nGEYmcykR00aAg1MeiiOIt4OdJGa4q44vSKS7SuSk/s1744/12+-cow+%2526+new+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1744" data-original-width="1496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2Re6tKM00rSOtm_yaoCtz_5NjZSpy2SaZl4fCS_2BqBc9bAuNiukUs4I51Vu9OgVNUX5hsUa1SF6BVgBVtSf3yINAUhLU594KV8nGEYmcykR00aAg1MeiiOIt4OdJGa4q44vSKS7SuSk/w343-h400/12+-cow+%2526+new+calf.jpg" width="343" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cow & new calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That left just one young cow left to calve—Dani’s favorite cow that she nicknamed Training Wheels (TW) because she had such a big belly last year as a first-calf heifer and probably needed some support wheels under that belly.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was a little warmer, but windy. We put MalulaMae and her calf out of the barn that morning. Andrea took a photo after I re-iodined the navel stump of one of the new calves, to help the navel stump dry up faster and not be susceptible to infection.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCDZ8b6BKW2qvtmwTfyaCmBnbgcttcAg-yu0c8zKlhqU47v7wf64hCeIwLMvcenfkQ0jJwZuCYMq36LLz7KUwzH4KkbltrH_BKsBS32XiKDe168HAiXCCpZgcaaXX7TGWtd2QFzOG-UlN/s2048/13+-+iodined+navel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCDZ8b6BKW2qvtmwTfyaCmBnbgcttcAg-yu0c8zKlhqU47v7wf64hCeIwLMvcenfkQ0jJwZuCYMq36LLz7KUwzH4KkbltrH_BKsBS32XiKDe168HAiXCCpZgcaaXX7TGWtd2QFzOG-UlN/w400-h300/13+-+iodined+navel.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">iodined navel</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">And she took another photo a bit later as we put MalulaMae’s calf out of the barn (he was a bit slow following mom and I had to push him]</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf1QSSe5lqJh0pfHaBraabWjY_yqNAOs2u4S_-64EMukjqUct3RK2zw3GGY6YMfVfIc9De__ot0TrQ941pEYdVVLS2Fj8NYJNGtFXR8ZW6Au7rIe_9_nCA4xQ4mrYmrtqXcrIA3nwwunW/s2016/14+-+pushing+calf+out+of+barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRf1QSSe5lqJh0pfHaBraabWjY_yqNAOs2u4S_-64EMukjqUct3RK2zw3GGY6YMfVfIc9De__ot0TrQ941pEYdVVLS2Fj8NYJNGtFXR8ZW6Au7rIe_9_nCA4xQ4mrYmrtqXcrIA3nwwunW/w400-h300/14+-+pushing+calf+out+of+barn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pushing calf out of barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then in the afternoon moved the blind cow and her calf to the bigger pen below the barn, so we could put the other young cow out of the barn and into the sheltered corner pen. We’ve kept the blind cow and calf in for several extra days to make sure they are well bonded. Even though Capricious can see out of one eye, we want her calf to be a little older and more streetwise before they go out to the field with all the other cows and calves. We took a photo of her and her calf.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DpHxYfaLxvtNa3yFacko6utR5RGkzfmE0_uxljF4OovsgU3lck_ANCNSOXbY-P69jsi2VHQt1bs2B5sLASxh67ZILcl-ZNkJLVwis8Z9r46V8C5_kC3qMNWDLmfLC_HdUpgDDoHDXwQk/s2048/15+-+Capricious+%2526+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DpHxYfaLxvtNa3yFacko6utR5RGkzfmE0_uxljF4OovsgU3lck_ANCNSOXbY-P69jsi2VHQt1bs2B5sLASxh67ZILcl-ZNkJLVwis8Z9r46V8C5_kC3qMNWDLmfLC_HdUpgDDoHDXwQk/w400-h300/15+-+Capricious+%2526+calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Capricious & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening TW started calving, and we put her in the barn. She had a big bull calf before midnight but he was a bit sluggish and I had to help him get up. Then when he tried to nurse his mom he was sucking her flank and her brisket, because he was so tall and didn’t know how to bend his head down to reach her low udder. Andrea and I helped him nurse. The cow was happy to stand still and behave (eating some alfalfa hay we put in a tub in front of her) while Andrea got the calf on every teat). We are done calving!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was warmer. We called Michael and Carolyn this morning to wish them a happy anniversary. I had just finished chores and breakfast when Emily called to tell me that the crazy cow of Alfonso’s was out again and coming down the road toward our driveway. We’d left our driveway gate shut for several days after the first episode with her, but then Alfonso told us he would leave his gate shut. Apparently she got out again (he left it open again) and here she came. So I ran up the driveway and got to our gate before she did, and got it shut. She paused there, wanting to come into our place but after I yelled at her for a few minutes she went on down the road to go back to her own field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We fed our cows a couple more big bales, and locked 122 (Panda’s 3-year-old daughter that was checked pregnant last fall but is definitely not pregnant now) in the orchard until we can sell her. Andrea took a photo of Zorra Rose and her calf when the calf was bucking around in the field.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zGC7TKjrfrCk1M3Ie6MVhDJYIqpaGGFRo7pnjgGXJgTNIPWYfD1zFLAe8sr2e6AioLU0wvjKpxiSX0-2uUQADJCYLpF8g6fkjJQ8Pm77XwQRImAdcNyLG08k5TXyJUOWmWXK9Iq1zvFo/s2048/16+-calf+bucking+around.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zGC7TKjrfrCk1M3Ie6MVhDJYIqpaGGFRo7pnjgGXJgTNIPWYfD1zFLAe8sr2e6AioLU0wvjKpxiSX0-2uUQADJCYLpF8g6fkjJQ8Pm77XwQRImAdcNyLG08k5TXyJUOWmWXK9Iq1zvFo/w400-h300/16+-calf+bucking+around.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf bucking around</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael brought a mini excavator later that morning and used it to place the 4 loads of rocks along the creek bank that has been washing away below the old milk barn. He also used it to scrape the manure away from the fence/feeder in the bull pen and pile it up so we can haul it out this fall for fertilizer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea took a cute photo of Christopher going walkabout with his favorite cat; that cat loves him and goes wherever he goes. They do a lot of “cat walks” together.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbh7nDFWdVNxfe0E97IEAEcBy33-ObHyPwS7fd446y49BKUwK9kCHVyOtYEAPUNRsFeIuWjy3uZLSFAZmpXWGjO5jLowXi-L6R2S_Gk_vvAcBSwOjYMrpX-zPya9BoV6y9G4CFj9ZGP3Tw/s2048/17+-+Christopher+walking+his+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbh7nDFWdVNxfe0E97IEAEcBy33-ObHyPwS7fd446y49BKUwK9kCHVyOtYEAPUNRsFeIuWjy3uZLSFAZmpXWGjO5jLowXi-L6R2S_Gk_vvAcBSwOjYMrpX-zPya9BoV6y9G4CFj9ZGP3Tw/w300-h400/17+-+Christopher+walking+his+cat.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher walking his cat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily left Christopher with us this afternoon when she went to work. Stan and Andrea went for a drive up to Williams Lake and picked him up this evening on their way home.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">MAY 5</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Alfonso’s cow continued to get out on the road for several days and was threatening the cars that drove past her. We worried that hikers or bicyclists might be at risk (the Amish go up and down our road on bicycles) so we called Alfonso again and mentioned that he needs to keep that cow in. She’s one that lost her calf earlier and he’s been trying to graft a calf on her; the calf is confined at his camp on the lower fields below our place, but the cow wanders.<div><br /></div><div>Andrea smashed her thumb in her car door when she was putting Christopher in the car, and it’s swollen and black under the nail. It’s going to be painful for a while.</div><div><br /></div><div>This past week has been warmer, up to 70 degrees in the afternoons, so the grass is finally starting to grow and the leaves are coming out on the trees. We’ve been babysitting Christopher a few times when Em is working and Andrea is changing irrigation water.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Friday we tagged and banded TW’s bull calf and tagged 126’s heifer calf. That young cow is really aggressive and protective and we had to put her in the adjacent pen to keep her from attacking us while we tagged her calf.</div><div><br /></div><div>Lynn went to town and brought home the old red 4-wheeler (Little Red) that was at the fix-it shop. Hopefully it will run better now. Emily ordered two cords of wood from Rick Andrews and he delivered it this afternoon. We’ll get a head start on next winter’s supply!</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea got a trampoline for Christopher and while she was putting it together, Christopher was playing outside nearby. Before she realized what he was doing, he got the door open on the old Eagle by himself, and shut the door. He had fun “driving” it for a while, but when he tried to get out, the door had automatically locked! He got a little worried, and Andrea had to rescue him.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday Andrea harrowed the horse pasture and orchard so she could start some irrigation water on those very dry pastures. Then it started to rain, and I did evening chores in pouring rain. It was the first good rain we’ve had, but it didn’t last very long.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ditch next to the barn clogged up and flooded. Andrea spent a couple hours shoveling and cleaning the ditch channel so it won’t overflow and go into the barn.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday we took hay to the cows again, and Andrea and I filled old post holes with rocks from Dottie’s pen—the holes that were left when Michael’s crew took out the old falling-down fence and built the new one.</div><div><br /></div><div>We put my young blind cow and her calf out of the pen below the barn and up to the pasture above the house, and Andrea took a photo as I followed the calf –the cow had run on ahead, eager to go out to the pasture.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mYXrMmw3fsa-Ej48XprNDtjflFDZ3NambGs85yPyiFE9J1zBFFFbcwz6Ij14WabTXiipWwZCPkTVaWz_6ZR9kIYiPF0EuzCUjui40eMzkXpWqvpL9UAiZ3MaBGMo0-yBl3yfDJgVELSb/s2048/18+-+following+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1492" data-original-width="2048" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2mYXrMmw3fsa-Ej48XprNDtjflFDZ3NambGs85yPyiFE9J1zBFFFbcwz6Ij14WabTXiipWwZCPkTVaWz_6ZR9kIYiPF0EuzCUjui40eMzkXpWqvpL9UAiZ3MaBGMo0-yBl3yfDJgVELSb/w400-h291/18+-+following+calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">following calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani put staples in the fence below the lane, down by the creek, so no cows can reach through it. Then she went to get Kendall and Jake and they helped her clean out the barn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday Alfonso was burning the tall grass off his ditch below our place and the fire got away from him in the tall sagebrush. The wind was carrying the fire and sparks quite a ways and there was risk for it to jump the county road and start burning on the BLM land in the sagebrush. By the time we noticed the huge billows of smoke and flames, he burned up our pole fence at the end of our ditch pasture. Andrea and Lynn drove down there to help him try to put it out, and they took about 20 gallon jugs of water with multiple trips on 4-wheelers to help him stop the fire.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and I moved the heifer feeder down toward the gate so we can irrigate the field where it was. We gave them a new bale after we locked them in a pen by the barn. There was still a little hay in their feeder so we put it in a couple carts and took it around to the bull’s feeder—pulling it with the 4-wheeler, like a miniature cattle truck train.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCojFEf8Ktt_hgRRTlzHCMh0rQ-6sQuxWwq9qoP0MVO92QyDU9Cuciy3ID2bOYK-fINURN99HxXlNzlCEVYLnv96_6KftIpWZuKzWH7YuIkMrXxbR0w2YmAbnrxBe8mRFrM_u2gi2s1sb-/s2048/19+-hay+train.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCojFEf8Ktt_hgRRTlzHCMh0rQ-6sQuxWwq9qoP0MVO92QyDU9Cuciy3ID2bOYK-fINURN99HxXlNzlCEVYLnv96_6KftIpWZuKzWH7YuIkMrXxbR0w2YmAbnrxBe8mRFrM_u2gi2s1sb-/w400-h300/19+-hay+train.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hay train</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put up a hot wire to keep them in a small area so the field will grow. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Yesterday Lynn went to town and got the cattle vaccine and fly tags. Jay Wiley came out to brand inspect the dry cow and yearling steer we plan to take to the sale, and I made potato salad and chili for feeding the crew when we brand the calves.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cold (30 degrees this morning) and my hose froze. We were going to brand and vaccinate the calves today and vaccinate the cows but decided to wait until the weekend when we’d have more help, even though the weather might be worse.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This afternoon was warmer and Emily brought Christopher down on the 4-wheeler for an outing for him.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13aZTYbJ1KFJKBSZLP6xkHaIUyO30JbFdSuUiWki5GxRNEEJ47k0_oGb_JXJ2fknnt8igP7Yl4w1ISkNFmdmfcNbChQSV_Fr81DWQlUUi3GmmeeYk8HIZuYJGuopf85_c91wAXBieAHbK/s2048/20+-+Em+%2526+Christopher.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13aZTYbJ1KFJKBSZLP6xkHaIUyO30JbFdSuUiWki5GxRNEEJ47k0_oGb_JXJ2fknnt8igP7Yl4w1ISkNFmdmfcNbChQSV_Fr81DWQlUUi3GmmeeYk8HIZuYJGuopf85_c91wAXBieAHbK/w300-h400/20+-+Em+%2526+Christopher.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGkpVFsiHvUCCJgrvXOFpuWnMASYAG_2FP4hrA87MGleoGFgN1_8SuDbr_7OQkRZaVZga3JxbU7tgBK3sPOlpKvDyPfwZ8CmrVe9ej3ODi2efnQSvqCeCqAAabDo4SqFFj2jUskHU0oZZ/s2048/21+-+Christopher+%2526+Em.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGkpVFsiHvUCCJgrvXOFpuWnMASYAG_2FP4hrA87MGleoGFgN1_8SuDbr_7OQkRZaVZga3JxbU7tgBK3sPOlpKvDyPfwZ8CmrVe9ej3ODi2efnQSvqCeCqAAabDo4SqFFj2jUskHU0oZZ/w400-h300/21+-+Christopher+%2526+Em.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Em</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When he got off, he headed for the little tractor and wanted to get on it so we helped him get up there. He’d like to start it and drive it, but thankfully hasn’t quite figured that out yet.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2XrN3jX0tAu7gPHGSsWbsHb7Jn4WuLhcQKE43LoZFv1dDsetSCPnFNWEm2HanMSwm8i_GoC9oXM817nohSIwtUS-wRf612a8TqUZzDYUns9OKGS0WlLZV3zf5DOaLOXiIp4HmNwdNIVI/s2048/22-+Driving+tractor.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2XrN3jX0tAu7gPHGSsWbsHb7Jn4WuLhcQKE43LoZFv1dDsetSCPnFNWEm2HanMSwm8i_GoC9oXM817nohSIwtUS-wRf612a8TqUZzDYUns9OKGS0WlLZV3zf5DOaLOXiIp4HmNwdNIVI/w300-h400/22-+Driving+tractor.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1McEk1xpa2GamynN7N2s0blxZKdbktHeFtu0M4nTsJJWEqmdJuA_A1LAUegDcJMqxihwAtZ64aegMB-hchnJXth_Vp4fTfwsjvY1pNomO8WRPw5V2kmrfnhwIBoqmXo5D_FT1ra9dh4_Q/s2048/23+-Christopher+on+the+tractor.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1McEk1xpa2GamynN7N2s0blxZKdbktHeFtu0M4nTsJJWEqmdJuA_A1LAUegDcJMqxihwAtZ64aegMB-hchnJXth_Vp4fTfwsjvY1pNomO8WRPw5V2kmrfnhwIBoqmXo5D_FT1ra9dh4_Q/w400-h300/23+-Christopher+on+the+tractor.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVq9qZgPrW-5vsWrK4Po8llKAogg5gsmepSceKKnsWGWXP0FAmLISMyb1pIJDixydu9Z1Q0W1SNF4C7zHQXHddF6wZZLjC8OmJ5NnxQc6yS9neETsP_ZnZtVMnc5K-9GaTSQ-W6mSFXun/s2048/24+-+Christopher+driving+tractor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTVq9qZgPrW-5vsWrK4Po8llKAogg5gsmepSceKKnsWGWXP0FAmLISMyb1pIJDixydu9Z1Q0W1SNF4C7zHQXHddF6wZZLjC8OmJ5NnxQc6yS9neETsP_ZnZtVMnc5K-9GaTSQ-W6mSFXun/w400-h300/24+-+Christopher+driving+tractor.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher driving tractor</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then he climbed back on the 4-wheeler, and Em took him for a longer ride on it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKyB05eF-32cJoLQa_4LO60I03DUpqRQBijLtqQUnY-iJmjafKNDmgZ47sLDI4UZWZ9TW-sZdSFVTotZEPsavT5nqQ_zYA2Pc_niPJTJeIUhMJQeVmTzu3dEGc7y3lW1ZqH2RP_MBvK3B/s2048/25+-+getting+back+on+the+4-wheeler.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisKyB05eF-32cJoLQa_4LO60I03DUpqRQBijLtqQUnY-iJmjafKNDmgZ47sLDI4UZWZ9TW-sZdSFVTotZEPsavT5nqQ_zYA2Pc_niPJTJeIUhMJQeVmTzu3dEGc7y3lW1ZqH2RP_MBvK3B/w300-h400/25+-+getting+back+on+the+4-wheeler.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">getting back on the 4-wheeler</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Dani helped me clean up some of the old twines and garbage, and Dani took a load to the dump. Then Andrea and I cleaned the old straw and duff out of the sick barn—hauled 8 wagon loads out (pulled with 4-wheeler). We’ll get it all cleaned out and cover it with hay so it won’t be dusty for the calves when we put them in there on branding day. Even if it’s rainy that day we can put them in there and they won’t be too wet to brand.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael brought his skid steer and post pounder and set the rest of the posts to finish the fence below the old barn (when we couldn’t finish until he did the rock work to reinforce the caving-away creek bank). Then his fence crew finished the fence in just a couple hours.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Christopher came down again later on the 4-wheeler and we babysat Christopher while she changed water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">MAY 12</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week we had a couple days of warm weather. Lynn helped me dump and rinse the cows’ big water tank (the water was getting dirty) and while it was filling I caught Dottie for the first time this spring and brushed her—shedding big wads of cream-colored woolly hair.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We planned to take the open cow and yearling steer to the auction yard near Butte, Montana to sell in their regular weekly sale, but it was a frustrating challenge trying to figure out how to get them there. We couldn’t borrow Michael and Carolyn’s stock trailer because it is currently serving as “home” to an orphan calf being raised on a bottle (they lost a young cow that died after getting on her back in a ditch), so we thought we’d use Jim’s horse trailer, but we couldn’t get the tail-lights to work. With no brake lights it wouldn’t be safe. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So then a friend (Russ) offered the use of his big horse trailer; he pulled it to town and left it at Bird’s Tire Center to have a tire fixed. But when Andrea went to get it the next day, she had a problem with the gooseneck hitch in the bed of her pickup; it had been several years since she’d used it, and it was rusted in down position. She and Charlie finally got it up out of the pickup bed, with some help, and brought the trailer home. But it had more problems—bent axles (from a trailer accident a few years ago when Russ’s pickup and trailer full of horses and mules went off the road and nearly into the river. The trailer was hanging down toward the river and he had to crawl into it and cut the animals loose and let them fall into the river—and one mule swam across the river. The bent axles made it travel crooked, wearing out tires, the floorboards are nearly rotted through, and the door in the back wasn’t very secure, and it had no divider to allow for holding the animals in the front part. We realized we couldn’t use it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Meanwhile, we had stormy weather on Friday, and Andrea took Dani to the eye doctor that morning, and then hurried to Idaho Falls to get there in time for Dani’s appointment with the orthodontist to get new retainers (now that she doesn’t have to wear braces). Afterward they drove over to Firth to watch a baseball game; the young fellow that Dani is going to the Prom with next week (who lives in Challis) was playing baseball on their school team. Andrea got to meet him, and his mom.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily left Christopher here with us when she went to work that afternoon, and he “helped” me clean some of the piles of magazines and papers off the kitchen table; I needed to get it cleaned off so I could feed the branding crew on Saturday. Andrea and Em picked up Christopher on their way home that night.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday was supposed to be a little windy and rainy but it was actually a nicer day than we expected. When I did chores that morning I got all the gates ready, moved Babe the bull out of the main corral and into the back pen, and spread a couple bales of hay in the sick barn stall that we cleaned out a few days earlier—to have a clean, dust-free place for the calves while waiting to be branded. If it did rain, they wouldn’t be wet. It’s never good to brand a wet animal; even if you clip off the hair they scald worse and the brand won’t heal as quickly.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast Charlie drove out here and picked up Jake (Dani’s friend) who is staying with his grandparents at Baker. Dani, Andrea and I got the cows and calves in from the field, then Charlie and Jake helped us sort off the cows into the main corral and put the calves in the sick barn.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We vaccinated the cows and had a very efficient crew; Dani and Jake put them down the runway to the chute, Charlie ran the headcatch on the squeeze chute and Jake ran the tailgate and squeeze. Dani gave the 8-way clostridial vaccine, I gave the lepto and viral vaccinations and Andrea put the fly tags in their ears.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we branded and vaccinated the calves. While we were getting everything ready, Dani spent a few minutes in the sick barn with the calves, since she loves to mingle with them.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoG4g6EItO6VYk6RwbhM48hsZKKd_ErMjxPJEvIn3ot0mf4urquBzhQR1uAA5zpPnxn0Tc3kU8jEt-2B1aNy5AItFZwimPGc7TG22DSHH9sa_lGdgJRyv6Gt_HExTxk8xMTLwm9qwzCrj/s2048/26+-+Dani+%2526+the+calves+in+the+sick+barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1606" data-original-width="2048" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfoG4g6EItO6VYk6RwbhM48hsZKKd_ErMjxPJEvIn3ot0mf4urquBzhQR1uAA5zpPnxn0Tc3kU8jEt-2B1aNy5AItFZwimPGc7TG22DSHH9sa_lGdgJRyv6Gt_HExTxk8xMTLwm9qwzCrj/w400-h314/26+-+Dani+%2526+the+calves+in+the+sick+barn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & the calves in the sick barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">When we were ready and the branding iron was hot, Dani and Jake pushed them out of the barn and into the runway to the calf table, I caught their heads and Charlie tipped them. Lynn clipped the brand area, while I vaccinated them, and Charlie held their tails (to help immobilize them) while Andrea branded. I took several photos of Lynn clipping calves; clipping the area to be branded makes a better brand and isn’t as painful for the calf. The iron doesn’t have to burn through all that hair and can be left on for just a short time.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovAvl2XE1quNqdmyBP_RqCdEcBZsYHjVxlKa2OiIj1VIWYiqcJRcNs-mxZL8_2QDWkyzs3w3weC-45EvjeCidhluX3jKlIeD7PKfahOWOF1LzZ7-CjvmNPvJNR-pjR0YnShwl2pE5qpVY/s2048/27+-+Lynn+clipping++a+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovAvl2XE1quNqdmyBP_RqCdEcBZsYHjVxlKa2OiIj1VIWYiqcJRcNs-mxZL8_2QDWkyzs3w3weC-45EvjeCidhluX3jKlIeD7PKfahOWOF1LzZ7-CjvmNPvJNR-pjR0YnShwl2pE5qpVY/w300-h400/27+-+Lynn+clipping++a+calf.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_S0QmhZnmxOdPFWEykw2eAuHD2EBwEc0oVjGof39XSkyCDAa-x9rYrxaYiZzx0txjPEIEkRqXosfqK5Pz-IUiRUdXBtmjykvWGCKiXgHIGi_BLcVrcTA7krQHttGjt0aooNReTjroy_N8/s2048/28+-++Lynn+clipping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_S0QmhZnmxOdPFWEykw2eAuHD2EBwEc0oVjGof39XSkyCDAa-x9rYrxaYiZzx0txjPEIEkRqXosfqK5Pz-IUiRUdXBtmjykvWGCKiXgHIGi_BLcVrcTA7krQHttGjt0aooNReTjroy_N8/w400-h300/28+-++Lynn+clipping.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn clipping a calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ALBZjmH0L4rDn9sYg-_rbSO8Cyud146uHaTzGsriJExPI38KTx2FU0l4fSSmUvc9_XUO88xY8eG1vxmBrZ2cjwGkfEzgv-KXH45zHyy6ARdGUlq2XRfTQKMtum9friY9nrxb-0zCJ1hf/s2048/29+-+clipping+the+area+to+brand.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ALBZjmH0L4rDn9sYg-_rbSO8Cyud146uHaTzGsriJExPI38KTx2FU0l4fSSmUvc9_XUO88xY8eG1vxmBrZ2cjwGkfEzgv-KXH45zHyy6ARdGUlq2XRfTQKMtum9friY9nrxb-0zCJ1hf/w400-h300/29+-+clipping+the+area+to+brand.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVywkIlbDAjiI_FNePedGE9-hu8d48ya2b5jMbams3k0gR_eJ18Z3xmyax3WQN5boUwCx_SukAUFGU61SM5pOIvqHEI-40UyPo8oF7DbI6b50wit7OwZd6ZsICHjWEwlA91k87LwBWzhK/s2048/30+-+Clipping+a+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOVywkIlbDAjiI_FNePedGE9-hu8d48ya2b5jMbams3k0gR_eJ18Z3xmyax3WQN5boUwCx_SukAUFGU61SM5pOIvqHEI-40UyPo8oF7DbI6b50wit7OwZd6ZsICHjWEwlA91k87LwBWzhK/w400-h300/30+-+Clipping+a+calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">clipping the area to brand</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie was good help holding the tail straight up to immobilize the calf’s hind legs so it won’t struggle and kick, while Andrea applied the branding iron. I took a few photos of that process as well. Here’s Charlie grabbing the tail to hold it, in preparation for branding.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ePWG36w_xT8eDKcZr8JwdcaQdHoHjlsD31Eer2xaW8k-T97FZ_Zc5NoeuQaLTE5_TgcS9RXWYzXhTYdRdBJYtNFVyCqebivMSkxP39Y-PZgpiV39p9qCevKxNSZrXMMHpDlrCS5nqxdD/s2048/31+-Charlie+holding+tail+in+preparation+for+branding.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ePWG36w_xT8eDKcZr8JwdcaQdHoHjlsD31Eer2xaW8k-T97FZ_Zc5NoeuQaLTE5_TgcS9RXWYzXhTYdRdBJYtNFVyCqebivMSkxP39Y-PZgpiV39p9qCevKxNSZrXMMHpDlrCS5nqxdD/w400-h300/31+-Charlie+holding+tail+in+preparation+for+branding.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuMqtUkpTRsf1Mnp2syCIebo3oJHXOXmh2l-mXD6vCyxsGEsPXW7UtPmVe6zb01nX-TVt6sBXnlKXlG-GqUEB_iZAsnOegD2aEDbds1H66Q2heXCTXHWqRByFRTXzLs_rAGuqT9dektHn/s2048/32+-+Charlie+grabbing+the+tail.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSuMqtUkpTRsf1Mnp2syCIebo3oJHXOXmh2l-mXD6vCyxsGEsPXW7UtPmVe6zb01nX-TVt6sBXnlKXlG-GqUEB_iZAsnOegD2aEDbds1H66Q2heXCTXHWqRByFRTXzLs_rAGuqT9dektHn/w400-h300/32+-+Charlie+grabbing+the+tail.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Charlie holding tail in preparation for branding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Andrea branding various calves.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFrpVpR4ErN5XZ8l-ie8HtEoMi1qoV1tyA3RYOjW9E2t1pHysTDx1Qy5eKM2MjPT7bpJFN45BJocAnkyBqw4C9rl8UY3FG1JuqO_zNfFzjjK1n0xUYaQx0FBobzrkJCABsiChyphenhyphenn1IhRQV/s2048/33+-+Andrea+starting+to+brand+a+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbFrpVpR4ErN5XZ8l-ie8HtEoMi1qoV1tyA3RYOjW9E2t1pHysTDx1Qy5eKM2MjPT7bpJFN45BJocAnkyBqw4C9rl8UY3FG1JuqO_zNfFzjjK1n0xUYaQx0FBobzrkJCABsiChyphenhyphenn1IhRQV/w400-h300/33+-+Andrea+starting+to+brand+a+calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea starting to brand a calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirsApKkuzy2-4n_w9MedwhCIjW5Wtri6enmemKagbO-fbPRb7clHxGEL6Rpj-NagwttWFpwdYXdXsVvFSTY_9WSqU9IACsCF-bFF-0B7PSq_5cm02SYRBuAivySY_h1j1oE7p-Y4UKldC/s2048/34+-+Andrea+branding.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirsApKkuzy2-4n_w9MedwhCIjW5Wtri6enmemKagbO-fbPRb7clHxGEL6Rpj-NagwttWFpwdYXdXsVvFSTY_9WSqU9IACsCF-bFF-0B7PSq_5cm02SYRBuAivySY_h1j1oE7p-Y4UKldC/w400-h300/34+-+Andrea+branding.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLscrr-YkWSalMNmeH7pafRRRnbkay08qF2aMk7YI0XWhP-DORjw8s8C47vrsRzeeCMbT5hq7qHuWyiTDQ90Zwca8-jjf0OOqSJmOoGpRfkjUa0hv3YgwCeyQrI-yrN67FInCmsdgzdKT/s2048/35+-Andrea+branding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKLscrr-YkWSalMNmeH7pafRRRnbkay08qF2aMk7YI0XWhP-DORjw8s8C47vrsRzeeCMbT5hq7qHuWyiTDQ90Zwca8-jjf0OOqSJmOoGpRfkjUa0hv3YgwCeyQrI-yrN67FInCmsdgzdKT/w400-h300/35+-Andrea+branding.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea branding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea put in fly tags in all the calves’ ears, and I gave a few calves some liquid medication to combat scours; we had a few calves with mild diarrhea.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We got done by noon and put the cows and calves back up to the field.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYaUCSja_dXHk8uffG84nnQLAOp-GhrcjP5MAnVXPhVt3zHjfGhQ0saf1GvfRohxsxmVARRtHx7Jg_5xc5OxxSQdfjx07nEZGEuFST1r1iYg8uV-SLQ8sKe3xBjWrGVElWfIR03-kBggK/s2048/36+-+taking+the+cows+and+calves+back+through+the+barnyard+and+up+to+the+field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsYaUCSja_dXHk8uffG84nnQLAOp-GhrcjP5MAnVXPhVt3zHjfGhQ0saf1GvfRohxsxmVARRtHx7Jg_5xc5OxxSQdfjx07nEZGEuFST1r1iYg8uV-SLQ8sKe3xBjWrGVElWfIR03-kBggK/w400-h300/36+-+taking+the+cows+and+calves+back+through+the+barnyard+and+up+to+the+field.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">taking the cows and calves back through the barnyard and up to the field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put the young bull down the chute and vaccinated him and applied insecticide ear tags. We had so many horn flies and face flies last year (and many cases of pinkeye because of the face flies) that we decided to use insecticide ear tags this summer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On the upper place, Michael and Carolyn spent 2 days digging all the debris out of their ditch that comes through Yoder’s place (Binning’s old place). Yoders keep their horses and mules in a pen they built in the area the ditch comes through, and the animals tromp out the ditch and fill it with debris to the point it won’t carry any water and just floods Yoder’s place, but they haven’t helped clean it out.