My School Days

The second week of October I went to School. It was in Kansas. And I was nervous. Just getting there was big for me. All alone and driving? Then there is understanding what I would learn, having enough brains to ask questions, then can I really pull on a sleeve and put it where the sun don't shine? I asked Tom for a Priesthood Blessing and it made all the difference. I felt all my anxiety melt away.

I had no problems at the airport. That is clearly going good. Every time I fly I am the one pulled to the side and patted down. So you can see my spirits are up. I get my rental car and have a two and half hour drive. I had three different ways to get there. I pick one, got lost and stopped at a Circle K to get back on track. A customer there helped me. She is a Ray from Gilbert and is married to a Whiting from Vernon. So I felt at home. She got me on the interstate. I was avoiding that because I wanted to see more of the old roads but realized I better just get there.

Monday morning we started our first day of class. There were fifteen in the class. Most of them were from east of the Missouri River. And four from Midwest, only three of of us were from the southwest, if you count California as part of that group. That is a very diverse group of ranchers. And one of us was a Dairyman from Pennsylvania. How will they understand and teach us all the right information for our areas?

Our first day was classroom only. We studied the reproductive system of the cow and the bull and when the cow needs different levels of nutrition for different times of the reproduction cycle. It was amazing to hear that. They would break it down for each of our areas. They would call me Arizona. They would say "Arizona how do you do this or that"? I would answer and the class was shocked, but the teachers would say, "Yes that is correct".

On Tuesday we did morning class, went to lunch, when we returned we found finger nail clippers and files on our desk. What? Yep you have to have nice short fingernails to don the glove and head into the rear end. This day all the cows will be open (not pregnant). Morning class had beat into our brains what we will find. Think of plumbing your house in totally pitch dark room. First thing is find the cervix (turkey neck, really feels like one). Follow it down to the Uterus. If the horns of the cornua are tightly curled she is open. There is no way to explain how amazing it was to find what they had described.

On Wednesday morning class was on nutrients, cow conditioning and assisting in calf birthing. Afternoon class was preg testing on dairy cattle. They told us they would feel different. The day before we had beef cattle. They are different! But we were well prepared.

Thursday, yea. Pregnant cows! As we were preparing to go the teacher looked at me and I must of had a bigger smile on my face than usual. He said "Arizona you look like a boy scout excited to go on this outing." I told him I felt like a cub scout going on my first outing. Everyone was assigned a cow. Now knowing that they are pregnant, we just had to drop off to the right side and feel for the womb. They told us depending on how far along they are it may feel like a water balloon with a small bar of soap floating in it. Just give it a small bounce and you will feel the fetus. I reached in, dropped off to the right and felt a large head. If you know me you will know exactly how I responded. I cried. Tony, one of the assistants who was assigned to stand by her because she is so far along saw my tears and smiled. He knew I had found what I went in for. I think they saved that cow for me. I was the last one picked and usually I was one of the first assigned. The rest felt like the balloons, but the first one I will never forget.

Friday was class time then in the afternoon we could either preg test or pass the rod (artificial inseminate). I just did the preg testing.

Then drove back to Kansas City Mo. to catch my flight home on Saturday morning. Home to some really happy dogs. Tom was camping and I didn't see him until the next afternoon. All in all that was a real great school. With them if you need a refresher class you can always come back for free. They say just call and tell them you are coming back. So if I ever want to AI all I have to do is go back.