Do You Know Where Your Child Is?

All good parents have a pretty good idea where they can find their child.  He is either at school, at home, at a friend’s house or shooting hoops in the driveway.  As children grow older, we remember our own youth and begin to hope they are at school, at home or at a friend’s house at the designated time. 

Keeping track of children on a ranch is not quite as demanding.  They are either in the barn, riding a horse, swimming in the pond, fixing fence, feeding the chickens or doing general ranch work.  At night, parents can rest assured they are in their beds, worn out from a long day.  This is what I assumed two nights ago.  This is what I saw when I looked out the window yesterday morning.

                                                         A bedroll, outside in February?

 No, this ranch kid was not tucked in his bed last night.  This was confirmed when he appeared after chores to warm up at the fire.

This morning when Laramie wasn’t in his room, I had no worries.  He was still tucked safely in his bedroll at the crack of dawn.  Apparently he is in training for  the April cattle drive, when we bring the cows back to the ranch before they calve.  He and his bedroll will be all warmed up and ready to go.  What dedication!