Drowsy Water Ranch Blog

A Real Ranch Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's because we have a little cowgirl running around. Or maybe I have a minor case of cabin-hermit fever. Or maybe I just have way too much time on my hands. Whatever it is, I am having a blast hiding Easter Eggs this year. What a place to hide eggs, too. This Colorado Dude Ranch has endless hiding spots. See if you can guess each spot!

Oh, and yes, it is snowing. April 1st and still snowing. Hmmph.

A horse feed box.

In the pasture with the cows.

The DWR sign post.

In with the chicks. I hope their eggs aren't this color when they start laying.

In the hay barn.

In with the Mommy Shiloh and her kittens.

A cabin porch.

The big chicks. "What is this? Is it going to hatch?"

A close up of the kittens. One tiny egg for each tiny feline.

Oh, and the tractor. Tractors have lots of little niches, holes, and ledges to hide an egg or two.

Happy Easter from Drowsy Water Ranch!

Chickens are here!

2010-03-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

In most old-fashioned photos of farms and ranches, you'll see a few chickens milling around in the background. Chickens are relatively easy and inexpensive to keep, they provide fresh, nutritious eggs, they control weeds and bugs, they manufacture great fertilizer, and they are a fun and friendly pet.

We stopped by a chicken farm while we were in Denver and picked up eleven new chicks. Hopefully, they'll all make it to the summer and be laying eggs by July.

It ain't all romance and ribbons at Drowsy Water

2010-03-16T13:22:00.000-07:00

I like to portray the ranch life as one full of adventure and romance. And, honestly, there is a lot of that happening around here. There are colorful sunrises during morning roundups--horses neighing and snorting as they charge back to the ranch for their morning feed. There are country songs by campfires on cool summer evenings. There are blooming flowers, falling snowflakes, and singing birds.

But it's not all romance and ribbons around here. Take, for example, the end result of our countless hours of work in the hayfields. After hours, days, weeks, and months slaving away to mow, rake, and bail our hay we save it for the cows and horses to eat in the winter. Then every single day each winter we take the tractor out and feed the hay. Can't miss a day. It's the definition of dedication.

Well, as my aunt always said about hay and the haying process, "You have to remember, it just becomes a turd."

This time of year, that saying has never been so apparent. The cows have been cooped up in the same pasture most of the winter. The hay has been eaten in the same few spots and, well, it has to go somewhere.

We had a friend up last weekend that commented "It's like they have a method to it. It looks like they never poop in the same spot twice." Maybe that's true.

As spring warms the ground and melts the snow, the cows will be moved and we'll drag the pasture. "Draging" is a method to smooth fields and break up chunks of dirt, manure, etc. We connect a screen of chains and metal to the back of the tractor then drive the tractor back and forth and to and fro until the ground is level and the chunks of gunk are pulverized. Then when the hay starts growing again, it has even ground and great fertilizer.

And the hay process begins again. . .

Cabin Fever RX: Carrot Cake at Drowsy Water Ranch

2010-02-23T09:29:00.000-08:00

The long winter starts getting to me right about now every year. I start getting sick of layering up sweaters and socks to go outside. I start wishing for beaches and sunshine and little paper umbrellas floating in cool, brightly colored drinks.

Lucky for me, we have the perfect prescription here at Drowsy Water Ranch. We share this little secret with our family and friends each summer at our Colorado Dude Ranch. It cures my dreams of islands and my addiction to saltwater.

I'm going to share our cure with you; I'm going to show you how we make our mouth-watering carrot cake. And, let me tell you, this Drowsy Water Ranch Carrot Cake does it all: it warms the belly and the soul, ridding you of any winter time blahs. . .(or any time of year blahs. . .I'm pretty sure I could come up with a darn good reason to eat this stuff any day of the year).

The recipe is actually from the mother of Mark Hammar. Mark worked at the ranch for years and years and was like a big brother to Justin. Mark told me that, one time when he was watching young Justin while Ken and Randy Sue were away, he asked Justin to go choose a book to read before bed. You want to know what the seven-year-old version of my husband brought back? A tractor manual. What a weirdo. He still reads tractor manuals for kicks.

Anyways, thanks to Mark's mother for a wonderful recipe that has been used and enjoyed at Drowsy Water Ranch time and time again.

Back to the cake. . .The best part of this particular carrot cake baking episode was that Jen and Lauren came over to help. We shared a few cups of hot tea, laughs as plentiful as the snowflakes, and smiles as warm as our Colorado sunshine. (okay--that was super corny--but it's true!) We missed Ryan, who is back at school, and you will probably miss Ryan too when you see how unprofessional our photos became without him.

First, we gathered all our goods. We have carrots, of course, and eggs, oil, flour, sugar, baking soda, vanilla, walnuts, and the secret weapons: coconut and pineapple. Then we all got started on cake related jobs.

Jen shredded and cooked the carrots. Yes, cooked them. That is also secret weapon material: cooked carrots. The carrot flavor is sweeter that way.

And, just to reemphasize my point from the Cowboy Cookie entry about not being able to stop yourself from laughing hysterically while someone is taking photos of your hands, check out how funny those silly carrots are to Jen.

