Double Dipping

Last week was a busy one for these grandparents. In addition to the eldest grandson playing baseball in the state tournament, we had a couple of grandsons showing their cattle at the State Beef Expo. Thank goodness both events were taking place in the same town. So, while we had about a forty-five minute drive to our destination, we could take in both activities, since they were only a couple of blocks away from one another.

Angus Steers in the District Champion Class

The first day was actually the district show. Both boys did a wonderful job showing off their animals. They held the calves' heads high and positioned their feet just so. They watched the judge and kept an eye on their calf as well. All of us were pleased at how they were 'dialed in' and focused on doing their best.

Easton with his steer

It was evident that the boys had done their homework because their animals behaved beautifully. The calves responded to the gentle tugs and nudges from the boys and handled almost like pets. Of course that kind of behavior only comes after hours of practice at home and those boys had a ritual every single day for working with each animal.

That's a lot of meat on the hoof!

Levi's heavyweight steer won a banner for Reserve Champion Angus Steer in the district show and got a blue ribbon in his class the next day in the State Angus Steer Show. Easton's steer won a blue ribbon in the district show and was in the top five in the state show. Little brother was not a happy camper that big brother placed a bit higher than him but we don't think either of them did any too shabby! 

Easton's first official steer show

Levi had a couple of heifers to show as well. The first one was a farm bred and raised Angus heifer. The second one was a Hereford heifer that is what we hope is the start of a herd. The Mister has had a lifelong dream of having Herefords. He has talked about it for years and finally bit the bullet and bought one. 

Levi with Kaitlynn

She is sort of a family favorite because she is so docile and friendly. Even little sister has been putting her through her daily paces in the pasture beside the barn. Every afternoon they have a backyard mini-show. First, each animal is rinsed - Easton's specialty. Next, each one has its hair blown out and styled - Levi's specialty. After they all eat their feed, they are led in a circle around the yard or pasture a few times and stopped to practice setting up and standing patiently before they are set free for the evening. The next morning they are all haltered and led into the barn for their morning feeding. They spend the day inside with fans blowing on them during the day and the ritual starts all over again late in the afternoon.

Levi and heifer sharing kisses

It is so much fun for us to watch the guys exhibit their cattle and so rewarding to see them do so well after watching all the hard work that went into preparing. We watched them show their calves for a while one day. Then, I went to the ball park and watched Harris and his team play. The next day the Mister and I thought we would split up and one watch the ballgame and the other watch the cattle show but it turned out to be a rain out for the ball tournament. So, we both watched the cattle show. I sat with a friend from my collage days and we shared tales and photos of grandchildren. The next day we watched a bit of the cattle show and then went to the ball park for a game. That sort of action went on for the duration. So, we sort of double dipped by taking in both events happening in the same town. We felt so fortunate that both events were taking place only a short distance apart and we got to see a little bit of both events.

Just 3 Things | #33

I've been on the go this week. Tuesday found me at physical therapy, running errands, and perusing the thrift store. Wednesday was a day sharing a long lunch with a friend. Thursday found me back at physical therapy and helping the Mister a bit serving as a shuttle bus to get him from one tractor to the other for his hay harvesting tasks. Hay time always seems a bit frenzied. There are a lot of moving parts and pieces of equipment involved; there's concerns about keeping all the equipment in working order, and the weather plays a major role, as well. Throw all that in with his other responsibilities and things can get a bit harried. Friday takes me to my regular hair cut appointment and my first bone density test. 

- What I've Been Working On -

This has been a week when my spare minutes were spent doing volunteer secretarial duties. Since I was on the go a lot, I just fitted in chores and tasks whenever I could. My secretarial duties include documenting and filing paperwork to keep the cemetery records up to date for the Mister who is the Cemetery Manager. There were requests for family transfer forms which had to be mailed out. There were requests for copies of certificates of ownership. There were a couple of burials to record. These sorts of tasks are simply a way of documenting and recording who is laid to rest there in the cemetery and who has purchased burial lots. There's not really much excitement in this sort of work but it is something I know how to do, so I figure it is my way of serving and supporting the community as well as my husband. 

- What I've Been Reading -

I picked up a beach read a couple of weeks ago when the Kindle Daily Deals message landed in my inbox. I picked it up for less than five dollars. I really enjoy these offerings and it has some good options from time to time. My Kindle Library is pretty full right now because of the choices that deal message brings to me. 

Beach House Rules

I started reading it a couple of days ago and am almost finished with it. This book has really made me think about how there is so much gossip in a small town - probably not more than what is in a big city but it is just more concentrated because of the smallness of population. The main character's husband is arrested for a white collar crime and their storyline becomes small town focus. 

