Beauty Within...

Beauty can be found in the most unusual places…given our mind is open to see it.  Taking a walk on the ranch during a time when the beauty is not as picturesque as I have it etched in my mind (due to the lack of rain since I can’t remember) also can be a time to find something new and beautiful.  Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder so it is subjective to experience, passion, creativeness, & value.  In finding this beautiful cactus flower blooming on this retched, stickery, moisture-stealing plant is the perfect example of this sinerio.  I can’t help but see it’s happy provoking beauty in the sunshiny yellow bloom.  In addition to it’s physical splendor, the bee is happy to see it as the perfect buffet for the sweet nectar it so desires to take back to the cozy hive and magically produce their potion that we, as humans, enjoy spreading on our straight-out-of-the-oven biscuits.  It is rather humbling, isn’t it?  Dry ground…prickly pear…flower…bee…honey!  It’s simply amazing to see beauty in unusal places.  The moral of this story:  Keep your eyes open while walking down the path of life, joy has a way of surprising you!  AND YES!!!  Finally it rained!  Thank you Lord!

HaPpY RaNcH DaY!  AFeM

First Kiss

Awwww….babies!  Funny how they melt your heart, whether they are human or beast.  Among all the babies that have arrived on the ranch this year, one especially is among our favorites.  The little filly in “The First Kiss” is just as sweet as the day is long, naturally.  Born out in the pasture among the mesquite trees, she is the last colt from an old mare that has been a wonderful, working ranch horse on the ranch since the early nineties.  She was born in Texas and raised babies in South Dakota and now is retiring back in Texas, where the winters are obviously milder.  She is also the only horse that remains that was once owned by great-grandpa, who has since passed on to greener pastures.  The little filly is actually a surprise!  After deciding that the old mare may not make another northern winter, she was sent back down to Texas to “go out to pasture”.  As time went on, she looked a little peculiar…and just as I suspected, she was expecting.  As foaling time neared, we watched and waited and watched and waited.  At one point, all the signs were showing that the colt would be here just any moment.  Well…not really.  Each time we checked her, we thought, “any day now”.  A month later, finally!  Safe and sound, she hit the ground, running and playing and frolicking in the only slightly green pasture that we have left.  The little foal is just dreamy sweet and so curious.  She really is a little miracle!  It is such a pleasure to see nature’s miracles to help balance a day of work and stress.  Thank you God for sweet miracles!

Takin' Over the Reins

From April to June, ranching families from all around the country have been involved in “brandin’ time”.  What does that mean?  WORK, and not for the faint hearted.  Although the work is hard, this particular day or days is scheduled with the entire family, young and old.  Whether you can rope, ride, cook, brand, cut, or just stand around and look important, a branding day includes everyone!  Friends and family schedule a day to get together and work (definately not a vacation) and everyone looks forward to it.  Working cattle is a time to clear the pastures, doctor, count, and take care of the herd of cattle and calves.  After a long winter and spring, it is important to see the condition of the mama cows and calves, up close and personal.  For the calves, well, they are not as interested in what is about to happen to them.  Here’s how it goes down; they get roped by the heels, dragged a short distance to a group of cowpokes and within just a minute they are cut (neutered), branded, tagged, inoculated, and then released.  They jump up and wonder “What just happened?”.  With that kind of speed and care, there is as little stress as possible on the calf and he is free to go back and graze in the pasture all summer long with his mama.  This type of work has gone on for generations and it is one of the only events that has to do with the livelihood of the family, in which everyone is allowed to help and expected to.  From one generation to the next, ranching is a family affair!

Three Generations