Ta-Da!

Finally! I got it. And not a day too soon. Ray pretty much had to handle the first batch of A.I. by himself because I've been trying to finish our new website before things REALLY get busy. Like tomorrow.

Well, more like today since it's 3:56 a.m. right now.

My favorite cowboy will be happy to have his bride back. I made him a fantastic B-B-Q beef brisket today so he'd remember that I can still cook.

The site's not perfect. But it ain't bad either.

Check it out:  http://ranchserviceswest.com

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

The new way to make a photo album: photo books by Shutterfly.

Cabin Fever

When we were homeschooling, I always told Clayton that if he would spend half the time working that he did trying to get around it, he'd be done by lunch. Unfortunately, I'm afraid he got that gene from his mother.

This is my absolute least favorite time of year. There are so many things that need my attention--with taxes at the top of the list, and letters to loved ones a close second. Looking back at the other 2 blogs from this time of year, I see that it is a recurring disorder.

Symptoms:  I find all these computer-related projects during winter downtime, then crawl into my computer until spring arrives. Or until tax deadline approaches.

I am determined to be done this week--so Mom & Dad, maybe the first half of March...

I gave one of my pressing projects a lick and a promise yesterday. I skimmed the top off all but my wedding photos from the past year and a half, and tumbled them into a 7 minute video that I can use to update my blog and my site for the time being--despite the fact that half of them are family photos. Families...ranching. The two kind of go hand in hand, so don't look for strictly punchy stuff.

Clayton's www.farmranchpersonnel.com site is going gangbusters, and it's needing pretty frequent maintenance. I plan on building another site for Ray. We've looked at so many different avenues since November, and it's looking more and more like we need to just stay put and keep busy on an independent basis--just stepped up into a longer season.

The neighbor's been calving across the road, and Ray's been helping another neighbor with some sorting. We'll be doing some AI before too long, and probably help at the Leadore Angus bull sale coming up right quick. By then things should be taking on a tinge of green, and breathing life back into the brown landscape.

I enjoyed putting this little video together. I think it's God's way of reminding me that summer is coming, and I need to get back to my mile hikes more than once or twice a week.

 

Never Sell Your Saddle

 

Several years ago I used that song for a photo video I made for one of my favorite cowboys who loved what he did, but was tired of the politics and headed back home to the midwest. There's just something about staying connected with the land, cattle, and cowhorses, that helps you keep your feet on the ground, and your head on straight.

2012 has been a really good year for us. Yes there was drought, and yes we had plenty of days where we felt like we'd been "rode hard, and put up wet". But it was the people, the country, and the work, that made it so enjoyable, and made us thankful for the opportunities the year brought to us.

I've been pretty quiet. We're still in a bit of a limbo...waiting...but we expect another year of changes and challenges, and look forward to 2013. We just got home from the Montana Stock Grower's Convention & Tradeshow. It was a special year, because once again, we had the privilege of watching a new generation get connected.

Our son was in his first tradeshow with Farm & Ranch Personnel. His wife and little ones joined him, and we also had the pleasure of the company of our oldest daughter.

A grandfatherly friend of ours, with an ever-present twinkle in his eye, hooked up with our 4-yr old grandson, and taught him how to "work" a tradeshow. The kid returned to his dad with real money in the piggy bank he'd picked up earlier, and a bag stuffed with everything from roping gloves to calendars.

My favorite cowboy was awarded "Stockman of the Year" by cattlemen in this part of the country, and he was also re-elected to the board-of-directors for the state association. An honor he sincerely appreciates, and takes very seriously. I'm just tickled. I mean, there's a reason he's my favorite cowboy! Click here to see the press release.

I Skyped with our youngest daughter today--halfway around the world. It totally amazes me what God is doing with a simple country girl with a hardworking ranch background, a love for her Creator, and a heart for people. Nothing brings her more joy, than to bring joy to others. Not just at this time of year--it's her life. She helps us put things in perspective. Her sister, who had hoped to join her several months ago, is still here, waiting for her house to sell. She's also learning patience right along with us. Secretly I'm glad we have her for a few more special days. I think I'll even have her to help shoot a wedding next month. Yay!

As we reflect over the holidays, may we all remember the most precious Gift ever given:  "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." RM 6:23
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" Eph 2:8

2013 could be a rough ride for agriculture, given the current social and political climate. But cattlemen are known for their "cowboy up" attitude, and I don't know of any that plan on selling their saddle. In fact, they're sucking up the cinch, putting their hats in "lock", and learning how to use...Facebook!

A Happy & Blessed 2013 to all.

Leanin' Trees

We've ridden with a lot of different hands this summer. But I swear. Some of the folks I rode with this week had to have been the models for some of those characters you see on Leanin' Tree cards. And I'm not talking about the Indian spirit ones, or "cutesy" ones. I'm talking about the cards that make you laugh, but you don't dare give  to anyone.

