June 1^st   -   Friday

Laramie, Joe and I left for Corpus Christi, TX to attend his nephew's High School Graduation. We stopped at a ranch in Texas that Joe consults for. We looked at the grass, the amount of grazing that had been done and checked the condition of the cattle. The rainfall this spring in that area has been great, so the condition of the range as well as the cattle looked very good.

June 4^th   -   Monday

We arrived back from Corpus Christi in time for Laramie and I to go to Vacation Bible School and Joe to brand 50 head of calves in Kiowa County. Several neighbors came to help and it appears they are able to get by just fine without my help. I missed the fun, but we still have plenty more calves to brand.

Joe and I went out together to check the cows, brood mares and monitor some of the range. There are lots of wildflowers now, so it is very pretty. We saw a mulberry tree that was so loaded with mulberries that it appeared dead from a distance. I gathered some wildflowers to dry and we checked a few spots in the pasture we call the yucca pasture.

June5^th   -   Tuesday

Joe spent the day cutting down hedge trees and checking the cows. Laramie and I went to VBS again.

June 6^th   -   Thursday

Joe and Cody left for the State High School Rodeo Finals. I still have 2 more days to teach Bible School, so I stayed behind. Unfortunately, I got to fight with the bulls too. Last weekend, Cody forgot to shut a gate and the bulls found a lush field of alfalfa. Since they know it is there, we knew it was only a matter of time before they decided to go back and get some more goodies. We have a set of gates in our driveway that keeps them out of the pasture, but our bulls, being equipped with a rack of horns, simply lifted up the panels, pushed them over and grazed contentedly.

Laramie and I found them grazing on our way to pick cherries. We were able to put them back in with our cow dog Molly. I put a few more posts in and tried to shut the situation out of my mind.

June 7^th   -   Friday

I had to get up super early this morning to check on the bull situation. They had tried the panels again, but they held this time. I decided I better do a little more work on the fence and panels before we left for State Finals. I also shut the gate to the ranch as I left to contain whatever might get out when we were gone.

On the way to the church, my car died. I knew it was in the battery connection, so I worked and worked on it. I would make it only a few yards and it would die again. I bought a new battery when we got to the first town, and managed to make it to the church only 30 minutes late. I am grateful all the other teachers are farmer's and rancher's wives. They surely have experienced the same difficulties with bulls and cars that have to be dealt with immediately. I was relieved that they were all so gracious with my late arrival.

June 11^th   -   Tuesday

We have been in Topeka for the State Rodeo Finals. Joe and Cody left on Thursday, and I followed on Saturday. Cody roped and rode bulls. He didn't have enough points in Team Roping to continue on to the Short-Go, or Finals, but he did in the bull riding. He ended up with 4th place in the State of Kansas. He will be on the National Team and compete at the National Finals in Springfield, Illinois.

I brought back my niece and nephew from the rodeo. We picked cherries early in the afternoon pitted and bagged them. The kids brought the horse to the yard to ride for a while.

Joe built a lane for the cattle to water in. We are trying to establish some grass in an area that has been over grazed. He built the lane so they wouldn't have access to the acreage we are trying to enhance.

In the evening we had a call from a customer for roping cattle, so I went out to pen them. They were right near the corrals, so I attempted to get them in a foot. That is always a risky decision. It either works slick as a whistle, or not too great. Not too great would have been the right explanation for today. I ended up running around in circles a few times in and out of the tree belt before I got a horse and we got them in. We sold a few head just before dark.

June 13^th   -   Wednesday

Joe has been putting in some hard work cutting down hedge trees for posts. We are fortunate to have plenty of hedge trees. They were planted years and years ago just for that purpose. Many of these hedge trees have been cut on years ago. A hedge tree will grow even after it has been cut. It is definitely a renewable resource. Laramie and I helped drag and pile the small branches and load the heavy posts into the trailer. Joe spent most of the time disgusted with the chainsaw. We always get the posts cut, but not without many repairs and tune-ups on the chainsaw.

