Fall riding

We spent much of last week bringing the cattle home for the fall.  The mountain was as pretty as I've about ever seen it.  The leaves were red, and yellow, and when the wind would blow they'd fall down, the ground really was almost a yellow brick road.  I do love fall, the crispness of the days, hairy fat calves, and cows that know the trail to home pastures.  There is a serinity that is found in the mountain valley's that I've really never felt anywhere else.  As the realiztion comes that the days on the forest are limited a thousand memories come rushing back.  We were raised on the mountain but really it raised us.  We spent so many days of our childhood riding along a trail sure that we were forever lost.  Dad would put us behind a group of cows when we were really little and tell us to follow the cows they know the way.  I'm always so grateful to my dad for having the patience to take us with him.  We weren't very big to begin with and in reality the horses we rode knew more of where we were going then we did.  My family really are all my closest friends.
Lori Ann in 2001 carved her name in a swear what was hundreds of tree's.  I remember the main day, we were riding up under the mountain to "hidden lakes."  Dad would always tell us we were some of the only girls to ever ride up there.  I started to tear up this year, I was by myself.  I called Lori on the phone realizing that I perhaps will never again share those moments together of laughter and chatter.  Her little ones were busy in the background and although I know her calling in life right now as a mother is as precious as anywhere she can be it's bittersweet to know that we really are all grown up.  We laughed over initials of past loves and thanked our stars that we hadn't ended up with more than a few of those.  Some of those tree's had died, we were sure it was a sign.  Dad used to sing to us as we'd ride up the trail together, I want to be a cowgirls sweetheart, and one of my favorites went, "I had me an old yeller cow I bought her in the south, the only problem with that cow is she had to big of a mouth, I took her to a blacksmith shop to get her mouth made small, she opened her mouth to take a breath swallowed the blacksmith shop and all.  I had me an old grey horse he could eat ten bushel of corn every time the horse would open his mouth another ten bushel be'd gone."  I never knew just how fleeting those moments would be.
Our dad wasn't just a dad, he was our best friend.  We grew up working alongside him.  Everything I love about the cow business comes from him.  The cattle, the horses, the land, and most of all family.
I rode up the right hand fork of Asay Creek on Thursday to bring home twenty five head of cows including the bull to find twenty four head of cows and no bull.  I had my dogs, poor little Midge was having about to die by the time we found the cows that just so happened to be all the way in the top.  Somehow she made it up and back, she was tired enough she never barked that night!
Friday we made a good dent in the number of cattle on the forrest.  We rode hidden lakes and lost creek, I found two heifers up under the mountain with two bull calves, no mothers in sight, and seven pair in lost creek.  Tawnya found about thirty in John L. Valley.  Jose found a few out on the Red Desert and Josue Guzeman found a few pair around Dead Lake.
Tawnya and I fought to get a calf back to the trailor through the tree's and the deadfall on Friday.  We rode everyplace except down the trail.  He was an awesome Steel Force x M100.  He made me more than fighting mad a few times and we spent a long time trying to get him to the trailer only to have him dissapear.  I rode up over a hill to what's called Dead Lake after cussing a few times to not see any sign of the calf but instead a hunter on 4wheeler that I'm sure heard a few choice words.  Tawnya and I needed to get some cattle off of a BLM permit that we have just above Minnie Creek while the men kept pushing cattle from the forrest closer to home.  We rode pretty fast and furious and the cattle were ready to come back into the ranch and moved out as well as I've ever seen them walk.  We made the ranch when it was long since dark.  The stars were beautiful and 100 plus head of cattle were back home for the fall.  The calves looked great and the cows were fat.
Yesterday the girls and I went and let about fifty head out of the lane.  They come down from what we call Asay Bench to water and of course to see if someone will let them into greener pastures.  They were glad to see us.  There were a few cows there that I had found in Lost Creek the day before, it's about fifteen miles.  They were happy to be home.

Jeannie

Right On

The days seem to be passing quickly although this one has been a bit to long!  I'm inside today playing catchup on the computer.  It's beautiful weather here today but we've had a fire that has been burning up on the Beaver mountain and the valley is filled with smoke.

