A Month (or so) In The Life...

So my little sister got me thinking about where her time goes. So here’s mine. In the past 6 weeks:

4 trips over to the Front Range and back – average about 800 miles per trip.

1 worrisome day while my best friend had back surgery - quite successful, thank you.

2 trips to the ranch (12 days total, I think) to take care of chores and cooking and making sure said friend didn’t get too cowboy (read stubborn) on me.

Watch the much needed moisture at the ranch turn to snow and freezing temperatures while there, and then turn a bit warm and watch mud set in. There’s a reason why I keep a mud-laden pair of work boots and an insulated, steel-toed pair of 16” tall rubber boots in Chuck’s garage.

Watched nine calves die because of cold and disease and other reasons – one I had to put down.

Friend had to put a horse down. One of the best cow ponies he’d ever owned. I can attest to that. One damn fine horse.

Get new shingles installed. Ow.

Get a new swamp cooler installed. Ow.

Get estimate for new front door. Of course, the builder 17 years ago couldn’t use a standard size door – it had to be custom, just like the new one will be. Can you spell ouch?

Weed, water, plant new stuff and mulch the front flower beds, and also plant more tomatoes and herbs for our kitchen beds. Many heavy sacks of mulch and dirt moved on Monday. Once again, can you spell ouch? (This time for my back, not my wallet.)

Today, my steer went to the processor. A three year old, and while I don’t know exactly which one it was, I know it was an ornery critter. Suffice it to say, I’ll enjoy those T-Bones after all the grief that critter gave me over the last few years. And every other bit of Longhorn Beef I'll get from him.

I’ve been seriously cowboy for over a month. May take as long for me to return to "civilized".

Then again, it begs the question: What’s wrong with being cowboy? Slept sound every night and was up at dawn every day. Worked hard, felt good, and enjoyed the company of all who helped at the ranch.

Hard to beat that.