Baby, Why You Make Me Hurt You Like This?

[kitsjay]

My dad decided to sell three heifers that failed to calve this year, so he had Mom and me helping him herd them all into the pen. Dad saddled TJ and together we worked to outsmart a group of about thirty cattle, which is harder than it sounds. For one thing, herding cattle on a horse looks cool and rugged; standing on the ground, flapping your arms and shouting, "Yaa, move, cow, move!" is less impressive.

That said, seeing Dad get bucked off of TJ and briefly fly through the air made it almost worth it.

We finally managed to pen the cows and Dad works out his battle stratagem for how to cull the heifers out from the group. He tried three times unsuccessfully, then marched into the house to work out a new plan. I remarked that cows really should not be able to outsmart him and Dad muttered something peevish under his breath.

So tomorrow, Dad is castrating the bulls, and because I am not allowed to have a normal family, this has turned into a party. Uncle Eddie was invited to help, so he called Will Baker, who was in Arizona but came home today and he's bringing two of his horses to help. Then Momma Toy said she hadn't been around cattle so long, she wanted to come, and Mike, Mare, and Chris decided to come by to see Momma Toy and visit with the family.

Then the vet's husband heard about it and asked to come along, so their family is coming over as well.

I plan on taking the car keys, driving into Lytle, and standing in the HEB a while to pretend that I'm actually in civilization.

In other news, I found the only cat in the entire universe who does not sleep. Instead, he is incredibly hyper, which would be cute and amusing except that five of his six ends are pointy, sharp, and hurt.

Mike asked me why my arm looked like I had worn a barbed wire bracelet, and I answered, "I'm in an abusive relationship."

It was kind of cute, but Murphy has started gnawing on the inside of my wrist and pouncing on my face (nearly scratching my eye) and it stopped being cute really fast. I've been picking him up by the scruff of the neck and whapping him on the nose whenever he bites, but he doesn't seem to be getting the message. I'll let you know how that goes.

But I know he doesn't mean it. He really loves me, I know it.

ETA: So adorable. When my parents were young, they both played on basketball leagues. Apparently both of them were quite good. So now, both of them 67 years old, they bought a basketball hoop for the kids, but have been going out and playing one-on-one. I have the most adorable grandparents in the world.

Comments

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

We find those cans of air for blasting lint out of your computer incredibly helpful for checking cats in mid-bad-behavior. The hissing really bugs them. Spray bottles of water are equally useful in many places, but not around computers!

[kitsjay.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's a good idea! I'll have to try it out--thanks!

[aquitaineq.livejournal.com]

Kittens always have too much energy. Tucker him out with a laser pointer or something that you can dangle. But yeah biting and scratching bad, if you have one of those cans of compressed air that you use to dust computers, spray that when he is bad. They hate that sound!

[kitsjay.livejournal.com]

I have a toy that has feathers at the end--played with him for two hours and he was still raring to go.

I'll have to try that--my hands can't take much more.

[aquitaineq.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I meant to say that because yeah dangling something and watching them jump is funny, but after a while it's like 'go take a nap or something'

[be-merry.livejournal.com]

*Snickers* I seriously don't think I could love your family more. Your life should be a sitcom. :)

[kitsjay.livejournal.com]

Somedays I think it is.

I'm just waiting for the soundtrack to come out.