Barn Chicks who Blog- A Visit with Rachel from Tidbits from Ranchin' Mama

Today I will introduce you to Rachel from Tidbits from Ranchin' Mama. This is the young wife of a cowboy who is mama to three little cowboys. I like her blog. It's a comfortable place to visit. I was drawn to Rachel when I read her love story. It's on her sidebar with the picture of her cowboy. It's such fun to read about how people meet. Stop by her blog and say hello.

1. Tell us about your ranch.

Well, the family ranch is where we first started out. Actually, hubby was already well established in ranching when we married, he and his father ran cattle together on the ranch that has been in his dad's family since 1908. It has been passed down throughout the few generations. We still run cattle there, mostly crossbred cattle, and run them back with braunveih, and black gelbveih bulls.

It's a beautiful place. Hubby's great-grandad wrote a book and he described this land as creeks flowing all the time, and not so much brush. I can only imagine all the green grass, and just how gorgeous it really looked!

We leased a ranch in March of 2010, 21 sections (about 40,000 acres) of rough country. So, to stock it we bought cattle that we knew could handle the rough terrain, that being crossbred corrientes. They have done well with the land and use it all. We also run braunveih and black gelbveih bulls, as well as a few angus bulls there with them. It's been a wonderful start to ranching. We absolutely love raising cattle, and seeing just how we can improve our herds, and yet, it's as if we are just now starting, and have so much ahead of us!

And, I guess because the good Lord thought we needed something else to do, we manage a ranch, it's 25 sections. This is where we live, as well. It's also a cow/calf operation, but they want bulls out all year 'round, so we brand calves, and wean calves every three months.

2. What animals do you have?

We have cattle, of course. 

Also, horses, and they are loved by us all!! Even the boys have the horses they ride.

I had a mare, Ruby, I trained her, before I married hubby, she was out of a mare of my daddy's. Hubby had two mares who foaled the summer before we married. Jackie and Paloma, who is a registered Quarter Horse.  

And now we have a stud, J.C., his mama is Jackie, they are both "half-papered". As in the dam or sire, one, is/was a registered Quater Horse. And we've bred him to our other mares, Ruby had a colt out of him, we call him Tater.

We were given a registered mare, Ginger, whom is the half sister to J.C. She accidently got bred by him, and we now have a filly we call Blaze. My brother gave us a mare as well, she just had a filly colt, too, sired by J.C.

My daddy has Paloma, we got her bred to J.C. and she had a nice bay horse colt, who my daddy named Dandy.

Hubby was given a dun mule from a good friend, her name is Jenny.

We bought a stud colt last year, he is registered, we call him Streak. He goes back to Hollywood Buggins. Can't wait to see what he turns out like!

All the horses we ride are GREAT cowhorses. If they weren't, well they wouldn't be here.

They are just great all around horses!

We also have two milk cows.

We have three dogs named Laurie, Reba, and Brass. Reba and Brass are brother and sister.

All working cowdogs. They are such good dogs, too!!

The boys were given two kittens recently, whom they named Bob (he is bob-tailed) and Fred.

Yes, very unique names, but hey!

3. If the animals get named, how do they get their names?

Well, mostly whatever we come up with.

Such as Ruby, she's a sorrel, so, I went with something red in color, like a ruby.

Jackie was name after a stud hubby's father had, supposedly a great horse in his time, his name was Jackson.  

Paloma's registered name has Paloma in it. And she is white/grey.

And so on and so forth...

Dogs-well, we just come up with something clever, again.

We do name a few cattle, just the ones who seem to stand out in the bunch more. We have one we call Rosie (she's red). Sweet Pea, sarcasm pops out here, cause she's not exactly so sweet.

So you get the point. 

Our milk cows are Lady and Bruja (spanish for witch).

Lady, well she's a lady, so sweet. She's so pretty too. (no pictures, bummer!)

Bruja, she has kicked the hubby twice or more. And she is always getting out of the pasture.

