August

Aug 4-Aug 10,2002: Summer Ranch Week

Monday, August 5, 2002
We rode in three groups. Lyndsey took all the girls, Janna, Cathy, Susan and Joy and headed out to Little Fenced Spring after checking the heifers. They found three pairs and a maverick out in the meadows along Ewe canyon. The cowgirls got them on home and penned about 4pm.
Anna had her first day by herself riding with Trudy and Donna the two least experienced of the crew. She spent some time in the arena getting the basics down, then took them out into some country and let them practice it. They said she was a pretty good teacher.
I took all the guys and headed out to Burnt Cabin. We got on tracks a mile away and sure enough there were two pairs and an about to calve cow there. We rode that area every day last week and every day found a few cattle. I wonder where they keep coming from. Quick and slick we had them home and corralled within an hour. We then went out behind the H.Q. and found six dry cows that we sent into the north trap. From there we did a big loop up to N Bar Park, down into Rocker canyon and then back home. About 12 miles of a variety of country. As we were getting close to home Mark made the comment on how lucky we had been missing all the thunder storms that had been going on around us all day. No sooner than the words were out of his mouth that the clouds rumbled back to him. Within 10 minutes we were getting the slickers on and it was becoming a strange yellow light. I knew we were in for it. Less than a quarter mile from the corrals it started to rain hard, then a bit of hail mixed in. By the time we got to the corral it was just dumping marble size hail by the bucket full. Beating on the barn walls and the ground set up such a rumble you couldn't shout above. It got harder and harder. It was the most intense hail I had ever been in. The horses were frantic spinning around trying to get away from the pelting ice. I told them to leave the saddles on for some protection. We stood hunched backs to the wind driven hail holding our mounts. The horses wishing there was some shelter. Water gushed over the ground through the corrals as the hail washed along and piled up against the fences. It was incredible. The lightning was hot, the world never stopped rumbling with thunder. A few lightning strikes were really close and one was less than three hundred yards. It lasted about 30 minuets and checking later I found the rain gauge showed just under 1 3/4 inches. None of us will ever forget that one!

Tuesday, August 6, 2002
A day of cleaning up loose ends. Joy and Anna took most of the group looking for a pair here and a pair there for most of the morning. They found a few. Lyndsey and Elwyn gathered horses out of the North trap. A mixed lot of stuff we had in there, yearlings, two year olds, a couple mares, a couple mules and my old mustang. We are taking most of the yearlings to a sale this weekend. We'll keep a couple in for halter breaking, and we are gonna start using the mules again.
When we were all done sorting them we pushed what we didn't keep out to 7HL pasture for the summer. Another group pushed a dozen head of cattle back down towards Negrito. Just about there the rain started, and came down pretty hard. The footing was slick and in some spots it was pretty boggy. We cut the push short, it was just getting too dangerous. Everyone was in by about 4pm. Cloudy skies and cool temps kept everyone inside till we broke out the ropes and got everyone swinging one. The midday hi was 74, 3pm was 55, overnight was 40.

Wednesday, August 7, 2002
The guys all rode with Alan today out in the southern end of Bearwallow pasture. They came home with a couple pairs getting in about 4pm. They then got the calves branded and had a good reason to call it a good day.
Lyndsey took her group of girls with her and did a loop out in 7HL pasture. On the way out they moved a few head out of the North trap. Then rode past Nedra, Elladeane, T Bar and 7HL tanks and reported good water and lots of cattle every where. Frank and John hauled panels and wire and tools out to Fence Tank and started work on the new branding pen there.
I rode by myself, trailered out to Cowcamp and rode from there out past Hay tank and Steve tank. Both should have had water, but have very little. I then circled around back to Fence tank and helped the guys a couple hours finishing up the pen.
The rain stopped us for awhile but it didn't last long. Hi was 70, overnight low 42.

