For the first two or three days, we’ll head out over the range looking for the cattle. They will be together in small herds, except for the bulls, since that is the way of cattle. We’ll find them at the various watering holes or grazing on grassland.

Wherever we find them, we slowly drive them toward the ranch where the branding and other stuff is going to be done. Now driving cattle is somewhat like pushing jello. Some cattle will always squeeze out of the herd. So we drive them slowly and carefully. Every once in a while, one or two of the cowboys will ride off to drive back a stray or two into the herd. Most of the time it is just slow patient work.

We’ll go through many gates, and that is a good trick – like pushing that jello through a pipe. You do it very slowly because if you push too hard, they all can’t fit at once through that pipe and they’ll bolt in all directions. You’ll then hear some real cowboy cussin’ cause we just lost another hour or two rounding them up again.

We finally make it to the ranch, and place them in the pens. When you got all that you plan to round up, the fun begins. First we separate the heifers out. Now they just don’t come by calling like that dog of yours. You get into the herd and with your rope and cowboy courage, you split out the heifers and get them headed into a separate pen.

Once you got all the heifers, you aim them down the gate into the branding pen. They are also given their shots and the males neutered (with much fixings available for Rocky Mountain Oysters). All of this is hard work and you’re welcome to do whatever meets your fancy.

At the end of the day, you wash off all that sweat and dirt at the watering trough or nearby stream, and get ready for some of the best cowboy cooking you ever had. The food tastes like it was fit for a king, cause you are mighty hungry. And in the evening over the campfire, there may be a bit of country music and a few stories to share.

But I guarantee you’ll turn in early cause you will be mighty tired and be feeling a few muscles that must be new. But you’ll know about the cowboy way of life and that today you were no different from any other cowboy.