Searching for Spring

by Jan Drexler

We live in a beautiful place. I know! I keep saying that!

But it's true...

We went for a drive last Saturday, and we had three goals:

1) Get some fresh air. We aren't suffering too badly under the constrictions of the Corona Virus Pandemic, but when it's combined with bad weather, the four walls begin to feel a little stuffy. And we have plenty of fresh air when the weather clears!

Those are stacks of round hay bales. After two wet years in a row,
 the ranchers have plenty of hay to sell - even at the end
of the winter.

2) Find the spot in Buffalo Gap where the Black Moment happens in my new story. We found it - and it will work perfectly for the key scene. Of course, I could have created this spot in my imagination, but when it's already there, why mess with perfection?

3) Our third goal was to find some sign that spring is coming. We've seen some of the signs already - a couple robins, some meadowlarks, and bluebirds - but where is that elusive first glimpse of greengrass?

We saw some lovely and interesting sights....

Part of our drive took us along French Creek, into the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands. The bluffs along the creek were gorgeous.

The little guy standing to the right doesn't have an ear tag yet, so
either he's brand new, or his mama hasn't let the rancher
come close.

We saw a lot of new calves, and this beautiful Texas longhorn bull.

I don't think I've seen a more striking bull! You may be surprised to see a Texas longhorn in South Dakota, but they have a long history here. The South Dakota cattle industry was started by drovers bring herds of Texas longhorns north to feed the Black Hills gold miners in the 1870's.

He was big, too. We stopped the truck by the side of the road to get a picture, and I think he was expecting a hand-out. He didn't get one, though! I kept hoping the barbed wire fence would be strong enough to hold him in if he decided he wanted a closer look at us. :-)

But he just gave us a dejected look as we drove away.

Our road continued south through the prairie.

We saw a lot of pronghorn antelope. This herd was grazing near a stock tank.

Ranchers in the prairies make stock tanks (man-made ponds for cattle and horses) by building a berm across the downhill end of a depression. Water collects behind it and forms a pond. In good years, water remains there all through the summer.

We also saw a lot of abandoned buildings like this one. Most of them were built by homesteaders in the early 1900's, but then left them behind when the country emptied out in the "dirty thirties." The land is now owned by someone else, but the old buildings are left standing empty. This one has a barricade across the front door to keep cattle from wandering in and getting hurt or trapped.

So, the big question is: Did we find spring?

Almost. We saw some meadowlarks and those new baby calves. And there's the beginning of green tinge in the grass.

But as we drove through the mountains on the way home, we still saw plenty of snow!

I guess we need to wait for a few more weeks.

So, how is spring looking at your house?

Jan Drexler is an author by day who is addicted to counted cross stitch and sauntering through the Hills with her dear husband and their puppies - goofy corgi Jack and baby border collie Sam. You can find Jan's books and other fun things on her website: www.JanDrexler.com.

A Cowboy's Life

by Mindy Obenhaus

**WARNING**  This post may contain graphic scenes of nature taking its course

Yesterday I told you that last week was an eventful one here at the ranch. Well, today I'm going to share how we wrapped up our Easter week.

Saturday morning, hubby informed me that there was a cow lying along the drive and he was pretty sure she was in labor.

Really? A baby calf? Here?

My eyes got real big. I grabbed my good camera, the one with the really long lens and headed outside.

Yep, there’s a cow lying down all right.

Is she alive?

Yep, she’s alive. And she just spotted me.

So, I did what most curious women would do. I hid behind a tree. It was then I began to wonder if she really was in labor. I peeked around the tree to grab another pic.

DEFINITELY in labor. I mean, why else would she have hooves protruding from her rear end.

Sensing something wasn’t right, my husband called Cowboy Smokey who owns the cow. They fear she may be in distress and that’s not good for her or the calf. But what could he possibly do? These cows aren’t tame. They don’t have a barn. They roam the land freely. Well, at least within the confines of the fence lines.

Cue the Cavalry.

Cowboy Smokey has to catch the cow.

