Showing posts with label the big move. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the big move. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Wordless Wednesdays - The Home Stretch.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
I'm a poet and I want to show it! ;)
While trailing I came up with this little poem.
Twelve miles is a long time to just take in the scenery! As beautiful as it was, I needed to entertain myself! ;)
Hope you enjoy!
When the dogs start barking and the sheep start talkin'
Better hit the pavement whether running or walkin'.
The sheep don't care if you want a morning stroll...
They have in mind one mission, one goal.
If you thought you would take in the scenery, let me give you a little tip
You better do it on a jog or a really good clip.
There's so much pride in bringing your sheep home to pasture
Wouldn't change it for anything, might just move a little faster.
They want to get back to a place where they can roam,
A place that is cozy,
The place they call home.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
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.
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.
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.
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. |
 |
| 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.
Friday, June 17, 2011
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.
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. :(
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!
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.
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!" |
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!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
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 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?
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!
I’ll post about Sunday’s trail soon!
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Mutton Mondays - In the Spirit of Shearing.
Since it's shearing week on the ranch I'm going to share with you all you need to know about shearing.
So, what is shearing?
Shearing is a haircut for the sheep except they don't get to choose their style - they all get a buzz cut.
Why do you do it?
Sheep grow wool year round and with warm weather just around the corner shearing helps the sheep stay cool in the summer months. Each sheep produces on average 2 - 30lbs of wool a year and at the time of shearing their fleece weighs on average 7.5lbs. That's a lot of wool to carry around on a hot day!
There are also reasons why we choose to shear our sheep right before lambing season begins. Lambs have an easier time nursing when sheep are shorn. Some sheep ranchers shear before lambing because shorn sheep take up less room in the barn.
What do you do with the wool?
We sell it. We get paychecks two times a year - a few months after shearing from the wool and in September when the lambs are sold.
Does it hurt the sheep?
Absolutely not. I'd imagine they are a little frightened but the team we bring in to shear does a great job. There is an occasional nick, but it's nothing traumatic or too stressful for our sheep.
How many times a year do you shear?
We shear only one time a year. There are some sheep ranchers that shear twice a year.
Who shears?
While anyone could try to shear sheep not everyone does a good job and that is why we pay the professionals. ;) Pop has used the same man every year and J and I don't plan on changing that. Our guy knows what he is doing and he has a good crew that we can trust to do a good job.
What do they shear with?
Shick razors. Totally kidding.
Our guys use electric razors and these have three parts to them - the handpiece, the comb and the cutters.
Electric shears look a little something like this:
Scary looking, right? Again, this is why we leave it to the professionals.
How do you package the wool?
First the wool must be "skirted". I've just learned what this is so bear with me.
Basically the "good" wool must be separated from the "bad" wool. Bad wool tends to include belly wool, off-color, burry and seedy wool and stained or dead wool. We get paid differently on the bad and the good wool.
Where do you send the wool?
After the wool is separated it's compressed into 400lb bales (like the picture below) and sent off to Roswell Wool.
So that is all you need to know about shearing, but don't go trying this at home!
Today I helped trail the sheep closer to home.
I'll be posting about this soon, but for now here is a picture from the day.
I have lots of things to share this week so stay tuned!
SOURCE: http://www.sheep101.info/wool.html
So, what is shearing?
Shearing is a haircut for the sheep except they don't get to choose their style - they all get a buzz cut.
Why do you do it?
Sheep grow wool year round and with warm weather just around the corner shearing helps the sheep stay cool in the summer months. Each sheep produces on average 2 - 30lbs of wool a year and at the time of shearing their fleece weighs on average 7.5lbs. That's a lot of wool to carry around on a hot day!
There are also reasons why we choose to shear our sheep right before lambing season begins. Lambs have an easier time nursing when sheep are shorn. Some sheep ranchers shear before lambing because shorn sheep take up less room in the barn.
What do you do with the wool?
We sell it. We get paychecks two times a year - a few months after shearing from the wool and in September when the lambs are sold.
Does it hurt the sheep?
Absolutely not. I'd imagine they are a little frightened but the team we bring in to shear does a great job. There is an occasional nick, but it's nothing traumatic or too stressful for our sheep.
How many times a year do you shear?
We shear only one time a year. There are some sheep ranchers that shear twice a year.
Who shears?
While anyone could try to shear sheep not everyone does a good job and that is why we pay the professionals. ;) Pop has used the same man every year and J and I don't plan on changing that. Our guy knows what he is doing and he has a good crew that we can trust to do a good job.
What do they shear with?
Shick razors. Totally kidding.
Our guys use electric razors and these have three parts to them - the handpiece, the comb and the cutters.
Electric shears look a little something like this:
How do you package the wool?
First the wool must be "skirted". I've just learned what this is so bear with me.
Basically the "good" wool must be separated from the "bad" wool. Bad wool tends to include belly wool, off-color, burry and seedy wool and stained or dead wool. We get paid differently on the bad and the good wool.
Where do you send the wool?
After the wool is separated it's compressed into 400lb bales (like the picture below) and sent off to Roswell Wool.
Today I helped trail the sheep closer to home.
I'll be posting about this soon, but for now here is a picture from the day.
I have lots of things to share this week so stay tuned!
 |
| This is one of our VERY hard working herders. |
SOURCE: http://www.sheep101.info/wool.html
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Spring has sprung and the sheep are comin home!
My mother in law was always so happy when everyone was home at the ranch and I never understood why. Well, last fall I learned why and now I'm right beside her with a big grin this time of year.
