July

June 30-July 6,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, July 1, 2002
Lyndsey got the crew all set with horses and went out into the traps checking heifers and gathering cattle out of the North Trap. They came home with a half dozen pairs. They were out about 5 hours and felt it was a plenty long enough day to start the week with. Everyone wants me to mention that there is not a spring chicken in the bunch, Ike and Harvey both being over 70!
Frank, Alan, and I trailered down to Negrito Creek Canyon where we had heard we had some cattle. We found a dozen head after looking a few hours. Frank and Alan trailered home while I pushed the cattle 5 miles up the canyon to a better place for them to be. It was a fun ride, I was riding Dakota who was working just great. The canyon was hot and still. Thick with willows and brush in some places, it wasn't the easiest push.
The lightning Friday did start a few fires close by. Right now we have one about 15 miles away near the ghost town of Mogollon. Another is only about 8 miles away in the wilderness area. It really blew up today and looks to be much larger.
As I rode through the country it felt as though there was a nervous energy in the air. The clouds are building up but not letting loose more than a sprinkle, lots of lightning. Seems the animals, the trees, everything is on edge waiting for the rain. Knowing we may be saved by a shower, or destroyed by the heat and drought. It is at the critical point now.
John has been working the farm, he's cutting more hay with the temps up around 103 down there. hi 85 low 47.

Tuesday, July 2, 2002
Frank, Alan, Ike, and Donna went into Bearwallow to work the usual spots. They had a long day of it getting home about 5pm with a dozen head or so.
Lyndsey, Harvey, Margie, Caryl and I went to Snow lake to move those cattle up into Quaking Aspen canyon, onto new grass.
The cattle were all pretty close to the lake so we quickly had over a hundred ahead of us. I was riding Doc who worked perfectly. When we got to Snow spring we found a 3 year old heifer dead in the water. I figure it must have been a bad birthing. She hadn't been dead long. Also there we found the calf that belonged to the cow that died in the mud hole there two weeks ago. The calf wasn't doing too badly, it must have been coyoteing {stealing milk from another cow} but we decided to take it on home to join the other 6 doggie calves we have. I shook out a loop and roped the little rascal as it stood in the spring and dragged him to the trailer where we put him till we got back. We then gathered up all the cattle and continued on getting them settled into Quaking Aspen canyon about 2pm. It was a fun day. Till we had to go drag the dead heifer out of the spring. That wasn't so fun.
The fire to the south of us is getting bigger. If it doesn't rain in the next three days we will have to come up with a new plan for the cattle. I may be selling some.
Hi 82 low 46.

Wednesday, July 3, 2002
Frank woke me about 11pm last night to look at the glow from the fire south of us. I got dressed and drove a few miles to a ridge for a better look. I could see it was still pretty far south but it was really blowing up. It was a warm windy night. I went home and back to bed but sleep didn't come easy.
The morning air was thick with smoke and and the sun an orange spot dull through the pall, casting an eerie hue to the world. I talked to the fire office and got a report. The fire is called the "Cub" fire and had grown from 40 to 3,500 acres over night. It was now a category one fire meaning nothing held back to fight it.
The horses were late coming in so while we waited I drove out to the lake along with Margie, Caryl, and Donna to look things over. The fire has a line about 5 miles long and was looking pretty hot but there is still a lot of country between here and there. When we got back we saddled up, Harvey and Caryl taking the day off. We headed out to check Dog Spring. When we got there we found a dozen head, but not the ones we had been hunting for the last couple weeks. These were ones we had pushed yesterday in Quaking Aspen canyon, they had traveled 6 miles on their own after we stopped pushing them. As we rode we saw the thunderheads building up and about noon the first thunder sounded. We had a couple miles to push the cattle and before we got there the storm was really building and putting down some rain out east. We got the cattle settled on water and hustled on home with a strong wind and sprinkles at our backs. It really looked like it was going to do something serious. But the rain dried up and the lightning came hot, heavy and close. I fear there are new fires started. So worried I'm having all the horses kept in the night corrals tonight in case some fire blows up close overnight. They travel five or six miles from the house at night and I don't want them out where they can't be found. Hi 65 low 50.

