We're off and running, riding, sliding,dodging...........

Yesterday we sorted the fall calves (the calves that were born late last summer or early fall) off of their mommas.  We had 6 this year, and instead of bringing in the whole herd to the corral, Farmer and I just bring in one calf at a time.  Now this is one place in our operation that separates us farmers from true ranchers.  We do not have horses.  We do all of our so called "cowboying" on ATV's, or as we call them "4-wheelers".  So the way it works is that my Farmer and I literally chase the calf to the corral with our 4-wheelers. One of us on each side of the animal and slightly back.  Some times it goes very smoothly and other times it does not.  When we bring a cow in this way, she usually gets pretty tired about half way there, so then we go at kind of a slow speed.  The calves are a different story.  They like to run.  And they can run pretty darn fast.  Which makes for an exciting adventure.  The pasture was pretty wet from all of the moisture that we have received so it was slick, which made for some fun ATV riding!  You can really turn one of those things around sharp on slick grass!  However, when you want to stop quickly, you don't.  Plus any fertilizer that the cows left on the field is also wet and flings very well.  And one other downside to riding a 4-wheeler really fast across the pasture, is the holes.  Our pasture is not smooth.  There are ditches, pivot tracks, dirt mounds, and sunken burial sites.  So as I am riding my ATV beside this calf, shifting into 4th gear (as he's already in high gear), making sure I'm in the right position so he doesn't turn back, keeping my mouth shut so no flying particles land in my mouth, and watching out for holes in the field, I'm thinking to myself, I believe I should be wearing a helmet.  And then when the calf makes a sudden change in direction and I tried to stop but just slid right into the back of my Farmer's ATV, I'm thinking, I believe I should be wearing full protective gear.   But I wasn't, and we did manage to get all the calves to the corral, and no body or animal was hurt in the process.  I did look a little messed up, wet and muddy.  I lost my hat in one of the chases, so I got a little more mud and stuff in my hair then I wanted, but hey this is SOOOOO livin' the farm life!  And I'm lovin' it!!!!