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Monthly Archives: February 2017

February Thaw

Lemmons Meadow

Lemmons Meadow.

 

It’s been a weird winter so far. We’ve had lots of snow, lots of thawing, and a lot of bare ground for February. The critters are glad for the warmer temperatures.

cows with puddles

cows with puddles

Bucks in the Mouse Pasture

Bucks in the Mouse Pasture

horses in the Wyoming Field

horses in the Wyoming Field

Casey training horses

Casey training horses

 

 
 

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Hoarfrost Haiku

hoarfrost-on-fence

Hoarfrost stars sparkling,

meteors blazing a cold

ephemeral light.

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2017 in Nature and Wildlife, Poetry

 

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Fog instead of shearing

Shearing shed in the fog

Shearing shed in the fog

The time has come to shear the early lambers. We raise our own bucks out of our purebred Hampshire and Rambouillet ewes. These girls lamb in late February and March, so we like to get their wool off before lambing is well underway. Of course, we have some babies on the ground already.

The shearing crew showed up right on time–well maybe a couple of days late due to weather, but that is actually on time. We had to haul the shed into the Powder Flat Headquarters with a tractor due to mud. We managed to get a half day in, and shear most of the whitefaces. We were ready to start bright and early the next morning, but…fog, in February. This meant that the ewes in the wool were, not exactly wet, since it was 17 degrees, but frosted. We knew that with some sun, and maybe a breeze, they would be dry enough, after lunch, to start shearing. But no. The fog didn’t burn off until afternoon, and the air was absolutely still. Finally Meghan said, “I’m calling it. We’ll try again tomorrow.”

Ewes coming in for feed

Ewes coming in for feed

ewes on the run

ewes on the run

bringing in the sheep

bringing in the sheep

Catching a ewe who has just lambed

Catching a ewe who has just lambed

Frost on the wool hanging from the fence

Frost on the wool hanging from the fence

Heifers with more frost

Heifers with more frost

This bull is glad he doesn't need to be sheared.

This bull is glad he doesn’t need to be sheared.

In the meantime, the bulls came in for water.

In the meantime, the bulls came in for water.

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on February 14, 2017 in Animals, Events, Sheep

 

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Bulls! Heifers!

McCoy waiting to fly

McCoy waiting to fly

Eamon is working on his pilot’s license, so he decided to combine business with education. Eamon, Pat, McCoy and Eamon’s flight instructor, Ryan, flew to Texas to shop for bulls and to Nebraska to check on our heifers that are wintering there.

Our new bull--unfortunately, they couldn't hook a stock trailer onto the airplane.

Our new bull–unfortunately, they couldn’t hook a stock trailer onto the airplane.

McCoy checking out the bulls

McCoy checking out the bulls

Heifers on cornstalks

Heifers on cornstalks

Heifers on feed in Nebraska

Heifers on feed in Nebraska

McCoy, Eamon and Pat with the heifers

McCoy, Eamon and Pat with the heifers

Home Ranch from the air

Home Ranch from the air

 

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2017 in Animals, Cattle, Family, Folks

 

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