Salty old cowboys (and girls) with an even saltier sense of humor. The ones with a whiskey bottle in one hand, a boogery horse in the other, and a cowboy knack for...creative thinking. Stories for another day.

I thought I'd have this week off since Ray's gone with the horsetrailer. But these guys don't know I'm fairweather yet, and just came and picked me and Maresy up. I wore my big coat, my felt hat, and an extra pair of socks--but I still froze! Saturday was a long, hard day in tough country. It was 8 PM by the time I got my horse put up and got to the house. The good news was that it didn't snow or blow, so at least it was pretty decent during the day. Except it seemed like I spent most the day in deep canyons that felt like meat lockers.

Ray's up at cowcamp for the big fall gather and sort. Depending on the weather, there will likely be 30 or 40 people and their dogs in camp. Most of them bring campers, but Ray planned on sleeping in the nose of the trailer like he's been doing all along. Brrr. It's probably getting down pretty close to 0 degrees at night, and maybe in the 40's during the day. This time we bought him a couple of pillar candles for a makeshift heater. He cut out the front of a couple of coffee cans, and made deflectors on the top, and the plan was to let them burn all night...we'll see. There are a couple of nice little bunkhouses up there, so at least he's got back-up.

Later this week we're going to Jackson Hole for 3 days for a meeting--all expenses paid, plus a couple of perks. Not a bad way to wrap up the summer!

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Summer Wrap

It's been a great year for us. Riding this summer has been pure fun without the old hassle. We've got our home and property shaping up, have added a few necessary items like a wheel-line and a k-line irrigation systems, got a lawn, trees, and flowers started, and moved tons of rocks. In fact I used a lot of them to build a waterfall, little stream, and pond over the septic tank. The septic system in the front yard was just a big, ugly, black plastic covered square with 2 concrete lids in the middle, and a bunch of rocks to keep the plastic in place.

We have a 4-wheeler and a welder now. We had the 1st cutting of hay put up, but left the 2nd to let the horses graze this winter. We wanted to see what we actually had before putting anything into it. We had some roping steers, and a couple of weeks ago I actually won a team-roping heeling on Flash.

We said good-by to our "baby", and sent her half-way around the world to work with teenage orphan girls and some missionaries. Hopefully Kristy's house sells soon so she can join her. Not that I'm in a big hurry to lose both my girls, but I think Anna needs her. Clayton and Kristine and family just got moved so now they're a couple of hours away. We had a blast with the grandkids this summer, and already miss them. We've become big fans of Skype.

Just as we're getting settled into a semi-retirement, opportunities have started coming at us from several different directions. We've had our ears open, but really weren't looking very hard. We don't know yet what we'll be doing, but it's looking like all the years before were just preparation for something even bigger. We have an amazing God, and we've learned that if we just get out of the way and let Him work, we end up so much better off than what we could ever hope to accomplish on our own.

 Eph. 3:20-21 "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory..."

DON'T Do It!!!

I knew he would. But I had to try.

I'm sitting here, reeking of skunk. My favorite cowboy shot him under the deck where I moved the cat feeder because some animal--a coon, I thought-- was eating all the food when it was in the barn.

The dogs let us know he was back, and my favorite cowboy grabbed my .22 and a little light. You could see his eyes shining back at us out of the farthest corner. Caught in the act. "I've only got one shell" said Ray. Can't we wait 'til he comes out"? I asked, already knowing the answer. We've been through this routine before. More than once. He fired. Click. I smiled. It was the empty shell we always leave in the chamber. He had to go get more shells, so I stood guard, just out of sight, hoping Mr. Skunk would exit. Tina, the cat ignored me, and went on in.

By the time I got her to come back out, Ray was back, and Mr. Skunk had disappeared into the middle of the heap I'd made yesterday, trying to secure the catfood. After kicking the heap a time or six, the skunk came out. He hadn't sprayed yet. Then, Ray shot him. He crawled back in the corner to have the last laugh--and died.

I traded Ray a shovel for the gun. I was downwind from him as he walked down the driveway, and caught the full effect. Gagging and eyes watering, I ran around to the other side of the house.

Summers in cowcamp were the worst for skunks. Ray tells about the first year he worked on the ranch, when cowcamp consisted of a ramshackle little homestead era cookshack where the cook slept, and sheepherder tents for the cowboys. One morning the cook woke up hearing scratching. As he laid there looking around to see where it was coming from, he saw a skunk right by the fridge. He grabbed his pistol, and nailed it, right there. The skunk crawled behind the refrigerator to die, and when the crew came in for breakfast, they had to haul that stinking carcass out first.

The steps. Kristy feeding our "lawnmowers". We had to
move the dogfood to the horsetrailer because her horse, Old Yeller
would scare us to death at night when he would come up the steps
to help himself to dogfood.

