The cows arrived early the next morning!  Terry and I manned the gates, while Hank and his daughter, Teresa, brought in 80 cows.

The cows were as delighted to be here as I was to see them!    Every time I look out into the fields my heart does a happy dance.  I know that sounds silly, but it’s true.

Even if it snows again, the cows have arrived! With the cows come babies, babies mean Spring.

The reason the Davis’ calve out in April is they want the calves big enough to be able to walk all the way to the ranch on the Uncompahgre Plateau.

First the cows, calves and bulls will walk (trail) up to the mid-way ranch–they call this place the White Ranch.  Here the cows spend time until the high country is free of snow.

June, or so,  the cows will head up to the lush cool forest on the Plateau, where the long-time Davis summer ranch is— here they will spend the summer and the fall.  Once the snows start to come the Davis’ will round-up the the cows trailing them back down to the half-way house (the White Ranch) allowing the  cows to linger there and put on the weight they may have lost on the long walk down the mountain side.

Once the snows reach the White Ranch the cows will be trailed to the Davis Ranch to spend the winter.

THEN COMES LATE WINTER when the spring’n heifers and ‘some’ of the second years get to come to OUR PLACE!!  *¨*•♪♫♫♪ ♪♫•*¨*•♥

The cows are as happy as I am…•❥*◝◟.they sift themselves here and there, checking out their old favorite places.  Then by the second or third day they have settled down into a routine. (We don’t see the third or fourth year cows, only the first and second year)

Your very happy friend, on a western Colorado farm

Linda