Enduring Montana winters while out feeding cattle…
Tag: ranching
Winter Skies, Dinnertime Blues
Seeing the beauty of winter while waiting for a chinook…
Winter Feeds
Yesterday, while working from my impromptu vet-clinic office, my dad called me. “You should probably put on some warm clothes. I need some help with that water main and we need to feed the cows.” he said. I cannot say that I was surprised by the pronouncement, but I did have to laugh. Dad’s edicts…
Bring ’em Boys, or Why Oh Why Did I Listen to My Mother
Why oh why you should always listen to your mother…
Good Black Cows, or a Bastardized Version of the Cowboy’s Blessing
What I see when I see good cattle…
The Gathering, or Why It Is Good to Be an Early Riser
The joys of waking up early to gather cattle in Montana…
Fall Gathering, or Sagebrush Meditations
Sam and Monica still do lots of things the old way, using horses to gather to gather up the cattle. Sam may own a four-wheeler, but he is much more at home on a horse. Dad once described him as a “pretty fancy calf roper,” and I think he still is. But last weekend, Sam…
A Hot Pink Squeeze Chute, and That Ain’t No Bull
A few years ago, I was on the phone with Megan, a vet tech at the clinic. She made mention of being on the backroads and saw (wait for it) a pink….squeeze….chute. No joke, and it didn’t look like someone’s idea of a practical joke. Someone had taken the thing apart, sanded it down, painted…
Sweetbreads Are Not Necessarily Pastries, or Why You’re More Than What You Eat
Sweetbreads aren’t necessarily pastries..
View from Up Top
Appreciating the view while riding a horse through the Pryor Mountains in southern Montana…
Identity Crisis: Why Marking Your Horse Is Still Important
Important information about identification marks for livestock…
Thar Be Dragons, or a Why You Should Be Wary of Certain Cows
Since I’m not on hand this spring for calving duties, supermom and dog-watcher extraordinaire Megan thought she’d regale me with this missive from the north. Well, I am on my last seven cows to calve, meaning that 21 little black streaks of fur are dashing in and out and around cornstalks and straw. Never in…
Strayhounds 