Skywatch Friday – It’s Cold Being a Cow

These photos are from a family member of my wife who has a ranch in western Oklahoma on land owned by my MIL and her sister. I’m always after the family member to send me more cow pictures. Problem is that her husband retired and now does all the chores so she rarely gets out there but she did and sent me a few.

I’ve never ranched but I have been around it a little bit, enough to know that I don’t want any part of it. It doesn’t matter how cold or hot it is, how thick the mud is or how deep the snow you have to make sure that your cattle are fed, watered, and taken care of and if you got some mama cows about to give birth, well they are not going to wait on you either.

But most of those who do it, seem to love it. The whole things, they love animals, the land, the work involved, and being outside in all kinds of weather. The few times I go out with them my help is limited to opening and closing the gates and trying to stay out of the way and not step in cow patty. Plus I take photos when I go. So, I am pretty much useless. I’ll admit it.

But I love the photos other people take as well.

On another front. My brother who has been battling off the aftereffects of viral encephalitis is about to move out of long term care and into an assisted living facility next week. He has battled back from a number of setbacks and is ready to get a little independence and get a lock on his door and a refrigerator with some beer in it. This former marathon runner has worked hard and is an inspiration to me. He says he is going to race again and I bet he will. He has basically been hospitalized for about 14 months.

So this week Heather and I are shopping for beds, mattresses, sheets, blankets and other items to get him set up. We wanted to Buy a mattress online but ended up going out since, Heather is going to living within walking distance of our house and has a ground floor unit next to the sidewalk. So despite the Covid precautions I can go and knock on his window. I just hope he doesn’t call security. Of course, I hope I pick out the right window to knock on.

Anyway that’s about it for now. I got a new computer. It’s pretty nice except I am trying Microsoft’s Edge browser instead of chrome so not all my passwords are going through. I had to set up the Skywatch Friday page on my ipad. The other thing is that Lightroom and Photoshop won’t install so that is kind of a pain in the butt. I could live without the laptop apps but I use the iphone apps all the time. So, I’ll figure all this out. Why do computers have to be so expensive, fragile, and pains in the posterior??

Enough whining come join me and others at Skywatch Friday

21 thoughts on “Skywatch Friday – It’s Cold Being a Cow

  1. Sallie

    Happy for your brother! Cows are fun (in pictures) and in that first one the sky is wonderful. Did you do some enhancing after you got it?

  2. Eileen

    Hello,

    Love the cattles and the first sky shot. I can only imagine all the hard work it is to care for a farm and cattle.
    Great news for your brother, I am glad he is better. Thanks for hosting Skywatch! Take care, enjoy your day!

  3. Gaelyn

    No thanks to the ranching job/life. So glad to hear Bob is out and will be so close, even if it’s a window visit. That’s a start.

  4. Lois Rathe

    I love the cattle photos along with the skies in the background. I wish the best for your brother, too. Thank you for managing SkyWatch!

  5. A ShutterBug Explores

    Kudos to your brother and glad he will be nearby ~ Awesome cow photos ~ yes, they are a lot of work ~ as for computers well ~ it reminds of how the TV and Cars used be ~ technically a challenge at first ~ but gradually becomes automatic ~ until it doesn’t LOL

    Hi to your dogs and much success to your wife in learning the MacBook ~

    Moment by moment ….

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

  6. Vicki

    Love the cow/snow shots! I’m so happy that your brother is doing so good and I hope you post about his return to racing!

    I just shopped for a new mattress. Not the best time I ever had!

  7. Nancy Chan

    Great sky and cow shots from your SIL. I appreciate all the hard work the farmers are doing to provide food for us. Glad that you are helping to set up home for your brother and watching out for him. I am sure your brother will be back on his feet running in the race again. It can be very frustrating having to get familiar with a new computer or hand phone.

  8. Alana

    Rejoicing for your brother. Excellent news. That first beer is going to taste so good. I lived out in the countryside of Northwest Arkansas for four years, enough to watch my neighbors in action (one raised cattle and pigs; one raised sheep who mostly ended up in the stomachs of coyotes) and know that kind of life wasn’t for me. I stuck to gardening, chickens and ducks. I respect farmers and ranchers greatly.

  9. Bohemian

    May your Brother indeed Race again, he’s making progress and that is always a good Sign. My Younger Brother also beat incredible Odds and has done things nobody ever thought he’d do again, it is indeed Inspirational. Having him closer will be nice even if for now the visits can’t be in person. Cows are such Serene looking Animals, well, unless it’s a Bull whose pissed off. *winks*

  10. Junie-Jesh

    Great captures of these poor cows. In the area where I used to live, they were brought outside, the days they were in the pasture. What a hard thing your brother is going through, especially because he used to run marathons. Remember that one Christmas you spent the day with him. Will he able to walk on his own again? Really hope that for him.
    Am coming here, because there was no reply button under your name, so to make sure your would get it, I’m here.. The question when you were young, “Are you “LDS” made me smile. I had never heard about that. Since I graduated here in the USA with my doctorate, I didn’t know about Europeans wanting to be addressed to as “professor.” I thought that It only could pertain to doctors who were teaching.

  11. JM Illinois U.S.A.

    I don’t know how to operate a windmill either LOL! Glad your brother is moving into an assisted living space. Just don’t knock on the wrong window. It is so kind of you and your wife to go shopping for necessary bedroom items. Be safe. Be kind.

  12. Barb

    Good to see a photo of Bob! It looks like he already has his running shoes on. It’ll be great having him so close to your house. Well, I gotta admit when I had to upgrade my Macbook Pro, I took it and my old computer to my guru in town. About 80 bucks later, I was all set up and have had no problems. These computers are SO expensive – my last one was 10 years old, so I guess I can’t complain.

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