Spraying the cows…

When I travel, I do not always have internet and so it has been the last few days. Nothing. Then I got home and still, nothing. Someone told me Venus is direct. I don’t know what that means but I’m going to Google it.

From the enchanting temperatures of New Mexico, I was welcomed back to Texas with 104 F degree heat. How did the earlier pioneers travel in covered wagons with out a little air conditioner? I am spoiled. Thankfully, my little white, rubber tire,   4-Runner, does have an air conditioner and a sunroof, I have the best of nature and technology.

Many horse people have taken their horses to higher elevations for the summer but I and the others are riding at night or in the early mornings to keep the horses from suffering in the torturous heat.

Today I checked on a horse, Tom, he was standing in a shaded area of the pens and sweating. I have positioned large fans in the walkway to keep the heat moving out of the barn.

This morning, we brought the cows, calves and bulls into the pens to be sprayed for flies. The flies will try to move to the horses.  I will cover Minnow and his saddle with a fly sheet and then use a lighter, less potent fly spray on the others.

At 6:30, before the sun crept above the horizon, the temperature was  85 F. Minnow carried me at a slow trot to the pasture where the cows were leaving their bedding grounds and beginning to scatter to graze for the day. I could hear Miguel’s feed truck approaching and so could the cows.

Mamas and babies began calling to each other and the herd slowly started to walk in the direction they heard the truck coming from. I knew where he would meet them and also knew they may not come through the gate as calmly if they saw me and Minnow. We hid behind a barn and waited for them to pass.

As I saw what looked like the end of the herd, we quietly fell in behind and walked up to the last cows and put a little pressure on the ones falling behind. C’mon girls I called…let’s keep up, shall we?

When they had followed the truck to the barns at headquarters, I went back to escort the stragglers. There were a handful that had gotten left behind but they knew where their sisters had gone and walked along, calling back and forth with the main herd.

I removed Minnow’s bridle and gave him some water and alfalfa for our break. Samuel, the buckskin was wondering why he wasn’t getting a second breakfast…

So was the goat…

In a few hours, we would push the herd to a new pasture but this time the cows will go quietly and free from biting flies.

It was almost 100 F as we finished the morning’s work and the cross-bred calves were loaded into a stock trailer and hauled to the auction barn. They will make some one a good practice calf for roping.

The rest of the day will be spent inside, away from the heat and I already see Otis heading toward the moist spot in the dirt next to the house under the dripping hose.

Time for his doggie siesta.