Time to Hay
This time of year everywhere I turn machines are running. Cutting hay, raking, or baling the hay up.
Like I had mentioned before I didn’t always grow up around cows and ranch life. My first exposure to it was when I was 12 my mom sent me to our relatives ranch here in Avon to hay for the summer. I was so nervous I didn't even know how to drive yet and was going to spend an entire summer on top of a tractor. Luckily before making the trek to Avon I got a quick 101 on driving.
The ranch I spent the summer on puts up loose hay. Loose hay means no bales they just pile the hay in big loaves that we call stacks. The crew consists of mowers, that cut the hay, one wheel rake, that rolls the hay into a windrow, some buck rakes, that pile the windrows into loads for the beaver slide, the beaver slide, which makes the big stacks and finally the dump rake, which cleans up after the buck rakes to make one last windrow the buck rake can pick up.
I spent 7 of the next 9 summers in Avon on the Graveley ranch helping put up the hay. I loved it. I loved the equipment, the work and the people. (Especially that boy down the road!)
Justin also really enjoyed haying too. After we got married that first summer Justin was working in Alaska on a hitch schedule of three weeks on three weeks off. I was working for his brother Reece who has a custom cut hay business. And when Justin would come home we would hay together. It was something we really enjoyed to do together.
And then the kids came along and we still would hay together. Bringing the kids along with us to encourage them to have the same love for it as us. My haying days were definitely shortened and not as frequent the more kids we had.
Time to Hay
This time of year everywhere I turn machines are running. Cutting hay, raking, or baling the hay up. And I absolutely love it.
Like I had mentioned before I didn’t always grow up around cows and ranch life. My first exposure to it was when I was 12 my mom sent me to our relatives ranch here in Avon to hay for the summer. I was so nervous I didn't even know how to drive yet and was going to spend an entire summer on top of a tractor. Luckily before making the trek to Avon I got a quick 101 on driving.
The ranch I spent the summer on puts up loose hay. Loose hay means no bales they just pile the hay in big loaves that we call stacks. The crew consists of mowers, that cut the hay, one wheel rake, that rolls the hay into a windrow, some buck rakes, that pile the windrows into loads for the beaver slide, the beaver slide, which makes the big stacks and finally the dump rake, which cleans up after the buck rakes to make one last windrow the buck rake can pick up.
I spent 7 of the next 9 summers in Avon on the Graveley ranch helping put up the hay. I loved it. I loved the equipment, the work and the people. (Especially that boy up the road!)
Justin also really enjoyed haying. After we got married that first summer Justin was working in Alaska on a hitch schedule of three weeks on three weeks off. I was working for his brother Reece who has a custom cut hay business, Circle P Enterprises. And when Justin would come home we would hay together. It was something we really enjoyed to do together.
Deer Lodge, Rock Creek Ranch 2019
Working for Reece putting up hay was my first time around big equipment and balers. And a lot went wrong that first year. I broke sooo many things! I even caught the baler on fire and learned how to use a fire extinguisher… And yet Reece still had me come back the next year. I am thankful to be put out in the field any chance I get. Something about it is peaceful and it is satisfying to watch hay be put up.
And then the kids came along and we still would hay together. Bringing the kids along with us to encourage them to have that same love for it as us. My haying days were definitely shortened and not as frequent the more kids we had, but we would all go as much as we could. One day Justin had all five of us crammed into Reece’s big triple mower for an afternoon. The twins sat on the floor so content watching the hay lay down, Grant sleeping peacefully in his pack, while I got good quality time with Justin in the buddy seat. A memory I will hold close to my heart.
My goals for this summer is to get the older three boys into a machine this year for an afternoon to continue their love and interest in equipment and putting up hay. I hope to get into a tractor a few days to help Reece out as well. Listen to some audio books and watch the hay go up in round bales. Blessed to have amazing family members who let me live out these dreams.
Spring Time in Avon
This time of year is always busy. But let’s be real when is life not busy? Spring time in Avon has us running around branding calves, chasing water to irrigate, and on top of that attend all the gatherings for graduations, birthdays parties and bridal showers.
I love brandings! And luckily I live in an area that I can attend as many or as few as I want to. I am still learning how to rope but I am slowly chipping away at it getting a little better each year. When I am at a branding if I am not trying to rope I am busy giving calves vaccines to make sure the calves stay healthy.
