Around the Ranch

 

Summertime, and the livin' is easy....well maybe it's not quite like the song, but there is certainly plenty to do in the summer! Both the kids are raising pigs for 4-H. They feed them twice a day and take them for evening walks. Sometimes it's right after sunset, and the clouds are gorgeous. The White Pine County Fair is the third weekend of August, just after school starts for them (they always miss a day of school their first week). 

We really enjoyed watching the Great Horned Owls grow in the backyard. Then they fledged and disappeared for a bit, then we started getting glimpses of them again. Here's a young'un and her mom. I love the fuzzy looking feathers!

And another view of them. 

A drive one evening led us to this Red-tailed Hawk on a pivot.

The Sandhill Cranes also like the fields. A few stayed this year and raised their young. Most go north, though.

The fields are a great place to see pronghorn (and my husband positioned the vehicle so I could get Notch Peak in the background).

Pronghorn are such cool animals, being able to run over 50 mph. They don't jump fences but go under them. 

I really wanted to see curlews, as I don't see them often. We looked and looked, but couldn't find them. We did find some Burrowing Owls, though! They are such cute owls. My friend told me to look closer, because it wasn't just adults...

...and sure enough, we saw a bunch of baby Burrowing Owls!

It's great to have so much wildlife so close by.

I hope your summer is going well!