A Cow's a Cow, Right?

Since marrying my husband and moving to the ranch, I've learned more than I ever knew there was to know about cows.  I used to drive by a field of cows and think, "boy what a cute black cow, oreo cow, white cow, or brown cow (I have since learned that Herefords are NOT brown; they are red!)."  I've since learned the breeds that correspond to these colors, names of good bulls, genetic information, genetic problems to avoid in certain animals, and I've learned that hours of conversation can revolve around cattle.  In fact, when calling his sister to share the news we were expecting, my husband first spent about thirty minutes discussing heifers with her.  I have learned to appreciate the warm-eyed creatures, but I have not developed the passion for them my husband wishes I would.
My husband recently gave me a very important job of watching for when a certain Hereford cow was in heat.  He is on a tractor all day, and this cow is in the pasture behind our house.  He has to know exact dates so he can get her eggs flushed.  I won't give all the particulars, but he told me what to watch for.  Unfortunately, we have another Hereford cow who appears very similar to the one I was suppose to be watching(at least to my untrained eye).  When I spotted the signs I was looking for occurring way out in the pasture, I excitedly called my husband to inform him, proud of myself for paying attention and being helpful with the cattle instead of sitting by idl .  I unfortunately was not sure exactly which of the two cows it was, and I figured it was good enough to just alert him that it might be her.  I did not realize we needed exact dates and that if you weren't there at the time, it is more difficult to figure out later.
When he got home, I could see the disappointment that I didn't know precisely which of the two it was.  I'm not naturally in tune to  markings or other unique features of individual cows.  That's just not me (yet....I'm getting more cow savvy).
When the cows came into the corral that evening, I spent some quality time making note of individual markings so that next time, I can tell for sure.  Well, hopefully.......