I had a little snack this morning while standing in the lane, waiting for the cattle to come toward me. I'm the official turn-'em-in-to-the-corral person. Mostly I just wait. And wait. But when they come, they COME! And I get a teeny bit panicky -- but so far I've been able to wave my arms just right and say just the right "Hey, now..." to get the cattle to turn in and not run over me.
When we first got married (a few years ago) I was told that when we gathered up cattle, I would "stand in a hole." I thought that meant STAND IN A HOLE. No, it meant "stand in a place where you do not want the cattle to go through and keep them from going through it at all costs, even to the point of sacrificing your body if they insist." Sometimes I've been tempted to turn tail and run. Sometimes I've acted like a complete idiot, jumping up and down and screaming. But I've always managed to turn the cattle, and WOW, I'm glad.
Because if they get away, there is no getting them back. Doomsday. We don't want that to happen.
We're more than halfway through this summer's cattle-working, and it's heating up out there. The humidity is rising and the red line is going up on the thermometer. Tempers are getting a little shorter, and some of us are getting tired. And a little cranky.
Thank goodness for blackberries. Sweet, juicy blackberries. A tiny reward is a nice thing.
Janet, Don and I were wondering what would happen if you were snacking on a handful of corn or alfalfa when the cows came running toward you. If you give this a try, please let us know how it comes out. If you can. : )
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