Thursday, July 4, 2002
The smoke was as thick as ever after a warm night with a few sprinkles. The humidity is up to about 30%, that will help to slow the fire down a bit. With the moist ground and cooler temps we decided to brand a little today. We gathered around the H.Q. and quickly came up with about 20 pairs. Just as we got them into the corrals an ominous looking thunderhead started heating up right above us. We took a lunch break. Alan and I are both scared to be in the metal framed corrals during sparky times. The guests often think we are wimps. We are.
While we were eating a couple kids who work for the game and fish dept. doing a frog census stopped by and told us there was a cow stuck in a cattle guard out in Canyon Creek pasture. Well I loaded up chains, pulleys and pistol and headed out. I expected it to be a Rockin' Arrow cow but had to find out. It's a long drive out there, takes about 45 min. Got there and sure enough it was a Rockin' Arrow. She had all four feet in the cattle guard and had been there overnight. Her legs were all cut and swollen and she was not happy. I pulled the truck along side of her and got a strap around one rear leg and with the come-a-long got it out and a board under it. I tried a front leg but she was on the fight and wouldn't let me do anything at that end. I tried the other rear leg but it was in up to the hip. There was nothing I could do. I sat and hummed to her. Sounds crazy I know but I find it works on all animals. Just a low two tone hum seems to calm them. After awhile I was able to rub her head and get the flies out of her eyes, then get a strap around a front leg. I finally got that leg out so now I had two on the same side out. It would have been better to have them opposite. This had taken me about three hours at this point. I was strapping the other front leg when she started struggling. She kicked the boards out and in seconds was right back where we had started only worse.
There was new blood flowing from the rear leg I couldn't see but suspected it was broken. If she had been my cow I would have put her down right there. But with the bad feelings between Rockin' Arrow and us I figured they had to make the decision. So I drove back to the house and called them. Marinel answered and was oh so glad to hear it was me. I explained what was up and she told me there was nothing she could do as Gary was out of town. I told her I thought it should be put down and she agreed. So back out there I drove, Maggie came to keep me company. I shot the cow and pulled her out. Not exactly as simple and easy as it sounds. The pulling her out part was, well I won't go into details, but it could cause nightmares.
By the time I got home the branding of 16 calves was all done and it was chore time. A whole day gone by.
The rain teased us but never really did a thing. The fire was cooled down pretty well but the fire camp in the south trap is getting bigger. There must be about 100 folks there and the usual office buildings, showers, kitchen, and satellite TV. Hi 72 lo 42.

Friday, July 5, 2002
A long, long day! We were in the saddle early and gathering around the Rocker canyon area. It was easy pickings and about noon we were in the corral with over 70 head. Just as we were coming in Butch who was being ridden by Margie seemed to be choking, the same thing as he did the week before with Peggy. So while we sorted Lyndsey went to the horse corrals and started treating him. Giving him some banamine and tubing him with some warm water. It seems to be an i mpaction in his throat.
We got things sorted and started branding about 1pm. The clouds scuttled over head but no rain was forthcoming. The smoke from the fire which has slowed down moved another direction. So all in all it was a beauty of a day. Hi about 75. We worked up a sweat, first big branding day of the season. Everyone worked really well and we got a great system going. We finished at 6pm having gotten 43 calves done. Pretty dang good day.
It was a great crew this week and they all really helped us get a bunch of work done.
I'm headed to the farm in the morning to cut hay. Not looking forward to the 100+ temperatures down there. Hopefully everything will run well and it will take just a day to cut the big field.

