Karen Kaeberle takes stock of her herd of longhorn cattle early on a Friday morning in late October. (Photo by David Lias) Longhorn Herd Is Kaeberle’s ‘Piece Of The West’ Karen Kaeberle stood among her herd of Texas longhorn cattle early on a Friday morning, partly in the role of caregiver, and partly, it seemed as a playground monitor. A few of the cattle seemed to be in conflict over who knows what, and Karen intervened. She stopped the head-butting by driving her pickup right in between the critters that weren’t getting along. Soon, serenity returned to her pasture, located southwest of Meckling on farmland once tended by her parents. They are both gone, and the house they lived in now sits empty. Karen lives nearby, however, operating the farm and taking advantage of opportunities that weren’t available to her as a young woman. Meckling may be a long ways from Texas, but her animals are doing quite well, thanks, in part, to the excellent care she provides, and also because of the incredibly mild weather southeast South Dakota was enjoying in late October. Some of her cattle were feeding on a large round bale of hay that had been deposited in their pasture earlier that week. Many members of the herd, however, opted to nibble on grass that was still green and vibrant. “They eat alfalfa, yes, but that isn’t their primary food. They like grass,” she said. Karen paused in delight as several of her more curious longhorns slowly approached her pickup. Some sniffed it. Some even licked it, and as they did, the tips of their horns clinked against the vehicle’s steel sides. One longhorn, her curiosity satisfied, began using the pickup’s back bumper as a scratching post, hoping to rid herself of an itch on her neck. Karen, fearing one of the animal’s sharp horns might break her vehicle’s tail light, responded by scolding her until she stepped away. Keep The Holidays Merry – Hassle-Free Holiday Decorating • FREE Estimates • Exterior, Professional Holiday Lighting • Installation, Take Down, Storage • Commercial & Residential NATURESCAPING DESIGNS ( L A N D S C A P I N G | P R O P E R T Y C A R E | H O L I DAY D E C O R AT I N G ) CALL US TODAY 605.661.1205 • NATURESCAPINGDESIGNS.COM • LAURAWNSD@GMAIL.COM 26vHERVOICEvNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2016