Ramblings of a Ranch Wife

Ramblings of a Ranch Wife “On the edge of the prairie, where the sun had gone down, the sky was turquoise blue, like a lake, with gold light throbbing in it.” ~Willa Cather

A perfect ending to a good day. Cattle sorted and the calves loaded well. We had a fantastic crew that made a huge diffe...
11/04/2026

A perfect ending to a good day.

Cattle sorted and the calves loaded well. We had a fantastic crew that made a huge difference in getting the work done.

Let the preg checking start!

Today is shipping day!We have done everything we can to raise these calves to be healthy and prepared to be successful a...
11/03/2026

Today is shipping day!

We have done everything we can to raise these calves to be healthy and prepared to be successful at the next step of their development. We know that they leave here completely healthy and ready to finish growing before becoming a vital source of protein.

Today is always a lot. It is extra help coming, trucks to line up, sorting, weaning the heifers…the list is endless.

The culmination of a year’s worth of work is done in a week.

Photo from 10/11/26

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still wa...
11/01/2026

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
Psalm 23

This passage in Psalms was my grandma’s favorite. I learned it in the KJV, and that is still the one I know.

When you stop and read this line by line you should grasp how powerful this passage is.

May you experience Psalm 23 kind of life!

Imagine living your dreams in real life! I always planned to be a rancher. This is the life I wanted. We have had hard t...
10/31/2026

Imagine living your dreams in real life!

I always planned to be a rancher. This is the life I wanted.

We have had hard times and easy times. Times when we had extra and times we had a lot less. We have believed God for every single thing.

We work, and we work hard. Today, that work paid off. We have finished the year for the cows that carry the Lazy W Bar.

They raised a whopping set of calves, and bred back. Most look to have bred up in the first cycle.

And maybe the most exciting part is all three milk cows are bred! Pumpkin looks to be AI bred, and Agatha and Spice bull bred. That is subject to change. This year I was trying to stage embryos. I figure you have to start somewhere.

Nestled in the Bump pasture lies a small grove of trees. Six cottonwood’s, all in a perfect line, stand tall against the...
10/30/2026

Nestled in the Bump pasture lies a small grove of trees. Six cottonwood’s, all in a perfect line, stand tall against the hills.

These were planted long ago. Their secrets still rustle when the wind blows. If you are close enough you can see the leaves dancing. And if you happen to be in the right place at the right time you might see an elk or deer.

I have found myself drawn to this spot We have been fencing and riding pairs near here. The other day I was digging some post holes as Mark was putting in a dead man. I was facing these trees.

I wondered, and imagined the story behind them. Who planted them? Why there? How many buckets of water was hauled to keep them alive? Did other prairie girls lay beneath them like I did with the ones from my childhood?

I always think if I close my eyes, and really listen I will hear the voices that came before me. Then I realized it isn’t their voices I hear, but the nostalgia and yearning for a time when it was much simpler.

I don’t know the answers to my questions, but I do know they made my fence project a little more enjoyable than if they had not been there.

I guess drinking Budweiser and fencing is a time honored tradition. We found these old Bud cans in a fence line we have ...
10/29/2026

I guess drinking Budweiser and fencing is a time honored tradition.

We found these old Bud cans in a fence line we have been working on. All I know is they must have been thirsty to have to open those cans.

It is time for calendars! I take pictures of my daily life. They are not perfect, or perfectly lined up…BUT they are rea...
10/26/2026

It is time for calendars!

I take pictures of my daily life. They are not perfect, or perfectly lined up…BUT they are real. I do very little editing. I want you to see what I see. I love to share the picturesque landscape of the Sandhills.

They are usually around $20-25. I will need pre orders. The amount ordered will determine the exact price.

I will need payment and then I will ship them to you. I expect to have them the end of the second week of November. I have been told they make a great Christmas gift!

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Sometimes the best laid plans don’t work. We moved both herds yesterday. That way they would have ample time to settle a...
10/25/2026

Sometimes the best laid plans don’t work.

We moved both herds yesterday. That way they would have ample time to settle and continue growing before we ship them.

This morning we hauled salt and mineral to everything. They looked really good. The bunch farthest from home is the bigger end of calves.

This bunch of cows are the campaigners. They know the routine, and they know the time of year. So it is difficult to get them to cross the last pasture before they get into the shipping pasture. It is a fight. They know it is about time to wean.

We were pleased that it only took the two of us. We didn’t have any run back, and they appeared to be content at the windmill.

Today a good handful of calves and a few cows were back in the pasture we had to cross. Not at all where they belong.

Thankfully they were ready to pair up and move again. It can be frustrating when things don’t go according to the plan. It was cold, wet, windy, and I dang sure didn’t want to be out there.

The warm bowl of chili when we got home sure hit the spot. It is so strange to see the colors of fall and the green grass regrowth.

Week one of three done. The next two weeks will be intense. We will ship the ranch calves to market the beginning of Nov...
10/24/2026

Week one of three done.

The next two weeks will be intense. We will ship the ranch calves to market the beginning of November.

We are in the process of getting them situated. We will finish moving them this morning. This will be the last move until they are good and weaned.

I took a minute to walk. The hustle of the past week, and the stress of making vital decisions had wore on me enough to know I needed some time to unwind, and just let everything settle.

The chickens have been enjoying the bugs that still have not died off.
10/24/2026

The chickens have been enjoying the bugs that still have not died off.

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Cherry County, NE
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