Baa-ing Before Breakfast {and a Bloglovin request}

The past two weekends (at a time that is way too early to even mention) Jesse and I, our herders and two of our most awesome friends oh, and 2100 sheep headed up to the high country aka summer range.

In years past I've always walked and front flagged the trails heading to and from our summer range. When front flagging you can't see the chaos of the herd; you don't see everyone working their butt off trying to keep the sheep on the road.

When front flagging you enjoy the beauty around you, the birds chirping, the deer roaming - you get the picture. In case you don't...

If you can imagine the very opposite of such a peaceful state, that is what herding the back of the herd along the road feels like. Complete and utter stress and chaos.

Imagine herding 100 cats. Impossible, right? Exactly.

This year I had the great pleasure of pushing the back. Jesse pushes the front group, two people the middle group and about three people push in the back aka run like crazy chickens trying to get these ewes and lambs back on the road. No offense to chickens.

Even with all the bodies there are challenges. Challenges that include rolling ankles or having to channel your inner mountain goat and climb up the sides of hills to get sheep back on track. Or getting heat exhaustion (which happened to one of our helpers this trail). Or getting sheep dung flung onto your face. Um, that happened too. Or, my favorite is being the lucky herder that gets to chase that one lamb through an open field with nothing but hope he/she will go where you want it to, all the while having everyone watch, wait and hope as well. It's a little humiliating to have your sheep herding skills on display like that. After all, we have a "leave no sheep behind" policy.

Or...getting peed on by this little guy. Don't worry, it dried pretty quickly.

The first of these two trails is a hard one because not only is it 13 miles while gaining elevation it's the first long trail for the lambs. This means they are tired and haven't learned to stick by mama and follow the herd.

This picture below was a great portion of the trail because there was fencing along this stretch and the sheep were a bit easier to keep on track. Keep reading and you'll see what happens when there isn't good fencing.

This was right about when things went completely haywire! I mean...clothes even came off!

Lambs are mischievous little suckers. They frolic into every field, up every hill, every garden. It's no joke. This picture below is a great example of lambs misbehaving. The horses in this field actually charged at the lambs and helped us out a bit. The quality of this photo is horrible, but it was the best I could do while running. ;)

The sheep cheering squad was nice....this was around mile 5 of 13 on the first trail. First time in 20+ years we've had signs! I love my community. Two weekends later the sheep are now on our first permit of the summer, but this doesn't mean the work is done. Just this week J got a call from his friend that saw a small group of sheep running up the road. Again, mischievous little suckers. Needless to say there have been several trips up and will be many more to search for the group on the loose (click here to read about our ewe that walked herself all the way home!). Oh, and did I mention it's haying season as well? My husband works too damn hard. He deserves a vacation!

Happy First Day of Summer and please keep our beautiful state in your thoughts as we have many fires burning and a lot of firefighters risking their lives to save ours. 

And another important announcement in case you didn't know - Google Reader is going away July 1st, y'all.
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a total win for the hubby. a bday surprise.

Earlier this year y'all know my precious Jigs was bit by a very mean, horrible spider that I hope died soon after she bit my baby. It was a horrible ordeal that I NEVER want to relive again, but I will say she has healed beautifully! At that moment I knew things had to change and they have. Jigs sleeps on our bed every night and I check her bedding daily. I told Jesse that all I wanted for my birthday this month was my two front teeth. No, that's not it...I told him I wanted a raised bed for Jigs. At that moment I started to search online.

I would show J some beds and he would say, "I can totally make that." The rest of the conversation went something like this:

Me: Okay, then. Do it! That is what I want for my birthday.
Jesse: You want me to make Jigs a bed for YOUR birthday?! That's so unlike you.
Me: I'm turning a new leaf and yes, I want you to make her a raised bed for my birthday. It will be the best gift of all!

Four months later, here we are in May and in the thick of shearing, lambing and irrigation season...there is NO way I'm getting my bed for Jigs. There has been no mention of it; he surely forgot.  I did what any girl would do at that point and jumped online and started to shop. Jigs was getting her bed.

I wasn't going to put one more thing on J - he's coming in at 9pm every night, eating dinner, showering (most nights) and jumping in bed. We barely talk during the month of April/May. I'll let him slide. He can make me that bench I wanted instead.

The night before my birthday I went to dinner with some friends and came home to this:



It isn't the cute bow or tutu that made my heart smile, my Jigs is always that cute. It was the card hanging around her neck. What does Jigs have to say? Finally!! She is communicating back to me!

