Pat & Sharon O'Toole

Fall is upon us. Our last snowfall was June 11th, so it seems that this season has come before we are ready. Still, the seasons roll on, whether we are ready or not. We are fully occupied with our fall work of trailing the sheep and cows off the forest, working them, and preparing to ship the calves and lambs. We are also full into elk and deer hunting season, which is an additional business on our operation.

Last week we had a photographer, Melissa Farlow, here from National Geographic magazine. Wyoming writer Alexandra Fuller has written an article on wild horses for an upcoming issue. Our adopted wild horse, Dot, had performed heroically when he led one of our sheepherders through a Red Desert blizzard and back to his sheep camp in the winter of 2006-07. Melissa came to capture Dot's image for the magazine.

Our long-time sheepherder Oscar Payano returned to Peru in early October. He has worked for us longer than any other of the scores of Peruvian sheepherders who have husbanded our sheep over the years. His father, the legendary Santiago, worked here almost as long as Oscar. We plan, and hope, that Oscar returns to us in the spring.

Ready to leave the forest
Jose on Lakota
Little Red Park, Routt National Forest
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Dr. Knight, Meghan & Maeve
September 15, 2008
Buck testing, Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Waiting for the vets
Buck testing, Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole

George on water barrel
Routt National Forest
photo by Pat O'Toole

Aspens on Dudley Creek
Routt National Forest
photo by Pat O'Toole

Oscar, ready to leave for Peru
Upper Big Gulch, Medicine Bow National Forest
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Edgar and Dot, posing for National Geographic
Upper Big Gulch, Medicine Bow National Forest
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Cows and calves
Upper Smylie Place
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Ready for winter
Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Suzie in the ditch
Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Weaning the lambs
Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole

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Scottish Highlander steer
Routt National Forest
photo by Sharon O'Toole

This fall, we once again relied on friends and family to help us gather our cattle off the national forest grazing permits in both Wyoming and Colorado. This year, we had the additional excitement of gathering scores of Scottish Highlander cattle along with our cows and calves. It turns out that one of our neighbors with an inholding the Routt National Forest had leased to a man who is trying his hand at raising this unusual breed. Apparently, the cowboy who was supposed to be watching them (and fixing fences) had long since departed. As we gathered our cattle, we found the Highlanders mixed with them, through and through. We brought all the cows we found down to our pasture, and sorted off the interlopers. They are a lot wilder than our cows, but really cute. Luckily, there were no Highlander bulls in with the Scottish cows, but they will have some Gelbvieh cross calves next spring. Should be an interesting cross.

Eamon and Megan, gathering cows
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Tricia and Megan
Bedrock Creek Hill
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Eamon and Dirte, waiting for the rest of the cows
Beeler Draw
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Seamus, Siobhan and Chief, watching the cows
Beeler Draw
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Wasp's nest east of Three Forks Mountain
Routt National Forest
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Trailing for home
Routt County Road 129
photo by Pat O'Toole

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Grandpa George
Upper Big Gulch, Medicine Bow National Forest
photo by Siobhan Lally

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Routt National Forest, Colorado
photo by Sharon O'Toole

Autumn 2008

Cottonwoods show sparkling,
Leaves dusted with gold,
Like Midas’ hand
Grazed them and left
Burnished shimmers
On the green.

Oak brush shines orange
And brown and shows
A strange iridescent glow.
Autumn’s brush has touched
And waved its wondrous wand
And brought its magic.

Chokecherries hang so heavy
They draw my guilt
For I know I will not pick them,
Simmer them, stir sugar within
Their rich syrup
As I did with my mother.

But the pines are not green
But red like the oaks
And the chokecherries
And the Serviceberries.
Pine beetles make a mockery
Of autumn colors.

Aspen, once so golden
As to bring molten lava
To mind, pouring down draws
And searing the senses.
Now fight aspen blight
And stand leggy and brown.

It takes some getting used to.

Unpicked chokecherries
Home Ranch
photo by Sharon O'Toole

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