Oakie's Heartland Clippings

Vol. 75, No. 25, Thursday, May 27, 1999.

Fair Valley Before Dawn
(Can't Keep A Good Old Cowgirl Down)

There is a western song that goes something like this, "Mamas Don't let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys!" Well! I'm here to tell you that there is nothing wrong with being a cowboy or a cowgirl and "My Heroes Have always Been Cowboys!" It is probably one of the noblest professions of the "Old West" that is misunderstood by many and understood by few.

Actually, my heroes have also been Indians. I have an Indian friend that keeps telling me I would make a great Indian. I haven't found Indian blood in me yet, but who knows for sure? BUT... That's another story!

One of my readers wrote this about that, "...I can say that of all the jobs I've held in my nearly 51 years, the most pleasurable one was working on the farm." CB & Marilyn.

"Today, I will let myself enjoy what is good. i don't have to wreck my good day or good feeling; I don't have to let others spoil it either." author unknown. In other words, "You can't keep an old cowgirl and cowboy down."

Today (15 may 1999), 1:30 a.m., Saturday morning, this old cowgirl pulled in to the small cow community of Fair Valley, Oklahoma, to enjoy what is good in her life. As she pulled up - She parked her vehicle near the corral - She was greeted by the sounds of the inhabitants within, "Mooooooooo...Mooooo...Morning, Oakie!"

Oakie began to arrange her sleeping bag under the stars for the rest of the night so she could get some rest before dawn came bursting in at daybreak. After awhile the moong subsided and settled down while they all settled into their little nests for the night. Oakie in the back of her "Explorer" and the cows in the corral. Oakie was determined to be the first one to show up for work Saturday morning.

It seemed like dawn would never come. Or maybe it was just the anticipation and excitement of the coming day activities that was running through Oakie's sleepy head and was keeping her awake. BUT not for long, because she dozed off in no time at all. She was awaken suddenly by the sound of a pickup pulling into the corral area and the cattle waking up to the arrival of the two cowboys and cowgirl that had come to sort the cows from the calves for working that morning. It must have been around 5:00 a.m.

By the time they got the calves separated from the momma cows, the rest of the crew had driven in just as the first light of day - carrying breakfast of homemade biscuits, sausage gravy, coffee and juice. Absolutely delicious! Everyone chowed down for the morning workout to follow.

After breakfast - The calves had settled down - All the crew gathered around the working chute with their particular duties lined out for them by the head Cowboy Bossman (Whitney). This old cowgirl was assigned the job of labeling the ear tags that went into each of the calves ear. Some of the cowgirls were assigned the job of pushing the calves through the long, narrow passage to the working chute where a couple of experienced cowgirls and cowboys stood ready to vaccinate - ear tag the heifers and bulls - and castrate the little, bull calves.

Oakie kept a close eye on the pusher's technique of shoving and coaxing the calves from the main corral toward the cowboys at the other end by the working chute. The cowgirl would grab the calf's tail and would give it an upward twist and guide that calf with her body and legs toward the two cowgirls and cowboys waiting at the other end. Not once did Oakie see the calf step on the feet of the cowgirls, but one little feisty calf did give a hearty kick to the shins of a young cowgirl. After they iced her shin down she was back at work pushing calves again. "You can't keep a good cowgirl down!"

What a life! I remember when I was younger and we lived out on the ranch house north of Waynoka. We would get up early in the morning with sleepy eyes, head toward Fair Valley to round-up the cows. The two older daughters were put on horses while the two younger daughters were dropped off at sites. Great memories now when I look back on them today!

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