November 1-30, 2004: No Guests

Monday, November 1, 2004

The weekend flew by, Saturday, Maggie and I drove the crew back to Albuquerque. then turned around and came right back to do some things here rather than stay overnight.

Sunday I spent the day draining water lines and the usual winter shut down stuff. Maggie was burrowed in her studio and Lyndsey had the day off.

Woke last night to the wind howling and the windows shaking, when the sun came up there was four inches of snow and it was cold, about 15 degrees. No one went out today other than to do chores. It stopped snowing early but it stayed cloudy with a hi of 21.

My day was spent working over the books and realizing that things weren’t as good as I had thought they were as far as the business goes. I realized that even with a full load of guests we still lost money. The bottom line is our income doesn’t meet our expenses, it costs a lot running this place, starting with an 80k a year mortgage. Over the past couple years we have cut expenses where we could without affecting our product, mostly in payroll and new purchasing. But it still isn’t enough. Our only options are to raise our rates or shut our doors. I don’t think the market will stand for a raise in rates. In talking with guests over the year I was told the main reason we were chosen, as the place to go was price. It’s just a dang good thing that cattle prices were high and our calf crop was great, without that income we would have really been in trouble. All in all it was a gloomy discouraging day.

Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Election day!

We headed to town to vote and along the way did a lot of talking about how to keep things going here. We have decided to try a rate change and if that doesn’t work we will drop the guest business and just concentrate on the cattle and Maggie's business, which has been paying most of the bills. We love having guests, we love showing folks our country and our way of life, and it would be hard to give it up. So one more year and we hope it works. Our biggest worry is that we will end up as we were for the last few years and only have three or four guests a week which is a money losing deal so we may have to reduce the number of weeks trying to fill the ones we have.

I didn’t feel good about voting for either of the two candidates, but I went for the one that I felt would affect my pocket book the most, or the least.

Sunny hi about 38 lo was 9.

Wednesday, November 3, 2004

Well the election is over, I guess we at least know it’s more of the same and not a world of wondering what Kerry would do. That was another problem I had in making my decision, Kerry just kept on about what Bush did wrong but had no plan of what he would do right, at least none I heard. I was pleased to hear the reaction Wall Street had to the news. The economy obviously is my biggest concern, if it’s not doing well folks won’t take a second vacation. They won’t give up the vacation with the family but they will give up a dream trip to be a cowboy. Lyndsey and I rode today working some of the cattle in the South trap. There is still a bunch in there of all types. We gathered some from near the shipping pens and pushed them out to the T gates. We had hoped to find more along the way but never saw any. An hour later we had them out in 7HL and did a loop back west. We found a couple cows with two bulls up on the top near the road. We tried to leave the bulls behind but of course they had to come along. It was a slow push the mile or so back to the T gates, the bulls being idiots all the way. Finally we got to the gates and with a bit of excitement we got the cows out and the bulls left in. It was pretty obvious that the bulls were going to follow the cows even if it meant trashing a gate or two so we had no choice but to push them both all the way back home to the shipping pens so we can truck them done to the Lake. What a pain in the ass that was! Two horny bulls going the wrong way will really tax your patience. It was one of those days I was glad I didn’t carry a gun. We were on two top horses, I was riding Gambler and Lyndsey was on Chili. They have no fear and get very aggressive so we had a lot of good help, both of us got charged a couple times but our horses stood their ground and that made the bulls gain a little respect and realize they couldn’t fight their way out of this one. Finally almost two hours later with worn out voices we had them in the pens. It was too late to go back out so we called it a day of riding done.

After unsaddling I hooked up the trailer and we loaded the bulls, Maggie rode along with me down to Snow Lake where we dropped them off. We pulled up to the Salt lick where some other bulls were and opened the gates there. They jumped out and were on the prod, within moments there was a six bull rumble going on and we quickly pulled out of there before the truck got smashed into.

Over all a pretty nice day, light breeze, about 45 after a low of 10.

Thursday, November 4, 2004

A long day in the truck to Silver City to see the dentist. I only had to spend about 15 minutes in the chair to be told I needed root canal work done. It wasn’t the best news I’ve heard, but at least he only charged $10.00 to tell me.

