The Idaho Rancher's Wife

The Ranch From the Wife's Perspective

Weaning Anxiety

by

Oh weaning… A time that we love and hate. I should say I and not speak for the others. I love the days out riding, sorting and working the cattle through the chute. It’s awesome to see the growth that they’ve had over the summer and the satisfaction to see your hard work paying off.

But there is a flip side. Weaning is stressful on calves. It can be super stressful. Ideally you don’t change terrain or feed too much. You try to not work them too hard or even haul them long distances if you can manage. But when your calves are NOT at the home ranch you bite the bullet and do all those things. The hard thing is stressed calves can turn into sick calves. Sick calves don’t eat so well. Sick calves can become super sick calves. And super sick calves can die. What we don’t want… 
Whatever we are doing, whether it’s sorting, moving, vaccinating or feeding, we take care to keep these calves running healthy. We only have to make it 45 days (give or take) and in that time we pack on the pounds and keep all healthy so we can turn a good profit. These calves are our payday… Now dont think I’m talking about getting rich off these babies. What I’m really talking about is earning enough to keep doing what we love. 
So for the next month or so, there is a little more tension, a little more anxiety, and a lot more prayers that our efforts everyday haven’t been in vain and that we can continue this cowboy living. 

First Wean at 13

by

Seriously, who names corrals or pastures 13?  Forever The Rancher would say, “We’re going down to 13…” and it was supposed to mean something to me.  But now I know.  13- the corrals and fields nestled behind the reservoir, only 14 glorious minutes away instead of the agonizing hours it seems to take to Black Pine (don’t worry, I  know you don’t know where that is…).  And 13 is where we began the crazy fall work this year.

Nearly a week ago, on a hazy cool morning, we saddled up and headed out to gather in the cows on the Forest Service ground.  These cows have been difficult all summer long, so it was awesome to get the buggers done and out of the way first.  Of course they were spread out on the very edges of the field.  And of course they had to turn and chase the dogs every chance they could.  And of course the only time they hurried along was when they were headed in the WRONG direction.  But we were ready for them and brought lots of help, and in reality, we didn’t have all that far to go to.

After our quick 45 minute gather began the real fun of sorting off the cows from the calves.  These cowboys work cows so different than I ever did growing up.  I was always taught the approach of less is more- quieter, calmer, less guys… Maybe some of that was just because we didn’t have so many cows or man power.  Still, very different.  With these Curlew Cowboys we start sorting from both ends, each grabbing a bunch and sorting off calves out one gate and cows out the other, sometimes pushing against each other.  I went on the end where we pushed the cows out and kept calves in.  I have to admit that the first few minutes were stressful for me.  It was chaos.  Pure chaos.  There was no organization, no plan, just get ’em and go.  Fortunately my anxiety simmered down and I jumped into the chaotic, sorting groove.  Before long we were done… mostly.

A few calves had managed to slip the gate man that needed sorting back out.  And a few bulls needed bringing out.  And some of the neighbor cows needed pulling out too.  So not really done, but that gave me the perfect opportunity to take a few pictures.  I have to admit that I didn’t take any when the good sorting was going on, but that was simply because I was too busy doing my other job…

With the sorting done, all that was left was to wait our turn to get all the calves loaded and head home.  And in the meantime while I was waiting, I enjoyed my moments of bliss on the back of the horse with my camera, conversation my new sis-in-law, and a little kid free time.  I was almost sad when we loaded up the third and final semi-full of calves.  But alas, all good things must come to an end.  Until the next time we wean- oh wait, that’s tomorrow!

 

Oneida County Steer Show

by

Tonight we are hitting up the Easter Idaho State Fair, a big highlight of our fall.  I’m not sure why we love fairs so much- maybe its the food, or the free entertainment, or that we can wear our cowboy duds and totally fit in.  Whatever it is, we can’t get enough and hit up as many of the local fairs as we possibly can!  In fact, it will be our 4th fair in just about as many weeks! 

