Uncut hay on the Upper Smiley
It is hard to believe that the summer is almost gone for us. It is especially hard to believe since the summer didn’t really start until the 4th of July or so. We had a hard winter, and a long cold spring. We lost hundreds and hundreds of lambs in May and early June due to spring storms. While we were soaking, we watched news stories about the rest of the country baking under drought conditions. Once it finally warmed up, the moisture brought us phenomenal grass and green pastures. We are grateful. Wet is always better than dry, although, as my Dad used to say, “it doesn’t have to be a fool about it.”
Dad died on Christmas Day, 2010. We decided to have a Memorial picnic in early July for him and for our long time ranch workers Don Ogg and Bob Holmes. Don, who farmed the ranch or more than 50 years, and worked until he was 81 (and still planned to come back after that!) died two weeks almost to the hour after Dad. Bob died several years ago, but we still wanted to honor his long years of hard work on the Ladder Ranch. The three of them did a ton of work together.
Our friends Jack and Tuda Crews (along with many others) came to the service from their drought stricken ranch in eastern New Mexico. I came out one early morning to find Jack. “I’m just smelling the moisture and listening to the Creek,” he said.
We scattered Dad’s ashes on a hilltop overlooking the Home Ranch.
Ready to go scatter George's ashes: Sharon & Maeve, Eamon, Bahnay, Emily, Jack and Kate; Home Ranch
Dad's last four-wheeler wreck--the ashes on the way to the hilltop, slightly delayed
Final words: Sharon, Pat, Bridget, Eamon
Meghan, Tiarnan, Sharon & Brian
Scattering the ashes
Chris, Eamon & Brian: the grilling crew
A celebration of life
Tuda, Sharon & Demi (a couple of my Mom's very best friends). Mine too.
kids on the tire swing
Don's Mesa
Battle Creek, after the flood
Ladder Ranch
