The cold weather hit hard when it came. Knocked me on the face with blistering cold and I hated it just as bad as I did the last time it happened.

I just never will get happy about cattle and horses, dogs and wild critters having to live in the cold, let alone the fact that mine and I myself have to deal with it.

My close relative does good things when the cold winds blow. We have all kinds of good stick-to-ribs kinds of foods.

Let me describe the lavish dish she set before me last night for supper. A big hunk of ham, onions, Irish and sweet potatoes cut in chunks with a head of cabbage and lots of garlic all baked up in a big old pan. Biscuits as big as a man’s fist and cow butter to slather on them begged for me to eat more than I could hold. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

Had some new babies hit the ground later than I like and I know the poor little calves were cold. I keep on trying to get the cows all bred between 30 and 45days but I never have gotten a 100 percent done. I don’t like to admit it but if she raised a good calf last year, I will probably keep her and let another tardy calf mess up my average. I still would rather have fall than February calves in a foot of snow! Course, I have those too.

Hay has been a sparse commodity this year. Remember when we all thought that it would never rain again? Remember that the grass didn’t grow and therefore we didn’t get that cutting of hay we knew we were gonna need? Well, we need it pretty quick. I knew it was way too early to start feeding but the offspring insisted that cattle would die if not fed, so we fed and fed some more. My hay pen looks like the middle of January instead of December.

I heard at the feed store in town that some of the ranchers in the south parts ofTexas and other states were paying $100 a bale hauled in for the big good ones. That hurts so bad I would more than likely bleed if forced into a corner of paying that or selling the herd.

The economy is a dire subject around the country. I can’t enjoy going into town to drink coffee lately. All they want to talk about is their president or the economy, or both. I have enough trouble out here on the rock pile that I need not borrow anymore! I told Sam I would rather skin skunks than hear any more of that kind of talk and he invited me to help him run his trap line - another time a feller needs to think before he speaks!

Some of the geese flying south for the winter stopped at a pond on the place. I suspect they are going to stay and will be nesting when the time comes. I sure hope the coyotes or other varmints don’t dine on goose for the holidays!

It is my opinion, and everybody has one, the changing seasons are keeping us on our toes and make us happier when we get some of the good days. I am just stiff-necked enough to have some fun on even the meanest days, anyhow, and I hope you do too.

We don’t have to like it, but you know what they say about a spoon full of sugar. I’m pretty sure a right attitude does the same thing!

Bill is a pen name used by the Gravette author of this weekly column.

Opinion, Pages 5 on 12/07/2011