Finding the love and beauty that surrounds us, isn’t that what life is about?  There are barbs along the way but mostly it’s threads that are intertwined to create strong ties and lasting relationships.

I hope you enjoy it today and everyday!  Happy Valentine’s Day.

Eventually most ended up with nicknames–Sapphy, Big Boy (Onyx was the biggest in the group and never took to a bottle),  Pitiful Pearl (she was blind and had a tongue that didn’t work properly), Aggie.

The little cowgirl fed them morning and night and spent the hours between gentling them to the point they would come running at the slightest sound of the gate squeaking open.

She participated in 4H this year as a Clover Bud which meant she couldn’t officially show an animal at the fair but she could participate in the bucket calf show, an event for Clover Buds who are learning the livestock show ropes.  Sapphire turned out to be her guy!

Everyone is a winner in the bucket calf show.  And, while cute may not win the steer show in a couple years, he won with me this year–a perfect gentleman in the show ring!

Over the summer, the calves grew, were allowed out in the pasture at the house.  They learned to follow their two-legged leader back to the corral for dinner with little more than a call of, “Sapphy, Saaaaapphy, Saaaaapphyyyyyyyyy.”

By late fall, the herd was big enough and healthy enough to go to their winter pasture.  The little cowgirl shed a few tears for her babies.  But, she goes for a visit, just a couple pastures over, as often as she can.  They still come to her call, eat out of her hand and expect their usual scratches between the  ears. But, now they are taller and stronger.  The hard part is going to be explaining the day when her first herd is loaded on the truck.  She may be taller and stronger, too, but this is going to be an emotional one.

The old timers are saying they’ve seen it this dry in places over the years but never quite so dry over the entire region.  For the last 48 hours everyone has been talking about the snow forecast.  It’s here.

It’s not very wet snow and it only fell for a few hours leaving just a couple inches. But, we’ll take it.  And, the horses are enjoying it, too!

Snow kidding, the forecast was finally correct!

This is Cody in his work wear the week before Memorial Day.

My understanding is that this is mostly true in Cowboy Culture, or should I say Cowboy Couture. When it comes to his hat, my cowboy is fashion conscious, even if it means toughing out a few hot days in late May until Memorial Day arrives.

This is Cody in his work wear on Memorial Day.

Now, when I met him in 1995, he was mixing and matching black shoes and a brown belt… it was nearly a deal breaker for my fashion taste.  But, I was able to overlook the belt and shoe problem since this view was so much better.

Tiny is so cute and super sweet.  Luckily, she has a momma who loves her (and a cowboy, too, by the looks of it!). But, momma is a first calf heifer who doesn’t seem to be producing quite enough milk, even for this little one.  In that case, we are keeping her close by to supplement feedings.

She is happy for the extra meals.  Although, she’d rather have the real deal from her momma.  Who can blame her?  Mother’s milk is called ”liquid gold” for a reason.

His momma ran away for a day after giving birth so we loaded him up and took him home for a bottle.

Momma was located and they are now back together.  Both are adjusting well.

Sheesh, I’m pretty sure I would’ve run away for a while after trying to give birth to a baby this big, too!

This week, the guys moved a set of yearlings about 13 mountainous miles to their summer pasture.  They drove them horseback, begining at first light.  This photo is not from this particular drive but the beauty of the early morning was quite like this:

 Fifty years ago, the guys would’ve driven the yearlings, then they would’ve made the ride back home.  They probably would’ve packed a sandwich and hopefully would’ve made it home by late-afternoon, assuming everything went as planned.

These days, we can meet the guys with a truck and trailer at the end point.  They are home in time for lunch, the horses are spared the trip home on foot and one more project (or two or five or more) can be completed before dark.

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