OPps!

Stud Dud here. Boy OneCowgirl is madd at me. Seems thats my eare in the picture! Sometimes I just get tired of her snapin here there ande everwhere. She pulls up on thosey reins (steering apparatus as we horses call 'em) and expects me to stop so she can take a picture. Well I got her - I just raise my heade and put my ears in her pickture. Pretty clever don't you think?

Rain

It is absolutely amazing what a little rain can do for this country. I won't bore you with cow moving stories today.

Reuniting......

I love it when you can re-unite a momma with her baby. My task was to go move two pair out of the riparian area (it’s a major no no for cattle to be in this area) and into one of the adjoining pastures. Seems the momma’s had escaped thru one of the water gaps with all the recent rains. I saddled up Studley Dudley and off we went with our small task to complete. The first pair took off running when they saw me and then another cow joined them in the run. The mesquite was thick and I am wondering where on earth is second the calf. The pair and the lone cow took off across the dirt road and upto the fence line of one of the pastures. I followed to make sure I knew which direction they where going hoping they were headed toward the closer gate. Then I circled back to look for the calf - thinking well maybe momma has her stashed under a tree for a morning nap. But no sign of the calf. I go back to the cows thinking maybe she’s dry and doesn’t have a calf. Nope she’s got a big full udder. Then I notice momma is near the fence line bellowing out to all the cows and calves in the pasture as if she really has a lot to say but one little calf seems somewhat interested in her bellowing. So, I think well if I move momma down the fence line maybe her baby may follow and then I’ll know for sure if it’s her baby. I try to herd momma toward the other pair and she wants nothing to do with moving away from this particular spot on the fence line. So, I have at least confirmed her calf is on the other side of the fence. Of course, there is not gate nearby and I’ve got to move her down the fence line. Finally, after much conversing with momma – the baby calf follows momma down the fence line. The calf had to cross a ravine which was difficult for the little bugger but he managed – Studley Dudley was incredibly tired of the ravine since he got to cross it multiple times on his side of the fence in the process. I got to the gate, go off and opened the gate, remounted and pushed the pair & caring momma thru the gate!

Moving Cows

Have you ever had the pleasure of rounding up and moving a herd of cows? I must say it is one of my most favorite things to do in the whole wide world. Even if it is nothing like you expect and the cows don't cooperate. At times it is very unpredictable. Ok, there are few things I that might choose to do instead like a 10 day African Safari on horseback but other than that I can't think of anything else at the moment. I often wonder if I'll ever be able to just ride a horse for pleasure again without having a mission of some sort ...like riding fence line, checking water lines or hunting for stray cows.

Rain Finally!

Its not often that we get to move cows through water on this ranch! Well there is one small creek behind the house. Can't you tell Hollywood looks really concerned that we may not be able to get all the cows across this raging river! It was the morning of the babysitters club so keeping track of the number pairs was a bit difficult. You do know what a babysitters cow club isn't don't you? Seriously, momma cows will go off and leave with their calves with one momma cow to watch. The largest baby sitters club I've ever seen in one cow and six calves. I think she was licensed.

Phone Booth

Hollywood doesn't like to do phone but this is his phone booth. If he parks his truck just so by the cattle chute he can sometimes get a signal.

Smiley Dog Rules

This Shadow - she earned her name because she follows you around like your very own shadow. I call her Smiley Dog because she likes to show her teeth.

Yippie!!

The word is that later this week we will be moving cows out of my favorite pasture on the ranch! It is a really, really pretty pasture - last year we only had cows in it during the winter but unfortunately, this year because of the drought conditions we hauled some cows back to it a few months ago because it had some forage.

Those Black Dots are Cows!

Sometimes you have to go out and just hunt for one cow.....the task on this day was to find a cow that had prolapsed. It often feels like that you are hunting for a needle in a haystack. We eventually found the cow with her very large calf with the help from jefe. Seems she had decided to start watering at another tank. We brought her in, took her to the vet and she is doing well.

A Little Color in the Desert.....

