The Trees are Falling

It's a cold day out here on the ranch and I have found the time to put up a post.  Fall has come once more!  This last weekend our family took a little trip to the mountains to see the changing trees.  As you can see in the pictures, the trees have changed colors. 

We went to Red River, NM, to the Oktoberfest again and spent the night in Eagle's Nest.  On the next morning, we shivered and watched a group of people snag fishing.  That was new to us, but it looked fun.  The fishermen didn't use bait, they just throw the hook in the water and it would hook into a fish.  Pretty simple.  But we did not fish any.

We got to see some snow and had to step around some ice.  Later in the morning we went to Angel Fire and ate a nice breakfast.  Then we went to the ski lift and even rode on it to the top of the mountain!  I wasn't looking forward to it, but once we got on to come down, I really enjoyed it!  A person can see a long ways from up there, for sure.  We had dinner by the road on our way home and got some more pictures.

We drove out to my dad's parents' house and had great fellowship with them, our cousins, and Aunt and Uncle.  Oh, how we laughed after the supper meal.  We played Bananagrams and talked late into the night.  The five of us didn't get home until early the next morning.  : )
 

1 Year!

So, it's late at night and I finally get to sit down and write a blog post.  Yes, I should be in bed, but I couldn't let this day pass without a post.

It's my blog's first birthday!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLOG!!!!

Last year on the third of October, I started this ranch blog and am still enjoying it.  I want to thank all of you who take the time to read it; it means so much to me! 

I hope you all enjoy my old posts and the ones yet to come!  ~Savannah, the writer of this blog, the one living the ranch life.  : )

Wait-Let Me Catch Up!

Yes, so it's been almost two weeks since our branding, and yes, I am VERY behind in my blog!  I am sorry, you will just have to live with it.

 

We did have a great branding* on Labor Day and at dinner we had 27 people of all ages eat with us.  The branding is like a holiday at our house (at least in my mind it is) and because of the toss I took on 28th of August, I wasn't up to flanking (pulling the calf over on its side and sitting on it). (Read about it in my blog post called Make That Odd...)  It was saddening because ever since I was big enough, that was the best part of branding.  Instead, I ear notched** almost every calf, and did in fact get my exercise, for the helpers decided to move to the pen next to the one I was in.

 

A lot of younger cowboys got to rope, flank, and give shots; one of those ropers was Big J.  He did really well and double hocked*** a lot of calves.  I am his sister, but I was impressed with his roping!  I even said, "He is doing really well, even if he is my brother."

 

The day was nice and we were done branding by 10 am., we had started at 7:30.  We then ran a few yearling mama cows through the chute and year branded them.  We finished that at 12 o'clock and headed to the house for a great, mostly-home-made dinner that Mom was in charge of.  It was a great day!

 

* A branding is when a lot of cowboys and cowgirls get together to help their friend mark his cattle so that if they get out, people will know who they belong to.  The brand is what the ownership mark is called.  Our brand is IE laying down.  The E is on top of the I.  Every rancher has a different brand to mark his ownership.  How do you brand the calf?  The brand is made out of an iron rod and the part with the brand is put in a fire to cause the iron to become very hot.  The brander then puts the iron on the calf and the hot brand burns the hair and skin, thus leaving the brand on the calf for the rest of its life. 

We also give shots for the reason you get shots, and cut them.  Or in other words, make the bulls, who make more calves, into steers, one who can not reproduce.  The proper way of saying it would be castrating.

 

** Ear notch is another way of showing ownership.  We cut out a part of the ear (the tip and on top of the right ear, and on the left, just the tip).  Just another way to see who owns the calf if the hair has grown over the brand.

 

*** Double Hocking is when a roper ropes a calf by both hind legs.  It is best if that is done rather than only one leg or the neck; it's easier to flank the calf.  

 

I went through 800 some pictures and picked these for you to see.



 

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL PICTURES WERE TAKEN BY MY COUSIN, CALLIE SAIN.

