We’re down to calving the last few heifers.
Thank goodness.
At least it will give the guys a break in the middle of the night.
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So when I took this picture last week… I did it because, here I was, in my baby Jeep Cherokee, cruising over snow covered dirt roads, listening not to some great songs… but Ken Follett’s Winter of the World. It’s a BIG book and I needed serious listening time!
I had retrieved Eden from Shoshoni and hopefully, her VERY ROMANTIC date with Tank… but as I left the pavement, the sun was setting. No big deal. Now, I sure wouldn’t recommend this road to anyone who hasn’t taken it before. It can be VERY CONFUSING which turns to take until you’ve been across a few times… but me and this road are good friends. I knew as long as I didn’t do something entirely stupid… I’d be fine.
When I drove over the pass and down across the wide open prairie, I stopped my car. No visible lights ANYWHERE. Nada. Not one. Nope.
Stars, yes. A zillion trillion stars. No moon.
Just me, my book, my dog, and two little headlights piercing the blackness, leading us home.
What do you think? Would you do this??? Or am I just used to Wyoming back roads?
I don’t want to jinx myself. I don’t want, in any way, to put this out there, and have some random, rotten piece of luck, mess this up.
Twice with Dally. Twice with Eden. Here’s hoping Eden’s third time is a charm.
Meet Tank.
Deep Creek’s Shark Tank, to be precise.
Eden was supposed to come in heat in December. Finally, the last week of February, the week we are calving heifers… she comes in heat. I had thought I might use a Lucas son on her… and keep a little Lucas grandson… But the timing was rotten and a winter storm blew in and… well, Steve and Angela Weber from Deep Creek English Shepherds bailed me out!
Since Eden had never had a natural tie… just the two unsuccessful AI’s with Lucas… I wanted to give the lovebirds some time… so I left her down in Shoshoni, Wyoming for a few days.
They took to each other quite quickly. A great sign. Vernon and I came home to a quiet house.
Six days later, I retrieve her. Tank has lost interest and no one witnessed a tie. It doesn’t mean they didn’t *do it*… and I first thought, don’t tell, don’t jinx it… but I’m more of a “put some good vibes out there” kinda girl. So PAWS-itive thoughts, please!
The thought of having puppies once again… just makes me giggle. It’s been sooooo long coming.
I really owe it to Steve and Angela… and Tank! By the way, they also have pups almost ready to go. Look at these sweeties!
Ranch raised, kid loved, agility and working English Shepherd pups! Give them a call at Deep Creek English Shepherds if you’re interested.
Vernon and I built this shed long ago, thinking maybe we could sell them, much like you see storage sheds sold everywhere these days. Well, we found out how long it took to weld the frame and tap the pipe… and we never built another one!
For years though, calves have enjoyed their “calf only” space. It faces south, catching the sun, and gives them a wind free zone to enjoy.
Black calves make it hard to see, but there’s a whole pile of them in there!
OK, local folks and relatives, I need a little help on this photo. I know this is the old highway where today the bridge is impassable over Crooked Creek. But what I know as the “school house” sits further south and it’s a log structure. What/whose house was this? Where did it move to, or what happened to it? When was this taken, give or take… ideas?
If you can help me out, I’d sure appreciate it!