Al and Dina

It literally feels like months since I've done a blog post.  I just checked to make sure I haven't missed a week. 

Life has been busy, busy, busy.  Between ranch work, we are cleaning our shop and house.  It's actually improving quite nicely. 

The newest additions to our animal population are two mules, Al and Dina.  With hunting trips coming up, Dad wants something to pack on.  They need to be worked with, but they're showing signs of being good mules.  We have only had them since Monday and they've already gotten baths, brushed, led, and loved.  When comes the hunt, they will be the best pack mules we have.  : )   



Al (left) Dina (right)

136th Post

Earlier this month my family and I went to Canyon, TX, to see the musical, Texas.  The show has singing, dancing, acting, real animals, and it was all right in front of the audience.  I think our most favorite part was the lightning strike.  The strike even broke a tree in two.  The sound effects and lighting were amazing!

We went to the Panhandle Plains Historic Museum the next morning.  I was well pleased with their skeletons and mounted animals, especially the birds.  We all liked the mini pioneer town as well.

On the 15th, we lost a dear friend.  Belvadere, the family ranch dog, was 15 years old and one of the best.   

This week Little J. and I spent some nights with our grandma.  Two of our cousins also came and we had a wonderful time.  We cleaned, painted, had a cook out, talked, played cards, and had more fun.  I took this picture while we were trying to build a fire for burgers, hot dogs, and chicken.

These last handful of days have actually been on the chilly side.  I forget that it's not already fall!

Today's the 20th.  It seems this month has gone by fast, yet, thinking about what we did a couple weeks back seems a long time ago.   I wonder what the rest of this August will bring.  : ) 

Tortoise

Remember back in June of 2013, I did a post titled "What's Happening Here"?  Well, I have good news!

I let Tortoise, my turtle, loose in Sept. of 2013 because it was fixing to get cold and my food supply was going to run out.  Prior to turning him out in the world, I got out a pocket knife and cut in a design on his shell.  I hoped that one day I'd run into this turtle and if I did, I would be able to know.

The next year I had no success in ever seeing Tortoise, though I did see a few wild ones.

Today as I walked in some taller grass, my right foot came down on something hard and rounded.  At first I thought that it was a stone, but then I decided it wasn't.  I lifted my foot to see and there sat a scared turtle.  I instantly picked it up and began talking, as if trying to comfort it.  And there on the left hind part of the shell was the carve I had made two years ago!

"Tortoise!  Oh, it's really you!"

Of course he was still startled and hid in his shell.  I brought him inside and right then he popped out of his shell and started trying to get free of my hand.  I put him on the kitchen floor and off he went just like old times.  Actually, he's still wandering about, underfoot in the kitchen.

I plan on returning him to the wild later today, after I've spent some time watching him.  : )

Today's Thursday...

 

I was sitting on our living room couch when out of the corner of my ear (like "corner of my eye...") I heard, "Today's Thursday..."

I literally yelled, "OH!  It's Thursday, blog day!"  And I ran upstairs to get to work.  Dizal, my laptop, was turned on and I plopped onto my bed.  Now, here I sit, typing this post.

What has kept my mind off blogging today?  The answer would be fun work.  That's right, we went to another branding!

I have many posts about brandings, so I'll spare you the time to read about another one.  Besides, not all of my readers like brandings and/or have even been to one.  So, you can just sit back and look at a few pictures.  Mom was the photographer this time (and Big J.), though I sneaked in a few of the pictures I did take.  They did great, don't you agree?

I'm happy to say that I was allowed to flank with the boys again!  *Yes!* 

When leaving, we all exchanged thank yous.  I really don't know who was more thankful; the ranchers or us.  I know, personally, this branding made my week.  So, for that I'm very thankful.  : )



Peek into this Month's Ranch Life

Little J. on her wonderful horse, Tres

This has been a warm August week. 

I'm happy to say this year's garden has been one of the best.  We've picked tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers (both bell and banana), okra, one radish, onions, and squash.  Needless to say, we are having fun watering and bringing in our own produce!

I have four potted plants just outside our door in hopes of prettying up the yard.  They include a celery plant, a sunflower, rush grass, and a cucumber plant.  Across our driveway I put a brick border around my redbud tree.  I've planted morning glories in that and they are now blooming!  We have a few tiny plants in the borders that are directly in front of the house, but thanks to the critters, they aren't growing very quickly. 

As far as cattle work, yesterday we had to get a bull off our land.  However, when we arrived, we couldn't find him.  Apparently he decided to go back to his pasture.  We did move a cow back to where she came from and then moved our heifers to yet another pasture. 

My Paradise (horse) has been throwing fits and fighting me lately, so yesterday we changed the bit from a ring to a chain bit.  That helped a bunch and she was responding much better.  (If you're wondering, a bit is the metal piece which goes in the horse's mouth.  It is connected to the head stall and all of it's called a bridle.  You use the bridle to control the horse.)

And the other day we had to get our long horns and bull off the neighbors' land.  They were heading back to our pasture and soon after, they had moved themselves.  The fence was a pretty simple fix.  The top wire was down, so we stretched it tight and wired it back to the posts. 

So, there's a peek into what's been happening this month.  : )