January, 2004: No Guests

It's been a long time since I last wrote, between the holidays and Cassady being here I just never got a chance to get to the keys. December was the driest and coldest I have ever known here. The week either side of Christmas was just brutal. Daytime highs hardly getting out of the single digits and the nightly lows about ten below zero. Cassady and I did no riding at all while he was here. I asked him several times if he wanted to ride his buddy Creek and he said only if he had to. Well I'm not gonna force him into it and I really didn't feel like being out there myself. We drove around a lot checking cattle from the warmth of a truck. Of course we could only see the ones that were at the feed stations but I think over a couple weeks we saw most of them.

We spent a lot of time inside building models and playing chess. For a seven year old he sure can whip my butt at it.

Christmas day we enjoyed the company of three Golden eagles that perched in the trees around the house. For some reason we get eagles here on Christmas day, this is probably the sixth year in the last eleven that we have had them right here at the house. It's been Bald eagles before, never have we had Goldens in this close. And strange but we rarely have them roost so close to the house except on Christmas. Makes ya ponder.

The ice was so thick and temperatures so cold some days I was cutting ice twice a day. A few times six inches had formed during the day. It wasn't because it was cloudy; the sun was out but just weak and no competition for the cold. We only had a couple days of snow flurries amounting to a total of an inch, lots of wind making for our usual smoke filled wintertime house.

Of course right after he left things warmed up into a sweet January thaw. He headed back to record low temperatures there in New England, poor kid.

Lyndsey got back about the 10 th from her holiday travels on the east coast.

Maggie and I rode a couple days hunting strays in Loco Pasture, all we found were tracks, never caught up with the cattle. Lyndsey rode one day with us out there and saw wolves along T Bar Canyon headed towards the H.Q.

I will try to get back on a weekly schedule and get my logs posted in a timely fashion. A lot of you have e-mailed asking what was up. I thank you all for reading my ramblings.

Thursday, January 15, 2004

It was snowing when I got up thick wet flakes that held a lot of moisture. There was about five inches on the ground and it continued until about lunchtime. It was the thickest wettest snow I have seen in a long time, just the kind we need. The flakes at chore time were the size of the palm of my hand. In the afternoon the sun came out and the snow started melting. It got muddy in a hurry and that was fine by me. I spent most of the day cleaning out the shop. Doing a cleaning like hasn't been done in ten years. Pulling stuff from under cabinets and counters and workbenches throwing away things I thought I might need some day and probably will within the week. The place had become just a collection pit, there was no way you could work in there or even want to go in there.

By evening chores half the snow had melted and it was wonderfully messy in the barnyard. Hi 38 lo 28

Friday, January 16, 2004

I saddled up Chico after breakfast and rode out into a bright world. The sun shinning off the snow and even with my darkest glasses it was still almost too much. I rode a loop around the south trap checking for wolf tracks. Found one set and followed them about two miles and gave them up after they went south towards Negrito Mtn.

I got home about 2pm and spent the rest of the day cleaning up the shop again, hauled a truck load of trash and burned it in the dump, with the snow it was a good time to do it. I had about 175 small empty propane canisters we use in camps for stoves and lights and such, that had collected up over the years, I kept saying I'd refill them but never did. Well I tossed them in the dump and then everything else to burn on top. It was as exciting as I had hoped. While I was putting stuff in the storage shed I could watch the dump and soon the canisters started going off. Boom, boom, boom it was great, a guy thing. My gun lovin' dog Jack came running down and he and I sat on the tailgate and listened to the show. He loved it as much as I did, when a big one went off he'd thump his tail hard and grin.

Saturday January 17, 2004

Lyndsey saddled up Gambler and gathered in all the horses we own for a big day of worming. I met her at the shipping pens and there we sorted them a bit. Cutting out the ones we knew we couldn't worm, like the wild mares and a couple 2 year olds that are still a bit wild. We also cut off W.C. and Annie, they are headed to a friends place where his son-in-law is gonna spend some time on them. He's a young 20 something kid and just the age to get some miles on them.

