Wordless Wednesday ~ After Breakfast

Wordless Wednesday ~ Morning Breakfast Call

Wordless Wednesday~Rare Species

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Go Wordless HERE!

Wild Bunch Wednesday

We had just a skiff of snow yesterday morning...we need a LOT more. It's dry. The temps have been 0-10 degrees every morning for the past month or so, but no snow.

As I was feeding the horses behind the barn, I spotted the Wild Bunch up on the rim.

Psssst...look up here...

...yea...it's us!! (Catnip is using her ears as weather indicators)

I see you!

What's for breakfast?!?

We'll just wait right here 'til ya get it up to us Mom!
Me: NO, I'm not bringing your hay all the way up there! 

Awwww come on...how could you refuse our cute lil' faces?!?

As you can see, they aren't lacking any food! We've let them graze the hill, but we've been giving them two flakes of grass hay split between the three of them...they're on a diet!

This mornin' it's a balmy 40 degrees, raining and the wind is blowing; we'll take the moisture...but the dogs are going to be a muddy mess!

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We got an unexpected FaceBook message from the family that took Bella Jo. I guess she killed one of their chickens on Christmas Eve, which they said wasn't a big deal. But when she dug under the chicken coop and killed the rest of them, that was the end. So, they took her into town and dropped her off with My Man yesterday and she's back home.

Five dogs is beyond our limit, so we'll be looking for the "right" home for Bella Jo...obviously one without chickens!! In the meantime, Red and Bella Jo became BFF's within 5 minutes...they'll be wearing each other out playing!

The Wild Bunch After Breakfast Club

~I smile a lot because it helps me to be happy.~

~Sootie Blackburn 1902~

Participating in Farm Photo Friday and Farm Friend Friday...check 'um out!!!

Another lazy mornin' at the Rough String...the "Wild Bunch" enjoyed their breakfast and has assumed the position...sleepin'...not a care in the world at this point!



From L-R: Brego (Kiger Mustang), Rohan (Hog Creek HMA), Stetson and Catnip (Sheldon Wildlife Refuge).

Are We Moving Forward into Spring?

~I personally take things personally.~

~Jane Barkley 1904~

(I like that quote...it's so true.)

Well, I certainly hope so. But, I'm sure there will be more snow showers before all is said and done, but it's supposed to be 60 by Thursday! I'm waitin' to see, and feel, that!!!

Colt's been feelin' good...this was taken almost two weeks ago...a crisp, bright mornin' and the boys were havin' a good time before breakfast. But, we've got A LOT of work to do. My Mike Bridges clinic is coming up in a month, and we're not ready at all.

Yahoo!

Life is springing up through the snow and cold...look at these cute lil' alfalfa shoots!!

Reaching for the sky.

The lil' heifer had a bout with scours last Saturday. We doctored her and locked her in the Mustang Barn on Saturday night because it was cold, snowin' 'n blowin'. Her momma woke us up at 5:45 AM demanding her baby back. We got the second dose down her, waited for a half hour, and turned her out with momma...the lil' girl went straight for the feed bag! Her stools are just about normal again.

On Sunday, we tagged the calves, and the lil' bull calf will soon be a steer (he got banded). So, it's official that "03" will be part of our herd...but we gotta come up with a name...any suggestions???

My tummy's feelin' much better...how do you like my new tag?

Catnip and Stetson were quite intrigued with the new lil' calves...

"Look! I think they're baby cows!!!"

Bella Jo has been eating her fair share of calf poopies...and she had to roll in them too...no kisses from her!!!

"What's wrong with calf poopies???!!!"

The snow still looks pretty in the foothills down Anderson Valley...soon to be a memory...

Spring snow in the foothills.

It's already Tuesday...have a great week!

Pasture Antics

~When I wear britches, I feel like a he-woman,

and no cowpoke better mess with me.~

~Anonymous~

Catnip is the only female equid on the place. Our one mare, Carina, left us a couple of years ago, and that left lil' Catnip to rule the herd...well, the Wild Bunch anyhow.

The Wild Bunch is down to just four: the two mustangs, Rohan & Brego, and the two burros, Stetson & Catnip.

Now, you'll have to look closely at this photo...do you see what's going on?

Catnip's head is a lil' bit blurry because she's snaking Brego and givin' him the evil eye...and Brego's stickin' his tongue out at her!

Ah...they love each other I'm sure!!

Struggling Out of the Slump

I couldn't quite identify it...but things just haven't quite been "on" with me. I wasn't off my feed, but I just was feeling down...and downer by the day. I haven't been sleeping well at night; all I could think about was all of the really neat things Colt and I were going to do this year. That lead to lots of tossing and turning.

Then, I had a visitor today...and we don't get many visitors. Not unexpected, but a scheduled visit of my supervisor with my Ag Report job. She didn't make it over here like she usually does before Christmas, at which time she always gives me a gorgeous Poinsettia. She lives in Central Oregon and it's a 3 1/2 hour drive one way. But, the weather cooperated today, and she made it out...and gave me a beautiful bouquet of daffodils!

How could these bright, cheery flowers not

bring a smile to your face?? They liven up

the whole dining/living room area!

