Earth Day - Feeling Connected to the EARTH

Well, I'm guessing you know that April is Earth Month.  Many towns and cities are having Earth Day Celebrations this week and weekend.  During these festivities, there will be lots of recycling and showing how to care for the land and tread lightly.

As a Rancher, every day is Earth Day for us.  We really do c.a.r.e. for the land and the earth each and every day.  If we don't take care of the land, the land won't take care of our animals and our family.  But really, I do see this every day.

Two weeks ago it REALLY hit me, how much I depend on the Earth and use it each day.  You see, I was at the Natural Living Expo.  Yeah, Yeah, I know, at a "Natural" festival there will be lots of celebrating everything natural and sustainable and good for the earth.  But no, thats not how it hit me.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE all the other vendors at the Natural Living Expo and how much the sustainable community works together to help many others live more naturally on our planet.

My feet.  Thats how it hit me how much I truly rely on the earth.  After the expo I could barely walk for two days!  You see, its calving season, so Beau was at home with the calves and kids & I took care of the booth by myself.  What that means is I stood (mostly in one spot), on cement, for two days straight.  Highly unusual for me in several ways!  First, standing still.  I'm used to walking a lot.  On any given day, I usually log three to five miles, in my daily activities on the ranch. 

Second, I was not on the E.A.R.T.H.  I was on cement.  Many people think that farmers or ranchers walk funny (when they see them in town).  Why, because they're probably used to walking on dirt.  I know I am!!! Especially after the Natural Living Expo.  It really hit me Sunday morning as I was sitting down before the show.  I really do rely on our earth for many more reasons than one.  But I really do celebrate earth day in the most basic ways, starting at my feet.  The earth is soft and comforting when you're walking on it.  So why shouldn't we treat the earth with a soft and comforting hand.  My feet were deeply blistered from standing still on concrete for 20 plus hours in one weekend.  So the past two weeks I have been v.e.r.y. conscious of the soft and wonderful earth I am privledged to walk on each day.


Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy meeting lots of new families and current customers!  But I really do LOVE the work I get to do each day on the ranch!!

So in honor of Earth Month (and its that time of year) we spread lots and lots of our All natural Fertilizer on the pastures south of the house this weekend.  Yes, I know the wind was out of the south and I still  had all the windows open, but I don't think it stunk.  Because It is real, natural, organic $^@& Compost!  So this week I'll keep spreading the compost and cleaning the lots, because its going to rain on Thursday and then the grass will GROW!!!  Then the beef will get to be on grass full time again!!! 

I know our cows are enjoying picking through the little bits of green that are popping up right now!  And this rancher will really enjoy not having to get into a tractor for months!!!!!  Until then wish me positive tractor driving vibes!

So, we're fertilizing our pastures for Earth Month, What are you doing to celebrate and improve the earth this month?

Btw, I have tons (literally) of free compost that is ready for spreading on your beautiful gardens!

This is one of the reasons I LOVE spring!!!!

His Momma, a heifer (first time mom) dropped him in a mud puddle and left him.  So, A.Cowgirl and I fed him a bottle, dried him off and put him in the barn with his mom.  His mom decided she liked him & wanted to nurse him.

GreenRanchingMom - Mama to the Momma Cows at the ECC

This is my soapbox....be prepared for me to be stepping on it frequently

I haven't been posting much about my opinions lately.

This is my SoapBox

I will be stepping up onto my soapbox HERE on my blog.  In more ways than one.

As usual, I try to think before I speak, but it IS my blog & I will say what I want.  I do have several posts in draft for me to tone down. : )

Hang on to your saddlehorn, we're going for a run.

GreenRanchingMom

Where have I been???

Everywhere, but online.....

More like where haven't I been???

The chickens got a new pen. And then they got out, ALOT. And then the dogs got 9 of them. BAAAADDDDD DOGGIES!!! Now you (doggies, the "pups") get to wear your pretty little shock collars ALL. the. time. And Momma will let you know that the chickens, they have started "biting" back. [meaning that I buzz them with a 4 or 5 when they start stalking my chicks]. It has now been 5 days with no more chicks dissappearing. They only touch the chicks, not the old hens or rooster.

This pretty little bruise (and 6 of its cousins) came from me setting up the harrow, and harrowing the pastures. Yes, I started taking my Floradix (iron supplement) and we have eaten all the liver left in the deep freeze. (ick, but at least I haven't ever had to have a blood transfusion) They have wanted to a couple of times, cause my iron was sooooooo low.

This prettly little bull, had his horns tipped. He was in the beef pen, but he grew up really nice, and he still has his nuts, so he might get to "visit" a couple of cows at the house this summer.

This heifer, however, got to get her horns surgically removed. We prefer to de-horn at birth or weaning, but sometimes we miss them. This heifer appeared to be scurred (little buds that won't grow very big) at weaning.

If we don't de-horn the heifers, they become cows with GREAT BIG HORNS, that get in the way. AND, they learn how to "use" their horns and can be very mean to the other cows and can even cut them or puncture them with their horns.

I only had a couple of minutes this morning, then, I'm back outside working. I'll post more snipets, and hopefully get some good pics soon too!