June 15^th   -   Friday

Joe and I went over to Kiowa County to work on the corrals and put in some new fence corners and water gaps in the pasture. We worked on the overhead braces, set some posts and stretched up some wire in part of the old corrals that haven't been reworked yet. We got started on the fence in the pasture, but had to quit and head for home.

June 16^th   -   Saturday

It was time to test out the new corrals. We branded 100 head of calves today. J.L. and Karen and their kids Elizabeth and Eric were there as well as J.L.'s parents Windy and Dell. J.L.'s cousin Brandon also showed up to help. My nephew from Iowa was visiting so he also got to help out. All of the kids are getting big enough to be good help. Eric, Brandon, Windy and J.L. roped for us while the rest flanked the calves, gave vaccinations branded and castrated. We were done at noon and had lunch at the Spurgeon's house.

I ran back over with Joe to dig 2 more postholes and headed for home as fast as I could to get ready for church. I had to play the organ, so timeliness was on my mind.

June 18^th   -   Monday

We went to Kiowa County today to work on the corrals. It turned out to be a long job. Our posthole auger has had a lot of wear and tear on it and has been repaired over and over again. We dug the holes as deep as we could with the tractor and auger and then attempted to chop away at them by hand. Some of the holes were hard, so we hauled water from the water tank in buckets to fill them up and hopefully soften them up by tomorrow.

On the way home we checked two sets of cows and put out salt for them.

June 20^th   -   Wednesday

The corrals are officially done now. The new posthole auger Joe bought sure made a world of difference as far as labor was concerned today. After Joe cut up some trees for posts again, we left for Kiowa County. We put up the rest of the corner braces, strung the wire and cleaned up the old corral fence that was still lying around.

June 21^st   -   Thursday

Today was a fun day. Greg Kramos, a wildlife biologist from the U.S. Fish and Game came over to discuss some planning on some ground we are trying to nurse back to prairie and enhance the wildlife habitat. After the paperwork and discussion, we went out to see a few things out doors. Greg took his net along and found a few Ark Darters in the creek. Laramie was thrilled to go with us and try out his new net. He managed to catch a frog and a few small fish and tadpoles in his net.

We looked at some riparian, or wetland areas we have been letting Mother Nature improve for us. One area had once been used as a cattle feedlot and had been eroding at a high rate. Last winter we mulched the area heavily with hay and used cattle to tromp the hay into the hillside when it was muddy. We are now seeing the payoff. The hillside is almost completely covered with vegetation.

The beaver pond was the next place we visited. The beavers continue to raise the level of the pond.

Laramie's friends came over to play the rest of the day and I worked on bookwork. Joe spent the afternoon getting ready for the branding on Saturday. He was cleaning off a place to brand in the corrals and making sure all the other details were in place.

June 23^rd   -   Saturday

We branded at the headquarters today. There were only 100 head of cattle, so we were done before noon. This late in the year, it must be done before noon, or the heat would be too stressful for the calves. Two neighbors came as well as some friends from church. We all had a good time. The kids learned to flank the calves and vaccinate. Some of them tried to rope a bit. I also tried to rope, but it was all too obvious that it had been a long time since I had roped. Laramie and his friends Casee and Owen helped a bit with flanking the very small calves and Laramie branded his calf. Owen, who is two years old, was simply content for a horse ride to the house afterwards. We usually have a huge feast, but this year, Joe grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for us instead. We were all so full no one had room for any desert. After dinner and all the story telling had been swapped between the cowboys, the bulls were gathered and turned in with the cows. The cows, calves and bulls were driven horseback to their next paddock.

We had church in the evening, so we hurriedly cleaned up and headed out. I had to play the organ, so I couldn't be late!

June 24^th   -   Sunday

Most all of the farmers are cutting wheat. All of them were up at the crack of dawn, but we slept in. We quit farming several years ago, and the lifestyle rewards have been worth it. We went to Dodge City for the day. We ate out and saw a movie.

