I am sun-burned, sore, and completely wiped. I had planned to take it easy this weekend, but my neighbors had other plans, and I ended up going to three brandings this weekend when I was only counting on the one. Wrestling calves that are nearly as big as you are is entertaining, to say the least. It doesn't help much when you have the roper's dragging the calves out single-hocked, and on the opposite foot so you have fight to hold down this monster while he's getting branded, cut, and vaccinated, and you can't see well because of the smoke.
But I had a blast. I love this time of year. You really learn a lot about people by watching the way they set up a branding. You can pick out who is just there for the free beer and company pretty quickly, and you can tell who is more interested in drinking than working when you take a half-hour break after thirty calves and you still have 100 to do. But then there are those people who tell you what you are doing, and expect it to be done, and everybody works together to get it done. They don't take no lip from anybody, and they will work as hard as you do.
Branding season is a great time of year to meet up with friends, get a job done, and have fun. There is always something of interest going on, so there is never a dull moment, and your have to have a head on a swivel lest you get kicked by a calf or horse, cut by a knife, stuck with a needle, or branded with an iron.
In the process, I have discovered, that you also learn a lot about yourself, and how it applies to your life away from the branding fire. Are you going to get the job done? Are you going to help out when somebody is having trouble? And are you going to fight with everything you have to hold down that monster calf until the job gets done?

Have a Happy Easter, and all you mothers out there, have a Happy Mother's Day.

God Bless, y'all.