Soapweed
Well-known member
My journal entry for Saturday, May 18, 1968
This was kind of a miserable day in about all ways. The weather was windy, sleeting off and on, and the temperature hardly got above freezing.
I got up at 6:00—just in time for breakfast. Then I had to get a couple calves to suck down at the barn.
Dad and I rounded up the main bunch in the middle pasture and put them south of the meadow. You'd have sworn we were in the days of Charlie Russell as we rode colts to save our good horses for the upcoming cattle drive to summer pasture. Slickers flapping, the bad weather, and numerous other things made our horses put on quite a show.
Dad went to town to do some banking, so I rode Jig on a final swing of the middle pasture. We found eight cows and five calves that were missed, so I started taking them to where the others were. An extra cow got with the bunch, so my horse was doing some quick turns. We got on soft ground and took quite a spill. I got a black eye, sprained foot, and an arm that is quite useless at the moment—along with getting all my wind knocked out of me.
We had an early dinner and then started driving cattle. Sybil is still slightly sick and out of commission, so Dad, Sandra, Lloyd, and I made up the crew. I rode Sassy.
We got about a mile and a half up the road and about a hundred calves went back. This took time, patience, and some griping to remedy. A bunch of calves again went back before we reached the highway, so we punchers were about fit to be tied.
Uncle Stan, Ken, and Chick Nero (Ken's granddad) came to help us cross the highway. Ken rode Comet and helped us for a couple miles before leaving. We had a coffee break on the other side of the highway, to let the cows and calves match up, before journeying on. The cattle moved hard all afternoon.
We put the cattle southeast of the JO branding corral. Uncle Stan met us with our pickup, so we left the horses in the branding corral and took off. We visited a short time at the house and went to have supper with Grandma Grace.
Lloyd and I had a cool ride home in the back of the pickup. Chores still had to be done when we got home, but I was permitted to catch up on my diary.
This was kind of a miserable day in about all ways. The weather was windy, sleeting off and on, and the temperature hardly got above freezing.
I got up at 6:00—just in time for breakfast. Then I had to get a couple calves to suck down at the barn.
Dad and I rounded up the main bunch in the middle pasture and put them south of the meadow. You'd have sworn we were in the days of Charlie Russell as we rode colts to save our good horses for the upcoming cattle drive to summer pasture. Slickers flapping, the bad weather, and numerous other things made our horses put on quite a show.
Dad went to town to do some banking, so I rode Jig on a final swing of the middle pasture. We found eight cows and five calves that were missed, so I started taking them to where the others were. An extra cow got with the bunch, so my horse was doing some quick turns. We got on soft ground and took quite a spill. I got a black eye, sprained foot, and an arm that is quite useless at the moment—along with getting all my wind knocked out of me.
We had an early dinner and then started driving cattle. Sybil is still slightly sick and out of commission, so Dad, Sandra, Lloyd, and I made up the crew. I rode Sassy.
We got about a mile and a half up the road and about a hundred calves went back. This took time, patience, and some griping to remedy. A bunch of calves again went back before we reached the highway, so we punchers were about fit to be tied.
Uncle Stan, Ken, and Chick Nero (Ken's granddad) came to help us cross the highway. Ken rode Comet and helped us for a couple miles before leaving. We had a coffee break on the other side of the highway, to let the cows and calves match up, before journeying on. The cattle moved hard all afternoon.
We put the cattle southeast of the JO branding corral. Uncle Stan met us with our pickup, so we left the horses in the branding corral and took off. We visited a short time at the house and went to have supper with Grandma Grace.
Lloyd and I had a cool ride home in the back of the pickup. Chores still had to be done when we got home, but I was permitted to catch up on my diary.