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday we asked Phil Moulton (a friend across the valley who sells us hay ) if we could borrow his stock trailer, so Andrea and Lynn towed Russ’s weary trailer to Vern England (who might be able to fix the bent axles for him) and went to get Phil’s trailer. Then we fed the cows and calves more hay, and I got the yearling steer in from the field below the lane. We put him in the orchard with the cow we plan to sell.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a wagonload of hay from the sick barn (gathering up some that we put in there for bedding for the calves) to put in the front part of Phil’s trailer where we would confine the cow and steer when we haul them—to give better traction so the floor wouldn’t be slippery. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday I did chores early and then Andrea and Dani came down to help us load the cow and steer in the trailer. Andrea and Lynn drove them over to Butte—a trip that took a little more than 3 hours, over a rough mountain road on this end. They got them there safely (no flat tires, no problems except for the loss of one headlights on Andrea’s pickup from the jarring on the rough road). They came home the long way over Lost Trail Pass because it was smoother (more paved roads). If we ever haul critters to Butte again we’ll go that route! The cow and steer had overnight to recuperate from their trip, since the sale wasn’t until Tuesday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">While Lynn and Andrea were gone I worked on articles and interviews most of the day. Em and Dani took Christopher to his dental checkup; Emily didn’t have to work that day so I didn’t need to help babysit. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday Andrea and Lynn took Phil’s trailer back to him and thanked him for the use of it. We were grateful to have a functional trailer to haul those animals! The sale was yesterday and we checked online this morning to see the results. Our cow weighed 1285 pounds and brought 66 cents per pound (an average price for cows that day). The steer weighed 790 pounds and brought $1.15 per pound –again sort of an average price for the ones his size that went through the sale that day. There will be a commission fee and feed bill (for the hay fed overnight) taken out of the total but this gives us an idea what our check will be when it is mailed to us. We will use that money to apply on the hay we will purchase from Phil this summer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today we took more big bales to the cows and calves, and then brought our replacement heifers into the corral. Dani and Andrea helped us, and we vaccinated them (Dani gave the 8-way shot) and put in their permanent brisket tags (their number in the herd from now on). We put a halter on each one, to pull her head up and forward and secure the rope to a rope from the tractor loader. Dani held the rope tight, so Andrea could get to the dewlap skin and punch a hole for the hasp that holds the brisket tag.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJEXKjnOU_8FNJLvVCb4FMsI9swDDuDyPtgubku0G1utP1q4nbnjD4YathyphenhyphenfNTRA5H62-ZtOmR01TRY8N4mDrqwWxjVImnrqDx3BcaRKZDfGv8SrTaV90ZGUC67Yer8pKGyXnJVDmkH3H/s1836/37+-Dani+tightening+the+rope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1836" data-original-width="1464" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJEXKjnOU_8FNJLvVCb4FMsI9swDDuDyPtgubku0G1utP1q4nbnjD4YathyphenhyphenfNTRA5H62-ZtOmR01TRY8N4mDrqwWxjVImnrqDx3BcaRKZDfGv8SrTaV90ZGUC67Yer8pKGyXnJVDmkH3H/w319-h400/37+-Dani+tightening+the+rope.jpg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani tightening the rope</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PbrddHCRlogsnO0Bv2Dx1k4yiTToFuShRVEcwt6W0TJLwJnEnfuDfXeB-1d8yOxRyeNL-K5V5JqSNxY82RZ7okvvCgFeNonoFQjNlREOBIinPpQf3MZvS6CGq-pVPUU3uPwVgb-DU32a/s2048/38+-+Dani+holding+rope+tight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0PbrddHCRlogsnO0Bv2Dx1k4yiTToFuShRVEcwt6W0TJLwJnEnfuDfXeB-1d8yOxRyeNL-K5V5JqSNxY82RZ7okvvCgFeNonoFQjNlREOBIinPpQf3MZvS6CGq-pVPUU3uPwVgb-DU32a/w400-h300/38+-+Dani+holding+rope+tight.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani holding rope tight</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I took photos of Andrea putting the brisket tags in. These will be the heifers’ permanent numbers in the herd. Here are photos of Andrea punching the holes in the loose dewlap skin.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QFcJNRRiyRekXG43vamlS9KKBk0v9CJOi3-T9A2dRDPtVFKh5z1z4IeF2DffvncqxjxO6RrSJjkWzsgtDbZudSI_Y7UA1kDGRKy5GkGVFHsHGVBGtLpz2BJVYtp2kBiXXaYr3uaH-oBh/s2048/39+-+Andrea+punching+the+hole.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QFcJNRRiyRekXG43vamlS9KKBk0v9CJOi3-T9A2dRDPtVFKh5z1z4IeF2DffvncqxjxO6RrSJjkWzsgtDbZudSI_Y7UA1kDGRKy5GkGVFHsHGVBGtLpz2BJVYtp2kBiXXaYr3uaH-oBh/w400-h300/39+-+Andrea+punching+the+hole.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXCyyo95KwYHrdiPQvn5Epy5Ae6qLuiCol0upadHTNkk_2Ju52nPVMUeTRtSr7eJW48ZPsqNudeFCNgqQ1AnW5_fWXv6XfDfzFNTEzWDSBjYZvpizqfmuvcSFroivf7sou4-Vki1kKaNJ/s2048/40+-+punching+the+hole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjXCyyo95KwYHrdiPQvn5Epy5Ae6qLuiCol0upadHTNkk_2Ju52nPVMUeTRtSr7eJW48ZPsqNudeFCNgqQ1AnW5_fWXv6XfDfzFNTEzWDSBjYZvpizqfmuvcSFroivf7sou4-Vki1kKaNJ/w400-h300/40+-+punching+the+hole.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea punching the hole</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then she put a hasp through the hole, and put the tag onto the hasp—and then bent the ends of the hasp so that the tag can never pull off it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwq5maxifPVP-tdPbIDRREBvg-W5upD-TWJT8DFsOFzCqlpUxhdcoV8-i8JbgO674rhLfGXlm8yBJUddro3z1_4vhfjqpV5LT-RJrXgE-JZscNIW7SWp69ZkNgW6BNayItPmyJw-Ul7RRa/s2048/41+-+putting+the+tag+on+the+hasp.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwq5maxifPVP-tdPbIDRREBvg-W5upD-TWJT8DFsOFzCqlpUxhdcoV8-i8JbgO674rhLfGXlm8yBJUddro3z1_4vhfjqpV5LT-RJrXgE-JZscNIW7SWp69ZkNgW6BNayItPmyJw-Ul7RRa/w400-h300/41+-+putting+the+tag+on+the+hasp.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting the tag on the hasp</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-fcnQUAjANKlYIpsB2SGgLokti3wIPOh7AVgBU9n2Y2b66NQUoZUN-SH24KGvqf1EvdvZW2-dzvbKEx1wiBgA19b6nwght5Hgc1RYCLCwUz8SOcbb-Zok1ptnbqBanLdhoMqKXUzLo7F/s2048/42+-+bending+the+ends+to+keep+the+tag+from+coming+off+the+hasp.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-fcnQUAjANKlYIpsB2SGgLokti3wIPOh7AVgBU9n2Y2b66NQUoZUN-SH24KGvqf1EvdvZW2-dzvbKEx1wiBgA19b6nwght5Hgc1RYCLCwUz8SOcbb-Zok1ptnbqBanLdhoMqKXUzLo7F/w400-h300/42+-+bending+the+ends+to+keep+the+tag+from+coming+off+the+hasp.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR2KI91NXo9sHB9vbGSEB89WWMCLVHy78K_RiI5hs-2zpyFtuOqc-xffJBHhPAREA9xwNx6xdzl3QVuFTCJE2Ks4mxsZrkpdlR3G8F-HNhuzw5yPQdn3xWE-Q-_eFc8HG4nCBNJm2xiK8/s2048/43+-bending+the+hasp+ends.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxR2KI91NXo9sHB9vbGSEB89WWMCLVHy78K_RiI5hs-2zpyFtuOqc-xffJBHhPAREA9xwNx6xdzl3QVuFTCJE2Ks4mxsZrkpdlR3G8F-HNhuzw5yPQdn3xWE-Q-_eFc8HG4nCBNJm2xiK8/w300-h400/43+-bending+the+hasp+ends.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bending the ends to keep the tag from coming off the hasp</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Here’s a photo of one of the finished tags.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloRQwUgG3k-9LpZHNOHtCnZOdy5vPWGocRr6PhyphenhyphenKWDQR2LAqmb3l-uvE0XY9_L6bHCE2xrQv06R-QZMfMoqfB02AKmCIx6ZEI7gRV16uOZmW4AoLeiWLCTwdJ-03z4xwJP5_EcAYpgYTT/s2048/44+-+tag+in+place.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiloRQwUgG3k-9LpZHNOHtCnZOdy5vPWGocRr6PhyphenhyphenKWDQR2LAqmb3l-uvE0XY9_L6bHCE2xrQv06R-QZMfMoqfB02AKmCIx6ZEI7gRV16uOZmW4AoLeiWLCTwdJ-03z4xwJP5_EcAYpgYTT/w300-h400/44+-+tag+in+place.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tag in place</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">After putting in each brisket tag, Andrea put insecticide fly tags in each ear, while Dani held the rope tight to help keep the heifer from moving around too much. We put a tag in each ear, for maximum benefit (fly control for up to 5 months).</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2o5LULKigkSI7JLA9WLP7rCM36Sqyh8j_q_1hZ2SWIP5l_FLp7SAopHE9aWkq4L_TptnfFlTGl_8VFO7mNDuQximGLpOfIjAHrMKzv1n4W96pwSTBxVhWkohUfoJGNxbxbUgECbVrwVhJ/s2048/45+-+applying+insecticide+ear+tag.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2o5LULKigkSI7JLA9WLP7rCM36Sqyh8j_q_1hZ2SWIP5l_FLp7SAopHE9aWkq4L_TptnfFlTGl_8VFO7mNDuQximGLpOfIjAHrMKzv1n4W96pwSTBxVhWkohUfoJGNxbxbUgECbVrwVhJ/w400-h300/45+-+applying+insecticide+ear+tag.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">applying insecticide ear tag</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN54hqCNdmIKHlxMmGlLAtMjk3aHy5s1z3Tn8JDkUTuLm-yb5rkin97W3QLoYa0jqmIsvOkcttRKLr7dRV3xgnComW_sq73OHfu58hCY92hXwN8B-JQduy2m_pM7QJvwwrsgm39Ok2rKSs/s2048/46+-+putting+in+fly+tags+while+Dani+holds+the+rope+tight.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN54hqCNdmIKHlxMmGlLAtMjk3aHy5s1z3Tn8JDkUTuLm-yb5rkin97W3QLoYa0jqmIsvOkcttRKLr7dRV3xgnComW_sq73OHfu58hCY92hXwN8B-JQduy2m_pM7QJvwwrsgm39Ok2rKSs/w300-h400/46+-+putting+in+fly+tags+while+Dani+holds+the+rope+tight.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting in fly tags while Dani holds the rope tight</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Hopefully this will give the heifers relief from horn flies and face flies this summer!</span><br /><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div></div></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-70080714430736912842021-11-08T12:16:00.002-08:002021-11-08T12:16:16.915-08:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - March 19 through April 20, 2021<div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">MARCH 31</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a little rain and snow for a few days last week and some cold nights. We were glad we weren’t calving yet. I tried to do a phone interview last Monday for one of my articles and discovered that our phones weren’t working. Our secondary line (that services my fax machine and computer internet) was still working, but the old original line was not. I was able to use the phone on my fax line, however, and when Andrea and Stan came down to help us feed cows she brought her portable plug-in phone and we checked our phone box outside the house and figured out which of the lines it was. We had to call the local fix-it guy for the phone company and he found that a brief power outage had messed it up down at the main service box down at Baker, and he got it working again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday Stan drove back to California again, and Andrea went to a doctor appointment for a swallow test (she is still having some issue with her throat after all these years, from her burn injuries). Lynn went to Carmen Creek to locate a well site for some folks who bought property there. When Andrea got back from the doctor she and Dani and I offloaded the part bale off our feed truck into the feeder in the main corral so we could move the little bull into that corral. It’s getting too boggy by his manger feeder and we don’t want him to get foot rot. We need to clean the mud and manure away from that fence/feeder; he can live in the main corral for a while until we can do that.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we loaded the feed truck with little bales and hauled them around to make a stack by the calving pen and 2nd day pens—where we will need some hay when we start calving. Then Andrea did some more work on the windbreak corners in the rebuilt pen below the barn—where we will soon have some baby calves.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani and some of her friends went over the dump hill on 4-wheelers and roared around in the mud, and came back covered in mud. I took a picture of them when they got back.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAxxnSqM_1_o1kYST5K-C2ZpuxhEMstFWYOCiT5olKo9hakGir8R2Eol_NqA73LvMkgbiW3MmykhyKRIRdGZYxssEaWVdyKWMpwoUkuJNsUJb8nn7ocYCbTmf8ZVLU1OxLHVhFA1WBBfj/s2048/1+A+-+Dani+%2526+friends+covered+with+mud.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAxxnSqM_1_o1kYST5K-C2ZpuxhEMstFWYOCiT5olKo9hakGir8R2Eol_NqA73LvMkgbiW3MmykhyKRIRdGZYxssEaWVdyKWMpwoUkuJNsUJb8nn7ocYCbTmf8ZVLU1OxLHVhFA1WBBfj/w400-h300/1+A+-+Dani+%2526+friends+covered+with+mud.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> Dani & friends covered with mud</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Thursday it snowed again. Andrea took her computer to my brother Rocky so he can update it and put Excel on it so she will be able to do the bookwork as secretary-treasurer for our water district. Steve Adams, our watermaster, sent her the figures for this year’s assessments so she can send out bills to all the water users. Then she went to town to do all the town errands, and took a meatloaf (that Emily made) to our Dr. Cope (our veterinarian) and his wife, who have both been very sick with COVID.</div><div><br /></div><div>We started putting a few of the most-ready-to-calve cows in the orchard at night, where we can see them easier from the house with spotlight and binoculars. They are also under the yard-light, which makes them easier to see.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday, Andrea went to the doctor for an ultrasound on her thyroid, and Lynn went to locate a site for a well on another property on Carmen Creek. A lot of people are moving into our valley and some ranches are being subdivided into home-sites. People are fleeing from “crazy” places like California, Washington, New York and a lot of them are coming here.</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon Andrea, Dani, Em and Christopher went to town for a photo shoot—Emily taking some senior pictures for Sam—and then Andrea took them all to dinner, except for Emily, who had to go to work.</div><div><br /></div><div>Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent some photos of the boys—young Joseph helping his dad build a shed in their calving area to create more shelter, and little brother James having a ride in their wagon.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhin_8eRquGVE7QfOvdwTvbLQiAwlgBfFbMZo5NUNyPwfxPYINSc7WWuQKwyMIpu4kaVV4qreUnSjVSzVexEyfWZhb8noHCbVfbEqcB3u9kbj-K2FSYyNg02ZZP-7EKVOTLaxTt7rqzWglS/s2048/1+B+-+Joseph+helping+his+dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhin_8eRquGVE7QfOvdwTvbLQiAwlgBfFbMZo5NUNyPwfxPYINSc7WWuQKwyMIpu4kaVV4qreUnSjVSzVexEyfWZhb8noHCbVfbEqcB3u9kbj-K2FSYyNg02ZZP-7EKVOTLaxTt7rqzWglS/w400-h300/1+B+-+Joseph+helping+his+dad.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph helping his dad</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKeb14qGw_V0gJ5od4Qgy5Qm-RwTYkgcfE7ENYT2s0KX9IQvdmeorwHCenJKB3VuHX_LkZhCJoi64qfIrpSnQIeRmY06mQdwggSSapY2VerlgJu18RiSydFdbH_AJptoTqZQXKG-ywRdr/s2048/2+-+James+has+a+ride+in+the+wagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKeb14qGw_V0gJ5od4Qgy5Qm-RwTYkgcfE7ENYT2s0KX9IQvdmeorwHCenJKB3VuHX_LkZhCJoi64qfIrpSnQIeRmY06mQdwggSSapY2VerlgJu18RiSydFdbH_AJptoTqZQXKG-ywRdr/w300-h400/2+-+James+has+a+ride+in+the+wagon.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James has a ride in the wagon </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Saturday, Em and Andrea took Christopher to an Easter egg hunt but he was a little too young to know what was going on and was more interested in checking out the one egg he found than trying to find any more.</div><div><br /></div><div>We’ve been getting ready for calving, and that afternoon Dani and her friend Kendall replaced 5 burned-out lightbulbs in the calving barn. A couple were at the top of the peak and Dani had to stand on the stall partition (with Kendall steadying her) to reach those. Andrea brought Christopher down on the 4-wheeler and Lynn babysat him while we sorted out a few cows to put in the orchard for night. </div><div><br /></div><div>I took photos of Christopher riding around in our house on an old broken “4-wheeler” that he found outside this past winter.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc-fuDPULiS9r6pe-g2ehsiViMGl-A1ugZ6NUrGo4PfR02PDW7-oSgJOOjSJTfdCU5_VITlL75KhJJrNODL2z39_B1UyaV7BjJ7JcVtfHH3gRuhbkiAbXSlzpcnrBM_hLuK7Sx6vaOnBz/s2048/2+B+-Christopher+4-wheeling.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUc-fuDPULiS9r6pe-g2ehsiViMGl-A1ugZ6NUrGo4PfR02PDW7-oSgJOOjSJTfdCU5_VITlL75KhJJrNODL2z39_B1UyaV7BjJ7JcVtfHH3gRuhbkiAbXSlzpcnrBM_hLuK7Sx6vaOnBz/w300-h400/2+B+-Christopher+4-wheeling.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZ58w6s5Bu3HeM4ebHg2HZ4h4Uh4CrRtACkqNWHdrJu6eCY46KCq5R40zj0ImNzwEW7hLu4PdBVikBbeAiu4G6vqoi_cjeDH9n1mLPYZ1nD5gs_Xpcl1QPCdx_vhun0ELC5hjvo6_PeZ5/s2048/2+C+-+having+fun.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZ58w6s5Bu3HeM4ebHg2HZ4h4Uh4CrRtACkqNWHdrJu6eCY46KCq5R40zj0ImNzwEW7hLu4PdBVikBbeAiu4G6vqoi_cjeDH9n1mLPYZ1nD5gs_Xpcl1QPCdx_vhun0ELC5hjvo6_PeZ5/w300-h400/2+C+-+having+fun.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS2_lx4E2Rg9ob4kYopjHZAXV6YQkPqRmWel78n3sUexAAi0_S05g1hB1d7G67LbPXkiuSCPQbyWSOry-Uc6SwLDwTVoNdISkVhlhxxHiL0u-5sQ-aQrMwl0PWfup1FXsoXX2qmbL_rcF/s2048/2+D+-+wheeling+around.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoS2_lx4E2Rg9ob4kYopjHZAXV6YQkPqRmWel78n3sUexAAi0_S05g1hB1d7G67LbPXkiuSCPQbyWSOry-Uc6SwLDwTVoNdISkVhlhxxHiL0u-5sQ-aQrMwl0PWfup1FXsoXX2qmbL_rcF/w300-h400/2+D+-+wheeling+around.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher having fun wheeling around</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Then Christopher had fun in his swing, but went to sleep and was still half asleep when Andrea took him back home on her 4-wheeler.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday afternoon was warm but windy. Andrea finished up the windbreaks in the pen below the barn, putting boards alongside the edges of the tin so the cows can’t rub on the tin and loosen it up off the pole fence. Then she and Lynn took the post-pounder off the little tractor so we can use that tractor to harrow fields.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dani and some of her friends went over the low range on 4-wheelers again and were goofing around, and Dani fell off hers and sprained her elbow. Andrea took her to the ER where they did x-rays to make sure it wasn’t broken. We were glad she wasn’t hurt any worse. She’ll need to keep her arm in a sling for a few days. Lynn and I took care of Christopher while Andrea and Dani were in the ER (since Em was at work) and fed him supper. He loves cottage cheese and chicken nuggets.</div><div><br /></div><div>That night was extremely windy and the power went off for 3 hours. I put candles in the bathroom so we could see. Again, our main phone line quit working, and the phone guy had to fix it again the next morning. The weather was nasty—snowing and blowing—and we were glad no cows were calving, since we had no lights in the barn with the power off.</div><div><br /></div><div>Also, we couldn’t plug in the tractor, with no power. That morning we fed a few little bales off the feed truck, and started the tractor later in the day to take big bales to the feeders.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dan and Eileen French called me that afternoon (ranchers who run cattle on the range next to our old range) and told me about their experiences this year with more than 35 “lupine calves” born with crooked legs and other deformities—caused by the pregnant cows eating lupine last summer on the range. I will be writing an article about it, and they sent me a couple photos of some of their deformed calves. Some have legs so crooked they can’t stand up, and have to be held up to suckle a bottle, since they can’t nurse their mothers.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1vs9zMqs71jvi5h585qAA_JzF2r8rLkpRvlLUcxmC1OJPJJsi24wysT3LgdYkkIoWJIbaqLPSn9O1MPeM4BUoJLXjmEkJpA5vFRX5L4nYROCJeUmymsytkfA0Pp4ROTBa3N8kqpJg6tZ/s1334/3+-+Lupine+calf+bottle+fed-French.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw1vs9zMqs71jvi5h585qAA_JzF2r8rLkpRvlLUcxmC1OJPJJsi24wysT3LgdYkkIoWJIbaqLPSn9O1MPeM4BUoJLXjmEkJpA5vFRX5L4nYROCJeUmymsytkfA0Pp4ROTBa3N8kqpJg6tZ/w225-h400/3+-+Lupine+calf+bottle+fed-French.PNG" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lupine calf bottle-fed</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZn7eVGFiwiEGuWfA-o9-pjSRHGMFfAwr_Ts6D9xWxoA_ErYF7C8WSU2JZCw5dYv16lGBjmKrmBnp-2iVH5CK4azaXCI1CDN3emDe3xhoVEz0LS5zFfkvRjenYCKrrPErfiK0CJ0oYao9a/s2048/4+-+Lupine+calf+-Chris+French.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZn7eVGFiwiEGuWfA-o9-pjSRHGMFfAwr_Ts6D9xWxoA_ErYF7C8WSU2JZCw5dYv16lGBjmKrmBnp-2iVH5CK4azaXCI1CDN3emDe3xhoVEz0LS5zFfkvRjenYCKrrPErfiK0CJ0oYao9a/w300-h400/4+-+Lupine+calf+-Chris+French.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lupine calf - Chris French</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>These are similar to some of the calves we had in earlier years when our cattle were on the range in early spring and ate lupine--and had crooked calves the next calving season.<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday was cold and windy all day; it never got above 30 degrees. Andrea printed out the water assessment bills for all the water users on the creek and will mail some and hand-deliver some of them. That afternoon Lynn went to locate another well site and Andrea and Em took Christopher to town for a birthday party with some other little kids. I took a photo of him in his car seat as they were heading out.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTbxvmIa9BxdQYlFPpBurHPG1zXKIVEzKmz_RlvfTXJMbhgYqBZlaM_YJWI27GwJBfoY9wZn-J2_vMy6q5_OcbwOgk0O1Jv9Y5YoOMx6nlqGiWQHQEn_AfBCY_plheCD3vc2Ou3U0hJaR/s2048/4+A+-+ready+to+go+to+town+for+a+party.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTbxvmIa9BxdQYlFPpBurHPG1zXKIVEzKmz_RlvfTXJMbhgYqBZlaM_YJWI27GwJBfoY9wZn-J2_vMy6q5_OcbwOgk0O1Jv9Y5YoOMx6nlqGiWQHQEn_AfBCY_plheCD3vc2Ou3U0hJaR/w400-h300/4+A+-+ready+to+go+to+town+for+a+party.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to go to town for a party</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>By evening China Doll started calving and I put her in the calving pen. When she got seriously into active labor, Lynn and I put her in the barn to calve, since it was bitterly cold and windy. Andrea got home before she calved; she and Dani and I took turns going out to the barn to check on progress. Dani got tired and fell asleep on the kitchen floor in front of the wood stove, and I took a picture of her snoring away.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLk_5uye5Di4cbIP0rioCW7QvhTBz8VpTGQGed1CdYhn8XecTYTswbb3tuojIqHyNy9wJAU6E4tzkFx-QKqyHuZdxiSVwl0QnZP4Jvef_UKJQ4mn_UDEWO7DxdJZsGOzrXhetd8L46uMB/s2048/4+B+-+Dani+asleep+on+the+floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHLk_5uye5Di4cbIP0rioCW7QvhTBz8VpTGQGed1CdYhn8XecTYTswbb3tuojIqHyNy9wJAU6E4tzkFx-QKqyHuZdxiSVwl0QnZP4Jvef_UKJQ4mn_UDEWO7DxdJZsGOzrXhetd8L46uMB/w300-h400/4+B+-+Dani+asleep+on+the+floor.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Dani asleep on the floor</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>China Doll finally had a heifer calf, but we had to break the sac when the calf was born; it was still over the calf’s head. Andrea got the sac off in time for the calf to start breathing, and then took a couple photos of the brand new baby.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HuqhPfUPbH9FKZY9pkufigsqNIU1NEnoOG-QcG5VFxExNRPGmVYOB25YJreJ2mZ4LaR49jQDt9FL244Y3tjaldp0TcIU8LFOn7bFJo67Tpo8f-AjmWABb9_uXdhUybn6AkZtN2Dj9wlS/s2048/5+-+China+Doll+and+new+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4HuqhPfUPbH9FKZY9pkufigsqNIU1NEnoOG-QcG5VFxExNRPGmVYOB25YJreJ2mZ4LaR49jQDt9FL244Y3tjaldp0TcIU8LFOn7bFJo67Tpo8f-AjmWABb9_uXdhUybn6AkZtN2Dj9wlS/w400-h300/5+-+China+Doll+and+new+calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rb5T2rhqErF6_JsgKnzZHrw1XwUHRxjQW45K5_LKAJUjiNu2hP0fkYDlnZ_gecOK8O9eLTNHYJHDqi6w4s-t8X96QQ0zR56pcVyQ_xhuTHtMEFfrQIMi18d47hkKi6mK70YSA68YPnjB/s2048/6+-+China+Doll+and+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3rb5T2rhqErF6_JsgKnzZHrw1XwUHRxjQW45K5_LKAJUjiNu2hP0fkYDlnZ_gecOK8O9eLTNHYJHDqi6w4s-t8X96QQ0zR56pcVyQ_xhuTHtMEFfrQIMi18d47hkKi6mK70YSA68YPnjB/w300-h400/6+-+China+Doll+and+calf.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">China Doll and new calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>When we checked on the pair an hour later, the cow was lying down (to strain some more and pass the placenta) and the calf hadn’t been able to nurse, so we helped her—before the calf got too chilled. We gave the cow a little hay to eat and Andrea got the calf started sucking. We named the calf Christy Doll since she was born on Christopher’s birthday. I took a photo of Andrea helping the calf nurse.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dy7ZrY5MIJUpXgniiMYMPpqqDWqZmRUUW45gTPQjz-j5I6NiszhrQWOfkz0MzKkGvPRnnjX3yg5XkUmIcuxA1zXiEKUGcj5euZslSQR3FZwi2F1CAhyphenhyphenjkr3VwalQnJpP9pKzZJCp-oLB/s2048/7+-+Andrea+helping+the+calf+nurse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-dy7ZrY5MIJUpXgniiMYMPpqqDWqZmRUUW45gTPQjz-j5I6NiszhrQWOfkz0MzKkGvPRnnjX3yg5XkUmIcuxA1zXiEKUGcj5euZslSQR3FZwi2F1CAhyphenhyphenjkr3VwalQnJpP9pKzZJCp-oLB/w400-h300/7+-+Andrea+helping+the+calf+nurse.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea helping the calf nurse</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Today was warmer and we put China Doll and her baby out of the barn into a 2nd day pen with lots of bedding in the windbreak corners. We need a little good alfalfa hay in the barn (to use for feeding a cow to encourage her to stand still if we have to help her calf suckle, like we did with China Doll’s calf) so we filled the calving sled with good hay from the heifer feeder and Andrea pulled it to the barn with the 4-wheeler. I sat on the hay to keep it from falling out of the sled, and Andrea took a photo.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmUB6rp-5LNN_OKCoCxKU8O0MK6xrxKmYGrMwNbWcsd1zlH_CeAT0fX0r6tlLhoJtcTiFgoEDZrnYllOCVdJCuK5ul0qLkY_DF6FqIv30BKW43F7-8L-Z-FZX1KmdDymfV95Mhh1obE6Z/s2048/8+-+bringing+alfalfa+hay+to+the+barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmUB6rp-5LNN_OKCoCxKU8O0MK6xrxKmYGrMwNbWcsd1zlH_CeAT0fX0r6tlLhoJtcTiFgoEDZrnYllOCVdJCuK5ul0qLkY_DF6FqIv30BKW43F7-8L-Z-FZX1KmdDymfV95Mhh1obE6Z/w300-h400/8+-+bringing+alfalfa+hay+to+the+barn.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing alfalfa hay to the barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Lynn started the tractor and used the blade to drag hay and muck away from the feeder in the main corral, so it can dry out and not be a mud hole where the bull eats.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2BXPe3Ct2Hhg1Jf6Jpd8keXfIuoH3g3pg3bUrVPwqyzowNYKFaxA4AD7zAfC17qmKMBi8WeCLgsNPbGjItlVTg0URRPs__o28IRL6cr7xUfZvhyoxTszNqf-TJmCMyJp0Ae7eL6-N9UI/s2048/9+-+scraping+piles+of+hay+and+manure+away+from+feeder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2BXPe3Ct2Hhg1Jf6Jpd8keXfIuoH3g3pg3bUrVPwqyzowNYKFaxA4AD7zAfC17qmKMBi8WeCLgsNPbGjItlVTg0URRPs__o28IRL6cr7xUfZvhyoxTszNqf-TJmCMyJp0Ae7eL6-N9UI/w400-h300/9+-+scraping+piles+of+hay+and+manure+away+from+feeder.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">scraping piles of hay and manure away from feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Then Andrea and Lynn took the harrow up to the field by Andrea’s house, carrying it with the big tractor. </div><div><br /></div><div>They assessed the damage to Andrea’s roof from the horrible windstorm we had a couple nights ago; it blew off a lot of shingles. That wind did a lot of damage to structures around the valley, taking off some tin roofs, and blowing down a fairly new security fence that Michael and crew built for a day care center in town. It flattened the fence, including the big metal posts—like a hurricane would do.</div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">APRIL 12</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span>Last week the power went off again for more than 4 hours, and we were glad we didn’t have any cows calving in the barn with no lights. That next morning Andrea brought Christopher down with her on the 4-wheeler since Em needed to sleep after her late night at work, and he toddled around while she put a few more boards on the windbreaks and we put hay in those corners. Then Lynn took care of Christopher while we put China Doll and her calf down into the new pen, and walked around the horse pens and horse pasture and found where the electric fence was shorting out, and fixed it. <div><br /></div><div>That afternoon Lynn did town errands, bought more ear tags for the calves, and went to Carmen Creek to locate another well site for some other people buying property there. Andrea took Christopher to town with her and they went to see Emily briefly at work, and then Andrea took a photo of him walking around on the lawn outside the care center. There’s not so much mud and snow downtown and the lawn was nice and dry.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCcnxTzaUR_up1_NZ4-DwEspcIGxclYGyIxfhBXWcRbb_D-faokHOu73hG0AN9OO3r-hU0KvqWoodK3htMxdgmam6HKjRixrBpe6VtceL0o0rtKWkymLbXn2v0gZokpUzTrkpa_XnoGH3/s2048/10+-+Christopher+out+in+front+of+the+care+center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCcnxTzaUR_up1_NZ4-DwEspcIGxclYGyIxfhBXWcRbb_D-faokHOu73hG0AN9OO3r-hU0KvqWoodK3htMxdgmam6HKjRixrBpe6VtceL0o0rtKWkymLbXn2v0gZokpUzTrkpa_XnoGH3/w300-h400/10+-+Christopher+out+in+front+of+the+care+center.