Working Cattle Next DoorThis is the time of year the cattle are taken off the ranch fields and driven by the cowboys first to the desert pastures, and then in about 6 weeks to the mountains. The calves have been branded within the last week or so. They are miserable for a few days, but heal up fast. The cows wait at the gates ready to go and knowing they will be free until late fall.
First thing this morning I wrote an article for the papers about Mixed Media traveling to the convention and announcing the prizes everyone in our group won. I had a nice photo of our group to send to go with it. Yesterday I contacted the WAA president and they did find my package of matboards and two workshop paintings. A friend in Riverton will keep them for me until we get together in about a month. Was lucky to have them saved and returned, so am thankful for that.
Yesterday nearly finished up work on a large database address list for the new conference and art center by working on it most of the day. I'm waiting to hear back from a few people with their info and will be done with it for now. Glad to put those kind of things behind me. There is plenty with my other volunteer jobs to keep me very busy though.
Yesterday was still cool here, about 64 and breezy. But finally it is warming up with nice days. We are having smoke from somewhere making the atmosphere very hazy. It's finally nice enough to go out and garden. I'm planning a major change in the flower beds and it will be a lot of work. Should do it before the ground gets baked like a brick.
We've made plans and are looking forward to a camping painting trip in June up in the mountains with other artists. I can't wait for that one.
Heard a really discouraging thing recently. About how many meals you make for 50 years of marriage. Well I figured I'd been cooking meals three times daily since 1957 and that makes about 55,100 meals. And think about 25 years cooking at the lodge!! Yikes!! Just bringing it up because I have to go cook lunch now.
Joe is doing the dragging now (smooshing down the horse apples on the hayfield). The dogs go round and round with him for a while until they get tired and then sit on the porch and howl. He waits a while longer than most of the ranches because the horses can stay on that field until the grass starts to grow more. Now they will have to go to the sagebrush pasture on the other side of the creek until after haying season.
