Bowring Ranch Sod House Sunday

[Soapweed]

My two sons and I had a bit of luck today. We were signed up at the Sod House Sunday team penning where there were seventeen teams entered. We had the good fortune to come away with first place and each of us got a nifty belt buckle. This has been a goal of mine for the last eleven years that the event has been held, and the stars must have lined up right today. Mrs. Soapweed was entered with another couple back in 1999, and they won the coveted buckles that year. She has always been more than polite, but I've felt a bit inferior knowing that she outdid me. Now we can once again "talk shop" because the playing field has been leveled.

Each person could be entered twice. My oldest son was entered on another team, and they got second place. Somehow I held the winning hand of having bought them in the calcutta, so profited a bit on that account also. Nice weather and a little luck made for a fun day. Frosting on the cake was visiting with good friends and listening to an afternoon jam session of top-of-the-line country music.

[Faster horses]

So, Soapweed, did anyone ride any of the 'new' horses?

Congratulations!

And Congratulations Mrs. Soapweed for being first to win a buckle!

Sorry, Soap, I couldn't resist!!

[Soapweed]

My oldest son rode one of the new horses. A couple weeks ago, he wondered if I had a horse he could borrow to keep in his little 18-acre pasture near town and do some roping at his friend's arena a few miles away. I loaned him this horse for the summer, but stipulated he had to participate in the Sod House team penning if he got the horse. He grumbled a bit, and didn't really want to do that, but I good-naturedly but firmly said, "take it or leave it." He took it, and now has no regrets.

He kind of qualified for the top hand of the day, being on both the first and second place teams. As he rode out of the arena, one wag hollered to him, "Not bad for a d--n blacksmith." Will just grinned.

[Haytrucker]

Congrats; and good luck and good fortune to the youngster's. Different subject I know but do you have much needle-grass?

[Soapweed]

Thanks, haytrucker. As for the needlegrass, we seem to have our share but maybe no more than usual. A few days ago, I was visiting with a gentleman from about forty miles away, and the subject of needlegrass came up. He said that "conventional wisdom" is that they should be hayed "after the needles fall off". His thought is that it doesn't matter when they are put up for hay. He uses a Haybuster processor, and maintains that the grinding action of the processor pulverizes the needles. He says that even if you wait until the needles fall off, they get raked up anyway, so what difference does it make. He has studied out the issue more than I have.

We hope to do our first baling today, on heavy hay that was mowed Saturday. We get to share Haymaker's title for the next two months, so in his words, "Good Luck!"

[Faster horses]

Now I am curious. By 'needlegrass' don't you really mean 'cheatgrass'?

The problems mentioned above are what we converse about in regard to cheatgrass. No one here bales needlegrass...

As I said, I am just curious.

[nr]

Congratulations Soapweed and sons on your growing buckle collection!
Nothing like a father/son challenge to stir the pot.
This was thefirst time I'd heard of Team Penning so did a Google on it and learned it is the fastest growing equine sport so they say. For anybody else not up to speed on such things the rules are:


http://www.team-penning.com/basics.htm

[Jeannie]

[Soapweed]

Needlegrass is sometimes called "needle and thread grass." It is a desirable grass, whereas the cheat grass or "Downey Brome" is not all that worthwhile.

[Jeannie]

Hey Soapweed, am I reading your post correctly in that cheatgrass is a type of brome grass?

[Faster horses]

Here needle and thread grass differs from Needle Grass. Needle Grass is more desirable than Needle-and-Thread. Needle and Thread shows up here when we get a wet spring.

We also have cheatgrass (and ya~I know what it is) and Japanese Broam. Japanese Broam is a first cousin to cheatgrass, but doesn't have as big a head as cheatgrass. But cattle still won't eat it much after it heads out.

When we lived in W. Mt. the grass specialist for the Forest Service rented a house from us. We had a different kind of grass growing on a rocky flat. It had cured out and was brown, like cheat grass. Upon further inspection, it did not look anything like cheatgrass, other than the brown tint from a distance. Anyhow, I asked him what kind of grass that was and he said "Cheatgrass." I was pretty dismayed that being a "Grass Specialist" he didn't know what Cheatgrass was. I did inform him that I knew what one kind of grass was, and that was cheatgrass and what was growing out there was NOT cheatgrass.

Found out later it was JUNE GRASS.

I have tried to learn some of the grass species. Wish I was younger, because it does hold some fascination for me.

[Jeannie]

FH, I did not mean to insult your intelligence. My sincere apology if I offended.

I know what you mean about being able to identify grass types. I can now identify crested wheatgrass, and brome grass. Getting fairly good at orchard grass, but I am still having a little trouble discerning between native wheatgrass and intermediate wheatgrass.