Reprieve

[Cita]

I am tired down in my bones.

I can feel the dregs of tired even when I rise, not tired from stress or demands or staying awake too long, but the kind of tired that comes from work... hard, physical, use all of your muscles and keep on using them work.

Not the kind of tired that comes from going for a run or mowing the lawn, but the kind of tired that comes from long hot days full of neverending pushpullllift-holditsteady-heaveitover-ridealways forward-brainingear-don'tfall.

My back and arms and legs are strong, my hands are worn, my thirst intense.

I am tired down in my bones as the days continue to heat up and the horses do not welcome us when we walk into the barn.

We did not load the old gray cow in the trailer this morning when we left for the salebarn because she showed up instead with the smallest of black bald-faced calves and watched at us with old eyes as we drove away.

 

 

 

[bolton carley]

so well written.  i was feeling your pain.  and i do every time i have to go try to keep up with my mom and dad's lifestyle that i no longer do on a daily basis.  i've had the aching arms in the morning after pulling halters and leg cramps from holding my ground.  hope you get a chance for some rest soon.

[Kristine_ES]

not only mike remembers that phrase, madam.  it's a household word here now.  

i often wonder about you getting tired. i get tired thinking about what you do in an hour and i really. REEEEALY. don't want to lose at armwrestling to you. *puts hands in pockets* 

[Cita]

Only you, Mike Handley, would remember the broke-dick bull... and yes... she is an old broad, way past her productive years, and yet, I am happy for her today, and dang it, he is CUTE!  She's too jaded by past babies to be so enamoured of him, but she earned herself another couple of years here.  This weekend we hauled 2 bulls, 8 cows (some old, some young, fat, and sleekly smugly barren), and 20 steers to the salebarn.  We got a pizza between loads... the first "fun" we've had in awhile (unless you could chilled vodka with lemon slices). 

[Mike Handley]

Ah, the feminine side of the broke-dick bull equation?

You paint tired well, girl. I especially love the "dregs of tired" phrase.

[Teresa]

I can identify with the old one here...;-)  Poor thing.  Reminds me of when I had my six year old and told every nurse that came in the room, "I'm forty, you know."  Like I wanted a prize or something, a pat on the head.  I didn't think as much of it when I had the next one at forty-two.  Glad you got a break.  I was thinking of you yesterday, wondering to myself, Is she tired yet?  I don't know if it was concern or envy.  Ha.

 

Well written, as always.

[Cita]

Side note:  We were going to ship the old gray cow thinking she was too old to have a calf, but just as older women who have had multiple children do not show swelling in the breasts when they become pg, so an older cow does not "bag up" as noticeably before giving birth.  Just goes to show you can't always tell if a cow is bred or not just by looking, especially when they are ... uh... ancient.