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher in front of the care center</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The next day we took a couple more big bales to the cows, including the cows in the horse pasture, and a new bale to the bull in the corral. I took a photo of the cows enjoying their new bale in the horse pasture.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGZnNijUYyp7EG29GtCtEM7T61riuz33u_HdHg-xlazXRSUYAF_MOZJfjvbi1USlwZDgOjAdXbEobysfXDUGU1vY3ElGYi6a6z8bpWbSK_5rRk_wwEWJ6pjRyI8DYIZCvq9cjtUwFj8b-/s2048/11+-+cows+eating+at+feeder+in+horse+pasture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUGZnNijUYyp7EG29GtCtEM7T61riuz33u_HdHg-xlazXRSUYAF_MOZJfjvbi1USlwZDgOjAdXbEobysfXDUGU1vY3ElGYi6a6z8bpWbSK_5rRk_wwEWJ6pjRyI8DYIZCvq9cjtUwFj8b-/w400-h300/11+-+cows+eating+at+feeder+in+horse+pasture.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>cows eating at feeder in horse pasture</i></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>We put Lilli-Annie (nickname Alligator Eyes) into the side pen to calve. She calved that afternoon, standing up—with the calf falling in a heap with its head underneath its body. We had to rush into the pen and straighten out the calf so it could breathe, and beat off the cow who is always an aggressive “man-eater” when she first calves. One person grabs the calf and the other fends off the charging cow. Then Andrea finished harrowing the field by her house. I took a photo of Alligator Eyes and her calf.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLo-i7oEYmQzH1SFgrkIHZgkUmGGJjWHTJOYmMcwRbL_vYhBPur_Ig-ae-i6sQRmB7zOpikoNR2J7egcFur71bQVcCQBAHb-MNS4JMqDg_sIHkTjo25WIggw6nzeXgV-wpnyiKYSKglkXU/s2048/12+-+Alligator+eyes+and+new+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLo-i7oEYmQzH1SFgrkIHZgkUmGGJjWHTJOYmMcwRbL_vYhBPur_Ig-ae-i6sQRmB7zOpikoNR2J7egcFur71bQVcCQBAHb-MNS4JMqDg_sIHkTjo25WIggw6nzeXgV-wpnyiKYSKglkXU/w400-h300/12+-+Alligator+eyes+and+new+calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alligator Eyes and new calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The next day was warm –up to 70 degrees that afternoon. It was the first morning we didn’t have to build a fire in the wood stove. Andrea and Dani’s friend Jack finished putting the tin roof on the little windbreak shelter corner in the 2nd day pens. The end pen has a shelter so a calf could get out of the rain in that pen. Dani and Kendall helped me put hay in the calf houses in the field above the house, for bedding. Andrea harrowed heifer hill and the field below it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Easter Sunday was warm and nice. Andrea finished harrowing the field above the house that morning and I took a couple photos then helped her through the gate into the horse pasture so the cows wouldn’t try to get out and she harrowed that pasture before taking the harrow on down to the lower field where the heifers are.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdvHsFJw1nKA1G5lXVcT0irtLAFkhiDTJQqE_0yoXyyh59hgML2C41UNzBaWhs86qhs1TBE8vnlEIp1Xe5s4wZMP5vcRjWvyujB1xbXreqVRAtdKLOnr2WJeLbeMuhxANXj9YbaBFCIOz/s2048/12A+-+Andrea+harrowing.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdvHsFJw1nKA1G5lXVcT0irtLAFkhiDTJQqE_0yoXyyh59hgML2C41UNzBaWhs86qhs1TBE8vnlEIp1Xe5s4wZMP5vcRjWvyujB1xbXreqVRAtdKLOnr2WJeLbeMuhxANXj9YbaBFCIOz/w400-h300/12A+-+Andrea+harrowing.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmqfiC7n3g-Wkx9WEZABT-KrZWEFDdZUR433d9ZR_on1AoilY1UYk4UgpBffwQCj3-k5vP_2VlksIWCSQZ1B8dx6jkCHeLl2GGfdV82LvCgX6y0rsQaJ-M6DmYMmg_yA7fOQamPu2cQ0e/s2048/12B+-+Andrea+harrowing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmqfiC7n3g-Wkx9WEZABT-KrZWEFDdZUR433d9ZR_on1AoilY1UYk4UgpBffwQCj3-k5vP_2VlksIWCSQZ1B8dx6jkCHeLl2GGfdV82LvCgX6y0rsQaJ-M6DmYMmg_yA7fOQamPu2cQ0e/w400-h300/12B+-+Andrea+harrowing.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea harrowing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Dani finished that field where the heifers are, then harrowed the lower back field. I took a photo of her harrowing the field below the lane.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpfPzou0JP7sqIRA74MR14gtmtIdATlKkQagrVf5lAkaCqadu4OeoqtEk12Rl05P-Sr8YJ3Th9L9-EA7l5OMxO5TBh7KIcvVrAIfuURIEE6PePw3NPGMCUCycLgGKcFN-WwwJeiflq30m/s2048/12C+-+Dani+harrowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpfPzou0JP7sqIRA74MR14gtmtIdATlKkQagrVf5lAkaCqadu4OeoqtEk12Rl05P-Sr8YJ3Th9L9-EA7l5OMxO5TBh7KIcvVrAIfuURIEE6PePw3NPGMCUCycLgGKcFN-WwwJeiflq30m/w400-h300/12C+-+Dani+harrowing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani harrowing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then we put China Doll and Alligator Eyes and their calves up to the field above the house. I took a photo of Alligator Eyes and calf before we moved her out of the side pen and after we put them up in the field.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWikwauuhfA1pY3SjaJh_wUFcjCN4gl-ThXex_4DIze5U_1LMt_JEvjC9T9GMxUVxxJc4U6yOyX6NxDiX3Rji3MR-u27YqHSSa40lJlJyF_EoN1yJPn4p59Gd6kns_iuwy8WehqIPcnaNm/s2048/13+A+-+Alligator+Eyes+%2526+calf+in+pen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWikwauuhfA1pY3SjaJh_wUFcjCN4gl-ThXex_4DIze5U_1LMt_JEvjC9T9GMxUVxxJc4U6yOyX6NxDiX3Rji3MR-u27YqHSSa40lJlJyF_EoN1yJPn4p59Gd6kns_iuwy8WehqIPcnaNm/w400-h300/13+A+-+Alligator+Eyes+%2526+calf+in+pen.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alligator Eyes & calf in pen</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLvMomtOmELyB5WAmZNr2wZgeJ_EsSm6LTmnbyx8ahahuUeJRqCvqJfFwbto7xfGSAGA_NyquzxA6V_xEXRP2e-_lua-dQPBFftv7mrIiAt2hw96gun1xKEeFQmmBIjHLDyatqbL-WjfU/s2048/13+B+-+Alligator+Eyes+%2526+calf+in+field.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheLvMomtOmELyB5WAmZNr2wZgeJ_EsSm6LTmnbyx8ahahuUeJRqCvqJfFwbto7xfGSAGA_NyquzxA6V_xEXRP2e-_lua-dQPBFftv7mrIiAt2hw96gun1xKEeFQmmBIjHLDyatqbL-WjfU/w400-h300/13+B+-+Alligator+Eyes+%2526+calf+in+field.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Alligator Eyes & calf in field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Dani brought China Doll and her calf from the pen below the barn, and I took photos of her bringing that pair to go to the field.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqPrZZ_qpOp2qHY4jEODk2OGrtliSr36lEhyf-ciimae7FNewej0WQ8C1F8-3qJUgzXKoLvU1CUwS15BTNARqfWVyX3hDsOdo2XZ_BbrjOa7Jrt8zuOW02NmqkdzaONHmrQ6UqPwfvykL/s2048/13+C+-+Dani+bringing+China+Doll+%2526+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHqPrZZ_qpOp2qHY4jEODk2OGrtliSr36lEhyf-ciimae7FNewej0WQ8C1F8-3qJUgzXKoLvU1CUwS15BTNARqfWVyX3hDsOdo2XZ_BbrjOa7Jrt8zuOW02NmqkdzaONHmrQ6UqPwfvykL/w400-h300/13+C+-+Dani+bringing+China+Doll+%2526+calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlO-AcAjpstqKpUGjXWhxrngFypFQNLzUiiFpJwSa1vWhzGRg3BxHQrvE5EmYEXPbQciVz6ac7kMRLav92aN0gkgVsVo5PdVbAZj-Rfq_vyEe2St2U35AgliJaLztnYH65ThSF2JDvVwM/s2048/13+D+-+Dani+bringing+pair.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAlO-AcAjpstqKpUGjXWhxrngFypFQNLzUiiFpJwSa1vWhzGRg3BxHQrvE5EmYEXPbQciVz6ac7kMRLav92aN0gkgVsVo5PdVbAZj-Rfq_vyEe2St2U35AgliJaLztnYH65ThSF2JDvVwM/w300-h400/13+D+-+Dani+bringing+pair.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani bringing China Doll & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>About that time the Amish were going down the road in their buggies to go to their Sunday service so I took photos of them, too.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwrifqu-VMz2OZLov6O6dk5ERFB4WzxKP1ul4J6e7cf-LSA9jJxN0ZuMbJUme5seBkP_ew-ZOEDTWwTcigviYOBbrABAjnbvry-CvnID-sxxJAyDcilSI1jWamnwPZcXk_bv0asaztCON/s2048/14+-+Amish+going+to+church.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwrifqu-VMz2OZLov6O6dk5ERFB4WzxKP1ul4J6e7cf-LSA9jJxN0ZuMbJUme5seBkP_ew-ZOEDTWwTcigviYOBbrABAjnbvry-CvnID-sxxJAyDcilSI1jWamnwPZcXk_bv0asaztCON/w400-h300/14+-+Amish+going+to+church.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmdFs3nJNWYoXR3AgmtOyBMDzp0HNdW-rxdRMPBAIMkWpzjzvhgYhn-ac5CpFHToxplsGJAhATun7wlpi8cXBsmXr2vtTRoBlZa_nRxxiB-j9o_b79pPou47d9QSgDAjtOGVZN3luVXa8/s2048/15+-+Amish+buggies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGmdFs3nJNWYoXR3AgmtOyBMDzp0HNdW-rxdRMPBAIMkWpzjzvhgYhn-ac5CpFHToxplsGJAhATun7wlpi8cXBsmXr2vtTRoBlZa_nRxxiB-j9o_b79pPou47d9QSgDAjtOGVZN3luVXa8/w400-h300/15+-+Amish+buggies.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Amish buggies going to church</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>That evening we all went up to Andrea’s house for a family dinner and belated celebration for Christopher’s 2nd birthday, with all the kids there. It was great to have Charlie and Sam there, and Christopher had a great time with all his aunts and uncle. He also had fun with his cake; it had little tractors on it and he took them off first thing and played with them on his tray, farming cake crumbs.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrmaccMTHwYEWxiW5g2QT-QNgeSeS-RyovRCTOx7AT25vXKBUYrSFXUAIjC8wS6MEMgbAlfhCUXp3ZYqozailqq66i8XkHogZf0NePnMLl5bjByjkfperMx1GkF9kIDfJ_WkZcxEPnD3I/s2048/16+-+Christopher%2527s+cake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGrmaccMTHwYEWxiW5g2QT-QNgeSeS-RyovRCTOx7AT25vXKBUYrSFXUAIjC8wS6MEMgbAlfhCUXp3ZYqozailqq66i8XkHogZf0NePnMLl5bjByjkfperMx1GkF9kIDfJ_WkZcxEPnD3I/w400-h300/16+-+Christopher%2527s+cake.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher's cake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkhJpsUvqlz4V2EecHpXpkfH-ltewWU28fByHnFyk1FYrjkiYMRfFtQCfDoe2VfaT-VjcEmwTQYIRbeYoH69I3PY7Oxdj22twqDUzee_ULfipuwGEOxejMZXC8RROiJNTOh0K_I61ZAU_/s2048/17+-+cake+%2526+tractors.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBkhJpsUvqlz4V2EecHpXpkfH-ltewWU28fByHnFyk1FYrjkiYMRfFtQCfDoe2VfaT-VjcEmwTQYIRbeYoH69I3PY7Oxdj22twqDUzee_ULfipuwGEOxejMZXC8RROiJNTOh0K_I61ZAU_/w400-h300/17+-+cake+%2526+tractors.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77i0jcOlTiQqbxnKk4R3_7_M6NYVpGLKE5daNMCvmFJbTpJtP62DeJHQuYO7Vd6hhUpaYl2DcdMudE0Zmt1vOklqAsSoBDv75YDy7jdpPg5B1WS2tyHsTg8K2SZgXbLDMlZOYpWAzgQAw/s2048/18+-+Christopher%2527s+cake%2526+tractors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh77i0jcOlTiQqbxnKk4R3_7_M6NYVpGLKE5daNMCvmFJbTpJtP62DeJHQuYO7Vd6hhUpaYl2DcdMudE0Zmt1vOklqAsSoBDv75YDy7jdpPg5B1WS2tyHsTg8K2SZgXbLDMlZOYpWAzgQAw/w300-h400/18+-+Christopher%2527s+cake%2526+tractors.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cake & tractors</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjgxe2eoP5R5m2Bynl8lHWwB6Plz2A3-wsZ_-QVZnLF2RQwGw4ZY3cznDRUYABR3ydue0PG2w8C0AI6BpKGCh0WJQegwOrKswjIv9Htxl8ocS6KQIsZidt-ZVVmrV14tvt3rv0DnY4wfl/s2048/19+-+Christopher+enjoying+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVjgxe2eoP5R5m2Bynl8lHWwB6Plz2A3-wsZ_-QVZnLF2RQwGw4ZY3cznDRUYABR3ydue0PG2w8C0AI6BpKGCh0WJQegwOrKswjIv9Htxl8ocS6KQIsZidt-ZVVmrV14tvt3rv0DnY4wfl/w300-h400/19+-+Christopher+enjoying+cake.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher enjoying cake</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrLfEAS17lyjytqQjM7XGSSbfy5O6cnd8e0zLaNlQIox2PuhoY86LtmBHVp2UXYMGF1uQrYgYgONku6wVNKqI35shiaA2MTHU0u_Kpj9eB2Jvo_b8U0JBQzvAMNQV6Lu7HMOZT8bjaHH3/s2048/20+-+doing+a+little+dirt+work+with+tractors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrLfEAS17lyjytqQjM7XGSSbfy5O6cnd8e0zLaNlQIox2PuhoY86LtmBHVp2UXYMGF1uQrYgYgONku6wVNKqI35shiaA2MTHU0u_Kpj9eB2Jvo_b8U0JBQzvAMNQV6Lu7HMOZT8bjaHH3/w400-h300/20+-+doing+a+little+dirt+work+with+tractors.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">doing a little dirt work with tractors</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>He had fun with great grandpa Lynn, and goofing around with his aunt Sammy<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKSNlJOK5_3-ebIzFxQuqsho7g9sKHKkScsIY17X25_1vKnxv__7IKZL8QS1sxP_FKnX-qltquzbA7EyRIc4ADHknnXQmUu2jzlt7wSxn1mrBNzgM4p3QnDSCL2JFpZysmw-bmhCc80VD/s2048/21+-+Chistopher+and+great+grandpa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKSNlJOK5_3-ebIzFxQuqsho7g9sKHKkScsIY17X25_1vKnxv__7IKZL8QS1sxP_FKnX-qltquzbA7EyRIc4ADHknnXQmUu2jzlt7wSxn1mrBNzgM4p3QnDSCL2JFpZysmw-bmhCc80VD/w300-h400/21+-+Chistopher+and+great+grandpa.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher and Great Grandpa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3MoUidyz2toBdLBwpcH3DMna3eFB464gaN-7MhohUqCdbxv55tOLFyFZCt0Ri6e0zZ3MqAsrAV7hrzeDxZoTRsDUFHq2D8DQT9bCzPSbr7_P54dv9pVIHYkZ-U9Y73hYxKUg73sRVosv/s2048/22+-+goofing+around.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3MoUidyz2toBdLBwpcH3DMna3eFB464gaN-7MhohUqCdbxv55tOLFyFZCt0Ri6e0zZ3MqAsrAV7hrzeDxZoTRsDUFHq2D8DQT9bCzPSbr7_P54dv9pVIHYkZ-U9Y73hYxKUg73sRVosv/w400-h300/22+-+goofing+around.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">goofing around</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgN4fNb0B6rF5urKVKolZ43gcbybLtsm5aAf_1r4I4pEnwDvmeFmbyFp6KHeV9zgbc_nBoHq83rpzsL0RdFJBqRzAObkwDVZI2eNQBYqKcfhWhihbCDEpQGlD6byKZ4Af-415u-N9bnQf/s2048/23+-+Christopher+and+Sammie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgN4fNb0B6rF5urKVKolZ43gcbybLtsm5aAf_1r4I4pEnwDvmeFmbyFp6KHeV9zgbc_nBoHq83rpzsL0RdFJBqRzAObkwDVZI2eNQBYqKcfhWhihbCDEpQGlD6byKZ4Af-415u-N9bnQf/w400-h300/23+-+Christopher+and+Sammie.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Sammy</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then he opened his presents, and spent some time arranging some of his new toys on the counter in front of the television.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLnvKmX-snd2iBW7lgRayI786CTDjD6ztGPv1UIV35ZsVJBJF6x2autBuMwsOU1XMAahP9e-sxj55sHyK4YRecN7ispkXy58WCCoQ05uWn9FFQde_dbA68MTMeNyG8w1hGEec6RZdKhgH/s2048/24+-+opening+presents.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOLnvKmX-snd2iBW7lgRayI786CTDjD6ztGPv1UIV35ZsVJBJF6x2autBuMwsOU1XMAahP9e-sxj55sHyK4YRecN7ispkXy58WCCoQ05uWn9FFQde_dbA68MTMeNyG8w1hGEec6RZdKhgH/w300-h400/24+-+opening+presents.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">opening presents</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcVY0uBToeSh4YaDLXdiCVWto-3P_owdyfQCef5ne32M__UT9BBmBsoOYsxxq6mZ0zFhz4R0kFw7CJFOVqFwcBsBmpfMtdYSebgcV8A3yWU-HoTduhFZnTkSfNxYC3P835LZAp7rZtcJ2/s2048/25+-+arranging+his+toys.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcVY0uBToeSh4YaDLXdiCVWto-3P_owdyfQCef5ne32M__UT9BBmBsoOYsxxq6mZ0zFhz4R0kFw7CJFOVqFwcBsBmpfMtdYSebgcV8A3yWU-HoTduhFZnTkSfNxYC3P835LZAp7rZtcJ2/w300-h400/25+-+arranging+his+toys.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhow-igh9cfswplth2LVeVgdCb_7OagHzP30rbO6iZTIxjTKixDv5bkOFFXPTO-EkULmQjVHPXefZmLJ8iYJNDPBpuKE63cfY5MY2sVzB3u-A5eKjFT_FRhNZSU7wRntpbpxF3fur0pevUQ/s2048/26+-+organizing+the+toys.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhow-igh9cfswplth2LVeVgdCb_7OagHzP30rbO6iZTIxjTKixDv5bkOFFXPTO-EkULmQjVHPXefZmLJ8iYJNDPBpuKE63cfY5MY2sVzB3u-A5eKjFT_FRhNZSU7wRntpbpxF3fur0pevUQ/w300-h400/26+-+organizing+the+toys.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">organizing the toys</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Monday my cousin Naida called to tell me that her brother (my cousin Roger Smith) passed away suddenly, from a heart attack. He was 83, and still singing opera and singing at many churches in the Sacramento area. He was one of my favorite cousins; he lived with our family periodically a few times while I was growing up, and later worked for my dad a few times on our ranch. One winter he and his college friend Bill lived up at the cabin and went to the woods to cut trees for posts and poles (peeling and treating the posts) and that next spring (1959) they built most of the fence around our half section of land in the mountains.</div><div><br /></div><div>Roger always enjoyed his times here, doing a lot of hiking in the mountains. He discovered a rattlesnake den in a rock cave about a half mile above the cabin and one fall had a bear get into the cabin while he was gone. It ate the grease out of a pan on the wood stove, and thoroughly trashed the place. After that he built a more substantial door on the cabin and put wood bars across the windows so no more bears could get in.</div><div><br /></div><div>Naida told me that Roger loved the ranch and wanted to know if we could scatter his ashes up here in the mountains that he loved. I said it would be an honor to do that, so she and Roger’s ex-wife are making arrangements to have him cremated and the funeral home in California will ship the ashes to us—to scatter somewhere on the 320 when the snow is gone and the wildflowers are blooming. My brother Rocky will arrange to have a video made as we do it, so it can be shown at the memorial service this summer in California.</div><div><br /></div><div>Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent photos of the two boys dressed in their Sunday clothes to go to Easter services.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlYw_VGV6fArOjXK0o9LbK-ZNgCdqig4qenlAIQXiIx21QIg-i8bQmHPAQUmW3wR9VvPT1jgyoubNT2NeVqL4J-1Ak-aQSAjBSbzTUGWv6KIvAbGLVarAyG3ai7VJ439joQ30K38Rt-H6/s2048/27+baby+James+all+dressed+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlYw_VGV6fArOjXK0o9LbK-ZNgCdqig4qenlAIQXiIx21QIg-i8bQmHPAQUmW3wR9VvPT1jgyoubNT2NeVqL4J-1Ak-aQSAjBSbzTUGWv6KIvAbGLVarAyG3ai7VJ439joQ30K38Rt-H6/w300-h400/27+baby+James+all+dressed+up.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baby James all dressed up</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQkryq-GcEBtNRRF1X02sDkVJH66LYHCa7uisTm_alwiiAuq9Mb9t0rx5eSuvjanuY6B3kWh8klCX1GHA2dpIbhUJBUp-cfJr716CVp3cmmDftnQ6R1icKh5-yW0fvpwuUAVwaj5JV4fE/s2048/28+-+Young+Joseph+in+his+Sunday+best.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSQkryq-GcEBtNRRF1X02sDkVJH66LYHCa7uisTm_alwiiAuq9Mb9t0rx5eSuvjanuY6B3kWh8klCX1GHA2dpIbhUJBUp-cfJr716CVp3cmmDftnQ6R1icKh5-yW0fvpwuUAVwaj5JV4fE/w300-h400/28+-+Young+Joseph+in+his+Sunday+best.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Young Joseph in his Sunday Best</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>We had several more calves born this past week. A few of them had to calve in the barn because the weather was so cold and windy. I took a photo of Outlandish and her new baby in the barn (she’d gotten tired and was lying down again to strain and shed her afterbirth, after the baby nursed) and took another photo the next day when we put that pair out to the pen below the barn.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD20eCb3hOGH9gTmR3b7F32yFrHfPmyvXDtaaE0sIZWmFuVJ4fWoDmgJKaAe3BJfuWZYM_5dIpB2ABJI33n4rf6AWH3ngkODZPBlChNgypwibvTYMPfsYcwEg3MnUmmrGRk-Sx-Um2s8qC/s2048/29+-+cow+%2526+new+calf+in+barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD20eCb3hOGH9gTmR3b7F32yFrHfPmyvXDtaaE0sIZWmFuVJ4fWoDmgJKaAe3BJfuWZYM_5dIpB2ABJI33n4rf6AWH3ngkODZPBlChNgypwibvTYMPfsYcwEg3MnUmmrGRk-Sx-Um2s8qC/w400-h300/29+-+cow+%2526+new+calf+in+barn.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cow & new calf in barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJ5HnDH1eLHathdwIl9hU6YUAZSAi77dfJAy9rEtLIrFXeKaja6TyrrvzNo4u0P1S9MdT7WgQIwfu-9E8tHPCpeEoXpc5fpdYh16QlYh6GxNVDyHxnS6x49x744rvcY-O4KE5DuWmUZcq/s2048/30+-+out+in+pen+by+barn+the+next+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxJ5HnDH1eLHathdwIl9hU6YUAZSAi77dfJAy9rEtLIrFXeKaja6TyrrvzNo4u0P1S9MdT7WgQIwfu-9E8tHPCpeEoXpc5fpdYh16QlYh6GxNVDyHxnS6x49x744rvcY-O4KE5DuWmUZcq/w300-h400/30+-+out+in+pen+by+barn+the+next+day.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">out in pen by barn the next day</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Wednesday afternoon Andrea watched the cows while Lynn and I went to town for our second COVID shot. We were fortunate to not have any bad reaction or side effects, since we had to keep on doing our chores and checking cows at night. Just in case we weren’t up to par that night, Charlie stayed the night at Andreas to help with any calving problems—after he changed the oil in Andrea’s pickup and helped me put up a temporary electric fence across one corner of the horse pasture, to keep the cows out of that corner (there’s a ditch there and we don’t want them lying there and possibly getting on their backs and not able to get up). Luckily we didn’t have any calving problems that night, and Lynn and I felt pretty good after our shots, just really tired.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea drove to Idaho Falls that night to meet up with Stan (who came from California that day). He was having a flatbed put on his pickup that next day, and then they drove home that evening. That afternoon another cow was calving and it was still windy and cold, so Dani and I put her in the barn to calve. She had a heifer calf. </div><div><br /></div><div>By midnight one of our heifers was calving and I was glad Andrea was home by then, because we were pretty sure we’d have to pull the calf. The bull we used last year does NOT sire small calves and the first-calf heifers are all likely to need a little help calving.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was cold (18 degrees) and windy so we put Pimples in the barn to calve (at 1:30 a.m.), using a calm older cow as a companion in the adjacent stall. Dani and a couple of her friends who were staying overnight with her put some new bedding hay in the barn and in the second day pens, then they took a nap on our couches while Dani sat out in the barn and watched the heifer. We have a little stool with a foam cushion on it, where a person can sit fairly comfortably in the back corner behind the old stove (in a tiny area behind one of the barn stalls—next to a wood stove that we put there years ago when we were calving in January and the nights were often sub-zero). In that spot, the cows can’t see us but we can peek at them to see if they are progressing in labor. Dani sat out there until she got cold, then I went out and watched the heifer, about the time she started seriously straining. The calf’s feet were showing but there wasn’t much progress so at 3:45 a.m. Dani called Andrea. She came down from her house, and tried to sneak up on the heifer to get chains on the calf’s legs, but the heifer jumped up. </div><div><br /></div><div>We prepared to put her in the headcatch (right outside the barn), turning the yard-light on above it and getting gates ready, but about that time the heifer lay down again and began more serious straining. While she was straining and concentrating on her pain, Andrea was able to sneak up on her and get chains on the calf’s legs. This time the heifer stayed down, straining, and several of us were able to sneak over the stall partition by her back end, and help Andrea pull the calf. It was a hard pull but we got the calf out alive—a big bull calf. The kids went home afterward, and I watched the pair for a while to make sure the calf could get up and nurse. He lay there a long time, and the young cow loved him and licked him, but when he finally did get up she was confused and started knocking him around with her head. By then it was daylight and I was doing chores. I called Andrea and she came down to help me—and again we were afraid we’d have to put Pimple in the headcatch, so we could help her calf nurse, but she started to settle down and let the calve move toward her udder. He was able to get onto one teat, so we fed Pimples a little alfalfa hay to help encourage her to stand still, and I stood in front of her so she wouldn’t move away, while Andrea quietly guided the calf onto the other teats. A very happy young cow and calf by that time, and within a couple hours she’d transitioned into a very aggressive, protective mama!</div><div><br /></div><div>Later that morning we had another cow calving and I got her in from the pasture and put her in the side calving pen. With sunshine and warmer temperature, she didn’t need to go in the barn, and calved quickly. I took a photo of her and her new calf.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTrMRWWw00ICSq4S0rWdE_i_d-Hj48j7xLZhOrjve497hi5F2SdL7dzU_9ALG7r77P1CEI0SHnMPFgpq-xp1KfEsNzpLYhWxSlMtn6LV7bQXxgbumDwr93fWojHs6wD9nv1PxHActI3yM/s2048/31+-+new+calf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTrMRWWw00ICSq4S0rWdE_i_d-Hj48j7xLZhOrjve497hi5F2SdL7dzU_9ALG7r77P1CEI0SHnMPFgpq-xp1KfEsNzpLYhWxSlMtn6LV7bQXxgbumDwr93fWojHs6wD9nv1PxHActI3yM/w400-h300/31+-+new+calf.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Charlie came out, and helped Stan put some new shingles on Andrea’s roof, to replace the ones that blew off a few days earlier in the horrible wind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday was cold and windy again. Stan and Andrea went to town and spent all morning at Fire School (to get recertified for working on fires this summer). Dani helped me take the tarp off the hay in the stack-yard and Lynn got a couple more bales to put in the feeders in the horse pasture, and a new bale for the young heifers in the field below the lane. They helped me move the feeders to new locations.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then they rolled up several bunches of deer netting (that we put around our haystacks to keep the deer from getting into them during the winter) and stored them over by the sick barn. Lynn went to locate another water well site for some folks from Boise. The wind got really nasty by late afternoon and we were glad the new calf was already dry and had a tummy full of colostrum. We didn’t tag any of the new calves that day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday was cold again but not as windy. At 2 a.m. I noticed one of the other heifers was calving—when I looked out the window with spotlight and binoculars. The calf’s feet were already showing so I needed to get her into the barn fast. Lynn helped me put her in, using a gentle 2nd calver as a companion. Then I called Andrea and she came down. We watched the heifer awhile and realized she was going to need help. Emily was on her way home from her late shift at work, so Andrea called her, and she stopped here on her way home, to help us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea tried to sneak up on the heifer in the stall, and started to get the chain on one of the calf’s feet, but the heifer jumped up and ran off. She was running out of time for having a live calf; only one foot was out and the other one was back a bit and right alongside the head—jammed up so tightly that there wasn’t enough room for the calf to come on through the birth canal. So we put her in the headcatch and Andrea worked at trying to get hold of the second leg and pull that foot on past the head. Lynn held the cow’s tail up straight to keep her from straining as Andrea and Em struggled at getting a chain on that leg (really tight in the birth canal, with no room to get fingers around the foot) and I held the light. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally that leg was successfully snared, and we all pulled hard on the calf. It was seriously stressed (and pooped—all the fluid surrounding the calf was green-brown) but still alive when we got it out. We got it breathing and carried the calf to the barn, and the little cow went right back in there and mothered it nicely in spite of all the stress she’d just gone through—licking it diligently. It was a heifer calf, and it soon got up and tried to nurse, but the young cow kept facing it, licking it, and it couldn’t get back to the udder. </div><div><br /></div><div>The young cow was too nervous to let us help, so we warmed up a quart of colostrum and fed the calf by bottle, to give her some energy and keep her from getting chilled—and buy her some time to bond with the cow. It was 5 a.m. by that time and we were all exhausted and went to bed for a couple hours. By the time I got up at 7 a.m. to do chores, and checked on that pair in the barn, the calf had managed to suck a couple teats, so all was well.</div><div><br /></div><div>After breakfast Andrea, Lynn and I tagged all the calves that had been born the last couple days and put the heifer and her baby out of the barn but didn’t tag that calf yet because we didn’t want to disrupt their bonding process.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then Andrea and Lynn changed the drawbar on the little tractor and pulled the old manure spreader up to Andrea’s house so Stan could work on it some more and get it working properly. Stan also started digging some of the debris out of our ditches so we can start irrigating. The fields are very dry and we need to start irrigating soon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another cow started calving this afternoon and we put her in the calving pen—and then into the barn by evening because the weather was nasty. She calved quickly and we put the companion cow back out in the orchard. Later, just before midnight, I checked on the cows in the orchard and one of them had just calved—and a couple other cows were trying to help mother the baby. I called Dani and she came quickly from Andrea’s house and helped me sled the calf to the barn, with the cow following. The cow was not happy about us messing with her baby and I had to beat her off with a stick to keep her from attacking Dani as she pulled the sled (and had to put the calf back into it a couple times when it struggled to its feet and fell out). We finally got the pair in the barn, out of the bitter cold wind, and the calf was able to nurse and do fine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today was still cold and windy. After breakfast Andrea helped me put several cows and calves up to the field, from their sheltered 2nd day pens. One of the cows we put out was insistent on fighting the other cows and in the process knocked her calf down and it got rolled around and stepped on. We finally got the fight broken up, and brought that darn cow and her injured calf back in from the field. </div><div><br /></div><div>The calf was limping badly and we hoped it didn’t have a broken leg. We put them in the side pen by the house where we could observe her, and left her there all day. We hope she doesn’t have internal injuries as well as a banged-up leg. She lay down all morning, but by this afternoon she was walking around better, and by evening she was feeling good and bucking around, and still nurses the cow, so maybe she is just badly bruised with no serious damage.