It's Itty Bitty hanging out with the bulls. I don't blame her though, the cows are mean to her. She's usually with the calves. I think she's the babysitter but they think she is just another calf. Luckily, she'll come to a bucket of feed. The other day I had to go get her and the calves. See our top pasture is a horseshoe. She and the calves were playing with Diesel thru the yard fence. They didn't realize the cows went around to the other side. When they finally noticed, then they cried across the fence.
Here I went with a bucket of feed to lure them around. Itty Bitty did great and came right along, calves following. Managed to get them halfway around before the other cows figured out I had a bucket of feed. Gave everyone treats for being good and went on my merry way.
The husband got a call from our lease neighbor. He said a sheriff's deputy was there with him due to a donkey being on the road. It looked like it had been hit awhile back because it's back end was scabbed over. They knew we had donkeys at our lease and wanted to know if it was our's. They described it and it sounded like Pearl except it was a cut Jack! Nope, not Pearl.
The husband still called me to make sure we had females. He said the day he was having, he better double check with me. I told him yes, Minnie and Pearl were both jennies. He called the neighbor back and told him it was not our donkey. Neighbor said no one would claim it. The husband told him to just put it in our pasture and get it off the road.
They couldn't believe we would let it in our pasture. The husband and I believe that regardless if we put a loose animal in the right pasture, at least we are getting them off the road. I know as an animal owner, I would rather find my animal in a neighbor's pasture than hit on the road.
So they got a halter on the donkey and guess what it did? Sat down and refused to move! Took them an hour to get it to the gate. They said the minute they got it in the pasture and took the halter off, it ran! Goofy thing. Looks like we may be donkey foster parents!
The bulls have been fightin' across the fence and it was in desperate need of repair. Got out there on Sunday evening to fix it.
Looked like crap, huh! Well the husband had lots of helpers.
Diesel was intrigued with the process. I think he secretly wants to be the husband's dog.
Pepper had to help when the work got closer to the ground.
The husband and his helpers got the fence standing upright. It was a quick fix job but it will due for now. We plan on redoing that entire stretch at some point. But for now, we work with what we have.
I ain't seen nothing like it before so I want my farmer friends to tell me if it's normal or not.
My neighbor's cotton is on steroids or something. It's amazingly tall. I stood out in it so you could see. I'm about 5'7".
You see what I mean! Mutant cotton! Never seen such a thing and my grandparents grew cotton in the Panhandle. Never do I remember it being much over a few feet high.
The Husband posed "by" the cotton. He was too skeered to go in. I mean, I had shorts and flip flops on and I still did it! Oh, and he's not 5'7". ;o)
I saw a plane spraying about a month ago. Maybe he was using Miracle Grow or something. I'm just in awe every time I drive by. So what do you think?
It's never good when you walk out the back door, headed to work, and the husband yells, "DUCK!" Just as I heard the word, I felt it across my forehead. Luckily I was quick and didn't get tangled up in it. I took a step back and raised up. There it was....a HUGE spider's web in the doorway. That spider was busy overnight.
But we don't have your average spiders this time of year. We have enormous mutant spiders. What we call wolf spiders. Don't know if that's even the correct name for them but that's what we've always called them. Actually, I usually address them very formally as Mister Wolf. In fact, after I ran into the web at the back door, we kindly asked Mr. Wolf to relocate.
Would you like to meet some of the Wolf family hanging around?
One good thing about Wolfies, they eat grasshoppers!
I want to say thank you for all your thoughts and prayers. This is a stressful situation and the support y'all have shown us is so meaningful. We very much appreciate it.
So, here's what I know now. DPS never contacted us yesterday or this morning. The husband has been worryin' himself sick about the whole situation. He finally called the DPS office that covers the area by the lease. He spoke with the Trooper that worked the wreck and wanted to make sure they had everything they needed from us. From what I gathered from the husband, Mr. Trooper said he had received our information from the Sheriff's office. He hadn't called because he didn't need anything further from us. Really?? Mr. Trooper stated he was just putting our info in his report, which would be available for us in 10 days. Okay...
The husband inquired on the people that hit Bully. Apparently, it was just a driver. Mr. Trooper stated he was NOT injured. He believed he had them transport him away from the scene in order to not be there when DPS arrived. Apparently, the driver didn't have insurance. It sounded very fishy. I don't know what all was up with the driver but sure makes me wonder.
Anyhow, he didn't mention one thing about a fine or a citation. Husband called me after he spoke with Mr. Trooper. Asked what I thought. He was still worryin' about gettin' a citation in the mail or something. I told him I thought the Trooper would have told him right then if they were going to fine us. He would have made arrangements to meet the Husband to get it. To me, it sounded like they were more peeved at the driver and his actions than our bull.
So I guess we'll wait and see. I'm gonna get the incident report when it's available to see exactly what they said happened. But for now, I believe the sun is peaking out from the clouds.
We headed to the lease yesterday evening to check the cattle. Got there and called them up. They were all there but one, the Bully. Where would he be? He is always one of the first ones up to feed. We looked around the place and didn't see him. Figured he got into the neighbor's pasture or something. Decided to come back this morning and walk the fence.
Got up this morning to head out. Pepper had been barking since 2 in the morning about something. Walked out the back door to leave and the husband stopped to see what the ruckus was about on the back porch. He moved my wooden bench and a snake fell out from behind it! He starts saying a few choice words and grabs the shovel. Tries killin' it but the shovel is duller than dull. I run to the barn and get two more shovels. He finally kills it.
