Washington Day 2 and 3: Agvocating.

This is a write up that the Colorado Farm Bureau sent out in a newsletter. It does a great job of summing up the purpose of our trip since, let's be honest...I am totally not going to find the time to write something up on my own.
 
CFB Members Voice Positions in Washington D.C. this Week
On April 22-25, eight Colorado Farm Bureau members, along with Vice President of Public Policy Brent Boydston and Executive Vice President Chad Vorthmann, visited Washington, D.C., to learn about federal policy, meet legislators and visit two embassies. The group met  with AFBF staff to get the latest briefing on bills in front of congress. Then, they met U.S. Trade Representatives to talk about the Trans Pacific Partnership and the importance of trade to Colorado agriculture.  The participants met with Senator Udall to discuss issues and present him with the Friend of Farm Bureau award. After that they had the opportunity to meet with Senator Bennet and talked about immigration reform, and they finished the day at the Embassy of Ireland.

The next morning, they met with the House Judiciary Committee, where they talked about ag labor and the immigration bill. After that, they met with Congressman Polis's staff, where they discussed endangered species and the EPA. Then they met with Congressman Cory Gardner, and finished the day with a meeting at the New Zealand Embassy.

"This trip was very valuable to our members who had the opportunity to discuss policy issues with many of our legislators and review federal legislation that affects their farms and ranches. We had a great experience, learned a lot and most importantly did an outstanding job representing Colorado's farmers and ranchers," said Vorthmann.  

A Four-Legged Frenzy = Lesson Learned.

The other day I was driving to work and noticed the first country-life sign of spring. Calves. Fellow cattle blogger friends - how do you stand the cuteness? Lambs are cute, but there is something about calves that makes me want to knit one a sweater, clip on a leash and take it for walks then follow that up with a bunch of snuggling.

My drive to work is ten minutes, 2 stop signs and country on both sides of me. Beautiful? Yes. Easy? No. This does have something to do with the cute calves I just mentioned, I promise. You see, the road I take to work isn't nicknamed the "Buck Highway" for no reason. So, I should know better than to take in the scenes of calving season rather than be on high alert looking right and left, left and right for deer. 365 days of the year.

I still don't know what I was thinking as I took my eyes off the road for 5 seconds to stare at the calves. Well actually, I do know what I was thinking. They are so cute. Cuddly. Cozy, fuzzy, a little wobbly and just every bit of precious. I started imagining having one as a pet. Where it would live? Would I be able to hide it from J? I'd have to steal hay from our own barn to feed it. Could I go to jail for that like these barn thieves might? Would Jigs get along with him or her? Maybe they would play together.

We'd name him/her "Banjo".

It was right in the middle of my vivid visualizations that I remembered there was a large vehicle I was (supposed to be) operating and that I should probably pay attention when a deer jumped out from the shoulder of the road. I swear it was hiding in a hole in the ground because it came from nowhere. The local deer gang had plotted this out, I'm sure of it.


All I can say is something truly electric happens to the human body when you go from such a peaceful state of mind to one of fear, surprise and shock. I haven't put my finger on what it is, but if I had to imagine what a heart attack feels like, this would probably be a similar feeling.

After I screamed loud enough to hurt my own ears, I realized we were all okay. The bouncy four-legged deer went on his merry way to scare the crap outta some other poor soul. The calves in the field continued on with their cuteness and I vowed never to take my eyes off the road again. Ever again.

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!

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.::

I Choose Moo and Happy Friday.

Let's face it, we all have a little green monster deep inside us somewhere, but the gal in this news story is nuts! Jealous of a baby calf? Really?

Have a marvelous weekend my friends! 

And remember, when the little green monster starts to rear its ugly head - back away from the kitchen knives!

Dreaming Big and Passing the Test. Part #2

You can read Part #1 of this story here.

Class three and four of Hunter Education we focused on animal identification and survival. Let's just say I have some studying to do. I'll admit I don't know the difference between elk, deer, and doe but in my defense they sure do look alike.

We took a quiz on animal identification. If it was graded I would have failed and here are a few reasons why.

I thought a pronghorn was a gazelle. 



Pronghorn



Gazelle

 I thought a moose was a caribou.

Moose

Caribou

I mistook a Collard Lizard for a Gecko. I blame the Geico commercials.

Collared Lizard

The famous Geico Gecko

The list, as you can imagine, goes on and on, but let's talk about something I did right.
I'm proud to report that I DID identify a jackrabbit, lynx and a prairie dog correctly.  :) Redemption!

Shooting range day I totally rocked ("rocked" meaning I didn't shoot my own foot) and the day prior I only missed 3 out of 50 questions on the final test. So, yes I passed the test. Now I can say that I'm armed and dangerous and mean it! You scared yet?

Here is a picture of my target from shooting range day.

If you look closely there are 13 bullet holes in my target.

