Join me in exploring the life, animals and people found on a Canadian ranch.
Its Frickin’ Cold Out
I just overheard a video being replayed that Russell made this morning. It was for our friends in Nova Scotia. Clear as a bell his morning weather report rang out in the house. His four words seemed like a good title for this blog, as good as any. It was frickin cold out today. We had a job to do and it could not be delayed. We all had to find our strength to confront that cold.
It was weaning day. Thats the point in the year when we separate the calves from their Mamas. We do that in preparation to send the steer calves to the Auction Mart. (The heifer calves go onto feed and stay with us for another six weeks or so before being sold). The sale of the steers creates one of the big paydays of our year. It has been an expensive year. We are thankful that payday is almost here. At the same time, as much as we look forward to the sale our anxiety level is high. Many things could go wrong in the varied steps leading up to it.
As I sit writing this now Russ and Morgan have gone to roping lessons, I am alone in our house, it is warm at my desk and we are feeling grateful for an excellent day, despite that frickin cold. I am actually really feeling short on words. That is not my usual. I think the pictures we were able to manage to grab will tell the tale better than I could.
A screen shot of the weather report we found once we got the courage to actually look at the scary facts.The guys were out and saddled up by 7:30. Russ, Morgan and Laurie brought the cows in by moonlight.
What follows are a series of selfies I took.
Fearing a fight to keep my glasses from getting frosted over I dug up my contact lenses. I have not worn them in two years I think. This is a weird picture. I was posing for my sister.With the beginning layers of clothing in place.Suited up and heading out. 7 layers on top, 3 on the bottom. In the corral, I don’t remember what prompted this weirdness.The sky was gorgeous, a result of several things. Laurie in position at the heifers gate. Russ and Morgan did the sorting work in the alley. Steers went in the pen I was at, heifers went in Laurie’s pen and Ron ran the cow pen gate. At this point I was intent on grabbing some pictures and here Morgan was trying to get me to realize I had let a steer walk past my gate.I was distracted because I just wanted to capture a picture of those frosty eyelashes.The semi pulled in on time, Morgan and Ron helped Harold load the first load. Russ, Laurie and I kept working with the herd.We were blessed by a gloriously sunny day, the wind stayed low while we worked. That made the cold much much easier to bear.We started sorting at 8am, by 12:30 we were done and in for lunch. I had a meal in crockpots before we started sorting. That hot food hit the spot.Good to see this hardworking cousin and friend getting to relax.The conditions were a little easier the day this picture was taken. The same work getting done but so genteel by comparison. This was 2019.
As Far As The Eye Can See 