January

January 1 - 31, 2002: No Guests

Friday, January 4, 2002
What a damn day!
Maggie bought a squeeze chute in Albuquerque yesterday and brought it home after dropping Mary off at the Airport. Cassady, Dustine and I had gone to Silver City to get medicine from the vet on 1/3, so we figured we were all set to treat the heifers. The chute weighs about 1,800 lbs and is in the back of Maggie's truck.. Simple plan is to lift it with the loader on the tractor and set it in place. Well of course the tractor wouldn't run. So there goes the simple plan. There is no way to unload the chute so we rigged up two gates on either end of the lane and decided to pen the heifers where they could be crowded together. We had two different medications to give, one treatment and one vaccine. We had borrowed a 20 dose syringe from the vet and we figured we would just walk down the chute and stick 'em. Simple plan.
We got the first bunch in the lane. It was too wide for the heifers, having been built for cows. So they could turn around and move all over. So much for the simple plan. I started trying to dose them and found that the 20 dose syringe wasn't working right, that or the Vet is Hercules. It took both hands to pull it and when you stopped it kept spraying medicine out for another 20 seconds wasting a few dollars per C.C. So we had to draw up doses in a small syringe. Trying to stick jumping cattle and getting it SubQ. Which means just under the skin not in the muscle was a royal pain in the ass and we wasted so much medicine. I Got really pissed at myself for not waiting a few days to get the chute set. But, I figured I had the meds. the cattle needed treatment right away - a few days could mean the difference between sight or blindness for some of these heifers. It just was a lousy day in the corrals. We will have to do it all over again. Spend a few hundred dollars more on medications and do it right with the chute set. We did get some medication into most of them so I'm sure it will help a bit. Right at the end the only laughable thing that took place all day was a heifer who stuck her head thru a small gate at the end of the lane, lifted it off the hinges and took off at a run around the corral with the gate on her head. She made a couple laps herding all her sisters ahead of her till it finally fell off.

Sunday, January 6, 2002
Spent the entire day yesterday working on the dang tractor. Dropped the fuel tank, took off all the fuel lines, cleaned both filters and cleaned the injectors. Got it all put back together about 3 pm and it ran like a charm. It was a fantastic day, about 55 for a high after a low of 32. Cassady and I went riding. I rode Doolin since he is short enough to get on without too much effort. Cass rode Creek, a full size bay horse who will give a great day to anyone who rides him. Cass looked kinda small way up there in his mini size cowboy saddle and gear. He has a pair of old worn out chaps, beat up hat and worn down boots. We were out about a half hour. Doolin jigged the whole way. First time I've ever known him to jig. He knew it was hurting me and he took pleasure in it.
Yesterday I saw Butch wasn't feeling well...a bit colicky so I gave him some Banamine. A few hours later I checked him and his sheath was swollen and there was some swelling in his jaws. A few more hours and he was a mess. He must have refluxed into his sinuses. He was discharging the foulest smelling junk from both nostrils and his whole head is swollen. I have him on I.V. Genomiacin and I.M. Penicillin, as well as Banamine. He's still eating but a reflux can get pretty serious.

Monday, January 7, 2002
We drove to the upper ranch today for a few hours. Just to get some vet supplies and look over all the horses there. Everyone looked good. Annie is healing well but the long tunnel wound was closing up at the end before the inside drained and healed so I had Lyndsey put in a drain which I sutured in place today. Annie was really good about it, she's tough. You could hear her grinding her teeth as I worked on her standing there like a trooper. The weed-poisoned yearlings are doing a lot better. Flash and Buttercup are all lovey-dovey, Quentin runs away from you...so everything is getting back to normal. Days here have been in the 50ss since Christmas. Nights in the upper 20ss. Up top the days are in the 20ss and the nights in the single digits.\par

