You Only Thing You Can Count On

is things will change.

They were beauties and they served us well.  Sold them all, every one.  It is bittersweet.  Hubby's dream of raising cattle was born years ago.  He lived his dream and like my horses, that dream ends, too.

Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

Shall I change my blog name since we officially are no longer "farming"?

The land will feed the wildlife.  We will continue to care for the land but hopefully at a more leisurely pace.

I imagine we will celebrate come winter but now it's bittersweet.

Green Onions and Green Grass

Mitch and Andrew-Green Onions

 

Andrew and Green Onions

Cattle on green grass

All bad photography by Gail!

Random Five Friday...

with Nancy at A Rural Journal gives up a chance to post random thoughts about anything.

 1.  The cattle don't care what I wear when I'm bringing feed.  Not a word was said about my pink boots, my red leg warmers or my triple layers of bulky clothes.  They were simply glad to see me.  

We could take a lesson from them.

2.  The deer are more cautious.  Between snow melts they search for food but they seem to be faring well.

3.  Life goes on around us despite the fickle weather.  We help with what we can.  A new calf greets her first sunrise.

4.  Grateful to see a Turkey Vulture instead of the aggressive New World Vultures that sometimes attack animals rather than cleaning up the dead.

5.  We are weary of winter and eagerly awake spring.

Counting Cows...

or counting coup

could be about the same...

Depends

on who you try to touch.

A Christmas Calf...

The calf swings his tail to pump the milk.

Kidding!

Enjoying their snack of range cubes

The cattle At The Farm

Wish 

All 

A Merry Christmas!

Friday's Rain, Stampede, And To Market...

to sell the calves.  The orb above could be a rain drop but I like to think it was someone watching over us.

The smaller calves were worked to the right.  The young bull was left in the center pen til loading time.  The bent panel is from Collateral our big bull jumping out.  All went smoothly.

Yes, that is a cattle prod (produces an electric shock)  Hubby is threatening to use on me.  Prods are sometimes used to herd cattle although we only use ours if absolutely necessary.  Today was one of those days...twice.

It was an easy job working all the cattle through slowly.  The calves stayed in as we worked the cattle out. It hasn't rained in a long time but Friday it rained.  Hurrah!!!  Hubby finds another use for the tractor bucket.

Hubby was working the calves into the stock trailer by walking slowly behind them down the chute.  One heifer (young female) decided she was not going.  She turned back right into Hubby and kept coming, butting him knocking him down.  He is kicking her and prodding her and she jumps over him.  She gets reloaded then it's time...

for about eleven hundred pounds of dynamite to try the same thing.  El Toro  comes running right toward Hubby, no time to jump fence.  The prod does deter Super Baby. Hubby rolls minus glasses and hat. Hubby did mention he'd never seen a bull's equipment from that angle.  Unhurt Hubby rises to drive El Toro in again. All the calves will sell tonight

except the youngest.

Mom is grateful.

And that's life At The Farm.

New Ground Pasture

This land was cleared and planted at least fifty years ago.  It was referred to as the new ground and I guess it always will be.  The cattle don't care what it's called.  This was Dad's standard summer pasture and the spring valley was winter grazing along with hay and feed.

Today we counted cattle.

The grass is green.

This time last year it was drought brown.

Collateral is not sure he likes the attention. 

A bad picture of my favorite...Yellow Cow

If I didn't know better I would think there's a buffalo

 in this guy's wood pile.

Grass is good. This cow is not skinny.  It is the breed.

Bored with us and disappointed that we brought no treats

they move on.

Hiding...

or trying.

Just For Today...

more bull!

In The Valley Spring Has Sprung...

Our poor cattle are grateful for the green. They broke into the barn for the last peanut hay bale and we have been feeding range cubes. The bulls and the calves look good but the poor mamas are looking ragged.  Almost ashamed to show a picture.  Thank God, the grass is growing. They lay down to chew their cuds far more often than they were. 

The tulips and other spring bulbs struggle through the vetch and other wild ground covers screaming to me of all the work I have to do.

Many fruit trees are covered with blossoms and the air is full of pollen.  Hoping we have enough pollinators to have a good fruit crop this year.

I spend much of my time cooking healthy meals and bird dogging Tractor Man.  He tends to run off on the tractor or Ranger without notification.

The Canine Farm Team alerted me last night.  By the time I arrived with light and weapon the snake had already been taken out and only pieces remained.  Good dogs!  I shall have to be careful when I get back to my water garden.  This was a poisonous water snake.

I have ambitious plans.  Changing bedclothes from company, removing maggots from the kitchen sink and killing mushrooms that are growing the bathrooms...kidding!  My household chores have suffered from lack of attention but that is not important.

Tractor Man is home.  We follow the rules and await the decision of "The Board" to see if he is a candidate. Life will continue and we will not hang suspended waiting for that decision.

In the between times we say I love you more often and appreciate that we are both home again.

Pieces of Calves...

is what you see if you watch

and catch one as it runs by

Other times you can find a handful just hanging around

or get really lucky and find a baby almost by herself.

Dad is always keeping watch.

Cattle Club

The temps aren't so high

but the rain is still short.

The only reason this grass is green

 is because we water it from the spring.



Last baby for this year

The one who escaped the tagging.

I'm not sure what will happen.  We have no hay for winter.  There is none to be had anywhere close by.  Many cattle from our area have been sold because of lack of pasture and hay.  We hope for rain to fill the ponds and possibly allow one cutting of hay before winter. For now our Cattle Club retains it's full membership.

Thursday's Things In A Row

Row of bovines

I show today.

Freshly tagged calves

staying away

Not falling for that jive.

They'll tag your ears.

Run and hide!

Hiding between Mom and Dad

this calf is not being had.

Check in with Pat

at her Edge with A View

Join the fun

and have a ROW-day too.