And, geez, mixing all those dry ingredients is hilarious. Or at least it is to Lauren! Wha-ha-ha-ha! (evil cackle!) Cinnamon, flour, salt, and baking soda must make a funny combination.

Surprisingly, I was dealing with those initial "wet" ingredients:

the eggs, vanilla, oil, etc. And somehow, my face didn't make it into the shot. Guess I can't make fun of myself. What a bummer. (Note: if I was the seven year old version of myself, I would have entered a big "NOT!!" after the word bummer, but I am way more mature than that now.)

Then, to the wet ingredients, we added those secret, winter-blues-beating weapons: the coconut, the pineapple, and the cooked carrots.

We added the flour mix to the island dream mixture, and then Jen "accidentally" threw her hand into the bowl before "accidentally" thrusting her finger towards her tongue. Wha-ha-ha-ha! (Darn that evil cackle!)

We poured the batter into a cake pan, then baked it at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. While we waited for our creation to solidify, we gathered ourselves and tried to relax our aching sides with a couple cups of tea.

Finally, the timer beeped and we all sighed and stared fondly as we removed our newest golden- brown creation from the oven.

Then we got going on the next delicious chore: the cream cheese frosting. This little concoction of cheese, butter, and sugar is what make the cake just send us over the edge right into palm tree themed paradise.

At last, taste testing time is here. Our mouths watered. Our taste buds swelled. And, alas, our hearts sang.

Drowsy Water Ranch Carrot Cake

1 1/2 C. flour

1 1/4 C. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/4 C. cooked shredded carrots

2/3 C. oil

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 C. crushed pineapple, drained

2/3 C. shredded coconut

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Mix flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl. In separate bowl combine carrots, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, beat well. Stir in pineapple, coconut, and walnuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. butter, softened

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 C. powdered sugar

Blend cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Ode to Rocky: The King of the Drowsy Water Bovines

2010-02-15T14:39:00.001-08:00

We have a lot of animals. And I mean a lot. We have horses, cows, bunnies, cats, dogs, chickens (sometimes), ducks, and other domesticated animals that live with us now and then. Of all of the animals we have, I think the one animal that has the best life, the guy that has it made more than any of our other pampered pets, is Rocky, our bull.

Yep, Rocky has the occupation most males dream of. First of all, Rocky is a big dude. He's a a ten year old Black Angus and Tarentaise cross. He weighs in around 2000 lbs. He eats pretty much all day everyday. So, you want to know why he has the best job here? Well, Rocky's job, albeit an important one, is what most 16-30 year old males dream of doing: his purpose in life is to impregnate 25-30 females of his species every summer.

But it's not summer here for long. So what does Rocky do the rest of the year? For most of the year, Rocky just hangs out around the ranch. He might hang out in the pen down the road or he might hang out at the ranch in Walden. Wherever he is, he is usually all alone. When he's alone, his day is all on him. If he feels like eating hay for an hour then staring at a post for an hour, he can. If he wants to test how loud he can say "mooo" then have a bathroom break, he can. If he wants to slobber all over himself without moving a muscle in his body, he can. No woman is there to remind him he needs to shave or that he should maybe consider taking a shower. No one is nagging him to to pick up his socks, turn down the t.v., or fold the laundry. He just gets to be 100% male.

Like I mentioned, things get exciting for Rocky in the summer. Come June or so, Randy Sue pushes all of her cows and calves out onto thousands of acres of open space to graze and roam about. Soon after, Rocky is pushed out to chase down and impregnate all those good-lookin' cows. Let me tell ya, he's rearing to go every year. He chases after those cows, bellowing out as he searches for them and those heifers moo back in return.

Rocky does his job, and he does it well. One of the reasons Randy Sue chose Rocky's cross breed was because Tarentaise generally produce smaller calves. So, while Rocky is huge, bulls can be much huge-er (yes, I know that is not a real word). Rocky's size means easier births for the cows and thus a higher survival rate for the calves. Tarentaise are also known for their ability to subsist on what is available to them in their area. Whether they get to eat tall green grass or short sparse shoots and weeds, they tend to turn out okay. And any heifers we keep as replacements have high fertility rates and calve unassisted in most situations. The Tarentaise bred cows also demonstrate strong maternal traits and optimum milk production.

The black angus part of Rocky and the cows mean the calves have sound feet and legs, they usually have no horns, and they can adapt to live in almost all weather conditions. Angus bred calves also have superior feed conversion and natural marbling of their meat.

Rocky, here's to you. Our all-man, all-bull king of bovines.

Bovine Adventures at Drowsy Water Ranch

2010-02-01T15:47:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, the Bovine.

What a wonderful creature. Here at Drowsy Water Ranch, we have one or two of them to play with. In the winter, Randy Sue keeps about 30 mama cows down the road and a few younger "yearlings" up here at the ranch. They eat, a lot. And they moo. And then the food comes out. It sounds boring, I know, but really, they're great fun. The next blog or two will be about keeping cattle at a Colorado Dude Ranch--a fun but time consuming endeavor.

We'll start now, with the little guys that eat and moo and poop just a few feet from where I have parked my rear. (Please, no comments on my rear in relation to a cow's. . .brother John, that especially means you!).

