Thoughts on the Farmer's Life

Last weekend, Hubby and I got to help out a friend by taking care of a couple of his cows while he was gone. Both "ladies" were down, and had to have water and feed carried to them at the time. Hubby LOVES any chance he can get to do such chores, he likes messing with cattle, and he has a heart for the critters. I loved watching him care for their needs as we went out twice a day for those two days. We both loved the chance to get away from town and be out in the countryside. It was also fun to see my old "sorting partner," Hollywood. He's retired now, happily grazing with a bunch of cattle, and with the other main sorting horse (that was gone for the weekend as well). So Hollywood was glad to come see us for a pat and a scratch and a greeting.

Hubby and Hollywood.

Hollywood watching Hubby carry the feed bucket to the cows' pens .... "Hey, where're ya goin' with that feed bucket? Don't I get any?" ha ha

"You say you want to take my picture?"

"Is this my better side ...?"

"... or this side?"

Hollywood and Older Son's truck - he drove Hubby and I out there the first time, then Hubby and I borrowed the truck the rest of the weekend and just went ourselves.

I got to help a little bit - I held the feed bucket and passed it over the fence to Hubby. :)

First cow had a calf, but couldn't get up. She got water, hay and cake cubes. The calf was in with her, and could still nurse. When we went back down that evening, she "almost" got her back feet under her and got up, but her rump went back down and she laid on her other side. The second cow was just old, and couldn't get up for some reason, she also got water, hay and cake cubes.

Hubby checking out the small pasture by the pens, a few cattle in the tree line.

Your's Truly.

Hollywood grazing.

When we went back in the evening, a big storm was brewing to our south, including possible hail. To the east, there were some wild-looking "mammatus" clouds.

After evening feeding, we drove west a dab, checking the pasture fence and looking at the storm clouds. This is looking south at the approaching storm, and in one little spot in the cloud, you can see an "icy blue" color .... I took that to mean hail, though I know more often it's a "green" color that indicates hail.

A cow was out, so we got her to following the truck ...

... she was a good girl and followed us on around the corner, back up the drive, and Hubby was able to put her in where she belonged.

Storm clouds.

More clouds ahead of the storm.

We then made a "mad dash" back to town, trying to beat the storm. We were hearing reports on the radio of bad hail. We made it back alright, and in town, we only got a little light rain.

The buttes southeast of town, with all kinds of storm clouds going on.

Now, here is where the title of the post comes in, "Thoughts on the Farmer's Life." We had gone out Monday to check on the cows and visit with our friend who was back. The cows were the same. Except I might add that the second day we took care of them (the day before), the first cow had MOVED SIGNIFICANTLY SOME DISTANCE in her pen, even though she was still laying down. No drag marks in the moist dirt, so she was surely starting to get around some, we just didn't get to see it. Second cow still looked the same. Yesterday, Hubby saw our friend here in town, and learned that the mama cow with the calf was now up, but the other old cow had died. This all was a first-hand experience, to realize that in farming, things can sometimes go well, sometimes go bad. You just have to do your best, and go with what happens.

Then, I heard a story yesterday at work from someone who came in ... we had had rain with lightning and thunder move through the area early in the morning. Now we just got rain where we are. But this gentleman said that he heard a farmer somewhere in the area had had 600 acres of wheat sprayed the night before, at $9.80 per acre. That's $5,880.00. That morning with the storms, that 600 acres of just-sprayed wheat got hailed out. Sometimes things go well, sometimes things go badly. You keep on doing your best somehow.

Then I remembered Mom telling about the wheat crop out in western Kansas during the Dirty '30's. The wheat would look good, then just when it was forming the kernel in the head, a hot wind would come in and shrivel the wheat. That happened several years in a row, if I remember correctly. Sometimes things go well, sometimes things go badly. You keep on doing your best somehow. I know FAITH is a deep part of that being able to keep going. Plus we help each other out, and encourage each other. Eventually, things work out, problems get solved, new starts are made, you learn from your experiences. Such is the life of a farmer.