Cattle Round Up

Memorial Day, oh how I love that weekend.  Spring is usually in full bloom and we get to spend time with family reflecting on those who have passed before us.  We tell stories and learn of our relations while putting flowers on graves in the cemetery. It is a lot of fun.  The most fun part of the weekend is our annual Branding/Cattle Round-Up.  The whole Smith Family gathers together to push the cows to the East corals then the rodeo begins.  Colby and Rowdy rope the calves while Travis, Jared, and Ammon flip the calves.  I am a wuss so I just give shots or brand if necessary.  This year though Jordan and Uncle Todd were our branders.  I was almost replaced by my 8 year old nephew with giving shots.  Mariah and Vanessa are our castrators- so don't get on their bad sides hahaha. Just kidding.  They are a lot better with blood than I am.  It is a lot of fun, especially when the boys get a wild calf and they are jumping all around.  Poor Travis had quite the dance with a huge calf but Travis prevailed and we got the calf done.  Travis also in the midst of the wrestling calves lost his leatherman knife.  We all looked and looked and looked.  We could not find it but by a miracle a calf moved some dirt around and there is was buried.  Thank the heavens above.  Travis would be lost without his knife.
Pushing the cows back down the pasture turned into quite the rodeo too.  They certainly have a mind of their own.  The cows saw a hole in the fence and away they went into a field.  It was funny to see us all scurrying around trying to head them off.
After the branding is all finished we head back to Grandmas for an awesome feast of BBQ hamburgers.   My mouth is watering just thinking of them.  Grandma and my mom were hard at work watching little kids and fixing food while we wrestled with the cows.  Sometimes, I would take the cows over the food and kids.  The BBQ was a bit windy this year but it was still awesome.  I was so happy I got to be down there this year instead of being in the hospital.  We really missed Krista and Dakota but hopefully they will get to join us next year.