Cruisin' Cruisin'...Cruisin' Down the River!

Saturday, August 12th, was such a fun day! John, Lois, Pam, Jamey, Curtis and I had a fun time cruisin' down the McKenzie River. We had two drift boats, 3 people in each, and some fishing lines and a lunch that we threw together. John Lois and Pam

Jamey Curtis and Tricia

The weather was perfect for a cruise. We dropped the boats in the water at one launch and Pam and I waited while Jamey and John drove the pick ups and trailers to Armitage Park, our get out place at Hayden Bridge. That was about 7 miles down the river. Lois brought them back to the beginning and off we set. Curtis had his fishing line in the water right away and he got the first fish. That was the start of a great few hours of fishing, drifting and relaxing.

Jamey was the oarsman in our boat but did find a couple chances to toss his line into the waters. I was very glad that he was in charge as there were one or two times we needed his strong arms and his navigational skills! I found it quite amazing to watch Curtis and Jamey fish, as they could get the hook in the perfect place each time. It was like a dance.

The other boat was captained by John. They were fortunate to have an anchor, so when they found a hot spot, they would stop for a time and fish it. All of sudden we would hear a lot of yelling and cheering and look over to see Pam holding her hands out about two feet apart signalling a "big" fish, or rather, a big fish "story". We never really got to see the size as it was catch and release for the day. Most of the day it was Lois fishing...I don't think I saw her sitting much at all. Pam may look like she is fishing here but I think she was just holding the line for John. Right?!?! Pam!?! Holding the rod!! You did not catch the biggest fish of the day! Right?!...

...and Lois fished!

The MacKenzie River is fairly slow and quiet in some places and runs rapidly in a few other places along the way with some obstactles to get around. John and Jamey did a good job of navigating us safely...while Lois fished!

At one point in the river, we found ourselves in the company of a flotilla...some inflatable rubber canoe type flotation devices piloted by some very happy people with large coolers of beverages. Then two other men joined the flotilla...two policemen. We all had to pull over and they examined our boats, and checked out fishing licenses...and Lois fished! They pulled the four boats out as they have strict rules here about boats, drinking, and life jackets. We carried on down the river...and Lois fished!!

We got to the end of our journey far too fast. It was a great day! Enjoyed by all!

Let's do it again! I think Fall would be a great time of year!

Rock'n D Dude Ranch 2

Patrick & Candy's Dude Ranch Adventure

Patrick and Candy arrived back at the ranch on Sunday evening, after their big adventure in Disneyland!

Soon they were going to find out what adventure was all about.

They arrived to a cozy little room all to themselves overlooking the green trees and pastures of the Rock'n D Dude Ranch.

They were such a great couple to have here for a visit as they joined in all the daily chores and ranch life I had to offer. Both of them were pretty much open to everything. We moved irrigation, worked cows and calves, picked fresh fruit and vegies, canned peaches, made raspberry jam, rode horses, went antique shopping, went to a movie, out for dinner, ate here every chance we got, had a fire down at the river at Wallace's, and just enjoyed each others' company! Patrick got the stomach flu on Tuesday morning early, and laid low for that day but he rose from his bed bright and early on Wednesday to work cows and calves in the corral and then went horseback riding in the evening. He did great at both. He was cool calm and collected! Candy did a great job working with Pam in the corral too. She even grabbed a cow tail to move her along and was not at all pleased to find a handful of poop there. In fact, Candy attracted cow poop everywhere she went...it just wanted to be on her! Being the camera challenged person that I am, I only got pictures of Patrick riding.

Giddyup Horsey! First lesson is getting Bucko to move!

Next lesson is going round and round and round in the round pen....hence the name, round pen...walking first and then trotting!

Pam helped by hitting Patrick with sticks when he did something wrong!

He He HAW! Just kidding! She was doing her Dennis Reis training technique!

Trotting and doing it right!!!

And finally...out to ride in the real world. A little different than the round pen! But Patrick handled it all! He was not even nervous for a second! Candy might try it next time. Horses are a little big and unpredictable for her...and they kept getting in her bubble! She felt close enough to them on the other side of a fence.