A yearling is cow that was born last spring. Most of the calves born in the spring are sold in the fall to a buyer but, occasionally, we'll keep a few around here for one reason or another. Maybe the calf was too small to sell, maybe she was a little sick or hurt, maybe we need a replacement heifer, or maybe we want to keep a steer for team penning next summer. Whatever the reason, they hang out at the ranch all winter and are fed daily.

Their close proximity to us means they often become quite friendly. How many of you have ever been friends with a bovine? Probably not many of you. They are some of the funniest friends you'll have.

They wash our hands for us. . .

And give us warm kisses. . .
And they LOVE treats!

Drowsy Water Ranch is Number One!

2010-01-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

Big News! Big News!

We just heard that we have been chosen by tripadvisor.com as 2010's Number One All Inclusive resort! We are thrilled, flattered, excited and giddy. Most of all, we want everyone to come find out for themselves what set us apart.

Hope to see you here soon!

The Famous and Delicious DWR Cowboy Cookie

2010-01-08T12:22:00.000-08:00

Today, we're going to discuss a very serious Drowsy Water Ranch topic.

It's something that Drowsy Water Ranch guests go home talking about and something that the staff worships.

It's big. Really big. It's round, it's crunchy and gooey, it's full of chocolate, and, a few hours into an all-day trip atop your trusty, four-hoofed steed, it's all you can think about.

Those of you that have been a guest with us or have worked with us know what I'm referring to:

The Famous and Delicious Drowsy Water Ranch Cowboy Cookie!

Yep, so much for your New Year's diet. We decided it'd been too many months since we'd had one and we NEEDED one. So, Lauren and I got together to make some cookies. And we made Ryan come down too to be the official photographer. Lauren and I had a ball. Ryan took great pictures, but I'm pretty darn sure that he was sick of us giggling broads by the end of the photo shoot.

Before I get started giving you instructions to make your very own cowboy cookies, I want to point out that Lauren and I were inspired for this by our hero--The Pioneer Woman. I could talk about her for hours, but in short--she's a city girl that married a cowboy, has four kids, home-schools her kids, cooks delicious food, has a veggie garden, has a beautiful ranch house, takes amazing photos and, somehow, she has time to have a well-organized, witty, beautiful blog about it all.

Lauren and I love her. We wish we could be her. We almost got to talk to her once. Yep, we did. Lauren, Peyton and I drove clear down to Denver for her cookbook release signing. We anticipated the event being sort of low-key. In our vision, we'd walk into the bookstore, find the Pioneer Woman in some obscure back corner of the bookstore, and sit down and have a 30 minute conversation with her. We'd laugh and talk about ranch life and cowboys.

That's not what went down. We showed up just in time for the book signing and were greeted by a line that stretched from the packed room where the Pioneer Woman was, up the stairs, around the bookshelves, to the front door. We were slightly disgruntled but still convinced the PW would want to talk to us. So we waited. And we waited. And waited. And Peyton started crying. And still, we waited. Finally, after hours in line I acquiesced to the fact that we'd stay there all night if we didn't just go and leave our dreams of being BFF with the PW behind. So we left.

No PW cookbooks.

No PW signature.

No heart-shaped BFF necklace.

However, with inspiration from the superhuman PW, we've decided to go out on our own and share a few ranch recipes on our blog. We thought the Cowboy Cookie would be a great one to start with.

Here we go.

First, make sure you have everything you need:

I'll give you the detailed recipe later but the main characters are chocolate chips, (yes I mention them first-chocolate is my third love--next to my cowboy and my baby girl, of course), butter (and I always prefer real butter to margarine--margarine is for wimps), walnuts (we'll talk about nuts later) and old-fashioned oatmeal. The usual stuff too, flour, salt, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and brown sugar.

Add all the "wet stuff"

That is: butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla

and cream together.

In a separate bowl, combine your dry ingredients: the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and oats.

Then add the dry stuff to the wet stuff. Lauren is very excited to be doing this. We discovered, during this hilarious endeavor, that modeling cooking is incredibly hard. Try to have someone take a picture of your hands and NOT smile. Really--try it. It's hard not to giggle uncontrollably.

Next, add. . .

(drumroll please)

the prince of sweets,

the healer of heartbreak,

the sign of celebration,

the one and only,

the much loved chocolate chips!

Next, chop up some walnuts. And keep the knife handy. You might need it in a minute.

Add the nuts.

Or, if you prefer cowgirl cookies, leave out the nuts!

Ha! Get it?

That's the oldest joke around here. . .

Okay, now mix in the chocolate and the nuts and, viola! Cowboy cookie dough is complete!

Now, remember I told you to keep that knife handy?

Well, here's why:

somehow, this is when the husband magically appears.

This guy eats cookie dough like a cow eats hay. He'd do it all day, everyday if you let him.

Next, you're going to take the dough and scoop out a big whole hunk of it. Like a heaping quarter cup of it. Your grandmother would be appalled--she likes teaspoon-sized cookies. If we made these teaspoon-size, we'd have to rename 'em Pansy Cookies. We ain't no pansies. These are Cowboy Cookies.

