Category Archives: Coulee Creek

Wintery weather has finally arrived in Montana after a prolonged, glorious autumn. Throughout September and October I often started my days on the porch with a warm mug of coffee and one of the cats purring softly on my lap. Jack and Jill would come running down the hill in anticipation of a can ofContinue reading “Autumn 2025 Scenes from the Ranch”

It was such a pleasure to host my cousin Josh and his family for another summer of Ranch Camp. We spent a morning hunting for fossils tucked into the sandstone layers that tower above the creek, and uncovered various bivalve impressions in the rock. Later we cooled down with an old-fashioned sprinkler party on theContinue reading “August 2025 Scenes from the Ranch”

I saw my first short-horned lizard (aka horny toad) in July! I was camping near Winnett while helping a friend with the Montana Moth Project. As we gathered our traps in the morning, I spotted this guy scurrying across some rocks. This cool creature is a denizen of sagebrush and grassland habitats. There is anecdotalContinue reading “July 2025 Scenes from the Ranch”

June brought our sweet Belgian baby Luna into the world. Born just days before the full moon, and with a wide white blaze down her face, the name Luna immediately suited her. Looking back at this photo from just two months ago, it amazes me how much she has grown already. Ample spring rains broughtContinue reading “June 2025 Scenes from the Ranch”

The first weekend of May brought gorgeous weather for our annual branding. We had a great crew of friends and neighbors help us again this year, which made for a smooth and easy day of work. We celebrated afterwards with a feast that included fresh rocky mountain oysters prepared by our friend Ken. A surprisinglyContinue reading “May 2025 Scenes from the Ranch”

It is with a heavy heart that I share this photo, the last one we took of Betty, one of the Belgian mares we brought home from Iowa last fall. In the first week of April, Betty suffered from a complicated case of colic, and we lost her and her unborn foal. We are frequentlyContinue reading “Scenes from the Ranch: April 2025”

First calf of the year! On the heels of a fantastically cold February, March brought much-needed warmer weather and the start of calving. It is an exhausting yet delightful time of year. One month later and we’re back to sleeping through the night. It is magical to walk through the barnyard in the wee hoursContinue reading “Scenes from the Ranch: March 2025”

February brought a sustained blast of winter with endless snowstorms and single digit temps. Over two feet of snow covered the prairie and our plow piles reached toward the sky. Despite the cold, I bundled up head to toe and strapped on my cross-country skis for daily adventures with the dogs. Scooter pushed through theContinue reading “Scenes from the Ranch: Feb 2025”

The end of 2024 sure passed by quickly! We kept ourselves busy preparing for winter, selling meat and soaps at holiday markets, and enjoying quality time at Thanksgiving and Christmas with family and friends. Winter hibernation season is now in full effect. January brought time to slow down and get grounded in our daily routines:Continue reading “Scenes from the Ranch: January 2025”