|
Wednesday, Sep 08, 2010
|
|
Among many other things, we have been getting a few days of cattle work in lately. On September 1st we pulled the bulls out of the cow herd which had been in for 75 days. We have about 130 heifers also in with the cow herd and are hopefull that they are bred up when we preg test them later this fall. The bull to cow ratio we use is 1:25 or sometimes 1:30 bull to mature cows. With heifers it's better to use a ratio of 1:15 or 1:20. The bulls are all raised on the Chico Basin Ranch, our sister operation southeast of Colorado Springs. They are purebred Beefmaster bulls, a breed that originated from a cross between Brahma, Hereford, and Shorthorn. They have been bred over the years to adapt to there enviroment and thrive in their natural surroundings with little or no input such as feed supplement or wormers. Any animal that cannot perform under natural conditions is sold and that has been the basis of creating the breed for 60 or 70 years now.
|
|
|
Posted by Jeff G. on 09/08/2010
|
|
|
Full Circle
|
The MZ artist gathering came full circle this weekend with the grand art show at the Chico Basin Ranch.
All of the work was displayed on giant hay walls that made a half circle through the cottonwood grove and with perfect weather, adult beverages and nice shady trees, the show couldn't have been better.
This was the first show at the Bell Park and with all of the beautiful open space and room for giant meandering walls it definitely shined in its first show debut.
If you didn't have a chance to make it this weekend don't worry, there will be a winter show at the beautiful Columbine Showroom in the Denver Design Center. We'll let you know the details as soon as the date is set.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 09/06/2010
|
|
|
The Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
|
In an area surrounded by mountains and a large farming community, the question that is always on people's minds is "How did sand dunes get here?". We do know most of how they got here but research continues, new discoveries about the dunes being made every day. Primarily sand is carried down from the San Juan Mountain. Winds from the south west bring in sand and slowly carry it upwards. Medano Creek brings sand and other sediments downstream to the dunes. It is unknown how long the process of building the tallest sand dunes in North America has taken but is estimated to be between 12,000 and 1 million years. Wind is also blown from the northeast that contributes to the dunes staying in place and produces the straight edges on the top of dune hills. Because of the massive height of the dunes, the temperature of the dunes can reach up to 140 degrees farenheit. Visit the Visitor's Center at the Sand Dunes Park for more information, diagrams, and hands on activities explaining the formation of the dunes.
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 09/02/2010
|
|
|
Monday, Aug 30, 2010
|
|
The month of September for me is usually a time to catch my breath, catch up on undone projects, go hunting, and enjoy the calm before the storm! Right now the pastures look great and so do the cattle. A few pasture moves and maybe a little doctoring is all we need to do to keep things healthy and growing. As we grow closer to October the pace will quickly pick up and before we know it we'll be working every day gathering and shipping cattle, getting our bison working facilities up to speed, and finally gathering and working buffs! I love this time of year. The wind is blowing in a way that means the season is changing. For now I will enjoy the even pace and enjoy this wonderful month of September.
|
|
|
Posted by Jeff G. on 08/30/2010
|
|
|
Ring Muhly Grass
|
We have many interesting plants on the ranch and one of my favorites is the Ring Muhly. This grass is easily recognized in the pasture because of it's unique growth pattern. Ring Muhly grows in a clump, then dies in the middle to form a ring. We see this grass most often in fully sunlit areas and dry, sandy soil. Ring Muhly is quite drought tolerant so it is a very common grass in this area. This grass can also be identified by delicate stems and small seeds.
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 08/27/2010
|
|
|
Hike up Mosca Pass
|
This morning I took a little time away from the ranch and hiked up the Mosca Pass trail in the Great Sand Dunes National Park. I feel very lucky to live so close to the park and be able to explore the park on a regular basis. This was the first time that I hiked this trail. It always amazes me how many different landscapes you are able to see in such a short stretch. The trail is 3.25 miles, but within those miles you go through heavily wooded areas, through areas with a huge amount of rock, through wet (and very green) areas, and then come out into these beautiful meadows near the top of the pass. It is a wonderful feeling to come out of the woods and enter into a wide open meadow surronded by mountain peaks. It was a perfect place for me to take a break from our busy lives and spend some one on one time with nature.
