Michael was out in the south pasture chasing calves with Jesse. They liked to compete with each other and see who could capture the most in the least amount of time. Michael also needed all the practice he could get because this year when it came time for round-up he wanted to prove to his pa that he could handle catching the calves just as well as the hired hands. Because this year he wanted to help his pa and Caly with the round up and cattle drive.

"That's five for me, Michael, and four for you." Jesse boasted.

"Aw, you just wait, I'll beat ya yet." Michael hollered from across the pasture just after untying the calf he had caught.

Back at the SJ house, Melissa swung down off of Braids. Steven who had just been heading to the barn did an about face when he saw Melissa. He strolled over and they exchanged hellos. "Is Michael in the house?" Melissa inquired. Steven hadn't seen Melissa in a while. She hadn't been coming to see Michael as regularly as she had been. He wondered why.

"No, he's out in the south pasture with Jesse." Steven replied.

"Is it alright if I go out and see them?" Melissa asked as she mounted Braids.

"That's fine with me." Steven waved and Melissa waved back as she kicked Braids into a gallop.

Melissa rode out to the pasture and stopped just as Michael and Jesse were about to rope some calves. Jesse seeing Melissa missed his target while Michael lassoes his. Michael jumped down grabbed his calf and got him onto his back. "Hey Jesse, we're tied now." Michael saw Jesse just sitting there in the saddle looking . . . looking at something, so he turned his head to see Melissa about ten feet away.

It was awkward just having them look at her, so she rode up closer. "Hi Michael, hi Jesse. So you two are tied, huh?"

Jesse nodded. "Hi Melissa."

"Hi Melissa." Michael rode over to both of them, "Yes we're tied. It's five to five now."

Melissa watched them for a little while. She giggled when they missed and the calves got away, and then they had to chase after them again. But after a while she got bored. She wanted to do it, so she asked Michael and Jesse to teach her. It took them about an hour to teach her how to lasso something, but after she got the hang of it, she was very good. Soon Melissa was roping calves right and left, but she had a problem. She wasn't very good at tossing them to the ground. They were too heavy for her.

Michael had the answer to her predicament. "Melissa, there’s an easier way to get the calves to tumble to the ground. Here let me show you." Michael took Melissa’s rope and twirled it around the calf’s back legs and then when the calf started to move it tripped. Michael pushed his weight against the calf and it fell down on it’s side. "Ok now you try it." Melissa followed Michael’s example and finally landed a calf onto the ground. "That’s it, you’ve got it."

"Thanks, Michael."

"Aw it was nothing." Michael blushed as Melissa smiled at him.

"I wish they were having this event in the rodeo then I’d have something to enter." Melissa said.

"Me too," Jesse agreed.

"I would enter a calf roping contest to show my pa that I can handle the round up this year. Melissa why don’t you talk to Jacy about it?" Michael asked. "Maybe they could have it just for the kids."

"I will. Maybe she will like the idea. I’ll talk to her about it tonight." Melissa smiled. She was happy she had a suggestion for the rodeo that Jacy might agree to. She hoped that Jacy would agree to it.