Grabbing Carbon

We’re home from a big cattle move in the mountains. It’s a steep climb with blind corners and is generally a challenging event. Perhaps the cattle are finally learning the move, or it was the overcast sky, but it went well. Mostly it’s because we split the herd and made it a two-day affair. A smaller herd allows the moms and babies to keep track of each other. And as we all know, mom can lead her calf up the mountain a lot easier than we can push him there. That’s key.

I was at the front of the herd slowing the lead, when I carelessly let my round reins fall to my horse’s ears. Before I could retrieve them, my horse stepped into the loop and caught her foot and head together. She lunged back, dumped me and stepped on my leg before staggering away. It was a close call and I’m glad no one saw it happen. I'm fine; it was a good reminder to stay alert and always follow safety habits. We’re around horses too much to allow even one careless moment.

All but one of the nests we’ve been watching have fledged their young. We found a mourning dove nest, a loggerhead shrike nest and two nests of yellow warbler babies. How do birds create such exquisite homes to protect their babies? And with only a beak!

We had lots of late spring rains which means a memorable year for plant growth. I’ve been thinking about all the carbon our ranch has gathered up this spring. It’s part of a grand cycle that sustains life on earth. The exciting part is we work on taking in more carbon than we put back into the atmosphere in the natural cycle of growth and death. There’s a balancing act going on between photosynthesis (plants using the sun’s energy to transfer carbon underground) and decomposition (carbon returning to the atmosphere as plants are consumed) that we hope to tilt in favor of the soil. Soil that accumulates carbon means a variety of “eco-benefits:” water catchment and storage, biodiversity, enhanced nutrient cycling, and more production for all the organisms that live here. In other words: Life!  And of course, life begets life.

It’s a lofty goal for sure. One that Mark and I will work on for the rest of our lives. It makes ranching . . . well, if not fun, then meaningful. It’s easy to get discouraged with the many challenges we face in this business. I don’t need to go over them again, maybe next blog. Best to focus on the fun part.  

penstemon and pussy toes and cows

milkweed grows wild in front of our home

captivating wildflowers