More New Things

I know that February is a short month, but it seems to have flown by faster than usual here in Stanford Valley.  The weather has been alternately more-than-balmy and bone-chillingly cold.  Monday, February 2, was warm, but around 10 on Tuesday the cold air began whistling south, making me glad I had taken a jacket to herding practice.  This is what the pasture below the house looked like when the dogs and I went out for a short walk on Wednesday.  There wasn't a lot of snow, but we welcomed the moisture.  This winter has been especially dry.

The birds were glad I had stocked the feeders.  We saw plenty of cardinals, chipping sparrows and dark-eyed juncos.  

There was even this handsome spotted towhee with his bright red eye.

All month the thermometer has looked like a pogo stick.  We arrived in Junction, TX, on Wednesday afternoon, February 16, for the Junction of the Pecos Sheep Dog Trial after battling strong south winds the entire trip.  Fortunately, Falcon and the Royals fifth wheel handled them with no problem. Our stay at the fairgrounds was only our second time boon- docking in the rig, and we were very pleased with the way it handled the changing temperatures.  Here is an early-morning shot of the parking area.

Then, on Thursday the wind switched directions and came howling out of the north with a vengeance.  We ran our dogs facing the wind and blowing our whistles as loud as possible in hopes the dogs would be able to hear our commands.  The sheep were mostly black-headed dorpers.  They were almost as fast and strong as the wind, and were a challenge for the dogs.

Cody had his best run of the weekend in spite of the difficult conditions and some less-than-cooperative sheep.  We missed a couple of panels, but pulled off a good pen that we really had to work for.  

Bo, on the other hand, had a less than stellar debut on our first-ever-together sheep trial.  I won’t go into detail, but just know that I called our run and took away his sheep after he seemed determined to drive them off the course!

Thursday night was cold and blustery, but we had a wonderful grilled lamb dinner courtesy of Jill and Tommy Hefner.  Fellow herders provided the sides and desserts, and we stuffed ourselves in preparation for Friday’s trials.  

On Friday Cody again gave me a good effort.  His outrun, lift, fetch and drive were better than the day before, but we ran out of time before we could pen our sheep.  Unfortunately, the video John shot was at too great a distance to give us any still images

Bo and I worked hard on our communication, and on Friday we managed…just barely…to get the treasured “numbers instead of letters.”  We have a lot of work to do, especially in making sure he understands the whistle commands I give him.  Because he has trained under a couple of different people, he has had to learn each person’s particular style…and I have to learn to blow commands that make sense to him.  We look forward to polishing up our communications and doing better when we go to Gatesville this weekend for another sheep dog trial.

Here are some photos of the trial field and our fellow handlers and dogs.

The Peanut Gallery

Terri and Lucky at the pen

Wilda and Jackie watch the action

Jim thought Pearl was really cute

She was unimpressed and backed him off with her Border Collie Smile

It was a great trial, though.  We enjoyed time with our friends and their dogs.  

But that wasn’t all that happened during February.  The annual fundraiser for the Bosque Arts Center involved both friends and family.  

Cousin Kathy Cash (on the left) and good friend Mickie Tigner performed in the “talent show” to raise funds for the Center.  They were (as you may or may not be able to tell) Viking warrior maidens.  The show was well received, and featured a number of our Bosque County friends, including our pastor, Brother Brian Barrett, who played guitar and sang in another skit.  

In addition to social activities, we have kept busy feeding cows and breaking ice on various troughs so our cows have water to drink and putting out range cubes and hay to keep them fed.  We pray for rain, but so far haven’t had much.  We hope spring will bring more moisture to Stanford Valley and give us a break.  

This new-to-us Kawasaki mule has made our jobs much easier.  There is room not only for 4-6 people, but for us, our four dogs and the bags and buckets of cow feed.  All I have to say is "load up," and the dogs are ready to go.

All Things New

It’s not just a new year, it’s a new month!  We have worked our way through January, and are very glad to welcome February.  We're glad for several reasons:

For one, our barn is finally finished!  We began work on it in January of 2021, never in our wildest dreams imagining it would take a year to complete.  Covid, however, and related supply chain and labor issues pushed completion further and further back.  One last electrical gremlin had to be eliminated, and now we are officially done.  Here are some progress photos, beginning last January.  

Site work 

Slab prep

Setting the tornado shelter

Up she goes

Skin and lean-tos in place

Interior complete

Lots of insulation

Almost done

Finishing the parking areas

And for another, we have our first RV visitors.  Steve and Gail Dixon arrived on February 2 with their Volvo tractor and Spacecraft coach.  We have known Gail and Steve since 2009 when we attended our first HDT (Heavy Duty Truck) Rally in Hutchinson, KS.  We have camped together a number of times, and always enjoy each others' company.  

