Ranch Wife's Slant

Cowboys, kids, and ranch life

Category: South Dakota Humor

  • The Tack Room “Museum”

    The last week in February we started calving and had a bad cold snap. Calving was just starting for us, and it was while Art and I were regrouping in the tack room recording some eartag numbers of new pairs in the barn, digging out last year’s record book to make some calving season comparisons,…

  • One of My New Favorite “Little Things in Life”

      I’m big on acknowledging the little things in life that make me happy. One of my favorites is the moment after I’ve sat down in a comfy chair or our couch with a cozy blanket on my lap and I open the pages of a brand new book to start reading. I love the crispness and…

  • Discovering My Mitchell, SD Coffee Shop Fans

    There are days as a columnist when I feel like words just won’t bind together for me on the topic I’m trying to write about. When I look at what I’ve written and feel like a 5th grader could do a better job, I sometimes wonder if anybody out there actually read my stuff. Then…

  • A Reputation That Stacks Up

    Our ranch takes pride in what we do. As ranchers we have a reputation to uphold which you might’ve guessed has to do with hay. There was a time when the Kirk family’s reputation was based on haystacks but with the convenience of baling equipment, my husband believes our reputation is now built on the…

  • Another Use for Duct Tape

    Now that calving has begun, (as of last week) my husband and I started the process of every day, looking over the herd and making an educated guess as to which cows are most likely to calve soon. There are various signs to look for such as a cow looking bagged up (her milk is…

  • Getting In Touch with Your Inner Cowgirl

    When any of you ladies out there get to feeling out of control, in a rut, downtrodden, or run over in the rat race, take the time to restore your soul and get back on your feet.  The best way to do this is to get in touch with your inner cowgirl; here’s how: Take…

  • Cowboy and Rancher Christmas Gift Guide Part II

    I have 16 years of experience in agonizing over what to get a cowboy/rancher for Christmas and consider myself a seasoned gift giver to the cowman. More of my gift suggestions continue as follows. A milk replacer kit that includes a sturdy bucket, whisk, funnel, feeding bag and tube, and powdered electrolytes or colostrum packets…

  • Christmas Gift Ideas for Cowboys and Ranchers

    This Christmas season I want to help those in need. Anybody who has a cowboy or rancher on their Christmas list needs some good gift ideas. With my help maybe shoppers won’t resort to buying the cowboy or rancher on their list another western shirt. We’ll start with their hobbies and interests and what comes…

  • Pringle Worthy

      You’re just not a true Pringlite unless you’ve shot an elk in the Pringle area. Whether residents apply every year until they finally draw a tag or they’re land owners who get a tag because their land, hay and alfalfa fields, and cattle fences suffer from elk depredation, harvesting an elk; especially a bull…

  • Sleepless in September

    September has arrived in the Black Hills. The morning air has gathered up a sharp edge, frost has been knocking on our windows, and leaves want to change. My husband and I know what’s coming next insomnia. For much of September, I get shorted on sleep due to bull elk bugling every night until the…