Barbara: What is lump jaw?
There are two forms of lump jaw, soft and hard. Soft is when an infection starts, usually in the lower jaw, and usually from a puncture like from stickers, rough grass, or sticks. It forms a walled pocket of pus. If you can grab it and move it around, it’s a soft lump jaw. You can lance it and let the pus drain, and rinse it out with iodine. (It will challenge your gag reflex as well! Whoooeee!) Hard lump jaw can’t be “moved around” and is in the bone. It will continue to grow and lancing isn’t an option. It may take a while, but the cow will not recover. It will continue to grow and bother her eating and swallowing. She will, at some point, have to be put down.
Redwood: Q: Another one(*), if I may: That old, cold cow with lump jaw (I’ve read up on the two forms of the illness) – how is she, or did you have to end her misery? (Hmm, do you ever euthanize cows at all, or are they always taken to slaughter?) If she is pregnant, can she, or does she have to, hang in there until she has had her calf?
The Old Cold Cow is still here, grazing in the fields around my house. She and three others didn’t fit on the semi with the other cull cows… so they don’t know it, but they’re lucky! We’ll keep her around until she calves, then, if a healthy cow happens to lose her calf, we’ll probably take Old Cold Cow’s calf and graft it onto the healthy cow. Yes, we euthanize cows if we have to, and simply drag them off to the Bone Pile.
Marilyn: how did the original Greet family decide on the location of their ranch?
The way I heard it, was that the Greets came from England and spent some time in Illinois with relatives. They then continued to Red Lodge, Montana. My Opinion: They were listed as coal miners when they left England and there was an old coal mine or two around Red Lodge (and a big mining tragedy there as well) The father and older sons came to this country and filed on the little Spring Creek place… the wife and youngest boys came after finishing their school year in Red Lodge. Twenty years later, it was the youngest twin boys that moved from Spring Creek to the present place due to the better farm ground 10 miles away. Or, if you’ve listened to my “Red Dirt In My Soul Book”, they musta liked what they saw!
Redwood: Oh, I just noticed “A Look Back in Time” at the right margin – the links worked for me, including pictures, that is wonderful! I’ve also been enjoying your “Good enough for another look” tweets. You have put so much creative and hard work and time into the new blog, and you are here every single day for your fans despite all your other work and projects – I really need to say thank you, because I love coming here day after day!
Thank you! What a nice comment! You made my day! 😉
Redwood: Q: It seems that your dogs get to work cows only occasionally these days. Do you have any kind of diet and exercise regimen for them so as to keep their fitness at a safe working level? Or do you simply make them stop/rest/take it easy at the first sign of exertion when they do get to work?
If I was smart and responsible, I would. Same with the horses. Same with me! But, honestly, no. When we work, we work the dog out of our dogs, horses, and ourselves. I have been known to haul water for my dogs, or take them to water, but that’s the only break they get!
Pam: No tree?
Yes, there’s a tree… I MUST take a picture, eh?
Holly: Question …. How’s your studio? Will you be able to use it this winter?
The studio hasn’t been touched since it got SO COLD. I’ll be back out there after Christmas, I’m sure. I’m just too busy doing other things… The stove works, so, I’ll be there… I promise!
Judy: Question … do you trim your own horses hooves and shoe them yourselves? …. I know it is a big job to keep horse feet in shape …. or is there a way that you just let them alone and not have to do anything?
We’re not real horsey people, so if you’re talking about getting them shod every 6 weeks… no. First of all shoes in winter are a pain, balling snowballs up on their hooves, and slipping on ice, so our horses go barefoot in winter. It’s easy to tell by my pictures, that Wyoming is rocky country, so good hooves are a must, and a criteria for purchasing a horse. We hire someone to shoe them for us in the spring, and usually a reset or two during the summer. I think the boys would be interested in learning more, but that’s just an area where we lack expertise.
Ann J: Love Father Christmas (stocking). Are you thinking about making these available for purchase next year?
No. Things like that I make out of love… even if it is to just raise money for the library! There’s too much time and angst to make them for sale!
Tom: I would love to get a copy of that Shepard and lamb painting. Can you tell me the painter and title?
The painting from the early 1900’s is variously called “Found” or “Shepherd’s Call”. It has been attributed to Walter Hunt and Albrecht Schenck. There is a lot of information on the internet about the picture… evidently it has been popular for a long time!
Marilyn: How did the “Ho Ho Ho” creations hold up for this year?
Those HoHoHo creations were made for the library auction last year… and I hope they’re happy in their new home!
Linda D: Want to come decorate my house?
Yes.
Ha! No, but thanks for the offer!
Thanks, everyone for the great questions!
Find me here!
[slaps self] Comment was meant for the awesome Bad Moon post. It’s been that kind of day :~/
You made me laugh, Luisa. We all do that at one time or another!
Beautiful!! I was also out last night, trying to take a photo of the huge moon and the amazing clouds — your photo is much, much, MUCH better :~)
Thank you for your answers! Although I’m terrible at this Q&A thing, because with me, an answer usually leads to a follow-up question… And my comments usually go on and on… So, most of the time, I try to just look and enjoy, and to listen and learn – and I find Red Dirt In My Soul to be a *great* place for doing just that. Incidentally, I passed through Ten Sleep on one of my U.S. road trips (early 1990s)! Wish I had known about you then; I’d have asked permission to turn into your road, just around the first bend or so, to sneak a peek of your valley… 🙂
I always “Look Back in Time” and today happened upon my alias… Teehee… But “Redwood” does sound so much nicer, and certainly less awfully German, than Irmgard (ugh), right? I think I might go back to Redwood… 🙂