Rosey is V months old

Starlog 092708

Rosey turned 5 months old this weekend. Again I use the Roman numeral V to reflect on Rosey's Varian Arabian lineage. We still find her to be a beautiful baby, that acquires and requires allot of our attention and affection.
This morning, as I stayed in bed with a cold, Kittee was out bright eyed and bushy tailed with the horses. By the time I got up Kittee had bathed Goldie, and was ready to bring Rosey into the wash station.
Rosey was a bit reluctant to stand in the wash station so Kittee and I lavished her with finger rubs and brushing. It wasn't long that she was quite satisfied to stand and take all we had to offer in the way of loving attention.
Measuring our fast growing filly this morning we find that she is now almost 11.3 hands tall. She is still being imprinted on a daily/weekly basis to be handled with ease for the rest of her life.





We found posted to the Jay Gross website the picture made of Rosey last weekend with her BLUE Ribbon and crystal platter. If you would like to check out our

SHAI AL BEY

show photo you can follow this show photo link and enter Exhibitor #309.






The rest of this week has been rocking along much as any other. Friday evening Kittee made a pecan pie, and we headed for Dale and Cheri Cosper to watch the '08 candidate's' debate. Thursday I got gutter guards around most of our newly refurnished home, which we are very happy with. This past week I removed all the old door knobs on the exterior doors and replaced with door handles. Much nicer and will be easier to "handle" our comings and goings as time marches on.
The Fall Equinox sunset was right on time this year, and set in the same position as years past. It sets due west in the same crack of the river canyon wall on the south side of the river each year. Gives one a feeling of consistency in life.

















I have found that living in Oregon, close to the elements of nature/ the universe on a day-to-day basis does help to center a soul on the consciousness of the Great Spirit. The Alpha and Omega always being very much the same in the circle of time. After all, look at what 40 days in the wilderness did to JC Superstar.

Several nights this past week Kittee got home in time for us to sit by the backyard fireplace, watch horses, the sun set, and the Milky Way along with the Big Dipper appear across the evening skies.

This past week the evenings have cooled, and a ranch coat and Mackinaw feels good while sitting by the fire with a spot of McKuster Ranch cider. To go along with horse herd viewing, this week each evening we have noticed the annual coming out of the autumn Blue Butts has begun.

Year in, Year Out, the cycle, the circle of life - BEING with the Great Spirit, the Creator of All. We find ourselves most fortunate BEING here with these elements of life, earth, wind, water, fire, critters; great and small.

This next week, if my cold subsides I have plans to jump in the river and fish most afternoons after school. This is the grandest time of the year to play in the river and this past week as we were enjoying the backyard fires we witnessed quite a few evenings with giant October Caddis (Dicosmoecus & Neophylax) flying overhead.

This is life around the ranch this week --- Dale

Shai Al Bey sings "I got the blue"

Starlog 092008

Today Rosey finished her 2008 show season at the Eddie MacMurdo Memorial Horse Show in Walla Walla, WA.

Rosey kind of got the short end of the stick this week as Kittee had a very busy court trial-trail schedule, having to use the I-84 corridor to go 100 miles to the west on Wednesday and 100 miles to the east on Thursday. Hectic! This played a bit of havoc on Rosey's pre-show training and all around show beauty treatment. Fortunately all of Kittee's trials came to a good conclusion for she and her clients this week, so Friday she got to stay at home with SHAI AL BEY, and do some show prep and herd petting. Turned out a bit too much herd petting.

Friday, was Rosey's first time in the ranch's horse wash station, in preparation for her outing/showing of today. She took the wash station relatively well with a small amount of grain (in a bucket), and only a few pullbacks against the wall hitch. Kittee and I first worked with her using a butt rope to enter the station, stroked her with a dry wash wand, then turned on the water to give her a full real deal horsey bath and show sheening. It still amazes us as to how much Rosey will allow us to get away with while handling her. She is such a beautiful, trusting little girl.

She is quite the joy to handle, from her very soft muzzle, ears, running our fingers through her very soft, plush baby's coat, and then Kittee will fluff her tail using Show Sheen to finish her after bath beauty treatment.

Back to today's show activities...

