There are days, moments actually, I guess, when I wonder just why in the hell I do what I do....
I'm pretty sure most of these moments come in winter, when we are up to our elbows in snow, ice and below zero temperatures. When I am stuck tighter than a bull's ass in snow with the feed pickup and no shovel, when it takes several days just to get to a bunch of cows because the snow is so bad or deep I can't get there, when I am gathering calves on a 4-wheeler and my fingers and toes are so cold they burn and hurt, or when I am carrying a newborn baby calf over my shoulder through snow up to my knees trying to convince his mama that I'm trying to help her baby, not steal him. Those are the moments when I use quite a few expletives to describe my job. And wonder if I used the appropriate amount of consideration when choosing my vocation.
The cold and snow require twice as much time to do the same job as when the weather is more agreeable. The cows and weaned calves still need fed. Regardless of the weather, ESPECIALLY IN THE COLD AND SNOW. A cow needs to eat to help keep her warm. If the ground is covered with a foot of snow, what's the cow gonna eat? My dad has often said that anything beats a snowbank when it comes to giving a cow something to eat in bad weather. He's right...... They aren't that picky if they've been huddled behind a hill out of the wind for 24 hours. Whatever you bring them, they'll pretty much eat it. But you have to be able to get there. And that is often no small task.
I'm not a big fan of chopping ice out of stock tanks for the cows to have a drink or stumbling around in 32 layers of clothing (and I DO mean stumbling.....my short appendages were not made for layers and marching through snow) just to stay remotely warm, but those are necessary evils. Now lest you think when I say "chopping ice out of stock tanks", I am merely talking an inch or so, please think again. There are times when temperatures remain sub zero for several days that we are chopping through (and pitching with a pitchfork) at least three or four inches of ice several times a day. The hole needs to be big enough for a lot of critters to drink at the same time. It's a pretty big job. If the wind is blowing and the wells with windmills are pumping, we generally don't have to chop and pitch because the moving water keeps a hole open big enough for the cows to drink. But it is always time consuming and physically demanding, ie....it makes you pretty dog-gone tired by the end of the day.
Now don't get me wrong......
When the sun comes up and the wind goes down the day after a snow storm, my world is a glorious blanket of white. The sky is a bright turquoise blue and the air is crisp and clean and the cold bites the end of your nose. I look out across the hills and gaze on the beauty of it all. I can see the cedar trees flocked in white and the icicles hanging from the fences and I thank the Good Lord I am there to see it. I have seen frost and ice covering the hillsides, grasses and trees glistening in the sun, that looks like fairy dust covering it all. And when the mule deer are bedded down behind a windbreak in the snow, it's a scene that looks like it should be on the cover of a magazine.
One of my favorite quotes is "There is always, always, always something to be thankful for". And I believe that's true. Yes, there are times when I am so busy that I barely have time to stop and pee during the day, let alone have time to eat. (And if you think I'm kidding, I'm not!) And yes, there are times when I am so tired I can barely make it to the house. And yes, most definitely, there are times when I cuss like a sailor because I'm stuck or something is broke down or I'm so cold I can hardly stand it. And there are those MOMENTS when I think I should have given a lot more thought to my chosen profession.........but the trade off is, well.........worth it.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
For the Animal Activist type people
People in my part of the country are not tree huggers. We are not animal activists. We don't belong to PETA or HSUS or any of those type of groups. While we have a love and respect for our land and the animals that probably goes far beyond what any of those people can fathom, we understand one thing (or most of us do)......animals are not people. Animal activists humanize every animal. They believe that animals have the same type of emotions and capabilities for feelings that humans do. And this is a mistake. This makes for a lot of troubles, for animal agriculture and other animal related fields.
Let's take a cow for instance. A cow is not a dumb animal like many people might think. But cows run on instinct. They do what centuries of cows have done. They have the sense to eat, drink, exist......but they don't think like a human and for heaven's sake, they do not FEEL like a person. They feel pain, don't get me wrong, but they don't feel pain in the same capacity as humans do. Thank God He made them that way. I would much rather see a bovine of any size get a quick zap with a hot-shot (probably a brand name for an electric cattle prod) than to see someone stand there beating on one with a stick for ten minutes. And anybody that has ever tried running a cow up a chute for preg checking or running a yearling into a truck to be shipped will tell you, it is far more humane to give them a poke with a hot shot than to beat on them. There are jackasses that don't know how to use one and will just keep buzzing, but in general, most people that have ever been around cattle very much know that you get best results from a quick buzz and that's all you need. FYI, I have been buzzed with a hot shot. Can't say it feels good, but it's not the eye-popping jolt some people would make it out to be.
