Editorial / Opinions

Once upon a time, I had my cow herd split into a spring-calving bunch and a fall-calving bunch. Over the years, my growing frustration with the fall-calvers led me to evolve into an entirely spring-calving farm. Call me crazy, but I’d rather fight the problems associated with the cold (short ears, pulling calves on frigid nights, and the occasional snowstorm) than the problems that accompany fall calving (screwworm flies, short pasture, and the occasional stress of a heat wave).

When I was 16 years old I begged and begged my parents to let me have a dog. I didn’t want just any dog. I wanted a lemon-colored beagle pup named Jezebel that one of my classmates had. The family who owned the beagle puppy was looking to get rid of her. They were beagle breeders and swore this one would not make a good rabbit dog because she was too “people friendly.”

Things have been busy for me. I went to Albuquerque, N.M., for the Western Writers of America’s conference two weeks ago. This is always a big week for me to meet with my friends and publishers. Almost everyone was there and this year we had a fun time in this busy town. I didn’t get to see much of the town but I have been there many times before. Of course, folks like Elmer Kelton who wrote some great western books and was a good friend is no longer among us. And several more folks that I knew well have passed on to the big pastures.

Parker is 5 years old and loves playing t-ball, eating bratwurst and showing goats. I don’t know how he acquired his love of baseball, but I can only assume he inherited his latter two ‘loves’ from his father.

When I was 16 years old I begged and begged my parents to let me have a dog. I didn’t want just any dog. I wanted a lemon-colored beagle pup named Jezebel that one of my classmates had. The family who owned the beagle puppy was looking to get rid of her. They were beagle breeders and swore this one would not make a good rabbit dog because she was too “people friendly.”

Cows are similar to people, in that the older they get, the more health problems they start to encounter. Their mobility may be hampered by stiff joints or bad feet, their eyesight may become clouded with cataracts or scarring from past eye problems, and their teeth either begin to fall out or get so worn that they have problems eating. Unfortunately, at my advanced age, I can relate to all these maladies.

I am thankful for long weekends and old friends. Over Memorial weekend I headed south to see my friend, Tina, who moved to Bentonville, Ark., after we graduated from high school. Over the years we have kept in touch taking turns driving back and forth to spend as much time together as our busy lives will allow.

This past week I was at a meeting in Tulsa, Okla., for KAMO Power and their supply partner Associated Electric.

Many years ago, when I was teaching at a university and coaching the livestock judging team, I took my students to a local purebred cattle farm where we were going to practice on several classes of animals the owner had selected for us. As the students quietly evaluated the four heifers in the first class and took notes, I noticed that two of the animals had been clipped by the owner in preparation for an upcoming show. Since this was one of the first workouts of the year for this rookie team, I wondered how many would notice the fresh haircut when we got back to campus.

I am thankful for long weekends and old friends. Over Memorial weekend I headed south to see my friend, Tina, who moved to Bentonville, Ark., after we graduated from high school. Over the years we have kept in touch taking turns driving back and forth to spend as much time together as our busy lives will allow.