Pistol Packin' Momma

*Disclaimer: If you are anti-gun, you may not want to read this post.  But it's ok, I'll still love ya....*

Tonight I got to sneak out and ride my Fancy mare.  She's enjoying becoming a horse again after a year of pretty intense training.  She isn't used to being ridden out in the world right now.  The safe confines of the arena are what she has gotten used to.  So out across the pasture we go.  Looking at every little thing, spooking at the dogs when they pop up out of the grass.  Not so fun for me, but necessary....

After our ride....

After she had settled a bit and we were slowly walking up to the barn gate we heard a slight buzzzzzz.... Oiy! Snake!  Fancy jumped backwards and shied away.  I hung on while hoping I wouldn't get dumped on top of a rattle snake!  I hollered across the field to Prairie Granny, who was out in the yard with the rugrats.  "There's a snake!"  Then, "Get my gun!"  I led Fancy to the house, calling the dogs along so they wouldn't get snake bit.  Unsaddled, turned Fancy loose and grabbed my gun.

At first I couldn't find him when I went back.  Of course.  But just as I was hopping back on the four-wheeler, there he was climbing up the big manure pile next to the corrals.  I quickly aimed at his beady little head and fired.  Missed!  That was actually the very first time I shot my gun.  It's a .41 caliber, single action revolver. I have sot some .45's so I figured it would kick a bit.  But it wasn't too bad.  Mostly it was just really loud!  Shoulda wore ear plugs, but I didn't....  I couldn't hear a thing for a few minutes after the shooting.  So when I'm a really deaf old lady, we'll know why!  I promise I'll have ear protection next time!

Anyway, I shot that dirty bugger three more times.  There is no better target practice than a rattlesnake on a manure pile!

See how well they hide?  It's easy to step right on them!
 

Prairie Granny dragged him out so I could take a better photo.

After we disposed of Mr. Snake, we did our evening chores to the chorus of a pack of coyotes somewhere nearby.  Ugh.  But it's ok, Momma's gotta gun....


Bye for now,
B

Small Town Fun

Today, this tiny town of 266 or so swelled in population!  Maybe to even a thousand or two!  Today was the annual "Geraldine Fun Day".  This town goes crazy on this day.  There's a parade of course, games, bed races down main street, beer tastings, cowboy shoot outs and live music.  I never make it to all the events. But I make a point to do the parade.

Our friend Dustin is the shady character in the purple shirt.

Dan is all ready for the bed race!

Watch out! The kids are all driving!
 

Payson and I entered our little Topper in the parade.  Most folks around here haven't ever seen an alpaca before.  With his funny summer haircut, he got a lot of looks and laughs.  He was a perfect gentleman the whole time we were in town and made us proud.

I'm so glad to be living in this tiny, prairie town. 


Bye for now,
B

The Ordinary Not So Ordinary Day

It seems the ordinary day for me is now pretty much anything but ordinary.  I sat down to write tonight and thought, "I don't know if I have anything to write about.  Nothing extra ordinary happened today....it was just an average day."  But wait just a minute.

This morning I got up and actually put on clean jeans and did my hair and makeup before going to do the chores.  No, I haven't lost my mind.  This morning we had a visitor that was due to arrive right at chore time.  A lovely young gal from Oregon came by the farm to interview us for the Fort Benton newspaper. We got to give her the grand tour.  We showed her how we are now raising the calves so we will be able to sell grass fed beef.  We showed her the young Barred Rock pullets that will soon produce fresh, all natural, free range eggs for us.  She got to meet the lambs and the horses and of course the alpacas.  The main focus today was on the alpacas.  It's a new industry in our area and folks might like to see more about them. 

It was also fun to ask Miss Bethany questions.  I learned she up and moved from Oregon to take the job at the newspaper and for some reasons of the heart. Seems there is a lucky farm boy between here and Fort Benton.  She might just end up another of a long line of women who found themselves out on the prairie as a farm wife.... I guess we'll see.  But it sure was fun to show her around and I hope the article lets people know what we're up to out here.

This afternoon I just spent some good quality time playing with the rugrats.  Sometimes the pressure of getting this farm going makes me forget to just play with the kids.  Yes they love going with momma to do chores, pull weeds, plant things, water things and move critters around.  But sometimes we just need to hang out and do nothing productive at all.  Then I had to go haul hay....

 

My big boy came with me for that and he's becoming a lot like his momma and took his camera.  My little staff photographer.  I'm glad he likes taking pictures.

Tonight we also had another not-so-ordinary sunset.  I wonder if I'll ever get tired of seeing the amazing evening skies we get here?  I hope I never take them for granted.

Bye for now,
B

The Tenant

Ok, it's time ya'll met my "tenant".  (I once lived in Texas long enough to claim the use of the word "ya'll".) When I bought this farm, the sellers found an adorable cabin over in western Montana.  It was perfect for them.  Except for one thing.  Sherry's prize elk mount would in no way fit in the house.  The ceilings of the little cabin are not vaulted.  So they asked me if I minded if he stays right where he is until they figure out what to do with him.

If you know me personally, you know I have never hunted, not counting gophers.  (But I am pro-hunting, as long as it's not me doing the hunting.)  I haven't ever sought to hang any mounts on the walls of my home.  Never was a look I was going for.  However, Sherry's elk was absolutely not in the way, hanging on his wall, below the skylight.  So of course I said he could stay as long as he needs to.

I've become quite fond of him really.... I don't know how long he'll get to stay, but I think I'll miss him when he goes.

Sherry shot this elk near here, in an area on Arrow Creek.  So to my readers that are hunters, come visit!  You don't have to travel to wild and obscure places to hunt trophy elk.  Just Geraldine!