I big believer in fairs… obviously as now I am on our country fair board.  I really feel like it has a lot to give it the community and especially its youth.  The time, effort, sacrifice, and responsibility it takes for kids to commit and then follow through on all of their projects is huge.  Parents and leaders put in a lot of time to help teach skills to the up and coming generation of ranchers, gardeners, sewers, bakers, photographers, canners, and hopefully leaders.  Yep, I’m sounding a little stuffy and frumpy… but when you take away the rides and rodeos, what you have left is kids learning and showing what they can do.  I love it!

Every year I look forward to the steer show.  I was big into showing (can you imagine me NOT going big in anything I do?!).  I loved taking the time to wash, clip and fit  my steer.  The show ring meant game time and I wanted to win.  And sometimes I did.  Now that I don’t get to (their really frown upon a grown woman commandeering the steer show!), I like to jump in and help give a few of my tips and tricks to the next group of showman.  Who knows if they even want to hear what I have to say, but at least I feel like I get to keep my foot in the ring one way! 

But really, these kids don’t need me.  They (hopefully!) have been working and preparing all summer for this day, and as you can see, one way or another, they nailed it!

Cowboy Engagements: The Buckaroo’s Engagement Photos

by

 
So did I tell you my brother-in-law is getting married?  The Buckaroo has found himself a fine little filly and they’ve decided to get hitched!  We are so stinking excited!  Partly… nope mostly because we are finally getting the gender scale balanced.  These boys have lived too long with too little estrogen in the air! 
I’vve told these boys that I must approve before get all romantic and thus far they have done well getting me some good sisters.  I especially love it when they bring home girls that will get out on the ranch with us.  There isn’t much sweeter than a girl out roping the cowboys!!
But back to The Buckaroo and his almost Mrs. Buckaroo… When it came time for their engagement pictures they really wanted pictures done on the ranch, cowboy style.  So they called me!  We took an evening out through our private range land (the place that actually has a few trees!) and took ourselves some cowboy engagement pictures. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

5 Ways How Being a Rancher’s Wife Makes me an Awesome Camper

by

Are you wondering where I’ve gone?  A whole week of nothing from The Rancher’s Wife… That’s, like, unheard of.  I’m probably the chattiest girl in the valley!

But I have been gone this last week.  To Girls Camp.  We camped out near Soda Springs with about 150 other girls and leaders.  And not to pat myself on the back, but I have to tell you that I rocked it.  It wasn’t long after getting up there that I realized we had a bunch of city girls in our midst!  Boy, was I grateful to be a rancher’s wife and new a little bit about surviving in the wild.  Now I don’t know if I learned these things from life on the ranch or life living in the country. Either way, they are certainly worthy of sharing with you today.  Here are my “5 Ways How Being a Rancher’s Wife Makes me an Awesome Camper!”

1.  I know how to set up a tent.  Seriously, you would think that such a basic camping essential would be high on the list of knowing BEFORE you go camping, but for some it wasn’t. For as long as I can remember, I have known how to set up a tent.  Growing up we would throw the tent up in the yard ALL the time.  Or we would load up the camping gear and campout somewhere on the ranch.  Since being married, The Rancher and I have even had the awesome opportunity to do overnight cattle drives where we camped along the way.  Yep, this girl doesn’t need anyone setting a tent up for her!

2.  I’m not afraid of bugs.  I wish I had a dollar for every time I had to squash a bug or save some helpless girl from her impending doom.  I’ll admit, I’m not a bug person.  Especially the extra buzzy ones, but these girls were something else.  It was almost like they had never been told there would be bugs!

