Problem Solved

Problem Solved

Most ranchers earn a reputation by their actions or the stories that are told about them. I am no different except that mine is still a work in progress. This is a brief story about a neighbor that lived in the area a few years ago.

Keith was an old time rancher with a good sense of humor but at the same time had a no nonsense approach to solving problems. One fall when the cattle were all in from their summer range and things were settling in for the winter he got a call from another rancher that needed his help moving some cows. Keith had already taken the shoes off his horses so the man was quick to offer up a horse for him to use. Knowing the kind of horses the guy had, Keith thought about it and later that night, with his son holding a light, he re-shod his horse to use the next day. Problem solved.

Keith bought a little piece of property up in some trees. Using a chainsaw mill, he cut and milled enough lumber to build a small house. Since he didn’t obtain any permits the county had something to say about the house. He moved …problem solved.

There was one week when Keith had a few critter problems. He got a couple bull calves cheap at the sale. They were a little big but they had to be castrated, and he did. About the same time it seems that the billy goat thought it would be fun to play knock the man down. Bad decision. He too had a close encounter with a knife. Lastly there was a poor hapless tomcat that wandered by at the wrong time. Problems solved.

Keith also had a daughter. Once in a while she would bring a boyfriend by to visit. She did so during that same week he had all his critter problems. After seeing all the animals recovering from their impromptu surgeries, he asked what happened. All the girl said was “don’t get my dad mad”. Boyfriend problem solved.