The Walter Kennedy Navajo Jewelry Collection
Directed by Tony Schweickle in the 1980’s, the film highlighted in this month’s newsletter, has detailed descriptions and displays of the renowned collection of Navajo jewelry and art amassed over decades by Walter Kennedy. This extraordinary collection features some of the best examples of Navajo turquoise silver bracelets, squash blossoms, hat bands, concha belts, pottery, woven rugs and Kachinas. The Walter Kennedy trading post was located in Dennehotso, Arizona.
Critter Cam Caption Contest
What is this buck thinking? Write a caption based on your take of this video! If you win, you will get a free Mira tee shirt and see your caption posted on our web site! Click to go to our Contact Us page and send in your caption.
Tony Schweikle – One of Durango's Own
And The Filming of "The Durango Kid"
Tony Schweikle, a film producer, actor and writer came to Durango in the early eighties. While working at the Purgatory Mountain Resort doing promotional ski videos he met Tony Corona, also a native of Tony Schweikle’s hometown Chicago and coincidentally a film maker. Tony asked Tony Corona to help him with the filming of "The Durango Kid" and they went on to collaborate on many other films.
"The Durango Kid" is an award winning film about a Rip Van Winkle character who wakes up after a mine accident in the Purgatory area in the early 1980’s. Jack Starrett, a veteran actor known for his performances in"Blazing Saddles" and "Rambo", plays the lead role.
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Tony Corona later produced and directed Spirit of the San Juans, a history of Durango in the early days. In the movie Tony Schweikle plays a mountain man who finds three lost children, telling them the story of the Durango area in a series of flashbacks. He was joined in this productionby a local resident and actor Harry Carry Jr and other well known stars, Charlie Diercup and Alex Cord.
In recent years Tony Schweikle has written and directed over 20 films and mini series. He now spends half the year producting films in Italy and spending the other half running his production company out of Naples, Florida. His just released the movie Hybrids starring Paul Sorvino, the cast photo shown below. His newest movie "Wedding Dress" will bring Tony back to the Durango area this spring where their paths will once again cross.
Bull Elk Caught On Our Creature Cam
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM MIRA RANCH!
The Spirit of The Season, The Gift of Warmth
and a Joyous New Year
This last week was a race against the weather because I had told a friend that I would gather some wood for him for helping me with our live barn cameras. I called Tony Corona who is a partner and friend in video production for Mira Media, and inquired how his stack of wood was doing. After speaking with him, I soon realized that the need for what I estimated originally as cord of wood had grown to be several cords of wood!
Here at Mira Ranch, management of the land is always a primary consideration – which leads to the following questions: where on the property, what kind of wood, Pinon Cedar Juniper, and where could we find the easiest access? I can’t stress enough how much a truck tears up the ground, so I always try to follow the same path around the property to reduce the impact. Once we were cutting, I observed many of the standing dead cedar trees had burrows dug into the trunks and limbs. Not certain whether they were inhabited and being too far along to stop, we continued cutting apart the limbs, trunks and the abandoned nests with all the artifacts, downy feathers, bug parts, saw dust. After investigating further, I determined that there were no mammals currently living in these holes. My relief was immense! Christmas and I had NOT displaced some creature just before it snowed. Having collected three cords of prime cedar and juniper wood, now I am excited about loading up and delivering the gift of warmth this winter!
The satisfaction of making people’s lives better resonates as the true meaning of this holiday season. So, make New Year 2015 the time to reflect. Make a difference in the world, one person, one kind act at a time, and be grateful for what we have.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MIRA RANCH!
“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ― Mahatma Gandhi
The Struggle With Prairie Dogs
The most recent articles written by the Durango Herald. Plague or boon is nothing new to the life cycle of the prairie dog. The prairie dog has been studied at length. They are “cute little rodents” whose colonies are called towns. They actually have a language that distinguishes “enemies” from “friends”, and they actually have a form of kissing to show affection.
Prairie dogs are also voracious pests. Five of them will eat the equivalent of a bale of hay a day and will quickly destroy a pasture. The holes they create are a tremendous hazard for horses and cattle as these holes can cause injuries.
We have dealt with too many prairie dogs to count. Our “search and destroy” missions have included pumping 50 gallons a minute to flood the holes, as well as purchasing gas bombs from the USDA by the hundreds. We finally called in an exterminator to do his annual “prairie dog removal mission”.
Ironically, all it will take is the arrival of the Bubonic plague and most, if not all of these rodents will be gone. We have many different viruses that exist as a result of the animals around us including West Nile, Hantavirus, and the Bubonic plague.The word plague, is derived from the Latin word plaga, meaning “infection from pestilence”. Now they have a vaccine to prevent the prairie dog from getting the plague. If we lose the natural life/death cycle, what will keep this rodent in check – the black footed ferret that some people hope is on the comeback?
Prairie dogs, according to statistics, occupy 5% of the land in Colorado and are a keystone species, meaning over 50 other species depend on prairie dog activity to survive.