Tuesday, January 8, 2002
Beautiful day, up in the high 60's. Maggie went back up top last night and says it really is no fun after being down here, cold!! Cassady, Dustine and I went to the Catwalk and hiked the canyon. Every time I go in that country I am just in Awe. Towering rock formations rising hundreds of feet, boulders the size of houses, waterfalls and cactus. Its a 2 mile trail we walked. It was really good for my hips. Hurt but felt good getting stretched. Cassady of course was in front the whole time and never stopped talking. I tell ya he's the talkinest kid I've ever known. Then back here and he and I rode for an hour. He's doing a great job with Creek. We got into a bit of rough country...hard not to around here. He went up and down some steep stuff that I've seen experienced guests blanch about.
Butch is still not doing well. The discharge has abated a bit but his head is still swollen and his eyes are worse. His sheath is still swollen also - thats what has me concerned. That he has infection from one end to the other. But he is eating well and alert.
As much as I thought the heifer work was a waste the other day I now see definite improvements. Most of them look better, some look perfect. Then there are those that we never got anything in that look really bad. The chute is set and I have it all put together so we will try again. Maggie is coming down tonight to help me in the morning after a meeting I have with the Forest Service.

Wednesday, January 9, 2002
Another very fine day, high about 65 low 35. Went to the meeting this morning and came away from it with what I wanted...another grazing permit. It's about 30,000 acres, just S.E. of here on the slope of the mountain. It's really rough country but pretty from what I know of it. Most of it I've never stepped hoof on. But the maps show lots of old mines and graves, caves and a couple cabins. I'll start riding it next week. It was a long meeting, I didn't get home till 1pm. Maggie, Cass and I went riding for a little while then came back here and gathered the heifers into the corral to rework them. I was sooo damn proud of Cassady. Some of the heifers were really stupid and he worked them slow and easy just like it should be and we got the job done. He then had to hold a gate for 15 min. by himself against 50 heifers. I was way across the pasture and seeing him on his big horse hollering back made me glow. When we started them in the chute he worked the lane poking on the outside with a long stick and yelling the heifers down the lane into the chute. He's already a dang good cowboy for just 5 years old. You can see he was born with the gift of animals. We ran out of light and will finish tomorrow.

Thursday, January 10, 2002
We were up early and started working the heifers right after breakfast. It went alright, no one got hurt, all the cattle got worked. Cassady was right on the job again chasing the cattle down the lane. Maggie and I worked the chute. Dustine held the end of the lane. It took about four hours to get them all done. I feel really good about it this time. We got done about noon, had a quick lunch, then rode a few hours. Cassady had to get in one last ride before we headed to Albuquerque. He and Dustine fly back to New England in the morning so will stay over night.

Friday, January 11, 2002
It was a nasty drive to Albuquerque yesterday. Just as we were leaving the lower H.Q. it started a mix of rain and snow after a morning that was really nice getting up to about 60 before clouds came along. As the miles and hours went by the snow got thicker and thicker. At one point there was at least 6 inches in the road. Later as we dropped down into the Rio Grande valley south of Albq. it turned back to rain. We were up at 6am and with a heavy heart I sent Cassady back to Boston and school.
I did a few errands and then headed home. The day was glorious with a frosting of snow. The sun was intense and the sky so deep blue there is no name for the color. I got to Reserve just as the feed truck arrived at the feed store. I had ordered 2 tons of grain type feed for the heifers, that's 80 bags. We got all but 10 bags on the truck. It was a big load, well stacked and I had no problems over the pass on the way down here. Maggie had gone to the upper ranch and loaded a bunch of her tools and studio stuff with Franks help. She got in a couple hours after I did.

Monday, January 14, 2002
The weekend was spent wiring Maggie's new studio here at the lower ranch. It pretty much took the whole weekend but she is up and running now. Good timing too as the Valentines orders are rolling in. Butch is doing a whole lot better now, I changed some medications and put him on Azium and Tupocal. Seems to have done the trick. The swelling is down, and the discharge is stopped. So this makes me think it was an allergic reaction to something he ate. What it was I have no idea. Most of the heifers are doing really well now. I still have a few I need to re-treat. I'll try to get that done tomorrow. I have a friend from Colorado I haven't seen in about 7 years coming for a short visit. I'll get him to give us a hand.
The weather has been great. Days in the upper 60's, nights in the low 30's. Up top its been sunny days about 40, night in the low teens.

