The Idaho Rancher's Wife

The Ranch From the Wife's Perspective

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Pavlov’s Cow at Feeding Time

January 25, 2014 by Allison

Once upon a time there was a great psychologist named Pavlov and he had a dog.  He trained his dear pooch to drool whenever he would ring a bell.  At the beginning of his experiment, Pavlov would ring the bell each time he set out the dog’s food. Soon enough the dog learned that when the bell rang he would get food and of course would drool profusely when the food arrived.  Eventually the dog would start drooling just when he heard the bell, even before he would see the food.

We have cows much like this dog.  Ok… no… not really. They don’t drool and there is no experiment happening on the ranch.  But over time they have learned that when the feed truck drives through the gate it means feeding time.  Its cool to see our cows come running when ever the feed truck goes through the gate!

Lets go sledding!

January 24, 2014 by Allison

Have I mentioned that I LOVE living on a ranch?  I love all of the things that the ranch brings and today I am loving having a 4 wheeler and fields of snow to pull my kids on their sleds.  I know that are so many great places to raise kids, but this is the best place for me to raise MY kids!

Christmas Lights on the Ranch

January 23, 2014 by Allison

Before the Christmas season is too far gone, I have one last photo to share with you.

Cowboys Pete and E were busy putting up lights on the fences, around trees, and along the house.  Their decorating even made it into the corral along the barn.  If only I could get a good picture of the cows standing under the lights like they do at night.  Until then (which is most likely to be next year) we will have to enjoy this view of them!

Cooking With The Rancher’s Wife: Crème Brûlée

January 21, 2014 by Allison

* This post is very exciting and a sort of milestone for me.  I guess for two reasons.  I realized that this is my 100th post!!  I can’t believe we have all lasted this long…  And I guess we had better keep going because I have so much more in store!  My other reasons for being excited about this post is because I am writing it on my surface in the truck on the way to the Ag expo and I FINALLY have figured how to connect it to the hot spot on my phone.  Woot Woot!  Hooray for technology!

Ok, now the real post may begin…

I love cooking, of all kinds.  New recipes are such an adventure for me and there is such satisfaction from those tried and true favorites.  I find it the highest compliment when The Rancher tells me that we should do “that one” again.

He puts up with my new adventures, but really he has those few favorites that are all I really need to make.  Like chocolate chip cookies- they are the only kind of cookie I will ever need to make.  And I have learned to only make banana cream pie at Thanksgiving.  Every year I make the same chocolate delight dessert for his birthday.

I’m afraid that my creative cooking skills are being wasted away!

Until my sister comes to visit!  She is even more adventurous and creative and daring with foods than I am.  During her little Christmas visit we decided to make a few restaurant favorites- risotto and crème brûlée.  The risotto was good, but a little too sagey… is that word?  Ya know, too much sage… 

But the crème brûlée was delicious!  We had a bit of trial and error with that last step when the sugar is set a blaze.  Of course the recipe calls for a hand torch to do the job and since I’m not a torch-in-the-kitchen chef we had to get creative.  I did offer the ranch’s torch but that might have been overkill, let alone not so sanitary!  After trying a few insufficient efforts I found the winner: the warbex ladle!  If you hold it over the flame long enough it will get hot enough to turn the sugar into a crunchy caramel.  Yum!

Are you familiar with the warbax ladle?  In case your answer is no, a warbex ladle used to come with a de-wormer (warbex) and was used to measure and pour the de-wormer dose on the cows.  Now that warbex is banned (it was dangerous for other critters that would come in contact with it) we need to find a way to put the ladles to good use.  We’ve found that they are darn good soup ladles and apparently good for crème brûlée!  Don’t worry, the ones in my kitchen have NOT been used outside…

I guess you never know what you will get whether it is a torch from the shop or an old de-womer ladle when you cook with The Rancher’s Wife.

Norma’s Story: In it to Get Rich

January 17, 2014 by Allison

I had a great opportunity to talk to our dear friend, Sweet Norma.  I have intended to call her for such a long time and I finally pulled my day together that I got the call in. And I wish it hadn’t taken me so long because it was such a great chat.

