Shoulder Work Ahead

The rotator cuff surgery on my right shoulder went so well last year and I feel so much better, that I'm having the left one done tomorrow.  Amy is on her way down to do my chores for a while, and Jeff just spent a few days here cutting firewood and helping me finish Fall projects and get Christmas preparations started.  Thanks to my family for putting up with my aging.

Thanksgiving

Here's how to tell you're at the right place for Thanksgiving.  Life is good.  Come on down and help us be thankful.

Fall Update

My favorite month is September, because that's when my birthday is and it's usually when we get the first little cold front that promises cooler weather isn't far away.  But it always turns hot again, and if I could move my birthday into October I would, because that's when Fall really feels within reach, Summer projects need to be finished up and firewood needs to be cut and stacked.  Now it's November, it's cool and raining, and we'll have a fire tonight as I crack pecans and watch the Country Music Awards.

Cattle
The Pacesetter calves have sold for an excellent price, for delivery next week.  Our 8 steers have stayed healthy, not requiring any medication that would disqualify them from the All Natural program, and have gained well on a reasonable amount of feed and good grass.  In fact, due mainly to the great weaning weights we had this year, 3 of them were actually overweight when I weighed them last week and I had to negotiate a slightly lower price for them.  The replacement heifers and little bulls are looking good too.  I sold 3 of the oldest cows including Austin's green-tagged 215 so one of the heifers will get a green tag.  215 had a daughter this year, so she's my suggestion, but Austin can pick at Thanksgiving if he wants to.  We'll vaccinate the cows soon, and sit back to wait for calves in February.

Hay and Grass
We've finished baling this year's hay, getting 2 cuttings from all the fields except the Sycamore which Larry elected to graze rather than bale (since we already had plenty of hay).  I've cleaned up the baler and put it away, and have some repairs to make on the cutter and rake before I do the same for them.  The oats I planted have sprung up, and it's great to be getting some rain on them.  The pasture grass is still providing some grazing and, although it will benefit from the rain, we'll probably start feeding hay soon.  It was a good year for grass in Lanham, with some nicely timed rains in June and July that some areas didn't get.

Horses
Cowtown and Sugarfoot are on diets.  They've both developed a "cresty" neck which can be indicative of a metabolic syndrome and increased tendency toward laminitis, or founder.  Poor old Brandy used to founder and it can't be pleasant, so I'm trying to steer the horses and myself away from metabolic syndrome.  Angelfire reminds us a lot of Amy--pretty, but kind of bossy (especially around feeding time).

Chickens
The 10 hens still patrol the farm, protecting us from grasshoppers and worms and providing entertainment.  Sometimes we just sit out on the Gator and watch the funny things they do.  Egg production is off a little, maybe due to the change of season.  We get about 5 a day but Zane's have completely stopped laying.

Pecans
The pecan trees are starting to deliver.  The load on the little tree in the front yard was so big I thought some limbs might break--I need to prune it this winter.  The tree in the back has smaller, thicker-shelled pecans I generally don't bother to pick up; Bodie and Harley, however, enjoy bringing them up to the porch, cracking them and eating them.  The porch is littered with pecan shells almost every day.  I picked up a few pecans from the native trees down by the tank.  They're small but very tasty.  The trees in front of Amy's house are loaded and will start dropping soon too.  I have about 3 quarts already, so pecan pie bakers are encouraged.

Family
We're looking forward to Thanksgiving on November 24 with almost the whole family.  I'll have plenty of chores on a list for anyone who wants to work, and there should be plenty of food, firewood and football for anyone who doesn't.  Life is good.  Hurry on down and see us.

Weaning and Baling

Weaners

On September 6 Amy, Mom and I weaned the calves and gave them their booster vaccinations.  We weaned 8 baldie steers that will be sold through Pacesetter Beef, 6 baldie heifers that will be replacements for old cows in our herd, 4 Polled Hereford bulls I'll keep and try to sell in the spring, and 2 Polled Hereford heifers who will also be replacements.  Health and weaning weights were excellent, demonstrating the value of a little rain and the goodness of our cows.  The calves were so big I think the mothers were relieved to wean them, as the protest and noise were rather perfunctory this year.

