Sunrise Roundup

There's nothing like a four-wheeler ride to wake you up in the morning.

We had some escapees last week. Randy turned some of the cow/calf pairs onto small lots to eat wheat. As Randy says, they were kind of like lawnmowers. They razed the tender green plants, then took off for greener pastures, so to speak.

Randy found them in the wheat north of the barn. This was not on the dining plan, so it meant an early morning round-up by the Farmer and the Farm Wife.

Originally, I was just stationed on foot. But when the moms and babies appeared to be trying out for the Olympic track team, I ended up holding on for dear life behind Randy on the four-wheeler. The only photos from that escapade were blurred from bouncing over the terrain.

He left me by the oilfield road just in case they attempted to make a break for it again. But he managed to corral them, while I then picked my way through the shelter belt and stood guard at the electric fence.

Early morning runs can make a little fella hungry. It was time for a milk break.

They went willingly into the corral.

And I took one more early-morning glimpse at the sky before heading back to the house for coffee. It probably would have been healthier if I'd had milk, too.