And then of course, there are those against castration and branding of cattle. Good grief! I'll be honest here, when a calf is really, really little....like a day or two old, I don't like to cut (castrate) or brand them. It makes me feel bad. And if they are mine, I don't. But if I'm at some one's branding and I'm doing the cutting (yes, I cut calves) or the branding, I do what I'm told. Here is exactly what happens to a calf on branding day:
The calves and their mothers are gathered into a pen. Some people like to sort the cows out of the pen and some don't. Then the calf is roped, usually around the back feet, preferably both back feet and drug to the branding fire. There, a team of wrestlers will flip the calf with the help of the horse that is dragging it. They hold the calf for the ground crew to do the work on the calf. Usually, the calf is branded, vaccinated in the neck and castrated if it's a bull. Then the calf is released to go find its mama. Now, I am not saying this isn't painful. I know it is. It has to be. However, the pain is pretty short lived. As quick as the calf finds his mama, he goes to nursing. A sick calf won't eat so that tells me that calf isn't feeling all that bad. A fresh brand stings for a while, as is evident by the calf flipping its tail a lot. And the cutting, if done CLEANLY and properly is not nearly as painful as one might think. A good cutter will keep his (or her) hands and instruments clean and that will keep the pain and swelling to a minimum as will the conditions of the area where the calf will be for the next few days. But in general, a calf is able to travel about as far as it ever could within a day or so of being branded and castrated.
I would also be amiss if I didn't address horses in this post. I love horses. Horses are beautiful animals. They have truly enriched my life and taken me places I would have never had the opportunity to see if I hadn't had them. HOWEVER, they too are not and I repeat, are NOT humans either. They are and always will be, horses. Don't get me wrong....I think more of some horses than I do of a lot of people I know, but I can never forget that horses are horses. Horses think like horses. They do not think like people. When dealing with horses, one has to remember this. A horse does what he has learned and what instinct tells him to do. I do believe horses are much more sensitive than a cow, but that still doesn't make them a human. Horses have a pecking order and if a human doesn't establish himself as a leader to the horse very early on, a horse will assume leadership. And that is where a lot of trouble starts for some people. Without getting into my entire horse training philosophy, suffice to say, I believe a horse must be treated with respect and kindness, but needs guidance and occasionally reprimand.
While I'm at this, I need to say a little something about rodeo stock. I've been around rodeo all of my life. It is a sport that means a lot to me. And when the uninformed come in and try to tell me how cruel the sport of rodeo is, well....that just makes me mad. First of all, everyone knows that you take care of what takes care of you. The rodeo stock contractor makes his living from those horses and bulls that buck. If they don't feel good, they don't perform good. That's all there is to that. Thoses horses and bulls are fed well, treated with respect. The flank strap that seems to be the cause of so much concern goes around their flank....hence the name. If you have taken the time to look at the anatomy of a horse or bull, you will quickly see that it is quite a ways ahead of the genital area. Those big things hanging down on the back end of a bull?? That's quite a distance from where that flank strap is. It really is sad how the animal activists have stuck their uneducated noses into the sport of rodeo.
And last but not least, I will address dogs. Anyone that knows me knows I love my dogs. And while I treat them very well (my Dad often says if there is such thing as reincarnation, he wants to come back as one of my dogs), they too need guidance. I expect my dogs to mind my commands and behave properly. And again, even though Lily wears a coat when it's cold outside, she is still a dog. She eats cow poop and calf cleanings and tries her darndest to clean up if the cat barfs. She is a dog. I love her dearly and she is very, very special to me. But she is a dog.
Just a short word about vegetarians......kind of like being gay in my book. If that's how you feel, ok. But.....WHY???
