Quick Trip

My cousin, Sharmon, and I decided to take a quick trip to check on cattle out in pasture. It took longer to drive to the location than we spent on horseback. That's alright tho...it was a beautiful hot August day and it gave us more time to chat.

Sharmon's puppy, Ringo, got to join in on the fun too. He thought he was a real cow dog. Well, at least until we got to the cows and then he scurried behind our horses.

Not knowing exactly where the cows would be we continued on down the dirt road and finally spotted the babies having their lunch in the shade of the large pine trees that grow near the creek bottom. Dunner noticed them right away...before I could even see them.

Sharmon and Dixie checked the cattle while her puppy hid behind.

I love taking my little Dunner out to check on cows. This is his element. He loves to be around the cows and trudging through sagebrush. Dunner would rather be out here than loping circles in an arena.

Poor Ringo had to ride shotgun part of the way home so his little legs didn't get too sore.

We also stopped at the next trough to let the horses drink before loading them in the trailer. They must really love the fresh natural water coming from a nearby Spring. The way the horses snort and snort at the water before being brave enough to take a drink will be a memory I won't forget.

Alright Ringo...time to get down...it's time to go home.

Wheat Harvest

It was an early wheat harvest this year due to extreme heat early in the season. The combines rolled along in the field.

Trust Your Neighbor But Brand Your Cattle

On a Spring Sunday, we gathered with friends and family to celebrate the newest additions to our herd.

The cowboys branded the calves which means using a hot iron to burn the hair so a symbol called a "brand" appears on the calves forever. This makes sure our neighbors know who the calf belongs to if it were to escape from our pasture.

We also gave the babies shots and medicine in their nose to keep them healthy so they are ready to go to pasture for the first time.

The burning of the hair is a distinct smell. 

It also gets very smoky. "Now you see them... 

now you don't." 

Here are a few pictures of the shots we give them,

the bottles of medicine,  

and the "nut bucket".

The calves that are unlucky enough to be born boys also get castrated on this day. Before we sell the bull calves, we like them to be steers instead. The younger the calves are the easier it is for them and for handling the calves, especially if the calf is large.

This branding was also very special because it was our daughter's very FIRST branding!

Branding is a tradition in a lot of cowboy families... 

It's a time for learning new tricks, 

for exploring new textures and tastes...unfortunately...one small piece did manage to get swallowed,

for riding bucking bulls...well, at least bucking calves,

and this Cowgirl loved every minute of it!

 



 ~Photos by Country Dove Photography taken at the Bromiley Ranch

Branding with Friends