I took my F 350, it sure has gotten old. It shakes; it uses oil and just feels loose. I just need to make it one more year then try and get a new one.

Sunny but windy all day, good day to not be riding. Hi 40 lo 17

Friday, November 5, 2004

It was a cloudy morning but Lyns and I saddled up hoping the day would clear. We rode out into the south trap to do more of what we did the other day. It took so long to so little then that neither of us was looking forward to another day like that.

We picked up cattle again right outside the shipping pens and headed them along our way. It went better than we hoped as we picked up about thirty more head before we got to the T gates. We cut out three old cows and put the rest through the gates. The clouds were getting thicker and the wind had a serious bite to it but we decided to do a small loop up near the Silver gate. Luck was riding with us, we came over the hill and there were about 90 head right there. We were worried it would be too many to cut with just the two of us but they all wanted out the gate so it worked just fine. Lyndsey worked the gate on Chili while Gambler and I cut back ones we didn’t want to go through. In less than half an hour we had put 86 head through into 7HL pasture. Just as we were getting done here come a bunch of cattle on their own. We just waited then opened the gate letting through a dozen more keeping one back. It was getting late so we gathered up our cut backs and pushed them back to the H.Q. It went a lot faster than yesterday with no bulls along. A good days work done getting about 150 head sorted and out on winter range.

Hi 38 wind chill about 25 lo 19

Saturday, November 6, 2004

The morning was misty and rainy and cold. The thought of a long day in a wet saddle wasn’t good. We saddled up and decided to work the 50 some cattle we have around the house here. We gathered them all into the water lot and started cutting out a few pairs that were big enough to range for the winter, cut out a bull, cut out a couple that had slipped in for the free hay we serve. It took about three hours to get that done all the while the rain and snow would blow across us in waves, with a few minutes of sun between them. It sounds not so fun but we were rewarded with a constant show of rain and snow bows. For about an hour there was one at the end of the valley that was only treetop high. It was just a thick bank of color filling the valley. I’d never seen anything like it.

As we are cutting and sorting Lyndsey and I talk very little, concentrating on the cattle and horses. We have worked so long doing this we know what the other is going to do…usually. At the most we might point but generally she can tell what cow my horse and I are sneaking up to work just by our body language.

The rainbows overhead did distract us a bit; you just couldn’t help looking to see what was coming next. At one point a cut took me close to Lyndsey and she said “ I guess that’s why were out here” referring to the sky. Yep it sure was.

Mid afternoon we called it done, getting the number of house pasture cattle down to 23 pairs and a couple heifers.

Wayne, a friend of mine came by in the afternoon to pick up my old 69 Ford pickup. Back in the summer I traded him a canoe I had around here for a new front drive shaft and installation. I helped him get the truck loaded on a trailer he brought and was glad to see it going off to get running again.

Hi 38 mostly cloudy with rain and snow showers. Lo was 21.

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

We took Sunday off, the weather was crappy and we were tired.

Monday we rode the south trap again; we found a gate open, which we can blame on hunters. I don’t think too many cattle escaped but I know of one bunch that did. There was a pair of our neighbors and one of ours that are pretty wild and run together. We rode and worked out 20 more cattle having a hard time now keeping back everything we plan on selling or feeding over the winter. They sure want to get out the gate into 7HL. We had some pretty fast work to get them in as we put the last of the keeper cows out. We spent a couple hours fixing a corner of fence, the elk had beat down in the last couple weeks, it was just about low enough to make a cow think of going over it. The weather was just fine, sunny light breeze and about 50! After a low of 25.

