Feels Like Christmas Morning at the Ranch
- June 6, 2024
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- Anna Foulger
Posted in: Featured, Ranch Life
Branding day!!! This is the day the whole ranch patiently waits for, plans for and cooks for, preparing endlessly in hopes of a smooth day. You can feel the anticipation in the air, swelling as each day gets closer. The kids wonder how many calves they will get to drag to the fire, will the old cowboys roast the nuts during the branding, how many homemade goodies will the ranch wives tirelessly bake and present during branding breaks and for lunch; it feels likes Christmas morning.
Up at around 5:30 my husband takes off to bring in the horses for the morning gather as I, the six months pregnant ranch wife, scuttles around the kitchen, with a one year old toddler at my heels, making breakfast for ranch friends and starting the homemade cinnamon rolls for a post gathering snack. Though I typically have a baby in a carrier and ride out with the cowboys, this year it simply wasn’t possible with baby number two thinking he should come early every time I swing a leg on a good, old ranch horse.
Breakfast made, toddler dressed, pregnant mama, prepared with snacks, water, rolls and the vaccines, we headed out with the non-riding part of the crew to meet everyone at the branding corrals. The cowboys are on the move, as we pull up, there are a hundred or so pairs that are being pushed into the corrals to be sorted. The site is unreal, with the open Montana sky looming with the threat of rain as old and young cowboys push, whoop and holler as mama cows gather their calves into the pen.
Dismounting, the pens are moved to make a small opening to sort the cows out and leave the calves to be worked. Two cowboys stay horseback to move any escaped calves back into the corrals as the rest work in perfect unison to sort off the cows from calves. Like a wild dance, men move in front of and behind cattle to give them an opening to move out without letting a calf make a fearless escape.
Ranch wives and a foot cattlemen start setting up the branding irons, vaccines, ear tags and snacks while all this is happening in the background. Children that are too young to help, run around the mama cows, watching as their moms and dads work efficiently and intentionally, knowing one day will be their turn to run a whole branding themselves. After all this is done, everyone breaks for coffee, cinnamon rolls, snacks and visiting. as for many of the neighbors, this is the social gathering of the spring.
When the visiting slows down, jobs are assigned, who works the branding forks, vaccines irons, ear tags and the most coveted position of who gets to rope first! Everyone goes to their jobs and the work begins. As the branding goes on the sky gets darker and darker. I was promised the chance to rope at least a calf or two, because even pregnant I wanted in on at least a little action. Little droplets begin to fall as my husband tightens the cinch and helps me crawl on to the most trusted ranch horse, Pilgrim. As the little rain shower begins, I start swinging my old, worn out rope, praying that my roping skills have not completely been forgotten since pre-pregnancy. Swing, swing, throw, slack, no calf. Swing, swing, throw, slack, no calf. My frustration is visible, because though I have done this many times before I am out of practice and have very little patience. Finally! Two calf legs and I pull my slack, dally off and Pilgrim heads towards the forks, us in perfect sync and him happy I finally caught and he can do his job!!
With the rain dropping off my cap rim, they call for a break till the rain passes. I feel sheer joy as I get off my favorite gelding and back to my sweet little toddler who is stealing snacks with her babysitter and friends. The rain slows and the branding goes on, every calf is branded and taken care of, then pushed out back to their mama. Another snack break and everyone loads up, mounts up and heads back to the main ranch house for smoked brisket and all the best kinds of foods.
Rest is all around as old cowboys tell tales of their younger days, while youngsters listen with earnest ears over a lunch better than you can find at any big town restaurant. Babies nap after their hard afternoon of playing, while mamas take in sitting down with full bellies and dirty toddlers on their laps, as they babble on about the cows and calves and horses and wonderful adventures of the day. It was the best day. It was a branding day.
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Posted in: Featured, Ranch Life
About Anna Foulger
Hey there! My name is Anna Foulger, I am a young mom of soon to be two; a toddler daughter and little boy on the way! Me and my husband ranch in Eastern Montana with his family and we love every minute! My background is in...