Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Promoted to ranch hand


When I visited the 7MSN ranch for the first time last March, I was wined, dined, entertained and treated like a royal guest. This was an incredibly wonderful and amazing experience, but I really hoped to help out a bit during my trip this time.

I am proud and pleased to say that my request was granted and I am now an official 7MSN ranch hand!

What does being a 7MSN ranch hand entail, you ask? Well....

It means helping out when one of the big animals needs to go to his annual vet check-up. Yesterday, it was handsome Hank's turn:

As a ranch hand, I got a back stage pass (and a lead vest):

to observe the x-rays being done on Hank's knee:

Fortunately, neither Carson nor I are either one of these:

Hank makes friends everywhere he goes, even at the vet clinic...:

But he was very happy to get back to the ranch that afternoon:

Today turned out to be the most productive day yet for this visiting ranch hand. George, Alan and Lucy needed shots and to have their ears de-ticked:

Lucy is a star and took shot and tick spray as if it was no big thing:

George and Alan needed a bit more convincing, but - in the end - did an excellent job being poked with needles and having smelly tick liquid squirted into their ears:

And then, well, then there was Eugenia, one of Carson's four hens:

This girl is smart and she is naughty and she has no fear.
(She's also completely obsessed with water, but that's a post for another time:)

Yes, she is jumping up to try to drink water from a hose that hasn't been turned on yet:

I've got a big ol' soft spot for her like you wouldn't believe:

The problem is, Eugenia has figured out how to jump over the fence between chicken coop and Wynonna pen:

And has taken to standing on Wynonna's back and otherwise bothering the poor girl:

This simply won't do.

This beautiful fence is just a titch too short for a jumping chicken who has added travelling to her hobbies:

So, we decided today was the day to take care of this:

This was my value-add:

...providing weight where weight was needed:

Look how much I trust my friend:

Here's me, striking a dainty pose while Carson saws around my feet (I'm like the magician's assistant!):

And she didn't cut or hammer me a single time!

Start to finish, it took us a little over three hours:

Here's the ranch hand again providing weight where weight was needed:

Yeah, yeah...enjoy that one last hop-over, Eugenia, the final fence panel is about to go up:

Fence before:

Fence after:

Upon completion, we high-fived:

and "clinked" beers:

It's seriously awesome being a 7MSN ranch hand!

17 comments:

  1. And I'm sure Carson is going to miss you when you leave. What a great friend and a great place to "vacation!" I'm glad you were able to be of some use while lolly-gagging in the beautiful Arizona sun!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Glad you're having such a fantastic time there, Danni. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Air Eugenia may be a real money-maker when New Mexico gets a professional basketball team.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good value-add! I would have placed a bet on at least one of those hens getting over her fence. They are determined. Eugenia has a lot of personality, I think I'd enjoy her out here with my flock too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hey, where do I fill out an application? I so want to be ranch hand at 7MSN ranch, too!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nice shots of 'the hand'.... or the foot!
    I bet Carson loved having extra help - that extra hand really comes in handy for so many things.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Does the top panel on the gate open with the gate? Nice job. I think the ranch could use a few goats.

    ReplyDelete
  8. "...one of Carson's four hens."

    I know she originally had three and one of those died. I thought she added four more, which equals six. Am I wrong?

    ReplyDelete
  9. I love Eugenia! What a character!

    ReplyDelete
  10. You and Carson sure do know how to make hard work look like a lot of fun! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. You seem to have a way of finding eccentric chickens.....I hope no one back home gets jealous!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Eugenia jumps! Eugenia travels! Eugenia supervises the work being done on her fence!

    ReplyDelete
  13. since traveling is now limited to eugenia, maybe she can come and visit you and free range with honey!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Linda was very blessed to have such a capable ranch hand and oh man! what a great super duper job!!!!!! how funny about Eugenia!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Eugenia is a little stinker. I would have fallen hard for her, too, if I'd known. Excellent job on the fence.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Wow, how fun to be able to visit the ranch! I'm a little bit jealous at your traveling abilities. :)
    Now that the goats are dry and the dairy is put to bed for winter (mostly) I have time to catch up! :)

    ReplyDelete

I ♥ it when you leave a comment.