Thursday, August 8, 2002
We rode in a couple groups after trailering out to Cowcamp. We gathered cattle that had slipped into Pitchfork pasture and pushed them back to Fence tank. We hadn't planned on cattle getting in that pasture already. We want to work everything through so we know that everything that has passed through the gate has been branded. We quickly came up with about 30 to brand. We spent the afternoon working them over. All the guys were in the pens helping out and learning how things are done. Trudy and Donna were in helping out also while Susan was camera woman. The rain threatened but held off.
At the end of the day Lyndsey rode back to the ranch a couple hours with the folks who needed more saddle time. Frank and Alan hauled the rest home in the trailers. We had one trailer still left way out at White tank, the opposite direction, so I went and got that. It was a lovely ride late in the afternoon through Pitchfork. Dakota was working great and we walk/jogged getting there in an hour and twenty min.
When we got home we found everyone else had just gotten in as well. The folks who trailered back took an hour trying to get Tom in the trailer. He's never had a problem before but something on the way over must have happened to make him decide he didn't want to trailer back. The riders enjoyed the early evening ride back, we all got home about 7pm. It had rained hard about noon at the h.q. We sure lucked out. Hi 73 low 40

Friday, August 9, 2002
Kinda a repeat of yesterday, we trailered out to cowcamp, unloaded and rode to Fence Tank. There we split into three groups and went hunting unbrandeds. I went into Pitchfork looking for the half dozen I had seen right along the trail yesterday. We rode all over that country and never found a one. We saw plenty of cows that are drifting well through there. A dozen or so Rockin Arrow cattle. We finally headed back to Fence tank and found the others there with a couple dozen to brand. The thunderstorms were all around us and at one point it looked like we were going to get really hammered but again we lucked out. The crew all knew what was going on and we got a good system going.
I rode Pounce today. Dakota lost a shoe, he also deserves a bit of time off. Lyndsey had to trailer Johns horse Sug back to the ranch. He seemed to be a bit colicky. She gave him some Banamine and he seemed to feel a lot better. Sug eats everything that fits in his mouth and often regrets it later. Its becoming a regular thing with him though. About every 6 weeks he does this. So John rode Lyndsey's horse Cooleye. We went in the pens to cut and John muttered something about he didn't know what good he'd be in there. A few minutes later after making a slick cut he muttered something about a pretty good horse.
Most folks rode home again from the branding pens making a long ride of it on the last day out. They got in about 6pm. A couple of us trailered home.

Saturday, August 10, 2002
It was a great week, got a lot of work done. I feel like we are pretty well caught up on the branding and we can now just kinda ease a long and brand stuff as we work them through into Pitchfork pasture over the next couple weeks.
Horse sale this weekend in Albq. I'm taking five yearlings to it on Saturday. We ended up keeping the other five of last years foals. Two colts, Hombre and Scout and three fillies, Coral, Tomasita{Toms little sister} and cute blind Helen. What I'm going to do with her I have no idea. Alan's wife was going to take her but they have enough so I told them I'd just as soon keep her. She's my little baby and she loves the heck out of me. She pretty much ignores everyone else but she comes smilin' when I call. I will try to get her riding and do some ring work with her. A lot of people don't know it but John Lyons the famous horse clinic guy rides a blind horse. She's a great mover. I may make a dressage champ out of her. Don't think she'd do well in the cutting pen.

Aug 11-Aug 17,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, August 12, 2002
A black day around the N Bar.
Johns great horse Sug Died.
He had another spell of colic.
John hauled him lickety split to the vet from his house, about 45 min. Vet gave him some Banamine and as John walked him he lay down and died.
I had known the horse as long as I had known John. I had seen him stand up to charging cattle with a fearless stance and bared teeth. Turn back runaways in the nastiest of rocks. Rope and haul the big stuff that the rest of us were afraid of.
I've seen him carry the grand kids around bareback with a halter. Stand over a newborn calf like a watch dog. Follow John around like a dog with nothing but devotion in his eyes.
I think John rode him about 12 years.
I know the loss he feels. Those are shoes that will never be filled.
We are going to put a plaque on the scale house at the shipping pens,
"To the really good ones...Mangus, Bud, and Sug"


