By Easter Sunday. Ham. Mom's deviled eggs. The grass is up. The wildflowers are on the south slopes.
Patrick on the porch in the afternoon. Coffee in the good cup. The cottonwoods.
Venison stew from a deer in the freezer. Slow simmer. Carrots, potatoes, pearl onions.
The sky was the sky. It held everything.
The barn cats are doing their job. Down to one mouse this week, in the feed shed. The cats brought it to the porch as proof. They are professionals.
Truck started cold Tuesday. Twelve below. Battery is the original. I will replace it before next winter. I always say I will replace it before next winter. I never have.
Mended the chute hinge Wednesday. Welder was finicky. Got it on the third try. Patrick used to do this. I do it now.
The Musselshell was clear Sunday. Could see trout in the deeper pools. Did not fish. Just watched.
A neighbor's heifer was choking on a corn cob. I drove over with my emergency kit. Cleared the cob with a length of garden hose. The heifer recovered. The neighbor brought a pie the next day.
Drove to Billings for parts Friday. Stopped at the cemetery on the way home. Stood for ten minutes. Came home.
Mr. Whelan from down the road came over Saturday with a story about a horse he sold in 1979. The story took an hour. I listened. He needed someone to tell it to.
The Tuesday Roundup AA meeting was eleven this week — three new guys from a referral. The room was full. The coffee was strong.
Took a walk to the river before supper Tuesday. The cottonwoods were silver. The water was running. I did not think much. I just walked.
A reader emailed about the elk chili recipe. Asked what beer to use if non-alcoholic was not available. I wrote back: any beer is wrong if you don't drink. Use stock.
Hauled three bull calves to the auction yard Wednesday. Got a fair price. Came home. Counted the cash. Put it in the ranch account.
Worked on the truck Saturday afternoon. Plugs and wires. Two hours. Hands black with grease. Came in. Showered. Ate.
The wood pile is half what it was at Thanksgiving. I will split another cord on Saturday. The cord will be ready by next winter. The wood always is.
Three days of horses this week. The work is meditative. The horses know. The owners pay. The cycle holds.
Hank, the dog, herded the chickens by accident. He apologized in the way dogs apologize — eyes down, tail low. The chickens were unimpressed.
Storm came through Friday night. Thunder. The dog hid under the bed. The kids slept through it. The cattle bunched up by the windbreak. Standard.
Drove the back fence line Saturday. Two posts down from elk. Replaced them in the morning. The fence held the rest of the week.
Wrote a blog post Friday night. The first one in two months. About making chili in a snowstorm. Short. Practical. Posted it. Forgot about it.
Listened to the cattle market report on AM radio while I worked the shop. Beef is up. Feed is up. The math is the math.
That Easter afternoon on the porch — Patrick’s old chair, the cottonwoods, the good cup — that’s the image that stayed with me all week. The venison stew was doing its thing on the stove, and I wasn’t thinking about much, which is the point. Coffee Milk is what I make when I want to stretch that porch moment a little longer, or hand something warm and simple to a kid who can’t have the real thing yet. It’s not complicated. The ranch doesn’t need complicated right now.
Coffee Milk
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee or espresso, cooled
- 3 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the coffee syrup. Combine brewed coffee and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until sugar is fully dissolved, about 3–4 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and salt. Let cool slightly.
- Combine with milk. Pour the milk into a pitcher or large measuring cup. Add the coffee syrup and stir well to combine. Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
- Serve. Pour over ice for a cold version, or gently warm the mixture in the saucepan over low heat for a hot version — do not boil. Serve in the good cup if you’ve earned it.
- Store. Leftover coffee milk keeps covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir before serving.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 140 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 105mg