I spend a lot of my days building the physical plant of the ranch.  Improvements such as fence (lots of it), loafing sheds, pens, etc.  Other times of the year it is farming the wheat, aerating the grass, killing cedar, working the calves….you know, guy stuff.  The kind of stuff that gets you dirty, tired and sore.  The kind of stuff that you see when you drive around the ranch—visible stuff.   Without it, the ranch would not improve and grow.  I can get to feeling pretty proud of myself,

Then, suddenly one day, It strikes me recently how much Mrs. Hill does for the ranch.

First, who else could be the ranch counselor to all the “girls”?”

See, this chute isn't such a bad place.

And what about all the great home cooked food (the direct route to a guys heart IS his stomach)?  Good nutrition keeps the guys working. I would say my favorite is blueberry pancakes and ranch raised bacon.

Then it is all the” truck driving”.  Calves off to the vet for Bangs, or more medicine.  Pick up 3 tons of cake.  Drive the feeder to Altus to fill it up for show calves.  Bring me something I forgot we need in the pasture.  Do the filing (I hate paperwork). Time to sort cows.  A sport I take pretty seriously.  I hate to miss a sort.  And sometimes, unfortunately, I make that a little too clear.  She takes it all in stride,  just rolls her eyes and makes the cut at the gate. The list goes on and on. None glamorous, none particularly dramatic, all vital.

And then surely the most important role that Mrs Hill plays on the ranch.  At the end of a day, after the bull goes through the fence, calves won’t sort with the cows, a flat on the tractor…… the wounds of the days battles sting….then she meets me  at the door with a simple smile and a hug.  We have been married for 30 years on the 27th of December.   I will never take her for granted!