THE CHANGING SEASONS ON THE FREEDOM RANCH

Anita Waggoner

Fall on my Oklahoma ranch meant cooler mornings, dust on a warm coat pulled from the closet, and a little more reason to linger over that first cup of coffee. The summer heat loosened its grip, the grass faded, and the evening shadows stretched farther across the pastures.

Every season brought its own work. Spring meant watching the sky, hoping for rain, and welcoming a new crop of calves, hopefully with future bucking bulls among them to add to our herd. Summer brought long days, rodeos, and water troughs that needed checking. Fall meant preparing for winter, because a pretty afternoon could fool you into forgetting what the Oklahoma weather had in store.

The bulls still needed feeding. Gates still needed fixing. Whatever the calendar said, somebody had to pull on their boots and get outside.

Looking back, I remember how the seasons marked our lives, too. Plans made in spring could look different by fall. Some things grew. Some things ended. And sometimes, while you were busy taking care of the ranch, you discovered you had changed right along with it.

Those years helped inspire FREEDOM, the television series now in development. So many stories, through every season, where grit met grace. No Quit!