The cows were down, grazing in the Double Crossing. Cows know this routine as well, so half of them were piled in one corner, ready for the next step of their journey.
But, first…
Corral work. Cows go this way. Heifers go that way. The girls that didn’t make the cut will be sold, and they go into the pen behind me. We sort from a larger pen into the alley, calling out eartag numbers. Brandon checks his list and yells the reply of Keep, Heifer, Sell. Gates swing. No daydreaming allowed. You must stay up with the rhythm so the sorting zooms along.
Soon a sorting pen is full, and you mount your horse and trail them to yet another pasture where they will spend the night.
Return to the corral. Sort some more. Return to the Double Crossing. Gather all of the herd. Trail to the corral. Sort some more. Ride again.
We’re kept hopping. It’s a beautiful day though the weatherman had predicted rain. Sorting cattle in the cold and rain wasn’t going to be fun, but we could definitely enjoy a day like this! We finally finish at 4:30 and though a soak in the hot tub sounded wonderful, it’s now 30 degrees with a breeze, so I snuggle under a blanket for a bit instead. 45 minutes later, it’s dark, and I have a hard time convincing myself to do anything else productive.
Sorting, dark, and the mention of Middle England made me think of Harry Potter and the sorting hat. I know, that was Middle Earth, not Middle England.
Oh I’m with you on the dark and finding it hard to get up and do anything. Dark by 5pm here in Middle England.
Great shot with that long line of black!