Bales

On the 9th and 10th I cut and square baled the Gamblin Place Coastal, making almost 200 heavy bales.  They'll be handy this winter for feeding horses, calves and cows.  The baler I borrowed was a 2003 version of the New Holland baler we used in about 1981 (which might be the last time it was used), and almost identical technically.  It was fun and I like having the square bales.  I'm going to get ours running again.

Life is good.  Come down and help feed calves and tote bales.

Anniversary

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad

A Good Birthday

Tres Amigos

It's been a nice way to celebrate a birthday.  It started at the K-State game last weekend, where I was provided gifts and a homemade pie.  Today, Denny Anderson brought Sugarfoot back from her training trip to Fort Worth.  Whether she's been training Denny or he was training her is still up for discussion, but I hadn't been able to ride after my shoulder surgery and I thought they might be good for each other.  Denny brought his friend Johnny Johnson and Johnny's horse, Tex.  Denny rode Sugar and I rode Cowtown and we toured the big pasture for a couple of hours.  All the horses (and riders) did fine and the guys seemed to enjoy the tour.  We called Mom to come out and take a picture of us but forgot and unsaddled before she got there, so we're posing here with Angelfire.  Then we had lunch of Texas Star smothered steak, another homemade pie and lots of iced tea.  Through the day I've received many online and e-mail birthday wishes.

This evening the pleasant complication of feeding and watering big horses, little horses, cows and calves was a little more complicated by Sugar's presence and I couldn't be happier.  We'll wean calves this weekend and probably start a second round of hay baling thanks to 2.5 inches of rain while we were in Kansas.  Life is good.  Come pitch in, help, and ride a horse.

Golden Memories

Sunset over Lake Victoria

Trips to Africa are always hard to describe.  I think it's because in one scene you can see such incredible natural beauty, crushing poverty, amazing opportunity and loving kindness that I think one's senses--or emotions--are overwhelmed.  Our trip in July was a wonderful chance for me to see things anew through Kathy's and Amy's eyes.  We went mostly as tourists and observers, which isn't comfortable for me--I like to have a project and a schedule--but which allowed (or forced) me to just look and listen.

The giraffe sanctuary, baby elephant orphanage, Lake Victoria beach day and our safari to Maasai Mara were beautiful.  A sunset picture at Angel House that Amy took in the first hour we were there revealed beauty I hadn't noticed before, although I've visited several times.  Be sure to look at Amy's pictures--she did a great job documenting the trip.

But the memories I keep having, and that make me want to go back again, are of the people.  Holly and Lawrence of course, who we just wish weren't so far away.  The angels at Angel House, and the wonderful staff there.  The students at Angel Secondary, and their devoted teachers.  Piki-piki drivers, car drivers, safari drivers, Lawrence's friends and family and neighbors in Gem, solar/pump technicians--new acquaintances and renewed ones.  For the most part, people who enjoy simple friendships and will do anything for a friend.

There's a quote from Ernest Hemingway where he's lying awake the night before he leaves Africa, listening, and homesick for it already.  It takes a week or more, when I get home, for my dreams to not be dominated by the African sights, sounds, smells and people.  And when they finally fade and are replaced by more mundane subjects, I'm saddened a little.  I miss it already.

Just A Few Friends...

The traveling squad for Jimmy Buffett was small this year.  We missed you, Holly, Lawrence and Pete, and we missed Rich and Paul.

We modified the fin to fit the new truck, and scared all the old Parrotheads as we drove down the road.

Good times and good music.  Come with us next year.

They're Back...

I imagine Bert Schrank Inc. (where I buy diesel fuel) and Lawson Implement (where I get parts, supplies and take stuff for repairs or maintenance I can't do) love to see the spring and beginning of summer.  In the past few weeks I've used almost all the farming equipment--a rented Ditch Witch to dig a trench across the dirt road and lay a water line into Nettie's Pasture, then the bucket on the JD and the box blade on the IH to smooth it over; the tandem plow, field cultivator and grain drill to plow and plant Sudan in 3 fields; and both tractors and the hay cutter, rake and baler to cut and bale John Finley's oat hay on halves and the hay wagon to bring my half (4 bales) home.

