Why Bother?…Tradition…

I saw a picture on a friend’s Facebook wall recently that says it all. Here it is:

Oh, there are plenty of loud disagreements and long days and sometimes longer nights when you have cattle, but all of it is worth it. Why? There are so many reasons. One, we get to eat delicious, healthy beef & offer that product to customers from all around the world. But there is something more, much more…

It really goes deeper than doing the daily chores and work it takes to be considered a rancher or farmer or seedstock producer or whatever term is most appropriate on a given day. We have just returned home from yet another cattle show. This time, the SUPER FUN Iowa State Fair, where yes, I was reminded again, by my tired body, of how young I am not! Regardless, I was really proud that more than one time other moms observed what close friends Kaydee and Emmet have become. I know that if they were both so involved in separate sports and other activities that they were never on the same team, this would not be the case. However, as it is, they are a team, with their cattle and in our family. And yes, they do team up on Matt & I, more often me than him, darn it! But I do try to keep a smile on…

  

Of course, the friends made at cattle shows are treasured & memories are priceless, but at an event like a State Fair, we have to remember that the cattle barn is also a giant classroom for all sorts of people who do not live on a farm. Many of them have never been to a farm & have certainly never touched beef cattle. So, yes, Kaydee’s heifer, Smalls, who got the privilege of being in the end stall right next to the big aisle where all of the people walk through made her way into literally dozens of pictures. I can’t guess how many times she got petted and thankfully, she was a good sport about it the entire time! On Saturday, Kaydee tried her entrepreneurial skills out, but to no avail! Really, she just wanted people to have to talk to her before they touched her cow. Haha!

Well, another show is done & the awards at this one were not numerous for Kaydee & Emmet, but we all had a really good time. I read recently that people who travel/vacation every now and then live longer because they have good memories to think about. Well, a cattle barn is not very tropical and it certainly doesn’t smell like the ocean, but the memories are abundant. So, yes, for our family, the tradition will continue – I am the sixth generation of my family to have cattle; Kaydee and Emmet are the seventh. We are always for trying out new ideas, but having cattle is one tradition that will stay in our family for a long, long time.

And the tired troops head home until next week – and then it’s off to another show…

 

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Swimming Party…For the Cows

On Sunday evening Matt, Emmet and I went to Kansas to get a few pairs we need to have at our house.  We need to have them at our house because we need to get the calf portion of those pairs ready for the Iowa State Fair – yep, giving ourselves that whole three weeks of prep time.  No problem!!…I hope…   So – you might have noticed we were a kid short when we headed to the pasture.  Kaydee was CRABBBBBYYYY.  Her dad told her it would be just fine if she wanted to stay home and pack for her FFA officer retreat and do a few things around the house.  Sometimes a girl just needs a few hours to herself & we were glad to help accommodate her need of alone time.  It made the rest of our day MUCH more pleasant.

When Emmet and I headed into the pasture to find the cows, here is where they were:

Yep – it was a swimming party; complete with a shaded beach, snacks all around, and plenty of cool, refreshing (ignore the muddiness) water.  Let me tell you, when you want the cows to go to the far south end of the pasture and they are in their height of luxury in the far north end of the pasture….you have your work cut out for you!

We did get everyone we needed headed south (after throwing some dirt clods into the pond to get the cows moving, and come coaxing with range cubes) toward Matt with the pickup and trailer and the portable panel catch pen.  However when we were just close enough to start getting them inside the pen, the clouds got alot darker, the wind picked up, and the temperature dropped at least 15 degrees.  Great!  We were on a dirt road.  We were thrilled for the MUCH cooler temp, but we did NOT want to be stuck a long way from anywhere.

So, off we go, back to the farmhouse to wait out the storm….that never came.  It completely went around us – which was ok.  We decided to go check another pasture while we waited to make sure it wasn’t going to rain.  Here is what we got to see while we were out there – a beautiful rainbow.  It was even double for a little while.

On our second attempt at getting those fore-mentioned pairs in, we were successful.  The pairs are now here at the house and Emmet assures me, those calves will be show ready by mid August.  I’m taking his word for it…and helping him out when he asks.  I enjoy that kind of work way too much to let he and Kaydee have all the fun.

We should all take a lesson from the cows in the pond – do what is most comfortable & enjoy life!

 

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