Shape the humongous, mouthwatering, wad of dough into a nice round shape.

Then, place about six gigantic cookie balls on a regular sized, greased cookie sheet. At the ranch, we make these on our super-duper huge sheets so we can make more than six at once.

Okay, this is pretty much the same picture. I just wanted to point out the endearing look on my face. It's like these are my newborn sextuplets. Little balls of joy. The love I have for the cowboy cookie is a love only a mother can know.

Bake these puppies at 350 degrees, waiting an agonizing 10-15 minutes.

I like to take them out when the edges are just barely brown. The center sometimes seems a little soft still, but the cookies stay soft and chewy when cooled that way. Yum!

And, Finally! The judgement time is here. Grab some milk. Break the cookie in half, noticing the chocolate strands stretching between the two halfs. Smell the delicious aroma. Now slowly, dip it in and watch the drops of milk drip off the chewy yet crunchy goodness. Take a bite.

And suddenly, you're back at the ranch.

Drowsy Water Ranch Cowboy Cookies

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 cups flour

2 cups old-fashioned oats

6 oz chocolate chips

chopped pecans or walnuts to taste

Beat eggs, sugars, butter, and vanilla together. In separate bowl, combine soda, powder, salt, flour and oats. Add dry ingredients butter mixture. Blend well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts by hand or paddle. Dough will be stiff.

Drop about ¼ cupfuls onto greased baking sheet with 3-4 inches between each cookie. Bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees until edges are golden brown but middle is still spongy. Cool for a few minutes before removing from cookie sheet and devouring.

Time for Ranch Chores with the Pink Marshmallow

2010-01-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

I suppose most of us that grew up in colder climates went through some kind of mother-inflicted marshmallow phase during childhood. Peyton, our ranch 1 year old, is not exempt from the marshmallow rule. I always wondered what the deal with all the clothes was, but now that I have my own child to dress to go outside when it's 5 degrees, I get it. Here she is, the Pink Marshmallow!

and in this shot, a sneezing pink marshmallow! Bummer timing on the shot, I guess.

All decked out in multiple mommy-inflicted sweaters, coats, hats, and mittens to be out in our bitter cold weather, she is slowly learning to pull her own weight around here (all 25 pounds of it). She's learning to do some chores!

The bunny gets leftover veggie scraps from our kitchens.

So do the ducks.

And the funny little doggies accompany us to make sure that the bunny doesn't escape!

Ranch Lessons

2009-12-29T09:18:00.000-08:00

After having lived at Drowsy Water Ranch for the past year and a half, I’ve learned quite a few things.

I’ve learned that horses eat…a lot. And when they finish all the hay in a pasture, they have to be moved to another place with more grub.

Yesterday I went on a ranch field trip to help move all the horses from one winter pasture in Walden to another.

It was another lesson in my ongoing ranch education.

I’ve learned that it is really really really cold in Northern Colorado.

I’ve learned that things never quite go as planned. The initial game plan was to bring the trailers into the pasture, herd the horses into the corral, lead horses one at a time from the corral to the trailer (worming and inoculating as needed), and finally haul the horses to their new winter home. Seems simple enough, right?

Well, I’ve learned that it’s not…

Trucks get stuck and have to be shoveled out…

Horses push down gates and make a run for it…

And then you have to chase them down again…

I’ve learned that seemingly simple enough activities can last all day. All day in the cold. All day in the cold with numb fingers. All day in the cold with numb fingers and horses running every which way.

I’ve learned that ranch work can be long, frustrating, and physically exhausting.

But I’ve also learned that ultimately it’s rewarding; a hundred times more rewarding than it is trying.

I’ve learned that you can’t beat a day surrounded by friends (furry and human), with mountains all around you, a blue Colorado sky, pure Rocky Mountain air, and the promise of a hot shower when the day’s work is done.

I’ve learned that you can’t top companions like these…

Views like that…

Or catching a moment like this…

Back to the Barn at Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-12-18T11:30:00.000-08:00

It's time to buckle down the hatches for winter. Here comes the snow, the blustery winds, the cold and the ice. This is the time of year when light-hearted visitors and residents flee for the beaches, for lower ground, or at least for hot chocolate. It's the time of year when you peer out your frosty window and sigh knowing that you won't see green or ground for months. And, you know what? That is all okay. It's okay because we get to go skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and hang out by a roaring fireplace. Sure, it's not everyone's idea of paradise this time of year, but it's our little paradise.

Quinn's Clouds at Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-11-13T09:22:00.001-08:00

Lucky for us, (he, he, get it with the picture above?) we get to see some beautiful clouds in our Colorado skies. Quinn, our employee for the summer, got some great shots. Now if only I was smart enough to tell you what type of cloud is in each photo. I'm pretty sure a fifth grader could do it, but not me! And, if you like these pictures or want to see more of Quinn's summer photos (They're incredible!) Contact him at quinn.w.wilson@gmail.com

Here are a few storm clouds (cumulonimbus?) passing over the trail by first point. Many of our rides will depart in clear skies only to have these guys rumble by--sometimes the just threaten, sometimes they pour.

This looks like a cloud smorgasbord. You have a little of everything. Status, cirrus, cumulus, etc.

