In the past when we have worked our calves in the fall, we have had help
from friends and neighbors as well as some of our family. This year we did it just as family. One son, Cody, lives on the ranch with us and the other,Rory, lives about 120 miles north of us. We can always count on the two of them for help. Rory with his wife, Emily came down fromWilliston on Thursday night with their three kids. It was a long drive for them after Rory had worked all day and then they hit a deer near Squaw Gap. Thankfully, they were all okay and their truck somehow came thru unscathed.
I had gathered some pairs out of our Twin Buttes pasture on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday morning two of our three grandkids, Haley and Owen, headed back out to Twin Buttes with me in the feed truck to see if we could call some pairs in. We got just a few but had a great time together out there! Later in the day, Rory and Cody took their four wheelers and I went horseback to see how many more pairs we could get in. It was a long afternoon, especially for Rory and Cody. Cody rolled his four wheeler down into a wash. He was ok but it took awhile that evening in the dark to retrieve it from the bottom of the wash. It suffered a broken windshield and a broken brake lever. Vehicles can be replaced but sons can't. The boys also got our tub and alleyway moved to the first place we were to work calves the next day.
Haley spent much of her weekend at the ranch doing what she loves, riding horses. Her little Storm horse is having a tough time lately, so she has been riding one of my horses, Denny. I think I have lost my horse til Badger is fine tuned enough for her to ride! She helped her Papa Doug and I trail some pairs quite a distance first thing in the morning. They had strayed way off to a distant neighbor's. It was pretty chilly when we took off to ride, but Haley never once complained. She just rode! She and Denny have become a team and are good help moving cattle. She is so confident when she is on him!
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| Paddles make great weapons when you are little kids! |
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Owen was ready to help get calves out of the chute or whatever else he might be called to use his paddle for! |
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| I told you she was getting to be a good hand! |
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| Doug's cousin, Pete, Cody, Owen, Boyd (the border collie) and Doug at breaktime. |
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Connor slept in his folks' truck and missed all of the excitment. I had to include him in the photos of the day,even if it was from earlier in the morning! |
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| Medora Haley, aka Badger, and Haley Ryan. |
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Owen gets pretty excited when he is on a horse. Here he is on Badger with Papa Doug leading her. Denny is patient when Owen is on him alone and will gently walk when Owen wants him to go. |
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Our daughter-in-law, Emily, helped push calves and also did alot of the cooking for me Saturday so I could ride. She was so much help and is a good cook too!! |
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These are a just a few of our calves. We are so blessed to have such a great family, live in such an awesomely beautiful place and love what we do for a living! |
8 comments:
It's wonderful that your family can and will come and help......wanna send them on up this week when we wean ;) Especially the cook?
Nice looking calves, it's good the prices are up this year, I think our weights will be too.
looks like it was a happy and productive day! I can just imagine how much you enjoyed having all of them there with you!
Thanks for sharing an open window into your world. The photos were all beautiful...and fun, especially of the grandkids.
And even with the long hard days or working, and misadventures, it seemed to be a a very special close time spent with your family. You are all so very blessed indeed!
~Lisa
How nice your kids and grandkids could help. We have to rely on neighbors to help us now. I like the pictures, they are good, especially of Haley and Denny.
You are blessed to have family to help out, so many of us don't have children that enjoy the same things as us, and especially grandchildren. I love that you can put those kids up on a good horse and trust them. Haley's going to make a good hand.
grandbabies!!! I love the excitement on Owen's face - thats contagious :)
I think thats wonderful that you include the kids in the work; those are moments they'll remember for decades :)
What great memories for the kids.
Hi Judy, I really enjoyed these photos..the kids look like they had a blast! You made lots of memories!! :)
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