Spring WAS here, but it's gone away already!!!!

With just 4 weeks left until the beginning of guest season, we are all left wondering around here if the guests are going to have to "shovel" their way out of their cabins come May 5.... 

Here are a few VERY recent scenes from around the ranch, 

after our latest "SPRING STORM!" 

The cows are making a pilgrimage to the hay pile and water tank... notice the drifts against the fence... probably about 5' tall....  

This one pretty much sums it up for me right now... "Welcome to the Ranch!"

For those of you who have been here before, you might recognize this spot?
It's the sliding door into our tack room and the hitching post where we saddle up!
Sleigh rides anyone?

What you might not know is that the staff on the ranch live here in the barn. There are 3 possible doors into the staff quarters areas, and ALL of them were snowed in like this... we literally had to dig our way out that morning. This is the HUGE door to the indoor arena, probably a 4' drift here.

We gave this guy a "day off" to defrost. He just wasn't performing up to par after the storm...

We moved the vehicles under the lean-to for shelter from the hail, little did we know, we would need shelter from the blizzard. Anyone want to come and help shovel them out? (And, yes, by the way, since ALL the vehicles are snowed in, it means we haven't left the ranch- we have a little bit of cabin fever going on here!!!!)

And lastly, just for your enjoyment, we don't want anyone to think that a little snow would dampen our spirits around here... we still have out all the SUMMER furniture sitting on all the porches, ready for you to come and visit and relax.... but a word to the wise- bring a cup of hot chocolate and some mittens!

Ta-ta for now! Off to shovel some snow!

Hollywood here we come!

It was just another normal day here on the ranch, the evening was falling, the light was beautiful and I suddenly realized when walking amongst the herd that we have a Hollywood star in our midst. His name is Roper (sure it might need a little adjusting when he becomes famous, but we will always know him as Roper)- he is a donkey... also, that might need something a little more "glamorous" to be considered as one of the prominent stars in Hollywood... but those are details we can work out later. For now, we will start with the head shots to get the ball rolling. 

 

Take #1: 

Me: "Ok Roper, now SMILE!" 

Roper: "CHEESE!" 

Me: (Silently- "Oh boy, this is gonna take a little work, let's try another...) 

Take #2:

Me: "C'mon Roper, WORK WITH ME HERE! Love the camera, love the camera!"

Roper: "This is my George Clooney face, how is it?" 

Me: (Silently- "Ok, now I am really starting get worried he might never make it to Hollywood)

Take #3: 

Me: "Give me your best look Roper, something that says, Hollywood here I come!" 

Roper: "Uh huh, uh huh, that's the way I like it!!!" 

Me: (Silently- "It's hopeless, one more shot and then I think I'll have better luck with the chickens!) 

Take #4: 

Me: "Ok Roper, now imagine that you are looking into the most beautiful sunset and you are standing on a beautiful beach... errr, I mean desert, and you just saw the most beautiful looking little Jill donkey coming across the horizon... show me what that looks like... and NOW!" 

Roper: "Hey, is that a rabbit over there by the hay pile?"

Me: (Silently- "Oh well, at least we got the shot, let Hollywood deal with him now!!!) 

Ranch "Get Together"

Recently, we had a bit of a "Shin-Dig" at the ranch to get together with some of our close friends and neighbors... we had a nice turn-out and everyone enjoyed the festivities! It's always so nice to see a fresh face after a long winter, it sort of lets you know that Spring is on the way! 

Thanks to everyone who came! 

Shot Glasses available for sale in our Ranch Gift Shop! 

Excellent travel souvenirs, they fit so well into your suitcase! 

Home Cut Potato Chips, just one of the many "samples" of the feast we had for the Party! 

Veggies in coffee cans, who woulda' thought? YUM! 

Molly (Wrangler/Ranch Photographer) and Darcy (Ranch Owner) 

Tom and Darcy Carr (Ranch Owners) 

Thomas (Wrangler) and Jacob (Chef and Ranch Maintenance) 

Molly and Thomas (Wranglers) 

Some of our favorite neighbors, Sandy and Monty and Virginia! 

Friends of the Family, David and Michelle 

Tom enjoys light banter with our neighbor, Virginia! 

Tom and the "Girls" 

Darcy, Michelle and Jennifer 

Deep in Convo... probably about horses... imagine that! 

Brad (Wrangler) 

Brad's Grandparents 

Jennifer (Secretary) and Greg with their Granddaughter

Winter on the Ranch

Icicles form right outside the edge of the tack room, making for a dangerous entry and exit to saddle horses... think I might take the day off from riding if I risk getting one of these on top of my head!

One of my favorite views of the ranch, coming down the driveway. We've since been covered up with snow since this little storm! But a beautiful scene nonetheless!

Pansy, one of the resident Ranch Dogs here at CCC, she LOVES to play with snow when you shovel a pile her way!

Quirt Hunt, man of many talents!

National Western Stock Show Rodeo, January 2013

A friend of Colorado Cattle Company, Quirt Hunt, recently was down in Denver, Colorado at the National Western Stock Show fighting bulls. 

Apparently, much to our surprise, Quirt has been fighting bulls at rodeos for many years! 

He is the bullfighter in the video, and pictured below in the red and white striped shirt. 

We know Quirt more for his abilities as a teamster. We purchased our Haflinger team from him, and he did a wonderful job training them. But, every once in a while, it's nice to get out of the "office", right Quirt? I guess the rest of us just aren't quite as BOLD as he is when he leaves his office! 

