Photo Challenge – Narrow

On August 5, 2016August 5, 2016 By colleengbergIn Photo ChallengesLeave a comment

This week’s photo challenge ties in nicely with my little adventure yesterday. For some reason and without warning…my fancy Dodge Ram truck wouldn’t start after I returned from walking through my contented cows.

I had dropped in at one of our pastures along the highway on my way home from the city still half an hour from home. Guess my fancy truck felt she’d give me a little attitude because she maybe thought pasture-checking was beneath her and she had just had such a fine time cruising the paved streets of the city for a few days????

Most folks might not think this trailer bed is Narrow but this gal sure did. Didn’t know I would be required to steer [no power steering when the truck won’t start] this big old girl up this “narrow” ramp while the tow truck driver winched us up. It felt like the early stages of a midway ride when you slowly crawl up to scary heights unknown because you can’t see at all where your tires are.

Turns out we got ourselves lined up mighty fine.

Vacation

On August 5, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, EntertainmentLeave a comment

So when my hubby and I finally take a vacation…..where do we go? Well to hang out with more cows and more horses and more bulls….we go to a stampede!

The Ponoka Stampede in fact! A two and a half drive from the ranch. We drive away from our peaceful, comfortable homey ranch to set up our trailer in this conglomeration of others seeking “time away” a “change of routine” a “break” some “rest and relaxation”.

We really did end up having a great time away from “the routine” and we truly enjoyed the socializing and the entertainment that we are blessed with on a daily basis at a professional rodeo type event….I find myself wanting to be one of these guys though…right in the arena catching the action WAY more closeup than my telephoto allows me from the grandstands.

Ends up though that there really are lots of photo opportunities to satisfy this rodeo-photographer-wanna-be even from her perch in the stands.

I’m afraid this “vacation-mode” compelled me to take a short vacation from my blog! Operative word…”short”. That’s what a vacation is for. To get recharged with gusto to carry on!

Photo Challenge – Look Up

On July 13, 2016July 15, 2016 By colleengbergIn Photo Challenges1 Comment

From my passenger seat in the truck whilst we were driving down the highway on our way to check pastures, I thought to Look Up and good heaven’s…thought we were under attack!

Turns out it was somebody’s canola field under attack. Crop – dusting season. Although pretty contrasting colors and all this is what negatively impacts the bee population in our world. Another topic for another time………..

Experiment

On June 24, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture1 Comment

I decided to experiment with my blog. I wanted to test if the sky would fall if I failed to blog one Thursday, last Thursday to be exact. My conclusion? The sky does not fall if I fail to blog on any particular Thursday. In fact, life continues to carry on and at a very full and rapid pace, as usual.
But I digress.
It is Thursday again and to celebrate my return to regular blogging, thought I’d share some highlights from our little tour around our “neighbourhood” tonight. Also, speaking of celebration, during these past two very busy weeks we got all our animals out to pasture including the bulls. This achievement means more camera time for Flicka Rancher

Hubby and I needed to check on our cows in our closest pasture (45 minutes away) as we hadn’t been up there since taking them a little over a week ago. On each of these pasture checking trips, no – make that most every time I head out in my truck, I pack my camera in case the local wildlife is out and about.

They did not disappoint tonight.

Photo Challenge – Numbers

On June 10, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Photo ChallengesLeave a comment

So fitting that this week’s photo challenge should be Numbers

Seems that’s all I’ve been dealing with this past week as we gather, sort, record, sort again, load and take our herd to their separate pastures for the summer from our home base.

We are meticulous about keeping record of every cow and where she is and what bull she will be with by recording their precious Numbers.

Countrified Blessings-Kitten Crop

On June 10, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Countrified Blessings, Domestic Animals1 Comment

Sure, you can have kittens in the city or in town but here in the country….you can have LOTS of kittens creating a cuteness overload situation in the spring.

Fortunately and humanely (perhaps), natural forces prevail and somehow the population numbers don’t get too out of control.

But because we are in the glorious country and we have this big old barn, they live quite comfortably and away from the ire of any old municipal by-law officer.

Off The Grid

On June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 By colleengbergIn AgricultureLeave a comment

Missed blogging on my designated Thursday yesterday so I was thinking I would post a short explanation today instead. Looks like I’ll be off the grid for the next few days as we gather, sort, vaccinate, brand, and then sort again all our cows and calves as we prepare to send them out to pasture for the summer.
But, then again, I might just post some scenes of the whole process if it doesn’t get too crazy. After all, I do have this fancy mobile app to blog by!
But maybe too ambitious of a thought….it’s taken me two hours now to get at this short entry and we’re not even chasing cows yet!
The scene is peaceful for now as hubby and I work to prepare all the little details before the “rodeo”!

Countrified Blessings – Canine Freedom

On May 27, 2016 By colleengbergIn Countrified Blessings, Domestic Animals2 Comments

When you live in the country – when you go out walking with your dogs – you can let them go pretty much anywhere.

You and they are free from the burdens of:

a leash
a pooper scooper
plastic bag for the poop
dangers from traffic
complications with other dogs.

In other words, out in the country we are blessed with the joys of “it’s a dog’s life”…freedom!

Photo Challenge – Jubilant

On May 23, 2016May 23, 2016 By colleengbergIn Agriculture, Photo Challenges5 Comments

To say our heifers were Jubilant, when let out on some real green turf after being in their cozy pen over the past few months [but now a soupy, muddy mess thanks to some glorious longed-for rain], could be considered an under statement.