The Idaho Rancher's Wife

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Trucking Cows for a Day

August 3, 2015 by Allison

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.

But on occasion, I do LOVE to tag along with The Rancher to haul cows. We have a semi and bull wagon for our personal use mostly. But we do hire out for custom cattle hauling when called upon. It’s not a lot, just enough for us to make a little income to keep the semi maintained. My favorite drive is hauling cows up and down Logan Canyon. We start it good ol’ Park Valley- dry deserty area with only sage brush to call trees. Then cross down into the beautiful Cache Valley to drop off our load. The trees and water and mountains and cliffs and flowers are breathtaking! The lush green in the summer turns to vivid orange and yellows in the fall. I’m almost salivating just reminiscing of it’s beauty. 
We just dropped off our first load of cows  of many loads to come. I’ll admit it was a long day, but still great. This momma had to get up at 4:30 am to get all the snacks and clothes and you tractors necessary for a small ranch family to play in a semi all day. It got to be an even longer day when the ranch wasn’t quite ready to load up as we got there. They were still vaccinating calves which meant lots of sorts and moving groups of cows around… I could have slept in my on bed another two hours if we had only known! But I did get some much needed paper work done while we waited do I can’t complain too much. 
I have to laugh a little st what it takes to get into the area where we dump the cows out. The turn off is so tight thst we have to go up passed it and turn around ;which involves crossing the highway blocking traffic, to only stop part way across the highway to back up so we can sneak by the skin of our teeth to get all turned around. I held my breath but apparently to The Rancher it was no big deal.) to make it in. It’s actually at s camping/ hiking parking area that they have to close off so they can get in and out. It’s so small if an area that only two semis can be in there at a tune, so you can guess how a bunch of extra cars in the way would really foul things up.  Once they actually hooked up a truck and horse trailer to a parked truck to take it out of the way. I doubt that hiker was very pleased to come back to see his truck NOT where he left it.
Still, all good and fun. We drove, we enjoyed the sites and I stole just a minute for some photos (it really was just a minute because between the time for my potty break and diaper duty, it’s all I had before we were unloaded and on the road again.)!

2U Branding… Doing it Carter Style

June 11, 2015 by Allison

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

May 28, 2015 by Allison

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?

Riding in the herd…

Brothers…  The little brother was pestering the older brother, the older brother took down the younger brother and commenced the Chinese torcher tap.  Nothing but true love there!

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!

Horses on the range- its a beautiful site.

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.

Dragging calves in…


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?

We could see a storm moving over the mountains and it was a stunning backdrop. 


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…


A little war paint for a tough day of work!

The Fun of Preg Checking Buffalo

January 2, 2015 by Allison

When I talk about our couple of days working buffalo, I usually only mention that we were preg checking them.  But it was really more than that.  At the ranch they only work the buffalo once a year.  Can you blame them?  I mean really, who wants the stress and working buffalo more than that?
 
With the whole herd gathered, everything goes through the chute.  We wean off all of the calves and sort the bulls from the heifers.  That means that they each get a tail lift… In some ways it can be kinda tricky trying to sex them.  So much hair…  And as it got darker the differences sure became hard to spot!  But there is an easy, unreliable way to ID gender- their horns.  Interestingly enough, the horns on the bulls grow wider… Random, I know.
 
And then we obviously preg the cows, cull the opens.  Its so interesting to see this herd and the range in ages and size.  We have young calves to old cows that have been in the herd for years.  But what they all have no matter what their age is, they are all so crazy.  Over and over they would have a problem with the cows tipping over backwards.  See, in their craziness, they try to jump out.  And they could if it was just a cow ally (buts its not anymore).  With the ally being tall enough and strong enough, they can’t jump over.  But it doesn’t keep them from trying, over and over again. And eventually, their top heavy head gets the best of them and they just topple over backwards.   It really is comical to see because its as if once they get up to the top, it all goes in slow motion while they try to NOT tip over.  They fling their hooves and wiggle their head.  But its inevitable… They tip over on their backs and CAN’T get up.  “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up…” (name that show?!).
 
Once they have tipped over the crew is gathered because it takes ALL of the men to get the upside down buffalo right side up.  After this happening so many times, they have got their system down.  They throw a rope around its head and pull, rolling it up.  It seems simple, but buffalo are heavy.  Super heavy!  Seriously, it takes 9 guys to do this!  And sometimes one has to get a little brave to jump down in the ally with the buffalo to get the rope on.  Exciting right?
 