"I has a surprise for you! Lets check my favorite spots 2 find it! -Jigs"

She is a good speller. She gets that from her mama.

So, I excitedly start playing her game and come to her last favorite spot and there it was...

A raised bed.

So, today I am borrowing my dear friend, Tara's "My Husband Rocks" post idea because on this day my hubby TOTALLY rocked it! Turns out he was working on the bed during his "lunch break" and for those of you that don't know...Ranchers don't get a lunch break. ;)

Wordless Wednesdays - The Home Stretch.

This past week the very pregnant sheep came home from their winter range. This was their home stretch.

Wordless Wednesdays - "I'm pregnant. What's your excuse?"

Coming Home.

The alarm buzzes and I think, It can’t be time already.

As I stumble through my morning routine I am ready within minutes for Rambling Ewe Ranch’s big day.

The moon fills the sky and sheds enough light so we can find our way to the truck.
Orange flag in hand, Camelbak packed, we load up water and lunches for the herders. J checks the trailer to ensure proper hitching and we hop up in the truck.

We pick up Alberto, he lives nearby on the ranch. Elias and Daniel are waiting for us at the mountain.

Our herders are used to this early work, it’s a daily occurrence for them. For me, it's a little tough and I find myself unable to hold back the yawning.

As we all make our way up to where the sheep, Elias and Daniel are waiting, the excitement begins to build.

The mamas and babies are coming home!

Make way B-town…Sheep on Road!

I am dropped off about a mile ahead of where the sheep will get on the road and  I find myself smiling with excitement. It’s just me, the horses in the field nearby out this time of day and the road is quiet. Soon enough cars will be making their appearance. I sure hope we have happy drivers today.

It’s important the cars see me as they are driving.  My sole purpose as flagger is to alert cars that sheep are ahead and to PLEASE slow down.

Most cars slow down and enjoy the drive through the sheep. Some smile and wave and roll down their windows. Some want to chat with you about the sheep and ask how many we have this year. Many times children poke their heads out of the car to get a better view of the sheep. Other cars take heed to our signs that are posted the week prior and avoid the street altogether. That's fine too.

Some forget the sheep are on the road and are either pleasantly surprised or grumble the whole way through.

I radio J on the walkie-talkie and ask them what his status is. He replies back, "They are on the road!"

I wait to see the first sheep around the bend and start walking!  "Okie dokie! Here we go!"

Soon enough we are rocking and rolling.

J will trail the back of the herd in the truck. He slows traffic behind him as he pulls our horse trailer full of our dogs that were working on the mountain. There is an orange, bright sign on the back of the truck that says, Sheep on Road. We don't let the dogs trail on the road, we've had a car hit one of our dogs once before and want to ensure that doesn't happen again.

They want to be where the sheep are. They aren't happy campers when they aren't.

Last year the sheep wanted to run home (all 12 miles) and this year was a bit better. They weren't in such a rush.

Jigs did come along for the ride, but slept most of the time in the car. She gets by on her looks, not her hard work. ;)

Along the way, I enjoy the view of the foothills of the San Juans. It’s a lovely sight and there is something about leading hundreds of sheep to a place they love, that makes your heart happy.




And so, I am reporting back with news of a good and successful day. Today is a milestone for J and I. We made it through our first full year of sheep ranching! It's a wonderful feeling and I want to say thank you to everyone that has offered us their support, prayers and words of encouragement over the past few months.

Tonight our herders are proud of their work (as they should be) and our sheep are happy. 

"Trailing 2011"

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

Don't care so much.

I remember my first visit to the ranch - it was September of 2005 and I came here to attend the fall festival and to meet J's parents. I had a cute outfit picked out, it was going to be great.

Then, the airline decided to lose my luggage. It was as if God was trying to teach me a lesson...don't care so much.

I ended up wearing the same pair of gauchos for a few days, flip flops and a t-shirt my mother-in-law gave me. I felt so out of place and uncomfortable. I bought underwear and a bra at the local Wal-mart and a really expensive skirt at a boutique since there was no mall nearby. Looking back I know now that I shouldn't have cared so much. 

Anyway, despite the awful beginning and after this city girl loosened up a bit I was able to enjoy the festival, the animals and J's family. I fell in love. With J and the area.

