This post has been a long time coming. One because its about fall of 2017… which was a long time ago. I mean it feels like it was just yesterday-ish… ok maybe more like last week, but certainly not MONTHS and most definitely not LAST YEAR. But it was… You may be thinking, “Allison… let it go! It was so long ago, don’t take us back. Move on!” But guess what? I’m the one with the password to be writing here and I love the photos from last fall so… boom… I’m posting.
Its also a long time coming because, man, it has taken me so long to get it all together and edited and play mom… but here it is.
I say that, and it sounds like this is going to be super fancy or exciting or crazy. And its not. I mean its nice and a fun look at our fall in its nearly comprehensiveness, but its not life changing or anything. Just a look at our crazy, beautiful life (in the fall, of course!).
The fall work officially kicks off when the cattle come in from the summer range in Cow Hollow to the fall range in the Bowis fields. Just before their hit the final destination, they take a pit stop at the Stocker Corrals (not stalker… even though sometimes I write that instead… sounds creepy in steady of beefy, livestocky…) to sort off any bulls or any cattle that don’t belong with the herd. Mom life keeps me from getting head out with the crew to gather first thing in the morning, but my posse and I meet up with everyone at the corrals and get our fill in the rest of the day. This is the same place that went to last year and got lost along the way. Surprised? Anyone?
Once the cattle are moved to fall range, we get to the “fall work”. We start by weaning off the calves and brining them home. We have 3 main groups that we have to wean. Each group has a day of gathering, sorting the calves off, and sorting calves between the different ranches. After having the calves home a few days, we run the calves through the chute to vaccinate, retag, and do a wellness look over them. Then we start all over with the next group. Eventually we kick all the calves out in the alfalfa field to eat down our 3rd crop.
October is prime preg-checking time. With so many cows that we run with, it take several days to get it all done. Of course, the work is sweetened with load of candy, donuts, and great range dinners. I think these guys like the long days working together and teasing the man that happens to make a mistake. The inside jokes and stories can keep ’em laughing all day long. Of course, its all kept a little interesting with the feisty, ornery cows that have been penned up for a few days.
We always do a little trucking in the fall too and I’m pretty sure that the whole reason we keep doing it is for the view. OK, not really. But getting a scenic drive up Logan Canyon as the colors are at their peak would be reason enough for me! I always try to get at least one run with The Rancher up there to take in the colors as well as snap some photos of the cowboy life in canyon.
Fall work ends with a bang when we ship the calves. This is more than the culmination of the season but of the YEAR! We work day after day throughout the year for this one day that we finally get our paycheck. We need to keep all the calves alive, healthy, and heavy to have a profitable year. 2017 didn’t disappoint with its ups and downs but we lived, learned, and earned enough to make it to another year.
