The Cousin Crew

This past week our Linsenmeyer crew grew from four to seven when our cousins came to the ranch to join in on the fun. We had a great time working cattle with them!  To beat the summer heat, our mornings began early.  Usually, we were out of bed by 4:30 am and in the car by 5:00.  “Shotgun” by George Ezra, “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker, or “Fishin’ in the Dark” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, blared through the car speakers and launched our days.  

After saddling the horses, gathering the cattle with the cowboys began. Once the cattle were in the pens, the cowboys masterfully sorted them into two separate groups: cows and calves. While the cowboys sorted, we (the kids) set up the chute and mixed-up the medicine for the day. 

Jobs that day included: cattle pushers on horseback and on foot, vaccination givers, bug sprayers, and ear taggers. 

On Wednesday we were a bit blue because we thought the cattle work was finished.  We were ecstatic when Cowboy. K called and asked us to work Friday near Adair.  All of us were thrilled because we had one more day of work and this time we would rope and drag instead of using a chute, which is way more fun!

Other highlights from the week included a delicious breakfast at PW’s Mercantile, an evening of kayaking and paddleboarding on Hominy lake, swimming, and a few afternoon movies.  

Although the last day of working cattle ended with a broken wrist, (Hannah hopped off her horse and her boot stuck in the stirrup which caused her to land on her wrist, breaking it,) that did not change the fact that we all had an amazing time with each other and all loved learning from the cowboys.