BARN WARMING IN THE CROTON BREAKS

There is a brand new barn out in a pasture at the head of the Croton Breaks, not too far from this historical marker.  The area is ruggedly beautiful, enough so that  Zane Grey used it in his book The Thundering Herd.

This is at the edge of the canyon in front of the marker.

Bobby and I went to the barn warming, which is sort of like christening a vessel or dedication of sorts, mostly it is a fun party with friends and kin. It was a beautiful day, a lovely day, as my Irish Grandmother would say. And the party out in the mesquites and grass was great sport, as you will see.

 Bobby and Dan Dibrell, class mates from a few years ago. You can see the sliding door on the back of the barn.  There is a sliding door on each side of the building.

 Dan and Leela Hall, kin folks.

 Music by Brady Rosco, fiddle player and Wendell Sollis, banjo picker.

 Rene Segura is the bar tender and general helper.

 Chris Todd and Bobby.

 Charlie Murdoch lives further down the road in the breaks.

 Craig Harrison, county clerk, is drinking water, for now.

 Rusty Andrews is on the left and Glenn Cherry is on the right.

 Bobby Lee Dibrell, on the right, is one of the cousins.

 Don Wayne Jones is keeping the fire going under the steaks.

 Alex Islas owns the Mexican food cafe in town but he is running the food business here today, and is getting his crew lined out.

 Darrell Beadle and Craig

 Now, this is what I like--no Solo cups, no plastic forks or knives and real plates. If you are serious about the environment, this is what you do--wash dishes.  Besides all these things are so much better to eat with! The table cloths are from somewhere in Africa. Chris says the men wear these plaids winter and summer. Wine was Llano Estacado from Lubbock.

 Bobby and Dusty

 Donnie Shipp.  Drinks were in fruit jars.

 Lella and Glenn Cherry in the middle.

There were a lot of people I didn't know, but they were so handsome I just had to take their photo.

 Rusty and Bobby

 Tyler Luke helped build the barn.  Nice job, Tyler.

 Checking out the goods is Nacho Segura and friend.

 Craig throwing down a little tequila.

 Chris and Charles Krause

 Royce Stanaland

 How about this for dinner, lunch or whatever you want to call it. There were cheese enchiladas and beef enchiladas to be had.

 Chris giving credit to Tyler Luke, Mark and Nicholas Fincher, Aaron Carpenter, Cole Carpenter, Clinton Sinn and David Walker for building the barn.

 Royce and Chris and you can see some of the breaks off in the distance.

 Ed Niel Welch

 Craige and Dusty

 Leela

 Chris

 This is a better look at the breaks.

Bobby and Charles Krause. We left the party kind of early. The sun was in the West and would have really been good for pictures but we needed to get home.  Thanks, Chris.  This was wonderful.

HONEY BUNS--YUM! YUM!

Not too long ago The Texas Spur ran this recipe for honey buns.  I used to LOVE to heat up a honey bun, put a little butter on it and let it melt while I ate all of it. So, yesterday I made the dough and refrigerated it until about 10:00 pm, took it out and let it rise all night. This dough is so rich that it rises very slowly and I wanted to get them baked by 9:00 am so I let it rise during the night.

 I have already taken out mine and Bobby's and I took the rest to the courthouse to let them sample and also to get temptation out of sight!

This recipe is from Angelina LaRue's Food Bytes column. 
Homemade Honey Buns Dough:
1/4 C warm water
1 pkg. dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp.
1 3/4 C all-purpose flour
1 3/4 C bread flour
2 tsp. salt
1/3 C honey
6 eggs (I used jumbo)
3/4 C (1 1/2 sticks) softened

1.  Dissolve the yeast in the water.
2.  Add the honey and eggs one at a time while beating.
3.  Gradually add the dry ingredients.  You will need more flour if you use large eggs.
4.  Add the butter 2 T at a time.
5.  Knead on a floured board for 5 or 6 minutes.
6.  Place in a greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
7.  Flour a large board and roll the dough out to 14x18 inches.
8.  Put the filling on.  Slather on the butter, sprinkle with sugar, and drizzle with honey.
9.  Slice into 12 equal pieces.  I use a strong thread to cut the dough.
10.  Bake at 375 degrees.
11.  Drizzle the glaze on the rolls while they are hot and still in the pan. I left them in the pan to serve them.

