I’ve never been one to love the life of a trucker, not to mention be married to one. The long days if driving and being away from home just don’t appeal to me. I love a good vacation, but a slow noisy semi truck is no vacation.
2U Branding… Doing it Carter Style
I love branding season! I love to help, I love to take pictures, I love the company, I love the food… I love it all! When we ran out of branding days for our ranch and the association, I invited myself down the road to our friend’s branding.
The Carters have a small herd that they run mostly because they love the life. They have other work but at the end of the day they always come back to ranching. Its important to them to raise their 4 boys learning how to work and connecting with the heritage that runs deep in this valley.
Its been great to become better friends with this family. The Rancher went to high with Cowboy Cody Carter and has some great (maybe not entirely always appropriate) memories with him. They have moved on from high school rodeo to real ranch cowboys, making a living to provide with their families.
…. That all sounds kinda mushy… Maybe it is when you think about it, but really its awesome and fun. And that is exactly the kind of day we had out with the Carter crew to their branding. They had cowboys that could rope and… some that weren’t so great. They had cowboys that didn’t hardly say a word and others that didn’t ever stop (seriously, the guy never closed his mouth- the proof is in the pictures!). There were a few injuries throughout the day but all in all, a successful day branding!
The Last of the Association Branding
How about a little different post? Still lots of pictures but instead of a wind up with some sort of an interesting story, lets do a commentary. A running commentary to let you know what I was seeing when I took each picture.
Ready?
The Ranch Boss just had his 87th birthday and refuses to stop. He may slow a little, but he is determined to never quit.
I just thought this blaze was funny… Like, bummer birth mark or something…
You find cowboy style and personality everywhere. Some cowboys go simple and some like bling everywhere, even by their horses slobbery mouth.
When I got up close I realized that he had his name on his spurs- AWESOME! And he has some cool red top boots peeking out. That’s like cowboy lingerie, right there!
There isn’t a better place for kids to be than out in the middle of nowhere branding.
The Rancher’s Sidekick always has to be in the middle of it all. At the point in the day he had proclaimed it his job to stand on the leg so it wouldn’t move. Don’t know that we needed it but I’m glad that he found a job he could rock.
The saddle- a cowboy spends many long hours in this seat… It better be just to his liking!
Just a boy giving shots, but once again… its a great place for a growing boy to be.
Sure glad he has a cap on that… Sometimes people get unintentional vaccinations
Thank goodness for back pockets because when your hands get full there is always a place to hang your tagger and your clips.
We always load up toy for the kids. In fact I think there ends up being a whole sand pile worth of toys out there!
And then sometimes they end up hauling more than just dirt. The Rancher’s Sidekick started gathering up discarded nuts and taking them to the dogs. I’m glad that was all he was doing with them…
The Rancher’s uncle… I’ve known him for quite a while and he has ALWAYS had the mustache. The length of the handle bars has varied over the years but it is truly his signature!
I know he wasn’t really posing, but I tease that everyone is so used to striking a pose for me that it is just second nature to stand picture ready!
How many boys does it take get a calf down? Lots… and still the calf will give ’em a run for their money!
It got dusty… no surprise. And it looked cool.
Gathering the herd in for the after lunch branding. Taking a pit stop at the watering hole…
Rancher Sr. doing what he does best. He has become such a great friend. I love having him for a father-in-law.
When you ride next to me you are going to have your picture taken. And I love them even if you aren’t looking at the camera!
Cowboys make beautiful photographs… I love my job!
Cows scattered across the range- this is why we bring so many cowboys. And this was only one small corner of our beautiful world. I love having wide open spaces for an office!
Boys in the dirt… need I say more?
Love the dramatics of the sky. Having a non dusty windy day was incredible!
A look at the scene from herd side…
One of my favorite cowboys.
Every week there are a few new faces around to help and enjoy the cowboy lifestyle.
A different perspective… But appropriately, looking up to a cowboy
Cute. I love cute calves! Especially the baldy calves.
Drug by the heels. If only he knew what was going to happen to him.
Sisters make the best friends.
Her parents had better be ready for this beauty to grow up. Check out those eyes!
A little saddle bling with your brand on it can never be a bad thing.
Just taking a minute to visit with a friend. Kids and horses were meant to be together.
Any guesses what this coffee can is for? Oh, just to gather nuts in… Calf nuts…
Should we be concerned that there are no adults in this picture?
J4… When the ropers bring in a calf they shout out what brand to put on it- Rocking-A, AE, J4 , Bar over the hip, K+… and many more
When you pester the big boys they just might decide to hog tie you. While I was taking this picture I could hear them saying (in more colorful language) that they unfortunately didn’t have enough rope to finish the job on this growing boy… It was his lucky day, that’s for sure!
Chaps- a functional and fashionable part of the cowboy wardrobe…
Checking out the herd…
This girl will show you how its done!
Following the rope back to the cowboy- my cowboy in this shot…
Looking for the unbranded babies…
The Fun of Preg Checking Buffalo
The Buffalo-Working-Crew
I’m finally getting around to telling you a little more of working the buffalo from my trip to Lemhi. The crew The Lemhi Rancher assembled was all sorts of random. A sister and her crazy kids, a brother and his family, a few hands from the ranch and then the office crew.
The owner of the ranch has several businesses under his hat, which means he has a variety of guys that work for him. The office guys come in really handy on the days when they run short on ranch hands.
Most ranches are only run with a few guys. Sure there is always work to be done, but for the most part, the day to day things can be taken care of without a big crew. But then there are a few days that you just can’t do it alone. On our operation, we turn to our neighbors and friends and in return we help them. We realize how valuable the ranchers are that we work with and grateful we are that they are willing to step in. In a way they become invested in our operation, hoping that the work that they do for us isn’t in vain. Because of their hard work, we are happy to turn around and help them whenever they need. And its become a real blessing working so closely with neighbors. They aren’t competitors down the road but are family of the industry.