</div><div><br /></div><div>Charlie came out this afternoon and changed the oil in our pickup and feed truck and greased them both. It’s nice to have a mechanical grandson!</div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">APRIL 20</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span></span>More cold weather! We’re wondering if spring will ever arrive. The calf that got stepped on seemed fine the next day so we put that pair back up to the field. We tagged and banded the next ones, to put out to the field another day. Stan found several old wagon wheel rims (the wooden wheels long rotted and gone—off some old freight wagons that had been parked here on our place in earlier times) and made a really nice firewood holder for us, to have on the back porch in the winter. This will be a handy place to store some extra wood that’s easy to grab from the house. I took some photos to show what it looks like and how he welded the base onto it—made from the springs of an old Model T car that was parked long ago in the bushes below our barnyard.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNLs2hKltr7o0hd1C6hPw6WdfWWC9GLdBYuALjTc5T4R2c2LZ7JBHgAn-ODwBe_pdNMNNCaScFdqWoA88Uw3W5F9vM5Y4VWAfbdeW38gPGQlUFySXZMFDt7bRUAbBQ8JBDyauY2J79y5_/s2048/32+-+wood+holder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNLs2hKltr7o0hd1C6hPw6WdfWWC9GLdBYuALjTc5T4R2c2LZ7JBHgAn-ODwBe_pdNMNNCaScFdqWoA88Uw3W5F9vM5Y4VWAfbdeW38gPGQlUFySXZMFDt7bRUAbBQ8JBDyauY2J79y5_/w400-h300/32+-+wood+holder.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> wood holder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1BlhwCPzeKQSVTe96QE5DyB1LQTwVGeUjbyU-3Gmz57D-K5-xXHs3DKgSPAMmYVKLwPysfBSovfTRZMJGMjjELkdtsGuO3qbUIEGsjolGpRoxUU84poHJaCg2dggGRRXym2494mR8Rpu/s2048/33+-+cat+%2526+firewood+holder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS1BlhwCPzeKQSVTe96QE5DyB1LQTwVGeUjbyU-3Gmz57D-K5-xXHs3DKgSPAMmYVKLwPysfBSovfTRZMJGMjjELkdtsGuO3qbUIEGsjolGpRoxUU84poHJaCg2dggGRRXym2494mR8Rpu/w300-h400/33+-+cat+%2526+firewood+holder.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> cat & firewood holder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12uGnvf3Y9Gs7cAGgDrbZf7EE5FQq2hWgYTJNWa4BOoL3AuzMh7UkhYnako_Mx-b7ndUTUeqAoWwRULyAzcap2QSarbM31p84Gd5u5XOv8lFTpVWvjYx7EfvR8qhxcmLTeuL9gE-gqRPB/s2048/34+-+base+made+from+old+car+springs.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj12uGnvf3Y9Gs7cAGgDrbZf7EE5FQq2hWgYTJNWa4BOoL3AuzMh7UkhYnako_Mx-b7ndUTUeqAoWwRULyAzcap2QSarbM31p84Gd5u5XOv8lFTpVWvjYx7EfvR8qhxcmLTeuL9gE-gqRPB/w400-h300/34+-+base+made+from+old+car+springs.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdXzff46cUyIqwhHE3a0xAzpE99MO0NkizQhuk8wi3xttZ9mTN5kC3hqgJCYsSgWel9t6mGtbaOjsOSwHapbBo4mEpzpS8j4vUix25rCJT-x_6dQI8ymcTQLAAxNfnXWhu5oKawBXnER0/s2048/35+-base+of+firewood+holder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmdXzff46cUyIqwhHE3a0xAzpE99MO0NkizQhuk8wi3xttZ9mTN5kC3hqgJCYsSgWel9t6mGtbaOjsOSwHapbBo4mEpzpS8j4vUix25rCJT-x_6dQI8ymcTQLAAxNfnXWhu5oKawBXnER0/w400-h300/35+-base+of+firewood+holder.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">base made from old car springs</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Another young cow (number 128) calved that afternoon, in the side pen. She’s the one that lost her first calf last year; it was dead before she went into labor and the front legs never entered the birth canal, so we had to put her in the headcatch and Andrea fished the legs out to where we could pull it, but when we got it out we could tell it had been dead awhile. We gave that cow another chance and didn’t sell her, because it probably wasn’t her fault; we suspected that Panda (the horned cow) had jabbed her in the belly. Panda was mean to all the other cows and we sold her last fall.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, the heifer that lost her calf last year really wanted calf, so we kept her and gave her another chance. She did love her baby this year, and licked and licked it, but was a bit confused (and wouldn’t let it get to the udder). The calf finally did manage to suckle a couple teats on one side but the cow was kicking her.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day she was still kicking at the calf, so Andrea, Stan and I took the pair around to the barn pen and put the cow in the headcatcher. Andrea tried to help the calf nurse the side that hadn’t ever been sucked, but the calf was too scared, so Andrea milked out those teats and we saved the colostrum to freeze. Taking the pressure off those quarters probably eased the cow’s discomfort, because she was letting the calf suck that side of her udder by that evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I was out doing chores I took photos of some of the cows and calves in the field above the house.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbJjEx1OPz5m0gwkdvUeZyHv_lT3lvIGrupkZpx-0cLcFxGoT3iNvCeGhUijI9_nFd-e5TNeFT5Orb17PLLNxRNmaoitnfezKcF93KafDQX00pgFANmEbFmzWqS2cW5hMjY8XCnNkmCPE/s2048/36+-+Outlandish+%2526+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbJjEx1OPz5m0gwkdvUeZyHv_lT3lvIGrupkZpx-0cLcFxGoT3iNvCeGhUijI9_nFd-e5TNeFT5Orb17PLLNxRNmaoitnfezKcF93KafDQX00pgFANmEbFmzWqS2cW5hMjY8XCnNkmCPE/w400-h300/36+-+Outlandish+%2526+calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Outlandish & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF2AlfD4368uHW5Uvy3AIMnPJ4zCgAiZHUvW6ir1IzJ-XWYAfDHYngPN448iMLmIXonOcFzaeKIFIT3dVk-GZpynlI4VRIRMDTu7AegrqXVV4lwb71I5iXwj_-MbyJBuMO2dBYgepaXNf/s2048/37+-+Blackhead%2527s+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioF2AlfD4368uHW5Uvy3AIMnPJ4zCgAiZHUvW6ir1IzJ-XWYAfDHYngPN448iMLmIXonOcFzaeKIFIT3dVk-GZpynlI4VRIRMDTu7AegrqXVV4lwb71I5iXwj_-MbyJBuMO2dBYgepaXNf/w300-h400/37+-+Blackhead%2527s+calf.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Blackhead's calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I also took pictures of Outlandish’s calf going into the calf house. The calves like to go in there to sleep—out of the wind and rain.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosU1tM6ZdLFHMzT9ZtO-Na9DmZHAn6QbMATSn5Ooln_OUjSf6WEpXNaAo3l31ZStpvsPMV4Y_d2effeMTet66F015jYspBcEpSrWD_YGczLi7I89jF_yV07fRP-aCnTmqU2wQucnWhiYy/s2048/38+-+Outlandish+checking+on+her+calf+that+went+into+the+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosU1tM6ZdLFHMzT9ZtO-Na9DmZHAn6QbMATSn5Ooln_OUjSf6WEpXNaAo3l31ZStpvsPMV4Y_d2effeMTet66F015jYspBcEpSrWD_YGczLi7I89jF_yV07fRP-aCnTmqU2wQucnWhiYy/w400-h300/38+-+Outlandish+checking+on+her+calf+that+went+into+the+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Outlandish checking on her calf that went into the house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf6MdMHjMtuwhs7jhOM2RZH5NjZhJQhyphenhyphenq5bdv0jmYsNmKHqE9rshIQRQ3ItJP3w7CU9wPlUQ-FEAkUx336cGNP5Xn0bgBuailmMUhYQp06oTYxWDt0O_nnHYtRxUsTHoKNrmsTxkBhRz1/s2048/39+-+comfy+in+the+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHf6MdMHjMtuwhs7jhOM2RZH5NjZhJQhyphenhyphenq5bdv0jmYsNmKHqE9rshIQRQ3ItJP3w7CU9wPlUQ-FEAkUx336cGNP5Xn0bgBuailmMUhYQp06oTYxWDt0O_nnHYtRxUsTHoKNrmsTxkBhRz1/w400-h300/39+-+comfy+in+the+house.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">comfy in the house</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Last Friday Stan and Andrea moved one of the feeders out of the horse pasture with the 4-wheeler and dragged it up to the field above the house. There are so many cows and calves up there now that we need another feeder there, and there are only a few pregnant cows left in the horse pasture-orchard. I took photos of the feeders they took up there.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-3nd9jClCMPuqyZ-SyXpmAvii-5x3H6RjWwtpgQmsskwXs6cH-Leku8qGL55OL9bTr_q9vQMj15JR2wUaKRcn0b9k_koI_Vy_OboMkcrYLhaD2clFEPIADZy2KsAKPce03xK-ofyhhWR/s2048/40+-+feeder.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-3nd9jClCMPuqyZ-SyXpmAvii-5x3H6RjWwtpgQmsskwXs6cH-Leku8qGL55OL9bTr_q9vQMj15JR2wUaKRcn0b9k_koI_Vy_OboMkcrYLhaD2clFEPIADZy2KsAKPce03xK-ofyhhWR/w400-h300/40+-+feeder.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTcHt3NCPBJ3EryO5FxprG29wx2tDWaS4HcR_6J5aSLC72mT70pxd8un1Nzcl3kjcsn0qoMMEgMwox9kn5nBZT7FzvX-I41vPUCSEKlQ_hBH9C0QNJk01qsHk40dRwr87wKxgZDeqHLGy/s2048/41+-+feeder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTcHt3NCPBJ3EryO5FxprG29wx2tDWaS4HcR_6J5aSLC72mT70pxd8un1Nzcl3kjcsn0qoMMEgMwox9kn5nBZT7FzvX-I41vPUCSEKlQ_hBH9C0QNJk01qsHk40dRwr87wKxgZDeqHLGy/w400-h300/41+-+feeder.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>We took 2 big bales up to the cows and calves, then Lynn and Stan worked on the manure spreader and got it working. They took the hay fork off the big tractor and put the bucket on the loader, and Lynn used it to scoop some old manure from the bull pen to put in the manure spreader and try it out.</div><div><br /></div><div>They took it to the field below the lane, where the yearling heifers are, and spread the trial load on the hill side of the field that never gets enough manure on it because we use it for hay and only pasture it after the hay is harvested and regrows. Stan helped adjust it as we started running it.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtETr7DOGdAqWBkL5I9dTy1QSlAJ1fmOtJEjgjX0Sw8s_FYMYXXGLgldq12fJ8luyJIqo-E4q_XYKqofko3RcVSXPnwPSbyux_4kk6VjjAbVMjyQi_1d_V0dn9Bsd-hGbXZmiBKqsUq6X/s2048/42+-+Lynn+taking+first+load+out+to+try+to+spread+it.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtETr7DOGdAqWBkL5I9dTy1QSlAJ1fmOtJEjgjX0Sw8s_FYMYXXGLgldq12fJ8luyJIqo-E4q_XYKqofko3RcVSXPnwPSbyux_4kk6VjjAbVMjyQi_1d_V0dn9Bsd-hGbXZmiBKqsUq6X/w400-h300/42+-+Lynn+taking+first+load+out+to+try+to+spread+it.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn taking first load out to try to spread it</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRJALB4nckeEEwwkgb3u5qCW5xN5ilHliggXHBnW8ab1Qk5WYjf4V9qKFuBXRfwUo3KOeeT1EdGpGVuUIwtwnITAqwf1Hg4VAp7dhj8WaI0KJYx8uIqsZ4-odFZYjBU7i7iNeE3GXt6FG/s2048/43+-+Stan+adjusting+the++manure+spreader.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRJALB4nckeEEwwkgb3u5qCW5xN5ilHliggXHBnW8ab1Qk5WYjf4V9qKFuBXRfwUo3KOeeT1EdGpGVuUIwtwnITAqwf1Hg4VAp7dhj8WaI0KJYx8uIqsZ4-odFZYjBU7i7iNeE3GXt6FG/w400-h300/43+-+Stan+adjusting+the++manure+spreader.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan adjusting the manure spreader</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The trial run worked, so they went back to put in a full load and spread it, too. It’s nice to finally get that old spreader working and useful again after so many years!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ1A2QilblcqAUBlmCKN_9CUrksnfPE6Dy_HtqtmkKt8O7-97ElqPalLexnpVw-edprKKaOyS5Hbu95i7bo5Y0npXaLA8kmG41o5dTzDFFbErnTCGuPPToD0FnXrVecDWO3XfQ6j0hd6g/s2048/44+-+spreading+2nd+load.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpJ1A2QilblcqAUBlmCKN_9CUrksnfPE6Dy_HtqtmkKt8O7-97ElqPalLexnpVw-edprKKaOyS5Hbu95i7bo5Y0npXaLA8kmG41o5dTzDFFbErnTCGuPPToD0FnXrVecDWO3XfQ6j0hd6g/w400-h300/44+-+spreading+2nd+load.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZzVPhCPK73rFx6FdkoGBwSFvmRyskjrIwX-38pQzT-JwdG4D2G4L3j5Si7olNqMloKVkxVGY_gUDQ0KMzmXASKHJTDccbna0272Kjpyh9RIY5ZSB-R2HUZB_1TplQqY5DCebErwzYiBF/s2048/45+-+spreading+2nd+load.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZzVPhCPK73rFx6FdkoGBwSFvmRyskjrIwX-38pQzT-JwdG4D2G4L3j5Si7olNqMloKVkxVGY_gUDQ0KMzmXASKHJTDccbna0272Kjpyh9RIY5ZSB-R2HUZB_1TplQqY5DCebErwzYiBF/w400-h300/45+-+spreading+2nd+load.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">spreading 2nd load</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>I put Zorra Rose in from the horse pasture to the calving pen, and she had a big brockle-faced heifer calf. The weather was nice enough that afternoon that we left them there and the calf nursed quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Alfonso took some of his cows and young calves up the road and left one of the calves along the road, above the field where our cows and calves are. We didn’t want that calf coming down off the back to try to get in with our cattle, so Stan drove up the road on the 4-wheeler to move it on up. The calf was sick, however, and dull and weak, and didn’t want to travel so he had to push it along on foot part of the way. After he got it up around the corner, Alfonso came back down the road, and together they put the calf on our 4-wheeler (with its legs tied) and took it on up to where its mother was. Alfonso told Stan that this calf had been sick ever since it was born. Stan didn’t realize what a problem this might be, especially if Alfonso’s sick calf brought a new “bug” to our vulnerable calves (or even to Christopher, since some pathogens like cryptosporosis are zoonotic and can be dangerous to young humans or people with impaired immune systems). So we burned his gloves and gave him some bleach and told him to go home and wash the 4-wheeler and change clothes. Alfonso brings in new cattle all the time, never vaccinates, and has a lot of disease problems--so we have to be diligent about biosecurity.</div><div><br /></div><div>We moved 128 and calf down to the big pen below the barn, now that her calf is nursing better and she’s not kicking it as much; we didn’t want to risk putting them up to the field just yet until that cow is behaving a bit better on mothering the calf. Then we were able to put Zorra Rose and her new calf in the side pen where 128 was, and put another calving cow in the main pen. </div><div><br /></div><div>Before we went to bed, however, we needed more pen space since another cow was calving, so Andrea and I took Zorra Rose and her new calf down to the 2nd day pens, and put 101 and her brand new calf in the side pen, and got in old 42 (Magdalena) who was calving. But the temperature dropped rapidly and the wind was blowing, so we ended up putting Magdalena in the barn to calve. Fortunately by the time it got that cold, 101’s heifer calf was up and nursing and partly dry, and would be ok left outside in the side calving pen.</div><div><br /></div><div>Magdalena calved at 2:30 a.m. and then Andrea and I helped it nurse because that old cow’s udder has sagged a little low and it’s hard for the calf to get on a teat. She probably would have, eventually, but it was so cold that we wanted to make sure she got some colostrum quickly.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later that morning Lynn and Stan took a load of manure to spread on heifer hill. It needs a lot of fertilizer but we decided to only do one load this spring because it’s so dry and cold and there isn’t much water in the creek. We don’t want a lot of manure on the grass for too long before we can water that field or it will “burn” the grass and set it back. We’ll try to spread more on it this fall after we are done haying and grazing, when it can do more good for next year.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea harrowed the area below the lane where they spread fertilizer on that field, and then we put the harrow away again until we need it to do the field where the cows and calves are—after we move them out to green grass.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dani’s little pickup quit running on her way home that evening from taking her friend Kendall back to town, and she had to leave it down at Baker. The next morning Stan and Andrea towed it home and Stan started checking it to see why all the oil drained out of the transmission. That morning Allan Probst brought us 4 dump-truck loads of big rocks, to put down below the old barn where the creek channel has been undercutting the bank and topping our old fence into the creek. With the first load, he didn’t realize how much the bank was undercut, and the dump truck nearly caved it away and very nearly went down into the creek chasm. Fortunately it didn’t fall in and he was able to get away from the chasm. Michael will bring his skid steer sometime and push the rocks into where they are needed, to stabilize the bank.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea, Dani and Kendall helped me corner 128’s calf in the lower pen (5 days old and very fleet) so we could tag it. We didn’t want to mess with that calf any quicker since that young cow is so weird (still kicking a little at the calf) but they are well bonded now. We also tagged Magdalena’s calf and 101’s little heifer calf and put Zorra Rose and her calf up to the field.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later that day I took photos of some of the cows and calves, including Magda and her baby, China Doll and baby (our oldest calf. I also took a photo of Zorra Rose’s brockle-faced heifer lounging near the calf houses.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eas7qal9opsV7YVmuGNY0i70bwhZ58ejXmJqz7ylQm2xeermaGufEkuRQ09VTRsyiusMQig6S3cXwrPJN-Let_u1jD5Cm_nHDwl-VvTo9KJoLRGFZRkjSIu8hrCMBY311wkaNFd8Pa6R/s2048/46+-+Magda+%2526+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eas7qal9opsV7YVmuGNY0i70bwhZ58ejXmJqz7ylQm2xeermaGufEkuRQ09VTRsyiusMQig6S3cXwrPJN-Let_u1jD5Cm_nHDwl-VvTo9KJoLRGFZRkjSIu8hrCMBY311wkaNFd8Pa6R/w400-h300/46+-+Magda+%2526+calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Magda & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4nBrQAdV8rKXC8g2ogmnCYk8qiNJLW8GryDu4TGaiqDlzYZFx0ZD5VKCr5vjT6YY7vOXj309-46-AnmRtVxWKKsYc8XfidWmqmYWS6Xb6mB1nutgNaZ1NPVRvFDnjzEYWye3byoHP2X5/s2048/47+-+China+D0ll+%2526+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD4nBrQAdV8rKXC8g2ogmnCYk8qiNJLW8GryDu4TGaiqDlzYZFx0ZD5VKCr5vjT6YY7vOXj309-46-AnmRtVxWKKsYc8XfidWmqmYWS6Xb6mB1nutgNaZ1NPVRvFDnjzEYWye3byoHP2X5/w400-h300/47+-+China+D0ll+%2526+calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">China Doll & calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcGcx9lGRSE7ZPPwLG3-qEAH7Ax5eyXURJ_bqMn2zYmdv5EaOJgJ25wxE2zQKB1wBu0x3oMwNmh5_H2XpkJpwTzduZAOR_1kdIIa1jQRC0Zjuq_Um2HHdeya5J-0DM9E4lIIZX7wac44a/s2048/48+-+Zorra+Rose%2527s+calf.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijcGcx9lGRSE7ZPPwLG3-qEAH7Ax5eyXURJ_bqMn2zYmdv5EaOJgJ25wxE2zQKB1wBu0x3oMwNmh5_H2XpkJpwTzduZAOR_1kdIIa1jQRC0Zjuq_Um2HHdeya5J-0DM9E4lIIZX7wac44a/w400-h300/48+-+Zorra+Rose%2527s+calf.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Zorra Rose's calf</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>On Monday we had a snowstorm in the morning but it didn’t last very long. We needed the moisture; everything has dried out a lot with all the wind we’ve had. I did chores in the snowstorm, and put my “crash cow” into the calving pen. It was still snowing when she started serious active labor, so we put her in the barn to calve. She had a big bull calf at noon. We don’t have very many male calves this year—mostly heifers—but I was hoping this cow would have a heifer. She’s a really good cow and I’d like to have a few daughters from her, but so far all she’s had are boys!</div><div><br /></div><div>That afternoon Lynn went to town to do all the town errands and get some groceries. Andrea and Stan drove up the creek in her pickup and sawed three trees out of the road and sawed them up into firewood.</div><div><br /></div><div>I put Magdalena and calf up to the field and then Dani came along (to leave Christopher here with us for a while) and helped me put my crash cow and her new calf out of the barn into a 2nd day pen where I can feed and water her. Lynn got home from town shortly after, and he and I took care of Christopher until Stan and Andrea got back.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday evening our phones and internet quit working, and it was a good thing we didn’t have any calving problems during the night because I wouldn’t have been able to call Andrea. The phones still were not working this morning, and Lynn had to drive 2 miles down to Baker and use a cell phone to try to call the phone company, and to call the guy I was supposed to interview for an article, and to call a guy who tried to call Lynn about a water witching job.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea came down mid-morning and helped me put 101 and calf to the field and then we took 128 and her week-old calf to the field—figuring she’d had enough time with it by herself that she could handle taking care of it out with the other cows. But they were both a little wild and goofy and on the way up to the field gate she kicked her calf in the head and knocked it down. It seemed to be ok, and got up and ran on out the gate with her, but then ran and ran around the field with the cow trying to keep up with it. They eventually settled down and seemed to be transitioning into the herd. I checked on them later and the cow and calf were together and the calf had nursed, so hopefully they will do fine.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea had a very painful toothache this morning, but since our phones were still not working she couldn’t call to make a dental appointment. So Stan took her to town and she went to see a dentist, who prescribed antibiotics for the infection and made an appointment for her to see a specialist who will be here in about 3 weeks (he comes to Salmon once a month).</div><div><br /></div><div>Our phones and internet started working again this afternoon so I was able to send some urgent articles to editors, and call the person I was supposed to interview this morning.</div><div><br /></div><div>At chore time this afternoon I took photos of the heifers eating at their feeder in the field below the lane, and some of the cows and calves in the field above the house.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpUbxQKMKcnAXfkRhpKersxGPnPat9XN2_-VHSAl1GjwYPk_-7R8BfSt5W0_emSsbc9i-LQRjbpmd4YtxxjGWS5kCP3KQV0XgRwouhyphenhyphenTXzNVPCX8m2gN5hQD-kCy1FHeebjC-yXpsaMB5/s2048/49+-heifers+at+feeder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGpUbxQKMKcnAXfkRhpKersxGPnPat9XN2_-VHSAl1GjwYPk_-7R8BfSt5W0_emSsbc9i-LQRjbpmd4YtxxjGWS5kCP3KQV0XgRwouhyphenhyphenTXzNVPCX8m2gN5hQD-kCy1FHeebjC-yXpsaMB5/w400-h300/49+-heifers+at+feeder.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers at feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-lseVvkm0o1Q-k8VfXH8Wuyp7TIawdhJ2oz8Tw6X-m1epw2nBr1_fyFJw5ACFWS22Mvcm50aoYWvPmv_9jzeVHmDaUTthvWaGqlNF3-1_Kn_sG_JgpGqmxWv7ZpY7Ca7cddfJKovX17D/s2048/50-+happy+pairs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-lseVvkm0o1Q-k8VfXH8Wuyp7TIawdhJ2oz8Tw6X-m1epw2nBr1_fyFJw5ACFWS22Mvcm50aoYWvPmv_9jzeVHmDaUTthvWaGqlNF3-1_Kn_sG_JgpGqmxWv7ZpY7Ca7cddfJKovX17D/w400-h300/50-+happy+pairs.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">happy pair</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I also took a photo of a calf that tried to climb into one of the feeders while I was out there, and got stuck. He was high-centered and couldn’t go forward or back and I had to lift up on his hind end and push him on through it.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnilhRkmYqqZK-GArJWWylk_NW76NnPse-1ficgWV1QOlodYFgw9hiJ1DafBo5y3cPViwCl3T4duWU0NXqJASxue5JKN-fO1eCtEOaWFWyT93l7R9or6LulbCcNIw97FLMaWAoBfJwwyhN/s2048/51+-+calf+stuck+in+feeder.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnilhRkmYqqZK-GArJWWylk_NW76NnPse-1ficgWV1QOlodYFgw9hiJ1DafBo5y3cPViwCl3T4duWU0NXqJASxue5JKN-fO1eCtEOaWFWyT93l7R9or6LulbCcNIw97FLMaWAoBfJwwyhN/w400-h300/51+-+calf+stuck+in+feeder.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">calf stuck in feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-67433228194617462192021-11-02T12:16:00.003-07:002021-11-02T12:17:20.803-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - February 11 through March 18, 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">FEBRUARY 20 </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week continued cold, getting down toward zero most nights and only up to 17 or 18 degrees in the afternoons. We were breaking ice daily on the creek to keep the water holes open for the cows, and in the bull pen.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and his fencing crew finished the new pen below the barn last Thursday and it was good they were done because that night it started snowing and blowing and the next day was too miserable to be building fence. Andrea helped me feed the cows and we put an extra little bale on the truck to go with their big bale, to make sure they had enough food for the cold weather.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">It was still snowing and blowing the next day, on my birthday. Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent me birthday wishes by e-mail, and photos of the two boys.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaJoqY4fzsSBzC2XqThycS-0Mg2ZMwJoRQnR_yrBgRNzUtsEUGiBca4CgE29Y8e-U9i8XusNnVbehkln-0SHkR6SzU0oXErItNYUOwyYxvY213qW4g0Z6SZVZUESJBdMdxqjY8U2b92eo/s2048/1+-+Joseph+with+the+valentine+he+made.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaJoqY4fzsSBzC2XqThycS-0Mg2ZMwJoRQnR_yrBgRNzUtsEUGiBca4CgE29Y8e-U9i8XusNnVbehkln-0SHkR6SzU0oXErItNYUOwyYxvY213qW4g0Z6SZVZUESJBdMdxqjY8U2b92eo/w300-h400/1+-+Joseph+with+the+valentine+he+made.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph with the Valentine he made</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAQWEuVOchBNey-ABfkdZKCC-y8qc8d114Y-Dykzl1y12M89RSzoXyhfD6_9UMrmS05kneGGZw3rSk4RYAYe9qBsnNZmsKKc1zT2OXIuCKVyNxnObyEHZq6Q35HOfCLQvxdNbKAwnlDq8/s2048/2+-+Joseph%2527s+coloring+project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAQWEuVOchBNey-ABfkdZKCC-y8qc8d114Y-Dykzl1y12M89RSzoXyhfD6_9UMrmS05kneGGZw3rSk4RYAYe9qBsnNZmsKKc1zT2OXIuCKVyNxnObyEHZq6Q35HOfCLQvxdNbKAwnlDq8/w300-h400/2+-+Joseph%2527s+coloring+project.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph's coloring project</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67mHE9unmJ109aKBIOg4upQZawhNxGnKqAS2UaXCPrVGHkzUn96HEGzI4zaj5mIkG-sHM5vOcTP98jvtPCmBdE-O_-xxrxQDb8bAZA_FY-YSSdXkiAoETXnNwh4ZfYznB14DSLkXOaOjE/s2048/3+-+James+ready+for+dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj67mHE9unmJ109aKBIOg4upQZawhNxGnKqAS2UaXCPrVGHkzUn96HEGzI4zaj5mIkG-sHM5vOcTP98jvtPCmBdE-O_-xxrxQDb8bAZA_FY-YSSdXkiAoETXnNwh4ZfYznB14DSLkXOaOjE/w300-h400/3+-+James+ready+for+dinner.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James ready for dinner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we went to feed cows we had a hard time getting to the field through deep drifts. The portion of big round bale that was left was precarious so we tied it down in all directions so we wouldn’t lose it off the truck as we bounced back down from the field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I took a few photos that day, of the snow on the woodpile and vehicles, Lynn bringing in an armload of wood, Michael’s skid steer plugged in, and the lane toward the barn.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbrYXzDzuhEjRtcoR7b7raubt-TeKuWEzVeTuDWo6LyqdUM9eExVhIHY_dgZ7AsArAUPDW_7qjskubxwYY0rjxy3Fpj5d1OqTBcQICoAzNXpBbE4O46BSWF7VmgZn8karWANodkZyT8MG/s2048/4+-+woodpile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAbrYXzDzuhEjRtcoR7b7raubt-TeKuWEzVeTuDWo6LyqdUM9eExVhIHY_dgZ7AsArAUPDW_7qjskubxwYY0rjxy3Fpj5d1OqTBcQICoAzNXpBbE4O46BSWF7VmgZn8karWANodkZyT8MG/w400-h300/4+-+woodpile.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">woodpile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfHLb6XPR_pjt8UlyL3P7rbsKV8HF833ed1Wt5XNusGGRGDrFV5DEW59XNpvNVA4QRTVl4ReymT8_U8ZZCrsZfjByFlq-tKxN_DNdTjeUxoueiSgnK5YCXQ1U4UuqZt0UJAxM4UAx5H30/s2048/5+-+Lynn+bringing+in+wood.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnfHLb6XPR_pjt8UlyL3P7rbsKV8HF833ed1Wt5XNusGGRGDrFV5DEW59XNpvNVA4QRTVl4ReymT8_U8ZZCrsZfjByFlq-tKxN_DNdTjeUxoueiSgnK5YCXQ1U4UuqZt0UJAxM4UAx5H30/w400-h300/5+-+Lynn+bringing+in+wood.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn bringing in wood</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBJmfgh5b4UKTJtbhDYvGWQiKSwpWhjW1kdRgkLcr7FkYj6JNKbYCtYegFbKDhm7_byuUaBq4s3RuUTsbiGZisDrkBEq0dm75Dxbq23Q_wH8sNMbGvZk4YybfTDyRJXazT9lOqecPi4Gg/s2048/6+-+skid+steer+plugged+in.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBJmfgh5b4UKTJtbhDYvGWQiKSwpWhjW1kdRgkLcr7FkYj6JNKbYCtYegFbKDhm7_byuUaBq4s3RuUTsbiGZisDrkBEq0dm75Dxbq23Q_wH8sNMbGvZk4YybfTDyRJXazT9lOqecPi4Gg/w400-h300/6+-+skid+steer+plugged+in.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">skid steer plugged in</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGkanrs7loy3s_dnkboQ0N5CoY4e9tF1aHM7RapJKfOfC-YDideNibVhkuXVgkFTUbhLQJr8QMgt-LWwmZ_S1EQY7TRA1fdxqaE2XDETlPEMk91UpwPIVOZmOA4X00MvTfaxsxfon7K7u/s2048/7+-lane+toward+barn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGkanrs7loy3s_dnkboQ0N5CoY4e9tF1aHM7RapJKfOfC-YDideNibVhkuXVgkFTUbhLQJr8QMgt-LWwmZ_S1EQY7TRA1fdxqaE2XDETlPEMk91UpwPIVOZmOA4X00MvTfaxsxfon7K7u/w400-h300/7+-lane+toward+barn.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lane toward barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">I also took a photo of the feed truck with the bale tied in several places to keep it from tipping over, and little bales around it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ-zYI-IwhwZf3ujncayVK0JE8TV3_msL0OzmlNc7gyWzAVCrhnZmrXR6X84xwIad8_UCTBjzlGJh-q2iE3WzDznh0a5peCus07u9njczRAbHikjUJDCaC9gTWZRd32cCUIB_5FGbpzA-/s2048/8+-+feed+truck+with+big+bale+tied+on.