Uncle Ed rarely had so much as a day away from the ranch. I asked him why he never took a vacation, after all, in my young mind it seemed all normal folks found time to get away and relax. Somehow it did not compute in my thoughts that cows, sheep, chickens, turkeys and horses could not take care of themselves for a few days. After all, I thought, they should show their gratitude for his dedication to caring for them.

It was that question from me that led Uncle Ed to a discussion of a major life lesson, a discourse on what it meant to care for the animals for which he had made a commitment. I know my nine year old mind did know fully understand all he was telling me, but as time passed through the years that moment with him in the barn while he was milking the cow and talking has grown in importance. He pointed to the milk in the bucket and reminded me the cow never had a free day, certainly never had a full week off for a vacation.

Uncle Ed took the opportunity for the next several days to point out the many daily chores which required day to day attention from him to keep the ranch going. I believe he created a seed within me, a seed that grew eventually to an appreciation of not only the beauty of crops and animals but of the dedication of the men and women who do the work, day after day.

Farming and ranching has changed since that day. Tractors are bigger. Harvest is an even bigger word. Cows and horses and chickens are better fed. I hear the agriculture folks can now take vacations. I hope so, for I suspect the cows still must be fed and milked every day. The pigs continue to demand their daily feeding. Fences must be mended. The work goes on, and always will…we city folks depend it.

I believe my aunt and uncle were the happiest two people I have known. Their ranch was modest in size but it was all theirs. I know because my sister and I were with them as they celebrated the day they paid off the note. Every day they fed the chickens, milked the cow, churned the milk to butter, roped a steer and met the chores head on.