We went to help our friends brand calves yesterday. Cliff loaded up the horses and older kids and left by 5:30 am. I woke the little ones and fed & dressed them and followed in the suburban by 6 am. (We can't all fit in the truck, so I had to drive separate.) It was a gorgeous morning, sun rising through a bit of clouds and into a clear sky.
By the time I reached the ranch, the cowboys were almost done gathering the cattle. The lane runs through the pasture, so I was surrounded by cowhands at one point. It always feels a bit like I'm living in a western movie set, when I see cowboys riding down the hills on either side of me. 🙂 Never gets old.
The wind wasn't too bad, thankfully, so the baby didn't have to gasp for breath. 😉 Babies just don't appreciate this Wyoming wind much. I strapped him in the stroller, and assigned an older kid to keep track of Reata while I ducked around horses and cowboys to take as many pictures as I could. I knelt in some questionable damp stuff with my new jeans - yuck. And I was awash in branding smoke most of the time, but I did get a couple of nice ones, in between feeding and changing the baby, and getting him to sleep.
Brandings are a favorite time of year for most ranchers. We reconnect with friends and neighbors - some we haven't seen since last year's branding! We share jokes and tips and stories of the past year. We gather for a huge feast afterwards, always a highlight! Yesterday they served prime rib, which is a very delicious cut of meat. Most of the time if a fellow ranch wife comes to a branding, she will bring a dish to add to the table... a pie or salad or some rolls. It is not required, but always appreciated.
And remember, calves hide (skin) is 'way thicker than yours, so branding them is not nearly as painful as it would be for you. 😉 And besides that, it is required by law.
I love your photography and words seem to be right out of a novel of time gone by. Thanks for sharing your world! I am a city slicker with a country heart and I long to get back to my basic roots. Born and raised in Florida, but truthfully I have seen another part of this state that most will never see. We still have Cowboys, rodeos, and cattle drives in remote places and I look forward to reconnecting with these places of my youth. The virtues of hard work, real faith, and kind people still exist in these small circles. I look forward to your blog posts for inspiration. Thank you.
Thank you Michelle! Yes, I have been in central Florida, and seen the cowboys. 🙂 Florida produces more beef than any other state!