3.  I know how to tie knots and to use knives.  Last minute I was asked to help teach some basic skills with knots and knives.  It only took a quick look at the manual to know just what I was supposed to be teaching and we were on our way.  I do have to give credit to my father-in-law, Rancher Sr., for being willing to help (he was there to cook all week).  There were a few knots that I was sure everyone would know.  Ya know, the ones we use almost daily to tie something together or up to the trailer.  But no.  A lot of them didn’t even know what a square knot was.  But I guess that’s why they were there…

4.  I took my cowgirl boots to camp in.  Everyone has their favorite pair of shoes or hiking boots to camp in.  For some crazy it is their flip flops…. Mine are my boots.  They have kept me clean and dry all over the ranch and did the same camping.  I didn’t suffer from stubbed-toe-itis, nasty-dirty-toenail-itis, or soaked-foot-itis. I love my cowgirl boots, especially when they can be functional and fashionable!

5.  I can cook over a fire.  And when I say I can cook over a fire I don’t mean a hot dog on a stick.  Don’ get me wrong, I love a good tube steak.  But camping should be more than just a weiny roast or tinfoil dinners.  We enjoyed BBQ ribs, cheesy bacon potatoes, corn on the cob, and dutch oven cobbler.  That’s pretty close to the same menu we had branding this spring.  Cooking on the desert for the cowboys is all too similar to cooking at camp.  But wherever we eat camping out, it’s in style! 

Ok, I have to share a bonus.  The last bit to share about how my ranch life has helped me be an awesome camper is dealing with the dirtiness of camping.  From the dusty sock line to the greasy hair I was totally ok that I hadn’t showered all week.  Don’t be grossed out.  Please.  I pride myself in being ok with doing my hair once and leaving it up for the week, having spraying on tan of dirt, and wearing no makeup.  Working on the ranch has taught me to appreciate crazy hair, dustiness, and make-up-less face!

My list isn’t anything crazy…  No secret tips on how to camp rancher style.  But it’s crazy how many skills I use for camping I have learned from the ranch!                                               

DIY Pallet Shelf

by

Pallet crafts.  You see them all over Pinterest.  Everyone is coming up with crazy creative ideas to use the only-good-for-fire-wood pallets for something so beautiful and useful.  At first I though they were crazy and weird.  Sorry, sista… I have seen way too many of these to want to put one in my house, thank you very much.

But then I gave in.

When I saw the PILES of pallets around the ranch I started thinking of ways I could make something awesome out of them too.  The need for one came as The Ranch Princess emptied out my purse for the umpteenth time.  Please can I just have a little shelf that I can hang my purse and camera and mom-bag from that looks cute!

Light. Bulb.

I should make one… from a pallet!  So I went to Pinterest, and really didn’t find what I wanted.  But… that didn’t stop me.  I went to the pile, found the best pallet of the bunch and headed to the shop where the power tools were (oh, and The Rancher…).  I explained to him what I wanted and he said, “…ok.”  Very enthusiastic.  All I really needed from him was to tell me where the saws-all was and to let me have at it.

I cut off the first section of pallet and then the a second board to go across the top for my shelf.  With the pieces cut out (and the rest cleaned up- I do my part to keep the shop clean!) I headed for a sander.  Now I know the fun of a pallet craft is that it is from a pallet and therefore has some character.  But my OCD-ness wouldn’t let me NOT sand the darn thing… just a little.

Sanding really was the most time consuming thing, not because it took super long, but because the rest of it went so fast.  I didn’t sand it off terribly smooth, just enough that when I would be taking my hand across it I wouldn’t get any slivers.  We try to avoid pain like that if we can…

Next step- stain.  With so many options it was almost hard to know how to go with this part of my project.  I ended up taking a cherry brown stain and loved the results.  On the first coat the grain started to come to life and I LOVED it.  In fact, I only put the one coat on because it was exactly what I was looking for.  It had a little dark color to it without being overwhelming or distracting.  Awesome!  I did do a quick sealant coat to help keep it’s awesome-ness.

After letting the stain dry I dug through The Rancher’s toolbox to find myself a hammer (maybe I should get my own tools!!) and nails.  Since the shelf was from a pallet it wasn’t too square, which means I can blame any unlevel/unsquare issues on it, right?  Actually it was a little tough to keep it square while I was putting it together just because it was a little awkward to try and hold together on my own.  But never fear, I got it together! 

