Category Archives: Photographs

I was met at the gate after feeding the calves and changing my water this morning by this young Red Tail, hanging around and close to the ground, presumably, in case I might kick a squirrel out into the open.

JRD Bertson 702-558

Remnant of our foray into raising registered Herefords, this son of MWH Miss Advance 558 has been with us since September 3, 2007, garnering limited duty until this past year. He has, however, been the subject of many funny incidents repeated in stories from us all. Slow to grow because we didn’t push him, and not quite the quality of our purchased Hereford bulls, he was a coming three year-old before we used him, and then sparingly. Year before last, we gave him work with our late calving cows segregated along the creek. Each time we added a little bunch, he was there to meet the gooseneck, on the run at the rattle, even if we were hauling horses. We failed to tip and train his horns down when he was young, hence his nickname: boss of all the bulls, going wherever he wanted.

The white fog lines were added Monday afternoon, but only extend a mile beyond our driveway where the asphalt narrows. Like some of the ground squirrels still hopping over the double-yellow line, we’re a little suspicious of all this fresh paint.

The myth of Persephone, the goddess of the Underworld, also prominently features the pomegranate. In one version of Greek mythology, Persephone was kidnapped by Hades and taken off to live in the underworld as his wife. Her mother, Demeter (goddess of the Harvest), went into mourning for her lost daughter and thus all green things ceased to grow. Zeus could not allow the Earth to die, so he commanded Hades to return Persephone. It was the rule of the Fates that anyone who consumed food or drink in the Underworld was doomed to spend eternity there. Persephone had no food, but Hades tricked her into eating six pomegranate seeds while she was still his prisoner and so, because of this, she was condemned to spend six months in the Underworld every year. During these six months, when Persephone is sitting on the throne of the Underworld next to her husband Hades, her mother Demeter mourns and no longer gives fertility to the earth. (Exert from Wikipedia)