July 7-July 13,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, July 8, 2002
Roger, Mike, Joy and I headed out to check tanks and see what was going on out on the range. We headed out through the North trap, checked that tank which is getting pretty bad, checked the horses and rode through the 100 or so head of cattle in there. Then out through Snake gate over Holy Shit Ridge, down to Elladeane tank that looks terrible. From there we swung west to Nedra tank which is now dry, then south to Dog Spring. Just as we got there it started a bit of a rain. Enough so we put on slickers. We got home about 4pm. We saw no cattle where they shouldn't be but saw about 100 elk and 15 antelope. After a short break, Roger and Mike climbed in the truck to help me load some panels that we had put around Snow tank a few weeks ago. The tank is dry now.
On our way out we ran into Frank who had just been at the North Trap tank and told us he needed some help with two cows stuck in the mud there. We had just ridden past that tank a few hours before. We went down there, one was easy to get out. The other was stuck pretty deep and on the fight. Frank got a rope around her whole body and we were able to pull her out that way. We got her up on dry ground and left her awhile and hoped she would get up. Frank checked her an hour later and she hadn't moved. He took her some water and she drank a couple gallons. Hopefully she will be alive in the morning.
Lyndsey did the town run this weekend, taking along Peedee and Flash who are shipping out to Ohio and Kentucky respectively. She also took Butch to the vet. You know we are worried if we take something to the vet. He will be scoped on Monday. My fear is a 'pouch' in the esophagus. I can't spell the right name for it.
The Cub fire south of us is under control. It's just easing along on the ground now. The rain helped as well as the higher humidity, we are up to 25% now. Hi 64 low 48.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002
We gathered the North trap and pushed everything out to T Bar tank. The little rain we've had might be enough to wake the grass up so I'm putting my cattle out in the grassland country. It was a long push, we had about 80 mother cows and almost as many calves. It took all day to get them there. About half way Alan and I rode home, pushing some cattle we found along the way with us. Then I put my horse away and drove out to 7HL cow camp and met the riders there with a truck and trailer saving a long ride home. The timing was perfect, I got there just as they did and just as a light shower started up. The hi was only 68 … after a low of 43.

Wednesday, July 10, 2002
RAIN RAIN RAIN
It started about 1am with lots of lightning and heavy rain for an hour. I was like a kid waiting for the first snow of the season. I got up to stand on the porch in my birthday suit just to smell and feel it as the lightning flashed illuminating a soaked country. Later in bed I couldn't sleep. I was so relived, I was so happy I was giggling.
Frank, Lyndsey and I trailered down to Snow Lake as Alan, Roger, and Mike rode down. We all got there about the same time and quick gathered 40 head to push over the mountain above the lake and out into 7HL. It is a really hard push the first mile or so getting them up and out of the valley. Lots of hollering got them up there. Across the top is an easy trip then it's down into T Bar canyon and let me tell ya it's a steep slide down. About 3pm found us finally at T Bar tank. We let the cattle drift, watered our horse and swung down for a break. I was eyeing a dark thunderhead to the east and after about ten minuets I asked Alan if he was ready to go or if he wanted to wait till the storm was closer. He said to wait. Just at that moment a shaft of lightning split the sky above us and he decided we had waited long enough. As it turns out we had waited too long. We rode to Elladeane with the storm breathing down our necks. There it started to rain and it was getting real sparky so we started to trot. A couple miles rolled by and we were in Ewe canyon. The rain was heavy, the lightning was fierce. We started an easy lope. It was thrilling. The wind lashed the rain at our backs and the million volts of lightning gave us motivation. All seven horses strode out and all seven riders gave them their head. A bit dangerous? You bet! We never thought about stopping for slickers, we were running with the rain and wind. We got home cold as could be, soaked to the skin and happy as hell.
Butch who is still at the vet is reported to be doing ok. He's able to eat and drink. It is a pouch as I suspected, and with a special diet he will be ok.
The cow we pulled out of the tank is doing better. Yesterday we hauled some panels out and put a pen around her so the horses wouldn't steal her hay. Of course last night I had fears that the water in the tank would rise and drown her in her new pen. Hi 73 low 46, afternoon after rain temp was 51 at 3pm.

Thursday, July 11, 2002
We were up and out pretty early gathering the North trap, picking out some pairs that we had in there with the heifers. About 1pm we were back in the corrals and ready to brand. We got a pretty good system going and at 5pm we had done 29 calves.
It was a long afternoon and we all were pretty dang beat. A few sprinkles in the afternoon but not enough to even dampen the calves.
Hi 76 low 48.