He gets his rope going.

But the cow gets away.

He got her the next time.

Though that doesn’t stop her from trying to get away.

He slowly reels her in, but he needs a second rope.

Cue Cowboy Phil.

Mama is not happy.

Cowboy Phil gets his rope turning.

Got her!

By now, Mama’s getting tired.

I don’t know about you, but at this point, I’m thinking how ornery I would have been if anyone had messed with me like that when I was in labor. Unfortunately, leaving her to her own devices meant the very real possibility of losing both mama and baby.

They bring the trailer in and check on mama.

Cowboy Smokey believes the baby’s dead. They’ll load mama onto the trailer, take her back to the barn at his house and pull the baby there.

But wait! Cowboy Phil saw the calf move.

They’d still have to help that baby out, but they’d have to do it here.

They get him out, but the calf isn’t moving. Cowboy Smokey rubs on him. Clears the stuff from his mouth.

Then Cowboy Smokey walks away.

I hang my head. The calf didn’t make it.

I move closer then, all the while telling myself that cowboys deal with this sort of stuff all the time. It’s simply a part of nature.

Then I saw the little bull calf lift his head.

He was alive!

And he even has a new friend.

His mama survived, too. She’s an ornery thing, though, and has rejected her baby. I don’t get it, but apparently it’s not uncommon. So he’ll be bottle fed or paired with a nurse cow. Still, nothing compares to a mother’s love. Someone to show you where the best grass grows, how to evade those cowboys and jump the cattleguards.

Oh, and don’t think I’m not tempted to keep this little guy for myself. I just don’t think the dogs would like it too much. Then again, they could help raise him. Maddie could teach him how to play ball and roll in the grass. And I’d never have to mow again. Though we’d likely have to live in our rubber boots and that’s just too darn hot in the summer.

Now it’s your turn. If this were going on in your front yard, would you be out there taking pictures, too? And don’t you think this little guy deserves a name? Any suggestions?   

Broccoli Salad and Oh, those Cows

by Mindy Obenhaus

This has been an eventful week here on the ranch. Living in the middle of woods, I have come to expect the unexpected. Every time I look out the window, I never know what I might see.

During the winter months, Cowboy Smokey, the fella who runs cattle on our land, puts out hay for the cows in another pasture, so the herd tends to stay in that area, near their food source. But now that spring is here, cattle are on the move. Imagine waking up, looking out your window and finding this is your backyard. 

Let me tell you, this former suburbanite couldn't have been more excited. I love watching the cows. Observing their behavior and social interactions. Sometimes even the bull takes a turn watching over children. He's the big while fella.

And then there are the calves. 

There's often a group of them together. They play, sleep, groom...and are oh, so curious. Though one of their mama's is never far away.

At least on a normal day. But on that one morning, as the herd disappeared one by one into the woods, there was a lone calf left behind, bawling for his mother.

Except his mama didn't come. Instead, something else had its sites set on the calf. Can you see it in the background?

Here are some better shots.

That nasty coyote wanted that calf for breakfast. Of course, we weren't about to stand for that. So we rushed outside with the dogs barking like crazy while we yelled for that coyote to "git." 

Well, he did "git" and the calf ran the opposite direction. And, after an hour or so of hearing mama cow call her calf and calf answering back as they tried to find one another, they were finally reunited. Though if I'd thought she'd listen, I would have taken that mama aside and told her a thing or two about parenting. Like, keep an eye on your baby. 

And then there was Easter. I made one of my favorite salads. Yet for as much as I love this salad and always ask for it when we're out, I've never made. So Easter was the perfect time for me to make my first broccoli salad and it was very simple.

Chop two heads of broccoli into bite size florets, rinse and put into a large bowl.

Add half a pound of bacon that's been cooked until crisp and chopped, one small red onion, diced, 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries and 3/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds and toss everything together.

Love those vibrant colors.

Now for the dressing. Whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise (I used light), 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup was sweet enough for me) and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I added a splash more). Pour over broccoli mixture and stir until coated.

