This past weekend, I went with the Burke family up to Hammond Ranch (Mrs. Burke is related to them) in Big Horn, Montana. They go every year for their family reunion and to brand cows. This year I was invited and it was SO fun. We spent 3-4 hours in the car, but it was worth it. The landscape was so pretty! We set up camp on Friday night and ate a sloppy joe dinner at the ranch house and then went to bed. Emma and I slept in a 3 person tent and the rest of the family slept in their camper trailer. We woke up at midnight and took a walk because the full moon was so bright. You could have probably driven a car without your headlights on, it was that bright! Plus, the stars were out. We layed down on one of the dirt roads on the ranch and listened to coyotes, crickets, toads, horses, cows, geese etc. and it was very pleasant. When we woke up the next morning, we had a fun ranch breakfast with scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes before we left for the "windmill". When everybody had eaten, we got in our trucks and drove up the dirt road until we got the corrals...
The moon. :)
Before bed, we took a walk around the house and visited some horses.
Very pretty sunset, too.
Emma and Libby!
Taking pictures with my best friend. :)
Justin playing with the tether ball on Saturday morning.
Up at the corrals preparing to brand the cows.
Looking down the valley.
A ranch dog.
Justin!
The cow shoot.
Mrs. Burke was in charge of the "yellow dog" (tazer).
They would sort the calves from their mothers into two separate pens so it would be easier to rope them.
People would sit on either sides of the fence and team up so they could wrangle a calf together...
Sarah and Rod on top of a calf...Rod would kneel on the calf's head and hold the top leg up, while Sarah would sit on the ground and push the calf's bottom leg towards its body and pull the top leg. Yeah, kind of complicated.
No matter which position you were in, it would always smell like burning cow flesh. :)
Landon (on horse), pulling a calf out of the pen.
You would have to grab its tail and pull until it fell on its side....they are A LOT stronger than you would think.
The ropers.
Grace, Emma and Libby.
The shoot wranglers. :)
I'm free!
Yikes!
We found a toad in the grass. :)
The princess and the frog!
Libby, wrangling a calf. Emma and I did one together too, but the pictures are on another camera. :(
There were about 5 people around a calf at one time where each person was in charge of branding, clipping the ear, giving vaccinations, etc.
About 2 or 3 calves would be out getting worked on at a time.
We worked from about 9ish to noon!
We rode on the tailgate on the way back down to the ranch house and got VERY dusty.
We had a mini church service with the folks that camped at the ranch.
Amber and Molly sang us a couple of songs. :)
Saying goodbye. :(
Mrs. Burke, Lily and Lee's daughter, Arelyn!
Mrs. Wagner and Justin playing the drum.
Justin, playing on farm equipment.
This is where Emma, Libby and I would crack the bull-whip!
The Hammond family brand. :)