Their rig made it up our hill with no trouble, and Steve had the coach parked under its lean-to in time for the four of us to drive into Cranfills for lunch at the Horny Toad Bar and Grill.

And it’s a good thing they arrived when they did.  Yesterday, Wednesday, February 2 was a cool, blustery day.  Overnight, however, the temperature dropped like a rock, and some very welcome rain fell as well (we think about one inch!!!)  It was much appreciated, and when we woke this morning it was 23 degrees and we found an inch of sleet/snow covering the patio.   I put out more seed for our birds, and they showed up in hungry flocks.

Travel is somewhat hazardous today, so we’re glad Steve and Gail are snug in their spot beside the barn.  (I don’t know what Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog predicted, but Winter has definitely come to Stanford Valley.  We just hope it doesn’t last six more weeks.)The Dixons will be visiting for the next month or so, and you’ll likely see photos of some of our adventures soon. 

And there’s another New Thing in our lives…Bo the border collie officially joined the Bagley Pack on February 1.  Bo spent the previous three weeks with us, making sure he was happy as a member of our pack, and that he and I will work together well herding sheep.  

Bo fitted in with Kota, Rue and Cody very quickly, and proved himself to be a good traveler and a willing and enthusiastic partner on the field.  He will join Cody and me competing at several sheep trials coming up later this year.  Here is a photo of him working sheep at Allen and Kay Mills' place in Goldthwaite.

The dogs were all excited this morning to see the white stuff on the ground.  Kota was disappointed that it wasn’t the soft, fluffy snow like last year, but the border collies had a grand time running and playing in it.

Bo was in high gear as he raced around the yard.

Looks like Cody and Rue were impressed.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Christmas in January

Our marathon Christmas continued, finally concluding on the weekend of January 15-16.  The balmy weather we had enjoyed the previous week was swept away by a Texas blue norther that arrived Friday night.  By the time Brian & Debi, Gage, Gabby & Zelda, and Mallory arrived on Saturday afternoon, the temperature was in the low 40s, with winds gusting to 38 mph.  It was really disagreeable, but we weren’t deterred.  We bundled up and took a very brisk afternoon walk around the farm.  The sun made brief appearances, but kept his face hidden most of the time.  

The very stiff wind made back porch sitting a little less than comfortable.  This time  our after-supper visiting and gift exchange took place in the living room.  

Sunday the weather was much better, and our walk was more pleasant.  While John and I, Brian, Debi and Mallory headed across the top of the mountain.  Gage and Gabby went down to the shooting range for some target practice.  

After our walk, we put out lunch for the cows.  

They were curious about visitors, but were more interested in their supper.  While the cows scarfed up the range cubes, Mallory and Gage’s friend, Gabby, tried to coax a couple of the “middles,” (the older calves) close enough for a pat.  

The calves were brave...but not quite brave enough.

Before everyone left Sunday afternoon, Brian gave John and me a lesson in flying the drone he and Debi gave us for Christmas.  The barn was the perfect place…out of the weather and where we couldn’t lose it in the tall grass and weeds. 

 The drone survived the lesson unscathed, with only one minor mishap,

not counting when John flew it straight into me!  We look forward to using it around the farm, as well as just for fun :)

It was a great weekend, and a delightful end to our longer-than-usual Christmas celebration.  We missed Grandson Myles, who couldn't come because his roommate had tested positive for Covid, and Mallory's fiancé, Daniel.  We're planning another get-together in the spring, though. Hopefully it will be a time when the Jones contingent and the Cash-Vanderbecks can join us.  Covid or cedar allergies kept them all housebound, as has been the case so many times over the last couple of years.

General's Last Hurrah

Some of you may remember the sad tale of General, the Hereford bull who gave us many beautiful calves.  He had been on loan to another rancher during most of 2020 to allow our calves to be sold and for all the cows to be bred at about the same time.  

Unfortunately, General injured himself early in January of last year just before he was returned to us.  He was so lame in his hind legs that he could hardly walk.  We hoped rest would allow him to heal and sire another generation of calves, but it wasn’t to be.  At least, we didn’t think so.  How could a bull that could hardly walk breed a cow?  

Silly us.  In spite of being in great pain, General rose to the occasion one last time.  Well, in this case, at least five or six times.  Based on when General returned to our herd, and when we acquired his successor, G.W., our first five calves are General’s, and likely Red Cow’s calf as well.  

Good work, General.  You left a wonderful legacy and we are grateful.

Merry Christmas?

Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2019 were what I would consider “normal” holidays.  They were filled with coming and going, gathering and sharing as our extended family and friends enjoyed each other’s company.  Christmas of 2020 was another story.  Enforced and self-imposed restrictions resulting from the world-wide Covid-19 outbreak that escalated rapidly beginning in the early spring of last year kept our celebrations low-key and outdoors as much as possible.  

