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Daniel Boone has got nothing on these ranchers.  Upon arrival this visit, truck  tracks were noted just in front of the Wine Barn.  Further investigation provided additional clues.  The gate leading to the north portion of our property was closed.  Over a sporty little cocktail, facts were reviewed and a conclusion reached . . . the cattle had finally departed.  Ranchers and farmers are fully cognizant that one should not become too attached to the herd, especially when they are meat cattle, but it becomes difficult not to establish a rapport when a particularly gregarious steer follows one's every move around the property, and like a dog, begins to beg for food and nearly perform tricks, even with 80 acres of new green grass at its disposal.

Such was the case with the young steer pictured.  While only a calf last summer, he was the only of the cattle to sprout horns.  Perhaps this lent a presence to him.  Perhaps he was just a born leader.  However, he was clearly the leader of the pack and the most friendly of the group.  A guess was made that someday he could become a longhorn.   Then, one day, whilest thinning shoots and repositioning the vines and nestled in the very precarious area behind the cabernet and the barb wire fence, this aspiring vintner was fully focused on the most important task of anyone stepping foot on to the rancho -- watching so that a rattlesnake did not creep up from behind.  However, in focusing all eyes on feet and the ground, the proverbial forrest was missed for the trees and a gentle nudge was offered through the fence and delivered to the back side of the unsuspecting worker.   While no serious injury occurred, it was certainly enough of a nudge to gain one's attention.  The offending youngster merely stood back, and if cattle can grin, it is certain that this one was grinning.  

So when the reality had struck the other evening that the cattle had departed, despite the conviviality of cocktail hour, spirits were dampened a bit.  The disappointment was salved with phrases such as, "This is a part of having a ranch," and "It is all a part of the cycle of the seasons," and the ever popular, "For everything turn, turn, turn."  A Bob Dylan song could not be far off, so the waxing and waning poetic was disrupted midstream. 

There is nothing a sunset cannot fix, so to the patio this correspondent headed to view nature's resplendent closing act.  Seated with a playful glass of Zinfandel, a noise was heard beyond the horizon.  It sounded like the pitter patter of little feet - well, actually, the thunder of hooves, at which time, guess who came gracelessly sprinting up the hill, silhouetted against the sun setting in the west and bringing the stampeding herd and resulting dust with him -- yes, our herd leader.  After a long, happy reunion, a conclusion was reached that the truck must have just moved the youngsters to the southern portion of the property and that they would continue to grace the landscape of the rancho for another few months, but more importantly, they would be regular visitors at the back passageway.

What was plainly visible, however, even to a casual observer, was that this was no longer a calf, at some point, he's doubled in size and so have his horns.  Not being an expert in bovine affairs, the thought came to mind that research might prove useful, so here are some of the fun facts gleaned:
1.  "The horns of the average Longhorn cow reach 50% of their eventual
  tip-to-tip measurement a little later, at about 15 months of age, and they
reach  95% between five and six years of age. They continue to grow, but usually
slow  down considerably with age."
2.  "They can and do use their horns to manipulate objects and to scratch
their  bodies, so reasonable care should be exercised around the cattle to avoid
  accidental contact with the horns. "
So, of what use can this information be to a person at the rancho?  Well, that this youngin's horns will probably double in size in the next few years, depending how long he continues to graze at the rancho, and secondly, hugs are probably out; one will need the Cabernet vines as a shield against Junior's horns not too far down the road.  It's probably a better idea just not to turn one's back, which is sage advice, since one never knows what is just around the corner here.  
Happy Trails!
The Accidental Rancher 















 
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