Tag Archives: Paregien Ranch

I was doing some preliminary work for the installation of a solar pump in an abandoned well yesterday, after which I checked the water at Windmill Spring. No windmill anymore, it still carries the name and the only reliable water we have at the Paregien Ranch this year. It’s fed from a spring box and fills a series of troughs.

These girls had just watered before I arrived, having seen them earlier in the day about a mile away as I was putting out protein supplement tubs.

When I got to the spring, this girl was watering at the last trough, constructed of redwood well-before my time.

Water is scarce and everyone knows where it is. I could have taken wildlife photos all afternoon.

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Posted in Photographs

Tagged cows, Drought, Paregien Ranch, photographs, water, Windmill Spring

BETRAYAL

Posted on May 23, 2014 by John | 1 comment

We know their fathers
and their mother’s mother.
We send you their children.

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Posted in Photographs, Poems 2014

Tagged cattle, haiku, Paregien Ranch, photographs, poetry

Paregien Ranch Calves

Posted on May 18, 2014 by John | 6 comments

We’ve had a busy week gathering and hauling the calves from the Paregien Ranch to the weaning pens where we’ll ship them to the Visalia Livestock Market on Tuesday for Wednesday’s auction. A short week’s wean instead of our normal 45-day+ wean for the Internet auction. Though a 100 lbs. lighter than normal due to poor feed conditions, the 90 head of mixed calves averaged 530 lbs. after an hour’s gooseneck haul down from 2,000 foot elevation on a 104° day. We expect to get some of the shrink back on good alfalfa while they emotionally adjust to not having the security of mother by their side.

All things considered, we’re very pleased with these calves.

6 Comments

Posted in Photographs

Tagged Calves, Drought, Paregien Ranch, photographs, weather

Heat

Posted on May 16, 2014 by John | 4 comments

Nobody keeps record temperatures in Lemon Cove, but yesterday’s 101° in Fresno broke the high set in 1927. It was 104° on Dry Creek as we hauled gooseneck loads of weaned calves, gathered the 101° day before, off the Paregein Ranch—three two-hour, four-wheel drive round trips off the mountain. In addition to the calves, we hauled 20% of the cows down to go to town as we prepare for summer with little feed. With less than 8” of rain, our rainy season is over until October, capping a second year of drought. With no snowpack or surface water runoff in California, hay prices are already escalating.

The first few days of 100° heat are hard on people and livestock physically, but we all get out a little earlier in the morning and finish what we didn’t get done in the evening. The most noticeable impact of the heat is to our temperaments, not near as pretty as this white geranium, happy as long as it gets water.

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Posted in Photographs

Tagged Drought, flower-friday, garden, heat, Paregien Ranch, photographs, weather, white geranium

Gates Left Open

Posted on May 2, 2014 by John | 8 comments

March 18, 2009 – Paregien Ranch

Gates left open
to trails we explore,
sometimes I forget where I am.

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Posted in Photographs

Tagged haiku, Paregien Ranch, photographs, poetry, wildflowers

Elegant Clarkia—Clarkia unguiculata

Posted on May 2, 2014 by John | Leave a comment

Also known as Mountain Garland, Clarkia unguiculata is endemic to California, and in tribute to William Clark of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, one of many species that bears his name. Judging by its widespread distribution on the ranch this spring where I’ve never seen it before, I am assuming that it enjoys these dry times. Usually found on partially shaded road cuts, in soil that was disturbed years ago, it blooms on long stems 3-4′ feet high, generally in groups or colonies of a dozen plants or more. On a year where the diversity of wildflowers and the size of their blooms has been severely impacted, it’s good to see them flourishing. A wildflower that is easily overlooked until closer inspection.

In the Granite

Posted on April 9, 2014 by John | 2 comments

Paregien Ranch – April 8, 2014

During this drought, we’ve often made the distinction between our granite country at the higher elevations of the ranch, generally above 1,500 feet, and the clay slopes below that. In contrast with the last post, we put out salt and mineral at the Paregien Ranch and checked the feed and fleshiness of our cattle to help determine when we will gather and wean the calves. Obviously it’s another world up there, receiving over 2 inches of rain at the first of the month, and the cattle are doing fine.

Paregien Ranch – April 8, 2014

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Posted in Photographs

Tagged Drought, granite, Paregien Ranch, rain

Ides of March 2014

Posted on March 15, 2014 by John | 2 comments

Robbin and Lee took a load of hay to the Paregien Ranch yesterday to check on the condition of our cows and calves as well as the feed. On the first of March we measured 1.68″ of rain with temperatures in the 70s since—ideal grass-growing weather, one would think, except that the Paregien Ranch has only received 4.5″ this season. The ground is dry, competing with the grass, absorbing every drop.

It was a comment on our March 1st, ‘Our Window’ post that “Drought is the worst limbo” that’s become richer since, the waiting and indecision the past two weeks, branding calves as if by some miracle we might yet have a grass season.

We have a program for our cows that fits this particular ranch most all the time. Out of limbo, it’s now apparent that we won’t have enough dry feed to carry our cows through the summer and fall. More than likely, we’ll wean the calves early and cull the cows heavily at that time, ending this grass season with about half the cows we began with in September. Hopefully we’ll have enough stock water to support them. We will have to monitor conditions closely, as that will determine when we begin to wean. Robbin returned with photos that show some improvement in feed and flesh while I stayed home to assemble our tax information.