From Co to Cali

After a full day of fencing at the Double J Ranch, Heather and I headed home to Colorado where within 24 hours, I was on a plane to California for an externship with a small animal orthopedic surgeon. Talk about keeping the candle lit from both ends.... The boys were happy to see the belly deep grass in the pasture and were quite content to stay there for a week as I left them under the care of my roommates. In California James and I did some sight seeing before heading to the coast which was nice to get out of the San Joaquin Valley heat. His family owns a dairy here and when it's over 100 degrees, it's really hard on everyone. I write this post two weeks after I've left ND and realize how much I miss it. I keep looking through my pictures finding myself wanting to go back. How lucky I was to have such an amazing experience there. I am sitting in the San Diego Airport ready to head home. After a day of driving down the coast and watching the races at Del Mar, I am ready to be back home. It won't be long before our long awaited pack trip in the Wind River Range begins. I still have to unpack my horse trailer from ND:) The Double J Ranch

The General Sherman Tree, largest tree in the world!! It's bark is 3 feet thick.

The castle rock behind me while atop Moro Rock.

Jade and James at Port San Luis.

Lots of Sea Lions!

The best fish tacos in the world!!! I was very spoiled with fresh fish for a few days....my favorite!

Morro Bay in the morning. Most of the mornings in California were like this until noon when the sun finally burned off the fog. The temperatures were cool, 55-60 degrees in the mornings and only warming up to the mid seventies. Pretty nice for the middle of July.

On the Road Again

*** I added 2 videos to "The Last Day" post as well as a few pics****

After my sad departure on Friday morning, Heather and I headed West to Big Fork , MT. We made the 12 hour trip, horses in tow with time to spare before the wedding rehearsal dinner that evening. The horses stayed at the beautiful Big Fork Equestrian Center (highly recommended!) and we at a local RV camp site. After our long drive, we woke up early Saturday morning to venture up the road to the sun in Glacier National Park. What a wonderful and large park! We only had time to drive up Logan Pass before the wedding and it was just enough for Heather and I to decide that we want to come back. Today we drove 10 hours south east through Idaho and the Teton Valley into Daniel, WY. To break up our trip home, we are stay at the Double J Ranch. Tomorrow's chores involve a fence stretcher, lots of wire and the mule so I better get off to bed....Chrissy is making her famous biscuits and gravy at 6am.

Heather peering over the edge.....

Haystack Creek

Glacier Lilly

Heather (sister)

Columbine

The Last Day

Cache, Colonel and JJ before leaving the ranch.

So here is my final day in the Badlands. This week has been tough as I've reflected on my time here trying to lock all my memories away so I will never forget them. I'm finding it hard to write as I don't want to leave. Thanks to all those who have come and visit me this summer and thanks to those of you who have followed my blog. I hope you have enjoyed it :) It's off to Montana tomorrow. My next adventure awaits me ..... however I will be back to the badlands someday. The Crew

Al, Marylu, Heidi, Henry, Lindsey, Mike, Alanna and Jennifer

Chica, Chubby's foal

Sundance giving herself a mud bath.

Curious Arrowhead (Bella's foal).

Embers and Mist "lovers"

My Grandpa and Me

Lois with Colonel and myself at the branding.

Lorie,Ted, Al, Frank, Lynz , Pogo, and Kay at the ranch getting the job done:)








Video of Embers and Mist coming to check things out.

Miss Maggie with me on my last day with the horses.

James and Jade moving cows after AI ing.

Mom and Dad on the Boicourt with Mystery's band.

Mom and Dad on Buck Hill.

And of course, Thanks to my ranch family for all the wonderful memories and words of wisdom about Faith, Love and Ranching.





"There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man"

-Winston Churchill

A Special Day

Happy 4th of July! Today marks my last week here in the badlands and I must say that today was truly a special one. There was a lot of activity out on Linbo Flats where 6 bands had congregated this morning. I ventured out to get the weekly evaluations and focused on getting observations of 2 bands that had foals heats going on. (Wind Canyon and Brutus). Mares will have an estrous cycle 7-10 days after they foal so this provides us with an opportunity to see if there is reproductive behavior with mares that were vaccinated last fall. Dove


What an experience this has been. Getting to know 60 mares, 24 stallions, 2 yearlings and 27 foals thus far has been something I will always remember. They are each unique in their individual ways and I hope people will be able to enjoy their presence just as I have. Theodore Roosevelt wrote about the wild horses in the Badlands and this park's birth came out of tribute to him. They continue to live wild to demonstrate TR's experiences in North Dakota for he said that if it was not for his experiences in North Dakota, he would have never become President of the United States of America.

Chaps (filly out of Betty Blue and by Wind Canyon II)

She has her sires gentle eyes.

Redface giving himself a dust bath.

Cassiopeia (filly out of Sapphire by Wind Canyon II) this mare was bred today as she is in her foal heat.

Copper was chasing Strawberry around today ....

and finally caught her. Her foal died about 2 weeks ago at a month of age. This must be her second heat cycle.

Copper defending Stawberry from Redface. She was with Redface originally this year.

The neatest thing happened today while I was getting evals on the double band. I was approached by Papoose, Pretty Girls' foal. She came from behind and looked like she wanted to smell me. I slowly reached out my hand as her nose fuzz touched my fingers ever so gently. It was like I was in the movie "The Horse Whisperer" or something. This feeling of amazement came over my body and I played with her lips for a few seconds. She continued to move forward and I reached my hand under her chin to giver her a little scratch. She loved it. It wasn't before long I was cautiously rubbing her neck, back, and face...giving her a little massage. I kept having to remind myself that this was a wild horse and sometimes foals can play rough...like spinning a round and kicking or rearing up and boxing with their front legs. The mares in the band watched us with care, wondering what was going on. Dove seemed interested too in what Papoose was doing by me. She walked over with her head held high and I slowly reached out my hand. She touched it, smelled it and then decided it wasn't for her. Papoose however continued to place her self against my body, asking to be scratched. What would make a foal do this? Why was she not afraid of me? I don't know the answer but I can certainly tell you that it was one of those moments I will never forget. It was almost like she saw me as one of them......maybe not but it sure felt that way. What a day!




Papoose

Papoose tearing around the dirt pit.

Dove

Blaze moving across the flats.

Bella in the sweet clover.

Wind Canyon II (right) and Brutus (left) dueling it out over their mares in estrus.

Tomahawk playing with a piece of cedar.

NEW FOAL!! This little colt was born 6 days ago to Escape (in Brutus' Band)

Al and Jennifer took Alanna and I riding yesterday up to the needle's eye. Here they are along Paddock Creek.

Lindsey on Cache and Alanna on Q.

Jennifer joins the photo on Buck.

Prairie Rose....the state flower.