The last two days I spent driving around the ranch with Forest Service people. It’s time for our ten year NEPA assessment. It’s supposed to be done every ten years but it’s been about 15 since it was done. They are out looking at everything, range conditions, fence repair, water quality, endangered species impact, you name it. We have another new range Conservation officer, another kid fresh out of school in Indiana here to tell me what’s wrong with my range, and how I should be using it. He’s been in the southwest 6 weeks. All he kept saying was “it should be greener” He didn’t grasp the fact that it’s winter. Then we had a biologist, a wildlife guy, a hydrologist and a Gov’t mouthpiece. We bounced around in two vehicles checking this and that. They wanted to shock the water in T Bar Canyon to take a fish count. I told them there weren’t any fish there, that it goes dry every year. They said it looked like fish habitat to them so they spent five hours shocking the water trying to find a fish to prove themselves right. I took a nap. They found no fish.

It all was a big waste of time. They will write their reports to read as they want them to and not base anything on actual data or common sense. Just to meet their agenda which is not to get sued by environmental groups. If they were to report how much the range has improved they will get sued, if they recommend keeping cattle number the same or even heaven forbid raise the numbers, they’ll get sued. I know my numbers will be cut just because that’s what happens, it’s how to avoid a lawsuit. Make all the enviros happy and to hell with the one rancher.

It was amazing how stupid the whole process was even tho they are very educated people. For an hour as we drove they all compared degrees they had and degrees the others in their office had. I of course was asked where I went to college, I admitted I hadn’t. I went so far as to tell them I’d never gotten out of high school. From that moment their whole attitude towards me changed and I was never again asked for an opinion.

I just got fed up with wasting my time so I left them at noon as they argued over what type of grass one species was. As I was leaving they decided they had been reporting it incorrectly and realized that all their reports are going to have the wrong information. So in another 15 years someone will come along and wonder why the predominate grass went from Wolf Tail to Side Oats Gramma.

Maggie and I left in the afternoon for a few days in Amarillo, I needed a break!

Monday, November 15, 2004

We got back today from five days in Amarillo at the Working Ranch Cowboy world finals. The same place we went last year and already have tickets for next year. It’s a great time! We left last Wednesday splitting the ten-hour drive into two days since I was late leaving having those Forest Service tours to deal with.

We saw four nights of competition, got to visit with our friends Antonio and Denise whom we hadn’t seen since last years trip. Got some snow, ate a lot of food and saw some great cowboys and horses.

The closer we got to home the more snow there was. We had left the F550 at the hay farm to be loaded while we were gone and picked it up on the way back. The trailer had six of those big 2000-pound square bales on it. As soon as we turned off the pavement I knew we weren’t going to make it all the way home. The roads we thick of mud and snow and not having four wheel drive the F550 was having a hard time. We left it at Don and Jeannie’s corrals in Y Canyon and will have to go back in a few days to get it.

As much fun as we had it sure was great to get home and see all the animals.

Tuesday, November 16, 2004

I was anxious to get out and see how things were out on the range so I saddled up Gambler and headed out about 9am. The day had started out foggy as could be, but when I left it looked to be burning off pretty well and I hoped would clear out. By the time I got to Elladeane an hour later the fog was back and I realized I was under dressed. I was cold. I went on out to Fence tank getting there about 1pm and turned Gambler loose in the corral while I went in the camp and made a cup of coffee and fired up the heater. An hour later I was warmed up and started back towards home up 7HL canyon, across Telegraph Mesa and through the North trap. Everything looked good out there but I did see a couple big pairs we need to get in and a bull out there that has to come in sometime and get trucked to Snow Lake. I’m sure he’s feeling pretty good about life, out there with no other bulls anywhere around.

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

A do stuff around the H.Q. day. Lyndsey went to town to drop off stuff for Margaret. I spent a couple hours putting salt out in the traps and checking the south trap spring, which is flowing fine.

Then a couple hours cleaning the chimneys. With the new metal roof it sure is slippery up there. I had Maggie tie a long rope to the porch post and I threw the other end over the ridge of the roof and tied myself on. I sure don’t like heights and sure didn’t like that job. Then I worked on the Jeep, putting on a rebuilt carb. And fixing a fuel leak and changing a tire, took it for a test run and it went great. Then I fired up the tractor and cleared snow from in front of the barn, which had slid off the roof in a big pile making it a pain in the ass to get hay out. Next I took the tractor to the well on the hill and chained the big generator into the bucket and brought it to the shop. It needs a new muffler, a new one cost over $300.00 so I plan on ranch rigging something on there one of these days. The driveway had dried out just enough to make it perfect condition to work so I hooked the drag to the tractor and smoothed out the ruts that had made it a misery to drive. That was about the day.

