Happy birthday, Seamus & Bridget!

3 Jul 2010

Seamus's ideal birthday cake, with both John Deere tractor and Thomas the Train
Bridget likes them too.

Seamus has turned four! And Bridget has turned 30! Here are photos from their birthday party, held on Seamus's birthday (July 3rd). To be fair, Bridget celebrated her birthday in Ireland on June 18th. Both are red letter days, for sure.

Seamus with requested green backhoe

Bridget and Grandpa George
Birthday party animals

Seamus trying out his new bike
Assistance from his sisters, Siobhan and Maeve

Seamus and Pat
with Thomas the Train

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Docking tales

1 Jul 2010

Docking crew
State Land pasture
Carbon County, Wyoming

Our schedule must be flexible every day, yet exact every season. Much of June is the season of docking lambs. We must get the new lambs, all born since May 8th, ready to trail to the Forest with their mothers by late June. Last year we struggled since it rained most every day. This year was wet enough, but we never had to dock in the rain, wind and lightening. We have to wait until school is out, since some of our crew are youthful. Trouble is we are competing with sports camps for our adolescent dockers. Docking, for the uninitiated, is the removal of tails, testicles (buck lambs only), ear notches, and the administration of vaccine and paint brands. Here are some scenes from 2010.

Oscar and Antonio

Sasha, Meghan, Megan & Bahnay
the "Dinkum Docker" crew

Counting tails

Mothering up
Cottonwood pasture

Seamus, docking hand

Siobhan, docking hand

Matthew (our Canadian recruit) and Siobhan
Cottonwood

On the Forest
Smith Creek pasture, Johnson Ranch
photos by Sharon O'Toole

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June scenes

20 Jun 2010

Spring grazing for the yearling ewes
Badwater
Carbon County, Wyoming

June is a crazy busy month for us. With the sheep, we are lambing, then docking, then trailing. With the cattle, we are branding, moving onto the Forest permits and riding, riding, riding. In addition, we have some yearling heifers. Yearlings are another ball game from cows and calves, since they are basically rowdy teenagers. Our "big girls", surrogate granddaughters Sasha and Bahnay, returned this year to help with all the June work. Here are some photos from all the June activities.

George siphoning water for Simeon's camp
Badwater

Pat, sorting
Home Ranch

Hamp ewe with black lamb
State land pasture, Cottonwood
Carbon County, Wyoming

Eamon, Maeve & Meghan
Home Ranch

Siobhan on Chief
Home Ranch

Maeve on Hickory, Pat on Plata
Home Ranch

Bahnay on Outlaw
Home Ranch

Sasha on Buck
Home Ranch

Guard dog puppies
Home Ranch

Sheep at Government corrals
Medicine Bow National Forest
Carbon County, Wyoming

Siobhan & Pepe
Government corrals
photos by Sharon O'Toole

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