Enjoy the Privilege of VOTING

I posted this at  http://ranchwife4life.boxoquarterhorses.com/ which I'm thinking I'll double post til you all move over to that site.  Hope you get to go vote on TUESDAY!!!!!

I have been impressed in the past couple days of the privilege it is to vote. Men & women of our armed forces have fought and died for our privilege to vote. Because we have become somewhat complacent in our political endeavors or perhaps we have just become sick of the way politics are running, we don't exercise this tremendous honor of voting. No matter what your position may be, our right to vote should not be neglected. It is one of the basic reasons our country is so great. I encourage you to exercise this honor and go to your local polling place on Tuesday or vote early at your county office. I am reposting an article I wrote earlier this month on the candidates. I've also found two more resources for Republican voters to get information on the candidates.  The Voter Information site may have information on judges which is very hard to find!!

http://www.negop.org/site/c.dwKULiO6LtKeF/b.6360265/k.949A/Sheridan_County.htm

http://www.voterinformation.org/

Please go and enjoy this honor of VOTING!!!

I got asked the other day if there was anyone of importance running this off season election. Actually it happened twice in one week. Because we are in a remote area and all have dish tv or direct, we don’t get much local news. So I thought I would compile a few people and their web sites that I know we will be seeing on the ballot this November 2nd. This applies to Nebraska and mostly to the western half of Nebraska. :)

This is a link at the Secretary of State site of all elelctions across the state. Doesn’t list the county elelctions. http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2010/pdf/general%20election%20list.pdf
1. Governor Dave Heineman – yep there is an on-going governors’ race but we don’t hear much about it. Governor Heineman
2. Representative Adrian Smith – there will be three candidates on the ticket. The democrat running is a very very lift wing liberal, very bad for Nebraska. There is an independent on the ticket who petitioned to be on the ballot, Dan Hill. He has been a life long republican. My concern is splitting the republican vote which could allow the democrat a win. Here are Adrian’s & Dan’s web sites. Adrian Smith Dan Hill
3. Secretary of State John Gale - http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Gale/86779768800
4. State Treasurer Don Stenburg - http://ontheissues.org/Senate/Don_Stenberg.htm
5. State Attorney General Jon Bruning - http://jonbruning.com/index.php?PID=1&TYPE=HOME
6. State Auditor Mike Foley - http://www.auditors.state.ne.us/
7. State Board of Education – Cindi Allen – This is one those of little known about positions that has such a large impact on state education. Cindi is a Republican, Conservative, LEAD Alum that we are backing. She is doing a great job but is not endorsed by the union, (which in our opinion is good) She will be representing 35 counties across the western part of our state. Cindi Allen If you know of people or friends in the east part of the state (North Omaha-Spencer) John Sieler John Sieler
8. Regents – Bob Phares - http://www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action=readStory&storyID=18107&pageID=3&sectionID=3
Frank B. Svoboda - http://www.svobodaforregent.org/

Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District
District: 01
Jim Irwin 2380 CR 59, Alliance, NE 69301
District: 02
Curtis Roth 6072 – 270th, Gordon, NE 69343
District: 03
David E. Kadlecek 6473 – 440th Lane, Hay Springs, NE 69374
District: 04
Tod M. Dorshorst 4745 – 410th Ln, Hay Springs, NE 69347
District: 05
James Lees 106 Haynes Rd, Whitney, NE 69367
District: AL
Steven M. Sandberg 4473 – 470 Ln, Hay Springs, NE 69347

Northwest Rural Public Power District
District: 01
No filing
District: 02
Bruce Troester 3143 River Rd, Marsland, NE 69354
District: 03
Michael Van Buskirk 4597 – 420 Rd, Hay Springs, NE 69347
Marjean Terrell 4412 – 436 Trl, Hay Springs, NE 69347

Educational Service Unit No.13
District: 01
Patricia K. Dobry 1011 Sweetwater Ave., Alliance, NE 69301
District: 03
Rosalene B. Tollman 211 Squaw Mound Road, Marsland, NE 69354
District: 05
Mark Sinner 180076 Nash Drive, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
District: 07
William D. Knapper 2002 E 32nd, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
District: 09
Marilyn Wimmer 635 – 2nd Ave, Bayard, NE 69334
District: 11
Donald Egging 2382 Maple St, Sidney, NE 69162

There are school board positions and county positions that I don’t have at this time. I will try to add to this post when I find out about those. Hope this helps you all out!!!

