They said... "It was 85º in town."

Stardate 04/11-13/08

Took our computer* into town this morning and I heard that yesterday's high temp was 85º. Here at the ranch while smoking ribs for the first (of the season) McKuster Ranch's BBQ the outside window thermometer was showing 80º.
Snow levels on the mountains appeared to have receded up to about 4000 feet yesterday. This was truly like icing on the cake of a gorgeous early spring weekend for riding horses, working outside, and having friend over for an evening meal/get together. Gee, it felt good here yesterday, actually for the entire weekend we enjoyed a lot of fresh air, sunshine and keeping the bedroom windows opened all night.

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Today during lunch the Ostermans came by to grain their horses Mark and Mink, and we had sleet pellets hitting us on the head. What a difference a day makes. Overnight as was forecast our weather changed, the winds began to blow, by morning's light it started to rain here in the Walla Walla River canyon, and the snow level had dropped back down to 2000 feet elevation. During his mid-day feeding Rusty and I continued to watch it snowing on the mountains.

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Sunday was a busy, busy day. We kinda started where we left off on Saturday with the spring cleaning mode all around the ranch, after breakfast and a leisurely walk back along the river.
As Kittee was doing this and that, I worked at fertilizing the last three pastures I hadn't done last month. Thereafter we turned on the Big Guns and watered most of the pastures. With this going on one of our apartment renters came by to pay a bill, and before he left the Ostermans came in with their horse to be boarded for the season. So it turned in to a very busy day, with a pleasant sit down visit of new friends and neighbors to finish the day.



The Ostermans have been working with us for over a year to bring their horses back to the Pacific Northwest, from their retirement home in Arizona. This past weekend was a perfect weekend to arrive in Oregon.

They were lucky to have some very nice arrival weather since they were driving in from AZ, with an overnight layover in Ontario.



With a trip like that we invited them to join us for a BBQ dinner with our upriver friends, Dale and Cheri Cosper. It was a very pleasant evening as our horse trainer, Travis Webster also dropped in with his/our lady friend Kasey to help with the consumption of 10-½ pounds of pork ribs. Travis and I were going to start our work on Rusty yesterday to bring him into being my other saddle horse, but Travis got tied up with the barrel racers weekend in Walla Walla and was running a bit too late to bring Rusty out of his keep.




Since Travis was not working with horses this particular evening he asked if he could to take a walk back to the river to check out the fish habitat improvements we made in August of last year. Upon his return, he had a bull snake, he caught in the pasture, and that Kittee and Arlene had to handle. A very mild mannered character that took handling well.


The evening's dinner was under the stars after a warm April day, which made a most pleasant outing with a bit more than a half moon to light our eat-off-your-lap-BBQ dinner. Cheri remarked, it was much like having a campout dinner with everyone circled around and the trace of hickory smoke in the air from the nearby smoker grill. After dinner it seemed that everyone wanted my recipes for this or that, and I had to tell them the only way that info gets out of here is by regular taste testing. I really don't have a recipe for my BBQ ribs-works, just a base of ingredients that changes with each batch.

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Saturday, the weather was great and according to plans Kittee and I were up and at'em rather early for our usual weekend routine to eat breakfast and saddle-up Nugget and Misty for a gitty-up ride on Cashe Hollow Road. Again it was a wonderful morning ride that reminded us much of the same trail we took last fall when all was in red and gold. This weekend there was little coloration except the early spring green buds on trees and bushes.
The past couple of months Nugget has been quite winded when being exerted on uphill and running rides, so for the past ten days he has been on medication for respiratory infection and this was his initial test ride. He did quite well as compared to the past couple of months, but was huffing and puffing a bit more than Misty at the top of the hill.

After our morning ride, we spent most of the rest of the day doing household and lawn chores... a bit of spring cleaning. Kittee even tore the old front door steps off the house as I was mowing the lawn and pasture edgings. We are still hoping to have the January 4th storm damage repairs done in June this year which will include a new roof and siding for the old farm house. After the riding and working we called it "Bloody Mary" time to watch horses graze and play, while we kicked back, relaxed and discussed.


After a most busy day around the ranch, we watched another beautiful golden sunset in the clear western sky.

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This past Friday, had been declared a CLO holiday by Kittee earlier in the week. It was also Misty's birthday. The past few weeks Kittee has been tied up in court trials and I have been driving a school bus, so we have had only two day weekends for over a month. Kittee and I really don't think that a two day weekend is fair for anyone having turned 50 years young. It is time to spend life in the go mode, living life... so we do most of the time with our three day weekends.
Friday we moved out early with our coffee and got the necessary work done around the ranch, had a little birthday party for Misty and her herd. Thereafter went to town to do the necessary things to do in town, then headed back to the ranch. After lunch we saddled up Derby and Misty, soon Shana came in and saddled up Sinwaan, and we made a two hour horseback ride up the hill for the balance of the afternoon. Misty was not real eager to make this trail ride (PMS) so we did a little work in the pasture, I took it easy on her and we only went halfway up the hill; and it's Misty's birthday!! The horses had enough work to become damp, without a heavy sweat. After we got back to the ranch, I had an appointment with Travis who came over and worked with Goldie to help develop her trailer loading skills. That went very well for all concerned.

So, this is the way it is in Northeast Oregon; as usual the skies are not cloudy all day and now the sun is shining so I need to head out and continue to wish Goldie a Happy Birthday with carrots and cookies and pet our stallion for awhile.

a spring weekend at McKuster Ranch --- Dale

*Working on our home puter and new camcorder to produce videos of Shaiela's new foal. Hopefully this will bring you into the live action... of life around the ranch. Coming to a computer near you SOON.