I don’t do this very often – putting personal things on my blog…but wanted to share this one. It’s funny, you grow up and don’t really think about things much, life just happens when you are a child, right? Then you grow up and mature thinking starts to kick in. For instance, I grew up a farmer’s daughter. I thought that was incredibly common until I went to college and my roommate was surprised to find that out! Anyway, it was just a part of my life…I loved it…but didn’t think about it too much. But now that I’m an adult and think about what my dad did and my brothers do….it’s amazing to me. They are farmers and ranchers. They have a passion for the land, a passion for their career. And it’s a well thought out engine. Not something that happens by chance. They consider themselves stewards of the land, taking care of the land that God has given us on this earth….and they are doing an amazing job at it. As a kid I never knew there was science behind what they were doing…but there is. They are on soil conservation boards for the state of Texas, attend conferences on the latest technologies in farming and ranching. And the technology involved in farming these days….amazing! GPS directed tractors – where a human doesn’t necessarily have to do the driving, GPS field fertilization – where they can map fertilization levels and they can adjust application rates to specific areas of the field. They always seem to be on the cutting edge and I love hearing about the new things they are doing. And I love being around when they are doing it! We had a chance to be there again recently when they were working calves, it’s a great way to be together and enjoy just being out in it.
Planning their strategy
Both of my brothers setting up the mobile pen
Separating the babies from their mommas…
Getting the ear tags ready…
One is in the chute and the work has begun…
Parker’s job was to get the calves and direct them into the chute…
Branding irons heating up…
Terry’s job was the cut their ears……sure glad I was just the photographer…
One slipped right through the chute, so they had to get him and work him the old fashioned way!
She had fun with the puppy…
of course the jokes never stop, even while working, here’s Steve telling one to Terry…
A couple of moms and their babies didn’t cooperate, so they also had to be gotten and worked the old fashioned way!
This one was too new to be afraid yet, he had maybe been born the day before…
Parker and my two brothers….priceless photo to me…
Counting cows…
And there could never be a better way to end a day like that than with Steve’s smoked ribs!
