B Bar Gazette – May 2024 Updated
| B Bar Gazette |
| Issue #11 April 2024 |
| Hey B Bar Family, Spring is a stubborn season 6,600’ high in the mountains of Tom Miner Basin. The unfamiliar comfort of vitamin D warming forearms and knees inevitably correlates with wet and muddy feet. Balmy weather is fleeting as the next storm rolls in over Specimen Ridge delivering dense grapple snow. Even still, the first sandhill crane tenants of the season stride along the open water of Skully Creek for a drink. While the crimson caps wait for a warm welcome at their perennial nesting habitat, we too investigate the land and property, rolling up our sleeves in preparation for summer. |
 Sandhill cranes and their iconic crimson colored heads. |
| Between remodeling all six A-Frame cabins, restoring multiple structures’ integrity, reconstructing the gatehouse bridge, responding to contractors, and reflecting on winter, there isn’t much time for our maintenance team to relax. |
 The A-Frame cabins under construction. |
| Kenney Berndt, maintenance foreman in Tom Miner Basin, uses the word “downtime” sparingly. In moments between striking through one project and beginning another, Kenney is careful not to start tinkering with something that isn’t on his meticulously organized and color-coded list. The B Bar is fortunate to have a tenacious trio with Troy and Kiel rounding out the maintenance efforts. These stewards of infrastructure are motivated by Murphy’s Law- anything that can go wrong will go wrong, and they are more proactive than ever. When you visit B Bar Ranch this summer for a retreat or Ranch-to-Table event, you will reap the fruits of their labor. |
| In Big Timber where the cattle have wintered, vernal indications are everywhere. Biscuit root is sprouting, star lilies are a few days away, burrowing owls are nesting in the section called prairie dog town, and we are pasture stitching. Small uninvited visitors have taken residence at our office. Then the new hire Purrlock Holmes, a rescue feline friend from Stafford Animal Shelter, clocked in for work. He prefers his wages paid in mice. |
 Purrlock Holmes enjoys hanging out as much as hunting. |
| Our livestock are thrilled to graze the green starts of grass that use photosynthetic material stored in root reserves to grow. Although this grass is tasty and green, it is very sugary and lacks other vital nutrients. Alas, we will remain feeding supplemental grass until May so that the fresh beef you eat this month is as high in quality as ever. Sincerely, Maryanne Mott Owner and General Manager |
| Our B Bar Family Maryanne Mott- General Manager and OwnerAmy Berndt- Administrative AssistantKenney Berndt- Maintenance Foreman Troy Lerwill- Maintenance Technician Mark Rose- Land & Livestock ManagerTrina Smith- Guest Operations ManagerEl Stone-BookkeeperWillie Stewart- Business OperationsJackson Stewart- Marketing & SalesMihail Kennedy- Production ManagerShea Kennedy- Cattle & Grazing Coordinator Randy Mesce- Maintenance Technician Nina Jenson- Ranch Hand |