Trip to Missouri and More

Hello once again!  It's been busy lately, but I can't say, "It's been busy on the ranch."  Why not? you ask.  We have not been home.

Let me start with Monday, the 4th of February.  Dad, Little J., and I went out to move the heifers we had moved when I got bucked off, back to their original pasture.  (Big J., cowboy as he is, stayed home because he was sick.)  Over all, the ride was good and the move went well, until Dad bragged on the heifers.  Of course after doing so, the girls quit moving and we got a little upset.  Finally, we had them through the gates.  Now home, we pushed them a little farther, hoping they would remember where water was.  We then rode the horses home.
Because we were going to leave the 5th for a trip to Branson, MO, Dad and Mom went out on foot to continue to push the heifers to the water, just to be on the safe side.  After returning from their 'walk', Dad and Mom told me that they found my home-hatched rooster's feathers out in the pasture.  He had been missing and that was proof that he was no longer living.  And so, we packed our bags and went to sleep that night.

Tuesday- the 5th
We woke up and to Dad's disappointment, we left later than he had planned.  But we were on the road by 10 o'clock AM or so.  We picked up some meat which we were taking to Joplin, MO, to some friends of ours.  On the way, Dad had me text his best friend to see how they were.  The reply was disappointing to all of us.  They asked for us to pray.  That began our weird, emotional, different, odd, and many more words trip.  After some talking between Dad and Mom, we called our friends in Joplin and told them that we would be later that we had planned.  We took the roads to Oklahoma City, to be with our friends who were in the hospital.  The wife of Dad's best friend had been fighting cancer for--let me say long enough!  We got to OKC around 2:30 PM and after taking backs roads, because we had missed our exit, we arrived safely at the hospital.  When we entered the waiting room, we met the family members.  The cancer was that bad.  We had not told Dad's best friend that we were going to the hospital, so it was a great surprise for him.  The two grown men embraced each other, emotions getting the best of them.  After they slipped out of their hug,  we kids were told by Dad and Mom to stand along the wall and wait for them while they went to see the wife with cancer.  Me, being the oldest of the 3, made sure that Big J. and Little J. stayed out of other's way and stayed quiet.  The wall was lined with family members of the woman fighting cancer.  Dad and Mom returned to the waiting room after a while and we stood or sat around, talking to family and friends who had stopped their day to be with the husband and sons of the woman in the hospital.  The hospital staff moved the woman to a different room, but in order to do so, they rolled her bed down the hall of family and friends.  Looking at her made me wonder what she was thinking.  She looked anything than her normal self.  Around 5 PM Dad and Mom lead us kids to the elevator.  If we were going to make it to Joplin before 10, we had to leave the hospital.  After grabbing a quick bite to eat, we continued our trip.  The friends in Joplin understood why we were late and they were very fine with us stopping to see our dear friends in OKC.  So, we ate some vanilla bean ice cream and peach cobbler, and then went to bad.

Wednesday- the 6th
We awoke  the next morning and ate a huge breakfast.  Then we got directions for the best way out of Joplin and headed towards Branson.  The trip to Branson was hard for Dad and Mom; they were sad to leave the hospital and their hearts were still in OKC.  That leaves 3 kids and 2 humans in the car headed for Branson, a town in which they didn't know what they were going to do.  Sound fun?  Well, besides stopping for meals, we drove non stop to our destination.  We drove a while in Branson, looking for our hotel.  Finally, we found the 8 story hotel which was to be our 'base' for two nights.  We actually got the 8th floor, which was very fine with all of us.  We sat in the hotel room way too long, but finally we went out to eat.  We found a Dairy Queen just down the street.  We pulled in at 7:29 PM.  They were closing!  At 7:30!  Mom went in, because the doors weren't locked yet, and asked if they were closing.  "Yes, but we will take you, the grills are still going," they answered.  So we went into the closing store and made an order.  We sat down at a booth and waited for our food.  That's when Dad got a text that really changed our trip.  The woman who was fighting cancer, had passed away at 7:14 PM.  My heart dropped as I read the words.  Our little meal in DQ was shattered and now it was a crying party.  What a nice little supper... not!  We ate our supper quietly and then left.  It wasn't the best end to a day.

