A Herd Reunited

There was a joyful reunion in the lower cattle pastures today. Two plus weeks ago, we separated our Charolais cow, Daisy, and her seven month-old bull calf, Tip. Daisy's half-brother, the big steer named Tad, kept Tip company while our Black Angus heifers, Libbey and Tove, hung out with Daisy.

The first few days of the weaning process were nothing short of mournful with mama and baby bawling for each other. Gradually everyone settled into a new and much quieter routine.

When we opened the gate between the two pastures, we weren't sure what would happen. Daisy trotted toward Tip and Tad, stopping to give Tad several "thanks for taking good care of my kid" kisses. At the same time, Tip tried to jump on Tove's head and Libbey chased him away. Daisy then dogged her too-cool-to-be-seen-with-mom adolescent son to the bottom of the pasture, where she gave Tip a long overdue lick bath. Libbey set about grazing, somewhat apart from the rest of the herd, as Tove and Tad sniffed and licked each other. Before long, all five cattle were companionably grazing.

By mid-afternoon, the ladies had, on their own steam, returned to the women only pasture. Tip and Tad were nestled in the grass on the other side of the fence. Funny.

Greener Pastures, Golden Big Leaf Maples

Oregon's fall rains can been downright dreary, yet the earth delights. Our dusty, parched pastures drink up the much anticipated water and the dormant brown grass is transformed, a shining emerald field against a backdrop of golden Big Leaf Maples.

 

Drifty grazing.

October Tomatoes

Amazingly, I'm still harvesting late October tomatoes from the vines we hung in the garage two weeks ago. At first blush, I pluck and place the fruit in the window sill. There, I get to enjoy watching each tomato ripen. There's nothing quite like the flavor of heirloom, home-grown tomatoes!

Wow! Forty Minutes and I'm On My Way...

My forty minute session with horse trainers Robert and Stacy Jo Hartley of Hartley Performance Horses was pure magic. The dynamic husband and wife team swiftly identified the easy fixes, the things I can do to improve the way my gelding, Irish, and I work together. The bulk of the workload falls to me -- hand, elbow, and body position.

The best part of our time together was the way Irish readily responded to the corrections I made to me. At the end of our lesson, my gelding actually nuzzled me -- something he doesn't typically do.
Thanks, Stacy Jo and Robert!

Someone to Guide Me

It's been a long time since I've taken one of my horses to a lesson, so I'm looking forward to working with trainer Robert Hartley of Hartley Performance Horses tomorrow.

In past years, I've been fortunate to work with some amazing folks, each a wondeful guide in my quest to further my horsewomanship. Robert has a knack for clearly communicating some exceptionally effective training methods, so I know he'll be able to help me.

Will keep you posted.

Free Ranging Chickens and Other News From Sweetgrass

The Sweetgrass Barnevelder chickens have been free-ranging for the past several weeks and seem to adore poking around in the horse pastures. When it comes time to return to the hen house for the night, the ladies are a bit of a rodeo. Unlike the ducks, who naturally stick together and seem inclined to return to the safety of their pen, the hens delight in a maneuver best described as fast trot swirl and scatter. Devious birds...

Last evening was a sleepless and moo-filled night, with Daisy's mournful calls to her bull calf, Tip. As of late, the seven month-old Tip has been drawing his pregnant mom down, so we separated the two to give Daisy's system a chance to recover. For now, Daisy is in a big pasture with Libbey and Tove and Tip is in the adjacent pasture with Tad.

Interestingly, the calf didn't pay much attention to his mom before this afternoon, when he must have started missing his mama's milk. We might be in for a sorrowful duet tonight.

Sunbathing Ducks

Yesterday, the ducks took advantage of the sparse sunbreaks between the downpours and sideways hail. When you are a duck, it's always a good time for a sunbath.