Moving Moving Moving!!!

Well - with many friends encouraging me that I can do many more things with WordPress I Have taken the plunge and made the move.  I have also had my web guy, Shaun, link everything to my web site.  So if you haven't seen our site, please take a look around and let me know what you think and what you'd like to see or what maybe you don't   :)   I had a few moments to be thankful this evening so I shared those thoughts  :)  check it out at  http://ranchwife4life.boxoquarterhorses.com/

THNX so much and I hope you are able to follow me there also!!!

There's an app for that!!

     You know I think it's pretty crazy, but I said it again..."There's an App for that!"- and with enthusiasm I added that you could get it free!  Good grief - How many of these silly things am I using?  Actually using, maybe a couple but I have the ability to have them there.  I saw a tweet today that Omaha Steaks has an app so you can grill the perfect steak.  It gives you tips and suggestions and ideas on grilling your steaks.  
     See the really nonsensical part of this equation is that I don't use my cell phone at home.  Well, ok I don't have service at home at the ranch.  So my app usage is restricted on top of everything else.  I wonder how long we have had the capability of coming up with apps?  I remember as a kid that we used hot shots on cattle in the crowding pen.  Is that an app??  And before the handy hot shot (which we no longer use) there was the stick and we just pounded on critters down the chute.  Today our apps consist of paddles with bb's in them so they rattle.  Cattle can see the big paddle end and hear the rattle and they change direction.  My favorite app on my horse is a flag.  Now it does take some effort to get the horse to trust you with the flag.  I start on the ground and introduce the flag and show my colt that it doesn't hurt them.  After I have convinced them on the ground that the flag can make noise but not hurt them, I go ahead and get on with the flag.  This is usually another lesson of trust because the position of the flag has changed, it's actually connected to them.  :O  A rider on a horse in an alley with a flag can move cattle quietly without causing them added stress.  I think the cattle business, well ranchers in general, have come up with some very creative apps.  Anything we use to make our lives simpler, or to make our livestock happier,  has the same application as an 'app' on a DRoid or I-phone.  
     Ok - so let me take this one step further  :)  I read in my copy of 'Our Daily Bread' on October 2nd, something that made me smile.  We have an 'app' with us in nearly home in America.  A Bible!  " The "applications"of the Bible are direct notes from God telling us ow to apply the truth of His Word to all of life. Take Philippians 2, for instance: The unity app (2:2), the humility app (2:3), the no-grumbling app (2:14), the shine-as-lights app (2:15). Or look at the apps of Ephesians 5: The imitate-God app (5:1), the walk-in-love app (5:2), the purity app (5:3), the tongue app (5:4). And the book of Proverbs? It’s teeming with applications.
You don’t have to wait for someone to offer these on the Internet. Just open the Bible and see the hundreds of ways to apply Scripture in your life. Got a question about the Christian life? Search the Bible. The answers are there, waiting to be discovered. "

I just thought this was the best use of an app I'd heard since 'apps' started!! 
           Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge. —Proverbs 23:12  
     Let's each one of us - apply this 'app' to our lives.  I'm betting it can have the biggest impact the world has EVER seen!!!  

Western Nebraska Elections!!

I got asked the other day if there was anyone of importance running this off season election.  Actually it happened twice in one week.  Because we are in a remote area and all have dish tv or direct, we don't get much local news.  So I thought I would compile a few people and their web sites that I know we will be seeing on the ballot this November 2nd.  This applies to Nebraska and mostly to the western half of Nebraska.  :)

This is a link at the Secretary of State site of all elelctions across the state.  Doesn't list the county elelctions.  http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2010/pdf/general%20election%20list.pdf
     1. Governor Dave Heineman - yep there is an on-going governors' race but we don't hear much about it.  Governor Heineman
     2. Representative Adrian Smith - there will be three candidates on the ticket.  The democrat running is a very very lift wing liberal, very bad for Nebraska.  There is an independent on the ticket who petitioned to be on the ballot, Dan Hill.  He has been a life long republican.  My concern is splitting the republican vote which could allow the democrat a win.  Here are Adrian's & Dan's web sites.  Adrian Smith   Dan Hill
     3.  Secretary of State John Gale - http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Gale/86779768800
     4.  State Treasurer Don Stenburg - http://ontheissues.org/Senate/Don_Stenberg.htm
     5.  State Attorney General Jon Bruning - http://jonbruning.com/index.php?PID=1&TYPE=HOME
     6.  State Auditor Mike Foley - http://www.auditors.state.ne.us/
     7.  State Board of Education - Cindi Allen - This is one those of little known about positions that has such a large impact on state education.  Cindi is a Republican, Conservative, LEAD Alum that we are backing.  She is doing a great job but is not endorsed by the union, (which in our opinion is good)  She will be representing 35 counties across the western part of our state.  Cindi Allen  If you know of people or friends in the east part of the state (North Omaha-Spencer)  John Sieler  John Sieler
     8.  Regents - Bob Phares - http://www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action=readStory&storyID=18107&pageID=3&sectionID=3
                         Frank B. Svoboda - http://www.svobodaforregent.org/


Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District
District: 01
Jim Irwin 2380 CR 59, Alliance, NE 69301
District: 02
Curtis Roth 6072 - 270th, Gordon, NE 69343
District: 03
David E. Kadlecek 6473 - 440th Lane, Hay Springs, NE 69374
District: 04
Tod M. Dorshorst 4745 - 410th Ln, Hay Springs, NE 69347
District: 05
James Lees 106 Haynes Rd, Whitney, NE 69367
District: AL
Steven M. Sandberg 4473 - 470 Ln, Hay Springs, NE 69347


Northwest Rural Public Power District
District: 01
No filing
District: 02
Bruce Troester 3143 River Rd, Marsland, NE 69354
District: 03
Michael Van Buskirk 4597 - 420 Rd, Hay Springs, NE 69347
Marjean Terrell 4412 - 436 Trl, Hay Springs, NE 69347



Educational Service Unit No.13
District: 01
Patricia K. Dobry 1011 Sweetwater Ave., Alliance, NE 69301
District: 03
Rosalene B. Tollman 211 Squaw Mound Road, Marsland, NE 69354
District: 05
Mark Sinner 180076 Nash Drive, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
District: 07
William D. Knapper 2002 E 32nd, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
District: 09
Marilyn Wimmer 635 - 2nd Ave, Bayard, NE 69334
District: 11
Donald Egging 2382 Maple St, Sidney, NE 69162


There are school board positions and county positions that I don't have at this time.  I will try to add to this post when I find out about those.  Hope this helps you all out!!!  

Long Hours

I live the best life!!

Yes - I took this on our ranch and that's my son who has grown up working with us and has come back to join us in out ranching business!  We were up before dawn and out of the house this morning to gather yearlings (year old cattle) to sell at market.  Although I know I live the best life - it is NOT an easy life but one I love.  Most of the greater populous of America would not work as hard or put in the hours that we do on a ranch.  And yet we LOVE IT!!!!  14 to 16 hour days are pretty normal this time of year and all through the summer months.  I'm not complaining or whining, it's just that there is work that must be finished.
     This week I watched as a comedian made a mockery of our legislative process.  Because of  Rep. Zoe Lofgren's (democrat) invitation, I watched in horror as our country's legislative process was turned into a side show.  Stephen Colbert (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Colbert) had spent one day working with illegal immigrants to pick a field;  that made him an expect witness to the enormous problem of illegal immigration.   GIVE ME A BREAK!!!  Many would argue that any press is good press.  I completely disagree!! This was all bad press for agriculture.  The underlying tone represented here is that the farmer, who works the land, doesn't understand the severity of the issue of immigration.  The farmer, who has hired the immigrants, doesn't grasp the type of hard labor that is being done.  The arrogance of the current administration is mind boggling!!!  Because I chose to own my own business and dictate my own time and work with my family - somehow that makes me less educated that the idiot who asked this man to testify.  This was a political ploy to gain press time and unfortunately it has worked.  It has taken our eye off the main goal - what can we do about immigration.  In the Bible, in Proverbs 18:2 it says - "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding, but delights in airing his own opinions."  Colbert doesn't understand the problem, he was just airing his opinion which is worth absolutely nothing because he has no experience to draw his conclusions from.  One day does not make anyone an expect.  There isn't an American citizen that would want to work as hard as illegals unless the pay is increased.  And yet those same Americans want to keep their food costs at the current levels or lower.  If you ask the illegals to leave  - you will pay more for food in the grocery store.  It's that simple.  This problem has so many different issues...it will be extremely difficult to make progress.  But we must!!  Any idiot can make a statement or spew his opinion.  That was proven in Congress.

