. . . I was blinded by a cloud of dust but could still hear men bellowing commands. There was an unfamiliar sound of pounding and clomping and an unusual smell permeated the

air. "Giddyup,

move 'em out,

keep 'em together," shouted the men.

I felt transported to the days of old, even before my time, when the men of the Old West herded droves of cattle cross country. Scenes of horses, long-horned cattle and cowboys enjoying supper around a campfire popped into my mind. But wait, it is 2009, I'm in the middle of Minnesota and there are no cattle drives here. However, I couldn't deny my immediate situation.

Our car was surrounded by a huge cloud of dust and a large number of unconcerned cows moving down the road while men were shouting orders to them.

Okay, so it was a small herd of cows and there were no horses, only a pickup with some hay dangling off the end-gate. Two men and a dog kept all the animals together and the trip for the cows was from one pasture, down the road about a block and taking a sharp right into a different pasture. We drove slow, followed behind the herd

until it was safely in their

new location, waved to the "cowboys" and headed on

our way.

I wondered how the cowboys of old managed to do the cross-country drives. Talk about a 24-7 job. They had no protection from the heat or the cold, no bathrooms, meals determined by availability of supplies from the traveling cook wagon and sleeping on the ground without an air mattress. The pay must have been phenomenal.

May your day be filled with exciting "Wild West" adventures, or maybe just a comfortable camping trip.