Bringing Home the Cows

Before we left for our Thanksgiving trip there was one last major job that needed taken care of.

I was able to get the reluctant Goblin Child out the first day by promising she could ride with Cowboy Bill. Fortunately she was able to. 8 Gets all excited in his carrier when we get on a four wheeler, he starts bouncing up and down making happy noises. It started out quite nice. The cows came pretty easy and crossed the highway much easier than last year. The wind had come up and the temperature dropped by the time we got to the pasture so I rushed the kids home while the guys took the trailer to get a cow that wasn’t doing good and couldn’t make the walk home. Because I had to get the kids in and maybe because I was completely unneeded 😉 Sometimes the crews for these things are a bit larger than strictly necessary.

The next day the wind blew.

For anyone who hasn’t enjoyed this type of wind there is no explaining it. It’s bad. We huddled in the house. I was sick. The next day was beautiful. Warm and still and perfect for moving cattle. But looking out the pastures looked fuller than they had before. Sure enough the guys, I don’t know who I didn’t even know they had done it, had brought cows home. I can’t imagine how miserable that must have been. At least they would’ve been up wind from the cattle for the whole five miles.

Saturday we weaned and worked calves. It was chilly. Cara was going to watch the kids but 8 woke up and screamed when I tried to leave him. So I bundled him up, tied him on front and put my coat over both of us. He seemed happy and kept me warm. I don’t know how I did it with The Goblin Child without any baby wearing paraphernalia. The Goblin Child was napping and missed playing with Cowboy Bill.

Then, Sunday, it was time to bring the big bunch home from way over west. The morning was relatively warm. 8 was tied in front again and as we all prepared to climb on the four wheeler the neighbor was sitting next to us in his little two seater Razor. So we put the Goblin Child aboard with him. They zipped around the pasture in the sportster honking its road runner horn. It’s not meant to be a cow herding working vehicle but it’s cute and they had fun. She may have fallen asleep.

The cows came in easily to the corrals where we would load them into semis and trailers for the trip home. My cow loving husband and I took turns as usual hopping off to chase on foot. I didn’t drop any children, nobody froze or locked themselves in the pickup. It was a good day. With diapers changed and some layers off we proceeded to haul them home. I got the pickup and trailer and the very first load. My multi-talented husband followed, eventually, in a semi. The next time our paths crossed I sent the Goblin Child with him. Soon all cattle were home and lunch eaten. OK, not soon. It was a late lunch and I thought I was going to die of starvation by the time we got done hauling. But I do hate to complain.

After lunch The Goblin Child stayed at the big house to play with the other kids and I moved 8 to the backpack and we ran the calves through that we had just brought home. About half way through The Goblin Child joined us working and played with Bill. Hopefully she learns to how to properly work cattle from him. He is the master. Then as the sun set and the temperature dropped  my otherwise occupied husband finished the work he was doing and took over for me. I ran 8 into the warm house and started getting ready for our big Thanksgiving trip. It was a long week but they are home and got here before this last little snow and even colder weather. Now the only thing that needs done is the feeding of them. I can never claim boredom.