November 12 has quite a bit of historical significance in my life. Some happy, some sad.
I woke up this morning with the thought that my good friend, Wanda, passed away on this day 20 years ago at the age of 29. It seems impossible that she's been gone that long, and I still cry when I think of her but I'm so thankful that she was in my life for the time that she was. She was a special person and had so many friends. She was an elementary teacher and touched a lot of lives. I'll never forget getting the call that she had passed away just before I was on the way out the door to a parent-teacher conference for J who was in the first grade. I remember driving to the school thinking that maybe I had misunderstood and she wasn't really gone. Then I got to the school and told J's teacher who was Wanda's coworker and friend. Even though her death wasn't unexpected, I have to say it was one of the worst times of my life and my heart was broken. I still regret that I didn't make the trip to see her one last time.
Fast forward to November 12, 2004.....the day we buried my dad. Another death that wasn't unexpected and was just as heartbreaking. I will always miss my daddy, too.
On a happier note, my brother got married on this day in 1977 (even though they were practically children), and she's a keeper! I was 15 at the time and recall having a good time at their wedding dance.
And.......possibly most important, I got pregnant with J on this day in 1985. I don't think anyone wants any more detail on that, but it definitely changed my life!
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
More Cow Stuff
We should be winding down on our cow stuff until we have to start feeding. Last week R and I moved our heifers one step closer to home. It was a bit of a cool day so R suggested that we could take a pickup and the Jeep instead of 4-wheelers. The day before when he had gone to check on them they came running to the pickup, and he had to race them to get to the gate and through before they beat him to it. I think it's never a good idea to not have at least one 4-wheeler, but I went along with his plan. We picked up the mineral tubs and put them on the back of the pickup and parked it on a hill and the majority of them gathered around, but there were some stragglers that we had to round up and some that wouldn't cross a coulee. Eventually, we got them all together and I started off with the pickup. They followed me to the gate, but once through the gate they started to veer off. I couldn't see that ten or so had broken away from the group right off the start so R was trying to get them back on track with the Jeep while I was trying to push the group in the right direction and wondering where the heck R was. Finally, he got them through the gate and tried to push them. I was caught between trying to lead them and trying to push them because they'd follow for awhile and then pass me. We eventually let Junior out, and he was helpful in getting them moving for the last mile. I should know better than to not have a 4-wheeler. So much easier.
The next day R and I had to load cull cows to take to the neighbor's where he had his so M could pick them up with the semi. We had to haul two loads over. We were halfway over with the second load when it occurred to me that I didn't really need to go along, but it was too late to turn back then. I think R wanted my help so I could open and close the three gates we had to go through.
The neighbor's cows were not cooperative about getting loaded onto the semi, and there was much cursing and gnashing of teeth. M was having a bad day already because he'd hauled a load of calves for another neighbor, and they were not cooperative either so he was not a happy cowboy. From there R and I had to go to another neighbor's to take back a heifer. She had gotten in with our cows this spring, and we told the neighbor that if he didn't come get her before we moved our cows to summer pasture she was going along. He didn't seem worried about her so we had her all summer. We cut her out when we pregnancy tested this fall and took her back home, but the next day she was back again. If she doesn't stay home this time he may have to make us a good deal and we'll keep her.
I was anxious to get home because I was going to get my granddaughter for a few hours while J and K cleaned out their camper for the winter. I had barely gotten home when they arrived to drop her off. We had some play time, and then she took a nap. I love rocking a baby to sleep and don't get near enough grandbaby time.
We have a pen of about 75 heifer calves to feed this winter, and M says they are all calm and nice, even better than last year. I haven't been out to check them out and pick my favorites so R will probably beat me to the best ones. There is one I want because I helped save her life when she was born. I got kind of attached.
We had a blast of winter the past couple of days with lows about 5 degrees and a skiff of snow. It was nice today at 45 degrees and sunny. I hope that trend continues for awhile longer so winter will be that much shorter.
The next day R and I had to load cull cows to take to the neighbor's where he had his so M could pick them up with the semi. We had to haul two loads over. We were halfway over with the second load when it occurred to me that I didn't really need to go along, but it was too late to turn back then. I think R wanted my help so I could open and close the three gates we had to go through.
The neighbor's cows were not cooperative about getting loaded onto the semi, and there was much cursing and gnashing of teeth. M was having a bad day already because he'd hauled a load of calves for another neighbor, and they were not cooperative either so he was not a happy cowboy. From there R and I had to go to another neighbor's to take back a heifer. She had gotten in with our cows this spring, and we told the neighbor that if he didn't come get her before we moved our cows to summer pasture she was going along. He didn't seem worried about her so we had her all summer. We cut her out when we pregnancy tested this fall and took her back home, but the next day she was back again. If she doesn't stay home this time he may have to make us a good deal and we'll keep her.
I was anxious to get home because I was going to get my granddaughter for a few hours while J and K cleaned out their camper for the winter. I had barely gotten home when they arrived to drop her off. We had some play time, and then she took a nap. I love rocking a baby to sleep and don't get near enough grandbaby time.
