Shoot for Heaven
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Monday, September 5, 2022
Wild West Summer 2002
Words can't describe what a cool summer it's been. But county music and pictures can. Here's to you Gerry. Sit tall in the saddle and wear that hat with pride. Peace partner.
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Sunday, September 4, 2022
Saturday, September 3, 2022
Just Fencing
With Gerry around for just a couple more days, we thought we better make the best of it. We started with a corral project in Worland, we might as well finish with one.
Lungren Enterprises has been my fake business name for years. Seems to sum up my mission.
Before we could get to work though, we had to brand Ranch Truck.
Last fall, Jeannie and George Etchemendy gave us some 2 7/8" tubing for corral posts. May God reward them for their generosity. Now it's time to get the posts set. Cutting them into 8' lengths was the first step.
Driving them into the ground was the next. The right tools for the job make all the difference.
Welding on the continuous fence panels was the final.
Once we got a system down we really made hay.
All of which was topped off by some home cooked and home grown beef.
God bless America! Sometimes it takes a foreigner to help the natives appreciate what they have. We've always thanked God for our gifts in life, but Gerry's presence has helped us appreciate American freedom all the more. God has given us all the unailible rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our Western American way of life just seems to highlight it. Ad majorem Dei gloriam!
Thursday, September 1, 2022
Monday, August 29, 2022
Sunday, August 28, 2022
Hitting the Hay
You ain't no cowboy today unless you have a living quarters in your horse trailer. Fortunately, we have that one covered. Patty is a multipurpose trailer. We can haul horses, cows, sometimes both, haul hay, and even campout.
The tack room is where I lay awake all night.
When you close the door, she's a little snug with the saddles. Even though I rarely catch a wink of sleep with my nose against the roof, it sure is fun.
Gerry prefers the great outdoors. Being more of a mountain man, he likes nature as his bed.
Asleep on the hay.
Just ranchin'. Keeping up with Jones' in ranch world is tough. Driving around Campbell County one can be kind of intimidated by all the fancy setups running around. No need to worry here. Our trailer is ranch ready. She can haul the load and house the cowboys.
Friday, August 26, 2022
Cutting Room
With 40 cows ran through the cutting room so far, we've come across some improvements that could help in the process. The main one being the floor. The aluminum tread plate was next to impossible to keep clean. So with butchering season around the corner, we took advantage of a window of opportunity to fix her up.
There is really nothing I can think of changing that would speed up our processing. We don't have a band saw, and I really can't think of a use for one. We leave most of the carcasses in the cooler, so we can keep the cutting room as clean as possible.
The aluminum diamond tread plate is not original to a semi reefer trailer. It was installed as part of the former owner's project. If fat or dirt would get down there, it would take a wire wheel or pressure washer to get it up.
So we installed a subfloor. This allowed us to fasten down the tread plate better and make ready for heavy-duty kitchen vinyl.
John Black came in to do a professional job of instillation. Thanks man.
We also made a few minor tweaks to the room to make it more friendly. Buddy has been a nice addition.
Come on cows.
I'm excited to spend the fall and winter evenings cutting fine beef to feed fine people. The beauty of the amendment to the Food Freedom Act that we operate under, is that we do not have to be an inspected or licensed meat cutting facility. We do not sell meat, so the state does not need to be involved at all. We are not open to the public either. The meat processed and housed at Lungren Brothers Cattle Company is for share holders only. All have signed a contract with full knowledge that I am uninspected. When they come and get meat, and there is an exchange of money, it is for my labor in cutting our meat.
The truth is, an operation like this is self regulating. If I thought the outfit processing my food was shady, I'd stop going to them. The fact is, more and more people keep signing on and coming back. The proof is in the pudding. We try hard to provide a good product for good people. We're not out to make money, but to Feed America.
Roundup
With the rise of fall, roundup season is starting to emerge. My cowhand is fixing to go back to Spain in a week or so, so I figured we better get the girls moving sooner rather than later. Friday was the day. The plan was to roundup our eight heifers on Raney's place east of Hulett. Move four to Joe's and bring four home.
Dad always taught me to plan your work and work your plan. With all the steps in mind, we figured we better not burn daylight. After Mass, saddling the horses, and a Maverik Bonfire Burrito, we hit the trail.
We eventually found the girls hiding in the trees. I kept my eyes on these red ones. They usually lead the pack.
Coming out of John's north pasture isn't easy. It wasn't last year and it wasn't again this year. But we had our gates set and were ready to ranch. The herd broke on us twice, but we rode hard and cut them off at the pass. Eventually, they got the message of who was in charge and cooperated.
Gerry and Chief get the top-hand award today. They stayed calm and cool and even shut ole red down when she broke free. Couldn't have gotten them without you two.
Once we got them in the front pasture, it was pretty easy duty to get them in the corral. We jumped the four lights in and hauled them to Joe's place to graze with the herefords for another couple months. The four fats, including the red devils, came home for the last time.
Not a bad load for a little 6.0 gasser.
Nothing better than a victory burger and beer from the Gulch.
The girls are glad to be back home. They have plenty of Kochia to mow down.
If we want to get 11 cows processed by the first of the year so we can go snowmobiling, we better get started.
Good ride cowboy, good ride.
It's no fun to ranch alone. Gerry has been my right hand man and I'm not looking forward to loosing him. The fun isn't over though, but it is starting to wind down. I'm super thankful for what we accomplished today. There was a lot of highlights, but source and summit of the day was Mass. We could do nothing without Jesus in the Eucharist. On to the next one...
Thursday, August 25, 2022
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