The Daydream
The wildflowers that spring were abundant – the cattle foraged as if they enjoyed the table decorated for them by mother nature. Fortunately, the wildflowers were going to seed at the same time forecasters promised rain – which was the perfect time to mow and free the pasture to concentrate on grasses for the summer ahead. The tractor with the huge mower on the back offered no protection from the sun. I had been mowing almost three hours and the sun was getting higher and hotter. Finally found my next pass ended up next to the woods, so I shut it down, and walked my sweat and red face into the woods. Under the trees I felt a slight breeze and it felt ten degrees cooler. Walking into the woods about fifty feet, my ears adapted to the absence of the...
My girls left the ranch today…
I woke up this morning at five-thirty expecting the cattle truck to be here by eight. The breeze felt chilly as I went out to turn on the water hose connected to the plastic trash can we move around for temporary watering. As I made my way to the corral to spend time with my cows for the last time, across the barn I heard the roosters crow as I closed the metal gate. They were waiting for me. My husband had gathered them up last night and bedded them down with hay and cattle cubes in the corral adjacent to the house. We could hear and see them if they stressed. We don’t want to sell them, but we have no choice. They are losing weight in spite of the large feed bill we have incurred to keep them healthy during this drought. I sat for a long time on the...
Mr Bull
Isn’t he handsome! His head is next to a 33 gallon plastic can we use for emergency water! It amazes me that his calves are born with such small heads and slip through the birth canal of first calf mamas so effortlessly (of course, I haven’t gotten a feedback from the cows yet about how effortless it really was)! His genetic testing stated that would happen – now I see the proof of what I paid for! He’ll demand more attention now his herd is gone….I wonder what he was thinking today as the truck took his herd away … ShareEmailFacebook
New Neighbor Cattle!
This morning when I went out to feed the cows and chickens, it was a balmy 85 degrees! I heard sirens way off in the distance and wondered why. It’s not uncommon around ranches to hear these, because they’re used for more than emergencies. As they grew louder, my curiosity got the best of me, so I got in my car and went to investigate. As I was driving down the gravel road toward the sound, I went over a little hill to face an unusual sight. Fence to fence covering the road, a large herd of cattle was advancing toward me. They were led by one pickup, and followed by two more! The lead truck had his siren on full blast. Would you have known what to do? I quietly backed up a quarter mile to my gate, figuring they were being driven to a particular...
August Drought Sunrise
We had a few minutes of a fast-moving rain storm before sunrise. When the sun came up, everything was wet and we saw real clouds for the first time in weeks. The air was muggy and still, filled with the odors of cattle and dust. It still felt good to me, as I walked around barefoot enjoying every drop of rain water I could touch. I imagined I heard the sighs of thousands of trees as they stood motionless. The cedars and junipers give a facade of green to hide the stressed hardwoods. Maybe when the drought breaks we’ll get enough rain to assure our treasured crop of bluebonnets in the spring. I hope so … it could happen! ShareEmailFacebook
Influence vs Free Will …
I would recommend that one be comfortable in his/her decision of what they believe they need. I respect their choice of how they claim their freedom. It’s obvious to most adults that all choices have consequences. This is not a negative thing. It’s a simple understanding of the processes of life that, by default, we cannot have everything during one lifetime – so that fact leaves us with freedom of choice. I believe we are here to live and learn. Others might not believe that. Past that, the details are up to us, and their implications will prove to each of us how difficult, painful, or simple, our life will or could be. It would not be beneficial for us to be given instructions at birth of how we should think and live. What would we learn? How could we...
