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