Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Spring has sprung on the Track...

Ahhh spring is in the air for sure. Does that conjure up images of tweety birds and blooming wildflowers in your mind? Well this is what spring means around these parts...branding and a days and days of working cattle....21 give or take a few or less. So in honor of the season I thought I would post some pictures. I finally got out of the kitchen and headed off to the corrals. DD and Tadpole came along today, it was hot and windy but we persevered and took pictures until Tadpole was so red in the face that we thought we had better get him home under the air conditioner.





Youngest DS getting in on the act.



This is a classic example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.



DH and D- son-in-law enjoying the noon meal.



Ranchgirl and Tadpole



Tailing them down.



Dust



Just because I thought this was cute.

Well I could post pictures till the cows come in but I better do something constructive like cook supper.

I am going on a smallish trip on Thursday..my Mama needs some help, she has her first wedding this weekend and needs help setting up and such and so.... I am headed to.....listen to my first song on my playlist for a clue.

God Bless and Happy trails

RanchWife

10 comments:

LeAnna said...

Great pics, M! Have fun in nowhere Texas this week! ;)

Cow Pies & Mud Pies said...

Love the pics! What a busy month you guys have. Oh how I wish to send you some of this cool, rainy, cloudy weather we're having. Honestly, I'm SICK of it. I bet we got another 2 inches today..in about 2 hours. It's nearing the ridiculous stage. Oh well.
Have a wonderful trip to TX....

N is growing too! The sparkle in his little eyes is adorable...he and my youngest boy, Cutter, oh the fun they would have!

Anonymous said...

We must be the only ranch in NM that doesn't brand every spring...

little apple tally said...

Great pictures! Surely anyone looking at them can see that working cattle, though work to be proud of, is not romantic nor glamorous.
Actually, I miss working cattle but you remind me that it isn't all sunshine and roses. Well, maybe its too much sunshine but not any roses. LOL
We never worked that many and we used a calf chute instead of a rope but I can still smell the smells and feel the grit on my skin.

Countrygirl said...

Great pictures! We had lots of snow and rain, but the dust was blowin' yesterday! The desert country! Tadpole is getting broken in right, isn't he?

Gumbo Lily said...

I loved the pics and REALLY love the new banner you have up. We've only branded one bunch of heifer's calves and will do the cows' calves in 2 or 3 weeks. We don't rope-and-throw, but we use a calf chute instead. That way we don't need a large crew for branding.

Enjoy the spring dust and smoke!

Jody

Paula said...

I always love your pictures! What a busy, hot time for you. I'm with Les, I'd like to send as much rain as you would like your way. I'm sitting here watching the thunder boomers and the lightning, waiting for another exciting Kansas spring night!

Little House in the Desert said...

Great pictures! I think you have the insight my husband and I have been looking for...we've always wondered what does that phrase mean "until the cows come home?" Are they like chickens and they come home every night? You used it in your blog so I thought you might know--not to mention you have a lot of cows :) lol! love the posts! God bless!

Pat - Arkansas said...

Love your photos of working the cattle -- and of the cute, cute kids! I'm playing catch-up on my blog reading, and have enjoyed reading your older posts. You've really been working long days. Hope you can find a minute or two for a catnap.

Ranch wife said...

Hey Pat good to see you, glad you came by.

Little house, I am assuming that phrase came from the fact that milk cows always come home in the evening. Milk cows and their calves are separated during the day and the night....that is milk cows on a small scale...not in dairies. They take their calves away at birth and they are raised on a bottle if they are heifers, and kept for the dairy, and if they are bulls they are sold. But on a small family scale the cows are milked twice a day, and we let our calves nurse, unless we need the milk. We milk then turn in the calves so they can have the rest. Then Betty is fed and turned in her pen for the evening, then we repeat it in the morning and she is turned out to pasture for the day. But she knows that she needs to be at the house around 6 in the evening and so she comes home. A tight bag makes for an urge to come to the house. So....maybe that is where that came from?

~M~