Prairie dogs are food for coyotes, foxes, and raptors. Some solutions to getting rid of them include putting up blinds in the field for a fox to hide behind, setting up raptor poles for the birds to hunt from or keeping the pasture grasses tall so natural predators can hide and pounce.
While some things are best left to follow the natural order of things, in the interim I will continue the struggle to cover up prairie dog holes and work hard to get my pasture to grow back!
When Is It Time To Buy More Cows?
My herd has been producing for ten seasons. We have a Hereford bull who has the biggest rump roast in the county. The cows consist of a classic Black Angus and a Dairy mix. They have had few birthing problems, but through time we have lost only two calves. A Brood Cow can produce for 12-15 years but reliability falls off after 10 years.
Our bull, who is 11, is not showing signs of slowing down. But there is a concern. He is a one-eyed old Hereford bull who still “gets the job done”. Statistics show an older bull will service 25-40 cows, while a young bull will successfully service 10-20 cows over the same period of time.
Brood cows and the servicing bull’s longevity depends mostly on good nutrition, but genetics and stress are all factors that can effect productivity. In a normal herd the bull would have been replaced after a few seasons so as to keep introducing new blood lines and improving characteristics. I have not allowed the heifers to become part of the breeding herd. Instead I have been selling the heifers and butchering the steers at two years old, to be sold to family and using the proceeds to buy hay. It is with great hesitation that I think to either replace the bull or any of the cows, as they are a part of my every day life. We have developed a relationship and a trust that makes managing these animal’s easier. But the time has come to refresh the herd. My best bet is to cull the bull and move to artificial insemination for ease of management. The price of cows has come down with the current boycott of U.S. beef, which is actually the best and safest in the world. But the pricing allows small farmers like myself to have an opportunity to build my herd at reasonable prices.
References: The Cattleman Magazine.com; Living the Country Life.com and “Beef Production Strategies” by Dr Jane Paris. Checkout videos and photos of our Bovine on Miraranch.com and feel free to post your thoughts or comments.
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Curly's Excellent Adventure
For us getting out of town is never easy! The cows always seem to know when we are leaving. They inevitably create some crazy obstacle just to make our life challenging. Several weeks ago we were getting ready to head to San Diego to enjoy the beach and our grandchildren. I noticed that something was amiss in our pasture. It was early in the morning and the cows and our bull were on the west side of the pasture intrigued by some unseen happening off in the distance. As it turned out there were some Black Angus cows that had moved into our neighbors pasture. This being the “season”, my Hereford bull Curly was extremely interested in what he was seeing and smelling on the other side of the fence. A day later sitting on the beach relaxing with not a care in the world, I got a frantic call from my friend who was taking care of our ranch. He told me that Curly had gone visiting the large ranch next to ours. Since it wasn’t very far, I wasn’t too concerned. When days went by and still no sign of Curly my concern grew. I told my friend to go out to the gate and call Curly’s name with a hearty yell, then whistle as loud as he could and wait to see if Curly would come back. He was somewhat skeptical but did as he was asked. Much to his surprise Curly came sauntering back with five Black Angus females galloping after him! These “ladies included three cows and a couple of yearlings. You might think that this is the end of the story… but it’s not! Apparently a Black Angus bull showed up on our property. They had a tussle for a day or two but thankfully neither bull got hurt. The Angus bull finally left with half of his “women.” I am proud to say that the rest of his cows preferred to stay with their new “man” Curly. Eventually their ranch owner showed up and the rest of the cows were reluctantly herded home. I am looking forward to next spring when I fully expect to see a few white faces looking back our way. If only Curly could talk – what tales would he tell? Try This Unusual Recipe – Maybe it will keep folks on the ranch! Cowboy Candy 4 lbs jalapenos Slice up the jalapenos into strips. We like to cut them in half long-ways and then cut small strips down the sides. For bigger jalapenos, you can quarter them long-ways and then cut those wedges into strips. NOTE: the more seeds you leave in, the hotter it will be. We left them all in, because we think that the high heat plays well off the super sugary sweetness. (Also WEAR GLOVES- our hands literally burned for a whole day because we didn't listen to advice.) Chop the onions into small bits, chop the garlic into smaller bits, and cut the bell peppers similarly to the jalapenos. Be sure to take the pith and seeds out of the bells. Add the vegetables to a large pot along with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup distilled vinegar. Cook on high heat, mixing occasionally, until the liquid comes to a boil. AVOID THE FUMES- they can irritate your eyes and throat. Once the liquid is boiling, cook for 2 more minutes. Then drain off the majority of the liquid, leaving a small amount at the bottom (the vegetables still contain a lot of water, so don't worry about it being dry) Put back on the heat with the sugar and all the spices, and stir it all up until the sugar is all melted. Cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and start the canning procedure. Basically, you have to boil the mason jars for 10 minutes, pull them from the water quickly drip-dry them, and immediately fill them with the gooey cowboy candy. We try to add all the veggie matter first to the top, and then add the goo to the same level. Be sure to wipe the rim of the jar with a clean rag before you add the lid, to ensure a tight seal. Tighten the ring onto the lid to set it in place. This last batch yielded 5 small masons and 3 large ones. Once the lids have all popped down, then loosen the rings (this is because the suction inside will keep the lid on, and you don't want the ring keeping the lid on in case there's a leak or any king of bacteria that would pop the lid off). Let your cowboy candy sit for two weeks before you open them up, but you can try some of the warm stuff out of the pot to get an idea of how hot it is. Good luck- let us know how it turns out! |
