Sandy Snider Stahl

This rainbow was right over us but we knew we were lucky even before that! The grass is green in mid July, the hay crop is outstanding, the cattle are fat…and on and on. OK, so the flies are horrendous, the posts in the yard fence all rotted off this year, the barn cats had a bumper crop of kittens, both trees in the yard died – but so what! The grass is green in mid July… Our life really couldn’t get much better – or if it could, we don’t know how it could. After all, the grass is still green in mid July!

What a fabulous year…and no, I haven’t forgotten the winter we survived. But the grass and hay are more than incredible and every morning we can’t wait for the dew to dry so we can get into the hayfield. Mother Nature has taken tremendously good care of us this spring. We had golf ball size hail that broke a couple windows in the houses  – and my hummingbird feeder – but damaged our hay very little. That’s an easy trade-off! Our thoughts go out to friends and neighbors who have lost their hay to hail, or haven’t had the blessing of so much moisture. Daily, we stop a moment to take in the wonder of this hay crop and cows belly deep in green grass in July.

Sonny and I were checking on bulls when we discovered this problem. The calf jumped into the tank but couldn’t get enough traction to jump back out. We took the planks off, she jumped out and went right to sucking!

My filly Windsor watches the drag brought to the corral. Over 30 riders gathered the pasture then corralled the pairs.

After the cattle were safely in the corral, the cooks fed the crew sausage gravy and biscuits – delicious!

Bellies full and visiting suspended, we worked most of the cows out, leaving just enough to keep the calves settled.

Sonny, Sid, Donald, Robert, KP and Mike seated. On this day the crew was big enough that they worked when they wanted and visited the rest of the time. It’s an honor to be at a branding with these guys.

Hope we are all so lucky to be doing what we love, and doing it well, when we are 88 years of age! What fun it was to share the day with Donald – and all our great neighbors!

We were honored to attend two brandings of our great friends Norm & Julie and Sid & Gaye and had a great time at each. We feel so lucky to share in those days with their families and friends. So few of us have the old style brandings any more that it’s truly wonderful to see that portion of our ranching heritage carried on.

Many great photos of those brandings have been posted but will add a few of mine as a tribute to our way of life – past, present and hopefully, future.

Thank you to all who carry on our ranching traditions. Long may they live!

Winter and spring’s work load kept me away from the internet and posting, but I’m looking forward to getting back at it.  It was several months after the snow melted before I’d gained the perspective on the winter of 2018 necessary to write about it…and now we’re haying!

This country couldn’t be more beautifully green, and must be growing as much grass as the buffalo ever saw.