Category Archives: Ranch Life

Ranch Life

The Stragglers

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As with any mountain cattle operation, it seems we are always looking for the last few who like to hide out in the brush.  After a lot of coaxing with hay, grain and salt, we finally got this last bunch down to the corrals!   Back in South Dakota this was never a real problem as we could see pretty much all of the cattle as we road through the pastures, but here that is a different story.

Out of all the yearlings we hosted over the spring and summer we had one little heifer who was a sneaker!  We have been working to get her and these other cattle (owned by a couple different neighbors) into the corrals since the beginning of November!  This bunch of cattle is the bunch that continued to be so elusive that even our top horse and rider combinations couldn’t keep up with them through the trees and brush.  Today was the day!  12 inches of fresh snow (for a total on the ground of around 18-20 inches!) and a good cold blast this morning brought them the rest of the way down the mountain.

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Thank goodness for the snowmobile to help us get these critters into the corrals!  The side-by-sides are not much help in this deep of snow.

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The Rancher headed out to clear out the road and grab a bale for these gals to help keep them into the corrals until we can get them to their rightful owners!

Happy New Year – from The Stragglers!

Family, Living Life, Ranch Life

Its 2015!

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Resolutions, Resolutions, Resolutions!  I don’t even want to hear about it,  lets be true to ourselves this year and not make these so-called “resolutions” that we pretend we will do our best to uphold and last about 2 weeks to maybe 2 months but rarely do we make it a full year with the normal resolutions – save money, lose weight, eat better, be healthier. . . . . . . . .

So For this year, Here are things that I will work everyday toward and how I will be making them part of my everyday life.

1.  Live Happier – Smile more, remember the small things,  laugh at that spilled milk,  it is NOT the end of the world.

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2.  Cherish those that I love – EVERY DAY, not just on a birthday, valentine’s day or special occasion.  I will show my love to my family and friends and not just say it.

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3.  Money – well we all need it, some have none, some have a lot, but I will give what I can in 2015.  I am standing by the rule pay your bills, save a little, give a little.   This past year has taught our family so much including giving from the heart.   (oh and I swear this year I’m setting up a Savings Pickle jar – – – NOT with the sheet of paper where you save $1 for week 1…$2 for week 2…etc.  – – – ours will be a simple $20 each week that goes into the jar, I would love to put it right into the bank but I think the kids need to see a visual at their age),  1/2 will be used for the kid’s savings accounts and the other will be used to teach my children the importance of giving.

And thats is folks.   Live simply, Love Endlessly, Give from Your Heart.

HAPPY 2015!

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