Spring time, the season of highly unpredictable weather. Rain, maybe; snow, yep sure; and mud, most definitely. I’m contemplating buying a really long rug that we can have on hand by the door. When we need to, we can just roll it out to where we need to go from the door and then just roll it back up at night. Maybe even have a couple, one to the bathroom, one to the fridge, and one to the medicine/supply cabinet. I’ve tried to teach the kiddos to grab an old towel, place it on the floor and step on it, and then just shuffle along to where they need to go, but they haven’t caught on. Then, I could just have a bucket full of soapy water and a couple towels by each door. When they come in, get the towel wet, ring it out, then proceed to stand on it and shuffle across the floor. We could put of flags of some kind to show which spots have already been shuffled on so we can take different routes, covering as much of the floor as possible. Mopping, done! If only I could come up with something similar for the laundry. I had a dream my day job moved me from my current position to washing clothes. Not just any clothes, either, clothes filled with all kinds of fluids that go along with birthing and bodily functions. I’m not quite sure I want to analyze that dream.

In spite of all that, it is a wonderful season. The sun starts shining longer, grass starts turning green, and we start aching to be outside enjoying it all. Except maybe when their are still mounds and mounds of snow and just when it starts to warm up, it starts to snow again. The other day, Larry gazed out the window to see it starting to snow, promptly shut the curtains, and said, “We are just going to leave those shut for a bit.” Regardless, the longer days and new calves being born bring hope.

All the kids have their own responsibilities now and perform their jobs expertly. Emma and Ethan help in every part of the operation, from mechanic work to haying to horse breaking and calving. Quirt promptly claims all the cutest calves as his and has become proficient at making bottles and feeding the weak or sick ones when needed. He also drives while Ethan feeds. And Sylvester, well, the other day Larry was fixing a gate. Sylvester sat back and watched, directing when to stop and what to do next. I said, “Sylvester, you are quite the supervisor!” “Yep,” he said, “that’s what I am, the supervisor!” He’s a clown, but buckles down when he needs to. I was struggling to drive through the snow and ice and not run into calves. After having to back up a few times I got frustrated and told Larry I would feed and he could drive. He said, “Here, let’s try this. Sylvester, come here.” Sylvester went to his dad and waited for his next instructions. Larry started the pick up and put him in the driver’s seat. “Now steer,” he said. I don’t think Sylvester has ever been so serious. Even though we were in a wide open field, he never took his eyes off where he was going.

We are also in the midst of Bull Sale Season! Getting ready for our second bull sale has been fun, although challenging. Watching Larry, Emma, and Ethan plan out which bulls they like, argue during sorting about what to keep and what to sell, and plan out breeding for next year brings me joy. Emma and Ethan helped fit the bulls this year and I think they did a great job!

This year, we are excited to coordinate our sale with Bowles J5 Reds to be able to offer at least 50 bulls for sale on May 1st, 2023, at Bear Paw Livestock in Chinook, Montana.

Klingaman Red Angus, our family, is currently offering 24 bulls for sale this year. We feed them right here at our ranch in Harlem, Montana, and invite you out anytime for viewing. We will offer a mix of registered along with a few commercial bulls for sale. All bulls have been ultrasounded by a certified technician and tested for parentage and fertility. We look forward to seeing you on May 1st at Bear Paw Livestock. Lunch will be at 12:00 with the sale at 2:00pm.