The scratching tree

This old gnarly tree has stood by by itself in one of the calving pastures for as long as I can remember.  It was probably planted 110 to 125 years ago by the homesteader on this piece of ground.  It hasn't ever got any taller in  the last 60 years but the trunk keeps getting bigger around and the branches more contorted from the cows rubbing on it, which is the tree's main function in life as there are no cattle in this pasture in the summer after it has finally leaved out and could provide shade.  As warm temperatures arrive I'm certain being able to scratch off some of their winter coat is a welcome relief for the cows.

Cold weather project

 We try to have an indoor project to work on during the winter when the weather is to cold and stormy to do anymore work outdoors than what is necessary to get the livestock fed and comfortable.  Sometimes it can be difficult to warm the shop up enough to be comfortable working in it.  This winter we placed laminate flooring in the upstairs hallway, the stairwell and the downstairs bathroom.  Todd came up and revamped the plumbing and wiring as well as installed new bathroom fixtures.  We are pleased with the finished product, but we are glad spring has come and with the return of warm weather we can get back to ranching and leave the construction projects for another season.

Fencing with a Mule

The ranch has 44 miles of fence to check and repair each year.  This involves a considerable amount of walking and carrying of supplies.  We used to haul posts and wire and tools in a pickup, but the past few year we have done the hauling in a small trailer pulled by a 4-wheeler.  The trailer has wore out so we purchased a Kawasaki Mule for this task.  So far it is working out well and best of all Kate has a place to set and supervise Blake making sure the work is done correctly.

Dahli gets sheared

Dahli Llama has been rolling in the hay and dirt so his hair has been trapping a lot of unwanted material, plus with the coming of warm weather he needed shearing for his comfort.  He was given a midbody shear and we may decide to take more hair off later.  He looks much better and I hope he is more comfortable as well.  His halter training is going well, but he does not like being caught and having the halter placed on his head.

Blondie & Blackie

The ponies (Blondie & Blackie) are progressing in their training, They lead well and accept pressure on their back.  We trimmed their hooves and they cooperated with working with their legs and hooves.  They have the pony mischievousness where they will slip out an open gate if given an opportunity and then tease you with evasiveness when you attempt to  corral them.  They make quite a team, maybe I need to make harnesses for them and a wagon to pull.

Niobrara floods

I have blogged many times regarding the drought and the river going dry for several months during the summer, WE ARE STILL IN A DROUGHT, but there has been a good amount of snow the past couple of weeks and now we have had several days of warmer weather resulting in run off.  However the ground is still frozen and the water can't soak into the soil so in drains down hill into the river which still has ice over it so the water cuts across the meadow from one river bend to the next.  This should subside within a day or 2 and we will be able to cross the river to feed the cattle.
Hopefully this is the beginning of the end of the drought.

lambs at last

The sheep enterprise (actually it is the train the dog enterprise) is starting to bear fruit so to speak.  When we arrived at the ranch this morning we discovered that ewe #354 had delivered triplets, a baby ewe and 2 baby rams.  Now we will need to determine if she produces enough milk to support 3 lambs or if we will need to make 1 of them a bum lamb and bottle feed it, which increases the farm chores but can be fun to do.  I guess we will call them thing 1, thing 2 and thing 3.