We took this when we went to a friend's house for dinner Sunday evening and everyone loved it. Best of all, there was a little leftover, meaning more for me. The combination of flavors--not to mention the bacon--will turn even broccoli haters like my husband into broccoli lovers. 

Ah, but this story doesn't end here. I told you it was an eventful week. I'll share the rest with you tomorrow as I fill in for Cate Nolan. But here's a clue.

Hmm... What could those cowboys possibly be up to?

Now it's your turn. How was your Easter? How do you feel about broccoli? And what are your thoughts on that calf/coyote standoff?

Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

 

Summer Fruit Trifle and Cowboy Music

Are you enjoying this summer? I hope so, because it's slipping away!

Jan here, with a great summertime recipe.

One advantage to having adult children is that sometimes they find that perfect person to marry and bring into the family!

Our oldest son, Jacob, married Katie in February, and her love of cooking has fit so well into our family! She gave me permission to share the recipe she brought to our church picnic last week, and I thought it was so delicious - perfectly smooth and cool for a summer meal!

Summer Fruit Trifle

ingredients:

2  8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

2 tubs frozen whipped topped (Cool Whip)

2 cups strawberries

2 cups blueberries

2 cups blackberries

In large bowl, mix softened cream cheese and whipped topping together. In another bowl, mix the fruit together - gently!

In a trifle dish or other serving dish, make layers of fruit and filling (about 3 layers of each), ending with a layer of fruit. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

Isn't that easy? And it was SO GOOD!!! 

And Katie used sugar free whipped topping, which made the recipe a little easier on the calorie punch.

You could also use real whipped cream, of course!

While you're enjoying your trifle, let's move on to other fun stuff. I'm sure you realize by now that I am in love with the Black Hills. After almost seven years, we still thank our Lord every day for bringing us here!

Saturday night we spent the evening with a bunch of folks who are deep in their own love affairs with the Hills!

That's our daughter, Carrie, on the bass, playing with the classic country group, Aces & Eights. This summer they're headlining monthly shows at the Black Hills Opry. The concerts are played in the historic Homestake Opera House.

The Opera House deserves an entire blog post of its own, but you'll just have to head to their website to get the scoop - Historic Homestake Opera House

There are better videos on Youtube where you can listen to Aces & Eights, but this one includes Carrie. It's from "Deadwood Days" earlier this summer when they opened for Sawyer Brown. Yes, THE Deadwood. Check out the Aces and Eights Youtube channel for more of their music - www.youtube.com/channel/UCCFqXmVlJtZ3L0ooZvZu2dA

On Saturday, Aces & Eights was joined by some guests. One was Paul Larson. This guy is a cowboy who retired from the Rodeo Circuit after qualifying and competing in the Worlds Finals Rodeo in the team roping event. He has made his home in the Black Hills, keeping busy with cowboying for neighbors, custom carpentry, and singing in shows like this one. 

For a sample of his music, head over to his website, http://www.plcowboymusic.com/video--mp3.php, and scroll down to the mp3 samples. His song, "Home" is my favorite. True Black Hills cowboy imagery. *sigh* I love this song...and of course, I bought the CD. :)

The other guests - and the reason why we chose Saturday to head up to Lead for the concert - were Allen and Jill Kirkham.

You may know them better as Meg Brummer's parents!

Yes, Meg comes from cowboy music loving stock. :)

Allen and Jill on stage at the Black Hills Opry

Head over to Reverb Nation to learn more about their music and listen to some samples - www.reverbnation.com/KirkhamMusic

Or just listen to this classic cowboy song from their "Ghost Towns" CD - 

Or this one by Dan Seals, sung by Allen and Jill at the Western Music Association Friday Night Opry- -

Needless to say, we had a wonderful time.

So what do you think about Cowboy Tunes and Western Music?

When I listen to it, it tugs me toward writing another cowboy story....

Jan Drexler loves her family, her home, cooking and just about anything made by hand. But she loves her Lord most of all.

Stop by Jan's website to learn more about her books: www.JanDrexler.com