November

November 4 - November 10, 2001: No Guests

Monday, November 5, 2001
Seems so strangely quiet around here. No riders here and there, no cattle bawling, no horses hollering. Our first week of no guests, almost all but a handful of my cattle off the mountain, all the string horses turned out into the North trap for a long restful vacation.
The weather indeed changed with the blowing wind on Sunday. Monday was gray with a bit of drizzle. Alan rolled in about 9 am, he was here to make a quick trip picking up a few pairs. We ended up shooting the bull a couple hours.
Then we loaded him up and got him on his way. I spent the rest of the afternoon starting the job of shutting down the guest camp. It is a step by step process to get all water and gas valves shut and all lines drained and all water heaters empty. There's a myriad of lines and valves. If it's not all done in the right sequence water gets left somewhere. Before I learned it all the hard way I spent many an hour in the spring working and cussin' on broken pipes.
Lyndsey and Frank got started on the task of going through all the tack and moving it to the big barn where it's hung on ropes from the rafters. There are a lot of porcupines around here and they love the salty leather. The cats take care of all the other rodent type critters that may wander in here but they don't spend much time arguing with a Porky. Joy was in the office finishing some last min. tax stuff before she leaves on Thursday to go back home to Wa.. Maggie was in her studio where I would like to have been as the hi was only about 38, after a low of 27. Drizzle all day with just a bit of pellet snow in the afternoon.

Wednesday, November 7, 2001
Been working in the barn trying to get it organized to get in some hay. It's amazing how things collect over the summer and how nothing ever gets put away. Tools, camping gear, tack, you name it stuck in the oddest places. It's a two day job. Lyns, Frank and Joy working on tack and getting everything moved and inventoried. Lyndsey is so meticulous she will know exactly how many latigos we have, how many curb chains, blankets, brushes, hoof picks, you name it. She's the list queen. Weather getting better, hi 48 low 22, sunny.

Thursday, November 8, 2001
Alan still had all his cows that we had sold calves off in the North trap, about 125. So today we gathered all them in and brought them into the corral. It's time like this you realize how helpful the guests are. It was just the North trap...about 1,200 acres...tiny by comparison to the big pasture like 7HL and Pitchfork. But man did we have to do some riding to get it gathered. All over the place, up this draw, down that hill, up that ridge. I was riding Gambler and he was tired before we were half done and he's in great shape.
Finally we got in about 2 pm with everything, took a break for some cheese and crackers and a drink, then got to sorting. A semi is coming in the morning to haul two loads up the the head of Deep Creek where they will drift down with the weather. We got done just before dark. In with his cows were a bunch of my bulls. I had kinda lost track of how many I kept sticking in there as the gather went on. Now we have nine bulls fighting out here around the house. It's pretty entertaining to watch. The power they have is amazing. Nice day, sunny about 55, lo 35.

Friday, November 9, 2001
Got the first load of Alan's cows out by 8 am. Then I loaded up five bulls and put them on my trailer and hauled 'em down to the lower country. I dropped them off on Sunflower mesa then stopped in to see Gary and Marinell. They are remodeling the old house at the Ghost Ranch. For those of you who have seen it you know it was in need of major work. I was amazed when I walked in, it's now a cute little cottage.
Then I went out to the Copper Creek H.Q. where I met with an electrician who's gonna get some work done in the barn and Maggie's future studio. Then out to Glenwood where I had to pick up some papers from the forest service. Then back to the Copper Creek house finally for the night. We have all the heifers here, they all look good, a couple snotty noses but that's to be expected after weaning. Maggie went to Silver today and met me here tonight. It's nice to be down here, the birds are still singing, the crickets still chirping. The leaves on the trees still changing color. We will stay here until about noon on Sunday.

November 11 - November 17, 2001: No Guests

What a great weekend! It was like a vacation. Electricity! It is so nice to live like we are in the 20th century, I don't care about the 21st yet. It's a luxury to hit a switch and there be light, a refrigerator in the kitchen or stepping out of the shower into a heated bathroom, ummmmm. Yea, I'm getting soft, what can I say. Hi temps. in the low 70's nights in the upper 40's.
Winter at the upper ranch is tough living, I've spent nine winters up there and I don't plan on spending another. There we live off solar power so only a minimal of lights, television a few hours in the day. Carrying chunks of ice from the horse troughs to put in the old time ice box we have. Hours of treacherous driving to get mail or feed. A cold, cold house, normal temp in the winter mornings inside is the low 40's. That's just too cold for me, many of you have heard my conviction that I no longer sleep out in temps. less than my age. Heck it's where I can't sleep inside up there in the winter or I will be breaking my creed. We heat with a fireplace and wood stove, use 14 cords a winter and still can't get warm enough.
We spent the weekend making lists of everything that needs to be done down there. My biggest priority is getting Maggie's studio set up in the small house. It will just involve workbenches and running some new electric service. The big job of the winter will be converting the old fallen down buggy house into a bunk house. The place is a mess, the roof is fallen in, floors are rotten. It will be a big job but when it's all done will give us 4 more rooms and two new baths.
I went to get a load of hay Sunday morning and was back home in just over an hour. That was nice, it would have been an all day deal getting to the upper ranch.
Frank and Lyns gathered both the traps over the weekend bringing in everything that was left out there as well as the mares and foals. We will haul the cattle down to the lower country on Monday, then wean the foals on Wednesday. Also this week we plan to get a few loads of hay in so we are not caught short this year. Sunday hi at the upper ranch was 58. lo was 19.