They did get to pull over a good handful of buffalo, but fortunately nothing really happened.  Hardly anything to get your blood pumping.  We had one little incident where a calf managed to back out of the chute, right by me.  It was like preg checking cows all over again.  But that meant I new just what to do- grab the baby and run!  I had been recording numbers and standing right next to the chute when the little bugger psyched out the gate man and was able to back out.  We danced around the table, trying to keep something between us and the calf and at the first chance we jumped up on the cat walk.  The guys were prepared for something like this and pulled out some panels to herd the little buffalo back in.  And it did just saunter in and we went back to work, shortly acting as if it had never happened.
 
Preg checking was, once again, exciting this year!  Not enough to cause any really harm, but still enough to know your heart can be good and fast.    

The Buffalo-Working-Crew

December 22, 2014 by Allison

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

December 21, 2014 by Allison

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!

Cousins make the best of friends! How many boys does it take to open a gate?…

A Drive Through the Buffalo

December 16, 2014 by Allison

My family loves to work together.  Is that weird?  For family reunions we have cut a horse (castrated him),  built fence, and put up drywall.  Everyone does stuff like that, right?!  Someone once told me that so long as you are doing something you enjoy, you can consider it recreation.  We like to recreate by working, sweating, stinking…  Ok, maybe not everyone and not all of the time… there are times we like to sit and do nothing.  But that doesn’t last long at all.  
So whenever my older brother announces that he has big work days like preg checking the buffalo, we all (those within a reasonable distance) head out there.
The kids and I showed up the night before the big day, not long before The Lemhi Rancher (my brother) walked in the house.  He sat down with a sigh and said, “All the buffalo are in the corrals… what a relief!”  You could see that he REALLY was relieved.  Working buffalo carries a little more anxiety than working cows.  There is nothing really domestic about these animals.  They are still so primeval that whenever they encounter anything that stresses them out they go fight or flight.   Hard core fight or flight.  So for the work to go well, for the buffalo to get in the corral without any intense effort, IS relieving. 

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

November 18, 2014 by Allison

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

November 11, 2014 by Allison

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.

The Sights of Preg Checking

November 4, 2014 by Allison

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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 🐮🤠
Living on cattle, cocoa & kids running wild.
Daily ranch life, western style all with a side of dirt.

Rocky Mountain Oysters… The delicacy of branding Rocky Mountain Oysters… 

The delicacy of branding day that no one partakes in, usually. 

There’s always a few castrated bits grilling on the top of the branding box and, I’ll admit that they smell delicious. In order to feel like a true cowgirl, I once indulged and it wasn’t bad. But I just can’t really wrap my brain around eating more than just a taste. 

Tell me, would eat them? Have you? I want to know!

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#brandingday 
#rockymountainoysters 
#outontherange
I’m playing catchup on the website but photos from I’m playing catchup on the website but photos from branding over the last weekend have started dropping! 

Let’s just say keeping up with the actual work, the laundry it makes, feeding my people after, and chasing the other activities makes editing and posting photos challenging sometimes 🤪🤣. 

Stay tuned to TheIdahoRanchersWife.com this week for daily photo drops. You won’t want to miss anything from the ropers dragging calves in to the kids adding a little extra chaos. 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher
#daysofbranding 
#outontherange
#branding26
What a crew! This posse willingly signed up for th What a crew! This posse willingly signed up for the cold, dust, wind, bruises and hard work all for a chance to rope and a full belly. 

If we would have told them there was 100 more they would have happily gotten back to work. In this day and age are, that kind of attitude feels a little rare. 

We would never be able to do this work without them. And the best part is that these friends make it feel more like play than work. 

Peterson Place 2026 branding in the books. Thank you, to everyone that saddled up, dished up, and chatted it up.  See you next year!

#Brandingontherange
#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#branding2026 
#cowboysatwork
Dust? What dust? 🤣 If there is one thing you can Dust? What dust? 🤣

If there is one thing you can guarantee out here on the range is plenty of dust. We keep praying for rain and have had little bits here and there, but not really much to amount to. 

Until the rains come we will keep doing our work the best we know how, which will mean eating a little more dust. 

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#cattleontherange 
#dustandmoredust
#cowboylife
I’ve loved ranching for as long as I can remember— I’ve loved ranching for as long as I can remember—though marrying my husband proved I still had a lot to learn about their way of doing things.

It’s been about 10 years since I got serious about roping, and only in the last 5 that it’s really started to click. And now I’m hooked!

Still learning, still improving—but fair warning: if I don’t get to rope, I will absolutely be in a mood about it… but I’ll do my best to keep it to myself.

#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#BrandingDay 
#RanchLife 
#WomenWhoRope
Did you know we have been running cattle on this r Did you know we have been running cattle on this range for over 100 years? Even before these public lands were claimed as BLM, my husband’s great-great-grandpa raised cattle through these same hills. In fact, this large herd of cows still carries some of those same genetics. Of course there have changes through the years, but we try to do the same they did five generations ago- raise great cattle. 

