Branding: Spring 2013

Last month, we were lucky enough to be able to make it to Wyoming for Branding. We had a pretty late night the night before (It was Cassie's wedding), but I really wanted to go. So, after Lydia woke up we packed up out things and headed to good ole' Lyman, Wyoming. We weren't sure if we were going to be able to make it, so we hadn't told anyone that we were coming. My dad was SO excited! I'm glad we went even just to see my dad's face when he saw Lydia in her pink little John Deere overalls.  

My Grandma and Grandpa Walker own the Walker Angus Ranch. A few years ago it was given a plaque some big ranching association for being a Centennial Family Ranch. Which means that this ranch has been in our family for over a 100 years. My dad grew up ranching and he loves it - it's in his blood. And to be honest, I love it too. I love living in Lehi - close to the freeway and close to, well, everything. But when I am Wyoming, I feel a great love for the land there. I love the smell of the dirt, the way you feel when you are working the cows, and the sense of contribution to something so important to my family. I guess it is in my blood, too. 

Because my grandparents own the ranch on their own, they depend on their children and grandchildren during times like branding and haying. I can't believe how much my grandpa is still able to do - but there is no way he would be able to do it alone. We aren't always able to make it to help, but I always try. I'm grateful for the example of my grandparents and how hard they work, and when we can do something to help them we try to do it.  This year we were able to help along with my little brother  Jacob, my little sister Melissa, my dad, my Grandpa Walker, my cousins Dustin, Kisa, Jonathon, Josh, Michael, my cousin Spencer's fiance Sarah, and my Uncle's John and Marti. My Grandma Walker, Aunt Wendy, cousin Jennifer, and Aunt Kim met us back at the house with dinner afterwards. 

Lydia loved the cows. She is always pretty open to seeing new things and exploring new places. This wasn't any different. David took care of her most of the time so that I could get in and work with my dad. (I'm so grateful for that.) He walked around the cows and let her watch them. She loved it. (p.s. Don't mind that she doesn't have any shoes on. In our rush that morning we forgot them at home. But it doesn't really matter because I wouldn't let her get down and walk around in the muck with her nice shoes on anyway. It worked out. I'm just telling you not to judge.) 

Branding is an amazing thing. It takes a group of people who are all working together, each continuously performing his or her role perfectly, in order to make things run smoothly. Several people push the calves into the chute to make sure that there is always one in line waiting for it's turn. One person is in charge of pushing the calf into place and making sure that it doesn't squirm out. Then the chute is tipped onto it's side and ropes are tied around the calf's legs. If it is a male, it's castrated. If needed, pills are given. Someone gives it an immunization shot, someone gets the tattoo ready, someone writes down the tattoo number, someone puts the tattoo ink in the ear and gives it the tattoo. Then the ropes are tightened, a hatch is opened and the calf is branded so that it is identified as belonging to the Walker Angus Ranch. It may sound dirty and rough - but it's an amazing thing to watch when everyone is working so hard to fulfill their role and everything goes so smoothly. 

 

David took a whole series of pictures of Lydia looking out the window of the truck at all the little branded calves and I loved them all so much! However, I narrowed it down to these few pictures to post to the blog. I love how interested she is as she watches the calves. 

She was having the time of her little life. 

After we finished up with all of the branding,  my dad decided that it was his duty as Lydia's grandpa to take her on her first 4-wheeler ride. This is how she reacted: 

After I jumped on with her, she calmed down a bit. She wasn't sure exactly how she felt about the whole situation, but I would say that it was a success.

I love my dad, and I love spending time with him in Wyoming. I feel like this is the place that he is in his element the very most. You can tell how much he loves it there, and he loves to share that with his family. I love this picture with him and Lydia - I think I will cherish it forever. I just think it's so sweet to see Lydia with her Grandpa Walker who she loves so much in a place that he loves so much.  

Oh, and some of my favorite pictures are of this little adventure. This cow needed some shots and pills but while they had her in the chute, Grandpa Walker took the opportunity to introduce Lydia to the cow. He was explaining everything to her and then let her touch the fur. At first she was very tentative and when she touched the fur she quickly pulled her hand back... but then she decided that she kind of liked it and spent a few minutes exploring the fur with the tips of her fingers, gently petting it. It was really fun to watch. I know that my dad loved it. Lydia is lucky to have a grandpa like him.  

I know that this post is about branding, but I have to take a minute and talk about how much I love my Dad. He is such an amazing example of work ethic, kindness, and what it means to be a disciple of Christ. I want to share an excerpt from the email that he wrote to my little brother, Elder Matthew Walker (serving in the Morristown, New Jersey mission), this week. He related this story after explaining that he gave a lesson to the High Priests about the Conference talk titled "The Savior Wants to Forgive" by Elder Craig Cardon. It is about the Savior and his ability and his desire to forgive us of our sins. It also talks about the Saviors compassion and his love for all of us. My dad shares this experience:

"Yesterday I was up in Wyoming helping Grandpa work cows. We were moving the herd up from the Middle 30 to Norma's corrals to separate them into groups to put the bulls in. Down in the Middle 30 there was a little calf that has been crippled from birth. He has big swollen infected knees, and it’s hard for him to walk. So we brought all the cows up and just left him behind. The meadows were too wet from the irrigation water to drive a truck and trailer down there to get him; and he was just a little too big to throw him on the four wheeler, so I just drove down on the four-wheeler and herded him up the field. It was slow going because he couldn’t walk very fast. He was getting tired and it was hurting him to walk. I just followed him and herded him through the gates and across the fields. But you know me, right? I am a real softy. I felt so bad for that little calf. I just felt his pain. I know what it is like to have sore, swollen knees. I really felt compassion for this little calf. I just wanted to pick him up and hold him and pet him and tell him it would be ok once we got to the corrals where he could lay down and rest. I had the most powerful feeling come over me that that is what the Savior must feel like as He sees us down here struggling to make it, struggling with trials in our lives. I just had that feeling that the Savior has so much compassion for us, He just wants to put His arms around us and hug us a tells us that it will be OK. If we can endure just a little more we can enter into His rest.  

All too often the feeling is somehow diminished in the telling of a story. It probably sounds kind of silly. But it was such a strong, overwhelming, and real feeling that testified to me of the love our Savior has for us. Some people see and feel the spirit in church or the scriptures, and I see Gods hand and the Saviors Love in a little calf."

I cried as I read my dad's testimony about the Saviors Love. I hope that he doesn't mind me sharing that story, but I want to make sure that it is recorded for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to read. I want them to know that they come from amazing people who love the Lord and that Gods hand has been evident in their lives. I love my dad, and am grateful for him - and SO grateful that we were able to help with branding this year.