Ranch Wife's Slant

Cowboys, kids, and ranch life

Tag: country life

  • Sticking with the Tradition of Neighbors

    A calf table is modern ranch equipment that’s safer, easier, and a more convenient way to brand calves without the need for extra people. That’s why they’re really boring too. We still brand the hard way with the use of neighbors. Eliminating the need for people eliminates getting together with neighbors to drink beer and…

  • Not Amused

    Theme parks and carnivals don’t amuse me at all. A lot of new kids to our ranch think it’s an entertainment mecca, making me the head of amusement park security.  Kids that have never seen a stack yard are in awe of our two-story, neatly stacked round bales. I know what they’re thinking before they…

  • Just Leave Me in the Dark

    I’m left in the dark at our place a lot, but it doesn’t bother me. I’m comfortable there. Once my husband and I started a family, we outgrew our tiny two-bedroom home and my father in-law agreed to switch houses with us. After moving into the home where my husband grew up, the sodium yard…

  • A Barrel Horse

    I dreamed of being a barrel racer as a kid but should’ve considered saddle bronc riding instead. I got a lot more practice in on that kind of horse event. The horses of my youth weren’t papered, fancy, or always the soundest, and they each had at least one character flaw but every family member…

  • The Hail Blizzard That Rock and Rolled

    A few weeks ago we had a hail storm blow in; literally. The strong winds mixed with hail had me spooked thinking tornado (which is unusual around here) because the wind was blowing so strongly. We had a downpour of heavy rain but the hail was devastating. It’s hard to tell how big the hail…

  • A Wellspring of Troubles

    Prior to the two weeks we had relatives visiting that wanted to stay at the Ranger Station (the house where my husband and I used to live), we had some dirty work to do. The old waterline needed replaced. A couple of years ago, we had renters that said they kept running out of water…

  • The Pringle Well

    You can’t get a beer at Pringle’s watering hole like you can at the Hitchrail Bar and Restaurant but the town well sees just as much activity as the Rail does. The Pringle well has become an unlikely hub for social activity. It started getting an influx of attention about the time the drought started…

  • Auction Addiction

    Auction bidding may not be recognized as a disease but it can be just as detrimental as other addictions/diseases such as excessive equipment upgrading or shoe buying, ball cap saving, or obsessive-compulsive vehicle washing. If you can’t resist bidding on or buying something at an auction you may have auction bidding disease. Symptoms accompany every…

  • Yellow Hay Days

    The yellow sweet clover is in full bloom right now and it’s everywhere I look. It looks like big yellow rugs resembling shag carpet from the 70’s all spread out on hillsides and fields. It’s not the prettiest plant to lookat up close either but it smells SO GOOD! I’ve been driving everywhere with my…

  • Driving Lessons

    Kids that live on a ranch learn how to drive a stick shift. Driving lessons for ranch kids happen real early. It’s just a tradition, I guess. Our son was about five when he first learned on an old Dodge pickup. Once they learn, they help drive equipment back and forth or a pickup and…