Branding in Blanding

Spring is the time of year all the Harris' (all that can attend, anyway.) meet in Blanding to brand cows. If anyone is unfamiliar with this process, it goes like this.... Then the men go to "the field" to find the baby cows in a pen, separated from their mothers. (Grandpa Jim does that part... I don't exactly know how.) They plug in the electric brand-er (a metal do-hicky that looks like a fat hanger.) to get it nice and hot. The cowboys start grabbing cows one by one and throw them to the ground... on it's left side, mind you. Then, depending on the age/size of calf, one or two cowboys sit on it. They give it some kind of shot, pierce its ear with a tag, put a donut on its boy-parts, and then brand it... all the while the cow is struggling and yelling. It's really not pretty, but it's over with really quick. If I had to think of one word to describe this experience, it'd be 'STINKY'... the smell of burning flesh is not easily forgotten... plus there's a lot of stinky poop around. You're all invite next year to the festivities!