Blog - The Idaho Rancher's Wife

More Than a Milk Cow

August 29, 2013 by Allison

We have two milk cows on the ranch. One dear old cow has been around for 10+ years. She is called Jersey, even though she is actually like a Brown Swiss not a Jersey. She is more of a pet than anything else. Kids all over the valley know Jersey because she has gone to school where they have learned all about a dairy cow. The Rancher’s Sidekick always says that he will be the one to get her into the barn when milking time rolls around.

We have had a few others but currently we have a Holstein that I like to call Millie. You know, Millie the Milk Cow. She is isn’t so pet like but still a pretty chill cow. But poor thing, she doesn’t have a tail…

Jersey has mostly been used as a milk cow for the family but recently they have been used as nurse maids for the bum calves we get. It is so much easier and cheaper to have a surrogate momma than to buy/mix/feed powdered milk. It is amazing how many calves these cows milk for! I actually feel bad for them a little. Ow… Ya, that’s all I have to say… Ow.

Good News

August 27, 2013 by Allison

I am elated to say that I have terrific news… my camera is on its way home! I have hated not having it around with me. I guess I hadn’t realized how much I have grown to LOVE taking pictures. Now I am going to go on photo overload and take pictures of EVERYTHING! Maybe the rest of my life can slow down so that I can make more time for you. Lets hope it all falls together. : )

At the County Fair

August 16, 2013 by Allison

Oh how we love fair week! I thought I would drop a line to tell you I am still kicking, just busy playing at the fair. I don’t have any pictures for you today… Sorry about that… But soon, very soon!

In fact, I don’t know if I have told you or not (I don’t remember very well) but I am having camera problems. One afternoon I picked it up to take some pictures and I noticed the sensor had gone haywire. I took it in praying it was a simple fix. Of course it ended up being bad enough we had to send back into Nikon. That was two weeks ago… I checked in on it and they haven’t even done the diagnosis yet. I am beginning to feel IMPATIENT!! Thankfully The Rancher’s mom has the same camera and will loan it out to me when she’s not using it. But then I still need to grab pictures from her… I know, I am letting you down.

So lets talk about the fair instead, it is much happier to chat about.

Even though we don’t have any kids old enough to be in the fair, we still have been averaging about one trip a day and which are usually followed by LATE nights. Starting with Monday, the Team Penning and Branding that besides The Rancher roping we also provided the heifers. This is such a fun one to go because so many of our friends and neighbors come out to it.

After sleeping in the following morning (I’m not going to admit how late we slept) we began the work of prepping to go over once again. Besides gathering dinner, jammies, blankets, and tractors every cowboy and cowgirl needs, I had a little extra work of getting together my pictures to enter into the fair. Don’t worry, we made it amidst all of the craziness and all I forgot to do was my makeup, no biggie… Besides entering my pictures the fair that night we took found a seat in stands for the free concert- Charley Jenkins! He is an up and coming country singer from Utah. His songs were so awesome- they were all about The Rancher, I swear!

We weren’t terribly interested in the sheep show so we chose to stay home Wednesday. Oh how I loved it! I even swept and mopped my floor! Of course you would never guess it at this point. Living with a little boy that plays in the dirt and a big boy that work (plays) in the dirt all day means that this house doesn’t stay clean.

Thursday was our big day. Cowboys Pete and E had their steer show- a must see! And to know surprise they did a great job showing. When the cattle are all done they do an open showmanship class that I borrowed Cowboy Pete’s steer. We totally took first place! I’ll have to see if anyone took a picture for proof. The night ended with the Family Fun Rodeo. This isn’t a typical rodeo, in fact when The Rancher did his team roping he was minus a horse. That is what we call the poor man roping. I can guarantee that if they don’t catch right out of the chute that they won’t chase that calf down the arena.

Now I am sitting in sweats in my nicely air conditioned house, debating if it is nap time or lunch time. I think that this day calls for relaxing because tomorrow is more craziness. Oh how we love fair week!

A Cool Summer Night

August 10, 2013 by Allison

We love the long summer evenings because there is just so much fun stuff to do around the ranch and around our little valley. A favorite is always saddling up the horses and heading to the arena.

One night The Rancher needed to practice roping with his partner for the upcoming rodeo (that has since come and gone… yep, I need to post them too… I know) so we made a family night of it. With so many kids, horses, steers, and dogs, how could we NOT have a good time?!

There are so many reasons I love being a rancher’s wife and having so much to enjoy from our lifestyle. You want to come visit now, don’t you? Well come on over!

At Jacobsen’s Field

August 10, 2013 by Allison

These are more of the pictures from our trail down the road to Jacobsen’s field. The cowboys waited there for a bit doctor the calves. They also try to keep the cows gathered up long enough for them to get paired together. At least we hope they will…

Did someone call for a Doctor?