When he became cowboss, the first thing Ray did, was have a new bunkhouse/cookhouse built. Skunkproof. Next, he hauled up an old 3-bedroom trailer for our family to live in. We converted it to propane, so we had a propane fridge, stove, lights, water heater, and even heat. He even found enough old boards and tin around to make a tiny porch around the steps. I knew there were a couple of skunks under the trailer, but they hadn't made a stink--yet, so I didn't say anything. But one afternoon, as Ray sat on the step and bent over to lace up his boot, there was a little furry, black and white face peering back at him from under the steps.

He dashed in to get the gun. The little guy ran back under the trailer. "No! Don't you dare shoot him under there!" I argued a lot harder that first time. But he shot him anyway. Under the trailer. In the middle of a hot, stifling, summer. It was bad. I mean REALLY bad!

This cowcamp barn was a haven for skunks.

Mrs. Gilchrist, my teacher for 1st through 3rd grade, is probably laughing in her grave. My sister, oldest brother, and I, found a dead skunk along the highway while walking the mile and a half to school. We stopped and examined it, and kicked it around a bit, before proceeding on our way. We didn't really notice any smell, but as soon as we walked into the classroom, Mrs. Gilchrist marched us across the road to the little country store, where she bought some tomato juice and made us wash our shoes with it.

I admit. Skunks are pretty cute. And it's actually quite amazing to me how God equips the most helpless animals with such powerful self-protection. But I still hate skunks. I knew Walt Disney was fiction the first time I saw Bambi, and his cute little friend called "Flower".

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Rev. 4:11

Tough Choices

When Lauren, over at Montana Stock Growers Association, announced "...a photo contest that would showcase the Montana ranching community...", I immediately fired off one of my most recent photos, that to me, is at the very heart of Montana's ranching heritage: a multi-generational ranching family working together. Isn't that where ranch communities start? Well, maybe. Maybe not. I'm glad she didn't put a limit on entries!


I've been mulling that question over. And really, that's a pretty narrow definition. Communities are based on shared interest, whether it's a particular locale, a particular industry, passion, or hobby; particular beliefs, or even race or species. It has a very loose, broad connotation where a large community, such as the "white community", can be broken down into many smaller "communities" within the larger one.

1986 Branding Crew

So, I guess within Montana's broad ranching community, we'd have everything from working ranches, both family and corporate, families, cowboys, buckaroos, farmers, animals-- both domestic and wild; land, suppliers, local businesses, 4-H and FFA, local associations, small towns, local schools and churches, county government, NRCS, the Fed, and even celebrities. The people would be involved in everything from day-to-day ranch work, farming, off-ranch jobs, public and government relations; and volunteering. For fun there would be county fairs, local history events, gymkahanas, ranch rodeos, team-roping, and rodeo--as well as the outdoor recreation Montana is so well-known for--provided in large part through Montana ranchers' stewardship of open space.

Lauren's got the right idea. By having a contest within the larger ranching community, a variety of perspectives will be showcased. The hard part is choosing photos. The most dramatic photos normally focus on a main subject. To incorporate a sense of community requires...well, people. And in the independent world of ranching, in this wide open state, most "community"  photos will either come from community events, or from annual ranch events such as branding or weaning. During crisis situations such as fire, chances are, people are too busy fighting fire to take pictures.

The day in, day out, working ranch community will seldom be found in groups aside from annual events that require a whole crew. They will be spread out over thousands of acres, yet working efficiently together to accomplish a common goal. Increasingly, they can also be found in meetings, working to find solutions to problems threatening their livelihood. Problems and issues their predecessors likely never even imagined were coming down the pike. Not exactly contest photo material.

My personal favorites go back to the family. Children learning from parents and grandparents. I also love the interactions between cattlemen and the horses and livestock under their stewardship. A husband and wife in their cowboy grubbies working as a team, and the dramatic vistas we, as native Montana ranchers often take for granted. I guess that's why the first photo that came to mind illustrating "Montana's ranching community", was the one of the grandmother with her 2-yr old grandson, talking over the fence to her 7-year old grandson who was preparing to ride out with his dad, mom, and grandpa, and the rest of the crew to finish a 2-day traildrive.

The difference is commitment. It's the families that have the commitment to the land and to the livestock. For many, (not all) cowboying is just a job. Yes, they probably love it, and can be very good at it. But when it's quitting time, or vacation, or the weekend, what happens on the ranch is not always a real concern. And, understandably so. There's no ownership.

The core foundation of a healthy ranch and ranch community, is a dedicated, committed family, with morals, values, character, and integrity. They know that the better job they do of taking care of the resources under their stewardship, the more successful the ranch will be.

In the end, when all the battles have been fought, and most of the hired help has come and gone, it will be a family that's trying to keep the ranch together.

It's pretty hard to have a ranch community without ranches.

Check out the MSGA Ranch Community photo contest, and be sure to "like" your favorites. New photos will be added until August 15.

 Montana Stockgrowers "Ranch Community Photo Contest"

"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep." Jn 10:9-13