This week has been quite a week. Between inputting new labeling systems and keeping things straight in the office (both related to bringing a more accurate and convenient inventory and check out process via bar coding to us and our customers) tensions have been a bit high strung. On top of all of the extra work attributed to the bar coding system development, we had a beef escape and take off into the field this week. After bulling itself through a gate and passed his farmer the steer joyfully cantered off into the sun. Though we by no means intend to let this happen again, a community cow chasing afternoon may have been just what everybody needed.
After attempting to herd the animal back towards the facility (and getting frustratingly close numerous times) the neighbors of the facility decided to call their neighbors. It so happens that a 2005 Calf Roping champion lives less than a mile away from the facility! He saddled up his horse and was in the fields with us in about fifteen minutes, and had the cow secured in less than five. As Erick, the vice president of the company and former Electrical Engineer, Julia our accountant, and myself, the young office punk, hold the cow in place waiting for the rodeo champion to come help us, Erick makes the comment “you know, I used to stress about the position of lines on some paper, now I’m stressing about a beef, I’ll take this any day”. True, catching a beef can be a long, tedious, and physically painful process, but running through a field wiping the sweat from your fore head is a nice change from our everyday air-conditioned office work.
All in all, it was a good experience. It was some unique office co-workers bonding time, as well as an opportunity to get to know our community a little better. By the time we had the cow back in the trailer, the neighbors, the man who owned the field and his family, and two cattle ropers and their horses had all donated some time to the cause, and everybody had a smile on their face. It really serves to remind us that at times, we truly do depend on the help of our community, and it is the communities that rise to the occasion to help their neighbor that do well. True, the town of Colfax may not be the largest community, or the wealthiest, but it certainly is skilled at getting the cows back where they belong! And for our purposes, that’s all it needs to be.