Hot Pink

Papa and I came to Tucson on Monday.  We enjoyed a Boys and Girls Club dinner on Monday evening and we had fun with boys and girls at the Club at our regular time on Tuesday afternoon.  We've worked in the yard several hours and had lunch out today.  All the while, a small cactus with hot pink flowers has been blooming in the backyard of our Tucson house.

Scoping out New Water Line

Papa and I began a hike yesterday afternoon, with a little deer resting under a tree in front of the house.  He scampered away as we got closer.  We hiked down the canyon north of Buck Knob and over to the spot where a new water line and drinker will be installed in the coming weeks.  We headed north and followed the line the bulldozer will follow from the ranch road to install the water line.  As we got close to home, the sun had slipped behind clouds.  We were in shirt sleeves and enjoyed the beautiful day.

The Feeding Ritual

Papa goes to the corral every afternoon, for what has become a feeding ritual for our horses.  He usually goes to the tack room to get sugar cubes for each of them.  Then he goes over to the hay barn to get each of them a flake of hay.  Since Oscar is "in charge," he goes to the door of the hay barn to eat any hay remnants at the doorway while Papa is inside.  Oscar always gets his hay first, thenPablo, and finally Doc.  After taking a few bites, Oscar seems to think, "their food is better than mine," so he goes to Doc's and Pablo's food, to take what he wants, and they play musical chairs with each other's food.  They are fun to watch!

Fergie at Work

Papa used Fergie (our tractor) today, to move a drinker, to move dirt around the Rock House fire pit, and to move a rock from one side of our home compound entrance to the other.  Papa and Fergie move very slowly, so it took them a few hours to do the chores.  We're grateful for Fergie, as all of Fergie's work is nearly impossible to do without a tractor.

January Sunset

The winter weather patterns this year have blessed southeastern Arizona with beautiful, sunny days, temperatures in the 60's to low 70's, and no precipitation in sight.  There were high clouds yesterday, which made for a dramatic sunset. 

Beautiful Morning in Tucson

I am in Tucson for an overnight, after volunteering at the Boys and Girls Club late yesterday afternoon.  I woke up to a warm, beautiful morning, with clouds over the Santa Catalina Mountains, and a lot of green in the desert.  The saguaros seem to punctuate the beautiful morning!

State of the Ranch Report

At dusk yesterday, Colter came by, after checking on the cows.  Papa invited him in for coffee.  It happened to be dinner time, so we invited him to stay.  I quickly heated chili that we made on Saturday.  I put together a platter of nachos and cooked apples with dried fruit for dessert.  We enjoyed dinner together and got a "state of the ranch report" from Colter.  We are happy our calves are about 10% heavier this year than last year.  The pregnancy rate was above 95% and cattle prices are up.  All good! 

Getting Ready to Ride

Papa's new horse, Doc, is gentle and walks rather slowly.  I rode him in November and thought today would be a good day to ride a bit.  The process of getting ready to ride takes time! 

Papa fed the horses.  Then he got Doc and picked up his feed barrel to take outside the corral.  A little bribing is good!  He brushed him and talked to him.  He put a saddle blanket on Doc, then a saddle pad.  Next came the saddle and adjusting the saddle.  Papa made the saddle for me!  Then he put on the bridle and reins.  After all that, I walked around with Doc for a few minutes before getting on.  My ride lasted fewer minutes than the time Papa took in getting Doc ready to ride.  I'm not an equestrian.  Maybe another day!

Pecking Order

It is interesting how our horses established a pecking order right away, after Doc came to the ranch. They continue to keep the same pecking order, even when waiting by the gate to greet Papa. 

Morning Parade

Every morning, over the past several weeks, we've had a parade of deer in front of our house.  There has been water in the drinker just east of our house and they go there for a drink.  There is a distinctive big buck among them.  He's missing an antler. 

Saturday Hike

After lunch, we hiked up the creek behind the Rock House, through a meadow that is odd because all the big rocks have been thrown to the sides.  It seems that someone had a reason, maybe to grow crops, to clear this big area.  We hiked up the rocky hill beyond the meadow, up and up to an old survey marker, dated 1916.  At that point, we rested for a moment and enjoyed the views, before hiking down the side and into a canyon that neither of us had been in before.  It was a beautiful day.  The grasses were high and swaying in the breeze.  There were potholes of water in the canyon. 

Adding It All Up

Papa, Colter, and the other cowboys went to the shipping corrals yesterday afternoon, after Day 2 of Winter Roundup.  They sorted and weighed all the calves, and counted them one more time.  They were pleased with the results.  Good job, Colter!  Over the next few days, he will decide which heifers to keep or sell.  There is always plenty to do on Winchester Ranch!

Winter Roundup, Day 2

The roundup was yesterday, along with hauling all the calves to the shipping corrals for sorting. Today was mostly preg checking all the mother cows.  It went like clockwork, and Colter preg checked over 230 cows by 11:30 a.m.  The cowboys took a break for lunch I prepared.  Then they counted the cows one more time before pushing them about a mile, to the Bull Tank pasture.  It was another good winter day on the ranch!

 

Winter Roundup, Day 1

Papa came home from Tom's roundup yesterday, to tell me their lunch was exactly what I was planning for our lunch today.  Fortunately, I had some things on hand to quickly change course.  Papa left at 5 this morning, to feed the horses and get to Colter's barn by 7.  I prepped food, loaded the Hummer, and left home by 10.  I stopped by Antelope Ranch to pick up Ashley, and we got to the Patterson corrals by 11, with Carly already there, along with Colter Lee and Traven.  The weather was beautiful, with clear skies, and crisp temperatures.  The cowboys had been hard at work, and there were cows in the corral with more were headed down into the canyon.  It was a perfect day for Winter Roundup!

Week of Winter Roundup

Papa has been helping with Winter Roundup on Tom's ranch over the past few days. He left home at 5 again this morning, not returning until 7.  I spent much of today cooking and prepping for Winchester Ranch Winter Roundup lunches this week.  Our Winter Roundup will begin day after tomorrow.  I'll be cooking more tomorrow, making chili for cowboys!

Downton Abbey

Papa and I don't watch a lot of tv, but we got hooked a couple of years ago on Downton Abbey.  Its a British period piece, set in the early 1900's, following the lives of an aristocratic family and their servants.  Its shown on PBS, Masterpiece Theatre.  Downton Abbey has become the most watched tv drama in the world!  Tonight is the first night of season 4.  We'll be watching!

Anniversary Thirty Three

Today is Papa and my 33rd Anniversary!  We feel like the luckiest people on earth.  We have made many happy memories over the years.  We are healthy.  We have four happy grown children and eight happy grandchildren.  We enjoy our life together, on the ranch and wherever we are.  Today is a happy day!