We milk them at different times, that way we always have fresh milk! Right now neither one is milking, but Bruja should calve here pretty quick. The boys love their milk before bed!! I make butter when we can get enough cream, and I REALLY want to try cheese. Yumm!*

4. I know your hubby is a cowboy(cool!) Did you have any experience with ranches before you met him?

Ahh. Yes! I guess you could say so. I grew up on what we call a stock farm. We grew the feed for sheep, and cattle that we had. Sometimes my dad pastured on other folks who weren't using their land.

We mostly ran sheep, my dad had close to 2,000 head when I was growing up.

My uncles farm and ranch, too, so I'd go help them out from time to time.

I, for sure, knew that I was going to marry me a cowboy... and with God's help, I got it done!

5.   I really enjoyed your love story! How long was it between the time you met and the time you married?

Well, I'm glad to know someone did!

We met in late 2002, and married in October 2006. So, about 4 years.

Not all that time was time spent around each other, though.

6. I know you're busy with your three little cowboys, but do you have any ranch chores?

Oh boy, oh boy! Yes, we all get out to help out 'round here! I love doing things with the hubby. I ride right along side him alot. Especially when we do work.

Of course there is the windmill work, and fence work that I help with when needed, too.

Anything and everything. I even milk the cows when needed.

7. Do you cook, can, or garden?

Yep! I will say theres not many meals I don't whip something up for.

Canning, I do. I have wanted to get to do more though. I've never had my garden do well enough to leave many extras, but I'm hoping this year will! I recently made mesquite bean jelly. Yumm!

I love gardening! As dry as we've been, and hot, it's been hard to keep everything going very well though.

In my book, home grown is best!!

8. Do you do any crafts?

I do. I sew.

Well, I try to sew.

No, not really, I think I do just fine. I have been trying to get more into it these last few years. So far, so good!

I like to decorate, come up with things to make, but haven't done much with my big o' house... so, I dunno what you say there. Ha! I'm stuck in a rut with my house, I can't seem to make everything flow together like I want it too.... :/

I'm gonna try making curtains, thats on my next agenda for a sewing project.

9. Do you ride?

Oh gosh yes!! I LOVE riding! I even ride when I'm preggy, all until I get too big and it gets to uncomfortable.

We even just go ride sometimes. Nothing to do but enjoy it all!

Our boys love to ride too! They need time to just ride and have fun!

10. What's the best thing about living on a ranch?

Well, you know, I like this question.

I think it gives life a true meaning. Each day there is something to do. It may be fence work, or it may be cow work, but it's something to go do. Ranching is a 24/7 job. Period.

We raise beef for people to eat, and our children grow up knowing where the food in the grocery store comes from. Farmers and ranchers are what keeps people going.Without us, there would be no food.

It's a passion, and a lifestyle that we absolutely love!

11. What do you like best about raising your boys in the country?

I love the freedom that they have. The down home roots. The ablility and want to work. And the love they have for the land, and animals we own. I couldn't imagine any other way to live!!

God has truely blessed us in this life on Earth!

12. What's in the future for your ranch and family?

Well, rain, I pray!! We need some grass to grow, first.

We hope to always be bettering our herds. We keep heifers (baby, soon to be mama cows) each time we wean, that way we are always able to keep young cattle in the bunch, so when time comes and the older cows need to hit the road, we would have them replaced. We have things in mind to do with our calves, but I think right now we just have to sit back and wait for bigger things to come.

Things change each day, such as this horrible drought we are in right now. With it we have had to sell cattle. Being dry, we have had fires. We know it's all in God's hands, and we look to Him for our guidance, and pray that whatever comes of it, we can understand why.

Maybe one of these days we could buy more land, that's something the hubby and I would both like to do. As high as land prices are right now, I don't think so.

Again, waiting for God's guidance.

Rachel- Thank you for this interview. I wish you and  your family all the blessings you can handle! I look forward to dropping by every now and then to check out ranch life.