Hi 44 partly sunny lo 26.

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Another foggy morning but it burned off earlier than it has been. We were out and saddled about as early as we seem to be able to, about 8:30am. With all the different animals around here in different places, eating different things, it sure takes a long time to get chores done. Then I need a coffee break while I make phone calls.

We headed out in the north trap to get another bunch to wean. It was pretty simple today. That fresh salt I had put out yesterday sure was great bait. There were about 40 head scattered from there to the tank and we got them gathered up but getting them headed away from the salt was a problem. I was on Gambler and Lyndsey was riding Cimarron, two good horses for the job but it was so muddy and slick it was hard for them to make all the moves we needed to. Gambler was really on the muscle and really wanted to work hard but he was smart enough to realize the danger of moving too fast. Finally we got them far enough away that they started moving along well and from there we made good time down to the corrals. The long alley up to the pens was just a mess. Ankle deep soupy mud and the cattle didn’t want to take one step in it. It was a lot of patience and excellent horses that got them all started up, once they were in the alley we could get more aggressive with them. That’s when Cimarron really shined. He was biting every thing within reach, not just casually reaching out in front and nibbling, he was back and forth across the alley, his jaws never stopping, ears penned, just eating them up. Gambler and I were just along for the company. We got them penned and took a break to fix some fence that was down in the calf corral. Then we sorted the calves off the cows. Moving around on foot was slow and tiring with the deep mud, but it was too slick to do it horseback. It took about an hour to get every thing worked but by noon we had 32 more calves weaned.

I got my new/old backhoe today! I had bought it over three months ago and just finished paying it off a few weeks ago. I had located it on EBAY, it was here in New Mexico and I made a private deal with the owner. My friend Carl who is the local trucker went and got it for me.

He rolled in this afternoon and there it was, a whole lot bigger than I had hoped going by just pictures. It’s a 1974 Ford 7500 with only 2300 hours on it. It’s in great shape. I of course had to spend a few hours testing it by cleaning the little tank here at the house. That’s the main reason I got it, to clean tanks around the ranch. It’s long over due, for years I had been saying I really needed one what with all the silt filled and breeched tanks we have. Now I just need a small bulldozer and I’ll be set to whip this place into shape.

Hi 45 partly cloudy, little bit of a breeze lo was 22.

Friday, November 19, 2004

We used Mother Nature today to help us gather the cattle for weaning. Most have been coming to water at about 2pm down at the tank so today we waited till 1pm before we headed out. I spent the morning cleaning the tank out in the horse pasture, that backhoe sure is a wonderful thing.

When we did ride we went right to the tank and got about 30 head gathered up and moved to the corral. We are getting pretty good at this, within a couple hours we were done and the cows were out and 28 calves weaned. The day was pretty nice but a bit windy, hi was 40 lo was 26

Saturday, November 20, 2004

Today we went and got the load of hay we had left along the road earlier in the week, the roads were just dry enough to get through. It was kinda touch and go in a few spots but we made it home and started unloading the one-ton bales with the backhoe. The weight of the bales for the tractor wasn’t a problem, it’s rated to lift 5,000 pounds but someone who wasn’t a great welder homemade the forks that came with it. We got two of the six bales unloaded and where we wanted them before the forks bent beyond using and from then on we had to push the bales into the hay pen. That took most all of the day.

Hi 43 after a low of 17 mostly sunny with some afternoon wind.

Sunday, November 21, 2004

We were out early gathering the rest of the pairs out of the north trap for weaning. We lucked out and caught most of them just above the water on the mesa. It was an easy push getting them into the corrals because we had several cows that had been weaned the other day and they led the way back to where their babies were and the others just followed right along. When we were done Lyndsey commented it was the easiest push down the driveway we had ever had.

