Drat!

Haying has been progressing, slowly (it always is for me), but progressing. My Guy cut a couple of odd pieces for me yesterday.  I hate taking the swather and tractor into small, odd shaped places.  So he does those for me.  We both thought the thing didn't sound just right when he left but really couldn't locate anything.  I went ahead and made several rounds, plugged the thing up 3 times (odd) and, after the third plug, it made the worst squeal and I quit.  The Guy looked it over this morning and determined that it needs a new sickle head.  Which he may or may not have.  If he doesn't, he has to go to town sometime this week and it might as well be today because we can't hay after the storm yesterday afternoon.

This little rascal showed up just after four o'clock yesterday afternoon.  Evil, wicked looking clouds!  0.36 inches in 25 minutes.  There was some pea sized hail too, and strong wind.  Ryegate, the little community just west of here, really got clobbered!  Trees up rooted, hail damage, power outages..  I was pretty lucky.

The deer flies are just wicked this year.  Big as crows, at least, and very hungry.  Need more bug juice!

The Gus and I met up with 

this guy yesterday morning.  Actually there were 2 of them but I did well to get this, bad quality ,shot.  You can see that the top of his/her head is a bit bare.  Hen pecked?

The day's list is longish.  It's nice out, cool and breezy, so it's a good day to clean barn and sheds.  Laundry, clean(sort of), maybe mow when it dries up, and of course, there is FLEECE.  Fleece may get the most attention.

Rules for Ranch Dogs
by The Gus

As ranch dogs, it is our duty to supervise and help our humans.  I've been helping with the haying.  My job is to guard the 4-wheeler while the human goes around and around the hay field. At first I thought it was going to be running ahead of the swather, but my human explained that it would gobble me up, tail, feet, and...and...my little boy parts!   No worries though.  That thing makes a horrible racket and I'm not going near it!  

The Gus

Fourth of July

I've been sitting here, in front of the computer, looking out the east window, watching the sun come up and soaking up caffeine.  It's sunny and breezy right now but with a possibility of heavy rain later in the day.  It rained just enough yesterday to put off baling so I'm hoping that I can get some done before anymore rain.

I got a few bales done on the 3rd and took photos on the fourth.  I use a small round baler that belongs to My Guy.  In a way I miss small squares, but this is more efficient, and easier for him if I have to be away.

My neighbor makes large round bales and uses net wrap instead of twin.  His hay looks really good this year!

This is my smallest, and best field.  There are 4 bales in this photo and I have a long way to go.  Last year I got a total of 4 for all the fields!  Much better this year!

The Gus helps with haying.  Here he is checking the hay barley.  It's getting tall and will be ready to cut soon.

We went to Harlowtown to watch the parade and visit with friends.  

There were some nice old cars and trucks.

This was my favorite.  The story I heard was that these guys belong to a local ranch, but that they are Kentucky bred.  Stunning, large mules!  I want one.  

The Gus is out having the zoomies and can't come in to add to the blog.  He'll be here next time.

Hay! Sort of

Finally!  I started cutting hay yesterday.  The weather forecast is for hot and dry.  I only cut one field at a time, let it get a good start on drying and then cut the next.  So, I got my best field down yesterday.  

I took the photos this morning, early.  It doesn't look too bad for the rain, so if it stays dry for several days, we'll be good.   I love my tractor, by the way.  The air conditioning always works (to some extent) and the heater never does :)!
Sever thunderstorms are forecast for tonight.  Hmmmmm.

Gus needs to work with the sheep, but it's been too warm to work sheep.  He goes to the hay field with me and was just wiped out last night, before the thunder started.  Poor guy.  Now it's trying to thunder again and he is sitting in a panting, nervous bundle under my desk.

Gus has a wee bit of wisdom to pass on to you this evening.  Summer days can be very busy. "But," The Gus says, "take time out every day to

smell the roses (or yucca)."

The Gus Explains

Okay.  Here goes.  Remember when I was telling you how we have to be nice to the cats?  

And remember when I was telling you how we have to not eat the cat food?
Right.

 Well, there is this condition among K-9s that our Humans don't understand.  It's called Nose Drop.  What happens is, as you walk past an object, say, like a dish of cat food, your nose is pulled, forcefully into that object.  I mean, you can be almost past and THWANG!  Your nose falls into the object.  

There is another  more subtle form of Nose Drop.  It involves objects above your head.  Things like a dish of cat food.  As you wander casually past on your way to the water dish, or to see if you need to hoover up crumbs on the kitchen floor, THWERP! Your nose and front feet are yanked right up there.  

So, see, this is what happened.  I really did try hard not to get caught, but my Human did catch me, and this time she didn't even speak to me.  Just followed me out the front door, down the sidewalk to the front gate.  And then it got really ugly!  I swear, my Human grew to at least 6 feet tall and just as wide and made a HUGE noise, way worse than any bark, and snatched me up by my collar and pinched my lip and everything.  It was really awful!!

And even worse, I did it again.  Sheesh!

