OT - Kinda Sad Day

Mac AR · Dec 22, 2014

Sent 10 Jersey girls down the road today... that leaves me only 4 now. Mrs. Boss seems to think I need to scale back. Barn sure looked lonely tonight with only 4 in, but must admit it was mighty nice only passing the old surcingle around to 4 cows, rather than 14. I suppose now I might devote more time to my orchard and truck patch. Oh well, maybe it was time, but I sure do miss 'em.

Mac

37chief · Dec 22, 2014

Like you said it was about time to let them go, some things can't go on forever. When Dad got his F 12 he didn't need the two work horses any more. If my memory Is correct, Dad said their there names were Molly, and Polly. He hauled to the San Diego zoo for animal food. He said he cried all the way home. Like other animals we sure get attached to them. Stan

paul · Dec 22, 2014

Oh, that would be tough.

Paul

Bruce from Can. · Dec 23, 2014

Sorry to hear that you had to come to this chose , but time comes to make the hard chose, and only you can make it. From 14 to 4 will sure speed up chores, and you can always keep back a heifer or two in the future. Change is constant, but the quicker we adopt the changes, the happier our lives are.

Dick2 · Dec 23, 2014

Thus the saying: "Everything in it's time".

I don't mind change and try to be aware that "It's time to stop doing certain things" as I age. Your wife is right; be thankful that she is keeping an eye on you and doing what is ncessary.

olddog · Dec 23, 2014

That's a big 10-4!
You can "take a hitch" in the ole surcingle more times with those Doe-eyes (than you can w/ B&W) so that one should last the rest of their days.

1970-1655 · Dec 23, 2014

Dad was milking 64 at the time. He told mom to get him up early the next morning. She let him sleep until a semi pulled in. She asked dad what that truck was doing and he said I am done milking, all the cows are going for a ride today. Over the next few days, he would just sit in the barn or stare at the pasture. Then he bought s dew feeder beef cows and he was happy again, but without the every day milking chores. If you have the equipment and fields for hay, why not raise a few each year, and maybe sell in the fall, before the cold and snow makes it "work" again?

wilson ind · Dec 23, 2014

Story goes older ranchers wife kept telling fellow to sell cows. They had hired man wanting to buy cows and lease the land. Wife wanted to move to Florida, spend their life's wealth in the sun. After much ado and the old fellow thinking on pictures of gals on beach he relented. Sold cattle, leased farm to hired man. There at the bank about to deposit the huge check in joint account. Fellow enters the bank gun drawn, shoots guard as soon as guard sees him.Robber yells to all in bank get on floor, keep your head down if you want to live. Teller is shot dead after unloading all available cash. Robber turns to crowed still laying on floor heads covered. States anyone see my face. One brave man stands confronting the robber stating yes and you will not get away with this atrocity. Robber shoots him dead then ask anyone else see my face? Old rancher still with huge uncashed check , keeping his head well hid states I'm sure my wife got a good look at you!!!!!!!!!!!

Texasmark1 · Dec 23, 2014

That's awful...........but we got a good laugh out of it.

Mark

Mike (WA) · Dec 23, 2014

Ours went "down the road" in the summer of '61, when I was 12. I did all the milking that summer, as dad had a full time job. Our cattle guy could haul 5 at a time, so every Friday (before the Friday auction), he showed up and I'd have 5 ready to go. Saved the best milkers for last (along with Ione, my favorite). Great big black Holstein named Dynamite kicked me in the teeth one morning, so she made the next load for her trouble.

Sad time around there- Dad kind of went into a funk, but I started getting some beef cattle and got active in FFA, so had about 10 head by the time I graduated, and him helping me was good therapy for him, I think.

Ended well, though- we had about 30 acres of rocky, poor ground- he split it into 5 acre tracts and built houses on them and sold them on contract, then sold the main farm in 2 parcels. Within 10 years, he had retired at age 52.

Mac AR · Dec 24, 2014

I appreciate all the kind words, and the humor. With Christmas and all I've been busy enough not to have it on my mind. And like I said, its time. I'm not getting any younger, certainly. Sure is easier though, and I've gone to 6 and 6 rather than 5 and 5. Awful nice, honestly. Chief, I happen to still have the one team that I raised from colts, and if I knew I'd have to do that, I probably wouldn't be far behind them. They don't do much other than harrow ground, haul a little hay, and jerk stuck trucks and tractors out occasionally, but the thought of being without the horses hurts me worse than losing the cattle. The hogs, however, are a different story.

Mac

OT - Kinda Sad Day

Mac AR

Member

37chief

Well-known Member

paul

Well-known Member

Bruce from Can.

Well-known Member

Dick2

Well-known Member

olddog

Well-known Member

1970-1655

Member

wilson ind

Well-known Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

Mike (WA)

Well-known Member

Mac AR

Member

Similar threads