Kittee was up and running before the 5:20 a.m. alarm went off, asking if there was coffee made and ready to start brewing. Shortly thereafter she came in serving coffee in bed for the few minutes we had before daybreak and getting ready to Getty-up and get ready for show day. We grabbed a quick breakfast of coffee, fruit, granola and proceed about our day. I move the Double Duce out of the driveway, while Kittee went out and loaded Shaiela in the trailer. It had been raining most of the night, everyone in pasture was wet so I began to dry off Rosey's coat. We got her loaded and were on our way to Walla Walla by 7:00. Making good travel time, we were at the show arena by 7:30 and working on Rosey and doing a little touch up on Shaiela before the show start at 8:00 a.m.

Since this was an indoor arena show, I was unable to get any pictures of the show events with my digital camera (doesn't work well for taking indoor distance shots). There was a professional photographer there taking pictures of horses in the winner's circle, which we will get to see later as those pictures go online.

After we got into the arena building we ran into a number of horsey folks that we know from all our horse clubs/activities, and we then started to do a bit of horsey groundwork with Kittee handling Rosey and I handling Shaiela. Rosey and Shai stopped a few times during our pre-show workout for Rosey to have a quick milk snack, most everyone thought that was cute. Rosey was actually the only foal that we saw at the show, even though were a dozen or so minis around the arena.

To make a long story short, our show class was Arabian In Hand *Any Sex-Any Age*. Our ole friends Shana, and her eleven years old Sinwaan (a former pasture boarder) were in our show class along with two major show judges. Sinwaan and Shana took the lead in the show position, SHAI AL BEY and her Mom were second in the show lineup, with more full grown Arabians following us. The judges and show steward were very good to tell us what they wanted us to do and what they wanted to see from the horses. Rosey did a good job at showing today.
Again to make a long story short, after all the Arabians had done their halter class showing, the winning horse show number 309 was called out on the PA system - it was our SHAI AL BEY that will be found on the internet in the very near future with her picture in the winner's ring. Yep, we are happy that our baby came home with her/our first BLUE Ribbon and a crystal platter from this show.

After the show today, for the first time she was eating grain out of my hand, a sweet little girl, and happy. When we got back to the ranch we found everyone, and I mean every horse doing a song and a dance around the pastures. There was running, hucking and bucking going on everywhere when Rosey and Shaiela came through the ranch entrance gate. I watched Auntie Misty who really has an attachment to Rosey leave the ground twice with leaps of joy upon her return, or it may have been something to do with the cool first day of Fall weather we had. It was a joyous sight seeing everyone happy.

We are now looking forward for the 2009 schooling show/show season to begin next spring. We are going to try to follow SHAI AL BEY's Grand sire's -*SIMEON SHAI+- footsteps... as far as they may take us. It is allot of fun working this game.
After Kittee and I met, we talked about our individual time in France (I have always wanted to go back to Europe, retrace some steps of years gone by)... who knows maybe, just maybe SHAI AL BEY may just someday take the three of us to Paris for the horse show of our lives.

This past week I have been able to put together a web page for our baby... Rosey's web page.

Are we having fun with our 5 months old baby?
Youbetcha, even though while petting and swatting bot flies yesterday, Rosey ended up kicking Kittee in the right forearm, created a small hematoma which put Kittee's arm on ice last night.

Happy Trails to you until we meet again...

a day in the life around the ranch --- Dale

"Let'er Buck"

Starlog 091008

Today was one in many over the past 55 years of enjoying the rodeo show of the Pendleton "Let'er Buck" Round Up.I took allot of photos and videos, Kittee did allot of YaaHoo shouting, and almost lost her voice (had to doctor her throat with BV when we got home). I shall post all of today's video records on this blog entry as soon as I can get to Kittee's CLO-DSL connection.

Here is a glimps (still shots) of some of the FAST action in today's Pendleton Round Up. The bronc's chute opens, rider and saddleless horse goes against the 8 second clock...












from here....

>>
>>
>>
>>
>>

to there...

while flying through the air...
>>
>>
>>
>>

in just 4.76 seconds.






















It only took three guys to get this fella back on his feet and walking back to the take-a-break area. Yep, Kittee and I both know how this feels. Being put in the dirt by a horse can mess up the rest of your day... right now.

Not only were there cowboy at the Pendleton Round Up, there were Indians showing everyone how to run horse races... bareback.






























A few of the folks from some of our local Northwest Native American tribes came to dance, as they have done in the Columbia River Basin for over the past 12,000 years.

