Cassa briefs

Our summer has been fun and full. Here are a few highlights...Wandering bulls seem to take up more time in a summer than they deserve.

Lovin' on Pryce's pig. Not sure who has the bigger smile in this picture.

Watchin' dad ranch rope at Millikins!

Dad ropin'

Taking the dogs for a hike along Middle Bear

Baseball practice.

and Bible School, Tess was the youngest and won the top student award for the pre-primary class. This was her second Bible School, the first, she was a little nervous.

We went to Frontier Days on Friday and Tess rode all the rides she could. We were fully prepared for the big slide as last year it was her favorite, but this year the merry-go-round was the biggest hit.

Eric and I took our raft out this morning down the Platte to soak up some rays.

We were sad to suddenly lose my Uncle Rudy. But glad we had just gotten to see him and his legacy at the family reunion.

The hay looks good and the cows are fat. Our garden is growing, almost as fast as the weeds.

Good night and good luck from the Cassa flats.

Families

We loaded up the pickup with dogs, a tent and a bunch of eggs and joined a passle of Curtis Cousins this weekend at Flaming Gorge to celebrate my Aunt Lorna and Uncle Rudy's 50th Wedding Anniversary.

We went rafting down the Green River.

I especially like this picture of Eric looking mischevious as he climbs back into the boat after he jumped into the COLD water. Cousin John also had jumped in and was trying to get his girlfriend Billie all wet.

A whole boat load of cousins.

Tess playing "Go Fish" with my cousin Dahlene and her son Jaron. Dahlene also taught me to knit hats.

Tess enjoying the sunset.

Friday was wet and cold and we were thankful we had two dogs to make it a two dog night. Saturday we had a nice dinner and a huge cake to celebrate Lorna and Rudy's anniversary. Tess reports she is ready to go camping again on "Tuesday or Friday."

Meet Trig

We got the word it was time to pick up the puppy last weekend. So since Eric is gone on his two weeks with the national guard, Tess and I decided to make a girl trip out of it. We cashed in our Hyatt points and jumped in the car for Denver. We hit the aquarium first. Tess liked to pet the rays, but made me do the feeding.

The next morning we went to the zoo. Tess remembered getting to feed the birds from last time we were there so that was what she wanted to do first.

Then it was off to DIA to the Continental Cargo stop to meet Trig! Here's T and T at the airport. Trig looks a little jet lagged, but he did just fine.

chewing....

and napping. He has settled in just fine.

Can - Can

The last weekend in May I went to Centennial to a food preservation class put on by the University extension service. Of course, typical of my crazy life I went to Centennial via Casper as I had to stop for work. In Centennial, I escaped work, my cell phone and computer (well, partially my computer) and learned the safe way to can with a pressure cooker and water bath as well as dehydrating. I brought home lots of fruit leather, jerky, banana chips, vegetable pickles and vegetable soup. We also learned enough about food safety to make a person want to wash their hands even 6 seconds. The workshop was at the Snowy Mountain Lodge and I had a nice little cabin where I had to wade through about a foot of snow to get in.

The group was pretty amazing coming from all walks of life and throughout southern Wyoming and even Nebraska. I learned tons.

Now, since it has been raining and darn near freezing for 12 days straight, I am just hoping I have some part of my garden left to use my new skills.

Lots to post this weekend...

More Branding

All of these photos are courtesy our good friend, neighbor, chicken advisor and photographer extrodinaire Karen B. whose name you will certainly find under a blue ribbon for her branding photos at the fair. I thought this was a beautiful picture of our Middle Bear pasture, looking down on the corrals. A little rain goes a long ways, sure is green.
Tess and Peanuts getting ready to gather.

My bum calf Crackers, all grown up. She is getting to be 12 now, but still gives a good calf every year. Tess likes to pet her.

Looking for cows. Tess says this is a forest

Tess has been waiting all spring to gather for the branding.

Tess, Eric and Pops astride Peanuts, Banjo and Slurpee respectively.

The night before Eric and Tess rode over to the corrals, about three miles, on a test ride and they did fine. We were a little afraid though that she would not want to get up so early the morning of branding, but when Eric woke her up to ask if she wanted to go she immediatly rolled right out of bed.

When asked if she was going to rope calves Tess replied "Not this time."

My hero's have always been cowboys.

I retain my position as junior branding cook. I come from a long line of good branding cooks. Branding cooking really is a skill, even though by the time 3o people have ridden and rolled around in the dust and smoke all morning in the sun they really don't care what they eat as long as it fills the belly, tastes relatively good and isn't carp casserole. I did make deviled eggs (all 10 chickens still a layin') and discovered that fresh eggs are much harder to peel than store bought. Also made 20 lbs of ham, escallopped corn, brocolli/cauliflower salad, and cookies. My mother, chief branding cook, rounded it out with baked beans, french bread, coleslaw, jello salad and watermelon. Of course all the neighbors brought goods too..salads, rhubard strawberry cake, peach cobbler....I'm sure I have forgotten something. But I can guarentee that no body went home hungry.

