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I got up with Papa at 4 on Branding Day. I prepped for Branding lunch. I made muffins for the cowboys arrival at 6. I prepared breakfast for our five house guests. I greeted other guests as the morning passed, got cold drinks ready, and by 8, I was by the fence with my camera. I had tears in my eyes at the sight of those 400+ cows and calves, with 14 cowboys (and 1 cowgirl) I've come to know and love, moving down the mountain. By 8:30, I went to the Rock House corral, to get ahead of the cowboys moving cows in their last push to the corral. I was clicking away with my camera from the first cow over the hill until the last, trying to record the day in photos. My role at our Brandings is taking photos. This year I took over 2000 photos. Many of them get posted to this blog. Many are used in a gift that has become Colter's annual Christmas gift, his photo book of that year's Branding.
A neighbor cowboy, Dallin came for roundup and Branding this year. Just after he arrived at 6, got his horse ready to ride and had a muffin in his hand, I came along with my camera. He put his muffin down and smiled big. I asked what he was doing and he said he had gotten the memo, "always smile for Louise because these photos go in The Book." I loved it!
Papa and I are so grateful for this life we live on Winchester Ranch.
