"Because Kindness Matters"

There are times when people do something unexpected and you're blown away by their insight and kindness.

Last Monday while driving home from Phoenix, "The Man" and myself stopped at a convenience market to purchase some water and candy.  It just happened to be on the reservation.  As we pulled in, a young cowdog was in the parking lot, completely stressed, obviously nursing some young pups somewhere, and she had this very worried look on her face.  I hopped out of the vehicle and said, "hi pooch, where are your babies?"  "The Man" looked over at her and said, "you need to get along and go feed your babies."  This particular convenience market is a busy market.  Cars were pulling in one after another to gas up and head to wherever...........no one really paid any mind to the lil' bitch, but it was obvious she wanted something from someone, anyone!

As I approached the check-out line, I asked the cashier what the deal was with the dog.  He said, "she's a stray, feral, animal control has already hauled her off, but then they realized she had a litter of pups somewhere so they had to bring her back and let her go, you know, she has to nurse those pups."  I asked him, "does anyone know where the pups are?"  He said "yes, they're right over yonder near the creek, out in the desert." 

 We finished our transaction, I turned to head out the door, when "The Man" grabbed by shoulder and said, "head on out to the truck, I'll be out in a minute."  I stopped on my way out to the truck and called the dog, she was so frightened, and headset on her mission. About that time, "The Man" comes out of the market with a big, fat, juicy hot dog in a bunn.  He blows on it, the lil' cowdog is salivating, pacing, hungry.  One at a time, he pinches off lil' pieces and cools them, then tosses them to her.  She is terrified to get too close to him, but the temptation is too much for her, she is hungry.  She gobbles the last of the hot dog and bunn down and backs up a pace, looks at the man and decides he's o.k.................she comes over to him, rubs up against his leg and walks away to beg from others coming and going. 

With a glisten of a tear in his eye, we head out to the truck, get in and resume our trip back up the mountain.  I don't say a word.  When we get home, check on our own animals and head into the house, I turn to "The Man" and tell him, "these are the things you think of and do, unconditionally, that make me love you so very much."  We kiss, hug and head off to retire for the night, it's been a long day.

I love you very much!  You are a special human being and I'm thankful everyday for you.

"The Cycle"

This is sweet "Kitchi" minutes after birth.  His name is Algonquin for, "brave one."  Brave he was, as was his mother, "Gracie."  He was 11# at birth.  He is a Jacob/Churro lamb.  He has very curly, jet black fleece, with dapplings of white.  He will have horns as it's in his genetics.

At 10 a.m. last Friday, "The Man" came into the house and told me to come check our ewe "Gracie."  We knew she was soon to lamb but weren't quite sure when.  When I approached the lambing jug she had chosen, she was in obvious signs of labor.  I assumed she was in the first stage of labor and would present a bag of water soon.  "The Man" and myself stayed in the jug with "Gracie."  We timed a half hour, cooing and speaking softly to "Gracie" giving her words of encouragement, this was her first lambing.  About fifteen minutes into the labor, I realized something was amiss................a thought that had plagued me for most of her pregnancy.  Another push from the ewe and I saw................one hoof! 

I quickly scrubbed up, went back outside and did a check on her.  The lamb was crossed up, what shepherds call "dystocia," meaning an abnormal or difficult birth...........little did we know, it would be both.  As I reached further into the ewe to locate the position of the other leg, she went down on me.  It's so much easier to correct and manipulate a "crossed" lamb when the ewe remains upright.  I did finally locate the other leg, which was further in her and bent.  Once freed and pulled down to meet the other hoove, I reached back in to locate the head.  It was stuck............BIG time.  Everytime I let go of the hooves to try and free the forehead, the lambs legs contracted back inside her.  This is the point in time that "The Man" gets his first experience with helping "birth a babe."

I had "The Man" hold onto the legs (which were a smidgen of the way out), while I further tried to help the ewe with her delivery.  Try as we might, the lamb was stuck!  We are both getting nervous as "Gracie" now isn't responding to a whole lot.........I'm fearing shock as we have worked on her now for approximately 10 minutes.  Finally, I ask "The Man" to let me have the legs, I push the lamb further inside, rotate a quarter turn and let him have the legs back.  Re-entry tells me we can now start pulling slowly.  We are both, literally sweating now, pulling and finally, out pops the head of a very sweet lamb..............he's moving..............thank you GOD.  Another moment and he is fully delivered.  I quickly place the lamb at the mouth and nose of the ewe......to no avail.  The ewe is "spent" and unresponsive!

The lamb is covered in meconium so I realize he's been in the womb too long.  I turn him over to "The Man" for clean-up and resume with my ewe.  I'm cooing her, checking her respirations, telling her to "get up."  Finally, "The Man" who is emotionally spent now, moves over and gently pushes her telling her to "get up."  She does...........oh thank GOD once again.  She is super weak.  She doesn't want anything to do with her lil' boy lamb.  We are worried.

