If it weren't for bad luck....

If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all!

That line (which I remember from Hee-Haw!) is the best way to describe my last two weeks.

It all started with a flat tire on my pickup. Not so bad. But the three flat tires on the stock trailer was enough to make me mad!! Tires all fixed up in the trailer now, including one new tire.

Next came my baling fiasco. On a Wednesday, I went to bale. I made one bale and broke the baler down. It wasn't that bad of breakdown (but any breakdown sucks) as I just busted a link on the chain. Hubby got new chain link next morning and got me fixed up. So that Thursday morning I took off baling. I made one bale and broke the valet, again! The hubby was not impressed! Though after everyone took their turns on giving me hell over my baling record, I learned the sprocket on the pickup was pretty wore out and they were hoping to make it through the day baling. No chance of that when this mamas baling!

*I am happy to report that after the got the baler up and going, I made over 500 bales in the next two and a half days, with hubbies help. We were tag teaming the baler!*

This past Tuesday was the icing on the cake!! That morning I took Big T and little T and dropped them of at babysitters. I went home, catch my horse, saddled up and went to go gather my bunch of dry cows and late callers. The whole gathering, sorting and loading trailers was quite I eventful.

I was taking a trailer load of dry cows to the sales barn. On my way, I needed to stop at the brand inspectors house. Well I stopped. And the biggest downpour of the summer happened upon us. It was nasty!

After it quit, I headed out and on my way to town to drop off cows. Or so I thought. Pulling up out of his yard, I spun out about about 3/4 way up the hill. There I sat. I said a prayer and s few choice words. Long story short, we ended up having to unload cows and trail to neighbors corral for the night. I took his pickup home and we left mine sitting on the hill. After it drive up some last night he was able drive it up the rest of the way and back to his house.

I think I am ready for my luck to change!

Family Summer Nights

Some people spend their summer nights playing baseball.  Some people spend their summer nights swimming at the pool.

Some people get to spend their summer nights lounging in their backyard.

Some people get to spend their summer nights boating

Some people get to spend their summer nights fishing.

We get to spend our summer nights irrigating!!!!

And though sometimes I envy folks who are fishing, boating or lounging, 

I am not sure I would trade my summer family nights.

So, how was your day?

I have several posts written, need to do some editing. So tonight I gonna do something new, if not a little crazy.

When asked the question; 'How was your day?' or 'So, what did you do today?' how do you answer? Wel, I am going to answer that question(s) now.

What did I do today? Well let me tell you.

1. Woke up, got myself ready for the day. Threw a load of laundry in.
2. Snuck out and did chores while girls were still sleeping.
3. Woke girls up, got them ready and made them breakfast.
4. Put roast in crock pot and loaded dishwasher.
5. Packed diaper bag and loaded girls into to take them to babysitter.
6. Forgot to load flat tire so turned around and went home and got it
7. Tire and girls dropped off.
8. Husband had gathered heifers this morning, and it's was my job to haul them to new pasture.
9. Loaded first load onto trailer. Crap, bad tire on trailer.
10. Unloaded heifers. Need to change tire.
11. Can't get all the lug nuts loose on tire. My cousin came and rescue.
12. Ok, new tire on.
13. Load heifers again. Haul them to new pasture and head home for second load.
14. Get second load of heifers loaded. Take second and last load to pasture then head back home.
15. Run into house switch laundry, pack myself lunch, water jug. Oh, can't forget iPod.
16. Head to hay field.
17. Spend next 6 hours making hay! I was round baling which I prefer over baling big square bales.
18. Husband shows up at field to relive me. He picked up the girls on way out to field.
19. Load girls in my pickup and head home dreaming of how good that roast in the crockpot is going to smell and taste.
20. Get home. Don't smell anything. Forgot to plug crockpot in. I hate when I do that. Frozen pizza for supper it is.
21. Girls fed, washed, bedtime stories and in bed.
22. I pour myself a drink and head outside to weed garden, feed dog and take care of bum calves.
23. I make myself another drink!

Such is a day in my life as a ranch woman, farm wife, mama, woman!

This mam is going to bed!

Checking the fields

I stopped this morning and took some pictures of our wheat fields by the home place. We only have about 200 hundred acres of wheat planted here at home. I can look out my window to the west and north and see wheat fields planted. There is also some to the easy and to the south, just can't see it from the house.

Pretty thin wheat

We have been so dry. The crops, the hayfields, and the pastures need a good drink of water. In some cases it's already too late.

Big T out in wheat field by house

10 Days From A Drought

As far back as my memory goes, I have heard the words 'This country is always just 10 days from a drought' said time and time again. As a child I didn't know what that phrase meant, just that it was one of those sayings that grandpa and dad were always spouting off.

Well, it didn't take too many years for this girl to figure it out! Las night as we were at the arena and I was visiting with some neighbors about how bad we could use some rain, the lack of hay, and the bad shape the crops are in, I found myself saying 'ya know, this country is always just 10 days from a drought.'!

We are scrounging around trying to put up hay. The dry conditions are not just here in northeast Montana. My father lives about 200 miles south of me. Last year off one hay field (I don't recall how many acres) he got 1000 round bales bales up. This year, on that same field, he didn't even swathe it. So last year 1000 bales, this year 0 bales.

I just took some pictures of a newly swathes windrow.

The Devil is dancing in Gods country

The devil is doing in fire dance in Gods country but we shall prevail. Fire rages on in south east Montana terrorizing many ranching friends and family of mine. The Ash Creek fire has been a raging inferno for many days now and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. As of yesterday, July 4th, the Ash Creek fire was 1/3 the size of Rhode Island. That's incredible. And sickening, heartbreaking gut wrenching and down right sad.

To me the country on the Powder River and Tongue River in southeast Montana is Gods Country. It can be a harsh, unforgiving land but is a land that will take care of you, embrace you and holds a beauty not everyone sees. Its a country rich with history, full of tradition full and of families that would do anything for their neighbor.

I am actually finding it hard to come up with the right words to do justice in describing what and how I feel about that country, the damn fire, the pain I feel for my ranching friends fighting to save their lives. Below are some pictures of the Ash Creek fire courtesy of my friend Glo.