Here's yer sign

So I got an email this morning that asked if I still wanted to be part of Mountains Beyond the Cows.  
I do.  
I signed up for the notification of new postings.  


So....  
No apologies, life is what it is.  I haven't posted for almost 2 months now, but have not forgotten.   And the occasional posts/emails/snarls from friends/family/friends I haven't met/others, do produce results.  

Okay, to try and somewhat catch up, I'm going to do a photo journey for you.  

July 7th

Photo credit to Lorna Jimmie  

As a community, we had an amazing rodeo weekend.  Contestants were delighted  with the new events added and prize money available.  

Personally, I'm always happy when Monday rolls around after rodeo weekend, but with our new events and format, it was quite possibly the most exhausting weekend ever.  Worked out well and the spectators were happy, but next year..........  more delegating is a huge priority.  

July 8th

View from my kitchen window

July 9th

July 10th

July 11th 

Tired boy, tired dog...

July 12

Cows on summer range

July 18th

JULY 19th

Lunch Lake 

July 21st 

Coming in through the fog.

July 22nd 

July 24th 

This is a photo of a photo.  During our 16 day mountain ride we go right over the Itcha Mountains to the Pan Phillips Fishing Resort for some much appreciated R & R.  Rob and Linda were outstanding hosts, as usual.  This time was a bit special as Rob brought out his collection of photos and newspaper clippings.  I hope to get back in there this winter to help them organize and preserve what has painstakingly been collected.  The photo shown is Rob's father (Pan Phillips on the bay horse in front) and Barry Remple (brother in law) heeling the moose.  The back story is that the moose had actually been caught in a steel trap meant for a fur bearing critter and probably would have died if not for the men taking the time to capture and free the animal.  

July 26th

Cody and Vickie arguing over who gets the dinner plate (he won this time). 

July 27th 

Riding past Pipe Organ Moutain

July 28th

Climbing over the pass from Pan Valley.  "Smile Magalie, you could be famous......."  :)

July 29th

Peaches testing out the contents of Liz's bottle.  Delicious.....  

July 30th

Corkscrew Island Camp

July 31st

Horses having a much needed break.  

Aug 3rd

A young friend that helped me out a lot this summer.

Aug 5th 

Summer Range

Aug 6th

Try it, you own't regret it. 

Aug 8th

Sweet Rea, teaching another kid to ride.  Ava is having a blast and kept telling Jackson (who was leading her) "keep going buddy, keep going".

August 10th

Heading for High Camp in the Ilgatchuz.

August 12

Luckily we had an excellent nurse along to fix up Jackson after his painful reminder about sharp axes.

August 13th

A weird evening.  The smoke rolled in shortly after we set up camp and the skies were dark.    

August 14th

We knew it was going to be a good day, and it was!

August 15th

Dog down!

August 16th

Jackson and I (and Brady and Zip) did a big climb up the side of Pipe Organ.  Was a bit smoky but still beautiful.  

August 17th

A smoky morning in Pan Valley.

August 18th

Cooperation.

August 19th

Trailing the horses home at the end of the ride.

August 20th

Back to the ranch to deal with a wolf bit calf, luckily already healing well.

August 21st

We've been kicked out of the Park again, so its another short season.  Very frustrating.

August 25th

Could not agree more.

August 26th

Plenty of late summer feed.

Looking through the impressively long ears of Shmoose with trusty Zip to my right.

August 27th

Finally getting the cows to summer range after a very long day (and several hours to go before getting to the Cabin.)

August 28th

Salt is often brought to the range in the winter and stored in these pails.  Being by myself, I was at a bit of a loss of how I was going to transport them to where they needed to be.  But good old Shmoosey solved my problem by allowing me to tie them to my saddle and I led her to where we needed to go.  During our very long ride the night before, she also allowed Ben to ride double so he could rest against my back.  And I packed my very sore footed Zip dog for several miles as well.  I don't know if we happened to end up with the best Standardbred ever, or if they are all this amazing.    

August 29th

Sorbay carefully taking my niece for a ride through the heifers.

There may be a few stories to tell along the way, and I will get back to that!

Hope the summer has treated you well.

All the best, 

Punky  

  

New Horses

We are always on the lookout for good horses.  We raise our own of course, and our little stallion has produced some absolute champions.  We generally raise two or three a year out of our own mares.  Any more than that and it is almost impossible to keep up with getting them well-started and putting on the necessary miles.  Can only ride so many.... 