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQ-zYI-IwhwZf3ujncayVK0JE8TV3_msL0OzmlNc7gyWzAVCrhnZmrXR6X84xwIad8_UCTBjzlGJh-q2iE3WzDznh0a5peCus07u9njczRAbHikjUJDCaC9gTWZRd32cCUIB_5FGbpzA-/w400-h300/8+-+feed+truck+with+big+bale+tied+on.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feed truck with big bale tied on</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day was worse, and even harder to get up to the field to feed the cows. Andrea’s driveway was also impassible for a car, so after we fed the cows and the feed truck was empty, Andrea and I put 22 little bales on the feed truck for traction, tied them on so they wouldn’t bounce off, and she used the feed truck to buck the snow drifts on her driveway. After a trip up and down the driveway with the truck, breaking trail, she was able to drive in and out with her car.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We unloaded the little bales in a stack by the calving pen and Lynn got the tractor started (after being plugged in all night and a canvas over the hood to help insulate against the cold) and loaded another big bale on the feed truck, and took our last bale of straw to the cows for bedding—then used the tractor to plow our driveways. Andrea drove to Idaho Falls to spend some time with Dani for part of the day. She stayed overnight and was able to visit with the doctor the next day and bring Dani home on Tuesday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael came and got his skid steer, to plow his driveway and clear snow in his stackyard over the weekend, then brought it back down here on Monday to plow snow along the lane below the old milk barn, where his crew will be building new fence. He left the skid steer here and Lynn gave him a ride home.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It just kept snowing; we had several more inches of new snow on Tuesday and the roads were pretty bad (and poor visibility in the snowstorm) for Andrea and Dani’s trip home, but they made it ok, getting home that evening.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Another problem arose; Jim called early morning from Andrea’s house to tell us there was no water. He checked the pump house, and the heat lamp had burned out; the line was probably frozen. Lynn and I fed the cows while Jim worked on the water problem, then got the tractor started and took a new bale to the young cows below heifer hill. The snow was more than a foot deep and he had to plow a path up to the feeder.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Wednesday was a little warmer, up to 24 degrees, with more snowstorms, but Michael and his fence crew worked on the lane fence in spite of the bad weather. They also pulled out the old cattle guard next to the fence along the creek in the field below the lane—that Lynn put there years ago to keep cattle from falling in a hole that the ditch eroded under the fence. Michael got the old cattle guard out and filled the hole with rocks, and the guys built a jackfence there.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani’s friend Jack was here that day, and they helped me clean out the old hay in the bull’s manger and put it in his protected corner for bedding, then they used scoop shovels to shovel the deep snow away from the corral gates we’ll need to be able to open and close when we vaccinate the cows. Lynn plowed more snow, and made a path along the chute runway in the corral.</span></div><div><span style="white-space: pre;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday we vaccinated the cows. After chores Andrea helped me shovel the deep snow away from a couple more gates and away from the squeeze chute. Dani and her friend Jack came down a little later and helped bring the cows down from the field to the corrals. We vaccinated and deloused them. Dani and Jack moved the cows through the chute runway, Andrea caught their heads, Jack worked the tailgate and squeeze, Andrea and I vaccinated, and Dani did the pour-on for lice, since she is tall and has long arms and can reach along their backs very easily. I took several photos of her pouring the delousing product on the cows—from head to tail.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae3CRxF5pLGKANBITQBI3A-wspJGXg5VdtswC1P7rFo32RSMZ9vwrMkI1rCc887dLQea8uZEBukIGLDgyZisrnZ4trzpH631K8BkcDL4dwadLmXDTHMqat6Q0qGMu_DiEvJvSzmARWJGm/s2048/9+-+Dani+applying+the+pour-on.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiae3CRxF5pLGKANBITQBI3A-wspJGXg5VdtswC1P7rFo32RSMZ9vwrMkI1rCc887dLQea8uZEBukIGLDgyZisrnZ4trzpH631K8BkcDL4dwadLmXDTHMqat6Q0qGMu_DiEvJvSzmARWJGm/w400-h300/9+-+Dani+applying+the+pour-on.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4yDfkmn47o56-9pJpiFo_QA0NPcJf0KP03LDE1qTxKXeYBmBQeqEsawIur6J4LytE-gIVJ9hf31jo2F2_MTRTDdGcuow-CRTLcn5P9oQ0fc2j3EdcYOWbJFhOrQevAeVnqmlvuh0SgHP/s2048/10+-+Dani+delousing+cow.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4yDfkmn47o56-9pJpiFo_QA0NPcJf0KP03LDE1qTxKXeYBmBQeqEsawIur6J4LytE-gIVJ9hf31jo2F2_MTRTDdGcuow-CRTLcn5P9oQ0fc2j3EdcYOWbJFhOrQevAeVnqmlvuh0SgHP/w400-h300/10+-+Dani+delousing+cow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4hnz1SrRdoAJaUzXY9uWeUuPPIPQCwLttVCkCvr9Bm2rvycEqFlIA-5r_stVrTNJMYS2Pg1v77M-_e_GmfpeuFj8GKWh8pyjVLZaOogUBBOyyWUYH5q5WayGtIVUX2B0RtK2cOlu2eUZ/s2048/11+-+Dani+delousing+cow.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY4hnz1SrRdoAJaUzXY9uWeUuPPIPQCwLttVCkCvr9Bm2rvycEqFlIA-5r_stVrTNJMYS2Pg1v77M-_e_GmfpeuFj8GKWh8pyjVLZaOogUBBOyyWUYH5q5WayGtIVUX2B0RtK2cOlu2eUZ/w400-h300/11+-+Dani+delousing+cow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSX0FIYxVjlTb7EB8rLyub5Ut0QDDl8uLoRwst3sGbU9m5Vfy-6zupbMnTLX9PuQ2fTCJ0HQjYCkHD32eGztmI356oueqWIjH_YPzvzOqTeiyV7IIGDwekjaXQc8vbcTgTGILy83Z7k3j/s2048/12+-+Dani+delousing.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSX0FIYxVjlTb7EB8rLyub5Ut0QDDl8uLoRwst3sGbU9m5Vfy-6zupbMnTLX9PuQ2fTCJ0HQjYCkHD32eGztmI356oueqWIjH_YPzvzOqTeiyV7IIGDwekjaXQc8vbcTgTGILy83Z7k3j/w400-h300/12+-+Dani+delousing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAscCm1XaRVqqg7RCIRGbiQPo48gKADkWqBmDzyptEpBH_tJZtb91puEuq5f2t61SRtGZx2k6tRau4Y8pWRGg7fWQa8290ZFAwYLOZtNu276GhQWgT_LKC9WLg98ioUxO8U6Zd9rJoXCe0/s2048/13+-+Dani+delousing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAscCm1XaRVqqg7RCIRGbiQPo48gKADkWqBmDzyptEpBH_tJZtb91puEuq5f2t61SRtGZx2k6tRau4Y8pWRGg7fWQa8290ZFAwYLOZtNu276GhQWgT_LKC9WLg98ioUxO8U6Zd9rJoXCe0/w400-h300/13+-+Dani+delousing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani delousing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we put those cows in a side pen and went to get the young cows (first and second calvers) from the field below heifer hill. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Those young cows were not at all hungry (they have hay in their feeder all the time) but they followed me down through the next field. Then they got goofy – bucking around and playing—and decided they didn’t want to come into the lane by my hayshed. It took all 4 of us (Andrea, Dani, Jack and me) to patiently outwait them (keeping them from running back up through the field in the deep snow) and they finally decided to go through the gate. We took them around to the corral and vaccinated and deloused them. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We left them in the corral while we took the older cows back up to their field and fed them with the feed truck, then took the young cows back to their field, and Dani and Jack took a bucket of loose salt and mineral to put in their mineral tub.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I fed everyone lunch (a big pot of chili) and then Dani and Jack took a pickup load of firewood up to Andrea’s house. It was good to have the cows vaccinated; they need enough time to develop antibodies to have good-quality colostrum for the calves they will be having in about 6 weeks. Vaccinating the cows ahead of calving helps protect the calves from various diseases—if they nurse the colostrum soon after birth.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was warmer and Andrea had Christopher outside when Emily went to work. That little guy started running down the driveway, following his mom’s car, and he was toddling so fast and got such a head start that Andrea had to drive the 4-wheeler down the driveway to catch him. So she brought him on down here on the 4-wheeler to come visit us for a few minutes. While he was down here he climbed on an old snowmobile that was parked off in the bushes and was trying to start it.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVP5tZS3q-mAf9q0V4-WroqTO9GmXA1iYRbmw1tkZb6OwzhcnGD7_Q8fw9u9uvRTjPNicgVWP6JAmcW3SFyEl3F316t-vqBM13qXAPAduIdAQLmuC5OL3_0CU9AXVLY18siAJpRvZyabD/s2048/14+-+Christopher+trying+to+start+an+old+snowmobile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVP5tZS3q-mAf9q0V4-WroqTO9GmXA1iYRbmw1tkZb6OwzhcnGD7_Q8fw9u9uvRTjPNicgVWP6JAmcW3SFyEl3F316t-vqBM13qXAPAduIdAQLmuC5OL3_0CU9AXVLY18siAJpRvZyabD/w300-h400/14+-+Christopher+trying+to+start+an+old+snowmobile.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher trying to start an old snowmobile</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was even warmer, up to 33 degrees. Andrea helped me feed cows and chop bigger holes in the thick ice in the bull pen where Babe drinks. The ice is almost a foot thick on that little waterway (a spring that runs through the back of the pen) and it’s hard for him to reach down to the water, so we chopped a bunch of that ice away. This afternoon Lynn started the tractor and plowed more snow—on our driveways, and made a better trail up through the deep snow to the field where we drive to feed the cows.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 1</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a few days of warm weather, above freezing in the afternoons, so the snow is starting to settle in places, then freezes hard at nights and is so crusted in the mornings that you can walk on it. Coming home from work one night Emily slid off the driveway going around through the corrals and got stuck in the snow and had to walk home. The next morning Michael and crew were here early to work on the fence between the field and the upper swamp pasture, and Michael used his skid steer to pull the car out of the deep snow. Then he used the skid steer to plow a path through the 18-inch deep snow along the fence where the guys will be working and setting new posts, and plowed an area where they can park their pickups.<div><br /></div><div>It thawed a little that afternoon then froze, and Andrea’s driveway and ours was a sheet of ice. When Emily came home from work late that night, her car spun out on the steep part of Andrea’s driveway and when she got out to see if she’d be able to get it going again, she fell down on the ice and slid about 10 feet down the driveway. She managed to get the car a little bit off the ice and make it home, but the next day Andrea spent a couple hours hauling dirt from Shiloh’s pen (with 4-wheeler and calf sled) to spread on the ice on her driveway.</div><div><br /></div><div>That day the fence crew got all the new posts set in the old fence along that side of the field. We built that fence in 1967 and some of the old posts were rotting off. It was a little difficult driving the new posts in frozen ground. Some of them went in fairly easy (only about 8 inches of frost) but others had to go through more than a foot of frost. The hydraulic post pounder is amazing, however and just keeps pushing the posts down. It was interesting to see how much heat was created by the friction of the post doing down through the frost; little “worms” of thawed mud oozed up from the ground next to the post as it was pounded down.</div><div><br /></div><div>When Andrea went to town that afternoon to accompany Dani to her first therapy session she left Christopher here with us (since Em was at work) and we took care of him until she picked him up again after chores. I took a photo of him swinging.</div></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgwdvfG0czPWeXlRNNPCICyMt5T2kDnFbcnx7AMFB0nhSIi9yKfZfVGyjzI-lhXjKFfYmd-rH_NVHN0mvPeDIX6-S634TrdRtXgjnpX7k4-EnSSdI2chl-A8Tkd5ktqh6WRGVHwG3SGx0/s2048/14-a+-+Christopher+swinging.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgwdvfG0czPWeXlRNNPCICyMt5T2kDnFbcnx7AMFB0nhSIi9yKfZfVGyjzI-lhXjKFfYmd-rH_NVHN0mvPeDIX6-S634TrdRtXgjnpX7k4-EnSSdI2chl-A8Tkd5ktqh6WRGVHwG3SGx0/w300-h400/14-a+-+Christopher+swinging.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher swinging</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Wednesday we had a little new snow but the fence crew worked in spite of it and Michael brought a tall gate post for them to set, to replace the old one. They were having trouble digging out the old one; it took a while.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Andrea, Dani, Em and Christopher went to town and Emily took photos of Sam for her senior pictures. Andrea also took a photo of Sam with Christopher.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgso34lAo6RfjNjI7zyH3uunNKozZECMBF9ZvyRO0Z2-fFOqpM4uw5ONWubNARPo4S8CXD-3qtoU4pfvERG_PAxKyL74shZJn3NviWkenJ9T5ugJ8Yx0hVNwSIJjtmDPh9XgSlPP-O1U81X/s2048/15+-+Sam+%2526+Christopher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgso34lAo6RfjNjI7zyH3uunNKozZECMBF9ZvyRO0Z2-fFOqpM4uw5ONWubNARPo4S8CXD-3qtoU4pfvERG_PAxKyL74shZJn3NviWkenJ9T5ugJ8Yx0hVNwSIJjtmDPh9XgSlPP-O1U81X/w300-h400/15+-+Sam+%2526+Christopher.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam & Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Someone took photos of Andrea and her 3 girls, and also a photo of Dani chasing Christopher around the parking lot trying to keep track of him.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2LpdNhi7q6MB440zsxJY0VnzA4slKuO-uQ7Ubr7YVf3VHgu_Il4V5M-DgY7Ay8eFSGvILDvDfQ3LmIegukXbC4qpp3f_Zk1gddVVyLosFAODnmBBZaNG5_8LyEpDFsrQh01tzsKc38U7/s2048/16+-+Andrea+%2526+her+3+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq2LpdNhi7q6MB440zsxJY0VnzA4slKuO-uQ7Ubr7YVf3VHgu_Il4V5M-DgY7Ay8eFSGvILDvDfQ3LmIegukXbC4qpp3f_Zk1gddVVyLosFAODnmBBZaNG5_8LyEpDFsrQh01tzsKc38U7/w400-h300/16+-+Andrea+%2526+her+3+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8WxEyEXQqywZqzpzCgqVQdqNQZD4PazBoScVRjPw0m82E7R2YArLNJbJElBh4J1XHKohDgihT7b8Fip8T59W6XZ37QhzuNL-b5wGXsb81-cP7tCU5s4Vl0dJpT9GfV2x1CLmAb7hWqQg/s2048/17+-+Andrea+and+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE8WxEyEXQqywZqzpzCgqVQdqNQZD4PazBoScVRjPw0m82E7R2YArLNJbJElBh4J1XHKohDgihT7b8Fip8T59W6XZ37QhzuNL-b5wGXsb81-cP7tCU5s4Vl0dJpT9GfV2x1CLmAb7hWqQg/w400-h300/17+-+Andrea+and+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea & her 3 girls</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_NpaZEipsUB694bYio6Z7woBb90vMQB135GSTmnvVIQ96uzVllg8Ly1ayhF81rWBLXlUXdCKflDnc5l196eKvuIS26BSLd-T9s4d_IhdMrq-3Uke68TgXa7pLS9DU0G_BC9x39EzHzOb/s2048/18+-Dani+keeping+track+of+Christopher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_NpaZEipsUB694bYio6Z7woBb90vMQB135GSTmnvVIQ96uzVllg8Ly1ayhF81rWBLXlUXdCKflDnc5l196eKvuIS26BSLd-T9s4d_IhdMrq-3Uke68TgXa7pLS9DU0G_BC9x39EzHzOb/w300-h400/18+-Dani+keeping+track+of+Christopher.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani keeping track of Christopher</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Thursday Lynn went to Kirtley Creek to locate water for a well for a guy from California who is buying property there. He and his wife were staying at the motel where Dani works part-time. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher got into one of Andrea’s cupboards, got out a sack of flour and spilled it all over the floor and was skating around in it, and then decided he needed to clean it up. Andrea discovered him trying to sweep it up with a broom and took a photo.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehn63DI0QeWbf3VRTa4koFkW9JMj1IvxHxu6NZI3HaNu1RsBIclma06q5IcZUr53OnyCwrmEOgyHr4j5diW9in7UFchSf74YjzJH331bfSzjoh1ppRuQDzxOZAEKZR0RpGF8U6DRjypL1/s2048/19+-+Christopher+trying+to+sweep+up+the+flour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgehn63DI0QeWbf3VRTa4koFkW9JMj1IvxHxu6NZI3HaNu1RsBIclma06q5IcZUr53OnyCwrmEOgyHr4j5diW9in7UFchSf74YjzJH331bfSzjoh1ppRuQDzxOZAEKZR0RpGF8U6DRjypL1/w300-h400/19+-+Christopher+trying+to+sweep+up+the+flour.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher trying to sweep up the flour</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan drove back from California and got here late Thursday afternoon. The next morning he helped us feed cows; he and Andrea brought Christopher down on the 4-wheeler and Christopher “helped” me drive the feed truck while they fed the hay.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdTPog-i_-zKTAsVr2HN-U2gdp6po47dsMmWnZMStGuFPpM2xov-JV5zlWE1QkoUtbxjrBaSXNCkOOmGXJzHD969QeTQbnX7-ntH1y6nT1AQL_YBHQ7pWy8jYpHjL0VlUM7MziMfdHUGR/s2048/20+-+Christopher+in+the+truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdTPog-i_-zKTAsVr2HN-U2gdp6po47dsMmWnZMStGuFPpM2xov-JV5zlWE1QkoUtbxjrBaSXNCkOOmGXJzHD969QeTQbnX7-ntH1y6nT1AQL_YBHQ7pWy8jYpHjL0VlUM7MziMfdHUGR/w300-h400/20+-+Christopher+in+the+truck.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher in the truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFALDBVEudWJL_fiKIX8d6UgAql-4sgSvyXSH8d-PQO_khi4P8wnaThyhyBnA6YXJp1KBTxe0ZFhLTVYn_bVx9MdDI4FnPIBAcULH1d8WYsCFggLeiwf6uTBldKQMd5gMSTv4EeaFBpCLL/s2048/21+-+Christopher+helping+drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFALDBVEudWJL_fiKIX8d6UgAql-4sgSvyXSH8d-PQO_khi4P8wnaThyhyBnA6YXJp1KBTxe0ZFhLTVYn_bVx9MdDI4FnPIBAcULH1d8WYsCFggLeiwf6uTBldKQMd5gMSTv4EeaFBpCLL/w300-h400/21+-+Christopher+helping+drive.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping drive</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykJubv5G7OWqS-f0IAQZ7tcGaqtxp0nc6VjXB6WRv4IeKiXRJDBU2Oak45P6L3PNvRQZ2UOTcT2bVfvaLzKEELfIVwGiZFAniV0pHaVU2CsWQ_FocR_KaavIIu76xm5zP5ZIw8khyphenhyphenrbbm/s2048/22+-+Stan+feeding+hay+while+Christopher+helped+drive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgykJubv5G7OWqS-f0IAQZ7tcGaqtxp0nc6VjXB6WRv4IeKiXRJDBU2Oak45P6L3PNvRQZ2UOTcT2bVfvaLzKEELfIVwGiZFAniV0pHaVU2CsWQ_FocR_KaavIIu76xm5zP5ZIw8khyphenhyphenrbbm/w400-h300/22+-+Stan+feeding+hay+while+Christopher+helped+drive.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan feeding hay while Christopher helped drive</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael and Carolyn drive to Helena on Friday to get a trailer load of materials and chain link fencing for another job. It was a treacherous trip with the bad roads.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Saturday we fed off the last of the big bale on the feed truck and put gas in the truck; it was nearly out of gas. The gas gauge hasn’t worked for years, so we just mark on the calendar to keep track of how many days it’s been since the last time we put gas in. It doesn’t take much gas, just driving it to the field to feed, and a tank of gas lasts more than 3 weeks, but it had been 4 weeks since we gassed it up last and we were lucky we hadn’t run out. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’re having more cold weather. Yesterday morning was down to 6 degrees but it warmed up a bit after the sun came up. Andrea and Stan brought Christopher with them again when we fed cows. All bundled up, he looks like a little Eskimo. He climbed up on Andrea’s 4-wheeler and I took a picture of him.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALBeJAZVlGjzLa8QV2iR_8esFo1psgzWMX2_A1mPYQA3mjCR5_4aMIUDhaGjA8Lg0g0lu_NJiOhKwcciMT2ipUsBn43D3yX6q4IUISDGrkigl9N2cT9j5pKIIAz7WRNkbDmsQiCCArkHg/s2048/23+-+Little+eskimo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhALBeJAZVlGjzLa8QV2iR_8esFo1psgzWMX2_A1mPYQA3mjCR5_4aMIUDhaGjA8Lg0g0lu_NJiOhKwcciMT2ipUsBn43D3yX6q4IUISDGrkigl9N2cT9j5pKIIAz7WRNkbDmsQiCCArkHg/w300-h400/23+-+Little+eskimo.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">little eskimo</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He also found an old tricycle in the snow next to the house and was wanting to dig it out and try it.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity9jRh-vJRyh8cp6Ibs4WoV6At1GmyUWajKbnTdswZFXLJT9C0-8JyN5sp9cVeRBMKrsCDzL5gLxaKbUzVbS8LfeYjAgORXich71npQ2lVkbfwnktEDUi2E0p7_zuz9JaSRv6tMnsFkTS/s2048/23+-b+-+finding+tricycle.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEity9jRh-vJRyh8cp6Ibs4WoV6At1GmyUWajKbnTdswZFXLJT9C0-8JyN5sp9cVeRBMKrsCDzL5gLxaKbUzVbS8LfeYjAgORXich71npQ2lVkbfwnktEDUi2E0p7_zuz9JaSRv6tMnsFkTS/w300-h400/23+-b+-+finding+tricycle.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b_m3LVsrzHQuXmbKDUHOSqMuRWNpqMdeIwyRPU2F1AFDzTioeWpfPXrtGUtKUuadC8bNV3Of9E1FJx2IaWqjTra09cChjtZwRjmbektQ5dsTB1fNniMyAfV5uKAKvW1nQDiMNo0b5KyR/s2048/23-a++finding+the+old+tricycle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6b_m3LVsrzHQuXmbKDUHOSqMuRWNpqMdeIwyRPU2F1AFDzTioeWpfPXrtGUtKUuadC8bNV3Of9E1FJx2IaWqjTra09cChjtZwRjmbektQ5dsTB1fNniMyAfV5uKAKvW1nQDiMNo0b5KyR/w300-h400/23-a++finding+the+old+tricycle.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">finding the old tricycle</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The winter coat that Andrea got for him is still pretty big, and his arms are too short to come down through the sleeves, so it’s a little handicapping when he wants to grab things, but it helps keep his hands warm!</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl8ggAlGZ6CmmScthjcqaQWmnV82-TWBLXEw_pZmghdai8ZxaJ3c80pr8RApbarQ8-g_K7hLiN2_30BmPhGWVLwKR7o6ac8MRUMUWxTCKd3WgQAcSbOPhbmcqgBnn9Gd5tuntFT4YGwEQ/s2048/23+-c++long+sleeves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEl8ggAlGZ6CmmScthjcqaQWmnV82-TWBLXEw_pZmghdai8ZxaJ3c80pr8RApbarQ8-g_K7hLiN2_30BmPhGWVLwKR7o6ac8MRUMUWxTCKd3WgQAcSbOPhbmcqgBnn9Gd5tuntFT4YGwEQ/w300-h400/23+-c++long+sleeves.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">long sleeves</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was also baby James’ birthday, in Canada. He’s now a year old. Granddaughter Heather sent us some pictures.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S4-m2xSuKAwglLtUmo5p6dYc41v9s91fYk-Pa82eL6yQJaFETerVARC-Vwa-zWRd6bqk6Ps6xGWyVHyUWmQfz7YLSy6CO2kIesaXnp7C2vhXmePu4vlkUFKgabB_rynOgRg2xckz8Bzc/s2048/24+-+One++year+old%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6S4-m2xSuKAwglLtUmo5p6dYc41v9s91fYk-Pa82eL6yQJaFETerVARC-Vwa-zWRd6bqk6Ps6xGWyVHyUWmQfz7YLSy6CO2kIesaXnp7C2vhXmePu4vlkUFKgabB_rynOgRg2xckz8Bzc/w300-h400/24+-+One++year+old%2521.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">One year old! </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fbmrBpVBs-9u0g-TmJ2mLgDdXh8b4VYRLnMbsGaUursCO8IEXoxo9yrOyG8tJAmnUFt8pHjWTUa9wegIaHZMptKFmm7yQlPkbLxLaCujefRKYDE6YPUtGbLqu1MJ3xRf9EaIkNkxAC12/s2048/25+-+James+is+now+a+yearling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fbmrBpVBs-9u0g-TmJ2mLgDdXh8b4VYRLnMbsGaUursCO8IEXoxo9yrOyG8tJAmnUFt8pHjWTUa9wegIaHZMptKFmm7yQlPkbLxLaCujefRKYDE6YPUtGbLqu1MJ3xRf9EaIkNkxAC12/w300-h400/25+-+James+is+now+a+yearling.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James is now a yearling</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cold again, but by afternoon it got above freezing. We opened the barn doors to try to help dry things out in there—letting some sunshine in. Every summer the irrigation water subs in there and it gets really wet, and we need to get it dried out before we start calving. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael plowed a bunch of snow up at their corrals and today they vaccinated their cows. They had hoped to do it sooner, but they’ve been too busy. It was a job getting their gates functional, with 2 feet of snow obstructing everything.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 9</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week Andrea and Stan shoveled the deep snow away from the water tank in the orchard so we will be able to turn it over and use it to water the cows when we put them in there for calving. Stan brought some tin around from the stackyard (some old tin that has been stored there for many years) and put it in the new pen below the calving barn, to use it to make windbreaks in the corners.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After Lynn loaded another big bale on the feed truck and took hay to the cows’ and heifers’ feeders, he bladed some of the deep snow away from the calving barn so it won’t all be running into the barn as it melts.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Heather and Gregory in Canada started calving, and sent us photos of some of their first calves.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pyCgaExGiDZmqNwic5wkZxMUQE7sUwCO9MuMfh1T3h492wXF4mwgqp2bI2M7os5K4n41KbDEGcD2-E2gcPWheIzPo9xbMOAZFnAf-xhQ4Ny9x_eWPS5ccvOhvUJ030bh7QMuxOoB1eAo/s2048/26+-+new+Canadian+baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pyCgaExGiDZmqNwic5wkZxMUQE7sUwCO9MuMfh1T3h492wXF4mwgqp2bI2M7os5K4n41KbDEGcD2-E2gcPWheIzPo9xbMOAZFnAf-xhQ4Ny9x_eWPS5ccvOhvUJ030bh7QMuxOoB1eAo/w300-h400/26+-+new+Canadian+baby.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new Canadian baby</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSR-0Nonilc-esOtrbj7f7vv1Zq0Qvn92Wm6TLC5hbIM9pEGQoei28TVsSZ5F3vU3ZDKRZFE-6GQzHNSIe3pi5sygI08UjjrHjHUkmreJrmURgLGuaQijI1Q5wJUNIE5f5gCOjFzYWxHg/s2048/27+-+cow+%2526+calf+in+Canada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwSR-0Nonilc-esOtrbj7f7vv1Zq0Qvn92Wm6TLC5hbIM9pEGQoei28TVsSZ5F3vU3ZDKRZFE-6GQzHNSIe3pi5sygI08UjjrHjHUkmreJrmURgLGuaQijI1Q5wJUNIE5f5gCOjFzYWxHg/w400-h300/27+-+cow+%2526+calf+in+Canada.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cow & calf in Canada</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We started getting ready for our annual water meeting and called a couple people to make sure they would be there. We’re hoping that Steve Adams will be our watermaster again. He did a good job last year and was the first one we’ve had that was impartial and wouldn’t be bullied by a couple of the water users who like to do things their own way and steal water. We also need to find someone for secretary/treasurer since Bob Loucks emphatically announced that he will no longer do that job. We were hoping Alyssa Peets might do it because she is a good accountant but she’s been very ill with an autoimmune disease and will not be able to. We then asked Vickie Colston, but she doesn’t want to do it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our water meeting was Thursday afternoon. We fed cows early and went to town late morning to do all our town errands, then went to the water meeting. Bob Loucks ranted and raved and yelled and left, and then we had a fairly decent meeting with him gone. We voted in Steve Adams as our watermaster, but since he will be very busy this summer with another job he will be training an assistant watermaster to do most of the work—and we will have to pay both of them. It will be a very expensive year, since we don’t have much carryover from last year (Bob Loucks didn’t think we needed to have water assessments last year); most of us will be paying 4 times the water fee that we’ve paid in the past. But if we can have a peaceful irrigation season with a good watermaster, and not have to be constantly fighting over water (like we have in the past when our earlier watermasters allowed themselves to be bullied or swayed by the ones who steal water), it will probably be worth it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Since no one wanted to be secretary/treasurer Andrea said she would do it, even though she’ll need a lot of help figuring out all the stuff that goes with that job. It used to be pretty simple, but not anymore, with all the government stuff that has to be dealt with now in the accounting, workman’s comp for the watermaster, forms to fill out for the Idaho Department of Resources, etc. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After the meeting Stan took Andrea, Lynn and me out to dinner (first time we’ve been in a restaurant since last summer) and it was a nice meal—sort of an early anniversary celebration for Lynn and me, since our 55th wedding anniversary was the next day.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That next morning Stan, Andrea and Dani helped me bring the young cows down from their field and into the horse pasture, to be ready for calving. We want them down here ahead of the older cows so we can take a few days to train them to go into the barn. This time it was easy to bring them down because Lynn had plowed a path through the deep snow through the little field below their field, straight to the horse pasture gate, and they came along that path and followed me down through the field Andrea took a photo of Dani on the 4-wheeler after we got the cows moved.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMM58mbIUDbzjAKdHl_lrghIkv9CY_uEoEyQuXkZZV7xytDnPDSlCmxSpOB2I9RWKmmXbT3PPhOZ9hf12ChuLCbSqDcLTd3Ie221QJ5KsvMlC359IjnuPQuyD5ipxaDXPKrtMojRNe-rg/s2048/28+-+Dani+on+4-wheeler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdMM58mbIUDbzjAKdHl_lrghIkv9CY_uEoEyQuXkZZV7xytDnPDSlCmxSpOB2I9RWKmmXbT3PPhOZ9hf12ChuLCbSqDcLTd3Ie221QJ5KsvMlC359IjnuPQuyD5ipxaDXPKrtMojRNe-rg/w400-h300/28+-+Dani+on+4-wheeler.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani on 4-wheeler</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We’d already put a hay feeder in the horse pasture (it took a lot of prying with a bar to get it loose from the snowdrift and frozen ground where it had been stored all winter next to the bull pen) and a big bale of hay, so those cows were happy to come down to their new place. I’d filled the water tank for them that morning.