A person could go to a branding nearly everyday of the week between now and the first of May if you had enough connections to know when and where they are happening. Here in my little valley there will be 8 more branding in the next few weeks, Plus some smaller clean brandings for the late calves. At 74 I don't wrestle or rope any more. In a few weeks when less people show up I will be helping with a vaccination gun in each hand.
No grilling at yesterday's branding. Experience there in the past says a big pot of beef stew or chili, corn bread, green salad, and some cake. Some put on a big feast. Others just feed you but nothing fancy.
In a few weeks there will be cattle drives here. Not the 1,000 mile kind. But 10 - 15 miles. Why haul 200 - 300 pairs when they can walk? They get refereed as Baker county traffic jams. There is one which I seem to run into every year on a Sunday morning. They come right down the edge of town, in front of the Hospital, passing 3 big churches, and over an over pass on the freeway which has on and off ramps. All of the freeway on and off ramps here have cattle guards.
Back in the 1880's when they were driving Longhorn from Texas up to Montana and Wyoming not as well known was. That at that same time they were driving thousands of better bred cattle from this part of the country to up grade the Longhorns.