We had seen one little bunch off a half mile on our right as we came down so decided we’d go back out and get those. There was only one pair along with a few dry cows and started them towards the house, now this momma cow knew something was up and took off and the rodeo began. She was running full speed ahead and it was a battle getting her down the hill. For every few feet down, we went back and forth across the hill five times. She then went straight through the drift fence along the hill smashing it all to hell. Gambler and I went back up the hill and around the top of the fence to the other side at a dead run and got her turned back. We ran her back through the hole she had just made and Lyndsey turned her as Gam and I went back around the fence. This cow was determined to go back out and there was no easing her along. We hollered and chased her down the steep rocky slope way off the intended trail along the drive. Twice Gamble had to body slam her to get her turned back. He was just amazing working that stupid ass cow in all those rocks on that steep slope. Finally we got her down to the bottom and Lyndsey went ahead at a run to open the gate. I kept chasing her towards the gate and then went flying through it. That damn cow was more trouble than a herd of heifers! I always say it’s easier moving a hundred than it is just one.

After letting the cattle sit and settle awhile, we ate lunch then we headed back to sort. It took only a couple hours to sort but we finished in a snowstorm that suddenly blew in. Once we were done we headed home covered in snow from the half dollar size flakes that were coming down.

Hi 35 sunny in the morning with a stiff wind, clouds and snow in the afternoon and evening.Lo 32

Monday, November 22, 2004

It snowed about four inches over night and was still dropping small flakes as we did chores and saddled up. Today we gathered the cattle that are here in the house lot. A lot of weaned momma cows had gotten in over the last few days trying to get to their calves in the corrals. We gathered everything into the water lot and sorted off most all the cattle from there keeping in only a couple real small pairs and some poor cows we are putting on hay. The snow fell all the while we were working. We were covered in thick wet snow. While in Amarillo I bought something I had been wanting and needing for years, a pair of wooly Angora chaps. I was sure glad I had them and wondered why I hadn’t gotten them years ago. They are lighter than my regular leather chaps which surprised me and oh so warm. I had the rest of my winter riding clothing on which works pretty well. First layer is a pair of silk long johns. Yes silk, it’s thin and warm. Then jeans and a wool shirt, silk scarf and wool vest. Topped off with a long wool coat I use only for riding and my new chaps, rag wool lined leather gloves and a rabbit fur lined bomber hat. I was pretty damn toasty except my face where cold pellets of snow stung my cheeks and dripped into my sheepskin collar. We were done about mid afternoon. All the cattle are set where they are for the next ten days or so while the calves get over their weaning. Then we will put all the adults out into 7HL for the winter and then gather and sort the south trap taking the old and poor cows to the sale then putting the calves in the south trap for the winter so we can feed them easier.

This evening we were loading hay when I suddenly felt a pop in my back and pain shooting down both legs as they gave out from under me. Over the years I have broken my back twice, have had several operations removing discs and putting in rods and clamps. It was just last week I was walking across the barn yard thinking how my back had been great with no lay ups for over a year. Shoulda never thought that! I have enough experience with this that I can tell it will be a rough one.

It snowed all day and into the night but staying that tiny flake stuff so only got another four inches for a total of about eight before the moon came out tonight.

Hi 28 snow and a moderate wind all day lo 28.

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Lyndsey took off for Sante Fe to spend Thanksgiving with her mom. I spent the day on the sofa eating Motrin, Maggie spent the day working as usual and taking care of me.

Sunny hi 35 lo 16

Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Another day just like yesterday. It’s all I can do to walk to the bathroom. I tried to get out and help Maggie with the two and a half hours of chores but just couldn’t do it. It’s a lot of work taking care of those 90 some calves in the pens. They are eating about a ton of hay per day, and drinking 400 gallons of water a day. The water has to be hauled in by truck and the hay is getting flaked and pitch forked into four separate feeding areas. I sure am thankful for my wife.

Sunny hi of 40 lo 16

Thursday, November 25, 2004 Thanksgiving!

Maggie came in from chores and reported there was a big wreak at the calf pen. They had knocked down a whole section of fence and were scattered through all the lots.