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 08/26/2010
|
|
|
Narrowleaf Cottonwood
|
The Lodge is surrounded by tall Narrowleaf Cottonwood trees. These trees are in the Willow family so are often mistaken for Willows. Because of their deep strong roots, Narrowleaf Cottonwood's are commonly used to prevent erosion along streams, their typical habitat. This tree is native the the U.S. and grows fairly rapidly up to heights of sixty feet by twenty years old. Many different animals call these trees home and use them as a main food source. Some of these include, white tail deer, beaver, squirrels, moose, and, of course, many bird species. Interestingly, horses will not eat it. Look for up at these tall trees and recognize the long narrow leaves next time you visit the ranch!
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 08/25/2010
|
|
|
Dove
|
When most people think of a dove they think of the white dove, the dove of peace.
One of the most common dove species however is the mourning dove, also known as the turtle dove, which is all over the ranch right now. Every year around this time the dove begin to grow in numbers and feast on the sunflowers that dot the highways and prairies.
This year there are a lot of sunflowers and a lot of really fat dove as a result. Most of the time you can find the dove around water sources and prolific sunflowers and when you go by their favorite spots they flee to safety in huge numbers that continue to grow.
They like the safety of dead tree limbs and power lines to have a clear line of sight at their surroundings.
This is a very cool bird that you've probably seen before or at least heard. These are the birds that you can hear cooing deep and sad songs early in the morning. I always thought they were called morning doves because I always heard them in the mornings, but they are actually called mourning doves because of their sad songs.
In addition to their unique singing abilities, they also make a whistling noise with their wings when they fly. This is probably due to the speed at which they fly - up to 55mph.
They will be gone soon at the first cold snap which usually comes around the first or second week of September. At that point the majority of the dove move down south where they stay until things warm back up, so as quickly as their numbers swell they will be gone and their sweet, sad little songs will be filling the mornings of our neighbors down south.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 08/20/2010
|
|
|
Thursday, Aug 19, 2010
|
While we were out riding yeterday we saw this large herd of elk in one of the pastures near the Zapata headquarters. It was a beautiful sight as they were all standing in a bunch of sunflowers, which are currently growing all over the ranch. Fortunately they all stood still while we all got to take pictures. We were able to see 2 smaller bulls with this herd, but they were maily cows. This time of the year, the cow and bull elk are still living in seperate herds for the most part. The large bulls are living in groups known as bachelor herds. We often see bachelor herds while riding on the Medano. In these cases, we usually see about 5 to 7 bulls. They have massive racks and are very impressive to see. Unfortunately they usually don't hang around long enough to allow us to take any really good pictures, but if I ever get one, I'll be sure to share!
I am looking forward to the rut season which will come in early fall, as we should be able to hear the bull elk bugling. From what I hear, it is a magical sound.
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 08/19/2010
|
|
|
Doctoring Today
|
Today we went out to doctor yearlings. We had 3 guests, Erika, Brian and Karina join us for the day. They were all a big help and we all had a wonderful day. All but one that we doctored today had foot rot; see Jeff's post below for more info about it.
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 08/18/2010
|
|
|
Wednesday, Aug 18, 2010
|
|
There's still a little bit of summer left here but before we know it it'll be fall. We've been doctoring for foot rots lately, a bacteria the cattle get in any wound on the hoof caused from the abrasive sand. We are riding through the cattle once or twice a week and rope any heifers we see that are limping. Other than that the cattle are in great shape and the grass in the pastures is very good thanks to the rain we got in the last part of July and early August.
|
|
|
Posted by Jeff G. on 08/18/2010
|
|
|
We've been birding!
|
This past week, I had the pleasure of going out birding for a day with local birder/naturalist extraordinaire John Rawinski and two of our guests, Frank and Sharon Sturgess. We spent all day traversing back roads, looking into trees and over bluffs for birds, and came away with quite a few spottings.
Frank and Sharon also spent a lot of time birding around the lodge and found the following just outside their room:
- Meadowlark
- Yellow Warbler
- Orange Crowned Warbler
- Yellow Rump Warbler
- Pine Siskin
- White Breasted Nuthatch
- Say's Phoebe
- Black-billed Magpie
- Western Bluebird
- American Robin
- Red Shafted Flicker
- Barn Swallow
- Kestrel
- Common Nighthawk
- Great Horned Owl
And, they spent a day out at the lakes on the Medano side of the ranch, as well as exploring some of the old structures, and found the following:
- Mallard
- Blue-winged Teal
- Pied Bill Grebe
- Greater yellow Legs
- 2 Great Horned Owls
- 2 Swainson's Hawks
- Horned Lark
- Prairie Falcon
- Western Meadowlark
- Northern Harrier
- Barn Swallow
Thanks to Sharon for passing these lists along to me!
