I just returned from a five day trip to help some old friends gather some cattle in the Flint Hills of Kansas. They had lost some leases on some pastures, so we moved a lot of cows and gathered some bigger steers to go ahead and sell. I had never been to this part of Kansas before. I knew the folks from a place they have close to me, but had never visited them on their Kansas place.
What a great trip. The folks around Cottonwood Falls, KS, where we stayed in a hotel the first night, were super friendly. Even though it was a 'working' trip, it was much more like a vacation. The first and last days were spent goofing off and seeing the sights. We incorporated our vacation into this trip. The first day was spent in historic Cottonwood Falls, home of the oldest working courthouse in KS. Neat little place full of very hospitable folks. On the second day, we met the ranch manager and he put us and our horses up at one of the nice barns with upstairs living quarters. It was better than any hotel I've ever stayed in. Nice stalls that our horses aren't used to and living accommodations that we aren't used to, either. Too bad we couldn't just stay and trail ride around the country the whole time relaxing in the evening on the deck of the barn's living quarters! It was time to get to work, though. I only knew the owner of the place and his wife. The ranch manager, his wife, two full time hands, and their families, I had never met. They were all super nice people and an asset to any place, I know. Working with these folks was a pleasure. Nobody was too wild. No one got mad and took to whoopin' on the horses for no reason. No arguments between managers/owners or husbands/wives. Doing day work around, I see lots of that. These folks worked this place like they truly loved it, and I know they do. It was much more like a reunion with friends we'd never met, than a few days working. We were fed way too much and way too good while we were there. The wife of the ranch manager could, I'm sure, put Martha Stuart to shame any time she wanted to. These folks' cattle handled nicely, and the pens and facilities were top notch. The kind of place I can understand not having too many jobs come open very dern often.
The country is gorgeous and it was a pleasure to spend a few days working there. I hope to get back there soon, but with the price of diesel these days, even my local trips have been cut way down. It was good to get away a few days and see how folks a few hundred miles away do things. Makes me kind of want to go back to work full time on a place.
Thanks to the folks of the Flint Hills in Kansas for making our weekend a nice one.