Just Helping Out

Our friend and neighbor Lou had knee surgery a few weeks ago and JS and I

have been taking turns feeding cows for him. Now before you start thinking

what saints we are, Lou only has 5 cows, 3 calves and a bull.

I enjoy doing it, so I have the better end of the deal. Lou feeds grass hay

and the bails are soft, so he doesn't need to be walking on top

of them and messing his leg up.

Besides, look at this cute little guy, who wouldn't want to come here

every day to see him? "Full disclosure" I favor little red babies

with white faces and pink noses, but he'll do just fine.

Every Monday

I have to laugh, in my intro it says "Visits to the Orchard" and I've never taken

you out in my orchard! Every Monday is orchard day, the rest of the week

belongs to JS and I just fit my work were I can, but MONDAY IS ORCHARD DAY.

During the summer it's spent irrigating, walking water lines checking for leaks

and making sure every tree (about 700 of them) has water. Mowing and

spraying to keep the grass down every few weeks in the orchard and the rest

of the place is all part of it.

This year I'm doing something a little different, staking my trees.

The trees are heavy with fruit and their loaded

I already have two broken limbs, so just trying to keep the damage down.

We don't start picking till December. I think I'm going to have a lot more.

I love being out here by my self. It's quiet and peaceful , but I'm never

alone. Besides Ranch Dag, The turkeys, hawks, rabbits and the

occasional deer that will peek around a tree are pretty entertaining

I'll get you out here more often.

Pretty Picture Monday

Sunday Redneck ?

I just stepped out on the front porch, the

wind is blowing and it's pouring rain.

No problem, I have a fire in the wood stove,

chicken roasting in the oven and

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is leading at Martinsville.

"Sorry Shane, I think your mother is a redneck"

Sunday Stills, Fall Foliage

JS and I had planned on going to the mountains this weekend, but it's pouring rain..... :)

(Sorry Rice Guys). I was going to take pictures of the Dogwood trees and

their beautiful red foliage. Well since I seem to be on an oak tree theme

this week, I decided to stay with it. So, go and visit all my friends at Sunday Stills,

they live all over the world and will have beautiful Fall Foliage pics for you to enjoy.

You can also find them on my sidebar, "Other blogs to visit"

or sundaystills.wordpress.com

Oak Trees

Since I started this blog I now carry my camera everywhere.

Constantly looking for interesting subjects, or for the

Sunday Stills challenges. For every one good shot,

I delete 10. I am not a photographer.

When JS asked me to take some things up to a job I was exited.

It's located up on top of a ridge above the rim rock and has

a great view of the valley and the Sutter Buttes. Once I got

there, I couldn't see the valley or the buttes. It was so hazy,

that all I could see was gray.

At the entrance to the job was this great oak tree and wagon,

so I took some shots. It started me thinking about all the big

Valley Oaks and how we're losing them to disease or "progress".

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a tree hugger I believe in

responsible logging and wood heat. But the big oaks are what

makes the California landscape.................."CALIFORNIA"

The big oaks were always apart of my growing up, like giant

guardians watching over my life. Before I started school, the

acorns and the oak balls with a few burnt wooden matches

were my toys. They became my play mates as I got older. The

big limbs hanging to the ground made for easy climbing to

imaginary worlds and day dreaming. When I was big

enough to ride with my Dad and Mom we would find the

cows shaded up beneath them. After high school, I started

traveling around the country side and when I came back to

California they were the first to welcome me home.

Now they are dear old friends and the keepers of my memories.

Thursday's Thoughts

Every oak tree started out as some nut who decided to stand it's ground.

Pretty Picture Monday

Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone

Sunday Stills, Cars .......Trucks?

Turning 80

Yesterday family and friends of all ages gathered to celebrate

La Verne's 80 Th birthday. She married when she was 18, starting

a life of trailing cows, kids and Bob. Over 60 years have past and

now trails cows, grand kids, great grand kids and Bob.

La Vern was not a ranchers daughter and when Bob took her our

the first time to trail cows, he told her to just fallow the tracks.