But finally, I would like to say how much those HSUS ads on tv bug the heck out of me. The ones where Celine Dione sings "In the arms of an angel".......they make me sad. But the little donkey who "saw his mother worked to death" didn't know that's what was happening. If anything, he knew Mama wasn't there when he was ready for dinner. And he was sad about that. And if she really was "worked to death", well I kind of doubt it, but if she was.....well that person is an asshole......
Let's take a cow for instance. A cow is not a dumb animal like many people might think. But cows run on instinct. They do what centuries of cows have done. They have the sense to eat, drink, exist......but they don't think like a human and for heaven's sake, they do not FEEL like a person. They feel pain, don't get me wrong, but they don't feel pain in the same capacity as humans do. Thank God He made them that way. I would much rather see a bovine of any size get a quick zap with a hot-shot (probably a brand name for an electric cattle prod) than to see someone stand there beating on one with a stick for ten minutes. And anybody that has ever tried running a cow up a chute for preg checking or running a yearling into a truck to be shipped will tell you, it is far more humane to give them a poke with a hot shot than to beat on them. There are jackasses that don't know how to use one and will just keep buzzing, but in general, most people that have ever been around cattle very much know that you get best results from a quick buzz and that's all you need. FYI, I have been buzzed with a hot shot. Can't say it feels good, but it's not the eye-popping jolt some people would make it out to be.
And then of course, there are those against castration and branding of cattle. Good grief! I'll be honest here, when a calf is really, really little....like a day or two old, I don't like to cut (castrate) or brand them. It makes me feel bad. And if they are mine, I don't. But if I'm at some one's branding and I'm doing the cutting (yes, I cut calves) or the branding, I do what I'm told. Here is exactly what happens to a calf on branding day:
The calves and their mothers are gathered into a pen. Some people like to sort the cows out of the pen and some don't. Then the calf is roped, usually around the back feet, preferably both back feet and drug to the branding fire. There, a team of wrestlers will flip the calf with the help of the horse that is dragging it. They hold the calf for the ground crew to do the work on the calf. Usually, the calf is branded, vaccinated in the neck and castrated if it's a bull. Then the calf is released to go find its mama. Now, I am not saying this isn't painful. I know it is. It has to be. However, the pain is pretty short lived. As quick as the calf finds his mama, he goes to nursing. A sick calf won't eat so that tells me that calf isn't feeling all that bad. A fresh brand stings for a while, as is evident by the calf flipping its tail a lot. And the cutting, if done CLEANLY and properly is not nearly as painful as one might think. A good cutter will keep his (or her) hands and instruments clean and that will keep the pain and swelling to a minimum as will the conditions of the area where the calf will be for the next few days. But in general, a calf is able to travel about as far as it ever could within a day or so of being branded and castrated.
I would also be amiss if I didn't address horses in this post. I love horses. Horses are beautiful animals. They have truly enriched my life and taken me places I would have never had the opportunity to see if I hadn't had them. HOWEVER, they too are not and I repeat, are NOT humans either. They are and always will be, horses. Don't get me wrong....I think more of some horses than I do of a lot of people I know, but I can never forget that horses are horses. Horses think like horses. They do not think like people. When dealing with horses, one has to remember this. A horse does what he has learned and what instinct tells him to do. I do believe horses are much more sensitive than a cow, but that still doesn't make them a human. Horses have a pecking order and if a human doesn't establish himself as a leader to the horse very early on, a horse will assume leadership. And that is where a lot of trouble starts for some people. Without getting into my entire horse training philosophy, suffice to say, I believe a horse must be treated with respect and kindness, but needs guidance and occasionally reprimand.
While I'm at this, I need to say a little something about rodeo stock. I've been around rodeo all of my life. It is a sport that means a lot to me. And when the uninformed come in and try to tell me how cruel the sport of rodeo is, well....that just makes me mad. First of all, everyone knows that you take care of what takes care of you. The rodeo stock contractor makes his living from those horses and bulls that buck. If they don't feel good, they don't perform good. That's all there is to that. Thoses horses and bulls are fed well, treated with respect. The flank strap that seems to be the cause of so much concern goes around their flank....hence the name. If you have taken the time to look at the anatomy of a horse or bull, you will quickly see that it is quite a ways ahead of the genital area. Those big things hanging down on the back end of a bull?? That's quite a distance from where that flank strap is. It really is sad how the animal activists have stuck their uneducated noses into the sport of rodeo.
