I followed the crew to a spot about 6 miles from the house and dropped my rig, jumping in with the boys.
It took us an hour to drive 6.5 miles to their drop off point. The road's pretty rough and when you're hauling a 24' trailer loaded with horses and driving between 3-10 mph, it takes a while. :)
And the boys had the added joy of working in the fog which makes for a slow start:
Old Gray is asking, "And you expect me to find cattle HOW in this?!"
A few of the crew even drove past the road that brings them to headquarters when they drove in for breakfast. It's no wonder with these conditions.
Gearing up for a long ride this morning. DH said they rode close to 30 miles between the morning and afternoon gather. Makes for a long day for both horse and rider. The fellas have at least 4 horses that they rotate using one in the morning, another in the afternoon, and 2 fresh ones the following day.
I wished them luck as they headed out and crept back through the fog to where I had left my outfit before heading back to the house:
Initially, before the fog became a part of the equation, DH thought they'd be ready for dinner at 11, and with me being away for 2 hours, I was going to have to scramble a bit, but it was 1:30 before they rolled in. DH is good about calling and letting me know if things change. Around here, dinner needs to be ready anywhere between 10 and 3. I always say that the difference between a good meal and a GREAT meal is about 3 hours. :)
10 comments:
I love reading your blog. Your life is so completely different from mine (except for finding time to quilt). I live in the largest city in New Hampshire (which really isn't saying much) in a 3-family apartment building. My great outdoors is my two porches! I see horses and cows and the Deerfield Fair every autumn. I work in Boston and my biggest stress is the commute. I don't think people have any idea how hard ranchers work. I was talking to someone waiting for the bus this morning about all your cooking and all the work your family does and she said - "oh, I thought robots took care of cows now - don't they just keep them in a barn?" Thank you so much for sharing your life with us!
Thanks for sharing this. Loved the pictures and the narrative. What an interesting life you live. I don't often comment but I ALWAYS read.
How well I know the dance of trying to keep the meal on time while trying to prevent it from becoming over cooked. No cell phones in my "dancing" days, so sometimes the meal was not the best, it it was still nourishing.
Most people don't realize there are still real cowboys or have an inkling what the women behind them do. Personally I admire you both.
How are the guineas doing? Lose any more?
None left here and down to two chickens. Going to get some chicks in spring. No more guineas for us though.
I love reading your experiences! What an adventure your life is compared to mine. When my day is foggy I just turn on the fog lights and everything else is pretty much the same. But what a difference something like that can make in your routine!
I am thankful horses are still needed and those are some handsome horses there. I like all the denim in the pictures. What wonderful pictures you share. I think the life of a cowboy and camp cook is wonderful! You do it so well!! You are healthy, wealthy, and wise!
Been loving all of your posts! Seems liek when I usually read it its past bedtime and I havent taken time to comment. You are living a blessed life !
I'm with Janet -- I really enjoy reading (especially from your well-written perspective) the experiences of your ranch! It gives me such a deep appreciation for all the work that's put into farming/ranching! :)
Karin, I can't decide which I like more: your posts about life on the ranch or your posts about your quilts. The photos in this post are amazing. You captured the ambience of morning fog and its challenges so beautifully. I've driven the freeway in fog too thick to see the road. The only way we managed was following the white line along the edge. But you guys have neither roads nor white lines on the ranch. Glad everyone was safe. Thanks for sharing a little of your life. (I'm behind in blog reading -- I know you have several previous posts. I'll try to catch up soon.)
Great post! I can almost hear the leather creaking, smell the sweat of the horses and feel the anticipation. How I miss that small part of my life.
Post a Comment