Monday was a whirlwind! Toni and Dad headed to Pullman, braving the drive to get Peeps a pre-sale vet inspection. They also picked up Abs from WSU – she’s in foal to Hired Gun, exciting news! Then on the way home, stopped by Katie and Chad’s to get Cash. So one up to Pullman, two back. While at WSU they also needed to pull hair on Metallic Bug for a prospective buyer who wants him disease panel tested. They got to see both of the foals still up there and mess with them a bit. Meanwhile, Anna took Kenna and Blondie to see Sheena to get their travel papers sorted for their Montana trip. And to top it all off, Kaine and Jaxsen finally started football practice for summer football. It is kind of cool that they will both be on the highschool team for this one year.
On Tuesday Anna and her trusty canine companions, a chaotic mix of fluffy chaos, checked the cows and horses. They then replaced the old fiberglass fence posts, with metal T posts. Anna also wants to learn some of Mom’s recipes so Anna and mom then made cinnamon rolls. Wednesday Anna and Dad planned to visit Alan A., a beloved friend. Dad said Alan was his first friend when he moved to Pasco a long dang time ago. Anna and Dad planned to take him a batch of those delicious cinnamon rolls. News from the football field was equally positive: Jaxsen claims to be a starter on the JV team. So we will see how that plays out for him. The upcoming spring ball jamboree is next Friday. Meanwhile, Kade and Anna cared for the cattle and horses. The puppies, however, presented a new challenge. No longer could their tiny, half mini poodle forms be allowed unsupervised. Tipsy, their diligent Great Pyrenees guardian dog, had become their unofficial nanny, leading them on epic patrol expeditions around the property. (Tipsy: Loyal, slightly eccentric guardian, more interested in inspecting gopher holes than preventing escape). The puppies, barely larger than cats, were a constant source of amusement and occasional frustration. Tuesday night had been a monumental feat: the removal of countless cheat grass seeds from their luxurious coats, a task that left Anna smelling faintly of dry grass and exhaustion.
On Wednesday, Toni began her three-day court commitment, making her unavailable for contact. Meanwhile, Jaxsen was thrilled to attend his 8th-grade trip to Triple Play, a journey Toni likely would have joined if not for her court obligations—not out of desire, but to keep a watchful eye on him. Dad and Anna went to see Alan and look at the Charolais heifers. That evening, Frieda experienced colic, prompting us to administer Immediate Response and Zestera while walking her for an hour. After finishing chores and moving the water, Toni and I took turns walking Frieda. In the meantime, Anna and Kade ventured out to retrieve a paddle boat that had drifted away, reporting that it might need some steering repairs.
Toni returned to Ritzville on Thursday for court proceedings, while Kaine enjoyed a trip to Silverwood with the senior class, despite being a junior himself. Mom and I speculated that had he known he could join the seniors on their trip without actually being one, he likely would have participated every year. The only requirement was for him to persuade a senior to secure a ticket for him and take him along before he turned 16, which I’m sure he could have managed. Meanwhile, Anna took four bred heifers for pregnancy checks that same day, and afterward, she and Mom brought the puppies to the vet. Freida, our older mare, seemed to be doing well; we concluded that she simply needed to graze on grass. Tank has several mares in his pen, so they are provided with alfalfa and a grass bale. We’re hopeful she’s pregnant, although 24, so if she is not then that is ok. Freida appeared quite content to be turned out, however, Outlaw seemed less so since his best friend Gold was still in with Tank. Upon returning home that evening, I noticed something protruding from the side of Pow’s head that resembled a stick. Concerned, I reached out to Sheena and scheduled an appointment for Pow first thing Friday morning.
On Friday, Toni took the Featherlight to Les Schwab to get new tires installed before she and Kade headed off to Utah for the Simmental show. Meanwhile, Ben made a quick stop to see Sheena with Pow on his way to work, as I had stayed with Grandma the night before. Once I returned home, I set out to find the two missing pairs that had wandered off into the desert. With the help of the puppies and the dogs, we managed to round them up successfully. Shortly after, Sheena informed me that Pow was ready, so I rushed inside to pick her up. It turned out that it wasn’t just a stick she had encountered; she had actually broken her face, with a piece of bone protruding. On my way to retrieve the trailer, I needed to stop by Ben’s workplace, but I had forgotten to leave the keys to Big Red in the pickup. This is the downside of not having to insert the keys into the ignition; I often forget they’re in my purse instead. After getting Pow home and settled, we turned our attention to the chores that awaited us.
On Saturday morning, Brian from Pendleton arrived to evaluate the yearlings and ended up selecting Stoker, a horse he hadn’t initially considered online. His decision was influenced by the fact that his 11-year-old daughter would be helping him train Stoker, who is known for his friendly demeanor and eagerness to learn, making it a perfect match. Meanwhile, Kaine, Kade, and I headed to circle 4 to sort the pairs we had sold. We noticed that one of the pairs, which included a steer calf, was located in circle 5, so we went to retrieve the cow. While we were there, we decided to try and catch Butterscotch, a horse that had been quite elusive, often hiding deep within the tangled Russian Olive trees, making her difficult to capture. After Anna returned from babysitting, the four of us worked together and finally managed to catch her, though it was no easy task. During this time, Mom and Toni made a trip to Whitney’s to pick up Tulip and Mr. Pickles, as their grass had been completely consumed. Ben spent the day working on the circles. Kaine and I then distributed grass bales to Tank and MC’s pens. Ben and the kids took care of the two pairs I had brought in the previous day, releasing 530 back with the rest of the cows, while keeping 170 with the sold pairs since she was part of that group. We sold a few cows that were late calvers, which fell outside our calving interval.
On Sunday morning, Leo arrived to pick up the two pairs we had gotten in on Saturday. Kaine and I also got in the steer that Erina and Terry were taking home with them. Once they arrived, we took the opportunity to celebrate both Mom’s and Erina’s birthdays, creating a joyful atmosphere filled with laughter and good cheer. Later that day, we had an outside mare come in, and we took her out to see Sagebug. Typically, Sagebug would hear us approaching and come running, but this time he didn’t respond, prompting Toni to walk quite a distance in search of him. I initially accompanied her but returned to fetch the pickup for a more convenient ride. By the time I got back, Toni had successfully located Sagebug, who was quite excited as the mare was in heat. After, Kade and I took care of some chores by putting out grass bales, and later, Toni and Kade enjoyed a lovely evening ride together, soaking in the beauty of the surroundings.
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