And last but not least, I will address dogs. Anyone that knows me knows I love my dogs. And while I treat them very well (my Dad often says if there is such thing as reincarnation, he wants to come back as one of my dogs), they too need guidance. I expect my dogs to mind my commands and behave properly. And again, even though Lily wears a coat when it's cold outside, she is still a dog. She eats cow poop and calf cleanings and tries her darndest to clean up if the cat barfs. She is a dog. I love her dearly and she is very, very special to me. But she is a dog.
Just a short word about vegetarians......kind of like being gay in my book. If that's how you feel, ok. But.....WHY???
But finally, I would like to say how much those HSUS ads on tv bug the heck out of me. The ones where Celine Dione sings "In the arms of an angel".......they make me sad. But the little donkey who "saw his mother worked to death" didn't know that's what was happening. If anything, he knew Mama wasn't there when he was ready for dinner. And he was sad about that. And if she really was "worked to death", well I kind of doubt it, but if she was.....well that person is an asshole......
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Land
I have several great loves in my life. First and foremost, my Heavenly Father; my husband and dad, horses and cattle ( well any type critter if you ask my husband) and the land that I grew up on, my precious Sandhills. This land is more than just dirt and grass to me. And it is not just a place to make a living. It defines me. It's who and what I am. It represents generations of toil on my family's behalf. It reminds me daily of those who have walked its soil before me. I cannot begin to express the feeling I have when I ride to the top of a big hill and look out over the sea of rolling hills. At times, I am quite overcome with emotion.
I have heard it said that Sandhillers are a different breed. I would agree to that. We have a code, if you will, unspoken, yet one that those of us raised as Sandhillers know and abide by. Understand that just because you were born in a Sandhill town and lived in a town in the Sandhills, does not necessarily make you a true Sandhiller and the opposite is true also. I know a few "non natives" that embody all that we Sandhillers are.
I live on the place that belonged to my dad's paternal Grandmother. We called her Granny Cline. Everyone in the county called her Granny. She was a rancher. Not a lady born on a ranch. A rancher. I hope I make her proud by following in her footsteps. The place my dad lives on was homesteaded 100 years ago this year by dad's maternal Grandfather, Sam Gordon. There is a lot of family history here.
So the love of the land isn't something that just developed with Dad and me. It is four generations deep. Four generations of riding to the top of a big hill and looking out at the cows and grass covered hills. Four generations of hard work. But mostly four generations of pride and love of our home.
I have heard it said that Sandhillers are a different breed. I would agree to that. We have a code, if you will, unspoken, yet one that those of us raised as Sandhillers know and abide by. Understand that just because you were born in a Sandhill town and lived in a town in the Sandhills, does not necessarily make you a true Sandhiller and the opposite is true also. I know a few "non natives" that embody all that we Sandhillers are.
I live on the place that belonged to my dad's paternal Grandmother. We called her Granny Cline. Everyone in the county called her Granny. She was a rancher. Not a lady born on a ranch. A rancher. I hope I make her proud by following in her footsteps. The place my dad lives on was homesteaded 100 years ago this year by dad's maternal Grandfather, Sam Gordon. There is a lot of family history here.
So the love of the land isn't something that just developed with Dad and me. It is four generations deep. Four generations of riding to the top of a big hill and looking out at the cows and grass covered hills. Four generations of hard work. But mostly four generations of pride and love of our home.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
In the blink of an eye
I spend a lot of time alone. It suits me, I guess. For a majority of my life, I have either played alone, worked alone, lived alone or driven alone. One good thing about being alone is that you always get your own way....and if you talk to anyone, that person generally agrees with you.
While I am feeding cows or out horseback, I have a lot of time to think. And lately, I have been thinking about how quickly things can change in a person's life. Accidents happen so quickly, so do marriage break ups and other life altering events.
Recently, there have been several people I know seriously hurt while doing something with horses. My dad always says if you're gonna be around horses you're gonna get hurt. It happens. I have been kicked and bucked off and fallen with and bit. I've been knocked down, run over and had the be-Jiggers scared out of me. And while I have more aches and pains than what I imagine most women my age have, mostly due to wrecks on horses, none have been life threatening. But they could have been.