One of the best times of day for cloud watching is early morning and dusk--the pink and oranges are beautiful. And, finally, we have maybe some altostratus passing by?

Missing the City at Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-11-04T11:38:00.001-08:00

Sometimes, living out here on the ranch, I have a deep longing for the city. I want to live in a bustling city somewhere in a little loft and wake up in the morning to the sounds of beeping horns and an occasional siren. I want to own a closet full of cute shoes that have no mud or manure on them. I want to stop and grab a latte at the little coffee shop at the corner while walking to the bus stop on my way to work.

Sometimes, when we have a guest from a big city, part of me secretly hopes they will recognize some quality in me that will inspire them to offer me a job in a skyscraper somewhere. Just for a year, of course, nothing long-term. They'd let me wear cute office clothes. No plaid, flannel, or jeans allowed.

But then, sometimes, I see something here that reminds me why I chose this life. I see beauty like I've never known. I see sincere smiles and honest hard work. Then I remember that this little life on a Colorado Dude Ranch is what I love and crave and need.

These photos, by Quinn Wilson, one of DWR's summer employees, exemplify why we're here and why we want you to experience this life too. Contact Quinn at quinn.w.wilson@gmail.com if you'd like to see more of his DWR photo project.

FAQ: How do you brand a horse on a Colorado Dude Ranch?

2009-10-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

People might think that ranchers are not too quick, seeing as they live in the boonies and all. But that is not true. Not at all. In a lot of ways, ranching is just one giant science experiment. From figuring the best grasses for hay to building their own drainages and roads, ranchers have been doing science experiments for eons.

Being a nerdy scientist myself, this has been a wonderful thing to learn about ranching. This FAQ--How do you brand a horse? -- is a prime example of a rancher science experiment. I'll walk you through the definition and the procedure.

A brand is used to identify the owner of livestock animal and protects against fraud and theft. Freeze branding is how we brand our horses here at Drowsy Water Ranch. Most of our horses have a white symbol or two on their left shoulder. That is a freeze brand. The freeze branding process produces white hair by destroying pigment-forming cells of the hair follicle.

Freeze branding is different than hot iron branding in a few ways. First, like the name implies, freeze branding is achieved by extensive cooling where hot iron branding is achieved by extensive heating. Ranchers freeze brand horses because it is less painful than hot iron branding and because the hide of the horse is so thin that a hot iron brand often injures the horse.

Okay, you nerdy scientist, you want to try to do this at home? While there is really no reason why you can't try this little experiment at home, I have to mention a few things. First, in most states, in order to brand a horse you must have a state registered brand. It is a big no-no to brand a horse with an unregistered brand. Actually, it's usually illegal.

Second, freeze branding is safe, economical, and is relatively painless. It produces lasting results that discourage horse thieves and fraudulent practices. But, if you don't have a brand and a horse to try this on, this doesn't mean you can try to brand your dog, or, worse yet, your little sister.

As the youngest of three kids, I was the subject of countless science experiments. I can tell you, for a fact, that, yes, cat medicine does taste sorta like Pepto-Bismol, and, no, it doesn't actually hurt if the toilet is flushed while your head is inside the bowl. I'm glad that my siblings didn't find out about this one and I don't have a permanent brand anywhere on my body. Please do not try to freeze brand another human being.

Okay, here we go. To do your own freeze brand at home you will need:

Branding Iron: Irons made from brass or copper work best because they hold the cold better.
Coolant: We use dry ice. It is cheap and readily available. You can also use liquid nitrogen, if you can find it.
Container for Coolant: We just use a little lunch-sized cooler. It needs to be big enough to hold the dry ice and enough alcohol to cover the dry ice.
Clippers: The branding site is shaved first to get as close to the hair follicle as possible.
Bottle with 99% alcohol: Preferably a squirt bottle to clean the brand site. Alcohol also aids in the transfer of cold to the skin. We also use the alcohol in the cooler with the dry ice.
Stopwatch: For tracking the time the iron is applied to the skin.
Gloves: These are optional (you'll notice Justin doesn't wear them), but probably safest.
Handlers: At least three people works best. One holds the horse, one brands, and one times.

Now for the procedure:

Restrain horse: Most of our horses can just be put in a halter. Some horses may require a twitch, a chute, or even tranquilizers.
Prepare coolant and branding iron: Place dry ice in cooler and cover with water. Insert branding iron to cooler so the brand face is covered. Let sit for around five minutes or until the liquid ceases bubbling.
Prepare brand site: Clip a square shape larger than the face of the branding iron on the horses left shoulder. Using a nice square or rectangle clipping site will help with brand alignment.

Prepare timer: Holler at the timer person "you ready?"
Cover brand site with alcohol: This removes oil from the skin and helps transfer cold from iron to skin.
Apply brand: Immediately after alcohol application, apply branding iron to brand site and simultaneously begin timing. Hold the brand on the site for 90 seconds. You may gently rock the branding iron slightly during application but do not wrinkle the skin.

Sit back and watch: Now you just get to watch the final product materialize. At first, the site will appear indented. Within a few minutes the site will become slightly swelled. In a month or two, the top layer of skin sheds and white hair starts growing in. After about four months, hair growth is complete and you should see a neat white brand.

