Author: wyranchwife

Last day of trailing Heifers

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Our journey always begins with heifers running for all they have as they exit the feedlot. They are on their way to our mountain property high in the Laramie Mountain Range near Laramie Peak. 

Over the years we have had various hired hands, friends, and even a few that should never have come along help us. However now that our children are getting older. We have help that is gaining more and more knowledge about cow work every year. 

The picture below is all 5 cousins. The oldest is my 15 year old daughter and the youngest is 7. They were doing a fantastic job moving cows.    
    

The Day has Finally Come!

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As we drove to Casper today to deliver Zip to Miles and Alicia it occurred that I have a driver. I keep forgetting that I can choose to allow her to drive. I mean she has had her license for over a year now. 

On the way home we have her the wheel. I chose to ride in the back and knit of course. 

 

I am working on a howl-cat for Loganne. The yarn looks more pink, but it is purple. 

John was clearly excited to ride with his sister at the wheel. 

 

 

The worst is our rule has always been driver controls the radio. Well we are reaping what we sow there.  

Almost Ready!

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Next week I travel to become certified in acidified food processing. My recipe will be tested and I will be approved to selly jalapeños. 

I am so excited for this venture to begin. I am looking forward to traveling to farmer’s markets all over Wyoming to peddle my wares! Lol

My labels arrived and my sample jars are ready. I have had a few testers give me their feedback and so far so good. They are sweet with a perfect amount of kick. Just enough to know its a jalapeño, but not enough to hurt. 

It is also funny that my labels are chalkboard inspired. When I taught I had so many chalkboards. Why teach if you don’t get to use chalk? So my labels are perfect. 

  

 

 Outdoor Therapy

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Today is one of those days for being outside. It Is one of those days where you just want to stay outside and find anything to do. You know the kind of day where you want to find anything so you don’t have to go back in your house and clean.

This morning has been one of those. One of the cows in the lot calved, but she pushed it outside. The hubby looked and looked but never could find it. I found it snuggled up in the shade beside a tree. Tucked under a fallen limb, just as content as could be. I reunited the pair and away they went. 

Then we got down to some much needed springtime work. One of those chores that vine every year, fence fixing. I really love fixing fence. Looking for lost staples out of a fence post and then putting them back just does something to my soul. Maybe it is the history lover in me or maybe just the nostalgia of it all, but knowing that I am putting in a staple that someone else put in 50+ years ago it warms me. I feel connected to the past. I feel that I am keeping up their hard work. So today that is what I did. 

  

And now off I go. My son and I are headed to Sheridan where he is competing. I am stopping to pick up a kitchen aid professional mixer I bought in an auction last night it is a Hobart made one. I am so excited I love the larger ones. 

Aboo likes to help. Well she likes to run around anyway.   

New Venture Coming Soon!

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I started canning jalapeños for myself and family a couple of years ago. With pushing from my family I am on my way to being able to sell them. I know, I need another venture right?

Well they are the best jalapeños ever! I swear! They are sweet with a little kick. They are so addicting. I have made a few runs in the past few months and have perfected the recipe. So I hopefully am ready. They love are amazing on Nachos!

  

In case your wondering, those are not my nachos. I hate guacamole. My husband however would inhale it. 

I am heading to an acidified processing class in Jackson Hole in a couple of weeks. (I know it was either Jackson or Powell and I went with Jackson. Wouldn’t you?). Then they will send in my jalapeños with my instructions and testing results and hopefully I will be approved. 

I made up some sample jars for selling. These will be my first ones. I can’t wait. 

  

I finally settled on some labels and a name. I think it will work.  

 

Letting Go, Yes, No, Maybe!

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I am going to assume that letting go of children when they are off to college is breathtakingly painful. I have three years before I have to go through this task,but  I think it will be very hard. 

 I am experiencing that pain with my puppies.  I have become the weird dog lady. I know crazy.  I have had friends tell me that when they die, they want to come back as one of my puppies because I am so obsessive about them. Obsessive may not be strong enough of a word, compulsive and neurotic might fit better. 

 When my puppies  are born, I weigh them, and warm them. I keep track of every progress. I keep a heating bad in their little swimming pool so that they are nice and snuggly warm. I weigh them daily to ensure that everyone is growing. I chart this information. (I know I might need to seek some help).

Then they head off to their new homes.  It is like each one of them is a child that I have worked with and I am sending them off to do their part. I hope they will become great dogs, great workers, and all around do a darn good job. I worry and stress about how they are doing, If they are doing okay for their owners. I email or text every now and then just to see how things are working out. It warms my heart to hear that things are going good. 

