Thanks

[J-L]

I’d like to take a minute to thank everyone for the cards, emails, and calls while I was down and out. Makes you feel good to hear from so many nice folks.
Thanks again Jonathon Lawton, Geoff and Sue Pritchard, Kari Moulton, Nonie Proffit, Mitch, Simon Lenihan and many others. Good people in this DAP community. Much appreciated.
Wes

[Scott G]

Wes,

Somehow I missed hearing that all was not right in your world. Whatever had you down, I’m glad you landed right side up.

Take care of yourself…

-Scott

[J-L]

Found out I’m too old to ride bucking horses. Have a fractured pelvis (and likely have had for more than a year) and didn’t know it. Hasn’t broken clear through…yet. To fight off the pain I’d been taking Ibuprofen and Alleve. That ate up the lining in my stomach and I had an upper GI bleed and a couple ulcers. Three and a half pints of blood to get me back up above the add mark. Things look good now but I’m grounded from riding horses for a good while. That makes it tough to do any of my cowboy work though.

[Scott G]

For a rancher, you’re too young to be busted up already, cowboy. Take it easy on yourself. I’m sure the kids & neighbors can help out with whatever needs to be done from the saddle. You have any up high you have to push down the mountain this fall? Anyway… you have to get your priorities right and be sound for elk season!

Heal up, friend.

[J-L]

I have a couple little drives that are about 6-8 miles. Not too bad a gather. One other place has a few miles of beaver ponds and little creek channels choked with willows. Not much of a drive home, but a rotten SOB to gather cattle out of. My dogs tend to work just for me (according to the kids) and may not be as much help to the kids and help. We’ll have to see.
Doc says not a chance in hell on me going on my normal pack in elk hunt. This will be the first year since I was in the service that I’ll not get to see the high country when the elk are bugling. On the positive side, one of my uncles has a private section up in the timber that holds elk at different times. I can drive close and walk it then lead my pack mules to the meat (hopefully). That will have to do. Too bad though, much of the reason I hunt is to see new country. There is a lot of it I haven’t seen yet. Was going to a different place in the Wind River range this fall, fishing was supposed to be out of this world too. Maybe next year.

[Y 4 Ranch]

I’ll be damned, didn’t know it either Wes. I had a horse go over and land on my pelvis and I’ve paid for it ever since, broke my ankle in that one to. Once in a while it feels like someone threw a handful of crushed rock into the joints, not gravel, crushed rock, sharp edges and all. Hurts like hell to do anything, but the works got to get done, time to cowboy up, eat a few pills, drink a little liquid courage or just tough it out. I truly feel for you, I don’t know what would hurt worse, the old wreck or missing the hunt! Sometimes I think of the hurt then I’m brought back to reality when I hear of others in worse shape, check out http://www.caringbridge/sam bell.com he’s a neighbor boy I’ve known since his birth, we’ve worked a few head of cattle together from time to time; even made the 6pm news on 2 channels.
What Branch of the service? I’m Army, Air Assault, 101st Airborn and Armored Cav, 1/194.

Rest if you can, smoke em if you got em, all the way and then some!

[J-L]

Thanks Mike. I have already got a couple shoulders that feel that way from horse wrecks. Hope this pelvis will heal in time for calving season next spring. Don’t have a clue how to get around that without being horseback. Fall work will be a total disaster for me, have to count on lot’s of help.
I was actually a submariner in the USN, 6 yrs active duty. Thought it would be a good way to see the world. It was, but sure didn’t like the sub after being born and raised on a Wyoming cattle ranch. Talk about a shock to the system. Still all in all glad I did it.
Had frost here the last week or so off and on. I’m hoping I can get the alfalfa down before it freezes. Killed the squash and beans in the gardens. Elk are starting to bugle and deer shedding velvet and putting on gray winter coat. Leaves starting to change. Fall is here.

[Y 4 Ranch]

Leaves are changing here to, but no frost, I suspect a week or two away.
Two brothers were Navy, 1 on a tin can in data systems and the other an engines mate on a cigar boat in the Keys.
Godspeed on the healing, don’t work it too much now, I know it’s got to get done but look at all alternatives before you dig into it yourself.
Mike

[J-L]

Last two days we had a skiff of snow on the peaks. Probably above timberline, say 9500′ or 10,000′ and up. Last night when I came in from the field about half way to home I ran into three bull moose sparring in the middle of one of the smaller hay meadows. Thought they were going to come right up to the team. Thankfully the horses tolerate them better than the mules. Mules would’ve been heading home. Moose rutting like mad.

[Y 4 Ranch]

I suppose the mules with big ears didn’t want to be mistaken for small moose at a distance!

[near horse]

Hi Wes,

Glad you seem to be “on the mend”. What makes you a cowboy isn’t that you don’t get “thrown” once in awhile; it’s how long you stay down. Not long for you tough hombres!

We’ve had a goofy Sept here. Hotter than blazes (over 90) for at least a week and drier than a popcorn fart. Then, within 24 hrs, high is 59. Still no rain but we’re starting to hear some elk ….

The real sign of fall is how rushed the humans seem! (me included). Everyone starts to scramble to finish those projects that got put off all summer …… happens every year.

[Author]

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