The Scoop

Alright, you are right.  
It's been a month.  
And a day.  
But let me explain.  
It's been busy.  
Ha ha, no surprise.....   But as the days got longer and we got busier, and I simply didn't have time to write, I felt myself getting more and more worried as the days went by.   And it occurred to me that adding stress to my life about sharing my life was not what the blog was meant to be about.  And then it got slapped in my face that this blog is somehow, sometimes, being used to gather information about us and our business.  Not for fun, or to learn about ranching in the Chilcotin, or to keep up with our family and area.  But seriously official, ranch influencing decisions being strongly influenced by what is read on a blog story.  Seriously.  It really spun me for a loop and feels wrong somehow.
    
So I decided to take a month off.  My last post was on the 18th of April.  So I figured I'd start writing again on the 18th of May.  
Let me tell you about my 18th of May.    

Up at my usual time and started the coffee.  
Headed for the office and powered up the computer.  (Very quietly as to not wake the boys.)
Back to the coffee pot after paying a few bills and trying to keep up with the latest logging activity in my back yard.  (The good news is they are not actually going to take out my chicken coop now......)
There were 2 bulls munching grass in my yard.
Now, my yard is nothing fancy, to be sure, but 2 tonne bulls are not my usual lawn movers.  (Normally the lighter equine version.)  Even my sleep fogged brain could register that.  Bulls are OUT!  Dammit!  
Eli ran for the outside gates and I ran for a horse (did manage to get out of my pj's first.....)
I could hear bulls roaring in the distance (and a general disturbance of cattle) but caught faithful old Rea and boogied across the pasture.  (About 1/2 way across it occurred to me that chasing bulls bareback with a halter probably wasn't a good idea.  But I had Rea and so all I need to do was stay on the topside.......)  
Got across the pasture and finally stopped to really listen.  
And realized there was more going on than just missing bulls.  
SOMETHING was chasing the cattle, hard and fast, not just a bull fight as I'd first thought.  I could hear cows and calves bawl frantically as they ran and fought and the ruckus was terrible.  
Knowing something significant was up, knowing I'd be very slow getting there with a big swamp between us, and knowing there was not a darn thing I could do about ANYTHING with my cap hat or halter rope, I smoked a trail back to the ranch and told Eli to get his gun and get the heck over there.  
(Yes, for the record, any officials reading this, Eli DOES all the required paperwork to pack and fire a gun and is more than capable!)
Long story short there, he must have spooked the wolves off when he got there (about a mile away from the main ranch), but the good news is that the calf was still alive.  (At least the one we found.)  So here is my 'photo of the day' for May 18th.  Our newest doctoring chore.  

Poor baby.

I spent the next hour and a half looking for the last missing bull and finally found him.  He had gotten into another fight (besides the one that flattened the original fence he and friends were supposed to be held behind) and had literally been thrown over the top of a rail fence.  He didn't jump.....his hair was on both fence posts and a rail was down.  

Got him under fence again and  I headed over to meet mum and Eli.  They were looking through the cattle for any other obvious injuries.  We quietly brought the very lucky but sore and bleeding calf and momma back home.  
Got done with that and doctoring after 2pm and headed in to pick up the boys from school.  
Now it is time to start the 'plans for the day'.  Ha ha ha.  Morning coffee pretty cold in the pot.  We had planned on sorting and vaccinating our yearlings.  They don't all make the grade to be put with the bulls and we pulled a few.  Also a few steers that were not big enough to sell last fall, or came in late.  These are put on grass pasture until sold at the end of August.     
By the time that was all done it was nearing 7pm.  So I quickly drug the boys back home, dusted them off, filled their bellies (luckily Amy had supper made, hurray!) and read them a chapter or two of the latest book. And by the time that was all done, supper cleaned up and evening chores done, there was no way I was heading for the computer (still on from the morning)...............I was done.  Honestly.  I must be getting old.   

BUT, there is plenty of good news to share in the last month too, and I'll get to that.  Spring has sprung and it is wonderful to point my camera over my horses ears again. 

Mothering up.  

Love this shot.  Fat Pat and Dealer Dog wait impatiently while Sorbay, mum and Eli compare notes.  

Cheers to you all and thanks to those who sent extra support, making sure we were okay and hoping the blog would continue.  

Until next time (within a month, I promise!)

Punky.