Reality

[cowman]

Yesterday as I fed the cows in the snow, wind, and cold, it suddenly dawned on me what in the hell am I doing here? What kind of idiot would put himself through this garbage so he could lose some more money?
I have some friends who are off to Costa Rica for a couple of weeks. They asked me if I was interested before Christmas but of course when you winter calve that isn't an option.
Now I never minded working all winter when I was making a buck but I really hate working for nothing, or worse paying to work!
I suspect this will be my last calf crop. I'll miss the cows but I won't miss being out in the snow and the damned wind!

[frustrated1]

not sure if i like this temporary reality either. hopefully it's only temporary. trying to maintain my own income by running grain and cows and doing custom work has pretty much guaranteed me to stay just below the poverty line of any payouts. while i do sleep at nite 'cause i'm just plain beat, i think i'd sleep in mexico as well, living off the FIDP cheques my diversification guarantees i won't get. but i'm not bitter!? i still get the accountants bill for the FIDP file . maybe i'm just stupid? guess i'll go feed those critters in the snow and not think about costa rica.

[Horse]

Well cowman it is a puzzle to me if when a person gets older that they become smarter or is it as we age we cannot do the things that we once did or at least not as easly, if I think about it there never waS BIG MONEY IN COWS JUst the assurance of havins a job. As you can see I never would have made a living typing.

[rusty1]

I've always said that the one thing I liked about being in the cow business was that "at least every morning there some someone happy to see you."

[cowman]

Horse: You are totally right when you say there never was no big money in cows...oh once in awhile it wasn't bad but usually one year here and one year there with a lot of "poor to fair" years in between.
After drought-drought-BSE-BSE I guess I am just getting sick of the whole thing. I've often thought a person must be mad to work outside in Alberta in the winter! It's real nice when the chinook is blowing, not so nice at minus 32 with a SE wind?
A lot of my discontent is probably due to age but I doubt I'd feel this way if we got lots of rain in the summer calves were worth $1.50 and our old cull cows were worth $850!