Summer has arrived and is flying by much too fast!  We have been busy irrigating the fields, building fence, planting the garden, and working on the hydroponics.  The kids are out of school and enjoying the time to play and work with the animals.  Winnie was thrilled when Annabelle's baby was born on March 31st, and even more excited that it is a heifer.  She named her Isabelle, and has been working with her on a halter already.  We had a second calf, a bull, out of another one of our cows, Starlette, in the middle of April.  Two more are due any day now.  The kids have been training the alpacas for the county fair in August, and even Gus is planning to go to the show this year!  The cherry trees are heavy with fruit, having survived the nail-biting frost season.  The apricots weren't so lucky this year.  The garden plants are planted, and the hydroponics set up is just about ready.  I'll have to have Jeff fill you in on that one!  We got two new yaks to add to our herd, a big royal(black and white) bull named Ogie, and a fuzzy black heifer named Lucy.  They came from the little town of Norwood, about 2 hours away.  We are really going to try to get the yak meat market going over here, and hope to have a couple outlets to sell the meat in the Aspen area.  We will be going to the Cedaredge Farmer's Market with it as time permits also.  It has been busy around here as usual, but always fun!

I had to pick up a load of hay last week, and thought we'd be ok with the state of plowing on the driveway.  Boy, was I wrong!  At the steepest part the truck started slipping, slowly came to a stop, and then started going backwards!  Luckily the trailer jackknifed at the curve in our drive, wedging the truck and trailer between the burms on either side.  The tractor wasn't big enough to pull them both out and they were at such an angle we couldn't unhitch the trailer.  After a few failed rescue attempts, we hooked a little trailer to the tractor and unloaded the whole flatbed.  Then the tractor was able to pull the truck out, then the trailer, and all are safely parked in the driveway now.  Whew!  What a ride.

Winnie, Annabelle and I went to the National Western Stock Show last week.  It was a great experience for both of us, and Annabelle, too!  We arrived Wednesday evening, and sat in a sea of trailers for 2 hours before we were able to pull up to the barn and unload.  Annabelle was tied to a fence in a huge barn with hundreds of other cattle.   We had an assigned stall space where she was, and then put our accessories across the aisle.  On Thursday we worked on figuring out the show schedule for the next day, had Annabelle weigh in(at 790#), and bathed her.  In the afternoon we had some time to wander around, watch part of the junior market beef show, check out the huge hall of vendors, and see a bunch of other animals.  Friday was the big day, so we fed Annabelle early, and then worked on bathing and grooming her.  We were amazed at what went on behind the scenes getting ready for a cattle show!  Some of our stall neighbors had grooming crews show up a couple hours early, and the trimming, spraying, and primping began.  When the cattle were ready, they looked like teddy bears!  Their hair was brushed up instead of down, and all sprayed to stay that way.  Winnie was in a large group that had been broken down into 13 classes, and she was in class 10 with 14 other animals.  She and Annabelle were both nervous, put had a chance to socialize with some of the stock show visitors before they went in the show ring(photo).  In the show ring, Winnie was the youngest handler, and received some help from one of the ring stewards.  Annabelle was a little excited, and the extra hands were good.  Winnie learned first hand what to do in the show ring, and although they didn't place, it was a great learning experience.  As soon as the show was over, she was asking if we could come again next year.  I think we might try a Pinzgauer show next, but who knows, we may be back again!

I realize I am a little late with the "Merry Christmas" part, but better late than never!  We had a fun Christmas at home, and a nice Christmas dinner at the Pipkin house, Susie's Aunt and Uncle's place.  Earlier in the month we went on the Polar Express in Durango, which was great fun.  The kids and grandma and grandpa and mom and dad all had fun.  We finally got some snow, and the sled hill is back!  Cousins came over to help in the shoring up of the track, and now it is in prime shape.  The kids and their friends love to sled, and the weather has been perfect for it.  We had a bout with winter sickness, colds and such, but all the kids are feeling better.  Now we just have to get dad back up to snuff!
Jeff has been moving most of the rental equipment down to Delta for an auction on January 19th.  There was too much to keep up with, and with the vet clinic getting so busy we just didn't have time for the rentals.  So if you are in need of any equipment, tables, chairs, cement mixers, post hole diggers, carpet stretchers (I could go on and on!) you know where to buy them!
Winnie has been working hard training Annabelle the heifer, and they will be heading to the stock show on January 23rd for their first show.  Winnie is excited, and I am, too!
Happy New Year, and you'll be hearing more soon!