Sunday, September 30, 2012

Getting the Cows

     This week I listened to a very humorous motivational speaker who was brought  to Red Deer by the Red Deer River Naturalists. Al Batt comes from rural Heartland Minnesota and I thoroughly enjoyed his presentation.

    Al's theme was mentor ship. He used his father as an example. Al was the youngest in a farm family that was very busy. One day seven year old Al asked his father if he could have a job. Al's Dad said, "Well what do you have in mind?" Al said, "I'd like to drive the combine. " The "no" answer came pretty quickly. However, Al's Dad gave him the job of getting the cows from the pasture twice a day. Al was very happy and set about to do his job as best he could.

     One morning when Al was looking for the cows he saw something white on a fence post. Little Al thought it was a ghost. Al took the cows home and told his Dad. Al's Dad immediately took him by the hand and went back to see the ghost. Al's Dad explained that it wasn't a ghost on the fence post but a snowy owl. His Dad told him all about snowy owls and that is what got Al interested in birds so that today he is a highly respected ornithologist. 

    This story reminded me of my own farm experience. I had to get the cows morning and night starting when I was about five years old which was about 1944. The cow pasture was always close to the farmers's yard and was usually submarginal land if possible. Sometimes it took a very long time for me to find the cows as I had so many interesting things to look at . The area was only about half developed so there was still some excellent native habitat. So I knew where Saskatoons, chokecherries, Pincherries, raspberries, strawberries and a whole lot of other good things were.  There were sloughs, willows brush and grassland. It was super habitat for birds. 
I don't have a picture of my brother when we wee little so here he is long after the days of getting cows.

    I always had to take my little brother along. He was less than a year younger than I was. He was a pain. I liked to talk to myself but I didn't like anybody to listen. I would make him walk behind me but he would sneak up behind me and listen. I would make him walk ahead but he would go so slow I would catch up to him. He didn't know how to chase cows, according to me, so I blamed him if the cows went the wrong way. So we got a lot of free fighting time in when we got the cows from the pasture. This job had to be done in all weather. To this day I still like walking in the rain.

    Before I was given the job of getting the cows it was my Mom's job. Mom would have to take a three year old (me) a two year old ( my brother) and a one year old (my sister) in a carriage. I often think of poor Mom and how difficult her life must have been. One day my Mom asked me if I wanted to see a very pretty bird. She told me I had to be very, very quiet. We crept through a ditch and willows. We were crouched down low and there I saw it. Right at eye level I saw a mallard drake swimming on a small pond. It was very near to us and I stopped breathing as it was such a beautiful thing. 

    So Mom was my mentor. She took time from a hectic , chaotic schedule and showed me a very beautiful bird. I've been a birder ever since. Nice mentor Mom! Thanks for setting me on a most enjoyable life time activity.

    So Al Batt reminded me of when and where I got my interest in birds and so the mentor ship theme was reinforced for me. From about 1955 on this type of farming was discontinued. I often think about what farm children miss by not having to "go for the cows."

    Now I realize that for many readers this post will have very little meaning because they never had the experience " of getting the cows."  I hope that you will be mentors to others in other areas. 

28 comments:

  1. that's neat that you were given that gift by your mother. :) i lived on a small dairy farm as a kid. the cows were called up from the field with a very loud, bellowing 'come boss! come boss!' :)

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    1. We tried that one but either the cows were too smart and us too dumb as it didn't work.

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  2. A great story. It brings back memories for me.

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  3. I grew up in the suburbs and never saw a cow up close, much less brought one in. But reading about it in your blog is certainly fun.

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    1. And the farm boy missed the suburbs experience.

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  4. Birding caught on really fast for me, I often say a warbler can give me a weeks pleasure.

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    1. When the warblers go through on migration it's a very interesting time of year.

