The Bees Came Back. The Heifers Left

Sometimes the best surprises are the ones you never plant.

 

After several much-needed rains, a lone sunflower decided to bloom right in front of these old barn doors.

 

We certainly didn't plant it there.

 

But somehow it seems to fit.

 

Just when the prairie was beginning to look tired from the summer heat, the rain brought everything back to life.

 

Even the sunflowers.

 

Come along and see.

 

One of our favorite signs of summer arrived this week.

 

 

The bees are back

Our beekeeper, Pol, has been bringing bees to T Bar J Ranch since our boys were in grade school. His family is originally from Mexico, but his three children grew up here in Montana and went to school with our boys.

 

His bees spend the winter in California, move north to Washington each spring to pollinate the fruit trees, and then arrive here when our alfalfa begins to bloom.

 

Earlier this summer, it became so dry that Pol moved the bees to another location where they could find more to forage.

 

Thanks to the recent rains, they're back home at T Bar J Ranch.

 

The alfalfa has greened up beautifully, and the bees are already hard at work.

 

If Mother Nature cooperates, we're looking forward to another honey harvest later this summer.

 

Many of you have enjoyed the honey that Pol's bees produce over the years.

 

This week also marked the beginning of breeding season.

 

 

Before the bulls could head out with the cows, they all needed their annual breeding soundness exams.

 

Normally, the trip takes about 3 hours of driving time and 45 minutes at the veterinarians.

 

This year, not so much.

 

The hydraulic Silencer chute decided to quit working, which turned a routine appointment into a seven-hour day in 96-degree heat.

 

By the end of the afternoon, everyone—people and bulls alike—was ready to head home.

 

The good news is most of the bulls passed their breeding exams with flying colors.

 

One of our herd sires, Game Changer, didn't pass this time, so he'll stay home and be retested next week.

 

We don't take chances when it comes to next year's calf crop.

 

We're hoping next week's trip to the vet goes a little more smoothly—with a repaired Silencer and a passing score for Game Changer.

 

Then came Slinky

 

 

Our heifer bull.

 

His job is to breed our replacement heifers so they'll have smaller, easier-calving calves next spring.

 

Getting him introduced to his new pasture sounded simple enough.

 

Until we accidentally left the gate open again.

 

Some of you may remember last winter when our heifers made what I called their "Olympic dash" for home after we forgot to shut a gate.

 

Apparently, we hadn't learned our lesson quite as well as we thought.

 

By the time we realized what was happening, every heifer had decided home sounded like a much better place to spend the afternoon.

 

After a race across the pasture, a little help from the four-wheelers, and one very determined ranch crew, everyone finally ended up where they belonged.

 

By the next morning, Slinky had already settled in with his new group of ladies.

 

The heifers are still following the saying...

 

Live like someone left the gate open.

 

We also celebrated another milestone this week.

 

My dad turned 91 years old.

 

He's still one of our biggest beef fans, and we're thankful for every birthday we get to celebrate with him.

 

From one-year-olds to ninety-one-year-olds...

 

Good food has a way of bringing families together.

 

Now that breeding season is underway, our attention is beginning to turn toward this fall's beef harvest.

 

If you've been thinking about filling your freezer this fall, now is a great time to reserve your beef share before processing begins.

 

Reserve Your Beef Share

I know some new folks have just found their way down our dusty dirt road.

 

Welcome.

 

We're glad you're here.

 

And to those of you who've been riding along with us every Friday...

 

Thank you.

 

Sharing life on the ranch with you each week is one of my favorite parts of the job.

 

 

P.S. Little Jemma just celebrated her first birthday, and while everyone else was looking at the cake, she couldn't take her eyes off the brisket!

 

Around here, we think that's a pretty good sign.