Saying Good-bye

Yesterday marked the end of an era.  Yesterday we loaded our herd bull, Billy Burger and his son Hurricane Isaac, and took them to the livestock auction.  Ok, so 6 and a half years doesn't really make an era, but for Number 5 that's a lifetime ...and bless her heart, she had the hardest time of all of us letting him go.  I don't really understand why she was so upset.  I mean it's not like he was a pet, but he's been with us her entire life and now her life on the farm will never be the same.

  It didn't hit her until we began our drive home.  She wasn't concerned with the loading of the bulls or the long drive to the auction.  She was excited that she got to ride with Daddy in his truck while Mommy followed behind in the van.  She was excited to see all the livestock running through and disappointed that we could not stay long enough to watch Billy Burger run through.  No one mentioned his life here on the farm....not the fact that he was born just 2 weeks after that precious little girl.  No one remembered how he demolished their swing-set and ate parts of the blue padding from the old trampoline.   No one talked about how he chased Daddy one time while he was mowing or how he used to get all excited and try to fight the hay bales while we were trying to load them into the hay feeders.  We all just knew that it was time for him to go.  We've lost a few cows due to milk fever and acidosis and even sold a few so the majority of cows we have here are his daughters.  The excitement of looking for a new, younger bull just isn't enough to soften the pain of saying goodbye.   Billy Burger was part of our family in a small way.  And I think, especially for little Number 5, it all hit home when we hit the freeway behind our empty stock trailer.  Then all the time with Billy Burger here came flooding over her as she realized she would never see him again.  We're all a little sad...my heart hurts a little too.  But life on a farm, as wonderful and beautiful and amazing as it is, can sometimes bring a little heart break.  So Billy Burger...wherever you are....thank you. 

Thank you for 6 years, for fun times, and for 6 beautiful heifers that we get to see little glimpses of you in.  We will miss you and it really won't be the same here without you.....