At Lemhi, it isn’t quite the same. The cowboys don’t go into the office to help do the accounting or paper work. But working together on the ranch helps them have a better understanding of the role each of them play in the big pictures. Working buffalo might not be their strength, but every bit of help is welcomed. We take the buffalo-working crew however they come, with grateful hearts.
Little Lemhi, Idaho- My First Happily Ever After
Lemhi, Idaho will always have a special place in my heart. Mostly the ranch that my brother worked on. Why? Good question… I’ll tell you.
This is the place I met my cowboy.
I always said I would marry a cowboy but then when I went to college, there were no cowboys around. I was interested in the nursing program at BYU- a school where there is nothing remotely close to an animal science or ag business programs. See.. ya… no cowboys. It was a little much for this country girl so I would head up to my brother’s to visit, ride my horse, and get out of the city. It so happened that The Rancher thought that Lemhi would be a great place to do an internship and took a semester there. We met. We played. We worked. We checked cows until midnight. I though nothing would come from it because he didn’t even come say by as I left that first weekend I met him. That was until I got a call from my sister in law warning me that The Rancher had asked my brother for my phone number! Too scared to ask me, but not too scared to ask his boss for his sisters number… Boys…
So we romanced and fell in love and got married. Then we moved to the ranch! We worked on the ranch the first 8 months before we went back to school. It was like a long honey moon- we just worked and played with practically no one else around (have you heard of Lemhi? No? That’s because its suuuuper small. LOVE IT!).
Now when we go to visit I always think of those great few years where The Rancher and I got our start. In some ways it will always be home because that it where we had our first home. I love to take time to drive around the valley and the ranch to just take it all in. This was the beginning of my happily ever after!
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| Cousins make the best of friends! How many boys does it take to open a gate?… |
A Drive Through the Buffalo
We had one long day of work (more about that later…), like so long that at the end we had a few phones out to shed some light on the work. Working hard all day meant that I didn’t have anytime for pictures. Which was just fine… That meant I had to take a drive the next day to satisfy the photographer in me!
I loaded up my kids and the cousins (to open the gates of course!) and we drove through the buffalo. This was a first for us in a sorts. We are usually up in the spring and summer, so to see the buffalo not losing their hair and in the snowy fields was a fun change. I’m awed to watch the buffalo and like to imagine what it might have been when they roamed for hundreds of miles on end. They are constantly moving, almost like they still have that instinct to migrate. Good thing The Lemhi Rancher has some big pasture!
Like I said, primal… not domestic… Certainly interesting, entertaining and always making a fun shot for this Rancher’s Wife.
Family Photoshoot in the Snow
For having a population of about 90, there are so many terrific people in this little valley. In the few years that we have been living here I have made some incredible friends. Over the last few struggling years its been humbling to watch our ranching and farming friends plead and pray for help and to see them celebrate in their triumphs and stand tall in their trials.
This little family has to be at the top of our best friends. He was best friends with The Rancher as they grew up, she and I hit it off instantly and we have kids the exact same age that already love each other. She asked me to take a few family pictures and we found the perfect day on the morning of the first snow of the season. Now when I say she wanted me to take a few, she really meant it. “I just need a family one, one of each kid… and I guess just the two of us!” That’s just what we said. I snagged a few others and then talked them into taking a few fun ones “sledding” that I think turned out so fun!
I’m a work in progress, ready and eager to learn how to take AWESOME pictures, and I’m grateful for those willing to jump in and let me capture their story!
Cutting Cowboys
I married a cowboy, a roping cowboy. And I’m down with that. Actually, I love that. Its what I wanted. But its definitely the type of cowboys (they were more ranchers than cowboy if you get down to it) I grew up with. The rancher’s from my roots were more cattlemen than horsemen. My dad, however, did a lot of riding. He had this mare that was his partner in crime for years. She did her best work when she was cutting a cow. Once she knew what she was bringing in she was locked on. She had an incredible drive and hustle… so intense.
I fell in love with cutting watching and riding this mare. I learned a lot from her- mostly to hunker down in my saddle and lean back to free up her front to move fast and easy. But really, just to hold on…
The boys around here do a lot of roping, and although I love watching them roping and I am highly impressed by their skill, I get really excited to watch them cut. (I get even more excited when I get to do it!) After preg checking all of the cows, they have a pen full of buggers that are being sent home and need to be sorted according to each rancher. This is one of the highlights of the day for me. Those cows are tired and ornery and put up a good, GOOD fight. And that means that the horses put on a good show! I love to watch them put all their weight on their back legs and spin their front around to follow a cow and then launch forward in a totally new direction. Its so smooth and explosive all at the same time. Then there are the times that they have to take off to cut off some cow and have to make a quick, hard stop at an instant. Its pure athleticism. Can you see how I love it?!
Unfortunately, I was busy cleaning up during the majority of the sorting. These darn boys still need to learn how to work around my schedule… But I did catch the tail end of cutting cowboys.

















































































































































































































