Summer is already here!

I can't believe it!
We had an actual spring this year, rain and grass and green. The whole nine yards. That was nice.

Wrestling season has finally wound down for the boys (never stops for Hubby!). We spent a week in Pocatello, Idaho for the Western Regional tournament. What a busy week it was! A lot of fun tho.

Shawn brought his inner "beast" to the mat. Boy, was there some tough competition this year!

We represented Nevada well, as an individual team (Elko Wrestling), as a region (Eastern Nevada wrestling), and as a State (Nevada). There were a few medal earners from our team, and even more medal earners from Nevada as a State. 

 Hubby (in blue, in the chair on the right) is happy to coach. Everyone. This is his sport, his passion.

Although he would really rather be back on the mat himself

But man oh man am I glad to be home! It sure is stressful leaving the "farm" for a week, in the heat, with a cow due to calve ANY DAY. Of course she didn't listen to me the week before we left, when I told her I wanted to wake up to a calf! Or come home from town to a calf! Nope, she calved June 20th, the Thursday we were gone. Thankfully I have some wonderful friends!!

It's a hiefer calf! Hooray! Her name is Roryn Belle Caramel, but I told the daughter of my friend who first saw her, and called me with the news, that she could help name the calf. So we will call her Carly for her barn name.

Lots can change around here in a week!

The hay stack is dwindling

 (a never ending thing...someday I will have a real pasture!)

 But I was glad to come home and still have the ducks. Even tho Mr. Quackers, aka Darth Quaker, is onery.

Roryn is still in "time out", until I can get the lower pasture jump-proof. Or the range cows are gone. Because those tempting, loose range cow heifers are still out there, with their luring smells and calls. And they like to camp just on the other side of my fence. Oh, the Joy of life with a bull AND open range!

Carly was born and I wasn't even here to see it. I am so glad that all went well, Momma Belle didn't need help, and an awesome friend came over to make sure Carly got her colostrum. My friend was worried about her back hoof, I was worried it was a contracted tendon, but Carly is happy and bouncy now. Knows where the milk bar is and runs from one paddock to the other, tail high in the air!

Maybe she is running from bigger half brother Chuck part of the time. He IS kind of a bully (hehe, he's a bull calf). He's growing like a weed, keeping Ruthie milked dry. Now Ruthie and Chuck have separate evening quarters so I can at least get a morning milking from her!
 But Chuck hasn't grown into that halter yet. One afternoon with it on was enough for now. He had a mini lesson in leading.

Reggie the red bunny has grown, but is still sweet as can be.

Abigail is getting greyer and greyer. It's time to start some serious work with her! She's had her time to grow and mature some mentally. I'm looking forward to pushing cows with her! She loves working them, even if it's through the fence for now.

The meat birds, aka pigs with feathers, are growing like, well, pigs! They should be ready to go to freezer camp in another week or two.
I forgot to write down on the calendar when we brought them home. They were already a week old. I *think* they are 6, maybe 7 weeks old now.

And then there was the Super Moon. Sure was bright.

Abigail's Story

 Abigail was born in a pasture, only seeing people from a distance.  When I first saw her she was in a pen with all the other foals being weaned.  

She was cut from the herd, much to her dismay, and herded into the trailer like a cow.  When her first bumpy ride of her life was over she found herself deposited into a small pen with strange smells and strange horses all around.  

She wanted nothing to do with this predator like creature, trying to touch her and be close to her.

But the thing kept coming back!  All the time!  Talking and wanting to be near her.  

Reminds me of the other weanling I brought home, a 6 month old mustang filly. We named her Lady, for the "L" shaped star on her forehead.

Lady the Mustang

 How I miss her, she was one smart little lady. Too smart to sit in the pasture and wait for me to be able to ride again.

But I digress....Back to Abigail. After many long hours of standing in her pen, just quiet, letting her get used to me she started to come around.  She decided that since I bring her food and she sees the other horses lean over the panels to be touched by me I must not be all that bad.

 Many quiet hours later I was able to touch her.  Many more days later I was able to put the halter on her.  And she rapidly progressed from there.  We started going on "walks" in the pasture outside her pen, and then the time came to take off the halter and leave her with the "big guys".  Exciting and scary for both of us!  I don't think I slept much that night, up and down to check her many times.

 And now she is like a big puppy dog!  You walk into the pasture and she is in your pocket, wondering what you have today.  I love her curiosity, her gentleness.

 And she loves checking out the cows, which is good because I have plans for her to become a cow horse. :)

Frosty whiskers

 We've been on a few walks outside the pasture.  She's not so sure she likes to go through the gate, but she'll figure it out.

We're currently working on her ground manners, respecting my space, not walking on my toes, walking next to me.  And focusing on me when we are out and about.