Just Make it to October

“Just make it ’til October”, has been my little mantra for about 3 years now. I think all farm and ranch wives say the same little sentence over and over.

When people find out that we live on a working ranch (as opposed to a dude ranch), people instantly think of cowboys, big skies, free roaming kids, the Pioneer Woman, Little House on the Prairie, Bonanza, slow clocks, ease of mind, and many other things.

Wyoming Spring 2014

Kansas Spring 2013

Kansas

Kansas Summer 2012

Wyoming Late Summer 2013

Kansas Wheat harvest summer 2012

Kansas 2013

Kansas Fall 2013

Wyoming, Summer 2014

It’s all those things, but it’s also lots of time by myself, short-sleepless nights by both of the parents living here, broken equipment, dead cows, dead horses, fires, long, long, long days, sweat, disappointment and any other thing that could go wrong.

And work…there’s lots of work.

From the months of June to late September, our world has revolved around the weather, humidity, dew points, moisture levels, water trucks, water tanks, slick mud, stuck tractors, hay equipment, hay rakes, hay balers, hay netting, pivots, wheel lines, gated irrigation, flood irrigation, hot spots, hay stackers, hay bines, disc bines, more broken equipment, new swathers, cow grazing schedules, cow movements, feeding and grazing schedules, calf selling weights, etc.

The craziness started even before that, sometime in late February when calving started, and we really haven’t slowed down from there.

There are so many meals delivered to the field, cold cokes, lemonade, freeze pops, gallons of sweet tea made, cold water, cold candy bars, flowers picked, cookouts, bonfires with s’mores and encouraging notes written that I lose count.

One day off a week turns into no days off for weeks on end just to get grass down, equipment fixed, dried grass rolled up into bales, etc. The people here are working…hard, hard, long, hot, monotonous work.

Not many people will do it. The work is hard.

But…there’s October.

Oh…glorious October.

I love October. (I know…classic white girl statement.) We got married in October. It’s a good month for us.

Things almost stop. The ranch almost comes to a complete stand still. Except for the elk and a few hunters, the ranch is almost empty of people.

The work day goes from 18-19 hours to a short 10- 12. It’s a good feeling.

The time alone with the children greatly decreases and the day doesn’t seem so long at all. I have my partner and reinforcement back in October.

October…just make ’til October.

October is here! The days are slower, but shorter and people are getting sleep again.

The air is cool again. We are wearing long sleeves and sweat shirts. The 3 year old isn’t sweating as much. We aren’t running the air conditioning or the heat. The windows are open and the crispness is beautiful. There are not as many mosquitos. The leaves are changing. It’s just simply great.

The elk, mule deer, turkeys, cotton tails, pheasants, and the other animals are all moving around. It’s the joy of life before the bitter cold and snow sets in.

Maybe I should just stop there and not mention the S word again. We’ll just reflect on the things happening now.

October

Wyoming, October 2013

For me, October is the runners high after along marathon or race. In the middle you think “why am I doing this?”, but at the end you are planning and ready for another one. I think teachers say the same thing sometime during the school year too. When I was teaching, October was my golden month. Everyone had the routine down, students were falling into a groove, paper work was getting easier to manage, etc. “Just make it to October”.

For the ranch, the managers are already planning, strategizing, laying out plans for the next year…planning the next marathon.

Wyoming, October 2013

Just make it ’til October. I’m always glad I did.