AAAWWWW isn't it cute? ------ NOT A KITTEN!!!!

[Kali]

Saw this just as I got on my horse. It let me get so close - then the dog just couldn't stand it anymore and barked at it. Looks pretty young to be on its own....















Somebody should probably clean out this trough. Yuck.

[Kali]

1. Almost a whole day and NOBODY liked this?

:( :cry:

[Lady Freedom]

2. it Is cute!

I like it!

[Kali]

6. Thankyou.

Rare for me to have camera handy for things like this.

[flvegan]

3. Very cute!

Is this your farm? Fine lookin' critters, there.

[Kali]

7. Ranch. Yep belongs to my family...

Me and the kids are 4th and 5th generation on this piece of ground. Thanks.

We share with mule deer, occasional white tail, occasional bear, rare mountain lion, javalina, coyotes, fox, coati mundis, bobcats, raccoons, skunks (way too many), ringtails, badgers, jack rabbits, cottontails, kangaroo and wood (pack) rats, zillions of smaller mice-type critters, Golden eagles, redtail hawks, zone tails, Turkey Vultures (April - October), roadrunners, quail, tons of other birds reptiles and insects. Its a great place - Chihuahuan semi-desert grassland. 3000ft to just about 6000 at the top of our mountain - mostly around 4500ft. From mesquite/creosote flats up into the oak/manzanita scrub.

[flvegan]

8. I am insanely jealous.

How big is that "piece of ground" if you don't mind me asking?

[Kali]

10. First a couple of factoids.

Because if you are unfamiliar with land use or the west it will sound huge. We are in a 15 -16 inch annual rainfall area. The range around here is commonly rated at 80 acres per cow. Yes that's 80 acres per cow. For a small family operation to survive soley on livestock you need to run 200 or more cows - that is pretty frugal living - most people have off ranch jobs.

In the west land is a mixed up crazy mess of private, state, reservation and various kinds of federal ownerships. Virtually anybody in ranching has some kind of mixture of patented (private) land and land leased from other entities. Our place is about 20% private and the majority leased from the state of Arizona. We have about 680 acres of BLM land. The total acerage is almost 15,000 - out here we tend to use the term "sections" - which is 640 acres - a square mile. We care for about 22 sections, and have the right to harvest the grass while being obligated to maintain waters, fences, police visitors, clean up trash, etc. Arizona also owns its wildlife, unlike Texas where the landowner can benefit from hunting and such if they desire, here we have to allow any liscensed hunter on the place and work around them.

We also have numerous right-of-ways through this ranch, including Interstate 10, two county roads, a railroad, an electrical substation, 4 or 5 sets of powerlines and accompanying roads, two major gas lines, several underground fiberoptic cables routes, we are in the path of a military communications set up from Ft Huachuca. Wilderness it ain't!!! Oh did I mention the former Titan missile silo? Also huge migrant trails and Border patrol hang-out.

We share with the world! Humans and "nature"!

[Az]

4. Baby Yak!

[Kali]

5. oooooo I want a yak.

seriously! But don't know about all that hair and the brush around here.

[donheld]

9. Now i know where Barbara Bush came from

:evilgrin:

[Kali]

11. huh?

I don't get it. ???

[AtomicKitten]

12. The hell that's not a kitty.

Or maybe he will be after drinking that funky water.

[nicknameless]

13. Very cute

:)

[BikeWriter]

14. Looks like that little critter was more than a quart low! :-)

Good snap shots!

[Neshanic]

15. Too cute! That through is worth 5 grand to a Scottsdale...

kitchen designer on Ebay.

[Kali]

16. Sold!

What would it be used for?