October

October 4-11, 2003 Fall Ranch Week

Saturday, October 4, 2003
Lyndsey took the crew back to Albq. Frank went and got another load of hay on Saturday getting back late in the evening. I spent the day Saturday cleaning the guest camp and then tying stays in the fence at the shipping pens.

Sunday, October 5, 2003
I spent the whole day hanging gates around the shipping pens. For years we had been dragging old wire gates around, a real pain when you have a horse and one hand. So now we have seven new steel tube gates that swing and latch. Really getting modern around here.
We have a small but ready to go crew. Fred from Ca. is back just a month since his last stay with us. Walter from Md. is here again for his yearly fall visit, he’s here for three weeks this time. Mike from N.Y. is here again he’s been coming since like ’97. Our first timers are two gals from In. Kathy and Debbie.

Monday, October 6, 2003
Lyndsey and Frank took the crew out today around the Dog Spring area, getting in 18 pairs and 9 dry cows. Then they cleared the traps getting ready for more sorting this week. I spent the morning talking to cattle buyers, the usual yearly haggling over who will offer the best deal. In the afternoon I unloaded and stacked 200 bales of hay and wore myself out.
Hi 60 with clouds moving in over night. Lo 40

Tuesday, October 7, 2003
Frank, Fred and Kathy trailered to Snow lake and started gathering around the west side of Loco Mtn. they got in about 35 head which they left in Loco flat near the Ghost tanks. Lyndsey and I along with Walter, Mike, and Debbie trailered to Big Loco tank where we started riding the far edges moving everything towards the tank. Walter and I headed in Canyon creek where we had been seeing about 20 head over the last week. We rode and rode and rode and never found them after six hours. At one point we were about two miles apart and I came across two young antelope grazing in the bottom of a draw. Gambler and I were above them about 300 yards away. They watched us and as we went by they fell in behind and started to follow. Soon they were less than 30 yards behind us and stayed there about 10 minutes before they got bored. Lyndsey's crew went down to the wilderness fence and found the gate open and got a half dozen head moved back to the tank. I radioed Frank and had him come into the upper end of Canyon Creek and check a tank there on the mountain. They found seven head and pushed them all the way back to Twin Tanks gate where they put them thru then headed back to the trailer and home. The weather caused us to slicker up every hour or so as it spat rain. Just as we got to the trailers it really started raining. All the way home it got harder and harder running water by the time we got to the H.Q. Fall is here, as we looked into the wilderness area the aspen were glowing and the clouds hung low over the mountain peaks. Tendrils of mist were strung through the trees and it looked cold up there. The hi was about 50 but the temperature dropped all day till it was a cold 40 degree rain.

Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Long, hard rain fell overnight, almost 2 inches. It rained us out from riding for the day. The ground was just to thick and muddy, it would have worn the horses out in a couple hours and the cattle as well. The guys of the crew pitched in to help us tie more stays in the shipping pen lots and then we replaced all the old wire panels with some new ones I bought a few weeks ago. The pens now are tight and ready for cattle. It’s a good thing since I made a deal on the calves with a guy and the delivery date is the 22nd. This is a lot better than in years past where sometimes we didn’t get notice until a day or two about what we were going to do with the calves. We have a date, two weeks to get ready and it’s a lot less stressful. The prices were the highest I have ever sold calves for. The buyer was anxious and made the deal sweeter by covering transportation brand inspection and health inspection costs.
The girls spent the day hiking around and enjoying some reading time. The day was a mixture of drizzle and sun, it did more drying than getting wet so tomorrow we will be back at it riding the Loco Mtn. area.
I didn’t mention it earlier but two weeks ago a wolf was shot at 5am about a mile from Snow Lake right on the road. Some hunters camped nearby said it was a white, four door, Ford Powerstroke pickup. They told investigators they had talked to Frank the day before and that is what he was driving. So the Feds came by to talk to him today. They pretty much decided he was the one who shot it. They are full of it. It’s hard enough getting Frank to chores on time, he sure isn’t going to be out driving around in the dark at 5am on a Sunday morning shooting wolves. Besides he wouldn’t shoot one no matter the time of day. It’s not worth the trouble and no matter what the evidence they will always suspect us first. The are planning on having him take a polygraph with the F.B.I. We will see how far they will go to prove an innocent man guilty, they really want him to be the one who did it. Stay tuned for the news.
Hi 55, lo 45.

