Just a couple more notes about our drive up the mountain… 1. Taking those wildflower photos was a challenge. Yes, the snow was gone and the soil was warm, but it seems like whenever I sit down (or lay down ) I am surrounded by my English Shadows… and they don’t lay behind me, they…
Yellowbells
Though the first flowers of the season seem to be phlox…it is a plain white flower which lays close to the ground… and though welcome, never seems to inspire. Yellow bells lead the way for celebration. Their mustard color and sweet shape ring in spring. The first to see yellow bells, blue bells, or a…
Up the mountain
We have had multiple snowstorms blow through… some have hit us, some just barely over the top of us, as we can see the snow line just a few hundred feet up the mountain. Today, though, has been a gorgeous day. Fairly warm… just hear that grass grow! Ironically, I spent most of the morning…
Small moments
Guess I had spring fever, I wanted to be outside, but wanted to do something more fun than yard work, so me and my crew grabbed my metal detector and headed to the hills. About a mile and a half from my house are the remains of a dugout. I’ve wandered around them before, but not…
Quarry
We stepped over the prickly pear cactus and avoided the tall sagebrush. Every few steps our jeans accidentally brushed against the sage creating a seemingly loud *scrrrrrritch*. We pointed and whispered, our quarry lay ahead in the dim light. We could hear them and see their white patches in the the deepening gloom. Unfortunately the…
They’re gone!
We have turned out virtually all of our cows! Yay! This is our crew that helped Johnny, Vernon, and I push the last big bunch out Wednesday. I had had a big trip to the dentist the day before… a root canal, temporary crown, and a tooth pulled…yeccchhh! So I helped move cows for just…
Another family portrait
This looks like summer downtime… but 5 minutes before we had pushed a bunch of cows 50 feet away and I had told them to stay in the yard and lay down… and this was their reaction. When people doubt that these dogs come with an “off switch” they need to see this photo and know…
Ahorseback
Daniel rides his Big Red Rooster horse to help sort off pairs. All my children have helped ride since they were about 5… and even riding double for short periods before that. One of my favorite pictures is Brandon in front of me on the saddle sound asleep while trailing on the mountain. We had those…
3 generations
John, Daniel, Vernon, Brandon Greet sorting pairs in the corner…yes, those leaning posts actually have wire on them and pass for “good enough” fence.
Spring trail
It is time FINALLY to turn the cows out to graze…and we’ve been doing exactly that the past three days. It is a time-consuming process. Step One is gathering the pasture they are in and often keeping them in a corner to work them where Step Two takes place. Pairing the cows and baby calves. If…
A Hike
We woke to a covering of snow after two days of 70 degrees. And, although moisture would be welcome, the storm only managed to spit out a pitiful .04 of liquid. And the wind had to partner with the storm, so when I and 4 dogs took a walk this breezy afternoon, I expected a…
Cuteness
Today is Tuesday… the day Lucas and I become reading partners to kids at Ten Sleep School. We have always listened to the 3rd/4th graders read, but today we were thrilled to have the kindergarten class as well! Yes, they can read…and they read one of my favorite authors, Dr. Seuss! Picture this: A little…