FILLING:
4 T granulated sugar.  I probably used a little more.
1/3 C honey
4 T butter

GLAZE:
Don't skip this part! It really adds to the bun.
2 C powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk.  I think I used less.  I just added enough milk to make it sort of runny after I added to honey.
2 T honey.

CHRISTMAS LIGHT EXPERIMENT

I think Christmas trees are so pretty! I remember Mom sitting in the living room one night with the lights off, just looking at the lighted tree and quietly thinking.  I need to do that more instead of looking at the phone, or the computer or whatever distraction is at hand.  I took this first picture with no flash and no light around the tree.

 This picture is with a flash and is my least favorite.

This is the photo I like best and I took it with no flash, but I turned on a table lamp behind the tree so light filtered through the branches.
  Epiphany is nearly here and it will be time to take the tree down again.  When I was a little kid it always made me melancholy when Mom took the tree down because Christmas was such a special season filled with expectation and wonder and I didn't want it to ever end. It is still a special time, but I think Amazon has made things too easy for me, and made it too easy to stay indoors, and away from the hustle and bustle, the lights, the excitement of shopping.  I went to Abilene shopping one day this year and by the end of the day I was not in the Christmas Spirit--too much driving, hunting for stuff I couldn't find or maybe didn't even exist, so maybe next year I need to plan a few parties at the house, invite some friends over and get in the Spirit of Christmas that way.  Anyway, I am sorry to see Christmas gone again, but now we have a new year and I am going to make resolutions and really try to work on them.  I have big plans for 2019!

ROPING AND DRAGGING THEM IN TO THE FIRE--IT'S BRANDING TIME IN MONTANA

I left the house after Karen thought all the cooking was under control and took the side-by-side across the Big Dry Creek crossing and out into the pasture, about a mile and a half (maybe) from the house.  The day was overcast and cool, perfect for a branding.  The country looks so fantastic after all the rain that has blessed Garfield County.  This is a big change from the hot, windy dry conditions last year,  that were perfect for one of the biggest fires in Montana and the nation in 2017.  The Lodgepole Complex Fire burned over 270,000 acres.

The branding was underway when I got there.  These horses are hobbled and grazing.  You can see the yellow slickers tied behind the saddles just in case of rain.

Ranchers can brand anywhere thanks to portable corrals.  They just load these panels on the trailer and take them out to the pasture, set them up and go to work.  Back in the old days they had to bring the cows and calves to the permanent corrals, cut the calves out and brand in the corrals.

Heating the irons.  Gone are the wood fires for heating irons.  Propane is portable and easy to transport, and it is hot.

Maggie and Levi holding one down.  The neighbors trade work and help each other brand.  Kids get to make some money and socialize too.

Maggie isn't going to have to lift weights today after wrestling these big calves.

Dallas is getting ready to cut, Maggie on the hind legs, Levi on the front, Jay Terrett branding. In the back is Joe Gibson, Jerome Chvilcek, Colin Murnion roping.

In the background is Scotty Arnold, Taylor Midland, Emma Weder, with black hat, Jason Phipps, Jerome, Kelly Murnion.  Joe Gibson is cutting, Caleb Kukowski sitting on the front, Layne Murnion on the hind legs, John Wolenburg, Kary Phipps.

Levi Mydland on the hind legs, Kelly Murnion on the front, Dallas Currey, Maggie and Jay Terrett.

There are three sets of wrestlers, and three ropers working at all times.  This crew works like a well oiled machine.  It is just amazing to watch.  Everyone and I mean everyone knows how to do their job and they know exactly when to do it. Notice that Kacy is putting the Nasalgen into the calf's nose, while Kelly has the head held still.

