Run Stetson, Run!

Stetson

Yes, we’ve added to our family!  Meet Stetson.  He is a 10 week old Miniature Australian Shepherd.  

Gross or cool?

Introducing my resident Flicker.  A Flicker is a large woodpecker and I just love it when he comes to visit.  He likes to eat breakfast, lunch and his afternoon snack here.  I caught him enjoying some crabapples that never fell from the tree.  Lucky for him.  And lucky for me too, I love taking his picture.   But what I really wanted to show you was his tongue…

Check it out. Isn’t that something!  I guess those were some delicious crab apples!  Maybe I should set out some napkins for him.

Busy as a …. squirrel

I’ve been busy busy lately, but really what mom isn’t!  I now watch a little boy on Tuesdays and Wednesdays so these days are certainly non stop now.  Top it off and my 2 year old thinks he doesn’t need a nap.  Isn’t there something terribly wrong with that picture?

And about this squirrel, isn’t he just the cutest.  As long as he stays away from my bird feeders he is welcome to stay.  If not…… I’m getting out the BB gun.  I kid, I kid.  I’ll have my oldest son do it.  Oh, I kid.  Maybe.

Juvenile

This is a juvenile Bald Eagle.  It takes the Bald about 5 years to become mature when his head and tail feathers finally turn white.  The picture doesn’t do this guy justice.  He was massive and I spotted him a good mile away.

Bald Beauty

I’ve been a bit MIA lately, sorry about that.  You see, the love of my life, my best friend took nearly two weeks off and I needed to make as much family time as possible.  We’ve been working on the house and taking time to be a family.  Much needed boy time was really the ticket!  My mom was here visiting and helping and my in-laws came to visit too.  It’s been a grand and wonderful two weeks.

So if I am forgiven for my MIA I am back and here to show you some  beauty.   I saw this gorgeous guy on the way to town.

 

An early taste of winter

I woke up yesterday morning to a winter wonderland. It was just gorgeous. The stillness, the quietness, the snow on the leaves and branches.

We got about 5-6 inches and it just made my heart sing to see it.

I’m pretty sure I’m safe to take down the hummingbird feeder now.

I loved the look of the bright red crabapples against the white fresh snow. There’s someone else that really likes these crabapples…

This little buck was pretty happy to be digging in the snow for the fallen crabapples.

This doe had other plans. Maybe she was too good for digging in the snow. Maybe she was too smart. Maybe she was out to teach that young buck something. She didn’t once dig her muzzle in the snow.

She repeatedly stood on her two hind legs, reached up and grabbed for the crabapples. Sometimes she would get one, most times she just jerked the branch hard enough the crabapples came tumbling down and gently lay on the snow. That’s one smart doe.

I for one really enjoy winter but I know a lot of people don’t like winter one bit. But when your morning starts out like this one, how can you not enjoy the beauty of it?

Like it or not, winter…. she’s a coming!

Juvenile Delinquents

A few nights ago I was just about to fall asleep. It was already very late and I had stayed up way to late as it was. So, just as I was about to arrive at dream land I heard a rustling out my bedroom window.

The rustling continued and then more strange sounds… that strange, unique, yet familiar sound. Deer. Deer right out my bedroom window.

Playing.

The nerve! To be playing right there, running around, playing tag, making those strange noises. I got out of bed to watch these inconsiderate rascals. There wasn’t just one, there were about 5 of these little guys. Trouble always runs in groups I tell ya!

And if it’s bad now, just wait until all the crabapples fall to the ground. Then we are seriously in trouble. It’s like a drug to them! Deer drugs hanging in a tree right out my window. Does that make me an accessory to a crime?

Charge me if you want. They can keep me up at night.

Even if they are a bunch of juvenile delinquents.

Teamwork

Early morning at the branding.  I loved the mixture of the smoke and the heat waves rolling off the irons.

Double Trouble

When these two capable cowboys entered the pen at the same time, it was almost like the race was on. Each was turning their rope at the same time. Looking at a calf at the exact same moment. And each getting a calf at the exact same moment. What are the chances of that?

Earnin’ their keep

The best way.....

The best way to start a branding?

Why, with donuts of course!


"Hey, you wanna pass me another donut please?"