The worming went well and we were done in a couple hours then took a lunch break. We met back at the pens later planning on loading up the two school kids in the trailer. W.C. went on without much trouble but two hours later I gave up trying to load Annie. It was late and I had to get going. We tried everything, sweet talk, mean talk, whispering and hollering. As a weanling and yearling she ate and played on the trailers as they were parked in the yard. But today she was not going on, she's always been a little stuck up bitch. I headed out to get to Hollis' place about 3pm. it's only 40 miles but takes almost two hours with a trailer; the roads are pretty rough in some spots.

I got there just about dark and we settled W.C. in and chatted a bit. Hollis is big into cutting horses and Working Ranch Horses he was telling about all the shows he goes to, he spends a lot of time driving a lot of miles. His place is pretty neat, sets off the dirt road about 5 miles in a small little canyon. All the building are built of native stone and they are set in amongst a bunch of V.W. size boulders at the base of a mesa. Sunny hi was 38 lo 18 late day clouds.

Sunday January 18, 2004

Nice sunny day, I filled feeders in the morning getting done about 1pm. I couldn't get the last three up on the mesa, it was just too muddy, I'll get out early on the freeze tomorrow and do it.

I heard wolves about a half-mile south of the T Bar Valley feeders howling away at 11am.

After a quick lunch I spent more time cleaning and sorting the shop. What a job this has been, getting decades old stuff out of the way, stuff I wonder now why in heck I ever put it on that shelf in the first place.

Late in the day I worked on the Dodge a bit, oil change and lube. Fun in the winter.

Monday January 19, 2004

A bright sunny day, I was out early trying to beat the melt and get the feeders on Telegraph Mesa filled. But of course the usual hang ups stated right away. Flat tire on the feed truck, of course a hard to change inside dually tire. Then the air compressor wouldn't start in the 6 degree temps so I had to hunt up starting fluid, then the valve on the feed tank was frozen in the open position so I had to get hot water and rags and get that thawed out. I finally got out of here about 8:30am after a planned 6am departure. I got out there and it was a grand morning, not a whisp of breeze, clear and cold.

On the last feeder I found the dump wasn't working so it took twice as long to get that last bit of molasses out of the tank. As I headed back the ground was just getting soft but I got out and didn't rut things up too much. That's what I try to avoid most is ripping the roads up and having to deal with the roughness the rest of the year after they dry. One set of deep ruts and you've ruined a nice two-track road.

When I got home I spent the rest of the day replacing the hydraulic cylinder under the dump bed. I was just lucky to have one on an old piece of equipment in the junkyard. It took until right till dark but I was sure smilin' when it worked. Hi 35 sunny lo 6

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

Cold with snow flurries all day, got about two inches total for the day. Lyndsey made a town run for mailing and supplies. Maggie was in her studio cranking out the Valentines Day orders. Next week she heads to Ca. for a couple of shows at stores in Santa Barbara and L.A.

I spent the day starting on '03 taxes, we just finished '02 taxes! The day's entertainment was watching Jack guard a burnt loaf of bread from the ravens. It was an all day thing; he was in the yard they were on the fence. He didn't want to eat it, it was pretty black but he sure wasn't gonna let those thieving ravens have it. He couldn't bury it or they'd watch and later just dig it up. There were fourteen ravens and they kept him busy. A few would come in close and then hop away as Jack chased them. While this was going on another couple ravens would come in behind him and take a peck on the black loaf. Jack would see that and dart back over and chase them off as the others came again from the other side. Poor old dog was just worn out by the time the sun went down and the ravens went home to roost. Hi 38 lo 9

Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Snow started early last night and continued throughout most of he day. Light snow and light wind made for a pretty nice day. The sun would come out every once in awhile and melt most of what had fallen. By late afternoon it was muddy again and running water. I finished up organizing the shop and then worked on taxes. Hi 30 lo 14

Thursday, January 22, 2004

Snow continued through the night, small flakes piling up about six inches. All the horses and all the cattle were in for their welfare hand out of hay. When I was just about done feeding the cattle I heard a lowing and spotted a cow coming down the slope of the valley slowly. I recognized her as one that was due to calf this week and knew that something was wrong. As she came in the corrals I saw she was hanging afterbirth and bagged up. This cow is a five year old; she has had two claves and is a great mom. I knew she wouldn't have left a live calf out there. I hurried back to the house and got some heavier clothes and my ride, grabbing Gambler since he covers ground the fastest. We rode up into the south trap, the snow was still coming down and I knew it was going to be hard to find any sign of the calf and it was getting harder by the minute. As soon as I got to the top I spotted wolf tracks crossing the road and they had only a half-inch of snow in them so they were pretty new. I topped a small rise and out about 300 yards I saw a wolf at the same time he saw me, it took off running. My blood pressure rose drastically.

