‘Tis the season for the reason!
Or in other words, the reason we all do what we do. For this day. When you “harvest” the crop. That crop being calves, mostly, in this country, tho’ some raise yearlings, but by and large, most raise cows who have calves, who get sold in the fall, barring the small ones and the replacement heifers held back for future cows. We pen ’em, sort ’em and shop’ ’em. We work 365 days a year for this one paycheck. And don’t think that we ain’t working 365. Even on holidays the cattle come first. Hell, we even work them when we play, so to speak, in the way we do the work. We make many of the days we work, a celebration of the life. We neighbor and the crews come together to do much of the work. Those who don’t neighbor in this area have historically not lasted. I think, as independent as we all are, we also know deep down, we need each other to survive.
So we help each other at the drop of a hat or when asked. Depending on need and the time of the year.
Anyway, this was a pretty typical fall shipping day. Up and travel to the pasture before light and riding in the dark and getting to the backside when you can make out a cow critter and stat driving them towards the shipping pens. Here’s the morning in pictures. Click to make them larger.
Dennisranch 
It is the season……that’s for sure. Nice pictorial!
Great photos..I enjoyed them. It is good to see your o dark thirty cattle moving…neighbors helping neighbors..way to go! 🙂
I see by the number of trucks in the pic there must be a lot of cattle to ship, is this an all day thing or just hours?
We got done loading and sorting about 11 am. We were at the corrals and started sorting at 8 am.
The nabes are doing the same thing. When it’s still enough I can hear the upset mama cows about a mile and a half away. The rest of the time the ones to the south about a quarter of a mile keep me tuned in.
How I would’ve loved to be there.. 🙂
don’t get any better than that………………………………….
Like always your pictures are awesome! Can’t even tell you how much I enjoy reading your blog, it is always a highlight of my day.
Thanks JJ. Glad you all enjoyed it! JUst wish I could have got some pictures of me and Dean bringing the cattle up for them to sort. Mijo was packin’ his spade and workin’ good.
Great post, JB!!!