Month: August 2016

Moving Bales Home

On By colleengbergIn AgricultureLeave a comment

We picked today to move our hay bales from field to bale stack. I timed a full cycle just for fun because there is an element of teamwork, cooperation and throttle work that goes on. A cycle of time to which I was hoping I could improve on as I got bolder and bolder with the throttle variable.
The components of our bale-moving cycle involve hubby loading the bales two-by-two from tractor to Mac Truck (our Old Faithful) from the field.

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Then he proceeds to the bale stack in yard a mile away while I jump into the same tractor and follow him back.

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He unloads at the bale stack….

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Where my dear dog Patty waits for my return and we have a short but pleasant visit during the unloading.

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Then back I follow him, now empty, as we return to the field of bales awaiting us for the cycle to continue. You see, we just use one tractor and one truck and one hard-working husband and wife team.

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A full cycle times out to average 36 minutes, each load is 14 round bales and we completed 14 of those round trips.  When you’re going back and forth and back and forth well yes, you start keeping track of statistics, by golly!

We still have another field to empty of bales which allows the grass to keep growing as it is doing so beautifully this year….but for now we have a yummy short rib supper in the crock pot waiting for us back at the house. It’s time to call it a day!

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Girl Power

On By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Domestic AnimalsLeave a comment

What do two cowgirls do on a roundtrip tour on the Alberta highways to pick up bulls , load ’em up and head on home within 9 hours of traffic, torrential rains, glorious Alberta sunny skies?

Why…..we turn off that big old highway..park the bulls….and find ourselves some ice cream!!!!!

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Today Flicka Rancher and her favourite, one and only, ever-so-helpful step-daughter Shelby had the privilege of picking up three of our bulls at one of our pastures….4 hours away and along with help from Carol (the Mrs owner of the pasture out there-her hubby out haying) we loaded up those three big boys, turned around and came home to finish off our 9.0 hour truckin’ shift.
Got some more REAL practice backing up the trailer again, gets a wee bit “easier” every time. The REAL practice makes the learning so much more meaningful.
Thinking I might just volunteer for that one again!!! I like the ice cream part!!!

Photo Challenge – Morning – Day Seven

On By colleengbergIn Photo Challenges1 Comment

This has been a fun week utilizing the weekly photo challenge – morning – as a personal daily challenge for me. I saved the best for last.

Thanks to my mom and dearly-departed dad, my morning now must begin with their ritual………coffee, chocolate and half a muffin.

You see, they would start their day in the kitchen reading their respective favourite sections of the newspaper over coffee (a most revered beverage in our family), a piece of dark (and it has to be at least 70% dark) chocolate, and one homemade muffin split in half to share between them.

Although dad now delights in his heavenly coffee, chocolate and muffins….mom faithfully continues the tradition every morning and I’m sure that in so doing, she feels a little closer to him.

It makes me feel closer to both of them!

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Photo Challenge – Morning – Day Four

On By colleengbergIn Domestic Animals, Photo Challenges5 Comments

On our ranch, Morning means our precious hard-working, intelligent, gentle and  sensitive border collie, Patty gets to come into the house for a little AM visit to start everyone’s day on the right foot.

She works so hard for us with the cattle that we like to give her a little appreciation and now we’re all hooked on the morning habit, including Patty.

 

Photo Challenge – Morning – Day Three

On By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Domestic Animals, Photo Challenges5 Comments

I elected to use the Photo Challenge – Morning more as a “Morning Story” for Day three. Today…we check pastures and for sure that means we treat cows and calves. We have come across some incidents of foot rot more so this very moist year and so we need to get going early in the morning!!!

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So, my job is to corral the animals that hubby brings in on horseback. I wait by the corrals in the very abundant grass and weed growth pacing back and forth to capture these critters…..this groundwork can get wet!!! I need to aspire to the horseback position!

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We have fairly rudimentary corrals out in the pasture for this type of thing but it’s certainly a step-up from just roping a sick animal and tying her to a tree. Our old chute system from the home corrals has retired to the north pasture.

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The cows come in nice and peaceful

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But the bulls have to show up in “wrestle-mode”. Always has to be drama with these fellas .

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However
I got ’em corralled

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Our morning story.  In our pasture, almost an hour away, we rounded up and treated three cows and one calf and loaded up two rascally bulls for home all before noon.

Countrified Blessings-Cheerful Labor

On By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Countrified Blessings1 Comment

I feel so blessed to have a step-daughter, who happens to be a brilliant teacher [subsequently has the whole summer free] and best of all is ready, willing, cheerful and able to rake hay.

She has happily taken over this task for me this haying season and is having the time of her life [I think] working alongside her dad in the fields. She’s on the rake a few swaths ahead of him while he’s working the baler.

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Couldn’t be a more countrified blessing than your children wanting to work on the farm. Here she is negotiating with her dad to keep going instead of his suggestion for her to “call it a day”. Yes, we are blessed!

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