Cattle and Technology

I Can't Be That Old : Many years ago when the computer first landed in school classrooms I made a comment that has comeback to haunt me." Why do I need to learn that, what good will that do me on the back of a horse " Well, now that happened nearly thirty years ago and look how far we have come with technology. It was about fifteen years ago I finally got a Mobile phone and traded in my "beeper" / "pager", what a beating that was trying to find a phone before the third page with 911 on the end. Some of you will get that?  There are kids today who have never heard a dial tone, or got chance to get tangled up in the 50ft cord on the kitchen wall phone. Now days you have electronic ear tags, GPS, cattle management computer programs, and the computer tablet you can carry in your pocket. A lot of the larger cattle operations are very technologically advanced than they were less than ten years ago. With the new computer systems a simple scan of the ear tag and the entire life history of the cow pops up on screen much like your medical records at the doctors office. Current Applications on your phone allow you to watch Television, check Weather, Cattle Market Reports, Satellite Maps, and even a GPS that allows you to mark where fence repairs are needed so that you can return to make the repairs. Although the cattle industry have come along way, there are still some old timers who have done it their way the same way since birth and will never change. I, like many other have surrendered to technology and do not go anywhere without my IPhone. There are times I think back to that day I first seen the large TV style box with the black and white letters and think where has the time gone.  When I pull out my IPhone while on the back of my horse to take a picture it's then you realize there is no going back now and wonder whats next.