Pat & Sharon O'Toole: Between Seasons

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Ladder Ranch

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Rambouillet sheep
Roberts meadow

I often quote the saying "in Wyoming, we have four seasons: Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter, and Construction." We are on the cusp of Construction (got held up yesterday) and Almost Winter. The leaves are gone, the wind is cold, and snow is predicted.

It has been a long and eventful fall. Besides our usual fall work, we have had two momentous events--the sudden decline in the health of my 89-year-old father, often depicted on this blog; and the birth of our grandson, McCoy. I would call these bookmarks, but I don't think we are yet at the end of the stack. We also have the wonderful anticipation of expecting another grandson in February.

Shipping lambs to the feedlot
Bull Pasture

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Christian (kin from Brazil) and Maeve loading lambs
Bull Pasture

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Edgar on the go
Home Ranch

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Tono in the chute
Home Ranch

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Janet Britt, Wyoming Nature Conservancy, helping out
Home Ranch

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Old ewes after sorting
Home Ranch

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Coyote watching us ship
Big Meadow, Home Ranch

Through it all, we have had the usual fall work of sorting and shipping both sheep and cattle. We hosted an intern college student, Allison, who proved resourceful, flexible and brave. We have had a cook come and go. I will get rich when I finally get around to publishing "The Cook Book".

I am way behind in putting up photos of the fall riding, sorting and shipping. So, as we transition between seasons, here are some images from the past weeks, which this year aptly reflects our personal lives, as well. .

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Pat and Eamon gather cows and calves
Routt National Forest, Colorado

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Allison and Amigo
Routt National Forest, Colorado

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Courtney and Lynn, cowgirl crew
Routt National Forest, Colorado

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Eamon sorting heifers
Home Ranch

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Brian at corrals
Home Ranch

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Siobhan and Daisy, ready to ride
Home Ranch
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Dirte, Eamon, Megan & McCoy
Home Ranch

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Seamus, Callahan & Brian
Home Ranch
photos by Sharon O'Toole

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About Pat & Sharon O'Toole

Pat and Sharon O’Toole are ranchers in the Little Snake River Valley near Savery, Wyoming, right on the Colorado-Wyoming border. They raise cattle, sheep, horses, dogs and children. Pat “immigrated” from Florida in 1970. He attended Colorado State University, where he met Sharon when both worked for the campus newspaper. Sharon grew up on their ranch, where they live and work with her father, their daughter, son and granddaughter (soon to be grandchildren!). Pat is a “water buffalo” and has served in the Wyoming House of Representatives (1986-1992), on the President’s Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission, and is the current President of the Family Farm Alliance, which advocates for farmers, ranchers and irrigators. Sharon is an author, poet and journalist. She writes extensively on Western issues and is a columnist for “The Shepherd” magazine. Pat and Sharon are the parents of three children: Meghan, 27; Bridget, 26; and Eamon, 20.

Pat & Sharon O'Toole

Between Seasons

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