We have a pen of about 75 heifer calves to feed this winter, and M says they are all calm and nice, even better than last year. I haven't been out to check them out and pick my favorites so R will probably beat me to the best ones. There is one I want because I helped save her life when she was born. I got kind of attached.
We had a blast of winter the past couple of days with lows about 5 degrees and a skiff of snow. It was nice today at 45 degrees and sunny. I hope that trend continues for awhile longer so winter will be that much shorter.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Cow Stuff
Again, I'm behind on my blogging. We've been busy with our usual fall stuff. M and R built another fence up the hill from our barn so that we'll have another space where we can move cows and calves in the spring. My job is always the clipping. I did it in about three hours since I had a date with our accountant later that day. Think three hours of doing squats. My thighs were so sore the next day I could hardly walk. I should do that every day!
Next on our agenda was pregnancy testing our last bunch of cows. Our friend, Roger, did it for us and the only day he could come was when R was gone. Not fair! We had to enlist J to help us run the chute. We were lucky to have another nice day to get it done. We had a few more open cows than we would have liked, but the majority were older cows that should probably be retired anyway.
On Wednesday M and R rounded up all the cows and calves to be ready for shipping yesterday. I missed out on that, but M said that Junior did well helping with the roundup. He still has a lot to learn, but he's making progress.
We had a very smooth shipping day and good weather for it. The cows and calves came in without any problem. M and R sorted one bunch to separate the calves from the cows while C, his stepson, Jared, and I worked on sorting the big bunch. When M and R finished sorting their bunch they then started separating the steer calves from the heifer calves while we finished sorting cows from calves. We also had the open cows to sort out. Then we loaded calves into our trailers to take across country to the neighbor's where the buyer was to be weighed and loaded on semi trucks. M was so happy that it all went so well that he celebrated with a beer and a sandwich. While we were finishing up our neighbor called to see if we were on the way over because we had too much weight and had to decide what to do. Calves that are too heavy is a good problem to have! The calves came in quite a bit heavier than last year, so M had one more thing to be happy about. Maybe that kept him from feeling the pain of getting kicked by calves a few times during the day.
The majority of the calves were contracted and went to South Dakota, but a load went to Billings to be sold today. We're hoping they sell well there, too. We were a little concerned about the calves getting to South Dakota in good shape since it appeared that the truck drivers were a bit clueless. We watched one of them back up to chute and wondered what the heck he was doing. It's probably not fun having a bunch of people watching you, and when he finally got backed in and got out of the truck he said he hoped we all got a good laugh. We did. The neighbor's wife put it best when she said "I shouldn't care because they're not our calves anymore.....but I do care". Spoken like a true rancher.
When the work was done we had supper and drinks with the neighbors. They live in Harlem so we don't see them all that often but really enjoy the time we do spend with them. They are pregnancy testing today so M and R are helping them. I knew they had a lot of help so I stayed home (and out of the wind) to catch up on things here.
Tonight we get to babysit our granddaughter while J and K go to a Halloween party. Can't wait to get my hands on that little girl....♥
Next on our agenda was pregnancy testing our last bunch of cows. Our friend, Roger, did it for us and the only day he could come was when R was gone. Not fair! We had to enlist J to help us run the chute. We were lucky to have another nice day to get it done. We had a few more open cows than we would have liked, but the majority were older cows that should probably be retired anyway.
On Wednesday M and R rounded up all the cows and calves to be ready for shipping yesterday. I missed out on that, but M said that Junior did well helping with the roundup. He still has a lot to learn, but he's making progress.
We had a very smooth shipping day and good weather for it. The cows and calves came in without any problem. M and R sorted one bunch to separate the calves from the cows while C, his stepson, Jared, and I worked on sorting the big bunch. When M and R finished sorting their bunch they then started separating the steer calves from the heifer calves while we finished sorting cows from calves. We also had the open cows to sort out. Then we loaded calves into our trailers to take across country to the neighbor's where the buyer was to be weighed and loaded on semi trucks. M was so happy that it all went so well that he celebrated with a beer and a sandwich. While we were finishing up our neighbor called to see if we were on the way over because we had too much weight and had to decide what to do. Calves that are too heavy is a good problem to have! The calves came in quite a bit heavier than last year, so M had one more thing to be happy about. Maybe that kept him from feeling the pain of getting kicked by calves a few times during the day.
The majority of the calves were contracted and went to South Dakota, but a load went to Billings to be sold today. We're hoping they sell well there, too. We were a little concerned about the calves getting to South Dakota in good shape since it appeared that the truck drivers were a bit clueless. We watched one of them back up to chute and wondered what the heck he was doing. It's probably not fun having a bunch of people watching you, and when he finally got backed in and got out of the truck he said he hoped we all got a good laugh. We did. The neighbor's wife put it best when she said "I shouldn't care because they're not our calves anymore.....but I do care". Spoken like a true rancher.
When the work was done we had supper and drinks with the neighbors. They live in Harlem so we don't see them all that often but really enjoy the time we do spend with them. They are pregnancy testing today so M and R are helping them. I knew they had a lot of help so I stayed home (and out of the wind) to catch up on things here.
Tonight we get to babysit our granddaughter while J and K go to a Halloween party. Can't wait to get my hands on that little girl....♥
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