Farm Journal, Day 1620

Bringing up the rear

When working on the ranch, I spend a lot of my time following trucks, tractors, trailers, and bringing up the rear. Not to be confused with being last, forgotten, or losing. Bringing up the rear is an important position, especially on the ranch.

When I follow the tractor, it is my job to keep my husband safe from passing and oncoming traffic as he delivers hay to the herd. As the assistant ranch hand it’s my job to be the runner, the gopher, the getter-of-things to keep the project going.

I wait for rain, wait for the calf check, wait for a cow to calve, wait for the guy behind the parts counter, and wait for the rancher. Each day brings a different project, like fencing, accounting, calving, spraying weeds, marketing grain, and sorting calves. And, through each of these projects, I must be able to drive anything that has wheels and a motor, whether I know how to double clutch or not.

Ranch life isn’t always easy. We have long days, hard days, frustrating and even disappointing days. But the good far outweighs the bad. Learning something new, working projects with my husband, and bringing up the rear are just a few of the reasons why I have grown to love my life as a rancher’s wife. It isn’t always easy, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other lifestyle.