The holidays in 2021 haven’t been much different.  We are still gathering, but in smaller groups and still outside if weather permits.  

Thanksgiving was an eating extravaganza for four at Jack and Vivian Christensen’s.  The turkey was done to perfection, and Vivian’s cornbread dressing and mashed potatoes can’t be beat.  It’s a good thing the weather allows us to take long walks every day; otherwise I would look as stuffed as the turkey.  

Christmas followed, coming quickly as it always does.  We decorated with some of our favorites including Mother's nativity sheltered beneath a Christmas cactus,

stockings for us and the dogs, with our three shepherds keeping watch.

Our favorite ornaments were displayed on our new horseshoe Christmas tree.  I was worried that we wouldn't have room for a tree this year, but we were fortunate...one of the items at the silent auction at this year's Texas Sheep Dog Finals was the perfect tree.  It came home with us, and will grace our home every year.

Christmas this year brings to mind the progressive dinners that were popular a number of years ago.  You remember…we all lived close together and could have appetizers at one house, main course at another and dessert at a third.  Our Christmas stretched over weeks, not hours.  It started the weekend before when Brian and Debi joined us to turn the deer John harvested in Mason into sausage.  The new kitchen in the barn gave us plenty of room to grind, mix, mash, stuff and turn it into links for the freezer. 

 

Mallory, Gage and Myles were originally planning to join us for the sausage-making and to celebrate an early Christmas.  However, a few days earlier, Mallory’s fiancé tested positive for Covid.  Since she couldn’t join us, we postponed our Christmas with the grandkids.  

Christmas Day found us sharing food, fun and festivities at Kathy and Eric’s with the two of them, Christian, and Sunny and Tisha Vanderbeck as well as Terry and Pattie Meyers who spent the holiday with us at the farm.  

We made our way home by way of the Rock Church outside Cranfills Gap to enjoy the holiday decorations and marvel at this wonderful structure that has stood here since 1886.  John and I had planned to attend Christmas Eve services at Rock Church this year, but cedar fever and head colds kept us home.  

Christmas night found us sitting on the back porch in our shirt sleeves with Terry and Pattie, enjoying the balmy 70 degree weather.  We had a bit of a scare when we headed for bed and called the dogs inside.  Kota, Rue and Cody came inside, along with Chunk, Pattie and Terry’s big lab-mastiff mix.  When I reached down to pat Cody, his neck and chest were stiff…with something.  I assumed he had found a fresh “cow pie” and rolled in it.  However, when I began cleaning him up, I discovered the stains on his coat weren’t brown; they were red.  Blood-red.  After I wiped off all the dried blood, we began to look for the wound or wounds, but there were none, thank goodness.  

The next day, Pattie and I took the dogs for a walk around the pasture.  They were obedient and came when called, rather quickly when they discovered that good dogs get treats.  

We also found the source of the blood on Cody.  He didn’t tell, but Kota and Rue ran over to smell the recently-deceased armadillo below the house.  They stood, looking back and forth from the armadillo to me until I came over to see.  I don’t know how Cody managed to chase and kill the armadillo without any of us or the other dogs hearing the commotion, but he was clearly the culprit.  I’m sorry.  We don’t have many armadillos on the place, and I hate to lose one.  They are such wonderful, prehistoric-looking creatures and I enjoy watching them. 

Pattie and I spent park of our day after Christmas working on a very challenging, but beautiful Liberty wooden jigsaw puzzle. We were proud of ourselves for finishing it in only one day.

 

We had a wonderful time with the Meyers and Chunk.  When they packed up to go home, Rue even considered going along.

 

John and I continued to nurse our colds and mostly stay home between Christmas and New Year’s.  The cows and calves are doing well, and were most appreciative when we put out hay or range cubes.  Our small herd now consists of G.W., the bull in charge, twelve cows, four “middles,” the older calves that we bought with their mothers a couple of months ago, and six “littles,” the new calves born between November 3 and December 12.  

The calves are very curious about the dogs, and walk up bravely to get a closer look.  The dogs hold their ground. 

However, when a calf gets too close, Rue gives it her "border collie smile," which immediately precedes a nip on the nose and a lesson about who is in charge.

We spent a quiet New Year’s Eve and Day.  Covid has again reared its ugly head in Stanford Valley.  Our friends the Tigners, who first contracted the disease in August of 2020, have caught it for a second time and are staying in.  The Cash-Vanderbecks were also planning a quiet evening, so we all wished each other a virtual Happy New Year and waited ’til morning to greet 2022.

Our Christmas was merry, but in a low-key, bifurcated way.  We had looked forward to a postponed Christmas with Brian, Debi and the grandkids on January 2 and 3, but it was not to be..Mallory is still testing positive for Covid, and Myles was exposed when he spent Christmas with his dad’s family.  We’ll try again later.  Happy New Year!