by Jan Fielden
The Red Oak Ranch has more cows than we planned. Of course, that is because The Colonel has to keep every little one that is born. We supposedly have cut down and yet we have more than we counted at first…so it must be that he is still keeping the babies! I have to agree that they are beautiful, precious, clean looking, and fun to watch when they are first born and even up to about their six month birthday.
The six month birthday is when they start walking through mud, rubbing their heads and face in dirt, etc. They seem to still have fun, but it takes a toll on them. The mud never seems to come all the way off. The other day I was driving up the driveway to our gate and I saw Stoneshire, the lead bull on the place. His face was so dirty I wondered how in the world he could rub his face on whatever he had rubbed his face on, long enough to stain it. It was just plain ole dirt! Stoneshire has the habit of walking up to the truck whenever he sees it and will even stick his head in the window. A habit that he was getting ready to do and I decided to close the window because I didn’t want all of that dirt on me and inside the truck. I have to admit after I closed the window, I felt some guilt because after all he is just an animal.
Then today I walked outside and saw buzzards flying everywhere down by the fence line between the house and the East 50 Pasture. There stood a brand new Momma and on the ground was her first baby that was absolutely beautiful. The buzzards left and the Momma and baby laid down close to each other. It was a peaceful scene at the Red Oak Ranch.
