The Okie Legacy

FAIRVALLEY BEFORE DAWN
(Can't keep A Good Old Cowgirl Down) 

There is a western song that goes something like this, "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys....!" Well! I'm here to tell you that there is nothing wrong with being a cowboy and a cowgirl.  My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys! It is probably one of the noblest professions of the "Old West" that is misunderstood by many and understood by few. 

Actually, my heroes have also been Indians. I have an indian friend that keeps telling me I would make a great Indian. I haven't found Indian blood in me yet, but who knows for sure? BUT... That's another story!

One of my readers wrote this about that, ".... I can say that of all the jobs I've held in my nearly 51 years, the most pleasurable one was working on the farm." CB & Marilyn 

"Today, I will let myself enjoy what is good. I don't have to wreck my good day or good feeling; I don't have to let others spoil it either." author unknown. In otherwords, "You can't keep an old cowgirl and cowboy down." 

Today (15 May 1999), 1:30AM, Saturday morning this old cowgirl pulled in to the small, cow community of Fair Valley, Oklahoma to enjoy what is good in her life. As she pulled up - She parked her vehicle near the corral - She was greeted by the sounds of the inhabitants within, "Moooooooo.... Moooooooo..... Morning, Oakie!" 

Oakie began to arrange her sleeping bag under the stars for the rest of the night so she could get some rest before dawn came bursting in at daybreak. After awhile the mooing subsided and settled down while they all settled into their little nests for the night. Oakie in the back of her "Explorer" and the cows in the corral. Oakie was determined to be the first one to show up for work early Saturday morning. 

It seemed like dawn would never come. Or maybe it was just the anticipation and excitement of the coming day activities that was running through Oakie's sleepy head and was keeping her awake... BUT not for long, because she dozed off in no time at all. 

She was awaken suddenly by the sound of a pickup pulling into the corral area and the cattle waking up to the arrival of the cowboys and cowgirls that had come to sort the cows from the calves for working that morning. It must have been around 5:00AM. 

By the time they got the calves separated from the momma cow's, the rest of the crew had driven in just at first light of day - carrying breakfast of homemade biscuits, sausage gravy, coffee and juice. Absolutely delicious! Everyone chowed down for the morning workout to follow. 

After breakfast - The calves had settled down - All the crew gathered around the working chute with their particular duties lined out for them by the head Cowboy Bossman (Whitney). This old cowgirl was assigned the job of labeling the ear tags that went into each of the calves ear. 

Some of the cowgirls were assigned the job of pushing the calves through the long, narrow passage to the working chute where a couple of experienced cowgirls and cowboys stood ready to vaccinate - ear tag heifers and bulls - and castrate the little, bull calves by place a band around their balls. 

Oakie kept a close eye on the pusher's technique of shoving and coaxing the calves towards the cowboys and cowgirls at the other end by the working chute. The Cowgirls would grab the calf's tail and would give it an upward twist and guide that calf with her body and legs towards the two cowboys and cowgirls waiting at the other end. 

Not once did Oakie see the calf step on the feet of the cowgirls, but one little, feisty calf did give a hearty kick to the shins of a young cowgirl. After they iced her shin down she was back at work pushing calves again. "You can't keep a good cowgirl down!" 

By 8:15AM the crew had all the heifers, bull calves and cows worked and counted for the morning workout. What a Life the cowboys and cowgirls must have led in the good old days out on the range. No chutes or corrals! Sleeping out under the stars with their saddles as their pillows and a campfire to keep them warm and the wild animals at bay. Waking up to the smell of bacon, beans, biscuits and coffee. They would rope the cows out on the range and bulldogged them down to the ground while another cowboy toted a hot branding iron and branded the cows there on the spot until they got through the whole herd and marked each one. 

What A Life! I remembering when I was younger and we lived out at the ranch house north of Waynoka. We would get up early in the morning with sleepy eyes -- Head towards Fair Valley to round-up the cows -- And drive them up the paved road to the ranch house five miles east of Fair Valley. 

The two older daughters were put on horses while the two younger daughters were dropped off at sites and intersections along the Freedom / FairValley blacktop road to keep the cows going straight and not straying into the neighbors pastures. Great memories now when I look back on them today! 

Do any of you out there have any cow punching or old west memories that you would like to share with us? Send them to "Oakie's Mailbag" at mailto:oakie@paristimes.com -- I would love to hear from you. 

To leave you with a little poem sent to me from one of my online friends, "I hold in my hands A box of gold, With a secret inside That has never been told. The box is priceless But as I see, The treasure inside Is far more precious to me. Today I share this treasure with thee, It's the treasure of friendship You've given to me!" - author unknown 

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