2024, Farming Update, Gatherings, home, Nature, Uncategorized

Playing Catch Up

38 Comments

Today’s farming update comes from Ben.

We’ve had 5.5″ of rain since May 1. They’ve all been pretty decent, gentle rains I thought. And then I was out picking up some rocks and there are some wash-outs in the fields. It doesn’t take much slope, and especially right now with so much bare ground, a hard rain for few minutes will wash. 

Farmers do so many things to try and prevent it. Obviously we don’t want to lose the top soil; it’s how we make our living too, and it really hurts my soul to see a field wash like this. Thanks goodness they’re not deep ruts. On the rolling hills like our farm, they’re hard to avoid.

I had picked up rocks before planting too, but there’s always more. 

I finished at the college on Tuesday. 

I finished lighting the play at the Rep on Tuesday, and Wednesday evening I cut some grass. Got rained on, which led to a beautiful double rainbow. 

Still trying to catch up on mowing. 

We let the little chicks out. They’re not so little anymore. Luna was very interested in them. She never bothered them, she just had to investigate really really closely. 

Daughter had her 29th Birthday. Four girlfriends from PossAbilities took her out to eat. I sent them a note of appreciation; it seems like such a small thing, but for her, that’s a pretty big deal! She doesn’t have the opportunities for those little things, like lunch with girlfriends. These four are pretty cool and we’re all lucky for the people that come into our lives. 

I put away the last of the 2023 receipts that were in a pile hiding in a desk drawer. Seriously, I’m going to get going on 2024 bookwork soon. SOON! 

I really want to get going on the shed again. I also need to get the roadsides mowed in the forecasted week without rain, so that should be the priority. And there’s a fence along the road that I want to rebuild. It’s embarrassing to drive by and look at every day. It’s just wore out. Been there a lot of  years. I’ve fixed it a lot, but it’s time to be rebuilt. Which means mowing the grass in there first. And since it’s 3′ tall, I need the brush mower. Which needs four bolts holding the gear box on replaced before I use it again. Need to cut / grind them off and replace. And I should do that soon, so they guys can get the cattle in that pasture.

I’m a little hesitant to build a fence again. I figure I need to dig holes for 11wood posts, plus put in 100 steel posts. That was hard work when I was younger. And I know this a rocky area (because it’s all rocky on our farm) Digging a hole is hard work involving a 6’ iron breaker bar, and the manual post hole digger. I don’t know anyone with a tractor mounted one. Kelly said I should I go rent one of those ‘Dingo’, motorized post hole diggers. “Do it for me so I don’t need to listen to you moan and complain.” A pretty compelling argument. I’m working on a summer helper again. I’m not sure they’d come back after a day of this.

I cut down some dead trees, and planted 6 oak seedlings. They were given to school kids for Arbor day. A friend is an elementary school teacher, and she got a bag of seedlings, but many kids are in apartments, so I got 6 of the left overs. I could cross those couple things off my to-do list.

Spent Wednesday riding in big trucks and directing the drivers applying dust control on the township gravel roads.

You know, this happens every summer: more on the list than I can get done. This is:

WHAT EVENT WOULD YOU DO AT A RODEO? OR HAVE YOU ALREADY?

38 thoughts on “Playing Catch Up”

    1. A coworker’s ex husband was a Rodeo clown. He was seriously injured by a bull as he tried to distract the bull after the rider fell off. He also used to be Santa as well as the Raster Bunny at the mall.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  2. I went to the Calgary Stampede once. It was the only professional (I suppose it’s professional) sporting event I’ve ever witnessed. The level of skill on the part of the participants was exceptional. They were so skilled at their various events it was kind of boring. The only distinction between participants was how quickly they managed their task—roping or riding or whatever—and that was a difference of seconds.

    Liked by 5 people

    Reply

  3. Good grief – I’ve hardly ever been on a horse! I could probably be a gate opener, or comber of a horse’s mane…

    First rodeo I saw was in Greeley, CO, at age 10, and I WAS impressed, but I don’t remember details. Next one was probably taking son Joel to one in Mpls. (actually in Bloomington at the old Metropolitan Stadium).

