WINTER HAS COME TO MONTANA

And Anja is the ultimate Snow dog

 Yogi enjoys a good snowflake as well

Everything is prettier in the snow- including the old 

Woodpecker tree

Anja, the Snow Dog

Cattle Drive (The Old School Way)

When asked if I would like to ride with Nick and Brad, how could I say, "No". Little did I know it included a cattle drive. It was time to move the Spring calves to their Fall pasture to fatten up till about November, when they will go to market. Was a 2-day event, and was an adventure and an education. Totally understand the "Cowboy Walk". A good time was had by all. (Well, except for, maybe, the cows)

A wonderful way to start the day

Morning breaks across the open plains

View from the horse as we move out with the herd

Sunrise, the second day

Brad's mule picked up a tumbleweed bush and chewed on it while we

continued to push cows.

If you have never seen a mule chewing on a tumbleweed, it's hilarious!

Red Rocks shining against the sky

The Old Rancher and his faithful Steed,

Smoky

 

 

On the trail back home

 Still uncertain as to where Custer fell and when

 

Thicket Reno was forced to fight through

 

Always a solemn place

 

Good warriors fell on both sides

Where Custer crossed the Little Bighorn

 

 

This weekend is the 137th Anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. The Battle of Greasy Hills to the Cheyenne and Sioux.

 

My history lessons didn't include the fact that Custer was an arrogant, self-absorbed jerk of a leader.

 

The Glory of "Custer's Last Stand" is, by and large a myth. Custer may have been one of the first to fall, as the Native Warriors targeted him from the beginning.

 

Custer's troops were poorly trained, poorly equipped and greatly out gunned (also not covered in the history books)

 

 

A series of misguided judgments on both sides led to this day. Gen Crook, a week earlier had engaged a Sioux war party at the Battle of the Rosebud. He greatly under-estimated the size and strength of the party and chose to retreat.

 

The war party saw the retreat and considered it a great victory, giving them a serious false sense of confidence.

 

If Crook had pressed the attack to victory, Sitting Bull would have never had the confidence to attack Custer and the 7th Cav. a week later.

 

It's good the archeology has helped to rewrite the story to get it right. Revision's of history wouldn't be needed if the truth were told in the first place.

 

Sometimes in life we just get our butt's kicked. We need to just admit it, learn from it, and move on.

Storms brewing over the rez

Green, green grass of home

 

The view from the top of the hill

 

 

The amazing thing about storms is that, as imposing as they may be (Not to mention downright dangerous), They provide greatly need moisture during the spring.

 

Any moisture added in the spring puts off the fire season just a little long, making same fire season that much shorter and less dangerous for everyone.

 

Green grass has never looked so good.

This time of the year, the biggest concern in this piece of Montana, is, if it's gonna rain again.

No more rain for the season means, a very dangerous fire season. This weekend has been a blessing, as rain cloud after rain cloud has rolled through. Also bringing rolling thunder but no lightening strikes.

Storm clouds are awesome under most circumstances, but knowing the rain means it will stay green just a little bit longer. And that means a calmer, less dramatic fire season!

SSSCCCOOORRRREEEE!!!!!

All eyes on the puck

 

 

So the Hawks take game 4, winning 2-1. Now the Hawks come home to a sold-out crowd in the Rose Garden on Friday, with a chance to win the series at home.

 

 

Photos courtesy of:

 

Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency 

GO HAWKS

Sometimes you need to take a step back and relax. So for the moment, I'm going to share a shot from last nights hockey game between the Portland Winterhawks and the Edmonton Oil Kings.

The Hawks consist of mostly teenagers from 17-19 years old, playing in the most competative league in all of amateur hockey. All have dreams of playing professionally, either in the NHL or overseas. Very few ever have their dreams realized, buut that does nothing to dampen the enthusiasm on the ice every night.

As hockey has always been a passion of mine, I have followed the Winterhawks since they came to Portland in1976.

This is the 'Hawks third straight trip to the league finals and a rematch of last years finals. After 3 goals in the 1st period, the Hawks hung on to beat the Oil Kings 3-1, in Edmonton, to regain home ice advantage.

Game 4 is tonight in Edmonton. Historically, the winner of game 4's in a tight series gains  a huge advantage. Should be an exciting game.

GO HAWKS

Photo courtesy
(Amber Bracken/Edmonton Sun/QMI Agency)

Of cows and grass

Hi, there!

I gots an itch!

Green grass

 

 

After devastating wild grass fire last summer, there were questions whether the grasslands would ever recover, and with it, the cattle ranchers livelihood.

 

This winter started out very dry, but late winter and for most of the spring the moisture has been more then enough.

 

The grass has come back and the cows are grazing just fine. This area has an amazing ability to recover the most drastic of events.

Lessons learned from my dog

 

 



It amazes me how little it takes to care for an animal enough for it to love you unconditionally.
The simple act of providing a dog with some food and shelter and you have a friend for life.
There is a lesson to be learned in that. We as humans devote so little time in simple acts of kindness to our fellow man that could have dramatic impact on their lives.

We can all learn a lesson from our dogs.

 

 

Full Moon rising over the Rez tonite.

A Moment in Time

A moment, just a small one, but a moment none the less.

My 500th page visit!!

OK, moments past, time to move on

Thank you all for sharing this moment with me, it's been special

Once again we have become animal rescue. This little cutey showed up on our porch this afternoon after church.

Can't be more than three months old as she still has her baby teeth. Just a bag of bones and fur, it's amazing that she survived the winter. And it's still snowing today. Probably a Shepherd mix, she's big already.

UPDATE:
              IT'S SNOWING, well sort of. Rain and snow mix, really wet  and slushy. Ranchers are lovin' it.

Not much going on today, expecting another storm to pass through sometime tonight. Has been interesting watching the weather patterns here.

I thought Western Washington had crazy weather, but this has been a whole new adventure.

The locals tell me it can snow anytime between now and the end of May. We had snow in Hamilton last year in May, but it was only a dusting a few times. They mean real snow with amounts in the multuple of inches.

Oh, and it has snowed every Sunday, since we have been here (Feb 3rd), minus the last two weeks. There is now a winter storm warning from now till Monday, with snow and rain mix.

 

 

Spring is in the air as there are baby lambs, calves and yes, HORSES!!

 

The Little guys of the animal kingdom are almost always cute, these guys are adorable

That's a 3 1/2 ft long chunk of ice

Just hangin' around

The hills of Lame Deer this morning

 

 

Looks like we had to have one more blast of winter this week. Temps as low as 11 overnite and barely above freezing today. You'd think is was December or something.

 

If the prognosticators are right it will be in the 60's by the weekend.

 

The up-side is- The ranchers really need the moisture, so there is that.

Spring Snows

When it's cold, everyone shares a blanket

Just hung the wind chimes and it snows again

Precurser yesterday to the 4 inches of snow today. Mid 60's all weekend and 23 today with freezing rain before the snow.
Spring in Montana

More sage advice from an Ol' Rancher:

             

              Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

             
              Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

              Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps.

              Bumble bees are considerably faster than John Deere’s

  Forgive your enemies, it messes with their heads
 
  Do not corner anything more ornery than you

Little cows are so cute

 Some calf attitude

Momma checkin on a little one. 'Bout 12 hrs old