Thursday, November 1, Cattle drive, installment 4 – yip, yip, little coyote

Coyotes were howling this morning … guess I didn't think they howled or yipped or whatever they do except at night. But it's fun to hear them.

Joe and Hayden on their mules. 

I was sick to my stomach today. I didn't eat my lunch, just an apple. That's irritating. I never get sick. I felt weird, just not myself, but did a good job (I thought) of gathering stragglers.

Moving a straggler back toward the road.  (Photo by Flounder.)

While this isn't a great photo, I loved the fenceposts in the foreground and the beautiful scenery behind.

We drove the cattle down some paved very secondary (or maybe tertiary or quadary … I know that's not a word), and some dirt ones as well. There were a lot more cars, which scatter the herd to the right and left of the trail we're pushing them on. It's then our job to gather them back up and get them back on track. It was loads of fun, though. At one point there was a bit of a stampede, and everything seemed to be moving at once like a wave coming at you. Even Luke spooked for a step or two. Then he stopped, and I loved that horse even more than the day before.

Even sand hills look good.  (Photo by Flounder.)

With the vehicle on the right, you can see how the cows scatter, which then makes our job gathering them up and pushing them back to the road.  Sometimes they're not real cooperative, so then it's a little bit of a chase, adding to the fun and excitement of the drive.

You can see the saddlebags we use to pack our lunches and whatever else we might need ... Chapstick, other snacks, hats, gloves, sunscreen, water.  Mine were always way too full.  It's kind of like when I travel on the motorcycle ... I've got something for most every occasion!

Marieke from Holland, one of our favorites.  (Marieke, I apologize for misspelling your name until now.)

Luke and me, early when it was still cool and I was wearing my fleece musher-style hat.

We always took time to take photos ... lots and lots, hundreds of photos.  Every moment was a photograph as we didn't want to forget a single memory.  (Photo by Flounder.)

Some of came across a dead deer today. Flounder and I had the same thoughts. Maybe we can't find shed, but we can find dead. We were off the horses in a heartbeat and down to the deer. We pulled and pulled trying to get the horns off it, but that didn't work. I asked if anyone had a knife because I was going to cut them off. We wanted a trophy. No one had one. What's with that? A bunch of guys and no knives?

Kale came along and we asked him to help us get them. Nice guy that he is, he broke them off for us. He probably thought we were nuts. Maybe. Oddly, Evaline had found a cow eating a shed and got it, and we wanted horns, too.



We took this photo back at camp later.  A matched set ... horns ... and crazy girls most likely.  What a great time we're having.   (Flounder photo.)



Flounder and I ate lunch not too far from the dead deer, a send off of sorts for it. It had been shot but apparently not found. Yep, no shed; just dead. We were okay with that.

We had bought some carrots prior to leaving St. George.  We had to have treats for our horses, of course.  I told Flounder I used to let my horse take a carrot from my mouth.  Yep, Blondie can do it, too.  And she left Flounder with her own lips intact.

Franz is breaking trail for a vehicle.  Sometimes the cowboys did this to make it easier on the vehicles, to help them get through the mass of cows quicker and without accidentally hitting one of them.

It's just one postcard after another.

There was more family joining the drive today. There must have been 12-15 kids, mostly riding their own. They have been great fun to be around. Yep, I know. I don't say things like that, but these kids are very special and are quickly finding a place in our hearts, as are their families and others associated with putting on the drive.

The teepee is once again a topic … it's quite comfortable although a tad chilly in the a.m. and p.m. It seems to always have a scenic view. I have seen little field mice or something, though, which always gives me a start. Eeeeeeeeehhhhh!!!

Tonight we had some of the boys playing at roping. They roped each other and some were down in the dirt. It was lots of fun to watch.

Caleb and Hayden roping.

Heinz roped Franz.  They were good sports and participated in some good fun.

Then it was dinner … chicken, corn, carrots, rice or potatoes, salad, homemade sourdough biscuits (thank you Natashia) cooked over the coals. The food always tastes so good.

You could always tell which one our tent was ... towels and washclothes hanging over the top.

Then it was another campfire and a couple who played instruments for us and we all sang … old-style Western songs, “She'll Be Coming Around the Mountain, Old McDonald.” We had a ball. Maybe it's corny, but it was loads of fun. Of course I was dancing, and dropped my pocket camera in the sand. Luckily someone saw it, and I retrieved it. It no longer worked, but I did have my memory card at least. (Postscript on this – I had bought the warranty and the camera was replaced. Yahoo)

But I sure was having fun.

Our musicians for the evening.  The last photo I took before dropping my camera.

So, now Flounder is my official photographer.