Wow, What a week

Well, I haven't blogged in a couple, and it has been eventful!!
So, lets go back a few days....
Monday, finally make the noodles, for that YUMMY Rooster Noodle Soup... MMMM, wheat noodles, homemade with our own eggs! (BTW, I don't use the white bleached flour - EVER) I usually use Hogdson Mill or Pauls (love it, but I usually don't pay attention enough to have extra on hand).

Tuesday, stayed mostly at home, some running errands to see how much postage for our fabulous Beef Expo Sale Catalogs. A BUCK a piece, for 12 pages, cause the president (hubby) won't let me fold em in half. Oh well, they look pretty good! Lacy did a great job!!

Wednesday, now that one was FUN!! I had a ME day. I went and had an eye exam, so I could get new contacts. You see when you are pregnant, and after your eyes might change, and mine REALLY DO. So, no more glasses. They are quite the pain in the cold steamy weather, with fogging and such. Then, I (GASP) got my nails done. I havent done this for at least 4 years, and back in my queenie days, I was never without acryllic nails. I had gel nails put on (for strength), and yes, I know I am very oxymoronic with all my green things and FAKE nails. But, every once in a while its ok, right??
THEN..... Are you ready for it??

I CUT OFF ALL MY HAIR!

Yup, In total I cut off about 15 inches. No, not a typo. My hair was down to my pants, braided. I have had long hair since about 5th grade. The shortest it has ever been, was just below my shoulders. So, I have an updated bob. That is, its a little longer in the front and shorter in the back. I can feel AIR on my neck. How wierd is that?? REALLY wierd if you never ever remember feeling it before.

Today, I hauled my baby pigs, and picked up my GROUND BEEF. She made over 500 pounds, and it is all fresh, not frozen. MMMMM, I've been browning some to freeze as taco meat, and going to make a bunch of thick hamburger patties later to freeze. If you're local and want some great beef, let me know.

And, I haven't forgotten, but I haven't figured out what to do with some WONDERFUL Lemonade I recieved, and I need to share.

My Day on the Ranch

This post was supposed to go up last night......Here you go, a day "off" for me on monday.



Well, today was another one of those "Days Off". Meaning that I took Squeak to school (daycare, but its at the school, and that just sounds good). So, first thing, I dropped him off, yes, I got the girls on the bus (different school) and fed cows. We were supposed to get a blizzard. It was bad, but not that bad. ~4 inches of wet, fluffy, snow and still coming down.



I had just rec'd my final copy of the Beef Expo Catalog to proof that AM. But, I wanted to get some outside work done. Feed was supposed to be delivered today, so I set out to ready the barn. (Remember my fitness goals, they'll work their way in here) I started at the SouthWest End of the Indoor Arena, cause that's where I want to park the two gravity wagons.



OHHH, forgot to tell you, CARPENTERS are MESSY!!!! They left me with an entire barn full of TRASH and SCRAPS and good wood EVERYWHERE. (And this barn is 56x104 with two 18foot lean-to's on each side) So, I had my work cut out for me cause all of the trash/wood/tin has been thrown to the west side.



But, I DID IT!!! I piled ALL of the good wood in one section, and put the mid-sized sheets of tin on top. I picked up all of the small scraps of wood and paper trash and put them on the flatbed (read-10000 squats). I moved the chicken pen (a dog kennel) to the 2nd bay in the SW corner, and made them a pretty new nest (thank you Carrie). I hung up all of the extension cords nice and neat (6). I fed new cows in lot, Pet cows in lot, calves in lot, i gave them all new hay bales. I watered everything, and then I had luch with my honey.



Came back from town, and finished all of the little stuff. This entire time, I was working fast. I couldn't have kept up any conversation, so I think I was doing pretty good. I kept chanting, no panting "round pen". I will get a round pen set up in here this month to start working colts!



As I was doing all of this work (AND LOVING IT) I was thinking of excuses, reasons, why I didn't NEED to walk to the mailbox. "I did like 5 million squats picking up this stuff" If I have walked the entire length of this barn 250 times today, how many feet is that?" and "I really have gotten a workout today". But then I kept thinking how, if I make an excuse today, I will want to make an excuse tomarrow, and so-on and so-forth.



So, I didn't get the mail. I didn't drive to get it, but I didn't walk either.



Oh yeah, and when I went to get a load of hay @ 2:30, I got a Dr.Pepper and Peanut M&M's. Bad deal. Had to do it. You see, I'm hypoglycemic, and I knew I was going to crash after all that physical work, and needed the sugar (yes I should have had my trail-mix with nuts and sugar, but I didn't). Anyone have any suggestions, for after workout ways to not crash??



I still had tons of fun, and I did get a good workout. My, feet, butt, calves, and arms, say that I did a GOOD job!!

Darn Wooden Fence posts

Well, most people use tweezers to pull a sliver, but when you get a giant one.... This is what I use. I know cheesey, but I won it in a pageant, (my younger years, no, I never won that contest). and it works.

But I got the fence post cut, so I can now get a Mail Box put up. No, not in front of our house, about a 1/2 mile down the road. Did you know they don't have to deliver to your house if you're more than a mile from their current route?? REALLY ANNOYING!!!

So, back to digging on my sliver.