And a shelf is born!

The last bits to add were my dollar drawer pulls from Home Depot (LOVE that store!).  For Father’s Day I was the awesome wife that got her husband a new drill set and I finally had a chance to use it.  I drilled myself a few little holes, put the screws in and I was done.

The coolest part of this project was when The Rancher saw it in the room.  He was seriously impressed and is even thinking of places to put for his hat and gloves… Yes, earned myself more rancher’s wife stripes!  Now, honey, could you please help me hang this up?

What Does Father Mean to You?

by


If you ever you look up the definition of father, you’ll find that most of them refer to having a child.  Some talk about being a parent or having responsibility for their children, but they don’t got to far into what a father is.
 
I found a little quote that said becoming a father is easy, being a father is rough.  I think that might come the closest to telling it how it really is.  Because being a father isn’t always fun or easy.  It means late nights and up all nights.  It means taking the time to teach how to do rather than just jump in and do it yourself  It means watching them get a few scrapes as they try so hard to learn to ride a bike. 
 
There is a price to pay and sacrifices to be made with being a dad.  But the returns on such an investment is totally worth it.  Because believing in someone and helping them know who they are is greatest gift anyone could give.
 
So what does a father mean to you?  To me it is sacrifice, time, compassion, understanding and believing.  Its forgetting yourself and putting them first.  it shaping someone into being everything their potential will allow them to be.
          

Happy Memorial Day: Celebrating Their Memory

by

Happy Memorial Day! 

It’s terrible to admit, but I don’t remember ever really doing too much to celebrate this day when I grew up.  We would do a little family cook out and do some fun-ness at home.  I’m sure that my dad just wanted to have a stay-cation rather than do anything big.  And we lived on a ranch- there is always work to be done! 

In fact, it seemed that every Memorial Day was the day to move cows.  Of course we moved them down that one road that led to the cemetery.  Happy Memorial day- have fun dodging the cow pies on your way!

Memorial Day is a day to remember and celebrate the memory of folks that have passed and the life they made for us.  So often, and appropriately so, we celebrate our passed loved ones and we remember the brave military men, women, and their courageous families.  Those in the military literally put everything on the line, making a stand for what they know to be right.  I am so thankful for their choice to serve!

But I’m also thankful and wish to celebrate the memory of those that had the courage to leave everything to come and settle the west.  The pioneer spirit of those cowboys brought so much more than what they could have ever expected.  They were willing to pay whatever cost for the ranch life with open ranges and big sky. 

I can’t imagine life being anything but hard for them.  They didn’t have the luxuries we have like farm equipment, wheel lines, bull wagons, or 4 wheelers.  Instead they had a horse and plow… and themselves.  They worked every day just to survive another year.  Men would leave their families for months at a time to take the cows to the sale.  Families worked long hard hours to keep their meager farms afloat.  What’s amazing is that despite how hard it was, they didn’t give up! 

Imagine what our world would be like if the rough west would have beaten the cowboys and farmers.  Those men, those families changed our history, changed my history.  What a memorable legacy they left behind.  And what a great day to celebrate their memory!   

Who’s memory are you celebrating today?

Ranching Memories: Magic, Mishaps, and Mischief

by

With it being a long weekend, most of the crew (except for Cowboy Pete- he is in Bulgaria!) came back to the ranch to play.  The best part about everyone coming home is the times where sit around and visit.  We always end up talking about days on the ranch.  Those crazy branding days that The Buckaroo’s horse would always buck.  Or the days of near tragedy that were too scary to laugh at.  There is a theme running through them- somebody did something a little crazy!  We were laughing so hard my sides hurt… I wish you could have been there.  Some of the stories were just too perfect to NOT share! 

