Last year for branding, almost every single family member from the Walker Family clan was there or represented. We went and I spent most of my time watching the kids play on the tire swing and holding one of my cousin's new babies. As people were leaving I had the realization that I had missed a crucial opportunity! I should have been videoing the branding day so that I could put a video together. I started making plans this year, and I am so grateful that it worked out so that I was able to make it happen. Especially because this winter when my grandpa got Covid and was in the hospital it didn't look like he would be here for branding in the spring. But he pulled through and although I am grateful for that for more reasons than this, I am SO grateful that I was able to capture him in this video of the annual branding efforts.
https://youtu.be/266InZUZ1QM
The thing about Walker Branding, is that it's a family celebration. Everyone who can, comes - whether they are useful in the branding chutes or not. But we are all there, all supporting, all celebrating the legacy of work and effort and cows and family that we come from. It's a really special experience and I'm so so so grateful that it's been recorded for posterity.
This year, because of the boy's recent surgery, it was only Lydia and I who came. In some ways, that was really neat because my dad really took Lydia under his wing and taught her how to actually do the work. She cut cows/calves, pushed calves through the chutes, and worked hard all day. I was so proud of her.
I got to film all the little details of the day and enjoyed the process very much. I especially loved sitting in the ranger with my grandpa, talking about how they used to do branding and explaining his numbering system for his cows.
We had a great day and are already looking forward to next year. Who knows what the future holds, but as long as the Walker Angus Ranch brands it's calves in May, we will be there.
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