Did you know that ages ago a National Geographic Photographer used to carry around a red windbreaker to whip out and put on his subjects in the photos - adding a splash of color and perspective with the person in the photo. I just love it when Hollywood wears these Olathe boots - I just can't take enough photos. He orders them from Errol at South Texas Prime Boots. I adore talking to Errol - he has one of those luscious South Texas drawls that is like music to my ears. Hollywood raves about how comfortable his Olathe boots are and he is in the midst of ordering another pair.

Charlies Angel

We call this mountain Fara. Get it?

Did you lock the horses in?

It's embarrassing when you have to call jefe and say "the horses didn't come in this mornin so I'll be a little late" Most of the ranch is in desperate need of rain but we've had almost an inch over the past two months so there is a little green coming up.....yes, we celebrate in 1/10ths....so the horses being the smart critters that they are say to each other "if we stay out here this morning maybe they'll leave us a little hay at the corral and we won't have to go to work" And unlike dogs they don't come when you call them! Its frustrating when you can spot them and they just stay on the hill and don't even bother to move. Now, if the sun was going down and you were calling them it would be a whole different story. Moral of the story: Lock 'em up at night.

My Grandfather & His Chief......

Big Dogs run in the family........

Happy Father's Day!!

As my mother instilled in me the love of horses, my father instilled in me the love of travel. By example he taught me to be a good tourist, how to read a map, how to decipher what one needs to see & do...how to find the local eateries, the cock fights, the local market -he is A GREAT TOUR GUIDE. Many funny stories and wonderful memories. Happy Father's Day.

A Kiss Goodbye.........

From my Cousin: As many of you know, our wonderful Anatolian Shepherd Chief was recently diagnosed with bone cancer. Unfortunately it was terminal, so we made the grueling decision to put him down. Although we are filled with great sadness about our tremendous loss, we know he has gone to Heaven and is enjoying a pain-free new life. Hug your family, friends and pets and say a little prayer for our Chief.

I Like to Color!

I especially like colorful crayons and prefer coloring outside the lines........and you?

I would rather ride than drive....

Sometimes you have to commend the Dept. of Transportation, road planners etc. - this is a painted underpass in Southern New Mexico. But I do wonder why some underpasses get more attention than others. Don't you like this?

Fixing Windmills

The other day we had to return a pair down this canyon and when we got then driven to the tank we found the windmill more or less working but the water was going outside the tank - Hollywood and I got it fixed but it always makes my mind race with bizarre thoughts - what if he falls off that windmill - how will I get him out of here and my little mind races with all these different scenarios .....

Listen Up Man......

What do you think these two bulls are saying? Are they talking about that cow in the background? Or is she talking to them?

Proomise I Tried to Stay Cleane!

Howdy OneCowgirly! Hope ya don't mind I am postin...thanks for bathe....as you can see I kept one side of me clean!! Now, don't listene to Hollywood when he saays the othere horses are ranche horses & don't needies a bathe - Ike, Duck & Jetster all tolde me they wante a bathe just likee mee! Thanke for makin me loooke sooo preeety!

Potato King Dies........

I was cruising thru the lastest issue of the Beef Cow/Calf weekly on line and saw this obit - occasionally I read obits - I don't know why and I doubt I'm the only one that reads about people they don't know - this guy had an amazing life and I bet you've never heard his name - so read on.......

J.R. Simplot, Idaho's legendary billionaire potato king, cattle feeder and entrepreneur, passed away on Sunday. He was 99.
He dropped out of school when he was 14 to rent and farm 40 acres of land. He made his initial fortune of $100,000 in the hog business, which he parlayed into new investments in potato storage houses. That led to the construction of more potato houses, and eventually into shipping of Idaho potatoes.
At the advent of World War II, he figured out how to freeze-dry potatoes for shipment overseas to hungry U.S. troops. From potato processing, he began expanding his empire to include beef cattle, cheese and fertilizer Production. The Simplot cattle-feeding enterprise includes operations in Idaho and Washington turning out about 400,000 head of cattle per year.
Simplot pioneered the first commercial frozen French fry in the late 1940s, eventually becoming a major supplier to McDonald's and other fast-food chains. He said the secret to success was his willingness to work, reinvest and never sell out.
Read more about this amazing man at: www.simplot.com/company/jr_simplot.cfm.

