The Best Kind of Day

Way back in mid-April, on a beautiful, sunny Saturday, my favorite event of the year took place. A dirty, smelly, sweaty event...branding day. Every year this is a day for family, friends, neighbors, and their various dogs and horses, to meet down at Grandpa's corral. There are dogs underfoot and kids swinging ropes and men wrestling calves. The tween nieces learn how to give shots and one even tries her hand at branding--stressfull business with all the men crowding around giving advice--but it isn't smeared after all, and she has done a great job. The little ones are pooped halfway through the afternoon and head up the hill to play at Nana's house. Hours later, the hard part is done. Up the hill there are steaks on the grill and a potluck in the shade of the house. More neighbors arrive. We stay late and everyone agrees that the weather was perfect. It was a good day.

Slim, the cowdog-in-training

Miss vet-tech-in-training

Flying boy's-eye view


Taking a break

Cousin loves

a new skill

tired eyes

bovine stink-eye