About Jared

Hi - I am Jared - I am 11 years old, and, son of Jack and Sarah Smith - It is my job, in part, to keep everyone posted on everything that goes on around our ranch.

Topics will include brandings, calving, moving catle, fall gather, spring gather, doctoring calves, riding and fixing fence, going to the sale yard, stock dogs, ranch horses, boer goats, weather reports, rain fall, livestock prices, Kern County Fair, 4-h to mention a few.

Updates will be irregular, and, as things happen - As a general rule, Summer updates will be about our fair projects, and 4-H meetings; Fall updates will be about happenings at the Kern County Fair and gathering cattle at the French Ranch in October; Winter updates will be about moving cattle off the mountain and CJLA Jackpots; Spring updates will be about branding and moving cattle to summer ground, birthing goats and just everyday stuff, it is the busiest time of year around here.

July 10, 2009

Well, it has been a busy time around here, a lot has happened. In June, we were able to watch the Sheriff Department's Rural Crime Unit make a marijuana drug bust. First they flew the area with a helicopter and made sure there were no people in the grow. Next, the ground unit went in and did a search, also making sure no one was around. When the area was clear, we were able to go in and see them pull the plants up and see where and how the gardener lived; it was very interesting!

We went to the cattlemen's meeting and the Sheriff's Department said how dangerous it is becoming this year with so many grows. Everyone needs to be careful.

We worked on our 4-H record books until we were blue in the face; they had to be complete and turned in to the community leaders by the first week of July. We made the deadline-thank goodness.

We are also busy working on school. Mom says summer is a great time to work indoors because it is so hot outside.

Our garden is growing lots of vegetables for us to eat, my dad made me manager of the feed store, and our goats are growing and looking good for fair time.

June 22, 2009

Well, it’s been a few days since I logged in.

Last Wednesday a ground squirrel ran in the front door of dad’s saddle shop. My dad and Jim tried to get the squirrel out. On Thursday I was at the shop with my friend, DJ, and we saw the squirrel. We ran and told dad, he got the dart gun and went hunting. He got up on the leather table with Tony and they dug around in leather scraps for awhile. They finally found him and he ran across the shelving, my dad took a shot, but missed. The next day Jerry saw him run out the back door.

June 17, 2009

Yesterday, we took a trip to Visalia to get one McNabb / Border Collie female pup for my sister Nicole. Meme and Pampa (my Mom's Mom and Dad) came and picked us up at 10:30 am. We loaded our goat box to pick up my goat, Dollar, at Judy Kaye's ranch.

We ate at Black Bear diner in Tulare, I had a ham and cheese omelet with hash browns and a biscuit, then I finished it off with apple pie. It was sooooo good! Then, we went to pick up Nicole’s puppy. The people lived on a 700 cow dairy.

I got to see a person clean up the cows leg to get them ready for milking. I herded a calf around to take him back to his mother. I also got to see a male dog dive into a swimming pool and pick up rings with his mouth. That was really neat.

My mom got a male pup also and on the way home we stopped at a fruit stand. Then Nicole’s puppy puked on my arm. YUCK! I had to take my shirt off. Then we put them in the crate in the back.

Dollar is getting showed by a person, so I will get her next week.

I led my 2 wether goats in the yard last night. They were good.