Congratulations! You've completed a freeze brand.

Fall Colors at Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-10-01T14:02:00.000-07:00

It's October already! Weird. We've been doing some cleaning up and we've been making some improvements around the ranch. But nothing we've done compares to the work Mother Nature's been doing around here. If you're close by, bring your family by to see her latest artwork.

DWR life lesson # 1,456: Makin' Hay While the Sun Shines

2009-08-31T13:39:00.000-07:00

You've probably heard the expression "Make hay while the sun shines", right? Do you ever wonder "what the heck is that supposed to mean?"

Well, folks, I can tell you exactly what it means. After a few short years of being married to a hay-man, I've learned the expression's meaning well.

This time of year is hay time. That means if the sun is shining, Justin is out working. Yep, it's time to cut hay, and ted hay, and rake hay, and bale hay, and then cut hay, and ted hay, and rake hay and bale hay, then cut hay and ted and. . .I think you get it.

From about mid-July through September we're responsible for the mowing and baling of approximately 800 tons of grass. It's a good thing we do it, because if we didn't, we'd be buying hay all winter long to feed our cows and horses. And as many of you know, hay is not something you can buy on super-sale at Wal-Mart.

So, to get to my point here, let me elaborate on the procedure. First, we mow the hay. This is exactly what it sounds like: a giant lawn mower cuts the grass and lays it down in the field.

Next, we ted the hay. Tedding fluffs the hay to expose it to as much air as possible and speeds up the drying process. This brings up a point--you can't bail wet hay, it will rot. That's why if it's sunny out, you have to be working. No dilly-dallying, mister, you never know, it might not be sunny tomorrow or the next day.

Then we rake the hay. The rake, like the tedder, turns the hay to ensure the hay is dry from top to bottom. The rows left by the rake are called wind rows. These wind rows make it easier to pick up the hay with the baler.

Finally, we bale hay. We do both small bales and big round bales.

After the bales are made, we pick them up and transport them to a sheltered barn where they stay nice and dry until we need them. During the winter, we'll ration out two or three round bales a day to our cows and horses we keep at the ranch. Additional hay is fed to the horses kept at the Walden ranch.

So, the moral of the story? The saying "make hay while the sunshines" means work hard, very hard, while you can because you don't know for sure if you'll be able to tomorrow or the next day. And all you make while working--save it. Keep it in a safe place so when the snow and cold comes and you need it, you'll have it.

A Day in the life of a Drowsy Water Ranch Wrangler

2009-08-05T10:25:00.000-07:00

Jen Burn, one of our wranglers, is a fine writer. She wrote a little something to give insight to the hard work endured by our wranglers.

A day in the life of a wrangler:

“My alarm clock didn’t go off this morning, but I woke up before 6 on my own, anyway,” is muttered more often that it should be in the Drowsy Water barn during an early morning round-up. Dressed in well-insulated outwear (or multiple layers) a wrangler’s day begins with a brisk sunrise ride to round-up the herd of over 100 horses. If all goes according to plan, the entire herd is waiting at the gate to gallop back towards the ranch (and grain!). But if one or two horses are missing, then the wranglers fan out across the meadow, using their eagle-eyes to spot the telltale brown dots on a hillside (is that a horse or a bush?). Need a gift idea for a wrangler? Travel size binoculars will always come in handy.

Once back at the ranch, the other wranglers are working on their triceps by carrying around 30 pound buckets of grain to different feeding spots: about eight to the stall area, a few to the “skid row”, one to “back five” and one goes across the “log o’death” (a shaky log that spans a deep, raging creek) where the injured horses patiently wait. Once the buckets are in place, the horses paw at the stalls waiting for their breakfast. “Ready? Go!” yells Ryan as the wranglers hoist the heavy buckets and use their proficient skills to evenly divide the bucket into six different portions. Then Ryan counts the horses, while the round-up wranglers wait with baited breath for two magic words – “All here!” Otherwise, back out on round-up again until all the horses are in!

When breakfast is over, the wranglers wander through the herd, catching horses that are in-use that week. After brushing and saddling the guest horses (anywhere from 3-10 horses per wrangler), the wranglers saddle their own steeds for the day. Sunscreen is liberally applied and shirts are tucked in before the guests begin to arrive for their morning ride.

Once on the trail, the wrangler becomes an entertainer, leader, safety personnel, spotter of camouflaged wildlife, and landmark pointer-outer. Telling stories and spinning tall tales are a must, but if all else fails, “Do you guys want to lope?” is a go-to crowd pleaser that is guaranteed to get a smile.

Barn chores round out the day after a morning and afternoon trail ride (or an all day ride). Raking hay, scooping manure off the driveway and checking the tack in all the stalls are done daily. Dusty and sweaty, a wrangler works until all the chores are done before collapsing on a bucket in the barn to recap adventures from the day. Finally, the horses are pushed back out into the pasture, where they spend the night grazing on delicious grass and frolicking in the fields.

--Jen Burn

Drowsy Water Ranch SkyDeck Now Open for the Season

2009-06-26T10:39:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, July 2, 2009, the Sears Tower is opening the new Skydeck on the 103rd Floor. At 1,353 feet, the deck is the highest observatory in Chicago and offers a fine view of the city's architecture.