I've also been thinking about how the choices and behavior of members of our family can have an impact on us even though we might not have a connection to to their choices and behaviors and may not even have any idea about those things. Yet, it tends to color other people's perspective. I am guilty of using that sameness or guilt by association train of thought at times. Kristy Woodson Harvey is a good storyteller and I'm looking forward to seeing how she resolves this one.

- What I've Been Loving -

The Mister will frequently take a ride up the hill in the afternoon to visit with the grandchildren who live next door. This summer the boys are working with show steers and heifers. They spend time training the calves to becoming comfortable with a halter around their head. Then, they train them to lead like a dog on a leash. Then, they work with them to know where to place their feet so that it is most becoming to their physique. It's a process! 

Then, there's a whole commitment to having fluffy, thick, luscious hair on these animals. Ladies, don't even think you can hold a candle to these animals when it comes to hair care. Each day there is a rinse.

 Then, there a comb out. Next, comes the blow out before there is a conditioning spray followed by a diligent brushing and setting. 

The blow out is calculated to make certain the hair is moving in the right direction.

Spray on conditioner to make the hair glow and shine, yet, still be soft and fluffy.

Brush the hair to bring out the oils in the skin and blend with the conditioner for shine.

Style and set the hair to help build the illusion of a strong, wide, meaty back.

This is hair care on another level. There are also fans blowing to keep the temperature cool. (Some fancier operations will have a 'cooler room' where the animal stands in air conditioned chill to mimic winter and encourage hair growth.)

Each animal also has a practice session where they are being trained to walk slowly and deliberately and respond to the gentle tugs and stops prompted by the person on the other end of the halter.

The animals become accustomed to little sisters running round, dogs barking, vehicles running, people making different noises. The training is as comprehensive as possible to make certain that the animal will remain docile, responsive to the leader's touch, and look his or her best.

One afternoon I took a ride up the hill and made some observations and captured a few photos. I asked questions and got some in-depth answers about the training process - both the training process for behavior and the process for coat and hair care. As I was watching, I marveled at the patience that the boys showed while working with the animals. It was interesting to see how Levi approached and worked with the younger animals who have just begun the journey of learning to wear the halter and respond to human interaction.

He carefully eased up to the calf and took a moment or two to just stand and let him become comfortable with the presence of a human holding the rope. Then, he spoke quietly and gently to him to give him some reassurance that all is well. 

He rubbed on the calf and embraced him a bit to let him know that no harm is intended and it will be a working relationship. 

Then, Levi gave a gentle tug and the animal took a few steps and Levi repeated that tug and respond routine until the calf had made a lap around the stall. That was it for the first lesson. The young trainer was pleased with the response and how smoothly it seemed to work for the first session. It was a beautiful dance to watch!

That particular afternoon, the other young trainer was rinsing and cleaning and cooling the animals at the wash 'parlor.' You'd think that the animals would jolt at the first spray of the cold water but these animals had enough experience that they stood perfectly still and even seemed to enjoy the spraying and scrubbing and rubbing during the rinse. There was a flicker of the ears or a swish of the tail but that was about it.

Easton took it slow and easy and gave each calf a thorough rinse, scrub, and rub down. He moved slowly and steadily so as not to startle the calf, yet, still was meticulous in covering all the real estate on each animal.

Then, he took his time and slowly led each one back into the barn to await their hair salon appointment. These are animals weighing between one and two thousand pounds and have massive strength. Yet, they have developed that working relationship between these boys who are barely into double digits in age. I just see so much good coming from this endeavor and I love that they have these opportunities. The guys are learning to work together as a team to get chores done. They are learning responsibility to one another and for an animal who is totally dependent upon them. They are becoming more tenacious and dedicated to a commitment. They are learning the value of daily involvement and hard work. They are developing patience and strength and strength of character. It was really an awesome thing to watch and is such a good thing.

Well, it was a busy week but not really much exciting went down. Since the Mister is wrapping up the first hay harvest and that is kind of an energy sapper, we are both pretty much looking forward to a quiet weekend, I think. May your weekend be full of rejuvenation!

A New Venture

The Mister and I both grew up on dairy farms. So, we have been surrounded by agriculture all of our lives. His family had Jersey cows that were soft brown and my family had Holstein Friesians that were black and white. After we married, we would go to the local fair and wander round and think about days gone by and the Mister would always say, "I always wanted a Hereford (red with white face) beef heifer," and I would just roll my eyes. 

A decade ago, the Mister spent his time raising calves on a bottle and we had a barn full of calves. He wound up selling them all and really retiring, thank goodness. Having livestock like that can really limit a person's freedom and become strenuous work. Somebody has to be there to feed them each and every day. Their health has to be checked each and every day. Sometimes they will need medical treatment due to illness or injury. These animals can be quite large and are generally a bit rambunctious. Good facilities and equipment are a necessity when it comes to taking care of a herd of cattle. So, we didn't feel as if we were in the physical shape to care for a herd of steers and didn't really have the facilities and equipment to handle them either. So, the sale of the steers happened and the Mister retired. However, that dream of owning a docile Hereford heifer never really went away...

