Celebrating Spring with Grandson Lincoln
This past week my grandson Lincoln and I happened to notice the buffalo grazing and watering down by the river. He loves buffalo, and when I asked him if he wanted to go and see them his 21 month old legs took off running for his coat.
We approached the herd very slowly and occasionally called out "Come Buffers, Come Buffers", while drumming the side of the vehicle.
Lincoln caught on quickly and once we were stopped he started tapping the 4-wheeler and softly muttered "Buffah, Buffah".
The buffalo circled around us and we listened to their soft grunts and spoke back to them in the same manner. Lincoln watched them closely and occasionally let out squeals of joy!
We noticed the expecting mother buffalo, heavy with their calves.
Even with their extra weight they looked content (How do they do that?).
Lincoln only lost his focus when I left the vehicle, which he then thought gave him the go-ahead to be the driver! (Emergency brake was fully engaged and I was within feet.)
He pursed his lips together and made his best tractor/vehicle noise.
We stayed for a couple of hours, until the last of the buffalo were ready to cross.
We said our goodbyes and thanked the buffalo for allowing us to be among them. I tucked Lincoln close to me and we buckled up and headed back to the house. His eyes were shut within minutes. I relished in his warmth as we slowly made our way home.
Comments
Norine
What a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing.
Anny
Thank you for sharing these moments of simple joy. So touching !
Liz Aicher
Thanks for sharing!
Randy Lawrence
We are on calf watch here, too, albeit among staid British Whites like scattered clouds on our soft green hills. We love your country and live in it through you.
Thank you for sharing your blessed time with Lincoln
Anne Clare
Boy, he’s cute!! And I can just hear him make his favorite truck sounds!! The buffalo are beautiful—-I don’t blame you for wanting to get outside & visit with them.
Maricela
A beautiful grandson surrounded by amazingly beautiful buffalo in absolutely gorgeous country. God has truly blessed you with so much love. Blessings to all.
Donald Brodzik
what a great life! Your’e very lucky.
Shari Bankston
What a wonderful way for you to teach your grandson to appreciated nature and to love the land. God isn’t makin anymore dirt, and the human race is destroying the rest. I wish I had been riding in the 4 wheeler with ya’ll. I miss being on the farm and with my cows. I enjoyed the pics of the Buffalo and the baby. Thanks so much for sharing.
Jeanne Giacalone
What a touching and very moving story, full of beauty, deep emotion, a loving relationship, and a love of nature, not to mention the photos that enhance it all. Almost moved me to tears. So many mini experiences in a small period of time. Lucky little boy, lucky grandpa. Thanks so much for sharing it all.
Judith Billings
I fell in love with Dan’s idea thru his books before Jill and daughter came on the scene! Now to catch up with another generation is wonderful. Thankfully, we can get your ground bison here in Tucson and company loves my favorite casserole made from it.
Chuck Beatty
Oh to have been raised under an endless sky, among the buffalo. What a lucky boy!
Crista Worthy
Love this! What a privilege, for Lincoln to be able to grow up amidst such beauty and joy.
Rollie Earley
Reminds me of an experience I had in Cody Nat’l Park 25+ years ago.
Duane Jones
Wow, Give Lincoln big hug from the Joneses in NE!!!
Ward
And this is why your Buffalo are the best. Raised with the same love you show your Grandson.
Mary Flaherty
I so enjoy your stories on here about life on ranch and all animals and the wide open prairie!
From East Iowa. Used to live on a farm.
Georgene
What a treat, for me, to see my great-grandson Lincoln. He surely has grown, since I was there, last May.
Great photos, as always, Jill. Thank you.
Don Meyer
What a great spring story! Little children understand the joy being with the wild things that adults have sometimes lost. I really enjoyed looking at the wonderful pictures, and thank you so much for sharing them with us. You are doing such a wonderful thing with your land and the buffalo. I particularly like the fact that you make it possible for many of the native American families to continue raising buffalo too because you help them with marketing their animals. I eat your wild idea buffalo stew meat for lunch and dinner every single day, as it is just about the only pure meat on the planet. May you and all your dear ones always have God’s blessings.
Mary Jane Lincoln
What a sweet little boy, Lincoln. And not afraid of the buffalo. The animals can be called gentle giants. Very tame and friendly.
m. matson
Home, home on the range.
Where Lincoln and the buffalo play.
Enjoy it all and thanks for sharing.
Chris
NE native now living in Buffalo, NY.. Lincoln is a lucky lad living on the plains with the beauty of the wildness surrounding him. Great to see parents like you teaching life as I remember it in the 1950s.
God bless you!
DWIGHT WASHINGTON
WOW, THAT HAD TO BE AN EXCITING DAY FOR BOTH OF YOU. YOUR GRANDSON IS TRULY LUCKY TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE BUFFALO AT SUCH AN EARLY AGE AND UP CLOSE. MY FIRST ENCOUNTERT WITH BUFFALO WAS IN 1954 AND IT WAS AT THE DETROIT ZOO, IN DETROIT MICHIGAN.
T
Gorgeous! The baby boy! The bison! The land! How truly blessed you all are!
Michael Broder
If he turns out to be a Vegan………..well…………..“grass fed” kind of sounds Veganish………………….
Bone in Rib Eye……..no need for salad or veggies or dessert……or knife and fork, just fingers……..
sande pedro
ANOTHER great children’s book just waiting to be published!!!
Brenda Schussman
Truly these are precious moments to treasure! Thanks for sharing them with us.
jeanne setzer
thanks for sharing. he is a precious little boy.
Linda Huhn
These are the most comments on any of Dan’s writing I’ve ever seen. Gee, I wonder why!
Diane
Awesome story. I love watching the Buffalo roam. Can’t wait to go back to SD again to see more.
Debra Russell
Love the photos of the buffalo and your grandson. He is cute and his expression at seeing the buffalo is adorable.
Becky
I stop by every summer to get buffalo meat and bring back down to Louisiana. I was born and raised up there and come back every summer. My question is do you let people photograph the buffalo? I have been trying to get a good picture of a buffalo, but just can’t seem to get what I want. When I saw these pictures I thought If I could do something like this, I could probably get the shot that I have been looking for. Or maybe you know where I could go. Thank you and adorable little guy you have there??
Mike Broder
TO BECKY REGARDING GOOD BUFFALO PHOTO- Custer State Park is the best I have ever seen, no crowds to speak of, and herds just crossing the road.
You can also take an off road tour and get close enough to smell them!!!
Re Buffalo Wings………I had my credit card out and just asked my wife how much we should order……..she took my credit card away from me!!!!
Enjoy Spring.
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Janis
March 22, 2016
Aren’t Grandsons the Best?!?! I’ve raised two sons and enjoy my grandchildren immensely-they teach us so much, don’t they?! Your Grandson is a lucky boy!