Why I'm Here
My dogs, my horses, my sheep, my family.
“Baa”- The sound of a sheep. Also, the first word I ever said. As a little girl I would play with the bum lambs my mom fed right outside the house. Napping with them in the dirt and poop. Snacking on their grain with them. I would go out in the pasture to try to catch my trusty steed, Spur. Dragging behind me a rope and grain bucket that was the same size as me. And if my mom couldn’t find me there, I’d be walking around the ranch. Winding along with the creek that ran from the house to the barn, with my dog always between the water and me. These animals were my best friends. They took care of me, taught me. They are who I enjoyed spending my time with and working with, and I guess that hasn’t changed.
When asked what I do for fun, what my hobbies are, or what I do when I’m not “working”, the answer is always the same: work on the ranch. For as long as I can remember, all I have ever wanted to do in life is ranch. To see the never ending herds of sheep grazing amongst the sagebrush. To ride in the steep, forested mountains leading a string of pack horses full of supplies. To experience every aspect of this job, just like my mom, my grandparents, and my great-grandparents before me. They’re my heroes, the hardest working people I’ve ever known, and I strive each day to be like them.
So, here I am- trying like hell to continue the legacy my family built before me; working as hard as I can to keep the sheep industry alive; and sharing all the stories and scenery of this beautiful but hard life along the way. There is not much that brings me more joy than visiting with others about what happens on my family’s sheep ranch. Talking about trailing to or from the mountains, lambing, roping wild ewes, and all the adventurous days in between. So many view sheepherders living in a wagon on the range as a thing of the past, but it is still here today! I am beyond excited to share all things sheep ranching with you. I hope you enjoy all the stories and day-to-day events that my family, sheepherders, and I experience each and every day. To emphasize my point that sheep produce the tastiest meat and greatest quality fabric I will end each post reminding you to Eat Lamb and Wear Wool!