June 25^th   -   Monday

I spent the day in the office working on some school plans. In the afternoon when the house got a bit warm, Laramie and I went down to the creek to cool off. The creek is spring-fed so it is always very cold. I was overwhelmed to see the condition of the creek that we were playing in. We are working hard to re-establish this part of the stream. In a year's time, the positive change in the vegetation, stream channel, and fish was amazing. We saw several very large tadpoles. They were just getting their back legs and were about four and a half inches long.

Joe spent the day in the sun horseback, checking cows, moving cows and fixing fences.

July 3^rd   -   Tuesday

We moved cows home from the Hall ground which is about a five mile drive, horseback. We began early in the morning. Both of J.L.'s kids and Laramie came along. The move was uneventful except for the run away Joe had on his horse. The horse spooked when he put his canteen on the right side of the horse. He was out in an open field, so he let him run and flashed the canteen at him, until the horse realized there was nothing to be frightened of. After we got to the pasture, Joe and J.L. roped a calf, which had an eye that needed to be doctored. The kids and I kept the cows moving to the corral. We sorted off one cow and took her to the corral.

Joe and J.L. went to the north pasture after lunch and roped a cow that was terribly sick. She appears to have diphtheria, and the outcome looks pretty bleak. They doctored her and turned her back out in the pasture with her calf.

July 7^th   -   Saturday

Joe left for Ft. Worth to ship out 11 semi loads of cattle on the ranch for which he is consulting. Laramie and I took our horses to Kiowa County and rode all the pastures there. All the cows seem to be fine. A bull of the neighbor's was in on our pasture.

July 9^th   -   Monday

It was a long, hot, hard day. Joe called from Mullinville at noon to say he needed help. He had already worn out one horse. The neighbor's bull was in on one set of our cows. The other set of cows had four of the neighbor's steers on us. He was able to get two of the steers penned, but the other two were giving him fits. Laramie and I drove over to Kiowa County as quickly as we could. Joe saddled a fresh horse for both of us.

The bull of the neighbor's was ready to go back home. He was waiting at the far fence ready for someone to let him back through the gate. We gathered the cows and calves and drove them to a new pasture. That was the easy part of the day.

We sorted off two pairs and drove them a mile and a half to the north pasture. They did not want to stay together and didn't drive very well. Joe loped ahead to open the gate. We got them to the pasture and drove them to water.

The steers were at water, so we sorted them off the bunch and began driving them north. We tried to keep some cows with them, thinking that would help keep them together. Nothing seemed to work, so we just took the steers. It was a fast ride. When the pasture got rough, and we got to some cuts in the pasture, one steer went one way and the other went the opposite direction. We worked and worked to keep them together and finally just split up.

I rode on top of the ridge to keep an eye on my steer since he was headed the right direction. I was trying to keep on eye on the vicinity Joe had his steer too. The steer was about to come to the head of the draw, so I galloped over to see where Joe was. He was about to rope the steer. I galloped back to see where my steer was, and he had disappeared. I simply could not believe it. He had just been there in plain sight, and couldn't have gone far. He should have been in plain sight. I was in a panic, knowing Joe wasn't going to believe this story. I rode all over and finally decided he had to be in some cut somewhere, hiding. Sure enough, at the head of the draw where I had last seen him, he laid down in a small wash. Since he was grulla colored, he blended right in. I knew he would stay put, so I went to help Joe.

Joe had the steer roped and was trying to pull him in the direction of the pens. He wouldn't drive or be pulled. Joe finally got off his horse and used a pigging string to tie his 3 legs together. We went to find my steer in his hiding place and attempted to drive him to the corral. It was no use. Joe decided to rope it also and sent me back two and a half miles to get the trailer.

I loped back to the pickup and trailer and drove it 6 miles around to the steers. We had a time getting the grulla steer in the trailer, but finally succeeded. When we went to find the other steer where Joe had tied him down, he was gone. We rode all over the pasture again. Of course this pasture has many cuts and lots of places to hide. Joe finally found him on the North side. The steer went back through the fence into the pasture where he belonged. Joe was going to rope him to get the pigging string off of his hind foot, but it came off by itself. Unfortunately, Joe couldn't find it anywhere. That will be another equipment purchase!