Thursday, October 9, 2003
We all trailered to Snow Lake and from there we rode in a couple groups up Loco Mtn. to Big Loco tank. We spent a couple hours gathering around there pushing everything to the tank. After holding the herd of about 60 we sorted out 35 pairs and did the long push to the Twin Tanks gate. The cattle traveled well and we made it there in about three hours. It was a long day, the trailers at the lake were a welcome sight from the top of the ridge.
A mix of sun and clouds but nice temperature for a fall day. Hi 60 lo 40.

Friday, October 10, 2003
We all rode out from the H.Q. our first mission was to clear the north trap of some cattle which had some how gotten in there. Two hours later we had moved 22 head out but couldn’t find how they had gotten in. From there we split into two groups, Frank along with Walter and Fred went north along the fence checking gates in 7HL pasture. Debbie, Kathy, Mike and I went south looking for our loose horses and most importantly to try and find Cassady's pony “Shovel” she has been missing for over a month. An hour out I split off to check a gate along the south fence and sent my crew to check Nedra tank. We met up awhile later and they were all smiles to report they had found 30 horses and a pony. We continued east just to see what there was to see and check where the cattle were spreading. We got to 7HL mesa over T Bar tank and saw cattle scattered in bunches as far as the eye could see. Looking behind us I spotted a few head on the wrong side of the fence about a mile south so we headed there. It was too good to be true, three pair and two dry cows waiting right in the gate corner for some one to come along and let them in. That doesn’t happen very often. From there we headed home checking the spring in the south trap finding it running well and the rim full. It was another perfect day after some overnight rain. Big puffy clouds floating by and easy temperatures in the 50’s.

October 12 - 18, 2003 Fall Ranch Week

Monday, October 13, 2003
A big crew on hand for a big week of gathering. We have twelve folks the biggest bunch all season. Walter of course is still here for his second of three weeks. Mike is here still as well for his second week. Brian came in to spend two weeks with us; he was here for a week back in August. Jersey Joe and Bob are back for a fifth or sixth time. Chris from Costa Rica is here for his sixth time. Our first timers are Lucy from Ireland, Michel from Arkansas, Jamie from Ca., Petra and Adrian from Switzerland, Karen from Ca.

We got right at it today, and considering the number of folks we were pretty fast getting going for a Monday. We were on the trail by about 10:30am. Lyndsey took half the crew out to Negrito Pasture doing another check for cattle around that area; they rode a few hours and only came up with two bulls. They then gathered the south trap getting in some cattle that needed branding. I took the other half of the crew and went horse hunting, we need a few more horses in with a crew this size. We rode about and hour and found all 28 in one big bunch up on 7HL mesa. We lined them out and headed on back to the H.Q. it went really well with a good bunch of riders. It got a bit fast for a few minuets as the mares in the bunch tried to make a break for it down Feathery Valley but we got them stopped and turned around. Both crews made it in about the same time, the horse runners had to hold and wait for the cattle drivers to get their animals penned. We took a short break and then late afternoon did a little branding. One of the calves was about 400 pounds and he sure was a handful. It was a great start to the week, a bit of everything going on. The weather was perfect, hi 58 after a lo of 30.

Frank headed to Albq. to take a polygraph with the F.B.I. over this wolf killing crap. It really pisses me off they just have him come in with no charges, spend two days during my busiest week of the year. They are trying to railroad him. And you know Frank he’s the nice guy, if it were me, I’d tell them to charge me or leave me alone. I guarantee you they will tell him he failed the polygraph.

Tuesday, October 14, 2003
We all loaded up in trailers and drove out to Loco Pasture today. Lyndsey with Mike as auxiliary wrangler unloaded at Snow Lake and rode east up the mountain with eight other riders. I went on with four riders to Big Loco tank and started from there. I sent Walter with the crew up and over Loco Mtn. to check the wilderness side while I rode out east to Little Juniper tank and found nothing. A couple hours later Lindsey’s crew showed up and we started picking up everything around the tank meadow coming up with about 45 head. We then headed north over the mountain and out into the flats. There were cattle scattered all over the place. We worked a wide range in a couple groups while the herd slowly moved across picking up more and more cattle. By the time we got to the Twin Tanks gate we had about 85 head. Now remember we usually only count adult cattle most of which have calves so there were over 160 animals. It was 5pm when we got everything through the gate and headed back for the hour-long ride to the trailers and the hour drive home. It was a heck of a long day. Perfect day though, hi about 55 lo was 30.

