Why we miss them

Greetings from the epicenter of the Bakken oil formation.

Time is slipping away quickly this spring and I realized this morning that it has been two and a half weeks since May 18th, the day we worked calves and branded.

This is the first time ever that we have not had our anchor present for this annual event.  Logistically, the day went perfect.  We had an excellent crew and we finished up hours before a four day rain set in.  Emotionally, the day was a mixed bag of sadness, somberness and an acute understanding of the rejuvenation and renewal of life we were witnessing.

For the first time Pete was managing the irons, a job that for the previous 44 years belonged to my dad, Kurt T Hovet.  In addition to missing his presence, we also missed having Blaine Schaible with us.  And so goes life's lesson on rejuvenation and renewal.  I mentioned that we had a great 2013 crew.  Below, a majority of them are pictured.  Those not pictured - Sue & Lyle Best (Pete's mom & dad), Carla Schaible (Blaine's widow), Gina Schaible (David's wife), Rita (my mom), Morgan (Dad's only grand-daughter), who at the time this picture was taken were all helping get food ready.

2013 Branding crew:  Oops (dad's gelding, now Kim's project), Jaden (dad's grandson), Kim,  Eva (my mare),  Tice (Blaine's middle grandson), Pete, Hoss (Kyle's gelding), Kyle, Brad, Dos (Brad's gelding), Spud (David's gelding), Jase (Blaine's oldest grandson), Lee, David Schaible( Blaine's son), Brae (Blaine's youngest grandson). 

Blaine and Kurt hunting with David several years back.

There are just very few words that do justice to the feeling that comes with facing daily activities alone when even if you have been prepared for it (through life long lessons), your not comfortable with it.  It causes us to miss them because they were and still are such an intrical part of who we are, what we do and why we do it.  They loved the land that we love, and we love it mostly because they showed us how to see the beauty in it and how to harness the clean, meaningful living that it provides us.

We miss them because they knew the best sermons were lived and not preached (and that's what they did every day on this earth).  We miss them because we know that they valued relationships above 'things'.  We miss them because they were cowboys through and through with hearts that were pure, honest and genuine.

We will always miss them and we will take comfort in knowing that they miss us too.  We know that someday when our branding day is not an earthly one, it will be as perfect as May 18, 2013.  Although our crew will look very different, it too will be an excellent one made up of loved ones that we have been missing since the day they left.