Posts Tagged With: #cowgirl

It felt like this week just flew by.

Posted on April 27, 2023 by horseshoeangusranch

Chad and I thought for sure Reba would foal Sunday night after being trimmed, no such luck. I brought Old Red to work on Monday to get the windshield fixed, it has a rock chip. Toni chopped some Russian Olive Trees Monday morning, and got a thorn threw her shoe. Then she heard a ruckus at the gate and ran down there, since we moved Queenie, CeeCee and Red Robin are in a herd by themselves. CeeCee does not like the rest of the horses in the pen, so she was down in the corner. Gunner felt she needed to be in his heard, since she normally is, so he was trying to break her out. He had the fence grounding out so Toni fixed it and he went back to his mares. Benelli is already in heat at Allie’s, so NZ Scotch Time semen is on its way to breed her. We are so thankful for Allie and for Codi who owns NZ Scotch Time for everything they have done to get the mares bred.

Still no Reba foal on Tuesday. Toni cut down more Russian Olive Trees when she was checking. She wore her boots this time so no trees through the foot. Rob had some extra hours on the machines he rented, so the men and three older kids were out moving dirt after they finished chores. Kade on the Case, Kaine on the Kitten, Anna on the backhoe and the men on the big loader, I think Ben was mainly running gates. Toni and I checked, no new foals, we have Red Robin’s colt, Smokin, some scratches.

Guess what, still no Reba foal Wednesday morning, or Twiggy, Cammie, etc. We are in a foal drought! Toni had court at 10 and 2, so she did not get a lot of trees cut when she was checking. The older 3 kids were still working with the equipment on Wednesday night. Kyle showed up and got his bull, M205. We had some rain showers, and they got in right as it started pouring.

Still nothing on Thursday. Kaine was home sick, I think he was overly tired from his late-night tractor driving. Toni cut down some more trees. Ben took 138 in to get semen tested so he could head to Montana the following week. Thursday we are still working on horses, feeding everything due to the lack of grass (cold weather), working on getting mares bred, and normal chores. We still go out and feed Gunner’s pen and the heavy horses in circle 5. Circle 5 went from 40 head of mares to 6 head, but they still want some hay.

The weekly theme of no foals continues on Friday. Dad and Kaine went to Soap Lake to get his steer’s feet trimmed before Spokane. I had a guy, Joseph, coming out to pick up his heifer, he was working in Olympia but headed back to Texas with her. We did a small tour before we got on his way. Dad and Kaine were back when we went on our tour, so dad and Kaine talked to him for a few minutes as well. Dad went home and Kaine and I went to Moses Lake to try to get his farmer’s permit, which I guess we were supposed to do the pre apply online and not bring in the printed forms, so that was a fail. So we went and picked up our pork at Block 40 Meats and then went and got pizza for dinner. We stopped at Basin Feed on our way home to get a smoker for Ben that would not fit in the Yukon, so an additional fail. However, I did specifically ask Ben if it would fit and he said yes. It was about a half inch too big. The Kade left from school and headed to trap shooting state. His parents went separately so they could watch the competition on Friday night. It went very late. Jaxsen got to spend the weekend with his self-proclaimed favorite aunt. I doubt Stephanie reads this, his other aunt, to know I have announced I am his favorite. I am all my nieces and nephews favorite, since I am writing this I can definitely say that. Sometimes Candice reads this so she might have a response. Kaine and I got home and we went and did chores with Jaxsen and Marlo. Kaine and Jaxsen set up Kaine’s Gameboy in the camper, it might not be a Gameboy because I kept calling It the wrong thing??, they were going to sleep in the camper but Jaxsen came back in the house when Kaine fell asleep and tried to share the couch with Murtaugh. He said Murtaugh is not good at sharing.

Still no foals on Saturday, Toni thought for sure there would be one while she was gone. Mom and dad headed to Wenatchee to watch Kade and the Connell Team shoot. Dad has been going to a lot of his competitions, so has a lot of friends there. Ben, Anna, Kaine, Jaxsen and I got the cows in to work and sorted them. Then Kaine and Jaxsen washed their steers and heifers and Kaine finished slicking his heifers. Ben, Anna and I started working the cows. We got circle 4 done by the end of the day. Then Anna and Lane went on a date, and Lane picked up the smoker on the way down. Ben, Kaine, Jaxsen and I did chores. Kade’s team got 5^th at state, we are all very proud of him. They got home late and picked up Jaxsen and the dogs, 2 of their 3 dogs ended up at our house too. Mom made pies, as requested by the kids, so we had pie Saturday night as well.

Guess what, still no foals on Sunday. We got up to finish working cows. The boys went fishing in the morning with Keegan and then got back to help in the afternoon. The skidsteer was also used Sunday afternoon and destroy more Russian Olive Trees and piled them up. Toni, Jaxsen and I also caught Red Robin, we were going to put her in with Tank, but love little Smokin so much we wanted her by the house so she is in with Leroy. Leroy was happy to get another mare.