A girl I know got kicked at a barrel race a few weeks ago. She was life-flighted to Denver where she had an operation to repair a laceration to her pancreas. As far as I know, she is on the mend but still hospitalized. Many years ago, I got kicked in the chest as I was walking behind a horse at a rodeo. Threw me back into the horse trailer parked beside us. I'm not saying it didn't hurt, but apparently not seriously. Another lady I know had a horse fall end over end with her last summer. It killed her. I had the same thing happen two summers ago. I don't know how I got out of that situation. But I came out totally unscathed, other than my hair being full of dirt and my entire body feeling a lot like a bowl of jello.
My point is two-fold, I guess. One is that I have been incredibly lucky or (and this would be my guess) Somebody up there is a'lookin' out for me. And two, you just never know when something will happen, in the blink of an eye, that will literally change life as you know it. I believe with all my heart, that God in heaven is watching out for me, guiding my steps and making my crooked places straight. I believe that He has a big plan for me and is taking care of me and doing things to keep that plan in motion. To be honest, if I didn't think and feel this way, I'd be scared to death to go outside the door everyday, not to mention some of the things I end up getting myself into on a daily basis. I don't know what the future holds, and despite what some people try to say, no one does. So I think there must be a reason I am still here and still pretty much in one piece. But I also know the path I am on can change, literally, in the blink of an eye. My life could be turned upside down five minutes from now. What's that saying? If you want to see God laugh, tell him your plans? I'm grateful that He has kept me safe when bad things could have been much worse. And I'm grateful every night when I go to bed knowing Matt and Dad and I are all safe for one more day. Everything else is just gravy, I think.
While I am feeding cows or out horseback, I have a lot of time to think. And lately, I have been thinking about how quickly things can change in a person's life. Accidents happen so quickly, so do marriage break ups and other life altering events.
Recently, there have been several people I know seriously hurt while doing something with horses. My dad always says if you're gonna be around horses you're gonna get hurt. It happens. I have been kicked and bucked off and fallen with and bit. I've been knocked down, run over and had the be-Jiggers scared out of me. And while I have more aches and pains than what I imagine most women my age have, mostly due to wrecks on horses, none have been life threatening. But they could have been.
A girl I know got kicked at a barrel race a few weeks ago. She was life-flighted to Denver where she had an operation to repair a laceration to her pancreas. As far as I know, she is on the mend but still hospitalized. Many years ago, I got kicked in the chest as I was walking behind a horse at a rodeo. Threw me back into the horse trailer parked beside us. I'm not saying it didn't hurt, but apparently not seriously. Another lady I know had a horse fall end over end with her last summer. It killed her. I had the same thing happen two summers ago. I don't know how I got out of that situation. But I came out totally unscathed, other than my hair being full of dirt and my entire body feeling a lot like a bowl of jello.
My point is two-fold, I guess. One is that I have been incredibly lucky or (and this would be my guess) Somebody up there is a'lookin' out for me. And two, you just never know when something will happen, in the blink of an eye, that will literally change life as you know it. I believe with all my heart, that God in heaven is watching out for me, guiding my steps and making my crooked places straight. I believe that He has a big plan for me and is taking care of me and doing things to keep that plan in motion. To be honest, if I didn't think and feel this way, I'd be scared to death to go outside the door everyday, not to mention some of the things I end up getting myself into on a daily basis. I don't know what the future holds, and despite what some people try to say, no one does. So I think there must be a reason I am still here and still pretty much in one piece. But I also know the path I am on can change, literally, in the blink of an eye. My life could be turned upside down five minutes from now. What's that saying? If you want to see God laugh, tell him your plans? I'm grateful that He has kept me safe when bad things could have been much worse. And I'm grateful every night when I go to bed knowing Matt and Dad and I are all safe for one more day. Everything else is just gravy, I think.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
His Blessings are new each morning
I am always amazed how much better things seem in the morning. Yesterday the wind blew with such ferocity that many folks were concerned for the roofs on their houses and much other personal property. I can't remember the last time I have witnessed the wind blowing that hard for that long.
