Having done all I stand
Zee and I are sitting in canvas back deck chairs while watching all our four children and five of our grandchildren help Mike and Lilly, our daughter and son-in-law, brand their calves. The other four are scattered everywhere west of the Mississippi River. I don’t know what it is about going to a calf branding but it seems to bring out the best in everybody. I know some of you are asking what about the poor calf that's just been branded and immunized against several different diseases? Well to answer the question directly: the calf must have a brand to show ownership. By branding all the calves while still in their mother's care, Mike and Lilly will become the legal owners of all their calves. The actual time it takes to process a calf once it is caught by a cowboy or cowgirl with a rope around the neck and another cowboy or cowgirl roping the two hind feet, takes about two minutes. In this time, cowboys and cowgirls brand, vaccinate and castrate (if it's a bull calf). It’s done quickly because it is done by three different people each working at their job simultaneously. Then when 10 to 15 calves have been processed they are released back to their mothers who bawl or (moooo) them back to their side. There’s no dread time like we humans put ourselves through waiting several weeks to have a root canal performed.
I’m looking at the pen of unbranded calves, it looks like 120 or so have been worked and about 20 are left to be worked so I’m thinking I can’t cause too much havoc if I enter the fray and throw a few loops. When I was younger, I would never in a million years guess that I would still be around after 88 years, as my family tree doesn’t have longevity as one of its inherited characteristics. But I am, and one of the hurdles I will have to overcome before actually roping a calf is to get on my horse. My son John has brought a very gentle gelding by the name of The Dude and he swears that if I fall off The Dude he will just stand there waiting for me to try again. Getting on turned out to be a three-man ordeal. My granddaughter Kathryn held the bridle reins, and next it was my turn to climb up a pipe fence to stirrup height. Getting my right leg up high enough to clear the cantel needed my son John to give my leg a lift and a push and over my leg went and I followed with a grunt and into the saddle I went.
I was beginning to draw a little crowd of well-wishers as I entered the corral and I was saying to myself “What you think about me is none of my business.” Well Dude, this is a new pen of calves so whatever calf sticks his head up I’ll rope it and with many years of experience behind a somewhat wobbly thrown loop. On it went and with a jerk of my slack this calf lurched out of the bunch and headed for the next corner which meant I had to trot double time to get close enough to “dally” meaning to wrap my rope around the horn in front of me. My brain was still pretty good at giving instructions but the coordination part of this once easily done without a thought was saved by a good shot of Adrenaline that lasted through two honest catches that looked like I knew what I was doing. One went around the belly, that’s when Brinan appeared to jerk the lope forward so the healer could catch the back feet, and one where the calf went clear through the lope and I ended up catching the hind feet and that’s when some youngster rode by and roped the calf around the neck. He made it look almost like this was somewhat normal but all the real ropers knew. I felt pretty good about myself and thanked my body for the shot of Adrenaline that was fast wearing off. It was now the last part of a perfect day when I was told that the barbecue would be tacos, my favorite meal, which beats any Michelin-star restaurant hands down. Then on to some visiting with friends and neighbors some that I only see at a branding once a year. I don’t know what comes next but I do know that today was a great day and I don’t have to be the driver who drives home anymore, beyond that the future is not mine to see.
See Ya,
Jack
My granddaughter Kayla heeled one for me.