One funny thing I remember is seeing (what has become) my favorite tree for the first time.

This is the picture I took of said tree during my first visit to the ranch.

At the time it was a quick glance, hence the blurry picture. I didn't know how to appreciate scenery then, but every time I see that tree standing there on that hill I think of my first visit to the ranch. I think of that visit and when I first experienced the love I was embraced with (dirty gauchos and all). It reminds me to let go. It reminds me to loosen up, enjoy the surroundings and to notice the fresh air, blue skies and green all around.

This tree reminds me that no one cares about what you are wearing or how well you are accessorized and if they do, you shouldn't care anyway.

It makes me happy and takes me back to the beginning of our relationship.  The beginning of so much for me.

Seems like a lot for one lone tree to do, but it does it. Every single time. 

I'm going to shamelessly say that there is no editing done to this photo. This is all me and the settings, baby! ;)

Happy Friday my friends! 

Have a beautiful weekend.

Mutton Mondays - A letter from the Forest Service and BLM

This is a letter released to the public. Funny that our sheep and dogs are one of the few 'bands' they are talking about. This letter gives great tips for hikers and backpackers that are headed up into the mountains this summer. I also thought it would give you a little more insight on what life for the dogs and sheep is like in the high country. 

For immediate release:  June 17, 2011

 

Visitors to public lands should be aware of livestock protection dogs in the high country.

As the snow melts in the high country, hikers, backpackers and other visitors will soon be joining bands of domestic sheep in heading for public lands.  Domestic sheep are grazed on public lands under permit from late June to early October.  A band of sheep is often accompanied by a pair of livestock protection dogs, which are an effective tool used by ranchers to protect sheep from predators. These large white guard dogs are often Great Pyrenees or Akbash breeds.

The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management will be posting signs along trails and trailheads notifying users of the dates that domestic sheep bands will be grazing in certain areas. Follow these safety tips when encountering guard dogs in the backcountry:

When approaching a band of sheep, allow time for the guard dogs to see you and determine you are not a threat. Remain calm.  If you do not appear to be a threat, the dogs will often just watch you pass by.

If you have a dog with you, it may appear to guard dogs as a threat if it gets too close to the band or tries to chase sheep. Keep your dog close to you and under control.  Leash your dog for as long as you can see sheep band.

Try not to “split” the band by walking through it; instead travel around the sheep via the least disruptive route. Keep as much space as practical between you and the sheep band, especially if you have a dog with you.  As you pass, keep line of sight between you, your pets and the guard dogs.

Bicycle riders should dismount from their bikes and walk past the band with the bike between you and the livestock protection dog. Do not remount until you are well past the sheep.

Do not:

 *   Chase or harass sheep or livestock protection dogs.

 *   Try to outrun livestock protection dogs.  If a guard dog approaches you, tell   it to “go back to the sheep,” or tell it, “No!” in a firm voice.  Do not attempt to hit or throw things at it.

 *   Attempt to befriend or feed livestock protection dogs.  They are not pets.  They are lean athletic working dogs, which are cared for by their owners.

 *   Allow your pets to run towards or harass sheep.  They may be perceived as predators by the livestock protection dog and attacked.

 *   Mistake a livestock protection dog as lost and take it with you.

Almost there...

You haven't lived until you've trailed sheep. For reals.

The anticipation absolutely sucks, but the reward when the sheep get to their destination is like no other. The camaraderie is amazing because it takes every.single.person to get it done successfully. 

Last Sunday was the last leg of the big trip and it started early. We were up and at 'em at 5:30 am and met where the sheep were taken the night before. After a quick, "Good Morning," I continued on to my destination which was the intersection on the main highway. It was a chilly morning and I found myself doing jumping jacks to stay warm.

I waited there for about 20 minutes in the middle of the street with my flag. When I heard the baa-ing I knew it was "go" time. The sheep came around the corner, I started waving my flag and stopped the first car. Thankfully, the car wasn't in a rush to get anywhere and wasn't pissed that she was stuck behind sheep. You see, some people will get super angry and annoyed and others will say things like, "Oh, neat!" or "Wow, that is a lot of sheep. How fun!"

The sheep were only on the highway for about 30 minutes until they got on the county road.

Once they got on the county road it was a piece of cake from there.

We trailed about 2 hours and hit our first rest stop. Pop and J arrange our stops beforehand since some people may not be up for a visit from the sheep.

The people that owned this lot didn't mind one bit and they want us back next year!

