It's calving time and we've been taking advantage of the opportunities to go with Daddy and see the baby calves. He has to tag all the registered babies, so he gets to get up close and personal with them. Cooper has gone with him a lot more, and he usually comes home with stories to tell about the tagging. One time a momma ran right by the truck where he was sitting and it scared him. Another time he was on the ground with Daddy beside the calf and the momma shook her head and bawled at them…scared him pretty good. But he's always ready to go back for more, which is a good sign.
Now that I've started leading Bible study again, the boys and Dalton get a weekly dose of 'guy time' on Monday nights. One Monday the boys got to make a few rounds on the tractor with Daddy so I could go to Bible study. They enjoyed that.
Dalton keeps making fun of me as we ride around checking the cows. Since I'm due during the 'season' I feel a little more for the cows. One time we saw one off by herself, obviously getting close and I said "You go girl!" as we drove off, kinda jokingly. Dalton laughed and shook his head. "You really feel connected to these cows since you're gonna 'calve' soon too, don't you?" Guess I kinda do.
Saturday morning work, moving heifers and their calves, after working them.
Cooper trying to rope a calf.
Trying to make friends while Daddy and Cooper rode around on Dandy.
The cows weren't brave enough to get the treat from Ace.
Helping Daddy…actually just getting brave enough to go up there and touch the calf.
Calves in distress make Cooper nervous. He's a big talker in the truck ("I'm gonna grab that calf and tag it") but once he's out there where there's a momma cow around he sticks close to Daddy or the truck.
Wrapping the tape around to get the weight
Tagging his ear
Both the boys have taken to practicing tagging when they get home. They tag each other, but mostly they tag Boots the cat. Poor cat, he puts up with a lot, included repeated attempts by Cooper to tag him, brand him, weigh him and give him a shot (all the things Daddy does to a calf when he works them). Other times the boys want me to practice tagging them, so they run up to me 'mooing' and then I pinch their ear to 'tag' them. Then they run away.
We went with Daddy to fix fence; I would say we helped but we weren't much help.
We wandered around, climbed a hill, poked things with sticks and handed Dalton tools. It sure beat hanging out at the house though.
At one point I looked up and couldn't find Cooper.
I panicked a little and called out, then finally spotted him in the grass.
Can you?
Last Saturday was a memorial ranch rodeo in Graham. We were excited to go, especially since there was a mutton bustin' for Cooper to enter. The rodeo was really good too, but Dalton didn't enjoy it as much because he wanted to be entered up, I couldn't blame him.
Ranch Rodeo fun. Waiting for his turn to ride in the stick horse race, the warm up for Mutton Bustin'
He won 3rd in the stick horse race!!
His first trophy, so proud. Well, once he figured out what a trophy was he was proud.
He did really good in the Mutton Bustin' too, but I videoed so no pictures.
He didn't win but rode quite a ways and was smiling when he got up…success.
Helping get all the cows and calves to the barn at "Popsey's Ranch," the Pitzer.
Cooper was excited to climb on the top of the truck and admire the view.
Of course it didn't take little britches long to attempt the same feat.
Almost there!
Cooper telling Daddy that Ace was trying to climb.
We put him on the top for a minute, then it was back to safe ground.
Always happy to be on a ride with Daddy;
makes it more fun for him and Dalton that he can sit on his own horse now.
makes it more fun for him and Dalton that he can sit on his own horse now.
"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you." Psalm 116:7
No comments:
Post a Comment