Some Kids Play with Toys

...others play with calf nuts! No one on this ranch particularly likes calf fries or should I say no one offers to cook them...so the other day once the dogs had their fill of nuts...the calf nuts were still flying thru the air ... well, these kids took to seriously playing with them. It was pretty funny. One father commented, "I spent $200. on toys at Christmas what was I thinking?" Of course, I supplied a plastic bag to one kid that wanted to take home the nuts - hope they didn't leave the bag in their parents SUV! Now, please forgive me if I've grossed you out with this post. Some kids play with toys, some kids play with calf nuts!

Leader of the Pack

Here is Dudley followed by Ike with just a hint of Duck in the picture all running in for dinner. I gave the all the horses their West Nile & Flu vaccinations last night. - Dr. OneCowgirl

Just Doing My Job OneCowgirl!!

Watermelon Anyone?

This is Desmond's grandmother and one of my dearest friends. When I was a child my mother taught us this silly game - you put watermelon seeds on your forehead, you name them after the boys that you like and the one that stays on the longest loves you the most! Maybe the adults just liked seeing the kids run around with watermelon seeds on their foreheads but if I remember correctly my mother played too. A few years ago a girlfriend & I were having a girls weekend at the beach and over breakfast we did this - it raised a few eyebrows in the dining room. Has anyone else played this game? If not, you must try it this summer while you are enjoying watermelon!!

Cowboy in Training!

Meet the fearless Desmond but I call him Desmond Tutu. He's in first grade and of course doesn't have a clue as to who Desmond Tutu is but when he's older I believe he'll appreciate the nickname. Last night I helped him do his homework - did you know first graders have to know fractions? What next kinder calculus? He had at least an hour of homework - which I thought was a little much so after the sentence writing meltdown we stopped and played hide and seek!

Don't I Make Good Lookin Babies!

Well if this bull could talk what do you think he'd be saying?

OneCowgirl You Did What?

Its still really dry and the lack of rain means we are still putting out syrup for the cattle. As you know, I would rather be riding a horse and moving cows. MOST any task on horseback suits me better than a task that uses a truck except for perhaps a trip to the grocery store - with that said, I opted to ride over the weekend instead of putting out syrup. Of course, its always better if you have some task to perform on horseback even if it is minuscule - so, I was told to ride upto the Ol Bar O and check the 10,000? gallon water tank. Easy enough I thought! Well after having a nice leisurely ride to the tank - going behind this hill and that, checking the cows here and there I arrived at the Ol' Bar O. I gingerly climbed on top of the tank trying not to catch my spurs on the ladder, lifted the heavy lid and peered inside the tank - to my surprise the water was almost to the top! This is really a good thing - it means none of the water drinkers further north are leaking or the tank would be empty. So as I am trying to move the incredible heavy lid back into place I hear two bulls knock heads and out of the corner of my eye I see Dudley scramble - (he usually barely moves when he's ground tied) and with this I lost my balance and the heavy lid went right into the tank!

Horses are Just Like People

Some are really really nice, trusting, have loads of common sense others are just outright mean, shallow, crazy. Just like people horses come in a variety of shapes and sizes and they all have unique personalities. Like people some horses have more personality than others. As with people you can tell alot about a horse by looking into their eyes - of course, its not all in the eyes but it is a tell tell sign. If the horse's eyes look wild - beware. There is something very special about connecting with a horse and for those that aren't horse enthusiasts its hard to explain. Now, if my Mom were a horse (she'll love having me compare her to a horse on my blog!)...her eyes would show kindness, she's be flirty like Veinte, a bit mischievous perhaps letting the other horses out, she'd get mad if you worked too hard and I think occasionally she'd have a tendency to kick but not buck or rear - of course, she would be a very pretty horse! Its my mother's birthday today - Happy Birthday Mom!

Snickers!

