Summer brings great conditions and more opportunities to get out on the trail on a horse. However, injuries do happen on trail rides and often can be serious. Riders should carry a first aid kit that includes shoeing tools, bandaging material, wound antiseptic, eye lavage (use water if solut…
It goes something like this: You walk out onto your lawn during the spring and summer and start noticing either little rings of small mushrooms or light-brown rings in your lawn. You may wonder what happened or what was accidentally sprayed on the lawn to cause this, but it is not a chemical…
When our opinions get as immovable as a granite outhouse, God has a way of shaking the foundation.
The issue: Common mallow or cheese weed (Malva neglecta) is a non-native weed that will germinate from spring through fall. Fall-germinated seedlings will overwinter and continue growth during the next spring. While it is an all-season annual, it may behave more like a biennial or even a sho…
Name: Dermacentor Spp.
As I was driving into Idaho Falls the other morning when it was raining hard, I got to thinking of how I loved rainy days. I was born and raised on the farm and loved that life! We never went on vacations like some people did, but if we had a rainy day where it rained enough to stop work in …
Name: Arion spp., Deroceras spp., Limax spp.
It arched across the cloudless sky like someone throwin’ chum
The issue: Black medic
The issue: Prostrate knotweed
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part series on an exceptional ranch horse named Surrocco. Part I ran on June 5.
Name: Otiorhynchus meridionalis
I am in the process of writing and producing a university peer-reviewed publication on root cellars for the Intermountain West. And I thought it would be fitting and interesting to share a few of the points from my publication in a weekly gardening article.
Years ago the movie “Babe” was nominated for several Academy Awards, including best picture. It was very popular and made a lot of money. It stars a pig named Babe.
The issue: Pineapple weed
Trail riding can be the epitome of social distancing so there’s no need to forgo that activity this year.
Name: Aphodius spp.
Living and working on the farm and ranch teaches us many things. We may work all summer long: tilling; planting, weeding, irrigating; and then a hail storm can wipe out all of those hours of work with the result of no harvest! No, that’s not fun, not even pleasant nor fair, but that is life.…
“Hey buddy, maybe you’ll rope better after your horse foals. Haha.”
The issue: Puncturevine
Name: Boisea spp.
Editor’s note: This is the first part of a two-part series on an exceptional ranch horse named Surrocco. Part II will run on June 19.
We all have a north side to our homes, outbuildings or other structures that receives very little sun and may be shaded most of the day. Too often these places are neglected, ignored, or never reach their full potential as an enjoyable place to spend time during a hot spell. Worse yet is the…
As the summer progresses and temperatures rise, proper watering is critical to keep your plants happy, as well as to prevent issues in the future. A general rule of thumb is to water your plants according to their needs; and their water needs are different from plant to plant, as well as the…
The issue: Leafy spurge
Most of the calves have been branded and with their mothers, have been moved to summer pasture. On our first trip to the ranch this spring, about the first of May, I wondered if we would even be able to get to the ranch. High snow banks lined the sides of the road and pastures were white wit…
The sport (passion, or affliction) of team roping experienced a terrific boom in popularity years ago with the creation of an association called United States Team Roping Championships. It established a classification system based on the roper’s skill. It is comparable to the handicapping sy…
The issue: Western salsify
Editor’s note: This is the second part of a two-part series on Patton, a heeler cow dog that lost his legs and continues to work cattle on wheels. Part I covered his accident and ran on May 8.
Name: Choreutis pariana
Growing up can mean so many things, but I would like to recommend a method of gardening that most people never consider. Try growing your crops vertically and use the area above where they normally grow, as additional growing space.
As we recover from the frosts and snow from the last couple weeks, hopefully we can turn a corner and move forward with warm temperatures and get our plants really growing.
The issue: Houndstongue
Idaho is known for its incredible natural scenery, short growing seasons, cold winters and a relatively low cost of living compared with states to the west of us. You mix these seemingly unrelated attributes together, and you get a place where people want to replicate the natural mountainous…
Name: Tipula oleracea and Tipula paludosa.
When my husband, Boyd, and I drove to the ranch the other day, I got to thinking of how I miss the rhythm of our life when we lived there with our children during the summers. Looking back, it seems those earlier rhythms were easier to follow and live with.
Behind those eyes there shines a light
The issue: Common yarrow
Editor’s note: This is the first part of a two-part series on Patton, a heeler cow dog that lost his legs and continues to work cattle on wheels. Part I covers his accident. Part II will run on May 22.
As many home gardeners try to be more self sufficient and cut gardening costs, they look to starting their own plants at home, and with the right tools can have great success.
“Here we are friends, on the Serengeti Plains in the wilds of Serengeti.” As the crowd leans in closer to the television we see the swaying Boab trees... an endless sea of grass waving off into the horizon. We hear the quiet buzz of Tsetse flies humming strains of ‘Baby Elephant Walk.’ Just …
Name: Otiorhynchus spp.
Zoonotic diseases or zoonoses — such as avian influenza, swine flu, and even COVID-19 — are the most common sources of new and emerging diseases. These illnesses mutate and spread from animal hosts to infect humans, and veterinary researchers are on the front lines: preventing future pandemi…
Spring is a typical time of year to vaccinate horses against disease. The American Association of Equine Practitioners has instituted a set of guidelines for equine vaccinations but a “standard” vaccination program does not exist.
We are at the point in our growing season where starting a berry patch sounds like a great idea. People are envisioning homegrown fresh fruit being picked and eaten, or turned into homemade jam. With sufficient planning (and some work) this dream will become a productive reality. Here are so…
Name: Vespa mandarinia
Name: Rhagoletis indifferens
Over the years I have gotten to know, or meet or hang out with, what I call “famous people.” From movie stars, politicians, world champions, athletes, writers and moguls. Often it was just circumstance. Other times it was an intentional connection. Like being invited to be on ABC’s first “Do…
The issue: Field bindweed (morningglory)
The issue: Hoary cress (whitetop)
The issue: Canada thistle
“So, how’d yer dad git that big dent on the door?” I asked Dave. Truth is, it was quite an accomplishment for one single dent to stand out from all the other wear and tear, deterioration and assorted damage that covered his 1983 Ford Ranger diesel pickup truck like elephant tracks on a styro…
The issue: Bur buttercup
The community of Dehlin was homesteaded in the early 1900s through early 1920, and at one time there were 65 or more families living there. It is located 20 miles east of Iona, and the only way to get there at that time was horse and buggies on a rough, dirt road.
In previous parts of this series, I described methods for diagnosing mineral and vitamin deficiencies and also conditions specific to selenium, copper and manganese deficiencies. I’ll conclude with conditions and symptoms associated with a lack of three more vitamins and minerals.
