October’s promises had vanished with the green flush on the mountain, leaving cows content and a rancher frustrated as winter crept closer. The cold November morning and lingering herd reminder: Mother Nature doesn’t always honor a rancher’s timeline.

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The blessings that come with life in a small town, or the absence of a town altogether, are many and rich, and I count the blessings in my life that have come courtesy of rural living among the choicest of all my blessings. Generally speaking, I have found that the fewer the people involved in any given event, the sweeter the experience.

Cows and their consistently predictable erratic behavior pretty much rule my life and determine my moods full time. There are, however, certain periods when the intensity lessens just a bit and my angst levels simmer below the boiling point.

As much as I was befuddled by my dogs’ persistence in their idiotic behavior, it didn’t take me long to notice a lot of human parallels, most of the examples coming from my own choices and life. It didn’t take long for me to compile a lengthy list of stupid, mostly avoidable things I’d done.