After interminable hours, we get the ewes energy back up to snuff, give shots of penicillan, vitamins, molasses water.............she then finally takes a "sniff" of the lamb..................then a "lick" of the lamb...............then a "nuzzle" of the lamb..............longer than should have transpired, she finally let's her babe nuzzle her breast................colostrum finally in his belly, tired from his entry into the world..............they lie together and sleep. 

After four days in a lambing jug with her son, "Gracie" has turned out to be a very good mother.  She's attentive, let's him nurse as often as he wants, and will stave off other jealous ewes to protect. Fortunately for "The Man," myself, "Gracie" and "Kitchi," no signs of infection are present, he is now bouncing around although very shy with the other lambs (who are much bigger than him at this point).  He's eating alfalfa, sleeping and thriving.

This will be "Gracies" one and only babe.  She is too tiny (due to her own crippling as a lamb) to ever bare another.  I can't nor won't put her through another ordeal like this one.  Do I get rid of her, do I keep her?  I don't know the answer to that question yet................however, I will follow "my heart" when that decision needs to be made.

Welcome to the world, "Kitchi," you are a "brave one!" But then, your mama beat all odds in her own life!!!! 

"Cattle Dot Helps Shepherdess Kat!!"

This is my beautiful mother, I won't tell you how "young" she is but most would not believe me, she looks phenomenal for her age!  She is holding our youngest grandson Chase and her youngest great-grandchild (she has six).

Tuesday, April 13th "The Man" has to leave the ranch during the peak of lambing season, he's headed over to Kirkland Air Force base to survey a new facility.  I'm just a tad bit nervous as I have one ewe in particular that usually has multiples and I don't want to be by myself on this lambing.  "The Man" suggests I call my mama and ask her to come stay with me until his return in a couple of days.  I call, and "Cattle Dot" comes without question, I love her for her selfless acts of kindness.

We get up first thing in the morning and check on the ewe, she appears to be fine but she is sleeping a lot and standing guard in one particular "lambing jug."  This jug has always been the jug she lambs in and NO one else gets to step foot in it when she's ready to lamb!  Throughout the day we check on her, usually hourly checks as I can see she's progressing in labor.........I call this the "silent stage of labor."  The ewe is restless, tired, pawing the ground, isolating herself from the rest of the flock, and generally, just kinda miserable. 

After an entire day of keeping vigil, it's now feeding time for the sheep.  I call each pregnant or nursing ewe to me after the hay has been bucked into the feed bunker, they must come for their grain.  Each one comes as called to snarf up their grain...........except one..........."Freckles."  Often but NOT always, a ewe will refuse her grain feeding just prior to lambing...........a rumen full of grain fermenting isn't an "iddy" way to go into full blown labor.  I know she will lamb soon.

After the nightly feeding, "Cattle Dot" suggests we sit in the barn at the table and have a glass of wine, that way we can "kinda watch the ewe."  I oblige and we enjoy the last of the late afternoon with another glass of wine.  I'm beginning to see the ewe getting more and more agitated so I suggest we mosey into the ol' ranch house and have dinner. 

I've already made up two wonderful arugula/spinach salads with the works, one steamed artichoke (we can split with my wonderful lime aioli), and a batch of roasted asparagus..........that will be our dinner this evening............before sitting down, I make one last check on the ewe and realize that this dinner will be put on hold!

I walk out to the barn leaving "Cattle Dot" to set up the table, only to find a lil' white head standing in the lambing jug...............Miss "Freckles" has decided to start the rodeo without us!  I run back indoors and tell "Cattle Dot" to, "suit up and head out to the barn, she's birthin' babies."  Now "Cattle Dot" has never seen lambs born, she's tried on numerous occasions but to no avail, it's taken four years and she finally gets to assist with a lambing.  She cleans their lil' noses as they arrive, she dips the umbilical, she dries them off, she fills a drench syringe three times for me so I can give them a energy booster............the temperature outdoors is plummeting, we're wet from sheep fluids, we don't have on our proper coats...........and when we think we'll head into the house to get them, another lamb is making it's entrance into the world.  By midnight, we have helped the ewe with her lambing, she's tired, we're tired, but the lambs are doing well, nursing and sleeping, nice and warm under the jug lights. The temperature outdoors is now 33 F.  We pick up our lambing kit, the dirty, wet towels, and head into the house.  We strip down...........do a quick wash over, put PJ's on and eat our meal in silence.

