The Lee Ditch and vaccinating heifers and Barbeque at Brian's

Looking up Pine Creek from the headgate of the Lee Ditch. Bob's ditch riding for Hagensteins. I'll post more photos of this when the willows green up and high water hits. Then we went to Michael's to vaccinate heifers and move them to the lower field. We also moved another small bunch of two and three years olds to join the "big bunch" to be put on the mesa the next day. The grass isn't good out there...but they'll live there until the first of July.
There are two things I should have had my camera for that I didn't. One was a barbeque at the Sublette Center which Ruth invited us to attend. We did...and it was fun. Tharon and Bob Thompson joined our table which included Ruth, Keith, Donna Dickson, Jackie Manning, Sharon Davis and us. I did wish I'd taken my camera. Later in the evening, Brian and Krishna had us out to a barbeque in their back yard. Troy, Kim and Heather Owen were there. We had Alaskan fish that was sooooo good.
Last night we went to Kirsten's spring dance recitel. That was a hoot. I did take pictures but it was with Jennifer's camera. If she sends me some, I'll post them here. She was darling, and came a long way since Christmas!

More this and that!

Hope Mother's Day found you doing something fun! Betty had given me a wonderful gift of high count sheets earlier in the month. I had asked her to get me some in Idaho Falls, and she did, only they turned into my present! I felt sorta bad about that...but sorta good too, because I love them. Thank you Betty. Tana called while we were feeding, so my visit there didn't last long. Jane called while we were fencing, so she just left a message about having to wait four weeks to open my present.....hummm. Well, today Betty delivered the present. Three bottles of liqueur that she made, that has to age! Yeah Jane!

I should have lots of pictures, but even though I've had my camera with me, I haven't taken pictures...so you have to visualize...the mountains have new snow, and are gorgeous. We've been feeding for Michael with the team and wagon...and it's been a pleasure. I do admit feeding in the morning and fencing in the afternoon wears me out big time. But it's neat to be out doing "ranch" things. We've also been cowboying...cutting out culls to go to market. Toots was a cuss the other day...having fits the whole time. I turned out to not be a whole lot of help as she was rearing and bucking and wanting to play. Just wait...she's got some hard riding coming....!! :) Bridge here tomorrow so I have to do a run through on the house so the ladies think I at least tried.

The other day Ruth was not at all good...I couldn't even wake her up. Today she was as good as I've seen her. Also the aid who helped her bathe decided to do her hair...and makeup..for me! Ruth told her I like it for her to wear lipstick, as I always get it out for her to put on. It's ture. She was gorgeous. So how special is that?

A couple days journal!

This is one of Sue's paintings on display in the Gallery of Arts in Jackson. It's copyrighted, but I posted of off of her web site. I hope that's not illegal or something. I love this painting.

May 9th. Friday. Bob went to feed. It was snowing. As I went to take a few more things to the rummage sale, and see Ruth, I met Brian coming in with a load of hay. He was replacing hay he had borrowed. We discussed options about catching horses etc, and he decided he’d wait for Bob...and go to Vern’s to get vaccine for his horses. I went on to town. When I got back, he was just finishing dragging the last bale across the corral and stacking it under the tarp. He said he decided to do that so it wouldn’t be snowed on. He came in and I made coffee. Bob showed up. They visited until lunch time, and I heated up tortilla soup. Then I went to Big Piney to play bridge. Unlike usual, I drove, so I could leave early, which I did do. Annie Olson was hostess, and we had a great time. She’s a hoot! I had some good cards. I met Bob at Daniel, and we drove to Jackson to see Sue Sommer’s art exhibit at the Center for the Arts Theatre Gallery. I think they were surprised to see us. We then all had dinner at the Rendezvous Bistro...it was very good. We had some good visiting. It snowed hard in our face driving home, making seeing the road hard. Thankfully, Bob was driving. He got out at Daniel to pick up the truck. We’d left the snow behind. Got home about 11:30 p.m.
May 10th. Saturday. Got up early to go out to Michael’s to feed. They’re branding today, and they certainly had a lot of help. The weather was cold and clear, with some snow on the ground. The wind was brutal. We got done by 9:30, and I was glad to come home. We had cocoa, and then I drove over to Barbara McKinley’s. She and I then drove to Pat Schueler’s and she showed me how to file the tax exempt form that Artist Guild needs to do by May 15th. It was easy, and I could have easily done it. In fact I showed Pat how to fill out part of it. We’ve just been lazy the rest of the day.

Pix from yesterday!

Bob got home from feeding with Michael...we had lunch...saddled up and went back over there. Oh, Nube got her tail pulled first! Michael had the horses in, so we gave them all their spring shots and worming medicine. Michael rode a couple of horses that hadn't been ridden in a while, one several years, and one since last fall. Then we headed out to finish the sorting pairs job, and brought the heavies in to the lot by the barn. Since there weren't many to sort, it went well, and fast...and it was fun to have the kids along. Jennifer switched horses, and we all did some corral riding for a while. Kirsten really loved that. Michael mentioned 22 horses may not be enough for her in a couple years...and he has a point! :) Love this of Kirsten and Bob on the fence! She's telling him something imortant!
Jennifer just enjoying being there.
Michael gives a leading lesson after this yearling got his shots etc. First time he'd been caught.
Palmer on the fence.
Don't you just love those pink chaps?

Nube gets shoes etc.

Someone who shall remain nameless will like to see this. Then we went to Michael's again to sort pairs. That's Ruby Butte beyond Bob.
Michael's Cisco horse is going pretty well, I think.
Below, is quite a shot I think. It shows what a gorgeous day we had.

Early Morning Breakfast with the Deer!

I don't have pictures of Nube getting shoes, but she got her fronts yesterday. Today she should get the hind shoes. We hauled them down to Michael's and rode for an hour or so yesterday afternoon before Michael got back from a neighbor's branding. Michael and Palmer and Bob and I sorted pairs and stuck them in the lower field. It was a great day for riding and working cattle. Nube was definately rusty, but Bob sees a lot of potential. Toots who is not rusty...was not behaving on her first trip out for the season. I had my hands full...but Sally, I didn't get bucked off. She did try. We'll be doing this riding for the next several days. We're still fencing off and on for Michael, and that too will last a while.

Spring?

Toots gets new shoes, or at least half a set. She'll get more another day. Bob put in quite a day. He fed with Michael in the morning..which he does everyday. When I got home from my daily visit with Ruth and Pat, he was putting front shoes on Toots. After lunch we went to Michael's and began spring fencing. It was a gorgeous day, but I was bushed afterwards. Am I getting old?

To Jackson with Lynn

Past the Stinking Springs we came across a huge herd of migrating elk. My camera doesn't do justice to them, but if you double click on this picture you can see part of them on several trails heading up the mountain. Lynn enjoying the elk. I enjoy Lynn so much and have missed her since she stayed here. We ran into Roberta King and Barbara Lauger in the hospital, and we all had lunch together. Turned out to be a really enjoyable lunch at the Bunnery. Check Lynn's blog for more on that. Barbara told the funniest story about their last trip to Jackson together. If Lynn doesn't relate it, I will, later. After lunch we went to Corral West for some shopping, found someone's wallet in the street and took it in a store. Then we headed to a co-op art gallery in Wilson where we left off some paintings for Kay Meeks.It was Judy's birthday. She's been a friend of mine since my dad's many trips to the Jackson hospital in the 1970's. She was his favorite nurse. She's now head of oncology.

The old windmill

We went out on the Mesa and turned on Michael's windmill this afternoon. It entailed finding locked gates, calling the BLM, going back to town after a key, and again heading out there. This bit of snow covered the valve we had to find and turn off, so the lower tank wouldn't drain.

This is a bird walk. Literally. Birds do get in these tanks, and they can get to these screens and clamor out. Actually an old pole stuck in slanch wise works too. People often see the old poles and thinking a cow rubbed it down, take them out. That's when you find dead birds in the water.Pipe line art. We think someone stenciled it. This same deer is on a couple of cement blocks too. It's kind of neat.

Feeding with Michael!

The bay on the left is a colt in training. He'll be three the end of June. Lefty, an old hat at this pulling stuff is a great draft horse. Michael! It was 8 degrees this morning as we pulled out of the corral. But hey, there was no wind.
One of yesterdays calves.
This place has many junk piles. This is one of the more interesting ones.