Tuesday’s Tales: The Old Cow

October 21, 2014 by ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ Leave a Comment

That Old Cow

That old cow you see right there
Well she ain’t much to look at now.
She’s skin and bones and walks with a limp
Her glory days have come and gone.

But look beyond the bony frame
The toll from miles out on the range.
Look past the aged and crippled gait
That slowly traverses one last trail.

To years gone by when she was new.
A favored one, the chosen few.
She’s raised some beautiful calves to date –
Some you’ve sold and some replaced
Other old cows.
She’s paid your bills and fed your kids,
Given you a laugh or two.

So when the cull truck comes a calling
Just like they always have to do,
Remember that old cow
And all she gave to you…

And when the taillights fade away
I might have to wipe one tear away
for That Old Cow.

This poem was written by a fellow ranch wife: Jennifer Ackley and I thank her much for allowing me to share it.

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.