2.5 hours later we hit our lunch spot.

We wanted to take advantage of the feed there and give the sheep, our herders, J, Pop, Gell and myself a break so we stayed here for about 4 hours.

After that long break, we were on our way again!

See Pop's truck and sheep camp up front? He was front flagging in the car and I was trailing behind the sheep. I've learned it's best to front flag because in the back you see everything! Every time a sheep or lamb would go off trail my heart would start pounding. On top of that, any stragglers get put in the back car (my car) to be taken back to the ranch.

From now on, I want to front flag (walking) like I have in the past.

It's so fun to see all the families that make an event out of it. We had families with their lawn chairs, in their robes and some that came out to shake hands with our herders. These kids were pretty excited. 

These llamas were pretty excited too!
It never fails that animals along the way walk up to their fences to see what is going on.

People tend to try and help along the way. This guy was "helping" on his 4-wheeler keeping sheep on the trail using a rag.

The view along the way is always so beautiful. This house is just gorgeous, don't you think?

Once the sheep got to where they would stay for three nights I was able to breath again. All of the sheep (except the one mama and three babies we had to take back to the ranch) made it safely.

Thank goodness!

Here they are at their last stop for the next three days!

We took two guard dogs, Embre and Gringo up to the high country later that evening since there are bear and coyotes up in the high country. The dogs will help ward off predators.

"Take me to my sheep!"

There you have it, the sheep are up in the high country and they are happy, safe and have GREAT feed.

Funny story...

Once we got to the location above a man drove by and told us there was a bear wandering in a nearby field. I decided to try and find the bear, in my car, of course.
Smart, I know.

I snapped this picture thinking I found it!

Turns out that was a tree stump. :(

Huge FAIL on my part.

As timing would have it, just when I get this post published it's time to move again! J did a move yesterday and there is another move on Sunday. Now it's just a matter of getting them up in the mountains. We spread these moves out and stop along the way when the feed is good and if the people along the way are up for a visit from the sheep. This year is a good year for feed and the landowners up the way don't mind the sheep, so we are taking advantage of that. :)

Happy trails and wooly white tails!

Making their way...

Friday evening I got home from work, ran inside and changed into my ranching clothes. I loaded J and Jigs in the car and headed back out to meet up with the sheep. The herders were bringing the sheep back to the ranch from the windmill on Friday - the first of three moves. They didn’t need our help, but I wanted to help! I'm beginning to enjoy trailing, I still hate the anticipation, but once they get going it's actually kind of fun!

We got there just in time.
The gate was open and the sheep were just waiting to be pushed!

The sheep and the dogs did such a great job on the way home and knew just where to go.


Gringo, like a Drum Major lead the pack back to the ranch. He always takes the lead. He does it so confidently, don't you think?

Everyone pulled their weight. Sage helped move lambs that got on the wrong side of the fence back onto the trail and Nell was right there following her lead. Nell has gotten lots of practice up at the windmill these past few weeks and is going to make a great herding dog.

Some babies were thirsty and couldn't wait to get home to eat. Unfortunately, I had to break this feeding session up. It was less than a quarter mile...hang in there babies!

Some got a little confused and wanted to turn and go back!  Fortunately, our herder continued to push and they turned around. Phew!

Also, it never fails to see someone you know while trailing sheep! J stopped to chat for a bit. Slacker! ;)

Once everyone was home for the last time this summer we discussed the plan for Saturday. We went over everyone’s job because moving sheep is a family affair and called it a night.

. . . . . . . . .

Saturday came, Gell and I met up about 2 o’clock and went to our designated positions. Shortly after – here came the sheep! They worked their way up the road and about a quarter of the way in I ran up to help push the first “bunch” with Pop. The view was lovely. 

excuse the quality, this was taken with my phone.

In Pop’s experience it’s best when you have a person after about every hundred sheep. Sheep follow the flock (most of the time) so as long as you have that first bunch continually moving forward the rest will hopefully follow. Gell and Pop told us there have been years where the babies weren’t able to see their moms (they crested over a hill) and have tried to run all the way back to the ranch! Thankfully that did not happen this weekend!

Once the sheep and our herder were settled for the night we headed back home to get rest for the toughest of the three days, Sunday.


I’ll post about Sunday’s trail soon!

Wordless Wednesdays - Green fields all around.

Linking up to Pinke Post's WW Blog hop!