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Tag Archives: Squaw Mountain

Fall Work

Chandler counting cows through the gate

 

October is one of our busiest months. The cows and calves, and the ewes and lambs, along with yearlings of both species, have spent the summer on the Medicine Bow and Routt National Forests. Our off-date is October 1st, so we stage the bands of sheep and gather all the cows we can find and bring them down to pastures near the Home Ranch headquarters. It has been a warmish fall and some of the cows are hiding out. Eamon and the cowboy crew have been backriding every day, but the best incentive is cold weather, which reminds the cows that it’s time to get the heck out of the Forest. We migrate along with the deer and elk as instinct draws the critters downward. This time of year, all the sheep and all the cattle are close to home. We work them through the corrals. The lambs are separated from the ewes. Often we sell the lambs this time of year, but this year we still have feed so we will keep them a little longer. The lambs are weaned and switched to a different bunch. The calves will be with their mamas a couple of more weeks, and then it will be time for them to be sold, as feeders or as replacements. It’s noisy as night, as the newly weaned lambs and calves call in the night, and the guard dogs who are now close to home bark all night to warn us of various impending dangers. To be fair, usually the coyotes are howling which makes the guard dogs even more on alert than usual. Tomorrow, we’ll start the sheep on the trail to our fall pastures, some 20 miles to the west.

Meghan, bringing down the cows

lambs in the corral at sunrise

 

Hampshire ewes hanging out with the bucks for March lambing

Theo working sheep

at the Home Ranch corrals

cattle in the Big Meadow

yearling ewes in Loco Canyon, with guard dog

fall colors with the Petite Tetons (the Mountain Formerly Known As Squaw)

 
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Posted by on October 19, 2022 in Animals, Cattle, Sheep

 

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Christmas blessings

old cow barn

 

 

Blessed light returns,
the sunset’s glow sliding north
painting Christmas Eve.

Squaw Mountain on Christmas Eve

Sheep Mountain

Sheep Mountain with sheepwagon

candle with hymnal

St. Paul’s on Christmas Eve

 

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on December 25, 2021 in Events, Nature and Wildlife, Poetry

 

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Eruption

golden leaves
an eruption
molten lava
burns the eyes

orange searing,
so full, fulsome
can’t imagine more,
senses overflowing

perfect days
as ephemeral as
flowing rock
destined to cool

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on September 27, 2021 in Nature and Wildlife, Poetry

 

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Bernie in Wyoming

Bernie taking a break from D.C.

 
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Posted by on January 21, 2021 in Events, Folks

 

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Happy New Year!

The New Year comes through fortune’s gate.
It gives us hope, and prayers of grace,
with power of time, we await

the future, blank–this unknown fate,
unknown journey to unknown place—
the New Year comes, through one-way gate.

Our dreads, our sins, night fears abate—
the past, the future, run apace
with power of time, next year awaits.

We cast our lot, the dice gyrate,
spin and clatter, hit chance’s space—
write next year’s tome on fortune’s slate.

Earth’s axis tips, while stars rotate.
The waxing moon unveils her face,
marks pass of time, while we await

Through time, through space, sped arrow-straight,
light races on its ceaseless chase.
Now New Year comes, through future’s gate—
through power of time, we await.

 
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Posted by on December 31, 2020 in Nature and Wildlife, Poetry

 

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November Cavvy

November Cavvy

 

 

November cavvy,
trotting into headquarters—
sporting winter coats

 
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Posted by on November 19, 2020 in Animals, Dogs, Folks, Folks who help us out, Horses, Poetry

 

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Sunrise blessing

 

Sunrise bleeds into
morning, day, season’s turning,
this blessing, a gift.

 
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Posted by on November 6, 2020 in Nature and Wildlife, Poetry

 

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Red at Night

Fires in the forest
paint strokes of scarlet slashing
across the Mesa

photo credit. Meghan O’Toole Lally

 
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Posted by on October 14, 2020 in Farming, Nature and Wildlife, Poetry

 

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Not the storm of the century

First snow (?) on Squaw Mountain

 

As we suffered through was we consider brutally hot weather (95 degrees), we were told that a huge early snowstorm was on the way. Our new cook, from Alabama, said she was terrified of winter and abruptly left. Sure enough, all over the state, roads were closed, power was off, tree branches were broken. Here’s what the storm looked like for us. Things have cooled off nicely though.

 
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Posted by on September 9, 2020 in Musings

 

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Babies on the Ground

Cows and calves, Squaw Mountain

 

 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, we have lot of new baby calves being born. We’ve had some fresh snow, but the temperatures are decent and the mamas are doing a good job. It warms the heart to see these new babies!

Ames Field

Mamas and babies

Angus cow and calf

Sandhill cranes are here too!

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2020 in Animals, Cattle, Nature and Wildlife

 

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