Thanks to our Creator and the tilt of the Earth, winter is just starting to think about leaving us here on the Northern Plains. When summer finally comes, we can look back on the memories of this time and reminisce, with the warm breeze on our face while sipping a cool iced tea. Unsweetened, of course, because if you want sugar in your drink this far north, you have to order a pop.

If I describe veterinary medicine as “colorful,” I’m sure the first image that pops into your head is that of the colorful language that is often utilized when a cow tries to go backwards down the alley. But no, veterinary care for our cattle involves a literal menagerie of colors that indicate everything from a cow’s health status to nutritional state. Sadly, the proper identification of those colors is mired in the chaos of subjectivity.