Sound of Silence

This week has been full of sounds that are very loud and don't really subside for several days.  You see we 'weaned'.  We brought all of our cows and calves, which is over 900 cows & calves, into our corrals.  That's a bunch of sound makers. :) We did this on Monday morning and were expecting a long night of hearing them bawl.  However, at 4:30am I was awake to an odd and unnerving sound when you are weaning.  SILENCE.  This was not a good sound on the first night of having the cows and calves apart.  Upon inspection in the early morning we found that a gate had the chain latch broke in the night and let everyone back together again.  The only sound that is worse than silence when you are weaning is the sound of a fence splintering.  We called our neighbor and friend to come back and help us out.  Each one of thought that we were in for a long day of bringing a few head to the corral at a time.  You see, cattle get suspicious when you bring them to the corral. They know something is up and usually it's unpleasant for them (although always in their best interest).  We were mounted pretty well - this isn't the time to be stressing a young colt.  My rancher hubby Cash decided to bait the cows with the caker pickup.  It has cake or cubed feed that is kinda like candy to a cow.  They followed the pickup better than any of us imagined and they all went into the corral on the first try.  :)  :)  :)  I can't tell you or express how thankful we were that it worked that way.  We truly feel it was an act of God's intervention.  :)  Anyway - that intervention continued as they resorted themselves, moms from babies rather easily.  We do it all horseback and work cattle between the horses with one person on the gate and one person horseback to block the occasional mistake. Once the cows realize we aren't trying to contain them and are letting them back into the lot, they start walking by rather calmly.  My rancher hubby and son made a few revisions to the gate that broke and by Thursday, this am we have the calves moved to another meadow where they are grazing quite contentedly.  By putting the cows in the lot and the calves back out on the meadows, they calm much easier and don't go off feed.  Most calves go back to the last place they saw mom and lay down to wait for her.  We also start the calves on a supplement feed long before we wean and that becomes like a surrogate mother to them after weaning.  They know that the feed is there and it's yummy so they go back to it when mom is no longer available.

These were the last holdouts that we hauled up to the new meadow this morning.  

We feed the cows hay in the lot while we wait for the calves to become content in the new meadow.  We will drive them to a new pasture in the morning and they will be glad to see the fresh grass.  (and yes it was raining this morning which is nice because we don't have dust to cause problems

for the calves.)

This day as I'm typing I'm realizing I'm hearing silence again.  But this time it's when I should be hearing it because the cows and calves are weaned and HAPPY!!!

Immunizations for Fall

When someone in ranching mentions fall cattle work, I wonder if people understand what that entails.  I got to thinking while I was sitting on my horse, (my second best place to think) about how 'natural' we try to keep our calves before they go into a feed yard.  Yes, we do give them shots to prevent certain infections that have devastated herds years ago.  I think it's a lot like giving your own child childhood immunizations.  The calves we raise are given 'childhood' immunizations when we brand them at about 4 - 6 weeks of age.  Because we don't want our kids to suffer from MMR, polio and other diseases we have vaccine to prevent those.  Same thing with calves - we are giving vaccine to prevent disease from making them sick.  During the fall these same calves get a booster shot.  We work very hard to help these calves get thru this process with as little stress as possible.  We've spent a week dragging hose and sprinklers all over our corrals and a VERY large lot to help control the dust. When we started I told my rancher hubby that the one lonely sprinkler against the size of the lot looked impossible - however with perseverance we succeeded.   Dust can cause calves to get sick, mostly lung trouble which would mean we would have to give them more vaccine which we work hard not to do.  As soon as we were done on Tuesday we moved them back out on our meadows so they could find their moms again.  

While these calves are on the ranch - they live natural with a little help from vaccine.  Not much different than what our boys grew up doing.  They got to enjoy living out in the country, camping, fishing and enjoying nature.  Our boys were healthy because we cared enough to give them childhood vaccinations.  We also care about our livestock and give them the same advantage of vaccine so they won't be sick either.  

Well - my thoughts for today - we're working more cattle tomorrow so I will probably have more thoughts since I'll be back on my horse  :)

Have a GREAT day!!!  

Summer's gone

Did ya miss me or just wonder where I went??  

