Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

Gathered up some drys, cows that have no calves, and late calvers to sell. I have a semi load that will go out this afternoon and be on the auction tomorrow. Next week or the week after there will be another load to go out. That is one load too many. Between the late snowstorm and the dry year last year things didn't work out to well. Taken 5/14/2007.

On Monday we got over an inch of rain. Last year I would have given anything for moisture, so far this spring I am getting more than enough. I rode across my plowed field that I want to seed to grass and my horse was sinking in about a foot and there was water standing in the field. You never see water standing in a plowed field around here. When I will get the seeding done is beyond me.

I've about got the cows straightened out finally. All the cows with calves hopefully will be in the hills after today and everything without a calf, at this point I call them all drys but it is not true, will be in a separate pasture gaining weight so I can sell them. Some of the "drys" will still calve yet and make the cut to stay on the place but it is nice to get them sorted out. Between the dry year last year and the late snow storm I have more critters in the "dry" pasture than I would like. That means fewer calves to sell come fall especially since I will have to keep more replacement heifers to try to build my herd up.

If it isn't one thing it is another. Damn the luck.

Most of us regard good luck as our right, and bad luck as a betrayal of that right. William Feather

Gathering the last of the pairs and the drys. The drys are going to market. There are fewer than normal for me so it was a pretty good year last year with an easy calving season. Taken 5/8/2006.

About a month ago I talked about kicking the last of the pairs out to pasture. I then kicked everything that didn't have a calf on it into another pasture to get them off the alfalfa fields. There was some that could calve yet in the bunch along with stuff that was dry or lost calves. I wanted the dry stuff to gain some weight and the heavy ones to calves before I sent them to market. It worked.

I gained another almost 30 calves and have a semi load of nice fat drys on the market for sale. Things are going great and the big branding is coming up soon. Now if I could just get a good feel for the new hired man everything would be great. While gathering this bunch of cattle he got bucked off his horse twice and this horse has never once bucked since I've had him. We will see.

It is wise to keep in mind that neither success nor failure is ever final. Roger Babson