Save any sheep lately?

These pictures tell a great story.

 

Click here for article.

on the mend.

As you may have read here, Jigs was bit by a spider a few weeks ago.

We are pretty sure it was a brown recluse ::shudder::, but we decided we'll tell people she fought off a coyote that was killing sheep. Just sounds better.

Not only have I been dreaming of big brown spiders ever since, I've been checking Jigs' nose (and bedding) daily to make sure she is healing properly.

Looks to me, like she is!

Jigs is such a loved dog, thank you for the Get Well cards - they really lifted her spirits (and mine)!

Happy Monday!

A tipping tractor.

We woke up to snow last Sunday - it was a wonderful sight and very welcomed. We need the moisture. We need it bad. I prayed it would snow all day so I had an excuse to stay in my pj's, but as the wonderful state of Colorado would have it - the sun came out.

If you stay inside on days like this...SHAME.ON.YOU.

It was a very relaxing morning, but let me tell you how that changed in the blink of an eye.

J was out blading our roads and I heard a door slam - I assumed he was all done with the chores for the day. I got my Bogs and jacket on and went to meet him outside so we could go for a walk, like we had planned. As I head outside I see J stomping up to the door. Something was wrong. So wrong.

"Everything okay there, Cowboy?"


"The tractor is going to tip over."

Um, what?!
The $40,000 tractor?
The tractor that is your dad's?!
The tractor we could never afford to replace?

Needless to say, my very relaxing snow day turned into what was almost a heart attack at 28 years old.

I must say while the picture doesn't do it justice you would have almost died too if you saw this:

I am so glad my father-in-law doesn't read my blog.

A huge Thank You to our awesome neighbor who came over with his tractor to help out! Unfortunately, I didn't get pictures of him pulling the tractor out because I couldn't bring myself to watch.

I can be such a wuss sometimes, but I deal with these types of situations best when my eyes are closed.

When I did open my eyes I was happy to see this: 

I'll be baking brownies for said neighbor this weekend.

Happy Friday, ya'll!

*also, a very good friend and fellow blogger will get a free portrait from her photographer if she gets 50 comments on this blog post. Would you take a minute to do that? I know she would be forever appreciative! Besides, who doesn't want an excuse to stare at a two gorgeous little girls for a few minutes?

yes, it's true. i've been a baaaaad blogger.

It is obvious life has happened and my blog has taken a back seat for the past few months.

A lot has happened in my world since my last post, but I’m sure it has for you as well.

Let’s start off with how I fell off the blogosphere…

A few months ago it was brought to my attention that I could be doing more around the ranch. A few other things were said to me and it really got me down. It was a huge blow to my ego since I really felt and still feel like I am doing as much as I physically can. 

Besides, I wasn’t raised doing physical labor and it’s definitely not something you can learn overnight. I truly believe with time, I will feel more comfortable working around big pieces of equipment and animals that weigh more than me.

Looking back I realize I took it way too personal, but at the time I began to feel like a failure so, I backed off the blog for a while. I started to think maybe I hadn’t earned the title “Rancher’s Wife”. It took me a few months and a few good pieces of advice from some good friends to realize that I have.

Why?

Because I’m here, I’m trying and it’s working.

So, now that it’s been decided (at least in my world) that I’m not a failure I want to tell you about some recent successes!

This photo won 2nd place in the Action Category of the American Sheep Industry’s 2011 Photo Contest.

This photo made it into the 2012 Grow Your Flock ASI Calendar:

The photo above also made the FRONT COVER of the ASI National Convention brochure!

Another photo of mine made the inside of the brochure:

Not bad, eh?

I am going to try and get back in the swing of things soon, but in the meantime

thanks for sticking around!

Mutton Mondays - The U.S. is thirsty.

If you are a reader of my blog then chances are you read other farming and ranching blogs and you know the land is thirsty.

Image from www.ourcoloradonews.com

We have been so lucky to have our creeks running with water all summer, but our neighbors have not been so lucky. There are twenty seven counties in Colorado that are on the Colorado Disaster Designation list.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed these Colorado counties along with hundreds across the country worthy of assistance and will help offset some of these ranchers and farmers’ losses due to the dry conditions.

The following is from a recent Farm Bureau article:
40 percent of the states faced abnormal dryness or drought. Hardest hit is Texas, which is battling its third-worst drought in state history.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said more than 2 million acres of Texas farmland has been abandoned due to the drought.

People are abandoning their land, selling their livestock and are calling their 2011 farm crop a total loss. That just break my heart. I can’t imagine. 

I’ve learned that people do not ranch or farm for the money, they ranch or farm because they truly love the lifestyle and selling their livestock or losing their entire crop is heartbreaking.

This is one of the many stresses I have learned comes with this lifestyle. 

There will either always be too much rain or not enough rain. There is either a good year or a bad year. There is no gray area in ranching and farming and this is a tough thing to swallow.

