Free ride or Do ewe care

Favorite photograph, week of February 28, 2009

As I was driving down the Grove Creek Road, specifically looking for new born calves, I couldn't help but stop and take this photograph. After some research, I have determined this is a European Starling on the back of the ewe. I image the purpose of the "free ride" is multiple. It's warmer on the back of the ewe than anywhere else, the bird gets an elevated view without spending any energy, and the primary reason is to pick bugs, grubs, or parasites out of the fleece. The baby calves and lambs will be coming soon.

Rock Art, maybe Pet Rock,

This is the latest of Clint's images permanently affixed to a rock. The challenge intially was to figure out how to get the image on the rock. Now, Clint's big challenge is to find interesting rocks so that the final result is both the image and a creative end result. Although the Circle B Bar T Ranch has lots of rocks, finding a somewhat flat and sculptured rock is the difficult part.

You can see the original photograph in the Coyotes in Yellowstone item posted on February 14, 2009.

Spring Training in Montana, update

Today, just 6 days after we previewed the boys in the bull pen, these ladies, there must have been at least 300, were on their way to their home ranch to have their calves. If you note closely, there are no calves with the girls. The typical rancher has the pregnant cows near his home so that he can check them every 2 - 3 hours, 24 hours a day. There could be delivery problems, weak calves, and calves that have not had that first milk, all of which is critical.

You should have seen the boys in the bull pen as the girls passed by. They all came running to the corner of their pasture saying, it must be time, but it wasn't, and they have disappointedly returned to their hay. Sorry I didn't see this event sooner as I missed the picture of the boys. Come back soon, we'll have some pictures of new calves.