Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all!
We are in a hard and fast winter. All my worrying about the lack of snowfall and water has been for naught, as worrying often is. Now, the worry is for a bad winter. Drought and climate change has brought a series of short dry winters, which led us to plan for those conditions.
Mid-December brought several changes in a hurry. First, the snow began to fall. We can tell bad winter stories with the best of the old-timers, having spent the legendary winter of 1984 in a cabin without electricity or running water (which were the least of our worries). So far, this winter does not compare to that one, which started early and did not leave until mid-May.
We depend on our good employees, who are often pictured in this blog. In the matter of a few days, our ranch cook and one of our reliable sheepherders quit. My friends know that over the years, we have employed many many ranch cooks, a good number of them crazy. We have a poster that says “You don’t have to be crazy to work here—but it helps.” However for the past four and a half years, we have had a very nice sane cook who showed no inclination to run off with any of the sheepherders. Alas, for me, someone else noticed that she is attractive, nice and single, and I lost her to a suitor.
The long and short of these events is that Pat and I have been doing the work usually done by the departed employees, as well as our usual responsibilities—already a full days work. Our neighbors and our kids helped fill in the gaps. Meghan is always a steady hand, and her husband Brian has helped out, adding to his deputy sheriff duties. Eamon and his fiancée, Megan, showed up to help feed the cows and shovel. Bridget even came home on her vacation time from her job in New York to cook, sort sheep and bring good cheer.
This is to explain the sparse entries on this blog for the past few weeks. Here are photos of recent days.
Cows in the Lower Meadow
Home Ranch
photo by Pat O'Toole
Feeding cows, Squaw Mountain
Home Ranch
photo by Pat O'Toole
Truck with corn for the sheep
Red Desert, Sweetwater County, Wyoming
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Worth its weight in gold (same price too!)
Red Desert, Sweetwater County, Wyoming
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Winter camp
Red Desert
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Jose in front of his camp
Red Desert
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Edgar carrying the tarp
Lookout Pasture, Powder Wash, Moffat County, Colorado
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Siete Amigos
Lookout Pasture
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Guard dog guarding supply wagon
Lookout Pasture
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Bridget bringing up the bucks
Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole
A girl and her dog
Bridget and Sisi
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Pat at the sorting gate
Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Crosses on County Road 23
north of Wamsutter, Red Desert
photo by Sharon O'Toole
Cyclone Rim
Red Desert
photo by Pat O'Toole
Seamus examines the tree
photo by Pat O'Toole
Really Santa, I've been good!
Siobhan at Christmas
photo by Pat O'Toole
Comments
Wonderful winterland pictures! The kiddos are adorable. Sorry for the employee problems you've been having. It is hard to get good dependable help. We've started hiring neighbors for the times we really need them and in turn we help them when we can. All the young people want to earn top wages out of the gate...that is when there are any young people around. Most have moved to the cities. Sigh. Hope things improve for you soon.
Posted by: Rose | January 3, 2008 1:28 AM
Dear Sharon and Pat,
Please let me reintroduce myself to you two . I am Ralph and Kay Wege's daughter. Pat, my mother used to say you were related with the name of O'Toole. Which was her grandmother's name.In December I came across your wonderful site. Thank you for the literary messages and the photos.They deliver the sense of the life that is yours and the passion for it that you possess. I remember when you both had your first herds and tended them together in the "wilds". That was according to this city girl.Life has disconnected us. I was thrilled to become aware of what your life is and where you journey has lead these past years. The internet is a wonderful things for this purpose. I was saddened to hear about the passing of your wonderful mother, Sharon. She was such a special woman.This was saddened more by the news of Charlotte. The last time I saw Charlotte and fanily, along with you two and your parents was at my parents' place in the valley. It was a special evening filled with mirth and genuine conversation. Please tell your father a special hello from me. I have some priceless photos of him with my Dad. I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to reconnect and to send my best wishes to you two.
Char
Posted by: char wenc | January 8, 2008 1:37 AM
I hope you don't include me in the "crazy cooks" category! :)
Posted by: Leigh Ann | January 10, 2008 8:32 PM
I just found your blog page by accident and am pleased to see that a pic of Sisi made it on. I have one of her pups from two summers ago and we love her. She mostly herds tennis balls and frisbees, but gets home and plays with the cattle when we go back to the farm in Iowa. Lots of Iowan's have admired her instinct and we even have requests for pups. I hope spring is near for you.
Posted by: Eric Farrington | January 30, 2008 9:17 PM