So, I was in way big trouble over that and we aren't even going to talk about sheeps tonight.  I was going to explain last night but the sky was making flashes and booms and my instincts tell me that it is very important to hide in hold down the bathtub during such events.

Perhaps tomorrow we will talk about sheeps.

Sorry Mom.

It's okay, Gus.  You're a good boy.  Sometimes it's just hard.

The Gus.

Bits And Pieces

This morning bloomed sort of grey.  Not good light for photos so I left the camera at home.  By this afternoon the sun had come out and The Gus and I went for ride/run.

Old homestead on the property west of me

It's still green here.  We have to enjoy every minute of it.  It won't last long.  

Last Saturday, when I moved cows,  the ladies decided to take a little break and ducked into this.  I left the guys on dry ground and The Gus and I went after them.  Piece of Cake!

The penstemon is blooming.  So are the Woods Roses and the red twig dogwood.

On a sheltered, north facing slope is this lovely patch of moss.

And up on the bench the cactus are blooming.
This high desert country is full of surprises.

The Gus has been in a bit of hot water today and is not allowed near the computer.  He'll be back next time.

Catching Up

Good Grief!  I has been busy here and I've gotten rather further behind than I thought.

Rosie and Horse have been coming back up to the house in the late afternoon and spending the night here.

Rosie has spent SO much time guarding that Horse, and those goofy woolie things.  She is just EXHAUSTED in the morning.  At least that's her story.
(I found her standing in the middle of the road, yesterday morning, turning,slowly, in a circle.  She was looking for Horse who was still "in bed".  We won't tell her that I saw that.)

Last Thursday we had a storm.  

This is the best cloud picture I was able to get.  There had been a tornado spotted off that way, but I couldn't see much from here.

Lots of lightning and thunder which sent The Gus straight into the bathroom and into the bath tub.  And then the hail started.  Not just a few little introductory pings.  It came as a sheet.  I took the above picture through the screen door--not brave/foolish enough to stick my head out.

The road was solid white in just a minute.

This is my favorite "during the storm" photo.  It's let up quit a bit by this time.

And then we get the wonderful, golden, post storm light and  a rainbow!

Rules for Ranch Dogs
By The Gus

Do not get caught stealing  sampling the cat food.  Especially more than once on the  same morning.  And, don't try to blame the other dog unless you are certain that your human didn't see you.

Hot Cat

Yoda is the senior cat here.  I don't remember how old, but he's been around for a long time.  And what old man wouldn't like a little sun and dust bath.

Ahh.  This feels so good!  I need to get warm dust all over!

Wait!  What's that following me?  Oh, right.  My tail.  

Boy, that makes an old cat feel just like a kitten.  

See ya around, Yoda.

Right.  See ya later, Max.

Rules For Stock Dogs

by The Gus

Now, as long as we are on the subject of things that kick, we better talk about Horse.

If you think Horse has big teeth, just take a look at his feet!

It is considered to be in bad form to chase/heel/herd Horse.

But, even worse is to do any of those things when Horse appears to be kidnapping your Human.  I  know, I know.  It's a hard concept to understand.  But, Horse is actually going where your person tells him to go.  Horse will bring your human back and if you behave, you will get to go along.

Just don't get under/near that critters feet!

Logging

The things small towns can come up with for entertainment! It's testicle festival time and that's happening just up the road.  Not my thing.  We started out at the flea-market in Ryegate this morning but ended up in Harlotown this afternoon to see some logging demonstration.

This man and his wife competed in logging sports (he said that was before kids) at one time.  He started cutting fence posts when he was 12 and said that once you get sawdust in your blood, it's pretty hard to get it out.  He's been logging ever since.

This is a spring board, used for getting high enough to cut the tree at just the right point (we're talking cross cut saws).

These are two of his cross cut saws.  The shorter one is used for felling, the longer one for....for....(there is a word but it just left) cutting the tree into lengths.

He had a couple of old chain saws that he hasn't gotten running yet.  This is a Mall.  I picked it up.  Weighs a TON!  I'll keep my Stihl, thank you very much.

This is his racing saw (who knew?) and it is a Stihl which I think he said he sort of modified for competition.

I love this photo.  

And now for the really good stuff.

This guy and his wife cut through that log in nothing flat!
They raced later with a chain saw.  The cross cut saw won by a mile!

Here is the next generation getting set up.  The young man on the left has done this a couple of times in the past.  The one on the right has never done it.  

It took a little longer, but they set a rhythm, stuck to it and ..there it goes!

And then the battery in the camera died.

Rules For Ranch Dogs
By Gus

There is a difference between herding and heeling.We heel cows.  Carefully.  You want to be close enough to nip if need be, but not so close that you get tipped ass end over tea kettle. (I made that mistake once).  Cows kick.  

Now, if the cow turns around and starts pawing up realestate and blowing snot you have two choices.  Crouch, bark, stare and hold your ground.  She'll probably give it up  and turn tail.  But if she doesn't or you just can't face her---
get up on the four-wheeler and protect it for all your worth.