Saturday we moved cows on one of our BLM allotments.  The middle of the summer was great with plenty of rain and yet this last month or so has turned off very dry.  All of our ground could really use a good drink.  The cattle howeve bad r looked great.  There is a Dark Horse heifer that I'm in love with and wanted to take back to the corral so it hurt.  For lack of time, and perhaps a little patience (Dad was ready to head back to the ranch) we left her be till they come into the ranch towards the middle of the week.  The calves really are bloomy.  I had to laugh just thinking about what midwestern boys would think about our grazing allotment, I'm sure to them the feed would look scarce.  Those dry allotments are fragile, we manage them so the grazing isn't to heavy.  The feed although minimal is strong and the cattle look great.  They have to trail a mile or so back and forth to water so the calves will come in good and solid.

We pictured WLE Right On, our new herd sire.  The picturing conditions where less then ideal and I defiantly had a good exercise by the time we got him done, he had free roam of two pastures.  I was glad that Steven was there to help me.  He was luckily on Dad's favorite old mare Milly and had to cross the creek several times.  James came along for the ride yet waited patiently on the other side of Right Hand (a creek that runs into the maine fork of Asay Creek) while Steven tried to persuade the bull that he wanted to stay put.  We ended up getting him pictured in while standing in a marshy meadow with about two inches of water, my boots are getting a little worn through as the summer comes to an end but they held their own and my feet stayed moderately dry.  James was pretty dissapointed that his favorite horse Cricket wasn't there to ride but cheered up pretty fast.  Oh to have the worries of a four year old when the worst thing about your day is the horse you have to ride, of course that put's me in a sour mood once in a while to lol!  Dad thought it was just hillarious.

The cattle are coming home in larger numbers now, a few of them stop along the way in ideal little honey holes for them, the only problem is the pristine pasture thats a quick stop of a solid munch is also the front lawn of the cabins along the Mammoth and Tommy Creek.  Both the Josea's are up there today making sure the cattle keep Asay Creek as the maine goal and stay their course.

Our prayers are with all those who are suffering from the floods, we hope and pray for you in this time of trial.  I can't imagine watching a year's worth of hard work disappearing before your eyes.

Jeannie

Fall is here to stay

It's amazing just how fast summer has left us.  The water on the meadow is on it's last change before being turned off for the good.  It's rather bittersweet, a bit more bitter than sweet lol!  Although I love fall, winter follows all to soon.  

Our second crop of hay was great, we fertilized everything after first crop and our second competed for tonage.  The first frost hit hard about three weeks ago, all the cattails are now brown and the milkweed is all crinkled up.  Summer is definatly gone.  It's still warm here during the day but you better have a jacket handy in the morning.

We've got most of the hiefers for the sale in.  It's been fun getting them all gathered up.  Right now there are 18 and we've cut and added a few times in the first initial draft.  They are all done bawling and started on feed good so my nights are getting a little quieter! 

The cattle are starting to head down off of the forest, as soon as it get's to cold they head for home.  They are rather pampered, they know where the feed is a little sweeter!  I'm excited for those calves home.  Dad ordered vaccine today.

Federal WILD HORSE AND BURRO STRATEGY PROGRAM

Bureau of Land Management

Washington D.C.

RE: Federal WILD HORSE AND BURRO STRATEGY PROGRAM

To Whom It May Concern:

I am sending you my comments on how my family and I along with thousands of others in this area feel about wild horses.  There are many thousands of these horses in our county and on our ranges.  We have grown up with these horses.

The main source of income and the economy of the rural towns of the western United States is derived from livestock, both cattle and sheep.  We are dependent on these ranges for our livelihood.  Whereas, these wild horses contribute nothing to these economies of these rural towns, but are a great expense to the taxpayers of America.

These wild horses multiply and increase very rapidly.  Their numbers get far above what the ranges can handle.  Therefore the excess must be gathered and removed so that the populations can be maintained at a level to have ecological balance on the range. If these numbers aren’t kept at the ranges carrying capacity they will beat and overgraze these ranges and starve to death.  Horses eat grass off so closely that they are very hard on the range.  The BLM does a good job to gather the excess number.  Without these gathers the land suffers, wildlife suffers, livestock will suffer, and ultimately the horses will suffer. 

The ranchers in our area and a majority of the west have developed and maintained the water sources these horses use to drink and survive.  The horses run on ranges where emergency drought conditions threaten the health of the herd.  Some of these ranges are burned with wildfires and these areas must be rested to let the range revegetate. Most of these horses live on ranges with very limited moisture.  Through overstocking and overgrazing these delicate dessert plants can be killed out and it takes decades for them to reestablish.   

