Memorial Day was Monday. On this Memorial Day, we took a moment to remember and honor the brave men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. We are grateful for their service and sacrifice, and we will never forget. We honor their legacy and remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
We wrapped up working the cattle on Monday, focusing on the heifers, steers, bulls, and everything else in the corral. Isidro came and sprayed the weeds, so we secured the horses in the yearling pen, while the yearlings remained in the corral. Jexy, along with Opal, Lightening, and Mocha and their foals, have all moved to my house. They seem to be adjusting to the dry lot, though I suspect they’re not thrilled about it. Meanwhile, Ben has been spending quality time with Big E. I went down to capture some footage of the bulls, and Big E was a great help as they were all together. We also put out big bales for them.
As Tuesday rolled around, it marked the return to school and work for everyone. Ben and the kids were busy getting the cows to haul Moses Lake on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Toni and I headed down to hook up the trailers, only to discover that two out of the four bulls were missing. After we finished hooking everything up, we set out to search for the missing bulls, but our efforts proved fruitless as we scoured the area without success. By 8:30 PM, we decided to call it a night; the mosquitoes were relentless in the trees, and Anna was adamant about not stepping out to brave the swarms. As the designated driver, I certainly wasn’t going to take on that task, leaving us to retreat from the search with a sense of frustration.
On Wednesday morning, Anna and Toni set hauled the cows to Moses Lake, with Ben lending a hand to load them into the trailers. Upon their return to the house, they noticed the two bulls casually making their way up from the trees, strolling past the wheat field. It was evident that Anna had overlooked a crucial step by not checking the area through the trees. Quickly regrouping, Toni and Anna managed to round up the bulls before resuming their work. Later that evening, Toni and I took the opportunity to give the horses that were locked in their West Nile vaccinations and deworm them. This routine was essential for their health and well-being, ensuring that they would be in top shape once they were allowed back out to the pasture.
Ben dedicated the entire night to preparing tri-tip for the FFA banquet, and his efforts paid off as the dish turned out delicious. Meanwhile, Kade, serving as an officer, stayed after school to help set up for the event. The banquet was a resounding success, celebrating the hard work of all the students involved in FFA, who received various awards for their achievements. Among them, Kaine, who is the least active of our 4 kids, focusing primarily on Ag Sales and showing steers this year. He is a pretty good salesman so he did pretty good in Ag Sales. Kade, on the other hand, shone brightly as he was awarded the Star American Degree and was elected the chapter’s Vice President. He also contributed to the Ag Sales Team, which impressively placed fourth at the state level, and played a key role in organizing an Ag Day tour over the summer. Anna received recognition for her pursuit of the National American Degree, while Jaxsen showcased his talents on the Food Sciences Team, which secured second place in the state competition, earning him the title of cheese connoisseur. Additionally, Toni won a fire pit at the silent auction, a piece that Kaine claimed to have made, although his credibility as Mr. Palmer’s TA leaves some doubt about the authenticity of that claim. Later he admitted his friend Max made the fire pit. He made one for a different auction and his was much better.
Mud finally welcomed a new foal on Friday, marking the end of our foaling season. We were able to turn the mares back out into the pasture on Friday morning after keeping them confined all week due to the spraying of the fields. The donkeys have been integrated with the older mares, and they all got out enjoyed a delightful time grazing in the lush alfalfa. However, little July was not pleased with Anna for putting him away. It’s always fascinating to witness the dynamics of the herd, especially during such transitions, as they adapt to the changes in their environment and social structure.
On Saturday, Dad took the last two bulls that were sold to Ritzville, leaving us with just two bulls remaining for sale. Anna helped load them up and sent him off on his journey. Meanwhile, Kade, Toni, and Jaxsen worked together to move the yearling fillies back to their pen. Anna and Kade then busied themselves washing their show animals. Kaine, on the other hand, took the skid steer to cut down Russian Olive trees, a task I had suggested he tackle—whether it was washing animals or clearing trees, I just wanted him to stay productive. It seems he made his choice clear. Toni then transported the yearling fillies, which are scheduled to go to new homes the following week, down to my place to ensure they had a safe ride. We then managed to get Mocha, Opal, and Lightning Bug out of the bull pen to take them back to the pasture. Toni had to hop on Mocha since the other two decided to wonder around, and I must say, Mocha truly is the best. We captured some great pictures of the yearling foals during this busy day. Later, Chad arrived to trim feet, while Kaine and Kade headed off to their best friend Keegan’s graduation party. Toni, Anna, Ben, Jaxsen, and I planned to join them after finishing our chores. However, a fire broke out in Kahlotus due to strong winds and downed power lines, prompting us to hook up the trailers and prepare for a potential evacuation of the animals. Fortunately, as the wind shifted up the canyon, we were relieved to find that evacuation was not necessary.
On Sunday, Ben, Anna, Kaine, and I made our way to Oaksdale to pick up some furniture for Anna’s college house from Terry and Erina. After arriving, we enjoyed a delightful lunch with them, during which we admired the impressive remodeling work Terry had undertaken on the house. After all of Terry’s stories, Kaine has decided if you marry Terry and get divorced you end up with a house. So he is next in line after Erina. Yes, we are joking. Following our visit, we headed to St. John to retrieve additional items from the St John house. Meanwhile, Toni, Kade, and Jaxsen managed to bring Mud and Howie in, but Mud had unfortunately scraped her leg, likely on one of the sharp branches of the Russian Olive Trees. They decided to take her home so we could tend to her injury. However, they faced a challenge with Butterscotch, who remained stubbornly stuck in the trees. By the time we returned, they had completed most of the chores. Kaine and I then took down some grass straw bales that we put out.
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