August 6, 2013 by Allison

Having the cows on the range for the summer does bring its challenges. If ever the calves get sick they still need to be doctored, regardless of whether we have the luxury of the corrals or chute. Most often they get taken their medicine when the cows get gathered to move to the next field. There was a handful of calves to be done as we moved them to Jacobson’s field. Even though there are challenges, The Rancher doesn’t really complain. Any chance he has to rope a calf he will take, no matter the circumstances!

The Art of a Cowboy

July 31, 2013 by Allison

Being a cowboy is so much more than just riding a horse and following the cows. It may appear that it is all that they do but once you get to know them and watch what they do you realize that there is so much more to it. Most of it is instinct. Its like a sixth sense that they gain over time and through experience. They are born with a certain ability to connect with the animals. They learn to be fearless or need be to face their fears. There are people that say that ranchers or cowboys are the uneducated ones that couldn’t make it in the world. Maybe they couldn’t make it sitting behind a desk all day but that is because God gave them gifts that we can afford for them to waste. You should come and try to do what they do. What they do is an art. There is no other way to explain it.

Gotta Hurry Home!

July 27, 2013 by Allison

The association cowboys gathered up the forest cows to move to the next of their summer pasture early Saturday morning. It was a beautiful morning for a ride.

A bike ride that is.

I too headed out on the road, thinking that these cowboys were pushing the herd back across all of the fields instead of down the lovely paved highway that I had chosen to peddle my bike down.

As I just about to turn around I got a call from The Rancher. He casually asked what I was doing and where I was. I responded that I riding my bike down the road. Why? Well, they were heading down the road with the cows, were almost to the house and if I didn’t hurry I was going to get caught in the midst of them.

I should get a medal for how fast I turned that bike around and peddled back to the house. Just as rolled into my driveway the first of the cows came across. Phew… I made it.

And just in time for pictures too!

I quickly changed out of my stinky exercise clothes and into my stinky cowgirl clothes, loaded up The Rancher’s Sidekick and The Ranch Princess to follow the cow trail. Its kinda hard to miss… they leave digested bread crumbs along the way. Another good reason to not be riding down the road with the cows.

Putting up the Grain

July 25, 2013 by Allison

Remember this spring when I posted pictures of the newly sprouting grain? Well it has sprouted, grown, been swathed, raked, and baled. I was super lucky to get a few snaps before it all ended up in the stack yard.

There is something about men that when you say, “Tell me when you are going to ____ (fill the blank with whatever) let me know so that I can take some pictures.” that it totally escapes them. Cowboy Pete had just started swathing the last field when The Rancher called to say that if I wanted to get any picture it had to be NOW. But I must admit, I am grateful that he called. I really should give him a break because coming out to take pictures is a new thing this year. And I know that when there is a job to get done the work must go on, even if the picture taker isn’t ready.

Sadly, I didn’t get any of the baling… Yep we missed that… You will have to look forward to it next year.

Here is the grain, just sprouting.

And here it is again as it is being cut down.

This is a crazy photo but I was trying to show just how tall it had grown. But several factors kept it from turning out how I would have liked. And it was too tall to get all of it if I took the shot from the ground like a did for the springtime picture.

Cowboys Pete and E

July 22, 2013 by Allison

One fine day I found these cowboys down at the arena ~~messing~~ horsing around (ha ha ha! Ok, I know its not funny…). They had loaded up the roping steers, put on the horn wraps, and rigged the shoot to open with some baling twine. A few friends had come over so naturally the crew had made their way to the arena.

I was really supposed to something domestic like dusting, laundry, dinner… But I didn’t want to so I meandered down there to take some pictures.

Now remember that I am not a photographer so these aren’t the best, but they do show what a fun time they had and what a good group of kids they are.

PS- if anyone out knows how to take a STELLAR picture of cowboys roping I would love to learn. They are just so fast that I can’t keep them in focus…

Cowboy E decided that these were more than just roping steers. Oh no, they are more like multi-purpose steers and that maybe he should bulldog one of them. Sadly we don’t have a bull doggin’ horse so instead of bailing off the horse he grabs a hold of the steer as it is coming out of the chute. That starts him with a disadvantage, don’t you think? Regardless of who is winning he still looks like he is in control for this picture. Do you think that he flipped the steer? You will have to ask him!

Cowboy Pete tried for the steer wrestling too. His turn didn’t end too swell… But at least his faithful pup is there to console him. (Just so you know, everything is OK- no serious injuries… we think)

The girls opted for using this multi-purpose steer for… I don’t know.. a trick steer? a bucking steer? I’m not really sure, but at least they are cute doing it!