It felt like this week just flew by. We are so busy, but aren’t we always? The kids are now done with “sports” for the rest of the school year and can focus on the main sport of showing cattle. With the weather being cold, it has been a slow start to spring, but things are starting to look and feel like spring has arrived. We are excited to show off the foals we have if anyone wants to come out and take the tour.

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April showers bring May grass. Yes the saying is April showers bring May flowers but ranchers care way more about grass than flowers.

Posted on April 6, 2023 by horseshoeangusranch

Monday was an interesting day to say the least. Blackie had a beautiful filly that had some mystery punctures on her right leg. They look like a dog bit her, but no one can figure out how that could have happened. Toni had court then went down and mom and Toni got her moved into the shed. Dad went to fertilize the pasture, his old tractor broke down, so dad and Toni went up and got the Case, and he used that. But then the fertilizer spreader broke down. Toni felt like she was down there most of the day and was not productive getting her work done. Coco and Shea made it up from CA on Monday to see everyone and Coco could finish packing up her house. Shea had a great time doing chores with us. Coco jinxed us and said we had not had any red colts yet, we got out to the desert and guess what, Lola had a red colt. He is a bright red flashy red colt. When we got back from checking the mares in the desert there was a pole down on the driveway, so we popped that up. All 4 kids worked on their steers, and Anna worked on her heifers as well. Anna is headed to Reno next week to show her heifer and compete for the Western Angus Queen title. We know she will do a great job, but all four states will be sending really great girls for the coveted title.

Tuesday morning Rosie B had a cute bay roan filly. As it was the Twins’ b-day, they got to name the filly. When Toni was checking cows she saw a pair of eagles nesting across the ditch on some USBR ground. Toni went and got Shea from Kendel when she got back and Jaxsen got to watch her when he got home. Coco, Shea, Toni and I went out to check horses. Toni is teaching her horse colors so she can go to preschool knowing her colors. You know, red is sorrel- no such thing as white, only gray. Good thing Shea isn’t old enough to really be corrupted yet.

Wednesday the kids had a half day of school and we had parent teacher conferences. Toni went out to see grandma in-between conferences and grandma wants to see Leo. Mom and dad went to Wilbur to take bulls to Dan, Rusanne and Seth Wagner. Toni and mom fed the mares since I was at conferences. Toni also put in another post on the hill.

Thursday we got a skidsteer on tracks to help us with the Russian Olive Tree battle. The boys are really excited about it. Toni, Anna, Kaine, Kade and Jaxsen went to farm fair to help set up the Cattlemens booth, then went and got groceries for the cattle shows and then went to lunch. Then they went back to Farm Fair and picked up Shea from Coco. Jaxsen watched her for a while and then Anna watched her. She did not nap, so Coco and Shea did not check horses with us since Coco was trying to get her to nap. Bailey had a cute colt on Thursday, his name is Bailey Bug after Toni and Kicker’s niece who shares the same birthday. Toni and I turned Lightening Bug and Freida out of Jackpot’s pen and put Cinder in.

Friday dad used the Case and harrowed the pastures again. Toni helped him get in through the gates. While she was waiting, she worked on the hill fence for a bit. She was supposed to have a trial Friday but it got moved again. This trial has been moved 4 times I think? Toni is pretty annoyed about it. Marlo came to do chores and her and Toni went and checked, BB had a cute buckskin, possibly buckskin roan filly by King.

Saturday we got up early to get to work on fencing. It was April Fools day and Shorty foaled and had a cute little fooler. We got the bulls in and sorted Vern’s bull out so he could pick him up. Kade went to shooting practice then they went and got the skidsteer and got it running and out moving trees. Ben worked on fence and went and picked up the 5^th wheel. The rest of the kids worked on their steers and heifers. Kade worked on his as well when he got home. Toni, Kaine, Jaxsen and I, and later Anna, Kade and Shea, worked on the fence on the bottom of circle 5 and 6. We had way too much fence work to do. We had to rebuild braces, restring wire, really almost a compete redo. We think we made it better. Kaine and Jax were really good help. We also cleaned up all of the old fence and boards that were down there and buried the jump wire part way across. The area that we were really having to do the most work in was very very rocky, so there were some real challenges. We also encountered wind, rain, hail, sun, then repeat the cycle. We decided to bring all of the mares in out of the desert once the fence was fixed so we would have less to do on Sunday. For some reason they missed their normal gate. Luckily Ben was down checking out our work and was able to get the gates open and let the mares in through the new gates. I drove over a rock trying to get the mares to go the right way and ruined my tire so had to walk back to the desert. Then we worked on the fence at the bottom of circle 6. Same weather- hail, rain, wind, sun, repeat. Once we got those fencing projects done we went back to get chores done.

