I went in to close up the girls tonight and one of my dog's, a Westie, started to growl and zoned in on where my mother silkie was with her chicks underneath. It was a baby opossum!
It was just eating the chicks food but it would have grown up to make silkie snacks out of my girls, so I grabbed a flat headed shovel and chopped it a couple of times, cutting it in half.
I felt bad, but not as bad as I would have if it had made a snack out of my chicks!
It reminds me of the poem about not assaulting a ranch woman.
Reasons NOT To Assault A Ranch Woman
Violence does not scare us. We ride 1,500 pound horses and stare down an alley full of mad, snot-slinging cows that weigh over 1000 pounds. We run our horses full speed holding our breath and gritting our teeth and still know whose face was at the first barrel. Weve held down calves that outweigh you by four times.
Dont try to intimidate us. Most of our husbands stand a head and shoulders taller, outweigh us by 75 pounds and we arent scared of them. Why would be we be frightened by some gang member or thief? Every time we work cows, our husbands threaten us if we dont get out of the gate. They threaten us if we dont stay in the gate. We are pretty much not impressed by threats. Plus, if you get much closer we may give you some threats of our own to consider and be able to back it up.
Dont wave that knife at me, boy. I castrate when we brand, throw the mountain oysters on the fire AND eat them, dirt and all. You probably dont want to go there.
Dont threaten to steal my pickup. I work for a living, so have insurance. The chances of you being able to drive a standard are next to none and there is no spare. Ive walked home from the back side of the ranch, I can walk from here.
You want my purse? Take my purse. It has little money in it because, as I mentioned, I work for a living. You will find various receipts for feed and vet supplies, some dried up gum and the notice for my next teeth cleaning. The only drugs you will find is something that is either aspirin, bute, or a calf-scours pill but its been in there so long Ive forgotten which it is.
Dont threaten to hurt me. I may look old and fragile to you, but I can ride horseback for 10 hours, with nothing to eat or drink. I have been kicked, bucked off, run over, and mucked out. Ive had worse things happen to me in the corrals than you have experienced in the little gang wars youve been through, and still cooked supper for a crew.
You may whip me, son, but youll be a tired, sore S.O.B. in the morning and yes, I will remember your face because I am used to knowing which calf belongs to which cow and which colt belongs to which mare. Ill also remember which direction you went and what you were wearing because Ive tracked many a cow with less information than youve given me.
You are not going to scare me with that little Saturday Night Special when I have a .38 in my boot and a knife in my pocket. You need not think I wont shoot you. Ive shot several coyotes and numerous rattlesnakes. I put down my horse when he broke his leg and shot my pet dog when he killed some chickens and sheep. Dont think I wont consider you a rabid dog and go on my way.
Dont mess with this ranch woman!
~authour unknown~
It was just eating the chicks food but it would have grown up to make silkie snacks out of my girls, so I grabbed a flat headed shovel and chopped it a couple of times, cutting it in half.
I felt bad, but not as bad as I would have if it had made a snack out of my chicks!
It reminds me of the poem about not assaulting a ranch woman.
Reasons NOT To Assault A Ranch Woman
Violence does not scare us. We ride 1,500 pound horses and stare down an alley full of mad, snot-slinging cows that weigh over 1000 pounds. We run our horses full speed holding our breath and gritting our teeth and still know whose face was at the first barrel. Weve held down calves that outweigh you by four times.
Dont try to intimidate us. Most of our husbands stand a head and shoulders taller, outweigh us by 75 pounds and we arent scared of them. Why would be we be frightened by some gang member or thief? Every time we work cows, our husbands threaten us if we dont get out of the gate. They threaten us if we dont stay in the gate. We are pretty much not impressed by threats. Plus, if you get much closer we may give you some threats of our own to consider and be able to back it up.
Dont wave that knife at me, boy. I castrate when we brand, throw the mountain oysters on the fire AND eat them, dirt and all. You probably dont want to go there.
Dont threaten to steal my pickup. I work for a living, so have insurance. The chances of you being able to drive a standard are next to none and there is no spare. Ive walked home from the back side of the ranch, I can walk from here.
You want my purse? Take my purse. It has little money in it because, as I mentioned, I work for a living. You will find various receipts for feed and vet supplies, some dried up gum and the notice for my next teeth cleaning. The only drugs you will find is something that is either aspirin, bute, or a calf-scours pill but its been in there so long Ive forgotten which it is.
Dont threaten to hurt me. I may look old and fragile to you, but I can ride horseback for 10 hours, with nothing to eat or drink. I have been kicked, bucked off, run over, and mucked out. Ive had worse things happen to me in the corrals than you have experienced in the little gang wars youve been through, and still cooked supper for a crew.
You may whip me, son, but youll be a tired, sore S.O.B. in the morning and yes, I will remember your face because I am used to knowing which calf belongs to which cow and which colt belongs to which mare. Ill also remember which direction you went and what you were wearing because Ive tracked many a cow with less information than youve given me.
You are not going to scare me with that little Saturday Night Special when I have a .38 in my boot and a knife in my pocket. You need not think I wont shoot you. Ive shot several coyotes and numerous rattlesnakes. I put down my horse when he broke his leg and shot my pet dog when he killed some chickens and sheep. Dont think I wont consider you a rabid dog and go on my way.
Dont mess with this ranch woman!
~authour unknown~