Monday, November 12, 2001
Frank and I drove down to the lower ranch, he was hauling four bulls, I had on three pairs and two dry cows. Got a late start with everything we had to do before we left. I found one of my heifers dead, big yearling. I had noticed over the weekend she was looking like she felt bad. It was just the expression in her face and eyes. If you're around cows enough you get to be able to notice stuff like that. I mentioned to Maggie that she was ill, but it didn't seem that serious. Well she looked pretty serious when I found her stiff. I just hope to hell it's nothing contagious. I have a bundle of money standing out there on four legs.
I went to get a load of hay and found the hay gal was gone so I ran a few more errands then headed home. Got home to the upper ranch about 9pm. Long day on the road not really doing much. Hi down low of 70, low 52. Up top hi of 48 low of 22.

Tuesday, November 13, 2001
Frank and I headed back down low, he pulled the flat bed down and worked on getting all the lights fixed at John's nephew's shop. Why Frank is so worried about trailer lights and brakes I'll never understand.
I hauled down a bunch of building materials and tools to start on Maggie's studio. When I got down here I found another big yearling heifer sick. Acting the same way as the one which died Monday. If she's dead in the morning I'm gonna' sell 'em all. I won't take the chance of owning a pasture of dead heifers. But I sure hope I don't have to.
Went and got a round bale of hay for 'em. A bit less time and labor feeding that. Plus I just feel a cow should eat all day or whenever they want, not just twice a day or whenever us humans get to it.
We didn't get down here till late and didn't get much else done, staying down here tonight. Hi down low 65 chilling in the afternoon. lo of 40. Up top hi of 40 lo 19.

Wednesday, November 14, 2001
Frank headed off with the flat bed trailer and dodge to Az.. to find some hay. He had a long day, helping to manually load the high deck trailer, then a long tense drive home of four hours. He got on 190 bales that run about 65 lbs. Pretty alfalfa/grass mix. He got to the upper ranch about 8 pm.
I spent the day cleaning out Maggie's studio area and starting on work benches. You know me, I won't go out and buy something if I can reuse something. So I am also tearing the roof off of the old buggy house and re-sawing the old 2x6's into 2x4's for the work benches. Sure I'm spending half the day ripping boards, but I work cheap.
I wanted to stick close to the heifers and keep an eye on them. I think it is some kind of poison weed. Hopefully with the round bale of hay out there now they will just eat that and stay away from something that may be bad till I can get the tractor down here and mow the fields. A pretty day, puffy clouds drifting by, Hi about 70, low 45...great sunset.

Thursday, November 15, 2001
Weather blowing around...a bit windy coming out of the north.
I went out to check the heifers early and saw the sick one lying down but as I looked at her her face seemed more relaxed and eyes a bit clearer as well as more attentive. Feeling better, I thought to myself. It was still gray of dawn with purple streaks in the sky. I passed on by her and turned on the water. As I turned around I was surprised to see she had aborted a calf. The fetus was right behind her on the ground. I studied it. It was pretty cool to see, about 3 months gestated. It had little hooves, a tongue stuck out, just amazing. I disposed of it and checked all the others who looked great. I am sure it must be some kind of weed. I think I will go to the cafe on my way to the upper ranch and see what the talk is. Hi 70, lo 42.

Friday, November 16, 2001
I went by the cafe on the way up and chatted with some folks..it's a weed called Yellow Eye that's killing cattle all over this country. Causes nitrate poisoning which effects the central nervous system. I heard all kinds of tales of cattle going down. It is the worst year any of the old timers can remember. I came back to the lower H.Q. and walked around the fields now knowing what to look for. It's all over the place. I have at least a 30% cover of it. Well, at least I know what it is now..time to get the tractor and mower going.
When I did finally get up top Maggie, Frank and Lyndsey had all the hay unloaded. Shucks!
Frank and I spent the afternoon getting a huge set of discs which I had borrowed from John to work the arena, loaded onto a trailer. Then we loaded the tractor onto another to take it all down low. It was cold as heck at night, about 16. Clouds moving in as the sun set with reports of rain and snow to our north and east.

