We had talented volunteers who were able to help us with frozen water bowls and expired light fixtures way up on the top of light poles. Thankfully we have light in the Harness House and Saddle Shed as well as a light by the chute in the working corral and the yard light above the Tack House glows brightly every night. Brownie is so proud to have his own yard light by his north door, where he parks his Mustang.

An April storm was the start of our calving season—we lost one in the snow and brought another cow in and pulled the calf so that there would be no further problems. Calving started slowly but by the end of April we had 30 calves and then the pace picked up.  By the end of May we’d had another 100. In total, by the time all the cows calved, we had about 215. We had a few losses but on the whole we had a great deal less trouble than in previous years. We moved the cows and calves to the North Ranch and held several of our brandings up there. Thanks to all the volunteers who helped with calving, cattle drives and brandings.  Hope you had fun!

At the end of May we helped with the Children’s festival in Meadow Lake. We had a large petting zoo under the big tent. [The tent tried to blow away, collapse, scared us although the animals seemed unaware of their imminent danger.] Tall Timber Trails and Winning Ways both gave wagon rides and were extremely busy with little people. We purchased a potbelly pig for our menagerie and he was one of the curiosities that the kids wanted to touch, along with Lea’s ferret and the llamas. Unfortunately about a month after the festival, Hairy/Lloyd the pig disappeared and has never been seen again. We don’t know if he became lunch or just got lost

We had a visit from Kelton during June when he returned to Western Canada for his niece’s christening. We all met at the McLeans at Tofield for a family celebration. Kelton was working on his Master’s thesis this summer and continued his studies at McMaster this fall. Now he has to find a job as an engineer after he graduates next summer. Kelton returned to Winning Ways during the holidays and helped either his brother-in-law or his mother with truck driving.

The summer that was to be hot and dry turned out cool and wet—so much for weather forecasting. In fact we felt that we only had a very few short days of summer. However, all the rain did make the grass grow and the cattle had lots of lush green pasture to munch on. Of course rain is not so good on freshly cut hay and even worse on hay that is ready to bale. We are glad that we can pick and choose which bales our cows and horses get to eat. 

The end of the summer holidays in August always sees the Winning Ways crew at the Prairie ‘n’ Forest Equestrian Club Horse Show. The Saturday was pleasant and warm and the English riders had a good show. Unfortunately Sunday, the weather turned nasty and the Western riders shivered in their raincoats and looked somewhat frozen. The Friedrich McLean family rode in the show in the Family Class; next year perhaps we will have another rider as Ellissa thinks sitting on the pony is good fun. The weather did improve or at least stop drizzling in the afternoon and the gymkhana had a real international flavour with 6 riders from 4 different countries! We hope all the Meeds Meadows and Winning Ways helpers enjoyed representing their country at our Horse Show.

Recently Winning Ways had it’s canine population increase two fold. Shotzi the Kelpie we purchased early this fall is now the mother of a litter of pups. She must have reverted to some Australian instinct when she took off into the night to have her puppies under a shed at -15 C. If Brownie did not have such good eyes and a good sense of where to look, we would probably have lost the mother and all the pups. We now have a “puppy pen” in the porch with many thanks to Brownie. It contains 3 little balls of fur: Balu, Alex and Maple.

Winning Ways was fortunate to host a couple of dozen wonderful volunteers in the year 2010. We will look back and remember the changes that you brought about—things that would not have happened if you had not visited us. We hope you will fondly remember the laughter, singing and picking, slogging through the snow or getting stuck in the mud, post pounding, hours gentling a horse, hours spent in the saddle, lunch in the truck or on the side of the trail, milking the cow, feeding a calf, finding kittens, watching the moon rise or the sun set. There is much to see and do at Winning Ways and our visitors try to see it and do it all. We appreciate your enthusiasm, inquisitiveness, humour, joy in living and friendship. We encourage you to be patient with yourselves and others, gentle yet decisive, aware of the feeling of accomplishment at the end of a good day’s work and most of all we want you to follow your heart.

I will let you return to your eating, greeting, visiting and reminiscing and I shall go...