Well, out here, we've had our Skydeck open for a month now. We didn't alert the press or call the president, we just invited friends. At our ranch, the Skydeck is around 8400 feet high. It is Colorado at it's finest. Unlike Chicago's version, you can't see any skyscrapers or cathedrals, all the mountains get in the way.

Our Sky deck has a world-class tour guide,

High-Speed Shuttles,

and a high-tech kitchen for an exquisite dining experience.

We hope you'll join us soon!

Lazy K-Quarter Circle Day at Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-06-22T13:34:00.001-07:00

There's a lot about ranching I don't know. For example, I'm not great at riding horses and I don't know how to rope. I can sit behind a computer and crank out emails like I was born with a keyboard and draw roadways faster than you can tie your shoes, but that won't buy you a slice of bologna when you have a horse hurt, a cow loose, or a crew to feed.

But wait a minute. . . don't count me out as a rancher yet. I wasn't a total city slicker when I fell for my cowboy. I did, for instance, ride my bike across town with cowboy boots in my backpack to take horseback riding lessons one summer. In college, I signed up to shovel horse manure in exchange for riding lessons. And, the crowning glory of my ranching knowledge: I knew how to brand a cow long before I met Justin.

Growing up, my mom would take us back every single spring to her father's 4000 acre cattle ranch near Meeker, Colorado for branding. It was a family reunion of sorts. With cousins, uncles, aunts, and neighbors, we'd help Papa Jim round-up, sort, rope, brand and vaccinate around 200 calves. We'd then share a huge feast and a few laughs. It was exhausting work and I'm pretty sure my cousins made fun of me the whole time for being the neophyte of the bunch, but, never-the-less, I cherish those branding memories.

Last week, it was branding time around Drowsy Water Ranch. As usual, it was exhausting work. Here's a summary of the job.

First, you need a few calves. Here they are, lined up in the chute that Justin and Tyler built last fall for roping.

Next, you need some help. The enlisted help included family, wranglers, and few outstanding guests.

We branded the calves with the Drowsy Water Ranch's Lazy K-Quarter Circle. We used both an electric iron with the calf-table method,

and the old fashioned iron with the tackle method.

Both methods work just fine. In general, it goes like this: the calf-table makes life easier, and the tackle method makes life a whole heck of a lot more fun. (he-he, see Reid, a guest, holding his nose!)

With the calf table, you walk the calves through the chute, into the table, squeeze their body while their head hangs out, then turn the table on its side. The bars of the table can then be lifted to brand, castrate, vaccinate, etc.

With the tackle method (this is what we did back at Papa Jim's ranch), you rope a calf by the back leg, then drag 'em over to two wrestler's-in-waiting. The wrestlers then have to grab the kicking, pooping, leaping calf and attempt to tackle him. Typically, one person gets the front end, one gets the back end. Sometimes this works and sometimes one person ends up clinging to ears and fur for dear life while the calf takes them on a ride. This method is best for laughs.

Once the calf is restrained, we brand the little guys, vaccinate 'em, and, if they are bull calves, we castrate 'em. My uncle, Buckshot, did a lot of the castrating at Papa Jim's. He'd say "bet you didn't know I am a bovine psychologist, I'm about to change this bull's state of mind!"

So, here's Ken, the psychologist.

OOOOH, that is a baaaaad joke.

Finally, when they're all done and branded, they spend a night or two at the ranch where we monitor for any problems. Then we push them out onto open range where they get to eat grass and roam around for the summer.

Opening Day Jitters at Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-06-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 31 was a monumental day around here for two reasons. First, because it was the first day of our 2009 season. That means all of the prep needed to be finished, cabins cleaned, food ready, staff in place. The second reason was because, for the first time in recent history, Ken and Randy Sue left it two Justin, Ryan, and I to open the ranch.

We all had our doubts, our worries, and our concerns. But somehow, we pulled it off. It helps that the majority of our staff was returning this year, so they know what goes where, what it means to clean a cabin correctly, and how to cook and serve a meal.

Justin did Ken's famous Sunday night speech,

Ryan had the wranglers and the horses ready to go, and Peyton and I patrolled for odds and ends.

And Monday, when Ken and Randy Sue were back on the scene. I think we all breathed a huge sigh of relief: phew, we are open!

T minus 13 days. . .and Counting!

2009-05-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

Remember how all winter I rambled on romantically about life on this Colorado Dude Ranch, talking about the snow and the cold, the peace and the quiet?

Yeah, well, forget all that. That is over, dudes.

Those days are gone. Totally and completely gone.

We're now a hive of activity. The worker bees are buzzing around from dawn till dusk hastily working away. Our to-do list could stretch clear down our road and back. The Fosha clan is in all-work no-play mode (or sleep, or t.v., or books, etc). The staff is growing by the day, their bright faces greeting each morning with a smile and ending each evening with an exhausted yawn.

