Sam is now visiting the pasture

I have been enjoying time in my Grandfather's (Grover) favorite pasture with my mother. Emma and Baxter, the current great danes at the Circle B Bar T like to bark at me when Mom and I are galloping around. I posed for this photograph when they were not around to bother Mom and me. Clint is posting some messages for me to share with the younger generation.

I have been wondering if you guys and gals will be my friend. I promise if you agree, I will make you happy when you come to visit. I have had a halter on as Mom and I go to the pasture. Nana Marty says I am now in kindergarden.

So . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Will you be my friend

 

and this is the face I will make if you are not my friend. See you in Montana 



Just a day later, out in the arena

And here he is, Sam the man with his mother posing for you in our arena.

and there will be more to come

Cold Turkey

How times change. The first weekend of October, 2008 we experienced 42 inches of snow at the Circle B Bar T. The same weekend in October, 2009 we had 24 inches of snow. This year, 2010, the same weekend in October the temperature was 83 degrees. This fall has been especially mild, the leaves on the trees was not hampered by the weather, and they were beautiful. It changed on November 18th. It got cold, the snow started arriving, and the expression of "cold turkey" took a new meaning the morning of November 20th. This is a picture of the trees along the Grove Creek. The dark images at the top of the trees is the flock of turkeys you saw in our last post on this blog. This time, it was too cold to be on the ground, so they flew to the top of these 40 and 50' tall trees. This is "cold turkey".
After taking this photograph, I decided to drive around the Fishtail - Absarokee area and observe was else was happening. As I said already, it had been a great fall, the livestock had not been feed hay as the pastures were still very attractive to both the ranch livestock as well as the deer. On this day, with over 8 inches of snow on the ground, and still falling, I fed our horses hay for the first time this fall.

They weren't the only animals that needed to find something to eat. As I drove the 20 mile circumference, I expected to see lots of deer in the fields. I must have been too cold for them as well. I would normally expect to see at least 200 deer on this trip, but this day there were only a few, and the ones I saw had found something to eat, as this one had.

Most of the ranchers had been out feeding their livestock, prior to me venturing around south Stillwater County. However, this herd had not been blessed with hay and as you can see they were roaming through the pasture looking for something to eat.

But these sheep, covered with snow, if you look carefully, were fillng their stomachs with hay that had been harvested this past summer.

and finally, there were adventuresome animals like these who didn't wait for the rancher to bring them hay, they sought it out on their own. Whether it was the smell of the nearby bales or this bale just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and they went no further. They might say they were luckier that cattle you observed looking for hay, certainly they got their bellies full.

If you made this same trip today, there was hay in every field and every animal in our area was feasting on some good hay as the temperature had tumbled to minus 10 degrees last night. The weather forecast indicates it will not get warmed until Thanksgiving. In the meantime, there is more than enough excellent hay for our livestock to make the transition to winter.

Goodbye Sammy, We all loved you

On June 19, 2010 our first born, Alakhazam, aka Sammy Da Bam Bam, left the Circle B Bar T, to live a life free of pain and join her wonderful Circle B Bar T sire, Alsaan, aka, Al dude. This is Sammy with her sire and dam Khalli when Sammy was quite young.
At the age of 2 Sammy had become a Jr. Champion at her first show only to suffer a life-altering injury shortly thereafter. Thanks to the heroic and dedicated efforts of our veterinarians, she lived a full life with a somewhat compromised back leg until the inevitable laminitis, ulcers, and colic crept up on her. The next picture was Sammy in the pasture before her first show.

In her years at the Circle B Bar T, she became the grandchildren's favorite. She taught most of them to ride, she was the first horse love of many and gave our grandaughter Crissy her first gallop, she saved Crissy when the bridle broke and held on to the bit so Crissy could continue the ride that day. She is pictured below with Crissy and Marty at the Region 6 Championship in Gillette where they performed in the "lead line class".

She taught us all so much about living life to its fullest and never complaining about the challenges she faced. Whether is was showing off as she posed for this picture with Marty in the saddle and the Beartooth Mountains in the background,

Or her favorite smile after sipping on someone's soda, or trying to get your attention as shown in the pose that most remember by . . . . .