Three Boys Means no Boys
Any smart ranch dad takes advantage of the free labor that comes with raising kids on the ranch.  One day Rancher Sr. and The Ranch Boss went out to Locomotive to work some cattle and took along a few of the boys for some help.  It was a typical dusty and windy day, which meant that these kids couldn’t hear or hardly hear what they were being told to do.  That’s kind of a must when you are the gate man on a sorting day.  Even when they figured out some hand signals, the cowboys would forget to use them!  The Ranch Boss just told them, “When you have one boy, there is one boy… two boys there is a half a boy…  three boys means no boys!”

Magical Ranch Mornings
Mornings on the ranch really can be magical. The fields smell incredible, the sun streams over the hills, and the birds are singing.  Those moments just make you want to stand still to soak up every bit of the promise of a new day.  Some mornings are a little magical than other, like when The Ranch Boss headed out for morning chores to find the old farm hand tractor running in the stack yard. What’s so magical about that?  No one was there and no one had been there.  The tractor started up by itself!  They actually figure that a few mice got chewing on the wires, crossed them, and started the old tractor up.

The Beginning of Crop Circles and BE Farms
Being observant and industrious ranch kids, The Rancher, The Cowpoke, and a few fellow farming friends started their own farms- The BE Farms.  They had their own patch of dirt to plant their hay and grain in and despite their clever schemes and earnest efforts their crops didn’t produce well.  Buts really no problem when your little field neighbors dad’s big hay field.  Just grab your best pair of kindergarten scissors and cut some yourself a supplemental hay crop!  Don’t be surprised if the carefully cut pivot circes are mistaken for deer getting in the hay! The Rancher Boss was sure there was a herd of deer… nope- just a herd of little boys!

The Rooster Story
We love having chicken for fresh eggs, but once upon a time the ranch raised their own chickens for the meat.  This meant that they had a rooster.  And not any ol’ rooster.  He was the nastiest, meanest old thing.  So mean that the boys wouldn’t go gather the eggs for fear of that rooster chasing after them with his lethal beak.  Rancher Sr., tired of the boys not getting the eggs, decided he was going to do something about it.  His solution- a 2×4.  He left the rooster for dead in the field, sure that the problem was solved.  Weeks later, The Rancher was crouched down working on his snow mobile in the shop when all of the sudden, this rooster jumps up on his leg.  He perched up there, ruffled his feathers a bit and just stood like he was some sort of pet!  Rancher Sr. must have knocked something loose on that rooster, because ever since then he was pleasant as ever!  But they tell me he did walk with his head cocked to one side…

It’s just ON FIRE!
The Cowpoke came back to help on the ranch between semesters a few times.  It’s the sort of thing these boys live for- dad telling them that he needs them to stay to work on the ranch with them.  What they don’t live for is the tractor catching fire on them!  While The Cowpoke was doing some farm work he started smelling a little smoke.  Being a good farmer he stopped to check under the hood only to see a bird’s nest on fire and shooting flames out the side!  Lucky enough he was parked right next to the ditch.  Unfortunately he didn’t have a thing to haul water in!  He was clever (and probably calm) enough to notice the 4 wheeler there that he was able to jump on to find a 5 gallon bucket at the stack yard.  Rancher Sr. was there too, curious as to why The Cowpoke would leave his post on the tractor a bucket.  Um, ya… it’s only ON FIRE!  Maybe that was the beginning of the Eliason Fire Brigade…

The Buckaroo’s First Catch
The Buckaroo has a knack for twirling a rope.  Will Rogers has nothing on him! Well, I’m sure that he will be that good someday, soon!  This roping craze started young, like 2 years old.  The beginning of his roping career was marked with his first tie down.  He had been outside playing with the dog, typical boy thing.  But after a bit he randomly ran in the house. A minute later he ran back out… with his rope.  Then not too much longer he can back inside… without his rope.  When mom asked where the roped was he simply replied, “I tied the dog to the tree…”  True enough, that little cowboy had roped and hog-tied the dog to the tree!    