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 08/16/2010
|
|
|
Specks of Yellow
|
The brush all around the ranch right now is sporting a yellow tinge across the top. Everywhere you look you see yellow.
This is a really pretty sight that reminds me of Colorado summers and visiting my grandparents. They lived in a little town called Ridgway - close to beautiful spots like Ouray and Telluride. Every summer we would visit them and every summer I remember seeing these hints of yellow scattered around the landscape.
Other things yellow - this is the 1970 Ford F-250 that Little Duke just fixed up and we've been driving around. Painted on the door is the old Rocky Mountain Bison logo, which were previous owners of the ranch.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 08/13/2010
|
|
|
The Long Drive Home
|
Yesterday we moved the 1,000 head yearling herd back to the ranch from the state park where they were grazing. We started from the lakes, moved over part of the Medano, then across Lane 6, through the breaktree pasture and finally to the Dixie. It was a long move, but it was a lot of fun for everyone. The cattle were coming off of really good feed, and knew where they were headed, so they moved very well. Also, we had a lot of riders to help us keep them going. We had 15 guests with us for the move, ranging in age from 10 to 80. The move took us about 6 hours. I was very impressed that our guests still had the energy they did by the end. The picture above is of part of the group trotting out to gatheryesterday morning.
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 08/12/2010
|
|
|
10th Annual Artist Exhibition
|
The dates for the 10th Annual Artist Exhibition have been announced!
Please join us at the Chico Basin Ranch on Saturday, September 4th from 1-4pm to see the artwork produced by 30 artists on the Zapata Ranch.
Click here for more information, including directions. The below picture was taken by Steve Weaver, one of the original artists from the gathering.
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 08/11/2010
|
|
|
Monday, Aug 09, 2010
|
|
A large part of last week was spent building temporary electic fence and moving the yearlings every couple of days. The reason for the relatively small paddocks and short grazing periods is to be able to concentrate the cattle and force them to eat overgrown areas. This stimulates new growth and provides fresh habitat for migrating birds, elk, and bugs which are an important food source for birds. My favorite part of this project is calling the cattle into the new paddock. They associate my loud whoooooo with a new paddock full of food and come out of all the corners of the old paddock to follow me through the gate, all 1000 head. This particular herd has been managed this way since they arrived in early March so by now they are well trained and are used as an effective and efficient land management tool.
|
|
|
Posted by Jeff G. on 08/09/2010
|
|
|
Monsoon Rain
|
This past week we've had several big storms that sweep in in a flash in the afternoons. The rain and lightning has been massive and impressive and left us each time with a huge amount of moisture.
The picture above is an example of what the ranch looks like right now - lush and green. The entire ranch is covered with tall green grass, giant patches of wild flowers and the little streams that are almost dry this time of year are flowing strong. It really is an impressive sight to see during the last month of summer and the cattle and bison will be pleased with all of their new food springing up around them.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 08/07/2010
|
|
|
Fall Workshops on the Zapata
|
|
This fall, we have 2 exciting workshops on the calendar. We're thrilled about both and are working on filling up the final few slots. Call today if you're interested: 888-5-ZAPATA.
SEPTEMBER 17-23: Bobbie Goodrich and Susan Lei Burns are putting on a photography workshop focusing on post-production work, large animals and the diverse landscapes of the San Luis Valley. The two instructors travel around the world for workshops like this. CLICK HERE for more info, or visit Goodrich's and Burns' website.
OCTOBER 10-15: Renowned painter Duke Beardsley will host a painting workshop that's not to be missed. This week will focus on figure and landscape painting, and is a great opportunity for painters of all levels to learn from a pro. CLICK HERE for more info, or visit his Beardsley's website.
Here's one of Beardsley's paintings--
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 08/06/2010
|
|
|
Tuesday, Aug 03, 2010
|
Today we moved the cows from the BLM pasture back over to the ranch. With the help of the Lesbroussants and the Ferrands, we were able to have a smooth move all the way. Pierre and Louie may be young, but they ride hard and did a great job helping us out! It is always funny to cross the road while moving the cows as traffic is usually very amused. Everyone who saw us today was very friendly and took a lot of pictures. Thanks to everyone for your help!
