Last Branding of the Year

So On Saturday I went to the last branding of the season.  There actually are about 3 more, one on Thursday of our neighbors that always has a tonne of help and then one on the 2nd and the other hasn't set a date for yet but I will be gone for both those anyways.  I always like this branding cause I get to take my horse and go on the roundup crew.  They have 3 different bunches that get done in one day and so they have a separate roundup crew and a branding crew.  I always refer to ride as to the rest of the branding anyways.

(too dark for my liking to get up, but at least they are by the gate)

(havin breakfast before we left, this is why I forgot the bridle, didn't want 

it hanging on the saddle while she was loose in the pen)

I had planned on taking Razz, but when I woke up at 5:30 I didnt really care who I took, and Jessie was the first to walk up to me, so she was who I took.  I know her feet are due in about a week and I remember thinking I hope she doesn't lose a shoe.  Wish I hadn't thought that though.  Kinda wished I took Bailey, but she was too out of shape.

(Love this view)

(even some 4 wheel horses in this gather)

I got her saddled and loaded and was out at the highway (6 miles from home) and realized I never brought her bridle, so I went back and got it and so I was kinda late getting there.  I unloaded her, tightened the cinch and off we went to get the cows.  There was about 18 in the crew that morning which is good cause those cows dont like to come in and they needed all of us to push them in.  I was riding with a neighborand his daughter I hardly ever see and Jessie stumbled and lost a shoe.  I never noticed but Tracey saw it and it was odd cause it was hardly a fall and she didn't even stop, so I was glad she saw it.  I got off and picked it up and she seemed fine and the ground was so soft, we continued on.  After we got them in and sorted most the cows out, breakfast was brought out, mmm.   I looked at her foot and it looked pretty level and I could harly tell she had a shoe on that foot.  Colin offered to put the shoe back on at the next bunch cause he was roping and got busy.

 (So many cows, so big a field :)

(close as I could get to a shot of me and Jessie)

Then after they started branding, we headed out to the second set of cows.  Its a little bigger field (about 6 sections)  and 3 of us started pushing at the one corner and I saw some cows heading away at a lope, so I started heading over there.  We loped and loped and loped.   She is so much slower than Razz and I am so unused to it.  It seemed like we would never catch up to them.  They were pretty wild cows and I could influence them from about a half mile off, that was pretty cool.  She is still a little unsure of going across the rough ground, and when it got really bushy she would slow down.  Which was OK, better than going through blindly and scared.  She never refused to go anywhere, so I was happy with that.

 (Justin and  his new horse)

 (the curlew)

(Finally got them in)

After getting the cows going the right way we were way ahead of the rest of the bunch so I visited with Justin and we musta gone though a curlews nest cause they were dive bombing us.  We moved out of their area waited for everyone else and that bunch went in so much better.

 (sorting cows)

 (working hard)

(love this brand, 2 heart bar, they call him 2)

Lots of wildflowers out there, I tried to get some pics of them.  But some of them are hard to get cause I just brought my little camera which only has 5 times zoom which I am so unused to, my other one has 35 times optical and lots more digital zoom.  Such a big difference.  We stayed for the first half of that bunch then lunch was served and after that we headed out again to get the last bunch.

 (pretty blue/purple flowers)

(wild roses)

The last bunch was the biggest (about 300) and in the biggest field, but they tend to just go towards the corrals, but then turn around.  We had the smallest crew there but we got them all in and then I was so tempted to go home, but I stayed and visited and got a few pics of the branding since there wasn't enough jobs for everyone.  But I was so tired I just headed home after it was over rather than go for supper.  Neil came home then too, even though he never got there till 2 hours after me.

 (lots of water out there this year)

 (kinda cool how it splashes)

( Movin cows up to gate)

(Watchin cows cross through water)

Colin never did get Jessie's shoe on, I was kinda upset, but I think he quit worrrying after he saw her foot looked good and she was not lame.  So I called Jason and am taking her and Razz over today.  Everyone is due next week, but he doesn't have time this week to do them all so he will come out when I get back.  I want Razz done now too cause her feet grow so fast in the summer, she can be done every 6 weeks anyways.   Then they will be on a different schedule but I guess that's how it will be.

 (a girl, her horse and her dog.  All done for the day)

(Jessie done, and finally gets to do what she likes best, eat)

Lots of visiting I can do at this branding cause we normally wouldn't go there cause they are not really in our area, but they are the people I worked for for 3 years before I married Neil, when I first moved into this country.  So its kinda nice to go back and see how stuff has changed and visit with them.

 (Grant always gets the crew going by bringing in the first calf)

 (Ed, the guy who raised Bailey)

 (He lost his leg and still wrastles, kinda makes me feel super uncoordinated)

( Neil got the branding job)

 (creative marks for vaccinations)

(kids sure start young wrasling, wish I woulda, maybe I would be better at it)

All in all a good day and I can't wait to go back next year.