So, we took care of the business at hand and then chatted over a cup of coffee. After she left, I went out to the barn to doctor Colt's leg. I decided while hosing it with cold water that I was going to go into the house and call Idaho Equine and make an appointment. I was expecting it to heal quicker (it's been 2 weeks) and I needed to know where he stood. Was he going to be off all summer? We have so many events lined up...my slump must have started about two weeks ago...and it's been getting lower every day.

Our appointment is Friday at 10 AM. I've got the trailer hooked up and everything loaded. The lunch box is packed and we'll be off in the morn around 6:45. Cindy Sue 'n Bella Jo get to copilot. I guess they can take turns!

Colt's giving me the evil eye..."It's 'bout time

ya hauled me over to my friend Dr. Knox!"

I'm feeling better already!

My good footing in the round pen has gone to crap. Over the weekend, we got enough snow so that when it melted the pen turned to mud, and in the mornings it's cold enough so that it's frozen hard.

But, I did make good progress with Brego. We were back to the saddle and ready to ground drive. I turned him back out to pasture. It shouldn't take much to get him going again.

Brego hasn't missed any meals...look at that

lil' porker belly! He's gnawing on the bit; that's

why his mouth is slightly open. The line is

attached to the halter not the bit.

Catnip has that cute cockeyed muzzle.

"Come on mom...get outta that slump!"

Stetson asks "Whatcha in a slump for? You

gots all us kids...what could make you happier?!?"

OK...I'm really starting to feel a whole lot better!!!

But, I couldn't even find anything to point my camera at for the past week! This morning the sun was really nice and I took it with me to feed. I learned something...don't zoom in too close...

ya wap off ears when ya do!

Dang...and I liked the lighting in this photo too.

I'll report back ASAP. Thanks for all your cares and concerns for my Coltster.

A Birthday and A Gotcha Day!!!

Not only is it St. Patrick's Day it's also Cowboy's birthday and Catnip's gotcha day!!! This definitely is cause for celebration. The corned beef is in the crockpot...simmering in beer and spices...it's already smelling really good!!

So, my Cowboy is 10 years old today!! How can the years go by so fast...he was a pup not long ago in my mind...and a cutie he was too!

Day one at home.
He only puked once on the 2 hour ride home!

Cowboy on his first horse camping trip...
we did provide a bed for him, but
he seemed to prefer grain tubs!

How could anyone have resisted those
cute lil' white eyelashes and the white tipped ears?!?

On our wedding day, he got into some spilled wine...
he was passed out on the garage floor during
the whole reception!
I think he looks pretty good with pink flowers...don't you?

He prefers cow manure of course!

Cowboy was a very good friend for this calf named Angelo.
Angelo was paraplegic and I was trying to rehab him.
Cowboy loved to keep him company.

Cowboy is showing signs of hip dysplasia...we bought him
a new therapeutic bed and he loves it!

Thank you for a wonderful 10 years Cowboy.
Happy Birthday my lil' buckaroo!!!

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And of course we can't forget Catnip!! We adopted her from the Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge in 2006; three years ago today. The wild horses and burros on the Refuge are not protected like the BLM land horses and burros. There have been some pretty bad stories about round ups gone very bad with lots of causalities.

My Man and I decided that we'd like to have a baby around, but I'm not really into mares, so we decided a burro jenny would be fun. We'd never had a burro before. So, we contacted the Refuge and they were in the process of bait trapping burros and not long after, 2 jenny's and their yearlings were caught.

Caught in the trap on the Refuge.
Catnip is the largest brown burro.
The gray jenny was adopted by my friend in Vale Oregon,
and her name is Zelda.
The yearlings also found homes.

Where did the name Catnip come from? I tend to name my wild ones with something that came from the area. On the Refuge there is a Catnip Mountain and a Catnip Canyon Creek. So, there you have it...not very exciting huh?!? But, she seems to fit her name.

Getting to know Catnip.
Food is a good motivator for burros.

We didn't know for sure if she was in foal when we got her, but there was a very good chance she was, and sure enough...she kept getting bigger and bigger...

"What are you lookin' at?"
"Haven't ya ever seen a pregnant burro before? Geesh!!!"

We waited and waited...my friend's burro, Zelda, had her lil' burro baby in June...so we figured it shouldn't be long now...we waited, and waited...and waited some more...

Then finally on the morning of August 23, 2006,
Catnip presented us with Silverbelly Stetson.
Baby burros are the cutest things God ever made!!!

Catnip is still a lil' standoffish, but that's because I don't work with her near enough. But we can trim her hooves and get her wormed and vaccinated. We love to hear the two of them sounding off...always for food!!

Glad you're here Catnip...you are a
special part of our family.
~~~~~

Catnip & Stetson~~The Encore

This lil' performance is by special request. Lisa at Laughing Orca Ranch, was trying to hear Catnip and Stetson munching their hay in yesterday's Wordless Wednesday photo. Stuck as the poor cowgirl is in her lonely tower, I had to oblige the best I could.

Of course, Stetson was most eager to perform and Catnip was her usual "standoffish" self...waiting in the wings until everything seemed ok to make her appearance. The set crew had too much wind blowing and that seems to have drowned out most of the soft munching, but lots of hay rustling can be heard.






A few of you asked if we "do" anything with our lil' cuties...well, initially we thought of packing with them, and we may still. But, for now, we just enjoy hearing them brea every morning and evening (and many times in between) and watch their cute lil' antics. They're just fun to have around.

Wordless Wednesday