Horses, Horses, Horses...

Horses are such a big part of our ranch. In this photo this is one of Alex's room mates loving on the horses.

These horses are up on the hill because they are not used as much. These are my sons and with him doing school and working he decided to let the horses graze on the hill ground property.

This is two incredible horses. Ghost is the white one and is about seven or eight years old. He is the friendliest and loves to have his face and nose rubbed. Leo is the light colored one and is just 3 or 4 years old.

Horses are always around with the cattle when they are run in the same pastures.

This is one of my brother's work horses. He is a belgium.

His is my brother's son riding one of the ranch horses tending the gate while cattle are moved from one field to another.

This is the animal on our ranch that is always herding the horses, bugging them and just making sure every animal is where it is supposed to be. Our faithful Rooster.

Spring time grooming. My Brother trimming up the bridle path on Paloma so it will be easier for the bridle to go on and stay on.

My son examining Leo. This horse got injured this spring and we have spent all summer long doctoring him. When I have to do it I put on my four wheeler helmet so he doesn't reach out and kick me with his foot that is hurt. I'm sure I am quite a sight.

I have always loved having the horses around and them being a part of our lives on the ranch. Next year when I am finally able to get back on a horse it will probably be this white one Ghost. He is the gentlest, surest footed, and oldest one that we have. I am really looking forward to that great fun next summer.

a momma bear and babies...

We went into Grand Teton National Park for a fun day. At the end of the day we came across 20 or more cars parked along the road. They all had cameras with lenses that were long and huge and were all standing on top of their vehicles. They were shooting a grizzly bear and her two cubs. A guy invited Us to climb up on his suburban. But just as we did the mom went into the willows. Then the ranger came along and said this bears mother and her three cubs were about 10 miles away. So off we went on a bear hunt. This above picture is that bear. Wish I would have had a more powerful lens, I have an awesome camera, but it didn't do justice to see this bear.

Here she is again at this stage I was on top of another suburban and the bear was about 90 yards away from me.

You can barely see a herd of elk in this meadow. There is a grizzly bear trying to catch and kill a baby elk for her two babies. There is about a 3 week time period where the baby elk aren't fast enough to get away from the momma bear. So she kills a couple of baby elk a day to feed her cubs.

This was the momma grizzly they call 399. She has three cubs behind her. We are on the side of the road standing watching her. There are cameras going off constantly taking her picture.

Momma and cubs again. One of the cubs was a light tan color. Many of the photographer spend most of the morning in the park watching and shooting photos and then return again in the evening to shoot more photos. They are truly professionals and do this for a living. There was also a professional video person.

The funniest thing about this whole thing was a gentleman was taking pictures and Steve introduced himself to him. They chatted for a few minutes. Steve viewed some of his pictures. Then a couple of days latter My niece was looking at our pictures she started to tell me about a famous photographer in Jackson. His originals sell around $10,000.00 and that he is a world famous photographer. Then she told me his name. That is the gentle man that Steve was visiting with and looking at his photos. His name is Thomas D Mangelsen. Look him up on google. His work is amazing.

Here is one of the cubs trying to jump down onto the mom's back. A few minutes latter one of the other cubs came and the two cubs were playing and fighting with each other. Then the upper on reached down and tried to pull the other up on the log.

I have had so many adventures and great things happen this summer. But this hour and one half was one of the most amazing, delightful, funny and interesting things that I have experienced this summer. What a great adventure it was.

An Evening with the Bob and Adell's Family...

Ryan has an ice cream business so he brought over his ice cream maker and we all enjoyed ice cream after a wonderful dinner. This is Steve trying it out.

Gabe showing best way to eat the ice cream.

Steve getting another one. We teased him that he should just stick his mouth under and just push the crank and stop using cones.

Tyler skyping with her brother Coleman who is in the hospital ICU because he is waiting for a new heart through a tansplant.

Kids lined up for Ice cream. I bet youre thinking all we did was eat ice cream!! Well that is almost the truth.