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  5. Ah the days of getting in the cows - on my way home from school way back in the early 1950's on my trusty steed. It was a great feeling - made you feel that you were part of everyday farm/ranch life. The "old girls" seemed to get the message, they spotted you coming and they would just start off for the yards.
    Great to know that you enjoyed those days also.
    Country kids here still get the cows in, calves locked up overnight and then the milking was done in the morning. Calves let out and off the "merry" families went for another day.

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    1. Some cooperative cows. Ours seemed to want to go somewhere else at times.

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  6. While I never had to go for the cows, I did live adjacent to a farm and can remember watching others do it! That really was a lovely gift from your mother - as parents, we have no idea of the impact of simple, small gestures!

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    1. My aunt added to this when she sent a second hand bird book to us when we were preschoolers. It was a Tavener's with super colored photos.

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  7. As a very small child, I would accompany my Grandfather to the upper field and as soon as the cows saw him,and heard him say "Come On Girls, Come ON, they would follow us back down to the barn. Made that trip many many times and for us it was a "Butterfly Walk". We had tons to butterflies around; at least it seemed to me there were tons. I knew many species as a child and to this day they still facinate me. Thanks Red, for this post - just lovely and a nice reminder of my chore with my GrandDad :)

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    1. We were exposed to many of nature's treasures. I can see you with your butterfly net!!!

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  8. I think you were very lucky to have such a natural upbringing. I myself never lived on a farm, but it was not my fault; I really wanted to! :-)

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    1. I'm sure that there were many kids like you who dreamed about being on a farm.

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  9. I enjoyed this post. I did not know any of that stuff about cows! we pass so m,any cows on our bike rides and they just look at us. interesting about your mom being a mentor...I would like to be like her to my children.

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    1. Sounds like you are a good mentor to your kids so don't worry.

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  10. I didn't grow up on a farm so I never had the pleasure of 'getting the cows'. However my husband did and as one of nine children I've listened many times over the years to him and his siblings talk about farm life and the work and fun they had. I think him and an older brother got waylaided many times getting the cows. His Mom too worked very hard. They had many fun times too and listening to those stories I think I may have missed something not being on a farm.
    Your Mom sounds like a wonderful caring woman and mother.

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    1. Our life was outdoors where there is so much life. We were also exposed to machinery .
      Mom was very patient even though her life was extremely busy.

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  11. I loved calling in the cows.."Come boss Come boss!" They knew they would get a portion of grain when they found their stanchions. I liked the cows..we did not have a huge pasture so usually if I started calling on the front step they would be waiting at the barn door to be let in. No walks amongst the birds for me..I did walk with my Grandfather to his back pasture with his faithful dog to call in his cows..he had a style, in my mind I can see him standing on top of it! ..thanks for that memory Red.

    It is wonderful to remember mentors who took the time to spend with kids and explain the and explore the national world! I hope I am a good mentor:)



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    1. You had very well mannered cows. Ours were not cooperative at all.
      The speaker we had was trying to encourage more mentoring.

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  12. You tell wonderful stories, my faithful reader! I love them.
    Cheers from Cottage Country!

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  13. Thanks. Some of these things I can hardly believe as they happened so long ago and are really in another world.

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  14. Hi Red, most of the time our cows came to the barn without some having to go get them. Not only did they get milked but they got a treat of hay and chop (milled grain, mostly oats) so they had a good reason for coming to get milked. One in a while I would have to get one of them but not very often.

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  15. Red I love reading your stories, I remember my Mom calling the cows, by the time I was old enough to do this job unfortunately we'd left the farm. I can just picture my baby sister following me like your younger brother did with you. Today I'm extremely close to my sister, not only is she my sis, she's my best friend!

    Have a wonderful day, and yes, the world needs more mentors who will spend time teaching our youth today. I totally agree!

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  16. Great story! While I have never "gotten the cows" myself, I see that going on around here quite a lot. :)

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  17. I too remember 'getting the cows' as a kid, I also remember them as a young mother, and even now. Great story, Red!

    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
    http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

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