Well, fall is in the air. I can smell it, feel it and even see it. The first glimpse of fall came about almost three weeks ago. I stepped outside one morning and the air had that crisp, fresh smell that clears away the nostrils and makes a man’s neck start to swell.

I can feel it because the air is beginning to slowly drop the temperature to the point that being outside is bearable, and I can see it because the pecans are starting to ripen and the crows are beginning to make their annual trek though our trees stealing each and every pecan they can. It’s comin’.

Pretty soon the hot summertime will be over and another year of cool air will begin. This is my time of the year! I love the fall because it allows me to get out and do a few things outside that I just can’t do when the temperature is 95 or 100-plus degrees.

Many of my readers know I am a weekend cowboy. My family and I have a small ranch in Independence, Texas and I enjoy my time with my cattle. There’s no money in it, but it is simply my way of relaxing. There is something about cattle that can take away a man’s busy thoughts and causes him to relax.

During the good times, raising cattle is fun, and during the bad times raising cattle allows me to store up memories, giving me something to gripe about when things are good! Does that make sense? In other words, it’s kinda like a mama that has decided to worry about her kids when something likely won’t happen, so they worry about them before something does happen!

Years ago I probably would have been called a drugstore cowboy, but the difference between a drugstore cowboy and me is the tools and equipment I own are used and used hard. A drugstore cowboy can’t get his clothes or boots dirty because they’re too pretty. His truck can’t get mud on it and manure would cause it to fall apart! Not mine, though!

My equipment is made for using and I use them hard. I figure that if something gets a scratch on it, then it just stays scratched until I buy the next one.

My work at the ranch consists of fence fixin’, hauling calves, cutting, spraying and other types of outdoor work. Most of my work was always done from the back of my truck or tractor. If you had told me years ago I would own and enjoy a four-wheeler for ranching, I would have called it a needless waste. But now that I have one, I’m sold! I believe the four-wheeler is the best invention since man made metal t-posts. Using my four-wheeler has made life a lot easier and has allowed me to get more work done with less effort.

We have a wonderful family living next door to our place. Mike Taylor and his family are as good as gold. Mike and I are the kind of neighbors that don’t have to have touchy, feely, see-you-every-weekend-at-get-togethers to know that we care and watch out for each other. I may not see Mike for months, but I always know he is just a call away and he would lend a hand any way he can, and I would do the same for him. We both don’t care too much for people snooping around our places, and we both make mental notes of unusual activity.

Years ago while I was driving to our property, I noticed one of my cows was in Mike’s pasture. I decided to drive this cow from his place to mine with my four-wheeler. As I was about to start the move, Mike showed up and we had a good, long neighborly talk. As we were talking, the cow made her way from the front of his property near the dirt road to the back forty of his land. After our conversation, Mike went about skinning a coon he had trapped and I went after the cow. The object was to drive the cow to the dirt road and move her down our lane to the pasture. The cow did real well moving toward the road, but instead of turning right, she turned left. When I would get behind her with my machine, she would dart back into the open pasture.

On four separate occasions she made the wrong turn and four times I had the patience to start all over again. I’d try to sweet talk her, feed her, push and coax her, but all plans went awry.

Mike got through with his work and he cranked up his brand new, nice and shiny four-wheeler to try to help me. I don’t understand our male thoughts, but for some reason when he cranked up his machine, I felt an adrenaline rush and the pursuit of this cow was about to get hot and heavy.

Together we rode side by side, trying to move this old cow and the more we drove her, the more and more ornery she got. She got downright mean! Mike and I were in hot pursuit and all of a sudden, bam! I zigged when I should have zagged and our two four-wheelers had a small meeting in the pasture. I got a small dent on my back rack, and he cut a piece of plastic on his front rack.

Even though this could have been an extremely serious accident, I soon was overcome with laughter. Two grown men driving like a couple of hormone-filled teenagers trying to chase down a poor old cow that was just tryin' to get some fresh grass. It was just plain funny. All ended well. Mike soon got off his machine and pursued the cow the old-fashioned way…on foot. She calmly made her way back home.

Thank you, Lord, for the recent rains!

Clifford

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