Patrick and Candy said they had a great time here...better than Disneyland! I had a wonderful five days with them.

Rock'n D Dude Ranch

THE AWESOME ADVENTURES OF AIDAN & NANA

at the

ROCK'n D DUDE RANCH

I was so delighted when Elizabeth and Jason agreed to let Aidan come down to the ranch with Patrick and Candy. It was funny because I phoned a couple of times before his arrival day, and he was too busy with Uncle Patrick and Aunt Candy to talk to me. I was so excited but he was living in the moment like a 4 year old does, and he did not need to discuss his trip with me! Anyways, Aidan arrived and the first thing we did was go for a tour of "vehicles" as he called them. This tractor was the first one he saw and he very willingly climbed right up into it. He also calls them mighty machines. Aidan was mighty brave as this is a long way UP!

As you can see by the SMILE on his face, he is one happy boy on this mighty machine!

He also got a ride with Uncle Patrick on Jamey's tractor pulling the grain cart...Jamey even let him drive it. Candy and I were watching the tractor coming out of the field, and were wondering why it was driving loops and zig zagging all over...well...Aidan was driving. Sorry, no pics of that! But believe me, Aidan was SMILING again!The John Deere Gator was Aidan's next vehicle of choice. He loved spending time on this vehicle! He sat on my knee behind the wheel and he did drive it. He was doing very well by the end of his stay. He is so very smart...and adorable too!

It was really very cute when we came up to the house the first evening Aidan was here, and he had been on the first tractor, driven Jamey's tractor, and driven the gator...we parked by the shed and he saw the ride-on lawn mower...he said, "let's ride on that vehicle now!" He wanted to experience everything while he was here. He was also quite take with Sam and Ty. He did not like Ty licking him though and he tried his hardest while here to stop Ty's licking, but Ty could not help but lick, lick, lick! He also fed them doggy biscuits till they wouldn't even come anymore when he called their names...that was quite funny!

Please notice the SMILE!

This picture is how we rode another vehicle.
For the two mornings that Aidan was here he helped me move irrigation. We both got all dressed up in our rain gear...head to toe, and we were all set to get WET! That is what happens when you move irrigation here, as the sprinklers are running the whole time you are moving it. We move it on Aidan's next favourite mode of vehicle...the Honda four-wheeler! We tried him behind me on the Honda at first as I thought he would be more protected from the spray of water, but knew right away that he was not a boy to take a back seat. He moved up in front of me and off we went. He was such a good help. He learnt very quickly to duck at the appropriate time and he would yell "DUCK" to help me out. He also would hop on and off the Honda to pick up the rope and take it off the hitch or put it on. Nana loved that! We were a finely tuned team...he did not complain at all about getting the water in his face! He kept up with us and there was no reason to slow down.

This little trailer helps us do the irrigation too.

Aidan takes a well deserved break after moving irrigation.

Aidan was very pleased when I told him that he would get a ride on this mighty machine. It is the front end loader at the rock quarry. Loader Bob runs this machine everyday and loads all the huge dumptrucks that come to get filled up with gravel or rocks. I told Aidan that Loader Bob would give him a ride. Do you think Aidan smiled at that! Well, he not only got a ride. First he climbed up inside (about 10 feet off the ground) and sat beside Loader Bob and he talked to him. Aidan climbed up on Loader Bob's lap and off they went for an adventure. They went round and round the piles of gravel and Aidan was driving it...I knew because Aidan likes to go in circles. Then a truck came into the quarry. Loader Bob and Aidan were talking to the driver on the CB radio. The truck started blowing smoke out of its stacks, and spinning it tires, generally putting on a big show for Loader Aidan. It was quite funny to watch. He got loaded and off he went. Then suddenly there were about 5 trucks...some just dump trucks and a couple of belly-dumpers...Loader Aidan talked to them on the CB and filled them up. He got out of that loader with a SMILE from ear to ear! What a happy boy he was! HAPPY! HAPPY! HAPPY! Another fun job at the ranch is moving cattle to greener pastures! Aidan was very good at this job. He rode on the Honda with me and told the cows and calves to "HYUP! HYUP! Let's go cattle...let's go!" The first part of the journey was on gravel and grass and then......it got very dusty! But Aidan did not complain...he just smiled and said..."Let's do it again!"

