Monday Ben and the kids were home, I was at work. They put out hay, doctored calves, Anna worked on her youth foal, I hope they tied up the steers. We have still been getting rain, but at least they do not need the tractor to pull the pickup through the corn field. Kaine, dad and Marlo did horse chores. Ben and Anna did cow chores. Marlo made us dinner, it was very good, kind of a Spanish rice type of a dish. Leo was exhausted from having everyone home and getting to run around all day. Meachams were on a family vacation, some highlights from Monday, the rode on the beach and Jaxsen learned his mom could swim.
Tuesday back to school and work. Ben had to go in early for some classes, he texted when he got to work that the roads were slick. Kaine had drivers ed after school. He assures us that he is a good driver. Marlo and dad got done doing chores. Anna had a zoom meeting with AQHA for her youth foal. Sun was shining in Mexico, but I was sad the pictures were not suns out guns out. Our friend Leonard always wears sleeveless shirts as soon as there is a little bit of sun, so we call that suns out guns out. Like sleeves ripped off of a t-shirt or button up shirt. Leonard is a good sport and finds us amusing. With Toni gone, the two little girls, Holly and Summer are just getting fed and loved on and not having to put any work in. They are pretty happy. Marlo is at the Meacham house so those dogs still get to come do chores and live the good life.
Wednesday I got to go to Olympia for WSWRA Hill day, I have not been so it was a lot of fun. Dad, mom, Ben, Marlo, Anna and Kaine were in charge. Dad took Kaine to drivers ed after chores, and then went to the football coach meeting. Dad said the meeting was a cluster. Marlo and the kids kept everything going at home. We are kind of in a lul on the calves because we are nearing the end. We are actually getting ready to buy semen and synchronizing next month. It is fun because Ben will send random bulls that he might like, or might not, and just wants to see our reaction. Sometimes Anna likes the same bulls he does. Toni and I normally don’t. The bulls we all can agree on definitely go on the list.
I was in Olympia still all day on Thursday and got home late. I had a good time. Everyone at home pulled together and got everything done. The dogs really missed me when I got home. Marlo was still taking care of the Meacham dogs and helping Dad with stuff. Marlo was also in charge of checking cows during the day. With the temperatures up and the sun kind of out the calves have been feeling better, so it is mostly just driving around admiring cute calves. The sheep was trying to breed heifers and then got out and was eating grain and hay at the feedstack. He then got into the corral to try to bred the show heifers. The cows had kind of beat him up anyway, so him getting in was for the best. I messaged the neighbor he was in and could they PLEASE come and get him. We had hauled him up already twice.
I was off Friday and the kids had a half day. In the morning I checked and got new pictures of the calves, new pictures of some of the bulls, videos of some of the bulls, etc. When the kids got home from school they worked on steers, Anna worked on her youth foal, a normal Friday. The kids’ steers are really coming along well. Anna has some pretty cool steers as this may be her last year showing because she is a Jr and U of I starts in Aug. Marlo came out and did chores with us, like she had been all week. It was great having Marlo all week. The neighbor came and got the sheep. We still think it looks like a sheep and it has wool.
Saturday we tagged calves, checked heifers, got the heifers in, sorted out the one we sold. Poured on the show animals and sorted them into different pens since the heifers were coming into heat. Hauled Gamora and Mayhem down with the other heifers, to turn out for a few weeks to freshen them up. Anna and Kaine caught their steers. I worked on Summer and Holly and Kaine and I did horse chores. We have another virtual in-hand class coming up and Toni is insisting that we show weanlings. Anna will show her youth foal, Gunny. Toni plans to show Holly. Maybe I will show Summer. I want to show Joker or one of the yearlings but they aren’t getting worked on. Lane came out Saturday and helped with chores. I guess when you are a country kid date night means you do ranch work. At least he comes from the same background and knows what to expect. Toni was stuck at an airport for awhile so she started texting me on horses she wanted to buy. I had to tell her no lots of times.
Sunday the Meachams were home and Camas came out. Again, date day for Camas and Kaine is ranch work. Camas has known us long enough that she knows what to expect. The kids caught their steers. We fixed fence down around the heifer pen, worked on Toni’s pets, etc. Holly wasn’t super great after the week off but once she got her head on straight, she was fine. Summer is actually the more laid-back easy one. But we have kept 2 full sisters to Summer so we really are going to have to sell her. Both Sally and Huckleberry are full sisters.
We got some really good news on Sunday. Pow pow is ready to come home from training. Racheal has done such a fantastic job. Kaine is really excited. He wants her home in time for the virtual in-hand so he can beat his aunt. Again, we are supposed to show the weanlings, but Kaine will probably show whoever he wants because he isn’t super into the younger horses. He likes to ride. Kade is the same. They just want to go. The other good Sunday news was we got a breeding to a Shiner Named Sioux for 2023. Mom is telling us three AI breedings is enough. With the breeding to Sioux we are rethinking which mares we are Aiing. We also have a breeding to NZ Scotch Time, the sire to our Glo filly that we like so much. The 4 mares below are who we are currently discussing the the 3 AIs. Mom is 100% to AI Annie, currently she is the pick for A Shine Named Sioux. Probably Cammie for Rip and Reba or Charlie for Davis Ranch breeding. When we were breeding to Starlight Midnight we were breeding Charlie, but they are only breeding to him onsite this year, so with picking a different stallion means possibly a different mare.
It feels like spring here! Ok, yeah, there have been a couple of days when it spit snow at us, but we are almost to February and it is time for spring. However, they say winter is coming back next week.
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