Jessie's Calf

     Well, we gave in, not that we were all that reluctant but Jessie is now fully involved with 4-H in the livestock group i.e. cattle.  We picked up her heifer yesterday and another calf that's on loan for moral support. 

  Athena, her heifer, is a bit on the wild side but is now settling down after yesterdays ordeal of being separated from her mommy, put in a trailer and hauled to town and then panicking coming out of the trailer, slipping out of her halter and running all over the place.  After some slow persuasion we were able to convince her to join her partner in a small pen which is where they will stay until she is more trusting and leading better. 
   Jessie has spent almost as much time out with her she has in the house and is making great progress!!  I am hoping in another day or so we will be able to move them to their more permanent location.

Firewood

WOW! I can't believe its been since February that I last posted! I knew it had been a while but I didn't think it had been that long.  No good excuses for the delay in postings.  Plain and simple I haven't made the time but lately it doesn't seem like I even have the time to turn around or hardly breathe. Anyhow, I am trying to work on that-not going to get into it on here though, but maybe taking the time to post will help me make the time-makes total sense!

  Wood cutting this year got an early start and an early finish thanks to the dry winter and spring. We were able to get it all done in April which is a first; the weather and work schedules usually drags it out into June and sometimes July.  However, there has been nothing else good about the dryness we are having(except maybe, there haven't been any mosquito's).  The land and those that use the land to survive have reached a very critical point-it all needs water to survive and there hasn't been hardly a drop.
  

   We went to a new place to cut wood this year. Its a bit further of a drive but well worth it! The scenery is beautiful and the cutting dead wood is so much easier to load and not nearly as dirty.

   Now, the work crew-Jessie. She's a loader

  Marisa-she's a loader too

   Bryan-the one running the saws. He occasionally loads the large stumps that I have decided that I'm to tired to try-I usually save them for last.

   Lunch time. Note: you never dress kids in nice clothes when going into the hills to get firewood-the clothes will not survive!!

 Despite the dry spring, there were a few wildflowers that managed to make their magnificent appearance.