We got the cows home today.

The weekend after Thanksgiving works best for us time wise. It’s not deer season and it’s not Thanksgiving. Any earlier would be too early. We need to get corn out and electric fences up and there’s plenty of grass there to hold them.

But the week after Thanksgiving is just too late. The cows are ready to come home. It’s getting colder and colder. They just need to com home earlier.

Hello deer season for next year.

Our wonderful neighbors who let us use their corrals to haul them out of also come along to help get the cows moved out of the pasture and into their corrals. They were out in the brisk morning when we got there and ready to go. We had to run into the wind to get to the cows. It was cold. Have I mentioned that? We got to the pasture gate and my ears were froze. They asked why I didn’t put up the hood on my sweatshirt. Obviously because it would just blow off. So, why don’t I tie it? Tie the sweatshirt hood?!?! But that’s not cool. My husband does it without shame or self consciousness. It’s not something I would ever do!

But it was cold and although we had made it to the pasture we still had to go across the pasture. So I tied my hood up and you know what? It was SO much warmer.

We split up at the pasture. Two in each direction. My son with my friend in one direction. Hopefully the shorter easier way. Her husband and I the other way. The long run to the far side of the pasture. My daughter and husband waited at the road to make sure the herd went the right way when we got there.

I stopped to shut off the tank. By the time I got the solar pump unplugged he was way ahead of me. To the other side of the pasture already. Wow he’s fast. I started to follow, then looked behind me to see my darling Ghost leading most of the herd at a trot in the exact wrong direction. So I turned around to try to turn her.

She turned right around and with the whole herd following went in the other wrong direction. Back and forth we went across the base of a triangle with the gate we needed at the tip. Then everyone else showed up. My son and friend had found a calf outside of the fence. They got him in. The husband found nothing. All the cows were close at least. With a few more people around we were able to pursued the cows to leave their endless back and forth and turn towards the gate.

At a trot they set out across the next pasture towards the road. They had finally remembered the way home. We got to the corrals with no excitement.

My friend had not only been there and ready to help on a bright and early cold winter morning but she had also made it to the big city before that and picked up donuts! She had delicious food ready for us and hot drinks to warm our frozen fingers. It also made me realize how badly I fail at these things. Talk about goals to strive for.

We started sorting and loading. Got the first semi full. Told him to wait, we just needed a moment to get help to send along. Getting cattle unloaded is easier than loading them, but that still doesn’t make it easy. Help is important. As the helper worked his way out of the corrals, the semi disappeared into the distance. Alone.

Ok. Back tto loading the second semi.

Again loaded I hopped in to ride along with my husband and to help him unload. We didn’t meet the first semi as we traveled down the road and were starting to get worried. My Ghost cow was on there. Hopefully nothing went wrong.

At home the semi was at the chute. The cattle still unloading.

They hadn’t wanted to unload so help had been called. A neighbor made the trip over because we had failed to send anyone to help unload. How terrible of us.

Cattle unloaded the first semi pulled away from the chute. And stopped. My husband was able to squeeze around it enough to get backed up. The neighbor and I started unloading while my husband went to see what was going on.

The semi had died there. Issues that were thought to have been fixed by a recent trip to the mechanics had not actually been resolved apparently. Luckily it had waited until he was away from the chute to break. We could still unload. And go for the rest of the cows with just the one semi.

Back to the corrals we started loading. Then the phone rang. He had gotten the semi running and was on his way.

The semi made it over and home again without breaking completely. The weather had warmed up enough that we all were quickly shedding clothes. The bulls, yes, still in the herd, only got in one big fight. As the rest of us cleared the fences my friends husband dove into the middle of the fracas flag whipping about, screaming, dust flying. Most importantly no one dying. From the relative safety of outside the fence I pondered this new evidence that I will never be a true cowboy. That great feat would never have occurred to anyone else there I think. All in all the day went wonderfully.

At home the cows dove into the bales we had ready for them. They can hang out int he corrals tonight. Rest. Find their calves. Tomorrow we will let them out on cornstalks. I think, no, I know they’re happy to be home. I also know I’m happy to have them here. Next spring we’ll all be just as happy to go the other direction.

No pictures because I was slightly busy and my fingers were frozen.