Graduation

I have quite a few relatives graduating this year from different levels of school, but the only graduation I was able to attend was that of my niece Kori. She graduated from high school last week, ready to enter the big world.

She doesn't look scared at all.

I think Kori is really ready to get out of high school!

She and some classmates sang the national anthem, which was beautifully harmonized.

Later she and her friend sang a lovely duet. She is so lucky to have such a wonderful voice and very talented to be able to perform and share it with everyone.

Soon it's time to walk up the steps and get that diploma.

And she's done it! Congratulations, Kori!

And congratulations all you other graduates! 

Puppy Love

Aunt Tana has a new puppy, a border collie named Lucy. Actually, she admits it's her husband's dog (like Heidi in the background), but while it's a puppy she's going to claim it. I would, too, the puppy is so cute! She loves to jump on Desert Boy, which is why she's being held. She has just a little too much energy--if only I could channel some of it!

Cousin Clay enjoys playing with Lucy. Doesn't he look so cute with his cowboy hat? I probably shouldn't write that--if he reads this he'll probably blush. 

While we went out to check on the heifers, Cousin Clay and Lucy hung out in the back of the truck, communicating in their own language.

In the Bus

Desert Boy is obsessed with buses. Every time he sees one, he points and starts saying "Bus, bus, bus." Except he doesn't stop at saying bus three times. He says it over and over and over.

He loves to go down to the shop area and play on the old buses. There's something even better, though, and that's getting on a real bus, a working bus.

Fortunately for Desert Boy, Aunt Tana drives the bus. She let him get on the other day and practice driving in her driveway. He found out how all the lights operate. He steered this way and that. And then he grabbed the door handle and pulled it closed. He closed it so far it locked. 

No one panicked. Desert Boy was doing what he liked best. And the back door was open, so Cousin Clay was able to jump inside and come to the rescue. That's what cousins are for.

Feeding Heifers-Part I

The heifers, or cows giving birth for the first time, are kept in a separate area close to my brother-in-law's house so he can keep an eye on them and help them out if they run into any problems. Every afternoon they are fed at about the same time with the idea that the late feeding will encourage more of them to give birth during the day. (It's easier to see if they're having trouble during the day than night.) This late afternoon feeding often allows the cousins to do this chore.

Here three of them are waiting in the blue tractor for their older sister to load a third bale of oat hay on to the trailer. Their dog, Jan, is sitting on a bale of alfalfa hay, patiently waiting.

Henry got excited seeing her and ran over to say hi. The only problem is he has a fear of jumping and wouldn't get on the trailer. And Jan thought it was pretty funny to be queen of the hay trailer and have it all to herself, so she didn't want to get down. Henry moved all around the trailer, trying to find an easy way to get on, but with no success.

Henry eventually convinced Jan to get off the hay trailer and they had a great time chasing each other around in the mud. Sometimes it looks like being a dog is a fun life!

Meanwhile, up in the tractor the kids take a break from fighting to smile for the camera. Their mom takes lots of pictures of them so they know how to pose. They also know how to fight quite well, too, especially when they're a little tired and want to get moving. 

Their big sister is using the squeeze to pinch a bale of hay between two big metal arms. On this day it was extra hard because it was so muddy, and the wheels kept spinning, so it took longer than usual.

Finally, though, she got the hay and was on her way over to the trailer. Tomorrow we'll follow the trailer and go see the heifers and some of the new calves.

Family Fun

Desert Boy and I recently visited with family, including a bunch of uncles who were hoping to teach Desert Boy "bad" things. Now look at how sweet Desert Boy is in the photo above, riding on the shoulders of one of his uncles. Doesn't he look slightly angelic?

Then his uncles decide to twirl his brains on the merry-go-round, pushing it as fast as they could. They ended up dizzier than he did.

He got sent down the slide--upside down--into Grandma's waiting hands.

Then his uncle took him down to the creek to throw rocks and sit in mud.

So it's no wonder he looks a little zonked out in the swing, with his shoe missing. Next to him is his younger cousin. Apparently she is ready to imitate Desert Boy.

She's usually a wonderful, charming baby.

See how she grins while Desert Boy squirms?

And she coos while Desert Boy puts his finger in his mouth. At least it's not up his nose. But she doesn't have long until her uncles decide it's time to teach her "bad" things. I can hear them scheming now. 

Up on a Horse

The ranch has some beautiful horses, but they're all working horses, meaning that they can be a little feisty and aren't the docile retired animals that you usually find at trail rides. Seeing how that's the only type of horse I had been around before I moved out to the desert and got married, I've had a bit of a learning curve as I try to master riding a horse.

My sister-in-law Tana makes it look easy. She's a true cowgirl, and has no problem taking little Desert Boy for a ride. They both are loving it.

Desert Boy even looks like he knows what he's doing, holding on to the reins and looking around to search for cattle. Tana started riding before she could walk, so perhaps with Desert Boy starting early he will also make it look easy.

