When They Start Shipping Cattle in the Fall

On my way to Elko yesterday morning,  the first day of autumn,  I experienced a perfect moment in northeastern Nevada time.   About a quarter of a mile away,  two riders were turning a small herd of cattle off Highway 226 and on to the Midas Road towards me.  I pulled my car to the side of the road as far as I could, rolled down the window, turned off the ignition, and sat back to enjoy the scene.

Being caught by a herd of cattle moving down the two-lane highway that cuts through the length of Independence Valley isn't as common as it used to be.  Most loading and hauling takes place on the ranches.  Since before Labor Day, I noticed cattle trucks on the Midas Road or speeding west down the Mountain City highway, destined for feedlots in central California.

The scene  on such a camera-ready Nevada morning was one to be savored.  The stand of cottonwoods on the east side of the road showed only a little yellow, but the willows, the rabbit brush, and various kinds of underbrush had turned from green and yellow to subtle variations of rust and gold.

I knew the riders were right to take their time.  Letting the cows go at their own pace was the quickest way to move them along.  Soon the herefords were close enough for me to see their collective stare, that typical bovine defense mechanism.  I could hear their snotty breathing and appreciate the healthy gloss of their black and brown backs as they picked up their pace and streamed by my car.

I was delighted to see that the riders were  Rhonda Van Norman and a young girl, both in stylish cowboy attire.  Rhonda, a dark-eyed, beautiful young woman, wore one of the  low-crowned gaucho hats that seem to be popular this year, white western shirt, levis, and short, fringed buckskin chaps.  The young women and their herd, a moving photo shoot for Western Horseman magazine, were taking their time going  down the isolated country road.

Rhonda smiled when she recognized me.

"Beautiful day," I said as she rode past.

"Couldn't be better," she replied.