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.