Friday, January 18, 2002
The weather has been just too dang nice. Days in the mid 60's, nights in the upper 30's. Bright, sunny skies and not too much wind. It's great for being outside but I'm now starting to get a bit worried. We need some moisture down here. The upper ranch has gotten some piddling snow, 5 or 6 inches, every couple weeks. But down here it's getting really dry. We should have some winter snow and rain by now. The water in the tanks from the summer rains is just about gone. We count on a couple winter storms to top them back off and get us through Spring. Almost all of the heifers are doing really well now. A few that still have a bad eye but for the most part they are cleared up. I have been feeding them ration...what a deal this has turned out to be. These are getting to be some pretty expensive cattle. I used to give Alan a hard time about his tame farm yard cows. These little girls are getting to be like pets. A few even have names!
Yesterday Ben the Wonder Mule and I went to check out the new ranch. We went to the west side of it which is on the lower slope of the very steep and rough mountain side. I was basically wanting to check a water catch and pipeline system. The road up is really pretty scary, and I've been on a couple roads. Really steep drop offs, sharp hairpin turns, and very narrow. I don't really like it. Well, we got to a pull off, unloaded and armed with a faint map headed out. It is some really rough country. Ben was glad to be out and really stepping out. We found the catch basin easy enough, then started following the line which is black plastic above ground. Soon I had to tie Ben and take to footing it around a huge rock face. I figured that it couldn't be too bad seeing as how they had gotten the water line in. Boy, I would wager that a crew of mountain goats and monkeys put that line in there. It curved around this rock face about 20 feet off the ground suspended by wires hooked to bolts in the rock. I went on around, at times just toe and finger tipping it. It was only about 200 yards but took me 20 minutes. My legs and hips are still a bit weak and I sure was shaky when I got done. It was worth the trip though as I found one connection in the line that had separated. I was wishing my mule was closer as I walked back to get him. We rode a few miles following the line until it just vanished. At that point we were on a pretty well used old road. I figure someone need some good water line at home, cut the line and hooked it to a truck. We rode ever widening circles from that point and never found the other end. So I never found the tanks it feeds either. It was getting late so I didn't go much farther. The west side of the ranch looks to be a bit kinder country but I fear no water over there. I'll check that out next week.