Friday, August 16, 2002
Lots of work got done around here this week. Cabins painted, fences mended, generators and pumps serviced and a bunch of other odd jobs. We did a bit of riding here and there and even branded a few calves. Trudy was a great help and is headed home with plans of returning in a couple weeks for the rest of the summer.
The hay work goes well but slow, the weather has been great for making hay. All the equipment is working with only minor breakdown. Days there have been in the 90's, nights in the 60's.
Up here it has sprinkled a bit but been nice, hi's about 75, lows in the low 40's

Aug 18-Aug 24,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, August 19, 2002
Today Lyndsey took them, all out on a shakedown ride, gathering the North trap and doing a loop out through the west side of 7HL. They got a late start getting out about 11am. As usual I'm sure they were thinking that they shouldn't be missing the saddle time. When they came in at about 6 pm everyone seemed plenty glad to be home.
The rain seems like it's trying to make a comeback. There was thunder all around but none ever hit the riders or the H.Q. It seemed like it was all out in Canyon Creek. It was hot at 10 am about 85, at 2 pm it was 60 with lots of clouds around. We really need a hard rain here at the h.q. the flies are just incredible. A good hard rain will drive them into the ground and we can start over with a whole new batch.

Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Sunny and hot morning with it at 80 by 11am.
The day started out bad with Anna getting kicked in the upper arm at about 6am while getting ready to jingle. It knocked her off her feet and scared the heck out of her but she'll be fine.
We all headed out into the North trap to get a few out that were missed yesterday. Them out to Don and Jeannie's 7HL tank to hunt up some cattle they told Lyndsey were over there.
Cassady was happy to be back in the saddle again. Creek was happy to take him along. We rode a long day. Over Feathery, down into 7Hl and up that canyon. Found a bull of mine and a pair of Alan's. We moved them back onto our range then headed home the long way around Negrito Firebase. Saw a hundred elk back in that country. We got home about 5ppm after a long 7 hours. Cassady was still smilin' and singin' away as they rest of us dragged into the corrals.
The rain chased us all day but we gave it the slip a couple times by zagging a different direction. It was a good thing too since Cassady and I forgot to get his slicker on his saddle.
Hi was 80 in the corrals while saddling, afternoon was 65, overnight low was 40.

Wednesday, August 21, 2002
Woke to kinda cloudy skies and a heavy dew. We all trailered out to Cowcamp and rode from there out to Fence Tank. Lyndsey took off after a half dozen head with Carol, Wayne, and Pete. Alan headed up the slope of T Bar Ridge with Robert, Cassady, Connie and I rode to T BAR tank. When we got there I was surprised to find it full. Sometime over the weekend it must have had a heavy spot of rain there.
All we found there were six dry cows which we headed back to Fence tank. Along the way Alan came off the hill with a regular herd of 50 head he and Robert had found. We joined up with them and pushed to the tank. Carol and Wayne were there when we got there holding a couple pairs. Just as we got it all penned Lyndsey and Pete came in with a pair.
We got things sorted, I was riding Dakota, he was a Dog till I finally got really mad and hollered at him a bit. Oh! Suddenly he was light and quick and interested. We branded about 15 calves and everyone got a good feel for it. Cassady came in the pens for the first time and helped me brand a couple calves.
It was a beautiful late evening ride back to the trailers. I tried to stash the smell and feel of it to remember in February.

Thursday, August 22, 2002
This crew was one of the top ones! Everyone decided they would pitch in and help set up cowcamp. Carol, Connie and Pete rode out with Lyndsey to cowcamp while Wayne and Robert stayed back and helped us load. it took till noon to get it all sorted and loaded but we were in camp by 1pm. We used Doolin to carry tents back into the hidden canyon, then it was just people power from there on. We got a good system going. Wayne, Robert and I set the teepee pole and hung the canvas. Connie, Pete and Anna came along behind us and spread and staked them out. Lyndsey and Carol set the cook tent up and a dandy shade area in front. It was hot and a lot of sweat but we sure felt good and had a great time staying there for the night. Robert played guitar and the gals sang so you know some fun was happenin'.
Seems the rains have stopped. Things are still growing but we sure didn't get enough tank water to last the winter. I really need to get on the ball and get a new well out in Canyon Creek for winter water.
Hi was about 80, low was 38.