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 08/03/2010
|
|
|
Cattle in the Lake
|
This is a picture of the cows at the lakes grazing. Read about our move below in Jeff's blog post.
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 08/02/2010
|
|
|
Finally Sand Dunes Again!
|
The trails at the Great Sand Dunes National Park had been closed for several weeks due to a wildfire through the area. They were finally able to open the trails up again a few days ago and we went riding for the first time since the fire today. It was a gorgeous day of blue skys and beautiful landscapes. The Lesbroussants family joined me on the ride; it was a pleasure to spend the day with them. In my opinion, the best part of the Sand Dunes ride is my favorite lunch spot. We go up behind the dunes and sit up on a hill looking out over the dunes to the valley on the other side. It gives you a real perspective of how vast the dune field is. I took this picture heading back toward the trailer on Sand Ramp Trail. I feel lucky to be able to spend my days in such a wonderful place!
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 08/02/2010
|
|
|
Friday, Jul 30, 2010
|
|
Last Monday, we took the 1000 head of yearlings from the Break Tree Pasture to the lakes. It was an all day drive across many miles of sand hills and finally arrived at the lush, green, wet pasture which was our destination. Along the way the cattle were stretched out sometimes close to a mile long, a line of walking animals that went up and down hills with riders along each side. Five guests were there to help including Scott and Cathy from Buena Vista, CO, Joanna from England, Katie from Tennessee, and Jack's mom Lisa also from Tennessee. It was quite a sight to pop over the last hill where the cattle ran down to the rich green meadow, their new home for the next 15 to 20 days.
|
|
|
Posted by Jeff G. on 07/30/2010
|
|
|
Rocky Mountain Bee Plant
|
This is the beautiful Rocky Mountain Bee Plant (Cleome Serrulata) that is growing all over the ranch right now.
I wasn't sure what it was called but thought it was a really pretty flower or maybe even a weed and enjoy checking them out and watching the bees drunkenly fly around them.
With a little research I found out that this is a summer time plant commonly found in the Southwest that can grow up to five feet tall.
The Native Americans in the Southwest used this plant for several things - boiling and using as a green in meat stews, cooking the seeds to put in bread, making medicinal tea for fevers and stomach aches, creating a special concoction for treating sore eyes, steeping and using the liquid as a body and shoe deodorant and making a black paint for decorating pottery.
*Thank you to the GardenSeed blog for all of the great info.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 07/29/2010
|
|
|
Goodbye, Jack.
|
Today we said goodbye to our 5-month intern and friend, Jack. During his time here, he contributed greatly to the ranch in all areas; he fenced with the best of us, rode (and trained if you ask him) horses to the far corners of the ranch, became a solid contributor at both Zapata and Chico Basin brandings-- something that takes most people years, and won us all over as close friends. Regardless of his daily direction, Jack headed out with a smile on his face and returned with each job well-finished, and eager for the next. His attitude and work ethic were inspirational to all of us and something that we'll be hard-pressed to find in his replacement.
For those of you who didn't have a chance to meet him, here's a picture. And for those of you who did, here's a picture of the Jack you surely came to know and love alongside the rest of us.
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 07/28/2010
|
|
|
A Good Night
|
Last weekend Matthias and Paula from Germany and the Reiss family from New York spent a lot of time in the high prairie with us moving cattle. They were all great guests and Matthias and I got to talking about the wonders of whiskey. He is a connoisseur and thinking of starting up his own distillery in Germany.
The picture above was taken right at sunset when the girls and the horses decided to go to the top of the highest hill to get a good view. The silhouettes and the colors made for a pretty cool picture.
Everyone had fun and after a big meal we all sat around and Duke and I had our first public "concert". We played all night long and dug deep into the song list and ended up playing for a few hours. By the end of the night we probably played every single song we knew between the two of us, which means Duke knew most of them and lead the way. Like a human juke box. It was a fun night.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 07/23/2010
|
|
|
Rain
|
Yesterday afternoon, the clouds rolled in, opened up, and dumped a full inch of rain on the Zapata side of the ranch. We have been waiting for this storm for months now so that we can have the cattle grazing on it into the fall. Over the next couple weeks, we'll almost be able to watch the grass grow, especially if we get another storm soon.
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 07/21/2010
|
|
|
The Ed Room
|
Yesterday we had meetings in the Ed Room, which is a big restored barn right next to the lodge.