John Wollenburg adjusting the irons, Cowboy is watching.

Graham Weder.

Caleb getting set on the front end.

Joe Gibson cutting and John W. is branding.

Joe Gibson is cutting.

Dallas Curry getting the tag ready; Colin Murnion going in to rope; Levi getting set on the hind legs, Emma Weder sitting on the front end and Kacy bringing the Nasalgen, Jerome and Scotty are going to do something.

Kary Phipps vaccinating, Caleb holding the front leg.

DeWayne Murnion roping. Scotty, Kary, Sam Phipps, and Jerome over by the pickup.

Maggie getting ready to hold the hind legs and Layne Murnion taking the front.  Joe Gibson, Scotty Arnold, Kary Phipps, and Sam Phipps in the back ground.

Maggie, Joe Gibson, Layne Murnion.

Colin Murnion roping, Maggie and Layne Murnion getting ready for the next calf.

Kelly Murnion going for the back end; Caleb on the front. Kary, Joe, Sam, Dallas, Jerome, Kacy, and Jason in the background.

Kelly Murnion.

Scotty is cutting.

This is the whole process.

Finishing up and later all these calf nuts will be fixed up for a oyster fest at Jersey Lilly in Ingomar.

DeWayne Murnion.

Conner Murnion on the front, and Levi holding the back legs.

Chantal Penner roping.

Jerome and Scotty.

Chantal Penner pulling one in.

Chantal is from Germany originally, but is a real cowgirl and top hand.  She is a citizen of the U.S.

Cowboy pointing something out.

Emma Weder getting ready to rope and DeWayne Murnion standing by.

Cowboy, John Wollenburg, DeWayne Murnion and Colin Murnion telling stories.

Emma Weder pulling a calf in for the wrestlers.

Levi, Kelly and Layne resting.  You can see the trailer for the portable corral panels.

Kacy is the girl in charge of Nasalgen, and she is good at it.  It is amazing how these kids get right in there, just at the right moment and do what they need to do, and they are never in the way.

Kacy at work.

Levi and Maggie working together.

Cowboy and Colin telling stories, and meantime the irons are heating.

Chantal is going to put the ear tag in at just the right moment.

Tagging the ear.

It is very important to hold the head and back legs down, because these critters can really hurt wrestlers if a hind leg gets loose and it is impossible the hold the hind legs if the calf gets his head loose.

Layne making a loop.

Joe getting ready to rope.

Getting his loop ready.

Taylor is going to rope a little.

Hats!  All styles of hats.  The younger kids like the buckaroo style with the low crown.

This how to throw a calf.  The ropers always heel the calves.  Levi pulls the tail to throw the calf and he will hold the front of the calf down.

The day was cool, humid and still.  The smoke hung in the air.

Emma, Taylor, and Jay are roping.

Joe pulling a calf in.  Caleb is getting ready to throw the calf.

Maggie and Levi will hold this one down.

Graham Weder.

Taylor Mydland.

Jay Terrett

Emma Weder

Maggie

Layne

Cowboy

Levi

Very little wind, moist air, lots of smoke.

Graham Weder and Conner Murnion getting set up.

Graham Weder and Conner Murnion

Conner Murnion

Sam Phipps

Graham Weder

Maggie

Switchback brand.

Chantal is about to tag the ear.

Taylor

Colin and DeWayne

Real cowboys--DeWayne, Cowboy, Dallas, and Joe.

Chantal

Cowboys

The girls are giving Scotty a hard time about being Mr. November.  One of them caught him with his shirt off fighting fire so ever since then he has been Mr. November.

Scotty is good natured about his new title.

More stories.

Kacy is ready!

Kary Phipps

Sam Phipps

Kary and Emma

Layne and Jerome

Scotty

Cowboy

Kary pulling one in.

After all the calves were branded, everyone rode to the house and had dinner.  That's how a days work is in Montana.