Such a great calving season for 2019. Felt like we'd finally caught up after the nasty rains of the 2016 season, which caused us no end of grief. Finally the cows are on a good cycle again (we had a huge percentage of our herd calve out in just too weeks! Lucky the weather cooperated!!) Dry ground (for Anahim Lake!), good help, minimal sickness and healthy momma's producing plenty of milk.
We sure appreciated the difference in calving out all our own cattle, as compared to the year before when we had bought heifers. Good attitudes, lots of maternal instinct, and healthy, correctly sized calves. No complaints!
Pocket and her wee filly, just born that morning. Nothing sweeter.
Going through photos to do a blog catch up, and I couldn't resist posting this one. This is the decorating on a CAKE....everything edible and delicious. By Amy of course, the Food Artist.
After quite a dry spring, the rains finally came. A series of massive downpours really flooded us in early July. And the rains kept on a coming.... in fact, they are still coming. That's not meant to be a lake in the distance....that's our hay meadow.
Beautiful hay crop on the way at Four Mile.
The one thing I have to say....we do get the most amazing sunsets here!
Photo from our colt starting clinic in early June. This is Howie, a real nice little two year old. He came with us to the mountains for a couple of trips this year and was a rock star.
Zip keeps a close eye, as usual. As much as I love and appreciate her, she is a true example of how border collies always need a job and/or to be super active. She never, ever, quits.
Pocket's baby is growing up, plus another new addition.
Kelsey supporting the newly started four year old "Hudson" after getting him to climb aboard a rock.
Taking cows to summer range up the side of the hay meadow. Now, if the damn rain would stop and let things dry out.......
Rodeo Time! Photo credit to Steven Dubas
We had another incredibly busy but very successful rodeo this year. All of us organizers felt better about it (we learned some lessons last year!) and it was a good weekend all around. Might even do it again next year....
Well, this was a wreck. As you can see, some sick and sad heifers. They have been eating (we think) a shore buttercup, which has caused contact dermatitis (blistering their noses, tongues, throats) and causing photo sensitization in some. Crazy they were eating it at all, with tons of lush green grass around. The offending buttercup is a low growing plant....they almost had to search it out. But did. We've never seen anything like this before, nor had anyone we knew. They were pulled from the pasture and offered the barns and plenty of timber for shade. They all came around eventually but it remains to be seen how the preg check will go.
Summer Range
Cheers all!
Punky