Everyone and by everyone I mean all of the sheep, all of the dogs and all of the herders are home only two times a year - in April for shearing/lambing and in September for the 'loading of the trucks'!
The large herd of ewes, our two herders (one was away for the winter and the other was on the winter range with the big herd) and 5 dogs (Wito, Embre, Gringo, Sage and Chili) will be home from the winter range on Tuesday evening and I have goosebumps thinking about it. Their trip home will take about 5 days total and these mamas are going to be so tired. All of the ewes are pregnant and due in May so Pop and J make sure the trek home is spread out and as peaceful for them as possible.
When the sheep came home from the summer range it was a wonderful event! It’s a feeling of accomplishment - another season of success. It's also nice to know everyone is safe. A large part of this success is owed to our wonderful and hard working herders of course. Our herders stay with the sheep for months on end working from sun up to sun down and they always have a smile when we see them. I'll be blogging more about our herders soon.
I’ll be working at my office job 2 of the 5 days of their trek home but I'll be getting at least one good day of trailing in this weekend which I'll be sure to report on! I'm actually quite sad (believe it or not) that I can't help trail like I did in the fall when the sheep came home from the summer range. For those of you that missed my post about the summer trailing you can read about it here, but you have to promise not to laugh.
So the next few days are busy ones for J and Pop. It's 7:40 pm on Tuesday right now and they are still out working on things. This is a huge event I tell you!
On top of everyone coming home J and I are participating in a Senior Field Studies program. This is a program that allows a Denver area high school senior come help out on the ranch. Our student will be with us for a week and he will learn all there is to know about the operation. I emailed with him today and he's excited to be here during one of our busiest times of the year - shearing!
Needless to say I'm excited for everyone's arrival and I think I'll make a celebratory cake! Woo hoo!
Here are some questions about "trailing" I'll be answering in the next week...
If you have any questions please let me know via the Contact Me tab!
Are the sheep actually on the road?
Have you ever had a sheep get hit by a car?
Has a Ewe ever gone into labor while on the road?
How long is the trip?
How many miles do you trail in a day?
Everyone and by everyone I mean all of the sheep, all of the dogs and all of the herders are home only two times a year - in April for shearing/lambing and in September for the 'loading of the trucks'!
The large herd of ewes, our two herders (one was away for the winter and the other was on the winter range with the big herd) and 5 dogs (Wito, Embre, Gringo, Sage and Chili) will be home from the winter range on Tuesday evening and I have goosebumps thinking about it. Their trip home will take about 5 days total and these mamas are going to be so tired. All of the ewes are pregnant and due in May so Pop and J make sure the trek home is spread out and as peaceful for them as possible.
When the sheep came home from the summer range it was a wonderful event! It’s a feeling of accomplishment - another season of success. It's also nice to know everyone is safe. A large part of this success is owed to our wonderful and hard working herders of course. Our herders stay with the sheep for months on end working from sun up to sun down and they always have a smile when we see them. I'll be blogging more about our herders soon.
I’ll be working at my office job 2 of the 5 days of their trek home but I'll be getting at least one good day of trailing in this weekend which I'll be sure to report on! I'm actually quite sad (believe it or not) that I can't help trail like I did in the fall when the sheep came home from the summer range. For those of you that missed my post about the summer trailing you can read about it here, but you have to promise not to laugh.
 |
| This is from fall trailing last year. |
So the next few days are busy ones for J and Pop. It's 7:40 pm on Tuesday right now and they are still out working on things. This is a huge event I tell you!
On top of everyone coming home J and I are participating in a Senior Field Studies program. This is a program that allows a Denver area high school senior come help out on the ranch. Our student will be with us for a week and he will learn all there is to know about the operation. I emailed with him today and he's excited to be here during one of our busiest times of the year - shearing!
Needless to say I'm excited for everyone's arrival and I think I'll make a celebratory cake! Woo hoo!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Here are some questions about "trailing" I'll be answering in the next week...
If you have any questions please let me know via the Contact Me tab!
Are the sheep actually on the road?
Have you ever had a sheep get hit by a car?
Has a Ewe ever gone into labor while on the road?
How long is the trip?
How many miles do you trail in a day?
Friday, December 31, 2010
This was the year...
This was the year I took a trip to Seattle, Costa Rica and of course a few trips to California to see my family and friends.
This was the year more healthy babies were born.
This was the year that good friends came to visit me in Colorado!
This was the year our family of two grew by one furry dog,
hundreds of sheep...
some goats and horses...
and 11 working dogs!
This year started and ended like any other year; trips were taken, babies were born and memories were made. 2010 however, will hold a special place in my heart. This is the year my father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer, the year we quit our jobs and moved to the ranch. This is the year I became a Sheep Rancher's Wife.
This was the year more healthy babies were born.
My good friend Aubs and Maris had beautiful baby boys and my handsome nephew Siley was born!
This was the year our family of two grew by one furry dog,
hundreds of sheep...
some goats and horses...
and 11 working dogs!
For 2011 I'm not going to make any New Year's Resolutions or make a 2011 To-Do list because if I've learned anything this year it is that plans don't always go as planned. I can make a list to do a million things but in an instant my priorities can and will change. Instead I am making a vow to enjoy the moments in 2011 and to simply roll with the punches.
I look forward to what 2011 has in store!
Signed,
A Rancher's Wife
I look forward to what 2011 has in store!
Signed,
A Rancher's Wife
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