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher 
#branding
#cattle
#ontherange
Rancher’s wife tip- consult calendar dates for any Rancher’s wife tip- consult calendar dates for any and ALL possible events, including your child’s birth day. 

On this day 16 years ago, my husband left our little college-town home to drive the 3 hours down to the family desert piece to brand. I instead went to my OB appointment where I was told to go directly to the hospital to deliver my baby. 

Nothing scary or concerning- both baby and I were perfectly healthy. But of course it had to happen on branding day.  I heard the sorted calves loud and clear in the background. And if I remember right, there was a small hesitation where I’m sure he considered staying to brand the first set of calves before coming to the hospital. 

Moral of the story- don’t have babies in branding season. It’s best to consult his calendar. On the other hand, birthing little cowboys into such chaos might be the key to them growing into strong, kind, and capable young men. 

Tell me I’m not the only one who has to plan life around ranch work

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#ranchlife
#brandingseason
#cowboylife
Photos from our first of many brandings are coming Photos from our first of many brandings are coming off the camera and hopping on my website. There are too many fun moments captured to claim a favorite, but here are a few. 

Check out the rest on TheIdahoRanchersWife.com. Direct link can be found in my stories and profile Linktree 

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#brandingontherange
#westernphotography
#cowboysandcowgirls
Headed down to the desert this morning and had the Headed down to the desert this morning and had the best day branding. 

Sunshine ✔️
Roping✔️
Great food✔️
NO wind ✔️
The best people ✔️

We kicked off branding season in the best way and I can’t wait for next week. 

Be ready for a photo dump and stories to come!! (Also, I had a chance to pull out my new telephoto lens for some fun photos today 📸)

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher
#brandingseason
#brandingontherange
#cownoysandcowgirls
“Hello, Ladies,” said in a low, sultry voice. The “Hello, Ladies,” said in a low, sultry voice. The most subtle pick up line from the Old Spice commercials, of all places. 

We may be in the middle of dropping this years’ calves but that doesn’t mean we aren’t prepping for next year already. 

Bull turnout will be here before we know out which means we need to have enough herd bulls heathy, strong, and range ready to breed cows all summer long. 

For months we have been testing, doctoring, and buying bulls ready. With the last of them being delivered any day now, we will get everything branded, tagged and ready for their final inspection. 

There’s still a little time before turnout, but everything is lining up. Bulls getting ready, cows getting close…
And somewhere in the back of your mind, you can already hear it—
“Hello, ladies.”

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#bullsofinstagram 
#helloladies 
#ranchlife
You ever feel like you’re being watched while you You ever feel like you’re being watched while you work… ?😅
We had a full panel of judges today, watching every move we made, and I’m sure they were thinking things like “we’re watching you,” “why are you doing that” and “don’t mess this up!”

And honestly… they’re not wrong.

Because whether it’s giving a calf the little extra boost it needs, or raising a boy to step in, work hard, and figure things out—this stuff matters. It’s not always smooth, and we don’t always get it perfect, but it’s worth getting right.

The herd might have a lot more eyes on me, but it’s the eyes from my husband, my kids and the others that are counting on me. Good thing for a lot of love and grace!

Today I’m pretty sure we passed inspection, though. Jury’s still out. 🐄👀

•	#lifeonacattleranch
•	#marriedtoarancher
•	#ranchlife
•	#ranchkids
•	#judgedbycows
Dear Mother Nature, I’ve been skeptical of the we Dear Mother Nature, 
I’ve been skeptical of the weather and your intentions for months now. Could life really be this sunny and warm? 🥰🤔

But now that the calendar has actually flipped to spring, I’m feeling more confident and hopeful that this is here to last. 🥹

Now, that doesn’t mean you should drop snow on us just because I’m relaxing into it, although that still would be part of an Idaho spring. 🤪🤣

We could use a touch rain. The moisture we have had has done so much good but it won’t last long. 🙏🏻

As ranchers we put a lot of faith and trust in you to take care of us. Don’t let us down. Not there’s a lot we can do in revenge or anything 🫩😮‍💨🤣. 

Sincerely, 
A ranch wife pulling out the short sleeves and officially putting away the snow clothes. 

Ps- it seems like you always struggle to know how much wind to share our way. Please error on the side of too little. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#DearMotherNature 
#RanchLife 
#SpringVibes
Please tell me not the only one… I’m starting to Please tell me not the only one… 

I’m starting to realize I live in a constant state of being in the wrong place… while also being exactly where I’m supposed to be.

At a basketball game? Thinking about what’s happening on the ranch.
Out on the ranch? Thinking about the laundry, the schedule, or where I’m supposed to be next.

