Spring Branding

The last tea glass has been filled.
The last cinnamon roll has been baked
The last bean has been cooked..
The last tin plate has been put away.
The last cowboy has shuffled out my front door.
The last rig has pulled away from headquarters in a cloud of dust.

This Spring Works is officially behind us. And on this last day of branding I was finally able to sneak out of the house and get behind my camera. They finally got around to branding the Corriente's here at headquarters. It felt so good to be out of the kitchen.

                        

This is a picture heavy post. I have a hard time whittling down shots like this, but after I deleted ruthlessly, I still have 164 in my file on the computer. LOL.

Just a crew of 5 today, but they all know their place and work together easily:

It doesn't take but a minute for them to brand, vaccinate, notch an ear, castrate the bulls and get them back to their Mamas.

They are very efficient and we like to work the calves easy:

                              

Matt has practically become family:

                                        

But this look says one of 2 things: "Just how many pictures do you really need?", and "If you're out here, who's cooking dinner?".



                          

The calves run around bawling

 until they find their mamas and between mamas

 and babies,

 they make quite the  fuss, but they are soon reunited. This little fella was too new, so he escaped the irons today, but isn't he cute?

I could be out here all day:

Crisp morning air.
An early morning sun.
Blue skies.
Bawling cattle.
The smell of the branding fire.
The jingle of spurs.
The laughter of the crew.
The zip of the rope.
Good gravy I love this life.

I was surprised to see DH dragging calves because he mostly lets the crew do that. It's every one's favorite job and DH is gracious. But he has been working with 2 young horses and he wanted to get some calves under their belt today
                          

I was impressed.

                        

DH was not:

                             

But that grin tells me that he is having fun, that this is more than just a job, that we are blessed, and that life is good: