Papa was up at 4 today, in time to have breakfast and get down the hill to the corral to prep Oscar for a day of gathering cattle. I got up at 5 and started lunch. Around 6:15, I saw Papa meeting up with Colter's dad and grandad, in the Buck Knob pasture. They were off!
I prepared beef stroganoff, hot rolls, tossed salad, and peanut butter cookies for lunch. I left home by 10:30 and started toward the west end of the ranch, the long way by road but shorter in time. Along the way, I saw Carly riding horses with Colter Lee and he wanted to come with me to take lunch to the guys. He got in the Jeep and off we went. The guys were a couple of hours later than they expected, so in the meantime Colter Lee and I chased butterflies, watched an amazing bright red summer tanager, skipped rocks on the pond, and he tried to teach me how to rope. The roping was a lost cause but we had a good time.
The guys gathered over 275 mother cows, calves, and bulls. After lunch they rode off to gather more. Colter Lee and I started home. He opened the gate for me at the ranch boundary. Soon after, Colter Lee fell asleep and snoozed in the front seat of the Jeep, with his rope falling from his grip as his sleep deepened.