Here is the problem...I was only given 10 bullets.

Where those extra holes came from I have no idea but I'm thinking someone in my class needs to practice a bit more. Oh, and by the way I'm ONLY claiming the targets that have red arrows pointing at them.

There is some comfort in knowing I wasn't the absolute worst. Thank you classmate!

In all seriousness I am glad I took the course. I learned a lot about gun safety, hunter safety and survival like how to build a campfire (and how not to panic when lost in the woods) and I'm feeling more comfortable around guns already. Hunting and gun safety is important and I will practice all I have learned.

Still haven't decided what hunting license I'll apply for I think I need to work on my animal identification first. Of course, there is the option of going with someone that knows what they are doing that way they can just tell me when and where to shoot since I'm sure I would mistake a horse for an elk. Apparently that does happen.

Who knows...this might be me in the future:

Source: www.elkmountainoutfittersllc.com

Dream big, right?!

I walked away from this class smarter about guns, with an orange hunting whistle, a compass, a minor gun (shot) wound and some gun confidence.

All in all I think it was a success! Watch out hunting world here I come!

Since writing this post I have applied for a hunting license. I'll be blogging about that soon. 

Stay tuned this week - I have a fun announcement!

Lack of Muzzle Control and a Gun Wound. Part #1

I didn't grow up with guns in the house, as a matter of fact the only experience I had with guns was from the news and those stories usually included yellow crime scene tape.

We have about 3 guns in our house now and my father in law has many more. It's because of this that recently took a Hunter's Education course through the Division of Wildlife. This course is required if you want to apply for a Colorado hunting license. The purpose of the course is to educate safe hunting and ethical hunting, but also teaches general gun handling and safety which is the main reason I chose to take the course.

The class entails four 3.5 hour classroom sessions and a shooting range day.  I got to thinking if I pass, what I  would choose to hunt?

I have not one single clue.

The first class I quickly became 'the girl' with no muzzle control. For those that don't know what a muzzle is here is a picture.

I was told many times, "Hey, hey watch where your muzzle is pointing." I even joked back and said, "hahaha, you guys don't want to go hunting with me," and no one laughed.

Note to self: Do not joke about muzzle control, or lack thereof around a group of serious hunters.

I was the only one in the class that didn't know what the difference between a rifle and a shotgun was.

My classmates looked at me a little weird when I asked them if the gun powder is actually in the gun barrel or the bullet. The instructor didn't even acknowledge my question with an answer so I guess that means it's a stupid question?!

The second class I left with a gash in my hand. I'm calling it my gun shot wound. Okay, that is a little extreme, but it's funny. The picture doesn't do it justice. My hand got caught in a Glock's loading chamber when I attempted to cock the gun - it freaking hurt. Wow, I never thought I would say that word. Glock.

What is a Glock? It's the type of gun you would see in an Ice Cube movie.

Image from cinem7.com

This video will give you an idea of how fast the gun snaps once you pull down on the slide stop. Imagine your skin caught in between that action. Ouch is right. I think I said something like, "Welp, I'll never own one of these."

Stay tuned to find out how the last two classes went, how shooting range day was and if I passed the test.

Country Living 101: Country Plumbing

What the hell is a septic tank and aren't there city officials that take care of the underground plumbing when there is a problem? 

Oh, riiight. 

We aren't in the city and we have a septic system. ::sigh::

Over the holiday weekend the bathroom saw a little too much action. The septic tank clogged. For my friends in the city that don't know what a septic tank is, it is an underground holding tank for waste which is broken down by naturally occurring bacteria, destroying the pathogens aka 'crap'. Literally. 

J and our brother-in-law went out to try and "un-clog" the clog. I asked the stupid question, "Do you need any help?" What the heck was I thinking?! Out I go, to hold the flashlight as they stick a long hose up the pipe. Did I mention it's cold, dark and snowing? I walk out to the tank and not knowing what I was looking at, I thought...how is that mud not covered by snow? Well, it wasn't mud and I was looking at the inside of the septic tank. My brother-in-law opened the tank and was stepping over the opening of the tank jamming hose up the pipe. I just kept thinking to myself "please don't fall in, please don't fall in and if you do please do it when I'm back inside." Then I was thinking of a clever way to help get out of helping. I just couldn't stand to look. 

After about thirty minutes of 'helping' I went inside and kept envisioning one of the guys falling into the 'mud'. Three hours later it was decided that they will call a septic tank professional in the morning. 


$100 dollars later, turns out it was hair and toilet paper that clogged the system. 
So, what have I learned from this experience? Many things, but one is NEVER ask to help when the situation is an unfamiliar one or involves a toilet. 


By the way the septic tank "professional" says he clears $100,000 a year. After I thought about what he did all day, every day I had no problem believing it. He deserves every penny.

Welcome to the ranching life!

It will be one week tomorrow that I pulled into our drive and was welcomed to our new home by Jigs.

