A "Steak" Out at the Ninnescah

With beauty like this, you'd think that creatures might want never to leave.

But we have five cow-calf pairs who keep exploring life outside the pasture fences. We've rounded them up and put them back. This story has been on repeat - morning and evening - for days. I told Randy we needed to do a "stake out" like on TV cop shows. Maybe this kind of surveillance is more appropriately a "steak" out.

Randy has spent a whole lot of time repairing fence, but once cattle have had their culinary equivalent of "prime rib" - in the form of tender soybean plants - they're willing to "leap tall buildings in a single bound" - or at least, hop some fences. Randy watched them do it while he was working on said fence.

This morning, our neighbor will bring his portable corrals and another helper. Hopefully, the four of us will complete the round-up successfully, and we'll take the five pair of offenders back home. Serves them right that they will be leaving the expansive pasture for a smaller lot at home, don't you think?

One night, we'd planned to go fishing at the Ninnescah. And even though it was delayed for a little while while we went back home for 4-wheelers and fencing supplies, we eventually dropped lines in the water.

Correction: Randy dropped lines in the water. I did more wandering and clicking shot after shot on my camera.

 I'd say we were both successful. Randy caught a 6-pound catfish. 

 

 He also caught a soft-shell turtle.

He released both the turtle and the fish back to the Ninnescah. 

And I captured a whole lot of beauty is a very unassuming place. 

These snow on the mountain wildflowers were abundant. They were beautiful whether close-up or with the lowering sun streaking across the prairie.

Because of our unexpected delay, we were there during the so-called photography "golden hour."

It's supposed to be an ideal time for photographs.

There's probably a good reason for the "golden hour" reputation.

There was time for a few more camera clicks as the sun sank lower ...

and lower ...

and lower.

It was a beautiful way to end a day.

I took the photos below the next morning to show that there are rule followers in every crowd. These cattle seem perfectly content to stay within the confines of the pasture fence. And, there is plenty to eat right there.

Let's hope they've avoid "talking" to the hooligans who are always out for an adventure.

Wish us luck getting those "repeat offenders" this morning!