Friday, July 12, 2002
Mike, Roger, Lyndsey and Alan rode out from here headed east gathering everything they could find and pushed it towards Fence tank. It was a really long day. By the time they got to T Bar tank they had over 80 head. They got to Fence tank at 3pm and then turned around and had a long ride home. The rain threatened but never came to pass. hi 73 lo 48
Frank and I headed to the farm to help John who was baling the big field. We got there about 11am and had a system going that was working pretty well. John was raking with the Deere. I was on the Case baling, and Frank was on the Bale wagon picking up the bales. The alfalfa was so thick I had a slow time making bales. The baler would get more than it could chew and clog up. I couldn't drive slow enough. The windrows were four feet wide and 2 feet thick of heavy, juicy, luscious hay. I was putting down a 70 pound bale every 15 feet. We worked till 8pm and then headed home getting here about 11pm. It was hot there, hi 95

Saturday, July 13, 2002
Maggie and Lyndsey went to Albuquerque, Joy and Noden our new cook stayed to clean camp. Frank and I went back to the farm. We made hay, and more hay, and still more hay. It is some kinda nice stuff we are putting up. We got about a thousand square bales put up and 29 round bales. Dark caught us with a few bales still in the field so Frank stayed at the lower H.Q. to finish in the morning. I drove home. I left the farm about 10pm. Got home a bit after 1am, but let me tell ya I sure had a hard time getting home. I was so tired I should have just stayed at the lower H.Q. too.
It was hot there, about 98. The tractor I was working is a 30 year old Case and it is none too fun or pleasant to spend 9 hours on. It has just about lamed me. The old steel seat and no shade gets a bit tiresome.

July 14-July 20,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, July 15, 2002
We rode in two groups today. I went out through the North Trap with Larry, Danny, Sondra, Rick and Ken. We went and checked Nedra tank, then headed over to the Dog Spring area. There we found over 30 head which we gathered and pushed back to the H.Q. putting them in Bearwallow pasture. They will stay there till later in the week when we will gather that area for branding. We got home about 3pm, just as some rain was starting. Lyndsey went out through the South trap with Verleen, David, Earl, Susan and Jimmy checking heifers then went to Little Fenced Spring where they found 12 head that they pushed home same as we did. They got in just a few minutes after us. We saw elk, antelope, and coyote.
Frank spent the day fixing a few things around here and then finishing the fencing around Elladeane tank.
We had another foal born last night, a colt. A fantastic looking cream colored dun with a gray face, black dorsal stripe and tiger striped legs. He's a brother to Tom a great 3 y.o. dun we have just started to work.
Now that the summer rains have started I will report morning highs and afternoon highs since it cools off so much in the afternoon. Today was 77 hi at 11:30am afternoon hi was 66 when the rain started. Overnight low was 43.

Tuesday, July 16, 2002
We rode in three groups today. Frank went west into Bearwallow with Diane, David, and Jimmy. They were checking to see where all the cattle we had been seeing around the Splinter valley have gone. With the rain and fresh grass the cattle are really starting to move. They rode down Rocker canyon and found water and cattle all the way. Then they went up Dark canyon and worked around Corner mountain. That's where the thunder storms caught up with them sticking some lightning pretty close by and some brief heavy rain. They got home about 3pm.
Lyndsey Trailered to Snow Lake with Rick, Earl, Susan, Larry and Verleen. They were looking things over. Last week we had dozens of cattle in School House Canyon. Today there was not a one. Last week a lot of cattle in Snow Canyon. Today not a one. They rode home and found about 60 in Quaking Aspen Canyon, great place for them to be and saw about thirty more on the way home along Old Loco trail. They started to get a nice gentle rain almost as soon as they hit the saddle and were in it all day. No lightning too close and it never got too hard, but it got chilly in the afternoon and everyone was sure ready to get some dry clothes on.
I trailered out to 7HL cow camp with Sondra, Danny and Ken. As we unloaded I looked at the sky and felt the air and knew today was going to be an ass kickin' rain day out there. We rode from there down to T Bar Valley then headed east up the valley. About Fence tank I was watching a huge thunderhead building to our north. When we got to Pit tank an hour later I saw we were about to get hammered and asked if they wanted to head back or go on. They came to ride.
Within a few minutes we were in the rain with lightning popping all around us. Then it got heavier, and heavier. The lighting was hot and frequent and my pulse was getting a bit rapid. Then the hail started and let me tell ya it came down. Our horses wanted to turn butt to it but we had to go on as there was nothing but open grass land around us. The wind put the rain and most of the storm at our rear quarter so at least it wasn't right in our faces. But it got cold. Soon the water was running over the ground making it slick to walk.
Just before I had left home I changed from my morning wool shirt to a cotton shirt, it was about 75 at 9am. Now at 2pm it was in the low 40's. We rode all around Pitchfork pasture checking tanks, just seeing what was where. There were no cattle. Last week there were over a hundred head in the area we rode. We saw none. We rode S.S. Basin, up over T Bar Ridge and back to Fence tank. As we got to the top of the hill above the tank we could see the truck way off in the distance about a mile. It was a welcome sight. Then I saw something that wasn't right, as I got closer I saw a door open! Sondra had left it open in her rush to get horseback. Boy am I giving her a hard time about that!