Quirt (red and white stripes) and fellow bullfighter, waiting for the bullfighting to begin. Quirt got us "back row" seats, right behind the bucking chutes, to enjoy the rodeo! 

The seats were awesome, thanks Quirt! 

Vernon, (above), half of our team of Haflingers that we purchased from Quirt Hunt. Miles, not pictured, is the other half of the team. Quirt did such a wonderful job training this team that we plan on using Miles and Vernon this season to have an authentic horse drawn hay wagon ride! 

Vernon may also be offered during the season for private driving lessons, this idea is still pending... but this is his latest "rig." Great for Sunday drives! 

Tilling the soil....

ARENA MAINTENANCE-

Here on the ranch, it's not just about riding horses. There are lots of other "projects" that have to get done or be maintained on a regular basis so that we can continue to enjoy the beauty of our facilities. 

Running a set of disks and a harrow over the arena at least once a week is one of these tasks. 

Thomas (Wrangler) takes great pride in keeping the indoor arena in "tip top" shape, especially over the winter months since it's always our back-up to riding outdoors in the wind and snow! 

It can take up to one hour or more to get all of the "dips" out of the sand. 

The goal is to create a soft and even riding surface that is enjoyable for both rider and horse!  

One of the "prettiest" pieces of dirt on the ranch. 

And, did I mention it smells delightful too? Really, haven't you ever smelled fresh tilled dirt?

I guess you have to be a country girl to love that smell!  

Making the rounds, this is a harrow, also sometimes called a "rake." After the soil has been tilled with a set of metal disks, we hook up the harrow to smooth the surface.  

The finished product! 

Now, who shall we ride first??? 

Spotted! A porcupine!

I don't know if we should call him our first "guest" of the season, but this little guy is definitely been frequenting the ranch for the past couple of weeks. Porcupines are some of the most peculiar creatures, they are very shy and keep to themselves. However, if YOU bother them, they are more than well equipped to land you with a face full of quills. If the quills are not removed immediately, they can fester and cause infection in the skin, due to a small barb that is attached to the end of each quill. Removing the quills can be very painful (just ask some of the ranch dogs). And, you can see how dangerous they could be around cattle and horses.... walking along and OOPS! There's a porcupine! Ouch! Keep your distance!

In case you are wondering what he's doing with his hand... he's covering up his very yellow teeth! They are the same color as the tree... perhaps they are made of wood too?  

Looks soft and cuddly, right? Just like your teddy bear! HA HA!  

Each quill will stick into skin like a razor, and can be "shot" from a distance of up to 5 feet away! 

Like I was saying, he needs to see a dentist.... 

Wishing for Spring....

Our Current View of the Ranch.... a land covered in WHITE! 

What we can't WAIT to see again..... 

Ah, well, it's a nice dream anyways! 

Cleaning up our act!

We aren't interested in Spring Cleaning around here, too many rattlesnakes to contend with! Instead, we have opted for a much "chillier" option and have begun to unload and clean up some of the clutter around the ranch! It's been such a rewarding experience to see some of this "treasure" head off to be recycled!

With the help from Deutsche Tree Service, our friend Sam, has helped us to get A LOT of stuff cleared out of here, preparing for the "prettiest" guest season yet to come in 2013!

Old rusted feeders and metal were among much of the "scrap" that was sent to the metal recycling center!

Glad we weren't driving this load down the highway! Good Luck to you Sam!

Tribute to Tom and Prince

After our recent loss of our team of Belgian horses here at Colorado Cattle Company, we thought it only fair to pay tribute to them on our Blog. 

Here's to two of best ol' boys, Tom and Prince, 

respectfully 25 and 29 years old. 

 Rainbow Bridge

Author Unknown

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
when their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where beloved creatures find rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Til The Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed.
Their bodies have healed with strength imbued.

They trot through the grass without even a care,
Til one day they whinny and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes sharp and alert.
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the herd.

For just at that second, there's no room for remorse.
As they see each other...one person...one horse.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart
Has turned to joy once more in each heart.
They nuzzle with a love that will last forever.
And then, side-by-side, they cross over...together.

Tom- aged 25 years old when he suffered from heart failure and was laid to rest in our CCC horse cemetery. We will miss your sparkling eyes and curious personality old friend!  

Prince- aged 29 years old on the day he was laid to rest in our CCC horse cemetery. 

The rock of the team, he lasted just two weeks longer than Tom. It's true what they say, partners are partners for life!  

Always something to fix...

Welding 101 

(project: broken gate hinge) 

Sometimes, here on the ranch, you make plans for the day of what you'd like to accomplish....
it all starts out good and well, but then, as you start making your daily rounds, you see all of the "other" projects that require your most immediate attention, like a gate hanging off the hinges...  so, you load the gate (heavy) into the back of the Polaris and drive it to the shop. Get out the welding equipment and fix the piece that has broken off.  It's not always a glamorous job, being a "Cowboy," but it is rewarding to know that you can fix something around the ranch that needs to be done without calling a "handy man!" Nice work boys!

Here you can see the "heat mecca" center of the arc created from welding. While it may look somewhat harmless, looking directly into this light can cause serious retinal damage, which is why wearing a welding helmet (pictured below) is essential! 

Just a note about welding from Wikipedia:

"Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material (the weld pool) that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes used in conjunction with heat, or by itself, to produce the weld. This is in contrast with solderingand brazing, which involve melting a lower-melting-point material between the workpieces to form a bond between them, without melting the workpieces."