Guest horses are worth their weight in gold around here, as any outfit.  And it seems they get old too fast!  Some of our retirees live out their lives on the ranch, with the more suitable ones given away to good homes, usually one with kids.  Every kid should have an old champion to take care of them, and every old champion horse should finish their working days with the exclusive attention of an adoring kid.    

My top hand Jackson and his amazing little Rawsy dog, riding Squirt.  

They don't all make the grade of course, but we have never had trouble selling a horse either.  Any horse that was born and raised out here, or spend a significant amount of time on the ranch, is generally a good one.  The reason we might sell often has nothing to do with the quality.  Size is one reason we might sell, although they don't all have to be huge.  The ability to get along is a group is very important, being cranky or tending to kick is not an option.  We have found that horses that we purchase that are used to being with only one or two other horses, often have trouble being in a larger herd and can get too protective of their buddies.  Most of them figure it out though and do just fine.  

We've recently acquired three new horses, and I think every one is going to be a keeper.  Two are from the area, one is actually out of our stallion and a  mare we sold to a friend.  Mum  had to do some serious haggling and trading to get him....but our retirement aged old friend "Tiny" (who is not 'tiny' at all!), will have a great new home in trade for this young fella.  I've put a few good days on him (he came to us already started under saddle) and he is great and getting better.  He has been dubbed "Biscuits" as the friend we got him from is a cook (and an excellent one at that), know locally as 'Bernie Biscuits'.  :)    

Biscuits doesn't look very big in the photo...but he is quite a large fella.  But anyone standing next to the long legged "Shmoose" looks short.  Ask me...my stirrup on her is above my belly button!!  

I purchased "Marie" here from another local source.  They had used her on a couple of pack trips but she had not yet been ridden.  I haven't spend much time with her, but so far she seems wonderful.  Packs the saddle around with no worries about tarps or ropes or  much of anything else.  She has a wonderful demeanor and a kind eye and I'm looking forward to seeing if she strides out like I think she will.  Flashy too hey!  Adding a bit of color to the outfit!  

We were lucky enough to be able to have our friend Evan Howarth come to the ranch to help us start some colts.  Here Cody is doing a great job with Marie.  

And now you'll meet "Shmoose".....short for 'she moose'.  You can chuckle, but it suits her absolutely perfectly and I'm in love with this mare.  There are few things in the world I appreciate more than a good travelling horse and that she is!  She is a Standardbred off the track and is absolutely amazing.  How she can be so good in the nasty mud and brush is beyond me, but I suspect it has something to do with those incredibly long legs, and of course, the outstanding attitude, which makes all the difference.  What she lacks in the beauty department, she makes up for in heart.  She is not much of a cow horse (yet), but I do love to travel the miles on her.  She has the hugest trot of course, which is super fast but exhausting to ride for long, and the wildest fast running walk I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy.  The other day we were flying down a trail (me trotting, Jackson and Cody at a fast lope) and they were laughing so hard I thought someone might hit the ground.  Between belly laughs and gasps for air, Jackson said "she runs like a caribou!"  Too fun.  She even lopes reasonably naturally and seems to have really taken to her new life in the bush.  I've been thinking about trying a Standardbred out for a while and if Shmoose is any example, I'm sure impressed so far.  

 Jackson riding Grey Power (with his ever present cow dog) and holding Shmoose for me.  I'm probably looking for a stump tall enough to get back on her....

And so, I started this post sometime ago and time has marched on, as so often happens.  Our first guests of the season turn up tomorrow and off to the yonder mountains on Thursday.  The weather has been crazy this year.  Cold or hot.  Knock on wood for some plain old 'warm'.....we could use it.  The riders will appreciate it for the upcoming trip, the growing grass could use a break from the frost (not to mention my garden!) and our Rodeo is coming up this weekend as well.  We've worked hard to make it a more family friendly event this year and hopefully Mother Nature will cooperate.  Its a great 3 days, but so incredibly busy with such a small volunteer pool to draw from.  I'm already looking forward to the Monday afterwards.  :)  

Cheers to you all!
Punky  

 

This is a photo of a good job well done.  Eli has been really working through the projects around Five Mile this year, and it shows.   It has taken a while, but sure feeling like we are able to move forward here occasionally, instead of always just rushing from one crisis to another potential one.  

Good Dogs

Was riding home the other night after a long day and thinking how lucky I was to have such a great, dependable team of dogs.  I've been meaning to write in the blog for ages anyhow and I figured they certainly deserved some special mention.

