DRY CRIK Journal

We’ve been in a cooling trend since the record high of 112 on July 19th, falling into the low-90s to begin this week. Yesterday’s high of 82 degrees was a pleasant taste of autumn for both man and beast – gusty, breezy and clear with billowing thunderheads capping the Sierras most of the day.

The pace on the ranch has slowed as we continue to ship steer calves and the late pairs that we’ve been feeding to town. By next week, we ought to have our yearling cattle pared down to just our replacement heifers. Our two bunches of 1st calf heifers, last year’s yearlings and two year-olds, on either side of the creek are close to calving as we approach the end of our year and the beginning of the next. As always, the accomplishment and fresh beginning feel good.

We’re looking forward to an early fall, so much the general consensus around here that we’ll be sorely disappointed if it doesn’t happen. Loose talk of the return of El Niño also keeps us hopeful for a change from the past three dry years. Water continues to be a contentious issue in California, certainly more so during dry times. Some of our stockwater tanks dried-up in July, some will in August, but surprisingly, most of our springs are holding-on as cooler weather helps.

It’s supposed to warm-up next week.