Desert Destination: The County Fair

This last weekend we went to the local county fair. It's not real large, partly because we live in the desert and there aren't that many people here, but it's still fun. We wanted to make sure that Desert Boy got to see some of the animals and to support the cousins who had entered several animals.

We went over to see one of the cousins get her sheep ready for auction. She won a blue ribbon the day before. 

When it was her turn, she took the lamb into the auction arena and walked him back and forth to show off his best side. I'm not quite sure what that best side was, but maybe the person who bought him knows. The ranch bought some animals from the auction to help support the 4-H program. Sometimes it's hard for the kids to say goodbye to their animals, especially after they've spent so much time raising them. But the money they earn from the auction often goes into a special account and helps them pay for college.

Other cousins and Desert Boy are in the stands in the auction arena. Desert Boy manages to get their attention. He likes attention a lot.

Later we get to see this beautiful cousin's steer. The steer didn't particularly like other people, but he was well-behaved for her.

Nearby were these goats, belonging to a different cousin.

She's so young that she's in the Cloverbuds, a  junior 4-H program. She was the only one to have goats at the fair this year, so when she showed one of them on Saturday she and the goat had the arena to themselves.

Nearby were some sheep in the pen. They look so soft. It's fun to listen to them go Baaa. I obviously don't know much about sheep. 

Then we headed to the pig barn. I think pigs are so cool. Well, actually they look a little hot here in the 90+ degree heat. But they've got nice places to lay down.

This was one of the largest pigs, probably over 400 pounds. I don't think I would want to get anywhere near it!!

Desert Boy checks out one of the smaller pigs with his cousin. She's encouraging him to pet the pig, but he's not too sure about it. He's never been this close to pigs in his life.

We'll end with a bit of piggy love. I always enjoy going to the fair and am glad that the cousins are getting such great experience. It won't be that many years before they're showing Desert Boy (and me) how to care for and show animals. 

A New Tractor

A momentous event has occurred on the ranch. One that will be recorded in the history books. Well, the history books of the ranch, if we had such a thing. What am I talking about? We bought a new tractor. We practically never buy any new equipment, so when I opened the door and smelled that new vehicle smell, I didn't believe my nose. I asked my husband, "Is that tractor really new?" He said yes, and I looked closely to make sure he wasn't pulling my leg.

It's a John Deere 7230, and it's smaller than some of the other tractors on the ranch and more fuel efficient. Yep, we're definitely concerned about fuel efficiency. The price of farm fuel has increased six times over what it was ten years ago. The same with fertilizer, but the price of hay has only doubled, so we look for ways to save money.

Desert Boy got excited when he saw the tractor and couldn't wait to take a test drive. Or at least a pretend test drive. It's nice that he's still content to just pretend he's driving.

Once he's inside the cab, he's happy. He starts exploring everything and isn't shy at all about touching everything. I have to make sure he doesn't do something like the leave the lights on.

Desert Boy tries out the new seat, still covered in plastic. No dirt, no coffee stains, no manure. Wow, it's unbelievable. There's still cardboard on the floor. 

He's touching the plastic because it seems so unfamiliar. He is definitely a hands-on kind of kid and is always touching everything around him. 

He examines the gear shifter. You can see his stroller through the window in the background. These tractor wheels are definitely a lot more exciting.

And of course he has to do the requisite vroom, vroom noises while pretending to steer. 

The tractor is parked at the shop just behind our house, and Desert Boy keeps wandering in that direction, his eyes big with excitement. He can't stay away from the new tractor. I guess he knows a good thing when he sees it.

Second Crop

My husband is working long(er) days now because it's time for the second crop of alfalfa to be cut and baled. This summer they'll be cutting three crops of alfalfa due to the cold spring. On years with warmer springs and more precipitation, we can get four crops. Alfalfa is a perennial crop that can grow 3 to 12 years. It's in the pea family and produces a pretty purple flower.

Here's my husband showing my soon-to-be sister-in-law (hurray!) how to check hay. After the hay is cut and laid into piles called windrows, it has to dry. When the moisture is just right, about 8% to 16%, then it's time to bale the hay. My husband knows a couple tricks of how to test for that moisture content without using a moisture probe.

Here's a view from above of the windrows. I just love looking at fields from above, especially at harvest time. The symmetry of the rows just looks so nice to me. Maybe because they are so orderly, and I certainly don't have much order in the rest of my life!

The balers go round and round the pivot fields, depositing the nice rectangular bales of hay. We use a couple different-sized balers. Small balers make bales weighing 100-120 pounds, and these are mostly sold to horse owners. Large balers make bales weighing about 10 times that amount, and these bales go to our cattle and other cattle owners. 

Timing the harvest is really important. You want to cut the alfalfa while it still has a high protein content. At the same time, we're dealing with monsoon weather, so those afternoon rainstorms can get the hay wet and decrease the protein and make it too wet to bale. Hay with higher protein content can be sold at a higher price to dairies. My husband wants me to add that we are helping to produce the milk you drink! 

Here's another one of those orderly overhead field shots. The windrower and balers can't go entirely around the pivot because the pivot itself blocks the way, so part of the field gets cut in a different direction.

Soon after the bales are made, a balewagon goes around and picks up the bales and puts it into stacks. It is a great sight to see these finished bales of alfalfa hay. It's an even better sight to see them get loaded onto trucks and drive away!

Crossing the Cattle Guard

Cattle guards are very common in the west, and we have to cross two to leave the ranch. In case you're not familiar with cattle guards, they are not people who stand around and guard the cattle (despite what one Washington DC official thought when he said that to help improve the budget they should just get rid of  a bunch of those cattle guards). Rather, they are metal slats that are supposed to intimidate the cattle and sheep from crossing because their feet could slip through the slats. Vehicles can cross easily though. Cattle guards are found where important roads cross fence lines and they are in lieu of a gate that would need to be opened and closed.

One of the cattle guards is at the end of the driveway. It's a bit smaller than standard and has filled in quite a bit, as you can see from the small apricot tree growing between the bars. As a result, it's not much a deterrent to cattle getting into our yard, and I've watched many a cow jump across it. It's kind of a funny sight to watch a cow jump, which is good because I'm usually chasing it out of the yard after it's eaten my tulips and am in need of a laugh. In this photo I can get a laugh from those sexy white legs in the background (don't tell my husband!).

Desert Boy has been getting braver and more agile, so he decided to see if he could get across the cattle guard. He had to balance carefully so that his little feet wouldn't slip through the slats.

Oops, one spill. He doesn't seem fazed though and doesn't even make a peep.

He gets back up and heads towards the water on the other side. Water is always something that attracts him.

Henry decides to get in on the action. Henry may think he's helping, but usually he gets right in Desert Boy's way.

He made it across and now can sit in the water and play!

Or start eating dirt and grin when Mom and Dad tell him to stop. He's still getting his daily dose of dirt despite our best efforts.

Driving Tractors Part II

My son, Desert Boy,  loves to drive tractors, which is quite obvious in Driving Tractors Part I.

He was in need of a driving fix yesterday, so we visited the lower yard and looked around for some tractors for him to drive. We found a few and it was a good morning.

We started out on a Massey Ferguson 275. The red color attracted him immediately. Plus it was the closest one to where we parked. It doesn't have much of a seat left to it, but that doesn't matter much to a one-year old.

This tractor at first glance looks the same, but it's actually a 1964 Massey Ferguson 150. Cousin Pony Express Rider (update tomorrow!) had to come over and give Desert Boy a couple pointers.

Right next to it was an Allis-Chambers 7550. Now we're getting big! Mom gets a workout climbing up all these tractors to let Desert Boy drive.
The little smile makes it all worth it. Note Desert Boy's crossed legs, one of his favorite habits. I wish I had gotten some of his "vroom, vroom" noises. He made a lot of them.

Now he's done smiling at mom and ready to start driving, beginning by shifting.

Okay, three red tractors down, and a  fall in the dirt. Where to next? 

He looks a little wide-eyed behind the wheel of this tractor.
It's a John Deere 4755, pulling some big long red thing. My husband, my technical advisor, isn't around to tell me what the doohickey thing is. Oh wait, he's back and says it's a rotary windrower. 

I said, "What does that mean?"

He said, "Makes windrows."

"Well, what are windrows?"

"Rows of cut hay that can dry and later be picked up."

(See, we have exciting conversations in our house.)

Oh good golly, Desert Boy is now up in a high cab and reaching for the keys. We'll be in big trouble when he actually can start one of these machines.

Especially if it's something as big as this John Deere 6910, which is a forage harvester. The yellow part on the front picks up the windrow and chops it into little bits and blows it into a truck.

Okay, we're almost done, but there's time to play in this huge bucket. Henry doesn't want to be left out (he didn't like Desert Boy driving alone). You can just imagine the size of the machine needed to lift a five cubic yard bucket and its load.

Here it is, the biggest loader on the ranch. Desert Boy can only hope to drive this one day.

Desert Boy Rides a Horse

It's summertime, which means it's time to move the cows around different meadows and pastures as the feed allows. Aunt Tana helps move the cattle, and we saw her yesterday on her beautiful horse Jewel. She offered to take Desert Boy  for a ride.
Here's Aunt Tana with her dogs, Heidi and Tippy. They don't get along well with Henry. I think they sense that he's just a play dog and they know that they are work dogs, able to do important things like getting cattle to go where they want.
Aunt Tana starts by giving Desert Boy a lesson. She's an excellent rider, unlike me. In my dreams I'm an excellent rider, but in reality I get fairly nervous if we go faster than a walk.
Desert Boy quickly catches on and sows no fear being on top of the big horse by himself.
Desert Boy sees the cattle coming. Aunt Tana had ridden ahead to open the gate so they could come through. The horse has miraculously sprouted two more legs in this photo.
Desert Boy gets ready for the action.
He reaches for the other rein. He doesn't have much time to act, there's a storm coming in.
He's got the reins now and is ready to go. Maybe next time we'll put some shoes on him.
And there they are, a bunch of cattle in the background. They're moving in the right direction and all is well with the world.
Mission accomplished, Desert Boy scans the horizon, looking for his next task.