Category: The Ranch

<img width='110' height='82' border='0' hspace='5' align='left' src='http://www.sarpysam.com/sarpysam/uploads/cricket.serendipityThumb.jpg' alt='' />So far we are lucky and <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=811360&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312">this plaque</a> has not gotten any worse around here. We seem to have some every year and I have seen a few this year but no major outbreaks yet. I am less worried about Crickets as I am about grasshoppers.…

<a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/06/02/build/local/35-rains.inc">Ranchers giddy over great spring rains</a><br />n<br />nGiddy huh. I'm not to sure most ranchers I know would be happy to have the adjective giddy applied to them. Just try to imagine some gnarled old time rancher being giddy. The term is right for sure, but the ones I know wouldn't appreciate the term.…

Today is the magical day we <a href="http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/boyz06012005.jpg" onclick="window.open('http://www.nowherethoughts.net/pics/boyz06012005.jpg','popup','width=1020,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false">round up</a> <acronym title="bulls">The Boyz of Summer</acronym> and give them an escort to <acronym title="cows">The Ladies</acronym> so that they can all get together, have fun, and do their duty by bovine kind.<br />n<br />nAfter we round them up we take them to the corral and…

Today we branded at one of the neighbors places. We got them done but I almost wondered for the number of people. It seemed like God and everybody was there. I know all the neighbors and their wasn't that many. A lot of people that didn't know a lot about cattle but were trying to…

<a href="http://nowherethoughts.net/sarpysam/archives/208-The-Beast.html">The Beast</a><br />n<br />nThe Beast is put to rest today after many years of <s>faithful</s> service. It's continuing power problems have finally been diagnosed and the prognosis was grim. The engine is shot. The cost of repairs are more than the tractor is worth so on to the happy farm ground in the sky…

WE WON! Just got in, calves all branded and everything else is done. Now wait for my turn at the hot water. Hopefully I will be able to sleep tonight.<br />n<br />n<b>:I have finished my combat with the sun;And my body, the old animal,Knows nothing more. Wallace Stevens</b>

Today we brand the big bunch of cattle. It's going to be a long day but we will win. I have been doing odds and ends all week to get ready for it and I haven't been sleeping well and my backs been hurting. Subconscious reactions to the stress of branding I know but it's…

We got this <a href="http://www.billingsgazette.com//index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2005/05/08/build/state/55-underpass-flood.inc" target="_new">same storm</a> here, what I would call a turd roller, and we really ran a lot of water. We are so high on the watersheds that we didn't have much flooding problems but the people down country might. We needed another shot of moisture but it could have come a…

Talked to a cattle buyer who contacted me about selling my calves. It is early for me to sell calves so I didn't act real interested and was loathe to set a price. He offered me $1.25/lb. for our calves. <br />n<br />nI laughed in his face, I told him I wouldn't take a penny…