Maui Cattle Drive; November 2018
Things on Maui have changed with the times, sort of. Maui had big cattle ranches, managed by horse-borne cowboys and skilled dogs. There are still ranches, lush ranch lands, and some very special - maybe pampered - cows. And there are still skilled dogs. There are a few modern changes, evident recently when it was time to drive a herd from one pasture to another, across a paved road. Now cowboys with cellphones and four-wheelers move the cows. But it would be a lot harder or impossible without the dogs. These are big beasts, maybe 2,000 pounds, and very sturdy; they are bovine sumo wrestlers with a center of gravity maybe three feet high; a man on foot could not budge them. The dogs are essential. A few fractious cattle at the tail end of the herd rebelled and there were face-offs between cows and dogs before the herd was forced out of one pasture, over the road, and through a narrow gate into yet another lush pasture. Where the entire herd seemed to have ended any active resistance.
It's a good life in lush up-country Maui pastures for select cattle.
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Cow and cattle egrets pose.
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Egret takes a ride.
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Another gives directions.
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The ranchers' plan: move the herd from the pasture on the right, across the paved road, through a narrow gate, through a corral and chutes, and into the pasture on the left.
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The cattles' plan: don't be herded; stand your ground.
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The dogs' plan: move those cows, head off each attempted retreat.
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Momentary stand-off.
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The dogs win. The cows give up.
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There is still confusion and reluctance at the road.
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The herd finally begins entering the corral and chutes to the new pasture. The dogs are still facing down the last resistors.
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The dogs keep the pressure on. It would be mayhem if any 2,000-pounders got loose between the stone walls of this narrow roadway.
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Dogs triumphant.
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The herd is more docile in the new pasture. The dogs remain alert.
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After a lifetime of mainly expressing myself with words, my postings here will mainly rely on images. They will speak for themselves to some extent, but I'll usually add a few comments of explanation. I've taken photographs for decades, since the 1950's, inspired in part by my father's photographic skill. Four years of photo assignments and quality darkroom time eventually gave way to decades of casual and family picture-taking. I re-immersed myself when I left film and turned to digital.