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  5. Daughter’s best friend comes from a Rodeo family, and her grandfather was a professional saddle bronc rider who rode in Madison Square Garden for several years in the 1950’s before he returned to the ranch near Medora, ND. Friend’s dad had a team roping arena on the ranch, and we watched several times as they had competitions there.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  6. There are many families in our area who are known for their rodeo skills. My favorite family name is White Owl-Gunderson. Several Native and Norwegian families intermarried ou here and are really accomplished horse and rodeo people.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    1. I’ve always thought that would be a good job. But such hard work!
      Trimming cows feet and treating sore hoofs is a big deal on the large farms. Generally, it’s a regularly scheduled routine, every three months for trimming different animals. Plus extra visits if a cow gets a sore foot. They might step on something and get an abcess, and then it hurts them and they stop walking so much. Their collars are also pedometers, so the farmer will get an alert that so and so isn’t moving as much as normal, and they can check it out.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

      1. I had Mr. Cupp come and trim my horses’ hooves. I bought my pony Chief from Mr. Cupp for $50. I had two horses – a 7/8 Arabian gelding called Ben, and Chief. Their hooves grow just like our fingernails. It can cause lameness if their hooves get too long. I remember the hoof trimming well. Mr. Cupp taught me how to raise each leg and hoof myself, and clean out the inside of the hoof. Dirt builds up in the shod hoof and it has to be removed with a tool. I had to do this daily with their grooming. He did all the hoof trimming so easily. He was gentle and experienced and the horses were well-behaved with him. Chief knew him well and didn’t try to bite him.

        Liked by 2 people

        Reply

  9. I ran a spotlight for a rodeo a few times. Our job was to spot the clown ONLY. He told us specifically NOT to spot a rider or bull- they don’t like that, but if the clown got in the ring, light him up.
    He was fun talking with before the show. Wish I could remember his name- he was pretty popular as a rodeo clown.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  10. Rise and Shine, Baboons, from JacAnon,

    I love a rodeo, and being a spectator is my gig. Before my parents’ lives fell apart, and when I was a tiny child, my dad would take me to local rodeos, where I would watch perched on his shoulders. I loved all of it and wanted to be Annie Oakley when I grew up. Minus the horse and six shooters, I sorta have been AO.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  11. My sisters and I had a Shetland pony adopted from a farm 14 miles south of us.

    That horse would only go south back home.

    She eventually made it as we tired of walking her back home…every…damn…walking…day.

    It was a rodeo being scrapped off every post and tree.

    I like horses. But that horse hated me.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

    1. I had a Shetland-Welsh pony too. They have nasty, cantankerous personalities. My Chief-o used to buck to try to throw me off, but I stuck like glue. I didn’t even use a regular saddle – just a blanket saddle. He’d bloat himself up, then release air so that the saddle would slide around. I’d have to get off to tighten the cinch. He’d bite too. Yeah, they’re crabby little dickenses of ponies. And cute. Parents always think they’ll be perfect for kids. Perfect little character builders.

      Liked by 3 people

      Reply

  12. Shetland ponies are incredibly strong for their size. They are also intelligent and gentle, but can be headstrong and uncooperative if not well trained. I’ve known more than one Shetland pony that was stubborn as a mule.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

  13. One of my mother’s many aunts was married to a champion calf roper, I belief in the hall of fame.
    The collegiate rodeo was often held in Brookings, maybe still is. My nephews volunteered there one year, got roped into it so to speak. They were horrified by the treatment of the animals.
    Clyde

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  16. According to the Bismarck Tribune, Pop Wagner, the cowboy poet and musician was in Bismarck yesterday singing, reciting cowboy poetry, doing roping tricks, and twirling lassos at the Missouri River Festival.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  18. I guess I’ve never really thought about it until just now, but I am not a rodeo person. And yes, I’ve made this determination without ever having been to a rodeo. So I guess the only thing I’d be willing to do is sell tickets at the entrance. or work the concession stand.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  19. While we lived in Cheyenne, we attended various events of the annual Frontier Days rodeo; of course we did. And I must say, some of them were very impressive and required great skill. Rodeo riding is not for the faint of heart; being thrown off a bucking bronc or steer has got to hurt.

    One of my favorite parts of Frontier Days was watching the performances of Indian dancers, drummers, and singers. One year, during one of the street dances in downtown Cheyenne, I danced with a man who was a grandson of Sitting Bull.

    I also enjoyed going out to the rodeo grounds and looking at all of the animals when there was nothing going on; I was particularly intrigued by the wild horses.

    On several occasions we have stumbled on smaller rodeo events, such as barrel racing, in unexpected places while driving in Montana and Oklahoma, out in the middle of nowhere. It’s always fun when that happens. Stop the car, and join the local folks in the small bleachers set up for spectators.

    Liked by 4 people

    Reply

Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.