It was a dark and windy night, as usual around here! But the full moon sure put the sparkle back in the sky. It looks so wonderful and feels so good when the moon is bright enough to read by, but it is not the hunter's moon! I have coon hunted on dark nights but you can't walk up on prey in the light. They see you coming and head for cover! About the only thing possible is to spark your best girl on the porch swing. Not her home swing because her mother listens and her father looks out the window or opens the door to check out the scene.
My close relative and I sparked in the pickup as we put steers back in where they belonged. I was proud to have moonlight for that. The youngsters are up to trying anything and one raised his head under the fence and took out about a quarter-mile! Then they ran, bucked and snorted until they finally settled down to go back down the driveway and into a holding corral. Such is the romantic life of beef producers.
Feed salesman came yesterday with news, good for him and bad for us. It is going up again! I thought it high enough to get a nosebleed now and how the heck can any of us afford to buy a truckload at a time? Lots of feed stores have gone under due to sending out a load and never receiving the payment. The buyer is planning on paying; he just can't! I did not take the salesman in for a snack. The news was so bad and I did not want to reward him for bringing the death threat to our door!
The offspring are talking about giving up ski trips. I applauded that and patted myself on the back for raising smart men. Then they both want to go to the rodeo in Las Vegas for National Finals to see the best in the West ride and rope. I did not shed tears but did sputter and cough a bit! I guess they are smart men.
I rode Snip today as I counted old cows and then heifers. He enjoys trips and gets silly, crow-hopping at gates and slinging his head if I stop too long to gaze at specific animals. I remember when riding green horses was a great treat and I would try most anything. Now Snip is my limit because I know, after the third hop, he is finished!
I have finished bossing the fence repair and stated I was tired, so I came to headquarters and cleaned up a little. Bossing is not usually a sweat job so I didn't even change clothes, just asked for a cup of fresh coffee and a cinnamon roll!
It is my opinion, and everyone has one, no person has the right to make another person take medication if that person feels it may be dangerous to him. I believe in personal freedom and insisting on weekly tests is very different than injecting medication into a person's body!
I hope and pray we can start seeing some good results soon. Hard to know so many good men in our community have died due to covid. Let us have our booster shots, and wear a mask if it makes you feel better. But do not forget this is America and, for the sake of all, do not let anyone insist you take into your being a dose of medication you do not want!
I have asked where my long johns are located and got no answer. Maybe her hearing is going south.
Keep your stash of arms dry and ready! Remember the Alamo!
Bill is the pen name used by the Gravette-area author of this weekly column. Opinions expressed are those of the author.