WOLF TRACKS

When Zeus and I were out walking this morning we spied some wolf tracks in the mud (well I did - the blind dog maybe not) .  These are not the first ones I have seen around here and probably not the last.  Also got to see about 8 mule deer at what we call sagebrush flat.  That in its self is pretty unusual to see that many this low.  Of course the standard whitetail deer and elk we also seen.  Of course did not have a camera with me this morning.

We now have a resident tom turkey and two hens that have decided they are going to stick around here for the oats that the horses spill out when eating out of the feed pans.  The old tom really likes to show off his feathers and strut around.  I think he actually likes his picture taken (I won't tell you how many pictures I have of him).  The hens are pretty well habituated as they were right there when I fed the horses this morning.  The horses are not a bit afraid of them anymore.  When the turkeys first showed up a few years ago, the horses were pretty spooked, but now they take them in stride.  Bill Cody was actually chasing one in the corral this morning. 

He really thinks he is something.

A whitetail buck sneaking in for some violet salad.  Me and Zeus got him ran off though.

Too bad the old tom is missing a tail feather.

WHY I LIKE LIVING WHERE WE DO

Lots of wildlife around our place today.  We had elk below the corral this morning and they grazed right by our lawn.  Turkeys in the corral a couple of times today and deer in the yard a couple of times today.  While walking Zeus this evening, a coyote crossed the path right in front of us.  Of course the old blind dog did not see it, but when we got up to where it crossed he sure did smell it.  He is so funny when he smells them.  He has hated them since he was a little pup and just is really frustrated he can't chase them now.  His hair stands up and he bounces around acting like a really tough dog- albeit a blind one.

A few pictures from today (click to enlarge any photo).

You can just see the legs of the elk as they went by.

There were at least 25 head.  

They are starting to look pretty sleek now with most of the winter hair gone.

Our plum tree has a number of blossoms on it.

The arrowleaf balsamroots are still in full bloom. 

Five does showed up this evening.  There was a nice buck in the yard when I was mowing the lawn.

Pretty sure the doe on the left and the one in the center are pregnant.

All the green grass and she has to eat the alfalfa hay under the tarp!!

UPDATE 24 MAY

Connie is down in Salt Lake visiting relatives and going to nephew Royce's graduation.  Zeus and I are trying to make it on our own.  Been really busy getting ready for the Memorial Day Parade.  Will sure be glad when it is over.  We have been getting a lot of rain so it is making the irrigating of the meadow pretty easy.  There have been a number of turkeys hanging around the corrals for the last few days.  A couple of toms and hens.

Sunset the other night.

One of the toms.

SPRING IN MONTANA

It must be spring around here if we are over to the ranch helping them AI the heifers.  They changed the routine a little bit so we did not take any horses over as we did not ride that much and just used ranch horses when we did. 

And another sure sign of spring is that we are irrigating and our horses have been turned out on grass.  We have quite a few flowers blooming around here also.

The Martinell kids learn roping and being around cattle at an early age.

Kristin brings over this hydraulic chute to hold the cattle when they are inseminated.

Two cats had their litters almost the same day out in the cow barn.

This is Calen riding his John Deere bike.  Anything "tractor" is his favorite thing.

Here we are going into one of the bull pens to cut out a few bulls to put in with some heifers.

Something I thought I would never see - horned white face bulls on the ranch.  Black Angus has been the dominate breed for years.

Calen helping Papa run the backhoe cleaning out a ditch.

Our horses enjoying fresh spring grass.

Lots of violets this year.

The arrowleaf balsamroots are in full bloom now.

Our bleeding heart bushes are really big this spring.

A COUPLE OF FIRSTS

Connie saw the first Arrowleaf Balsamroot flower yesterday.  We kind of keep track when we see this flower as it is a real sure sign of spring around here.  And it is all over the place.  Last year it was 22 April when we saw them really blooming.  Then I saw an osprey in one of our dead trees on my morning walk.  We see them all the time down on the river, but never up here in the pine trees and rocks.  It was interesting that it had a squirrel that it had caught and flew away with it then came back to the same tree and landed.  Just watched me walk under it.  Of course I did not have a camera with me.  We also got to see some elk up very close yesterday morning.  They are sure looking pretty scraggly and rough as they are also shedding their winter hair just like our horses.  I came upon them as I topped a sagebrush covered knoll and saw them before they saw me.  Watched them for quite a bit then Connie came by and saw I was watching something so joined me behind a sagebrush.

Another sure sign of spring is that I started irrigating yesterday.  We are quite dry right now as the wind has been blowing everyday and no rain.  It did sprinkle a bit last night so that also will help.  Lots of snow in the mountains still.  Hope it goes off slow so we don't have any flooding of creeks and the river.

The 2011 first Arrowleaf Balsamroot.

ELK AROUND THEIR CALVING GROUNDS

We are seeing quite a few elk around the last week.  Connie and I have run into elk while riding and walking.  Not every day, but almost.  In a few weeks they will start calving and the area to the east of us seems to be where a lot of them calve - at least in the years past.  It is fun watching them as they are not as spooky this time of year and will just move off a comfortable distance and watch us ride or walk by.  Connie has started taking her phone with her while walking and took a few pictures yesterday morning.  She was still sitting down in the sagebrush watching them when I caught up to her.  The bulls antlers have started their new growth for the year, and it is getting easy to see the new velvet knobs on top of their heads. 

You will have to click on the photo to enlarge to really see them.  We stay back quite a ways so as not to spook them.

Connie and her buddy.

We thought it appropriate to have elk stir fry for supper last night!!!

SPRING CLEANUP

We are in the middle of cleaning our main irrigation ditch in preparation of the coming summer.  Although the temperatures have been 30 degrees below normal this past week, summer will come and irrigating will have to be done.  We decided to clean out what we call the horseshoe where the ditch makes it's first entry into our land.  This place has been overgrown with trees, willows, and rose bushes for years.  It took us three days to get it cleaned out and burned, but it sure looks better.  We did not take any "before" pictures though.  And we regret it of course.  But there are a few pictures of during and after below.

This is a busy time of year for us.  With all the spring things that need to be done on our place, I also am working on getting ready for the Memorial Day Parade here in Corvallis.  Connie has managed to ride one of her horses and her knees did fine.  We still have a lot to do with them.  All need their hooves trimmed and some need shoes.  Shots and wormed - it never ends.

There were five piles of brush we drug out of the horseshoe with the tractor.

Lighting small brush piles left in the horseshoe and pine needles.

I am standing by the tree pictured below.

Here is kind of a before picture of the largest tree we have on our place with years of pine needles piled up on the bushes below.

Here is what the area looks like after burning with the big tree in the background.

 The big tree did catch on fire, but we were able to get it out with a sprayer.