When I decided to write her story I wanted to start at the beginning and make her talk about her life in the way that I wanted to hear it.  But before I knew it, she was telling her wonderful stories and I realized that hearing her story as she remembered gave meaning to it.  The things that she was sharing were the things that were on her mind, that were close to her at the time.  I guess that it changed my course for Sweet Norma’s chapters- they are going to come in the order that she is reliving them rather than as they were lived.

We talked for what seemed like only minutes but before I knew it Sweet Norma was telling me she needed to feed the chickens, haul in the wood for night, and finish all of the evening chores.  I walked away from our visit honestly inspired.  I shouldn’t be surprised, because it is this very purpose that I am sharing Sweet Norma with you.  She is inspiring!  This new bit of inspiration is what I want to tell you about.

Along our conversation we talked about why this lifestyle is so important to us, especially as rancher wives.  I commented that we certainly don’t choose this lifestyle to get rich because its not likely to happen.  After listening to me comment about all of MY reasons for this life, like how the work and sacrifice will turn us into good people and how through roughing it, we will find what is really important to us (and of course I assume that she is thinking the same stuff…). When I finally came up for air she said, “But we are already rich!”

Here I was talking about how the blessings from living on the ranch would come eventually and she was reminding me that it is waking up to the fresh country air that makes us rich.  There is nothing we have to do to earn this type of gold, we only have to realize that it is there.  Its having the opportunities to work, even if it means that Sweet Norma has to spend hours everyday shoveling the snow (she has more than 2 1/2 feet!).  We enjoy every bit of this life, because even the bad days are good. 

I don’t know if it is from living on the ranch or living in the country (or both) but there is something so honest about this life.  Maybe its the work that does it- you only grow a good crop when you plant good seed, in good soil and you give it good care.  You only have healthy animals when you have good care for them.  You can try to take the short cuts, but those half-efforts will show.  And living such a life can’t help but make you a good, honest hard working person.  Someone people would proud to call their neighbor. 

Living a cowboy lifestyle isn’t for everyone- we need someone that can live the city life to be the businessman or the doctor.  And I’m glad that we have those that love what the city has to offer so that I can live my life on the ranch.  We each have our own place where our dreams come true and living that life makes us rich.

This was the message that Sweet Norma shared with me.  We are in this life to get rich, but rich in love, happiness, devotion and satisfaction.  I’m lucky enough to get rich being a rancher’s wife.

More Than Just a Bale of Hay

January 16, 2014 by Allison

Feeding cattle can seem to be a simple thing.  Just spread some hay out there and the cows will be good, right? 

Nope.  You have to realize what hay is- it is energy and nutrition.  This is how our cows get all of those essential vitamins and minerals and the calories for energy.  There are things that will affect the quality of nutrients in our hay, things like the soil it is grown in, the amount of water it gets while it grows, and lots of other stuff.

After we grow our hay we (or our friend, The Cenex Man) usually take forage samples and have the hay analyzed to determine its quality, especially the quality of the vitamins and minerals.  This is like our baseline for what our cows are getting and then we can know where we need to supplement.

About a year ago we really kicked in the supplementing game and oh boy it has made a difference.  Our cows are in great condition and bred up better than they have in a while. 

The nutrition of our cows is HUGE because it directly influences our calf crop- a healthy momma is more likely to get bred on her first cycle, which means she will calve earlier in the season, giving our calves a longer time to nurse.  Her milk will most likely have more nutrients to pass to her calf to help him be stronger and healthier.

Ya, nutrition is SUPER important!  ‘Feeding’ is a lot more than what it used to be when you consider that it includes putting out mineral, salt, and liquid protein.

And lets not forget that it is a great chance for this momma (that gets cabin fever WAY too often) to get out of the house.  I guess I have my own reasons that I support the extra nutrition we give the cows!

Sharing our Ranch

January 14, 2014 by Allison

I love to share the ranch with others (as is evident by this being my 90+ blog post) and I especially love to share it with the people I love.

