Snakes Alive!!

Early days on the reservation consisted of the local Indian Agent trying to teach the Cheyenne how to become dry dirt farmers.
With a walk-behind plow, one handled the plow while another the reins to drive the mule.
After a couple of turns in the field as a demonstration, the Agent turned the reins over to the Cheyenne would-be farmers.
Things started out ok, until the plow turned over a couple of bull snakes (totally harmless, but snakes, nonetheless)
With much convincing the Indians finally continued to plow the field, only to turn up a rattlesnake, who was not pleased to be disturbed and in full rattle mode.
Dropping the plow, the Cheyenne men turned to the Indian agent and told him, they would not plow the field anymore lest something worse happen to them.
To them it made no sense to "Turn the grass upside down."
Thus ended the BIA attempt to make farmers out of the Cheyenne,

This from "A History of the Cheyenne People" by Tom Weist.

Contrasts in the snow

Wild Horses

 

Short story from the Old Rancher today.

 

When he was a younger man, the rancher was driving a herd down in the Powder River Region.

On this cattle drive was an ol' Swede who spoke only broken english.

Well, this Swede had a horse that just did not get along with him. Halfway into the cattle drive the horse had bucked the Swede at least three times.

So, out there in the middle of the northern Wyoming prairie, this Ol Swede gets dumped one last time.

As the other cowboys chase down the horse, the Swede dusts himself off and yells after then, " Ah, just let him go, I'd rather walk then ride that beast again." (insert your best Swedish accent here)

How to get the kink out of a cow

My old rancher friend was telling me of this cow he had. It had gotten away from the rest of the herd a bit and wandered up into some loose shale on a hillside.

In trying to recover it's track the poor cow slipped and tumbled head over hooves down the hill.

Fearin the worst, the rancher rushed to the cows side. The cow seemed to be no worse for the experience except for the 30 degree kink in the middle of her back.

Oh, did I mention this was calving season and she was about to deliver? Sure enough! Well there wasn't much to be done except help the cow deliver the calf right there. Then for some time the rancher had to nurse Momma cow and baby cow till both were able to make it on their own.

Finally, back at the barn the Momma cow still had the kink in her back, So my rancher friend along with his hired hand, used his animal vet skills and drugged the Moma cow asleep.

Then using his best block and tackle skills, hoisted that cow up by it's hind legs, had the hired hand hold one end and the rancher twisted with all his might in the opposite direction. Afraid of breaking her in two he finally figured it was enough. (Not sure the hired hand was sure of any of it).

After letting Momma cow down, she finally woke up, no clue that she been half turned into a cow pretzel.

The bad news is that he wasn't able to straighten that cows back totally, but ya gotta figure, for a cow, a 10 degree kink is better then 30 degree's any day.

And thats how you unkink a cow

It's a Small, Small World

So my wife and I are having dinner with friends here in Lame Deer tonite. Our host introduces us to her Sister- From New Town, ND. The same small town that my parents grew up near.
This lady remembered my Aunt Zinie as the lady at the local bank who helped her buy her first truck.

We talked of how my parents grew up in Van Hook and how it's all under water since they flooded the area from the Garrison Dam.

Also, how my Dad helped paint the old silver bridge at Four Bears crossing the Missouri River.  They told me how they watched as the Corp of Engineers blew it up and now have replaced it with a new modern bridge.

It is truly a small, small world.

Since moving to Montana, I have become very much aware of how little history I was really taught in school. in the coming days I will try to share some the "real" facts of life in the West, stuff that sadly has been left out of the History books,

But for now be blessed and goodnight

The Crazy Mountains at Big Timber

 

Flocked Trees in Hamilton

Ice Fishing on a Frozen Lake

(Only way to go ice fishing, really)

On the Ridge

 

End of a Long Day

Finally made it back to Lame Deer. Brought a brutal head cold with me. Hopefully will be in better shape tomorrow.

Will be back home tomorrow after 4 days on the road.
One thing for sure
I MISS MY WIFE

Well, due to unforseen events-SNOW- Did not get on the road today so instead will share these shots from our back porch in Lame Deer, MT

Caught the sunset perfectly, setting over the church. Hopefully no snow in tomorrows forecast

Will be on the road for a couple of days. Not on-line much, will post when I can.

In the mean time, enjoy a wonderful sunrise

Holy Smokes!

This same rancher tells me of this last summer, during the worst grass fire season he’d ever seen in SE Montana. Mind you he’s been here since the 1940’s, he has seen his fair share of grass fires.

Anyhow, during this time he lost 90% of his grassland. Land that he needed to graze his cattle in the spring was now gone and no tellin if there’d be enough moisture come winter to seed the grass for spring.

After fighting the fires for weeks, with his neighbors, this ol’ rancher took account of his stock, expecting the worst. His next door neighbor lost 100 head of prime beef stock to the flames.

Upon finishing his head count the rancher was pleasantly surprised to find he had not lost a single head of cattle. More amazing is the fact that he was not able to get all the stock in from the fields in time, the grass burn down to scorched earth dirt, but the cows didn’t even singe a hair on their tails.

Oh, did I mention that this old rancher prays for his cows every day that’s out ride range with them?

I’m reminded of a Bible story about some Hebrew boys and a really hot furnace…

Afternoon skies over the Res.

Sunshine after the snow in SE Montana

Sunshine after the snow in SE Montana

Snakes in the Field

So this old rancher is tellin me of the time shortly after he took over the ranch from his Dad.
It was calving season and as he went out he prayed that the season would be good, calves healthy and that he and his ranch hands would all be safe.
Now he usually 1-2 dozen rattlesnakes, cuz calving season is in the Spring, 'bout the same time the snakes getting active again after a long, cold Winter.
Well it didn't dawn on him till the calving was done that he hadn't even seen a rattler, much less had to kill one.
So he's talkin 'cross the fence line with his neighbor rancher, and the first thing his neighbor says, "Say, have you noticed the snakes this year? Seems to be twice as many as usual this year."

Tales from an old rancher

Years ago, when there were still disputes between the settlers and local natives, there was this widow and her two young children. They lived in a small cabin on a parcel nearby here.

As there were still the occasional uprising, she kept a close eye out for for the natives pass close by her homestead. Upon seeing a band of Indians approaching she would grab up one of her kids and with her makeup, give the child the appearance of having the pox. Since smallpox had decimated numerous tribes since the arrival of the white man, the Indians were naturally afraid of even the appearance of it.

Well, one time, as this young Mom was tending things in the yard, she sees a lone Indian approaching on horseback. Running into the small cabin, she scoops up the closest kid she can find, and makeup in hand, goes out to meet the native.

Surprisingly, he was not impressed with the display and said this to the woman, "White woman d- liar" and road off.

It was then that she noticed the pockmark scars on this young braves face- He was a survivor