The people of the county seat of McPherson County had other concerns yesterday. They were concerned for their entire homes. You see, a week or so ago, the old dump (aka landfill) was started on fire by a few kids playing with matches. Since there wasn't much wind, only a few acres of pasture land burned that day. Naughty boys....but not much harm done. But since that time, some people had put more trash out at the dump. And apparently, the first fire was still smoldering just a bit. The high winds from yesterday reignited the fire. With a vengeance.
My brother lives maybe a half mile north of the dump. Behind his house is a very nice cedar windbreak and lining the road further north is a windbreak that attaches to his. Beyond that to the north lies the town of Tryon.
With the wind blowing so hard the fire burned very rapidly. So rapidly, in fact, that by the time anyone noticed it, it had already burned almost to Randy's place. He had what was left of his winter hay stored literally feet( approx. 200) from the south and west of his home. It caught fire. Bales catching on fire are difficult to put out. There will be hot spots all through the bale, so it has to be torn apart, mostly with tractors but then with pitchforks. Water needs to be sprayed on it to put out anything burning or that might burn. Besides the fire department, who are all volunteers, many, many ranchers and towns folk came to help. It was touch and go for a little while. Quite literally, the entire town of Tryon could have gone up. All of Randy's hay was lost and maybe a few other small pieces of equipment and a few fenceposts. But for the most part, things turned out pretty darned good.
The wind continued to blow like the dickens after we left the fire. Most likely, Randy was out babysitting it until the rains came. I don't think I have ever been any dirtier than I was yesterday.....
There were several other fires in the area yesterday. I only know the cause of one. Branches were blown onto old power lines which fell onto a shed and started it on fire. The quick work of the owners and volunteer firefighters kept this fire from being a much worse one also.
And then the rain came. It was a powerful, heavy rain that brought great moisture to our hills. I am very thankful for the moisture and for the rain putting an end to the fires.
This morning, there was no wind at all. As I walked through the heifer lot when the sun was just peeking up over the horizon, I thought of the bible verse "His blessings are new each morning." I think the context is really a little different than how I have chosen to take it today, but nevertheless, it is so true. The wind has died down, the rains have washed all the sand that blew around away and given new life to the grass trying to work its way out of the earth. The fires that raged yesterday are a thing of the past. It's almost like yesterday never happened in some small way. If only we would always put each day behind us so easily and just say, "His blessings are new each morning".......
The people of the county seat of McPherson County had other concerns yesterday. They were concerned for their entire homes. You see, a week or so ago, the old dump (aka landfill) was started on fire by a few kids playing with matches. Since there wasn't much wind, only a few acres of pasture land burned that day. Naughty boys....but not much harm done. But since that time, some people had put more trash out at the dump. And apparently, the first fire was still smoldering just a bit. The high winds from yesterday reignited the fire. With a vengeance.
My brother lives maybe a half mile north of the dump. Behind his house is a very nice cedar windbreak and lining the road further north is a windbreak that attaches to his. Beyond that to the north lies the town of Tryon.
With the wind blowing so hard the fire burned very rapidly. So rapidly, in fact, that by the time anyone noticed it, it had already burned almost to Randy's place. He had what was left of his winter hay stored literally feet( approx. 200) from the south and west of his home. It caught fire. Bales catching on fire are difficult to put out. There will be hot spots all through the bale, so it has to be torn apart, mostly with tractors but then with pitchforks. Water needs to be sprayed on it to put out anything burning or that might burn. Besides the fire department, who are all volunteers, many, many ranchers and towns folk came to help. It was touch and go for a little while. Quite literally, the entire town of Tryon could have gone up. All of Randy's hay was lost and maybe a few other small pieces of equipment and a few fenceposts. But for the most part, things turned out pretty darned good.
The wind continued to blow like the dickens after we left the fire. Most likely, Randy was out babysitting it until the rains came. I don't think I have ever been any dirtier than I was yesterday.....
There were several other fires in the area yesterday. I only know the cause of one. Branches were blown onto old power lines which fell onto a shed and started it on fire. The quick work of the owners and volunteer firefighters kept this fire from being a much worse one also.
