Freedom an Whisky
By Nikolyn Williams
While the rest of the world moises along in what they all call a “fairly normal life.” There are those of us out here that are or are in fact married to adrenalin junkies. Every small agriculture based ranch town should come with a resident danger counselor. I’m going to tell this story and when I do 150 ranch wives will read it shake their heads and relive it all with me.
We’ve had an abundance of rain, Thank the Lord, we also had a 13 month old 1200 pound bull with hoof rot. We all know what the remedy for hoof rot is, good ol LA 200.
So Woodrow in all his infinite wisdom, comes through the back door with this fool proof plan. He’s gonna rope this young bull and lay him down, while I run up there and administer said LA 200 in the rump of this young bull. Now mind you, LA 200 is the equivalent of injecting liquid cement into a bovines behind. No cow is a willing participant in any part of this, much less a young virile bull.
Now I know my cattle, they are relatively gentle, I also know Woodrow, and I know Woodrow’s dogs, and I’ve lived this scenario before in my younger days. All of the sudden a million memories came flooding back of snarling, gnashing, Border Collie teeth, Black hair and hide flying all around, Woodrow on a horse and me on the ground with a syringe of LA 200 stuck in my Thigh! I’ve had more antibiotic by accident than I’ve ever had at any clinic!
I went through the checklist in my mind, Rod and 6 screws in the right leg. Metal coil in the brain. Woodrow has various metal plates and screws. I’m thinking to myself you gotta be a special kind of “brave” to come in here and ask me that! Did I tell y’all I’m Italian and I gotta temper?
At this point of the conversation, I looked at Woodrow and said %&&@% NO!!! That bull out weighs us both by 1000 pounds, he’s way younger and way more agile than us. No Woodrow I’ve grown up the answer is NO!!! Besides, we gotta chute?
So he storms out, in about an hour he comes back in here, and says, “I got that bull roped and doctored by my self. It worked just like I said it would.” I looked at him out of the corner of my eye shook my head.
I still have not gotten a straight answer about the big black and blue bruise on his right leg! But by gosh that Bull is doctored and on the mend!
I’m thankful for the rain. I’m thankful for the good and thoughtful people around Woodrow and I.
I’m thankful for this life we live…..and yes I’m thankful his hard headed behind didn’t get hurt!
Love Always
Nikolyn