Many of you that have been with me for a while will remember my Dealer dog (he occasionally liked to write a bit as well.)  Last June, about this time actually, he got stepped on badly and ended up with a broken leg.  Not great, not great at all.  

Being without a good dog in this country is completely unacceptable, especially with bigger groups of cattle.  The country is by turns too open with huge spaces, too closed in and tight, and too muddy to get around in.  A dog makes cattle gathering and moving possible and they are absolutely worth their weight in gold. 

Back to Dealer.....from a young dog he has had a health problem.  I'm not entirely sure where is stems from, but when he over exerts himself, he acts like he is having an asthma attack and, if not noticed and rested instantly, he will almost act like he's having a stroke.  He shakes and staggers and whimpers, barely keeping up to a walking horse and almost seems like he can't see.  It really takes a lot to put him in to this state, but it is terrifying.  So long story short, I've given him to a friend of our who is living in the area and doesn't necessarily put on the miles I sometimes do.  It was very strange to give him away (for him especially I'm sure) but he has bonded very well and is a happy dog.  His new owner rides with us occasionally and while he certainly recognizes me and almost unconsciously tries to work with me, he does well for her as well.

Here is my Dealer dog as a pup on his first trail ride.  I'm delighted he has a good loving home but I do miss my buddy.  The saying "a dog is the only creature in the world that loves you more than he loves himself" is certainly true with this fella.  

So currently I'm working two dogs.  I have little Zip who is border collie through and through.  She has all the perks and quirks of border collies but is loyal to the bone and a super tough little nut.  She prefers to stay quite close to me, and although I can send her out to the sides or the front, she keeps close track of where I am.  She prefers to work ahead of where ever I am at and isn't afraid to duck in a grab a nose or a heel if the opportunity arises.  She has never gotten grumpy with people and even though she will protect me to the death from other dogs (or at least puts on a show like she would), she always ends up forgetting how tough she was trying to be and ends up playing with them instead.  She is a fun and uncomplicated dog (just 2 years old now) and it is great to see her strength and confidence grow with her.  I have the basic commands on her, meaning "lay down", "steady", "walk up", "come by" (which means to go left), "way to me" (go right) and "that'll do" which is a call off.  A loud hiss will send her in with teeth a snappin'!  

Zip poses in front.  Magalie and her dog Bell, Raffe, Ben and Tanis with the Itcha's in the background (and happy moo's).

The border collie stare.  Five Mile and the still snowy Itchas in the background.

Brady is my other champion.  She is a cross between a border collie and a Huntaway, which is a New Zealand stock dog, bred to bark as well as herd.  She is a big dog and looks more like a black lab mutt than a cow dog.  But she is absolutely amazing and I will never be without a barking dog again for working big groups.  Any old ranchers or cowboys reading this will be sitting back at that, shaking their heads in disgust right now, but I'm here to tell ya, don't knock it until you've tried it.  She certainly doesn't 'yap', she just uses her voice (and her presence) instead of her teeth.  And that way she is able to effect many more animals than just what is at the very back of the pack.  She has a huge outrun and never leaves an animal behind.  And if she needs help, I always know where to find her.  I thought that her barking might cause trouble, especially with cows with young calves, but the cows really don't take offence to her and just move on.  She is such a mild manner dog (when not working) that she can move and hang out right among the cows or calves.  She will let the calves come right up and sniff her and wanders about only inches from the cows and they just quietly watch her, or continue their naps.  Not so when she gets working though, she is a force to be reckoned with and they fully respect her.  Because I was trying to work both her and Zip as pups last year after Dealer broke his leg, I put completely separate commands on her.  She has a 'sit' (which just means to stop, doesn't matter if her bum hits the ground or not), a "right", a "left", a "walk up" and a call off.  I've just started sending her out with whistles (works so well!), but really she pretty much does what needs to be done.  It is rare to have to re correct her after being sent out.  She instinctively heads for the farthest animal and doesn't give up until it heads for the bunch (or for me).  If she is confused, she stops and looks back at me, waiting for confirmation or a new command.  She is also a total lover of all people and super easy to be around.  

The crazy hail storm didn't bother Brady one bit.  But then, not much does.  

One of Brady's greatest traits is the ability to relax.  Anywhere and at any given moment.  

