Winter- The View from my back porch

That seems to be 2 titles.... oh well. Both are true. I love the view from my back deck. Esp today.... when the cattle are gently plodding their way back home. They have been gone a little while, 6 miles south or so grazing a neighbors corn stalks. Now they are coming back to our corn fields.... and soon (and by soon I mean March) they will have babies. And we will enter another season on the ranch.... and arguably my fave... calving season. It is cold out.... esp for a cattle drive. But actually it was one of the warmer days this week.... I even bundled up the baby in his front carrier (those things are a beast no??) and the 3yo walked/ran/frolicked. Pure delight. We walked what I call the circle.... you head out my back driveway, around by the calves, in front of the tree row, turn at the calving pasture and you are back in my front driveway. I think if I do that 3-4 times... it equals a mile. But I did it once, whew and that was enough. The weather said it was 38 with a windchill of 29... so with hats and coats.... we were just toasty. Although with wind chapped cheeks when we got home.

That is my man sporting his new chinks (Christmas gift from me). What are chinks you ask? (or I had to ask anyway, maybe you are fluent in cowboy speak) Chinks are capri chaps. And chaps (pronounced shaps-apparently- also in cowboy land) are long leather things to keep your legs warm when you are working cattle. Now around here, I do notice people wearing them merely as an accessory... to church, to market, but at our place, they will only be seen when actually working cattle. I personally wouldn't mind if they made a trip into the bedroom... oops this is a family blog! But there's just not much cuter than a cowboy, esp my particular cowboy. I dare anyone to disagree :) (sidenote-cowboy is the incorrect term for hubs... but saying rancher or cattleman just doesn't have the flow. And he won't read this anyway... so I can call him what I want!) Cowboy I have learned... denotes a certain wanderlust, a recklessness, more wild... while rancher is a buisness owner. Now for my purposes... a cowboy is anyone on a horse, with chinks and hat. Maybe some wranglers. All good things! I love the line of cattle stretching out. I do not love the pic of the bag in the snow... but hey. Its kinda cold to clean your yard. Can't wait to play on that swingset again!


And here are some guys who come and help us... I'd tell you who they are... but I'm not sure they are ready to be famous. Ha!