One Of Our Best Inventions
If you have ever been fencing in the rocks and bushes on a steep hill...this is especially for you.
Sometimes the best ideas on a ranch are the simplest ones.
This morning, Al and I moved the cows to better pasture ahead of the snowstorm that's supposed to arrive Sunday.
And before we headed home, I opened one of our best inventions.
A gate for the deer and antelope.
Now, it doesn't look like much. Just an ordinary barbed-wire gate in a rocky ravine along one of our pastures near Big Lake.
But for years, that ravine kept us busy fixing the fence.
The deer would jump over the top wire, the antelope would duck under the bottom wire, and Al and I would end up climbing around in the rocks and brush, putting everything back together.
Finally, we decided there had to be a better way.
So we put in a gate.
For most of the year, when our cows aren't grazing that pasture, we leave it open. The deer and antelope can travel back and forth between our ranch and the Big Lake side without tearing up the fence.
We only close it for the couple of weeks our cows are in there.
This morning, with the cows moved out, I opened it again.
The wildlife have their trail, our fence stays together, and Al and I have one less place to crawl around with fencing pliers.
I'd call that a pretty good invention!
Come along and see our wildlife gate.
And if you look closely, there's even an old rock road that a homesteader started building down there. That's a story for
another day.
Getting Ready for Winter
Opening that gate was just one of the jobs on our list this week.
Sunday, we were draining water tanks so they wouldn't turn into giant ice cubes when the cold weather arrives.
We're going over our hay and feed supplies, making plans to wean the calves here at home, and figuring on another load of hay to get the job done.
Then there's the tractor diesel tank. We wait until November to fill it with winter-blend diesel, which helps keep the fuel from gelling when the temperature drops below zero.
Of course, the tractor and pickups still need their heaters plugged in.
Update on the Dodge: It only beeps now when we hit a bump. Still can't find the loose connection, but it has simmered down!
Winter in Montana has a way of reminding you about anything you forgot to do!
Beef Is Coming Home, Too
It's been a busy week getting beef into freezers.
Thursday took us to the vets for vaccines ahead of preg-checking, then on to Stillwater Packing to pick up the rest of our beef.
It's all home now, with more boxes to ship on Monday and deliveries to make before that.
Every box is headed for somebody's supper table. I like thinking about the Sunday roasts, the hamburgers after a busy day, and all those evenings when someone opens the freezer and already knows what's for supper.
We've also been delivering fall beef shares, including another half beef to a returning customer.
And now we're getting down to the last of this fall's harvest.
After setting some beef aside for our own freezer and sharing, we have enough left for three quarter shares, or a combination of quarter and eighth shares.
If you've been thinking about filling your freezer with T Bar J beef, take a look and see what would work best for your household. You know how your family eats better than we do, and Al and I are always happy to help you figure out what fits.
See Remaining Fall Beef Shares →
A Little Beef for Those Who Served
With Veterans Day coming on November 11, we're looking forward to another delivery to the Montana Veterans Meat Locker.
For every beef share reserved through November 10, we'll donate five pounds of our ground beef in your name.
And yes, that includes beef shares reserved for next summer! Reservations open November 1, with deliveries beginning in June 2027.
That means whether you're filling your freezer this fall or planning for next summer, you're helping put good beef on a veteran's family's table, too.
It's one small way we can work together to help take care of those who have taken care of us.
An Update on Our Little Miss Ayla
Many of you have been following Ayla's journey and keeping her in your prayers.
We're so thankful for that.
Her bone marrow transplant seems to have been successful, and we're hopeful she'll be coming home next month.
She may not have much hair right now, and Gramma figures she'll need a hat or two, but her spirits are high.
She's even planning to be a vampire for Halloween. After all the blood work she's been through, she figures she's earned the part!
We've had quite a summer, with the ranch needing rain and our family praying for Ayla.
And now, as we head toward winter, the pastures are looking better than they have all year, and we're looking forward to having our family around the table again.
Thank you for caring about our little granddaughter.
Well, that's about it from the ranch this week.
Whether you're getting ready for winter, putting supper on the table, or just enjoying a little time with the people you love, I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you for being part of our ranch family and riding along with me.
Amber, Al & Fritzie
T Bar J Ranch
P.S. Sometimes our best inventions aren't really inventions at all. They're just figuring out how to get along with those around us and finding a way to make our little corner of the world a better place. Even if it starts with leaving a gate open.
