During this hiatus from regular employment I have been free to do some of the things I enjoy doing without the hassle of consulting the calendar. For a number of years I’ve helped a friend of mine with working cattle in the spring or fall. My kids have grown up helping in the process as have his. Most of the time we have to juggle my work schedule, his work schedule, and the weather. Since my layoff, we’ve been able to simplify the scheduling.
Spring roundup is a great time of the year. It’s hard, dusty work — not quite the old cowboy way with horses and ropes, but still work. Closing and lifting the chute with calves weighing from one hundred pounds up to three or four hundred, can offer a real workout. Smooth success at sorting cows from calves, leading calves up the alley to the tub, bringing them into the chute all depends upon the skills of the cowhands and the attitude of the bovine.
Continue reading “Round ’em Up”