First day of Work

I woke up around 5:45 this morning so that I could eat breakfast and get a head start on my horse chores before we started ranch chores at 7:00. Things went pretty good from the start I learned all the ropes of the regular chores and met all the help around here. I went with Ross (Merle's dad) and caked steers- they defintly have plenty of cattle in that department! During this I managed to cut my hand on a gate but figured I wasn't any worse for the wear. After chores I was sent to Gordon, Nebraska (about an hour drive) to get a load of cracked corn. I figured this was a simple enough task and headed out. So I find Gordon and the elevator and go inside to get the weigh ticket before they load me. I left the pickup running outside because Merle mentioned he just had it into the shop and it's still slow to start....So I come out of this elevator and put it in reverse and it dies...and decides not to start back up. I messed around under the hood for a good five or ten minutes and decided I needed someone to pull start me. So I go in and ask one of the guys working there if they would mind pulling me out and they said sure, no problem. One guy goes and grabs his pickup and the other one hops in mine- he turns the key and the dumb chevy starts (turns out I'm a better mechanic than we thought...lol). So I feel like an idiot and go on to get my grain loaded and get out of there. I get no more than two miles out of town and it loses power and the engine starts knocking and dies...and dies again...and again. So I call my boss (who coincidentally had some important people over looking at some steers :s ) He doesn't answer, so I call Joel (who is a neighbor from Baltic)- figuring he can at least help me figure out what the heck is wrong with the dumb thing. Meanwhile a few people stop and I just tell them I'll figure it out, and send them on their way. After talking with Joel we decided it was some kind of fuel problem- like the filter or the gas line. I finally got ahold a Merle who told me to go back to Gordon and wait a few hours. So I go back into town and the truck runs fine...don't ask me! So I called him back and told him I was heading back to Martin and if I didn't show up to head towards Gordon! I made it back but it definilty took forever. We spent the rest of the day unloading that corn and then Merle and I went out to fill salt and mineral feeders. I assumed this was one of those things that takes a couple hours- oh no just kidding it took all afternoon and then some. It was cool though because I got to see a lot of pasture, meet some people who live on a few of them, and open lots of gates- and apparently that was only a small portion of the job; he said he can spend an entire day moving around salt and mineral and sometimes still not finish! As we finshed our last pasture we took the highway back to Martin- and blew a tire on the trailer we were pulling- must just not be our day for driving! We stopped at the farm supply store and changed it, but in the process I somehow managed to cut the top of my hand right into the vein that runs across it...I didn't even notice until blood spurted down my hand and everywere else! But again, I don't think I'm dying and hopefully it will heal itself shut without stitches- haha not gunna lie I think it's pretty funny that I managed all of this on my first day of work- can you imagine what the rest will be like?!

We finally made it back and did the evening chores and I spent some time with Joe who is finally settling down a little. Then I came in a worked on the rigging in my saddle and that puts me to where I'm sitting now. I think I will eat, take a shower, and go to bed. Tomorrow we are going on a seven mile ride to move some cow calf pairs- I think it'll be pretty exciting, but I should probably sleep first!

Here's to a super exciting and very realistic fist day!