Sunday, May 15, I put up over 1.5 miles of semi-permanent fence. This took quite some time, as I had to place the fence lines along GPS coordinates. We aren’t usually so precise with our fencing, but this line separated our privately owned land from a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) paddock. Most folks are careless and inconsiderate when it comes to their interactions with BLM land, but we really want to build a strong, trustful relationship with them. So, we’re trying to go the extra mile, out of respect. Once I finished up with the fencing, I went back to Someday Creek. There, I removed almost another mile of temporary posts and then reeled up over 3 miles of electric wire.
Monday, May 16. Sunshine, salt, seagulls and waves…can you guess where I am?? Nope, I’m still in South Dakota! I’m at one of the ranch’s many reservoirs, around which I’m putting a temporary fence. It’s a clear, sunny day, but the wind is blowing so hard that it’s literally creating waves on the surface of the reservoir. I close my eyes for a few minutes, taking in all the delightful sensory inputs around me. I can hear seagulls, and waves crashing against the shore. I can taste salt in the air. I can feel the warmth of the sun, and a cool, gentle mist upon the wind. Just for a moment…I felt like I was at the beach, lying on the warm sand, with nothing to do but relax and enjoy the day.
Earlier that day, before beginning our work, Brandon and I had the chance to talk for a little while. He said it is his intention for us to meet like this every Monday morning. It was a good, productive, fulfilling meeting. I was able to voice some of my struggles and concerns, as well as some of my ideas for potential solutions. Brandon was very supportive and understanding. He encouraged me to always share what’s on my mind and iterated just how important that is for maintaining a strong, happy, healthy team. I was very pleased to hear all of this, and Brandon just made it even more fulfilling by telling me how great of a job I was doing. He said that I’m a hard worker, that I’m bright, and that I bring a lot of value to the team. Most of all, however, he told me that he trusts me. He knows that he can leave me here alone for several days and be sure that the all the work will get done as needed and that everything will be okay. That means the world to me.
Tuesday, I put up over a mile of rebar fence posts (semi-permanent) and a quarter mile of fiberglass posts (temporary) for our next paddock, Wild Horse South.
Wednesday, the owner of our 1543 heifers, Gary Peterson, delivered a pallet of salt & minerals. Leaning against the bed of his pickup truck, we talked about his cattle for a bit. I relayed how well they were performing (how healthy they looked) and made some flattering comment about how impressed I was with the quality of his heifers. Proud, he got a big smile on his face, thanked me for the compliment, and then asked how I was liking the job so far – and how I was doing out here all alone. He wanted to see my living quarters, and he asked what I was eating and if Grasslands was helping me with food expenses. While enjoying all his questions, this was nevertheless quite strange, as Gary, a grumpy and opinionated old fella, didn’t seem like the type of man who would care enough to ask someone how things are going. I was honored. When I explained to him how I was living and what I was eating, he told me: “You sure would make a great cowboy for somebody.” I was really taken aback by his remark, but then he took it even one step further: “When this gig’s up in the fall, I might just be able to offer you a job.” Although I wasn’t interested, I was still blown away by his offer. Simply amazing! It just goes to show…all anybody really wants, deep down, is for somebody to acknowledge and affirm something that they care about. For Gary, he just needed to be told how good his cattle looked – he just needed someone to notice.
Our conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Steve Brown, the owner of our cow-calf pairs, who was delivering another 40 or so pairs. Just as Steve had finished unloading, Jim Howell (CEO of Grasslands) arrived, just in time to help Brandon and I walk the new pairs out to pasture. Once back to the corrals, we were joined also by Zachary Jones (COO, CFO & Northern Great Plains Manager of Grasslands). Jim and Zach had come out to see how things were going – to see if our forage supply was sufficient, if our cattle were performing well, if our grazing plan was promising, etc. They needed to evaluate the operation in order to determine whether Grassland’s financial projections were on target for the year. They had just come from the Cinch Buckle, Grasslands’ 39,000 acre ranch in Montana. After finishing up our tour of the BR (i.e. Brown Revolution) Ranch, which is where I live and work, we then all headed into Belle Fourche (a small city of 5,000 about 30 miles away) for dinner, a meeting, and lodging (neither of the South Dakota ranches have adequate facilities for all of us). I was thrilled…a hot shower, a warm, comfortable bed, hang out time with the Grasslands team, pizza, chocolate, and even a few beers! What a treat! It’s amazing how much you appreciate simple pleasures when your life isn’t filled up with them.
Thursday, Brandy picked up my woodstove, chimney and all the extra parts and fittings. Although most of the coldest weather has passed, I am still really grateful for the stove, as there will inevitably be cold snaps, not just throughout the remainder of spring but also well into summer. This is a strange climate here in South Dakota. For all those people out there who can’t decided where they want to live – who just want a taste of every climate – this place may be just want you’re looking for. Because there is nothing to interrupt wind patterns (mountain chains, cities, canyons, large bodies of water, etc.), the wind just blows in all kinds of weather from every which direction. You could be in the wet Pacific Northwest one day (today! 2.5 in of rain!!), the hot arid Southwest the next, and in the cold windy Arctic on the following day. It’s the kind of weather that really keeps you on your toes, always bracing yourself for whatever might come your way. It requires a wide assortment of clothing and footwear, and a high degree of tolerance and flexibility. I actually like it quite a bit, but I wouldn’t want to live here year-round!
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