Waiting for Spring

I’m getting in trouble with my fans because I haven’t been blogging lately. That’s how some of my family know I’m still alive up here in the frozen north—if there’s a blog entry. I’ve been working on my other Internet writing projects this week. I was offered a 50% raise with my Thompson Gale Writers Project to write articles for Work.com, but the learning curve is steep. I have to adjust to a whole new style. And I get a by-line there, so go to Work.com and look for my articles when you have a minute.
This crazy weather. Today there was rain on top of the snow. I’m thinking our drought is nearly over. That’s very convenient with me moving back to the ranch with my herd of horses. It will be nice to have some grass for a change. I’ve been pitching TONS of hay. I had a truckload, that’s about 20 tons, hauled in after Thanksgiving, and I’m down to about five tons left. That grass can’t come too soon.
An old timer who had lived most of his life in the area told me not to expect to have grass until May. I guess it’s a good idea not to plan on it, but I have a feeling it’s going to be early this year.
A lot of the ranches are getting ready to start calving. I have one cow that is going to calve within a month or so. Then there are the four mares due to begin foaling in May. I can hardly wait. I just love the baby horses. They are addictive.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m being responsible by breeding any horses, the way the market is so overloaded right now. But I’ve waited all these years to begin my breeding program. And I have the best stallion. This will be his first crop of foals, but I have high hopes for them.
PJ (Permalight Junior) is a 16 hand sorrel stallion with the keenest
blaze down his face. It is a perfect diamond at the top, then tapers
between his eyes, then bulges out into another little diamond, then
tapers again to end in another small diamond on his nose. It’s very symmetrical and centered in his head. He has two tall white stockings on his hind legs and none on his front, which draws your eye to his perfect hind quarters. He has a super disposition which he inherited from his sire, and I expect he will also pass it on to his offspring. We shall see about that this spring. Here’s a picture of PJ with my favorite cowboy aboard.