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Stan and Andrea went to town to do all the town errands and took Christopher with them, and Lynn went to Kirtley Creek again to locate a well site for a guy from Montana who bought 5 acres there and wants to put in a house and horse-training facility.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The last three days have been warmer, without much ice on the creek or the bull’s water hole. It makes chores easier, not having to break ice for the cattle. On Saturday we put a little hay in the calving pen and put the 6 young cows in there for about an hour, to get them used to coming into that pen when we want them to. We also need them to tromp around in the deep snow and mash it down and help it start melting quicker. Stan put up some of the tin around the corners of the pen below the barn, to make windbreaks. Lynn and Christopher “helped” while he laid out the tin along the corners.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PozZC9vapU4LPvOgsVava4Jms1G8WnfM-shFe8H9WJeBAKJo8dfEGlj1Qjk-thIMDlrvSIQjidjDovOfusAqBRrmXXRM5yY8SJc6TzjuW-ClNVzbtX0aRcMjvL8bkAGZBkBN6AUey3xn/s2048/29+-+putting+tin+along+the+new+fence+for+a+windbreak.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3PozZC9vapU4LPvOgsVava4Jms1G8WnfM-shFe8H9WJeBAKJo8dfEGlj1Qjk-thIMDlrvSIQjidjDovOfusAqBRrmXXRM5yY8SJc6TzjuW-ClNVzbtX0aRcMjvL8bkAGZBkBN6AUey3xn/w400-h300/29+-+putting+tin+along+the+new+fence+for+a+windbreak.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting tin along the new fence for a windbreak</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXzTZB_ostJrkJg81Hfvov-9_drR17ZgFnkb_OlXeZ8mntLzlM1a6XfEGBfcUURMAUPfatFrDJy2bw6LjKYHtTbi_BXYgoGuatWXnx7zgl-eP2Eqlf6BTB4e-ydlityoEmxWJWB9TOuT-/s2048/30+-+Christopher+helping+Lynn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXzTZB_ostJrkJg81Hfvov-9_drR17ZgFnkb_OlXeZ8mntLzlM1a6XfEGBfcUURMAUPfatFrDJy2bw6LjKYHtTbi_BXYgoGuatWXnx7zgl-eP2Eqlf6BTB4e-ydlityoEmxWJWB9TOuT-/w300-h400/30+-+Christopher+helping+Lynn.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher helping Lynn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Lynn loaded another big bale on the feed truck about the time Andrea and Christopher hiked down from her house, and he rode with Lynn in the tractor while Andrea brought the feed truck out of the stackyard. That kid loves riding with Lynn in the tractor! Then Lynn plowed a little more of the snow away from the calving barn (in the little pen in front of the barn) but accidentally hit the electric wire overhead with his loader, and broke it. We didn’t notice it until a couple days later, however, and then Stan climbed up on the shop roof and fixed it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We put the young cows into the calving pen again on Sunday, to eat some hay and tromp more snow, and Stan put up more tin to make windbreak corners in the new pen.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday we put some good hay in a couple barn stalls and started the barn-training program for the young cows. The three that have been in the barn before (the second-calvers) were good leaders for the three young ones (first-calvers) that have never been in a barn. Andrea and Stan also helped me put another tire on top of Willow’s pile of tires (that elevates her water tub). We’ve always had her tub high off the ground to keep her from pawing it and putting her feet in it, since she plays with anything in her pen, but lately she’s developed a new trick—sidling over it and straddling the tub to rub her belly on it! Andrea took a photo of her doing that, a few days ago:</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGBEzAIOAYT4SCjeG8MnePgaQYEAJJHk1eEa23xILz1jthba4AVCA9kcd1fgJU11jskNq_H_1yzyP-w77ZPp6kNQCdChK8yD-Kdb_eGHxvhfVHZuncsLbXF7Ys9d782d2O1V54qvWlajI/s2048/31+-+Willow+itching+her+tummuy+on+water+tub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSGBEzAIOAYT4SCjeG8MnePgaQYEAJJHk1eEa23xILz1jthba4AVCA9kcd1fgJU11jskNq_H_1yzyP-w77ZPp6kNQCdChK8yD-Kdb_eGHxvhfVHZuncsLbXF7Ys9d782d2O1V54qvWlajI/w400-h300/31+-+Willow+itching+her+tummuy+on+water+tub.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Willow itching her tummy on water tub</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Her constant rubbing of her belly on the water tub is squashing it sideways a bit and also leaving hair in her drinking water, so we had to come up with a solution and decided to make it taller. Putting another tire under it will probably help.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we got all the morning projects accomplished, Stan and Andrea drove to Idaho Falls and stayed overnight; she had an appointment with her pain doctor early this morning.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today Lynn helped me put the young cows in the barn for their second training session, and then helped me feed the cows. We had just a small portion of the big round bale left on the truck and had to tie it on with ropes and hay twines to make sure it didn’t fall off when we came back down through the rough field with its frozen cowpies and frozen ruts. Emily didn’t work today, which was nice because she was able to take care of Christopher while all the rest of us were gone or busy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">MARCH 18</b><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week we gave the young cows a few more barn training sessions and they will probably do fine if we have to put any of them in the barn to calve if the weather is bad.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Friday Jim left to start his trip to Colorado for his summer job on the ranch he worked on last year. Bad weather (parts of Colorado got several feet of new snow) but his roads weren’t too bad. That afternoon Stan shoveled snow out of pen corners.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">These last few days have been warmer and the snow is melting a little more each day. It’s actually gotten up to 45 or 50 degrees the past few afternoons. Maybe by the time we start calving we won’t have snow drifts and mud puddles!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Christopher hiked down from their house to help feed, and she took a photo of him when he climbed up on the old land plane that’s parked along the fence.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtlOVjxJSvmPs3xdIqd4j4nuW4t8Kc1YgkETMNujMRwu068KWvwaQKOkFIq9PibLXhci9iyVEBusbxEO8H5lE9Xl3Z9fimM5UxhDMaX-Bda-Ho02gc3W7rZcXixwHoXKxWfdGQF_NVnJD/s2048/32-+Christopher+checking+out+old+land+plane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtlOVjxJSvmPs3xdIqd4j4nuW4t8Kc1YgkETMNujMRwu068KWvwaQKOkFIq9PibLXhci9iyVEBusbxEO8H5lE9Xl3Z9fimM5UxhDMaX-Bda-Ho02gc3W7rZcXixwHoXKxWfdGQF_NVnJD/w300-h400/32-+Christopher+checking+out+old+land+plane.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher checking out old land plane</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the field by Andrea’s house is baring off where we’ve fed hay, and we were feeding on the last few “clean” snowy areas. On Monday we fed down on this end, near the gate, partly because there was still some snow, and also to have the cows come down to this end so they would be more willing to come down out of that field the next day when it was time to bring them down to the calving pasture. The last part of that bale was not very big so we laid it down on the truck bed and tied it on—and then it wouldn’t teeter back and forth and fall off as we drove back down through the bumpy field. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day we used the feed truck, with its partial bale of hay, to lure the cows down out of that field. Andrea drove, Stan pretended he was going to feed them, and I followed them to make sure the suspicious stragglers kept coming. Since they last time we brought them down was when we put them through the chute to vaccinate, they were a little reluctant to come back down to the corrals, but the greedy ones followed the hay truck and I kept the stragglers coming.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We took them through the corral and around to the horse pasture and orchard to join the young cows, so we can watch them more closely and not have any of them calve up in the field. We have too many opportunistic coyotes hanging around, and we also want to monitor the calving cows; if a cow has any kind of problem calving we want to be able to assist.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The sunrise was a golden glow the next morning and I took photos from the back porch when I went out to do chores.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSyUklkzXPbPrgQAJpEY3dk6VBtw3ZEnmw0ch_5zp8zk3aeaQoniSVg-gbNY8AAt9IR_TDt2h68GDG2HNWWfqSA6weDPuOaT8YhigJdXTRGaN2XLHNqa-tzcII3e9GGDB6S3_AaJYRoqb/s2048/33+-+golden+horizon.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvSyUklkzXPbPrgQAJpEY3dk6VBtw3ZEnmw0ch_5zp8zk3aeaQoniSVg-gbNY8AAt9IR_TDt2h68GDG2HNWWfqSA6weDPuOaT8YhigJdXTRGaN2XLHNqa-tzcII3e9GGDB6S3_AaJYRoqb/w400-h300/33+-+golden+horizon.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwLSKZ43Z7DhnY2lkjHT-jR4s3aIFd4YVvldUndFFRDIyD8osZhdHy6SBz8WRMHAnG3D-GtZWGO7AvfSRgrDFv73aGqHyxH0HcBigeC8YpfiYnh_YP84-Q7O_2Om6AIqRFIiAwuOyiNWX/s2048/34+-+golden+sunrise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWwLSKZ43Z7DhnY2lkjHT-jR4s3aIFd4YVvldUndFFRDIyD8osZhdHy6SBz8WRMHAnG3D-GtZWGO7AvfSRgrDFv73aGqHyxH0HcBigeC8YpfiYnh_YP84-Q7O_2Om6AIqRFIiAwuOyiNWX/w400-h300/34+-+golden+sunrise.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">golden sunrise</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn put another bale in the horse pasture—so there are bales in both feeders, to accommodate the additional cows. Then he used the tractor to smash the deep ruts in Andrea’s driveway (the thaw has made a lot of mud) and plowed the snow from her upper driveway so it can be used until some of the deep mud dries up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn and I dumped and cleaned out the heifer’s water tank and unplugged the tank heater. With the warmer weather we probably won’t get really thick ice on it now, and we won’t need the tank heater.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday I did chores early, and we didn’t have to feed cows (they are all in the maternity pen with hay feeders). Andrea had a doctor’s appointment (to check her swollen thyroid glands and swallowing problems) and Lynn and I went to town for our first COVID vaccination. We stood in line outdoors for about an hour but it was a fairly warm morning—about 45 degrees with just a slight breeze—so it wasn’t bad. We will have our second shot in early April while we are calving, so we hope we don’t have any calving problems that day when we have to come back to town!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was fairly warm again. Dani helped us put 2 big bales in the cows’ feeders and move some little bales from my hay shed to the barn for future bedding. Last fall when I was feeding the horses, I saved some of the coarser hay to use for barn bedding and it works better than straw because it’s not so dusty. We hauled it into the barn with a cart and I took a photo of her as she put the cart away.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiew_bhZZ9W-HNKLJTf2Hbtud2pDP9w7wdq8xzabaST1QvvHWAuNfZ1HiKu3BRmEe-KbLRvIeS8Y2bt7UfAvK1EuChYlIGH4NJ-bk8-jy1yIXEOUdTQQh10rBwAAue85lo7Qo7anC1BYC01/s2048/35+-+putting+the+cart+away.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiew_bhZZ9W-HNKLJTf2Hbtud2pDP9w7wdq8xzabaST1QvvHWAuNfZ1HiKu3BRmEe-KbLRvIeS8Y2bt7UfAvK1EuChYlIGH4NJ-bk8-jy1yIXEOUdTQQh10rBwAAue85lo7Qo7anC1BYC01/w400-h300/35+-+putting+the+cart+away.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting the cart away</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we checked out the new pen below the barn –where we will put mamas with new babies—and the windbreak corners, and I took pictures of her in the corners. We will eventually put some bedding in those corners for the calves to snuggle into.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xbgrlJEFvhh2QNFZR5kQ6cG_6BDLxx7qjkcfSBSbJzm9xg8Frnkz-PYLBG07a-o3SkuV5eEEhSSSvWKLe2DaTlrG6Y7V9SuTTXcLJgQL7fdwfMf-l7gCnjsJVQXTtfNa778P1hYnkXZl/s2048/36+-+Dani+in+windbreak+corner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4xbgrlJEFvhh2QNFZR5kQ6cG_6BDLxx7qjkcfSBSbJzm9xg8Frnkz-PYLBG07a-o3SkuV5eEEhSSSvWKLe2DaTlrG6Y7V9SuTTXcLJgQL7fdwfMf-l7gCnjsJVQXTtfNa778P1hYnkXZl/w400-h300/36+-+Dani+in+windbreak+corner.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">windbreak corner</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpetqZLvKDnZ2-JLyNpofNOHw79zSVugmxOnH1PiEoznTkW19YqFRliuE4T6ROI0ogPVA00fLO4zNbi6JbQY1CiBGMEmP_-SqPfIHyQBDRXbhVOgYQ-yuVlnrLPhmWKSm4Qtofs6YBF8H/s2048/37+-+Dani+checking+out+the+windbreak.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikpetqZLvKDnZ2-JLyNpofNOHw79zSVugmxOnH1PiEoznTkW19YqFRliuE4T6ROI0ogPVA00fLO4zNbi6JbQY1CiBGMEmP_-SqPfIHyQBDRXbhVOgYQ-yuVlnrLPhmWKSm4Qtofs6YBF8H/w300-h400/37+-+Dani+checking+out+the+windbreak.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtCyNc9i6WW0FFu7LWbpoafNHQ30k227_ix6v6oYQE50xJzoPJLK20DaXznti_u7gyZ6WiXZNGGJb-hRLOcfnQezoMxrlUmkRmogRwQf9REbhexvaPC_CWyuG-uM3p1jBkFL6tDhPjkJF/s2048/38+-+windbreak+corner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtCyNc9i6WW0FFu7LWbpoafNHQ30k227_ix6v6oYQE50xJzoPJLK20DaXznti_u7gyZ6WiXZNGGJb-hRLOcfnQezoMxrlUmkRmogRwQf9REbhexvaPC_CWyuG-uM3p1jBkFL6tDhPjkJF/w300-h400/38+-+windbreak+corner.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani checking out the windbreak</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She also made a new calving calendar to put on the wall --over top of the old one from last year – with all the cows’ names/numbers on their respective “due dates” in the month of April. It’s handy to have it on the wall so we can check to see when a certain cow is supposed to calve (even though some will calve a week or more ahead or their due date, or sometimes a bit later), and Dani likes to cross them off as they actually calve.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMcAZ1bQt__yC81WQ4-7ckph-GP-rKe2mOHphs87KF2Kah5C7CtGoa-vkWnSRXF0S2QSN2_RHnDVaY57ndH-v0QohjAiaUwiBu0C4svdE9ldwS5RWAH_vnvWnvdUEiFLyutwwBX9HYYX2/s2048/39+-+Dani+making+calendar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMcAZ1bQt__yC81WQ4-7ckph-GP-rKe2mOHphs87KF2Kah5C7CtGoa-vkWnSRXF0S2QSN2_RHnDVaY57ndH-v0QohjAiaUwiBu0C4svdE9ldwS5RWAH_vnvWnvdUEiFLyutwwBX9HYYX2/w400-h300/39+-+Dani+making+calendar.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani making calendar</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-2212300778334597032021-10-23T12:25:00.001-07:002021-10-23T12:25:45.819-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - January 14 through February 11, 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">JANUARY 22 </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last week the Christmas package from Granddaughter Heather arrived from Canada, with a nice photo album she created – pictures of Joseph and James, the two great-grandsons we haven’t ever seen yet.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">She also sent an e-mail with a few new photos of the boys—baby James (who is almost a year old, and a photo of the boys with grandma Barb, with Joseph sharing an ice cream cone with his little brother.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGZUYHgKkmKmvb2zlQKS3Nz_0Bwt_ogRprwZc8Q3nTQGiGpRUQjfjUi5pSuwEK0OnDAvlxIPqZ8KPZY1SZYzvBtEDB0hXB5b9yi0_VitS8scenhRCSgeUPWnqoYoeJbHchJKJc3u6yKz2/s2048/1+-+Joseph+sharing+ice+cream+cone+with+James.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLGZUYHgKkmKmvb2zlQKS3Nz_0Bwt_ogRprwZc8Q3nTQGiGpRUQjfjUi5pSuwEK0OnDAvlxIPqZ8KPZY1SZYzvBtEDB0hXB5b9yi0_VitS8scenhRCSgeUPWnqoYoeJbHchJKJc3u6yKz2/w400-h300/1+-+Joseph+sharing+ice+cream+cone+with+James.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph sharing ice cream cone with James</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3otI4ym2ShyJ0wbLwrLV9Duppy7aaWnbeyErw8OVLD1o33XTM-1IMAfWXFz857j7_MFYkV4Lo8AV6YlPdtfvfs0nTG75cXxUpOI6Y5_8S0Z9V6xQkRXbz4SGPQQUySeXKwuYmOztYKCTG/s2048/2+-+baby+James.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3otI4ym2ShyJ0wbLwrLV9Duppy7aaWnbeyErw8OVLD1o33XTM-1IMAfWXFz857j7_MFYkV4Lo8AV6YlPdtfvfs0nTG75cXxUpOI6Y5_8S0Z9V6xQkRXbz4SGPQQUySeXKwuYmOztYKCTG/w300-h400/2+-+baby+James.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">baby James</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>It’s been cold at night and we’ve been chopping ice on the creek for the cows to drink at their water holes. Last Friday we babysat Christopher awhile in the afternoon and evening when Andrea went to town to take Samantha shopping for her birthday. He had fun at our house, strewing all his toys around, and swinging in the swing that we can put up in the door arch between the living room and dining room. That swing has been enjoyed by 2 generations of kids—starting with granddaughter Emily and now her little boy. I took a couple photos of him swinging but one picture is a little blurry because he was swinging so fast.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-qC3gRxIWXgMFltx9CJFuVj2gMqHZh7LqROqsjjGTqukUG6nCNrUBGBiCDAncvtW9Bl8VKpOlTyTYFUG8HIrSIwvjmzToDtXJzLvWLmgnqqq6pGrh9VSFpOn5ZdUv0U5HRfaOlDm5vHG/s2048/3+-swinging.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW-qC3gRxIWXgMFltx9CJFuVj2gMqHZh7LqROqsjjGTqukUG6nCNrUBGBiCDAncvtW9Bl8VKpOlTyTYFUG8HIrSIwvjmzToDtXJzLvWLmgnqqq6pGrh9VSFpOn5ZdUv0U5HRfaOlDm5vHG/w300-h400/3+-swinging.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcG_TkcsYN_IMnGRjVps-9iSqY6imLZ7e4xEwF5FCeO5LiH3DOpOfBArKl4AM7zX6AatSNpRqVxHVqTLoCmHYssOf0PwNiUcsoyGdU6C7m4H_umdAbPqco-eQLlX3VlChillaAM3voC1W/s2048/4+-+Christopher+swinging.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDcG_TkcsYN_IMnGRjVps-9iSqY6imLZ7e4xEwF5FCeO5LiH3DOpOfBArKl4AM7zX6AatSNpRqVxHVqTLoCmHYssOf0PwNiUcsoyGdU6C7m4H_umdAbPqco-eQLlX3VlChillaAM3voC1W/w300-h400/4+-+Christopher+swinging.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher swinging</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Andrea picked him up after supper and took him home, and he must have bumped the door lock with his foot when she picked him up to carry him out of her car, and the door locked—and her keys were in the car. She had to call the local locksmith to come out and get into her car to retrieve the keys.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday evening we went up to Andrea’s house to have a combined birthday celebration for Sam and Emily. Their birthdays are close together; Sam’s is the 15th and Emily’s is January 19. Charlie and Sam came out a little earlier in the day and Charlie was able to get Andrea’s snowmobile started and the kids had fun riding on it, even though the weather was very cold.</div><div><br /></div><div>After supper we all played Tripoli for a while and had a good time. Christopher entertained us throughout.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday I had a lot of phone interviews to do, for various articles. I did chores really early, came back in for an interview, went back out to water the horses and heifers, then did another interview, fed the bull on our way to feed the cows, and hurried back to do another interview.</div><div><br /></div><div>The ice is really slippery around Shiloh’s water tub and the next day Dani hauled some dirt from the big pile in her pen, to spread over the ice so she won’t slip and fall down. </div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea left Christopher with us again a couple days ago when she had to go to town (and Emily was working) and I took photos of them when she came to pick him up.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzsEJF8mXvfND3hfhPXT264veveCAUhZfwVq1Gvk1XLBvuyCVFPKYewn_xfFH_8fgvz5J1OGgBtejXuqFtbfD6VOqNNLLBZ1rz9gnpw3krsQIVWD2lB8T0ft5QCJhDKIFVO-zKwNLJyrs/s2048/5+-+Christopher++%2526+grandma+Andrea.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFzsEJF8mXvfND3hfhPXT264veveCAUhZfwVq1Gvk1XLBvuyCVFPKYewn_xfFH_8fgvz5J1OGgBtejXuqFtbfD6VOqNNLLBZ1rz9gnpw3krsQIVWD2lB8T0ft5QCJhDKIFVO-zKwNLJyrs/w300-h400/5+-+Christopher++%2526+grandma+Andrea.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2H-QIWorXOOGIewKBTgS04SUfkSLZ7uK6a1WOdmIXEC6MfA48AzkE1VCJ4p2oT2xU-Utu7Pkc_lQa08NHbIK5LZG5p7M4HjU681Zhrny0x5gnCtRHeVySh8qQy3rDFv-A89kF_ymrp9zt/s2048/6+-+Andrea+%2526+Christopher.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2H-QIWorXOOGIewKBTgS04SUfkSLZ7uK6a1WOdmIXEC6MfA48AzkE1VCJ4p2oT2xU-Utu7Pkc_lQa08NHbIK5LZG5p7M4HjU681Zhrny0x5gnCtRHeVySh8qQy3rDFv-A89kF_ymrp9zt/w300-h400/6+-+Andrea+%2526+Christopher.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & grandma Andrea</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Yesterday it snowed. Dani’s friend Jack carried in more sacks of pellets (from the old barn across the driveway) for our pellet stove, and filled our wood box. It snowed more in the night and we had several inches of new snow this morning. </div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea helped me feed, as usual but the last part of the big round bale (that we need to feed tomorrow) was really precarious and about the fall off the truck every time we hit a frozen cow pie. So we used the baling twines off the 2 little bales that we fed—and tied them to the rope around the big bale core, tying it down to the truck bed in 6 different directions to help stabilize it so we could creep back out of the field and back to the barnyard without that bale core toppling off.</div><div><br /></div><div>This afternoon Emily took Christopher sledding up and down Andrea’s driveway below her house and he thought that was a lot of fun.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduJISZl7sCciVa5yHkBHmIO4YNBE-DqJsLUEPjiFHaclVM7d1ELtaSK4Ogkjo1GY8avdCKr7tt7bSInw9RWokyEK3yqOOykTc5iSvGQ39GwWbXJ3EyKy1sMm7z8LoOrnN4lFViOulPR88/s2048/7+-+Emily+pulling+Christopher%2527s+sled.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduJISZl7sCciVa5yHkBHmIO4YNBE-DqJsLUEPjiFHaclVM7d1ELtaSK4Ogkjo1GY8avdCKr7tt7bSInw9RWokyEK3yqOOykTc5iSvGQ39GwWbXJ3EyKy1sMm7z8LoOrnN4lFViOulPR88/w400-h300/7+-+Emily+pulling+Christopher%2527s+sled.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Emily pulling Christopher's sled</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWpS4lh0MWwCjw6Mpa19yuymp2vw-nDR05bCLoW6usBLBeDWkRW-xAKR04D_4FlshCNh2ejpt-_7S726eRy2H8K3z_hN9ASVwGMuRymkozJD14gWTaZpl2-_ccJ0VX81QGvHSOc4SudYa/s2048/8+-+Em++%2526+Christopher+and+old+Chewy+the+dog.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaWpS4lh0MWwCjw6Mpa19yuymp2vw-nDR05bCLoW6usBLBeDWkRW-xAKR04D_4FlshCNh2ejpt-_7S726eRy2H8K3z_hN9ASVwGMuRymkozJD14gWTaZpl2-_ccJ0VX81QGvHSOc4SudYa/w300-h400/8+-+Em++%2526+Christopher+and+old+Chewy+the+dog.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Em & Christopher and old Chewy the dog</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then Dani took Christopher for a ride around the field on the snowmobile.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhef0YREUVkPmjnNrLDMVvQkRXWGCFpjerXPNhjQ1yn6Rmrj3YbOU83I5KPwxDHnA6ZW0LfBkresNG5_gbV60ISl8YELoxnXhMtBFplIJUCcjXEehdsoKpfQM6pPshG5f6F-LWpyA6jpZrd/s2048/9+-+ready+to+go+snowmobiling.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhef0YREUVkPmjnNrLDMVvQkRXWGCFpjerXPNhjQ1yn6Rmrj3YbOU83I5KPwxDHnA6ZW0LfBkresNG5_gbV60ISl8YELoxnXhMtBFplIJUCcjXEehdsoKpfQM6pPshG5f6F-LWpyA6jpZrd/w400-h300/9+-+ready+to+go+snowmobiling.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to go snowmobiling</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zQ0sxH-tkZQllrTP6RaCrTUpP1x03TvcLYYTQqIEK1KcXMq8jYKU5LFMZc66KfbICR0ji9rpxP1l73jeWsZJ9QtRbTOdOItQDva3dyD53C0qD0HEHn1ZgWciJSy333jbIuaLAC13i6mI/s2048/10+-+having+fun+whizzing+around+the+field.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-zQ0sxH-tkZQllrTP6RaCrTUpP1x03TvcLYYTQqIEK1KcXMq8jYKU5LFMZc66KfbICR0ji9rpxP1l73jeWsZJ9QtRbTOdOItQDva3dyD53C0qD0HEHn1ZgWciJSy333jbIuaLAC13i6mI/w400-h300/10+-+having+fun+whizzing+around+the+field.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">having fun whizzing around the field</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then when the temperature dropped sharply at sundown Andrea took him to the house and Em and Dani continued having fun, and went out over the low range a ways on the snowmobile.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqFp2rajbU7t1s2m987pfONI-IVIag7GcbAJyGgOJlVRTPREVw9uAvBH5PwaneYhGUGQFXKJCeA_TCMguZ6nZ5In4PLv6eMx_PvicLpQGa6anKg5sWDTVgc9e9lPeuiJlT0b6pe7hI2UX/s2048/11+-+Dani+%2526+Em+heading+off+down+the+field+to+go+out+to+the+road+to+the+low+range.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqFp2rajbU7t1s2m987pfONI-IVIag7GcbAJyGgOJlVRTPREVw9uAvBH5PwaneYhGUGQFXKJCeA_TCMguZ6nZ5In4PLv6eMx_PvicLpQGa6anKg5sWDTVgc9e9lPeuiJlT0b6pe7hI2UX/w400-h300/11+-+Dani+%2526+Em+heading+off+down+the+field+to+go+out+to+the+road+to+the+low+range.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani & Em heading off down the field to go out to the road to the low range</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">FEBRUARY 2 </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span>My computer has been acting weird and wasting a lot of time doing “updates” and then having to reverse the updates because they didn’t work, and then doing it all over again after a couple days—making it impossible to work on articles while it is spinning its wheels. I don’t need any “updates” for the things I use my computer for (writing articles and getting e-mails from editors and sending them articles) so my brother came by and turned off its update paranoia. It hasn’t tried to update since, and is no longer interfering with my work!<div><br /></div><div>Sunday morning was 3 below zero, with a high of 17 that afternoon. We are back to breaking ice on the creek every day again for the cows to drink. The next day was just as cold. Jim used our pickup to haul some more firewood up to Andrea’s house.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then Lynn went to town for mail and groceries. A packet arrived from Margot Hauptman’s daughter-in-law in Washington. Margot was the lady from Latvia who was the housekeeper at our dormitory (Harrington Hall) when I was a student at University of Puget Sound, and she was a wonderful person. She was always interested in us students and some of us kept in touch with her after we left the university. I exchanged Christmas letters with her until she passed away in 2001 at the age of 91.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was surprised to get the packet from her daughter-in-law. The letter she sent me explained that she had only recently found the letters, Christmas cards and photos that Margot kept, and she was returning them to me. Her letter said that even though Margot had passed away 19 years earlier, “it took our retirement and then forced lockdown of COVID for her son Martin and me to finally sort through several boxes of her personal things…We have learned a lot about her life and want to thank you for your part. She kept all her ‘Harrington kids’ letters and cards, stuck in books, apron pockets, on her night-stand, desk and coffee table. It was obvious to me that you were very special to her. And so I return them back to you with love and information about her life, knowing that you made her smile.”</div><div><br /></div><div>In the packet were all the letters, etc. that I’d sent her over the years, plus some photos of Margot as a young person riding horses in Latvia, and her obituary. She was born in Orel, Russia in 1910 and raised on the family estate in Riga, Latvia. She was an excellent horsewoman, and an accomplished pianist, receiving a degree from the Riga Conservatory of Music. She was married for 9 wonderful years until the horrors of war chased her and family from their homeland, seeking refuge first in Germany, where they got separated. Margot, her children and parents emigrated to the U.S. and hoped that her husband would eventually be able to join them at the end of the war. Instead, he was locked behind closed borders of the Iron Curtain until he died in 1987.</div><div><br /></div><div>Margot and her family settled in Tacoma, Washington in 1940, with help from the Lutheran Resettlement Service. She worked as a supervisor/teacher at a day care center, as a nanny and housekeeper and then in 1960 became the housekeeper at Harrington Hall at UPS, until she retired in 1975—and then devoted her time to a wonderful flower garden and to keeping track of her many “Harrington kids” like me.</div><div><br /></div><div>Receiving this packet from her daughter-in-law brought back many memories and I shall always treasure my friendship with this very gracious lady who had to make a new life for herself and her children in a strange country.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday was 6 below zero. Andrea helped me feed little bales to our young cows, since their feeder was empty and it would be one another day before we’d be able to start the tractor and put a big bale in their feeder. We plugged in the tractor and put a tarp over the motor to help insulate it from the cold, so it would hopefully start the next day.</div><div><br /></div><div>We had another e-mail from granddaughter Heather in Canada, and more photos-- of the boys playing with their toys, and Joseph showing how strong he is, lifting his little brother.