RSS

Monthly Archives: July 2018

Tending camp with Tiarnan

Leo’s camp with guardian dog puppies

 

Tiarnan helped tend two sheepcamps. We drove two and a half hours to Shirley Basin, where Guillermo is tending the bucks (well away from the ewes!). We took a back road through several gates, a muddy slough (didn’t get stuck, but it was a near thing) and a “Beware of Radiation” sign. On the way home, we left water for Leo in the Medicine Bow National Forest. I was lucky to have Tiarnan as a helper guy and good company!

 

Tiarnan filling the water bucket at Guillermo’s camp.

Tiarnan helping tend camp

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 31, 2018 in Animals, Dogs, Family, Folks

 

Tags: , , , , ,

Magpies, the bum calves, bugs, and Ian Tyson

Magpies hanging with the calves

“A little more to the left please.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from “Magpie”by Ian Tyson

“Magpie.
you know the West ain’t never going to die
just as long as you can fly.
You travel all around these hills
like a gypsy,
I don’t see the matter with that”

 

 

 

Tags: , ,

Cora and puppies

Cora practicing patience!

 
1 Comment

Posted by on July 22, 2018 in Animals, Dogs

 

Tags: ,

Maria the cria

Here’s Maria looking out for the new lambs.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on July 10, 2018 in Animals, Llamas, Sheep

 

Tags: , ,

Trucking the yearling sheep

Ready to unload

Our yearling sheep remain at Badwater after shearing, while the pregnant ewes trail on to the lambing grounds north of Dixon. The yearlings hang out there on the high desert until the bunches are made up and trailed to their summer grazing permits in the National Forests. Most years, we wait until after the Fourth of July and trail the yearling sheep south and east to their summer ground on the Medicine Bow Forest.

This year, due to extremely dry conditions in Badwater and on the trail, we decided to move the yearlings by truck. It took all day and into the night to get them all loaded, transported and unloaded. We were still unloading well after dark. and everyone made it safe and sound. Many thanks to our intrepid crew and neighbors who helped out!

Off the truck at Cottonwood.

Welcome to Cottonwood

unloading after dark

Seamus on the job

Cole and Autumn

Meanwhile (during the day), the boys played in the lambing shed.

 

 

 

Tags: , , , , , ,