Thoughts from the Middle of Nowhere

We got a few done yesterday. With some neighbors, we branded 100 head of calves yesterday morning. Boy did it go smooth. A good crew makes all the difference. I was about 2 weeks behind schedule with this little branding. That's thanks to the snowstorm and later rainstorm putting me behind. Sorry, no pictures. I was to busy to get any.

Now to finish getting ready for the big branding. Cows to move to a different pasture, corrals to get ready, water to get working. Lots to do.

Talking about the snowstorm I was visiting with a guy who runs a place west of here a ways and his comment on the storm was, "there was one calf dying as fast as one was being born." The more guys I talk to the more I hear how bad it was and what the death loss from the storm was. There was a lot of calves lost in this area due to the storm and it hurts people. Nobody is dwelling on it, just mentioning it and moving on. What else can you do?

Life belongs to the living, and he who lives must be prepared for changes. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

East Fork of Tullock creek. I haven't seen it consistently flow such a stream in a lot of years. It's sure nice to see, how long it will last though is anybodies guess. Not long enough for sure. Taken 4/11/2007.

All it seems like I can take pictures of is cows and snow. Is this really April? Is it ever going to warm up? Sometimes I wonder. Taken 4/11/2007.

Cows in the never ending land of snow, or so it seems like to me. Taken 4/6/2007.

Mittens wanted to go outside this morning and took one look out the door at the fresh snowfall and decided not to. I told him that there is no door into summer and I don't think there ever will be again.

I know, defeatist, but that's what it feels like. The snow all ready here won't melt because it's to cold and we keep getting a little more snow almost every day. The damn weather is the weirdest thing in the world. In March you could have convinced me that global warming was rolling right along with our above normal temperatures but now with the cold and snow that just won't go away, it feels like we are in a new ice age, not Global Warming.

Truthfully, the cattle aren't doing to bad. For all my grousing about scours, I haven't had an outbreak yet. I am seeing something I have never seen before though, a respiratory infection of some kind in the calves. I noticed it yesterday and doctored quite a few of them. I'm sure there will be more today. I am in totally unfamiliar ground here. After I doctored the first couple of them I radioed home to My Darling Wife and had her call the vet to find out how to doctor young calves for a respiratory infection. Hell, I don't even get such things when i wean, shipping fever, so I am totally out of my league here.

The vet gave me a course of action and I am trying it out. So far none have died from it but if not nipped in the bud I am sure I could lose a few. One things for sure, it's always different around here and you have to cope and adapt. I'm tired of it though. What would really help all of the problems with the cows and calves is some sunshine and warm temperatures. I'm sure My Darling Wife would say the same thing would make me easier to deal with too.

(Aside to My Darling Wife)
Hon, I know I have been a bear to deal with lately and I apologize. I have been very preoccupied with the weather and its affect on our lives and fortunes. I know it makes me cranky and hard to live with but until some warm weather and sunshine show up I don't think I will be able to break out of the rut. Please bear with me and I again apologize.
(End aside)

The National Weather service claims this batch of snow will last most of the day and then starting tomorrow it will turn nice and be in the 60's by the weekend. At this point I don't know if I believe them. I don't think it will ever get warm again but I will withhold judgment until this weekend. All I know is that even if the weather comes that they are predicting, I don't think it will get to 60 degreed. There is just to much snow cover here for it to get that warm. Maybe in Billings it will where there is no snow, but not out here. When I was younger I had the nickname "Little Siberia" for the ranch due to its isolation and weather. I'm thinking of resurrecting the name, it sure seems to apply with this weather.

Each thing is of like form from everlasting and comes round again in its cycle. Marcus Aurelius

It's been snowing all day yet again. I am really getting tired of this. The sun shone yesterday and reduced the amount of snow but I found that instead of it soaking into the ground the water is being held up in the snow. This just shows that the ground doesn't need any of this moisture for those of you who keep wanting to say, "we needed the moisture." All it's doing is costing me money, heartache, and ulcers.

I've been doctoring a few baby calves for the scours but not too many so that's good I guess. Have only lost two calves that I know of so far but I have two more so sick that I don't think they are going to make it. I am trying everything I know to try but they don't seem to be turning and getting better. I'm tired of looking at cold, wet, sick calves. I wish it would quit snowing and get nice again.

I know, this isn't what you would call a positive post but I'm not in a very positive mood right now. About the only positive I can see is that I am positive that it's never going to quit snowing and all the calves are going to die. How's that for positive?

I have a negative side toward the world because the world is self destruct. Sun Ra