Coming soon to the McKusterRanch -Video Collection connection nearest you will be-

~~~ Fast Action Rodeo ~~~
accounts of

2008 Pendleton Round Up

*Taking a look around
*Bull Riding, and more bull riding, and more bull riding to come
*Bronc Riding -- bareback and saddled, and more bronc riding?
*Barrel Racing
*Indian Bareback Horse Racing
*Those Topless California Girls' Trick Riding
*Indian Dancing
*Putting those little doggies on the ground




























and much, much, more.

It was a good rodeo show this year, wish you could have been here.
If you would like to see more, follow this link to the 2008 Rodeo website for more Pendleton Round Up still photos.

"Let'er Buck"


a day in the life --- Dale

PS: Kittee and I are now taking and making reservations for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Pendleton Round Up activities to be held September 2010. This will be a much expanded Round Up show, bringing back some of the old events such as Stage Coach racing, etc. All our family and friends are welcome to join us for that week's activity.
Be here -- sipping Pendleton "Let'er Buck" Whiskey with us--or be sitting there, be square.

Our Seventh Wedding Anniversary

Starlog 090908

It was on a beautiful September afternoon in '01 that we brought family and friends together to celebrate the ceremony of Kittee and I becoming husband and wife, one in spirit.

This year we did not make it back up to our wedding site on the breaks of the So. Fork of the Walla Walla River, but we enjoyed the day and evening together just relaxing and being husband and wife at home on the ranch and dinner at Kelly's. After dinner we stopped by the video store, something we rarely do this time of year, picked up a few videos, came home, relaxed and watched Apocalypto, the story of a man and wife.
It maybe getting older, it maybe working several jobs that has slowed us down a bit, but we are still kicking and together ;>)

This our 7th Anniversary week I think we are behaving like we are settling into our lives together, and enjoying OUR time.
Wish all the folks that were here seven years ago, could have joined us today for a revisit, a celebration and a ranch BBQ. Glad each of you were here in '01.

a day in the life --- Dale

They're baack -or- We're just watching the sunsets.

Starlog 090708

This week it seemed that everything was settling into place and feeling like early autumn. Days are getting a bit shorter, definitely a bit cooler. Horses are putting on a bit of weight for winter store, the hay is stacked high in the barn, and salmon are spawning in the backyard. Three evenings this past week Kittee and I watched the sunset and relaxed by the backyard fireplace as we watched the starry twilight/nights develop over our heads.

Kittee has gotten past her hard felony trials of the past couple of weeks, I have had a smooth week of running my new school bus route. Our house "works" are just about complete as there is just a few odd & ends for the contractor to take care of this next week with parts and supplies coming in to complete the job.






This past week the returning "King" Chinook Salmon were spawning in our backyard. Kittee and I spent one evening this week sitting at Solitary Sanctuary watching three salmon working their redd.












We found this most interesting... Chinook Salmon (fish as long as your leg) that had been at sea for the past 4-5 years have come back to their own spawn waters to restart the cycle of life in their world again.
You can follow this link to watch the YouTube video of salmon spawning in our backyard.

Rosey is doing fine, as she and Raji the boarding Arabian yearling are quite buddied up now. Rusty has spent everyday in open pasture this past week or so and happy to run and flaunt/toss his outstanding mane and call out to the mares a couple of pastures away.

This past week I spent two evenings fishing in the back yard. Again I hooked quite a few redbands in the 8"-9" range and a few fingerlings just large enough to hook themselves on my fly. Water temperature on Labor Day -- late afternoon was 52º while the air temperature was 70º. A most pleasant evening of wet wading/trout catching upriver. I now use the cow herd feeding next door to signal me the best times to head for the river to catch fish.

Yesterday Kittee and I spent the day in Walla Walla looking at cars and trucks on Main Street. You can follow this link to find the blog recap of Saturday's Wheelin' Walla Walla Weekend.

Today we were hoping to go horseback riding somewhere within a couple of miles of the ranch, but I still have a pulled back muscle from putting up 25 tons of hay a couple of weeks ago, so Kittee ended up going on a trailride with one of our boarders, Leila and their women's riding club - Blue Mtn. Riders. I am staying home; resting, running irrigation works, reading, writing this blog.

This coming week is our wedding anniversary and Pendleton Round Up/Rodeo.

"Let'er Buck" Yep we have our tickets for Wednesday's show.

This year '08 will make 55 years that I have been attending the Pendleton Round Up

"Let'er Buck" Rodeo.

Yeehaa... Let'er Buck!!!

life around the ranch --- Dale

We're thinking about a "new" ride

Starlog 090608

It has been about a year that the Ford dealership in Pendleton closed. The Chevrolet dealership went bankrupt there at least a year ago and I understand that place is mostly selling Honda's now, so today Kittee and I went to Walla Walla, WA to look at cars and trucks today. Walla Walla is much closer to the ranch anyway.