Thursday- the 7th
So on Thursday we went to a really neat building called Ripley's Believe It or Not, and looked around, finding some very interesting things.  There are some crazy things in there!  There was a life-sized stage coach made out of tooth picks!  And a huge, I mean 7 foot tall, ball of hay twine!  Anything you could think or not think of was there.   And after that we sat in the hotel watching TV.  

Friday- the 8th
Friday was a lot better than Thursday.  We got up and around 9 AM we went to the Titanic Museum and Attraction.  That was so fun!  And to some people, sad.  At the door, we were each handed a 'passing' ticket and on the back it told a little short story of someone who was aboard the Titanic the night it hit the ice burg.  The card did not say if you--the person who was on the Titanic-- survived or perished.  You had to go through the museum and then in one of the last rooms there was a wall with your person on it.  It said if you lived or not.  Dad, Big J., Little J., and I survived.  Sadly, Mom perished with all of her children.  But the museum was very nice and interesting.  After that, we took a boat ride.  What nice timing, do you think?  Thankfully, the boat we were riding, did not sink.  Little J. even drove the boat for a little ways!  She was such a cute captain.  It was awfully slow and the surroundings weren't too amazing.  We did see a lot of birds, houses, a pickup I really wanted, trees, an old house that people think was the hide out of some outlaw, and two fishermen boats.  Also, we watched a water and light show that played along with the National Anthem, but it was day time, so the lights didn't show up and the music was really quiet.  It does sound like I am complaining, and I am sorry for that.  The trip was fun!  Just some things didn't go as we had planned.  One high-light of the trip was the Farmhouse Restaurant.  We ate there two days in a row!  The waiter was so fun and the food was great.  That was one of the best parts of the whole trip.  We headed back to Joplin that day after eating at the Farmhouse the 2nd time. 

Saturday- the 9th 
We slept in a little on Saturday, ate a tasty breakfast of biscuits and gravy, and then our friends took us to the houses for humanity built after the tornado in 2011.  Our friends had also lost their house, so we got to see where it had been.  Then we headed home.  It took around 8 hours to get home to our awaiting animals.  I was so glad to see them all.  We didn't loose any except my prize rooster, Augusta.  But it never hurts to loose a rooster when you already have two others.  Any farmer or rancher with chickens would know that...  So our trip, the one so odd and different from the others, ended.


Since then   
Big J. and I helped Dad fix fence, because our heifers were rubbing on it too hard.  And Monday, we went to the funeral for the woman who had passed while we were on our trip.  There were a lot of people there.  Really, it's been a little slow since the trip, but I am sure we will be doing more in the weeks to come. 

So that ends my post.  I hope you all have a good day and bye for now from the ranch!  : )            

Friday on the Ranch

Yesterday, Friday, January 25th, 2013, Mom went to town for groceries and clothes; she only got one skirt in clothing.  While she was gone, Dad took us kids out to move cattle.  They were located south of our house, but within riding distance, so we rode out to them.  Along with us, came our dogs, Belvadere and Tonzo.
  Before I tell you more, Dad helped (really he did it by himself) put a bridle on Paradise for the first time.  With that came the bit.  After sliding the bit into her mouth, she played with it with her tongue.  But soon later she was fine with the bit laying on top of her tongue in her mouth.  She turned quite well, too.
  Back to moving the heifers, which are female cattle who have not had calves.  We gathered up all the heifers and headed them north to their future home.  After we had gone a long ways and Paradise was going well, but then out of the blue, she started bucking!  I had no time to even think about what was happening when I hit the ground with my left side.
  I sat up real quick and tried as hard as possible to hold back the tears of pain.  My arm was aching from landing so hard, my tall-man finger on my left hand must have been bumped really bad, because it was tingling, and my left hip bone was hurting a little.  I was fine other than those few pains.
  My horse, Paradise, stood beside me grazing as though nothing had happened.  And so I have been bucked off yet again.  That makes 3 times of coming off of my horse.  I am just glad that she doesn't act like that all the time! 
  I got on her after sitting on the ground for a little bit, and we continued to move the heifers.  We pushed them to a gate on a hill north of our house.  Big J. with his horse, Bull's-eye, rode to our middle cattle guard, as we call it, and pushed 25 heifers to the herd we had just pushed to the gate on the hill.  I hope that makes sense. 
  After the two herds blended to one, we pushed them through the gate and tuned them west.  We pushed them in that direction for a while; through another gate and a ways after that.  We then followed a road which slightly turned to the north west and then to the north.  We pushed the cattle to and past a windmill and set of pens.  Then we turned them into a gate.  When all of them were through, we pushed them another few yards to the pasture that was their new home. 
  We then headed home to our house.  By then, it was getting chilly and we were ready to walk into our house and stand by the fire in the fire place.  We walked, trotted, and loped some bit of the way home.  And after putting the horses in the pasture and putting a log on the fire, we ended the outside work. 
  Mom got home after dark and we helped put up the groceries.  Then, Mom popped pop corn over the stove and we got glasses filled with ice and pop ready.  After we were all ready, we as a family went up stairs to our TV room and had our weekly Family Movie Night.  It ended a great day!  : )