We feel very strongly that there needs to be a greater increase in the use of fertility control to slow down population growth.  Castration and spaying of mares is by far the best method.  Emmimo contraceptives and other hormones also help.  We also are in favor of introducing biological sterile male mules to reduce the number of mares foaling on the range.

We think that any unadopted wild horses should sell without limitation.  The horse market is now very bad.  BLM needs to sell these horses for $50.00 or even $25.00 in order to get a bunch of them sold so that the government can get rid of some of them and cut down expenses.  We also favor selling them to other countries in North and South America and overseas.

We love and have grown up with horses, but there comes a time when horses get old, sick, or lame that it is better to slaughter them than to let them starve and suffer.  We strongly feel that we need some horse slaughter plants in this country.  When the ones we had where closed down it has just killed the horse market on all types of horses.  The wild horse and Burro Act of 1971 requires the BLM to humanly euthanize any unadoptable wild horses or burros. The Europeans and Asians like horse meat.  It is a very profitable market.  We need to take advantage of this because it will greatly increase the income of rural America and again make the horse market much more profitable.

WE AND EVERYONE THAT I HAVE EVER TALKED TO ARE VERY STRONGLY OPPOSED TO PUTTING THESE HORSES ON AREAS WHERE THEY CURRENTLY DON’T AND HAVE NOT EXISTED.  The Federal government owns over 75% of the land in Utah, more in Nevada, and almost as much in the other 10 Western States.  We do not want you acquiring any more land. 

I haven’t found anyone else in my area that even knew about this comment period or that you want to implement a new Wild horse plan.  I saw an article in a paper that was published 105 miles from here and it told about the 60 day comment period, but it failed to say when it began or when it ended and it didn’t say where to send it to.  I have had to make 20 phone calls to find this information.  YOU HAVE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB INFORMING PEOPLE ABOUT THESE CHANGES AND MAKE SRUE THAT THE DATES ARE IN THE ARTICLE AND WHERE THEY ARE TO BE SENT.

Please give our comments your most serious consideration.  Thank you.

Respectfully

Gilbert T. Yardley & Family

P.O. Box 288

Beaver, Utah 84713

Phone: 435-438-2424

       435-310-0041

Summer Days

The last week or so has been extremely busy but also very rewarding.
Friday we were headed over to the ranch and all the sudden you could tell something was up in the trailer the horses were having a fit.  We hurried to pull over and Emily went to inspect, as soon as she was back there she said we've got go to the vet.  Somehow a four wheeler tie down had slipped just far enough that the hook was accessible to a very curious two year old blue filly we've been riding.  We have no idea how it happened but somehow she got it up into her nose and completely tore out one side.  Evan (our vet) said he had never seen anything like it.  She got all sewed up and it looks like it's healing nicely and she should be fine.  We spent the rest of the day riding pastures here at home.  Picked out a great Dubia heifer for the sale.
We spent Saturday sorting cattle to go to a BLM permit.  Dad helped all day and really enjoyed it the cattle looked great we really couldn't have asked for a better summer.  We sorted out about nine or ten sale potentials, that's when fall starts to look exciting.  The calves are all starting to hair up and their all bloomy looking.  I love this time of year when the cows are fat and sassy and they've got a nice calf by their side.  Don't ask me how but for some reason all us girls forgot sunscreen, Tawnya was a little fried tomato. It was a beautiful day though.
Yesterday we moved the cows to the BLM.  As you can see from the pics it not exactly irrigated pasture but the cattle will do great on it, the calves will come home the heaviest set we wean.  There has been a lot of rain and although the grass isn't real tall it's green.  The day was about eighty with a breeze and it made it perfect for moving the cattle they wen't great.  We always put a set of Angus cows up and they new where they were going.  It always amazes me how cows remember so well.  They new right where they where going.
It was just Emily, Tawnya and I riding, it really was a great day.  We talked like crazy, laughed a ton, even found a horny toad but to Tawnya's dismay he never turned into her prince.  Brad maybe you'll have to come back!! Lol!  You'd think in our twenty's the thrill of catching lizards and horny toads would be over for some reason every once in awhile you'll look over to see someone crouched down ready to spring.
We're headed to Salina today with a load of cull cows.  It's always rather sad to see the old girls you've grown so accustomed to leaving.  It makes you realize your age increases the same as theirs does.  Life goes by so fast.