We went back through town to get something cold to drink and found out it was 110 degrees out. It was a tough day.

July 20^th   -   July 26^th

We left on our vacation to Springfield, Illinois to watch our middle son, Cody compete in the National High School Finals Rodeo. There were more than 1,500 contestants. Cody didn't have much luck. He was bucked off both times he rode, but it was a great experience. It was quite a sight to be in one place with 1,500 other teenagers and not have one problem occur. They were all a great bunch of kids.

August 1^st   -   Wednesday

It was an early morning this morning. We left to gather cows to ship in Kiowa County. As we got within a mile of the pasture, we saw some cattle out. At first we were relieved to see that they weren't our cattle, but we recognized the brand as our partner's, J.L. Spurgeon's brand. We were about 45 minutes early, so we put the heifers back in his pasture and went around the fence. J.L. was surprised to see us riding out of his pasture, but glad it had all been taken care of.

J.L. and his family and Joe, Laramie and I gathered the cows and brought them into the corral. We sorted off 30 head of older cows to take to the sale barn. J.L. and Joe sorted the cows in the alley. Karen and I pushed the cows in horseback. J.L. waited for the truck to arrive to ship them while we went to check the cows in the north pasture and put out salt and mineral. Laramie had a good time riding through the north pasture. He is braver all the time. He loped quite a bit. He and Joe rode across one of the pasture ponds. Cimarron, his horse, was just about to lie down in the water. Joe saw the look in his eyes and yelled at him. It would have been a cooling off experience for both of them!

August 10^th   -   Friday

We have company today! A family from the Kansas City area brought a couple of horses down for us to ride. Both of the horses are green broke and need some riding to finish them out. It is hard to find "good" finished horses these days simply because horses aren't used to the extent they were even a few years ago.

We all saddled up and took a ride out in the walnut pasture. It has been so hot this past month that the pastures are very dry. If we begin to have electrical storms, fire will definitely be a danger.

August 11^th   -   Saturday

We finally are getting just a smidgen of rain. Any amount is welcome. Our new friends from Kansas City took us out to eat before they headed out. In the evening we went to church.

August 12^th   -   Sunday

It was a lazy day today. In the afternoon we went to hear a missionary from China speak. We realize how blessed the United States is economical and financially. He spoke of his experiences in China, and his call to tell others about Christ. It made me step back and take a look at my own life and reevaluate my efforts to tell others about Christ.

August 13^th   -   Monday

Joe went to Kiowa County to help J.L. move the cows to a different paddock. Monitoring the range conditions and moving the cattle accordingly is probably one of the most important responsibilities on the ranch. When the range is taken care of the prairie abounds in all kinds of life, from grass, insects, microorganisms, and wildlife.

Back at home Joe rode out to check the cows and try to get a bull in that is off "baching". Often times when the cows are all bred, the bulls will wander off to spend time by themselves. Another factor involved is which bull is low on the totem pole for the year. The bulls all fight for a place in social order. The bull that was off "baching" or acting like a bachelor had lost too many fights with the tougher bulls. This year, our yellow J.P. bull is the boss. The younger bulls are at the bottom of the pecking order, but some of the older bulls are also on down the line also.

Joe couldn't get the bull in by himself. He was riding Rusty, a young horse that hasn't done a lot of cattle work. The bull kept going back on the creek and brushing up. We will turn some cows in the pasture and I will go out with Joe to help him gather him later this week.

August 14^th   -   Tuesday

Joe went to the doctor today. He has been fighting a fever for a week, but has continued to work. He went to the doctor 12 miles away, but then had to drive another 20 miles one way to pick up the prescription.