in a hayfield, Part Two

You can scroll down or click here to read Part One

~~~~~~~~~~

As Lineman approached the Canadian/US Border he wondered what would happen if he couldn't get the dog across into Montana. He had gone all the way to northern Canada specifically to get this dog. It was the only thing that mattered right then. What if they took the dog from him? He had to have a plan....

Shove the dog into the sleeper. Yes, that was his great plan.

He put the dog into the sleeper and closed the drapes that separated it from the cab of the semi. A nose poked through the bulky drapes. Lineman was quickly approaching the border, he gave another shove to the dog to keep him in the sleeper. Then he rolled the truck into the bay for semi's at the border. Out came that nose again and he pushed the dog back. But what if the dog barked? The dogs nose poked out again. He was so curios and wanted to see what was going on.

The Border Patrol Agent was walking over to the semi and the dogs head was now completely through the drapes. One final shove, a hope and a prayer that the dog would stay hidden.

The Border Patrol Agents are suppose to look around, make sure everything looks right and you're not bringing anything back to the states illegally. The agent looked at his logbook and then looked at Lineman.


Then he waved the truck on through.

As soon as they were two feet into Montana that dog leaped into the passenger seat of the truck!
Once a Canadian, now a Montanan and our life would never be the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I was overjoyed when Lineman brought the dog to me. We named him Buck and he was such an incredible dog.

Buck went everywhere and did everything with us. However, he did run away once.

It was summer and he was an Australian Shepherd with a thick black coat to wear. We decided to shave him. Well, Lineman did. He shaved him but he left a mohawk on the dog. We went to town later that day, Buck riding in his favorite spot in the back of the truck. We went into the grocery store and came back out to find Buck gone. He had never jumped out of the truck before. But now he was missing.

We drove around town, called the radio station, talked to people.

No Buck.

Two days later the phone rang. It was someone calling about our dog. They found him and we could come and get him.

We were so overjoyed to have him back. We went straight home and shaved off his mohawk. We figured he ran away because he was either mad at us or embarassed. He never ran off again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a few years later when I would cry over Buck. We were headed back to school so my husband could go to Lineman School. We decided we would stay in a camper as a way to save money. We also decided it was no way for Buck to live. He was a dog that deserved wide open spaces.

My mom had plenty of wide open spaces at her Bed & Breakfast in the mountains of western Montana. We hoped she would say yes when we asked her to take him.

I have so many great memories and stories of Buck, but I think his best years were those spent with my mom.

I think it's where his true story begins.

...... to be continued........

It must be rough

When Lineman isn't out on a job checking out the progress of a powerline being built or inspecting a substation, he still has to go to work. In an office. It must be so difficult for him since he transferred. Right out his office door there are deer just hanging around. It must be so rough for him to work in such unbearable conditions. To take a lunch break and watch the bucks hanging around. Tough I tell you, tough.

The deer don't go anywhere either. They are always right around there. Always pestering and bothering him and his fellow employees. Those deer are a nuisance I tell you!

A lot of the deer I saw while we were out visiting him were bucks too. That could be a real safety issue. What if one of those bucks were to lose an antler right there next to the office. A person could trip on an antler and get seriously injured. I think it's high time that Lineman contact OSHA. It's the safe thing to do seeing as his work environment is so hazardous. It must be a rough job!

For the love of running

One thing I truly will miss when we leave is the ranch we overlook. I don't know how many acres they have but they run several hundred pair and more than 70 horses. I've watched the antelope play in this valley, chasing one another. I have watched as two coyotes were after a young calf. And I watched as about 5 very angry cows chased those coyotes off. I watched an antelope play with a crow and I've seen antelope chasing a fox. I will also miss the train that travels down in the valley and I'll miss my beloved old windmill that I love to photograph.


But for today it was joy. The joy of running horses.....

{click to enlarge the pictures}

What a Weirdo

And no, I am not referring to my husband.

Bwaaaaa haaaaaa haaaaaa

Sorry, let me recover from that for a second.

I am actually referring to our wonderful, loving, caring........ ....... dog, Koda. This is how he sleeps about every night.

He lays in this little cabinet nook in the mud room. He always gets himself into these strange positions. If he isn't laying here he is usually laying next to the door, feet against the door pointed straight in the air. And if that's not weird enough while he is laying like that with his feet in the air then he begins to dream. And we all know what dogs do when they dream... they get their feet moving like they are running. So here he is, completely asleep, some strange position, running upside down. Then he starts scratching the door while he is running in his sleep.

I am starting to wonder if it is contagious. Just tonight my middle boy wanted to sleep UNDER his brothers bed.... in a little nook, with no room, with his feet in the air..... sleep running. Well, he really did want to sleep under his brothers bed.

Think on that when you turn in for the night tonight!

I'm just saying.....

If you remember yesterday's post I mentioned how the antelope were taking classes at school. Well, Lineman left a comment on that entry. Here it is, word for word:

Grooaann! Do you all see what I have to live with here??? How about, "how to look both ways before crossing the highway 101" or "beat the bullet 101" or "Vehicles really are faster than us 101"

This morning he called to tell me that he hit a deer. Coincidence? I think not.

Of Snow and Antelope

We got about two days of snow here. It had to be the prettiest snow I've seen in a long time. It was really interesting, something it's been years since I've seen. What you ask? It was snow falling down from the sky. Really, it was falling straight down. It didn't even go sideways at all. I told the boys to look at the snow falling straight down as we may never see that here again. In fact, I had to inform the boys that snow doesn't always come from the sky sideways. That's all they've ever known.

It has been cold too. It dipped to Minus 2 degrees here. I took the kids to swimming lessons and they had a hard time swimming through the large chunks of ice. However, when they got tired those same blocks of ice acted as little life preservers. So that really worked out well when the hypothermia set in. They really do take swim lessons, but I confess, they are indoor and it is incredible hot in the building. However, they threw their wet swim trunks in the back of the Suburban and after one quick stop the swim trunks were frozen solid. Oooo, imagine trying to put those back on.

.

We had a herd of about 60-70 antelope come through yesterday. They came through our place and stopped at the bus stop.....

Where's that bus at already?

Oh, bother.... I dropped that kid off at the bus hours ago. How much longer does a boys best friend have to wait. I'm tired of waiting. At least the sun is shining today. How much longer do I have to wait? Huh! I hear something! Is it the bus? Could it be? Oh, not yet you say? Well, I guess I have to just wait a while longer then.
Oh! This waiting is just driving me crazy! I don't know how much longer I can wait.
Oh well then, I guess I might as well relax a bit longer...............

Poncho & Lefty

I was browsing through some music earlier, listening to some Willie, Waylon, Merle... the good ones. I came across a song that made me think back to my high school days. Poncho and Lefty.

When I was in High School I was very involved in FFA. I think it must have been my Junior year that I had veal calves as one of my projects. I had a pair of them that I got from our favorite dairy in the area. We brought them home and thought about what to name them. I finally came up with names to suite them: The first one I named Poncho Veal-a and so I named the other one Lefty to go with. I can fondly remember the smell of milk replacer that I would feed to them. Man I loved those two animals!

Now when Poncho and Lefty come up on my music player maybe you'll think of two cute veal calves instead of two outlaws.