And then the rain came. It was a powerful, heavy rain that brought great moisture to our hills. I am very thankful for the moisture and for the rain putting an end to the fires.
This morning, there was no wind at all. As I walked through the heifer lot when the sun was just peeking up over the horizon, I thought of the bible verse "His blessings are new each morning." I think the context is really a little different than how I have chosen to take it today, but nevertheless, it is so true. The wind has died down, the rains have washed all the sand that blew around away and given new life to the grass trying to work its way out of the earth. The fires that raged yesterday are a thing of the past. It's almost like yesterday never happened in some small way. If only we would always put each day behind us so easily and just say, "His blessings are new each morning".......
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Green Grass
Dad and I had some well work to do this afternoon. Time consuming, but not a bad job. The afternoon was sunny and not much wind.
The pasture we were in is where our yearling steers are for the time being. Yearlings are snoopy to say the least, so every one of them had to come over and watch almost the entire process. Except for the time Lily, my Boston Terrier, was antagonizing them, they stood quietly chewing their cuds and happily burping in the sunshine. Eventually, though, it was time to get to work. For the steers, I mean.
When the temperature gets around 60 degrees and we have had a little moisture like we got this weekend, the green grass starts popping up all over the place. It isn't much yet, but just enough to tantalize the cattle and keep them busy picking those tiny little tendrils of grass that are peeking up through the ground. It must be like eating a candy bar for me....delicious!
Every bovine on the place, other than the cows having calves and the ones locked up in lots were busy making a living this afternoon. Heads down, grazing anywhere there might be a little blade of grass. Those steers scattered out on top of the big hills and down in the little holes, searching for every blade, almost as it peeks up out of the soil.
It won't be long until the cows won't be a bit interested in the hay we are feeding them. They will be much more consumed with eating grass. And that is a wonderful thing, except for grass tetany. When the green grass comes on fast(after cool weather) like it likely will this week, our concern is cows consuming too much and getting the "grass staggers". It can potentially kill a cow so it is something we are all too aware of. Today, Matt and I went to the Feedstore in town and bought a few bags of high magnesium mineral to mix with the cows' salt. That is the preventative for grass tetany, to raise the levels of magnesium the cow has in her body.
I know all of us here are looking forward to not having to feed hay anymore. One of my neighbors told me one of the happiest days of the year for him is the day he can unhook his feed wagon from his tractor!! I know that feeling, not so much about the feeding of the hay, but when the green grass comes it means spring is here. That means no more snow and the beginning of better things to come.
The pasture we were in is where our yearling steers are for the time being. Yearlings are snoopy to say the least, so every one of them had to come over and watch almost the entire process. Except for the time Lily, my Boston Terrier, was antagonizing them, they stood quietly chewing their cuds and happily burping in the sunshine. Eventually, though, it was time to get to work. For the steers, I mean.
When the temperature gets around 60 degrees and we have had a little moisture like we got this weekend, the green grass starts popping up all over the place. It isn't much yet, but just enough to tantalize the cattle and keep them busy picking those tiny little tendrils of grass that are peeking up through the ground. It must be like eating a candy bar for me....delicious!
Every bovine on the place, other than the cows having calves and the ones locked up in lots were busy making a living this afternoon. Heads down, grazing anywhere there might be a little blade of grass. Those steers scattered out on top of the big hills and down in the little holes, searching for every blade, almost as it peeks up out of the soil.
It won't be long until the cows won't be a bit interested in the hay we are feeding them. They will be much more consumed with eating grass. And that is a wonderful thing, except for grass tetany. When the green grass comes on fast(after cool weather) like it likely will this week, our concern is cows consuming too much and getting the "grass staggers". It can potentially kill a cow so it is something we are all too aware of. Today, Matt and I went to the Feedstore in town and bought a few bags of high magnesium mineral to mix with the cows' salt. That is the preventative for grass tetany, to raise the levels of magnesium the cow has in her body.
I know all of us here are looking forward to not having to feed hay anymore. One of my neighbors told me one of the happiest days of the year for him is the day he can unhook his feed wagon from his tractor!! I know that feeling, not so much about the feeding of the hay, but when the green grass comes it means spring is here. That means no more snow and the beginning of better things to come.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)