Here Come the Cattle!

JR and I sat on the Mule and waited near the highway Saturday evening so we could guide the cattle trucks to the Longhollow pasture.  We waited....and waited...and waited.  (JR said the drivers had called a few minutes before and that they were on their way to the farm.  So I grabbed my camera, yanked a jacket off the wall, and poured some ice tea in a take-out cup  -  I wanted to be armed and ready!!)  As it turned out, the the drivers had just left the cattle barn and it would be a few hours before they arrived at our farm.  So we headed back to the house to wait for the drivers to call and tell us they were nearing our farm.  Finally, after watching the grass grow and the sun sink lower in the sky, the telephone RANG and we were off again on the Mule to meet the drivers.  Meanwhile, Pooh and Bob also decided to come down and greet the new arrivals.  (Wee Bob stayed with Nana.) So we waited...and waited...and then we heard the rumble of trucks coming down the road!   Hooray!! The trucks formed a line and followed us to the Longhollow pasture. 

 

CIRCLING THE WAGONS!

 

WELCOME TO THE FARM LADIES!

 

 

 Cattle need to be released off the trailers slowly so they don't panic and stampede.  Each trailer was unloaded one at a time.  The calves exited first as each mama looked on anxiously.  Next, the worried mamas came down the ramp.  (It looked like we were getting the "evil eye"!)

 

 

 

                     JR and I hung back and took pictures of each cow for the record books. 

 

 

 

 

 

            Pooh and Bob guided the herd away from the trucks and further up the pasture.
 



 

 

 

 

 

As the shadows lengthened and the light began to fade, the cattle roamed to greener pastures. 

 

 

 

The drivers of the trucks informed us that they had to return to the cattle sale and pick up another load of cattle to be delivered to another farm.  (I am so glad I am not a truck driver!!)    And with that said,  "we cowboys" headed home for much needed showers, not to mention food to eat and a soft place to rest our weary bodies!  It had been a very, very, long day!!

 

 

Join me again soon as our life on Misty Morning Ranch continues....

 

 

Falling asleep,

Dee Dee



 



Cattle Auction!

Yesterday, JR and I attended a cattle replacement auction so we could begin replacing our herd.  Bob, Pooh, and Wee Bob decided to go.  Big A planned on going but then he found out he had a camp to attend for basketball. He was so disappointed!!   MeeMee and Papa G had work to do on their  "new home" so it would be ready before school starts back.

This was Wee Bob's first cattle sale and of course he had to put away his baby clothes and dress like a man!!  And that meant getting his first hair cut.  Wee Bob wanted to know why he just couldn't wear a hat like all the other cowboys and forget the hair cut!!

                                                   
                                                      OKAY!  THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!

 Back at the farm, Wee Bob waited patiently while Pooh and I packed his bag - diapers, wipes, juice, cereal, several changes of clothes, apple sauce, puffs, books, etc. etc.  JR and Bob went on ahead in another vehicle while we kept packing!!  Finally, we were ready to leave. 


After almost 90 minutes on the road, a change of clothes and diaper, five thousand cheerios scattered in the car, two gallons of juice consumed, and three thousand songs and jingles sung, we arrived at the cattle barn.  Yea!

 

                                 HURRY UP - WE ARE MISSING ALL THE ACTION!!

 

 

First we had to check out the cattle mall.  Each "lot" of cattle is kept in a separate stall with food and water until auction time.  This is where you "shop" for the cattle you want to bid on later.  (Kind of like browsing a shoe store for the perfect pair of shoes.)  You walk on a fenced "cat walk" high above the stalls.  Scary! (While doing all that packing I forgot my camera so I had to use my cell phone to take pictures.)

 

 

 

 

Once you make your selections you head into the main building and grab a seat.  Today it was packed so we were about 10 rows up from the arena.  Good thing we arrived early since it was standing room only when the auction began. 

 

 

OKAY COWBOYS - GET THE BALL ROLLING!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The door is opened and....HERE THEY COME!

 

 

YEP - THAT'S THE ONE I WANT - BID PAPPY, BID!!

After a few dozen cattle with their calves were put up for bid and JR was just getting serious in the bidding process, a certain little cowboy was starting to get tired......

 

 

WHY DO WE HAVE TO LEAVE?  I AM NOT TIRED!  COWBOYS NEVER GET TIRED!!

 

So after another thousand cheerios thrown around the car, vegetable sticks thrown out the window, two pints of apple sauce smeared on the ceiling, and ten cups of juice slung around the back seat, the little cowboy finally hit the snooze button.   Pooh and I had a peaceful trip back home where we waited "patiently" for the return of the Misty Morning Ranch men. ( I vacuumed out my car and hosed the inside with a pressure washer!)

 

Stay tuned for the next post and the arrival of a small herd of heifers and calves.

 

See you soon,

Dee Dee

Start 'em up!

After three years of renting our cattle farm (due to health reasons) we are ready to get back into the business of raising cattle. ( Don't ask me why we call it a farm when to me it should be called a ranch.  Maybe it is a southern thing.  Everything in the south is a farm and everything out west is a ranch!  Do you think?)

Anyway, I am so excited!  No more spur of the moment road trips; no more spontaneous trips to the flea market; no more suppers on time; eating breakfast before dawn.   On second thought, let me rethink what I said about being excited!  But we are so blessed to have my husband's health return that I can't help but be happy!

The tractors, baler, and other equipment are all tuned and shined.......

The rain has stopped and the hay fields are being cut, raked, and baled......

 

 

Even the dogs are getting in the swing of things....

 

The gates, fences and catch pens are being repaired.....

 

What a way to end a day!!