Mad Jack Hanks: Tales from the O-NO Ranch 6-13-11
Wellington, Colo.
Last week, gentle readers, it was never gonna’ be summer. This weeks it’s summer. I took off early this morning to the cement pond to go swimming. The morning was already really warming up when I went out to feed the ponies.
After my swim I stopped off at Wally World to pick up this week’s groceries and what ever. You know how it is. They always rearrange everything and WHAMMO, you spotted something you thought you just had to have so now you have it. I digress!
As I was headed up towards the house from the interstate I slowed down and glanced over towards the east end of my pasture. The steers were lowing? That’s in the Bible. I think mine were just loafin’ around as it was really getting’ hot at mid morning. Well “pooie,” that’s not exactly what I said but it will do as this is a family publication, one of those steers is loafin’ on the other side of the fence on the neighbors. I got home and was relieved to see the horses were still loafin’ around the corral and I wouldn’t have to go look for them. I put up the groceries, changed clothes, caught ole Howdy up and headed to the back side.
Friends, it was summertime. I am not complaining, nosiree, not a chance, we were growin’ some grass. It’s not far to the back side, maybe three-quarters of a mile. As I crossed the creek and rode up over the next little hill, I could see where my lying eyes had betrayed me again. All the steers were on this side of the fence just as pretty as you please. I held them up for a moment and looked them over and then rode the fence line just to be sure that it wasn’t down in some place or the other. Howdy didn’t have to do much but boy was he sweating a lot. Of course he’s a yield grade 4. In other words, he’s a fat boy that doesn’t get ridden often enough.
As a side bar the snow pack in the mountains is at 246 percent of normal and on these hot days they are expecting the rivers to flood certain areas. That’s a lot of snow up there to be coming down in a hurry. You folks in Kansas will be getting a little extra this year. Me, I will be doing some loafin’ around here today and I just might take a nap. That’s what old guys do on hot days ya know!
Stay tuned, check yer cinch on occasion and I’ll c. ya’ll, all ya’ll.
