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An Appreciation for Three-Pronged Outlets
I gave up a long time ago trying to hide the numerous extension cords that the run along the walls and cords that dangle from outlets located halfway up the walls of our living room and bedrooms of...
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Celebrating Our Little Cowboy’s 16th Birthday
Sixteen years ago this past Friday, life as my husband and I knew it was forever changed when we became initiated into parenthood with our firstborn; a son. We had no idea what we were getting into...
View ArticleGetting 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...
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Levi’s Lost Calf
At the 2011 South Dakota Young Farmers and Ranchers conference I finally met journalist, blogger, author, and rancher, Amanda Radke from Mitchell, SD in person. She and I were both speakers at the...
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Birde Lover
When I saw a bumper sticker that said, “Have you hugged your kid today?” I couldn’t help but think that’s a no-brainer but did consider whom I haven’t hugged lately. After contemplating those I’ve...
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Meet #1594
This is our newest bull that replaces one that went MIA last fall out on our Forest Service lease. After we moved cows back home up by Pringle last fall, we spent a lot of time checking the tanks,...
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My Morning View Over Coffee
I love it out here first thing in the morning. It’s kind of a sanctuary where I like to come and absorb nature while I have my coffee. The air is fresh and crisp and damp. I like the way it smells;...
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Bootjacks: A Boot-Wearer Must
Essential to every ranch outfit are bootjacks; not just one but a collection of them. Bootjacks aren’t limited to one style. They come in a variety of styles and are made from metal or wood. Many...
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Inventions That Make Chores Easier
Every time my husband creates an easier way to do chores I fall in love with him all over again. Feeding our heifers is a TON easier now as a result of my husband’s handiwork with his welder. Over the...
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There’s More Than One Way to Pack A Calf
When a new calf seems chilled or a little slow finding its grub, we sometimes opt to intervene and move the cow-calf pair to the barn and out of the elements so we can assist them better. Packing a...
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Ridin’ Shotgun
Most farm and ranch outfits have a dog around the place. Our dog Pepper, gets to go along to help feed cows in the winter and check water and cows in the summer. It’s all fine and dandy if there are...
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Haying Lessons
At the start of haying our son left on an international trip with a group of other teens and it was the ideal opportunity to teach our daughter how to run the windrower and rake hay. The Ford tractor...
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A Perfect Afternoon for Book Reading
I caught my husband Art re-reading parts of my book this afternoon after he returned from checking on our cows up at Pringle. Just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone who’s shared posts on...
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A Mudroom Made of Old and New
(Note: I tidied up our mudroom just for you. Normally it does not look nearly this neat, or is the floor swept up and clean. Knowing that I cleaned the place up a bit don’t you feel special?) Mud,...
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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...
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Bringing People Together, Sharing a Meal, & Benefitting Ranchers Affected by...
A Senior Project Success: When our son Myles said he was thinking about putting on a steak feed to benefit the Rancher Relief Fund for his Senior Project (a fairly new requirement for South Dakota...
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Wrestle Like a Girl–Cowgirl Style
This past weekend we held our branding and after processing the whole day with my husband Art several different times, we determined that this year’s branding was probably the best we’ve ever had, or...
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What You Can Get Away with on a Farm or Ranch
This column was originally published February 12, 2014 Farm and ranch residents may not have a grocery store or WalMart located only minutes away, but there are some advantages to living out of town...
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South Dakota Farm and Ranch Life in Poetry
Anytime I discover something that becomes a part of my “favorite things” list, I want to share it with others. I met farmer and cattleman Bruce Roseland of North Central South Dakota at the South...
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A Chilly Day for Comforting Chili on the Kirk Ranch
This past Monday morning was a rude awakening, not just to freezing rain early in the morning that turned to sticky snow but plummeting temperatures. I had just spent a week at a writer’s retreat in...
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