Can Cowboys Travel During The Summer?
Leaving the permit between May and October feels nearly impossible, but it can be done with adequate planning
Dan and I just got back from a 6-day stint in Maryland. Coincidentally, Dan and I met in Gunnison, but we were both born in Maryland. Our families still live there, so every time we get the chance to go, we try to see as many relatives as we can.
His brother got married on Saturday, so we flew in Thursday night to make it there in time for a rehearsal lunch Friday afternoon. The ceremony was absolutely lovely, plus, my mom was invited, so she got to meet Dan’s family. The following day, we 2.5 hours to my mom’s house on Maryland’s eastern shore. We beached it up, went for a boat ride, and ate swordfish in Ocean City. We had a miniature family reunion and spent some fleeting quality time with my 89-year-old grandfather and nearly 2 year old cousin. It was an absolutely wonderful, totally wholesome family-centered trip.
But for us, leaving home during the summer is risky. With 300 cow-calf pairs grazing on the permit and 16 animals to care for, leaving our home in good hands is an absolute requirement.
Truthfully, we are always a little scared to leave. We’ve had pet sitters fail to show up for feeding time or just quit entirely. We’ve relied on neighbors when emergencies happen, like when the sewage line freezes or the pilot light fails when we’re home for the holidays in December. When we’re thousands of miles away and the animals don’t get taken care of or something breaks, we’re left feeling completely helpless.
And that’s just during the wintertime. This June trip was our first time traveling together during the summer.
In order to feel prepared to leave for a few summery days, we had to line up some contingency plans, including:
If the cows walked down to Highway 50, who can we call to herd them off the highway and back to their pasture?
If the cows tore through a fence and walked miles away from where they belong, what do we do?
Who can we trust to house sit for us?
Can the house sitter also adequately care for our 8 dogs, 3 cats, and 5 horses?
If our return flights get delayed or canceled, how do we get home in time for Dan to truck 60 more pairs up to the pasture the following day?