8 days after she passed away, one of her best friends, BBT Majestic Sapphire, was confirmed in foal to "Kordalis". We choose to believe that Sammy galloped to the gates of heaven, turned in her weary body, and flew her sould back to the Circle B Bar T to Sapphire. We now anxiously await, "Sam I Am", Rest in Peace, Sammy.

A special ceremony was held in honor of Sammy when the entire family, both young and old assembled at her grave to say a last goodbye.

A new picture over the mantle

Julie Jeppsen, the artist that painted the picture of Al and Clint recently completed another painting for us. This one has images of Toby, Maggi, and Tex featured in a pasture with the Beartooth Mountains in the background. In addition, Rick Stiles, Clint's mentor in the photography business, completed the product with a beautiful frame.

What were Crissy and Kate doing?

You saw Patrick fishing and Sam at Woodbine. Their sisters, Crissy and Kate were in Montana having a good time as well. After spending the 4th of July in Yellowstone National Park, they greeted Sammi with their holiday attire, on the 5th they attended the Absarokee Days BBQ Cookout and helped in one of the booths, Crissy, after a long hike, is seen in the doorway of an old cabin on the Johnson Place, and of course a sleep out in the barn with Nana Marty and the horses. Kate could be found in one of the arena's almost every day, this day it was on Sapphire.

Jump Grover jump

It started 7 years ago, he was know as "stud muffin", then a young stallion who eventually sired 8 foals, he started training as a cutting horse but the testosterone was controlling his every move, he was gelded and in the last 18 months he has been returning to the role of an athlete. He started jumping during the winter plus started to learn the rules of dressage. On July 18th he competed for the first time in dressage and started jumping in public. He won his first blue ribbon with Wendy Bleacher in the saddle and Johanna Kern took him over the jumps. His buddy, Doc, also was shown by Marty at the show in Bozeman.

Rafiki gets great home, Quasar arrives

A sale was consummated for Rafiki. Needless to say as he was loaded in the new owners trailer a lot of tears were shed, but they were tears of happiness, as his new owner, Gayle Wold, from Helena was a much like Marty as Marty, what a great owner and wonderful new home for Rafiki.
Quasar, a 2 year old son of Toby's out of a warm blood mare arrived at the Circle B Bar T the next day. He spent the first day with Doc and then they joined the rest of the horses in the pasture. Quasar was readily accepted in spite of his young age and size. He will easily mature to 17 hands and is already the largest horse on the ranch. Marty went into the pasture the next day to see how they were doing. As the horses saw Marty, they came galloping from the furthest point of the pasture toward the barn. They had to go thru a gate to get there. It appeared it might get crowded at the gate, how would they all fit through at the same time. No problem, Quasar just jumped the fence. HE WILL BE A GREAT JUMPER based on this experience.

Sunday was a sunny day

But the snow was still here. I went outside to take a picture of the "big sky" which was a brilliant blue and the fields and mountains covered with snow. A beautiful image to capture. As I was walking around to get the image I wanted, I spotted Rafiki leaving one portion of the pasture and heading toward the area near the Grove Creek where I had put their hay. Through the branches of one of the trees, I took this picture. If you have seen Rafiki, who was born a bay and then shed out to the grey that he is today, you might wonder if he is getting another color as there appears to be muted colors in places on his body. He is still grey, just like his head and neck in this picture, but the leaves and branches of the tree blended in the picture to create the muted colors.

Don't be concerned, they have their winter coats

It is 24 degrees, they are standing where we put their hay this morning, they have a choice, either out in the pasture or in the paddock where the barn will protect them from the falling snow plus there is a covered portion for them to stand in. If the weatherman is correct and the snow and tempature continues to fall, we will open the indoor arena for them tonight. If you were here, you might be surprised to find them outside in spite of what we consider terrible weather.
Khalli had a choice as well, she probably got her belly full and is standing on the side of the hill watching the others eat.