The meetings always seem to be productive here because one side of the barn is completely made up of windows that look out over a pasture and in the room are plenty of helpful meeting tools. The room is stocked with a huge projection screen, projector, speakers, giant writing pads and easels, conference tables, 50 plus chairs and wireless internet. So if we hit a lull in a meeting we usually end up watching funny YouTube videos or heading out to the pasture to see the cattle and crew until we're ready to get back at it.
We've had everyone from school groups to Fortune 500 companies and upper level management use the Ed Room and the meetings always seem to be productive. I think something about the fresh air helps the thoughts breathe and flow.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 07/16/2010
|
|
|
Artist Gathering Photos
|
Take a look at our facebook page for the first of hopefully-many-to-come photo albums from this years Artist Gathering. Painter Mark Rittorno was nice enough to send along a disc full of images from the 3-days he spent on the ranch. Click HERE to take a look and be sure to become a fan for continual updates about the ranch!
Here's a sneak peak of what you'll find when you visit the page:
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 07/12/2010
|
|
|
The Owl Family
|
There's an owl family living in the old Medano headquarters and every day we see them flying around. They have huge wings and glide around effortlessly from tree to tree.
Tess saw the two babies when they were little white puff balls and now they are all grown up.
I can't tell the difference between the babies and the mom anymore, so this could be one of the babies.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 07/09/2010
|
|
|
FEATURE: Quivira Coalition
|
The Quivira Coalition is a a non-profit organized to engage ranchers, conservationists and scientists alike in forwarding land health and educating the public on techniques of good land stewardship. Their annual conference is something we look forward to attending each year.
Take a look at their website and register today for this years event: November 10-12 in Albuquerque, NM.
Click HERE to be directed to their website.
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 07/08/2010
|
|
|
Artists Working Together
|
If you are an artist or have ever been a part of a live model session you may already know this, but I found it amazing that all of the different artists, and all truly skilled and seasoned at what they do, were able to agree on one position for the live session we had on the last afternoon.
There are countless positions the horse could have been in, the rider could have been in, where they stood and on and on and on, but everyone came to agreement with great ease, which was subtle but fun to witness.
In so many common meetings it takes hours to come to an agreement on certain things, but all of these artists settled, agreed and got to work in a matter of a minute or maybe less on something that would completely effect and dictate the outcome of their art. The "work" of painting, sketching, etc. and getting right down to it held the most importance though, so they did not delay and that passion of getting down to business was the fun part to see.
Everyone was intently focused on their piece for almost two hours with very little talking and at the end each piece was completely different from the next, reflecting the artist's physical vantage point and what they chose to focus on.
Some focused on the horse, some on the rider and some on the mountains and sand dunes that made up the background and they all came out great.
We had a blast this year and as Tess said are all looking forward to the shows this Fall, where all of the work from the gathering will be on display. We are still deciding on a date and location so stay tuned.
*Let us know if you have any good ideas for a show location in Denver or Colorado Springs.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 07/02/2010
|
|
|
Moving Horses
|
In order to utilize the grass we have in the best way possible, we have been grazing horses on the Medano side of our ranch when we are able. The horses love being over there due to the lush green grass in their trap. We are fortunate to have several water sources flowing through the Medano, providing wonderful grass for the bison, and occasionally, the horses. In order to move them from one side of the ranch to the other, we run them as a herd on horseback. It is fast moving and a great time for all of us. The few guests who have helped us have loved it as well! This picture of Charlie Brown and Cookie is from the last move we made. We will be moving them again tomorrow bright and early in the morning, in order to get ready for our next couple of busy weeks. We look forward to all of our guests who will be arriving in the next week- can't wait to share our ranch and our fun with you all!
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 07/01/2010
|
|
|
11th Annual Artist Gathering
|
We've just finished up our 11th annual artist gathering at the Zapata and are beaming with anticipation for September's show. This year we had 29 artists from Colorado and Wyoming, the largest group yet. The weather cooperated well and blue skies and 80-degrees gave way to thunder and lightening storms on two separate occasions which will surely make for some great work!
Perhaps our favorite part of the event are the nightly shows. After dinner, each person brings out three or four of his/her favorite pieces and displays them around the room. Often times a couple of different people will have captured the same scene or event, and it's really neat to see their different perceptions.
Many of the artists have promised to send along some pictures from their gallery after the weekend-- be it snap shots of their work . I'll be sure to post these just as soon as I get them so stay tuned!
