#20 - Sweet Cow of Mine

Cattle come and go but there are always certain ones that make their mark.  It's interesting to look back over the years.  Having recently celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary and looking into the home pasture with our yearling heifers, my husband and I smile! There is one exception in that pasture and she has been with us through thick and thin!  The fall after we were married, my husband and I sold the 'auction mart specials' that were on our place and stepped out and purchased some ranch-raised hereford and hereford-red angus cross yearling heifers.  These girls would be the beginning of our base herd!  Ooooooh the slack we got!!!!  "Ranch cattle are WILD" ... "those hereford, hereford-red angus cattle will never work!"

The man we purchased our yearling heifers from was a very well known rancher in Southern Alberta by the name of Don Dubeau.  I had known Don for many years being from the area but my husband did not.  Brad grew very fond of Don and had a great respect and admiration for him.  He had a great wit, was extremely kind and a remarkable knowledge of cattle.  Over the course of 5 yrs, we bought yearling heifers from Don building our herd to 200 head.  In that time frame, drought and BSE made things 'TOUGH' and as first generation mixed farmers extremely tough decisions had to be made.  When you could sell feed for more than what you could get feeding it to your cows, the business decision to sell the majority of our herd was made.  We both really dislike such business decisions but you do what you have to do to survive.  Needless to say, we did keep a few of our top girls back with the plan to rebuild our herd.  Some of those girls are still here but one in particular rules this roost!  #20 ... that sweet cow of mine (yes, I claimed her as mine 15 yrs ago) is now 16 yrs old and is still producing for us!  She was late this year but we had bull troubles last year (so I blame the boy).  Besides when your on your 14th child I'm not going to complain!  Donny without a doubt you sold us great cattle with great genetics!!! I hope you are looking down from those heavenly pastures with a big grin!  And those 'WILD hereford, hereford-red angus cross ranch cattle' must not have been that bad as they graced the back cover of a purebred simmental sale catelogue for a number of years!  ;)

#20 ... you will forever remain at home in 'your' pastures!  

By the way ... she had a heifer!!  Woo Hoo!