January 2012

[Soapweed]

Cat that looks like a cookie jar

Looks like Sparky is trapped and using his phone to call for help. Fortunately he was just talking to a customer.

Colton Burpo singing Amazing Grace. He is the boy who inspired the book HEAVEN IS FOR REAL.

Peach and Clavinova

Cold weather cowgirl

Vaccinating crew in action

Sunflower, chief organizer

This is the system we have used for many years.

Right ear has an engraved jumbo Ritchey tag.

Left ear has a corresponding color and number, using a Y-Tex button tag. Usually, even if the big tag gets lost, the button tag stays in.
If the big tag is lost, we use a Dremel tool to engrave a new tag with another correctly colored Ritchey tag. This is done at preg checking time
each fall. If both tags happen to get lost, we still have a year brand to know how old the cow is, and can at least give her an appropriate tag
so we know her status. We leave the original calf tag in the left ear also, so that a bit more of the cow's history is evident.

Young draft gelding

Wonderful Amish barn in southeast Nebraska

Hooking the team

Rolling down the road

Silhouette of our pickup pulling a 16' bumper trailer, loaded with two draft horses and one saddle mule

Meeting the upteenth load of hay being hauled down the highway

Sparky and associates

Cousins

Wide-eyed and amazed

Bringing cattle home from the neighbor's ranch, where they have been enjoying life since last June

It's easier to pull a chain

Than to push it

Moseying along

Sparky's new gadget

A 1953 model Lone Star brand Admiral motor boat

Delilah learned quite a bit at her mule college class.

Sandhills sundown

[Big Muddy rancher]

Was that Sparky hitching the team?

[Soapweed]

[R A]

I barely made it to the sunset picture and finally just passed out, Soapweed.
Powerful set of pictures! Thanks for sharing!

[Jassy]

Sure looks like things haven't slowed down for you this winter..I keep thinking January should be a slow month..but no such luck..I love the picture of the cattle trailing on and on..very cool shot! Also the sunset is classic Nebraska..so what are you going to do with the draft horses?

[EastWind]

Love the photos, and really cute grand-kids. What are you doing, torturing those poor cows with just a sniff of feed.

[LazyWP]

How long before you are ready to trade your Drafties? This time I want in on that trade!! Great pictures.

[katrina]

Love the sparky and associates...Bless all their hearts...

[Wyoming Wind]

Looks like a real nice team of drafts....did the amish gentleman raise primarily roan drafts or all sorts. Mostly Percherons or Belgians? Curious! I didn't know there were many Amish in Nebraska. Looks like they will be a lot of fun for you to use! How old are they? Are they broke to ride too? We love our smaller drafts and half drafts for climbing the mountains around here too

[Soapweed]

Thanks for the comments. The draft horses are 3/4 Belgian and 1/4 saddle horse of some kind. They were purchased as colts from Canada, and the gentleman who I bought them from wasn't the original buyer, though he has owned them since they were yearlings. The gelding is called Duke, and the mare is Daisy, and they will be five years old this spring. I bought a pair of mules in 1967, when I was a freshman in high school, and have owned at least one team of some descriptiion ever since. Having sold my old team a couple months ago, it is nice to again have something to hook to a wagon. The mule, Delilah, was broke to drive single while in the care of this man, so I could even have a "unicorn" hitch now.

[Jinglebob]

Sure like the looks of your team Soap. Get them hooked up and get to feedin'!

[HAY MAKER]

Good lookin team, looks like they may need a farrier, that one hind right sure looks loose..................good luck