Tail End of Summer

Here we go toward Autumn. Waking up and thinking, "Has the weather changed?" Then realizing the day just hasn't risen yet. Coming home after my job in town and it's dark already. Already.

Peeling transparent apples for drying

But the days still lull with their golden light and their heat. The white moths flitting lustily among the cabbages and broccoli plants, laying eggs of green destruction. The first Vs of geese. The last of the transparents falling from the tree in the yard when I tell myself again, to get the ladder and pick them, soon.

We harvested steers this week. A bitter-sweet time. Such good animals. Such good food. I spend many thankful moments throughout the week. Now for the good steers, loading gracefully into the trailer. Now for the butcher and his swift respectful kill.

Dawson helps Grandpa on the fence

Now for the husband. For his husbandry, his witnessing of the end of life.

Now for the consumers, taking a share of the harvest, giving back to the ranch what feels like more than money, becoming in their own way, a part of our story.

Now for the land. For having a chance to know a particular place, for a chance to share it. With our children, our grandchildren, our community, our visitors.

Prairie and Wes at the fence 

They made it! Lake Legore

We were fortunate to have Jon and Prairie home to help. From trimming and freezing oxtails and beef cheeks, to fencing, sorting cattle, making meals, and lugging Wes around, it was all a big help and way more fun with them here.













Prairie and Jon decided to stay an extra day, to go hiking by themselves. So they went to Legore Lake. Highest lake in Oregon. Straight up and straight down. Not exactly relaxing, but still great.

Wes, Mike and Dawson at Wallowa Lake

Even Mike agreed to take the afternoon off on Friday. Probably one of our last days of swimming at Wallowa Lake.







The shadows of the passing clouds made it almost too cold to swim. But when the sun came out again, we plunged in, the luscious chill briefly taking our breath away, and afterward, floating, our bodies cradled in the still-warm waters of summer.

Wes enjoys his picnic lunch

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, home of Bunchgrass Beef

River Swimming and Blackberry Picking

Mike and I went to the canyon to pick blackberries last weekend.  It was about 95 degrees in the shade when we arrived. I picked the first batch of berries, while Mike started to pull some puncture vine that he saw on the river bar. Then I made dinner while Mike mowed the yard (fire protection). We had yummy Bunchgrass Beef burgers with turnip and beet greens for dinner and sat out on the porch in the balmy evening, watching the smoky sunset and being lulled by the river rushing by. 

"I'll help pick berries if you help pull puncture vine..."

Early the next morning, while it was still cool and before the yellow-jackets got busy in the berry bushes, we picked four more gallons of blackberries. 

Early morning berry picking

After that it was more weed pulling. The low-growing puncture vine sends out long runners covered in yellow flowers that mature into hard sharp-thorned seeds, 'goat heads', that can poke right through the bottom of your shoe, your dog's foot, etc.  We're hoping to get some weevils that act as biocontrols on this aggressive plant by eating the seeds, stems and leaves. In the mean time it's pull and bag, pull and bag....

That's a lot of puncture vine we pulled....

Maturing 'goat head' seeds

 I think Mike would have kept digging weeds all day, but I mutinied, insisting that we allow sufficient time to wallow, dive, float, and splash in the river. River swimming at the Magpie Ranch is some of the best there is. Deep eddies you can jump into off rock cliffs. Rowdy rapids that spit you out into long channels where you float lazily downstream. The water is the perfect temperature and when you lay in the shallows, the current feels like a natural jacuzzi bubbling and rushing over you. Oh how I love that lovely lively water.

Sara doesn't want to get out of the river

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, home of Bunchgrass Beef. 

Summer Surprizes

The "Old Brindle" is one of the first cows we bought when we started Magpie Ranch. She was old when we bought her and that was nearly ten years ago. Mike quickly discovered that she does not like to be cornered. She wants a lot of space and will waggle her impressive horns to remind us she is equipped for a fight. 

