This Morning

The kids have been fed and are on the bus.  It is time to go out and do chores.  The atomic clock in the utility room reads an outdoor temperature of 22 degrees, the coldest yet this fall.  I find all of my appropriate apparel and start dressing up in insulated coveralls head to toe, rubber muck boots and a cozy stocking hat with ear flaps.

I head out the door and find that despite the cold, it is a beautiful morning.  No wind.  After a weekend of 50 mph wind gusts it is a welcome morning.  I start off by forking some prairie hay off the round bale for the geldings.  They are anxious to get hay this morning.  The bulls are about 100 yards out at their hay feeder and see me out.  So they start walking in, single file next to the fence.

This morning I’ll feed the kids 4H calves first.  I fill up their bucket of grain and head for their pen.  Vader, Kye, and Leopard are waiting at the gate.  I walk in and greet them with a scratch on the head and they dance sideways next to me as I carry their bucket to the feeder.  I feed the sale calf pen next.  They are not as excited to see me, just happy to have breakfast served.  The bulls, seven of which I am breaking to lead, are patiently watching for me to come out of the barn.  I dump their buckets and they tie in. 

I am done feeding this morning so I decide to go for a walk.  My three cow dogs go along to hunt for rabbits.  I walk for the health of it, but it is more beneficial to me if I have something to look at on the way.  I head out through the cattle pens, down the alleyway to the alfalfa field where the bred heifers have been camping out.  I have been penning them up at night and the last two nights I let them stay out.  

About a dozen of them will come in at a time to eat silage and get a drink and then head back out to the field. They are careful not to all come in at the same time anymore as that was my easy way to catch them and have chores done early in the evenings. 

Out on the alfalfa field, the girls are happily spread out and grazing. 

I choose to walk along a cow path for easy walking until it veers away from the outer perimeter.  The dogs, Shakey, Taffy, and Nova are off in the distance jumping through the tall native grass next to the alfalfa field.  They are good companions and always stay within hearing distance.  They didn't find any rabbits to chase this morning.  I guess the coyotes have them all holed up.