Maggie had so many orders due for the Christmas rush that as much as she wanted to she just couldn’t take the time to help me get things back together. So with a couple Vicodin I saddled Gambler. It was misery every damn step he took and he was on the muscle.

Something must have spooked the calves during the night and they slammed into the fence taking down a whole section in one piece. Now this isn’t a simple barbed wire fence, this is made from three inch steel pipe with heavy bull panels welded to the pipe frame. They knocked four pipe posts that were in concrete right over and the fence went along with it. Gambler and I started at the back lot and pushed them to the front pens. Just as we got to the last gate they all turned and took off back where we had come from. Gambler was game to make the run and cut them back but I just couldn’t stay with him and had to let them all go and start over again. It wasn’t till the third try that I was able to get them all the way back to the feeding pens. All but one damn steer. He was the one that had led the break both times and the third time he took off running and went through two wire and stay fences smashing holes as he went. I penned the rest and went back to get him but quickly saw that he was too wound up and was going to tear more fence apart so I just left him there by himself with no food or water to think about things a bit. There was nothing I could do about the fence in my present condition so I just closed off the pen in which the fence is down.

It took about three hours to get that done and was sure glad to get back to my sofa where I spent the rest of the day.

Sunny hi 40 lo 14.

Friday, November 26, 2004

I was feeling well enough to go get a load of cow hay. We have been out of small bales for a few days so Maggie has been flaking out the one-ton bales to feed the calves. It’s great hay but really hard to deal with. The bales are four-foot square and eight feet long, each flakes weighs about eighty pounds.

I took the F550 chancing that the roads were clear enough too get through without four wheel drive. I left right after chores with the roads still pretty frozen. The only area that I worried about was going over Elk Mountain; there the road had two narrow tracks cut through to the dirt. I knew it would be muddy coming home off the freeze.

The loading was miserable, a cold wind blew at about twenty MPH making it so you had to work with your mouth and eyes closed most of the time or they would fill with blowing chaff.

About ten miles from the farm I heard a tire blow on the trailer. I stopped and got the high lift jack out but it wouldn’t lift that trailer with 200 bales on it. I was in the middle of the Plains Of St. Augustine, not a rock or limb around. So with nothing but the tire iron I started digging. I dug a trench about two feet wide and a foot deep then pulled the trailer over it so the front tandem was suspended in the air over the ditch. In about ten minuets I had the tire changed and was back on the road.

Close to dark I got to Elk Mountain, just as I had thought the water was running in two ruts of mud through the snow covered road. The F550 did great, I was only going 2-5 MPH and spinning wheels the whole way but it made it to the top of the mountain and from there on I knew I was going to make it home. I got in about 6pm, a long ten hour day on the road and my back sure was set back a couple days of recovery.

Saturday, November 27, 2004

I was pretty sore after the hay loading and all the driving the last couple days but there were a few calves, which had gotten out and were running around the house lot, there were also three cows in the horse pasture.

The winter horses were nowhere around so I grabbed Annie to get the bit of cow work done. She hadn’t been ridden in a month and I was a bit nervous as my legs were still weak and my back couldn’t tolerate any silliness. As I swung on she stood rock still as usual and set my mind at ease. We first went into the pens, which are still a mess of mud. There were four calves in three different pens. Annie eased around like a pro, very light and smooth in the mud and she did everything just right. I had to get off and open and close different gates a dozen times, every time I dropped the reins and she stood like a statute. We got all of them back where they were supposed to be and then went after the cows in the horse pasture. I opened a gate at the east end of the pasture, which is about sixty acres and went after them. We eased them down the length of the pasture with no problem till we got to the corner where the gate is. They had been in that corner before and in their mind they knew there was no gate there. The gate opens into an alley, so visually it looked like there was no open gate. Two of the cows were quiet but the other was pretty trotty. She tried to cut and run a couple times but Annie was right there making the right move, she did one rollback that was so sweet, it was a rush to ride it. She’s just plain got it. We got the cows through the gate and down the alley and out into the north trap. A good days work done. As nice as she is to ride I was sure glad to get off and once again back to my sofa.

