Rhen in charge
So today, an interviewer from the Department of Interior came to the ranch. He is charged with collecting views on public land grazing. He even interviewed Rhen, 3.
Interviewer: “What’s your favorite thing on the ranch?”
Rhen: “Riding horses”
Interviewer: “What’s the most important thing on the ranch?”
Rhen: “Well, if Grandpa is at a meeting, and my Dad is at a meeting, and my Mom is at work, I’m the King of the Ranch!”
bringing up the ewes
We have been working the ewes, getting ready for the spring trail to Badwater, where we plan to shear the ewes. We then head south to the lambing grounds. Pepe, Walter, Leo, Meghan, Maeve, Tiarnan and Sharon worked Leo’s bunch on a relatively warm day, just before another snowstorm gave us more much needed moisture.
Tiarnan and Pepe at the chute
Maeve and Tiarnan with flags
Meghan turning the ewes out of the corral
Ben shaves the cow
Today, Easter Eve, Chad found a prolapsed very pregnant cow. We called the local vet, Ben Noland, who came up to help. After assessing the situation, he recommended a cesarean section in an attempt to save both calf and cow. Ben and his wife Hallie, also a vet, recently opened the Sage Veterinary Clinic near Baggs, and we are really happy to have them in the community. We have a happy ending, so far.
Ben scrubbing the incision site
the incision
Chad and the peanut gallery: Maura, Maeve and
Tiarnan
Ben and Chad draw out the calf.
Chad tickles the calf’s nose so she will breathe.
My coat goes to a good cause
Ben putting the innards back together
the stitches
Easter Eve after the birth
The elk are checking out the high country.
The elk are starting to check out the feed which is opening up as the snow melts. These elk crossed the road just as we were heading home. They have wintered well, partly due to raiding our haystacks!
One bull appeared to be white, although not albino. Go figure.
Elk hanging out near the Little Cemetery.
The white elk
Enjoying the sunshine
ewes, lambs and bulls
Pregnancy testing ewes on the Red Desert
Sharon, Seamus, and Maeve gathering snow
Today, we decided to take advantage of the new snowfall, and build another snowman. Maeve, 7, said that since we had already built a snowman, it was time to build a snowwoman. The snow was stickier than when we built the snowman, so this made the construction easier. Seamus, 9, studied the complexities with the analytical talents he has learned from building Lego structures, and figured out how to make buttons (from my Mom’s vintage button box) work for lips and eyes. Maeve helped me gather up pink and purple accessories.
Girl Power!!!
Pregnant ewes waiting
We have started lambing the purebred ewes at Powder Flat. They are the moms of our future bucks and many replacement ewe lambs, and we lamb them earlier so these lambs will be older when it’s time for them to become working sheep. Our hard-working crew of Peruvian employees are supported by frequent visits from Meghan and her crew.
Rambouillet ewe looks after her twins
Here’s looking at ewe.
Tiarnan with a Hampshire lamb
Hampshire ewes and lambs hanging out by the heifers
Tiarnan and Siobhan playing in the corn
Antonio, Meghan, Siobhan and Oscar
Ladder Ranch