Pretty Day on the Ranch

It's been a while since I have been on, as everyone can see... The ground is now brown again; the snow is gone.  But it was fun while it lasted.  And because Mr. Snowman was leaning, Big J. ended up knocking him over.
Today was one, very pretty day.  It was in the 50's, but a little jacket was nice.  There was only a little breeze.
So, we 3 kids made the best of it--after school, we 3 kids used our time wisely.  We went riding!  At first, when I was riding-well trying to ride- my horse, Paradise, I got pretty upset.  So we took a break.  After a while later, I saddled Paradise and went out to our pasture, along with Big J. and Little J.  Paradise surprised me by going quite well and doing what I told her to.  That really made my ride fun.  When we were coming back to the house, Paradise and I took a run.  When we went down a big  hole, Paradise went so fast that my stomach stayed up in the air!  But it was really fun!
Also, we are about done tearing out a hole in one of our bedroom walls.  We are putting in a door from the bedroom to the bathroom on the other side.  So, yes our house is quite dusty from the concrete blocks getting cut up.  It will be nice to have the door in and the dust out.
If you are wondering what has become of our kitchen floor.  We have taken a "break" from it.  Now we are walking on plain concrete with splotches of stains and things.  It's not real pretty, but I for one like it.  That really doesn't count though.  It's Mom and Dad's floor.
So, there's a little update from the ranch.  : )   

Mr. Snowman

Well, we haven't gotten much more snow, except a bit yesterday.  But there was still enough to sled.  The hills are marked with sled marks and paths.  It's been a lot of fun.  The whole family has participated in sledding.  If you live in the Oklahoma Panhandle, you know that we hardly ever get the right kind of snow to make snowmen.  Well, yesterday the snow was perfect for just that!  We 3 kids started with a little snow ball, but soon were rolling a huge snow ball around in the snow.  The base of the snowman was way too heavy to carry, so we pulled it on a sled to the right spot to sit.  The middle was too heavy for two people to pick up, so we rolled it up the base and to the top of it.  The head was just right for Little J. to put on.  Then we used rocks for the eyes, a real carrot for the nose, a twig snapped in two for the mouth, yucca sticks for the arms, plus an old cowboy hat, bandana, and gloves to add a touch of ranch life.  He was around 4 foot something tall.  He was the best snowman we have ever made!  But he leans to his left, making it look like he will fall over.  We had a lot of fun building Mr. Snowman. 

It's a New Year Already

Happy New Year's Eve!  Wow, it's already 2013...

Today, we woke up to snow!  We had about an inch to two inches; enough to go sledding, which did make our day.  This evening, the whole family went out and sledded on our hills right by the house.  The snow had gotten harder so the sledding was pretty fast, but fun.  When we came in, we started making carameled apples, but sadly, they didn't turn out right. ( cheap caramel )  So it goes, though.

We had a great, white Christmas, by the way.  Dad took us 3 kids out a few days before Christmas and we cut down a real tree!  Yep, we took a little bit of time to find the right one, then we cut it and put it in the pick up.  After driving a little ways, it fell out.  And again it fell out after we loaded it the 2nd time.  It was neat because we walked through snow to get it.  We were all glad that the tree wasn't any bigger, it barely fit in the house!  If you are wondering, it was 10 1/2 feet tall, 7 feet wide, and 5 feet deep.  Again I say--big!
We went out to my Dad's parent's house on the Sunday before Christmas, then to Mom's mother's house on Christmas Eve.  We were home on Christmas day.

So now that Christmas is passed, we will welcome the new year tomorrow.  We will also enjoy a revival beginning at our church.  Happy New Year!  : )     

Ranch Life Around Christmas

If you are looking at the pictures and wondering what in the world that is; it's Peanut Brittle.  The first I have ever made.  It turned out really tasty, just not pretty. 