Sunday, January 20, 2002
The weather took a turn colder. Yesterday it was clear and a bit windy. Temperature dropped all day, ending with an over night low of 20. Seemed really cold compared to how it's been. They reported the temperature up top was -3 after a very windy and cold day which only got up to 19. Ahhhhh I'm glad I'm down here! Yesterday I hauled Gambler, Cimarron, Coal, and Cooleye over to the big field next to John's house. He's gonna feed and water and check them in exchange for hay for his two horses. Then I went and met with Mike and Pam Harris who own the hay farm I have been talking about. Pam and I had a pretty good deal worked out between us but she wanted me to meet with her husband about it. He is CEO of his own company in Phoenizx. Az. only gets back here on weekends. Nice guy, things were agreeable all around. Then he said that he needed 20K up front as security deposit on the equipment. Hummmmm. I understand where he's coming from but it just is not do able. In the world out there I guess it's money that binds a person or company to an agreement. Out here it is still a persons word, or I guess it use to be that way. I've been chewing on this all night and day and just have to call 'em and tell 'em the ante is too steep for me at that table. I then worked around the H.Q. here. Picking up junk, fixing this and that and doing a bit of work to the tractor. And thinking to myself how glad I am that I won't be doing all the work on and have all the headaches of that hay equipment. Today sunny, calm and cool, high about 50. I fed a bit late this morning and heard all about it when I got to the barn. 20 minutes, you'd a thought it was half a day the way they hollered. The 6 horses weren't to bad, nickering and chorteling, kinda endearing really. But the 53 bovines bellering was a bit more than I really needed. I loaded up mid morning taking Doc along with me. I had a load of junk to drop at the dump then we headed to the Hicks Pasture and checked some horses I put in there last week. Doc hadn't been ridden in months, and he is very well known to throw a few feel good bucks. Sure enough. He stood perfect while I mounted and got settled and nudged him off. I could feel his hump rise like a fast loaf of bread. We had to cross a steep sided wash and I got ready. They love to buck going down or up, the up buck is fun. The down buck can get a bit dangerous. He was kind to me, neat footing it down the bank into the sandy bottom. About 15 feet of soft sand sure felt good, loosening up a bit. With some spring in his joints he gathered himself and some momentum and up the other bank. He came over the top in a long sunfishing buck feeling grand to be alive. Three more smooth rolls and he settled down to a spring in his ankles walk in two steps. It was great! We found the horses who were happy in the sun next to the windmill. Wished I'd brought my camera. We then loaded back up in the truck and drove to Roberts Park. Rode all around there. Found 7 pairs at Deep tank. The calves should be weaned about now. They are plenty big to sell and moms could use a break. Hard on a gal feeding a big calf this time of year when the nutrition in the graze is low. These are all ones that were too small to sell in November. We closed a few gates, opened a few others. Doing a big loop getting things set with an eye to spring. For some reason the cows like to come to the Park to have calves. So I get gates set so they can drift in as they want. It makes it easier to check them if they are in the Park too. It was a long loop for poor out of shape Doc. It wasn't too long into it before the springs wore out. And before we were done he had lead in his hooves. Right towards the end I came up on a bunch of cattle piled up in a remote corner of two pasture fences. They were wanting to get into the Park from Cabin pasture. They were drawn up and thirsty. The whole bunch were Gary and Marinel's cattle. They were less than 200 yards from a gate around the corner that had been open. They were stupid and crazy! I was going to ease around 'em and gentle like get 'em around the corner. I could see the look in the eyes and the head set and knew they were idiots. Before I was within 75 yard they broke like deer, running all over. Some through one fence into one pasture. The others through a different fence into a different pasture. Some went tails in the air over the ridge out of sight. It was amazing, and very discouraging. I do not want those wild ass damn cattle with mine. I am gonna tell them that I want to split the herds and start doing it right away. So if any one wants to have some wild butt cow herding get down here over the next month or so as we ride, ride and ride some more getting mine in Fox pasture and the Park and putting theirs in Beaver and Cabin. Doc was really funny when it happened. He was tired, but interested in the cattle we were headed towards. He plodded along eyes and ears on the cows. He saw it coming too. He stopped just before they broke and scattered. His head swiveled from one bunch to another to another in all directions. When the dust cleared he looked back at me asking if we had to try and get them. I nudged him away from them and he let out a huge sigh and quickened his pace back to the trailer before I changed my mind.

Monday, January 21, 2002
Another great day. High about 65, sunny, sunny, sunny. I sorted some of the bigger heifers into a small corral this morning while feeding. Then hauled them up to Roberts park. Takes about an hour to get there from here..not that many miles just very steep and windy getting up there. It's a beautiful drive all the way. Saw cattle everywhere, they all look good. Then I came back to the H.Q., ran some water for an hour or so before I headed to Reserve to meet Frank. He was hauling down more horses. Today he brought Travis, Billy, Cibique, Cisco and T.J. We had lunch in town and then went our separate ways. Got home about 3 pm. Spent the rest of the day working some fence and cutting some old wire that crossed the creek. Maggie gets home tonight. She left day before yesterday to L.A. It was her sister Mary's 40th birthday, so there was a big party and such at a fancy Hollywood restaurant. No, I wasn't even invited. They knew it would have been a waste of breath. I don't do Hollywood. She had a good time and got a chance to get by her showroom and make sure everything was up to standards. Looking forward to her getting back. Yes, I missed her...but also she's bringing in a load of food. Been eating pasta since she left. I use to cook a lot and liked it many years ago. No longer, the thought of cooking makes me rather be hungry.

