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Cowpokes Who Cry Preview
I cringed, sympathy pain for the cow that was being lifted into the air by our HydraBed pickup. The chain hooked up to her allowed us to maneuver the cow who’d just given birth. A prolapsed birth. Her entire uterus was on the outside of her body now. The sex education I received on the…
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Thank a rancher…
You may often see me on here talking about my respect for all life on Earth. Taking care of baby calves was an experience that left a lasting impression on me. These animals will grow and ultimately be slaughtered one day for meat and other animal products. But… Regardless, they deserve a happy and healthy…
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Be the bridge, not the gate…
It isn’t a question that the ranch shaped me into the woman I am today, but when followers first stumble upon my page I think there can be some confusion. I no longer reside on a ranch, and my husband and I work with people, not cows. But, that doesn’t mean we aren’t still a…
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A Little Christmas Spirit
My horse’s neck swayed back and forth as he trudged through the sand. I focused on the movement, lost in the beauty of his shiny black mane. The contrast between the coarse hairs and his dark brown body, partially distracted me from my inner thoughts. I had come home for Christmas. Frosted tamaracks thawed as…
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We can do hard things…
Written by: Tayla Waite “I can’t wear this cowboy hat. I haven’t earned it.” I said these words to my husband Chance, who I was dating at the moment. He screwed a felt hat on my head the first time I helped move cattle horseback after moving to the ranch. We trailed pairs six miles…
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Ghost Riders
This story is based on true events. Wait! Have you read part one, The Slithering Walls? The old Brown Mill ranch house used to sit on a snake den. Being an older home meant that snakes found the openings, and they took over. It was said that the families that lived there long before us…
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The hat that you wear…
The cowboy hat… Shade from the sun, protection from the elements, a symbol of the American west, rests on the heads of many cowboys and cowgirls. Cowboy hats come in different shapes and sizes, different colors and materials. The cattleman, the Gus, the half taco, the full taco, the gambler, straw, felt, wool, 4.5 inch…
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Two Fathers
“Come on Pokey!” Dad shouted at me from across the pasture. “I’m hurrying!” I shouted from my seat on my old gelding named 202. The truth is, I was doing something far from “hurrying.” Cowpokes like me never take their seasoned ponies out of 4-low. The diaper bag and our water bottles that hung secured…
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They’re Only Babies
Yearlings were our specialty on Rush Creek. The goal was to purchase the cattle young, use the land to our advantage to fatten them up during the summer, and sell them in the fall. When the rain was generous, thousands of these reckless youngsters filled the fences to the brim. We unloaded truck load after…
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A Little Branding Action
