08/25/06 Seventy-ninth birthday

Seventy-ninth Birthday Do you think much about how you would like to celebrate your birthday? I'm Jeff Keane; I'll be back right after this to tell you how Mom got to celebrate her birthday. For Mom's seventy-ninth birthday we had made plans to quit work early and go out for something to eat with family and friends. That sounds pretty traditional and easy going. But plans don't always remain unchanged on the ranch and Mom's birthday was no exception. Early that morning, I found quite a bunch of cattle where they weren't suppose to be but were, and I figured I might need help to put them back where they were suppose to be but weren't. Well everybody else was working in wheat harvest so right away I thought of the reliable stand-by  Mom. I called Mom, and asked if she would like to spend part of her birthday with her first born and she said sure  then I told her what we needed to do. Now you might think that is pretty deceitful, but Mom knows all my cons so it really isn't that deceitful. She just lets me play the game so I still think I'm tricky. I was right about needing help  when we got the cattle gathered and headed right the leaders went out of sight like a hungry wolf pack was after them. By the time I got the racers stopped the cattle were strung out for three quarters of a mile along a steep hillside trail, but I had the right help and knew Mom would bring them right along. Well, we all got our work done, did go out to eat and had a dandy party. I just have to figure out a reason to get Mom on a horse next year for her eightieth birthday. I'm Jeff Keane.