 

 Recently one of my first owners contacted me that the female they had gotten had become an issue.  They lived close to a busy highway and they could not keep her from chasing cars. They were devastated and worried that they would eventually be going to scoop her up after getting hit.  I immediately offered to take her back.  It is so heartbreaking to me when something doesn’t work out. 

 

 I have been working this dog daily on our 4H steers and she is doing amazing. I found a home for her on a ranch north of Thermopolis and I am excited for her next adventure. I think she will be great. Plus the owners know our dogs and were really wanting the dad. She is as close to his personality as I think I have seen. She is wanting to please and ready to go wherever you are.

Dogs are just like kids you never know from pup to pup the personality or the desire to work or listen. These pups seem to be close to the mom ( a hot worker who lives and breathes to chase chows) and the dad (an all around amazing dog who listens intently and has an eye for working).  

The spectrum is broad in what these pups are like.

Our pup has the personality of her dad, but then when she is chasing a rabbit, Steve (our 13 year old house Antelope, whom she is not to chase), or one of the older dogs the ears seem to be turned off. Now she is only 5 months. and we are working on everything, but I can see she is falling in between. 

 With this I am taking my dog Jipsey in this morning to be spayed.  Two litters was plenty and we have our pup. I just get to attached to my pups and too worried when things don’t work out.  It might be best to let others have pups and I will take one of theirs.  

One of the dogs from my first litter actually had pups 4 weeks ago and they are the cutest little black and white borders I have ever seen. Such color. Some are almost all white, and some are almost all black. If we weren’t overrun with dogs, I would be getting one of those little furry balls.

So here is to a great morning and to no more whelping puppies!!

Well Hello!

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I have neglected my blog and basically everything else in my life for the last month or so. Sorry about that. Sometimes you just have to let everything slide and remember where you are in life. 

In early February I took a much needed road trip back to Tennessee to visit mom and dad. I had the privilege of picking up my cousin from Tennessee at the Denver airport and she road back to with me.

 We both needed that 3 day girls trip. We ended up swinging down into Oklahoma City. I know it’s not exactly on the way, but if you make a little curve and come across Arkansas it is technically right smack dab in the path.

 We were coming across Kansas and how could I deny her the chance to see some of her family who lives in Oklahoma. My family is really not big on road trips and traveling. They really like to stay in their little area of East Tennessee. 

We had lots of fun and enjoyed 3 days of girl talk, food, and driving. Plus lots of Starbucks. 

I have also set down my knitting. After finishing my alpaca snowflake hat, that  John laid claim to immediately, I haven’t knitted anything. My goal for April is to finish up all my projects and get ready for all that May brings. (Lots of cow work! That’s what it brings. Lots and lots of cow work). 

Two things I’m in love with right now are my new mixer and my puppy. 

 

 I got a new KA professional 600. I was a little worried from reviews that it was going to be too big and too noisy. So far I have made one single batch of cookies and one cake. I love it. JJ is dying for me to get some cream so that he can time how long it takes to turn it into whipped cream.  The old KA mixer I am taking to the hunting house for use during hunting season. Then I will decide to keep it or sell it. I’m in between on what to do. 

Aboo is fast becoming my doll. She is still living in the house since she is only 5 months, but she is proving to be an all around good dog. She is one heck of a guard dog and alerts me to anyone driving up or other creatures around the house. Totally loving that. I have not had a true barking dog since my Aussie died about 5 years ago.   

Isn’t she a doll. We were laying down for a little 10 minute nap yesterday. 

I hope you have a wonderful day. 

Out with Brioche, and in with Fair Isle!

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Yesterday I let my frustration go. I decided to put the brioche project on the shelf for now. I had ripped out and ripped out and ripped out until I no longer really wanted to even make the Brioche scarf.

I decided that I needed to do something fun and something quick to get back in the knitting mood. Is that even a real mood? Well for me I think it is!

I have had this Plymouth yarn baby alpaca brush floating around in my yarn bag for a good four months. I have been wanting to make something with it preferably a hat for quite some time and I decided that now would be a perfect time to get it out and get going. It is so soft that I decided I hat with a a little fair Isle pattern would be perfect.

I started this yesterday on the way to the other Ranch to drop off a calf. The kids had picked out three steers for 4H, and they only needed two. This one was a little wild and never wanted to really calm down so he was headed back to all of his buddies at the Lance Creek Ranch.

After starting the reading and getting going on the pattern, I have decided this is so much better than the brioche. Sometimes it’s just not meant to happen.

Hopefully this weather will not keep my new Addie needles delayed too long I am anxious to skip started on JJ’s mittens. This is another new project that has me a little frustrated. I wouldn’t say frustrated but size 2 needles takes a long time to finish. And not only that but, unlike a hat or scarf when you don’t enjoy or look forward to working on something, you know that if you just get through it you will be done. With mittens you have to make another one. That is a true nightmare.

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