Wednesday, October 15, 2003
We headed out in two groups cutting through Negrito pasture and on towards Snow Lake. Lyndsey took one bunch up T Bar Canyon while I came in from the top and checked out that area. We came up empty handed, which is a good thing, means most of the cattle are in 7HL. We headed into 7HL and started gathering everything west of T Bar tank. We spent about three hours out there in several different teams of riders and came up with about 70 head. Everyone pushed what they had to the T gates and there we held them all and started sorting. Big selling size pairs into the North trap and everything else into the South. It took awhile but all went really smooth. We sure have some dandy calves this year. It was another long day; we got in about 6pm pretty dang tired. Another fine, fine fall day, hi of 57 after a frosty 29.

Thursday, October 16, 2003
Frank is back, of course they told him he had failed the polygraph hoping he was guilty and would spill his guts. But he had nothing to tell them since there is nothing to tell.

We all rode out from the H.Q. with the far East side of 7HL as the destination for the day. From there we started gathering the entire pasture. We laid out a good plan, plenty of riders and plenty of country to cover. It was slow going with cattle scattered in every direction as far as you could see. The riders worked hard getting bunches from here and there. We had six riders with radios and boy it sure helped out. Riders on one ridge could spot for riders on the next. Cattle we would have missed in the past were found and gathered. About 2pm we had everything down in T Bar Valley, it was a sight to see, we had several hundred cattle and started west. It was a long slow drive to the T gates, getting there at about 5pm. Riders held the herd while we sorted the cattle into the proper traps. Lyndsey and Brian had spotted cattle over on the other side of T Bar Ridge earlier in the day and showed up behind us with about 20 head. I had lost track of the time and Lyndsey rode up asking if I knew what time it was. When she told me it was after 6pm and we still had a hundred cattle to sort I decided just to put them all in the south trap and call it a day. No one argued my decision and were glad to get home about 7pm after a heck of a good day. Hi was 66, lo 30.

Friday, October 17, 2003
We were out early gathering the south trap and made a good job of it. We had everything in the shipping pens about noon, and called a lunch break to let the cattle settle before starting the afternoon’s work. We spilt into two groups, Frank headed up one with all the able bodied guys to do some branding of calves we had missed all year. Lyndsey and I took the other crew in the pens and started sorting. It took the rest of the day to get everything sorted out. We had to separate, big pairs, small pairs, dry cows, and heifers. The day ended at about 7pm with everyone weary but well satisfied. We got everything done that we had planned on in the beginning of the week. 95% of the cattle are in the traps and ready for next weeks shipping. It was a great crew of good riders, full of motivation and humor. The weather again was unseasonably warm and mild making it a pure pleasure to be cowboyin’.

October 19 - October 25, 2003 Fall Ranch Week

Monday, October, 20, 2003
A small crew for our last week of guests for the year. Walter of course is still here for his third week, Brian is here for the second week, Don from Oh. is back for another visit, his third. Charlie from Md. is here for a second time he said he’d never miss our Halloween party, our only first timer is Jackie originally from the U.K. now living in the Cayman Islands. Victor, Lyndsey's beau is here for another visit as well.

Monday was a heck of a long day to start the week. Everyone headed out to the Loco Mtn. area looking up some strays. They rode all day and found nothing till almost 3pm. They came up with a dozen head and pushed them down to Snow Lake. There were several pairs in the bunch we needed to get home so we could get them in the load going to the sale so the long day continued on. They penned and loaded the cattle about dark and trucked them back to the ranch while a few folks stayed with the horses at the lake. Once the cattle were unloaded the truck went back to pick up the riders and horses. They didn’t get dinner till almost 9pm.

I was lucky, I stayed home and put shoes on Cowboy and Frio. They both are going to the good sale in Phoenix next week so I took this day to get them cleaned up. Then I went to check the spring in the south trap and found it wasn’t working. The cattle had knocked the pipe loose and it was just running on the ground. I spent a couple hours fixing that and getting covered in mud.

Tuesday, October 21, 2003
We spent the day riding 7HL getting any cattle we could find into the traps for shipping, we rode and rode and rode and only came up with a half dozen head which we sorted and put in. No one minded the shorter day after the day they had put in yesterday.