As it turned out, the Old Brindle is also a great mother and a great lead cow. When she came up 'dry' or unbred a couple years ago we were disappointed, but kept her with the herd and she continued to lead the cattle out of the canyons to the summer range. This year, after two seasons without a calf, we trailered her to the valley to fatten up on irrigated pasture and reach her eventual demise. A week later, as if to say, "forget that idea", she surprised us with a sweet bull calf. I guess the Old Brindle gets one more year. 

Old Brindle and her 'surprise' calf

With summer comes fire season and we always have 'fire protection' to do, which means mowing, scything, weed-whacking and machete work to create defensible space around the ranch structures. Last week, we headed up the six miles of two-track to the Pumpkin Creek cabin and were met by an enormous cotton wood tree blocking the road. 

Cottonwood blocking the Pumpkin Creek driveway

By driving halfway up the bank and tipping sideways, Mike squeezed the stock truck underneath the massive trunk and we were able to continue on to the cabin. Needless to say, I was outside the truck letting him know that he had two inches to spare. I hate steep sidehill driving. 

Mike fixes the weedeater - again

Pumpkin creek cabin after fire protection

 It was beastly hot, over 100 degrees by mid-day and several dips in the creek and a siesta were required to complete the job.

A lot of mowing....

Luckily summer has its rewards, like river swimming and being greeted by a beautiful valley sunset on our way home from the canyon.

River swimming pals

Dawson with his "fishing" pole

Nice way to end the day

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, home of Bunchgrass Beef

Back on Summer Range

We've made the move to the summer range again. Gathered the cows and calves on the east side of the Imnaha canyon, crossed the river and trailed two more days to the Zumwalt Prairie.

 

East side bench, looking north. Sara, Bird, Newt, Ruby, Punch.

A few weeks earlier, as we branded and got the herd ready to go, we had excellent help from the kids, old friends and a few newcomers.  Gabe and Jordan roped. Mike, Zeke, Mark, Jaci and Cammie were ground crew. 

Jordan roped off Chester

Rest of the crew for branding 

It was Zeke's 26th birthday. Dawson paid close attention to the trick candles as they magically 'relit' themselves on the cocoa fudge cake with ganache filling and peanut butter frosting.

On day three, we trailed up the Lower Imnaha road. Dawson rode with me a ways and we got a little goofy at times. We met up with Gabe, Cammie and Wes and had picnic lunch after we got the cows turned up Log Creek.

Weston carrot gnawer

Cammie, Wes, Dawson hiking down Log Creek

On Sunday we topped out and made it all the way to Alder Creek in one long day.  Prairie took a great picture of Mike and and Gabe above Log Creek on the last day. As she put it, "I got to spend Fathers Day with two great fathers." 

Good job, everyone. 

Punch, ready for the last day trailing to summer range

Meeting McClaran's horses on the Zumwalt Prairie

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, home of Bunchgrass Beef

Eggztravaganza

Lilacs along the front porch

Spring has sprung! We had a really fun "Eggztravaganza" the end of March, celebrating the change of seasons and our appreciation for the support of our customers, family and friends.

It was a glorious day and we were happy so many folks made the trek to the ranch to spend time together, relaxing, enjoying good food and visiting.

Dennis and Kieth arrive by kayak!

We even had several people who arrived by kayak from Imnaha! 






Before lunch we enjoyed appetizers of smoked salmon, veggies, and fruit. People took hikes along the river, looked for birds and soaked up the sun. There was also some mildly competitive horseshoe throwing going on.

Hors d'oeurves

Getting ready for egg hunt #1

Grandkids and friends on the front porch

It was great to see the kids rampaging about, climbing trees and swinging on the rope swing. They hunted eggs about three times, with the bigger kids making sure the littler ones found their fair share of loot.

Yummy lunch

For the main meal, I braised a couple dutch ovens of delicious Bunchgrass Beef, using a citrus and savory marinade. The guests added their wonderful salads and breads and for dessert we enjoyed blackberry pie and chocolates.