Tuesday, January 22, 2002
A bit cooler today, high about 50 after a low of 22. Real ice on the tubs this morning. Maggie got home about 1am after flying from L.A., shopping for three hours and then driving home. She slept late this morning as I fed and trimmed a few horses. Then she cooked an awesome Eggs Benedict brunch. I then hauled four head of horses over to the Hicks pasture making eight I have in there now. After I dropped them off I headed to Reserve to meet Frank who was bringing down another load of horses. Today he brought Chilli, Kitten, Vaquero, B.C. and Gee Man. Every day I come down off Saliz Pass I feel my brakes fade. I just had a bunch of work done on them about a month ago. Guess Ill have to take it back soon. Got back here about 3pm and trimmed two more horses and then hauled them over to the Hicks. Ten is a good number to have in there. It's only about 300 acres. Boy, Ill tell ya I'm one crippled fool this evening after all the trimming. Doug and Cathy come again tomorrow to do some shoeing. Better them than me.

Wednesday, January 23, 2002
A cold windy day with some snow showers around. Most of them north of us. Just 8 miles from here they got 8 inches. High was 38. low was 18 last night. Got Doug and Cathy going on a few head while Maggie and I hauled a load of heifers up to Roberts Park. From up there we could see snow veils falling all around. It was just a bit beautiful. After we dropped them off we went over to John's to pick up his horse Sug and my horse Coal. We were bringing them back here to the H.Q. to get shod. As we pulled in I saw Gambler standing at a gate with Cooleye. He was excited to see the truck and trailer and was jumping around. I mentioned to Maggie that it was a bad place to be acting silly because of an old culvert near the gate. Why do I say stuff like that! No sooner than the words were out of my mouth than I saw him slip into the ditch and come out three legged lame. I told Mags just to catch Sug, I went to get Gambler. I knew it wasn't going to be good, and I was right. Big laceration from just below the hock to just above the ankle. We had no suture material or wrapping supplies here. It was closer to haul him to my vet buddy in Silver city than to go up top and get some at the other H.Q. So my day was spent driving him around. The doc put 6 stitches in his extensor tendon and 30+ on the outside to close it up. Last night I had a thought to call John and tell him to ride Gambler today. I again regret not following my gut feelings.

