by Carissa
Republic County WIFE

January 1, 2002
Horse Creek Ranch

We are five minutes into the new year, sharing jubilation with close friends. I just got off the phone with my sister in St. Louis. It has become tradition to call Diane just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. There are two other sisters. Laurie is attending an annual party in Kansas. Drusilla and my nephew are celebrating in Florida with Argentine dancers and salsa music.

There are several generations gathered tonight. Each sharing favorite music, what they liked and didn’t like about the past year, future goals. It makes a nice break from the daily hum drum. No fireworks or banging on pots and pans. A couple of glasses of champagne and thoughtful toasts. Greg and I return home a bit after 2:00 AM.

Up again after a few hours of sleep. The temperature went from a low of 30 degrees just a few weeks ago to a high of 30 degrees. That means ice forms on the ponds each night now. My main job today is chopping ice so the cattle can drink water. There is a certain method to swinging an axe so that momentum does much of the labor instead of forcing one’s arms and back to bear the brunt of effort. Regardless, it does wind me until I build up strength. Chopping each day prevents the ice from freezing too thick. Our fear is always that an animal will get caught on the ice in search of fresh water. Sometimes they break through if the ice isn’t too thick. Sometimes they loose their footing and can’t stand up. Hypothermia is deadly. Last year I found a calf splayed out. Getting a blanket from the house to place under the calf, I could slide it along the ice to the edge. Had to make certain the ice would hold my weight. Then, with the mother shaking horns at me, it took some time to dry the calf and get it to stand.

After chopping ice, I walk the pastures looking for any cattle that may be in distress. Severe weather is hard on livestock. Walking from the pond dam, through the draws, I also take note of brush and trees to thin out. We want to provide adequate cover for the cattle but need to keep in mind what will burn in the spring when we set the prairie on fire. Burning prairie grasses in the spring keeps the grasses and forbs in balance. There is a large snapping turtle shell along the creek bed. Also a few turkey feathers. Possibly these animals became a predator’s meal.

We lost a calf to coyotes a few days ago, so I have the rifle as well as the axe. Predators follow the wooded banks of the creek looking for their prey. Usually nocturnal, coyotes have been out during daylight this winter. Losing livestock always brings sadness. It also represents an economic loss.

Brigette’s little red heifer is doing well. Sonnesag Sunny has just finished cleaning her newborn calf – a gray bull. I arrived in time to watch her eat the afterbirth. Flip Flop’s red bull is also safe for the time being. They need to be closer to the main herd for protection from predators even though the dams find a secluded spot for the birthing process.

Not all producers name their animals. Some people prefer a numbering system. However, breeding stock for Highland cattle generally bear names of their bloodline or something in Gaelic, the old language of Scotland. Greg and I have tried to learn the language, but it is difficult without hearing native speakers. One cow has both a Gaelic name and a most unflattering one due to her attitude. Flip Flop is so named because she has one horn turned up and one down.

You may notice colored tags hanging from cattle ears bearing identification numbers. Some ranchers prefer branding. Greg and I registered our own brand with the state, but as Highland cattle have shaggy coats, branding is not suitable. Instead, the inside of their ears are tattooed with a series of numbers designating the dam and sire, date of birth and our ranch identification. While not a painful process, one needs a steady hand to keep the ink legible. Another drawback is the need for one to get close to an animal to read the tattoo. Ear tags and brands are visible from a distance.

Don’t know how many miles I have walked today. Good exercise. Up and down the hills. Being all bundled up from the cold is not comfortable though. Longjohns, jeans, thick shirt, jacket and cover-alls. My hair is pulled up under a cap. Allowed to hang down, it would provide some cover for my neck against the chill wind, but then it would blow everywhere. I keep a spare set of gloves in my back pocket in case the first pair get wet. Also some Kleenex.

Greg has moved 4 loads of hay from the most western pasture to the hay shed. It’s quite a process. We drive two pick-ups to the hay meadow or brome field, leave the one with the flat-bed trailer, then I drive Greg back to the shed. He takes the tractor to move 9 large round bales onto the flat-bed. Then it’s back to the shed to unload. Each trip takes about an hour. Our shed is composed of steel arches connected by bolts- 50 X 50 feet and 24 feet at its highest point and open on both ends. The buildings are laid out on a north-south by east-west axis.

Before dark, Greg moves brome hay to the bale feeders in three pastures. He also unrolls native prairie down the hills. This spreads the hay allowing many animals to eat at once. Later, they will bed down on this hay. It’s wasteful as feed, but beneficial to the animals.  

While preparing dinner, the laundry goes into the wash. There are bills to pay and entries made in the accounting book. Tax time will be here soon enough. After the evening news and weather, it’s off to bed. Funny how even the first day of a new year bears the sameness of the days before it.