Rainy morning

[Soapweed]

From late afternoon yesterday until right now, we have had one and three quarters inches of rain, and it is still coming down. Saturday, our rain guage reported 8/10 of an inch, and last Thursday we received 3/10 of an inch. Looking at the radar, it could set in and be an all-dayer. That's fine. We haven't started haying yet, and the country around here never looked any greener or prettier.

We went to Rapid City Thursday and came home Friday. The Badlands of South Dakota are always impressive, but not necessarily productive looking. They were so green and pretty coming home, that I had to stop and take a few pictures. The Badlands looked like Goodlands.

We were quite dry until mid April, and since that time the total has amounted to 12.1 inches before today's rain which is still falling. That makes the total at least 13.85 inches, and the glorious part is that it has all come down so nice and gentle.

I just put on a slicker and borrowed my son's overshoes (which he never wears) to go out to the pickup and retrieve three pairs of mine. I leave the house with them on, and end up shucking them later in the day.

My theory on intensive grazing systems with a lot of high dollar extra fencing and watering facilities, is that "an extra inch of rain can sure take the place of a lot of management." This axiom is certainly coming into play this spring. The Sandhills are beautiful.

 

[ranchwife]

been quite a wet april here, too!!! not complaining, though! the reservoirs are finally filling back up (even though the state government says we are still in a "severe" drought) and the hills are greener than many of the "oldtimers" have seen in a few decades! the mountains have a good covering of snow and the cows are absolutely in heaven in the dark green grasses of the fields!!

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Glad to hear you guys are getting a good soakingafter all those dry years. We finally got some rain about 1.5 inches this week and it sure helped. Could always use more and it may be on the way. Could be that last year was our turn as we had a wet May and June. As long as some of us get rain it helps . Wide spread drought is no fun as feed prices skyrocket for everyone.

 

[Soapweed]

Just took a welding project into town for my son to tackle. It has rained hard all morning. Coming home, there was a duck swimming in a puddle that covered the road. The bullfrogs are sounding delightful. They should, because they've had a lot of practice singing their songs the past few weeks. Their voices were pretty croaky early on because of several years of non-use. Now, with the extra practice, they come across as a well-rehearsed country choir.

The guage now reads 2.1 inches since mid-afternoon yesterday.

 

[ranchwife]

Just took a welding project into town for my son to tackle. It has rained hard all morning. Coming home, there was a duck swimming in a puddle that covered the road. The bullfrogs are sounding delightful. They should, because they've had a lot of practice singing their songs the past few weeks. Their voices were pretty croaky early on because of several years of non-use. Now, with the extra practice, they come across as a well-rehearsed country choir.

The guage now reads 2.1 inches since mid-afternoon yesterday.

come on over, soapweed!!! we have a puddle in the driveway that i am sure is chock full of trophy trout and maybe a small whale or two :shock: :wink:

 

[Maple Leaf Angus]

You guys are making me green (hehe) with envy with your rain stories. We are still dry here, but the strange thing is how spotty the rains are . We have had less than 3/10ths sine the beginning of May where we live, but 40 miles south of us they got so much rain so fast last Thursday that it washed the cornstalks off of the no-till fields and plugged the culverts and caused a real mess.

I don't know which is worse.

 

[Murgen]

been quite a wet april here, too!!! not complaining, though

Ranchwife, is that Montana time? it's already June here

 

[ranchwife]

been quite a wet april here, too!!! not complaining, though

Ranchwife, is that Montana time? it's already June here

Yup!!!! just checked my calender and "yes" it is june here, too!!! shhhhh! don't tell the hubby....he'll just remind me of those few, "precious" grey hairs that have managed to sneak their selves into the blonde :wink:

 

[Faster horses]

BMR, we will be glad to share, so I've ordered a nice rain for you~let us know when it arrives. Seems this year there is plenty to go around.

And Soapweed, I liked your comment on intensive (management) grazing. My guy has said for a long time the lack of grass and seemingly overgrazed areas of the country that the scientists etc. were worried about was nothing some good rains couldn't fix.

 

[Soapweed]

The final total of rain in the last 24 hours was 2.4 inches. The total in the last three months is now 14.15 inches. One year not so long ago, our total from July 1, 1989 until July 1, 1990 was only six inches. Some of the years since have not been much better and maybe worse.

Heard a good story today about a lady who married into a prominent ranching family. These folks show cattle, and raise some much sought after stock. The daughter-in-law is a good help-mate, but maybe doesn't keep up on the cattle pedigrees to a great extent. She was with her family at a cattle show, and her father-in-law mentioned that she should check out a nice heifer that the family had sold to some out-of-state folks, who had in turn brought her to this prestigious show.

The gal went over to the heifer, and the owners made the heifer get to her feet so the lady could admire her. They brushed off a few sticks of straw and used an electric blower to further shine up their pride and joy. They stood back beaming waiting to hear some favorable comments.

The lady was unsure what to say that would be the proper intelligent remarks that these folks were expecting. Finally she blurted out in feigned admiration, "She is absolutely beautiful!" The proud owners beamed. She thought she should quit while she was ahead, so instead of saying more, just pretended to really look at the heifer with an appraising eye.

The owner said, "We bred her lately."

The lady quickly responded, "Oh you did? Who to?"

The owners stated the name of the high dollar bull, and recited his royal lineage.

The lady acted real impressed, and stated enthusiastically, "Well, that is just who I would have bred her to." She nodded her head knowingly, and drifted off to another part of the barn, this time for sure quitting while she was still ahead.

My hat goes off to her for making sweet lemonade out of a potentially possible piece of bitter lemon.

 

[DOC HARRIS]

The final total of rain in the last 24 hours was 2.4 inches. The total in the last three months is now 14.15 inches. One year not so long ago, our total from July 1, 1989 until July 1, 1990 was only six inches. Some of the years since have not been much better and maybe worse.

Heard a good story today about a lady who married into a prominent ranching family. These folks show cattle, and raise some much sought after stock. The daughter-in-law is a good help-mate, but maybe doesn't keep up on the cattle pedigrees to a great extent. She was with her family at a cattle show, and her father-in-law mentioned that she should check out a nice heifer that the family had sold to some out-of-state folks, who had in turn brought her to this prestigious show.

The gal went over to the heifer, and the owners made the heifer get to her feet so the lady could admire her. They brushed off a few sticks of straw and used an electric blower to further shine up their pride and joy. They stood back beaming waiting to hear some favorable comments.

The lady was unsure what to say that would be the proper intelligent remarks that these folks were expecting. Finally she blurted out in feigned admiration, "She is absolutely beautiful!" The proud owners beamed. She thought she should quit while she was ahead, so instead of saying more, just pretended to really look at the heifer with an appraising eye.

The owner said, "We bred her lately."

The lady quickly responded, "Oh you did? Who to?"

The owners stated the name of the high dollar bull, and recited his royal lineage.

The lady acted real impressed, and stated enthusiastically, "Well, that is just who I would have bred her to." She nodded her head knowingly, and drifted off to another part of the barn, this time for sure quitting while she was still ahead.

My hat goes off to her for making sweet lemonade out of a potentially possible piece of bitter lemon.

I can almost hear her heart "thumping"! :? :???: