Desert Destination: Back to the "Equipment" Yard

Every Monday we visit a desert destination.

A few weeks ago we visited the equipment yard located on our ranch, and we just barely scratched the surface of all the interesting things that are there. In addition to being a depository of ranch history, the equipment yard has also been an inspiration for my NaNoWriMo novel, which I'm about 70 percent done with and will finish up by November 30. I don't want to give away my plot, but suffice it to say that the cars' stories will be heard.

Above is a 1957 Chevy Belair, Uncle Larry's car. Uncle Larry used it to go to California and back. Once he retired he mostly fished and played bridge when he wasn't irrigating. He died two weeks short of his hundredth birthday and missed the big party.

The interior doesn't look too hot, someone needed some parts and took them. The old speedometer still looks cool, though.

Now we're going to back further in time, to this Austin-Western pull-type grader No. 11, vintage unknown, but we're guessing 1920s or 1930s. This road grader was pulled by horses or a tractor, and the wheels that Desert Boy is having fun spinning controlled the height of the blade.

Here's a view of the grader from a bit further away, so you can see the iron wheels and long arched frame. The operator had no seat--he had to stand.

Next to it is another old Austin-Western pull-type grader, a No. 31. This one is a bit newer, with a hydraulic system to control the blade. But the operator still had to stand.

This is a dump rake used for raking hay into piles. Before the dump rake went out in the field, a sickle bar was used to cut the hay. Then the hay dried, and the dump rake was brought in to gather the hay. When enough hay had gathered in the rake, , the operator pressed a pedal to let the hay fall in a pile. Then the horses (and later tractors) continued on until the entire field was raked into piles.

This John Deere 105 combine is from the 1960s. It was used to cut barley, wheat, and alfalfa seed. Once the crop was in the machine, it separated the straw or chaff from the grain. The grain went into a hopper and then out the chute to the side, called an unloading auger. The straw or chaff fell out the back into a windrow and was later baled, or sometimes the chaff was blown into a wagon that followed the combine.

This John Deere 55 combine is smaller and older than the 105, but otherwise it worked pretty much the same way.

The John Deere 720 tractor from the 1950s looks a little funny because the rear wheel is missing--it was needed for another tractor. See, this really is the equipment yard, full of useful parts! This particular 720 is slightly rare because it has a wide front axle instead of a tricycle. 

The Kenworth logging truck was called affectionately by my husband and his brothers the chartreuse Kenworth. It was used for hauling water and for a long time it had a cement mixer on the back of it. Its front tire was appropriated for more urgent matters.

Desert Boy looks kind of interested in this black VW bug, vintage late 1940s or early 1950s. It was a back up car when other vehicles broke down, but eventually it claimed a spot in the equipment yard.

I love the color of this 1953 GMC truck. The rust has just added more character, along with the missing headlight. Desert Boy looks ready to take off in it.

Ah, I feel so refreshed after a trip to the equipment yard. What treasures will we find next time?

Sheep Camp

November is the month when sheep usually come into our valley for winter grazing. In the old days, it was a rush to bring sheep from more populated areas along the Wasatch Front in Utah out to our isolated valley. There would be one or two sheepherders for each 2,000 sheep. A sheepherder would live out of his wagon, going to a rural store every few weeks to get supplies. Otherwise, it was him, the sheep, his horse, and his dogs. A pretty solitary life.

Today it's still a fairly solitary life for sheepherders. Not many people want to do it, and sheep operators often have to recruit men from other countries to be sheep herders. We see quite a few Peruvians come to this area, spending a year or two watching sheep before they go back to see their families.

Our ranch doesn't raise sheep anymore and hasn't for quite awhile, but we still have this old sheep wagon. The other day I decided to take a peek at it to try to get some insight into what it was like being a sheep herder.

The interior is sort of like an ultra-mini-RV. There's a bed, folding tables, and built in seats with storage space underneath.

One big difference from today's RVs is the presence of this coal/wood burning stove. Because sheep herders are out in these wagons on the desert valleys in the winter, it can get really cold. Sometimes they even get trapped by blizzards for days at a time.

Here's a wider view of the "kitchen/living area" of the sheep wagon. A sheep herder really doesn't have room for a lot of extra stuff.

There are some compartments on the outside of the sheep wagon, like this one for coal. There's a big one under the bed for spare tires, fuel, and other equipment. Often a separate wagon is left next to the sheep wagon carrying hay for the horse.

The wagons are simply built. A back window is a bit of a luxury. There are no shocks on the chassis, so everything has to be well secured before moving the wagon to a new location. Nowadays, the wagon is moved every week or two as the sheep continue moving to graze available forage.

The wagon above is obviously old, and you're probably wondering if sheep herders still live so primitively.

The answer is no. This is a newer sheep wagon. It still has small windows, a small shape, lots of storage compartments, and a wood burning stove. But it also has solar panels. 

Ramblings about Horses

Horses crack me up. They have distinct personalities, just like humans. Some are friendly and want to come over and say hi while others want to be left alone. Some like to go, go, go while others are just plain lazy. But one thing they all have in common is that they are bigger than me. Yikes! I feel kind of small and vulnerable around horses, waiting for one to step on my foot or decide to knock me over just for the fun of it. I know I need to spend more time around the horses to get more comfortable, so this was my goal one fine day.

This is Kate. The ranch often names horses after the people we buy them from. If it's a female horse, it may be named after the seller's wife. If we buy a horse that already has a name, we keep that name.

Kate's a good-natured horse who didn't mind posing for a few photos. She's really good with new riders and usually doesn't try too many tricks, like bucking or taking off at a gallop just for the fun of it.

Here's Jewel, a dependable work horse. She's all saddled and ready to go.

My sister-in-law Tana makes riding look so easy. 

My first horse ride was in Girl Scout camp the summer after third grade. I recall walking down to the stables and being told exactly what to do. The things I remember most are: 1. There are lots of flies around horse barns; 2. You should always, always mount a horse from its left side; 3. Riding a horse around and around and around in a circle while walking gets boring after awhile. 

Nevertheless, each year for the next few years afterwards, I would get all excited about my 15 minutes of riding two times during the week of camp. I imagined myself riding across the plains, chasing bison, my hair flying in the wind. I dreamed of being out on a big ranch with lots of cattle, being one with the horse as we galloped through the swaying tall grass. But I never, ever dreamed about being a jockey. I guess that thought never entered my mind.  

Over the next few years I had a couple opportunities to go on trail rides, which involved old horses walking slowly, obviously bored. Again, my mind would always race with ideas of what I was really doing. I was going up a steep mountain trail with important supplies for a scientific expedition. Or I was helping a handsome cowboy move cattle from winter to summer feeding grounds. Somehow a lot of my horse imaginations involved ranching and cattle and cowboys. Romance novels were my number one source of horse knowledge until I married my husband.

And here's my husband leading this beautiful horse, Jamie. My husband knows a fair bit about horses, but he likes to say he doesn't. He's grown up with them and has fallen off them (he doesn't like that part at all). He can ride a horse that's going faster than a walk and not panic. Nevertheless, I think the lasso is just for looks--he's never actually showed me his roping skills. Of course, he still has some secrets.

Desert Destination: The "Equipment" Yard

Today we're going to take a trip to a place that is in every desert valley, near every desert town: the "equipment" yard. My husband told me to put the quotes around equipment. You see, most people would call this a junk yard. But one person's junk is another person's equipment. Or something like that.

Near the entrance of the "equipment" yard is this sign. Hang on, we'll zoom in.

This sign means keep your hands off the equipment. The ranch uses a lot of old parts from the equipment that's stored out there, and is willing to prosecute anyone stealing or damaging the property out there. 

Ready to go take a look? Grab your hat and let's go for a ride.

First off we see this old Studebaker livestock truck, and next to it a 1953 GMC (the truck that my husband learned to drive--it didn't have brakes even at that point).

The paint job held up well on this old ton-and-a-half Chevrolet, which used to be a spray truck. Henry is having fun looking around too. 

Next we come across this Jeep Wagoneer left by a ranch hand. The interior is a good place to keep junk. Oops, I mean equipment.

Here's a Dodge van with moon hubcaps (on the back). Otherwise known as the loveshack. 

This is an AMC Pacer. The ranch needed some metal so my brother-in-law cut the roof off, but it caught on fire during the process and burned impressively.

Among all the old vehicle carcasses are some useful ranch equipment, like these water troughs, stored upside down to keep the dirt out and the wind from catching them and blowing them away. Desert Boy thought they were a great place to play hide and seek.

This VW bug was abandoned up on forest land and needed a happy place to retire. It sort of looks like it's even smiling. It knows it's in good company.

This mud-test hole rig still works! It's used to drill a small well hole to see if it's feasible to drill a bigger well.

Desert Boy found something to drive--the remains of an old bale wagon.

These old combines have found their final resting place. Until a part is needed and they suddenly provide a very important function to keep the current ranch going. 

A visit to the "equipment" yard is always a good time. My husband likes to reminisce about the vehicles out there. Each one has a story. We've just touched on the surface today, but don't worry, we'll be back again to see what other treasures are hanging out under the desert sun. 

The School Bus

We went down to the lower yard yesterday afternoon and discovered a couple school buses down there. What are school buses doing on a ranch? Nope, it wasn't a school field trip. And no, we don't use them to transport people around. A local school district was excessing old stuff, and the ranch decided that there were enough good parts on the school buses to make it worth the while to bid and haul them back.

It took a little work to unload this big school bus. It still looks good on the outside, but its engine and seats aren't the way they used to be.

Nevertheless, walking down the aisle of the school bus brought back so many memories. Band trips with wonderful friends and our "deep" conversations, singing on our way to swim meets, and school field trips that opened up a whole new world to kids from a small town. I also remembered the spit ball fights, singing '99 bottles of beer on the wall' to pass the time, and the silly jokes we played. The back of the bus was the coolest place to sit because it meant you were the furthest away from the adult, the bus driver. Nowadays, whenever I get on a bus I usually like to sit up front because it's not as bumpy. I guess that's another sign of getting old.

Desert Boy was with me, and of course he had to "drive" the school bus. He scrambled up on to the seat without any help from me and started the trip.

But with his short attention span, it wasn't long until he was looking out the window. 

Last week Desert Boy started saying the word bus. He loves to repeat it over and over and over. B-u-s. B-u-s. B-u-s. B-u-s. He even gets out a good "s" sound. He's so proud he can say it, he calls most every big vehicle he sees a B-u-s. Before long, he won't only be saying bus, he'll also be getting on the bus to go to school. 

He might have to grow a little more, though, so he doesn't have to sit down to get off the bus!

Surprise Snowstorm

We woke up this morning to discover snow outside! The weather forecasters had warned us that we might have rainin the morning turning into afternoon snow, but right from the beginning we had two inches of snow. I got all excited, I always do when we have new snow, even if it isn't yet the middle of October.

Before we could go out, though, we had to get properly outfitted. We didn't have our snow clothes ready, but I was able to find a snow suit that sort of fit Desert Boy, along with some boots that made it difficult for him to walk, and hat and mittens. He loves to be outside no matter the weather.

We went down to the lower yard, where the normally drab stack of tires looked a little more artistic with a layer of snow covering it.

Fortunately there isn't so much snow that the giant loader has to be called into action. The snow is putting a damper on chopping corn and baling hay this morning.

The cows still are eating away, and getting fed a little extra today since they're burning off extra calories to stay warm.

This calf is just adorable, with her dirty nose, big eyes, and slightly damp hair. 

We'll be back out to play in the snow soon, after Desert Boy wakes up from a nap. All the excitement wore him out. And after I make a big pot of stew for lunch--we need that on a day like today! The forecasters warned that we might have power outages due to tree limbs breaking and falling on the power lines, so if I'm not back bright and early tomorrow morning, be assured that I'll be up just as soon as possible. Have a good weekend!