Light of Life

Let's leave our nets.

             https://youtu.be/DtuEej4J3U8           

Oxy/Acetylene

Every shop has an Oxygen/Acetylene cutting torch set up. Often, places will have two. One for the shop and one that's more portable. We just have one around here. Which is good on overhead, but not as easy to use in the field. Regardless of the set up, the bottles go empty and have to be changed.

We keep the smaller bottles around. Outside of building corrals, we can make these guys last 6 months or so. Nothing fancy about our cart. The pneumatic tires on the hand truck make it pretty easy to get around with. 

All bottles come with a safety cap. Even when they are empty and you are hauling them to town, it is good to keep them on. The oxygen bottle runs about 1800psi full, so it's not something to play around with. 

After you changed the bottles and before you remount the regulators, it's a good idea to crack the valves to make sure any debris are removed from the seat. On a side note, acetylene, which is the red bottle, is a naturally odorless gas. Being highly flammable, they add the garlic like odorant to help you know if you have a leak. You'll know it if you smell it. I personally can hardly stand the smell. 

The regulator for the acetylene bottle is left-handed threads, so that you can't mix them up. Only running about 100psi full, hooking it up to the oxygen would blow it apart, among other things. 

Unlike the fittings on the cutting torch itself, these regulators need to be wrenched down pretty tight.

Once hooked up, you can readjust your pressure. Oxygen runs about 40psi on the output. To increase you screw the regulator tee in. 

Acetylene runs about 15psi. 

Once they are strapped down good to our cart, we can take them to the field if we like. There is nothing worse then trying to throw and cutting torch set up into the back of a pickup. To help with this demise, we welded a little receiver tube onto the dolly. Then when we want to go mobile, we insert this stinger and bolt it in place.

Then we can bolt it to the receiver hitch on the truck. The angled edge allows a guy to tip it up and get it started in the tube. Then he can just lift the back half of the weight and slide it in, instead of deadlifting the whole thing. 

Works well.

I wouldn't recommend driving to town like this or bouncing down a washboard gravel road. But rolling around the barnyard, welding up pipe joints, is perfect. You can't beat the oxy/acetylene set up for versatility. You can weld, cut, heat up, or light a cigar with them. Like every good thing, they come with a cost. Replacing the bottles is pretty common procedure around the ranch. Doing it right is important. I say I'm safety first, but anytime you're rolling around with cutting torch bottles dangling from the back of your truck, you've crossed the line. Crossing the line safely can be done if you keep your wits about you. Just ranchin'.

Ranch Grinding Stone

On the day Dad was born, July 10, 1951, Grandpa signed on a 3,500 acre ranch south of Tensleep WY. There was a lot of cool old equipment on that place, much of which we were able to preserve. The ranch stayed in the immediate family until about 2000, when Grandpa and his brother, Ruben, passed the farm and ranch down to the next generations. 

Uncle Ruben, had collected a lot of antique tools and kept them in the backyard of his house. Among them was this old pedal operated grinding stone off the family ranch. Mark, Ruben's son, has been going through some of his father's old tools and thought Dad would like to have the old grinding stone. That's pretty thoughtful. 

These guys are neat. Used to sharpen axes and other farm tools, it's fairly rare to find one with the sandstone in good shape. This stone is well used, but still ready for work. 

Along with the grinding stone, Mark gave Dad the old hand-powered drill press that hung in the ranch tool shed. Another impressive tool of old. This one is not in as good of shape, as all the moving parts are pretty well ceased up. 

Still works.

Fun stuff. That was pretty good of Mark to give those tools to Dad. The ranch, and the mountain ground that came with it, are near and dear to all of us. Though the land has moved on, our memories remain. These rusty old tools help bring those good days of the past back into the present. Ranching with gratitude. 

St. Agnes

Pray for us!

             https://youtu.be/RwVj3dmCmEs           

Riding Herd

With the January cold finally showing up, I thought I better go ride herd and see how the critters are holding up. 

Look pretty content. 

Having worked through the latest lick tub, I brought them a new one. Sliding it off with the sideboard is a pretty slick trick.

Mollie and Chief sure appreciate some molasses and protein. 

The last tub they licked until it rolled into the ditch. 

The cold and wind over the weekend really iced up the water. Amazing that the little trickle is enough to keep everything flowing. 

Heavy with young.

Cows are incredible with what they can do with dry old grass. With their rumen, a four chambered stomach, they glean all the possible nutrients out of grass. When I see a cow lying down, chewing her cud, I know she's doing well. These cows are going to need some feed in the next couple weeks, and sooner if the weather turns to winter. In the meantime, I think we'll let them keep turning this dry grass into muscle matter. Ranchin. 

Stirring the Pot

Jesus shows His priestly roots.

           https://youtu.be/Dp82hZGpVW0         

About the Heart

Rend our hearts, nor our garments.

           https://youtu.be/HJ85-zXcf1s         

Lamb of God

Good time to go deep.

             https://youtu.be/2sjVoKyLuOI           

 

Re-weaning

If at first you don't succeed, try again. Last fall we weaned our two calves for two weeks. Then, threw them back in the herd. I knew there was a bit of a risk in doing that so soon, but you never know until you try. Turns out, two weeks of separation isn't always enough time to fully wean. 

Long story short, I caught the black calf nursing the red cow two weeks ago. Knowing the only way to get them fully weaned was to separate them until summer, Peter and I set up a catch pen and got to work.

With the wind blowing hard from the north, the horses wanted nothing to do with being caught. So we grabbed Jack's steal horse and gathered them up.

It was a race against the clock, as that norther was coming in strong and fast. 

The cows went right the pen. And we cut out what we didn't need.

Then jumped smokey and blacky into the trailer, and headed for Worland.

We'll just feed them over here for the next few months. It'll give Dad something to do and Mom something to keep an eye on. 

A netted round bale of grass should do them good for a long time.

So we kicked them out.

Have fun.

Unconventional ranching has its ups and downs. Running freshly weaned calves back in with the rest of the herd may sound good in principle, but doesn't necessarily work in reality. In time, we'll get everything back together. But for now, Red cow needs to focus on her new calf to come. And, black calf needs to learn how to live on her own. Ranch on!

Healer

 Our Lord came to heal us.

             https://youtu.be/0tMts-AKJIM           

Bautista

There aren't a lot of men and women left around Johnson County who are first generation from the Basque region of Spain and France, but there are a few. Bautista Juanicotena is one of the remaining beloved. A neighbor to the church and a friend to all, Bautista has been in the Buffalo area since the 1960s.

Having an exceptionally beautiful January day, I grabbed my Spanish friend to run out to the ranch. Still having a ranching flame inside, he jumped out of the truck to grab the gate without me even asking. For much of his young life, Bautista proudly herded sheep for the Camino Ranch. 

In his mid 80s, he still wanted to help me load panels. They say you're only as old as you tell yourself. 

Ranch on, pard.

Sometimes it takes a foreigner to help the natives appreciate what they have. Bautista is that man. He loves Wyoming like a little kid on vacation, enjoying every moment. For those who know and love him, you'll be remembered of Bautista's favorite saying: "Wyoming's greatest blessings are high altitude, low multitude, and good attitude." Keep grinning, pal. The world could use a few more colorful characters like Bautista Juanicotena.

Here I Am

I come to do your will.

             https://youtu.be/Dzm_Jh8QtUo