Sunday the kids continued to work on heifers and steers and Kade had shooting in the afternoon. We got the Hereford cows and riding horses in off of the corn field. Ben and Anna rolled up the wire and the men and Anna picked up posts. Toni and I went to circle 5 and got all of the mares in. There were only 20, so they fit pretty good in the corral. Then we sorted and took the 4 red pairs down to the desert, the 2 crème pairs to Sagebug, and Shorty pair to Tank. Toni and I moved Gunner and his mares to the desert, then went and got Rosie B and Revel from Mom’s and hauled them out as well. So Gunner has 10 mares. It hailed on us, rained on us, the wind blew. Camas came over and asked Kaine to Sadies. Spoiler- he said yes.

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In winter, I plot and plan. In spring, I move

Posted on April 7, 2020 by horseshoeangusranch

Monday was a little cold and windy, but still a great day. Anna checked cows, Toni had a lot of calls in the morning. The kids did their school work. Jeannie came and got Pinky, and is taking her up to Pomeroy to ride for a while. It will be great to get some more miles on her. We finished the middle fence inside the East pen Monday night. So the East, West and South sides are done and the north side is half done on the corral. To finish what we have left to do we have to pick up all of the junk (old boards, broken panels, old rail road ties, etc) in front of it. So we got that ¾ cleaned up Monday night and the boards knocked off of the posts. No new foals or calves on Monday.

Tuesday was the last day of March, and no last day of March foals or calves. Kaine and Kade are both finished with their math that the school sent home and are doing prodigy, a math program. Yes, Toni is a great teacher. Jaxsen is still struggling through, not because he can’t do it, he just likes to make Toni as miserable as possible while he is doing it. He had to sit at her desk while she worked to finish. We worked on the corral, we finished cleaning up all of the junk, in the evening. We are ready to start digging holes on our last section. Then Toni told the kids she is going to have a party for them, and then we are on to putting up the continuous fence

April Fool’s Day, Toni told the kids that all the fence was down and that they had to spend the day fixing it. They didn’t think it was a funny joke. Wednesday I woke up to the sounds of wind machines in the orchards. Mittens the cat wanted out, he walked out the door, and the wind machines freaked him out so he came back in. I guess he thought a bird was coming to get him?? I said April Fools Mittens. We worked on the corral Wed night, we are almost done with it. We ran out of battery on the DeWalts or we would have gotten it done. We worked until we could not work anymore! We have a big pile of debris for a bonfire. The bad part about that is then you spend forever picking up nails and spikes, sifting through the ashes. But we are going to move the pile to the spot we had the last fire so just one spot to clean-up.

Thursday we finished the corral, it was big day. The kids are excited for their party. We started pulling the panels out that we were using to block areas. We also started putting panels along the front of the colt pen, our next project is the continuous fence. Should anyone be concerned that we are going to be bored now that our big corral project is done, don’t be. Fencing NEVER ends. But it is an awesome feeling to have the corral done.
We finally had another foal Friday, Twiggy had a Splinter. Seriously, the colt looks just like Twiggy. It is like she just splintered herself off and recreated. The only contribution Dude made was that it is a colt.

I did not have work on Friday so I went up and got Kade and Jaxsen and we checked cows and horses, Anna, the two boys and I did. Then we went back to the house and got Kaine and we caught all of the heifers and the clubby steers and put halters on the other steers. We loaded up three bulls Friday that went to their new home in Moses Lake. It was cold on Friday so we did not wash. Toni had Federal hearings Friday morning on the phone, so she was busy all day. I think the kids are glad to have a break from her. She has high expectations about what she thinks they need to accomplish every day. Jax says going to school everyday is easier than being home with his mom. She is still having them write letters, so if anyone else wants a letter, let one of us know.

Saturday was a really nice day so the kids washed their steers and heifers. Anna had a stomach ache on Saturday so she just washed her steers. Ben and Kicker worked on circles all day getting them running. Circle 4 is on, circle 5 had a hole in the mainline and they need to get parts Monday. Toni worked in her office most of the day. Then we went and worked on moving panels around. That is a project on its own. The clean-up of everything is going to be a project. Ty had been getting out through the electric fence, which in turn allowed the heifers to get out, so once we got the panels up in front of the yearling colt pen and got the fence hot between 7 and 8, the heifers had to stop their sneaky ways. It is kind of funny that Ty was the colt getting out. He is probably the most mild mannered of the colts, so you wouldn’t expect him to be the fence crawler. But he is the biggest and most physically mature, most people think he is a 2 year old not a yearling!

Sunday we went out and checked the cows first thing. We had a couple of new calves BOTH were Anna’s and both were Angus bulls. Then we got Lura in to get her worked before going out to Gunner. There seemed to be some miscommunication between Toni and I because after we got her worked, and Toni was backing up the trailer, gates had been left open and Lura escaped. Luckily that group wants to go out with Gunner so they ran down to our little catch-pen at the desert gates, we sorted her off and got her moved into Gunner’s pen. Abs and Whiskey got moved in with Dude. We moved Whinny and Whammy out of the heavy pen and into the pasture. Toni, Kaine, Kade and I got some poles from down at the corral and fixed some weak poles around mom and dads house, mom paid us in homemade apple pie fresh out of the oven. You can’t beat that!