Two Old Critters

Monday, the day after Sunday and usually it hits with a roar. get done with the Sunday evening service and pray I can get some sleep and manage the Monday out here without being too shot. Today was a good one, had a good sleep, was very thankful for the service last evening going well cause you never know. I had absolutely nothing prepared for it, was deader than a doornail all week, no inspiration what so ever. Walked up to the pulpit, praying for the Holy Ghost wind to blow through and it did. Preached the Alamo, how’s that for you? Believe it or not, it came out good. Today besides a ton of cattle work we were getting ready for the corn harvest. Everything is finally ready and I hope to get it in before winter hits. But one thing was on my mind today while working and no it wasn’t church or anything like that. It was my old friend Ug. She’s the oldest cow on the place by a longshot. Born in 95. She’s been the subject of allot of sermons, both here in the Northland and also in Honduras. She was the impossible!

 

I know I wrote about her before, and I have preached about her practically everywhere I preached. The calf in 95 that got sick, who’s mother lost her milk to boot, the calf went into a coma for a month, I fed her twice a day with a stomach tube, she lost all of her hair and was ugly and stunk from rot. Three times I drug her out of the warm pig nursery where I had her laying in straw, and also covered with it for warmth, to haul her to the brush and give up on her, but I’d drag her back into the barn and keep on trying the impossible. Then one night at a 2 AM calving check I opened the door to the pig nursery, turned on the light and a stark naked, ugly calf was standing there looking at me. I will never, ever forget that night. After that she never had a problem, except being so ugly.

 

I couldn’t sell her with the rest of the calves that fall, she was so ugly, so I kept her. She was runtier than anyone else and ugly yet to boot. So months later I figured being that she seems to be a permanent resident here I’d put her with the replacement heifers and see if she would get bred and have a calf. Well, she did, over and over and over right up to this year. In fact she has the record for amount of calves produced on this outfit that I don’t think will ever be beaten. The most worthless calf became the best cow we ever had, bar none. She broke every rule the big brains come up with as far as beef cattle go.

 

But today was different. We’ve been taking cows to the salesbarn, cull cows that aren’t producing good and now all the culls are gone. And Ug is alone in that pasture, although quite content. Late this afternoon I rode out to her and almost had tears welling up in my eyes. Me and Ug, oh we had some times for almost two decades. Probably the only cow I never cussed at over the years. Now she can barely walk she’s getting so old. Stiff legs, hump back, but alert. I truly understand that most people will not get this but at that moment I knew that me and Ug had shared a good portion of our lives together. All of her’s in fact. Its been a privilege really. A few years back I made a promise to never sell her or have her butchered, she earned the title to live out her years here and die with respect.

 

I truly don’t know how to explain it, me and Ug together out there for a while today. She taught me many a lesson, especially in the faith department. What the world see’s as worthless can become the greatest. I reckon I’m getting a little stiff legged too compared to 18 years ago and there we were, man and cow, all those memories as the world hurries on to its insanity. It was quiet out there and I just told Ug that it was a good ride we had and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I swear she understood. I guess if your not a cattleman you probably don’t know what I’m talking about but that’s OK. An aging cattleman and an old cow that shared so much together. My time is coming too, don’t know when but there ain’t no getting around it. Two veterans of this cow outfit, knowing time is running out. Living a life most can’t even imagine. But we did it! We beat the odds!

 

When I preach or teach I always stay away from the subject of animals going to heaven. Believe me, that’s the number one question in Children’s Church that I taught for five years. But this one time, just this one time, I’m gonna say it, I do believe I’ll see Ug in heaven. She’s special!