I knew there was no chance of finding a live calf but I really wanted to find some remains so I could possibly prove that it was a wolf kill and get compensated for it. As you long time readers know I lost 14 calves in the same pasture last year at this time and never could prove it was wolves because there is never any remains, thus no compensation. They can clean up a fifty-pound calf in a couple hours. I have told the wolf people something needs to be done about compensating for lost calves but they demand proof. It's Defenders Of The Wildlife that is supposedly paying the compensation based on the wolf people's findings. But just seeing a wolf and finding a dead calf is no proof for them.

Of course the wolf program people just assume I'm lying and would never admit their wolves ever killed any cattle unless you had a photo of the calf in the wolfs mouth. Well anyway I rode and rode and rode; doing a 50-yard grid pattern across the pasture starting in the area I had seen the wolf. It's only a thousand acres but there are a lot of ups and downs and trees so it took a lot of back and forth to look everywhere. At noon after 4 hours I headed home, cold and discouraged. I ate a hot meal and changed horses taking Chico out next.

There had been a section of forest that just kept calling to me, I had been through several times before but went back again. I finally spotted some ravens in the treetops and swung off my horse to search on foot. I looked under every tree, some searching on my hands and knees. Finally I found where the cow had calved under a tree and saw filled tracks in the snow around the area where she had fought off an attack. The tracks were nothing more than depressions but you could see there were a lot.

I then continued my tree-by-tree inspection and finally found a kill site about 40 yards away under a group of trees. The snow hadn't covered all of the ground under the branches and I found a half dozen bone shards about two inches long and some blood in the pine needles. That was all that was left of the calf. Not a piece of hide or hair. If the calf is still wet when the wolves get it that hide goes down easy and tasty.

I radioed Lyndsey to bring a tarp out in a truck and we met on the main road then I rode back to cover the bones shards at the kill site, even knowing where it was, it took awhile to find the right tree again. I covered it up and headed home to call the wolf people.

The head game warden came up getting here a bit before dark. I took him to the site and showed him what I had found. He walked around a bit and decided it was coyotes. He said he had found some droppings that had hair in them and it was coyote. I told him I had seen the wolf right in that area, he told me I must have just seen a big coyote. Yea right.

I got a call after dinner from a fella who was a Gov't trapper and had overheard on a radio call that we had a wolf kill. I told him the game warden had been out already but he said he'd like to come out in the morning and take a look around. I told him it was still snowing but I'd show it to him.

I went to bed with a bad taste of Government officials. Hi 20 Snow off and on all day and night. Accumulation 4 inches.

Friday, January 23, 2004

The government trapper came along with another one about 9am. They arrived wearing cowboy hats and boots and I was immediately heartened when I saw a Dept. of Agriculture patch instead of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife as I expected to see.

I took them out to see the kill sight, which I had left covered with the tarp overnight. They walked all around and decided with the snow there was really not much to read from the sign. They collected the bone shards to take to the lab for DNA test hoping to find some wolf on it.

These guys were all right; both are ranchers and not much into the wolves being here. They told me next time to call them first instead of the wolf program folks. They allowed, as how the wolf people will do everything they can to make it look like their sweet wolves are always innocent.

The rest of the day was spent restacking hay. We got a load of bad hay, which I'm returning. The farm is being good about it giving me a 3 for one exchange to account for time, effort and travel in returning it to them. Hi 28 sunny with late day clouds lo 18

Saturday, January 24, 2004

We finally got Annie in the trailer and Lyndsey hauled her over to Hollis' ranch where she will join W.C. in the feed pens they're getting some saddle time. I spent the day working for Maggie who is getting ready for Valentines orders as well as two big shows in Ca.