Jeannie

Catalog, catalog, catalog

Yes it is that time of year when advertisement and catalog all start to come into play, it seems like we just got done with all this.  We've decided on all of our setup all the girls have been in the office looking at fonts and moving things to and fro.  Heifer names are starting to brew, Lipstick Stain we were informed is a bit risque, we don't really think in that manner we actually thought it was pretty cute but I guess we will not have a Lipstick stain lol!  We do have an image to maintain:)
Last week was Cache County Fair, there was a lot of great cattle and kids.  The quality ran deep the whole way through and it sure made me proud of my home state.  I still think I like the pee wee class the best, everyone gets to be a winner with no placings and no hurt feelings.
Emily and Tawnya moved cows on the forrest yesterday, they stayed dry but it rained pretty hard here.

Tomorrow we are going through the Angus cattle on Mini Creek, I'm excited to see how they've changed the past few weeks.

Little Birdy had her last first day of high school today.  Mom and Dad are well on their ways to being empty nesters.  I really wish that she could stay home all the time.  She still hasn't been school shopping for the year so of course Jeannie's Closet is her last minute shopping favorite. She's everyone's little sunshine.  She's staying busy with her steers.  Her state steer went off feed last week, we've had some drastic changes in temperature from morning to night.

Jeannie

Rising Sun, really where was the sun

Rising Sun is on his way to Tetonia, Idaho to a new set of ladies.  We really have fallen in love with his daughters they are turning into great mamma cows that are big bodied easy doing and most of all I love their neat nice little udders.
I had wanted to picture him and get a bit more up to date image of what he really looks like.  He's been with a set of cows now since the middle of May and he looks as fat as when we turned him out just a bit more toned.  We've had him in the eaten down horse pasture so he had to scrimp, dad's always afraid he's going to get to fat.  The picture pen is a swamp right now so Tawnya and I opted for the field that's been mowed, it looked pretty and plus we could walk without getting to sogggy.  Birdy had Tooele stock show and somehow managed to swipe my muck boots along with my makeup!  Rising Sun loved the field, to much, he wouldn't put his head up to save his life.  There are about a hundred pictures that would be great if he would just stick his nose in the air a bit.  Tawnya is super good help don't get me wrong but she lacks the array of sound and jumps with wild outbursts that Birdy somehow manages to make everything perk their ears to the commotion.

It's still cloudy and today almost a bit nippy here.  I am looking forward to a few more days of sunshine!  Birdy had Grand Champion steer yesterday at Tooele.  He looked really good, she's worked her little tail off with him.  He wasn't a huge fan of the people or the place and we had fits getting him to eat but he was at least drinking and looked great in the ring.  Tawnya left after pictures mid morning with Rising Sun and Brad Wetovick to head up to north, dad always seems to keep things cattle oriented lol, the girls always manage to keep them boy oriented!

Jeannie

Rain, Rain, Rain

It's amazing living in the desert how the rain can decide to come.  Through the years I've came to the realization that we like our moisture in the time and convenience when it's prayed for.  We will for sure take it whenever we can get it though:)  We moved cows from Tommy Creek to Reed Valley and up under the mountain on Monday.  Dad rode with us all day.  Tawnya and I took off and rode up through Reed Valley on a beautiful day that was really about perfect, until the rain decided to come.  You know whoever has dramatized the beauty of riding in the rain horseback hasn't ever done it for an extended period of time.  It's cold, wet, and miserable, the cows and horses dislike it as much as I do, they would much rather just be left alone.

Tawnya and I camped out under a pine tree, until lighting started popping all around us and we looked up to see the tree we where standing under had been hit some years before, you know technically lightning should never hit the same place twice but we decided to trade trees.  There was water running everywhere, and it was raining still, hard.  We were ready to tuck tail and return to the truck.  We finally got a hold of dad who was up the valley a few miles, he had yet to even get his rain coat out!  We decided we better get a little tougher and start to ride back to the cattle.
We gathered the cattle, about forty head or so where camped out in the trees including all the bulls, there is water everywhere up there and the cattle are staying in the tree's a lot better.  It rained pretty steady the rest of the day, towards the end it poured.