All the cousins standing in the wagon. What a crew. Noah decided he wanted to try and pull them all. Notice the hair pulling thing going on at the front of the wagon.

Now the hair pulling fun got crazy!! The hair puller fell out of the wagon and took some hair with him. It was so funny to watch. These are such great kids.Trampoline time! We had such a great evening with my cousins and their kids.

Turn out time...

After all the cows and calves have been branded and given their shots it is time to turn them out onto the summer range. This summer we were running late because of the weather it took the grass on the summer range longer to grow. But the day finally came. My Dad and Rooster started out by going ahead and making sure gates were closed on the way up the road, that the gate into the field was opened and driveways blocked.

The cattle drive up to the pasture.

The cattle have been without grass, they have been eating hay the past several months so for them the green grass is a temptation to stop moving, but we keep pushing them along.

For the first couple of weeks they are in a 100 acre field so they will mother up, get breed and get used to being out. That way we can also keep an eye on them. They live among the horses for that time.

Exploring their new area.

This was an awesome sight as the came up over the hill and stood on the horizon.

Once the cows are in the pasture the three horses that are in there stay with the cows. Where ever the cows move the horses move with them. Not sure why but that is how it was. It is always a relief for my Dad and Brother when the cows are finally out on grass. They will stay there until mid October.

A day in Yellowstone Park...

We woke up yesterday morning and decided to go an adventure. We were going to go somewhere fishing but part of the way down the road we decided to go into Yellowstone Park. We had such a great day. Didn't see any wildlife, but saw so many amazing and beautiful things. The above picture is of Firehole. We usually swim in it. You jump into the stream and it carries you down stream. It is a blast, but right now the water is too high so there is not swimming. Steve was bummed!!

This is old Faithful going off. When I was a kid it went off every hour on the hour but now after some earthquakes it goes of between 60 and 90 minutes. Yesterday was a record high in many years and it lasted longer than it usually does. I think it did it just for us!!

This is the back of my dad!! What a great shot Old Faithful and my Dad.

We went into Old Faithful Lodge for an ice cream, we just sat and admired the amazness of this very old lodge. This is a block that is right in the middle of the lodge.

I took this picture to show two things the tall trees that are bare are from the fire that happened to yellowstone in about 1989. The thick new trees that you see are the new growth. When the pine cones fell to the ground the heat from the fire made them burst open and all the seeds eventually work their way up and produced new trees. It is a very healthy forest now. But will still be many many years before Yellowstone returns to all it's glory like it was before the fire.

Here is a picture of my traveling companions. Steve, Susan and my Dad. They are standing in front of Lewis Falls.

Another picture of tall trees still standing that got burned in 1989.

We had a great picnic around Jackson Lake.

Steve and I decided that when we ever build our dream home we want a scene like this out our picture window. This is mount Moran in Yellowstone park.

Steve and I standing in front of Lewis Falls. We had such a great day. We love to take sight seeing trips with Dad and Susan. They are always game for an adventure. My Dad loved being the co pilot because it could just look at everything and not have to worry about traffic, where to park, and just enjoyed the scenery.

Third of July Baby...

Presenting the THIRD OF JULY BABY... We have been waiting for this baby colt for the past two and 1/2 weeks. The mom was here at my house until her owner came home. Then we moved her up to his house. Each day we have thought that today will be the day. Well it finally came at 3:00 am the morning of July 4th.

It is a female baby colt. Will be a register paint horse with chocolate spots. The owner hasn't named her yet.

She is so little and young. She hasn't figured out how to tuck those long legs under her to be able to lay down gracefully yet.

She was curious about us.

This is the owners grandson who saw the birth take place. He went out at about 5:00 and did what is called imprinting with the baby colt. That baby just loves to have him rub her little head she rolls on her back and just enjoys the attention.

She finally decided she was hungry.

Getting those legs to move insync with that body is a struggle.

She has mainly enjoyed eating and sleeping in the warm sun today.

It has been so much fun being here this summer with all the activity that goes on in connection the ranch. Each day seems to bring a different surprise, you never know what the next day will being.