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 06/30/2010
|
|
|
A Nice Hike
|
We all spend so much time on horseback here at the ranch that we sometimes forget about the wonderful hiking that can be done right around the ranch. Some of our interns are headed out tonight for a night of camping under the stars and a nice day long hike tomorrow. It reminded me of this picture that we took while hiking at Zapata Falls a couple weeks ago that I wanted to share with everyone. It is nice to get a perspective of the valley from up in the mountains. The view of the Sand Dunes from above makes you realize how massive and unique they truly are. Zapata Falls can be a nice short hike or a longer day hike if you want to make it up to Zapata Lake. We encourage our guests to take the opportunity to do a little hiking while at the ranch; you will get some of the best pictures. For those who are on horseback all day, it is a great way to stretch your muscles out after a long day in the saddle and catch a great sunset.
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 06/26/2010
|
|
|
The First Ranchlands Music Series
|
If you've ever stayed at the Zapata Ranch you probably know about our sister ranch in Colorado Springs, the Chico Basin, that we work very closely with.
Two weeks ago the Chico opened up the beautiful Bell Park with its first ever concert and camping and with the concert being a hit, they've decided to open up the park for all types of events and more concerts. Tess and I actually had our wedding at the Bell Park and even though I'm bias, it was a really, really beautiful setting. The park is in a huge cottonwood grove with a view of Pikes Peak, a lodge pole band stand and a bar that we built under a tree with the limbs acting as a sort of roof. It's pretty cool. So needless to say, the concert was a blast and everyone had fun dancing the night away and hanging out around the bonfire.
The very first, groundbreaking band was Corb Lund and the Hurtin' Albertans. The band was just nominated as 2010 AMA Emerging Artist of the Year, were recently signed by New West Records who are home to Kris Kristofferson, John Hiatt, Steve Earle, were the producers of the Crazy Heart soundtrack and many more and they just played at the Olympics in Vancouver. They are a band on the rise and really put on an amazing live show.
We're excited to have many more concerts to come and if you didn't make it you can click here to see a clip of Corb and the band playing and you can click here to be invited to future concerts and events.
If you have a chance, listen to some more Corb and start supporting some rocking music that's as clever lyrically as it is with the band setup and unique sound they put out.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 06/24/2010
|
|
|
The Green Fire Film Project
|
|
We just learned about The Green Fire Film Project which when finished, will be an hour-long film celebrating the life and legacy of Aldo Leopold. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Leopold is considered by many to have been one of the first people with a "green conscience." During his time, he worked extensively with US wilderness systems and today, through his writings and work, continues to inform and inspire people to live alertly and as part of the larger global "community." Take a look at the Green Fire video this far: CLICK HERE.
|
|
|
Posted by Tess L. on 06/23/2010
|
|
|
Bottle Feeding
|
We have 2 little bull calves living at the corrals right now that we are bottle feeding. They are adorable and love attention! Demetrius (not pictured) has been in for a couple weeks now- I found him while we were moving yearlings. He had been orphaned and was happy to get a ride in the front seat of the pick-up and a big bottle when we got in. He loves to suck on fingers and kiss your face! Edward is our latest addition- he was found yesterday while moving the yearlings. Our very observant guests, Yve and Ali, saw him laying by a brush. Carlos, Yve, and Ali went out to pick him up and gave him his first bottle- he also took to it very easily. He happens to be a very unique looking calf too! This picture is Ali and Yve giving him his morning bottle today- a very grateful little calf. Thanks to Yve, Ali, Julie, and Rosemary for all their help with cattle work this week- it sure has been a busy week. We are all off to brand at the Chico tomorrow!
|
|
|
Posted by Asta R. on 06/17/2010
|
|
|
Big Crowd
|
The bison have been gathering in big, impressive herds lately, which has been fun to see. It seems like the individual characteristics and mannerisms become magnified in these big herds because of all the wallowing in the dirt, playing around etc. is being seen on such a larger scale. The whole herd kind of brings the field to life with some eating and swooshing their tails, some playing and some wallowing pushing big dust clouds into the air. So you can imagine a few hundred of these instances making a pretty cool spectacle.
This picture is of a big herd in a field just north of the old Medano headquarters. The grass is a really pretty, deep green and all of the vegetation has been beautiful lately. You can even see sporadic green patches in the mountains from little meadows and grassy areas.
|
|
|
Posted by David L. on 06/15/2010
|
|