While Aidan was here it was very difficult to get him into bed at night and very difficult to get him to take a nap...I think he thought he would miss something fun! I asked him on the second night he was here what his most favorite adventure was. He was quietly thoughtful, and then he said, "Nana, I liked all of it." I asked if he had to pick one thing only what he would say, and again, he said "Everything Nana!"

The last night he was here we had a fire down at the pond and Aidan did all his tricks for everyone there. He even got us doing our tricks! I wiggled my ears. We finished off our fire time with a rousing rendition of the "Hokey Pokey"! It was a great evening!

This is Aidan watching his favorite channel...Animal Planet, and sitting in his favorite chair...Ron's chair!

This is Aidan actually sleeping! He did not want a nap, nor did he need a nap!

SMILING AIDAN! MY GRANDSON! THANKS FOR COMING AND STAYING WITH NANA!

YOU MADE ME SMILE TOO!!

I LOVE YOU TO THE MOON!!!

Gotta Love Summertime!

I am sooo much better than last time I blogged! I am feeling revived and energetic!Summertime is here!

Last weekend, Pam and I went up to Davis Lake Wilderness Area and spent an evening and a night with Lorrie and her family. We slept in her horse trailer and I think it was the coldest night I have ever spent camping! It was almost down to freezing and a horse trailer is pretty much all open at the top...we had a mantee (heavy piece of canvas) over us which is usually all you need besides a sleeping bag, but not that night! I think I got about 3 hours sleep! We had a nice visit and got to eat fresh caught trout (well...I did) and some of Lorrie's Camper's Skillet breakfast in the morning before we headed home again for Pam's niece's birthday party Sunday evening. I should put the recipe for Lorrie's great breakfast on Ingredients for Life for you to enjoy! It is good.

This week we have been busy with irrigation and cattle watering problems...floats not working is a bane of a rancher's existance...that and electricity. Some days you just feel like screaming. Of course, if I understood how pumps worked that would help alot. Ron finally got tired of Pam and I whining about this all the time and he got to work to improve our watering odds! I think it has worked.

Strawberry season is over and we are into cherries. The cherry crop is not very good as the blossoms got a freeze late in the spring. The few we "stole" were delicious. Now raspberries and boysenberries are coming on....pies and cobblers...MMMMmmmm!

Something I am enjoying is gardening. I have added some day lilies, peruvian daffodils and a few other new plants to the flower garden. The weather here has been a little cool , especially at night so the flower garden is a little slow to take off. This is a picture of the peruvian daffodil...blooms all summer I think it said on the package...we will see.

I am really looking forward to Patrick and Candy's visit at the end of July. Patrick has been taklking about putting in a pond and creek in his yard. I think he will enjoy seeing Ron's creation when they come. The lily pads are new and already blooming! The gold fish are enjoying the flora as well. It is relaxing to sit beside the creek and sip lemonade.

These are the pond lilies...they close up at night!

This is a gerbera daisy that I planted this year...gotta love flowers!

This is also in the daisy family and the name escapes me at this moment...but it is beautiful too. I am thinking I need more of these!!

This weekend I am taking a little trip south to Grant's Pass for a Detering family wedding. I will go with Wallace and Roberta. We leave Saturday morning and return early Sunday afternoon...should be fun!

I hope you are enjoying your summer!

Totally Tuckered!

I was going to write something wonderful tonight. That was my plan this morning when I was feeling energetic!

That has all changed now!

I am exhausted!

We worked every cow and calf on the place today. Pam has a new chute which made it easier...it is hydraulic. This is the time of year when we seperate the cow/bull calf pairs, from the cow/heifer calf pairs. They will not graze together again. Tomorrow is the start of the grass seed harvest, so we had to get it done today. Pam will be running the windrower and then the combine for the next few weeks.

If you want to see how I feel, go to Elizabeth's blog and check out Keira...how she looks (pathetic) is how I feel.

