Till the Cows Come Home

 These days our ranching program looks a little different.

We bought a set of cows 2 years ago in South Texas.

The fella that was looking after them, daily, was from a family we've known for 30 years and as dependable and reliable as you could ever hope to know, but we still made multiple trips to help gather or work. It's a 12 hour drive one way so DH put on a lot of miles, always leaving out long before dawn

Unfortunately, the owner and his brother tragically died on the ranch in a plane accident and the family, understandably, lost their compass. Eventually, the manager left and the cattle weren't tended to under successive management so we looked for alternatives. None of this was the family's fault as they were dealing with an unimaginable loss and moving our cows eased their load a bit and gave us peace of mind when it came to our investment.

                           

Thankfully, DH's BIL shared a contact that steered us in a new direction and we were able to move our herd to wheat pasture (still in South Texas) for 6 months, at which time, they droughted out and we needed to move them once more. Of course, the day they processed them (last Thursday), it poured. DH phoned that evening and asked me to pray for it NOT to rain overnight or the trucks wouldn't be able to get in. THAT'S a first. I've spent the last 39 years praying FOR rain. This reversal was completely foreign to me, but pray I did and the good Lord kept the rain at bay.

12 hours on the road after loading 87 pair, unloading in the dark, driving another hour home and unloading horses at 11 p.m. made for an incredibly long day. I know the barn lights were a welcome sight when he pulled in

                            

And then we were headed back out just after 5 the next morning

                                                           

to insure the cattle were settled and paired up. Hated to truck pairs with baby calves that far, but it couldn't be helped and now they are only an hour away and it's easier for us to keep an eye on them.

DH found one sick calf he doctored

 

We are still hunting grass, but a friend had room in his feed yard and let us keep our motley crew there until God opens a grassy window.

We also currently have 40 heifers on wheat and will be moving them May 1st to some lease country.

It's been so very different from what we've known, but we're incredibly grateful for the network of friends and family that have helped us along the way. And all glory goes to our Lord and Savior because not a single step has been possible without Him.

Road Trip

 Last week DH and I took a roadtrip and drove 600 miles to check on our cows. 

Then we drove 600 miles back. Lots of miles for a couple of old folks. 

We left on Monday and got back on Thursday. The new camp man started last week and it'll be a while before he gets his feet on the ground, but other than a few phone calls about water troubles, he held down the fort. Another phone call from the electric co-op troubleshooter about power being down - something always goes awry when you try to get away. I can't even recall the last time DH and I were both away from the ranch for longer than 2 nights and that was only twice in 20 years We took our trip to Zimbabwe in 2015 and were only able to really do so because our girl had just graduated and she was able to take care of the ranch while we were away before she began her Masters program.

Our cows are a motley bunch - here's a handful of them

but most of them are dog gentle

Snack time

Calving season is one of my favorite times of the year

We're not used to these long-eared rascals

                                        

They are so cute

Cattle with a little ear do better in the area where we have them

Some have more ear than others. LOL

Brahmas are not known for their ease, but that little Brahma-X was sweet as can be. We had to move a set of them because it hasn't rained - It is incredibly brushy here and they use a helicopter to gather

It was crazy to watch the pilot practically skim the ground and maneuver on a dime to herd the cows

The boys set up a temporary loading chute

We brought Cydectin and DH poured the cows 

                                       

as they loaded onto the truck

The calves were loaded onto a couple of trailers and we had to drive through Laredo 

to move them to greener pastures

Where they were unloaded and reunited with their mamas

We've known the young man that is taking care of them for 25 years. We hadn't seen him in 20 years and it was definitely God's hand that put everything together

We are incredibly grateful for these sweet faces

 And His many blessings

Annual Spring Baby Post

 Even after 35 years of spring babies, I still get excited when calving season begins:

                             

And I never tire of these sweet faces:

DH and I went to feed the 2-yr old heifers a few weeks ago- they are first time mamas:

These Corrientes are such good mamas:

I took this photo a few years back, but it's one of my favorites and I'm finally having it printed on canvas

And this year, this little fella captured my heart:

Look at the little white heart on his forehead

I stalked the poor thing:

This is the way we entertain ourselves out here - watching the babies 

And now they are gone. We shipped the last of the Corrientes a few weeks ago. 😭

I'm glad I was able to capture a few last shots:

New Mouth to Feed

I know that so many have been affected by the changes incurred due to the Coronavirus, but for us, it's business as usual. Agriculture is one area where little changes. This place is 128,000 acres and leaks still need fixing, water still needs to be run, cattle still needs to be fed, equipment still needs to be maintained, and babies still need milk:

It's been a long time since we had a doggie calf, but DH spotted this little fella wandering alone when he was checking and feeding on the north side of the ranch. She was sick so DH doctored her in the pasture and left her there. hoping she'd pair back up with her mama. The next day she was still alone so DH brought her to the house. Our camp man is still out (he's waiting to be scheduled for a CT scan - think he tore his hamstring) so DH's workload had doubled. DH is going back today to look at the cattle in that pasture more closely. Surely there is a tight bagged cow in that bunch, missing her baby so we're praying for a joyous reunion, but for now this little heifer calf will be kept close where we can keep an eye on her. Skeet is on the job:

He's an attentive assistant:

Right now she's not too fond of the bottle:

The orange mark on her forehead is just like a big crayon. DH uses it to mark calves he doctors so that they are easy to spot when he checks on them again when they are integrated with the rest of the herd. We're hoping she'll soon be reunited with her mama, but she's settling in for now:

Shipping and Stitching

It's taking me longer than expected to recuperate from my trip last week and it may or may not have something to do with my age...the jury's still out. Lots of late nights filled with good conversation that I wouldn't have missed for the world, throw in a few early mornings to fix breakfast for the crew,  a few more late nights helping out at the safari banquet this past weekend,

and I am just PTO...plumb tuckered out. I feel something akin to a wet dishrag.

However, I made time to sew a bit on Sunday. I had visited with our North Camp gal  about including some fabric from clothing that belonged to her son and dad into her quilt and she brought me pieces of those shirts the other day. I hope to have this top pieced and off to Jackie by the end of the month.

I pieced a back for this quilt that I pieced a while back when I realized I could use some masculine quilts:

                                             

And one day last week, a need arose, so I am handing this one off to my friend who has a long arm quilting machine. The baby quilt still is not bound, but I'm making progress.

In the midst of everyday life, we shipped off 4 truck loads of cattle on Tuesday:

                             

That meant I logged in some time in the kitchen:

We've had so much wind here lately, that it was a sweet blessing to have a day of calm, with bright blue skies for the crew to gather, sort, and load trucks:

Around here, a firm handshake is still about honesty and integrity:

Whew! Last truck loaded. Three cheers for shorter feed runs.

And new babies hitting the ground!