Brad Wetovick from Nebraska has been out here on an internship all summer.  We have really enjoyed his quick smile and happy countenance.  He get's teased unmercifully by all the girls.  Angela thinks it's her personal calling to see how bashful she can make him around Tawnya.  I think he was beginning to wonder if it ever rained in Utah, now he's wondering if it's ever going to stop.
We re-rode the bench and Tippets valley on Wednesday.  No one was super excited about going and getting wet but it was a perfect day on the forrest.  Tawnya caught three horny toads so her day was complete lol!  Beaver had a cloudburst that night and it laid down about two inches in about two hours.    There was water everywhere.  It was running down the roads and the ditches where gushing.  We turned all the ditches off.  There is a lot of hay down in the Valley, it's going to stay down for awhile it's not very good haying weather around here at the moment.
Avila's came yesterday to pick up there bulls, it sure was good to see them.  Clay came tromping into my house yesterday morning.  I heard my back door open and someone walking through, I was starting to fume quite well at whoever had the gall to walk through my house with their boots on, in pops Clay in shorts and and t-shirt holding his toothbrush!  He rode on the mountain yesterday while Jeff stayed down and caught some Z's.  The friends you make in the cattle business really are the highlight of it all.
Birdy headed up to Tooele with a steer this morning.  They just called he weighed in at 1337, he's not real happy about being there.
We're cutting thistle today, anyone who wants to help is welcome.

Jeannie

Miss Yardley R15

We have decided to sell a few of our donor cows who have embryo's in the tank, the genetic potential here is huge! R15 is a powerhouse take advantage of this one boys females like this seldom come along.  She's proven and powerful.  Ali x Y1 Prompter 5/8 Maine Anjou.

Fall is Approaching

We clipped on Birdy's steer today for Tooele,  as fairs get closer the realization comes that summer months are quickly fading.  The thoughts of winter following fall are dreary.  I still haven't realized why we have to have winter months but since we depend upon winter snow for irrigation I should perhaps stay a bit quite.  The summer rains that seemed to have skipped over us the last few months have decided they are going to hang around.  I talked to a friend today who is debating about cutting his hay, many in the valley have it down and it's now black.  As we pray for the moisture the realization comes there are a few who aren't so happy it's falling but since we do live in a dessert we know that it to will come to an end.
The girls where on the Creek Bed with dad sorting on heifers and it started to rain, in a few short minutes they where drenched to the bone.  The lightning was popping so bad they left the cattle in the hay meadow instead of pushing them through to the pasture.  Dad sure enjoys going out and working through the cattle, it just lightens his mood.  It rained on the hired men all day on the forrest while they were fencing.
Emily and Tawnya are home from college, mom's house is finally alive again.  Birdy had taken up residency with me, I sure love my girls.  It would be nice if none of us ever had to grow up!

Jeannie

Cattle on the Forrest

The last few weeks has been busy sorting, and driving cattle to their summer haven.  It seems as though we just get them sorted for breeding pastures and it's time to go to the forrest.  Yesterday we got rained on a big majority of the day and although wet and soggy it was a huge blessing.  After seeing things start to burn rainclouds bring a tear to your eye as the ground soaks up the moisture.
Tawnya forgot her raincoat so Steven gave up his, I'm not sure why because when she made it back to the truck to change her shirt she was as wet as he had been.
The cattle where just happy to be on fresh feed and didn't want to move to extra bad instead taking their sweet time to enjoy the green grass.  We fought them a big majority of the way.  The calves look great, it's amazing what a months time can do for them.  When the first calf heifers are home on hay it's almost hard to look at their babies, they just look stale but since they've been out they have really started to come on.  I think I entered a dozen numbers in my phone of possible sale candidates for this fall.  We hauled out the panels and loaded up one potential in the trailer to take back to the ranch.
It's a two day drive, the cattle go from a drier permit where the grass is good and hard to the lush mountain tops.  It's long days, Apache decided to long.  We went to count the cattle out the gate and somehow he must have snuck of to the Shade tree's when no one was looking.  Tawnya went back to look but he was no where to be found.  The country has all got to be re-rode so we'll find him in our next sweep.
Emily and Tawnya are home from school, it's amazing just how fast the time all fly's by.  It was just yesterday when they where little girls asking every twenty minutes how much farther, now they're all grown up.  Birdy had to stay home and work with her steers, she was in withdrawals not being there for all the chit chat.
It rained here and out on the dessert last night.  We really are saying prayers of thanks it was getting really dry everywhere.  It sure makes dad smile more!

Jeannie