Life on a Ranch

As we wrap up a truly delightful November, a fresh dusting of snow now covers the ground—arriving just in time for December’s grand entrance. December is always a flurry, not just of snow and cold, but of activity. I expect nothing less this year. And while the calendar is filling up awfully fast, I’m not dreading the holiday rush. In fact, I’m looking forward to it. Some years, being the mom at Christmas-time feels like a tall order—trying to make everything magical and memory-filled for the whole family. But this year feels different. Lucy, who’s thriving at Chadron State, has already seen Nebraska from corner to corner, seen parts of South Dakota, a corner of Colorado, and a chunk of in. Our old house has plenty of quirks, and while we’ve hemmed and hawed over how to tackle the bigger ones, this project feels manageable—a nice update to brighten the upstairs. I think (hope!) Lucy will be pleasantly surprised with a cozy space to come home to, even if it’s not the room she was used to. Besides Christmas and room remodeling, we’ve been active with our regularly scheduled activities. Those activities include a lot of middle school basketball for Cooper. His team lost a game in triple overtime against Echo and the very next game, won in over time against Enterprise. Needless to say, it’s been an exciting few weeks in some Eastern Oregon Lucy with cousins in Nebraska on Thanksgiving gyms. Also included in our daily schedule is feeding cows. Sourdough rolls could give you all sorts of examples of athletes, coaches, cowboys, nurses, farmers, musicians—but for this post-Thanksgiving column, I’ll focus on food. Chris loves smoking and cook ing meat, and we were lucky recipients of his skill. He took care of the turkey, he also smoked ribs, made brisket and a spicy batch of chili. Meanwhile, let's talk about Jackie who has kept her sourdough starter alive and thriving for decades. Long time readers- those of you who remember when this was Janie’s Wyoming in just four months. Now she’s coming home for a whole month. For me, it feels like sweet relief to have our oldest adventurer back under our roof and all three kids together with us. In preparation, I’ve been gathering presents and freshening up a space for her in our old farmhouse. Cooper moved into her room this fall, so the guest room is being reimagined as Lucy’s. When she heads back to college in January, it’ll still maintain its function as a guest room. Fresh paint is about to be slapped on the walls, the worn-out carpet (long overdue to be replaced since we moved in) is coming out, and new carpet is going figures out how to creatively stomp a mud puddle after his parents reminded him not to get his pants wet. Got a cute picture? Send it to us! email: editor@agritimesnw.com or write: PO Box 447, Walla Walla, WA 9936 Journal- will remember that Buck and Mona grew up in We’re feeding to supplement the picking they can still do; the cows never complain when the feed truck rolls up every morning. Filling water has been a daily chore for the last few weeks so flaking some hay isn’t too bad and it’s nice to see the cows in really good shape going into winter. A few years ago, I wrote a poem about a harsher fall we were having, and it included this stanza: “You see, our cows are thin and our calves came in small. All thanks to a miserably dry fall. This ranching life can push a gal to frustration. SPONSORED BY Creative Thinking During a trip to the farm, Austin Allen And sometimes it feels like we need a vacation.” Thankfully, this year tells a different story! We’ve had such a nice fall with plenty of feed. The cows stayed in great condition, we weaned and sold big healthy calves and I’m not even wishing for a vacation! Most years, Thanksgiving is our vacation, a chance to get away before winter sets in. Not this year. We stayed close to home, celebrating with Buck’s folks— Bill and Jackie—and my sister in-law Mona and her husband Chris, who made the trek from Woodland, Washington. Our celebration was laid back and we all pitched in to help with meals and Thanksgiving dinner. We fed cows, took walks, played Scrabble (I still haven't won) and we watched movies and football. Mostly we all took a relaxing break together and it was pretty great. Over the weekend, I found myself reflecting on my deep appreciation for people who are truly accomplished at what they do. I the canyons near Imnaha, spending their summers in re ally remote cow camps- at Cayuse Flat and others even smaller and farther away. In those remote settings Jackie kept her sourdough working a couple of times a day. In earlier years, she cooked for Papa Doug’s hay and potato crews and in those days, she used the sourdough three times a day turning out sourdough hotcakes in the morning then biscuits to go with lunch and dinner. “Sourdough works best the more it’s being used – just like a cow dog,” she often says. I know it’s a skill, one she’s worked to perfect, but the best part is that for Jackie, it’s also a bit of a therapeutic art, one that’s woven into the rhythm of her everyday life. She looks forward to seeing how each loaf, each cast iron-pan-of-rolls, each hot cake, each cinnamon roll turns out- every batch is unique depending on how much life is in the dough. It really is a beautiful gift she shares with all of us, a gift that fits seamlessly into ordinary suppers with just her and Bill as well as celebratory feasts with friends and family. Given Jackie’s sourdough skills, I’m hopeful at least one of us- whether it be me or Buck or one of our kids- will spend the time to learn some of her ways and carry on the sourdough tradition. And now, to wrap this column up, as December is about to settle in, I’m obviously looking forward to spending time with family- including time with our parents. But having Lucy home for Christmas (to do all of that with us!) is the gift I’m looking forward to the most. I know the days ahead have the potential to be filled with a whole bunch of ordinary moments that turn into the fond memories we look back on. Whether it’s sharing a meal, feeding cows side by side, watching Cooper play basketball or warming up around the fire, that's the good stuff that I know will make our days feel complete. And with that, we're excited to start celebrating the holidays, right out here in wintery Union County! ~ Chelsea