Over the Christmas break our dear friends, the Davis Family, stopped by to see us and to see the ranch.  We were neighbors in small town Parker, Idaho while we went to school.  But with both of our families moving on after college graduations we get to be long distance friends.

While they were visiting we took a quick trip up Quaken Asp to deliver salt, mineral, and protein.  It is fun to experience the ranch with others- their reactions to the cows, the poop, the scenery… the poop.

The Rancher’s Sidekick shared a little more than the rest of us.  He shared a taste of the salt we were putting out to the cows!  Every time The Rancher and his tagalong take salt to the cows, The Rancher’s Sidekick dips his little finger in the salt for a taste.  And every time it tastes salty- surprise! He invited our friends to taste along with him.  Oh how we love to share the ranch, every bit of it!

 

Cows Plus Snow

January 11, 2014 by Allison

Here are the last few pictures of our cattle drive home.  They may all look the same, but I just love them all.  And I just love having the snow- a little something different than our dreary old brown

 

A Cowboy Traffic Jam

January 8, 2014 by Allison

A cowboy traffic jam is unavoidable when we move cows down the road.  And in some aspects I quite enjoy it because I like to see the different ways non-cattle folk respond.  I must admit that I do find it a little funny (sorry) but its simply because they aren’t used to driving with cows.  I mean, cows are probably not a common issue for most peoples’ commutes.

We usually try to wave them ahead, signaling to whoever is coming or going should just drive on through them.  Sometimes that works. 

But sometimes it doesn’t.  When that doesn’t we might have them follow and we sort of break a trail for them. 

But sometimes that doesn’t work.  Most often people are afraid of hitting a cow, whether their concern is for their car or the cow, I don’t know… but that hesitation keeps them from busting on through. 

What these fellows don’t know is that a cow will just move out of the way and until they figure it out, they are stuck in a cowboy traffic jam.

The Cows Come Home

January 7, 2014 by Allison

There is a movie The Rancher’s Sidekick loves to watch that has a chattering woman that says having caffeinated coffee would make her talk until the cows come home.  She continues to chatter about what does that even mean, where have the cows been…  And even though its a silly show and a silly woman she’s right- what does that even mean?!

I have posted pictures of the beginning of our cattle trek, of the boys and girls that moved the cows and now I have some photos of our final destination.  These cows are now home at the ranch, close by so we can feed them and enjoy lovely cattle filled views from our own window.

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Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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Hello! I'm Allison, The Rancher's Wife! There's nothing I love more than being out on the ranch with my husband and kids. Join me for a look at what goes on here at the ranch and the life being a rancher's wife!

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theidahorancherswife

Idaho ranch wife + mama 🐮🤠
Cattle, cocoa & kids running wild.
Real ranch life, stories & a side of dirt.
⬇️ More tales from the ranch

There are some things you should never say to your There are some things you should never say to your wife.

Comparing her to a cow is probably near the top of the list. 😂

Unfortunately, The Rancher has never been particularly good at following that rule. Especially when I was having babies.

From first-calf heifers to zipper cows, he’s had plenty of observations over the years. And somehow, even my doctor got in on it.

The whole story is on the blog. Link in bio!

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchwife #ranchhumor #ranchlife
Not stock photos and not AI. They are real moments Not stock photos and not AI. They are real moments we have lived and loved on the ranch. And I was lucky enough to capture them as they happened. 

The 2027 Cowboy Calendar is now available. Link in bio.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#cowboycalendar 
#ranchphotography
#rurallife
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

They look a little different for every American. For our family, they look a lot like wide-open spaces, cattle, horses, hard work, and raising our kids in a place we love.

Today, we’re grateful for the men and women who have served our country and helped protect the freedoms that make this life possible.

To our veterans, thank you. 🇺🇸

#VeteransDay #ThankYouVeterans #AmericanFreedom #lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher
Apparently, grass wasn’t on the menu today. 💀🐮 Be Apparently, grass wasn’t on the menu today. 💀🐮

Believe it or not, cows sometimes chew on old bones! It’s a behavior called osteophagia, and it’s often associated with a mineral deficiency, particularly phosphorus.