A Needle Stick

One fine branding day, I was in charge of giving the shots.  I was double fisting even.  Before we would get to work on the calves we had to have them rolled on the right side.  If there wasn’t a free man to do it I would jump in and try to help.  Easy, not a problem.  Except the time that as I rolled the calf and bent down so did The Rancher’s uncle behind me.  It was like two magnets coming together- his bum and my needle.  AH!  If there was ever a terrible place for a needle stick it had to be there!

Boys and Hot Shots

Little boys and hot shots are always a scary combination, but give them to a little boy that wants to zap his neighbor.  There was a little cousin that loved the hot shot and would just come up to whoever and give them a little zap.  The boys got so sick of it that occasionally they would give him a taste of his own medicine.  And then came the day that he accidentally got The Buckaroo.  He was so sick of this kid doing it and not knowing it wasn’t on purpose, he turned around and got him back so bad!  Needless to say, he didn’t get anyone with the hot shot again!

A LESS Than Picture Perfect Cattle Drive

by

Today we moved cows.  It was so far from picture perfect.   I mean it.  I took my camera but just left it in the truck because there was no time to snap a picture in the midst of our near disaster cattle drive.

There are two things that make a drive go smooth that we didn’t have- a LOT of cowboys and good fences.  Here’s the low down of how this day went.

Let’s talk about a little about fence etiquette.  In Idaho, the “fencing law” is a fence out law (not to be confused with a fence outlaw that probably steals fences or something).  That means that if you are, let’s say a farmer, you’re responsible to fence animals out of your farm ground.  Particularily if it borders public ground. 

The cattle we were moving were out on a Forest Service pasture with cows from two other ranches.  The area has Forest Service ground, but a lot of private farm ground.  In fact most of the way to the field we were heading to (6 miles) was bordered by farm ground except the last bit.  And, yep, you guessed it… those farmers hadn’t put much stock in the fencing law. 

There were places that the fence was up… but the wires were so loose calves just crawled right through them.  It kept the in a little better than no fence at all because they could at least see something in the way.  But so much of the fence was taken down, left in a mess on the ground.  The darn thing didn’t even look scary enough to keep them from trying to get out.  And with it being dropped to the ground we had another issue to deal with, getting the horses caught in the fence!

For hours we fought cows trying to cut back into the tempting green wheat fields.  And we lost.  The cows won. It seemed that they were crawling through the fences everywhere, when there was actually a fence, I mean.  Cutting across the fields had its own extra setbacks.  There were so many places that was loose dirt that as the herd crossed over it made a cloud of dust so bad you could hardly see the cowboy next to you.  The cows don’t like dustiness like that (not that I blame them… actually I do, because if they would have stayed on the road we could have avoided the dust!)  A couple of times they got so lost in the dust (or just annoyed by it) they tried to turn back on us.  Just what we needed- crazy cows not being able to see where they are going so they turn and go… anywhere else!

The cows in the front were on a mission.  They knew they were literally heading to greener pasture, so they walked out.  Fast.  But then there was the slow babies in the back.  Their little tired legs just couldn’t keep up.  Before we knew it, we were stretched out for miles moving along a non-existing fence with cows breaking into the first green thing they could see.  Every time we would lose a group of cows through the fence a cowboy would follow to get them back out.  Before we knew it, there were more cows and cowboys out on the wheat fields than on the road!  Actually there was a point I was the lone rider moving down the road.

It might have not all been so bad if we could have had all the cowboys we needed. We needed to have guys at the front with the lead cows, guys doing the gates, guys pushing over the cows that were crawling through, and guys pushing the cows the length of the herd.  But we didn’t. 

At one point The Rancher switched from his horse to his steel horse which helped him buzz around which saved us.  He was able to get ahead of the herd to close gates, get around the lead cows in the wheat field and head them back.  It’s just too bad we didn’t have like three more guys helping do all that work…

We made it eventually and really no worse for the wear.  We found all of the strays and after a while the bull in the trees decided to come out.  But, heaven willing, we will NEVER have to do that again!

About Me

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!

instagram

Recent post