"Well, it actually involves teams of four or five people, usually. The best ropers catch the calves, one roping the head, the other the hind feet, but they don't chase them any more than necessary, and don't drag them once they've been roped. Someone on the ground, often a woman or a younger person, grabs the calf and throws it, which is fairly easy when it's roped at both ends. Once on the ground, that person kneels on the calf to hold it down and loosens the rope on its neck enough to slip one front foot through the loop also. That ensures the rope won't choke it, and helps to keep the calf down. A fourth person runs over with a branding iron and stamps the brand in the correct spot for that ranch owner, on the hip, ribs, or shoulder. The same person, or another, depending on how many people are available, gives any vaccination or medication, and if it's a bull, castrates it," Monty explained.
"A couple of questions," Laura queried. "First, you said it was often women or kids holding the calf. Do you mean only big macho men get to do the fun stuff like roping?"
"No, we're not male chauvinists at all," Monty protested. "Far from it. Some of the best ropers are women and kids, and they're always welcomed. But some people are not as skillful, because roping really is harder than it looks, especially for catching the heels, and others just prefer to work on the ground crew."
"OK, next question. Do you mean you brand the calves without any type of anesthetic?" Laura asked, concern in her voice.
"Check the thickness of the cowhide on those new boots of yours, and I think you'll find it's pretty tough. The iron is very hot so it's only held for a few seconds. I don't expect it hurts much more than when you got those pretty little earlobes of yours pierced," Monty teased.
"Well, I'll not believe it doesn't hurt them until I see it. If I ever get that chance," Laura added wistfully, thinking of how nice it would be to spend time with this wonderful man on his ranch, but fearing that the outcome of this trip might mean that she wouldn't be experiencing much of anything anymore.
Then Monty turned the tables by asking her about her work, and she described briefly what it was that she did in the field of information technology. Since it was so technical, and not really interesting to someone not in that field, she wrapped that up quickly and instead told him about her city. She described her favorite restaurant, in a stone building in Old Montreal, a building older than any in California. She told him about the nighttime parade through the streets, honoring St. John Baptiste, Quebec's patron saint. Mount Royal's sloping parkland was her favorite urban hiking spot, and a great place for watching any fireworks displays. She described the views from the top of Mount Royal, and how from her office window she could see the mighty St. Lawrence River through spaces between the skyscrapers. The swift, silent, and clean Metro subway was another thing she liked about her home town.