Lyndsey got home late in the day from her vacation.

Hi was 38 lo 18 wind in the evening.

Sunday, November 28, 2004

With the three of us working, chores are getting much easier, it only takes two hours morning and night now. The wind howled all night and on into the day, blowing clouds swiftly across the sky. The temperature dropping by the hour.

The truck we use to haul water and liquid feed all of the sudden started running rough, backfiring and flooding out. I got nervous. If that truck doesn’t run the lives of hundreds of cattle are at risk. I pulled it up to the shop and started looking it over. That’s the good thing about these thirty-year-old trucks. I can recognize things under the hood and actually be able to fix something. After about twenty minuets I found a cracked vacuum hose. I fixed that and it ran a little better but still had a problem. Thinking it through I figured that the plugs were fouled from the extra fuel the loose hose was causing. I pulled a plug and sure enough it was a mess. Over the next hour of pulling and cleaning plugs the clouds got thicker and it started to snow. It soon became so hard I had to get a tarp to put over the open hood of the truck like a tent to keep the heavy falling snow off my workspace. It snowed at about an inch an hour. When I got done I fired up the old Chevy and it ran better but still not right. I think the next trip to town I’ll get new plugs and rotor and see if that helps. It’s definitely a firing problem.

The rest of the afternoon was spent inside watching the snow come in sideways and doing some office stuff.

Hi 36 lo 26 4 inches of snow in the afternoon.

Monday, November 29, 2004

When I got up at 5am it was clear as a bell outside with the stars bright and moon still up. The thermometer read 9 degrees. As the sun came up the clouds came back and it was soon snowing hard again. It only snowed as long as it took to do chores then tapered off to flurries.

It had gotten all the way up to 14 when we climbed in our saddles. Lyndsey and I gathered the south trap getting in a bit over fifty head of mixed stuff. This is our final cut day. There was a solid six inches everywhere and in the trees the snow was knee deep on Gambler. It was beautiful but just cold as hell. The skies were overcast with snow showers sweeping in and out. We had all the cattle in the corrals by 1pm and took an hour break to let them settle and for us to get some lunch and warm up a bit.

After lunch we cut cattle on horseback in slick snow covered pens. First the small pairs went out in the north trap, and then the big pairs to be weaned went into a corral. Then the cows in good shape went out in the north trap, then the old or poor cows we are selling went into another corral. Now everything we have in the north trap can go out into 7HL in a couple days. We will haul the sale cows on Thursday to Albq. Then everything else around here, a few close to calving cows, all the steers and heifers and our slaughter steer will go into the south trap for the winter. Then we will finally be done with all this sorting.

It was a long cold day in the saddle, the only part of me that really suffered was my feet, they ached.

Hi was 16, overcast with snow showers, moderate wind. Low was 9.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

Our coldest night of the year so far, a withering –10.

It was sharp and brittle in the morning, the air seemed breakable. I wish I had brought my camera along during chores to take pictures of all the yearlings in the pens. They line up to the hay, side by side, and all covered with frost. Each hair on their bodies was an 1/8 of an inch thick. With all their heads down and lined up the steam of their breath billowing up it made for a pretty cool picture.

When we swung in the saddle the temperature had gotten up to zero. We finished the little bit of sorting which was left over from yesterday, then weaned three pairs we had brought in and pushed the momma cows out to the north trap. We then headed into the south trap to make sure we had gotten everything yesterday. A couple hours later all we had found was one bull. It was just plain cold as could be. But layered up as I was it really wasn’t so bad. When I headed out I really didn’t want to be out there but it was a ride that had to be done and it was really quite beautiful. Everything was thick in frost all day, tho the sun shone brilliantly nothing melted. The pines were covered, snow in the ground, every blade of grass ten times it’s size and all of it sparkling like diamonds. There was no wind fortunately; it was just still and quiet. I decided it was a good thing I had gone out there.

There was no way you could have been out there without dark sunglasses.

We were done about 3pm and it was so nice to walk into that warm house for an hour before having to head back out and do chores.

Hi was 6, lo –10 sunny