Old-time families from Amador and Calaveras Counties teamed up and doctored and marked the calfs and harvested the "mountain oysters" from the bull calfs... By early afternoon, the roping was done and the calfs went back to their mothers to graze on the new spring grasses as the hard-working cowboys chowed down on sausages, beans, corn muffins, and salad washed-down by beer.

Stories were swapped by the fire as the buckaroos relaxed from their morning work and hearty meal. The work was done and it was time leave for tomorrow's effort.

Saturday found the storm had mainly past and cotton-ball puffs dotted the sky. The action today was at the Busi Ranch in Jackson. More calves & more buckaroos. A longer day of work... Two generations of ranching families and their friends worked together ten calves at a time as the third chased gophers or played with the cow dogs.

The kids we're really playing, but learning by occasionally watching and helping push the cattle to the corral or back to the fields, or even helping with the branding, though they have years to practice.

The clouds gathered for an early darkness and the work was done.

Sunday was a gentle, overcast day as the families helped in Plymouth. Monday was planned for Calavaritas, but the rain came to quench the thirsty hill sides and creeks, so inside ranch chores occupied the day. When I visited Frank in the afternoon, he was welding cow bells in anticipation of High-Sierra summer pastures by Silver Lake. Frank is fifth generation in Amador County. His grandfather bought the ranch he calls home nearly 100 years ago.

Two more brandings to go then time to think of the summer range...