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Ah, those Indian Cows!

  • August 16, 2010 20:15

You are likely quite sick of hearing about our green grass, but as a final comment on it, let me just say that we had the summer round up a whole month later than we should have had it because of the muddy corrals, and, because of the delay and the rains, the late calves we branded were probably 100 lbs heavier than we had expected. Not a bad problem to have, of course, except that the little bulls were far too developed to be castrated, and so will have to be sold, when the brands dry up, in October, as bulls instead of steers – so generating a lower price. There is always a drawback, it seems! But even as I sit here writing this, the ones we sent off this week are probably being loaded onto the buyers’ trucks in Willcox, and on Tuesday we will get the check and see just exactly what they brought. Continue reading

Rekindle the Sensations of Freedom

  • July 13, 2010 14:52

The great annual happening, the monsoons, are always eagerly anticipated here in the high desert, and the other day Danny launched once again into the annual conversation we all like to have at this time of the year, the discussion of thunder in the distance and the glimpse of faraway lightning, way down in Mexico. This conversation spans the centuries – I bet that the ancient people, who lived here all those years ago, were even more obsessed with weather than we are now – imagine that not only was there no faucet to turn on, but there was no well to get the water from, and, if it didn’t rain and fill the lakes and little water holes, you were pretty well done. Continue reading

What a Show This Will Be!

  • March 2, 2010 20:57

You know that Arizona is on the national map when the New York news channels start talking about the awesome spring flowers that are about to appear! Generally, especially with the weather news, we are, to put it in cow vernacular, sucking on the hind tit. Are there storms in the east? More than well covered. Frost in Florida … heat wave in Chicago …mud slides in California… you bet you hear about it…. global warming, global cooling, long and short summers – we are treated to it all, as long as it doesn’t concern the south west. Perhaps they think we are still a part of Mexico, before the Gadsden Purchase? Continue reading

The Life of a Vaquero

  • January 30, 2010 12:45

How time flies when you’re having fun!! Our fun at the moment is more rain – following on from last week’s news. So far we have had 3.70 inches for January, which may not seem much to you, but to the high desert it’s bounty indeed. When the first day’s rain was over, I rode up to the South Fork Tank, high up in the Noonan Canyon. Predictably, it was… Continue reading

Time of Many Fruits

  • October 2, 2009 15:03

Well, here we are again at that magic time of what the Apaches called “Time of Many Fruits”, and which we, less poetically, know as “Fall” – and with it comes the fall round up, starting this coming Monday. We will gather the pastures, bring in the cows and calves, and take all the steers and some of the heifers to the cattle auction. Normally we keep back about 20-30 Continue reading

The Weight of a Horse

  • April 13, 2009 16:04

I will have a complaint when I get to the Pearly Gates on the Other Side. It will be that it’s always Thursday. It seems to me that the days – and, consequently, the weeks, months and years – whiz by at an incredible rate, and to me it always seems to be Thursday. The reason is that this is Danny’s short day, as he leaves after lunch, returning

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The Horse and the Quill

  • December 12, 2008 15:02

Christmas at GrapevineDear Friends,

First, let me wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a safe and wonderful New Year!! May you have many presents under the tree and may you enjoy a happy New Year’s Eve in safety and comfort!

Typing this I suddenly remembered the good old days, when the Christmas Newsletter had Continue reading

One Moment At A Time

  • October 6, 2008 18:35

Tuffy the dog at Grapevine Canyon RanchAnyone who thinks dogs don’t reason hasn’t observed them very closely. The other day, on a ride, my dog Tuffy caught a young rabbit. She carried it victoriously in her mouth all the way home, but before reaching the yard, disappeared with it somewhere near the round pen Continue reading