Gathering Cattle

Here is a small slice of this Easter weekend.

Saturday our friends at Coyote Ridge Ranch needed to move several head of cattle.  Randal and I loaded up the horses and dogs and headed out.  Pictures are always amazing, but I really only have one picture to give you.  The Canon stayed in the truck, because I wasn't too sure what the terrain would be like (i.e. I did not want to destroy my camera in the creek or possibly watch it shatter to the ground).   

We parked up on the ridge, unloaded the horses and released the dogs.  We entered the woods on the clay road winding down to the valley.  The smell of pine trees, sweaty horses, and leather...OH MY GOODNESS, I can not tell you how much I L-O-V-E that combination!  I have told Randal before that I want to bottle and sell that smell.  

The dogs started running in and around the wooded areas beside the road, sniffing.  We crossed a beautiful creek and rode up to a cleared opening.  If you've never seen cattle worked with horses and dogs  (I know some dogs give this occupation a bad name), then you are missing a beautiful sight.  

Jennifer said that Randal has the patience of Job, and he does.  Patience is always important when working with animals (or people for that matter).  This particular group of cattle were bought by our friends and kept on the land they were accustomed to. The cattle were not quite use to being worked and were a little wild (I am putting this mildly).  Let's just say that Flash and I hung back and watched a lot on this group.  

The mixture of the following made for a gorgeous experience:

• rolling hills
• lush green grass
• my husband  riding Blue Reed Hancock
• the dogs circling the cattle
• the movement, in unison, of my husband and Blue Reed Hancock, the dogs, and the cattle  towards the corral
• beautiful blue sky
• the rolling creek we crossed before reaching the corral
• the scent of nature

I tried my best to paint a good picture of  Saturday.  The only picture I was able to take while moving and gathering the cattle was this one:

Flash and I had stopped to listen for Randal and the dogs.

Randal and I both discussed how sweet the presence of the Lord was that day and how close we feel to him anytime we are out in his pastures. 

Be sure to go to Bond-ing Time to see family Easter pics!