MOVING COWS ON THE MARTINELL RANCH

Connie and I spent a couple of days over at the Martinell Ranch in Dell helping them move cows from the ranch headquarters up to the Centennial Valley where they have their summer range.  Most of the cattle are already up there in different places of the valley.  It was nice to see the family and the cowboys who work for them.  Very dry over there though and they need rain just like all of southwest Montana.   

Saddling up at 0400.  Connie and I use the "old" horse barn to saddle our horses when we are over there.  Lots of history in this old barn.

Connie took the next few pictures of the drag crossing the saddle from Sage Creek to the Centennial Valley.  It was very dusty because of the lack of moisture.

Sunrise over the Centennial.

I am in the lead and this is looking back to where we drop down on the North Valley Road.  You can see the drag just coming off the hill in the background if you click to enlarge the photos.

This was Zeph's first cattle drive and he did very good we thought.  He is up in the lead with me keeping them going.

A little conference on where we left them at 1430 after 9 1/2 hours trailing them.

Having a late lunch at the Mayberry cowcamp.  Connie and I lived here for a number of years.

After we finished moving the pairs up to the Valley, on our way back to the ranch we had to gather up some of their heifers and return them to the pasture they were supposed to be in.  They found some good grass around this irrigated lawn.  That is Kiley Martinell checking them out.

That is Lima, MT in the background.

Kiley, Heath, and Craig coming out of the pasture where we put the wayward heifers.