A Mountain of Marshmallows!

This my huge effort to show you how silage is made. It has taken me, literally, hours to do this. I have been working on it for about 4 days now. Today we worked on silage until about 3:30...we have done it every day now for about a week. I think we have about two more days. Tomorrow we will work on it from about 9 am until late afternoon.

The sun is shining, and the grass is growing and we are making silage with some mighty farm machines! There are four people, 5 tractors,a mower/conditioner, a baler, a wrapper, two trailers and a pickup involved in this project!

Whoo--ey! That is alot of mighty machines!

First of all, the tall grass has to be cut...that is the job of a tractor and a mower/conditioner, and Pam. She has to cut at just the right time of day...usually late in the afternoon for the best nutrient value in the grass. The grass is almost to my shoulder. It is cut and put into windrows. It is left to lie on the ground overnight and dry a little.

Then it is Ron's turn and he drives a big tractor and a round baler. He drives over the windrows the next morning after the dew has dried off. The baler picks up the cut grass, and chops it up and rolls it like rolling a carpet up, then it wraps a net around the outside of it to keep the roll all together, and the door opens and the bale rolls out onto the ground behind it...

...then the door closes and Ron carries on to make another and another and...till all the cut grass is picked up, and made into neat big rolls.

Jamey is next on the scene. He uses a tractor with a two prong fork on the front of it, to pierce into the side of the bale, lift it up, and put it on the trailer. The trailer holds ten round bales, that weigh about 1800 pounds each. He then drives it to the wrapper which is set up close to where we stack the wrapped bales. Jamey hauls the trailer load of bales to the next step behind the barns. Pam unloads the bale with her tractor, and puts it on the wrapper.

THIS IS NANA'S JOB! The round bale is put on the wrapper platform by Pam...she operates a tractor that we call "T-REX". The wrapper is attached to another tractor. I push a button and it makes the bale go round and round. The wrap is plastic on a long roll! When it has 24 wraps on it the wrapper stops and I push another button that tips the platform and the bale rolls off onto the ground!

This is the finished product. Spring-in-a-bag....TV dinner for some cows...Pickled grass!

They love it and can't seem to get enough of it.

This is what the cattle will eat next winter. When we feed it with the tractor they will not get out of the way easily. Sometimes it looks almost like you are going to run over them. Jason says he likes the smell of silage...and I agree with him! You do get used to the smell of it. It is all packaged up in a neat wrapper. The grass "cooks" in the bag and kinda rots in a good way. It will have all the protein a cow could possibly want! There can be NO holes in the bags! It ruins the whole bale sometimes! If we see a hole we have to fix it right away.

A MOUNTAIN OF MARSHMALLOWS

Sooo, that is what I have been busy doing all week! I like it...I get to sit in a comfy chair...push a button, put a new roll of wrap on the wrapper, read a book, listen to the radio...push a button! We also like feeding silage, because we HAVE to use the tractor...there is no way you could lift this bale on your own....so...it saves our backs from getting strained! When we feed it to the cows, Pam uses her tractor to get one bale near the feeder...I cut the wrap and the netting off with a knife and she lifts it into the feeder.

THE END

Spring Night's Lullaby

My creativity has left me. I cannot come up with a single thing to write! "Why is that?", I ask myself. I get no answer back. My mind is blank. Maybe if I try!

This is the lullaby of spring I hear when I lay awake in bed at night with a soft breeze blowing through my open window.
I hear the throbbing chorus of frogs. It is loud one minute and quiet the next...then it starts up all over again. I hear the whistle of a train as it travels down the track...it is a far off and lonely sound to my ears, but I find it calming. Just before the first light of dawn touches the sky, birds start their singing and the music crescendos as the sun rises. The trees that surround the house are full of birds...it is like a sanctuary! The night is also broken sometimes by the sound of a cow lowing to her calf. And then there is the sound of Ty barking his fool head off at something only he can see or imagines he can see...this sound is altogether annoying. But soon, it is quiet again, and the sweet sounds of frogs, trains, birds, and cattle fill the night air.... another peaceful night...home on the range!

Can you hear it?