After that excitement, we take off to look for Bully. We get to the lease and all the cows are there. Still no Bully. We go to the back and start walking the creek. No sign he'd been down it. Walk some other fence lines. Nothing. Check the tanks. Not there either. Don't really know why he would leave the place, horses on one side, nothing on the other, and cows off a little ways from the back but there is good fence between us and them. We couldn't find tracks anywhere. We finally decided to go from neighbor to neighbor and see if they had saw him.
Unfortunately, a neighbor had seen him. He told us that he was hit on the road Wednesday night. They had to put him down cause it broke his back. One of the occupants of the vehicle was taken by ambulance to the hospital. They didn't know who the bull belonged to.
We drove down where they said it happened, which was down the road from our lease. Don't know why in the world he was down there. We knew he had to do the right thing, and the husband called the sheriff's office. He told them we thought it was our bull and gave them our information. DPS will be contacting us. We'll be gettin' a ticket for allowing our livestock on the roadway. The husband asked about the people but they didn't give us any more information.
Then the husband had to call Rent-a-Husband because Bully is actually his bull. He told him what happened and he was very understanding. He wanted to know about the passengers in the car and how we were (which at the time, was not good.)
So now we wait to hear from DPS. We do have insurance that covers the cattle so hopefully that will cover whatever we're gonna have to pay regarding the people that hit him. It's days like this when we wish we don't have cattle.
The Wife asked me to handle the post today. She says there's nothing going on to talk about. Well, I thought I would take this opportunity to invite you to visit Crazy M Ranch if you're ever in the Central Texas area. However, we charge admission at the gate and the guard takes his job very seriously. It'll only cost you a sack of bull treats (and we're not picky about the brand). So come one, come all and BRING TREATS!
The Husband calls me the Crazy Dog Lady. He's never happy about me takin' in new dogs. Complains about "my" dogs. But I think he doth protest-est to much. I have proof he loves "my" dogs.
Stubby returned home on Saturday. We had left him in Stephenville with Rent-a-husband waiting to see if he was gonna get bought. The buyer hadn't come up with the money by the weekend so we wanted to bring him home. I have to say I was really happy. I know it may be short lived and he'll be gone soon, but at least I got a little more time with him.
Yesterday afternoon, I treated him to some range cubes.
The other boys and girls got wind of what I was doing in the barn.
They wanted their share of the treats.
So I shared.
Before I left the barn, Stubby gave me sugars.
I never realized how big his head was until I saw this picture! Have you kissed your bull today?
We traveled to Hamilton for another NBBA bull futurity. A friend was competing and we wanted to show our support. Here are some pics I got. Again, the light (or lack thereof!) of a covered arena makes for a challenging task. I so wish I had the cool flashes and lens. Oh, to dream...
I have to tell y'all what a stock contractor told me. It made my day. He has always been very supportive of my photography. He told me he got in trouble with a very well known rodeo photographer the other day for complimenting me so much. The photographer asked why he didn't say such nice things about his work. He told the photographer that he's never said that about him cause he doesn't take as good of pictures as I do!!
And guess what, our friend won 4th place! Go Lonesome Dove Ranch!!
They got married after my dad entered the Army. He was being stationed in Hawaii. Mom's first ever flight was by herself to Hawaii! I'm bettin' that was a long journey.
They've had their ups and downs like any marriage but stuck together thru it all.
Love y'all bunches.
But dad, how about you take mom somewhere nice this year! Not McDonald's!!
I think they are plotting to take over Texas. They are EVERYWHERE! Checkin' cattle this past weekend at the lease, we were attacked. They jumped in the truck, on us, on the truck, etc. They were on the grill guard, antennae, windshield, hood, rear view mirror, cab, etc. One even road on the windshield for over 12 miles! He had some super strength sticky feet.
"Listen weak human, we grasshoppers shall rule your world. Do not worry, defeat will come quickly because our army is mighty!"
Wow, it seems like I haven't posted in forever! I tried to post yesterday but for some reason, my internet would not work. I was totally bummed! I've missed you people. Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. Part of our weekend included a day full of bull.
The morning started out loading up the boys. We took Stubby and the two year olds to Stephenville. It was time to see if we were going to keep 'em or sell 'em.
Can you tell we haven't loaded anything in awhile? The load alley was a little grown up!
While we were at the arena, Rent-a-husband was schoolin' on some young bulls. I took a video of it so you could see how we run bulls thru the chute to get them used to it.
You get them used to loading, puttin' a rope around them, rattlin' the gates, etc. This guy did really well. Didn't seem to bother him one bit. I took the audio out cause I didn't think you'd want to listen to the Husband and Rent-a-Husband gab.
These guys kept giving me the eye. The arena was in their pen. Luckily, they stayed in the far corner.
And there was this lil guy...
He was such a good boy. He came right up to me and sat down, wanting to be pet. The Husband said, "Of course he would go directly to you!" I found out he was a stray. Someone had to be missin' him. He was neutered and so well behaved. Listened to commands and didn't get in the way no matter how badly he wanted to get the bulls.
So at the end of the day, we may have sold Eyebrows and Stubby. I know the business involves selling the bulls but if Stubby goes, I'm really gonna be sad. Of all our cattle, I'm most attached to him. He's my boy and it will be hard not having him around.
Here was his trip with a rider:
Unfortunately, Tadpole didn't buck good enough to keep. The Husband asked if I would let him drop him off at the sale barn. Of course, we can't feed something just because he's my pet. So on our way home from Stephenville, we stopped in Meridian and dropped him off. He should have been sold yesterday.
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