So while she might look like she’s developing a taste for beef, she’s probably just looking for a few extra minerals. 😂

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #cattlebehavior #ranchhumor #cattleranching
So glad he was brave enough to ask his boss for my So glad he was brave enough to ask his boss for my number. Big brothers are scary 😉. 

#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#ranchcouple 
#ranchmarriage 
#cowboylove
We had a plan… we had a list… cows don’t care! Can We had a plan… we had a list… cows don’t care! Can we still get it all done??

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#ranchwife 
#cattleranching
Who needs a white noise machine when you’ve got a Who needs a white noise machine when you’ve got a cattle ranch?

Some sounds are more relaxing than others. 😂

Which one are you picking?

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#ranchsounds 
#cattleranching
Mission of the day: drive em in, load up and haul Mission of the day: drive em in, load up and haul em out. 🫡

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranching 
#ranchwife 
#haulingcattle
It’s easy to make assumptions. But don’t. There’ It’s easy to make assumptions. 
But don’t. 
There’s so much more beneath the surface. 

#ranchlife 
#raisingthebar 
#lookdeeper 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher
“Why didn’t you take the road?” Well, that would “Why didn’t you take the road?”

Well, that would have been a lovely option if someone had mentioned there WAS a road. 😂

Just another day of learning to ranch alongside The Rancher. The full story is on the blog!

Link in bio.

#lifeonacattleranch #marriedtoarancher #ranchwife #ranchhumor #ranchlife
Sorted, weighed, and shipped out. 2026 calf crop Sorted, weighed, and shipped out. 

2026 calf crop is in the books. Sayonara!

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranching 
#raisingcattle 
#calfcrop
“It’s a long 45 days.” That’s what The Rancher sa “It’s a long 45 days.”

That’s what The Rancher said the other day.

He’s talking about the 45 days between weaning our calves and shipping them.

We’re doing everything we can to keep them healthy and putting on weight. We’ve had years battling sickness, throughout the six weeks or sometimes at the very end. 

We ship Monday. And until those calves are on the truck, there’s still plenty that can go wrong. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#calfcrop 
#raisingcattle
The nice thing about decorating for Halloween in a The nice thing about decorating for Halloween in a ranch house is that half the work is already done for you. 🕸️😂

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchwife 
#ranchhumor 
#countryliving
B-Team getting it done! #lifeonacattleranch #mar B-Team getting it done! 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#feedingcattle 
#ranchkids
No joke, they begged to go straight to work. Didn’ No joke, they begged to go straight to work. Didn’t even need a snack. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchkids 
#buildingfence 
#capablekids
One more good year? She’s old, but she’s bred, but One more good year? She’s old, but she’s bred, but then there are those bad marks against her…

Some cows make the culling decision for us. The rest leave us standing there looking at a list of numbers, trying to decide just how much another year is worth To keep a cow on. 

A little about the decisions behind our fall cull list in my latest blog post. Link in bio!

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#cattleranching 
#ranchlife 
cowcalfm
Doctoring a calf from the comfort of the warm side Doctoring a calf from the comfort of the warm side x side. 

We came up on this calf that looked a little sick. When he started walking we realized he really didn’t feel good. The @pneudart gun was already on board so it wasn’t but a minute before he was on his way to feeling better. 

@pneudart 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#doctoringcalves 
#ranchlife 
#ranching
If only the rain meant a day off #lifeonacattler If only the rain meant a day off 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#rainydays 
#ranchkids
School dance chaperones have nothing on us 🤣 #lif School dance chaperones have nothing on us 🤣

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#ranchlife 
#sortingcattle 
#whitechristmas
The 2027 Idaho Rancher’s Wife calendar is headed t The 2027 Idaho Rancher’s Wife calendar is headed to the printer. 🎉🎉
#lifeonacattleranch 
#cowboylife 
#2027calendar 
#westerncalendar 
#marriedtoarancher
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