Over the past few days I have been busy with the family.  We have been moving our cattle, which means we have been outside riding the horses in warm or cold weather, wind or still.  It's been good family time, good for the horses, especially our younger ones still in training.  Plus, it's good for the cattle, just to get them used to horses and people. 

We have been trying to buy something while Christmas shopping, but it hasn't worked out as planned.  It's hard to buy a gift for someone who says, "I don't care what you get me." and you can't find anything that would fit them.  So, our Christmas shopping hasn't been much fun.  Thankfully, I am about through.

We have had a little Christmas tree up since August, but recently we got to put up the big one. The inside of the house is all lit up in Christmas lights with Christmas music playing.  We got to put Christmas lights on our balcony for the first time.  It's pretty.  I would show you pictures, but they aren't good enough.  Sorry.  

Monday, we gathered up our cows and sorted 19 off to take to my uncle's wheat.  Paradise got a nice ride in.  I got to slide off of her left side, plus I got on her from the right side.  She is doing good for a young horse, though we still have a lot to learn.  Dad and Mom treated us to pizza that night.  And we did our cookie run.  (Every year at Christmastime, we as a family take home-made cookies to our neighbors. It's always fun.)  We got to see some good friends and talk for a while.  

Yes, we have been some what busy with school.  But that's nothing real exciting...

Yesterday, I was the first one down stairs, and as I looked out the window to the east, I saw a movement.  As I watched, Tonzo, my dog, come into sight with his tail tucked between his legs.  As I looked, a coyote came into view.  Then two others.  I thought of our chickens, who run freely about the ranch.  So, I ran up stairs and got Dad.  After getting a gun and shells, we walked outside.  We looked and to the north, and just across the road, a coyote stood over a deer rib cage.  After a second, he turned and ran off.  Dad and I trooped after him.  But when we reached the top of the hill he had gone over, the coyotes were nowhere to be seen.  It was disappointing, and odd.  They vanished!  Thankfully, they didn't get any chickens or Mom's whole deer that was hanging behind our pickup.  It was a fun way to start our day, though. 

On the odder side - I got to enjoy one of my pigeon's eggs today.  Pigeon egg?!  Yes, I have a female pigeon who has laid 41 eggs this year and we do eat them.  I got to hard boiled one and peel it.  After showing everyone in the family what a hard boiled pigeon looked and felt like, I ate it.  It was different... but good after getting under the rubber feeling part.  It felt like a bouncy ball.  It was a fun thing to try, though.  

Today, we did school and I finished for this week except for math.  I played with Big J. and Little J. quite a bit.  Also, we did get a skift of snow!  I am so glad.  Not near enough to sled, but still, it's a start.  It is still really windy now, but not snowing.  I wonder what it will look like tomorrow.

If I do not get back here and write a post before Christmas, may you all have a great Christmas day.  Merry Christmas!  : )    

December Already?!

Well, as you can see I haven't been on here for quite a while.  We had a great Thanksgiving with our great family, plus two extras, well three if you count dogs...  Anyway- it's already the Christmas month!  I can't believe it, though I have had a Christmas tree up and Christmas music since August.
I don't know about you, but I don't like this weather.  I mean it's nice, but not for December!  It has been nice to ride in it and work with the cattle.  Still, I would really like to have snow.  Anyone else agree?   

We have been doing quite a lot of cattle work lately.  We have weaned our calves and now they are on wheat.  Thankfully, they will stay there and that will give us more grass for our cows.  Sadly, though, there's not much grass because of the drought.  Going back and forth from the wheat, we got to see a spot where an air plane crashed.  It might have been a once-in-a-life-time thing to see it.  The pilot did walk away, thankfully.  Plus, on our way back from the wheat, we stopped and got ice cream as a treat.  

Just today Dad took us two older kids and drove our two long-horns to a pen.  There we loaded up one of them and took them to some different pens.  Then we sorted 4 cows and their calves in a different pasture; then took them to a set of pens.  We will sell them tomorrow.  It was a nice ride, but windy.  On our way home, it got colder; we were really glad that we didn't have any chores to do outside.  (We took our bottle calves to wheat also.)  For the rest of the day, we will be lazy and do about nothing.  It sounds good to just sit and relax.  : )