A quick little history lesson. Branding livestock dates all the way back to ancient Egypt 2700 BC! And branding was brought to America by Spanish Explorers in the 16th century. Branded cattle help identify ownership, prevent theft, and help distinguish intermingled herds on open ranges.
I live in a wonderful community that all come together to help each other brand each year. It often takes large crews to get the job done and it’s such a wonderful time to be with the neighbors catching up and working together. Avon also has lots of good cooks in the area and the food after a day of branding is always tasty!
Last year with the accident I didn’t really try to irrigate. I wasn’t really motivated to do much. But on top of my lack of motivation we didn’t have much water. So this year I am trying to get water to go where I want it to and boy it’s tougher than I thought. I have to do a lot of digging out of the over grown stuff that I didn’t take care of and all my tarps are blown out so to town I went. I really am thankful for the week of rain we received. It makes my meadow look good and green like I know what I am doing. I pray that we continue to have a lot of rain.
These photos above are taken by my very talented cousin Piper at pipercrowepixieset.com . She is an amazing photographer and we are blessed to have her around cause she is great at documenting the day!
In between all of the gatherings and the work around the place I have been trucking away in my shop building pieces. I am nervous about the drop and that the website will be user friendly.
Every piece I have created has given me the opportunity to learn more about the craft of silversmithing. I am proud of what I have made but I am looking forward to see my skills advance. In the next drop I hope to have some buckles added to the collections. And to practice more on engraving.
My Story
My love for all things cowboy began at a young age. I didn’t grow up on a ranch but I spent every summer I could working on a relatives ranch in Avon, Montana. I fell in love with Avon at the age of twelve and knew it was where I wanted to end up. I loved the horses, the cows and the boy who lived on the neighboring ranch up the road. I ended up marrying that boy.
Flying to Oregon for Christmas Tree harvest (2023)
That boys name was Justin Price. We married in October 2018 it happened to be the prettiest fall day we could have ever asked for. The next Fall we welcomed twin boys! Paul and Henry. It was a pretty crazy year, we bought our first house in Avon and I left my job at the vet clinic to stay at home with the boys. Justin traveled a lot for work as a helicopter pilot so I was looking for things to keep me occupied while he was away. So I started my leather work journey.
From left to right: (top) Jessica, Grant, Justin, (bottom) Henry and Paul 2023
Two and a half years later we welcomed Grant into the world. My hobby with leather turned into mostly gifts for family and friends. I got busy chasing three boys and helping out any chance Justin’s parents needed out on the ranch. Justin and I then were able to buy our dream spot in Avon that allowed us to have cows, pigs and horses of our own!
My favorite story to tell of Justin was his love for pigs! When we bought our second place he instantly started shopping for pigs. He happened to find a gal who was selling some bred sows. He packed up the twins hooked onto the trailer and headed south to go get two sows. I went to town with just baby Grant to get groceries. On my way home I get a phone call from Justin and he says, “Well you will never guess what I did!” I didn’t know what to say and he proceeds to tell me that he is coming home with a lot more animals than he intended. Loaded in the trailer was three bred sows, five doe goats, one kid goat, one billy goat and one kitten. He left the house for two animals and came home with ELEVEN! Later that fall we had 32 piglets running around.
Justin and his beloved sow.
Early 2024 Justin and I learned we were expecting our fourth boy due to arrive in August. But before August came around tragedy struck. Justin was flying and his helicopter failed unfortunately he had no time to recover. I became a widow at the age of 28. Pregnant with a child he would never meet.
I lost a lot of who I was and I will never be the same.
A distraction was needed. I had always wanted to learn silversmithing but never dove in. Until July of 2024. I find it therapeutic to play with fire. But I knew there was a lot of learning to do and silver was expensive! After ruining several pieces I decided to join Be A Maker School to learn the trade. It was the best decision I could have made!
Paul, Reed, Jessica, Grant and Henry 2024
Reed was born August 2024, he was a light that was much needed. The four boys and I have stayed very busy traveling, playing and spending quality time with family.
I did my first show in November for my jewelry and was blown away by the support I had received from my family, friends and the community of Avon! It gave me the confidence and drive to keep creating.
My goal is to continue to learn in the craft and make pieces that are cherished. I want my jewelry to with stand and hold up to ranch life. And to be able to be passed down to future generations.
My purpose of this blog is to have a digital journal to look back on and for family and friends to keep up with me and my four wild boys.
