Pat & Sharon O'Toole

Pepe with Dunkin
Johnson Ranch corrals
Routt Forest

Faithful blog readers will remember Dunkin, the bum lamb who grew up into a bellwether--a lead sheep. Dunkin was saved from certain death, and obscurity, when Pepe found him standing by the side of his dead mother as a newborn lamb. Pepe adopted him as a pet, and we even carried milk replacer on a pack horse to Dunkin his first summer. He is now a VERY large sheep, splitting his time between hanging out with the other sheep, and hanging out at the camp with the dogs. He is currently living with Modesto's bunch, but recently reunited with Pepe.

Dunkin with his friends--Richar. Pepe and Modesto
Johnson corrals
Routt forest

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Home Ranch
photo by Pat O'Toole

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Wyatt Adams and Siobhan, ready to run!
Dixon arena

Every July, the local rodeo includes family Fun Day as part of the festivities. And for four years in a row, Siobhan has caught a pig and a chicken. Not to be outdone, this year Seamus caught a pig and Maeve, almost 2, caught a chicken. Maeve was proximate to a pig, but looked at her Mom, "Are you kidding me?". We are the flock contractors for the Mutton Busting, but the mutton got the best of Siobhan, who hit the dirt early in her ride. Cousin Matthew Marthaller was visiting from Canada, and also was a champion chicken catcher. Way to go!

Canadian cousin Matthew, with all American chicken

Siobhan, mutton busting

Mutton, Siobhan busting

Seamus, plotting his strategy

Seamus, on the run

Maeve readies for the chase

Let there be no doubt, Maeve caught this chicken

Siobhan with pig number four

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Seamus's ideal birthday cake, with both John Deere tractor and Thomas the Train
Bridget likes them too.

Seamus has turned four! And Bridget has turned 30! Here are photos from their birthday party, held on Seamus's birthday (July 3rd). To be fair, Bridget celebrated her birthday in Ireland on June 18th. Both are red letter days, for sure.

Seamus with requested green backhoe

Bridget and Grandpa George
Birthday party animals

Seamus trying out his new bike
Assistance from his sisters, Siobhan and Maeve

Seamus and Pat
with Thomas the Train

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Docking crew
State Land pasture
Carbon County, Wyoming

Our schedule must be flexible every day, yet exact every season. Much of June is the season of docking lambs. We must get the new lambs, all born since May 8th, ready to trail to the Forest with their mothers by late June. Last year we struggled since it rained most every day. This year was wet enough, but we never had to dock in the rain, wind and lightening. We have to wait until school is out, since some of our crew are youthful. Trouble is we are competing with sports camps for our adolescent dockers. Docking, for the uninitiated, is the removal of tails, testicles (buck lambs only), ear notches, and the administration of vaccine and paint brands. Here are some scenes from 2010.

Oscar and Antonio

Sasha, Meghan, Megan & Bahnay
the "Dinkum Docker" crew

Counting tails

Mothering up
Cottonwood pasture

Seamus, docking hand

Siobhan, docking hand

Matthew (our Canadian recruit) and Siobhan
Cottonwood

On the Forest
Smith Creek pasture, Johnson Ranch
photos by Sharon O'Toole

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