A day in the life of Sackmann Cattle Company.

The pictures, stories, and crazy times in our world.







September 22, 2013

Still chasin'

Yes, we are still here!

I am only one kid and a ton of other farm stuff behind on my posts.  I read other people's blogs and so admire their writing & photography.  Let's just say writing & photography don't make the top of my talents list - so here goes.  Or at least the really short version of the last 7 (are you sure?) months!

  We shall start with our Miss Nia.  She joined us on March 1st; weighing in at 9 lbs. 5 oz.  She hasn't slowed down on the growth curve or desire to keep up the the three crazies ahead of her.  Jeff & I have an over under bet as to if she walks (takes two steps on her own) in 2013 or 2014.  She is a sweetie that takes life as number 4 in stride.  Now if she would only sleep through the night!
  Many of you met her at her first cattle sale - you know when she was 15 days old. 

 Miss Molly is a 2nd grader!  She is off and running at school once again.  Here she is with her pig at the Spokane Interstate Fair.  Molly was the Grand Champion Pee-Wee Showman.  Slightly proud parents.  A testament to perseverance; she outlasted the pig's desire to run and managed to keep track of the judge as well or better than the other 5-8 year olds.




Trevor & Lila are on the go 4 year olds.  Trevor is a little cowboy who is more than happy to go with Jeff at any time.  Even if to catch a nap in the swather.  Poor guy can't make it a single pass!  Lila is our animal & sports lover.  Always tracking down the cats, jumping in the pig pens, brushing the bottle calves and dribbling a basketball.  Not many dull moments on the home front!

Of course September means fall calves!  Jeff is letting Nia grab one.  I think the calf was more bothered by Nia's two-handed grab than getting weighed & tagged!  So far so good on calving, we do have two bottle calves (one twin & one from a not-so-good first calf heifer).  Jeff has had to put on his CPS (calf protective services) hat.  But those cows have had a date with Mr. Schaffer at Cows-R-Us!  Sure is nice to see spunky black calves enjoying the green grass of fall! 

On the farming side, haying has been going pretty well.  Weather has been pretty good, prices are hanging in there and most everything is spoken for if not gone.  Nothing to interesting to report until one week ago!



We Northwesterner's aren't used to crazy weather that included warnings of tornadoes!  The top picture is just a sampling of the tree limbs down in our yard.  Luckily only minor damage to our garage roof.  Getting down all the broken pieces resulted in just as much tree pieces on our lawn.  The bottom pictures are the field that fared the worst.  The orchard grass probably would have been raked Monday morning (after the storm).  Notice most of the field looks raked, baled & stacked.  Not so much - how about blown into the neighbor's yard, onto the circle, into the next neighbor's yard - everywhere but where it should be!  Sid & Matt have had the pleasure of trying to deal with the huge knotted, piles of hay.  There may have been more alcohol consumed her this week than normal.

Of course we weren't the only one to loose crops.  20 hours without power sure makes you appreciate it.  It is also absolutely crazy how one messed up day leads to a entire messed up week.  I think those of us at home managed to eat lunch at the average of about 1:30 this week.  The 4 year olds are great troopers!

As Fall arrives we are trying to finish hay (more rain today :( ).  More calves are on the way, we are preparing for the Evergreen Sale and the Red, White & Black FRIDAY Sale and just trying to stay ahead of everything. 

Hope this finds you well & ready to enjoy a beautiful fall!

February 8, 2013

Out of the mouth of (not so anymore) babes

Molly keeps making us laugh with her frank comments and observations!

(Self portrait in pick-up on Montana trip in December)

 Yesterday Jeff moved the pairs away from our house.  Molly's cow kicked Jeff while he was loading her.  When Jeff picked up Molly at the bus stop to let her help with some tagging and evening chores he told Molly that her cow wasn't very nice.  Molly's reply "Well Dad you were the one who bought her."

True Miss Molly, true.  

Later in the afternoon Molly got kicked by a little calf they were working on.  First time for everything, and given how well (NOT) she handles the slightest owie, Jeff said no tears or anything.  Think she'll live! 
And earlier in the week when we were all stuffed into the front of a regular cab pick-up feeding cows, Trevor was fussing about something.  Molly told him "that someday he'll be married too and have stuff to worry about just like Dad".  Jeff couldn't stop laughing.

At least there are few dull moments around here!

January 27, 2013

Where has the time gone -

Our twins are 4 years old today! Seems like yesterday I was growing out of Jeff's clothes and checkers at the grocery store were obviously nervous something was going to happen in THEIR line.

I don't know what I do everyday, but we do manage to feed and dress the kids and get one off to school along with some laundry and dishes. Animals get fed, some paperwork gets done (never all of it) and although always behind we rally around drop-dead due dates.
Since my last post we've:
     finished fall calving
     finished AI'ing & ET work on fall cows (bulls are still out)
     farrowed and shipped 5 litters of pigs (although kids are still wanting baby pigs back)
     Red, White & Black Friday Sale done - start to finish - THANKS to all buyers & bidders
     a pivot (irrigation circle) magically appeared in our yard (amazing what happens when you hire
          projects done!)
     celebrated a 7 year-old's birthday (and a few adults; we won't mention ages)
     Jeff & I were named the WA Farm Bureau YF&R Achievement Award Winners including trip
          to AFB in Nashville
     took Molly to Montana to visit bull studs & hit two sales (& she now owns her first cow!)
     enjoyed a pretty calm Christmas - at least for us

     started spring calving


Or at least those are the major events/projects!

We are currently working on the Red, White & Black Bull Sale Catalog. Including lotting order, pictures and hopefully video. Just one day of sun would be a god-sent. Another group of bulls were supposed to be clipped and burned today, but something about wet bulls stuck in the fog don't burn very well (sounds bad - but actually very cool (I mean Hot) process even if the aroma is less than appealing).

Oh, and have I mentioned we are also working on house plans (to be build as soon as everything is in order this spring). Loving everyone's comments about marriages and building houses. We figure we've pictured bulls and sorted pigs. We're game!

And we are expecting baby #4 - with a scheduled due date of March 1!
 Yep, maybe chasing a few different things. We figure if we make it through March we are in good shape.