Count ’em, load ’em, and roll out
“Drovers” featured in Mike Murchison’s new CD, video
There’s something about it, this cattle hauling side of trucking. It gets in the blood. Many (and I fear myself included) gravitate towards it. Some never leave it. Some leave it yet feel the taste to get back into it.
The days are long. They start early. Four thirty in the morning. Often ending somewhere around nine at night. Or when the jobs done.
You get to watch the Sun come up in the quietness of feedlot or ranch. The only sound being the occasional bawling from a cow.
Your boots getting wet from the morning dew.
The coffee you made going down just right.
You count ‘em, load ‘em, and roll out. Hit the border and the Vet five hours later, and roll the next four until you swing the chutes open and walk ‘em off.
Ages ago they were called “Drovers.” The ones who headed the cattle and drove them to the auction marts. They left trails all over North America, many of which evolved into part of the highway system we know today.
Good occupation title: “Drover” sounds more romantic then “Truck Driver.”
Pile on the clichés here, boys. Fire up some Ian Tyson and we’ll crack that trail wide open.
Over the mountains. The windy foothills. The construction zones and the rush hour traffic.
A long day indeed, sixteen hours on average. Longer in the Winter months.
But when it’s all said and done, when you back up to the unloading chute and all 43 walk off without injury, that’s when you smile and tell yourself it was worth it.
You find a place to park. Bed down for the night with a bit of anticipation floating around in your mind.
Early tomorrow you’ll get to stand outside that long lean horse and wagon setup of yours. Enjoy your morning coffee glancing down looking at the wet spots on your boots from the morning dew and know you get to do it all over again.
Call him what you want. A Drover, a Cowboy, a Trucker. He really doesn’t care about the title. He just cares about putting in a long day on a long road doing it right.
Happy Trails
MLM
** ON SALE NOW!! **
“The Music of Canadian Songwriter, Performer and Recording Artist Mike Murchison has been a lifetime in the making. Taken from the years and millions of miles traveled throughout the The Great Northern Mountains of Canada, and into the Beautiful lands and highways of these United States of America. Through many months of modern day technology these songs have traveled to us for our studio musicians to fill in the blanks.
To those who like to own a copy, please feel free to contact Hansford Collins on Facebook, Website https://collins-studio.square.site and/or our email address: [email protected]
To come by and grab one, or we can mail to you a copy with the additional cost for postage.
Thank You all who have helped us, and we hope to see each of you on the HIGHWAY real soon.”
Mike Murchison and Ben Lee at Collins Studio – Recording / Music Production.
