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Early June 2016

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Soapweed

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
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Location
northern Nebraska Sandhills
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Peach's mother and her great-grandchildren from Scottsbluff

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Moving cattle

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To another pasture

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Two-year-old heifers and their calves

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Pairing up after we arrive

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A Strong man

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And his competitive pulling tractor

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Road to the clouds

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A pretty day

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Antelope

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Standing still

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Pranksters were at work

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Yearling heifers

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Look into my eyes.

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Sparky and his crew at the circus

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Going for a ride on an elephant

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All done

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Look into my eye.

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They seemed to have had a good time.

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Graceful pachyderm
 
Sparky is a good sport. Bet he is a great dad.

Green gass, blue sky and black cattle. What's not to like?

Heifers and grass look really good. Thanks for sharing

We just made a loop from Sheridan, Wy to the Black Hills, to SE Montana to Miles City and back to Sheridan. Interesting how the country varies in moisture. Looks good through the Powder River country between Buffalo and Gillette, to Moorcroft, then turns dry. The Black Hills look as tough as I've ever seen them this time of year. Alzada Montana to near Baker is very, very dry. From Baker to Miles City, it gets better. Grass is good, grain crops look good, not going to be much hay. Miles City to the Custer cut across, country looks good, Custer it gets dry and then the Lodge Grass/Parkman country is wonderful Cow Country and it always looks great. Then it gets dry again north of Sheridan, but picks up some south of Sheridan. We have heard the Big Horn Mountains are very dry.

It is our hope that the country that is really dry, gets some moisture soon or cattle will start coming out of there. Our best friends live down by Ekalaka, are very good stockmen/women and they are talking of putting some calves on creep feed for awhile, then heading to town with the cows. These people love their cows and do an excellent job with them. Sad to think of them selling due to drought.
 
We did something similar, FH. Went to the matched bronc ride in Philip, SD Friday night. The broncs were excellent and made the cowboys look a little less so. Several were from the Calgary string, and really fired. Some very good cowboys bit the dust a little early and others didn't look as good as they can on other horses. Then we drove the hour and a half to Rapid City to spend what was left of the night. That ended an 18 hour day for us as there had been cows to be moved EARLY before it got too hot. I think we are getting too old for that kind of 'fun'!

But, there was a horse sale at New Castle, WY with some saddle horses that appeared suitable for an 'elderly' cowboy. Driving from Rapid City through Custer to New Castle was pretty dry looking, alright, FH, and all along hiway #16 in WY was too. And the horses went higher than 'we' like to pay. So headed south to Lusk, WY for the night. Mix of dry, and nice green areas on that 80 mile stretch.

Then down the road Sunday morning to Brighton, CO for the 'going out of business' after 40 years for the folks owning the Brighton Feed and Supply store. We have attended the special summer sales for many years after attending the last week-end of Frontier Days Rodeo at Cheyenne, so 'couldn't miss' this one! They are wise folks and carry a lot of really nice things for ranch homes, kids and women, especially the books, music, dishes, art and jewelry..........so I had a pretty good time there, too! Finally found a pair of little kid boots with the lights that flash when they stomp their feet. Perfect for an almost two year old cute little girl! Got a couple of books, as those were down to mostly cook books, and I actually realize I probably have a lot of those, considering I don't even like to cook! Brought home some nice western wall paper and borders for very low cost. Think they may work nicely for crafts and a couple of projects I have in mind. Oh, there is a nice saddle being shipped home, too. Will be part of a collection, but also get some use. All I know is, it's a Hamley. Not new. Maybe more info later on that. Most of the way through WY was a little greener than usual, but we also travelled earlier than 'usual for us', by a month. And east of Brighton (maybe 20 miles north of Denver) nothing but irrigated land was green, along the South Platte, which I-76 follows, turning into, or joining I-80 a few miles west of Oglalla, NE.

At Oglalla, NE (on I-80) we spent the night at an older, but nice motel right next door to a SUPER GOOD Steak House. They cut their own meat, grind the hamburger, and sure do cook it right! Then headed north on (if recall is correct) NE #61 crossing the dam at Lake McConaghey (sp is close, but not right), which was just a few feet from running over the spillway, being on the North Platte river which was higher than we have ever seen it along I-25 south of Orrin Junction, WY. It was really booming out the outlet below the dam in NE!

Just a bit north of Oglalla, we drove through parts of the Haythorn Ranch. Saw quite a few mares and colts, and a very good looking dun stud. Lots of their fence posts are 'hedge', aka Osage Orange, an extremely heavy and hard wood from KS. They are maybe 2 or 3 inch tops, an instead of the barbed wire being stapled on, it has maybe # 12 wire wrapped a couple times around the post, over the wire, on each side, I believe, down at an angle to the second wire, wrapped, and down the opposite side to the next wire, and so on for four or five wires. Looks neat, effective, but beastly to do! We probably would have a revolt on our hands if we brought that system home! But the 'elder partner' sure is tempted! The posts are for sale at Arthur, NE, maybe 150 miles from home, for us.

Through NE, the grass looks great in the Sand Hills, and all those creeks and rivers look so good, but that sand sure takes lots of skill to manage well! I didn't look for that old 'Soapweed" barn we've seen photo's of on here in time, so missed it........this trip!

Over all it was a good trip, even if I did work too hard the day we left, getting plants in the ground or pots to keep them alive while we were gone during the unusually hot weather we have had lately. Still a bit stiff, but that's getting to be 'life as usual' but we did have a good time. Time to get the laundry done and get ready for a family wedding in Pierre this week-end! Also gotta get the yard mowed, or the little grand girls will get lost in it by next week!

mrj
 
Sounds like an interesting trip. Can't wait to hear more about the saddle.........and of utmost interest is the Horse Sale.
We attended that sale, like the second or third time they held it. We were more than impressed with the quality of the trainers.
I had never seen such a great set of horses all the way through the sale. I just looked at the catalog, (got it late) and sure enough,
there were some great sounding horses in that sale. We watched Clark O'Donnell grow up. He is a fine young man and sure
glad to see he has found his niche with riding horses. He's been part of that sale for a long time. Did you write prices down?
I would be interested to know what they brought. And I'm one who never feels bad when a good horse brings good money. :D

OH, and Alvero. What did his horses bring? I understand he quit the ranch he was working on to train and trade horses. He certainly is an able hand. Loved watching him with his horses.
 

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