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwPDzQhTpEjf_LfiNdrZinTC5rYXyg6sW2ZLvdWPkt8oGwYz6-5-n5A5feYX0MYZjVZEcS689XxhC1PZMjc7UWGOQhpiysYOTA4sbDjY9GAdc9Ey-O8QVVhEtaJwGMIREMrsh7T_9aXJ1/s2048/12+-+playing.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwPDzQhTpEjf_LfiNdrZinTC5rYXyg6sW2ZLvdWPkt8oGwYz6-5-n5A5feYX0MYZjVZEcS689XxhC1PZMjc7UWGOQhpiysYOTA4sbDjY9GAdc9Ey-O8QVVhEtaJwGMIREMrsh7T_9aXJ1/w400-h300/12+-+playing.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">playing</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrHROaBWdbvDLFQPhrs3nZ7lAVY0QgmfOstEeAJGF_ydJGJc5S-Zqmq4qKPE3YPm-FdFQTbifprzEdmftLg_Zje8UMlanavyztVZtoGjnuap-1-FhNBnm2pZEcxyPr8S4mHna21MubOgl/s1064/13+-+Joseph+lifting+up+little+brother.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="476" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicrHROaBWdbvDLFQPhrs3nZ7lAVY0QgmfOstEeAJGF_ydJGJc5S-Zqmq4qKPE3YPm-FdFQTbifprzEdmftLg_Zje8UMlanavyztVZtoGjnuap-1-FhNBnm2pZEcxyPr8S4mHna21MubOgl/w179-h400/13+-+Joseph+lifting+up+little+brother.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph lifting up little brother</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Dani started her GED classes Tuesday evening. She goes to class twice a week—Tuesdays and Thursdays—and is enjoying them much more than going to school. She has more one-on-one help if she needs it and is not afraid to ask questions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday was a little warmer, but very windy, which made it difficult to feed the cows; hay leaves were blowing away and into our eyes. Fortunately it was the last day’s worth of the big bale on the truck, and we just pushed it off and rolled it down the hill, letting it unroll as it went—leaving a carpet of hay on the ground for the cows to eat, and less apt to blow all the hay leaves away in the wind. On our way back down from the field we saw that the wind had blown the tarp off the big bale by the bull pen (the hay I feed to “Babe”—our new bull) so we had to wrap it up again. We have to keep a tarp around it so the deer don’t get into it and tear up the bale and waste the hay.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea and I loaded the truck again with little bales to take to our “emergency stack” and Lynn was able to get the tractor started—to load another big bale on the truck and take a bale to the young cows’ feeder. One of the front tractor tires was low and about to come off the rim, so he had to take the tractor to the shop and put air in the tire before we could take that bale to the young cows. Then we took a bale of straw to the older cows for bedding, and Andrea took this photo of Lynn and me bringing the tractor back down from the field.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiT1t3AwbBIwYyNUBFB5gMg0S3og_O9Jcg4juptW8gEH0LL52duxPxqIPlxELD9kGbsCEBjwEAa5heFYiiiWftwiyW_I2mvzFy7eBT0ItO0vIW7ZL72EWFaCsjewBwfxTfsaZ9CPP__QZ/s2048/14+-+bringing+tractor+back.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNiT1t3AwbBIwYyNUBFB5gMg0S3og_O9Jcg4juptW8gEH0LL52duxPxqIPlxELD9kGbsCEBjwEAa5heFYiiiWftwiyW_I2mvzFy7eBT0ItO0vIW7ZL72EWFaCsjewBwfxTfsaZ9CPP__QZ/w300-h400/14+-+bringing+tractor+back.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bringing tractor back</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>The wind and cold weather made it difficult for Michael and his fencing crew for several days; they were building a jack fence for a rancher near Lemhi, and the wind chill made it equivalent to 40 below zero. They could only work a few hours each day in those conditions and it put them behind schedule finishing that job. We were glad it wasn’t quite that cold here at our place, but the wind still made working outside miserable.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next couple days were warmer, which made everything easier, and we didn’t have to break ice for the cows and the bull’s water hole. Lynn tweaked his bad knee Thursday evening, however, and it was painful and swollen and he was having trouble walking. I put DMSO on it for a couple days, which helped reduce the pain and swelling, and he’s been wearing his knee brace again, so he won’t tweak it again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday was the day the seniors gave their presentations, showing their senior projects and explaining what they did. Sam’s project was creating the fancy big bumper for her pickup and learning to weld. Even though her bumper got smashed when her pickup slid off the icy road last month and crashed into the rock cliff (and the bumper saved her life) she had it with her at the school and told how she had created it and all the welding she had done.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSYLW9HcdNyy852Uh47p9KQf9Nti7a4JZDuPeiOJeFt9-ZxlK54h7HszShfuYevQQJnWgu5WAEBLu6TggCJ74G17lmQdugSZKqgB4t425owZktoeVXzyDuPjaemhoI5SCfkZIENQBz0x2/s2048/15+-Sam+and+her+bumper.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSYLW9HcdNyy852Uh47p9KQf9Nti7a4JZDuPeiOJeFt9-ZxlK54h7HszShfuYevQQJnWgu5WAEBLu6TggCJ74G17lmQdugSZKqgB4t425owZktoeVXzyDuPjaemhoI5SCfkZIENQBz0x2/w300-h400/15+-Sam+and+her+bumper.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam and her bumper</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>That evening it snowed and we had 3 inches of new snow the next morning. We loaded another bale on the feed truck and took down the deer netting around the alfalfa bales so we could get a bale for the yearling heifers. Their feeder had been empty a couple days and I’d been feeding them little bales of my horse hay. We helped Lynn get into the tractor, using a stool, so he wouldn’t strain his bad knee; the first step up into the tractor is a little too high.</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea has been cleaning house and getting ready to go visit Stan for a while in California, and took this photo of Christopher lounging on her couch, eating chips.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7TYDTul79o7oa-WqflRUxqcgSTFTUTKEjkZ4YAHoPUzFS8IO-SdBmNmCXEFDJEKgkRQzcN067ab0_yPVsWXfPodkmQ7B2-lwlf7VVR1avo1cjWiecUomsp18NPkuJCxzH1X-g03XTqMh/s2048/16+-+Christopher+relaxing+%2526+eating+chips.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7TYDTul79o7oa-WqflRUxqcgSTFTUTKEjkZ4YAHoPUzFS8IO-SdBmNmCXEFDJEKgkRQzcN067ab0_yPVsWXfPodkmQ7B2-lwlf7VVR1avo1cjWiecUomsp18NPkuJCxzH1X-g03XTqMh/w300-h400/16+-+Christopher+relaxing+%2526+eating+chips.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Cristopher relaxing & eating chips</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Sunday was cold again, and it wasn’t snowing, so the roads were better, and Andrea left early that morning to drive to California to stay a week with Stan. Jim helped me feed cows, and will help during this coming week while Andrea is gone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday I chopped a bigger hole in the ice for the bull’s water hole; the hole had gotten so small that he could barely get his nose down in it to reach the water. </div><div><br /></div><div>Christopher had a bad night and a high fever. Emily and Dani nearly took him to town to the ER but he finally settled down and slept and seems to be doing a little better this morning. Emily had to work this afternoon and evening, and Dani had to go to her GED classes, so Lynn went up to Andrea’s house to help Jim take care of Christopher. He was feeling better by then and seems to be past the worst of whatever ailed him.</div><div><br /></div><div>When I did chores this evening I discovered that the cows had come down from the field through the open gate by the hold pen, and had gotten the tarp off the big bale by the bull corral and were eating it and messing it up. I chased them back to the field and gathered up the scattered hay and put the tarp around it again (to keep the deer out). From now on we’ll have to leave that gate shut! The cows have been really good about staying up in the field where we feed them, but now that they’ve discovered the bull’s hay, we won’t be able to trust them!</div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">FEBRUARY 11 </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span>We ordered vaccine for the cows and Lynn picked it up at the vet clinic last week. We were going to vaccinate them this week after Andrea got back from California (their pre-calving vaccinations to ensure a high level of antibodies in their colostrum, to keep the calves healthy and prevent scours) but the weather has been too cold and nasty. We’ll hope to vaccinate them next week.<div><br /></div><div>Last Thursday Michael brought his skid steer and a couple loads of posts and poles, and he and two of his fencing crew guys started work on rebuilding several of our bad fences. They took down the old pole fence along the lane to the post pile pasture (an old fence that was nearly 50 years old and the posts and poles were rotting and the poles breaking). Dani stopped by on her way to town for her GED class and brought in some firewood for us; our wood box was about empty.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next day we had new snow and the guys didn’t work on the fence. Saturday was warm enough (40 degrees by afternoon) that the snow melted and settled a little. Dani brought Christopher down here for us to take care of that day, when she went to her job at the motel, and picked him up that evening. Emily and a co-worked had to go to Pocatello. The roads were bad on this end, and Jim loaned Emily his pickup for that trip, since it has better snow tires than Em’s car or Andrea’s old car.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday was cold and windy all day, and the wind made it miserable for feeding hay. Dani had to work all day again at the motel, cleaning rooms and making beds; the motel was full, with the weekend hockey tournament here and all the teams from out of town. Emily dropped Christopher off at our house again on her way to work and we took care of him for the afternoon and evening. That kid is sure growing, and very “busy” and quite entertaining. He jabbers away in his own language and probably wonders why we can’t understand what he’s trying to tell us!</div><div><br /></div><div>Andrea drove home from California and got here about 11 p.m. that evening. Even though the wind was bad most of the way, the roads were good. She took a photo of elk in one of the fields along the highway as she came down the Lemhi River.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoUaqy1sIyEpGzVQVZIZeqLrMf32EumL-0hNe7EH5laCAFNS3Ee4AzhHsGEg3LKfXhyM9uUiRaFUapOFXMoWUUho0ihflxnhe4gOAlCf5WT1_LJItI22nUs4njf-qaoThz-9y4oYicCnK/s2048/17+-+elk+next+to+highway.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoUaqy1sIyEpGzVQVZIZeqLrMf32EumL-0hNe7EH5laCAFNS3Ee4AzhHsGEg3LKfXhyM9uUiRaFUapOFXMoWUUho0ihflxnhe4gOAlCf5WT1_LJItI22nUs4njf-qaoThz-9y4oYicCnK/w400-h300/17+-+elk+next+to+highway.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">elk next to highway</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Monday the guys came back to work on the fence. They took out the old fence along the top of the horse pasture (some of the posts are rotting off, after being there for nearly 50 years when we fenced that pasture) and started setting new posts, and started taking down the old rotten pole fence around the pen below the calving barn.</div><div><br /></div><div>The first dump truck load of rocks came at noon (to fill in the deep eroded hole below the calving barn where the ditch has washed the bank away, and gotten too deep all the way down along the fence). Our driveway was icy and we knew the truck would have trouble getting back up it (especially empty, with no traction) so Andrea spread some sand at the top of it where it’s the steepest. The truck driver got a good run at it (starting from where he turned around across the creek) and barely made it up around the corner without spinning out. So before the next load came, Andrea and I dug buckets full of dry dirt out of the big pile in Shiloh’s pen (next to the driveway) and spread dirt over the icy tracks, the whole length of the driveway. We got that job finished just before the second load arrived. While I was out there I hiked down to the field below the lane and took a photo of the heifers eating at their feeder.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5RcptY5DVRPhFiZXVysJKpC8DUrIF_6ol8iQP3WKTP654VRkxDPtrYYwF-le99BXU2k3d2bGK02lxF4k0Hw1FrDr4zFVKNzVFuC05va8nyTX_fYKEhj5lhYUSHjqqY_JBLDqEFgoTotd/s2048/18+-+heifers+eating+at+their+feeder.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie5RcptY5DVRPhFiZXVysJKpC8DUrIF_6ol8iQP3WKTP654VRkxDPtrYYwF-le99BXU2k3d2bGK02lxF4k0Hw1FrDr4zFVKNzVFuC05va8nyTX_fYKEhj5lhYUSHjqqY_JBLDqEFgoTotd/w400-h300/18+-+heifers+eating+at+their+feeder.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifers eating at their feeder</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>We’d used up all our spare sand at the top of the driveway so when Lynn went to town he and Jim got 3 more tubs of sand to replenish our supply for putting along the icy banks where the cows have to go into the creek for water.</div><div><br /></div><div>We got 3 dump-truck loads of rocks that afternoon, and Michael spread them into the deep ditch, with his skid steer, and also dragged several batches of poles up to the top of the horse pasture where the guys were setting posts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday morning was cold again, below zero, but sunny, and it warmed up to 20 degrees. The guys were able to finish rebuilding the horse pasture fence and I took photos of their handiwork. This will be much more durable than the old one that was sagging, with the old posts rotting off.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4-OalVa2JNUbtO_197soJV1la2PR1wM2ba_cArbNnhAZ2nkD6oAV_yEmlBFhEfQRBD4BtI7Xs5BZFaGZUYBLWLawt05EsjbaN6TiThXNwdP5OODytQP90d8-0zgOPpv_nky32Fk1R_qK/s2048/19+-+new+fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs4-OalVa2JNUbtO_197soJV1la2PR1wM2ba_cArbNnhAZ2nkD6oAV_yEmlBFhEfQRBD4BtI7Xs5BZFaGZUYBLWLawt05EsjbaN6TiThXNwdP5OODytQP90d8-0zgOPpv_nky32Fk1R_qK/w400-h300/19+-+new+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66xxy_ncmdDzdFFoJuFqmUIF1di0jXgQfCeeLtoqOQf7jB4XsdxUm9TtO_0o9GxUWixOUxX51q2-8UEBW9p3g30YC7Zrt_iNEhsP0hjapAiAtO3A18rmGyJEUCmV2j94OW0uM5hY3jUKU/s2048/20+-+new+fence.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66xxy_ncmdDzdFFoJuFqmUIF1di0jXgQfCeeLtoqOQf7jB4XsdxUm9TtO_0o9GxUWixOUxX51q2-8UEBW9p3g30YC7Zrt_iNEhsP0hjapAiAtO3A18rmGyJEUCmV2j94OW0uM5hY3jUKU/w400-h300/20+-+new+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P6PDOfsyaAjn9tvVlaYknFlGUBf78YDbYl1OpFxnQUyWUXnDxNibivtURENUktkKvz5l35q-F_slMj0joZkQhmQDlhAi0_kkLSmvMibQ58z-i9wuZZuweLGuAJ8kM_S28uDKkpi_hXNA/s2048/21+-+new+horse+pasture+fence.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5P6PDOfsyaAjn9tvVlaYknFlGUBf78YDbYl1OpFxnQUyWUXnDxNibivtURENUktkKvz5l35q-F_slMj0joZkQhmQDlhAi0_kkLSmvMibQ58z-i9wuZZuweLGuAJ8kM_S28uDKkpi_hXNA/w400-h300/21+-+new+horse+pasture+fence.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new horse pasture fence</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Then they set the posts below the barn for part of the new fence around that pen. Michael had plowed all the snow out of it with his skid steer and piled the brush back a ways to clear a good path for setting the new posts. They got the poles on one side of the lane below the barn and I took photos of their progress.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcrBioozk7hLGSX_xAYUWwwNK4cRdlErSxmz49ybkR5DsgoNvEXxYT8KDZZy2hd8IKeTg2EgQ0MUvzbvkBNP_Mf30WoqMS0UeExPDSvzVRwkaf4R2xUU5bqchV133VP8lwsgR2nlEHjgc/s2048/22+-rebuilding+fence+below+barn.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkcrBioozk7hLGSX_xAYUWwwNK4cRdlErSxmz49ybkR5DsgoNvEXxYT8KDZZy2hd8IKeTg2EgQ0MUvzbvkBNP_Mf30WoqMS0UeExPDSvzVRwkaf4R2xUU5bqchV133VP8lwsgR2nlEHjgc/w400-h300/22+-rebuilding+fence+below+barn.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">rebuilding fence below barn</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj622T9sW8hH5eSboVPkpmX36yiowyav_Z9gsTds0Ldgp6OB4SVzUz9xh0ygqB_B3EJfVz6HC-EdHy8T4i88SqOFJFCcIIIPdfE2yeJuuZVOHMcVfVIxQyzY6jUnVEcY_AviB3jQvhQ94D1/s2048/23+-+putting+up+poles.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj622T9sW8hH5eSboVPkpmX36yiowyav_Z9gsTds0Ldgp6OB4SVzUz9xh0ygqB_B3EJfVz6HC-EdHy8T4i88SqOFJFCcIIIPdfE2yeJuuZVOHMcVfVIxQyzY6jUnVEcY_AviB3jQvhQ94D1/w400-h300/23+-+putting+up+poles.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: medium; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ITRoBK-gEqw4RRp8c8bBSyOWuyfIwzo6X0dJaXCEk_UYq8wPFR2qkCSGeAOja8l2lLbyjwPlwD_jel4pnICFssPxeaWAAjkpPusiadzAePe8t6VjKDcx06LJyKJa6-f7b0m52rFtY2eP/s2048/24+-+putting+up+poles.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ITRoBK-gEqw4RRp8c8bBSyOWuyfIwzo6X0dJaXCEk_UYq8wPFR2qkCSGeAOja8l2lLbyjwPlwD_jel4pnICFssPxeaWAAjkpPusiadzAePe8t6VjKDcx06LJyKJa6-f7b0m52rFtY2eP/w400-h300/24+-+putting+up+poles.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">putting up poles</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div>Andrea helped me feed, and brought in a little firewood. Then that afternoon she and Dani went to town; they each had doctor’s appointments. Andrea was having her shoulder looked at (follow-up from the MRI that was done earlier), and Dani was having a second appointment with our family doctor who is trying to help her with depression issues. She needs to see a counselor but the only way she can be referred to a counselor, in this medical system, is to have her admitted to the ER and sent to a specialist. So, yesterday evening Dani went to the ER and then Andrea had to drive her to Idaho falls late last night, to be admitted to a facility where she will be evaluated and assessed to determine what is going on with her (possibly bi-polar) and what medications might help.</div><div><br /></div><div>This morning it was down to zero again but got up to 20 degrees by afternoon. The ice was thick over the bull’s water hole so I had to chop it out when I did chores. Lynn helped me feed cows, since Andrea was still in Idaho Falls, and Jim had a doctor’s appointment in town. </div><div><br /></div><div>The fence crew was here again today, working on the pen below the barn, putting up poles on the posts they set yesterday, and setting posts for the new fence between the pen and the field where the heifers are. The hydraulic pounder is able to drive the posts through the frozen ground.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6_glphV6cZrFZw9V5W6mo5BvGcR1zXtM7g1Ieo-WZR5ORWeF1ES3WxkG-D7Lv4sTovplhBw3ZfFnJVeUV-kh-1f19Q2YZdpUBUenE2qcAI-MfiZRC2r2Bfahh7DPKoKls2Eo1RIB-mcI/s2048/25+-+pounding+posts.JPG"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF6_glphV6cZrFZw9V5W6mo5BvGcR1zXtM7g1Ieo-WZR5ORWeF1ES3WxkG-D7Lv4sTovplhBw3ZfFnJVeUV-kh-1f19Q2YZdpUBUenE2qcAI-MfiZRC2r2Bfahh7DPKoKls2Eo1RIB-mcI/w400-h300/25+-+pounding+posts.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_x9_StuwVB2RAFfb13CAZ-yTvMGkICYTAlzOofiI0ED76dDmxzxXxIiG_K-YrGxVh4OHbiTaCUxt_QUtOwQXLT-vPsNMTC3unW0QYGERaNryXj3rQh7ATVpbsulaxGMKNZUt3np5Iq-UK/s2048/26+-setting+the+posts.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_x9_StuwVB2RAFfb13CAZ-yTvMGkICYTAlzOofiI0ED76dDmxzxXxIiG_K-YrGxVh4OHbiTaCUxt_QUtOwQXLT-vPsNMTC3unW0QYGERaNryXj3rQh7ATVpbsulaxGMKNZUt3np5Iq-UK/w400-h300/26+-setting+the+posts.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NS0TdzLyF9T8g9yGDO1W_qNWC3ZBHGZVOzOczQCt7Iv1-DFutgvmK4YUFEgWGezOAFZ1I74Z-yWg7mYfq_bEXDXk0Nr0vrqsKzJtxu6l3cSbqIJunRfinh0s_3Src0Gwu4VUlK3s3VQY/s2048/27+-+pounding+posts.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8NS0TdzLyF9T8g9yGDO1W_qNWC3ZBHGZVOzOczQCt7Iv1-DFutgvmK4YUFEgWGezOAFZ1I74Z-yWg7mYfq_bEXDXk0Nr0vrqsKzJtxu6l3cSbqIJunRfinh0s_3Src0Gwu4VUlK3s3VQY/w400-h300/27+-+pounding+posts.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">pounding posts</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>The heifers were not very worried about the noisy post-pounder; one of them was napping nearby and she never even bothered to get up.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYrHFisdn29DzZP0YknDePtIR6H-x4PUBZk4xA5CPolc97qosCeBvHFoTsAYJUv3ni5UAsH8wV2tdc1XqW6S_YEl4BejDdbKZlcfIGR108RzdQVWUtkMHIBMOXJiCavsx1MPyFdXRUHdh/s2048/28+-+heifer+napping.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHYrHFisdn29DzZP0YknDePtIR6H-x4PUBZk4xA5CPolc97qosCeBvHFoTsAYJUv3ni5UAsH8wV2tdc1XqW6S_YEl4BejDdbKZlcfIGR108RzdQVWUtkMHIBMOXJiCavsx1MPyFdXRUHdh/w400-h300/28+-+heifer+napping.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifer napping
</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_dBnXo4H9jtWwOLH9hn1WZmlRkW-aFKjCIMXgcZTUay0evBoCRJQZE3VgXABEIUA760ezBehlf9agJ6m3Cb0sahOX3RSezjAKGyG28KbUlrtf2m4NBuexS-ewT8KRiHxEsKfYnIEYlAK/s2048/29+-heifer+napping+next+to+post+pounding.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb_dBnXo4H9jtWwOLH9hn1WZmlRkW-aFKjCIMXgcZTUay0evBoCRJQZE3VgXABEIUA760ezBehlf9agJ6m3Cb0sahOX3RSezjAKGyG28KbUlrtf2m4NBuexS-ewT8KRiHxEsKfYnIEYlAK/w400-h300/29+-heifer+napping+next+to+post+pounding.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">heifer napping next to post pounding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />It will be really nice when the crew gets this fence finished; we built the old pen nearly 50 years ago, and this new fence will definitely out-last Lynn and me!</span></div><div><br /></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683579329230827491.post-7863324851086864862021-10-14T10:16:00.006-07:002021-10-14T10:17:32.783-07:00Diary from Sky Range Ranch - December 15 through January 14, 2021<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">DECEMBER 24 </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– </span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">We had cold weather last week, nearly down to zero and then it warmed up a little. We bought a couple more protein tubs for the cows and Jim helped unload them up in the field by Andrea’s house. We are hoping to not have to feed hay to our main bunch of cows until after Christmas and the protein helped encourage them to keep grazing and go up on the hill where there is still some grass that isn’t snowed under.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Wednesday it actually got up to 30 degrees in the afternoon. Lynn and I took a little bale to the young cows on his 4-wheeler. Dani left Christopher here on her way to work and picked him up that night on her way home.</span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent a photo of Joseph and little James sledding and it looked like they were having a great time. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6VQRu5eNmLYyVtiq0Pc0nrlMDFsZHkGUQymYv9yTbbbHrnzA452C1KdM1F5edZvQ5Q3WU3ciqeUU4m8eFdJfbdE37Kd3xBuItE52YBEu4c3A7pTOywEgEhsI7SWshvQtfUDcWc60F9hm/s2048/1+-Canadian+boys+sledding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6VQRu5eNmLYyVtiq0Pc0nrlMDFsZHkGUQymYv9yTbbbHrnzA452C1KdM1F5edZvQ5Q3WU3ciqeUU4m8eFdJfbdE37Kd3xBuItE52YBEu4c3A7pTOywEgEhsI7SWshvQtfUDcWc60F9hm/w300-h400/1+-Canadian+boys+sledding.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Canadian boys sledding</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Thursday morning it snowed and Dani came down and helped us untarp one of the big round bales in the stackyard and Lynn took it up to the field with the tractor, for the young cows. Dani took them a bucket of loose salt and mineral. Then we hauled a ladder around to the stackyard to make it easier the next time we have to get the tarp off a top bale. While she was here she carried several sacks of pellets into the house from the shed across the driveway, for Lynn’s pellet stove. On cold nights we usually have that stove going as well as the wood stove in the kitchen. That afternoon it snowed again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea drove home from California on Friday. The roads were fairly good, considering the new snow, and she got here before midnight. She brought home a saddle that she and Stan bought for Dani for Christmas, and the next morning Emily brought it down here so we could hide it at our house until Christmas.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">On Sunday Andrea put up a temporary electric fence down around her driveway, with a “gate” across a flatter spot so it will be easier for people to stop and open and shut it. The real gate is across a steeper part of the driveway and it’s hard for vehicles to stop there and get going again without spinning out on the ice. This will make it easier to keep a gate closed so the cows can’t keep going up into her yard. It was a little difficult to put the step-in posts in a few places (frozen ground) but it wasn’t as frozen in some of the areas covered with deep snow and she was able to keep the fence standing up.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday was warm and rainy and foggy, and the rain made everything even more slippery, then it was very windy that night and blew one tarp mostly off my stack of hay next to Sprout’s pen. It also blew the little trampoline in Andrea’s yard clear over the fence and down into the field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I wasn’t going to send out Christmas letters this year (too busy trying to meet article deadlines that I hadn’t taken time to write one) but as we received more and more cards and letters from extended family and friends, I realized I’d better write one and at least send out a few, so people wouldn’t wonder if we’d died of COVID!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So I wrote a letter of sorts and yesterday when Lynn went to town to get a couple more tubs of protein for the cows, he had some copies made. I also took time to draw horses on a bunch of white T-shirts (my traditional “grandma” gift for everyone in the family –personalized T-shirts).</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The new edition of my book Storey’s Guide to Training Horses has just come out, and the publisher sent me a few copies. It’s a nice update, and the illustrations for this one are in color. I took photos of the new edition.</span></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmAB-Tt89Df0W_M2Wkskhc4si2AEqsS9op7vljmP7XsUgFS2ahiyNosda1OHj7n1X2M0KYzllTCVvorn0GJeT73bBhg-biN0jBK4zPOp3JpTfIje34KLIGdW9OpYENBTDvDzW-8-eJeIn/s2048/2+-+new+book.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHmAB-Tt89Df0W_M2Wkskhc4si2AEqsS9op7vljmP7XsUgFS2ahiyNosda1OHj7n1X2M0KYzllTCVvorn0GJeT73bBhg-biN0jBK4zPOp3JpTfIje34KLIGdW9OpYENBTDvDzW-8-eJeIn/w300-h400/2+-+new+book.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new book</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8vDm4HmdjX7ITESskYk0XbMwrMVyTzIYnS9Al1T6mHFto3oySqkRTCL0Pb165gH_a9Ey42Pvfk1uiYjtQiynnYPwwGSJxIEre9gLNjri9cbfmkHkM6pRAS59nhKYhrvddHg05ZkPWFQ8/s2048/3+-+new+book+back+cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS8vDm4HmdjX7ITESskYk0XbMwrMVyTzIYnS9Al1T6mHFto3oySqkRTCL0Pb165gH_a9Ey42Pvfk1uiYjtQiynnYPwwGSJxIEre9gLNjri9cbfmkHkM6pRAS59nhKYhrvddHg05ZkPWFQ8/w300-h400/3+-+new+book+back+cover.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new book back cover</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Also, my book Beyond the Flames: A Family Touched by Fire is being reprinted by Lemur press and I took photos of it, as well.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtvI6ecy6z2CcTi1lfWwXyfVVzTM7NCcjha5MDEC6qqiFf0OKo5XjP2AYtSjKQdjVNAz9NP2KhTuv2onqd4nIBWcv8iZ1c8_LCcEOJnf_QTIl41YhK6g-T-LCUDkIxMKVqbJBPbRqbXrE/s2048/4+-+reprint.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOtvI6ecy6z2CcTi1lfWwXyfVVzTM7NCcjha5MDEC6qqiFf0OKo5XjP2AYtSjKQdjVNAz9NP2KhTuv2onqd4nIBWcv8iZ1c8_LCcEOJnf_QTIl41YhK6g-T-LCUDkIxMKVqbJBPbRqbXrE/w300-h400/4+-+reprint.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">reprint</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsoLF6mPgfJ2EMgYbcWvBCEHsxi0w2cfS8SLrpsmfpoMA38JHIJSWQsKhEFGMwODjsLsWnrcmBSUxrZRkUUhbJr7TMtYOa5QVWYez9qsslTShufHNP8V6YFqIMxmWll0ulm-xwhoP2cck/s2048/5+-+back+cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsoLF6mPgfJ2EMgYbcWvBCEHsxi0w2cfS8SLrpsmfpoMA38JHIJSWQsKhEFGMwODjsLsWnrcmBSUxrZRkUUhbJr7TMtYOa5QVWYez9qsslTShufHNP8V6YFqIMxmWll0ulm-xwhoP2cck/w300-h400/5+-+back+cover.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">back cover</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was cold again (only 6 degrees this morning, with a high of 22 degrees). The tractor barely started at noon, even after being plugged in all night), and we took a big round bale up to the young cows in the field above the house. Dani helped me move their feeder to a new location. At this point these are the only cows we are feeding hay (except I’m giving the weaned heifers a little of my horse hay every morning, to encourage them to get going and graze in the snow; they still have a lot of good pasture left if it doesn’t snow clear under). The older cows are still grazing on the hill behind Andrea’s house.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Michael stopped by on his way to town and dropped up some gifts and a big plate of cookies that Carolyn made, and we gave him our gifts for him and Carolyn and Nick (who will be spending Christmas with them). My brother Rocky stopped by also and we exchanged gifts, and I took a picture of him with his “Santa” beard.