Hay Fleet

I dragged a harrow over some ground where termites had built surface tunnels to break them up, pulled a different harrow to make some small grooves in the dirt, then sat on the back of the Gator scattering seed as Amy drove me around the area.  I didn't fall off once despite her driving, and today I can see that some of our seed is coming up.  We might need another tunnel-busting mission and spray with Malathion, and maybe we can drive those termites back over the fence to Zane's.  We've loaded the 4-wheeler with mesquite-killing equipment and hooked the small trailer to it to carry cut brush to the burn pile.

Some of the equipment is showing its age, but I'm trying to maintain the functional parts if not so much the aesthetic parts.  Everything worked fine as I cut and baled John's hay, although the IH isn't in the picture because it had a flat tire on the way home.  It sports a new seat, new muffler, new fuel filters and runs as well as it's run in years (and will have a repaired tire tomorrow).  The JD has a new air conditioner compressor and will chill you right out.  Looking forward to running it this summer.

I got to ride around a while with a guy in his GPS/autosteer-equipped JD tractor.  Very impressive technology, and he used it just right--mixing exactly enough chemical to cover the acreage he had to go, with no overlap, no underlap and no waste.  Very environmentally responsible, very cost effective.  I wish we could publicize guys like him.  Life is good.  Come on down and drive around with us.

Move Over, George's

Amy has a new recipe for Chicken Fried Steak, and she's not afraid to use it.

Home Cookin'

Spring Roundup

Last Saturday was spring roundup at the old Busted Handle calf factory.  Amy, Kathy and I were joined by Jeff and Krista, Ed Kearn, and Lauren and Kyle Trodden to gather and treat 27 cows, 20  baby calves and 1 bull.  It was a beautiful day, cool but sunny, and we started with a nutritious breakfast of Texas-shaped waffles.

Breakfast

Then we went outside and called them into the pens.  With the extra help it went pretty smoothly, and we separated the calves to work first.  They each got an ear tag, matching tattoo and one shot.  Jeff started tagging and tattoing, Amy giving shots and bossing people around, and everybody else opening gates and keeping the chute loaded.  Kyle soon picked up tagging and tattooing, giving Jeff's knees a rest.  There was so much I help I didn't have to do much and we finished the calves pretty quickly and took a water break before starting on the cows.

Lauren and Ed move calves

Tagging and tattooing calves

The cows each got 3 shots and a pour-on anti-parasitic, as well as a quick general health evaluation.  Kyle started as the pour-on moron but moved up to wrangler, allowing Lauren to move into a skill position.  She, Krista and Amy gave shots and Kathy kept the records.

Krista comforts a calf

Don't drink it, Lauren

We replaced our new Angus bull's ear tags with some custom Heyroth Ranch ones and gave him 2 shots.  We heard him introducing himself to a few of the cows through the fence and making some dates for breeding season.

Tagging the bull

New tags

It was a great day.  Sunny enough to get sunburned but cool enough to not stress the animals--bovines or humans.  We all got nice and dirty, a little tired, a little burned and had a lot of fun and followed up with good BBQ brisket sandwiches.  The cows and calves are back contentedly grazing in the oat field.  I'll catch them once more soon to separate them into breeding herds, put the bulls in and let nature take its course.

Thanks to everybody for your help.  You're all invited back for weaning in the fall.  Come join us and we'll put you to work too.

Baseball Again...Finally

Enhanced Truckage

Apparently some varmint saw his shadow and gave us one last (I hope) winter blast.  This one brought a tiny bit of rain (.4") which was welcome, and some hail which wasn't because...

...I'd just brought home a new truck.  I traded in the Ford which wasn't a bad truck, but was limited by its payload/hauling capacity and its V-6 engine.  This one is a big Dodge 4x4 and can haul or pull most anything.  I imagine Paul is pleased to know it even has power windows.  Now our fleet consists of the new one and the '94 Chevy which still runs good, or at least as good as it ever did.  I have gooseneck hitches in both so we can haul round bales, cows or whatever we need to.  I put a toolbox in the bed of the Chevy so the seats can be a little more accessible to humans.  It blocks the view of the hitch, so I'll have to figure out a system for hooking up.  You can't see the hitch in the new one from the front seat anyway, so I might as well put a toolbox in it too.  I'll probably miss the Ford at the gas pump.

