Bear at the ranch

There have been signs at campgrounds near the ranch warning of bears, but this is the first evidence that I've seen. I think that my Dad and nephew (Bryce) just reset this trough at the beginning of the summer.

My Uncle Mike wrote the following about it:
"Aunt Julia Ann and Aunt Neucile were at the ranch in Julia Ann's truck passing by the green trough and looked over and saw this bear walking over to the trough. They stopped and watched. It tested the water with it's paw then took a drink and then climbed in. They had turned the truck engine off and watched it for quite a while. It was not frightened at all and just laid in the water trough. They were upset with themselves for not having a camera but little did they know that there was a motion sensor one strapped to the tree by them that Neucile's grandsons, Luke and Nate, had set. When they left, the bear was still bathing and unconcerned about them."

Moving the Cows

We moved the cows from the winter range (the desert) to the summer range (the ranch) this weekend. I don't remember ever moving the cows and having things work out so well. It was amazing. I think the reason why it went well was that we had a lot of people. We had my dad and all his sons, my uncle and all but one of his sons, and my dad's 1st cousin and his grandson plus my nephew and some of my cousin's small boys. We found most of the cows (I think all but 3) on the first day!
One of the best things was when we pushed the cows into the corral we had so many people there that we were able to form a human wall and not one calf got out at the end. Also, on the second day Robert saw 2 cows and calves, but then lost them. Robert had been in the saddle a lot the day before and most of that morning looking for those cows so when I got there I switched him to give him a break. My cousin and found them soon after and drove them the 3 miles to the corral. My cousin and I were able to keep them together the whole way and when we got to the corral the cows were spooked by a horse that was left in the loading pen near the gate to the corral. After we moved the horse the cows went right in - amazingly.
When my cousin and I were done there we tried to meet up with others that were getting the last cow that was far from the corrals. Its calf had a broken leg so we couldn't drive it to the corrals. When we met up with them they had the calf in the back of the truck, but we didn't know where the cow was. Bruce then told us that Robert was following the cow on foot so we set up the cattle trailer in the middle of an open valley with 5 12 foot panels funneling into the trailer.
We had just gotten everything set up and sent out riders to replace Robert when I went to pick up Robert in the truck. I was motioned back when I got to the trees at the edge of the clearing. Everyone hid - I went in the cab of a truck with Bruce's dog (so it would scare the cow). When the cow was in the funnel everyone crashed in and closed the outer panels and the cow jumped right in the trailer. That never happens - usually the cow get too scared of the trailer (or never makes it to the trailer because the dog barks) and it takes 1 or 2 more hours before we get the cow in a corral or near the trailer again. Bruce jokingly said that this must be one of the blessings we received because of Dad's mission. My cousin joked that that's how our ancestors did it in the olden days when every thing just worked - in the days when both dogs, horses and cows were well trained their roles.