Tanya our former wrangler arrived for a visit today with her friend Matt. They are living in Minn. Now, so they were enjoying our warm temperature here. We had light snow all day amounting to about and inch or so. Hi was 34, lo 26

Sunday, January 25, 2004

Snow continued off and on all day. Lyndsey went to town for a mail run, Tanya and Matt went riding, they got home just before the snow really started coming down. A fresh three inches by night fall. It was another day in the studio for Maggie and me. Hi 29 lo 19

Monday, January 26, 2004

The wind started up with a vengeance overnight. I woke to the sound of snow beating the windows and dawn was a milky white soup. The wind blew snow sideways at a steady 25 mph with gusts over 40. It snowed all day, heavy at times and continued till about midnight. It was a great day to be in the studio. Hi 26 lo 3

Tuesday, January 27, 2004

A total of about ten inches fell yesterday but most just blew away. The timber is full of snow and the open country is almost clear. There are drifts of two feet and some a bit deeper than that.

Lyndsey rode out to check cattle; Tanya and Matt rode to Dog Spring trying to get some bulls in. Lyndsey reported that all the cattle were fine and the water was flowing in several of the streams. Tanya and Matt rode most of the afternoon and even with the fresh snow found not a single track of the bulls.

I spent the afternoon filling feeders in T Bar valley. I was surprised at how clear of snow the open country was. The wind had driven the snow into the timber leaving 75% of the country clear and what was covered had less than two inches. While out at the feeder I saw cows acting weird around one spot about 200 yards from the feeders. I recognized the sound and commotion as one they make when they smell death. I walked over and found fresh blood in the snow and on some sagebrush but nothing else. The cattle had tracked the area up wiping out any sign that may have been left. I guess I will never know what it was. It was a bright, sunny, cold day with a hi of 20 and a low of 2.

Wednesday, January 28, 2004

Tanya and Matt headed home to the frigid north, back to Minn. It was good seeing her and seeing she was doing well. Speaking of wranglers a few weeks ago we heard from wrangler Anna who was here year before last. We hadn't heard from her the entire summer and wondered why. The reason was she had hiked the entire Appalachian Trail getting done just before Christmas. She told me she was dang sure tired of walking and her next mission is to do the Continental Divide Trail…but on horseback.

I hauled a load of bad hay to Datil using the Dodge; while I was there I got a set of new tires on it. The truck had been a little squirrelly on the road I figured it was the tires. After it had been wreaked it sat in the same spot for over two years and the sidewalls had fatigued. What a difference new tires can make. The truck handled great and felt secure instead of scary. If I were rich I'd buy new tires every three months and give the old ones to the poor folk. My F350 won't start now unless it's plugged into the generator for about four hours to warm up. Without the Dodge running I would be in a real hard place. Again, thanks New York Mike for putting it back together for me.

Lyndsey made a run to Silver for groceries and drop of packages to ship for Maggie.

When I got home about 8pm Maggie told me Jack had cut his foot badly that afternoon and she had wrapped it up as best she could. He was really in a lot of pain and feeling sorry for himself, I decided to leave the wrap on till morning and not bother him. The poor guy can't even walk. Sunny hi 25, lo –2

Thursday, January 29, 2004

I went to Reserve today to meet a guy who was to install a satellite Internet system here; he didn't have four wheel drive so I told him I'd haul him up. He was coming from El Paso and sounded as though he was going to be a babe in the woods. The roads through the timber were pretty clogged with snow so it was slow going. I was to meet him at 1pm and waited till four with no sign or word from him. I headed home knowing it would be dark when I got there even if he did come right when I was leaving. I was kinda pissed wasting a whole day and fuel but was rewarded on the way home.

A big Bobcat ran across the road in front of me with something in its mouth. I stopped and he went under a tree about 30 feet off the road and stopped to eat his snack. I put binoculars on him and could see every whisker and detail, it was amazing. He sat and ate what was part of a mouse and then just walked away.

Lyndsey rode today and found the missing bulls, right where we had been looking for them.

I checked Jacks foot, he sliced the bottom off the big triangle pad of his foot. I have no idea how he did it bit it was clean and neat. We rewrapped it and had him stay inside. I don't think he had ever been inside for a whole day, but he sure was enjoying it. Laying around the fire, getting lots of sympathy and hand outs. He's decided this workman's comp. gig is pretty good.

Sunny hi 30 lo -3