During the school week, I am the typical taxi driver for my kids. School, sports, 4-H, and doctor appointments. Not to mention grocery stores, part stores, vet supply stores and, of course, gas stations!

On the weekend, I am part of a caravan. The vehicles and destination may change depending on our assignment, but on a typical weekend, our train looks like this:

Trailer full of horses.

Trailer full of yearlings.

Bringing up the rear is yours truly, with a truckload of kids.

This particular weekend found us collecting a few yearlings that had successfully escaped capture last spring. When we gathered and shipped yearlings off of lease country where they had spent the winter, a handful were not to be found. Over time they were eventually discovered and brought into the ranch’s headquarters. We have made a couple of trips with stock trailers to retrieve them. This was our last trip and we are happy to have the yearlings back home.

It was interesting country and a fun trip, but now it is time to clean out my pick-up and get it ready for the busy Kid Taxi week to come!

One of the ways we care for our animals is to vaccinate our calves against certain bovine diseases or illnesses that may sicken or kill them.
Many vaccines lose efficacy when it is too hot or too cold. So, it is critical that the vaccine we administer hasn’t been compromised by fluctuating temperatures.

In order to keep our vaccine syringes from getting too warm while we are processing calves, my husband did a little modifying on a travel cooler. He cut three holes in the lid of the cooler and then inserted plastic pipe in the holes. The syringes fit in those slots perfectly! We keep the cooler full of ice packs and place a small thermometer inside, as well, to make sure we keep everything at the appropriate temperature.

My husband’s latest and greatest invention!

Meet Blue.

She and I have had a love-hate relationship for the past year. Last weekend was a turning point for us. She was the only horse in the corral and I found myself sorting calves on her. I think we were both surprised at how well we worked together. It turned out to be a great day.

Maybe we have both grown up over the past year and, at last, we are finally ready for each other.

Here’s to new beginnings.

Talking with my kids this week about 9/11 and what it means to live in a free country. We spent last weekend hiking and playing in the mountains. After climbing to a lookout tower and visiting with the forest ranger on duty up there, I was struck by the flag fluttering in the breeze. My oldest son saw me taking this photo and said, “This is part of being free isn’t it, Mom? The flag at the top of a mountain like this?”

Yes kiddo, but this is just a part of it.

A. I. Heifers.

Yes, we track the bull and heifer info in a fancy spreadsheet.

But next spring when we are riding through the calving pen I probably won’t have my laptop handy.

It is just so easy to glance at that red heifer’s ear tag, see that “R” and know she was bred to the bull called Redemption.

Redneck Record Keeping, no doubt about it.

Most people are in the stands watching the rodeo. Little boys are behind the stands, practicing for their day in the arena.