Reflections

October 9th, 2020, Volume 15, Issue 40

The season is changing! We have had an unusual spell of warm weather for this time of year, which has made hunting for cattle on the mountain very pleasant. We do need rain though for the pastures and it looks like there will be some in the forecast for the coming week.

Speaking of cattle, we have ONE lone steer remaining of Davis Mountain. He missed the last train of 8 of his buddies who were moved to Elk Creek yesterday. We will be searching for him and will hopefully reunite him in the next couple of days!

The weighing will begin in earnest as preparations are made for the boys to leave the ranch in late October.

It feels great to be contributing to the Highline again. I just returned from an extended trip home to visit family, and it was a wonderful opportunity to be able to do this. Arriving back at the ranch though, I have quickly been reminded of a few things…

-The fall colors here in NW Montana are unique and breathtaking.  The Larch and Aspen are in full color down in the meadows while the mountains are just starting to show their glory. We may not have the reds of the maples and oaks here in the west, but the range of green and yellow is spectacular in their own right.

-We have a fabulous crew here at the ranch this season. They way they blend together while still maintaining their individuality makes for a some very fun, and funny times!  Our newest intern Levi, we came to find out, is quite talented on guitar and singing. We were treated to a concert at family dinner this week and look forward to hearing more from him. He is also teaching Kevin guitar so maybe a dueling guitar duet is in our future! And Chris, our new ranch hand (a fellow Texan, like Levi) fit right in, in just a matter of hours.

-The horses, oh the horses!  Did you ever look into a horse’s eyes—I mean really look? When you pet on them, do you notice the change in their expression? Even if they are already with you and content, there is a distinctive calmness, or appreciation, if horses feel that emotion, that you can see in their eyes. I realize how fortunate I am to be able to have 100+ horses here to observe things like this. Each one of them is special and teaches us all a gazillion things every day if we will take the time to listen.

It feels good to be back. Take time each day to look around and see all that your life has to offer. I try to remind myself of this often.

Gratitude turns what we have into enough.” – Anonymous.

Until next time,

Janice