A couple weeks ago, family and friends came together at the farm and we brought the cattle home from their summer pasture.  Here are a couple of the horses hanging out, waiting to go to work.  That pony was just adorable and did his part to help!

Getting ready.

Guy talk.

Mending fences.

The 4-wheelin’ crew headed out first to pass the time and make sure none of the cattle went off course into the gravel pit.

The cowboys and cowgirls headed out next.

It was a gorgeous day!

Over the hill.

The gate was opened and a couple riders went in to get behind the herd, while the tractor lead them out onto the road.

At least, that was the plan, until a couple cows turned around and the rest followed.

Waiting at the other end of things to help turn the cattle off the road into the home pasture.

Turning the cattle back to the gate…

Most of the herd, headed home.

Get along little doggies.

Got ‘em in.

Pretty filly Caramel.

Back over the hill.

Guinea hog chops on the grill.

Small, but very delicious!

After lunch we headed back out for round two, trying to get the rest of the cattle that didn’t come along the first time.

After some more gravel pit play, the 4-wheelers headed out to join the round up.  They did manage to get one more cow home.  The chase ended at dark with 5 cows/calves left in the pasture.  It took another week before the rest made it home, in the trailer.

It was a great day, and many thanks are owed to everyone who came to lend a hand.  We’ll all be crossing our fingers that next year the cows all stick together and make it home in one group. 

 

 

The cows came home a week ago.  Well, most of them did; the rest took a couple extra days to make the trip…

Our first 2009 calf is pictured above.  He is HUGE.  There are four bull calves and five heifer calves.  They’ll soon be weaned, and some sold at the sales barn.  A few will remain to be fed out for the freezer or kept as replacement heifers.

Yesterday we butchered our first hog.  Because it’s late, and to spare the squeamish, this will be brief.  Above is the BEFORE picture.

And this is AFTER.  We guessed the hog weighed about 100 lbs live weight, and after butchering it we had about 50 lbs hanging weight.  The meat is in a couple coolers out in the porch to age for a couple days and then it will finish aging in the fridge the rest of the week.  Friday I’ll start trimming and cutting it up into cookable cuts, and Saturday we’ll share with our family and friends at the fall cattle drive.

Many thanks to my Dad for doing the butchering!

Today the rain finally stopped for a few hours and allowed me to get out with my camera.  It has been raining for four days and some customers from Germany and Florida have been waiting on pictures.  Jackson got brushed down and danced around while I snapped photos of him.

Dancer and her filly Vixen were also impatient with me.  They had been waiting to be let into the paddock where I had put out some new bales of hay.

The customer in Florida has Vixen’s full sister from last year and is interested in Vixen and Dancer.  Jackson’s pics were sent to the customer in Germany.

Other horse news: we are down to twenty-something horses from thirty-something; paddock fences are being mended, thanks to help from family; we’ll start weaning foals this week; we have a new feed stall setup in the barn to safeguard the grain from escaped horses and pigs, it’s almost complete; we’re about 1/3 of the way to emptying out the machine shed to turn it into a small indoor arena for winter riding.