This pose of the fleet reminds me of 2 old friends of Gonzo's who had been known to howl at the moon occasionally.  They both bought new 4WD pickups, one a Ford and the other a Chevy, and the trash talk began immediately.  They decided to settle it one night at the Hog's Breath Saloon, backed them up to each other in the gravel parking lot, and hooked the bumper hitches together with a log chain.  Within seconds they destroyed both bumpers, tailgates and every tail light assembly, mirror and back window in both trucks and dug a set of trenches in the parking lot a World War I field marshal would have been proud of.  Asked later if they had settled anything one of them, known for his ability to see the silver lining, said "Naw, but we've got the only log chain in Harris County you can push."  I heard they told their wives they were minding their own business, duck hunting over at Anahuac, when this big hailstorm came out of nowhere...

Life is good.  Come see us and go for a truck ride.

Bulls

Morgan, Wyatt and Virgil

We keep 2 or 3 Polled Hereford bulls each year to sell locally.  Someday maybe all the little calves around the countryside will have the white faces they deserve.  We sold the first one this year, almost exactly on his first birthday.  He's the one in the middle in this picture, and he was humming "You sexy thing" as he went to get fertility tested and meet his new girlfriends.

We're up to 15 calves now, with  1 heifer and 3 bulls from Lambert, so the quality of bulls for sale next year should be excellent.

Calves

We're 3 weeks into the calving season, a little earlier in the year than usual.  Since I was worried about Lambert feeling bad in warm weather due to his case of pneumonia last year, I put him and the Angus bull in with their respective cows a month earlier than usual.  We have 10 calves on the ground which is about half--we expect 21 total--and everything looks good so far.  Three weeks is enough time for all the cows to have a heat cycle, so perfect results would be that they all bred back on their first heat and all the calves would be here by now.  But putting the bulls in a month early put a month of pressure on the cows' breeding back and, although I think their general health and body condition were fine, their nutrition might not have been ideal due to the ongoing drouth and probable lower quality of the hay we were feeding them.  We'll have that concern this spring too.  Lambert appears to have done his job, with one Polled Hereford in the picture there and several of his other dams looking very close to calving, and he's feeling fine, gaining weight and looking forward to the next breeding season.  We had a cold front and freezing rain yesterday, which often seems to cause some births, so we'll be down there today counting noses and looking for new ones.  Come see us and help us count.

Baggie Commercial

I keep the outdoor temperature sensor on the kitchen window sill, sealed in a baggie to protect its electronics from rain and dew.  Apparently the wind from Saturday night's norther blew it off the window sill and it fell in the dogs' water bowl, where it froze solid as temperatures dropped into the 20's.  I took a picture before chopping it loose this morning, but I guess I didn't save it.  I think you can get the idea from the hole in the ice and the still-trapped baggie.

The baggie did its job, though, as the sensor bravely reported a temperature of 21 degrees at the bottom of the frozen water bowl before I rescued it.

Never underestimate the power of a baggie.

Wonder Woman

On Saturday Amy got up, fed dogs and cats and let the chickens out.  Then she gathered the cows, sorted off the ones we want to keep at the house and helped me weigh them (OK, I helped her),  and returned the others to the big pasture.  Then we got the chainsaw out and I taught her to use it, and she cut us several days' supply of firewood and stacked it on the back porch in preparation for the night's forecast cold front.  Later we fed cubes in the pasture to make sure the herd had gotten home safely and we picked up some old stumps and crooks from the brush piles there, which she stacked on the firewood rack when we got home.  Having a little daylight left, she went out and gave Cowtown some attention and training.

As we discussed her accomplishments I discovered that, "Yep, all in a day's work" weren't the words of affirmation and appreciation she was seeking, and had to grovel a little to get back on her good side.  That, and buying her lunch at El Jardin after church on Sunday, did the trick and she was willing to drive the tractor to take hay to the bulls at the Gamblin place and the cows in the pasture before settling in front of a warm fire to watch football the rest of the day.  I really am in pretty good hands.

One Horse Farm

While I'm one-handed and not able to do much, I'm thankful for my family stepping up to do my chores and wait on me. Our friend Denny Anderson is taking Sugarfoot up to Fort Worth to ride her for a while so Cowtown is the only horse here. Amy plans to work with him and get him back under saddle. It will be good for both of them.