The sunshine is sure wonderful, mostly in the month of January, and we need the rays to make things grow and keep us healthy. I am healthy and can say, for one, that I have about had enough of the rays for awhile. The wonderful humidity is just doing its thing, keeping us wet with our own juices! I drink and it runs down my face and keeps my shirt wet. No, I am not complaining, just observing.
I am not the only one suffering with this weather. My close relative is also in the circle of needing to stay cooler, no baking and dang little use of any stove business. We have been living on rabbit food and watermelon for the last week. I can do fine as long as we make a trip to the ice cream store at least every other evening. The cool liquid of a chocolate milk shake will sooth the wildest beast!
We have been stacking and hauling hay, repairing equipment and preparing for fall. The steers are gone and the new crop are now the expectations for me. The big calves weighed in very well, all over the nine mark, so now the wait begins and I must be aware of my worry scale. I have to basically know what they are doing in weight gain, but not to dwell on it hourly! So now I am enjoying the young steers.
I would like to say we have no animals in the sick pen but the same old sore-footed cow from last fall is sore-footed again. I brought her and her baby up and, because the calf just didn't do well, I am going to doctor her and sell the pair. It is with a sad feeling that she has to go because she is from the old blood. I am pretty sure the old blood has been diluted to the nth degree, but I remember! And that line was pretty important at the time but not anywhere close to the animals we now produce.
We have a friend in the hospital who is a young feller. He has a couple of young kids and a nice place. He has moved into cattle production slowly, working in town and paying as he went. Now he has a brain tumor and is not expected to get much better. May live, but they say his brain will be so effected that life will never be the same. Sure shakes up the normal balance in a feller's own life. Nothing in this world is a given, so practice decency and do good.
The offspring have been reminding us of why we stopped having children. The younger backed the pickup into the mud hole behind the working pens and, in trying to get it out, caused so much damage we are looking for a new one. He knew better but, being who he is, he didn't do better. The older of the two is not always moody but, when he is, I'd rather play ping pong with a grizzly bear while disturbing his hibernation. We have seen his darker side for a week around here, suffering slammed doors and growls of huge proportion.
I do not venture into the personal lives of the offspring, but this time I may need to. Seems like an upset at home might be the cause of the crank, so I did ask about the little home with the picket fence. He said all was just swell, but she had told him that he did not need a new boat or a new pickup to pull it with! OK, I won't be crying for him! I did suggest that he suck it up and behave himself.
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, the summer will linger but you and I will be looking forward to the warm sun again in the end of the winter, and winter is just around the corner. Fall will be busy, working cattle and preparing for the onset of cold weather. I enjoy that time so much, but knowing what is coming sorta takes the edge off the deal. I suggest we take the time and make an effort to be glad every day for some reason, maybe just because we can breathe good clean air and that you aren't in the hospital with a brain tumor.
So, fellers, be thankful for having only hot weather and sore-footed cows!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 08/19/2015