Caught in the Polar Vortex

The End of Global Warming!

So after a week of a nice warming trend, just as things were beginning

to turn green-

We bring You.....

Fence post Snowmen!!

That's a lot of bull!

And then there's the time...

As a young lad, our Ol' Rancher was as curious 

as any youth his age.

So one day, as his Dad was about to fire up his 

Model T truck (you know the one's with the hand 

crank in front)

Well, our young lad had been really interested in 

what the results would be if the tailpipe of Dad's

Model T, would become plugged.

Lacking anything to try his experiment but some

fresh "cow patties" in the driveway, he want about

his plan.

His Dad cranked harder and harder, but the Model T

just would not fire over.

(Granted they weren't the easiest beast to start to begin with,

 but this was getting old, quickly)

Finally, the old truck fires up, and in the very same instant

The young man's father wonders why it was so hard to start,

and why his young son was standing behind it, 

COVERED IN COW MANURE!

Oh, The Days of Our Youth

Long before the Ol' Rancher worked with

prize Herfords...

Long before he rode many a trail

on  his faithful steed, "Smokey"...

And, long before he decided to
take this greenhorn on a
cattle drive to his summer pasture...

The Ol' Rancher was a kid,
a youngster, just a "tadpole"

And because he was a young boy once,

he had wild and crazy, young boy thoughts and

idea's.

"So one day, my older brother and I were riding on the back of the neighbors

truck.

Going at a fairly good clip, down what served for roads, back then.

My older brother makes the pronouncement that he needed to relieve himself.

Now, mind you, our neighbor was not going to stop and the truck was not "self-contained"

So lacking any other options, my brother decides that the only option was to "hang it all out 

over the back of the truck. (Seemed like a reasonable idea at the time)

While my brother was focused on the immediate need, I was focused on the upcoming bump

in the road!

Not wanting to bother my brother in his time of need, I decided to keep my peace (just to see what might happen)

Well, we hit that bump full on and my brother, in mid stream, flailed about with much drama. (Did mention he was wearing glasses at the time?)

Gathering himself, finally, he turns around to me, wiping his glasses and says, "Guess ya need windshield wipers on this ride"

Of course, I 'bout wet myself, laughin' so hard"

Sunsets

Sometimes you just need to stop and watch the sun set!

 On a recent return trip from Billings, I could not

help but notice the sunset

 Like most photography, sunsets 

can be a tricky shoot

 Between the timing and background...

 ... you really never know what you're gonna get

until you get back home.

 And that's when the "Wow" factor

really kicks in

Sunset's are cool.

Sometimes you just need to stop

and let Mother Nature 

paint the picture.

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.