Page 4 - MWC 4-21-2022s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 21, 2022 · P4
son and ‘mark’ the miles.
As I start to get a few more
summers on the odometer, I
can look back and call some
of them by name. There’s the
‘summer we built the house’;
the ‘summer we went out
west’; and the summer we
hauled our last load of ‘square
bales’- you get the idea. That
summer could have several
names. It could be remem-
bered as the summer we went
Someone once said that if to Colorado and walked along
you have one good dog in your the ‘divide’, or the summer
lifetime, you’re a lucky man. that we ‘cleaned out nearly
I’ve had more than my share, every pond on the place’ be-
but one in particular stands cause they were all dry as a
out. For those who recog- bone, but for me that summer
nize this story, I have to say, will be remembered as the
“Thank you for sticking with summer I buried a long-time
us all these years.” I never get friend and companion. We
tired of re-counting it – the called him Lad.
dog was ‘one of a kind’. Even If you’ve read this column
now, every time I see a photo long you’ve heard of Lad.
of the Border Collie, a smile The Border Collie worked his
just comes – just like the dog heart out on our operation for
himself - there’s no stopping at least ten summers; add to
it. those ten springs, ten winters
Lad and ten falls. That would be
Summers are like bill- forty ‘quarters’ of heat, snow,
boards along life’s highway. and mud we worked together
They stand out for some rea- – well Lad worked, I mostly
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just watched.
He never missed
a day of work. He
never offered to
run off or go on
strike except when
a thunderstorm
might blow in. He
never complained.
He could really
“put on a pout” if
you pulled out of
the yard without
him. All he ever to take his time and he was
wanted to do was – ‘work’. gentle with a new mother and
And he could work. Once he her baby, but he could handle
‘loaded’ a 1600-pound bull any ‘rip’ that gave him trouble
into a stock-trailer right in and he could send one back
the middle of a pasture. No home in style. Until he got
panels, no fence –I’m talking older, I never saw him back
“out in the middle’ – all by down from a fight. I guess
himself! All I did was close later on he just got smarter.
the gate. Another time he Many times, and on sever-
‘corralled’ about 25 head of al farms, I’d drive down the
the neighbor’s yearling heif- county road and he’d ‘gather’
ers that had never seen a dog every cow on the ‘eighty’ – I
before - from a muddy trap never could teach him to open
where we couldn’t even walk. the gate, but he’d ‘guard’ it all
Lad knew when he’d done morning if I told him to “stay”.
good… he had a way of ‘puff- Lad and I had our own lan-
ing his chest out’ as if to say… guage – nothing fancy. There
“How about that?” was a whistle for ‘come’ or
When I came out of the ‘get over here’. Sometimes it
house each morning, Lad meant… “Hey dog – where in
would seem to know what the the heck are you? There was
morning agenda was going to a whistle for ‘stop’, which to
be. During ten years of AI, heat Lad meant ‘slow down’, and a
checking, and some embryo whistle for ‘speed it up, or get
transfer work, both spring up there’. The old dog never
and fall, I never brought a made a sound – but he had
cow in on foot, or at least I his “looks”. When I sent him
never did it alone. There were out into a really muddy trap
several times over the years – his look said… “You got to
I’d find myself at a neighbor’s be kiddin’ me”. When I’d try
or with someone who’d have to get him to move because he
cows out and I would “step was in the wrong place – his
out” to lend a hand, and I’d be look said… “Now leave me
lost. I didn’t drive cattle on alone dang it – I’m right here
foot at home. He’d work for – right where I need to be!”
anyone in the family. Most of I never was able to decipher
the time I never had to ‘send’ the look he gave me when
Lad to do anything. If I called I left him standing in the
a group of cows, they all knew driveway – when he couldn’t
Lad was probably already go along, but I’m sure if I had,
on the way, and they even we wouldn’t be able to print it
learned to look around to see here word for word anyway.
where the dog was. All I had We made one heck of a
to do was look toward a bunch team – that old dog and me.
of calves and Lad would line It’s going to be a long time be-
up for an ‘out-run’… if I didn’t fore I get out of the habit of
see him or call him, he’d soon whistling – “Hey dog– where
be behind them headed for are you?” when I come out
that back door. As I said when
the corral.
count how many steps that a cedar that summer… “I’m
There’s no way to ever I left him under the shade of
old dog saved us. He’d go a sure gonna miss you buddy.”
mile to get the last cow, and And I sure have.
he’d go back again to get an-
other – all I had to say was, KwC
“look back”. He knew how