Wednesday, July 17, 2002
Rode out in one big group gathering around the H.Q. getting enough to brand. It took less than an hour to have about 30 to work. Those were brought in the corrals and sorted while Lyndsey and a few guests went out to the Firebase Airstrip where I had seen some cattle over the weekend. The branding went well. Everyone jumped in and did something. Just as we got done with the first bunch Lyndsey and her riders came in with about 50 more. We got them in and started to work on them. Before we had five done it started raining and the lightning got hot so we called it quits for the day about 4pm. The morning hi was 73 afternoon hi 55 overnight 44.

Thursday, July 18, 2002
A long day in the branding pens which were deep in mud from the previous days rain. Making for some good corral skiing. We started the day branding the calves we didn't get to yesterday because of the rain. That was a quick dozen. Then we gathered around the H.Q. area again and quickly came up with another 80 head of cattle. We got these penned and then sorted and started back to branding again. Everyone had a job and did it well. It got a bit wild at times. We had a big 600 lb heifer in there and let me tell ya she was a hand full. We got her roped and pulled over to a post where we dallied her off while we branded and tagged her. She got a mite upset. When we let her up we kept the rope on her back feet till everyone was out of the way. Jim and David the two biggest moved away slow as they had taken the brunt of the work getting her down. Well she had her eye on Jim as she got up and took after him. He got himself pinned up against the fence with her snorting in his front pants pocket. Frank still had her by the back feet and it was him that saved Jim from getting that heifer in his lap. Jim was a mad man when it came to flanking the calves down. I was walking across the corral when he was on his way to get one and he just about took me off my feet. There were lots of laughs but a lot of work got done too, we got over 50 calves done. Rain threatened all day but never came to be.
The evening was spent with about half the crowd joining in for a few hours of paintball. The morning hi was 77 afternoon hi was 58. Overnight low was 44.

Friday, July 19, 2002
We were up and out early under gray cloudy skies that promised rain. The morning temperature of 42 and damp made me put on a wool shirt, and a wool vest, scarf and jacket.
The plan for the day was to gather everything we had been branding and putting in the North trap and pushing it out to Fence tank. We gathered the trap a way we never had before since we had so many riders. We gathered west to east and went out Snake Gate below Feathery Hill. You need a lot of people to do it that way so you can be sure you don't miss anything, lots of draws and coolies. The gather went perfect, we got to the gate with about 150 head. Up over Holy Shit Ridge we went and there below us were spread 150 more cattle. We gathered these and put the two herds together making a heck of a lot of cattle. We pushed them out away we had never pushed cattle, winding down through the draws and over the ridges. I rode point and had a great lead cow who seemed to know just where to go, she made my job pretty easy. At one point I got up on a ridge and looked back and we were strung out over a mile. It was a beautiful sight.
We got them out almost to Fence tank where we ran into good grass and let them drift. Things are greening up really nice, its amazing how fast the flowers have sprouted, greened and are now blooming. I saw at least a dozen varieties that were dead brown two weeks ago.
As we rode home a storm chased us all the way, but we stayed ahead of it till we got in the corrals. It had been bad and black and scary looking till it got here, then it did little more than sprinkle. The last two days have been mostly cloudy keeping the ground moist and letting the plants soak some up. Now if we get a good sunny day it will grow like crazy.
It has been a wonderful group this week. One of the best groups of really good riders we have had, they all own horses at home and ride together every weekend. We were able to use a lot of our horses that don't all get to wok every week because they are best suited for very experienced riders. I looked around at one time and was so proud of the string of horses that were working their hooves off and giving everyone a great week. Several of the crew told me the horse they were riding here was better than the one they had at home. We are really glad and thankful Danny and David had a good enough time last year to want to bring all these good friends to visit us this year. Lots of good humor, lots of warm, genuine people and we sure hope they will think of us for another adventure.
Hi 63