All this is in preparation for our big day. . .opening day. . .only 13 days away! So, this afternoon, I did a stroll around the ranch. Wait, it wasn't really a stroll. It was a walk. A fast walk. It's something I've learned from trying to keep up with Justin and Randy Sue. It's called the "Fosha-Fast-Walk". It's like normal walking, only in fast forward. It's an important skill. I will give an example of its use shortly.

So, on this walk around the ranch, I took pictures of what everyone was doing to give you a better idea of the amount of work going on. Since I was Fosha-Fast-Walking, I was able to eliminate the normal lolly-gagging involved with normal walking thus minimizing the time between photos and making them almost like multiple images from around the ranch taken at the same instant. Here they come, don't blink!

There was Ken, repairing the hardwood floor in our tee-pee building.

I'll tell you what, you want a man that can fix, oh, say, plumbing? Call Ken. How about roofing? Ken can do it. Oh, your tractor broken? Ken. He might be the best all-around fix it guy in the universe. I've witnessed him fix everything from flashlights to tractors, roof a building, tile a floor, repair the plumbing, wire a living room light fixture, and on and on. Ken can do everything.

Next on the loop, the steers and bulls. I guess you could say they were working since this is what they do--stare at people when they come over.

Meanwhile, Farrier Tom was shoeing a horse in the barn. Story problem. Each horse of 100 horses has four legs. How many horseshoes does one ranch need?

And Jen was brushing a horse. This sounds peaceful and easy, but when you have 100 horses. . .

all losing their winter coats in clumps. . .

brushing them all is a whole heck of a lot of work.

And then there is all of the cleaning to be done.

Here's Alex cleaning up behind on of the cabins.

And Tyler and Connor cleaning up elsewhere.

And Trish and JJ cleaning up in a cabin.

Finally, even the aspen trees are finally working--buds! At long last, there are buds on the trees!

Whew! I'm now one sweaty Fosha Fast Walker.

The Mother of Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-05-08T10:41:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to the Mother of Drowsy Water Ranch!

Your love for life is an inspiration to all of us!

Our Drowsy Water Ranch Cowgirl

2009-04-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've been trying to keep the blog to ranch happenings: moving cows, moving horses, the snow, the mud, the chicken, etc. etc. etc. I know, I know, I slip in random personal facts, but I really do try to keep it focused on Drowsy Water Ranch and life in Colorado and things like that. But this week I won't even try. Why?

Peyton had her first birthday yesterday. That's why. I was downright overcome with emotions. I was happy that we've kept her healthy this long, sad that she's no longer a little tiny baby, happy that she can walk and be a little bit independent, and sad that we only have seventeen years until she's entirely free.

The one thing I kept coming back to yesterday, the one thing that kept me centered, is that Peyton gets to grow up on a ranch in Colorado.Who'd-a-thunk I'd get to stand by a cowboy and watch our babies grow up on a Dude Ranch in Colorado? Peyton sure is one lucky gal, and so are Justin and I to have her grow up here where her grandparents are close, where she can dig in the dirt and chase livestock, and where playing with kids from all over the world won't require even one minute her car seat.

We are blessed and we Love you Peyton, our Super-Baby!

Ranch Pyromaniacs

2009-04-16T12:11:00.000-07:00

As you've probably heard, this area of the state is seeing one of the worst pine beetle attacks in recent history. At this point, there is nothing we can do to stop the beetle. We hopelessly watch as our pristine forests of green pines fall prey to the insect and turn the tell-tale red-brown color of a dead tree. Experts expect pine forest devastation in this area to reach nearly 100 percent.

While this is heart-wrenching to watch, it's is just Mother Nature doing her thing. And, that crazy gal, Mother Nature, doesn't leave us without a few silver linings. First, the aspen trees are alive and well and will fill in where the pine forest dies. This means more quaking leaves and stupendous fall colors.

Second, we have to do something with the giant piles of dead trees left in the wake. That means logging and, subsequently, burning the slash. Yep. I said burn. We get to light fires. Huge, hot, smoky, scary, fires. What fun!

Maybe I am a little bit of a pyromaniac, but isn't everyone? When was the last time you lit a huge fire and didn't have either your mother or the police hunting you down? It is undeniably fun to light stuff on fire and it's even better when you can get away with it.

So this winter we've been doing a lot of slash pile burning around the ranch. Here's one of our biggest piles going up in smoke. . .literally!

Here's what we started with--one gigantic pile of trees.

Next, crazy Ken took the propane torch to the sucker.

Soon enough, we had us a real-live fire on our hands. See Ken there on the left?

Here's some more flames rising high into the air.

And a close up of white hot logs. You getting hot yet?

Here's the same spot when it's all over. We're left with a big black patch and some really stinky clothes.

Mud Season Monday from Drowsy Water Ranch

2009-04-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

I know I've sort of fallen off course with the Monday at the Barn thing. Don't worry, the barn is still here. And as for life on the ranch, I'll say it has been typical for this part Colorado in April.

Warm.

Then Cold.

Then sun.

Then snow.

You know where that leaves us?

With mud.
This family ranch does a Jeckyl and Hyde transformation in the next few months. From a mud covered squishy and squashy patch of brown, to a green, blooming, beautiful mountain valley. We're all anxiously awaiting the latter. In the meantime, we'll be here, in the mud.