Jigs, is the ranch's newest Border Collie.

We've since completely unpacked. We are downsizing a little so we had to get rid of a lot. You don't realize how much crap you have until you move - that's for sure. We donated lots to the local thrift store, maybe that will warm some folks up to the new city gal in town. For the first few days I was feeling like this before 3pm!

This is "Wito". He is up in the high country right now working all night to keep the coyotes, bear and all other predators away from the sheep.

I knew it was time for an update and considering I had my first real adventure yesterday well, here we go.

In the summer the sheep graze different areas of national forest and are we are required to move 'camp' weekly. This requires J to take supplies (food for the herder, dog food, mineral blocks for the sheep and a few other things) on an ATV, meet at the current camp, load up and move everything to the new spot. This was the 'easiest' of the summer moves and since I'm not working right now I figured I'd go up! We woke up about 5:30am and were out the door by 6:15am. We got to our unload spot at around 8:30am. We loaded everything up on the ATV and began the 2 mile hike/ride in. Jesse and I took turns on the ATV and he rode the more sketchier of areas. We are off trail most of the time so it's not your average trail hike.

There are markers most of the way, J and his Pop do this to make it easier for them, of course. After about a 1.5 hour trek in I see the sheep on a hill and Gringo and Wito (the two guard dogs on the mountain) come running at us! I am so happy to see the dogs! The guard dogs are Great Pyranese and Akbash, are hard workers (Gringo had killed a coyote that was attacking the sheep the night before) but are the sweetest most loving dogs you'll ever meet. Don't get me wrong, they can definitely intimidate especially when they want to 'play'. I would normally partake but with these dogs 'playing' would most likely consist of me getting hurt or at least scratched up.

Wito and Gringo coming to greet us!

We meet with Alberto, the herder that stays with the camp all summer. He stays there all summer with the two guard dogs and two Border Collies and loves it.

We load up his tent and any other supplies he has with him and visit with him for a while. He looks so happy to have someone to converse with for a little while so I don't mind hanging around for a bit. After a while, when it sounds like the conversation is coming to an end I tell Jesse that I'm going to start walking down to the next camp area. I figure he'll catch up to me pretty quickly on the ATV. This was my first mistake. Who the heck am I to think that I know my way around? There are hundreds of miles of forest surrounding me. It didn't take me but 2 minutes to realize that I'm lost.

I could hear the ATV but it was getting more faint by the second. I'm running down the hill to get a better view of my surroundings. I thought by looking up I would maybe be able to see J or Alberto. Nothing. Fear set in and I'm in hysterics. It was like a scene in a really bad movie. At this point I'm frantically running back up the hill, crying, saying things like 'Oh my God, I'm going to die out here' and 'Oh my God, I'm lost, I'm lost, Oh my God'. I could even see (in my head of course) vultures circling around above me. I told you it was like a scene in a bad movie.

Just when I was going to start screaming I see J in the distance and I yell his name to get his attention. I sat down on a rock and sobbed. I just kept remembering all those stories I've heard about hikers getting 'turned around' and 'being stranded' for days on end. I have never, ever been that scared in my entire life. It took me a good 30 minutes to calm down and even still when I told the story to my mother about 5 hours later I was getting choked up. She gave me a good idea...take a foghorn with me next time!

At this point I'm just ready to get home. I'm over the forest, I'm over the heat and I'm over the walking! Turns out I'm in for some more. Alberto catches up to us and tells us there is a ewe that needs to come back to the ranch. Her joints aren't doing to good and if she stays on the mountain she'll be coyote bait. He rounds up the sheep, with the help of Sage, one of the Border Collies and I find myself in the wrong place, again! I realize I'm facing about 700 sheep that are all staring right at me. Not so fluffy and cute when you are outnumbered by that many. These ewes can weigh up to 130 lbs! Thankfully Sage comes and turns the herd around. Phew! Good dog.

Alberto and J wrangle the Ewe, we named her Mama, and loaded her up into the back of the ATV. It was a tight fit for her but she wasn't in any harm. We say our goodbyes to Alberto and J arranges their next meet and we are heading to the car! After what seemed to be hours, J and I make it to the car. Now, the most fun part of the day - loading the 140 lb sheep into the truck. No, we couldn't just load her in the bed of the truck...the ATV took up all the space. So where did we put her? Oh, she went in the back seat! I had to use all my strength to help lift her, I was even getting a little teary eyed because you could tell she was just so scared. We plopped her on the back seat and talked to her, to calm her and we headed home.

Here is Mama, in the back seat. I couldn't resist...the hat was right next to her.

My first (and possibly last) trip to the high country.

So, there you have it. My first 'real' adventure. What did I learn from this experience?

...always wear sunscreen when going to the high country! My face is cherry red today. Might even be getting a blister or two.

Signed,
A Rancher's Wife (in training)