As great (for us) as the three-week Atmospheric River was, it put everyone’s branding schedules behind, most roads too wet to get to our cattle. Normally, we’d be at Elko this time of year, but with travel and time away from business, we needed to stay at home before our calves got too big to handle easily.
When I look around our community’s branding pens I realize now that most of the old timers are gone, that we have taken their places going ‘old-people slow’, and we prefer it. Fortunately we have some young muscle to work the ground.
Robbin and I have scaled our operation down, in part due to our heavy culling to adapt to consecutive years of drought and also by selling half of our cows to my son Bob. Branding pasture by pasture, our bunches are now small enough to get by with three ropers, one calf stretched at a time. Our relaxed pace has become even more conducive for old friends to visit while we get the work done. These photos from our second branding of the season, it’s been great!
We head to Tony Rabb’s next week to brand after he assesses the rain forecast for this weekend.
drycrikjournal 
You are missed in Elko! Much love from Nevada!!
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We miss you and Waddie as well. Have fun, we’ll try to watch some of the shows.
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My husband and I used to live on a ranch in Wells, Nevada. All of our children were born in Elko. I thoroughly enjoyed your posts of The Cowboy Poetry Gathering.
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Thanks for your comment, Sheryl. We’re missing Elko and the Gathering this year. We love Nevada where it ought to be snowing soon, as it’s started to rain here now.
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I still have family there and yes, they have had quite a bit of snow!
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No dust in the branding pen for a change?
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