June 19-26: No Guests

Saturday, June 19, 2004

I gave the crew the week off; they fled this place like mice in a cat’s house. Maggie took the guests back to Albq. and to pick up her friends from Dallas . I had the place to myself.

I caught up on office work and such things then saddled Gambler and rode around Negrito pasture checking cattle. They all looked great. I found some way out near Quaking Aspen and decided to drift them back east in the pasture. It took a long time the cattle didn’t want to go anywhere and the timber was pretty thick. Gambler worked perfect, back to his old self. We didn’t get home till about 8pm . There were about thirty horses pretty upset about a late dinner. A nice day out there, hi was about 75 with some nice looking thunderheads in the afternoon, just if it would rain.

Sunday June 20, 2004

Dakota and I went out early and rode back over to Quaking Aspen canyon. I found another 5o head at N Bar Lake and pushed them to Ewe canyon. It was another long day. The horse flies are here; we have them a couple weeks till the rains start. Poor Dakota, even with fly wipe he was miserable. At one point I cut a branch off a pine tree and beat him in the head with it. He loved it. If I missed seeing one he would raise his nose and close his eyes so I could whack it. It must have been a silly sight to see.

We got home about 6pm and today and not a horse around to be fed.

The day was cooler high only about 70 cloudy with a tease of thunder but no rain.

Monday June 21, 2004

Maggie got home today with her friends, Leanne, Judy, Bruce and Julie. They had gone to the Buckaroos Ball in Santa Fe . They are all friends of the band The Mavericks so that’s how they got in. Great food and plenty of folks to look at. They sat at a table next to the Governor of New Mexico and Val Kilmer, they had a great time.

I spent most of the day digging in the mud trying to fix a spot in the spring line that has been leaking for a month. It was a tough day of shoveling slop and lying on my belly in it trying to reach the pipe in a deep hole I dug. About 4pm I left the job hoping it was fixed…time will tell.

This time of year every hour I look to the sky, hoping it will rain. I looked and saw good clouds but again nothing came of it. It’s a bit early to expect the summer monsoons but I can still hope.

Hi 75 lows have been in the 40’s

Tuesday June 22, 2004

I gathered up all the spare tires I could find and headed to the Wahoo ranch where the ground crew had to leave one of the trailers last week. They had a bad day the first day, went through about 7 tires in 24 hours and ran out of spares so they had to take tires off one trailer and leave it behind.

Every year it gets like this. I will buy a couple dozen tires in the fall after calves sell and run them till there is nothing left. Then they all go at once. Well, last week was the week for the crisis point.

It was cool when I left about 7am , as I drove east over Elk Mountain I hit a cloudbank that had settled on top of the mountain. My heart lifted. Maybe this would be the day!

Three hours later I was at the Wahoo where Cecil gave me a hand getting my tires back on. He had an air wrench so that sure saved some time. On the way home I called the ranch and Maggie told me she was changing her shirt from getting rained and hailed on while riding. YAHOOOO!!! It didn’t last long but it happened.

As I drove across the plains there were thunderheads and lightning in all the surrounding mountains. Across the plains skipped dust devils. Always there was at least one or two going. At one point I counted 17 some reaching a thousand feet in the air. They are relatively harmless mini tornados; we never have the real thing. I really love watching them. At times the sky was purple/black with these tan twisters in front.

It was pretty awe inspiring, but come to think of it we get a lot of that here. I got home about 4pm and the ground was still wet, the air was fresh and I sure was in a great mood!

It was wet and chilly at sunset causing us to build a fire in the house.

Hi was 70 lo 42

Wednesday June 23, 2004

Maggie and friends went to Silver City for the day and to get a ton of salt as well as new tires on my truck and the old ones set for the trailers.

Dakota and I went out and found the south trap full of cattle. I don’t know how they got in but we pushed 90 head out. I rode the south fence back home but found no gates open or fence down. There must be a big hole somewhere though to have that many cattle in there.

About the time we got the cattle through the gate I heard thunder. I had been too busy yelling at cows to watch the sky and it had snuck up and gathered right on me. Soon it was snapping lightning all around and started a light rain. I headed home about two miles and got soaked along the way. Last week I had taken my slicker off as I do every June saying I wanted to feel the first rain, daring it to rain on me. Well I got my wish and it took my dare. It was only about 60 and with a light wind, in a light shirt, I got plain cold.

I checked the spring line and found it leaking, now in a different spot so I put Dakota away got some dry clothes, grabbed my mud boots and tools and went to work on it. The little bit of rain had stopped but the sky remained hopeful.

Dark found me still digging and wet all over again. All this romantic cowboy life is so fun.

Thursday June 24, 2004

I got back on the spring line right after breakfast, an hour more of digging and I had the line found and the hole repaired.

About mid morning Maggie and her friends and I saddled up and loaded the horses for a little loop into the wilderness area. When we got to Snow Lake we found some cattle in the trap so we had a change of plans. As clouds built overhead and thunder rumbled we mounted up and gathered about twenty head. One of them was Honey Bear a big old bull who can be a bit of a pain in the ass. They all traveled well across the trap but once we were in sight of the gate and the smell of other bulls Honey Bear became an ass. Charging the cows back into us, then finally standing in the gate challenging anyone, with a head toss and ground pawing. I was on Dakota and he is fearless. We went after the bull while everyone held the cattle. Honey Bear lowered his head and came at us. Dakota took a glancing blow on his hip that just really made him mad. He wheeled around and grabbed a mouth full of bull and squeezed down as hard as he could. The bull felt it, and tried cutting left. Dakotas grip came loose with a loud snap as his teeth clashed together. The bull ran away and unknowing ran through the gate. When he saw his mistake he tired to get back but Dakota was there showing him a face full of teeth and pinned ears. He meant business! Old Honey Bear saw the women were headed his way and there was no point getting bitten again so he just backed off and growled at us till the cows got through the gate.

It was now lightning close and the wind was blowing a light rain fell and we called it a day.

Friday June 26, 2004

The rain has only been enough to settle the dust, but at least it’s something! I spent the day working on stuff around here. A few boards in the sidewalk. A new window in a cabin. And more work on the spring line.

Clouds gathered and it acted like a real rain but nothing came of it.

I’m headed to Albq. this weekend to see Maggie off. She’s headed to Michigan to see her folks then going and picking up Cassady. They will be back here next week.

Hi’s have only been in the low 70’s, nights about 40.