180 Calves Branded at the Highlands!

I'm so happy I captured this precious moment! Aren't they beautiful?

Dad roping on Smokey!

Craig filling up the vaccine gunGreg doing what he loves!
Aurora and Lenora watching the action
Grandpa Gary - the Cow Boss with Craig and Greg in background
My hubby!
Bill and Amber
Shalee, Aurora and Aubrey - fast friends in a matter of minutes!

Some of the men!Sweet grandpa with Lenora and Aurora

After stopping in Burley to do ranch business and helping Brent and Janet grocery shop for the hired men and for branding, we headed right to Park Valley for the branding to be done at the Highlands. They did about 180 head that day and it was cold and windy! My brother, Craig, came out again and brought his wife, Lenora, and their little granddaughter, Aurora, who is Faune's little one. She was a sweetie and so good all day! She wasn't a bit afraid of the branding process, either which amazed me! Greg and Brent brought the horses up from the winter range and he saddled up and rode Baxter for the first time since last summer. He brought the cows riding Baxter, but roped on Grandpa's horse, Smokey. When they turned the horses out that afternoon, Baxter was lame again so it is sadly inevitable now. He will never get well. Grandpa, out of the blue, asked Dad if he would trade Bert for Smokey. They need another young horse on the ranch and Dad really needs a well-broke horse ready to ride and do anything on! Grandpa doesn't ride much anymore and really wanted to make the trade. So without hesitation, Dad said "SOLD"! We are now proud owners of Smokey! I think he will work well for Dad and he is pretty well "bullet proof". The grandkids can ride Smokey! That was another plus in the deal! Thanks, Grandpa Rose!

Branding at the Ranch

Greg took this picture of my brother Craig with Janet and me! Brent and Craig

Greg and "Bert" ready to load

Craig in on the action giving vaccinations

The crew at work! 160 branded in about 3 hours!

My dear sister-in-law Janet and me! How I love her!

Our nieces, Lisa and Amy

Greg roping

Everyone has a particular job once the steer or heifer is caught!
Mothering-up after branding. I love to watch the nurturing instinct as mothers and babies find each other again!

Chow time!

Craig and Greg

Driving the herd back after branding

Riders in the dust in the background/storm clouds roiling overhead

Coming back with a heavy wind blowing!

Randy Munns and Greg

The end of a busy day!Branding has started at the ranch! We love this time of the year. Greg misses the gathering and moving of the cattle that spring and fall bring on the ranch. So it is a wonderful thing that he has a good horse and is able to be of help these times of the year! I can see how much he loves it all and it makes me smile watching him! We headed to Park Valley later Friday afternoon and spent the evening visiting with Greg's mom and dad and Bill. Bill's wife Amber was in Carey with their girls so Bill came up and had dinner with us. He is a great guy and I really enjoyed listening to the men discuss the ranch. Of course, it is always a treat to spend some time with Mom and Dad Rose! They are wonderful!

Saturday morning, we were up and going early. The guys were doing chores and I was getting ready for my brother Craig to arrive around 8:00 a.m. Greg invited him to come out and help us brand. I have never quite figured it out, but my sweet brother who has never been around a cow or a horse in his life has an absolute affinity to anything "western". I think for people who have never actually lived it, there is something very glamorous and intriguing about ranch life! They often don't realize what is actually involved in the all-year around scheme of things! Winters can be absolutely brutal and the work is NEVER done! But I certainly loved our 16 years there and must agree that in spite of it all the worry and work, there is something very wonderful about this robust, outdoor, "get back to the land" way of life! I am so thankful our four children had that experience for they all learned to work, and work hard along side their Dad. In the process, they became each other's best friends.

Craig loves to sing and play western music, too, and was absolutely thrilled to just be able to come out and experience even a taste of what he has such an interest in. Thank you, Greg, for inviting him. I wonder why we didn't think of it earlier! As you can see from the pictures, he was having the time of his life! We made him a CD of the 64 pictures I took that day and sent them to him. All in all, it was a great day! Janet, Grandma, and I have such a good time preparing the food for the crew. Janet has the process down to a fine science so I just get to pitch in and help put some of it together. I love the family I married into so much! How blessed I am!