Wednesday, October 22, 2003
SHIPPING DAY, the day the entire year is figured around, our once a year paycheck. We were out early gathering the north trap where we have the pairs. As usual it took longer than we had planned but got them all in about noon. The corrals were choked with cattle and the noise was deafening. We took a quick lunch then headed down and started sorting. Most everyone was on foot working gates and running cattle one way or another, a few folks were horseback with Lyndsey feeding us bunches as we got done with one after another. We sorted the cows from the calves, then the steers from the heifers, then sorted off the heifers we wanted to keep, only about 20 this year. The semi truck to pick them up was right on time but of course we were running late. It was sure a lot easier this year not having to sort according to brands, then letting the buyer pick through, then weighing. This year with just our cattle in the pen, no buyer, and no weighing it was simple and stress free. We got our sorting done and put them on the truck. We sent off 184 calves, it was better than I had expected. They will sell on Friday at public auction in Belen N.M. It was a great day, the weather as it had been all week was just perfect. There were many shipping days that we were in the mud and snow and cold. Today was the best in history.

Thursday, October 23, 2003
It sure was a loud night around here last night, all the just weaned momma cows standing around bellowing for their long gone calves, the sound reverberated off the valley walls and could be heard for a mile.

Today we gathered the south trap getting in all the dry cows, little pairs and ’02 heifers. Once they were all in we spent the day sorting, first the ‘02’s so we could year brand them, something we didn’t get done last year. It was a smatter of running them through the chute and putting a roman numeral 2 on the right hip above the ranch brand. Then we worked out any cattle that needed horns trimmed, or ear tags replaced. Then we worked out all the heavy bred cows so we could keep them close to home for the winter and watch their calving. Last of the day we year branded our new replacement ’03 heifers. The day we was another perfect one, everything getting done and the weather couldn’t have been better.

We had our Halloween party tonight, since Frank is headed with the horses to Phoenix in the morning and it’s his birthday as well. It was a hoot! Frank was a devil, Lyndsey a French Maid, Tawnya was Aunt Jemima, Anna was Tigger. Don was Freddy Kruger{ I think}, Charlie was a body building Zombie, Walter his usual pumpkin headed monk, Jackie was a fallen princess, Vic was a Gorilla, and Brian was a wolf. He kept informing Frank no matter what he did he was protected and Frank couldn’t bother him. Maggie and I were Wild Bill Hickock and Calamity Jane. The cookhouse shook with laughter all night.

Friday, October 24, 2003
We gathered all the just weaned cows from around the H.Q. and pushed them out into 7HL where they will spend the winter. It wasn’t an easy push, they didn’t want to leave the last place they had seen their calves. It took over an hour to go just over a mile but we got them out there and the gate closed. I’m sure there will be a bunch right back in here in the morning. The rest of the day we spent riding for some strays that we know are out there some where. We know of at least 10 we haven’t seen for the whole gather. We rode all over the place and came up with two bulls and three pairs in different places.

The weather all week has been just wonderful especially considering the lateness of the fall. Temperatures have been in the 60’s and over nights just at freezing, just enough to set some frost but still haven’t broken ice on the tubs.
Today ends another guest season, it started out pretty slow but picked up as the year went along. We operated fewer weeks than in the past years and I think it was a good thing for us and the ranch. We never got burned out and a lot of things that needed fixing and repairing got done.

We have a full season back on the books for next year and we are booking more now than we ever have in the past at this time of year so it looks as though or 10th year may be our best. I want to thank all of you who came for a visit for your help and good humor. I want especially to thank all of you who keep coming back year after year, you are the ones that keep us going, the ones we look forward to, if it weren’t for you all we wouldn’t be here. Thank You!!

October 26-November 4, 2003 No Guests

Monday, Oct 27, 2003
Last weekend I hauled a small load of cull cows to the sale, Walter, Charlie and Brian rode along with me. Maggie drove her truck with Don and Jackie riding along. The guys and I spent some time watching the sale, it was a bunch of junk selling, kind of sad to watch. Our junk cows sure looked a lot better than anyone else’s junk cows. On our load was ol’ Banana Horns, yep he’s finally gone! We didn’t have time to watch ours sell but I’m sure they didn’t ring any bells on the sale records. It was cold when we got to Albq. with a stiff north wind. We all went out to dinner and dang near got blown across the parking lot just getting to the trucks. I guess it was bound to come along eventually. Lyndsey reported it was down to 19 overnight at the ranch. Maggie and I had plenty of errands to run and it kept us in town till Monday night.

