Not bad on the guessing:
jenjen said:
Hmmmm, I don’t know if I want to guess… Does it involve livestock???
Yes, in fact it does. How did you know. 🙂
H.K. said:
It looks like they’re at a construction site….so, they found abandoned little kittens or weird looking bugs? Or maybe a buried treasure- if there is, can you share the loot? :0)
No kittens or I’d have a new addition to the family. I don’t think you could get grown men up that early on a Saturday to look at bugs no matter how weird they were. Buried treasure? Yes, come to think of it, they did find some buried “nuggets” that day. I don’t think you’d be interested in this particular bounty.
Bruce said:
Hmm, four tough guys and a kid to help… I’m just happy that Rolf had sore muscles today too!
He did but also said, and I quote: “That was one of the funnest thing I have ever done!” Not sure that’s proper grammar but hey, English IS his third language after all.
Mel said:
I’m guessing they’re starting on your chicken coop?!
Oh Mel! Don’t I wish. Apparently the garden takes precedence to the coop right now. I know, Lame.
Jeff said:
That had better not be the septic tank.
No worries. We have become intimately familiar with the “ins and outs” of our fine septic tank capabilities. It’s all good.
Shally said:
Sheep Shaving.
While that would definitely warrant its own barrage of photos, you are close but not close enough. But triple points for using /sh/ so many times!
honeysuckle said:
Does it have anything to do with a fence? Second guess, septic tank. Are you going to tell us?
Gosh, what is it with the septic tank? One catastrophic explosion with guests in town and now my reputation is “in the tank”! Yes, I will tell all, keep scrolling, Mom but you may want to shield your eyes.
Lorena said:
I think I know what it was, and I’m not quite sure how you’re going to get this across to your audience!
I think you DO know what it is. And I’m not afraid to let it “all hang out” on the blog.
Amanda Jones said:
I have no idea… but that is a funny picture! I can’t wait to hear what it was!
You shall wait no longer…
We spent the better part of Saturday experiencing something all new to us but quite common to cattle ranchers:
No silly. Not giving one another “man”icures!
(Edited so as not to change the rating on the blog…)
Castrating bulls and:
Branding cows!
If you’ve never been to this sort of event, be prepared to see lots of:
Cow spit
Bewildered baby boys
Mad Mamas
“Helpful” ranch hands
Lots and LOTS! of cow poo
Mad Cowboy skills
Hollering!
(Sometimes but not always) An Austrian in sneakers posing as a cowboy
Opportunities to take pictures through fence holes while hiding from deranged livestock
DIRT!
You’ll need more than a t-shirt corner to clean that!
And more testosterone than you could shake a stick branding iron at!
Wow, that sort of scares me.
You’re like the Idaho version The Pioneer Woman, aren’t you??? Great pics (albeit a little disturbing at times!)
You let it all hang out! Those are GREAT pictures. Thanks for the CD too!
Ralf said the funniest thing this afternoon. Jerry and Lane were the real cowboys there with cowboy boots and jeans. Bruce was the “granola-cowboy-wanna-be” with hiking boots on, and then there was Ralf with shorts and running shoes on. Classic!!
Holy cow–no pun intended! (Your title makes me wince now!)
Back at you, Wendy. I’m always here and reading with pleasure, although I can’t say this is my favorite post. Great photos, though. I appreciated the reality, especially the poop shot. I’m always too afraid to do those, but now that you’ve paved the way….
Wow, what a crazy experience!!! I’m a country gal, but have never been there for branding…
I love how you wrote this out, very tasteful but still super funny! Branding/castrating is very….exciting indeed! haha
Ewwww, I don’t think I’m cut out for ranch life. Sounds like quite an experience though. Did your boys like it??
XOOX
Jen
This reminds me of my uncle’s ranch back in West Texas. We used to help him, sometimes, although 2 little girls weren’t very much help to the cowboys! BTW, please come by today to help me celebrate Uncle Lynn’s birthday. We’re having a Birthday Bash AND a giveaway!
I will never look at a hamburger the same way again. I’m really glad that I had my burger craving yesterday!
They were definitely not looking at bugs or gathering nuts! Never knew how much work went into one cow!
I love your photos, and your story behind it!
Great photos Wendy. Aren’t you glad you moved there? Where would you have gotten that experience in California? You are getting a second education in Idaho. Now if you can find a way to make lots of money using it!
Usually I enjoy your posts but certainly not that one. I do hope the animals were given some sort of pain relief for the castration. Your photos seem to show little or no humane treatment. I guess you’re a real rancher now. woo hoo
That is why I live in town with 6 supermarkets within five minutes! I am not meant to be rancher! I appriciate what they do and all the hard work it takes but I still think it is yucky.
Okay … I’m reading your posts backwards. Some of these photos caused me to lose my appetite. Maybe that isn’t a bad thing 😉
I think you did the whole process photographic justice. Every thing has a purpose on the earth and, at least at this point, cattle are for our use.