We are at the corrals on Marvin and Sharon’s ranch.  This is where the cattle are loaded onto the trucks. Ken and and Jim are getting ready to sort the cattle.

Out on their ranch Jim and Judy have to sod houses.  I was asking Judy about some of the history of the “soddys”.  She was telling us that this old building was the house her parents lived in before the sod houses were built.

Getting the cattle in, sorted and loaded on the trucks is a big concern for Jim.  We went out on horseback and gathered the cattle on Friday. We run them into the corrals and we also have to count them to make sure there aren’t a few still hiding in the hills.  We were lucky this time, 80 cows, 80 calves and 3 bulls. Jim decides that we need to be leaving the house about 5:30 a.m. Saturday morning to get back to the corrals by 6:30.  That’s when the brand inspector will be there. It’s dark when we arrive, so we sit in our vehicles and wait.  It’s pretty tough to see black cattle when it’s dark.  It’s not long and the sun comes up.While we were waiting for the semi-trucks to come for the cattle, I took some pictures of the sunrise on the hills.  The pictures doesn’t do it justice.  The colors are beautiful and with the cattle are mooing in the background it’s a very unique place to be.  Especially just at dawn.