It's one of those jobs I've always admired. They work with animals, which I like anyhow, and with the big ones. They're vital for the agricultural industry. And they go to all the farms and ranches and even have, at least around here, neat equipment like specialized 4x4 trucks.
I'm sure, like most occupations, it isn't anywhere near as glamourous, if that's the right word, or fun as it looks. They're also out in all weather and on crappy roads a lot. And they work a lot of weekends, including Sundays.
But then I work a lot of weekends, including Sundays, and I'm out on crappy roads sometimes myself. Sometimes as a member of the bar, and sometimes as a stockman. And in the latter instance, I've never minded working weekends, and in the former I've long accepted it. I still don't like driving on crappy roads much, however.
When I was a kid, I was highly allergic to animals. At least theoretically, I still am. At some point in my youth we could no longer have a pet, and nearly every animal going was one I was allergic to. Even when I first was practicing law, I couldn't really ride for long periods of time in a car with a dog without feeling the effects pretty severely. Going to an indoor rodeo was the same way. But then it seemed to go away for some reason, a gift from God really. We have a dog, a double doodle (a breed which is kind to those with allergies, and for many years we had a Manx cat as well.
