Twins, a Skunk & Some Answered Prayers
It's been quite a week here at T Bar J Ranch!
We've had pregnancy tests, a surprise set of twins, 19 boxes of beef headed out the door, a skunk in the barn, and some wonderful news about our granddaughter Ayla.
I'm glad you're here to share it with us.
Come along and see what we've been up to!
100 Cows, 90 Minutes, and a Surprise!
We picked Zach up Thursday evening, and Friday we brought the cows home to get ready for preg-checking.
Saturday morning, Dr. Lacey from Stillwater Vet arrived with her ultrasound equipment; Kieran, our T Bar J Ranch hammer thrower, and his wife Hailey, her sister, and our neighbors came to help as well.
A little over 100 cows went through the chute in just 90 minutes!
Preg-checking helps us plan for next year's calves and make sure our cows get the care they need heading into winter.
And wouldn't you know it, we found out one of our cows is carrying twins!
Now that's something we don't see every day.
Once the cows were finished, we worked the calves, got everybody taken care of, and headed in for a good lunch with the crew.
Then it was time to clean up and put everything away. By Sunday, the cows were headed back out to pasture.
I put together a little video of our preg-checking day. If you'd like to see how we do things around here, take a look!
🎥 Come Along for Preg-Checking Day at T Bar J Ranch!
19 Boxes and One More Shipping Day
Monday, we sent 19 boxes of our Montana beef on their way to customers across the country.
We're just about finished delivering this fall's beef shares, with one more shipping day ahead.
It feels good to know all that beef is going to families who appreciate where their food comes from.
And speaking of beef shares, reservations for our summer 2027 beef open November 1. I'll have more to tell you about that next week.
Changing Plans Before the Snow
We spent part of the week figuring out where to move the cows next.
Our original grazing plan needed a little adjusting because of some open cows on the neighbor's place. Sometimes the best-laid plans on a ranch need a new plan!
We also kept seven of our older, thinner cows home on the alfalfa, where they can get a little extra feed before winter settles in.
With snow in the forecast, we're glad to have preg-checking done.
And Then There Was the Skunk!
Yesterday morning, I went out to feed the barn cats, and who should come out but a skunk!
Now, a skunk in the barn is not something I care to have around.
I got my gun, but that skunk wasn't about to make things easy. First he went back into a pen, then disappeared behind a door.
By the time I finally got him, I'd used four bullets!
Then came the next challenge—getting him OUT of the barn before he smelled up the whole place.
I grabbed a pitchfork, got him outside as quickly as I could, and used one more bullet for good measure. I wasn't taking any chances!
When I told Al about my morning adventure, his first question was: "How many bullets did you use?"
Not whether I'd gotten sprayed. Not whether the barn smelled. Just how many bullets!
Five, Al. Five. But the skunk is gone, and the barn is still standing! So what's the problem? 😂
The Best News of the Week❤️
And now for the news we've been waiting to share.
Our granddaughter Ayla is getting closer to coming HOME!
She's scheduled for her last transfusion on Monday. Then, on Thursday, they'll remove the line they've been using for her medicine and blood work.
After one more checkup the following Monday, she should be cleared to head home!
Her little sisters will be going down to Colorado, and the family will all be together to bring her home.
She won't quite make it home for Halloween as she'd hoped, but she'll celebrate in Colorado. After all those blood draws, she's decided to be a vampire!
And look at this little girl!
Her hair is starting to grow back. Just a little blonde fuzz right now, but that smile says plenty.
It's been a long road for Ayla and her family.
What We Prayed For
This summer, we spent a lot of time praying for two things. Rain for our thirsty Montana pastures and healing for our granddaughter Ayla.
I wrote a cowboy poem about those prayers and shared it on the radio. But I haven't shared it with my Ranch Roundup readers until now.
With our pastures looking better than they have all year and Ayla getting ready to come home, this seems like the right time.
WHAT WE PRAYED FOR
There's a little girl in our family who's ten,
Though this story starts when she was nine.
And if you lived in Montana in twenty-six,
You know spring started out mighty dry.
Our grass wasn't good; it was short at best,
And the hay crop was looking poor.
We watched every rain cloud in the sky,
And prayed it would give us some more.
Miss Ayla wasn't feeling well either,
So her folks took her in to see why.
The doctors said, "Something here isn't right,
She needs to go to Denver—and she better fly."
So while we prayed for rain on the ranch,
We prayed harder for Ayla each day.
For doctors to find what our little girl needed,
And help get her back on her way.
Then August came, and the rains started falling,
And Ayla had a plan to get well.
Her mama would be her bone marrow donor—
And we prayed those new cells would settle in well.
There are some things a rancher knows how to fix,
And some things only God can do.
So pray as it all depends upon Him,
Then work as if it all depends on you.
Keep putting one foot in front of the other,
Even when the going is slow.
Have faith in the road that's ahead of you—
It'll lead where you need to go.
Then September brought three inches of rain,
All in the course of one day.
And soon came the news we'd been waiting to hear—
Miss Ayla's transplant was going our way.
Now our girl has no hair, and she needs a hat or two,
But her spirits are riding high.
After all of those blood draws she's been through,
She's gonna be a vampire for Halloween—now we know why!
And next month our little Miss Ayla comes home,
There's a line we've been waiting to say.
While here on the ranch, the grass looks the best
That it's looked nearly all year through.
We're heading towards winter with grazing ahead,
And with good grass for the cows, we'll make due.
We'll have Miss Ayla back home with her family—
I'd say a couple of prayers came true.
Grass for our cows,
And family 'round the table—
Two blessings we don't take lightly.
Our prayers have been answered
In more ways than one.
And I sure hope yours have been, too.
Thank you for being part of our ranch family. Whether you've been following our stories for years or just joined us, we're glad you're here.
And to everyone who has kept Ayla in their prayers, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
We hope your family has plenty of blessings to count this fall, too.
Thank you for supporting a local rancher.
Amber, Al & Fritzie
T Bar J Ranch