Friday, January 25, 2002
Yesterday was a day. I had talked to John the night before and had made a plan to move about a hundred head that he and Gary had left on Sunflower mesa the day before. They had moved them out of Frisco pasture and had only gotten them as far as Sunflower on the way to Charlie Moore spring. I had some horses piled up here in the H.Q. corrals that I had to truck around and drop off at different pastures before I could start. We made a plan I would drive to Charlie Moore and ride from there and meet them along the way. That way we would have a truck at the end and not have to ride three hours back. I got my horses all set. A few more at John's house. A few in Mineral Creek pasture. A couple in the Frisco River lot. Then I headed out to Charlie Moore. The road goes through John's Uncle's place and on the way I saw three head of my cattle there. I had Ben the Wonder mule and we unloaded. I had an idea there was a set of corrals a mile or so away and headed towards it. Easy as can be we came over a hill and there was a really nice set of corrals below us. The cattle were going so well I knew something was wrong. Ben and I set gates and then went to pen the cattle. They wanted nothing to do with that corral. We messed with them close to an hour. I could get two in the corral but never all three at once. Ben was awesome. A great cutting mule. I was having so much fun riding him I really didn't care if we got the cattle in. I worked on his sliding stop and he was soon tucking his butt and sliding like a pro. When I went to head back to the trailer Ben was pretty mad. He wanted to get those cattle in the pen. I told him another day. They weren't going any where, there was good water in a canyon right there and good graze all around. I need another rider to help. We loaded up and drove to Charlie Moore. Getting there, I jumped Ben out and swung on. He was feeling good again as we set out. The trail up out of the spring canyon is long and was ice and snow covered. Ben took it at a fast trot and never slipped a step. We broke out on top back into the welcome sunlight, it had been cold down in there. We trotted along another mile or two and headed down the slope toward Crossover Canyon. A few minutes later I came upon a ball of cattle. Cattle everywhere, going everywhere. I had obviously trotted into the middle of a wreck under way. I swung around uphill of the herd and pushed some back down towards the trail as I made my way to the rear. I could see John way below me trying to push cattle up out of the trees back to the trail. I came around a big cedar and met up with a fella I'd never seen. He was in his late 50's sitting a horse I didn't know. Just sitting, not taking a step or making a sound, neither looking too happy. I said a howdy and he jumped in the saddle. He started talking a mile a minute saying his brother was back in the canyon with a horse that wouldn't go, his own horse was played out, he'd lost John, and the cattle were all going the wrong way, was I there to help? I assured him John was just a ways off, the cattle we could handle and we would help his brother. His job was to make noise and not lose the ground they had made on the canyon slope. Ben knew things were in high alert and bounded over rocks and logs as we went and met up with John. John said he'd take care of the man in the canyon if I'd stay with the cattle. Seems the two fellas were brothers from Tucson, one was Marinel's accountant. They had come out to see the new ranch and play cowboy for a few days. Boy, they were getting a belly full of it. I trotted huge semi circles around the back of the herd and up the sides and around back to the other side dozens of times. Each times getting things bunched a bit more and a bit more till finally had everything pointed the right direction and moving. I saw John come up out of the canyon leading a horse with a fella walking behind him. They switched horses and seemed to all be ok. John joined me and told me that when they headed into Crossover Canyon the animals had balked. They had a hell of a time getting them down and headed out the other side. In the bottom the cattle had just spread up and down the narrow, rocky little canyon that was thick with brush and trees. The two fellas I now met as Buck and Don hadn't ridden in 25 years and were just not up to the tough, technical riding it takes to work a mess like that. It is not easy. Things from there went on pretty well, getting lined out and the top of the canyon was achieved. Within an hour we had them down the next canyon and settled at the springs. The trailer was less than a mile away and Don and Buck were in good spirits. John was in a whole lot better mood than when I had first met up with him too. We got to the truck and I swung down, unzipped my chaps and tossed them into the back of the truck. Just as they left my hand I looked over and on the other side I see Buck doing one of those slow, stiff, painful sort of dismounts. It got a bit more painful. His horse shied away from the flying chaps with him half on and half off. Finally he was completely off and in a pile on the ground. He was ok, but I felt terrible! They were good guys and within minutes we were on our way in a soft, warm truck and everyone laughing about the day. Buck said he had been so discouraged about the time I rode up to him in the canyon that he was ready to cry. A bit cooler today, high about 45 with a stiff wind. Low 22. Up top the high was 30 and the low -2.

Sunday, January 27, 2002
Spent the day on the road looking at horses and a couple used trailers that folks had for sale. Did a 300 mile loop, saw 9 horses, bought 4. Passed on all the trailers I saw. I'm still kinda gimping around. Seems I've gotten healed up to a point. Just having problems getting beyond that point. I know a lot of it is an alignment problem. My right hip is lower and behind my left. My right shoulder is lower than my left. Walking is still a pain. Driving sure doesn't help a whole bunch either. I have now sworn off riding green horses. It's just a matter of age. It takes too long to recover and I can't afford that time off. When I was young I would take a fall like I had several times a day before 7am. I've made this decision just as a couple of my older friends here have had to make the decision that they can't ride at all anymore. One is 78, the other is 72. What a hard decision it must be. When I think of it a hole forms in my gut. Giving up the young horses is one thing. Giving up horsebackin' all together is so sad. Both these fellas have spent a life time horseback and have ridden more miles than a cavalry troop. I hired two new hands today. A sister act, two gals from about 50 miles away. Ranch raised, rough, ready, good looking cowgirls. They're going to ride all the young stuff. Kammi is 21, her sister Kia is 19. They start Monday. Time will tell but they seem ok.