My uncle had a Charolais (white) beef cow give birth to twins several years ago and the cow would not let one of the calves nurse. So, the calf came to our house and the Mister raised her with a bottle. I thought that heifer dream itch had been scratched. When she matured, she was turned in with my bonus son's Angus (black) beef cattle. He started off his herd with four young females and has been raising and selling steers to local 4-Hers for several years. The Charolais just joined the herd and she also has produced some steers and a couple or three heifers over the years. Still, the Mister's dream of the docile Hereford beef heifer persisted...

Miss Moo Moo, the Charolais, and one of her calves.

Eventually, I grew tired of rolling my eyes and shaking my head. So, the Mister began researching and shopping online for his heifer. He convinced me that the grandsons who live next door are big enough to help take care of her and exhibit her in local fairs and shows. "They already have their own Angus heifers and steers. She will fit right in with their animals." Then, last Saturday there was a state Hereford sale. So, the Mister got a bidder number. Then, he was diagnosed with Covid a couple of days before the sale. He was really bummed until he learned that they would be live streaming the sale. So, we have a new venture...

Levi exhibited her in the show on the day after the sale. Then, they hauled her home with their steers and tied her in the barn with them so that she would be easy for them to take care of.  She gets led and brushed and petted and all of the livestock show prep things each day. He reports that she is a sweetie and is docile and cooperative. 

She is a really pretty young lady. I love how her hair is an almost exact match to our grandson's. She does seem docile and very much like a big old pet. Mike takes the ATV up the hill almost every afternoon to watch them. There are lots of grins. I think the Bonus Son and Levi grin that the Mister comes and sits and watches. I see the grin on the face of the Mister when he comes back down the hill. I hope she continues to bring smiles to everybody around here. 

I've been a nosey neighbor

Our neighbors have Longhorn cattle. They have been a novelty since they first entered the pasture next door. 

Being farm folks, Mike and I thought it was odd that the neighbors would buy such a creature. They were not really farm people and simply bought them for the novelty of how the cattle looked, I think. The first two who came to be our neighbors were Wanda and Willy. Wanda was a hefty, older looking cow who looked like she had not had a calf in years. Willy was a young yearling bull.  

Then, the neighbors added another and another Longhorn cow until they had an entire herd. Some of the new cows gave birth shortly after arriving next door and the herd continued to grow.

The neighbors wound up selling and moving away to another state but the herd stayed next door for the new homeowners. These new homeowners really seemed to have less knowledge about cattle than the original ones. For example, they didn't realize that they probably needed to get some hay to feed the cows when it snows and there is no grass readily available. So, they asked Mike for suggestions and he shared a little information.

After lunch one day this week, Mike mentioned that there was a truck and trailer backed up to the catch pen next door and some guys were loading up some of the Longhorns. Out of curiosity, I gravitated to the window to watch. I was curious about how many they would be able to load onto a trailer with those long horns. There were already a couple of the cattle loaded onto the trailer and the guys were working to get more on. One of them came dashing around the side of the trailer and had a rope dangling from his neck. The guys came dashing after him and the chase ensued.

The young bull went loping off down the pasture away from the barn. At one point one of the guys grabbed hold of the dangling rope and he began to dangle along as well. After a while, the guy turned loose and stood in a state of ponder for a bit. Then, he eased down the pasture and circled around the young bull and drove him back up toward the barn. This time, the young bull made short work of running around and getting by the men. Finally, both guys snagged hold of the end of the rope and held on, stopping the young bull.

It became a war of wills. Which would have the most determination? Would it be the guys or the bull? The guys were patient for a while. The other cattle came over to their friend and checked him out and then they wandered off munching on grass. After the young bull tired a bit, one of the guys ran back up the hill to the truck and pulled it down toward where the young bull was scotched and holding his ground.

I was amazed by the strength of this guy! Evidently, they didn't make much progress at coaxing the young bull onto the trailer. So, while the one guy held on, the other guy circled the trailer back around closer to the young bull, who was laying on the ground at that point. 

Being the nosey neighbor through all of this, I just took a seat near the window looking out onto the neighbor's pasture and watched all the action as I was making up an online grocery order. I was certainly amazed by the strength of the one guy! They were pretty tenacious about getting their job done and I found it interesting to see how they went about getting that bull loaded. I was also thankful that I didn't have any part of the work of it!

The two guys tugged and coaxed and finally got the bull loaded and went on their way with the load of Longhorn bulls. Obviously, this was not the guys' first rodeo!