THANK YOU, CALLIE, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SNAP AT OUR BRANDING.  GREAT PICTURES!



 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was also in the Beaver County Rodeo queen contest this year.  I had to sell tickets (which I got first place for selling the most), model, give a speech, be interviewed, and ride a horse in a reining pattern.  I didn't like everything that I had to do and it was a stretch for me, it was my first time.  I didn't win, but it didn't matter if I won, lost, or drew.  I finished and that's what mattered.  My parents were proud of me.  And I don't have to do it next year!  I am really happy about that.

 

The county fair was going on at the same time, and we entered things in it.  It was one busy week!

 

So, there are a few big things that have caused me to get behind in my blogging business.  We did start school and it's going smoothly.  And I am happy to say that my hip is much better.  I can flank again; we had some sick calves and got to flank today!  Our ranch life is still busy, but not as much. 

 

We have gotten a little rain this week and got to say good bye to the hot weather!  It is so lovely to walk outside and get chilled because it's 60 to 70 degrees.  I hope it stays this way.  You know, fall is just around the corner!  It's amazing that it's already that time again.  Well, it is time for Christmas...yes, I decorated a little for it already.  Why not?!  

 

On the sadder side: I had to let my turtle, Tortoise, go.  Because they hibernate, we couldn't keep him through the winter.  I will miss that little guy.   

 

Have a great day, all you readers!  : )  



The Garden

It's been a long while since I have said anything about the garden.  It is coming along quite well.

We have gotten to pick a lot of squash and zucchini.  We are also getting some cucumbers and peppers, including banana peppers, hot peppers, and bell peppers.  All of them have tasted good.  We have picked three okras, two tomatoes, two radishes, and one green onion.

I planted two watermelon seeds from a store bought watermelon and they both grew, but the big one died the day after we transplanted to the outside world.

It has been a lot of fun getting to hang out with Dad as he waters it and to search for little surprises.  

Some of these pictures are old, but it shows you how our garden was set up this year.  Enjoy!  : )

   

Make That Odd...

The title doesn't make much sense unless you know how many times I have come off my horse.  But here is the story about the fifth time I got ejected from my dear horse, Paradise.

It was a nice evening, last night, and we needed to move some pairs to a set of pens in order to haul them closer to where we are going to brand.  Well, we were starting later than planned so it was close to dark.  We were hurrying to get to the cows; Paradise had already stepped in an unseen hole and touched the ground with her nose.  Thankfully we were walking.  But that was nothing to falling off.

We went to the gate on the hill and went through it fine.  Dad and Big J. were riding faster ahead and I simply wanted to catch up to them, so I kicked Paradise.  Well, she got spooked at that and did go faster, but I wasn't ready for that speed, that sudden.  I lost my right stirrup, I grabbed my saddle, for I had no saddle horn to grab, and did my best to slow my running horse's pace.  I could see a yucca plant nearing, and that's when Paradise turned to the left, I lost everything and fell, skidding, sliding and going head over feet on the ground once I hit.  It wouldn't have been so painful, but let's remember that I came of a loping horse.

I rolled over and sat up fast as possible and tried breathing.  For a long time, or at least it felt like a long time, I couldn't breathe and to make things worse, Big J.'s dog ran into my face and started roughly licking me.  I couldn't breathe and for sure couldn't talk, but the dog wasn't helping, so I hit her and pushed her away.  Dad and Big J. were by me by then and my dog gently came over and just stood by me until I could breathe and mumble a little.

After sitting on the ground for a while, I stood up, but had to have help.  My left arm was scraped up and my hip felt awful!  My shirt wasn't torn but had indented dirt and stains; it was red like blood so Dad looked for any gashes and to make sure no ribs were broke.  They weren't and there was no blood.  We were very thankful that I hadn't fallen on/in the yucca plant and that there weren't any rocks, but I rolled over some tumbleweeds and sagebrush.