The next generations, Luke, Gabe, Buck and baby Cooper

At one point I looked at three young fathers sitting in the grass together and remembered when they were all toddling around in diapers thirty years ago. And now they have their own sons growing up together in this special place.

One of the best practices for conservation ranching is hospitality, and we sure enjoy it!   Now it's back to work, getting ready for branding and the move to the summer range.

Jose, from Chile, takes his second horse ride ever, helping Mike herd a few pairs 

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, home of Bunchgrass Beef

El Rancho del Arte

This morning I made an altar.  It reminded me of Prairie when she made an altar for her grandmother in November, for El Dia de los Defuntos, Day of the Dead. And I thought of Ecuador, where we made altars for the Old Year to celebrate the New.This morning I put out two clay vessels of ash, a carved horse head, a wedding invitation and a thank-you card.

Lenten Altar

Mike made the little bowl and I made the person. We made them in church with the Methodists in Joseph. It was fun. It was also somber. Everyone in the church got a piece of clay. We made the pots and then filled them with bits of communal ash. The Canyon Wedding painting and Canyon Wren print were made by Jon, our son-in-law. Our old friend Chuck Gibson carved the horse head one winter on the Snake River and gave it real hair.

Another kind of art, by Jerry Nolte

I didn't think I was making an altar. I was just cleaning up a bit. Taking off the winter tablecloth and putting out a white and yellow runner. And then I saw the pots and horse head on the windowsill and remembered Lent and sacrifice, which made me think of blessings.

Art?  They worked!

In the business of life, sometimes I need an excuse to make art. Luckily, there are plenty of excuses. Where we live. The traditions we follow. Love. Questions. And you, listening to this story.

Dawson made a wooden sheath knife. 

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, Home of Bunchgrass Beef

Bagpipes and Ice on the Imnaha

Half moon in January

Ice flowing in the Imnaha

I drove out to the old timey dance last Saturday night. It seemed kind of ridiculous, travelling 45 miles to play music for the dance, only to drive back to the ranch the next morning.



I couldn't talk Mike into making the trek, but he reminded me that people used to ride six hours to the grange, dance most of the night, ride back home and go to straight to work. I guess that was his way of saying, 'buck-up and enjoy it'.

Playing for dances makes me learn new tunes on the concertina.  Mike helped me practice two new waltzes. Dark Island and Caledonia. We both like Dark Island a lot. Maybe it reminds us of growing up on Puget Sound.

Roasted veggies on a cold day, Sara and Pete

Mike and I weren't the only musicians at the ranch. Long time friend, Pete, came to help out for a few days and brought his bagpipes.

I was remembering when Pete first started playing bagpipes, about eight years ago. It was pretty awful sounding, but we kept telling him it's great, keep practicing. Now it is an honor to have him play for weddings, funerals and soon we hope, dances. He has a nice small set of pipes that he can play in the living room. He also has big pipes that he played outside in the frosty morning. From the kitchen window, I watched him slowly marching back and forth in the driveway, wearing his red balmoral, the sound of the highland pipes filling the canyon.

Pete and Bird

We're in the middle of weaning, so Mike has been spending all his time on the river. It was nice to have Pete's help trailing the cow herd up to the bench.Calves are doing good. Waiting for Dawson to come down and visit them in the corrals.

Trailing to the bench

With nighttime temperatures in the single digits, the river has been pretty iced over in places. One morning Kodee, Gabe's Labrador retriever, and I were surprised by gunshots from some chukar hunters up in the rims across the river. At the sound of the shotguns, Kodee snapped to attention, sighted the hunters far up on the slope and bolted for the river.

Newt and Crazy Kodee

In spite of me yelling at him, he leaped out onto the ice, broke through into the open channel and was swept down stream as he swam across and then struggled to climb out, breaking ice until his feet touched bottom. He would have high-tailed it up toward the bench if Mike hadn't gotten him stopped with a whistle. He almost swam back across when he realized Mike was calling him. Crazy lab.He finally came across the bridge. Enough swimming for one winter's day.

From Sara at Magpie Ranch, home of Bunchgrass Beef