One of the constant chores we do on the ranch is weed control. Trying to stay ahead of the noxious weeds that want to take over parts of the ranch can be a frustrating project at times. Yesterday we decided to tackle the scotch thistles near the corral and the meadows by the house.

Depending on the number of weeds in an area we decide if it will be more effective to spray the thistle patch or to dig up the offensive weeds. Large patches with numeroous thistles are typically sprayed with an off the shelf herbicide.  Single thistles are dug out and hauled away.

Once the large patches of thistles have died and been removed, we will scatter grass seed over these areas. All part of the balance to encourage the grass to grow and eradicate the noxious weeds.

I love afternoons like this. We are all outside working on different chores. Feeding a few animals, checking water, repairing a bit of fence, spraying a few weeds…that’s what was on our list anyhow. In reality the older boys spent most of the afternoon swinging their ropes at a roping dummy (or each other. or a fence post. or a sagebrush. or their father as he walks by.).

My daughter? Well, do yoou remember last week’s post about giving my daughter the cammera for a few minutes? She has apparently taken that job quite seriously. She spent most of the afternoon following her Dad around and documenting his every move.

And this little boy? Other than showing off his dexterity with the number three, he was very busy playing with sticks, splashing in water, chasing cats, climbing fences, digging in the dirt and filling his pockets with rocks (which I didn’t discover until I washed a load of jeans last night.).

It was a perfect summer afternoon.

I have had it brought to my attention several times lately that for all of the photos I take of my family and our ranch there are very few photos of me. While I do not think this is necessarily a problem, I do wonder if my children will someday look back over our family photos and be unable to recall what their mother looked like.

So, while my husband and I were unloading a ton of mineral from his pick-up, one fifty pound sack at a time, I gave my daughter my phone and asked her to grab a few quick photos.

Her first photo and her finger is in the corner of the frame. And her chosen subject? Her father, of course. She is becoming more of a Daddy’s Girl each day.

I forget how very tall he must seem to a six year old.

And finally, a photo of her mother.

Her headless mother.

Yep, this one should help the kids remember what I looked like long after I’m gone.

As my three year old likes to say, “TA DA!”.

The last photo and she nailed it. Both parents. Both with their heads. Perfect!

My husband and I did manage to get the mineral unloaded and stacked in the barn. Different areas bring different mineral challenges. In Idaho there is a magnesium deficiency, in Nevada we face a molybdenum deficiency and in northern California there is a selenium deficiency. We purchase different mineral supplement in each area to insure that our cattle get enough of each of these minerals in their diet.

There has been one slight problem from today’s impromptu photo shoot. My daughter has taken it upon herself to make sure her mother is never left out of the family photo album again. She enlisted the help of her little brother and the two of them have followed me around all day snapping pictures!

I feel like I am being hounded by the Age Six & Under paparazzi.

…fire season that is.

The Kinyon Road Fire here in Idaho has been contained. It burned over 215,000 acres in just a few days. Many cattle producers in our area have lost their fall and winter grazing pastures due to the fire.

Although that is devastating, the largest concern right now is that it’s only the middle of July. There is a real danger of another large fire in the next six weeks. It is frustrating, as producers, to fight these huge fires all the while knowing that fires of this magnitude may be avoided. If federal lands were managed to allow for more grazing, the fuel loads would be reduced, and fires of this magnitude may be avoided.

A few of our friends and neighbors have commented to us that we are fortunate to have land in Nevada and California where we plan to run some cattle this fall and winter. Last week, my husband went to California to check on cattle and scope out the winter country. He was slightly dismayed to discover a smoke filled valley and fire-fighting planes flying overhead.

Drought has turned most parts of the West brown earlier than normal, causing fires to spark easily and thrive on the dried up forage. So many of our friends throughout the industry have been affected by fire this year. We commiserate with each other about our businesses being at the mercy of Mother Nature. The drought has forced many cattle producers to reduce the size of their herds due to lack of available grass. Consequently the costs of cattle feed, such as corn, are steadily increasing.

My kids are outside practicing their rain dances right now. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it works.

Our first fire of the season started this past weekend. A dry lightening storm passed through on Saturday and one of the strikes started this fire.

A fire was inevitable this year. It is so dry and there is so much fuel (grass) out there. I have many friends in Colorado and we have talked about the devastating fires in their state. Remembering the large fire here in Idaho several years ago, I knew how frustrated they felt. Each conversation with my Colorado friends reminded me that it was only a matter of time until we were battling another large fire here in Idaho.

The BLM has sent a Type II fire team to combat this fire. Everyone is hopeful that this increase in manpower will improve the chances of containing this fire in the very near future.

Currently, the BLM estimates that this fire has burned over 80,000 acres. We are all praying for cooler temperatures tonight and for the winds to die down, so the fire crews can get ahead of this fire.

There are cowboys, neighbors, family and friends out on the desert right now trying to stop this fire. The entire community pulls together and does everything they can to help.

When you watch the grass you were going to feed your cattle this fall and winter burning up and your summer range is in a drought, one of the few comforts is knowing that you are part of a strong community.

Irrigating is a large part of our workload during the late spring and summer months. We use different types of irrigation on our ranch: pivots, wheel lines, hand lines and in some instances flood irrigation.

The place where we are running some of our cattle this summer uses flood irrigation for these mountain meadows. Any ranch chore that involves water, automatically seems to include the kids.

They like to help their Dad with the official irrigating job, bringing him the boards so he can place them in this concrete dam.

But that’s not the real reason they clamor to go irrigating with Dad.

After certain dams are pulled and others are set, then it’s time to do a little exploring. Exploring with Dad is the reason the kids all love to help with irrigating chores.

Typically, irrigating involves splashing through the water, lots of shrieking, a little mud and four dripping wet kids.

Today the kids (and their Dad) were fascinated by all of the

fish…

and frogs…

and snakes in the water.

Now it’s time to get back to work. The lawn needs mowed, floors need scrubbed and the stock trailer needs cleaned out.

For some reason,  I do not hear any of the kids clamoring to help with these chores.