Have I always wanted to be a Rancher?

Fry and LuLu are saying hello

Mama and her twins come for a visit

So I was doing some recovery and was laying on the couch watching TV and found that for the second day in a row I was watching "Silverado" with Kevin Klein, Kevin Costner, Scott Glenn and Danny Glover.  It is one of my favorites.  Then I started to realize that I really liked a lot of western movies.  I love "Lonesome Dove",  "Open Range" and "All the Pretty Horses".  Then I started to remember that I was always attracted to "Cowboys"  and the rustic and farmhouse decoration styles using old worn furniture and pieces.  Oh I went through my modern faze but I have always gone back to the old things.  I use to hate going with my parents to look at antiques and I hated stoping at garage sales and now I love going to those.   I would laugh laugh laugh when my girls would moan and groan when I would drag them out to those places.  And now my oldest has some items from antique stores and flea markets in her apartment and loves it.  And my youngest has started enjoying having old western items in her room too (she is a cowgirl).  When I think back to my thoughts and likes that I had has a child, young adult and "mid" adult....I realize how much being a rancher must have been somewhere down deep inside my soul, because even though I was brought up as a city girl,  I believe this is were I was really meant to be.

In watching the movie a little more I also realized that the "Cowboys" really don't say much.  It is a lot of body language and looks, the squint of the eye, the tip of the hat and the touch of the gun hung low on the hip all are a forms of communication.  Then I started to realize that the reason those cowboys always work with animals, like horses, is that they speak the same language, body language.  If you ever get the chance to watch the documentary on Buck Brannaman, do so.  He is the "Horse Whisperer" and even helped on the set of the movie.  He is fascinating and the communication between him and horses is incredible.  But it just makes since that cowboys and horses have such a long history together being they are so much alike.  I'm glad I found my cowboy and my life I seem to be born for, but taking awhile to break down that city gal.

It's BACK

WHO'S THERE?

It appears that something is back.  We are hoping it is not a skunk again, I haven't smelled any calling card yet, so hopefully it is not so, however I also hope it is not a snake.  My daughter was out walking around the cottage and spotted a snake sunning.  Hummmm.  What is visiting my cottage that was uninvited?  Will keep you posted on any new development.

I DID IT

Yep, I really did it!!!!  All by MYSELF!!!  I pulled the Horse trailer! Not only did I pull the trailer, but I  backed up the SUV, hooked up the trailer, checked the lights and pulled the horse trailer to my daughter's school to pick up Kevin (the lamb) and bring it home AND I backed in the horse trailer and parked it up under the barn overhang ALL BY MYSELF!!!  Yep, my husband was impressed, not only impressed that I actually did it, but that I didn't call him for any help, advise, emergency or "freaking out".

I must admit when my daughter informed me before bedtime the night before that we needed to take Kevin up to the school for her Ag teacher to weight him, I was less than thrilled.  My husband did manage to get me to pull the trailer once before with one of the horses in it, but I narrowly missed the curb in a turn (I didn't know it until HE told me!).   So I was very worried about the whole ordeal.  This was also only my second time to not only pull the trailer but back it up.  Which if anyone has ever had to back up a hitch pull knows it is odd and backwards to back up.

BUT I did it, I did it, I did it.  I felt like breaking out in song like the men, Professor Higgins and Colonel Pickering did in "My Fair Lady" when they successfully transformed Audrey Hepburn from a flower girl to a royal woman and were extremely proud of themselves.  I DID IT!

So I think I am becoming a Rancher

We had a pregnant cow (Oreo) that was limping and needed her foot (hoof) checked, so I helped my husband get the cow through the shoot and tricked her with "treats" to get her to hold her head out while my husband put the bar on her.  I really learned a lot....like don't wear little sandal type shoes in the sandy dirty cow pens especially here in Texas where there are FIRE ANTS!  This was the only picture I managed to get because I soon found myself actually having to help.  She wasn't be cooperative so we had to tie a rope around her hoof and then rig the rope up and over the bars for leverage, so when she finally lifted her hoof we quickly tightened the rope to hold it up in the air.  So in other words I battled the cow for control of the hoof while my husband examined it and tried not to get kicked.  He then gave her a shot to make sure no infection would take hold and then we let her out of the shoot.  I then gave her some treats for being "somewhat" good.    I like being the "treat lady" (as my husband calls me) but I must admit, the cows are not quite my favorite to hand feed.  Their tongues are very rough and then they slim you!!!!!  So I had dirty and bitten feet with nasty slimy hands that were quickly becoming sticky hands......all in a days work.

Photos By:  Lola