More gentle weather today. Cool mornings, warm days, and soft evenings with the changing light of fall. With the changing light comes more flocking of birds, and the occasional song of the meadowlark. Dana's garden is alive with a variety of birds, both resident and migrant. I am holding the cows for one more day on the pasture cocktail. Ravens, hawks, and coyotes are regulars at the Prairie Dog Colony. A lone field cricket song was heard as we head to bead.
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Just pleasant weather today. Fall. The cows are still harvesting the "cocktail" pasture. While fencing off the grass on the north edge of the cocktail, I flushed two rattlesnakes.
Cool and light overcast today. The cows are very much enjoying the cocktail pasture. I wish there was enough for a month but there are only 100 acres in this seeding. The cover will go fast. What is amazing, not unlike last year, when the cows go onto the cocktail, they quickly go off mineral. Somehow, the diverse annual plants in the cocktail mix, with their different root systems capture an assemblage of minerals that satisfy the cows. There is something about the ongoing "buzz" about the importance of soil health and how to build it. The ranch agreed today to send our bred heifers to Travis Krein in Wyoming along with our heifer calf crop. A new project with hopes of addressing current drought conditions, while also growing the herd.
Moderate and breezy today. Some gusts and drying. Judy and Wade (neighbors) helped me move cows over to the pasture cocktail seeding on BLM in East Lackey in Paddocks 7 and 8. Trailing went well other than the bulls deciding they needed to beat up on each other and proceeded to blow through a recently built electric fence. I was not amused. A Bald Eagle and Ferruginous hawk were hanging out on the Prairie Dog Colony. When we trailed to the water center at East Lackey, a group of calves hung back at the water, as the cows grazed. Jick, one of our border collies, spooked the calves and one large calf flipped over into the tank with its head barely above the water trapped between the railing around the tank. Wade, literally a gentle giant, was able with some assistance from me, to position the calf and leverage it over the edge of the tank and out. If I had been alone, the calf would have drowned. The slogan-be grateful for everyone-I never tire of repeating.
Cool and breezy today. Passed on moving the cows due to a lot of feed left in the paddock. Caught up on office work today. We have a big move tomorrow to east lackey. I spotted a lone beautiful Ferruginous hawk hanging out on the Prairie Dog colony.
I woke this morning to a clear and cool morning. Strong breezy winds came up later in the day. I got out in the field early to get all the cows located in SBW7. I moved them to the second split later this morning. This might be a good time to talk about the importance of "Following the Schedule." Now that we are moving cattle almost every day, I find that both people and cattle are best served if you follow a routine. When doing retreats on Zen monasteries, they always tell you if you just follow the schedule, things will be less difficult. This is very true on the ranch, and while you always need to be adaptive and flexible as the expected unexpected arises (cows get out, water breaks, equipment breaks down) the sooner you lean into and address the problem and then return to the schedule, the easier life will be.
So what does this look like for me on a good day. Wake at 4:30 with a short stretch; sit at 5:00; service at 5:40; short house cleaning (soji); small animal chores around 7:00; review day tasks; check cow water and mineral; do Ryan's chores (Ryan was on vacation); have a relaxed breakfast and maybe catch some news (most days following breakfast, Dana, Ryan and I meet to visit about short and long-term planning); check emails and make calls; back in the field to move cows or fence or both; relaxed long lunch if things are going well and read some newsletters and mail; short nap; back in the field; finish with small animal chores and dinner (if it is my turn); watch a little TV with Dana; update journal for web page; bed by 9:00 which never happens, but it is always a goal. It is easy to observe, since I have an active facilitation schedule and community work, why two people are necessary for the ranch to operate smoothly. If the team keeps turning back to the "path," keeps returning to the schedule, we have a chance to be reasonably responsible to ourselves and others, remain grateful for this rare opportunity to be alive, and resolve to temper our wants with what is. And despite the subtle and not so subtle inescapable suffering that checks us at every turn, and also understanding monastic schedules are more easily supported by a larger community, we lean into our daily practice remembering we are never alone and always powered by our relationships with everything else. Last night, a storm of sorts hit with wind, thunder and hail. This morning is misty with fog. Not since May, has it looked and felt like today. Unfortunately, there was little measurable precipitation. The wind last night pushed the cows through a temporary fence. It was a bit of a mess getting the cows back together. I will finish the job tomorrow. I moved most of the animals into the 1st split on SBW7.
A short, early morning shower with cooler temperatures this morning. No hanging around the water today. It feels like a storm is coming. We will hope!
The smoke has left for now with the cooler and maybe wetter weather over the next three days. I moved the cows to the last split (#4) in SBW6. I took a little too much feed in the front end of the paddock. Hot 90 degree weather on the 1st and 2nd kept the cows close to water longer. Fall bird movement seen around the headquarters, particularly warblers.
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Bill Milton
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