Saturday, November 17, 2001
This morning we headed out early easing our way off the mountain with our awkward loads. We got down here about noon and unloaded the equipment. Frank then headed off to Az.. for another load of horse hay and I spent the afternoon running up and down the road to Pleasanton hauling round bales of cow hay. I was putting the second bale in the pasture and decided to cut the strings while it was still on the truck. Usually I do it on the ground where it has been a pain in the ass getting the strings out from under it. Strings cut, I pushed it out. It hit the ground and started a slow roll down the slight hill. There was no way I was going to get in front of a 1000 pound bales and stop it, so I just watched it gain momentum as it unrolled. Just before it was to the fence at the bottom it ran itself out leaving a 75 foot path of hay. The heifers all left the other bales and ran over to the buffet line. When I came back a few hours later after another hay run most of them were happily asleep on it.
I saw John in Glenwood. He and his son had been out hunting and had found a dead cow of mine way out near May tank on the Az.. line. He said the Golden Eye was thick out there. No Need to call in Mr. Holmes.
Hi up top 38 low 20, light snow over night but was melted by day break. Cloudy up there most of the day. Down low it was 65, low of 43. A bit cloudy with rain along the border.

November 18 - November 24, 2001: No Guests

Most of the last week I've been tractor driving. Mowing fields and pushing cedar trees. It's not a real fun job. The dust and chaff from all the weeds is like a cloud around the tractor. Inside and out since Frank broke the back window of the cab. it seems to have created a suction right off the mower into the cab. But it's coming along, maybe another week and I will have it done. I've also done some other things around here. Got Maggie's studio done and ready for her to move into. Her Christmas orders are so deep on her desk I don't think there will be time for her to make the move down till after the holidays.
Frank has been on the road getting hay or unloading it just about everyday this week. Weather has held so we are getting it while the getting's good. We have about 500 bales up top, 175 down here. 25 round bales of cow hay are waiting in a barn down the road a few miles for when ever we need 'em.
Lyndsey has been up top taking care of the now weanlings. They finally got weaned last Monday, everyone took it pretty well. We turned the moms out in the north trap and they only came back once, hollered a few times and left again. In a few weeks she will start kindergarten....halter breaking, picking up feet, stand tied etc. There are 10 this year -  we are keeping. 4 colts, 3 fillies. 
I drove to Albuquerque. on Wednesday to pick up my mom for thanksgiving. On the way I dropped off J.R. who is headed for his new life in California. He is such a great horse, we will miss him. He's paid his dues and done his time and we all feel really good about the new home he's going to. A nice barn, good grub, work a few hours a week. A couple in their late 50s who had been looking for the perfect horse. They found him in J.R.
As of today the weather had been great. Hi's down here of 65-70 lo's 40. Up top it's been 45 or so, lo's in the upper teens and low 20s. Sunny skies everyday, very little wind.  Albuquerque. had the first frost of the season on the 21st, latest in history.
But it seems as though that may have changed today. The winds started up over night and clouds ran across the stars. A light sprinkle down here. My plan had been to go up top and get some horses today. Lyndsey called about 8 am and said I should rethink that idea as it was snowing hard up there. 2 inches in an hour, coming down sideways with a stiff 25 mph wind. Temp was 26 up there, 55 down here. I decided to prolong the inevitable fight with winter one more day and stayed down here on my tractor. Frank who had spent the evening with his family in Glenwood drove up and reported it wasn't too bad but I'm glad I stayed here just the same.

Saturday, November 24, 2001
I went up top today...it was like stepping back into time to last winter. Maggie had been down for the night and we left here together headed up. She stopped and got a ton of feed in her truck. I went on ahead in mine with the trailer. There wasn't much snow till we got within about 10 miles of the upper H.Q. Then it started to get pretty deep. There was a lot of traffic, I guess being a holiday weekend and first snow of the season a lot of folks were up driving around. Packing down the snow into ice and generally making a mess of things. got to the house and it was cold and snowy and muddy. I wasn't there but just a couple hours. checking out the weanlings, saying hello to all the others who crowded fences trying to get attention. Grabbed my hand full of bills which were waiting me and loaded up four horses. I brought down Doc, Dakota, Ben and Rocky. Gonna' teach Rocky to pack this week as I take salt into the mountains. Mom was with me and she was happy to see the snow, not much of it in Florida. We headed back down about 3 pm as the sun was getting low and things were starting to freeze back up. It was slick, going up the drive out of the H.Q. valley I had to stop and chain up the rear wheels . . ..I couldn't believe it. My four wheel drive is not working. Finally after 30 min. I was at the top and unchained on our way. About 10 miles down farther along a huge tree had fallen across the road. Of course I didn't have my chain saw, just not ready for winter yet. So I took the lead ropes off all the horses in the trailer and tied 'em together along with my lash rope I had thrown in for salt packing. I tied onto the tree with which slid easily across the snow packed road. Once again we were on our way. I was a bit worried about Negrito Creek Canyon with no 4x4. It was really icy but we made it across ok. Mom was pretty scared and allowed as how she didn't need any more trips to the upper ranch. I told her it was just another day on the road around here.  34 up top, lo of 18. 50 down low after a 28 night.