Today

Today was a beautiful day, a little cool in the morning, a good day to work cattle.
This afternoon, starting about 2:00 pm, my husband, Frank and our son, John worked a total of 48 cattle. By working, we gave them Pastuerella vaccine, Blackleg vaccine, put pour on worm medication, cut out fly tags left from last summer and ear tagged those that did not have an ear tag, as well as wrote down each number copiling an inventory. Our son has 6 heifers so we put white ear tags in them, to distinguish them from the remainder of the herd, plus he has one with a pink ear tag, this tag we left in as we do not have any other pinkies. Only one put us all on the fence before we scared it into a pen. Our son teaches school at Rowlett High School in Garland, Texas, he has been home for the Christmas break. We finished about 4:30.
This is not my favorite thing to do, it is often cold, or hot, today it was dusty. My job is to keep the syringes filled, the ear tagger filled and hand equipment to the shot giver.
This coming Saturday we will work the remainder of the herd, it will take all day. We will have two additional people. I get to work with the men all morning, supply snacks, then come in and fix lunch, clean up from that, go back and help all afternoon. Somehow, I think I get the worst part of the bargain. The same young man has worked with me for many years giving shots.
Living and working with cattle is not my choice, nor my favorite past time.