August 16^th   -   Thursday

What an enjoyable day! Joe and I saddled up in the morning and gathered the cows into the pen. We left one cow back that had just calved out of season. There was no sense expecting her and her calf to keep the same pace as the rest of the cattle. The rest of the calves are big enough to travel at a fast pace if they have to. We sorted off 12 pairs to take to a sale in Oklahoma next week. The sort went really well, with no mishaps.

After lunch, Laramie rode with us in the Yucca pasture to gather 30 heifers and a couple of bulls that had gone off to bach. We found one bull right off, but we had to hunt for the second bull. He was determined to stay in that pasture. We have wintered our bulls in the Yucca pasture for two years. After the cows are all bred, we have noticed them going back to the same pasture they wintered in and staying content by themselves.

We did get the obstinate bull to the corral, despite a few trials. He ducked behind Joe's horse to try to beat us to some brush. His motive was to make it to the bog where we wouldn't be able to ride in and get him out. I busted through the trees to get around him. Laramie was riding Cimarron. Cimarron was determined to follow my horse Jack. I picked my way through the trees, but Cimarron went where he chose. Laramie and a Hackberry tree had a run in when he didn't duck fast or low enough. I got around the bull and saw Laramie following me. It wasn't until then I realized he had been bitten by the tree. He was scratched a little bit, but helped us gather the rest of the herd in good spirits. We took all of the cows plus the heifers and the bulls back to the paddock.

In the evening we went out to measure the grass in one of the paddocks. Just after we got out of the pickup and across the fence, we herd a loud, strange sound. Joe and I both looked at each other puzzled. Right in front of us a doe came out of the trees. She was snorting at a bobcat that was carrying something in his mouth. We couldn't believe it. We followed them closely. The deer and the bobcat were so intent on each other, they did not even realize we were there. The bobcat slinked on through the trees and the doe followed, calling out her warnings. After the bobcat was out of sight, the doe whirled around, saw us, and ran near a tree where her two fawns were hiding. The three left in a hurry.

August 20^th   -   25^th

Our dear neighbor passed away on Monday. I stopped to check in on him on Monday. He had experienced a stroke the evening before. I called 911 and spent the rest of the day in the hospital. Late in the evening, he went on to be in the Glory of our Lord. The rest of the week we spent helping the family, cooking for them and trying not to imagine what life will be like without Jesse. He had the most integrity of any person I have ever met. Joe says he has never met a man who could speak so little, and yet say so much.

August 25^th   -   Friday

We left for Oklahoma for the Longhorn Sale after the funeral. I made a few wrong turns in Oklahoma City, which put us in the middle of construction. I don't think I will be able to live that one down.

August 26^th   -   Saturday Joe worked the sale ring at the sale. I sat up a booth and sold some longhorn hides and pillows. It was an enjoyable day. The cattle sold well.

August 27^th   -   Sunday

Joe came back home. Laramie and I stayed in Oklahoma to help Joe's mom balance the books from the sale and take care of other after-sale details. Joe moved the cattle to another paddock and did battle with the bulls for a few hours. All the bulls have left the cows. They have chosen their own buddies and gone their separate ways. I think it is fair to say that all of the cows are bred now.

September 3^rd   -   Monday

Today is Labor Day, however cattle don't have any concept of what that holiday constitutes. Laramie and I began Kindergarten today. We are home schooling. He was excited to find out exactly what Kindergarten was all about.

Joe went to Kiowa County to check the water at our east place. He hauled three mares home from another ranch where they had been with the stud. He spent the rest of the day working with the horses. He packed a mare that is green and rather feisty. He saddled her and put two sacks of corn in the packsaddle. She bucked one sack out right away. The sack got put back on the horse, and away Joe went riding his red horse and leading the mare, packing the corn. He rode through the ranch putting the corn out to feed the deer. By the time they returned, he decided the mare was ready to be ridden. He rode her up to the mare pasture to check on the mares. She will probably come around pretty slowly.

Well, things sometimes get really busy. Home Schooling takes up a lot of time, and -- with one thing or another -- I kind of got out of the habit of keeping up with my journal. This is the end for 2001.

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