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.
Very well done interview!
ReplyDeletegreat interview. what a wonderful ranching family! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview; what beautiful boys!
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your interviews. It is so nice to read about generational people still on the land.
ReplyDeleteIt is the backbone of our country. I like what she said about raising cattle, I think it is so true. People need to see where their food comes from.
Great interview!! I know Rachel personally, and am good friends with her! :)
ReplyDelete