Branding

I was raised on a cow ranch, just 12 miles from where Bryan and I live now with our little brood. We are so fortunate to have both of our families share the same zip code. Spring is busy on our farm and also on my folk's ranch, and the kids and I try to share in this whenever we can. I had a wonderful childhood and want the kids to experience much of what I did growing up. Riding horses, gathering and working cattle, and competing in rodeos was how I spent much of my time and this way of life was "branded" into me. It was such a fun way to grow up. Although there are fences all over the ranch, we kids were not fenced in and gained an early independence this way. So many memories and adventures... I hope my kids will experience this type of freedom as well.

Here's a picture of the Saddle Mountains that the ranch sits at the base of. This valley where I grew up is called Symrna and I always feel so peaceful when I'm down there. Life just seems to slow down a bit. Here's my cowboys...Cade's hat looks a little pilgrimish! Climbing fences at the branding with cousin Jett Henry. These three have so much WILD fun together...dirty faces, skinned up knees & elbows, and asleep at the dinner table. This sums up a busy day at the ranch for these boys.
Mooms and Nany relaxing in the sweet sunshine at the branding. Maddie "mmmmm's" (her moo sound) everytime she sees a cow or calf. She was konked out after her "mmmming" all morning.
Uncle Ryan and the boys getting ready to go mark the calves' heads. This is the little kid job. They really get off easy since my job at the brandings at their age was the "ball bucket"...yes, I had to collect the rocky mountain oysters with my bare hands after they cut the bull calves to save in the bucket for the crew who liked to eat them- and NO, I've NEVER tried them!!! Disgusting and I gag at the thought of it...heard they taste like chicken though!My older brother had his saddle made with the ranch brand on it, Circle 11. The ranch has been in my dad's family for 4 generations now. Between my dad and my 2 brothers, there are 4 brands that are used to distinguish who's herd they belong to. Bry and I also have a brand, as well as his parents and grandparents. We have a feedlot full of fat cattle, many of them were my dad's/brother's last calf crop. With the growth of our families, we may just have to start branding the kids in order to tell who belongs to who!
Here's the branding crew minus my mom, Grandma Shirley, and I (we were just the cooks...) Even Miss Maddie made the picture with Ba! Branding usually takes the month of April to get through all of the calves. It's a fun time!
Uncle Ryan got the boys their first ropes. He also dug out his old roping dummy so they could practice... I'm going to have to get back in the saddle soon so I can prove to them that I can rope! They don't quite believe me...mom's aren't supposed to do this, I guess. It's a great skill though and I may just need to break out my old ropes to get my kids in line... My dad filling a syringe of vaccine. All of the calves get shots, branded, and ear marked before they get turned out on the range with their mama's for the summer months.

Jason on a colt, coiling up his rope after "holding one" on horseback. We still brand the old-fashioned way, all on horseback and "rodeo" style-healing the calf and dragging it to the fire for branding. Sometimes it's good watching with all of the crazy wrecks than can happen!
Ryan branding a calf...this smell brings back so many memories for me. I know, I'm weird.
Nany, Maddie, Aunt J and Kylie Rose enjoying the branding from the side-lines. Maddie liked teething on the rusty fence...
They make pretty handsome cowboys...normally they're in "farm boy" mode until they get on the ranch. We'll see if any of our kids want to rope/rodeo like their mama did. Yes people, I was a cowgirl...still am deep down.
Here's the proof...