Tuesday, October 28, 2003
Vic, Frank, Lyndsey and I headed out to Big Loco to do one last look around for strays. The cold weather blew out as quick as it had come in and the day was a beauty. It became even better when we got to Big Loco and found 18 head waiting for us there. We just unloaded, mounted up and pushed them to Snow Lake where we quickly got them penned, loaded and hauled home. It was a surprise to find them after all the riding we had done in that area.

Wednesday, October 29, 2003
Frank, Lyndsey and Vic trailered out to Big Loco for yet another last look. They rode out to the south side and to their surprise found more cattle again. Frank found two pairs out near Juniper, Vic and Lyns found eleven more way down along the Wilderness fence. They pushed them back to Loco and let them settle while they took on the next job which was to load a sick cow out there and a lame bull. They had taken some panels with them and expected an all day job getting those two loaded. The old sick cow just went ahead and walked in the trailer as soon as they opened the doors. The bull was just about the same, they put some hay out and in he came. It was all just too easy.

I rode out from the ranch on Doc looking for some cattle I had seen from a distance yesterday along the east side of T Bar canyon. We rode across 7HL down Ten Dead canyon over Leg Break Ridge, down the Red Rock Trail into T Bar Canyon. There we rode zig zag all over hunting cattle and finally after two hours found one pair. We pushed them down the Sand Ridge trail to Snow Lake where with no trouble we put them in the pen and then headed up to Big Loco. Lyndsey called me on the radio and let me know she had a total of 24 cows and calves headed down Loco canyon towards the lake. Frank was hauling the sick cow and bull back to the H.Q. and Vic was going to meet her at the lake with the other rig. I rode and met up with her giving a hand getting the cattle down but they really needed no help. They seemed to know it was time to get back home. There were some great calves in the bunch, which we will haul to the sale over the weekend. By the time we got to the lake it was just about dark so we just let them drift for the night. It was the longest day Doc had ever had and he was just pooped, he worked about 30 miles and some of it was some real nasty country. I was pretty proud of him.

Thursday, October 30, 2003
We trailered to Snow Lake early and gathered up the stock we had left there yesterday and with no trouble we got them penned and loaded two trailers. Vic and Lyndsey stayed there with the horses while Frank and I hauled the cattle home then he went back and picked them up. It was about 2pm when we were done with that and so I gave Lyndsey and Vic the rest of the week off for a little honeymoon, they quickly scurried off to Albq. Frank put a round bale out for the heifers and I started working on getting the place ready for winter. Draining the water lines in the shower house is always a chore and a pain in the ass.

Friday, October 31, 2003
We were out early getting the calves loaded and Frank on his way to the sale in Albq. Then I drove to Silver City to spend the day with the dentist. I had lost a bridge last week and was feeling none too good for it. I didn’t feel any better afterwards as I have to go back next week and get a new one made.

Tuesday, November 4, 2003
I spent the last couple days just working around here, Draining water lines, cleaning and filling liquid feed tubs for the cattle, putting out salt, topping of anti freeze in all the trucks, changing a few tires to snow treads. The wonderful Indian summer we’d had is over, the last two nights we have been down into the single digits, finally fired up the big wood stove in the house. I dread getting up every night to feed that thing.

Lyndsey got home Sunday night with a smile on her face. Frank managed to drag out his trip to the sale on Friday until Sunday as well. Then allowed he needed to take his dad to the Dr. and has been gone since. Of course I’m supposed to be the last to know but in a small town it doesn’t work that way. He is planning on leaving the ranch and moving to town. His girlfriend doesn’t like us or like living here. I hate to see him go, he’s a great hand and a good man. But it probably is best, he has gone as far as he can in this lifestyle and has aspirations. A friend of mine called this morning, an old guide and outfitting buddy. He is in poor health and has asked several times for me to buy him out. I have no plans of getting back into the guide business but I’m going to try and get him and Frank hooked up. It could be the chance of a lifetime for Frank if he’s willing to make good on it.

Two weeks ago I by chance ran into the head Fish and Wildlife guy. I told him his men were way off base going after Frank over the wolf and that I was pretty pissed off about the whole thing. I told him just to plain leave him alone. They have.