Page 5 of Herds and Hooves

“Dude, he was so lucky he got Florence for his first time trying to milk. He was bound and determined to stick the milker on anything that it would attach to,” Noah said making us both grin.

“He seems nice enough. Maybe just a little high strung,” I said as I worked.

“I guess we shouldn’t tell him about the sanctuary,” Noah said. The land next to the dairy butted up to a piece of property owned by one of Foggy Basin’s firemen and he owned a shitload of reptiles that had everyone in town speculating on exactly what he had.

“You do know there’s nothing dangerous there, right?”

“I know, but he doesn’t and Asa is fond of telling everyone in town how he sees an alligator or giant snake over there any time someone brings it up,” Noah said.

“Just be careful when you’re on the north side of the farm,” Asa was saying as he and Bart walked back inside the barn.

“Why?” Bart asked.

“There’s a guy who owns a reptile farm. Lots of gators and snakes over there,” Asa said and winked at me as he walked by.

“Gators and snakes? In Foggy Basin?” Bart asked, his eyes wide.

“Why not, we’ve got everything else here,” Asa said, and kept walking through the other side while Bart stood there a moment before following him.

“Are you kidding right now? Because I can’t tell, and Dad said you were always playing jokes on him. Is this a joke?” Bart said as his voice trailed off.

“Asa’s kinda evil,” Noah said as his eyes stayed where they’d just left.

“Only a little,” I said before the two of us got back to work.

Five

Bart

“I’m not sure I can stay the whole week. We have a lot going on with the business right now,” I said as Uncle Asa led me outside the barn after telling me about the fucking snakes next door.

“Your dad said he’d make do. He wants you to know all about the farm. He used to love coming here in the summer, but once he started college he didn’t have as much time. Then he got married and the rest is history. We all have to find our place in this world and his place is in Auburn.”

“I like the business, but not as much as he does,” I admitted.

“You were always the one I thought would be best suited for this life,” Asa said. He rested his arms on the top rail of a fence and his booted foot on the lower rail. “It’s something that has to be in your blood.”

“Was there ever something else you wanted to do?”

“Nope, I’ve worked this land since I was old enough to guide the cows into the chute. There’s never been anything else for me. I’ve changed how my dad ran things, but it’s still basically the same business.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever known exactly what I want to do with my life,” I admitted.

“Son, you have a choice. I know this is all strange and new, but I would never force this life on you. If it’s not for you then you can go back to your life in Auburn and come and visit me when you can.”

“What will happen to the farm?” I asked.

“Well, I’ll run it as long as I can. Then like I said, I’ll have to think about selling off the girls and go from a working farm to retirement.”

I glanced at him then. The years of hard work were evident in his sunbaked skin and the crease of his brow, but he was happy. As he looked out over his land, the expression on his face said it all. This was his little bit of heaven.

“So, tell me more about the girls,” I said.

The workday was done by sunset and after Keith and Noah left, Asa and I were left to fend for ourselves for dinner. “I’m not much of a cook, but I do okay, and the crockpot helps,” Asa said as he served us each a big bowl of beans with ham and vegetables.

“It smells so good,” I said and moved them to the table while he poured us each a glass of iced tea.

“That’s another thing about life on the farm. At the end of the day, you’re so hungry you’d eat the sole off your boot,” he said as he sat down and pushed the bread over to me.