Recapping August '10

The balance of August around the ranch has been very interesting and busy. The most interesting thing that has happened this month is we had a herd of elk move into the neighborhood.

Tuesday 24 August, I brought the Double Deuce back home for another school year of school bus driving. Wednesday was our first day of school with an early release, Thursday we were back on schedule for another year with a full day of school.
It was the evening of Wednesday the 25th that our farrier Kevin came out and was working on Derby when we looked up to the hill across the road and started spotting elk and deer. First there was like 12 elk and 4 deer on the hill. Before the evening was over we counted about 16 elk laying around and grazing across the road.

The next day we had a weather change and the wind and dust blew most of the afternoon. Kittee and I got home about the same time that evening and looked across the road, we spotted a few elk once again. Shortly thereafter more and more elk came over the horizon and by sunset I counted 45 head of elk grazing on the hill and along the fence line.

What a sight to see from our front porch. Friday we were back to just a few head of elk on the hill.

Saturday we had an appointment to bring in the winter’s store of hay – 30 tons. Whelp, I am beginning to get a little old and too banged up to try to handle 30 tons of hay so I called in some help. Blake and Beau, a couple of high school students/ football player came out for their first time of bucking hay. Fortunately this day was overcast and cooler than any other August Hay Day that we have experienced. A very good day for putting up hay.

We had four truckloads like this to put up.This is not the place to be if you have hay fever.

While the hay trucks were gone to reload,
we took a lunch and fresh air break.

It was quite an experience for Beau and Blake, and they worked very hard keeping up with the machinery running and the hay bales stacking.

Sunday 29 August, Kittee and I had made plans (on Friday) with Lisa one of our horse boarders to go for a horseback ride into the mountains. We were really looking forward to that. Lisa was not going to be able to get here until later in the morning, so Kittee took the opportunity to work with Rosey. Saddled Rosey up, put a bridle on her and the next thing we know Kittee is riding Rosey in the round pen… first time ever.

see Rosey and Kittee's first ride on YouTube

After Kittee had her riding session with Rosey, she announced that a most inconsiderate person she knows had called and once again was coming out to the ranch, and would be replacing the plans we had made for the rest of this day. I called Lisa and let her know this is not a good day, that our riding plans were cancelled. I later sent an email explaining this situation.

Forgive me Father for I have sinned(?)…
When that turdhead came marching through our home like she owned the place and asked “what’s wrong Dale... have I done something to you?” I told her “Yes, you have fucked up OUR plans for another day, so go on about your business and leave me alone.”
WOW!!! I was perturbed once again with that person. It is not in my character to be rude, but now she knows she had stomped on my toes too many times with her lack of consideration and common courtesy.

So that's the way it is around the ranch as we draw August to a close.

Happy Trails and Peace be with you,





Dale

Rusty rides again

Yesterday we received a new boarder here at the ranch -Cloud- from Arizona. We were looking for Cloud to come in last Saturday, but due to her round about trip with Bill Barrow's Equine Transport, through California she didn't arrive until Tuesday in good shape and appears happy to be here.

Cloud is an 8 yo Missouri Fox Trotter.
Having been a box stall kept horse in AZ, she was very happy to be able to stretch her leg and breath fresh air at McKuster Ranch.

She now has full run of the paddock, and has had an hour on pasture at this point. We are glad she in here, no longer living in a box, and in a week will be part of our mare herd.

Monday and Tuesday of this week I spent most of the day in Hermiston with MidCo bus company, in Special Needs children care/bus drivers' training. I found that most interesting, in dealing with children with special needs and disabilities. Also received my second course in Red Cross CPR in two weeks; not bad knowledge to have. Please, no one try to die on me now. Thanks

Sunday, Kittee and I had a most pleasant ride once again across the mountain in front of the ranch. We rode up into the timber, once again to beat the heat of the valley. Since Derby and Nugget have made this ride several times, this day we took Nugget and Misty. They made a great ride along the old logging roads/trails.

Riding Misty and Nugget along the ole logging trail

(a video link)
~option - you can view at 480p and full screen~

Sunday all the wheat fields across the road and back of the river finished harvesting, so now we have more wide open spaces to ride into from the ranch gates. These riding areas are most useful as we will be looking at deer hunting season opening in the near future. During hunting season Kittee, myself and our steed, we all wear RED while on the trail, and still we have heard goddamn moron's bullets whizzing by us.

Saturday, we were expecting to receive Cloud, so we planned to stay close to home until she got here. Saturday morning after breakfast Kittee brought Sunny, one of our AZ boarders out of pasture, groomed her, and gave her a little ride in the round pen.

Riding Sunny

(a video link)
~option - you can view at 480p and full screen~

Later in the morning our friend Kasey was in town for the day and she dropped by to see us. I asked her if she wanted to ride Rusty, and she said yes. So we made plans for her to come to the ranch later in the cool of the evening and work with Rusty for awhile... he likes that.

