January 25, 2006
We branded a little bunch of our own calves yesterday, after gathering the pairs in a 1,000-acre field at the 2,000-foot elevation thick with Blue Oak woodland and interspersed with manzanita, Live Oak, buck brush and chemise with the pickup. This may seem like sacrilege to the “purists” out there, but this is country where they had to shoot 4-5 year-old steers they couldn't capture in the 1940s - and country where I spent as much time looking for fairly-good help on horseback as I did for cattle.
Roads, brushing, and water development has made the this part of the ranch more accessible, and the investment of time and supplement in our cows pays additional dividends where cattle have always had a substantial advantage.
We “head ‘n heel” our calves to brand, and as always, the calves seemed bigger from the ground where Chuck & I worked. Clarence branded, and Robbin and Virginia McKee vaccinated. Ropers were Ken McKee, Tony Rabb, Brent Huntington and Glenn Dooley. Good day all ‘round.
Too early and too much like spring, weather warmed to 70 degrees as we ate a great, late lunch prepared by Chuck’s wife Lesley when we came off the hill. Chance of rain tomorrow has been canceled, less chance over the weekend.