Meanwhile Back at the Ranch...

On June 23rd, I wrote my very last high school exam which marked the official beginning of summer holidays for me. Summer has been beautiful at the ranch. The sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking, all of the cows and herd bulls are out to pasture, and due to all the rain we have had, the irrigator hasn't had to be turned on. 

One of the many summer sunsets I have enjoyed

Besides the horses and a pen of custom beef fat cattle, the only other animals that are in the barnyard are my summer show cattle. Every morning before feeding time, I rinse my heifers and then put them in the barn under fans. I do this in order to grow hair on them. Many people do this to their show cattle because having more hair is often more desired when grooming cattle. Of course, there are many people who prefer their cattle slick. I have always preferred a healthy hair coat on my heifers. My older cows, on the other hand, I don't mind if they are slick.

While I have been focused on growing hair on the heifers, I have also been working on preparing some cow calf pairs and halter breaking the little calves that I will be showing. I have been working on 3 calves that I have come to love.



Jinny showing Tonic a little love after
he was born.

 The first is Tonic, the Maine Limousin cross bull calf off of my 2 year old cow Jinny. He has been halter broke since the middle of May and I guess I could call him the "good influence" on the other calves. I have worked with his dam, Jinny since she was a tiny calf as well. She was out of one of my 4-H cows and has been on the show road since she was a baby. You could almost call her an old pro. Jinny can get very cranky, but for the most part, she behaves well in the show ring.


Gem playing around in the snow.






Next is Gem. She is a purebred Maine-Anjou heifer out of my 4 year old cow Ruby. Gem is incredibly quiet and very sweet. I am not having too much trouble with her at all. Her dam, Ruby, was also a 4-H project of mine a few years ago, and has been one of my favourite females to date. She is quiet, friendly,  and looks pretty nice. This is a pair I am very excited about.

Chuck looking pretty innocent nestled
in the straw.



Last is my sister's bull calf, Empire, which we have both nicknamed "Chuck Bass". Chuck has a little spark to him and can be pretty feisty, but is getting better every time I work with him. My sister and I are extremely excited about Chuck as he may be a herd bull prospect. We are not showing his dam, but we are entering him in a couple bull calf classes this summer.

The ranch has been busy these last few days and will be for the rest of the summer with the preparation of the show cattle, but all this hard work pays off in the end, and the time spent with my animals is much enjoyed :)

The Pasture

I thought I would share a poem with you by Robert Frost that I have loved for a long time.

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring;
I'll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I shan't be gone long. --You come too.

I'm going out to fetch the little calf
That's standing by the mother. It's so young,
It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I shan't be gone long. -- You come too.

When I read this poem, I relate it to my life. My home is in the middle of a native grass pasture, and there is no place I would rather be. I feel lucky to look out my window everyday and see miles of grassland. I love seeing the new calves with their mama's in the morning. I love the sound of the frogs and crickets when I go to sleep. I love the wild flowers, fresh air, birds, and all that the pasture has to offer. I could not ask for more. :)



The view outside of my window