The Sunday Evening Post

Since my last post, we've had a blizzard.  This time, the hardest part of the flying snow, cold rain, and wind were west of us and, again, we didn't lose any livestock.  However, thousands of cattle lost their lives to the snow fall.  With muddy conditions and cold temps, they just couldn't survive.

Other areas of Oklahoma in the last month have gotten thunderstorms, earthquakes, flooding, and tornados. 

Here, last Thursday, it was so hot!  We were sweating, wilting in humid, still air as the sun bore down on us.  But two days later (yesterday) shoot, it was freezing!  Not literally, but we were bundled in coats, gloves, handkerchiefs, and craved the out-of-wind spots near horse trailers as we branded at a friend's.
Now, it's raining.  (Sunday evening) 

We are very grateful for all of the moisture and protection over this ranch and all that we own.  So far, this spring, though wild when weather is concerned, has been a wonderful wet, green one.  We ranchers are loving it.

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We ordered chicks and poults (baby turkeys) in April and after a rough start of losing two turkeys and one chick, another turkey breaking its leg, and the turkeys not eating unless I hand fed them, they are doing much better!  They're sleeping outside (in their own house) and free ranging all day, weather permitting, of course. 

Day we got them to this evening


So far, we've only named three.  Claudia is a Buff Orpington chick who lives with Harvard, the broken legged turkey, and Spillwell, another turkey. 

Eggs from my grown hens

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I went to a senior citizen dance with my college-aged cousin a few weeks ago.  It was my second real dance (the first being when I was a much younger girl).  I went with practically no dancing skills, and though I left with about that much, I did get up and dance a few songs.  It was a fun, very out of the norm evening, and I don't regret tagging along.

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We have been to many brandings already this spring.  They have all been full of fun, manual labor, laughter, fellowship, and people we're glad to call friends. 

The other day, we five as a family, worked our replacement heifers.  You may remember the post I did in 2014 where I described what we do after buying new cattle.  The same process happens when we work the replacement heifers, except instead of branding them with our brand (because we already did that when they were calves at our branding last year), we brand them with the year brand.  Example would be, since these heifers were born last year, they get a number 6 on their shoulder.  (If you don't remember the post, it's the one titled, "I'm on a Roll" posted in Oct. of 2014.) 

 

 



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I have finished and read draft 3 of my book.  However, I'm not 100% happy with the end result, so I will be revising and editing it still more.  Some of you may know that my goal was to publish at least one book before graduating, but as the time has neared, and I don't feel my book is ready to be sent into the world, I've decided to wait. 
I would much rather be later and have a book worth placing in the hands of readers, than be a published author with a choppy story.  I believe I will publish.  I believe it is a huge gift and dream God has placed on my heart, but I also believe that right now isn't the time.

I will definitely keep you all in the loop, as many steps towards becoming a published author are being accomplished!  And it truly is exciting to see what's happening in that area of my life.