There is something special about a little girl and a horse! This is a third grader that I've spent the last nine months mentoring - its been amazing to watch her transformation. Next time you are thinking of volunteering PLEASE consider mentoring a child - its been a wonderful experience.

Wide Open Spaces

Did I tell you I love wide open spaces? There is something very comforting to me being able to look out and see forever! I actually get a bit very claustrophobic when I leave the Southwest - like driving on the East Coast in the summertime the trees begin closing in on me!

Lookey Heree!

Finnelly, Onecowgirl boght mee a newe saddle paddle! Its one hunderd percente woole and an inche thicke. It makes that sissy barrelle saddle of hers fit me better and it don't rub my weathers. My last saddle paddle was really worn - I chewed on it while it was on another horse that OneCowgirl had saddled - guess I was jealous that my pad was on another horse sose when we were ridin in the trayler i did a real number on it. I do occassionally misbehave! Happy Madre Day OneCowgirle! Love, Studley Dudley

My Dream Trip

Yes, I want to ride horses in the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Check out the trip.

Cow Facts!

Did you know cows GROW everyday of their life thus if you see a cow with a big head and big hooves its older. A thousand pound cow with calf needs 30lbs of feed/grass and they need forty gallons of water a day. Like most mammals cows sweat thru their tongues but a Brahma cow can sweat all over! Brahma cows are also the fastest walking cow. You can move a herd of cows 1 to 1.5 miles an hour if they know where they are going.

OneCowgirl at Work!

Well someone finally decided to take a picture of ME!

Riding with Bulls!

Please note, Dudley is riding in the trailer with two bulls! Usually he loads up in the trailer with no problem. I actually play this ridiculous game loading him in the trailer - I tie the reins around his neck and place him 20 to 25 feet behind the trailer and say, "Dudley get the trailer, Dudley get in the trailer, clap my hands...Good Boy" Nine times out of ten he walks right up and gets in. Funny he always gets in the morning but after working all day he sometimes doesn't understand the command. But when we had these bulls loaded in the trailer and he had to ride beside Ike - the horse that takes up half the trailer to begin with - Dudley refused to get in. Hollywood was tired, irritable and frustrated with Dudley - I said listen Dudley loads really well and if he doesn't want to get in with those bulls we need to give him a little time! He loaded after a few minutes and rode nicely with the bulls. Notice Hollywood taking notes/numbers off the bulls.

Calf & Cow Reunited

During the night momma jumped the cattle guard and went back to where she had last seen her calf. It was #317! Yes, it is not easy to tell which calf belongs to which cow! Especially when momma would rather run with the girls than claim her bellowing calf! This picture of Hollywood has nothing to do with the reunion but I didn't get to take part in the reunion because I was moving the rest of the cows! Yes, I was even given a radio for communication! Best of all - I got to turn the herd - which is one of the absolute COOLEST things to do!

All in a Days Work

Sometime its really easy to tell which calves belong to which cows and other times its just not that easy since they don't "mother up" all the time. For instance, last time we were moving cows we had an little calf in the rear of the herd - he was less than a week old. He was having a VERY hard time climbing this steep hill, he was frightened, scared, shaking - in such an instance we usually turn back the momma and leave them behind and come back for them at a later date. We had a big debate on the side of the hill over which cow we thought was the mother - the calf was balling for its momma but none of the cows seemed the least bit interested. It was decided that we thought it was Cow #317 - well Hollywood2 turned the cow back to the calf but #317 wasn't the least bit interested in this little balling calf - she actually ran back up the hill with the other pairs. Then it was thought maybe one of those four cows that wouldn't cross the blacktop before we started up this hill could include her mother so Hollywood and I went back to herd those cows to some corrals and haul them to where we were driving the herd in an attempt to reunite the pair. The four cows that wouldn't cross the blacktop had already caused a great deal of trouble and we'd all cursed their bad behavior. As we herded them towards some corrals that Hollywood and I were unfamiliar with - it really didn't help that people kept stopping on road and take pictures of us which in turn would cause the cows to turn back on us. We got the cows corralled and rode back to the trailer. To be cont.