My goodness, my sack is running over -- my treat sack that the grands filled for us! I will share it with my close relative but, to help her physically, I promise to eat all the milk chocolate pieces because they might make her feel bad. We had a few trickers but only a couple that weren't directly connected by blood.
The tally is in! We have finished calving the fall calvers and 100 percent lived. I know that doesn't happen often and may not ever happen on this place again. I am sure tickled about this once! The weather is and has been conducive to good grass, cool nights and some rain. I couldn't have ordered a better fall out of the Sears and Roebuck wish book!
One of the neighbors has cranked up his tractor and is mowing hay this morning. It looks pretty short to me, but I don't claim to be a hay specialist. I can see the birds circling over the field catching all the flying bugs. I wish we could forecast with accuracy the coming winter. Barns are full of hay on this place and all the other places around, with some stacked outside. I guess the last drought taught a hard lesson about being caught short on hay.
Wildlife is being pushed closer to domestic abodes, and I am pretty sure we can start seeing some grim encounters reported. A feller who goes to church with us lost a house dog to coyotes, and the dog was inside a fenced yard. He yelled at the varmint and the pup was dropped, but it died of injuries. I guess I am hardhearted and maybe even considered unpatriotic, but dumping dead chickens fed lots of coyotes. The eagles feed on dead things pretty regular, and I do not believe they died due to eating dumped chickens. There, and that didn't cost you anything!
The heifer I bought a while back is sure looking good. I am not exactly sure what I expect, but something usually fouls up when I get to thinking I have done a good thing. She is gentle and doesn't mind the truck as I am checking and counting. She is big and should have a nice big calf. I just hope it is a recognizable breed!
Football for the grands has about ended, maybe one or two games left. They have interfered with my evenings and injured so many in so many different ways that I am plumb happy it is almost over. I know the dollar amount of what kids have in their mouths, straight and beautiful teeth. I hope all the members of the team can recall the season with a big toothy smile!
It is my opinion and everyone has one, now is the time to start preparing for the big turkey day. Do not fast, eat a couple more bites after you get full so you will stretch the capacity of your tank. It wouldn't be so necessary if the cooks would fix only one kind of potatoes, no salad, no vegetables, and put regular light bread on the table. But they don't do it that way, so start getting ready!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette-area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.
Editorial on 11/04/2015