Seeing all the Fence............



Taking Cows to Summer Pasture with Uncle Jim



Going to the Back Side.........here in the Flint Hills there are still Cowboys who gather cattle the "Old Fashioned Way"......with only horses and cowboys, leaving all motorized equipment at the House!!! After getting dropped off and your point of direction from the Lead Off Man, there is nothing but rocks and tall grass to look at while picking your way through the country looking for a few head of Bovine.  To settle my wondering mind I make sure to see all the fence, rest a sure not to leave a single head behind. In the Cowboy world there is nothing worse then having another Cowboy bring in a straggler from the country you just covered.  While on my tour to the Back Side today I found my self in a deep thought.......

Going to the Back Side of a Pasture is a lot like Life in general.....

In Life we get in such a hurry just trying to keep up with the daily "Rat Race" that we often forget to take our time to do things correct and efficient.  Look back on your own Life....has there ever been a time that you didn't see the fence, or didn't see the other side of the hill and now wish you could go back and make that memory you might have missed.  I often ponder myself on the "what if's" and the "wish I had's" but trying not to waste my time on the unchangeable and remember to make less of those moments.  Living every day to it's fullest is hard to do when you get in a routine or get caught with too many irons in the fire.

Time spent making wet saddle blankets and swore butts as you put the miles on a young horse is all in the makings of a loyal partnership and a nice ride.  During this awkward stage of bonding there can be several chances for wrecks to occur. Once you trust your horse to pick him self out of the wire on the ground and he understands that you will help him out as much as you can when everybody is wrapped up in a rope with a 1000 pound cow at the end of it looking for a reason to climb in the middle of your saddle.  After you gain each other's trust the miles get smoother and more enjoyable for all.  I look at a marriage of man and wife no different, with all the small things in life that can ruin a relationship,  its the long gravel road drives on a sunny day that makes the heart grow.
Remember to enjoy your ride of Life, not be afraid to ride that extra mile to see all the fences (chances) in Life.........You never know what you might find waiting for ya there!!!