July 21-July 27,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, July 22, 2002
Monday they headed out on a shake down ride with Frank checking Dog Spring and the heifers. Out in the meadows near the Silver gate they found almost 80 head of cattle. It was all part of the bunch that had been at Snow Lake. They pushed them all home and penned them up in the water lot so we can brand some calves in the morning. I was cleaning the barn and shop most of the day, about 2pm I heard Franks cattle call off in the distance. Soon cattle started over the the rim of the valley and headed down into the h.q. I wondered what the hell he was doing driving in the heifers when I noticed that there were calves and it was a bunch of pairs. What a find.
A bit of rain... midday hi 72, afternoon 54, overnight 44.

Tuesday, July 23, 2002
A quick ride of the south trap fence first thing checking to make sure nothing had gotten left behind in the meadows. Then we gathered and sorted the cattle in the water lot and set to branding. The Brians got right in there and got muddy with us. The corrals were a bit soupy from the rain over the weekend when we got over and inch.
We got about 30 done before a sneaky thunderstorm caught us looking the other way. It was brief but heavy drowning the fire and soaking the calves to the skin. Midday hi 68, afternoon 54, overnight clear and a cool 40.

Wednesday, July 24, 2002
The Brians went with Frank and Alan over to the head of Deep Creek. They did a big loop through Dark canyon and over Corner mountain. They found a dozen head and got them back over into Rocker Canyon where they left them. Rain caught up with them with some pretty sparky lightning. They thought herding cattle in the black timber was "Interesting".
Maggie and Kathleen went on an overnight laundry trip to Silver City. If you have a lot of things to do you just can't comfortably get it done and home in one day.
I drove around my usual truck loop through the ranch, it takes 5 hours. I saw lots of elk. We have caught a bit of water in most of the tanks. Little Loco tank out in Canyon Creek pasture was over flowing, I have never seen that. But Big Loco tank only 2 miles away hardly got a bit.. I took Anna with me.. She's a good kid and I think she's not too far gone. Most importantly she's a horse nut.
Midday 70, afternoon 50, overnight 44.

Thursday, July 25, 2002
Maggie, The Brians, Anna and I took a long loop through the country. We went out into 7HL checking Nedra and Elladeanee tanks, neither of which have caught water. Then south into Negrito pasture all the way to Snow Lake, Then up Snow canyon into the Negrito Pine Thicket. Busted our way through there and out to Burnt Cabin, down Green gate canyon to the house. It rained most of the afternoon lightly but every where we went it had just rained hard.
Anna rode a young 3 yo paint we call King out for his first big day, he did a great job as as she did. It was pretty tough going in a few spots and they both worked it all out. She has nice light hands and a firm manner. All her back ground is in English, which is not a bad thing. I can tell her our way of riding starting with a clean mind.
When we got home about 5pm the Brians wanted more, they are into some endurance week, so since it's just them ...ok. We changed horses and headed back out going down to the Indian ruins for a while then out Negrito canyon. It was late and the shadows were long, the elk were out and it was fresh from the rain. It was beautiful. I was riding Gambler who I hadn't ridden for a long long time. Damn what a horse!!! I can't remember why I stopped riding him. Oh yea, he's too tall and I had the two knuckleheads Doc and Dakota to ride. We got home about 9pm after putting down about a 35 mile day.
Frank and Alan rode in the Rocker canyon area, getting what they had left there the day before and moving them on into the h.q. lot to work next week.
Midday hi 77, afternoon 55, overnight 45.