Friday, August 23, 2002
It was great waking up out in camp! The smell of the camp fire and the smoke drifting in the shafts of the early morning sun. The horses snuffing feed and the pans banging. these are the glory days of summer.
We rode out to Fence tank and did some loops looking for unbranded calves. I rode with Connie, Robert and Anna. We went to Pit tank and found three pairs among about a hundred head. We managed to get two pair worked out but I knew they were going to be trouble. We headed down the canyon with them and they were looking for a way out. Just as we got into the rockiest part they broke and took off two different directions. There was no good sense in bashing good horses through those rock so we had to let them go. We rode into Fence tank feeling beaten. When we got there we found a pair waiting for us so at least we got one in.
Alan and the others came along not too long after and soon we were branding. We only had seven to do but we had fun doing it. Everyone did a bit of everything.
Cassady took the day off and helped Lyndsey and Kathleen pack up camp and head home. I was riding Doc for the first time in about 7 weeks. He wasn't as pissy as I was expecting. But he had gotten so fat he twisted my hips in a kink.
Anna lead her first trip home and made it without getting lost. She's getting to be a pretty good hand. Alan had her castrating today.
It was hot today, the sky looked like one in June. Brassy hot with just a wisp of a cloud. Hi was 80 overnight 39.

Saturday, August 24, 2002
Saturday Morning....low was 32!!!!

The hay cutting goes on with almost 2,000 square bales in the barn and another 50 round bales. Frank thinks they still have five or six more days.

Aug 25-Aug 31,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, August 26, 2002
We rode in three groups today looking for five horses that have been missing since last Tuesday. I rode with Joy and Pat up around N- park. Lyndsey rode with Roger and Terry in the same general area. Anna took Denise down into Rocker canyon. I spilt off from my two riders and sent them on a mission riding the green gate road. I was courier between the groups, riding Dakota who was feeling fine we trotted all over the place checking with one group then another. I found Big Pine gate open and tracks going through. I figured they were either at Dog Spring or Burnt Cabin.
About that time I ran into Alan who was pulling in with two pairs he had found and spent all morning trying to load in his trailer out of some old rotten corrals he has at Cabbage Patch. He drove down to Burnt Cabin and sure enough saw our horses there. He came and told us, most of us headed there. The horses were wanting to get home and needed little encouragement. The only thing amiss was that we found 6 horses. No one had noticed young Vaquero was missing too. We got back about 4pm and got set to brand a couple calves Alan had brought. Just about ready to go and Lyndsey pulls up to the corrals in her truck and I can tell that she has no good news. She let me know one of our foals we called Cyclone had broken his leg in the pasture. I drove with her stopping by the house and getting my gun as she tells me it's a compound fracture below the knee. He's a cute as can be colt out of the mare we call Pretty Face. When we get there I see he is a mess and quickly put him down. Kinda ruined what had been a good day.
The temps are hot, got up to 80 after a low of 40. Just a few thin clouds drifting around.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002
I went to Silver City to the dentist so my day wasn't as fun as the others. On the way back I stopped by the hay farm. It was about 5pm and the temp. was a warm 96. They have put up a bunch of good hay down there. The barn is just about full, makes me feel a lot better about winter.
The guys rode with Alan down into Deep Creek. They had a good day down in that rough country. They rode all day and found no cattle, till they got back to the deep Creek corrals where two pair were waiting for them. They loaded 'em up and headed home.
The girls wet out into the North trap and worked a couple pairs out toward the gate. Getting there they found it open into 7HL and a bunch of cattle could be seen scattered across the upper end of the pasture. It was more of a job than they had help for so they headed back to the H.Q. and spent the afternoon messing with young horses. They stalled all 7 and groomed. Then put saddles on the two sisters Annie and Buttercup. Buttercup is sold and we have to have her riding and ready to go by mid October.
It was like a June day, hot and dry. There is a small fire burning about 10 miles west and a few bigger ones way up north. The hi was about 82 up here after a low of 43.

