Sale Day

Started the day pretty early this morning. My-Knight-In-Shining-Armor (aka Neil) is off at a meeting in Nebraska. While he is off slaying dragons to pay for the castle and support my queenly hobbies, it fell to me and Seth to load up the calves and get them to the sale barn. All told, we had 5 steers, 2 heifers and a cull cow to take in. We had sorted off the keepers from the sale calves on Sunday while Neil was here. It took 2 trailer trips to get them to town! This is the most we have ever taken in and I feel like it is a red letter day.

 Seth had to be ready to work for the neighbor putting out hay for his cattle by 8:00am. I was waiting at the stockyard with the first load by 7:15am while he stayed home and got breakfast.  It took the cowboys a few minutes to get around and get me unloaded but I was back with the second load by 8:15am. Not bad since the neighbor showed up a bit early for Seth. Charlie helped load the second bunch and rode along with me. Deer season opens tomorrow and that was the main topic of conversation.

I have to commend Seth. He took it upon himself to remodel our working pens....... it is a real stretch to call what we had a working pen. He scrounged around and recycled old panels, steele pipes and gates to make a really impressive working set up----- all for free! That's a good thing for us these days. It made catching the calves and loading them on the trailer a breeze.

I got the trailer unhitched, the cows called up to the hay lot and I have made a pass at our normal morning chores. Dogs are fed, horses have water, Adam handled the chickens, Ellie May has hay and water. Holly and the keeper heifers have a hay bale to clean up before I move them to a new lot tomorrow. Goats are browsing. A friend showed up with a goat to breed to my buck.

Adam and Charlie went off to scout for deer and hang up a last minute deer stand. I have a few minutes alone to take a deep breath before I get ready to head back to the sale barn. I want to see the calves sell and pick up the check afterwards....... I am afraid to hope! Cattle prices are really good these days and I am optimistic for a good paycheck. Not to mention that the cafe` sells a really good salmon dinner........