I have mentioned it time and again that because I grew up on the ranch I find it difficult to view things the way others will. Take this photo for instance. I posted it on Facebook and Tumber yesterday, just because it was another part of my day. Within a just a few hours there were over 80 likes and comments on the photo. My favorite comment was “This is so country… I love it!” Really? I just thought it was just another part of my job taking care of cattle.
Maybe it is just because I am sheltered to the ranch way of life, but I thought sticking that 2-day old calf in the cab of the pickup was much easier than trailing her a half mile on horseback. Sure, it tried to climb in my lap (to which I am pretty sure Pistol got jealous) and changed the radio stations, but I thought the cab was made for keeping new calves warm. Her mother got pretty sick after giving birth, so I had to bring them both to the corral where they could be observed easier and I could run a round of medicine to clear out the infection. It may be a rough and tough job, especially the stench of the uterine infection, but it is just another day on the ranch.
Ranch life has its times of excitement, like when that cow treed me up the corral fence after I cleaned out her retained placenta, or when the mother cow chased me back into the pickup after I tagged her newborn calf, or even when I found “Prickles” (as a friend has named her) in the snow and ice and brought her in the house for some warm colostrum and a dry towel. All of these events are a part of calving season on the ranch and I would not have it any other way… Unless I could find a way to bring my day to everyone in town and show them how much work and TLC it takes to get their beef from pasture to plate.
What can I say? I am a ranch kid!