I had a thought....  Would this happen anywhere else?  I think I might be the only person with this kind of "tenant".  But it's another reason I love this place.

Bye for now,
B

Haircuts!

Tuesday was the biggest day of the year for the alpacas.  They all got their haircuts!  Once a year they get a buzz cut that lets them be cool enough for the hot summer days.  They are originally  from the very high altitude of the Andes Mountains  and without the buzz cut, they have problems dealing with the heat. Lucky me! 

This is the shearer, Marty.

That also means we get to harvest that wonderful fleece!  Softer than cashmere and just as beautiful.  It's made into all kinds of wearable products.  Warmer than wool, moisture wicking and uber soft.  I am excited to get it milled into yarn very soon.

How do you find out who your true friends are?  They show up to help you shear your alpacas!  Prairie Momma Trish and her daughter Elaina came to watch and of course jumped in to help me!  Trish gave all the shots and Elaina helped label the bags of fleece so I don't get them mixed up.
Our crew also consisted of lovely, neighbor girl Shyanne, my oldest son and my mom snapping the photos.

The shearers were amazing. Ever year in May they come up from Guthrie, Oklahoma to shear the alpacas in Montana.  Marty learned from his father how to shear and Eric is learning from Marty.  It takes them eight minutes to perfectly shear an alpaca!  They lay them down and put ankle straps on them to hold them still.  Then zip, zip, zip and they're done!

I was running around like a mad woman!  Trying to gather the fleece, bag it and trim the nails of each alpaca.  Might as well get 'em while they're down!

 

When they're done they look like this!

This is Genesis after her very first haircut!



The rugrats got to hang out and play while the rest of us were working.  They always find interesting things in the barn yard!




 

After two hours we had all thirteen alpacas ready for summer and they got to go out on the pasture and get the heck away from us!  Then I took the shearers to dinner and picked their brains about the best ways to market fleece and such.  I learned a lot in that short time!  Now I just need to learn how to knit!


 

 

Until next time,
B



Calf Slobber Jeans

These days when I get up in the morning, I no longer look for clean jeans to put on. Usually the pair I put on in the morning is on the edge of gross. Ya see, if I put on the clean ones with in five minutes of being at the barn they are covered in calf slobber.  And just a little bit of poo.  This is a totally different way of being for me.  I can be a bit of a girly girl.  I try to be nicely dressed every day.  Even if it's just to go to the feed store for a case of dewormer.  I rarely leave my house without makeup.  Particularly mascara and lip gloss.  I just do not feel dressed without a spritz of perfume!  Silly?  Yes, totally and I know it.  I realize the irony in my lifestyle choices.  Lip gloss addict becomes lady farmer.  But now, the mascara and the clean jeans have to wait until after chores each morning.  Then I get into my decent clothes and get gussied up.  Or maybe not, if I'm headed out to build a fence or clean a corral.....

Just for fun I thought I'd show you a bit of the morning procedure. Some folks have asked how in the world I manage to feed ten bottle calves twice a day. This is how we do it....

On this fence we have five bottle holders all lined up.  We let the calves out of their pen and they follow us over to the bottles and we help them get hooked on.  Then they go to town!

On this fence in the feed room we have three more bottle holders.  We separate the calves into two groups to cut down on mayhem and bottle stealing.

A couple of calves sometimes need a bit of extra attention and hang out in their normal pen.  There we can give them a closer look and make sure they are getting over their belly aches and such.  My helper in this photo is my mom,
 aka Prairie Granny!

Notice Prairie Granny is all bundled up.  Yes, it's almost June.  But it has been cold for the last few days!  Our winter coats haven't got to take a break yet.

After they each one finishes his bottle he gets kicked out into the corral to play in the sunshine. 

They follow us out hoping for more food.  But we always make sure each one gets his fair share.

The photo credits today belong to my very talented 7 year old!  He did a great job taking the photos so you could see me and Prairie Granny at work!

This is my big boy with "Superman".

I hope you enjoyed seeing the operation!  Thanks for reading and sharing my blog!


Bye for now,
B

I Used to Hate the Rain

Some of you know I spent a total of about 8 years living in the Seattle suburbs.  There were a few things I liked about the place, the coffee, great restaurants, lots of entertainment, Puget Sound and the ocean.  But I always hated the rain.  The almost constant drizzle.  Gray skies.  Mud everywhere.  Back then the rain meant if I wanted to go ride my horse, I had to deal with the rain or not ride.

Fast forward 15 years....

Rain now makes me smile!  We live in an area that's pretty dang dry for the most part.  Not a desert, but close maybe.  We get enough moisture that we have a nice grass prairie all around us.  Not sagebrush!  But it's also dry enough that every drop of moisture counts.  It's never a bad day for rain.  Rain means the prairie will turn green.  Rain means less chance of wildfires.  Rain means the hay fields will feed the animals next winter. Rain means the people here that make their living growing crops will actually make a living.  There is no irrigated ground around here.  Pretty much everything is dry land farmed.  Without the good Lord sending the rain and lot of people would struggle.  Rain is GOOD!

On Monday it rained!  Really, really, rained!  A gully washer!  Water was running all over the place.  Gutters were overflowing.  It was the most rain I have seen since we moved here.  At least all in one day....

The silly horses have a barn, but chose to get a shower instead!

The rugrats and I were in awe.  We stood at the windows for a very long time and watched the rain.  I know my fields will grow.  I know the garden drank it up.  It was such a blessing....

An hour or so later, the skies cleared....  So we will wait for the next rainy day and be glad when it comes!

 

 

 

Bye for now,

 

B