During the back-to-the land movement, a lot of city people bought farms or rural land, with pictures in their heads about living a clean, idyllic life in the country, not realizing everything that was involved - which included, not only killing and mutilating animals, but a whole lot of hard work, some of which literally involved excrement. Today, those sort of people have a better chance of surviving, but their farms are not what those of us who grew up on a farm think about farm life. The place we stayed at in Maryland, for example, is advertised as a working farm, but the owner is an author, who teaches college and rents the barn out as a writer's retreat. I think he even got a grant to renovate and "rescue" the farm. What he and his wife consider to be a farm, we would call a garden. That's fine, as it allows them to live the life they want without all the stuff they don't want. As for joking about things that are not a joke to the victims, I was a paramedic for twenty years. Cody, you were an EMT - didn't you guys joke about things that wouldn't be funny to people outside of EMS? Maybe I'm just a heartless bastard, but I know that I did. Even worse, I still laugh when I think about some of that stuff.
True about those EMS days and I still laugh about some of those scenes and what happened in the back of the unit to me, concerning some of the patients.
If anyone here really wants to see what ranch and farm life is all about today, just take a look at the website Farm And Ranch Life magazine. Kids hugging goats, sheep, horses and even cattle. Kids on horseback learning the ranch lifestyle. Farmers planting and harvesting crops. And, on and on. Even farm and ranch owners using computer software for crop and livestock production. Farm equipment today is much, much larger than when I used it, but farming in general, is pretty much still the same.
Ive only come in contact with horses and only because my niece in Colorado rides. Right now she is leasing a horse because hers had to be put down awhile ago. She's having trouble finding a good one she can afford. They were in Longmont, CO last week looking at some but when they vetted them, problems showed up. There was one horse that was perfect and she really like him...only problem was that he cost $42,000! You can buy a nice car for that! She's a pharmacist and single and makes decent money but not that much, plus the price of the horse everything else involved is also expensive. It's her passion though. She's 27 and has been riding since she was 5. Had a horse called Cajun...I met that one....he was mean, lol.
In the American west and midwest, rustling cattle has been going since since before the civil war. In 1948' coming home from school one day at he beginning of the week I stopped at our neighborhood grocery store. The store was owned and operated by my mother's first cousin, Rall. He had three grown sons, the youngest worked full time in the grocery store. I never knew what the other two did except I knew they had the most fierce fighting pit bull on our side of town. On Saturing nights they made big bucks with their dog. Inside the store the oldest son asked if I'd like to have his dog. I said, yeah, sure, but why. He said gotta be gone awhile. He put a leash on the dog and a I took it home but knowing he could sell that dog for some good money. My dad said he needs to get rid of the dog in a hurry or he wouldn't have given it to you. Dad put the dog I his picket and left, sayingI'll be back in a minute. Later mom said he made some money. A week rocked by until Sunday when the local paper named both older sons in their headlines, saying they were on the FBI's most wanted list for cattle rustling and train robbery. Some months later they were arrested in California and sentenced to ten years in prison. Still going on by people who think they an get away with it.
And here in Oklahoma last year: Man arrested again for stealing cattle, trying to sell them Share Updated: 9:51 AM CST Jan 12, 2017
Both of my "heading" Rope horses were Quarter Horses and one was registered with AQHA. The first one, a Dunn color, 16 hand gelding. The other was a Red Roan, 16 hand gelding. First one was named Brandy and the second one Red. Brandy was more of a trail horse, but Red was definitely a rope horse. Red loved to chase cattle down an arena.
Jeez. Reading through the posts, I might be a bit remiss in my thinking; Watching Green Acres really isn’t a teaching documentary dealing with farm life. All this time I thought that farm wives looked like one of the Gabor sisters and all a farmer had to do was ride around on his tractor.
Actually a neighbor of ours, right down the road from our farm, died while sitting on his tractor in a field. He was hunched over the steering wheel where another farmer found him. My dad knew old Charlie really good.
No, but I don't have to. I know a whole lot about both. IOW, Beth, and your "likes", when was the last time you went to a Livestock Sale? Until the virus restricts happened, we attend nearly every week. Not to buy, but to observe the livestock and see the sale prices. If shown, could you identify any-to-all farm equipment........I can! Can you identify any breeds of livestock/horses or hogs.......I can! I'm former pro-rodeo and can run circles around most anyone in this forum concerning rodeo.........equipment used and the events done. There are those that "give-up" their roots in farming or ranching, but I never did. I could still jump on a John Deere tractor and drive it. I could still saddle a horse and swing a rope while sitting in the saddle. So, don't even try to talk to me about farming and/or ranching! I've said this before and will say it again..........you stated that your family still farms/ranches, BUT, you, yourself, never/ever talk about! I do. Don't mean to sound mean, just 100% truthful.
I prefer to live in the present instead of boring people with what "used to be." My family farms; I do not. Why on earth would I go to a livestock sale? How absurd. And in an attempt to keep the thread on topic; I doubt that J.K. Rowling attends livestock sales with transgenders either.
Used to be PRCA calf roper here, now into team penning, raise hay and still have 44 head of black angus and longhorn cattle, it is a lifestyle here, we also made the Hopkins County Sale barn on Tuesdays as the Sat sale was mostly the hobby crowds, bought & sold some but always had a great chicken fried steak for lunch. Outdoor bucking chutes no fences or arena just turn them out loose at the World Championship Chuck Wagon Races in Clinton Ar. A full week plus of fun every year last trip there over 6000 on horseback.
Go to a sale barn good way to meet others, good food, lots to learn and get current market prices and have an enjoyable day, back younger I took many dates to the Sat night horse sale, never had a complaint. Not expensive unless you let it be. The last thing I bought was a box blade and hay spike, just the spike part.
So, just like an old friend of mine did, your family loves farming and you absolutely don't. But, as far as "boring"? Not to wife and I at all, but then again, we love attending a livestock auction, local fairs/rodeos and anything farm/ranch related. Shoot, when we lived here before, we attend a ranch rodeo. I really like both posts that Tex Dennis done here. Thanks, Dennis! IOW, Beth, a person doesn't have to be physically doing something to continue to like it. I'm a former EMT and still have a full-size First Aid Kit in our boat, vehicle and at home. I'm former pro-rodeo, don't do it anymore, but love going to rodeos.