The heifer lot

One of my favorite places this time of year, is the heifer lot. While I have to go down there every couple of hours to see what's going on with the heifers, I find myself going there even when I don't really have to. I like watching the calves running and bucking and chasing each other around. And it's a peaceful place most of the time. Even if the wind is blowing, it is nice down there since there are windbreaks from almost every direction.

My dad and I often end up meeting down there. It isn't a planned meeting, we just both end up down there at the same time. When the weather is good, Dad and I sit in the sunshine and watch the calves together, sometimes not saying a word for a long time. Sometimes, we visit about a particular heifer or a calf, sometimes we talk about work that is needing done. And when the weather isn't particularly good, we both end up down at the heifer lot, too. We stand down there and stew together about the snow and the wind. We can't do anything about it, but we stand there and stew......

My dad and I have a very special relationship. Besides being father and daughter, we are great friends. Dad is one of my dearest friends. We visit. He tells me stories about when he was rodeoing or when he was in the Navy or when he was a kid. I love his stories, even though I have heard quite a few of them on several occasions. It's okay with me. I just like hearing them. We have worked together all of my life, but mostly the last twenty years. We work well together, primarily, I suppose, because he taught me most of what I know. We just know for the most part, what the other one is doing without saying. This gets a little difficult for Matt, I am sure. Dad and I have a tendency to not "say" what we are doing, we just do it.

As my dad gets older, I do my best to take the time to treasure the time we spend together. I know that I am fortunate not only to still have my dad, but also for the relationship we have shared all these years. And while we can visit almost anywhere over a cup of coffee or a beer, there is and always will be, just something special about the time we spend at the heifer lot.