Never Say Never

People always tell me never to say that I will never do something. Well, after working at the feedyard last summer I told myself that I would never wake up at 3 in the morning on a regular basis to work for other people’s cattle. I guess I forgot about it. We have started hay season. Using a swather, instead of a mower, rake and 3x4 square baler. Well I found myself baling hay at 3 in the morning this week.

We have split into morning and afternoon shifts and of all people I get assigned to the night shift. I cannot sleep in, so going to work at noon and getting off at midnight just isn’t made for my schedule. So I asked to get off the night shift and go to work really early instead. Jeff didn’t take that well and just told me that is how ranch work goes. I understand this, but I really do have a problem sleeping in and I was offering to go to work before 5 every morning. Then Jeff asked me how working the late shift would affect my disposition if I couldn’t sleep. Well you tell me. How does it affect people when they don’t get any sleep? What kind of response was he trying to evoke out of me? Any way Will kind of agrees with me and lets me work early when there is a chance to so far.

So on Wednesday I got to start baling hay a little after 3 and I got to watch the sunrise over the mountains. It was one of the best things that I have seen while I have been out here. The sky started to change colors not long after 4 but the sun does not come over the mountains until a little after 5:30. I got some pictures but once again, they do no justice to the majestic-ness of seeing the real thing. The baling went really well and I got 65 bales up and didn’t mess up a single bale.

Last week on my day off I went fishing in a drainage pond in the river bottom. I caught a few carp that were a foot and a half long and a pretty good size. Of course they don’t make good eating but it was fun catching them. Some people have said that there are some catfish in the bottom of the pond so I will have to go back again and see what I can find. Katy Jane came along but didn’t do any fishing, she hates fish cause they are slimy. I thought about throwing one at her just cause of that, but I didn’t. We then walked the whole river bottom and along the river. It was a nice warm day and on our way back we were walking across the scrub and hit a soft spot. As we were making our way across I look back and Katy Jane was more than knee deep in the mud and stuck. I bout died from laughing so hard. After losing her boot and having a good laugh, we finally made our way out. Of course we forgot our cameras when it would have been a picture perfect opportunity.

We drove up to a high point in the mountains where we could see Cloud Peak, the highest point in the Big Horn mountain range. It was right before sunset and we got some good pictures. We saw some deer but I have yet to see any elk or bear. I am planning on making a trip to Yellowstone week after next so maybe I will get to see some then.

The fourth is next week and there are some big festivities coming up. I won’t tell you all about them now but there is a rodeo in Ten Sleep, about 15 miles away. That morning there is a Pony Express ride from the Paintrock Inn at Hyattville to Ten Sleep. Each rider rides a mile carrying the mailbag. Katy Jane and I are riding in the race. It ought to be lots of fun.

Well be sure to take a look at the pictures that I am posting on Facebook and let me know what you think. We are having a birthday cook out for Katy Jane and Mallory tonight at the café, so I had better get around so I can get over there to help fix things. We finally got to 90 this week, but it is nowhere close the triple digit, humid heat y’all are having back home this week!