I thank God every day that we are on our way to having a good year. I know this isn’t going to be a yearly guarantee and I know our situation could change tomorrow. I know there will be years that we lose our shirts and I know how those in the disaster area could have so easily been us.

Today and every day I am counting our blessings. We have been so lucky.

Sources: here,  here and here

Wordless Wednesdays - Tiny and Shiny.

Update on Jigs

Jigs got her left Carnassial tooth pulled and it turns out she will eventually need a root canal on her left canine tooth. We also learned that Jigs might have a food allergy which would explain why her mood changes drastically every night after she eats dinner. We'll learn the results early next week. 

Thank you for your kind words and thoughts! I truly appreciate it.

{a post for fellow pet lovers.}

My problem.
I love my Jigs way too much. I honestly don't think it's healthy.

She grunts and I worry she is uncomfortable.

Her tail stops wagging, I'm convinced she's depressed.

She doesn't want to cuddle and I start believing that she hates me.

She spends lots of time at her grandmother's house and I swear she doesn't like it here with us.

She doesn't eat her all her food and I think she's ill.

She yawns at me and it's official, she thinks I'm so lame.

It's ridiculous, I know. 

Here is the second part to my problem.
Jigs might need surgery and this has me very worried and sad. 

We take her in on Tuesday morning and if she needs surgery we'll be getting it done that same day. I know it's routine, but it makes my heart hurt.

The third part to the problem.
I don't know how we'll pay for it, but we will.

Fellow pet lovers, please tell me my pet paranoia isn't completely abnormal!

{What are your thoughts on pet insurance? Worth the investment?}

Goodbye Goats. Goodbye Garden.

The Goats are gone!
The Goats are gone!

Yes, these goats.

Well, not all of them are gone, but most of them. Enough of them. Let me tell you - goats reproduce as fast as weeds grow. Seriously.

Don't worry, they've been sold to a very nice woman who intends to let them live long, happy lives.

This woman came minutes after I saw this!!

I told her she was just in time for the Two for One sale!

It's bad enough that 5 plants died a week after I planted, now this? I don't need help failing and killing things in my garden, I am doing perfectly fine on my own. thankyouverymuch.

So long and farewell you pesty goats!

At least I have something to blame if everything dies in my garden.

Always looking on the bright side...

If you have goats you'll understand this post. Goats are like furry houdinis. There are seriously everywhere they aren't supposed to be.

::I'm excited to tell you that I'm going to be getting a face-lift soon! No, not me, my blog. Stay tuned for the design by the fabulous Jillian at Cornflake Dreams.::

Gringo and Some Serious Cuteness

I didn't tell you that Gringo was in a fight a few weeks back! We think it was a coyote, they have been running rampant along with mountain lion this summer. We've lost a total of 22 lambs and/or mama's to coyote and mountain lion since the end of May, but THAT is a whole other post.

Anyway, Gringo is okay. He's got a good gash in his thigh and tongue, but has since completely healed up.

When we took a look at him, his face said it all. He is one tough and courageous dog.

"You should have seen the other guy!"

It's hard to believe that this precious, cuddly and loving, little puppy....

Yes, that is a lamb he is cuddling with.

has grown up to be our best and toughest guard dog!

Keep up the great work, Gringy!

my heart hurts a little.

I've written about Purdy in an earlier post and had many more planned for her because she has had a tough go and well, she has a special place in my heart. Her mama and brother didn't make it and she’s been on her own since the day she was born. She quickly became our most special bummer.

For the record, it wasn’t just me who fell in love with her. ;)

Purdy was all alone and we all knew she could use a little extra loving. Purdy was born with some jaw problems and she would often get pushed away by other ewes which would leave her limping for a few days. She also never quite got over a runny nose.

J and his mom's daily routine included feeding Purdy three times a day. I would visit her as much as I could especially on the weekends. Purdy took to us and we obviously took to her. She would come running when she saw us and would follow us around like a puppy.

Naming her and visiting her more than necessary was so very, very wrong for me to do. Purdy died this past Wednesday from pneumonia and my heart hurts a little.

I don’t know how (experienced) ranchers do it. I know losing animals gets easier, you eventually don’t see them as pets because well, they aren’t our pets. We give the sheep the best life possible while they are in our care and I feel good knowing that is what we all did for Purdy. I’ll learn (and live) this eventually.

The reality of ranching (so I've been told and am quickly learning) is that I can't get attached. There is a lot of death and there always will be. There is death every single day; I’m just not around to see all of it.


I wish I wasn't such an animal lover, but at the same time I am so glad I can love as strong and as much as I do. I’m reminded of this quote by Anatole France, “Until one has loved an animal a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

Thank you for letting me vent. We've buried Purdy where my husband plans on planting a few vines. I like the symbolism in that.

Sorry for the downer post - last week was a doozie. There are some other things going on that have really gotten me down the last few days. I’m sure I’ll snap out of it soon!

I leave you with a picture of my Jigs...she can always make me smile.