Antelope under Sheep Mountain
Rock structure in Battle Creek–helping out both fish and irrigation
The Upper Meadow with cows and bales–both ready for winter
Cows with their calves
Ewes and lambs going into the Bull Pasture
Lots of sheep and one cow grazing in Don’s Meadow
Sheep Mountain is an extinct volcano
First snow lingers
Bulls and Sandhilll cranes by Battle Creek
Blue Heron in flight
Heron at sunset
Cows in the Lemmons Place, Sheep Mountain
A new calf sporting a new eartag
Young bull in the willows
Old fence in the Big Meadow
Willow reflected
Siobhan and her cousins Emily, Matthew and Jack tubing in the Little Snake
photo by Jim Roberts
Meghan and I took Siobhan, Seamus, Maeve and Tiarnan tubing today. The photo above is from three weeks ago, when the water was higher. We had the opportunity to teach the kids such terms as “run aground”, “bottomed out”, and “becalmed”–but luckily not “holed”. Seamus kind of sailed along, as he is a skinny guy on his own tube. Some of us, with more weight on board, tended to hang up on the rock, which were prominent and mossy. Some adult women even had to climb out of the big tubes and drag them past the rocks. This was one instance where we were stymied by our rock structures in the river. We normally have a lot of pride in them. On the other hand, we did get plenty of exercise. Sadly, we didn’t have a waterproof camera, so did not capture these moments. We also discovered that at the confluence of the Little Snake and Battle Creek, the incoming water tends to make one float upstream.
Last fall, after requests from Routt County, Colorado residents, Carbon County decided to replace the Battle Creek bridge, just below our house. The bridge is barely in Wyoming and almost everyone who lives above it is a Colorado resident. The Routt County Commissioners decided to kick in $150,000. The bridge was not rated for the weight of the trucks which cross it with gravel, cattle and other goods. As it turned out, it was so heavy that the contractors could hardly move it. We have had an exceptionally open winter which allowed work in December, January and February. I could watch the whole process from my kitchen window. We purchased the old bridge and moved it to a crossing farther up Battle Creek. This will allow us to get to our fields on the east side of the creek before the high water goes down.
setting the stage 12/15/11
after they cut the trees and moved the power line
lowering the deck on the new bridge 2/8/12
the old bridge is now in the Cow Pasture 2/16/12
bridge preparing to leave its long-time home 2/27/12 photo by Kent Bratberg
This is a job for professionals
Don't try this at home, boys and girls
Same creek, different banks
 | John Dofflemyer on Pregnant! Late! Open! |
 | Martha Kennedy on You can shear a sheep many tim… |
 | murisopsis on Lambing Days |
 | Oogie McGuire on Pat’s last visits to the… |
| murisopsis on Pat’s last visits to the… |
Ladder Ranch