Things that make you go hmmmm?!

Any ideas on how I pulled this off?

"I'll Rope, or Take Pictures!"

My sister asked me yesterday "Do you ever HELP with the ground crew? Or do you just show up and say "I'll rope, or take pictures."

We've been very busy branding the last month and a half.  I take my camera every branding and take hundreds of pictures.  I very easily have 1,000 pictures saved on my computer of just brandings, and I've only had the computer 1 year now!

I started to notice last spring that a lot of my branding pictures look pretty much the same.  There is some variation, maybe one of the cowboys got a new hat, or is riding a different horse, but otherwise they looked a lot a like.

These last few brandings I have been looking for something different that catches the eye.  Trying different angles, and looking at ropers, horses, and calves differently, trying to get a different perspective.

These are just a few of the pictures I took yesterday.  I am really happy with how they turned out.  I spent a lot of time squatting in the dirt and trying to be just enough in the way to get a good picture, but far enough out of the way to not get ran over!  That is in between branding every calf that was on the ground.  Because I do do some work on the ground too, not just rope!  =)

This is definitely my favorite picture from yesterday!

Branding Time!

We've been dang busy here on the ranch, and loving every minute of it. 

It's that time of year when everything you own smells of horse sweat, burning hair, and sage brush. Your eyes are full of grit and you sleep good every night, but can't wait to get up early and do it all again the next day.

Your hands look like they haven't been washed for a week, but no amount of scrubbing will get them clean. The dirt is ground deep into the cracks and callouses. You could use a manicure, but what's the use, your hands will be trashed by the end of the week anyway!

You dream of roping calves at night to watch them buck and beller when your rope comes tight. You hear momma cows calling to their babies in your sleep.

Even the kids get in on the action and every morning TR ask you "What we gonna do toooday mom?  I wanta go to that branding place."

Let's not forget  all the great picture opportunities!

These are just a few of the pictures I've taken so far this spring.  I have rolls of film that need to be developed, and hundreds saved on my computer.

These are my favorites so far though.

What a life I live!