We almost went on to move the cattle, but because I was in pain and it was even closer to dark, we turned to go home.  The ride home was okay, and I never got blurry or sick, until we got off at the house.  I walked a few feet and that's when my ears started closing and my sight went to black spots.  Dad came up and helped me sit down.  I could not hear the locust at all, a little scary... Dad fanned me with his hat and cooled me off.  Then we walked arm in arm to the house. 

Inside, Mom quit her phone call and I sat down in a chair when Dad took off my boots and socks.  They got a wet cloth for my face and I sat in front of the fan.  Today I got up and I can walk, slowly with a limp, and I even got on Dad's horse for a while.  Riding her was not at all painful, but getting on and off was hard.  I really hope I heal quickly for our branding is just around the corner.  I am really glad we have a God that looks out for us!  So, as for the title, I will explain.  I told Paradise when I came off the fourth time that we should stay on an even number and not buck me off again.  But... let's make that odd... And stay odd!  : )   

Rain Helps Everything...Except Dirt Roads

As the title states rain is a helpful thing for plants and rivers, but when it comes as hard as it has the last few nights on the ranch, it can ruin a dirt road and fences.

Here is another spot of washed road.



Here is the washed away road.  Dad informed us today that a four wheeler might be able to cross. 



The culverts didn't quite do their job...



You can see that this dirt road was really washed away by the hard rain.  But it made cool pictures!  All of this rain has also messed up some fences, so you know what will be worked on soon.

We went swimming in our river because of the rain we had gotten on July 31st had risen the water.  The water was really cold, but just as fun.  I had taken my camera and snapped a few pictures of the river and dirt road.

At the house, we got 2 inches of rain, but it came hard.  On the 6th we got 3 inches and again last night we got 2.75, and to beat all of that, our branding pens got 4.40!  Thank You, God!

All of it came hard, thus washing our roads, lining our fences with trash, and making huge puddles in the pastures, but at least we are receiving some.

So, now we are at the point of having too much grass and not enough cows, but we would much rather have it that way than too many cows.  : )

Rain Helps Everything

Rain is such a wonderful thing that, sadly, we don't get to see often enough out here.  But tonight was different. 

We were looking at the radar on the internet and were saddened by the news it showed.  We were again out of range of the near-by rain.  But as we continued watching, a nice sized cloud formed right over us and we looked outside just as it began to rain; not a heavy sprinkle, or a trace, but real, heavy rain!  The sight and sound of real rain was long missed and quickly welcomed to the ranch.

After a few minutes of rain, our county was put under a severe thunderstorm watch, with a chance of hail and a few rotations.  We personally did not see any hail.  When the rain had slowed down (about an hour later) we all went outside and played in the puddles and actually used an umbrella, though we really didn't need one.

The big rain had passed leaving two inches in the rain gauge and a few sprinkles still falling from a cloud above.  We three kids ran around the ranch bare-foot and had a race on our rock driveway, and yes, our feet were pink and kind of hurt.  It was barely sprinkling now and we all loaded up in the pickup to drive around and look at the water.

With we three kiddos in the back of the pickup, Dad and Mom in the cab, we drove through and around puddles made by the rain.  There was a lot of lightning around, so we got to watch a nice show while driving on the muddy dirt road heading south.  A few spots in the road were covered with water and some ditches were full.  In one low spot, the water was flowing under the road and do you know what's amazing?  Frogs are so amazing, but their Maker is even more so!

We were driving around and when we stopped to look at the water, there pretty close to the road, were what sounded like thousands of frogs croaking their joy of the rain.  We have been in a huge drought, we have not seen one frog in at least a year, but yet tonight after this big rain, there are tons of frogs alive and well!  How did God make them so well?!  He is God, he knows everything.  It is just remarkable that they can live through dry weather like this.

We came home after running bare-foot in a huge puddle which also crossed the road.  And to end this wonderful day, we lit some fireworks and watched the little display.  Such a fun life!  And we thank God for all of it.  : )