Now don't get me wrong, I am certainly no dog trainer and my dogs don't work perfectly.  We are not going to win any trials, that is certain.  They tend to be too 'loose' as I am not very strict about commanding every move.  It certainly backfires as they tend to break their "heel" command when we are riding and will take every opportunity to push or gather, even if you don't want them too.  They have to be sent out of the herd if I am trying to sort, as they refuse to stay to the heel and try and 'help' instead.  Tough to sort cattle out, when the dogs are busy bringing them back in.  The flip side of that is that they really do think for themselves, assess the situation the best they can, and react to it.  They have saved my butt on numerous occasions, often stopping wrecks (such as cows heading off away from the herd, or calves running for home) before I even knew it was happening.  With them, I can manage about 3 times the cattle and situations that I could without.  They work well independently, but also are quick to help each other out.  I honestly could not do what I do with them.  

                 A glimpse at the brood mare band.  Bun and Lucy are sharing a back scratch with Bun's baby posing.  You can just see Bubbles rump with her baby behind her.  Unfortunately, the sorrel mare lost her baby this year and Twinkle (Big Momma) on the right is with our stallion for the first time. 

Squirt sneaks in a quick nap while we haul the sorted off bulls to another property.  

 

She looks terribly sad but was the luckiest cow in the outfit on this day.  I found her stuck on her side in a hole, with a rock against her back.  The rock luckily kept her from getting right over on to her back (which would have killed her very quickly), but there was no way she could get up.  Squirt helped me pull her upright and steady her until she found her feet.  Besides missing a lot of hair and a few meals, she is totally fine.  Her calf was very happy to have his lunch upright again.  

Heading for home.

Cheers all!  

Punky  

  

Photo Catch Up

Not a lot of time to write these days, as expected.  Especially with this never ending winter we've had this spring.  Seriously sick of the white stuff, not gonna lie. 
But I have a few photos to share and that will be good enough for this time.  I don't always remember to take photos, but went through them the other day and thought it was kind of a funny mix.  I often save photos or meme's etc that I find on the internet, so I thought I'd just share ones that I've taken/saved day by day.  Some are a bit random, so bear with me, this is as entertaining for me as you.  :)  

March 13th

Sweet Ava and the boys

March 14th

Helping in the barn

March 16th

March 18th

March 19th 

This calf was born (naturally!) with a condition called hydrocephalus, or 'water on the brain'.  We ended up having to put him down as he could not stand and had no suckle reflex.  Amazing.  Hope I never see it again.   

March 21st.  Smart babies in the shelter.

March 22nd.  

This has been the winter that never ends....

March 23rd

Cow 'selfie'

March 24th

From the light of my head lamp.

March 25th

Was told about an option on my phone that tracks steps. 

Remind me about this simple, easy ranching life I lead again....

Oh yeah, it all about the lifestyle.

March 26th

March 27th

Momma and baby

March 29th

The 'orphans'...the two on the left are from twin sets and the one on the right was taken off of one of our bought heifers.  I don't mind a bit of wild, but when the cow grows fangs, hammers fences and smashes gates trying to get to your blood.....well, she needs a new home.  We've had some really great heifers calve out of that group we bought last fall.  And a disappointing number of ones that will never see another spring on this ranch.  A good reminder of why we prefer to keep our own......

April 1st

It sure does.

April 3rd

Magalie and her helper "Mitch"

April 4th

Fun in the hay.

So nice to have their laughter and energy around the ranch.

April 5th

Our new milk cow "Magnolia" filling the extra bellies.

April 6th

Yes, April 6th.

Plowing snow today, April 6th.

Sigh.

Come on Mother Nature, we could use just a bit of a break...

Cheers all!

Punky  

   

Hoping and trying....

Remember the post I wrote a while ago, about the rancher I met at the Stockyards, whose comment about ranching being the 'most hopeful business in the world'?  Hoping the weather improves, hoping the market holds, hoping that calf nursed, hoping that old cranky cow calves on her own.....  The comment still makes me chuckle.  I recently had to set up a new account for the combined ranches and, when asked what name to put it under, I honestly thought about telling the secretary "Combined Hope Ranching".  

Hopeful has to go hand in hand with 'try'.   When being hopeful doesn't work out (which so often happens), you best have a Plan B, all the way to F or G.  That generally starts with "Okay then, dang it, let's try......"  

So our calving season has begun, as you may have guessed.  The weather has been less than cooperative (so much for being hopeful there!) and it is more like late January than almost mid March.  Well, I shouldn't say that, the last couple of days have been absolutely gorgeous.  It has seemed over the winter that when it warms up a bit, it snows.  Snow clears and it is beautiful, but teeth gritting cold. 

