High Desert Cowboy- How far is it up north?

[High Desert Cowboy]

The neighbors really aren’t too bad and I wouldn’t even mind the dogs if they didn’t kill livestock. I love dogs, my moms a dog groomer so we grew up with all sorts of dogs running around and I’ll probably have dogs until I die, but I will not abide a livestock killer. Jackrabbits are fine, the cat incident of 2016 was an unfortunate accident, but killing livestock is a sure way to get rehomed or put down.

 

[Latestarter]

I have to agree with Bruce... seems like a horrendous waste to leave the entire "front yard" unoccupied and just desert foliage. If nothing else, maybe fence the entire area and make it for the horses. Everyone likes watching horses, right? I mean, front yard or not, you don't plan on putting in a golf course lawn/fairway or anything... How could you afford to water it? Hope you'll let us know how it all works out.

 

[Bruce]

just desert foliage

I think you are being generous @Latestarter, I don't see a lot of foliage there

 

[Baymule]

I love having my sheep close to the house. Our house sits 100 yards from the road, the driveway is fenced with a pasture on either side. The garden is in front of the house too. DH always wants the front to look good to people passing by, while I don't care about people passing by. They don't live here, I do. Heck, I even had pigs in a front pasture, 3 times!

 

[Wehner Homestead]

My front yard is a 11 acre pasture... doesn’t bother me.

 

[Pastor Dave]

My front yard is blocked from the road by a big church. The back acre is hay field. Sometimes I wish the front was too, but then I wouldn't be back here, and the house wouldn't be a parsonage.

 

[greybeard]

I think you are being generous @Latestarter, I don't see a lot of foliage there

Aerial photography can be very misleading. If you looked at a google earth photo of my place in August or right now, other than the trees, it would appear there is no grass on it either, just as it would right now. Just because it isn't green doesn't mean livestock doesn't thrive there.

From Pg one of High Desert Cowboy's journal:

I lived in San Angelo in West Texas for many years, out in the semi arid Concho Valley. That's prime sheep and goat country. Looks a lot like High Desert Cowboy's country. San Angelo, before the wool and mohair moved overseas was known as the Wool and Sheep capital of the world. There were once a million Angoras within 150 mile radius of dry and dusty San Angelo.
https://www.barrypopik.com/index.ph...ool_capital_of_the_world_san_angelo_nickname/

http://woolful.com/woolspiration-miss-wool-of-america/
Not a desert in San Angelo, but pretty close to it. If not for the mesquite on my cousin's place near San Angelo, you wouldn't think anything could survive but they do very well with both cattle and sheep. He doesn't even feed hay in winter...they'll find enough to make it thru winter on their own with just a little supplement of lick tubs and maybe a few range cubes/week. Took this picture myself late last summer when brother and I were out there.

My place in Aug 2017:

Maybe it's the difference between working ranches and hobby/backyard farms?

 

[High Desert Cowboy]

So we’re at a holding point for a minute on getting sheep. My wife has been having some really strange health issues lately (numbness on one side, facial numbness, lots of headaches) and had to go in for an MRI on Saturday. Hopefully it’s nothing but they’re talking clot or tumor or MS which if such is the case my sheep fund will swiftly become a hospital fund. we’re praying it’s none of the above and it’s just some pinched nerves or something that will pass shortly.

 

[Mike CHS]

I hope this turns out to be nothing serious.

 

[Wehner Homestead]

Yikes! Prayers!!