Tuesday, January 29, 2002
Well our new riders were a no show. I really don't understand people I guess. You know they came to me looking for work, I wasn't advertising or anything. I give them my time, give them a decent offer. They seemed excited when they left here. Then not a word. The same deal happened last month. A guy from Canada bugged the hell out of us with at least 10 calls. I finally agreed to give him a try. Set a date for his arrival which came and went with nary a word.
The weather has been kinda wintry the last couple days. Cloudy and a bit windy. Every once in awhile a sprinkle of rain but never enough to do anything but raise our wishes. Frank reported that they got a couple inches of snow up top yesterday. It may do more tonight. Every evening after chores I spend a half hour splitting wood, filling the wood box and watching the sunset. Tonight as I was was looking west I saw the snow come over the mountains in Arizona. Maple Peak disappeared, then Sugarloaf and Charlie Moore mountain. It was 10 miles away at that point just a solid gray wall. A few minuets later the wind hit me. I mean just suddenly a solid blow from almost calm. When I had finished filling the box it was on us. It traveled 10 miles in less than 10 minutes. Is my math right? 60 MPH! It sure felt like it.

One of these horses I bought last week is probably the oldest horse I've ever been around. How old? Dang, I really don't know. At least 35 I would guess. He has no front teeth on the top, the rest are worn right to nothing. He's got one ear that must have been frost bit at some time, it's all shriveled up. He has salt cellers over his eyes you could put a baseball in. But his eyes, they are the softest, kindest, warmest you have ever seen. He is always in a good mood. Not grumpy like a lot of old horses and people. Very polite, respectful, and really smart. I didn't really buy him. He was part of a package deal, I was wanting one 7 y.o. but it was all or nothing. I call him Moses and he quickly grew on both Maggie and I. Maggie went to Silver City today to do some errands and shipping. With plans of getting him some of that old horse, already been chewed food. What I'm gonna do with him I have no idea. Just another pasture ornament and good buddy I guess. I spent the morning driving around checking horses. They all look good. The Mineral Creek horses don't like it there. There's not much feed and lots of brush and they are with John's mare Chica, who is a real bitch. After seeing everyone I loaded salt and drove up to Roberts Park putting it out here and there. Then back here to the H.Q. The last two days I have spent the afternoons pushing rocks out of the barn area with the loader on the tractor. It makes a huge difference. I hate stumbling over rocks in corrals.
I wrote awhile ago how I had eased out of the hay farm deal....well I have eased myself back in. I continued to talk about it with Pam the owner. We came up with a deal I just really couldn't walk away from. The money up front idea was tossed and things just got better and better. So I now have the responsibility of a 100 acre hay farm along the San Fransisco river. It is a beautiful place, almost idyllic. So just something else for you all to do when ya visit...help put up hay. I have a feeling volunteers won't be charging the trucks to get best seat. Lyndsey left on another vacation yesterday, leaving Frank up top alone. Not much to do really but answer phones and feed a dozen or so horses. Mostly it's just the yearlings and 2 y.o.'s up there now, and a few mares. Well, I guess now that I think about it there are about 25 there he's feeding. But another vacation? That girl takes more vacation time than CONGRESS.

Thursday, January 31, 2002
The snow storm really didn't do much for us here. It snowed all around, eastern Arizona got a lot, northern New Mex. but not us. It was cold and gray with snow flurries amounting to about an inch yesterday. Frank said they got about four inches up top. With an over night low of -6, here it was only down to about 20. I finalized the hay farm lease today. I'll start moving heifers down there in the morning.