Riding Adrinaline Rush - Arabian stallion
( video links)
~option - you can view at 480p and full screen~
Riding Adrinaline Rush - Part II

Friday evening I once again slipped back to the river and proceeded to wet a fly. I did find where salmon had been spawning, in the same spot as a few years ago. Thereafter I was very careful to watch my step as I worked my way up the river. Since having spent all my fishing time below the second fish weir last time I was out fishing, this day I quickly fished up to and past the second weir and proceeded to continue upriver towards our east pasture boundary.

Again it was a gorgeous day to be on the river. Air temperature when I left the house was 84º and the water temperature was still a very cool 58º -- perfect wet wade fishing conditions. Since I was running quite a bit later this day than I was on Wednesday, I didn't spend much time in the mare herd, just petting everyone on the head and checking their legs. As I approached the river I found a blackberry bush and had a few big plump berries for refreshment.

Fishing below the second weir with a Copper John was a bit slow this day as compared to Wednesday's outing. With a few caddis flies in the air, I decided to try a Royal Trude -dry fly- and immediately there was success. After switching flies, I began to catch one fish after another... kept me pretty busy.

I fished up to the next turn in the river, about half of McKuster Ranch river frontage then turned around, and proceeded to tye on and swing a second Royal Trude (first one got pretty chewed up) through the runs and pools as I headed back towards the house. It made a nice late afternoon outing with the hookup of about 30+ fish.

When I got back to the house Kittee was sitting in the backyard watching horse as the sun sank slowly into the western skies.

Thereafter Kittee proceeded to chop up some kindling and built a fire for the evening, while I went into the house a prepared our dinner to have while sitting by the fire.

















After dinner we sit back and watched for shooting stars. We spotted a few and I saw one with a really nice tail/trail following it. We thought this was the night for a meteor shower so Kittee decided to layout and watch the stars for the rest of the night.

Come to find out, the meteor showers were on Thursday night, but it was a nice night to be out under the stars on Friday.

And so that's the way it is around the ranch these days.

Peace be with you,




Dale

Going fishing

Summer is beginning to look like we are getting to the short end of the stick. Last week I had driver's training in Pendleton with MidCo. Yesterday I had First Aid and CPR training with the Milton-Freewater School Dist., and next week I have special needs children training session with MidCo; busy, busy, busy. The following week 8/25 school re-starts in Milton-Freewater for another year.

So today it was time to go fishing. Before going fishing today, I prepped 4 lbs. of blueberries for freezing, got them in the freezer, made a large bowl of potato salad for dinner, and then made a large pot of olive/green pea macaroni salad for quick munchies to take care of us the rest of the week.

My plan for the day was to have my chores done, horses watered and jumping into the river at 4:00 PDT. That is 3 o'clock by-the-sun feeding time for the river's fish.


On my way to the river I filled Rusty's, the mare and gelding herds' water troughs and walked around petting the mares while their two tanks filled.

Now to save allot of chatter on my part, I will let my photos and video of the afternoon's activities tell the story.

As usual when I get into the mare herd there is always Rosey and Summer to greet me, shortly thereafter there is always Raji and Sunny by my side.

There is Moon and Misty

Shaiela

Jasmine

Goldie

Peaches

Goldie and Summer

There are a few girls here to be petted on a daily basis, part of my chores.

Leaving the mare herd, I went through our wildlife habitat recovery area next to the river and enjoy some of the blossoms along the river while looking for any spring Chinook spawning that might be taking place in the river now. Tis the season for salmon spawning.

Climbing down into the middle of the river, making my first cast of the day... Fish On! Appears it might be a good day for catching.

Fishing upriver, using a Copper John fly pattern and continued to catch maybe 30-40 pretty little redband trout, most in the 7"-8" size range. All were beautifully marked; red side bands, camouflaged back colors, with white tipped fins. It appeared to me that maybe no one has been fishing our ranch waters and killing fish this summer, but I didn't catch any of the larger 10" fish that were here a few weeks ago.


I do have the river well posted on our north and south side of the river. It appears that people might now be reading and respecting our private property boundaries.

I only made it up to the second fish weir today. While fishing the pool below the rocks I caught maybe a dozen fish and one hookup was caught on video.

Fish ON!!
(a video link)
~you can view at 480p and full screen~

This was my first time trying to one hand fly fish and one hand operate the video camera. Surprised what I got. You can click this link above and relive the last hookup of today with me.

I fished today for about two hours, then the two-way radio came calling. Kittee was home, and looking for me. I brought in my fly from the last cast and headed for the house. As I walked through our wildlife rehab area I spotted one of our evening fawn visitors.

Usually we have two fawns, sometimes three fawns visiting us as the sun sinks slowly into the western skies. Today I only "spotted" this one.

A day in the life --- Dale