Life Changes When It Hits 108°

If you've been watching the weather, you know it's been a hot one.

Last Sunday, the thermometer reached 108 degrees here on the ranch.

We didn't really need a thermometer to tell us it was hot.

The cows didn't need one either.

On days like that, life slows down a little.

The cattle weren't worried about grazing much during the afternoon.

They knew exactly where they wanted to be—around the water tank.

The deer had the same idea.

Instead of wandering the prairie, they bedded down in what we call the "Taj Mahal," the long shed where our replacement heifers spend the winter protected from the wind and snow.

When temperatures climb that high, our priorities change too.

Instead of thinking about the next fence to build or the next pasture move, we're checking water tanks, watching cows, calves, and bulls a little closer, and working around the afternoon thunderstorms that have been rolling through.

One of those extra checks made all the difference this week.

We noticed one of our cows had suddenly gone blind.

We found D67 standing away from the herd. She was stumbling and had already walked into the barbed wire fence.

During periods of extreme heat, cattle sometimes consume more salt than normal—from their mineral, salty soil, or even standing water.

In rare cases, it interferes with the thiamine their nervous system needs, affecting the signals between their eyes and brain.

Thankfully, if it's caught quickly, it can often be treated.

She heard the 4-wheeler and slowly walked toward me.

Then we headed home together.

I spent a quiet walk talking to her all the way home so we could begin giving her thiamine shots.

D67 is home now with her calf, some afternoon shade, plenty of water, and a corral fence she can follow to find the water until her eyesight returns.

We're hopeful she'll continue improving.

Moments like that remind us why paying attention matters.

Small Town Traditions

Sunday evening, we took a few hours away from the ranch to attend one of our favorite summer traditions—the annual Molt Volunteer Fire Department Picnic.

Every year, our volunteer firefighters cook hamburgers and all the fixings as their way of saying thank you to the community that supports them.

Then come the games.

Three-legged races.

Water balloon tosses.

Egg tosses.

Blindfolded dads pushing wheelbarrows with kids riding inside shouting "Left! Left!...No, your other left!"

The softball throw.

The hammer pounds.

Lots of laughter.

Grandparents, parents, kids, and neighbors spending an evening together.

It's one of the reasons we love calling this place home.

Because Molt, Montana, is special.

It's the kind of place where neighbors know one another, and everyone cheers for someone else's kids.

Thank You

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who reserved one of this year's 4-H pork shares.

The livestock sale is this Saturday, and your support helps encourage some hardworking young people who have spent months raising and caring for their animals.

We're excited to see how the sale ends up.

From Our Ranch Table To Yours

Nothing encourages us more than hearing from families enjoying our beef.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best beef & people.

"Beef...best people!!! I just don't know what else to say."

— Dee D., Buena Vista

Thank you, Dee, for your kind words and for sharing your dinner with us.

Packing for the Road

This Friday we'll be loading the truck and heading through Wyoming on our way to South Dakota to deliver more beef shares to families.

Along with the beef, we'll be delivering steak turners, dinner bells, and our brand-new ranch trivets to some of our long-time customers as a small thank you for supporting our family ranch over the years.

And before we pull out of the yard...

We'll make sure there's one more thing in the pickup.

Beef sticks.

Whether we're headed across Montana or on to Wyoming and South Dakota, they make an easy meal between stops.

They don't need a cooler; they're packed with protein, and they make a great snack somewhere between home and your next stop.

If you've got a county fair, camping trip, family vacation, or just a busy week ahead, they're easy to tuck into a lunch box, backpack, or pickup.

We're packing beef sticks for our road trip. You might want a few for yours too.

Road Trip Ready Beef Sticks

Thanks for riding along with us this week.

Whether this is your first trip down our dirt road or you've been riding along with us for years, we're glad you're here.

Stay cool this weekend

P.S. While we're making deliveries this weekend, we're also beginning to prepare for our Fall Beef Share season.