Now we are very happy with the transportation we currently own, intend to keep driving what we have until they turn into ferrous oxide under our feet, but every once in awhile we get the urge to look and something "new". We are not so interested in something that smells like new plastic and leather, loses too much of it's retail value when it hits the asphalt pavement... just something that will be "new to us".

Walking round and looking at cars and truck for a good part of this afternoon, we begin to thinking about something different, something nice/fun to drive around just for weekends, neighborhood tours. Just a nice car or truck for getting around Milton-Freewater, going to Walla Walla or to Pendleton when needed. Gee, did we find allot of really nice rigs out there today, to consider bringing home.

A note about Walla Walla... lest we forget, Walla Walla is now one on the major sweet onion capitals of the world, and to commemorate this we find onions all around town these days.
For example...
Back to transportation... as our search today was taking us to downtown Walla Walla. Even though the automobile industry has been taking a real slump in sales recently, car and truck works were really happening in Walla Walla this weekend.

Main Street Walla Walla was closed to vehicle traffic and lined with cars and trucks. We found some for sale... some were not, but of course every car has it's price. Kittee and I were looking at the ones that were priced in reason and matched our taste.

There were cars and trucks lining East Main Street,

there were trucks and cars lining West Main Street,

and there were even a few nice bikes out there today.

Well Kittee and I ooh'ed and aahh'ed over almost all of the vehicles that were on Main Street today, and looked at some that would best suit us for our transportation needs.

First car we came up to when we arrived on Main Street was a burgundy/red ' 37 Cord...
This was a beauty, but just not for us as a touring car to drive off the ranch. It may not have even fit in our garage.

With my first new car having been a 1969 Mach 1 Mustang, I was kinda thinking of looking for one of these in the crowd. There was one...but was just not the same as mine, as it was blue not Jade Green and did not have the Cobra Jet "shaker" hood-scoop air intake system as my first new car had back in '69. This 'Tang was in good shape for a 40 year old, but just not the same as my first, to have and to hold- my car.

Kittee looking around found a really nice pickup truck, think it was a Chevrolet that would have looked nice pulling out of the garage at home, but it was a Chevrolet so maybe we best not; take it home.These days there is not a good new sales market for a Chevy, and buying an older PU truck, would probably mean we could be putting money into a hole.

Kittee's favorite car of the day was a real '56 beauty that had even shown up in a few magazine ads...
In the same stroke we both were rather fascinated by this little red '56 T-bird, but it didn't have a porthole hard top to go along with it. So we decided to wait to make an offer and look on further down the street.Since the '69 Mustang did not really meet my expectations I did find a nice Blue-'21 Model T that got my attention. Really a sharp looking ride that it is currently owned by a local Walla Walla couple and we now know how to reach them. Asking price for this beauty was only $10,000. Now my thoughts were that this would be the perfect classic to have parked in our garage, and bring out to make the necessary fun runs to town for postal and grocery needs. My greatest concern in looking at this particular Model-T was there are no brake drums on the front axles/wheels of this car, only the rear. Hummm something to think about (mechanical rear brakes only) on busy modern highways and hills of our area. I really liked it, but not sure if it would be practical to serve our needs.

Along with some of the cars and trucks that were available for buying, there were a few that were at this show and sale just for showoff...There was one really neat old beauty there with a metal flake paint job...
looking at it from one direction it was green,

looking at if from the opposite direction it was blue...

quite fascinating to look into.

on and on and on... allot of car and trucks to consider.

This was our 4th or 5th Wheelin' Walla Walla Weekend to attend and it is getting
better and better, each year. Yep, someday we hope to bring home one of these beauties for weekend travel just around our ranch neighborhood, and maybe over to your place.

Another fun part/ highlight of this outing today, was the tunes that were being played/ PAed across Main Street Walla Walla. Most of the tunes were from the 1965-75 vintage, but some were based in the 50's and a few of the WWII era. Kept allot of people boogieing down the street. All in all it was a good day, a very pleasant outdoor day as we finished our tour of Walla Walla by going by the new Thai City restaurant for our late lunch/early dinner.

Getting back to the ranch, Kittee and I headed back to the river to watch the salmon spawning, this evening we found none so we came back to the house after a little hike upriver and horse petting to sit by the backyard fireplace to finish our day's activity.

a day in the life around the ranch --- Dale