Dryhead Ranch NEWSLETTER 2003/11
The 2003 season for the Dryhead Ranch has come to a close. There is snow on the ground, and those of you that were with us this year realize what I say when I mention MOISTURE. We just didn’t have any. Thanks goodness there was spring moisture enough to bring the grass and give it enough boost to last the season. Finally, there is about a foot up on Little Mountain and about 5 or 6 inches at the ranch, but each day it does melt a little. It is slowly going into the ground where it is needed.
We have all adjusted somewhat to the devastating loss of Jeremy, our friend, our grandson, our son, and our cowboy all wrapped up into one great package. His grave is up on the rims above the round corral, which we felt was a fitting resting place for him. The outpouring of cards, food, flowers and phone calls from guests, near and far was amazing and comforting to say the least. It was unreal how far the word traveled and to what extent it was received. No amount of words can tell all of you how much it was appreciated and how comforting it was to receive.
We want all of you to know we probably didn’t do as well as we would have liked through all this, but some special friends and relatives assisted us and it was much appreciated. Most of you will remember Jack Blankenship; he came and helped during the remainder of the season. Steve Cerroni gave a lot of his time away from his business to keep us going. Steve also put together an outstanding horsemanship clinic with Billie and Deb Greenough and the new summer cattle drives in the Big Horn Mountains. Brad & Mary Beth Cockran, Donna and Josh Bassett, Doug and Penny Young all came to help. Matt, Jay, and Will came when they could. I hesitate to mention names, because I will miss so many that shouldn’t be missed. P.J. came in the middle of all that to be our cook and help in caring for our guests. We struggled forward and made it happen, and we sincerely thank you for your patience and concern. Thanks for putting up with us, and especially THANKS for being our guests.
We have some great plans for next year. Our web pages have been revised, our advertising has been updated and renewed, and for those new prospective guests that request new information we have a CD-Rom which we feel does justice to the uniqueness of our ranch. We feel we have just a little part of a fast disappearing way of life. So much of the agriculture has left the hands of agricultural people and is now in the hands of investments groups that are only there for the return on their dollar. We sincerely hope we offer a chance to see and experience a fast vanishing part of history.
We are extending to all of our past Schively/Dryhead guests a special for the year 2004. We are forced to make some changes, but to our past guests we would like you to have the privilege of returning again at the former 2003 prices as we adjust and make our changes.
We need to have these accepting reservations, including the required deposit, received at our office before the first of the new year 2004. Each of our newsletters will be sent to the email addresses, which you gave us at the time you were here. The current date sheet and Application for Reservation for 2004 can be found included in our web site. We are really looking forward to this being the year of the return. There are so many of you we have not heard from recently and you have been thought about and missed.
From the Dryhead Gang @ The Dryhead Ranch
Nov. 2003
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The only phrase that comes to mind as we start this newsletter is:
"WISH YOU WERE HERE".
Working mainly at the Dryhead Ranch this year, there are a number of new things we are adding to our activities.
For instance, we have several Horsemanship Clinics scheduled with 3- time World Champion Rodeo Cowboy, Deb Greenough. These 2-day clinics will cover all phases of horsemanship from starting colts, dealing with problem horses, finishing horses and all things in between.
These clinics will be using our ranch raised colts and horses, some of which will be offered for sale at the end of the clinic. We will also have cutting demonstrations and will be giving some insight on how to rope, work cattle and do some team penning and sorting.
It surely has been a very different winter for us here at the ranch. We have taken care of the cows all this winter and we are nearly finished with another calving season. We also have cared for the weanling colts here at the farm in Lovell. Each morning out the window we can watch about 40 of them buck and play in the corral as they get their grain and hay. The guest horses have spent the winter on the ranch in Montana. We have experienced more moisture than we have seen in several years and we are thankful for that.
Joe and several of his grandsons went over to the Dryhead a couple of weeks ago and gathered all of the guest horses and trailed them to where they could be loaded and brought out to the farm here in Lovell to be grained and shod to be ready for the first cattle drive on April 27th.
This year we feel really lucky to be able to add two more cattle drives to our schedule. We will be trailing some cattle up into the Big Horn Mountains (elevation 12,000 feet) this summer. The drives are scheduled for July 6 - 12, and July 1 3- 19, 2003. Finally, instead of just looking at the Big Horn Mountains, we will be riding up into them and have the opportunity to camp in some of the prettiest country in the U.S. The space will be limited and due to some long hard days in the saddle, there will be some age restrictions. These drives are filling fast and space is limited, so let us know. Schedule for 2004: July 04 - July 10 and July 11 - July 17.
Although Joe is busy with a growing herd of horses, he and Iris will be there to make sure we keep up the western traditions.
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Steve Beagley has moved on to Utah and will not be back this year. Marie will be back doing our cooking and Mark will also be back to help in any way needed.
Steve Cerroni will be our cowboy this year and he and Jen will make sure your “cowboy experience” will be a memorable one.
Some of you have already booked back to visit us again this year. We are very grateful for that and will be most glad to see you and renew our friendships. Some of you out there we are hoping to hear from, we will surely miss you if we do not hear from you, so give us a thought or two and come see us again.
From the Dryhead Gang @ The Dryhead Ranch
1062 Road 15
Lovell, Wyoming 82431
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Jeremy Tribute
