What the Hay and Gathering

I haven't lived here all that long, so maybe this event will loose its thrill after a while but for now and the foreseeable future, I'm obsessed with this event.  Its pretty much my favorite thing ever. Its called What the Hay or the Montana Bale Trail.  Its a stretch of highway from one nearby tiny town to another nearby even tinier town where people, organizations, businesses, and school groups decorate, paint, and sculpt hay all up and down the highway. I get such a kick out of this! The highway is almost bumper to bumper the day of the actual event where you can vote. People are pulled over taking pictures and stuff. Its so fun! 

It is VERY hard for me to narrow it down to just a few pictures, but here are a few of my favorites...

Alice and Wonderland Tea Part-HAY

Finding Dor-HAY

Arm-HAY-Dillo

Montana Sush-HAY

This is still hilarious to me as I'm typing this 6 months later.  

On to other September happenings.....

Good thing Chief had Quinn to help him fix that tire on the pick-up!

Towards the end of September, its time to bring the cattle out of the mountain pasture and back down to the ranch. Its a big ordeal, but a fun time to get together with friends and family and get some work done! 

Here's Wes and his nephew Aiden and his sister Julie loaded up ready to gather! 

I had Jaylie June and Sayler in my car.  We saw a pair on the road that needed to make their way up the road to the corrals, so we got to trail them in at a snails pace.....so we took pictures to pass the time.  

By the time we got to the corrals, the first big group of cattle was coming in.  I saw Wes and Susan standing there together and thought it was such a beautiful shot.  I was thinking about how many times they've done this and all they've seen and done together with the ranch (and all parts of life). Pretty neat.  And also very humbling that their hard work is the reason we get to do this ranch thing. 

Sydni and Strawberry bringing a group in!

Horses in the evening with mountain beauty all around!! I'll take it! 

The Kid Table at supper time! 

Phillips Pham once the cows were all in.  

The Hansemann cousins handed down this belt to Jaylie and she was thrilled to wear it.  She didn't even care that it was so heavy it pulled her pants down.  

Chief helping Quinn take Cash for a little ride.  

The whole Phillips Gang.  Work isn't always picturesque and beautiful and family picnics and togetherness, but we sure do love it when it is!