Thank you Karen for helping me share!

Farm life

We are officially in the egg business. Since the last chicken coop photos we have insulated and put in interior walls, built roosts, chicken doors, and people doors, put in a window, built a yard and cleaned out Murdochs chicken aisle. Friday night was "operation chicken" as Tess and I drove to our neighbor Debbie's north of the lake to take some year old gals and one rooster off her hands. Debbie skillfully stuffed 10 fowl in my dog crate and Tess and I transported them to their new home.

It is officially branding season, another sure sign of spring in Wyoming. Eric and Banjo roping calves. After the first pen Eric jumped off, we switched saddles and Banjo went from roping horse to wedding horse, as I officiated a wedding horseback for two of our friends. So with cows mooing in the background they said their vows and had a real nice poem and wedding amidst the branding. After, Banjo put back on his roping saddle and went back to work.

Tess and Eric wrestling calves.

Random-ness

Often is it difficult to think up something worth blogging about. So here are some bits and pieces from the last few weeks.Tess at the Easter Egg hunt in Glendo put on annually by the volunteer fire department . This is the only photo where she is not a complete blur. Since it was snowy outside, it was held in the gym. All the kids waited at one end of the gym and the eggs were spread out on the floor. When the whistle blew, Tess ran all the way to the other end of the gym without stopping. Only after she got there did she remember this was about the eggs. But, working backwards turned out to be the way to collect many, many eggs. She was also very proud that she still had the Easter basket that her uncle Brian and aunt Maggie gave her last year.

This is our new pup! He is three weeks old, so we wont be seeing him for a few more weeks.

The crew on a spring hike up Middle Bear. Today we are getting more snow.

Kitty Cat

Last October we adopted a cat from the PAWS group. At the time, Spike was still around and he did not have a fondness for cats, so I specifically asked for the biggest Tom they could find, but one that was still friendly enough for Tess to pet. They found the perfect match for us.

Tess aptly named him Kitty Cat, although sometimes his name is Frenchup. I have no clue where that came from, or what it means. Kitty Cat used the wicked weather we have been having as an excuse to hang out in the house, so I snapped some photos. He has an enourmous number of toes, but also has enormous patience with Tess.

Even after it being in the 40's and 50's yesterday and today, we still have several drifts as big as my car and more snow in the forecast tonight.

More Wyoming Signs of Spring

Eric celebrated his birthday. Tess was, of course, in charge. Prior to cake, we had snacks OUTSIDE on the deck, enjoying the 76 degree weather.BUT, how dare we forget that it is spring in Wyoming! After it being 70 on Sunday, beginning Sunday night it began to rain, and rain, and rain-turning- to-snow early Monday morning with 70 mph winds.

Which continued to blow, and blow and blow until about 2 in the afternoon on Tuesday. Creating giant drifts, can't see your hand in front of your face visibility, road closures, power outages and general wickedness for all living things.

Snow up to the fences, which of course the cows took advantage of and climbed right on over to go where they aren't suppose to.

But finally, we were able to emerge from the house where Tess climbed and slid down ever drift in a five mile radius.

Signs of Spring

Labradors in the stock tank!

Riding lessons.

Riding solo, or at least getting some good practice.

How to move a move an old shed

I have been threatening for a while now to get chickens. Way back when I read an article about how wonderful the world would be if we each owned 3 chickens. Since then I have been a lot of talk and not a lot of action.

But, Eric and Dad finally convinced me that I could move this old shed from the Britton house to our house and remodel it up to be a chicken house. This is how "operation chicken" began.

First you find some old pieces of a Gifford Hill center pivot, and stuff them underneath.Careful! Tess thought this was pretty scary.

Onto the trailer
Cruisin' down the road.

Off again, and carefully turned around.

Dont plan on bacon and eggs anytime soon. We still have a lot of work to do.

Godspeed, our friend

We lost a fine friend this week. Spike was born on April 24, 1997, in Torrington. He was adopted by Wendy on the Fourth of July weekend and brought home to Glendo. Soon he moved to Laramie with Wendy to start law school where he introduced Wendy and Eric while on a walk.Spike had a good time in law school and ate lots of girl scout cookies. In 2000, he officially became Spike Palen and moved to Cheyenne. His heart was always in Glendo where his nose was always on the ground and he was thrilled when we moved back to the ranch. He was a hunter of prairie dogs, rabbits and cats. He loved to follow Eric on the horse, and would travel for miles without tiring. His nickname was "the fearless beagle". He was known for his distinctive "Ba-wooo!" his selective hearing and independent attitude shown below.Despite his independence, he loved his family and his family and many others loved him. While we are sad, we have many memories to celebrate. Good times, Spike Palen, good times!