Frank J. Buchman

Cowboy • Horseman • Writer

Good Can Even Come From Bad

“Well, that was exciting.”

Truthfully, we had to agree with our grandson after a calf roundup went astray.

It was the final of nine pastures to be gathered for an early fall marketing of the year’s crop, when a couple dozen cows and their sucklings wouldn’t go into the pen where aimed.

There’d been ten horseback assistants earlier, but some had already been sent home with the assumption this quarter could be trapped with a mechanical horse and one real cowgirl.

Well, as the saying: “The best laid plans can go awry.’

But, there was logical reason, because when the herd was gathered a few days earlier, they’d all been run through the chute, with vaccinations given to the calves for increasing market value.

Obviously, the little ones recalled that “poking experience,” so to speak, and didn’t want it again.

When these five cowboys arrived, the cantankerous cattle had already gotten back a handful of times evidently, and they knew their getaway tricks quite well.

Cool, calm, collect procedures for typically successful gatherings didn’t work. We’d get the bovines near where they were supposed to be, and a couple rebel-rousers found the slightest opening and made their way through despite stringent efforts of cowboys on top horses to prevent breakthrough.

Each time, more would get closed behind gates, and finally there were only three on-the-loose. The problem cow really didn’t matter, but those two runaway heifers had to go to the sale barn.

With prejudice, our horse is fast, and he could outrun them, but there was no control of the little boogers whatsoever.

So, a better-hand than we are made a big loop with his lariat and had a successful catch on the first attempt. Just a jiffy, and the bawling black calf was loaded in the trailer.

But, the other half-grown baby and her momma were nowhere to be seen. Finally, careful scouring brought them out of the brush, and the final youngen was roped and loaded, too.

Everyone made it to the sale barn on time, and we had to nod when a driver-by wondered: “Are you having fun yet?”

Reminds us  of Deuteronomy 1:39: “And the little ones that  would be taken captive, do not yet know good from bad will enter the land and take possession of it.”

+++ALLELUIA+++

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