She didn't want to tell her new husband that she couldn't

tell witch way the tracks were going. When she finally found a

cow, she studied the marks left be hind and now Bob will tell

you she's the best cow tracker he's got.

Friday the family had to gather cows and someone suggested

to La Verne the she didn't have to go, after all she was 80.

She replied, " What, should I just stay home and Drool?"

She "Walked" 6 miles that day trailing cows.

I know I speak for every one "We Love You La Verne".

Happy Birthday.

Baby Setting Wild Child

Meet George, he belongs to Oldest Son Shane. Shane had to

be gone all week for work, so wild child came to stay with us.

George is Ranch Dogs only blue boy from her litter in April.

He's a city dog now, with a small yard and smaller house.

Too much time and not enough to do.

Shane put him in charm school to help run off some of the energy.

So, when he dropped him off the other day, he brought the

"Operating Manual" with him.......I grew up with working

stock dogs and don't ever remember a manual ?

Ranch Dog and George go with me out in the orchard, doing

choirs and hang out in the house if I'm working inside.

They spend a good part of the day sparring with each other,

and when Ranch Dog gets tired of it, she just sit on him.

He's a good boy when he is here, he stays right with Mom,

has lots of room to run and comes when he is called.

He doe's have one bad habit, barking at Old Lady and Old Man.

I don't know how the operating manual would handle this,

but I've got my own ideas.

Thursday's Thoughts

Nature, will not be admired by proxy.

BUTTE COUNTY CATTLEWOMEN

Cattlewomen's meeting was today.

Mom pick me up and we headed to Diane's out in the valley.

I love coming here. Drive out of the dry foothills, threw the walnut

orchards, cross the big irrigation channel to this green oasis.

Fat cows, long white fences and Diane's yellow roses greet you.

Every one parks out by the barns and as you walk threw the gate

up to the house, it's as if you've entered a park.

Diane always has it decorated by the front door,

for what ever the season to greet her guest.

We made a little money this summer for our scholarship fund.

Gave two $500 awards to graduation high school seniors.

One attending UC Davis and the other to Chico State.

November is already getting busy. Create A Cow

contest for the Farm City Week and two other events.

Their aren't a lot of us, but we manage to do quiet a bit.

Pretty Picture Monday

Sunday Stills, Billboards

This weeks challenge is Billboards, the most annoying

ones we could find. "I think their all annoying ".

Just one of those things we could completely do with out.

So I skipped this weeks challenge.

I did have a nice surprise yesterday.

A few weeks ago I told you about Little Miss A, at the

Jr. Livestock Auction with her steer Buddy.

Little Miss A, younger brother and Mom and Dad stopped by

with this beautiful basket, stuffed full of all kinds of things.

I had already gotten the best gift of all that day at the fair.

Hanging out for the day with her and all the Great Big Hugs.

It was truly nice to have them stop by, don't get to see them

very often, and the best part of all!

I got another hug.

Not a Paying Job

At one time all the fences here were new.

Post in perfect lines, wire tight, and gates straight.

20 years of sheep, 4-H steers, horses, kids, construction equipment,

and a 9 foot flail mower has left them worst for wear.

At the beginning of this summer we tour out the fence going up the

gravel drive to move it over 4 feet, so the mower wouldn't catch it

as it gos around the end of the orchard rows.

I have to admit that I've been "Nagging" all summer to get this fence up.

With the usual response from JS "I have to take care of the paying jobs"

JS told me I could have a worker "All Week"

Maybe this wasn't the week he meant.

"I think I've been left hanging for a paying job".

Thursday's Thoughts

Deep inside each of us is someone striving to do, "Absolutely Nothing".

Maybe not that deep?

Pretty Picture Monday

Going over the Bears Tooth, North East Yellowstone

Sunday Stills, Red and Green

Speed Goats

"When theres lot to say, theres not a lot of time.

When theres lots of time theres not a lot to say".

Never thought I'd have that problem?

So I leave you with this picture of the Antelope,

I took up by Davis Creek on my trip to Modoc.

One of the Alberta Gals who's blog I read

calls them "Speed Goats"

That fits.