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Well
Howdy Wranglers, Cowpokes and City Slickers!
For once I do not know where to begin. Unbelievable as it may seem,
spring is here and the first fencing project has already been completed
successfully! I am sure it will go down as a “first” in history
for this Ranch that, in the year 2010, we set fence posts on March 23rd.
There are so many things to share and write about. The grass is
greening as we speak and there is no time for “spring
sleepiness” as Nature is pushing us busily into pasture season.
That means that the bulls are chomping at the bit! Our bull pen has
been retooled somewhat for this coming breeding season: “Rambo” will get his first go
at the mature cows. He will be joined by the recently purchased “Mr. Congeniality”, who we
bought a few weeks ago at the 19th annual Pick of the Crop Bull
sale. Thank you to Wranglers Mikey
Blue Eyes and JJ for their
timely advice and guidance during that exciting event. Another purchase was
“Bandit” who will be
helping out Rambo and Mr. C. take care of the larger herd
whereas “Tank” will,
for one more year, look after the first calf heifers and the heiferettes.
This early spring also means that this calving season is almost at
an end and we are busy getting fences up and ready for the “big
release”. Well, we will be busy with that after Easter to be honest,
not before, but very early indeed.
The newest event this spring, and very exciting for us to do,
Rawhide is sponsoring the “People
Power Ride for Public Trails” this May 29th.
This is a 20 km ride that will start in Dundalk Ontario and finish in
Shelburne. It is part of a big “People
Power Gathering” to highlight the need for local resources
as well as access to a Public Trail network. Our ride will follow the
railway bed, along the wind farms with lots of beautiful scenery. We will supply
10 horses for this event, 4 are already spoken for. All other riders will
trailer in, drop their horses and riders off and then drive to the
Shelburne Fairgrounds, where the big party will be. Hikers will come in
from Camilla; wagons and carriages, motorbikes and all kinds of folks will
gather for a Vendors Market, BBQ, “Creemore Beer” sponsored
tent and live music from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Details can be found at the www.NDACT.com website, or by emailing me. We hope that
many of you can help us spread the word, choose to participate in a truly
unique local event, and of course, think about if you want to join us
either on foot or by riding. The hikers can use the “People Power Hike” to raise funds for
their own causes if they wish.
The main goal for this day is to show our local politicians that
people are indeed engaged in the future of this province. So come on out,
have a great time and participate in any way you can, sending an invitation
on to your friends and bringing your own party to the town is one great
way.
Another local event to be aware of is WHOA (Women’s Horse Owners Association) is hosting their
4th annual event in early June. You can bring your
horse (plus friends & family) for an entertaining & educational day
of fun! Riding Clinics, Demos,
Networking, Practitioners & Vendors! Check out their website:
http://www.womenhorseownersassoc.com for specifics on the date and more
information on this really fun filled event. We will be there with our horses all
learning wonderful things (like dressage for Charlie and Barrel Racing for Gunner!) and also Sandy
will be on hand entertaining the crowd with some lessons from the ground on
up!
With as little snow we have been busier than usual and thus
all the horses are gaining their mid summer shape. Well not all the horses:
Abby is another special case who
found her way here, and I am not sure if we will ride her at all this year.
Her attitude is, shall we say, very unique. NJ and I have a wager on
it and, once I win, you can be sure I will let you know. :-)
Also, earlier than usual, we have our 2010 Calendar of Events on the website. Both kids’ camps
are already booked, thank you so much for being so proactive about that.
Instead of adding another kid’s camp, we have decided to run a one week adult camp in late July.
That is another first for us, and if you are like us and want a serious
change of pace, want to learn in more depth about horses and ranch life,
experience something really unique, lose your fears and find adventure,
come and join us. Lots of one on one attention and a real “learning
by doing” opportunity, three spots are currently still available for
Adult summer camp!
We have also shortened some of the County Forest outings to 2 hrs of riding; I hope that finds
favour with some of you. Please remember, if you want to sign up for these
rides, you have to have been here at least once before so we can match you
with a horse and saddle that suits you.
And one last reminder, for those of you who order their beef from us, time is running out
and all orders must be received before the end of April or we will not be able to fill them. Also, check out the
new offering for authentic grass fed beef to be ready this August. Having
your orders in does not mean that you have to pick them up now, it just
helps us to organize supply and time at Metheral’s so that we do not
disappoint you.
You will find a link to Harmony
Ranch on our website, www.harmonyranch.ca .
Saskia and Heather do some great work giving lessons and clinics and we
have enjoyed a very good working relationship for more than 10 years now. Do
look them up, and if you do meet with them know that you are in very
capable hands.
Another new thing for me to do is to leave you with a western
joke - Thanks to Bill and Ken who sent it to me. Since my daughter never
misses an opportunity to point out that I have joined the “old
cowboys” club, I delight in this opportunity to point out the last bit
of wisdom below to her!!!!!!!!!
Have You Ever Danced?
An old prospector shuffled into the
town of El Indio, Texas leading an old tired mule. The old
man headed straight for the only saloon in town, to clear his parched
throat. He walked up to the saloon and tied his old mule to the hitch
rail. As he stood there, brushing some of the dust from his face
and clothes, a young gunslinger stepped out of the saloon with a
gun in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in the other.
The young gunslinger looked at the old man and laughed, saying, "Hey
old man, have you ever danced?" The old man looked up at the gunslinger
and said, "No, I never did dance... never really wanted
to."
A crowd had gathered as the gunslinger grinned and said, "Well,
you old fool, you're gonna' dance now," and started shooting at the
old man's feet. The old prospector, not wanting to get a toe
blown off, started hopping around like a flea on a hot skillet.
Everybody was laughing, fit to be tied.
When his last bullet had been fired, the young gunslinger, still
laughing, holstered his gun and turned around to go back into the
saloon. The old man turned to his pack mule, pulled out a double-barreled
shotgun, and cocked both hammers. The loud clicks carried clearly through
the desert air.
The crowd stopped laughing immediately. The young gunslinger heard the
sounds too, and he turned around very slowly. The silence was
almost deafening. The crowd watched as the young gunman stared at the
old timer and the large gaping holes of those twin barrels.
The barrels of the shotgun never wavered in the old man's hands, as he
quietly said, "Son, have you ever kissed a mule's
ass?"
The gunslinger swallowed hard and said, "No sir..... but...
I've always wanted to."
There are a few lessons for us all
here:
Never be arrogant.
Don't waste ammunition.
Whiskey makes you think you're
smarter than you are.
Always, always make sure you know
who has the power.
Don't mess with old men, they
didn't get old by being stupid.
I just love a story with a happy ending, don't you?
Enjoy all life has to offer and expect one more snow storm!
Cheers for now and God Bless,
Happy Trails,
Crusty
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