NaCl

It seems that the earlier I go to bed the harder it is to wake up...therefore I have waved the go to bed before 9:30 rule! :P

Today was not nearly as productive in quantity but we sure did get some quality work done. I started out with chores which included no major disasters...but the big bucket calf, Charger, did learn how to drink out of the pail containing all of the milk for the other calves who haven't been fed yet. So there I am- bascally beating her with a cattle paddle to get her head out of the milk bucket. Let's just say it was pretty funny. Later, I watched as they all went out into the lot and went straight for the cats milk, which they drank up as well! O...and I how could i forget. We have this wild orphan calf in there now and this morning I wasn't thinking and let him out with the bucket calves into the lot (which is really easy to get out of). We managed to get him back into the barn in time- but it could have been bad! Guess someone was lookin after my butt this morning!

After chores, Adrienne, Ross, and I all hopped on four wheelers and went out to sort the late cattle that we branded yesterday. It actually went better than we thought. We managed to send the black pairs one way, the heifers and crippled cows into the lot, and all the reds got left where they were at. After sorting them out we came back in and Adrienne and I sorted what we wanted of our crippled and heifer group and sent them in various directions. Later, Adrienne and Merle hauled they out to where they needed to be.

While they were doing that Ross and I headed out to pick up troughs at the home pasture, then came back to get salt and mineral, and put them out at the Pow Wow grounds pasture. Then, we stole the troughs from the 80 and put them out at Baldy for the Fall Calvers. In between time we managed to run to town, eat at Ross and Marvas, wash the sand out of the wheels on the pikcup that was making it sound like the ball bearings were gunna fall out any second- and of course picked up another ton of salt and a ton of blocks.

We felt like real winners because the first pasture we went over we had to make due with the parts and pieces of used salt block we had because we forgot to load some up. But, this time we just bought a whole pallot! We ran the 2 tons home and unloaded. Let me tell you...I do not make an efficient skid loader! But, we got the job done and went out to string more.

This took basically the whole afternoon. By the time we poured the last bag we were in the Baldy pasture clear down in the corner by the timber reserve and it started raining. Then, it hailed, then rained some more. There was even some lighting and thunder involved. But, we managed to get out of there without getting stuck and made it home to help with chores. PS- a note on the Baldy pasture- Baldy is the highest hill around the area- we drove on top of it and the view is pretty much spectacular!

After chores I was gathering up my stuff (somehow throughout the day I always end up with a coat here, sunblock there, water over yonder...) and Merle and Adrienne invited me to go fishing. Heck yes- something other than bookwork! So we went fishing out on the dam. I used Adrienne's pole and managed to catch a couple bass and some sunfish- 5 all together I think. But, Adrienne caught a few more than that, and Merle had three hooks and live worms and he just kept on catching them! Needless to say, we spent the evening cleaning fish. We had some bullheads in there too- so it was fun to see them get cleaned. I have never really fished much or cleaned a whoel lot of fish, so I really enjoyed being able to learn something fun and valuable.

Adrienne and I also decided that Merle and his fish eggs that he keeps are just plain nasty! Otherwise, I just headed home and am now contemplating bedtime! Sounds like tomorrow will be filled with odds and ends as Dean will be back after a day off and Merel and Adrienne will be in Rapid all day. Sounds like Ross and I are covering the odds and ends on the place- guess we'll have to wait and see:)

"Always take a good look at what you're about to eat. It's not so important to know what it is, but it's sure crucial to know what it was." -Unknown