11/28/08 Fall favorite

What season of the year is your favorite? I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back in one minute to try to decide mine. Just a while ago, I was asked what was my favorite season of the year. Well, that's tough to answer because any season is pretty good if you're able to be outside farming or working with livestock. If you are feeding livestock, winter can be miserable at times but it also has its own rewards like seeing the cattle with plenty of hay to eat on those cold days. Sunshine days are more of a novelty and are truly appreciated in winter. Spring, of course, is a special time but a busy time. Fieldwork can be starting, spring calving or lambing is taking extra time and if Mother Nature throws one of her cold, wet, windy curve balls fun can deteriorate rapidly. Now the summer season is basically the work season on our place. Hot weather and too much work is not my ideal combination, so I'll rule out summer as my best time of the year. That leaves fall. Years ago fall was not at the top of my seasons chart mainly because school started. Don't get me wrong; I liked school, especially the social aspect. I just couldn't see the need for homework; it cut into my freedom. I figured start classes, get the work done and send me home, I'll take care of the rest of the day. Now fall has a different meaning  fieldwork slows down and we can spend more time with the cattle. It's a time you can help neighbors wean calves, find everybody's lost or strayed cows and work with the horses more. Yeah, I think give me sunny, slower fall days. I'm Jeff Keane.