We are into the last few weeks of 2022. It has been tumultuous to say the least.

Monday the kids had a two-hour delay, due to freezing fog. So Happy birthday Kaine, you get to sleep in. Anna helped Ben check and get some of the calved cows out of the heavy pen so they could get tagged and turned out. Toni and I both got all of our pictures uploaded the night before, so Toni was picking out her favorite Christmas Pics.  There are always some amusing ones. Especially when Jaxsen wants to look like a nerd and just show off his belt buckle. Toni and the boys did horse chores, men and Anna did cattle chores. Ben got 19 of the calves tagged on Monday and turned out. Anna helped him get most of them out of the pen before she left for school. Mom made strawberry trifle for Kaine’s birthday, it was really good.  Mom and Dad went to Spokane for doctors appointments, so we had to take care of the dogs. I think Sammy probably got put outside more than he is used to, but it is good for him.

Tuesday the roads were better in the AM, there was not freezing fog. We tried to buy a big sprayer and an older skidsteer on Tuesday at an auction, both went for more then we were willing to pay, so probably what they were worth. There is a big mower we are looking at next, we need to wage war against the Russian olive trees, so far they winning. Everyone did their normal chores.  Mom and Dad got back as early as they could, no staying around Spokane talking to friends and family because of the weather. It was a quick trip. Sammy was ecstatic to see Mom, but we treated him fine. During the winter Mom and Dad have way too many chores for them to stay gone too long. Every trough needs broken, fresh water, walk the dogs, feed Double, feed the cats. Check the water again. It never ends in the winter with water freezing. It is actually better this year because Dad can hook a trough heater up at the shed for the big trough, so that is nice.

Wednesday Anna and Kaine had dr appts, so they did not go to school. Anna helped Ben check and then they went. Toni checked the cows a couple of times, and later and there was a new calf. We bought a new ranch pick-up at Musser Bros Tuesday night, so Ben and the kids stopped to get it on the way home. FYI, the gas gauge does not work. So Anna and Kaine never made it to school. But they did make it home in time to help with chores.  And nothing was wrong with the vehicle a little gas didn’t fix. It could have been worse. The pick-up was previously used as a service vehicle so has one of those tall racks in the bed. Toni thinks we should leave it. It looks pretty lame.

On Thursday we had a cute polled Hereford bull calf with nice dark red eyes. We had a couple of Angus calves as well. Mom and Toni ran to town to get some groceries that I cannot bring home from Costco. They also wanted to split the Arby’s wagyu burger. They said it was decent. The bun was really good. Toni loves Arby’s fries so she always wants an excuse to go to Arbys. We have had wagyu for as long as they have been imported to the US, so please refrain from telling us how great it is. We know it isn’t any better than other beef from good programs. Kaine found a bird when they were doing chores. It was so cold out Thursday Willa (an Angus cow) had frost hanging from her hair.

Friday Toni got out her new lens to get some snow shots. Chad Whetzel came out and he trimmed a steer, a couple riding horses, a mini mare, Miss Gen, Gracie and Tulip. Toni went to Jaxsen’s Christmas program and brought lunch home for us. Mom and dad went to Othello to get SMZ tabs for Annie. Ben got in the weanling calves down in circle 6. After lunch Ben, Toni and I sorted the heifers and brought 17 of them and Libby back up to the house. We had a guy scheduled to come pick out a few to buy on Saturday.  We moved all of the heavy cows together and put the heifers in the smaller heavy cow pen. Then we went down and did chores. Kaine was once again missing on Friday, he went to the basketball game with his friends and his grandpa picked him up. He cannot wait until he has a license. On Thursday he assured his aunt he would be around to help out on Friday, even though he had “offers” of lots of stuff to do. I guess he rethought that and decided basketball was better than chores.  Marlo helped Kade with the horse chores, Jaxsen does his. We are done halter breaking, but we keep working on T just because she is next to the house.

Saturday morning Keith from Clarkston came and bought 5 of the heifers. We hauled the rest back down to the alfalfa field. Kade joined the trap shooting team, so he has trap shooting practice Saturday mornings. I think his first competition is in January he said. Ben and Kaine got the cows that had calved in off of the run and tagged the calves and turned them out. Anna got in her steers and worked on them. I went out and got pics of the bulls. Our internet has been down since Thursday night, I did not call until Friday afternoon, so have not heard back from anyone. So I could not upload the pics I took.

Sunday Kade went down and rode around on his horse, Stormy. Anna worked on her steers. Kaine and Ben picked up some trash and filled up the dumpsters. Then Kaine hauled some trash out of the office for me, and had to rearrange the trash in the dumpsters. Kaine went to Camas’ house for dinner, they were having a crab feed. Kaine does not like crab, but he refused to give us his crab. We told him he could put it in his pockets. He was a hard no on that. The rest of us did chores and had no crab. 

We are into the last few weeks of 2022. It has been tumultuous to say the least. There have been lots of low points this year that aren’t worth dwelling on. Some of the good things include the AQHA Heritage Breeder of the Year, Molly, our entire foal and calf crop, taking the 3 older kids to Angus Jr. Nationals, Kaine and Kade in the roping clinic with Jennifer Casey, Jax’s first buckle, Kaine making honorable mention for football, our overall health. Another year with grandma, she is 92 as of Oct! Lots of pieces of 2022 to be thankful for. I will think on this some more, so anticipate in next week’s blog, more thankfulness.