Turns out nothing on a ranch waits for you. Not the cows, not the weather, not the work.

And unfortunately, the rest of life doesn’t either.

I used to think if I just planned things better, I could keep up with all of it.

Now I’m realizing that was wildly… optimistic. 🤣🤪

So these days I just do my best to show up where I am, try not to think too hard about what I’m missing somewhere else, and trust it’ll all still be there when I get back.

(Some days I’m better at that than others.)

Give me an AMEN IF you’ve ever felt like you’re supposed to be in two places at once 

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#ranchlife
#womeninagriculture
#momlife
“Are you coming out?” Those have to be some of my “Are you coming out?”

Those have to be some of my favorite words.
Around here, they translate to I love you, for sure.

In this busy season of life, I feel pulled in so many directions—kids’ activities, service opportunities, community involvement, my dreams, housework… the list never really ends.

I’ll admit, I struggle with the balance of what I should do and what I want to do.
And most days, what I want is to be out ranching.

But because it’s a “want,” it can feel selfish.

But if he wants me out there working alongside him, then that becomes my priority.

He’s making space and time for me…
and I’m not about to overlook that.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#ranchlife
#womeninagriculture
#ranchwife
“From behind, it’s just three cowboys and a sea of “From behind, it’s just three cowboys and a sea of fuzzy cows—but in that moment, there’s so much more. Cowboys, side by side, talking, laughing, and soaking in the long, dusty day of branding. These days are hard, no doubt, but it’s moments like this that make all the work feel worth it. Somewhere between the dust and the conversation, family happens. This is ranch life: long days, full hearts, and the simple joy of doing it all together.”

.	#LifeOnACattleRanch
.	#MarriedToARancher
.	#FamilyOnTheRange
.	#CattleCrew
.	#BrandingDayVibes
Life is too short to wait for something to happen Life is too short to wait for something to happen to you.  I chose to jump into life with two feet and make it an adventure. 

The only problem is that sometimes life wants to tug on you in two different directions. Missing out on things at the ranch brings on a real case of FOMO. I live for these kind of days and it’s hard when the whole operation can’t revolve around me. 

In these moments, it’s a mental choice to be where my shoes are. Wishing I was somewhere else doesn’t solve anything, it just lets the memories I could be making slip by. Earning a state championship title with my girls was not something worth missing, even for a beautiful day sitting cows in the range. 

#lifeonacattleranch 
#marriedtoarancher 
#bewhereyouare 
#bepresentinthemoment 
#statechamps
Romance doesn’t always come by candlelight. We ha Romance doesn’t always come by candlelight.

We had dinner reservations that night.
The cows had other ideas.

And somewhere between the dust, the frustration, and the manure on my fancy clothes, I was reminded of something.

Love out here isn’t separate from the work.
It’s built inside of it.

It’s built when you both run toward the problem.
When you adjust the plan.
When you show up anyway.

Two hands.
One direction.

There’s a longer version of this story on the blog — but this might be my favorite part of it.

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher
#ranchlife
#westernmarriage
#builtinthework
Roses are red, Violets are blue, We had Valentine’ Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
We had Valentine’s plans…
But the cows broke through!

Boots polished, hair in place,
Dressed up for our night,
Reservations waiting
Under the city lights.

But then we saw them—
Or maybe we didn’t,
A herd of wild backsides
Slipping out of sight.

Nothing says romance
Like a runaway cow chase,
Down the winding highway,
Our hearts already start to race.

Flying out of the pickup
Before it came to a stop,
I’m fairly certain
The Rancher thought I was hot.

Finally to dinner,
Out in the town,
With a hint of manure
Dusting my cowgirl gown.

Maybe this is romance,
Rough, wild, and true—
A night just for us,
Until the cows break through.

Happy Valentines from The Idaho Ranchers Wife!

#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#ranchlifehumor 
#valentineranchstyle 
#loveandlivestock
Every handle has a purpose. Every hand knows the w Every handle has a purpose. Every hand knows the work

#marriedtoarancher 
#lifeonacattleranch 
#HandsOnTheLand 
#RanchLifeBW 
#BehindTheBrand
Confidence comes early. Experience takes longer. Confidence comes early. Experience takes longer.

Some days, I watch our little rancher ride along and marvel at how certain he is about everything. Which pivot should be on or off, which cows should have moved yesterday… the commentary never stops. And yet, he’s learning something quietly bigger than any instruction: that there isn’t one right way to do this work.

Ranching, like parenting, like life, has room for mistakes, experimentation, and figuring out your right way.

There’s more than one right way — and the best one is the one that works for you.

To read more, find the link in my bio. 

#lifeonacattleranch
#marriedtoarancher 
#confidenceplusexperience 
#therightway 
#ranchlife
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