Driver's Ed, Cattle Ranch Style!

Thursday was an early morning, saddling up in the dark (which one is my horse...?) and meeting a sheep ranch manager.  He was driving his sheep across the Burnt Well, and we were there to help all of that happen.  When we dropped the sheep off, we picked up some cattle, drove them to the other Burnt Well house, picked up a little buckeroo and cam back to the ranch, in time to go out and feed the hiefers!  Zzzzz...Naptime was a good thing that day...

Mud, Marking Sheep, Branding Calves and Cowboy Work! Day 4

The evening rain was is always a welcoming thing in the high desert, so we woke up to lots of good old ranch mud!  A big cowboy chore list was ahead of us...
Marking lambs (so they can be gender identified from a distance), branding calves with the Burntwell brand, and some roping practice in the evening.  Now, saying your going to mark a lamb and catching it is a different thing...

Sharing, Shearing, Shooting and Such!! Day 3

Wow!! What a great day!  Learning about cattle ranching is an ENDLESS adventure!  We went a "fur piece down the road" to watch a "shearing crew" finish off shearing a herd of sheep.  They were down to their last 700 head to shear, and they were wonderfully inclusive, sharing their knowledge of the importance of the annual shear for sheep. We learned about where all of the wool goes (China, Europe) and different grades of wool.  And the crew moves all over the world, moving to where the needs are; New Zealand, Australia, Argentina....wherever they can get the work!

Then we came home and talked about predators and maintenance thereof.  Kim and Tye took us out to learn how to shoot cans off a rock...And we were pleasantly surprised that some of our girls were quite a good shot!  If we're ever attacked by a can, our girls know what to do!

We had a late round of cattle counting, and then supper before reflection and bed.
Woo Hoo! Big Day!

Day Two: Roping, Feeding and Calving

Day Two:   What an ADVENTURE!  We sent some time with Kim learning to rope "Bones" the Cow!  Then we went out to the pasture to feed and count the cows....Good thing out girls are good cow counters!!  Kim and Tye took us to the local cattle auction, where the local cattle rancher come to look, buy and sell.  Then we all went for a ride out to check on the hiefers ( young, first time calving cows) and cam home for a wonderful dinner!!

See ya'll tomorow!!

We're here!! Day One

After the early morning rendezvous and two flights we had an adventurous ride through the New Mexico desert to find the Burnt Well Cattle Ranch! We saddled up, opened the coral and off we went! I'll try to get more messages out, but these cow pokes are pretty proud that they are off the grid!

Gazelle Reads the Times!

Breakfast in Dallas!