Crunch Time, or not

We drive through Anna and Cole’s yard every morning to feed the young cows expecting their first or second calf. On occasion Anna takes my place, leaving baby Lou inside with Cole who works from home. One morning she came out with a warm loaf of Cole’s sourdough bread. We tore off chunks on the way home, just like you’re supposed to do with a crusty sourdough loaf! Most mornings we just drive by the little house with a grateful heart for the special souls that live there. 

One morning Anna was tending their border collies and stopped at the pickup to say hi. I quizzed her: “What’s different about the birds this morning?” She passed the test when she said, “They’re blackbirds!” 

“Right, red-wing blackbirds!" I said. “They’re back in town, and about two weeks early.” 

I love these precious winter days. I could do this for a couple more months and be happy. It’s a real change of pace from the rest of the year. We linger in the dark over coffee in the morning. I take time to read from my stack of books, guilt free. It’s the only time of year we watch movies. I came home last night from a rare evening out and found Mark asleep in bed listening to a podcast. He got the stitching started on a leather wallet he tooled last winter and we have brunch scheduled with friends on Saturday. This will all feel foreign in about three weeks when calving starts and the production year gets underway. 

It’s also tax time, budgeting time, goal-setting time, and that annual window when all types of agriculture meetings are held. Mark and I both got the chance to visit the Idaho State Capital this winter. We’ve been involved in various gatherings to address soil and water conservation, range health, beef industry challenges, and the marketing of our product(s) which may one day include that enticing concept, ecosystem services. Turns out we’ve got support from a wide variety of individuals, agencies, and other environmentally conscious groups that all agree ranching should endure if we want to protect open, natural landscapes. It’s a refreshing change from the “us against them” mentality that took up so much space twenty years ago, and that still defines the public domain. 

Pressures continue to come at us from many angles, but having allies feels wonderful. To take part in these conversations makes us feel very blessed. And when we return home, or disconnect from a zoom meeting, we get to hug a grandkid or discuss the future with our children, and feel doubly so.

so pretty this morning!