We both stagger off to bed lightly saying our inaudible "goodnights" and drop off into a deep slumber.  "Cattle Dot" has finally seen the lil' lambs born, she's happy, tired, and say's she "wouldn't have missed it for the world." I'm more than thankful that "Cattle Dot" has helped "Shepherdess Kat" this cold, Spring night in April. 

Thank you mama, I'm ever thankful............AND, I'm glad your daddy raised cattle and you are a nurse!  Both bits of your knowledge helped tremendously!!  "Hey............what do ya say we do it again next year?"

Land of Nod

I'm sorry about this shot of my ewe "Freckles," my favorite pie-bald dam, but it validates this posting. 

 Poor "Freckles" is ready to lamb in the next week, she is carrying multiples.  We're not talking about twins or triplets either.  Last Spring she put out four lambs, three ram lambs and a small ewe lamb that was "silly as all get out!"  This year.....is anybodys guess, but I'm thinking at least four again, if not five!

We also have another ewe/dam that is pregnant for the first time in three years.  She took her time "smoozing" up to the ol' ram.  Now she is also carrying multiples, twins I believe.  Because most of you know that she is my sweet baby, this is just a bit nerve racking for this shepherdess.  I'm compelled to be there for both of these ewes, one may need me for support and one may need me for support and manipulation of a lamb in vitro! 

We have two other dams as well that are pregnant but my worry is not over them.  They are seasoned, sure fired sheep who know what they are doing.  Maybe it's because I have enough on my plate as it stands today.  Now "Freckles" is a well seasoned, sure fire sheep also but handling the task of lambing, cleaning and suckling four or five lambs is one, big, job.  Last year she barely had time to clean one off and another was on it's way. 

The nights are long and tiresome for me, up every two hours round the clock until lambing season is over..............I'm sleep deprived!  "The Man" helps out when he can but with a full work load I certainly don't expect him to get up every two hours during the night.....although he is missing some awesome happenings out in the world.

One-thirty a.m. April 5th.........oh my were the stars bright, and light, and the moon was yellow. I even took the time to run into the house for the camera so I could get a shot of the moon...........at one-thirty in the morning!A couple of nights in a row, the owls have been making a racket in the ol' Elm trees.  The coyotes are loud lately, food must be abundant for them.  And always you hear dogs barking off in the distance. 

Speaking of dogs, "Blue" usually heads out with me each and every time like a loyal companion, he protects me..... and he pees!  I like that he wants to go outdoors with me, often as I'm cooing to the sheep in their jugs, he lies down near my feet wondering.........."how long is she going to coo those damn sheep?"  But he waits and he's usually patient, sometimes he'll wait for me at the end of the walk-way especially if it's cold outdoors. 

When lambing season is over, and the weather is warmer, and all lambs are growing ferociously, I'll grab a great book, lie in my outdoor recliner and visit the land of nod!

"Star Light, Star Bright"

Ralph Waldo Emerson once asked what we would do if the stars only came out once every thousand years.  No one would sleep that night, of course.  The world would create new religions overnight.  We would be ecstatic, delirious, made rapturous by the glory of GOD.  Instead, the stars come out every night and we watch television.---Paul Hawken

Le printemps!

Awake, thou wintry earth-

Fling off thy sadness!

Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth

Your ancient gladness!

-Thomas Blackburn-

Spring is almost upon us, March 20th to be exact.  Life is busy here at Rockin' A Ranch, there are lambing jugs to ready for new lambs, a new holding pen getting built for the new steer , seedlings to be placed in "my special soil mix" for veggie starts, pruning of fruit trees, fertilizing of roses and flower beds..........a lot of work for two people.  We wouldn't have it any other way though...........working hard comes naturally to "The Man" and myself.  

 Walking the grounds the other day I noticed my perennial herbs breaking soil to greet the warmer days.  I love my fresh herbs. I pluck them during the Spring/Summer for drying, also for flavoring foods, butter, drinks, and using them as garnish for my "famous" Antipasto platter.  I also love growing edible flowers, Borage candied and placed in a glass of white wine sangria or tea, Nastursiums for salads, marigolds, violets, stock, pinks and cowslips.  Lavender and rose petals add a delicate color and flavor to our homemade ice cream.  Tulips partially dipped in chocolate and stuffed with lavender cream (stamen removed of course!).  In fact, I have a cousin in Vashon, Washington that grows edible flowers for most of the restaurants in Seattle, maybe it's inveterate for the two of us. 

"The Man" and myself are praying (along with our little mantra song) in hopes that our fruit blossoms on the trees will not freeze this year and we'll have an abundance of fruit.

Even "Blue" is anticipating an acceleration of action on the lone prarie lately, he's been pining his days away watching over his flock of sheep.......all after seeing some coyotes and bobcats recently.  He's a "good ol' boy," slowly coming into his own.