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WMWbrTEpiOp8EZOpjeH8jF1n3o00lxvqCtwD0Nfgel7Y7kPFBvrG7xp7PZPq8pMYwPWK1u3dhZVX8d65GX2KgcuNpSNz-3KYq2LVcRhoy5675fIBZMdq6bYB-zhdgUS035GaJuQux_1T/s2048/6+-+brother+Rocky+%2526+his+beard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5WMWbrTEpiOp8EZOpjeH8jF1n3o00lxvqCtwD0Nfgel7Y7kPFBvrG7xp7PZPq8pMYwPWK1u3dhZVX8d65GX2KgcuNpSNz-3KYq2LVcRhoy5675fIBZMdq6bYB-zhdgUS035GaJuQux_1T/w300-h400/6+-+brother+Rocky+%2526+his+beard.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">brother Rocky & his beard</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JANUARY 3 </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">– </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Christmas day I started sending out more cards and letters, and finished the series of articles for Bovine Med’s new website. We broke ice on the creek for the cows. Nick stopped by for a visit here, while he was spending the day with his parents. It was great to get a chance to see him.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Granddaughter Heather in Canada sent photos that were taken that day of their little family.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikH2Y1vooSfTXMIWpWz3cin7BretS_hYtV8jdO75pmaPlXjaBxQHWRCPH05J9FpewCBUcj8LRAFfvqO4vkxx8WcszGOueUx5EckkZOJELJzS0mryaGk31YGj1U-_TxzB4NXC0T-TMFagu9/s2048/7+-+Heather%252C+Gregory+and+boys.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikH2Y1vooSfTXMIWpWz3cin7BretS_hYtV8jdO75pmaPlXjaBxQHWRCPH05J9FpewCBUcj8LRAFfvqO4vkxx8WcszGOueUx5EckkZOJELJzS0mryaGk31YGj1U-_TxzB4NXC0T-TMFagu9/w300-h400/7+-+Heather%252C+Gregory+and+boys.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdeDq_heoeiIQ6QFVc0aYxMVWtu8GFTPrn-ut7Fq-KXBIksMkVijMYJf5mZBlWEnN2gcFzg1gPU-KlA9yzHHO_Ri-i7e4bZHMyptU46_BjJwFqadUxGaZ5ej5WRHPEexXqXI-xopiMV5C/s2048/8+-+Heather%252C+Gregory+%2526+boys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcdeDq_heoeiIQ6QFVc0aYxMVWtu8GFTPrn-ut7Fq-KXBIksMkVijMYJf5mZBlWEnN2gcFzg1gPU-KlA9yzHHO_Ri-i7e4bZHMyptU46_BjJwFqadUxGaZ5ej5WRHPEexXqXI-xopiMV5C/w400-h300/8+-+Heather%252C+Gregory+%2526+boys.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Heather, Gregory and boys</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">She also took photos of the boys in their Sunday clothes, and young Joseph later showing off some of his Christmas gifts.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfm4BhWHEJob5uF-DleqYvYWH5ad4sMRoNy_RFdSc7wj5IpO7WKjwlTnL3FxxG2LaAqBtH_j2pqx-9K1oKVvFjIkM2bJoalOcvmv7BgWq9Hi9A_nf2l8zVhf0jqqkB9lxaVzBEsE5V-2s/s2048/9+-+young+James.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitfm4BhWHEJob5uF-DleqYvYWH5ad4sMRoNy_RFdSc7wj5IpO7WKjwlTnL3FxxG2LaAqBtH_j2pqx-9K1oKVvFjIkM2bJoalOcvmv7BgWq9Hi9A_nf2l8zVhf0jqqkB9lxaVzBEsE5V-2s/w300-h400/9+-+young+James.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">young James</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH7ubsz_aXmxQOuKZsBU6igGtTsQ2KPRyavYwrsr_M_6sO1qn7LxXekycqLdcVCX2IoUp2KXMY0z7gLkssgBssVJ34B8lfFSLadeocBmBQV3U05hD56HoTk5W-nlCiwjIz0-KGfomx9Mu/s2048/10+-+James+and+Joseph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhH7ubsz_aXmxQOuKZsBU6igGtTsQ2KPRyavYwrsr_M_6sO1qn7LxXekycqLdcVCX2IoUp2KXMY0z7gLkssgBssVJ34B8lfFSLadeocBmBQV3U05hD56HoTk5W-nlCiwjIz0-KGfomx9Mu/w300-h400/10+-+James+and+Joseph.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">James and Joseph</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFJDCKRWKvlTMADb48hRcJg9KbosuOWrQ7pfHqVZW7Nm1W4JqMCDWl6heEKOnI13dGG1unEHpfTCHmhsujdX8NhYN5-H8haFTMmUwl0BK5K1MuAPZxn__EpFigUnX9g_2IIvzMHGaD8kW/s2048/11+-+Joseph+and+his+new+winter+hat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTFJDCKRWKvlTMADb48hRcJg9KbosuOWrQ7pfHqVZW7Nm1W4JqMCDWl6heEKOnI13dGG1unEHpfTCHmhsujdX8NhYN5-H8haFTMmUwl0BK5K1MuAPZxn__EpFigUnX9g_2IIvzMHGaD8kW/w300-h400/11+-+Joseph+and+his+new+winter+hat.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Joseph and his new winter hat</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We didn’t celebrate Christmas until Sunday when Stan and all of Andrea’s kids could come out to her house. Stan drove back from California on Saturday, getting here at 9:30 that evening. Andrea spent that day cleaning house and getting a turkey ready to cook for Sunday. Dani came down and carried more sacks of pellets into our house for Lynn’s pellet stove. We took advantage of it being a little warmer (so the feed truck would start) and drove it over here by the house so it can be plugged in on cold mornings, in case we needed to start feeding hay to the cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That evening I finished wrapping gifts for Andrea’s kids, and made a huge box (duct taping two big boxes together) to wrap up the saddle for Dani.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sunday morning was cold and I did chores early and fed the heifers extra hay (taking some of my horse hay out to the field with the calf sled) and broke ice for the little bull. Sam and her friend Colter stopped by on their way to Andrea’s house, and picked up the big box with the saddle in it, and some of the other gifts to take up there. Soon after, Charlie and one of his best friends came, too.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After breakfast Lynn and I went up to Andrea’s house (and took our part of the pot-luck meal) and watched everyone open presents. I took photos of Christopher checking out his stocking from Santa and opening his presents, sitting on the little couch with Stan.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF4QYogMML1gs8myyBbwWyRAQjljKhIKP1ZTRs43jcOSki3TW4XkZF7WYKAV9Z48KkhOOWc4Ft1SRsLImH7Zh6j4mio-Vy1S_gFVFzFQLWsdU1_e9BLVF8GOnT1dgUQrheBGwnqQuEGUo/s2048/12+-+Christopher+%2526+Stan.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIF4QYogMML1gs8myyBbwWyRAQjljKhIKP1ZTRs43jcOSki3TW4XkZF7WYKAV9Z48KkhOOWc4Ft1SRsLImH7Zh6j4mio-Vy1S_gFVFzFQLWsdU1_e9BLVF8GOnT1dgUQrheBGwnqQuEGUo/w300-h400/12+-+Christopher+%2526+Stan.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHV2A04A6j3rk0B_g-dd5UDVOrl7kUE8eniY0mX5-61IGxQf79R0kHS4MF4mmva6CSFiSrSNEGx42WhgsldA67njccwJq9nqkX3aPrZ4sZKyOL6sITlXi2j2PXO2D8sLSogBD_BDtXsaK7/s2048/13+-Christopher+%2526+Stan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHV2A04A6j3rk0B_g-dd5UDVOrl7kUE8eniY0mX5-61IGxQf79R0kHS4MF4mmva6CSFiSrSNEGx42WhgsldA67njccwJq9nqkX3aPrZ4sZKyOL6sITlXi2j2PXO2D8sLSogBD_BDtXsaK7/w300-h400/13+-Christopher+%2526+Stan.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher & Stan</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher had a lot of fun opening presents. Last year (at not quite a year of age) he didn’t quite have it figured out, but this year he quickly got the hang of tearing open the wrapping paper and checking out what was inside.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS4HxCD9D2JiGWm4fyCF4hVYuMjNZWmV-Tu1YGuXr8Qn77DVWxBteDjmkoSH7gT3CHWDXbfD07CPVhFtPhnBk-40lQ8lkKv5eb6kx08VrjeO9KdFtLQKILs-JvUUHv-fRt1QwHsNbptIf/s2048/14+-+Christopher+opening+presents.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLS4HxCD9D2JiGWm4fyCF4hVYuMjNZWmV-Tu1YGuXr8Qn77DVWxBteDjmkoSH7gT3CHWDXbfD07CPVhFtPhnBk-40lQ8lkKv5eb6kx08VrjeO9KdFtLQKILs-JvUUHv-fRt1QwHsNbptIf/w300-h400/14+-+Christopher+opening+presents.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZDoni-WqHYJWEsWcHyXi04qpac1Z1PQe5hakKTr1CIT9BI8tIWH3OpuKVG14fDlIIWkXsB9gBUSFGGvYIrfAZBlVabXsq9-AomAtrGxofhBaEHYlV2bI3wZYNe5Lipc76KqtdfJhupWB/s2048/15+-+Christopher+opening+presents.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPZDoni-WqHYJWEsWcHyXi04qpac1Z1PQe5hakKTr1CIT9BI8tIWH3OpuKVG14fDlIIWkXsB9gBUSFGGvYIrfAZBlVabXsq9-AomAtrGxofhBaEHYlV2bI3wZYNe5Lipc76KqtdfJhupWB/w300-h400/15+-+Christopher+opening+presents.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher opening presents</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">He was also fascinated watching Dani open the big box that had her saddle in it.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJNDkHAtCgIMjPdw3Pwcj6PAT1i8blkzu10q1hJ2URuee9K40-F5erImRA_Lbqap70pY7wZL4JkK3lBQvMmjr3vYbe58sf9GueYRBc0jIVcm46aCM6zg6niFZ9bdFMCfB4TfOuKreotYB/s2048/16+-+Dani+opening+the+big+box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJNDkHAtCgIMjPdw3Pwcj6PAT1i8blkzu10q1hJ2URuee9K40-F5erImRA_Lbqap70pY7wZL4JkK3lBQvMmjr3vYbe58sf9GueYRBc0jIVcm46aCM6zg6niFZ9bdFMCfB4TfOuKreotYB/w300-h400/16+-+Dani+opening+the+big+box.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani opening the big box</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BTeE5GYieMK-EClDyrZRpYWJme2tlIJ0Ro9aIoOHqbZLZ4AjUTeaZHlBBwsl9zgJ3bC7oM1YtcoOkmWP7fLTAXHiinvB6OTjz1QgCVNwzkeLsXeppahpVAsgDBZgI9GaxjXmcP6UNku9/s2048/17+-+Dani%2527s+new+saddle.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BTeE5GYieMK-EClDyrZRpYWJme2tlIJ0Ro9aIoOHqbZLZ4AjUTeaZHlBBwsl9zgJ3bC7oM1YtcoOkmWP7fLTAXHiinvB6OTjz1QgCVNwzkeLsXeppahpVAsgDBZgI9GaxjXmcP6UNku9/w300-h400/17+-+Dani%2527s+new+saddle.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXB4Zt6rEMU85r367SICvGQYtzIVPcfm8rOOQG89xBNYNNMaKGZTpHe3yL6KQ0qIirQECNChQJB5yJ6PQKRSP2R8VTkPJF87tDFYWUtZRo-CwmEhh-fZToTpAUTmpm-7t7w8ZZ9EvvS3mJ/s2048/18+-+Dani%2527s+saddle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXB4Zt6rEMU85r367SICvGQYtzIVPcfm8rOOQG89xBNYNNMaKGZTpHe3yL6KQ0qIirQECNChQJB5yJ6PQKRSP2R8VTkPJF87tDFYWUtZRo-CwmEhh-fZToTpAUTmpm-7t7w8ZZ9EvvS3mJ/w300-h400/18+-+Dani%2527s+saddle.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani's new saddle</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">He had great fun until the girls put him on Dani’s new saddle with it held up like it was on a horse, and he slipped and fell on the floor. Andrea tried to grab him as he fell but wasn’t quick enough. He banged the back of his head a bit, but seemed to be ok, and after a bit of comfort with his bottle he rejoined the fun.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher entertained himself for awhile climbing into the box the saddle had been wrapped in, and hiding in the box.</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOBp9FCuK8eMM_LkS0nxZlceq2iT4tfJSY7oBnVnnb5YDXvvXYI45xY3P2teT8dAO4xRsxwjhoZnIw9JuWrraUwixFQmptLHYT9jwL6lXuyTyoh3p4S7zDjV10M1xQnfyatYVQMzHWNIe/s2048/19+-+Christopher+playing+in+the+box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOBp9FCuK8eMM_LkS0nxZlceq2iT4tfJSY7oBnVnnb5YDXvvXYI45xY3P2teT8dAO4xRsxwjhoZnIw9JuWrraUwixFQmptLHYT9jwL6lXuyTyoh3p4S7zDjV10M1xQnfyatYVQMzHWNIe/w300-h400/19+-+Christopher+playing+in+the+box.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Christopher playing in the box</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKQ6HxdN-z5P2sbsStg3126nyB3Fv2L5L4mUbb4yEwFY8NkOwIRyYX4jwao5m02UO5Bgd92GpV5C_wEyBKToZMUecmYexB7IRF0XeZ5UtZmAa0UH1VDAOD-ZKrcF6fcjii07KhT-grcFH/s2048/20+-+hiding+in+the+box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKQ6HxdN-z5P2sbsStg3126nyB3Fv2L5L4mUbb4yEwFY8NkOwIRyYX4jwao5m02UO5Bgd92GpV5C_wEyBKToZMUecmYexB7IRF0XeZ5UtZmAa0UH1VDAOD-ZKrcF6fcjii07KhT-grcFH/w300-h400/20+-+hiding+in+the+box.JPG" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hiding in the box</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">We had a wonderful meal and ate too much, and the kids all had fun (and I took a photo of the kids and their friends) and then Lynn and I went home to do chores.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFu7yxfoDfQNW5zS1YHcdzgr30Er9Qp0Ld5LrWgA6WiKZ6JaxD_OSxnzCMcfn0UYW36rVxqA_eLkfxCvHVw8qGqkpOU_xNJLvUAT2sQBuDGM2D7Kqxh0vbCaM27eACR2Ipq1GNl_1dvpHf/s2048/21+-+kids+%2526+their+friends.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFu7yxfoDfQNW5zS1YHcdzgr30Er9Qp0Ld5LrWgA6WiKZ6JaxD_OSxnzCMcfn0UYW36rVxqA_eLkfxCvHVw8qGqkpOU_xNJLvUAT2sQBuDGM2D7Kqxh0vbCaM27eACR2Ipq1GNl_1dvpHf/w400-h300/21+-+kids+%2526+their+friends.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">kids & their friends</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That night was colder, down to 3 below zero. Emily left early the next morning, to take one of the patients at the care center to Idaho Falls for his doctor appointment. Stan and Andrea went to town to do all the town errands. Monday night it was 3 below zero again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea, Dani and Emily were all a little sick for a couple of days. Our wood-box was empty and Dani had planned to fill it for us, so Lynn and I filled it ourselves—just more trips with less wood! We’re not as strong as we used to be.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We plugged in the tractor that night, and the next day Lynn and I took a little bale (some of my horse hay) to the young cows above the house because they were out of hay in their feeder. We moved the feeder to a new location (pulled it with the 4-wheeler) and then took a feeder to the field below the lane, for the weaned heifers. Andrea and Stan came down that afternoon and helped us get a big bale of second cutting alfalfa for the weaned heifers (the first time we’ve fed them alfalfa hay this winter) and a bale of grass-alfalfa for the young cows to put in their feeder, and a big bale on the feed truck—and one little grass bale. We fed the cows for the first time this winter, giving them about 1/3 of the big bale and the little grass bale.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY5HN2SUHi-pLFOMys39Aq_WbAruK3Sobebnfr1_Pbw8mqH4uLc7tUmmFMFppoU48gresnacaLqhwPg5kBRjeT-EsH_7v5FDdtJ3qie8rxdpmcb6qSgwFyONocFd1fT-ywu3mTk5yEq6y/s2048/22+-+feeding+the+cows.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLY5HN2SUHi-pLFOMys39Aq_WbAruK3Sobebnfr1_Pbw8mqH4uLc7tUmmFMFppoU48gresnacaLqhwPg5kBRjeT-EsH_7v5FDdtJ3qie8rxdpmcb6qSgwFyONocFd1fT-ywu3mTk5yEq6y/w400-h300/22+-+feeding+the+cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_4V928yYnXZZktHtBFKWIzsXCQiI4HJVaNHdggW96CKGKO7Bah0Oy2JuILfsoAEY0aYMqlDJ_Ct5DWu4fSuExz7tk3nWceXtWXrSonCE5KDh_jlVf1FA9LoI5QlmLIm17TKOYG3brBLp/s2048/23+-+feeding+cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS_4V928yYnXZZktHtBFKWIzsXCQiI4HJVaNHdggW96CKGKO7Bah0Oy2JuILfsoAEY0aYMqlDJ_Ct5DWu4fSuExz7tk3nWceXtWXrSonCE5KDh_jlVf1FA9LoI5QlmLIm17TKOYG3brBLp/w400-h300/23+-+feeding+cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">feeding the cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">When we finished and parked the truck, we put a tarp around the rest of the bale on the feed truck to keep the deer out of it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The young heifers were so full after eating on the alfalfa for only an hour that we were afraid they might bloat, so we put deer netting around the feeder to keep them out of it. This alfalfa is really rich and fine and they could easily eat too much and bloat. They need to adjust to it gradually. The next morning we unwrapped their feeder and let them eat on it again for about 1 ½ hours and wrapped it up again, and let them have it for another 1 ½ hours in the evening and warped it up again for night.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After feeding the cows that day, one of the rear tires on the old feed truck went flat as we were putting on another little bale for the next morning (to feed in addition to the last of the big bale). Fortunately it didn’t go flat while we were up in the field! Those tires are very old and weather-checked and it was just a matter of time that they would give out. So Stan and Andrea went to town and got two new tires before the tire place closed early for New Year’s Eve. Luckily it happened when it did, or we would not have been able to get new tires until after the holiday weekend!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">New Year’s day was bitterly cold again. I unwrapped the heifers’ feeder at chore time and let them eat on it for a while; their rumen bacteria are adjusting to the higher protein level and lush alfalfa but we are still being cautious. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan cleaned off the battery terminals in the tractor and we waited until the warmest part of the day (23 degrees in late afternoon) to try to start it. It is sluggish starting on cold days even when it has been plugged in all night. It did start, and we were able to load another big bale on the feed truck, and also took a bale of straw up to the cows to put along the brush for them to bed on.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Yesterday was a little warmer. I opened up the heifers’ feeder and let them have it fulltime; we seem to be past the critical period for bloating them. Their water tank (with tank heater) was really dirty; we hadn’t cleaned it since we started using it for them this fall/winter. So I emptied it with a bucket, squirted out the crud that accumulated on the sides and bottom, and filled it up again with clean water.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">After we fed the cows, Stan and Andrea went to town, and Dani went to work. When Em went to work she left Christopher here with us and he entertained us while I cleared all the piles off our dining room table and cooked a big supper. He and Lynn watched a movie while I did chores. Dani picked him up after work, and then Nick came by to eat supper with us and play Tripoli. He loves that game –from when we used to play it with him and his sister and his folks many years ago. It was fun to do it again.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today was the warmest it’s been for a long time—up to 40 degrees. By afternoon it got windy and a fast blizzard blew through. We were glad we were done feeding the cows before the weather changed.</span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">JANUARY 14 </b><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">– </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Monday a week ago it snowed; the cows were happy to have some straw bedding in the protection of brush along the bottom of the field that serves as a natural windbreak.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stan helped us feed the cows for several days and I took photos one day as he and Andrea were unrolling the hay off the big round bale.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnitEHD5O4CNWmwtsrmHjSUVqvvCUHlcyTXcjC2i6wFoIKD_jr8-YV-fXqOBsY2M4ijxpqYWOWK92wzzvYHnTtL2gMcxMv8TW-FWSF954IJGRAVv1WQyO6KDHtATcEfBazpQAzVhK_6PJm/s2048/24+-+Stan+%2526+Andrea+feeding+cows.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnitEHD5O4CNWmwtsrmHjSUVqvvCUHlcyTXcjC2i6wFoIKD_jr8-YV-fXqOBsY2M4ijxpqYWOWK92wzzvYHnTtL2gMcxMv8TW-FWSF954IJGRAVv1WQyO6KDHtATcEfBazpQAzVhK_6PJm/w400-h300/24+-+Stan+%2526+Andrea+feeding+cows.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQIalHGemddnlqwFK5_4Qv67pFopRNdBpI3JSJ9z9sdZXjqZ86XeknGIyozS_1w4g96Ad7mtaQkgz1IJ0f5xGZ0xjbBXsotsAiFt45T00EJkALc4Uxwe0NiIEr0DMqCLaTgUnBi8C-in2/s2048/25+-+feeding+cows.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdQIalHGemddnlqwFK5_4Qv67pFopRNdBpI3JSJ9z9sdZXjqZ86XeknGIyozS_1w4g96Ad7mtaQkgz1IJ0f5xGZ0xjbBXsotsAiFt45T00EJkALc4Uxwe0NiIEr0DMqCLaTgUnBi8C-in2/w400-h300/25+-+feeding+cows.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea & Stan feeding cows</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">…and took photos of the cows enjoying the hay.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXXVlRqDVJDyD3w_HT3i_SoLADHpuVU4DeehwBuSw0S37PJ7RoBnfhXV76Jq5Zc4WOWUscsMYdoFfOhEpdtaqvbo7u-jP9sbkqZ4MkOtoEzPLklW179p8EnjavGRCv05JfO-7DzDOv5K1/s2048/26+-+cows+eating.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvXXVlRqDVJDyD3w_HT3i_SoLADHpuVU4DeehwBuSw0S37PJ7RoBnfhXV76Jq5Zc4WOWUscsMYdoFfOhEpdtaqvbo7u-jP9sbkqZ4MkOtoEzPLklW179p8EnjavGRCv05JfO-7DzDOv5K1/w400-h300/26+-+cows+eating.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uQ7Z46cTsnmKPNfRYj3U4jWXlyspcYfg0nHLJyZgIT822kaatPfdKBPORBdoXJ2apGLdwHrKcw-dmuVKvSPza4z-5O07aqvwDsyMgSwyBNVlVgnTo7yXxmT1G7BXLdzNcle6zMWETVA_/s2048/27+-+cows+eating+hay.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3uQ7Z46cTsnmKPNfRYj3U4jWXlyspcYfg0nHLJyZgIT822kaatPfdKBPORBdoXJ2apGLdwHrKcw-dmuVKvSPza4z-5O07aqvwDsyMgSwyBNVlVgnTo7yXxmT1G7BXLdzNcle6zMWETVA_/w400-h300/27+-+cows+eating+hay.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1MoUCj3m1ORDWQ2yZUy-guSmO0vFHjqb6kS1ObQQyL-tjHq5V5mRTWQy_LRA-QrvCQSM664P7J1MruWaemsgxDK1n4kt-Woan-pFGgc3gUXcpFBsT2rcp0ENYeS11OzS4Vvgf9caLso-/s2048/28+-+cows+eating.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW1MoUCj3m1ORDWQ2yZUy-guSmO0vFHjqb6kS1ObQQyL-tjHq5V5mRTWQy_LRA-QrvCQSM664P7J1MruWaemsgxDK1n4kt-Woan-pFGgc3gUXcpFBsT2rcp0ENYeS11OzS4Vvgf9caLso-/w400-h300/28+-+cows+eating.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cows eating hay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;">Then we took the feed truck back to the stack yard to load another big bale on it with the tractor, to be ready to feed again the next morning.</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Wry4QJkhpq8z2p3sGJYnZrbTKiC88I5GxqS1JfP_d00QyCET36ghQLQF2u1izCLZ-e5m716vL6nYyRxY1EfHgz-F0U2RD5tp_84332tziZYrHlG4t61ezvrv5lVnjw4iP_vwuy_22Rrr/s2048/29+-+ready+to+reload+the+truck.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Wry4QJkhpq8z2p3sGJYnZrbTKiC88I5GxqS1JfP_d00QyCET36ghQLQF2u1izCLZ-e5m716vL6nYyRxY1EfHgz-F0U2RD5tp_84332tziZYrHlG4t61ezvrv5lVnjw4iP_vwuy_22Rrr/w400-h300/29+-+ready+to+reload+the+truck.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to reload the truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani was staying overnight last week with a couple of friends, and one of the sisters was having an emotionally bad time. Dani realized that the girl had been in the bathroom too long and went in to check on her and found that she’d tried to commit suicide, cutting herself. Dani and the sister called 911 and got her to the hospital in time, and now she’s having counseling. This was pretty tough on Dani. Kids today have a lot of challenges—more than our older generation had to face at their age.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day Emily didn’t have to work and she took Dani to town to do something fun together and help bolster her spirits.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea and Stan loaded our little old 4-wheeler (“little red”) into his pickup to take back with him to California to see if he can fix it. It’s been a great machine but it is 25 years old and has had hard use and has some worn-out parts, so Stan wants to try to get it running again. He left last Wednesday to go back to California, since he had a doctor’s appointment on Friday.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">That afternoon Michael stopped by and we hiked around a few of our old falling-down fences for him to measure. He and his fencing crew will come in a couple of weeks and start rebuilding the fence along the old lane below the old milk barn (that pole fence was built 40-plus years ago and the posts and poles are rotting), and the pen below the calving barn, and the top end of the horse pasture. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Last Friday was almost down to zero again, and I must not have drained my hose adequately the day before when I watered the heifers and two horses. I carried a bucket of water to Shiloh, watered Sprout with a short hose, and didn’t water the heifers until afternoon (they still had enough water in their tank to be able to reach it). Even though the temperature didn’t get up to 30 degrees, it was a sunny day, and after the sun had been shining on that hose for several hours the little bit of ice in it thawed enough for me to use it again. These little episodes are good reminders to be more slow and careful when draining the hose in future!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Andrea helps me feed the cows every day; I drive the truck and she unrolls hay off the big bale and feeds a couple little bales. With the little bales to fill in, one big bale lasts 3 or 4 days. On Saturday it was time to load the truck again, but she helped Lynn put more oil (and hydraulic oil) in the tractor first, and we also put more gas in the feed truck. The gas gauge hasn’t worked for years so we just go by a certain number of days’ feeding (about 3 weeks) and gas it up again—and mark it on the calendar so we know when to do it again. We don’t want to run out of gas up in the middle of the field.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The next day I had trouble starting the feed truck. The old keyhole is getting gunked up and it’s hard to make it work. When we got done feeding we put WD-40 in the keyhole and that helped. The truck is a 1973 model and it sometimes needs a little TLC to keep going.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We had several cold nights, nearly down to zero, which meant breaking ice at the water holes for the cows (along the creek) and for the little bull in the back pen. A spring runs through there but the channel freezes over if it gets very cold. The water holes at the creek are getting very slippery and treacherous for the cows so Lynn got some sand when he was in town on Monday, and Jim helped him bag it when he got home. The next day Andrea took sand up to both water holes (the young cows on this side of the creek, and to the older cows’ water hole in the swamp pasture on the other side) and sprinkled sand on the steep approaches so the cows won’t be afraid to go down to the creek.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday after we fed, Andrea helped me load a lot of little bales from the stackyard while the truck was empty, and we hauled them around to replenish the stack by the calving pen—where we grab a couple bales every day to go with what we feed off the big bale. We got the tractor started and took hay to the young cows and loaded the feed truck again. About that time it started to snow and snowed all afternoon.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Dani worked all day that day at the motel where she helps clean rooms and make beds. We’d just finished chores and supper when she called to tell us that Sam had an accident on the river road out toward their dad’s place. With the new snow, the roads were slick, and on one of those icy corners her truck started to slide and it was about to go into the river. She got it turned back the other way but with the slippery conditions it kept sliding and crashed into the rock wall on the other side. The impact tore off the front bumper—the fancy bumper she’d created and welded on, for her senior project, and bent it around. It totaled the pickup, but the bumper took much of the impact and maybe kept her from being hurt worse. She had bruises from her seat-belt and possibly a broken wrist and/or thumb. Her friend Colter was driving his pickup behind her, convoying, and he was able to call 911 and the ambulance came out to take her to the ER. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Lynn went up to babysit Christopher so Andrea could go into town and to the hospital to see Sam. They did an EKG to make sure her heart wasn’t bruised, and some other tests and eventually released her to go home to her dad’s house—and will have to check her hand and wrist again later after the swelling goes down. She’s very lucky she didn’t go into the river, and we are glad she wasn’t hurt any worse. Yesterday she felt well enough to go to school, so hopefully she will heal quickly.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We took photos of her smashed truck (that was towed to her dad’s auto shop) and torn-off bumper. The bumper was in the back of the truck.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd37Ztr1JJCkAK1Pa-gY24CrvPrD0c7LQnPJHb_yxN8xgggAp6Vum4aYPlYaGn0e51UNsKeYiQF0UMSr2Suca7V-w6baejzUoK_ztoxtGoK9PzTAgGEnXfVMuxQvtkz9CenQX2xcIN_pps/s2048/30+-+Sam%2527s+smashed+truck.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd37Ztr1JJCkAK1Pa-gY24CrvPrD0c7LQnPJHb_yxN8xgggAp6Vum4aYPlYaGn0e51UNsKeYiQF0UMSr2Suca7V-w6baejzUoK_ztoxtGoK9PzTAgGEnXfVMuxQvtkz9CenQX2xcIN_pps/w400-h300/30+-+Sam%2527s+smashed+truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFE69oA_DcixQSziju2XPYTaiajIYAEcHKk7bL6S5swx59-grF6oRUnuMEJY81AfQW3iiPckzIuyXuHzZSJX2iZ630ncktUjwF7fV-8NR5JNPWtuVX5op60He2JCRDSDulzH8JAifwZvi/s2048/31+-+Sam%2527s+truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAFE69oA_DcixQSziju2XPYTaiajIYAEcHKk7bL6S5swx59-grF6oRUnuMEJY81AfQW3iiPckzIuyXuHzZSJX2iZ630ncktUjwF7fV-8NR5JNPWtuVX5op60He2JCRDSDulzH8JAifwZvi/w400-h300/31+-+Sam%2527s+truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sam's smashed truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk9Jqr9AhAh1upfeIV7z2aesqM6bHzt6Y19UXUCAIGgiOOCRkTRodOTAzEHA9cT03oq_RZvzFjJ0V95RHyyG7NzqDF_So4oEMtDrX-WcExsmqQ3vy5Y9aRgC5inZlOSFadBz5oD0TVybs/s2048/32+-smashed+bumper+in+the+back+of+her+truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZk9Jqr9AhAh1upfeIV7z2aesqM6bHzt6Y19UXUCAIGgiOOCRkTRodOTAzEHA9cT03oq_RZvzFjJ0V95RHyyG7NzqDF_So4oEMtDrX-WcExsmqQ3vy5Y9aRgC5inZlOSFadBz5oD0TVybs/w400-h300/32+-smashed+bumper+in+the+back+of+her+truck.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #444444; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: medium;">smashed bumper in the back of her truck</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Our weather changed dramatically; after such cold weather we had a warm night that night and strong winds yesterday—and rain. The wind and rain made it difficult to feed the cows.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The wind was blowing so hard when we finished feeding that it was almost impossible to put the tarp over the hay that was still on the truck – it was blowing us all around like the sail on a sailboat.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Today wasn’t quite as windy, but the temperature dropped dramatically this morning and we are back to breaking ice on the water holes.</span></div></div>Heather Smith Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00007373875014182706noreply@blogger.com0