Back on the Ranch

We came home and found old #58 sick. Poor thing. To set the record straight, she was on the cull list last year and I, Queen Of The Ranch, gave her a reprieve. (My poor hubby doesn't have a chance to run a quality herd!) I didn't care that she was over 20 and toothless and short and dumpy. She was sweet and trusted me, and she still had calves, so she got one more year in paradise. But it wasn't to be. We tried to save her, but both her and her newborn calf did not make it.

Fall Colored Poison Oak

Now Mark and I both are covered in a poison oak rash. In our pursuit to give her a medical examination we had to climb through the poison oak that she chose to lay in. Hmmm. This is my first time having the itchy rash. My poor husband gets a dose every time he gets near the plant! My eyelid has a patch and my arm and my legs and Yeah, it is not much fun. But it is fine. It will heal.

Redneck Highway

Yesterday, while Mark was out doing a side job with our construction friend, I drove around inspecting the animals and trying to get all the water troughs back running. I discovered that many new calves have been born.

Eye to EyeI've Got You Covered

Milk Mustache

Butt Heads

Rescue Cow and Bonny Calf

"Yeah, I'm on a Year's Reprieve, so What?!"

We lost one laying hen while we were gone and one of the sheep has a sore leg or hoof. I haven't figured out what is wrong yet. All I know is that she limps slightly. And Macho, our littlest burro is limping too. I've given him the once over and I can't find anything cut or swollen or out of shape. It could be an abscess. Those are often the hidden culprit. Do sheep get hoof abscesses too?

First eggs.

It is so strange here on the north coast. I feel a cool, fall wind beginning to blow and my garden is finally bestowing her summer crops, but I don't even really care anymore. I am ready to put my fall garden in! That is how it goes sometimes, you wait and wait and then decide you never really wanted it. At least I am sometimes fickle like that.

Flame Grapes

I am kind of taking the whole weekend off, but next week I definitely have to go pick the tomatoes, pears and apples and do some canning. Every night our dogs have been busy keeping the bears away, but, I am afraid, they can't keep it up much longer. A few years ago a bear, or perhaps two bears, ate all of our fruit in one night. And we have over a dozen fall fruiting trees! We know the culprits were bears because they left their huge calling cards all over the place.

Tranquil Sunset

Sunset on Cow... now THAT'S romantic!