This is my nephew Tractor Buddy. When I look at him, I figure that this is what Desert Boy probably will look like in about eight years. 

And now it's my turn. Tana let me take a ride on her horse Jewel, a gentle horse who had just finished herding cattle and was feeling a little lethargic. Perfect for me, the neophyte. I love riding horses, as long as I feel in control. I feel in control when the horse is moving slowly--anything faster than a walk gets my heart pounding!

That dusty ground looks like a soft landing in case I do take a spill. I walk Jewel around in circles, and then...

...the world starts getting topsy-turvy. Oh no!

Just kidding, I wouldn't have actually been able to take a photo while I was falling off. That would take too much coordination. Here I am, just strolling along, pretending that I am a world-class horsewoman. 

Moving Cattle

On Sunday my husband received a call from his brother Dave that he needed help moving 350 cows out of the meadow and into the corral so that they could be preg-checked (checked to see if they were pregnant) the next day. Desert Boy and I tagged along to photograph the event. We went down to the big meadow at the south end of our property, where the cows were contentedly grazing, unaware of what was going to happen next.

My husband doesn't like horses much, but he sure looks good on one! He even dug out his old cowboy boots so that he would be prepared. The cowboy boots usually remain on the floorboard of his truck, buried under irrigating boots, electrician's manuals, parts for different tractors, and grease-stained jackets.

My sister-in-law Tana is in the front, with Dave behind. They both know about everything you can know for riding horses, so I always try to soak up a little knowledge from them. My nephew Tractor Buddy is in the back, drafted into service and not too sure that this is what he wants to be doing. Our old cowboy Lee, 80+ years old and still riding strong, is along for the ride, along with Tractor Boy's dad (my husband's other brother).

Once they get into the meadow, the cows no longer are milling about in all directions, but sense that it's time to move. They gradually start heading in the right direction.

The horses and riders keep them going, and the cows are really well-behaved.

I am just loving every moment. The mountains in the background give a sense of the Wild West to the picture. It's quiet all around except for the sound of hundreds of cattle moving through the grass, mooing now and then.

Here's my nephew Tractor Buddy. He looks like he's doing pretty well on a horse. He chose his nickname, so you can see what his first love is.

The first 350 cows have been moved through the gate and are at the corral at the end of the area I'm waiting in. Dave opens the gate...

...and they start in. This area is really dusty, and you can see the dust cloud starting up, obscuring the mountains.

The cows ignore us over on the truck and just head right into the next corral where they're supposed to go. They were being really good! Sometimes they'll mill around and walk in circles and make life a little difficult.

The horse riders are really in the dust following the herd. Nevertheless, my brother-in-law Dave has a big smile on his face, glad the cows are doing what he wants. Or maybe he knew I was taking a photo.

Dave and my husband follow the cattle into the corral, eating the dust.

And then all we can see are ghost riders on the range.

Birthday Party at the Beach

My oldest niece had her birthday last week, and to celebrate she wanted to have a party at the beach. The beach is basically the exposed lake bottom of a nearby lake that partially dries out every summer. But we make the best of what we've got, so we'll just call it the beach! It has sand, shells, tracks, and lots of room to play. We brought out the lawn chairs, towels, swim toys, and got ready to party.

The remaining water in the lake is a huge draw, and this time of year you can walk out a hundred meters and still be only knee deep. Henry and Desert Boy were ready to take the plunge.

Some of the cousins and their friends were already in the water, racing around, playing on inner tubes and boogie boards, and just generally amusing themselves. The water was the perfect temperature for a hot desert afternoon.

While the other kids were occupied, Desert Boy grabbed his cousin's sandal. He must be taking lessons from his sidekick Henry, who is always stealing items of clothing and running away with them. He started walking and I wondered what he was going to do with the sandal. I figured that as long as he didn't start chewing on the sandal like Henry does, we'd be okay.

Here he's tossed the sandal into the water and is watching what it does. You can see the inquisitive look on his face. I think he will take after his Daddy in trying out lots of experiments just for the fun of it.

Then he finds one of the inner tubes the kids have abandoned and decides to put the sandal into the inner tube. 

He climbs in after it and finds a nice place to sit and relax. 

Meanwhile, the other kids have gotten bored just playing in the water and have started a huge mud fight. It goes on for what seems like forever, and they don't get tired of chasing each other around and throwing huge clumps of mud.

Cousin Tractor Buddy is nearly coated with mud and seems happy about it.

Of course Desert Boy can't stay away from all the commotion and goes to check it out. Mud!? He's happy to play too and soon his feet and hands are coated in mud.

And then the inevitable--he has to taste it. Yum, mud must be good because he got quite upset when I picked him up and moved him out of the mud zone. 

We went back to the party area and he soon forgot about the mud once he began eating Cheetos and watermelon. That's a balanced diet, right? It was a wonderful afternoon and a great spot for a party.