It was a great day for getting the leftover work done since Thanksgiving. It is warm and not a bit windy, so we should get a lot done today! The boys are checking and counting cows while I take care of some "honey-do" chores for their mother so they can have a good Christmas.
I cannot believe the stuff we have to bring in and un-box for the inside decorations. She has not directed me to start on the outdoor stuff yet. The big kids will be here for a while, but it is still a couple of weeks before they are expected. The new grandchild is not old enough to notice, I don't think, but his granny wants everything done for his first Christmas!
I saw a cow with droopy ears yesterday, and I hope they find her better this morning. This is a prime time for pew-monia and we haven't had any yet. Things go fast when it starts, and she is not with the baby calves. If she is lost, it will cost plenty anyhow! I've just gotta stop counting the money in each little thing to be handled!
We finished except for cleaning up the mess before lunchtime, so I saddled Jack and rode out to find the boys. Sure enough, they found the sickly cow and roped her, and gave her a big dose of antibiotic. The cow looked better than death but was still calling a priest! I am glad it was them checking this morning, as I don't rope anything bigger than my horse, and maybe not even then! The youngest loves to rope and is pretty good, but not as good as he thinks.
Since I was available and already on horseback, the idea that I should check the very south pasture while they replenished the medicine bag was OK by me. They both giggled because they don't like the very south pasture because the catcall and tracks were very large, but they didn't mind sending the poor old father to do it alone! So I went south and enjoyed the ride.
It was getting along to five, and I knew I'd best stop messing around, checking the fence was done, and I had covered a lot of ground just looking and being there! The ride back to headquarters would put me in pretty dark circumstances. I loped Jack for a while but wanted to take longer for my own pleasure! I was fine, and I knew there would be a search party since I didn't get there by dark! That woman, my close relative, worries too much and doesn't like me to be gone on Jack by myself and after dark. I say Jack is as trustworthy as Snip, but she has her own ideas! The weather is too good to waste!
It was dark, plumb dark, when I rode into the lot by the barn. I was surprised no search had been issued, and then I heard the 4-wheelers starting. I knew they were sent to find me. I unsaddled, did the barn shores, and made it to the house before they came back to report that they could not find their long-lost father. She had stepped on the porch to hear the report when I said, "Hello"! She was fired up and ready to give it to me, but I moved in too fast and was hugging her before she could get it all said!
Lessons remembered and used are mighty nice for preventing a slight storm! She never raised her voice and did thank the boys for looking for me as I also did. Some day they will think to see if I have already come in!
It was a good day, a long ride, and nothing wrong with anything! No sickness or trouble, and the darkness said it was over! Another day, but not wasted. We should have more of them! Escape was what I did, and it was darn nice! Just check your ammo stack, plan a little fun and 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.