Wednesday, August 28, 2002
We woke to cloudy skies and hopeful hearts as it sure looked like rain. We saddled up and headed out to clear up the mess in the North trap. Most of it was all stuff we had worked so we were just moving it back out to 7HL. We found about 50 head and easily got them settled and then we headed into the South trap to get stuff out from among the heifers. We found 2 unbranded pairs that I headed home with Denise and Joy. They were a bit of a pain to move. But we were on good horses and got the job done.
Just as we were headed down the hill into the corrals the clouds which had been building and blackening opened up. I was riding Doc and did the thing we tell people not to do. I put my slicker on at a trot as I felt the energy build. It started to rain a few hundred yards out from the gates and just as we got in it started to hail. It really came down and we had to get off our horses which were spinning and backing. It came down hard for about 5 min. Then tapered off a bit but the lightning was hot. Joy never got her slicker on and Denise was soaked through before she got hers on. Finally it stopped and in moments we were in the bright sunshine. I sent them on home to change since we were so close as I penned the cattle. The guys had gone hunting on their own and came in ten minuets later empty handed.
We headed to the cook house where Kathleen heated up enchiladas and we enjoyed a sit down lunch. After stuffing ourselves and getting lazy we finally headed down to the corrals to brand the five calves we had. The rain came back and hovered around but we were able to get them done before the hair got too wet.
Over twenty horses were never jingled in this morning so Joy headed off with the crew while I stayed here and worked on the pump generator which won't start. I had no luck so I fear next weeks guests may have no showers. The riders had no luck as well, so the first job of the day tomorrow will be hunting them down.
Lyndsey and Anna took the day off for feeling poor. Scheeeeeeesh!

Thursday, August 29, 2002
It rained off and on most of the night giving us about half an inch. It was still drizzling at breakfast so we delayed heading out till mid morning. Finally the crew got out after having to change a couple horses and such. Just kinda an N- morning. They spent the day looking for horses that were missing. It took most of the day but they finally came up with all of them.
I started my day with a phone call from the Forest Service. We have a new Range manager there. A kid from New York and he's here now to dictate to us how we should manage our cattle and range. Typical. For the past few months I have been having a problem going on with them saying that my paper work from buying the ranch was not in order. Thus they could not do a formal decision about changing my permit from summer to year round which I needed to stay in business. I had asked them to do it back in early June. I had been telling them all along that all the paper work was in order and was in their office and files somewhere. Last week our lawyers re-filed everything just as it had been a couple years ago and they agreed everything was now ok. This morning I was told that since all that took so long and it was so late in the season they would not have time to get a formal change done before November when my cattle would have to be moved off. I explained that I had no options of other places to take my cattle, his suggestions was to sell them and then buy others in the spring. Shows he knows nor cares anything about cattle, ranching, or building something. He had such a pompous attitude.
I went ballistic with the kid.
I never cussed him because I knew he would have me arrested for "Verbal attack on a federal employee". But I told him what I thought of him, the forest service and the way they treat us, the citizens who employ them. He allowed there was nothing he could do so I loudly hung up on him. After cooling down I called the forest supervisors office and finally got to the top and let them know I was pissed and they needed to do something. After hearing that the young man was fresh out of school and didn't know options he had a dozen times they assured me that we would be able to works something out. Well I'll believe it when I see it.

Friday, August 30, 2002
It was just kinda a cruise around day for everyone. Didn't get much cattle work done this week since we spent so much time hunting horses. but its not every week that folks get to wrangle horses. A lot of time was spent at the Indian ruins looking around for artifacts and checking them out. Cassady and I rode on our own. Its his last day here so we wanted to make the most of it. We rode checking the water at a couple springs and then had plans of going to Snow lake for a swim. The weather beat that plan as the thunderheads rumbled and lightning flashed but no real rain fell. We spent some of the afternoon building a hay fort in the barn.
Both of our water pumps are not working and the spring is not flowing so we are slowly running out of water here. I spent some time while Cassady watched the lone ranger trying to work on them but we all know I'm no mechanic and got nowhere but frustrated. It was kinda cloudy most the day with a hi of about 70, overnight it was 40.