Yesterday's order of first cutting hay was delivered to the ol' ranch.  Over three ton to be exact, another is on the way.  This next batch will be the second cutting with smaller stems.  Sheep like smaller stems but all parts of alfalfa (including the stems) have serious nutritional value.  This load has a lot of protein in it for the unborn lambs and the ewes.  I like to get this in prior to the "girls" lambing, it's so good for them.  Our shearer friend, Miss Penney is coming in on March 20th to shear.  I like to get that done before lambing as well, keeps it a bit "tidier" for the lambing process. 

If I haven't told you about our shearer, now is my time to brag!!!  Penney is the daughter of Lynn.  Lynn sold me my first two ewes on the ranch and my first two rams.  Thus started the breeding of sheep at Rockin' A Ranch.  Lynn raised over 300 head of sheep in Republic, Washington in her hay-day.  Penney learned what she knows from a very smart, kind, and compassionate mama.  Penney LOVES to enter competitions with her shearing, last years took place in California.  She took third.............third internationally.........yeah, that means she out-sheared some real seasoned male, New Zealanders, Aussies, and the like.  She is an incredible shearer and we're very blessed that Lynn sent her to us. 

As I said, we have a new edition arriving at the ranch soon...........a Holstein steer calf (YES, that means bottle feeding three times a day).  Praying the lil' guy doesn't get scours and grows to be a nice, healthy steer.   Twenty-some chicks will also arrive late April.  I've furthered the flock of chickens incorporating more old, heritage breeds, and some will be raised for about six weeks and butchered for our freezer.  After four years of raising our own meat, store bought pales folks!  I can butcher and dress a chicken in less than fifteen minutes now.............who'd a thunk?  Our two new ducks are on order, a drake and hen "Buff," originating from England.  And of course our heritage breed turkeys are also on order. 

In denouement, I will be nurturing and bottle feeding a calf (hopefully NO lambs), tending to baby chicks of all varieties, and coaxing my sweet veggies, herbs and flowers along this Spring...............what'll you be doing this Spring?

Staying Connected

I've had many pictures taken of me in my lifetime, most not so good, a few that are "o.k."  I'm not a big fan of having my picture taken, guess it's because so many show that "crooked smile" that's genetic, or all my freckles (which seem to be resurfacing just like when I was six!), the crows-feet around my eyes and mouth (from so many years of smilin').  But this isn't a posting about aging, good picture vs. bad picture, this is about staying connected to our friends!

In many ways, friends define us and keep us sane. For women nearing 50, as our generation ages, our networks of friends become larger.  Not only larger but more important to us.

I'm a fairly outgoing lady, I've never been shy nor been too overly concerned with what other's may think of me.  My motto has always been, "don't take yourself too seriously, cuz' no one else does!"  I believe that!  I love to walk up to a stranger and start a conversation with them, I enjoy meeting new people, I enjoy making friends.  In the words of Maya Angelou, "we're all more alike than unalike."  So true..............The beautiful lady in the picture is my friend Mary, we've known each other for ten years.  She is an incredible lady and we have "ginormous" amounts in common. I love her very much, in fact, I just had her over this past Saturday for six hours, we had a lot of fun and  time to talk.  I needed my "fix of Mary," it had been too long. To me, I think of friendship as something I need like exercise or a good night's sleep.

Friendship is not a constant state of connection; it needs to be tended like a garden, and improves with that tending.  In the past couple of years, I've been able to reconnect with many friends from grade school.  I was never one for getting "hyped" about a reunion (high school or otherwise), those that I was friends with in grade school or high school, are those that I want to stay connected to.  There is Carol, Kellee, Meg, Stacey, Sarah, Maxie, Melanie, Beverly, Cathy, Janie, Jerry, Jay, Randy, Rob, Rod, Mike, Nancy, Nora, Penney and a plethora of other truly, terrific friends.

 Every hour of friendship time I add to my life diminishes stress and increases my happiness.  There are things you will tell a friend that you wouldn't tell a spouse or lover.  Even a small shot of "friend time" can recharge my spirit and help me maintain that connection.  Meg and I try to chat at least once a week through messenger, Carol calls whenever she's up and available to shop and go out to lunch.  Kellee sends me emails that she won't send anyone else.....cuz' she know's me so well. Sweet Stacey for posting one of the nicest "surveys" amongst our friends on Facebook about my writing, Maxie for her sweet, personal letters to me via FB, Sarah for her kindness, and honesty.....I could go on and on about my dear friends.............I cherish them all.

I find that's it's really easy and enormously satisfying to "pick up where we left off," even after thirty plus years!  I love each and everyone of you, thank you for the friendship, history we share, laughter, giggles and tears. You're the BEST!!!

P.S.  I have wonderful photo's of these treasured friends that I wanted to post on here, but.............I couldn't get them to post for some reason.....shucks!