Gates, trails and windmills

Back when I was growing up, the worst seat you could have in a single bench seat pickup was the outside or door seat. Now down here in Missouri the best is the door seat, and the worst is the middle seat. But in Nebraska those who got the door seat opened gates and gates and more gates. Barbed wire gates. And back when I was little there weren't any gate openers or a leverage system to help unhook the gate and then hook it back up. You just did it by sheer muscle and grit. Wasn't any fun.

And what made it even worse was in the winter you were wearing coveralls and overshoes and gloves and a cap. You could barely walk, and now you had to get the gate open, drag it out of the way so the driver could drive through, drag it back so you can close it and then shut the gate. You were puffing by the time you got back in the pickup.

The road from gate to gate was two narrow trails that you drove down. You simply put a front wheel in each trail or sandy path, and that was the road or trail. Usually the trail went from windmill to windmill where every week or two one had to check the windmills for water and salt. The windmills usually had a 6- to 8-foot fan, which was geared so that it would run the pump rod up and down. There were leathers on the pump rod which would lift the water that ran out in the tank. In the summer, the cattle depended on the water, and in the winter one had to break ice so they could drink.

Most any four-wheel-drive would work. Many had small rigs like a Jeep or the small Broncos. Some had replaced the regular pickup bed with a flat bed. The flat beds really worked. Easy to load whatever on them and unload. Whatever was used, they weren't fancy. They were work pickups. Always carried some tools, fence pliers, a goldenrod fence stretcher, small role of barbed wire, shovel, chain, jumper cables and usually some odds and ends. Always carried a rope in case you had to rope something. Back then no one had a cellphone, so if you broke down you walked.

Usually checked on the cattle between the windmills looking for sick cattle. Now and then a calf would get sick, so they'd need a shot. Or a cow or old bull would get foot rot and would need a shot. Weren't any pens or corrals so it would take a couple horses and have to rope the sick critter. Sometimes it was easier to just load them on a stock trailer and haul to the sale barn. In that case you had to use a horse and drag the sick critter on the trailer. Usually they'd end up as hamburger after the sale barn.

In the summer the cattle were in summer pastures with the bulls, so had to check the water, salt and cattle for sick ones. Usually they'd be around the windmills around midday. In the winter, most of the cattle were closer where they could get out of the wind from the north, which was usually under a big range of big hills. In the winter, the cattle had to be caked or fed a supplement and then fed hay. Usually both daily. Some ranches used a team of horses to feed, but most used a tractor and a hay mover equipped with a hydra fork. Many days one had to use the saddle horses to check the cattle or doctor sick ones.

It was work but enjoyable work. One might see a coyote or an antelope. Certain times of the year, the prairie chickens or grouse would be doing their mating dance. Almost always had your stock dog along. Usually they were riding in the back of the vehicle. There weren't many trails in many of the pastures, but if you followed a good trail long enough you'd come back to civilization.

Just make sure in this life you are on the right trail. Sure hate for you to miss Heaven.