A fun afternoon in the snow

What ranch kids (and dad's) spend the afternoon doing after all the work is done? They tie an inner-tube to the quad and have their daddy pull them around the driveway in front of the house of course!

They had a blast, then it was inside to warm up with some hot apple cider.

I'm linking up with Fresh from the Farm and her Photo Friday linky party. Stop by for a visit and some great pictures.

Pictures

Finally found my cord for my camera and was able to down load the pictures that I have been taking of some new calves and our trip to the zoo and the new baby chicks so here are some and the rest will be in my pictures on Tales of a Rancher's Wife page on Facebook.

This little one was our first calf this year, born back at the start of Feb.

Here he is again, taking a rest by the water tank

Momma had to bring hers by the house to show off. She will bring every calf to below the barn every year.

Another little one out in the pasture

There are two calves in the picture, one so little you can only see a tiny bit of his back in the high sage brush.

The girls at the aquarium in Albuquerque

Finally got to see the polar bears swimming this trip

The latest addition to the ranch, my next batch of chickens. Some are for meat(yellow ones) and the rest are new egg layers

We are off this afternoon to get two young new bulls for the place so of course I will get pictures of them and share also. Haven't forgotten about the request for new recipes and casseroles that will freeze well are on the list, in fact that is what I'm working on next.
If you enjoy these pictures check out Fresh from the Farm and her Farmchick's Farm Photo Friday for more pictures of babies, farm life, ranch life and all things country.

A girl and her horse

Seems to be a familiar occurrence on a ranch that shows a girl is growing up into an adult when they get to help break their new colt. Our oldest daughter who turned 13 last November has just started that journey. Her horse Scooter is her baby. She got to see him born one summer morning and has been his companion ever sense. So it was no surprise that when it came time to start breaking him Bibble wanted all in. Not too sure that Mom was as ready, but I think that is just the nature of mom's.


This past Friday was a perfect day, warm and the ground in the barn yard was finally dry enough. So after schooling for the girls and Dad was on his way back to the house Bibble went down to get Scooter ready for his first time with a blanket and saddle. She had been working with Scooter over the winter getting him use to a halter and being able to catch him and both her and her horse where ready for the next lesson.

Everything went well, Scooter took to the blanket after a few sniffs and a couple of starts but in the end Bibble could get the blanket on and off with no problems.

Then Dad brought out the saddle for a try. I'm not sure who was more surprised; Bibble, me or Scooter but he just stood there as polite as could be for that saddle to be put on and cinched up. He tried once or twice to jump around, can't really call it bucking, but that didn't last and by the end he was content to just walk around with Bibble in the lead, talking to him all the time.

I think that horse would follow her anywhere as long as she was talking to him!

Speechless

Just the other day a conversation left me quite frankly speechless. Now those of you who know me well, would say that was impossible. Yes I know most of the time I have something to add or a comment to make, well that changed during a conversation with an acquaintance about ranch life, kids and home schooling.

I am always more than happy to answer questions about our ranch, the cattle industry, beef and kids. Such was the case with this conversation with "John Doe" who shall remain un-named so as to not offend anyone. The usual questions came about, how did you get into ranching, what type of cows do you have, do the kids like living that far from town, etc.  Then came the question "Why doesn't your oldest daughter have a job?" At first I thought they were joking, she just turned 13 after all, a little young for a job. When I realized they were not joking I told them all that she does to "work" around the ranch; feeding calves and horses, moving the herd, helping to brand, sort, vaccinate, ship, doctor sick calves, cut wood, break horses and all the other things a ranch kid helps out with around the ranch. John Doe then looked at me and said "No I mean a real job."

Here is where I reached the speechless part!  A "real job"? Really, all that stuff I just told him she worked at and helped out with was not a "real job"?  Boy would all of the cowboys, ranchers, wives, girlfriends, kids and countless others would find themselves speechless and in shock to find out that they were not working at a "real job"! Once I recovered from my speechless shock, I asked just what does a real job require?  How did they define a "real job"?  There response was of course something that you got paid to do and had to leave home to go to work.

It just kept getting better! I was by this time not speechless as a fire had been lit and the words where pouring forth. I then asked John Doe so if you work at home now that is not a "real job"?  What about the people who volunteer their time to help others? Do stay at home mom's not work?  At this point the man was unsure as what direction to take and was looking for a way out of the mess he had made for himself. After he left I was still shocked at someone thinking that ranch or farm kids don't work at real jobs.

I don't know about anyone else but our girls do just as much to help out on the ranch, age allowing, as the adults. Sometimes I think they do more, what with school, music, clubs and the like on top of everything else.
Am I worried that the girls will never get "real jobs"? No if they never go any farther than this ranch to work and raise a family they will have made a wonderful life for themselves and the next generation. The work ethic that kids learn on farms and ranches I think is second to none and maybe if more kids learned it this world would be a better place.

See I told you I am normally not left speechless with nothing to say!