Friday, July 26, 2002
I gave Frank and Anna the day off. Such a soft boss I am.
I took the Brians and trailered down to the lower end of Bearwallow pasture. We rode down to the confluence of Turkey and Gilita creek. Boy! It was pretty down in there. A whole other world. Big Douglas firs and flowers stirrup high, water flowing and ferns. We rode up Gilita till it split and I sent them on the south fork trail as I took the north. We met back up about an hour later at Bill Lewis cienega and rode on back to the trailer an hour or so. We found no cattle which was a good thing since we were supposed to have had them all out from that area.
It rained hard just as we got home so we left the horses in the trailer. The lightning was close and hot. After it cleared father and son headed out for one last ride on the range before calling it a week about 6pm. They sure got in plenty of saddle time this week. I wasn't gonna try to keep up with them.
Midday 68, afternoon 48, overnight 45.

Saturday, July 27, 2002
Heavy rain amounting to over 2 inches fell this afternoon. We had gone to the local annual rodeo and that makes it always rain. Anna ate a hamburger at the rodeo so I think she will be alright.
During evening feeding I saw a couple rails down in the corrals, not a new thing but they were half way across the corral. When I went to put them on the post I realized it had been hit by lightning. It was yesterday when we had the horses in the trailer outside the corrals because it was raining to hard to unload. If we had we would have been right there in the corrals when it hit.

July 28-Aug 3,2002:Summer Ranch Week

Monday, July 29, 2002
Monday we got right at it and started gathering unbranded calves from right around the h.q. here. By lunch time we were branding and the cupcakes remembered the jobs and the others fell right in. We had a good time and got over 30 calves done. The rain held off all day tho it looked like it would start at anytime. It was warm and a bit humid, hi was about 78.
The corrals were a bit muddy but that added to the fun of it.

Tuesday, July 30, 2002
It was a rerun of yesterday. Rode and gathered unbranded pairs, brought them to the h.q. corrals and spent the afternoon branding under cloudy skies. The crew was a well oiled machine as loops found calves and they were quickly thrown and tied. Branding, castrating, tagging, dehorning, vaccinating and worming were done with the smoothness only an experienced crew can do.
The weather held off till late in the day when we had a light rain about supper time. It was about 75 till the afternoon clouds. A bit humid for New Mexico, about 40%.

Wednesday, July 31, 2002
Again we worked in a couple groups, all of us going off in different directions doing different things. I headed out to check a couple tanks with Averille and Jim along. We found Nedra tank half full! Elladeane was full! And T Bar Tank was 90% full! All in a couple days. The first half of the ride was just wonderful I was reeling with glee over the water in the tanks, the green grass that was thick and strong now up about 6 inches.
Then we came around on the east side of Feathery Hill and I found a dead calf of mine under a tree. It was just a day dead but still impossible to tell what had killed it. We rode through the north trap on our way home checking for unbranded pairs and only came up with one pair. It was a pair of Alan's so trotty as all hell. We put her with a couple pairs of mine that were nice and quiet but she was still a pain in the ass on the way home. Trying to cut out and back all the way. I offered Alan to to buy her just so I could shoot her. I was riding Dakota, he gets better every day.
What each of the rest of the crew did I really couldn't tell ya. Seems the different groups met up and some split up but whatever they all were at the corrals as we came in. They had done some branding and still had the fire going. Before I could get off my horse they had the calf we brought in roped, thrown and branded.
It was mostly cloudy again with a bit of a soft breeze. Hi was about 70. Overnight it got cool, down to 40.

