After a very busy week of appointments, hauling heifers to their new owners and hauling cows to the sale, we were ready for a day at home.  October is always a busy month on the ranch and this year it has been no exception.  Between selling our steer calves at BC Livestock in the beginning of October, bringing cows, calves and heifers home from their fall pastures, getting pens ready for winter, preg checking cows, weaning and vaccinating calves, delivering beef and all the other fall ranch tasks, October always seems to fly by.

We started the morning with pancakes and clean up time.  The boys played while I tidied up and finished some laundry and other household chores.  Since the past week was so busy, we still had to finish our homeschool unit study on wind.  We learned all about wind, read some books and worked on some crafts. Check back tomorrow for a post about our wind unit study.  My oldest son also worked on Reading Eggs and Math Seeds.

It was time to go outside! It was a gorgeous fall day so we decided to take our side-by-side up to our top hayfields to check on Papa who was plowing.   One of the fall chores is plowing the hayfields that we are going to plant next spring.  The boys each had a turn on the tractor with Papa so they could have their “boy bonding time”.

While my oldest son was on the tractor, my mom and I with my youngest son checked on the cows that were just above the hayfield.  After looking at the pasture, we decided that it was time to move the cows to a new portion of our property.  Needless to say, the cows were thinking that winter is coming and they should be going to the haystacks where the tractor was working.  After a few tries, a lead cow decided that maybe I had something better and she quickly followed the side-by-side up the trail.

Success! I love watching the cows settle into their new pasture, they look so content.  My youngest had his afternoon nap next to me in the side-by-side after helping call the cows up the hill.

We then travelled further through our property to check all the gates.  This is one view that I can not ever get enough of!

We headed back down to pick up my oldest son and as we travelled through the herd bulls, it provided a great opportunity to get a photo.  Once fall arrives, the herd bulls are pastured together and away from the cow herd.  The fall pasture that we use for them works great as we can easily move them into their winter pasture once the snow arrives.

We were back in time to do the evening chores and make supper ready for the boys to get to bed early.  After a busy week, routine is so wonderful!

Sometimes it is so important to not plan your day but to just enjoy the moment.  We weren’t originally planning on moving the cows, but the weather and conditions were perfect so why not take the opportunity.  If we had planned our entire day, this relaxing but fulfilling day would not necessarily have happened.  Live in the moment and enjoy!