Working the cattle

On Tuesday we (Mr. Nielson and I, along with the Little Nies),

rounded up the cattle on the range and moved them to headquarters.

They spent the night in the feed lot so we could work them on Wednesday.

This is really hard work.

We separated the mamas from the their babies, 

then sent the mamas through the squeeze chute where we gave them
a live virus immunization and vitamin shot.

Next we rounded up the calf's and pushed them through the chute 

where they also got two immunizations.

The calf's needed to be branded,
(did you know by law cattle have to be branded?), 

it's a really stinky process and I will admit, kind of sad.

Then we slipped a plastic nose ring into the calf's noses so 

they can't nurse mama anymore.

Time to ween.

This is really hard work, have I mentioned that?

Mr. Nielson is amazing.  I am a pretty good assistant, but he is amazing.

Also I should note: it took me about two weeks to not feel totally

 stupid yelling at the cattle:

("Get on up der mama". And "Heyooo, hoo  hoo haeyooo mama".
Stuff like that).

Today went on forever, and the sun felt so close to us we could

 have reached up and touched it.

We were exhausted and thirsty after the last calf ran out of the chute.

Tomorrow we are headed back to Fox Hill to check up on things

and do some other errands, you know like, Cafe Rio & Swig, to name a few.

It will be fun to go home to Provo for a few days and see family and friends.

Lucy is blessing her new baby Sally, and we are picking 

up our much anticipated DOG!! We ordered him a few months ago.

He has just been weened too.

When we get back to the ranch we will have to do this all over again.

The cows need their second dose of immunizations 

and hopefully the calf's will be successfully weened from mama,

and we can take the calf's nose rings out.

One last time: this is really hard work.

(But I really like it).

Oh and, it will be Halloween in exactly two months.

Just thought you should know.