Our calving season has come on slowly.  We turned our bulls out later this year, and between that and our cows being in less than stellar condition last spring, we are pretty slow getting going.  But they are pregnant and the flood of babies is coming!  The cows are in good shape this year overall, and I'm sure 'hoping' to have a good season.    

It didn't start out that way, with only 1 out of the first 3 surviving.  But thank all that is good that the one that did survive (and thrive) is Jackson's one and only calf.  Grandma gave him his own heifer this spring and he is very proud of her and her little steer calf.  

The first calf that didn't make it was simply born dead, as far as we could tell.  Certainly there was no indication of anything going amiss, besides lack of heart beat.  Eli and Jackson had gone to check on her in the barn and found the calf still lying with feet inside momma, dead as can be.  But you gotta try......they ran in and rubbed and rubbed the calf, puffing air into its lungs and hoped and hoped.  But it was well and truly gone.  
The next calf had a leg back, and looked weirdly puffy.  We easily re positioned the baby and helped momma deliver.  He was hard to get breathing and just wasn't right from the beginning.  The calf continued to puff up and go downhill, and even though we used all means possible, died a few hours later.  (Our autopsy showed an abnormally large heart....)  

2am check when hoping for better weather didn't work out. An opportunity to try and remember why you wanted to be a rancher in the first place!

The next momma to be was brought in and a wee tiny baby easily delivered unassisted.  I figured right away that there was a #2 in there, and sure enough, momma laid back down and went to work again, already licking and talking to #1 staggering around the pen.  She was straining too hard and taking too long and sure enough, #2 was trying to enter the world ears first, rather than feet and nose.  She was easy enough to re position and then nearly landed in my arms with the next contraction.  

So the heifer whose calf had died with heart issues was still wanting her baby and bawling by the barn door.  Knowing it's worth a try, I took the 2nd twin directly to her old pen (without the original momma licking it) and let the sad heifer back in.  She was absolutely delighted with her now active baby and chuckled and chatted away constantly as she licked her shiny as can be.  We made sure both twins got adequate colostrum and everyone was happy.  I actually had to turn the heifer out of the pen unless someone was watching for the first day.  She kept tucking the wee one into her chest with her head and then trying to lay down with it.  Great theory to keep it safe, absolutely terrible in practice when the calf isn't mobile enough to stay out from under her and the chances of being crushed to death are extremely high. 

The photo hardly does her justice but this wee twin easily walks under her long legged mommas belly and imitates a giraffe to nurse.  This is #2, delightedly accepted by the sad momma who lost her own baby.    

Despite hoping we were over our bad luck, Eli found a calf pretty much frozen in the pens.  He picked it up and ran for the hot box, positive it was much too late,  But you have to try.  With the propane heat slowly warming it up, warm colostrum in his belly, a pain killer administered and a whole lotta hoping, he amazingly did come around, although it took all night.  Unfortunately, the cold seemed to have froze the sucking mechanism right out of him, so that was certainly an issue.  I actually think he was premature as well.  He would get up and wander around, but suck?  No certainly will not thank you anyhow I think I'll just starve but thanks anyhow leave me alone nope I don't want any I don't know what you are doing but I'm too smart for that trick no way notta chance.  But we had to try, and try and try.  So now it's been nearly a week of trying.....momma, the bottle and the stomach tube when nothing else works.  Magalie has been getting him out in the sun and who knows if it helped or not, or maybe it was the lamb nipple we tried yesterday afternoon, but miracle of miracles, he nursed the bottle and then his momma!  Hurrah and a fist pump!  Nice when all that trying and hoping pays off.  

Ben and Magalie giving "Frozen" some love and sunshine. 

(Look at the snowbanks!  It's MARCH!)

In overall news, since these stories, we have had plenty of calves who are happy and healthy with no issues at all.  I did want to share these however, maybe just to point out that life on the ranch is not all bouncy calves in the sunshine and riding into sunsets.  Trust me, the romance wears off quickly at 2am with a lineup of issues to deal with.  But you never stop hoping, or trying.  Sometimes you are just trying to keep your hopes up!  

How do these posts get so long? 
I was just going to post a few photos and now here I am, almost late for my next check.  
So as calving ramps up, I will still post, but likely more photos than stories.....as was my intention tonight.  haha
Best run,
Punky  

Oh, but I have to share a laugh with you.  After each check at night, we write in "The Book" so the next person knows what is going on.  Some choose to write the very bare basics, some are a bit more detailed.  
This is from last year.....  made me grin out loud again!