Hot summer days don’t fool me.
Old man winter, I see you.
You lurk, sending sunrises a little later
Each morning.
And the promise of frost
Whispering to the dew on the grass.
Sweat may roll down my spine
But I know
Wool socks and snowboots await me.
Moonrises over snowfields
Will make the nights glow.
Whoever said you were an old man
Anyway.
Indian Paintbrush
Muddy Mountain
Yikes! Here it is late August and I'm still waiting for it to warm up! Sadly, we had our first frost on the morning of August 24th, and it was 28 degrees. This summer has been especially busy (for Sharon) because we have not had a ranch cook most of the summer. We employ a cook year-round--or try to. We serve three meals a day, seven days a week and in the summer we usually have ten to fifteen people sitting around the cookhouse table or taking lunches out horseback or in the tractor. Just last week, we found a compatible cook. The good news is that (I hope) I will have more time to blog. Before the summer season completely gets away, here are some photos from summer 2010.
John and Claudia--our shanghaied docking crew
Johnson Corrals
Routt Forest
Routt County, Colorado
Meghan and Maeve branding
Seamus, known as Senor Verde
last docking (in July)
Johnson Corrals
John and Wyatt still had some energy
after docking for six hours
Johnson corrals
Crew from the last docking
Riley and Pepe
note that Riley showed up AFTER we finished docking
AND wearing a white shirt
Elk along the Little Snake
Upper Valley
Bayou through the trees
Johnson Ranch
Brian, teaching Siobhan to ride a bike
Home Ranch
Tractors--in from the hayfield
Home Ranch
Ron Iverson, Wyoming Game Warden
verifying one of many many bear kills
Mouse Pasture, Home Ranch
A bird in the pond
Home Ranch
photos by Sharon O'Toole
Earl and Jewell Reed
Earl's 90th birthday cake
Wyoming State Fair
Douglas, Wyoming
We recently went to Douglas for the Wyoming State Fair. Many organizations, especially those associated with agriculture, take advantage of the annual event to hold meetings and gatherings. it works out great because many people are already at State Fair, or if they're not, it gives them a good excuse to go. Back in the day (that is my 4-H days), State Fair was the absolute high point of my year. Then, as now, we got together with our friends from around the state, although in those days, I was busy caring for livestock and getting them ready for show.This year, we were only there overnight and spent lots of time sitting around and waiting for someone we knew to walk by. Our family presented a talk on family ranching to the LEAD (Leadership, Education and Development) class . While we were there, we took in the carnival. Another great occasion was the recognition of Earl Reed's upcoming 90th birthday. Earl and his wife Jewell are well-known and well-loved Wyoming Wool Growers, still active in the business. Earl and Jewell have spent many years as the superintendents of the wool show and wool craft show. They were training replacements this year. I hate to see them give up these jobs as they are a fairtime fixture. Thank you, Earl and Jewell!
Brian, Siobhan and Seamus on the swinging pirate ship
Carnival
Wyoming State Fair
Maeve with ketchup
LEAD family picnic
Wyoming State Fair
photos by Sharon O'Toole
Muddy Mountain
Carbon County, Wyoming
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Patrick and Sharon O'Toole are ranchers in the Little Snake River Valley on the Wyoming-Colorado border. They represent the fourth generation on the six-generation family ranch. The O'Tooles raise cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and children on their high country ranching operation. The transhumance operation stretches from north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado to Wyoming's Red Desert.
Pat has served in the Wyoming House of Representatives, the Western Water Policy Commission, and is currently President of the Family Farm Alliance, representing irrigators and water users in the western United States.
Sharon is a writer and poet. She writes extensively on western issues, and the relationship between landscape, animals and people. She is widely published as an author, essayist and editorial commentator.
Sharon's father George, 86, is still on the family ranch. He lives in the house he was born in, and remains active in the day-to-day life of the ranch. He is a decorated World War II veteran, a former member of Wyoming's House of Representatives, and former President of Wyoming's Board of Agriculture.
Pat and Sharon have three children. Their daughter Meghan and her husband, Brian Lally, live on the ranch with their children, Siobhan and Seamus. Daughter Bridget lives in New York City with her husband, Chris Abel, where she works in public relations. Son Eamon is a student at the University of Wyoming, studying natural resources and history.
The blog traces the activities and life on the ranch, from the mundane to the fabulous.