Thursday, August 1, 2002
It was another day of different crews but we were all riding one general area. We worked almost all of Negrito pasture and a bit of Bearwallow. We covered about 40 Square miles of mostly thick timbered country. John who has been up most of the week leaving the farm behind for awhile took Bob and Jim with him. They trailered out to Gilita ridge and worked back from there. They came home about 5pm with a dozen head or so. Lyndsey along with Dan, Glenda, Katie and Kim went out to Little Fence spring and worked that area, they came home with a couple dozen head. Alan trailered out to Corner mountain with the young gals Carrie and Courtney. Alan's wife Terri was also up, we don't get to see her much. Frank, Anna, Averille and Pistol rode with me along the edge of the Triangle To Burnt Cabin where we found a half dozen head. We pushed them home and corralled them. Then loaded up in a trailer and headed back out again. We saw John and his crew on the way and made a plan to drop off Frank, Averille and Pistol to hunt the Lucky tank area and Anna and I would come back to help John get his cattle corralled.
Anna and I got home just in time to meet him at Big Pine gate. About 6pm everyone was in but Frank, Averille and Pistol who trailed in about 7pm with a big bunch of cattle. When it was all said and done we had gathered over 70 head of cattle. We had no idea there had been that many in there.
Everyone had been in slickers most of the day, the rain came and went never getting to heavy. The temp stayed warm about 70 so it was a bit sticky in the slickers.
Lots of antics have been going on around camp. Our foam bear has been in most cabins as well as the outhouse. Some girls underwear was seen flying from the bell post at the cook house one morning.
Vengeance was vowed.

Friday, August 2, 2002
We had gathered in some calves that had to be branded first thing so some of the crew set to that in the muddy corrals under cloudy skies. Lyndsey took a hand full of folks and about 60 head of cattle and headed down Negrito canyon while the branding went on. Negrito canyon is a real narrow gorge for the first couple miles and can get a bit technical. I knew they were going to have a full plate. When we got done branding everyone headed out to gather all of the cattle in the north trap and clear them out to 7HL. I headed to Rocker Canyon to close a gate, along the way I decided to Lewis And Clarke it over and check on Lyndsey and her crew in the canyon. I came down to find Lyndsey off her horse waving chaps and hollering to get the cattle out of a side canyon. I pitched in a bit of help and down the canyon we went another mile before we let them drift on new grass and fresh water. The ground is now boggy in a lot of places, all the streams are flowing again. We have gone from famine to feast.
On the way home I went up to the gate, Anna tagged along on Preacher. The rain got heavier and heavier till it was a steady soaking rain and got a bit cool. Preacher is working great, His mom is Babe one of our best mares and a fantastic rock horse. From watching him in the canyon he seems to have gotten that from her. He was solid and sure footed through the worst of the muddy, rocky slopes. Never stumbled where a few of the veteran older horses struggled a bit. Of course Anna only weighs in at about 100 lbs.
Everyone was home at a bit after 3pm. The rain beating a steady tattoo on the cook house roof as the hot chocolate and coffee chased the rain soaked chills. It's fun to listen to the days adventures of each group as they trade tales. Each sure they had the longest, toughest, wildest day.
It's been a great group as usual. We sure are thankful for all the folks who keep coming back. It's what makes it so much fun.
It's friends coming back to visit.

Saturday, August 3, 2002
Seems vengeance for the panty flag was secured overnight in the form of a live chicken in a sleeping bag. This crew is always coming up with something!
Today I did a loop way out to White tank checking grass and water and fence. We are getting ready to start working east into Pitchfork pasture. I found water in most places, except Fence tank still hasn't caught any new water. The grass looks great out there and about 50 head have already made their own way out there. When I was above 7HL cow camp I saw buzzards and a few eagles on a carcass under a tree on the slope. When I rode up I found a black cow of Alan's dead but not that long dead. I also found a the remains of a black calf, that had been dead a week. Strange. Then I found a red leg from a 3 year old. Stranger. Then another red leg. Hummmm. Then I looked at the tree. There was the fresh blaze of stripped bark on the back side of it left by lightning. I guess it must have blown the red cow to pieces, killed the calf and injured the cow who then died later. That explained why it was still there mostly intact and the others were long devoured. I think it probably happened last Friday.
Anna has been a pleasure to watch. She started eating meat last week, now does at every meal. She was wearing baggy city jeans, now old Wranglers of mine Maggie gave her since my weight gain. She hung up her poncho for a yellow slicker. She arrived wearing a floppy leather Fedora. After the heavy rain she gave Lyndsey money to get her a proper hat in Albq. She spent some of her tip money on a silk wild rag in the ranch store. She's sure looking the part of a cowgirl, and a dang cute one at that. Now if we can just get her thinking like a cow. That will take sometime.