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Changing Pastures
It is time to move the cows to their summer pasture. Knowing something is changing, it’s like the cows have an internal watch and a calendar with the date circled. The cows begin to crowd the gate as the day for the move draws closer. Finally the day comes and the cows jockey for position to be the first out of the gate. The move is not as eventful here at Mira Ranch as it is for the bigger herds that require a cattle drive or trucks to move hundreds of cows on to their summer pasture. If they are using public lands they require fee based permits issued by the Bureau of Lands and Management, or the Forest Service. The Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, signed by President Roosevelt was created to prevent damage to public grazing lands from over grazing and soil deterioration. The first district was established on March 20,1935 in Rawlins Wyoming and since, 80 million acres have been designated for public grazing. The permitting fees are used to maintain the areas and aid the adjacent counties with expenses. For more information on Public Grazing go to www.blm.gov. Here it is only a walk down the drive, over the bridge and through another gate and we are at the summer pasture. The enthusiasm of the cows is still there, since food comes first and exploration second, depending upon the animal. The calves have only known where they were born and are shy at the thought of leaving the only place they have known. But the cows know because of the smell of fresh grass and the sight of an open field so they’re off! They are anxious to be moving to where they can fill their stomachs up and lounge in the shade. All this says that summer is here! |
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Herd Management – Not a Seasoned Rancher
The death of one calf when you only have a few can mean the difference between profit and loss. It’s even more difficult when that death could have potentially been prevented. This year I lost one calf to scours. The frustrating thing is that it could have been prevented by a vaccination. Vaccinating for scours is effective most of the time. The devastation to a young calf from the E.Coli virus, Corona virus or Rota-virus can be diminished by vaccinating the mother four to twelve weeks prior to birth depending upon the vaccine you use. If you have a case of the scours, separate the calf from the herd and sanitize everything that is communicable with the rest of the herd so as not to infect the other cows. If your veterinarian has not spoken with you about a vaccination program for your herd then you should bring it up with him or her and as well visit, www.calfscourstreatment.com. A good vaccination program can be administered by the informed rancher. I have been informed that you can vaccinate the calf within the first day of birth, and achieve similar results. Also speak with a seasoned rancher, who has had experience with herd management and best practices for prevention. The enjoyment I get from being around cows has always been a part of my life. It’s like watching RFD TV – some people like it and some people don’t. I do. It is always exciting watching the new calves. But as I mentioned in last month’s article, things don’t always happen as you would hope they would. |
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Spring Calving Season
Calves Are Out and Chasing Their Tails!
The regeneration of a herd brings a breath of new life. Every year a rancher looks to the market to tell him what his new crop of calves will be worth, but before he can count his good fortune the drama must play itself out.
Many times life does not win. Stress from bad weather can cause premature births. Also the first birth is difficult for a young cow. Unusual circumstances when a cow has twins, or a breech birth can end life before it has begun. But when all goes well, and spring has sprung, the young legs hit the ground running, a sight every rancher likes to see, and one that will make everyone laugh. The social atmosphere of the herd has new faces even though the pecking order rarely changes. Some mothers who previously didn’t get along now tolerate each other with the responsibility of the new calves The young calves are so curious and love all the new sights and sounds. There are interesting theories that the moons gravitational pull effects the amniotic fluid much as it does the oceans and rivers, or that low pressure preceding a storm bring on birth. These theories have scientific validity.* http://miraranch.com/photos/spring-storms-full-moons-and-baby-calves *For more information see birthsource.com |
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Cooperation Between Horse Rider and Man
 CURLY'S CORNER – We share our thoughts, stories and what affects our environment. |
 PROJECTS – Daily, weekly, monthly project tips to make your ranch run smoothly. |
 VETERINARIANS CHALLENGE |
 DURANGO – Named one of the Top 10 Western Towns by True West Magazine! |
 CHUCKWAGON – Great recipes that have stood the test of time. |
 LINKS – Resources and places of interest that we recommend. |
Do you already own a small working farm, or dream of having one in the future? Is "Sustainability" important to you? This site is for you!
Mira Ranch is located in Durango, Colorado. Residents include a bull, two cows, some calves and two horses. Our goal for this site is to build a deep sense of community among "actual", "aspiring" and "armchair" ranchers. We intend to feature stories, tips, useful information, photos and great ideas. Expect helpful information about seasonal projects, stories about the animals and much more. We welcome your thoughts, photos and videos. Share them with us through our Contact Us page.