by Jan Fielden

It has been a long while since I have helped The Colonel repair a fence. Saturday, I got my chance to help. Why is it that whenever a tree falls, it falls on the fence or whenever the cows want to visit with an adjoining herd they push on the t-posts and make it look as if the fence is going to lay down, or if the fence breaks in one spot there is always another spot down the way that has broken also? Then there is the worry I always have, do the cows know where the repair is made and will come back to push on it, and will it hold? I worry about things that are never going to happen The Colonel says.


We got the fence fixed and I enjoyed it very much because I love doing outdoor things on the ranch. The things I don’t care for are the gnats that attack you and bite you while you are working. I don’t like having to watch out for fire ants, but I am usually successful at seeing them before they get to me!


The whole time we were working on the fence a cow was bellering for her calf, a very young calf. We couldn’t just walk away from what we were doing to go look for it, but it was sad that a new Momma had put her calf down someplace and then couldn’t find it. I suppose the calf woke up, heard its’ Momma calling and finally went to her because before we left the pasture, the cow was no longer calling for it. Today, I saw the calf and the Momma together which was a welcomed sight. Life goes on at the Red Oak Ranch!