5 minute read
On the Edge of Common Sense by Baxter Black
ON THE EDGEOF COMMONSENSE
The Last Dollar ANIMAL BONDING
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As a vet I have stood at the squeeze chute every fall as the cows are worked. My job is to give the cow a quick ‘going over’ for physical fitness and do a pregnancy examination. Typical deal; this ol’ mama comes stumbling in the chute at the speed of a sloth on Valium. The head gate clangs shut, never touches the cow. Run a stick down her side, sounds like a prod pole across a picket fence. Her tail head is stickin’ up like a shark’s fin, she’s draggin’ one tit on the ground. I’m thinkin’ to myself, ‘is there any point in putting on a
Today there is an increased recognition of the bonding process between man and animals. Pets are now referred to in politically Forthoseof youwho forgothoweasy it was to get started in farming let me tell you about my friend Con. Manyyears ago,he plastic sleeve and torturing this poor beast anymore?’ Then I look up to the headgate and there is that good cowman, rubbing his chin and lookin’ at that old cow like he’s in a jewelry correct circles as companion animals. Companion. By definition; bought a farm in the wilds of Minnesota. Thefellerthat sold him store. ‘Am I missing something here?’ I ask myself, dumbfounded. an associate, a comrade. It’s not a bad choice of words in a world the farm had his farm sale the day Con arrived to take I finally realized I was missing something. That good cowman and where families get fractionated, children leave home, neighbors possessionofthe land. me were not looking at the same cow! See, I was looking at an don’t know each other and people get lonely. A pet can be a good Now, Con hadbeen a cowboy typeallhis life andupon viewing economic unit. Will she have a calf, breed back and bring another companion. thefarm machinery stacked in the yard, he was hardput to one home next fall?
Of course, when the word ‘bonding’ is used, they are almost always speaking of the bonding between humans and dogs or cats. Wait . . . maybe not cats. I’m not sure one can bond with a cat. But, be that as it may, they are never referring to livestock people and the identify anythingotherthanthehandy manjack and a tractor. Buthethought if this stuff was goodenoughforthefarmerthat sold out, it was goodenoughforhim. He’d figgerout what it was He on the other hand was looking at an animal that had taken him to the pay window for ten years. He might know her even better than that. She might have put him over a fence, or he might have helped her throughout a bad calving. But he knows her animals in their care. Livestock bonding does occur infrequently in later. All theneighborsfor miles around came to see who the and owes her. He wants to make sure she gets the benefit of the fiction. Babe, the sheepherding pig, bonded with Farmer Hoggett. new sucker was and maybe pickoverthe machinery like doubt.
Mary had her little lamb. Colonel Sanders . . . well, that might be buzzardsonfreshroadkill… And that’s a bond. As genuine as a cat or dog. Granted he doesn’t a bad example. Conjumped in andboughttheonlythingherecognized: the think of her as an associate or a comrade, as in “git along little com-
I contend that in real life, there is a bonding between stockmen and tractor. It was a 45 Allis, hepaid $1,250. Thenhe boughtthe rade” or “let’s go to the pasture and gather our associates”. But it is their creatures. I have got a lot of miles out of pickin’ on cowmen a bond just the same, built on respect. 22 who keep an old cow “one more year”. May 2021 www.baxterblack.com
Mountedplowthatwent withit.on a big pile oforangemetal.“Ain’t you gonnabuythat?Youboughtthetractorandtheplow.” Con bought it. Twodays later hefoundout it was a mounted cultivator.
Whenthe sale wasover several ofthefarmersaskedCon to load theirheavy stuff, sincehe’dboughtthetractoran’ all, they said. Con leaped up in the seat,intent on showin’ these skeptical neighborshe knew whathewasdoin’. Hefumbledaroundfortenminutes, switching ontheheadlights,the choke, thethrottle,thegaugesand wipin’ thetransfercase cleanlookin’ for some instructions. Finally anol’ timer reached overand said, “Pull this, son.” It fired up right away (it wastheonly time in thenextfive years it everdidthat). He couldn’t findthe shift patternbutfortunately it was in gearandthe clutchwaswhere it belonged.
The first thingtheywantedhim to load wasanoldpulltype, disjointeddisc. It neverwentanyplaceheaimed it. Conwouldturn aroundand it wouldbepassinghim. Eventuallyhedragged it upon a flatbed inflicting considerable damage in theprocess. Pleased with himselfheturnedand said,“Next?” Everybodyelsehaddrifted away. The feller with thebentdisc came over to Con,openedhiswallet andhandedhim a dollar bill. “Kid, you takethisandbuy yourself a can ofgas. It’ll bethe first and last dollar you ever make farmin’,but you’ll alwayshaveenough to gitouttatown.” Arizona Cattlelog
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