Horseback Riding and Field Planting...

We were fortunate to have some beautiful weather over the Easter weekend and the first few days of April, so we decided to take advantage of the warm, sunny days and go horseback riding!
















Amazingly, Lilly STILL has not had her baby yet...she's clinging on to her foal stubbornly!?!

So, with no new little baby foal to watch jump and play in the corral, and a thunderstorm system approaching later today, we decided it was a good time to fire up the JohnDeere50 tractor, hook up the seeder and get the pasture planted! 






Using certified pasture seed and cracked corn, we mix these two together (ratio of 2:1 pasture vs. corn) by hand with a flat shovel then re-bag our mix that is then seeder-ready!







With our seed mixed now to proper proportions and our equipment ready, we head over to Mayfield to plant the pasture, which will help feed the horses during riding days this summer.



We'll start with filling the seeder bins with  a few bags at first to make sure everything goes well...







...And we're off!  :)  I'll stay back here to make sure the seeder chutes are dropping the seed mix at a good rate and evenly...not too fast, not too slow... but, definitely dusty!







Dana finishing up a section of the field..storm clouds above promising a good drink of rain for the seed (hopefully AFTER we're done!).




Logan is a great supervisor and loves to keep us company!  He will follow this tractor for EVERY pass!  Silly pup!  :)


Above is a picture of the "chutes" below the seeder that spit the seeds out into the soil.  This apparatus is ran by a chain, like a bicycle wheel would spin when you pedal.  The discs move when the tractor pulls the seeder and then moves a chain that moves cogs in the seeder that drop the seed mix at a dialed rate (adjusters are above, not shown in this pic).  So, the seed drops from the container bins above, then past the cogs as they turn, then down the accordian-looking pipes then out the end of the metal fingers that dig a little path for the seeds to help establish the planting.


Here is another view, where you can see the seeds dropping out below into the ground...a chain is hooked to the back in a "u" that helps bury the seeds with dirt as we travel. The wooden platform is where someone can stand so they can monitor this process and keep on eye on when more seed bags are needed to fill the bins above.  (Of course, how much seed one needs is determined on how much acreage one has, etc)




Finishing up the seeding...



Here the cogs are visible at the bottom of the bins, so no more seed left to fall down the chutes into the ground...and we're all done before it rained!  :)



A good day to get dirty and get some projects completed!

Cold, but Beautiful Day Outside! :)

Another cold day, but the sun was shining, so after pony chores we decided to head up to the pasture to cut some dead trees and get some posts prepped for corral repair. :)






Logan is an excellent supervisor! haha






Since we were able to get our supply plane in yesterday, we were also able to get the ponies' spring wormer medicine in...yay! (haha)  So, we herded in the wild mustangs for medicine time!







Boo is being a good girl getting her wormer!



It didn't take long before everybody got tended to...so it was a great time to give
baby horse kisses and dote on all the ponies!  :)  Man, these guys were DIRTY!  We were probably out there for two hours brushing everybody and they LOVED it! :)





It was cold enough again today we had to turn off the lake power, so we made some cowboy coffee on the propane burner and enjoyed it in a thermos while we watched the momma horses this afternoon...Baby Bella (above) decided she wanted to check out our cups...she's a very curious little girl right now!



Baby Dillon enjoying a good brush and some loves...he's such a good boy! He's a funny personality, too...sometimes pinning his ears back at first, but then friendly and ever-curious and ready for rubs and scratches.  He's our little stinker!  :)



Baby Miles grabbing a drink before it's time for dinner!  He will be two this April...so he won't be called "Baby Miles" much longer!...well, maybe.  ;)

The Supply Plane has Landed! :)

Today was a beautiful day compared to the storm fronts we've had this last week!
Blue skies, no wind, no snow or rain...but, wow, it was VERY cold when we woke up!?!  In the negatives last night...and 10 degrees around 0730 before we went out to feed the ponies. Brrrr!  Felt like we were back in mid-January again! Today was the first time we've had to shut off the power again all day since the 14th because it was so cold and the lake was low.  But, no ice chopping, whew!









Today was also a great day because our supply plane was able to make a drop-off with fresh veggies and fruit and other yummy food items and some online purchases we'd made and had brought in...YAY!  And, was a great visit because our pilot friend Cowboy (Rick Thomas) and Dana's Dad, Tom, were able to make the trip...  :)










Our first visitors since Mid-November!  :)




Dana and her Dad, Tom.  :)











Now the tricky part...loading and transport! :)
Lot's of rock slides with huge boulders on the road, hence the 4wheeler.




Safe Travels!

Spring Thaw, Perhaps?...

Hello all!  It's been awhile since our last post.  Throughout most of the month, we've had alot of the "same-old, same-old" happen here:  wake up, feed the ponies, fight the weather, feed the ponies...etc.   :)  The picture above, taken March 7th, was our last BIG snow storm (we hope!) of the year.  We'd had hintings of thaw with various snow storms in March.  The last few weeks, especially this last week, we've seen warmer weather and super fast snow melting around the ranch on the on the south sides of the mountain slopes!  Though, we're not getting TOO excited just yet...as it is starting to snow as I am typing...yes, that is right, it is SNOWING outside!?  Crazy, huh.  The last few days it has been 50 degrees during the day!  And it has felt like tropical paradise for us! haha  We're hoping this little bit of fluffy snow outside right now is the final Old Man Winter curtain act. 




On March 15th we cruised down to see if the landing strip had melted out more, as a few days prior there was still a considerable amount of snow.  And low and behold what do we find?....NO SNOW!  Which, most importantly means = SUPPLY PLANE!  YAY!  We're super excited about the fresh produce that can be flown in now, as well as a few online purchases (NEW running shoes, books, music gear, log skinner, vest) we had made that last few months to be flown in!  Looks like I'm still going to need the wool vest I ordered! :) So, if the weather cooperates, we'll have some goodies by the end of the week...it will seem like Christmas in March! When the supply plane arrives, it will be the first time we've seen other people since mid-November!



Loon Creek Road, March 15th.  Pretty mushy, but the snow melted out fast!  You can see there is still a considerable amount of snow up high.  We also saw alot of elk up high, too!  Probably about 60 head of one herd we spotted!



The hayfield today...this was a massive blanket of white a few days ago!  Amazing what 50 degree weather can do! Little baby green plants all over!





Checking on the hayfields today...some fields are bare at this time of day, while others still had snow.  At the end of the day today, probably 80% of the fields have melted!  (well, that is before the snow storm started tonight!)





Just puttering around!  We've had the opportunity to get alot of outdoor projects completed the last few days we've had such nice weather.  Hopefully no more long johns!





Two weeks ago we were getting homesick for seeing anything green!  So we planted cilantro (left) and basil (right) plants...they are growing so strong and loving the sun from the bunkhouse kitchen  :)




Logan enjoying a lake swim yesterday.  March 15th was the first day we haven't had to turn off the power all day long.  Logan likes the extra water!  There is a little beaver family here, too...but, it's been hard to photograph the babies...hopefully they'll quit being so bashful, they are so cute!




Recent picture of Lilly...we are excited to see that baby!  She has to be due any day now!  She is huge and getting pretty cranky!  We'll start checking on her at night now, just in case. 





The horses taking a nap this morning after their meal...soaking up the sun!