Well - I'm back.... seems like I just stepped away but it's been most of the summer.  I decided that summer is just too busy and I'm too crazy or unorganized or something.  Anyway - we are just ramping up and getting ready for our fall season of doing cattle work.  Now that is a blog post in itself.... I'm much too excited to share about the Ag Chat Foundation Conference that I attended in Chicago, August 30th & 31st.  Let me start.....
     I have a story.... that's all it takes.  Tell others about the wonderful, full and sometimes stressful life of agriculture.  It doesn't matter what aspect of ag you are involved in - 'you have a story' - most people on this planet are jealous or envious of your being able to do what you do as a profession.  OR they don't understand the care and effort that we in agriculture take to bring them the best food, feed, fuel and fiber on the planet.  We in agriculture are passionate about what we do.  It isn't just a job or something we do to pay the bills, it's our love of the land and heritage that have us doing what we do.  We in agriculture are a shrinking industry down to 1.5% of the population.  We need to find new ways of being able to "tell our story" to as many as will listen or want to understand what we do.  hence the beginning of #AgChat on Twitter (every Tuesday at 6 - 8 pm MDT).  What had started as an avenue to bring consumers and producers closer together has turned in a Foundation with a committed board and a group of individuals passionate about helping others reach out to those consumers.  
     What did I gain from the conference....I found an entire group of ag producers that are as nerdy or geeky - (sorry all) - as I am!!  :)  perhaps that it's just that we love to play with new technology.  The other thing I noticed is that we love to talk.  Now this group not only can visit up a storm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0j2leftzmQ (Yep-that's me talking to Jeff Fowle, the guy in the hat) but we are also pretty quick with our fingers.  Hence the ability to tweet during sessions and have it all make good sense.  We were encouraged to not only open Facebook and Twitter accounts but get busy with your camcorder and create a vlog or a clip or something from your ag operation. I also found that these folks want us all to succeed, they will have our back and encourage each one of us every step or typeset along the way.  Each one of us as ag producers needs to find those folks who know nothing about the products we work hard to deliver to them in the best condition and safest condition we can.  
     Remember - 'I have a story' - it's the best place to start......

Just a quick note on how thankful I am to be a ranch wife.  Man, if most people could have seen the last couple weeks, they probably would have headed back to their cell service and DSL internet.  However, it has been a blessing to have two sons home and helping out.  How often do businesses have the opportunity it have enough work for an extra hand?!?  well.... that's probably not true, most businesses have plenty to do.  But the encouragement it brings to have your kids enjoy the work as much as I do, now that's a BLESSING!!

We had a skiff of snow this morning and the guys were on fresh three year old fillies.  It was nearly the colts first time out in the big wide open and with the chilly weather they were pretty fresh.

We also get to work in all kinds of weather.  This week has been rainy and cold.  Not a lot of 'fun' to be out in but that doesn't mean that stuff doesn't need to be done.  

Don't mind the date on the picture, it was taken on April 23rd.  This was me...

I know it's spring weather cuz this was just a couple days before... 

Now I gotta admit that the bottom pic looks to be much more comfortable weather and much more enjoyable to work in.  I was reading my copy of 'Our Daily Bread' last night and it was on how we long for spring.  Well, here we are smack dab in the middle of spring and thinking it's not very much 'fun', I long for the warm days, lots of sunshine and the lack of coats.  

"In longing for some future good, we forget that every day --regardless of the weather or our circumstances-- is a gift from God to be used for His glory."  According to Ron Ash "We are where we need to be and learning what we need to learn.  Stay the course because the things we experience today will lead us to where He needs us to be tomorrow."  

Never really think about being groomed for a purpose but I am sure that God has a plan so in that, I am also sure I am being groomed, prepared maybe.  "The challenge for each of us every day is to find something to rejoice about and some good to do --and then to do both!"  

Hearing but not LISTENING!!

     I got to thinking the other day about how we can listen but not hear, actually I read a post on how this person's dad had challenged them to 'live a while in their shoes'.  We've heard that often but don't take into consideration what good advice it is.  I was out with my son's dog 'Cap' and we were moving 'a', one horse to a another pasture.  Now had I looked at it like a dog might, what an inviting target  :)  I get to chase this cuz she's not watching :)  more smiles for the dog.  However, on my side of the shoes, all I saw was a horse going too fast toward a barbed wire fence and a dog that wasn't listening.  :( I knew he could hear me cuz he hadn't gotten that far away, also no wind blowing (just for the record).  When I did get his attention we had to have a little session on listening to the boss and responding to what he heard!!  The rest of the day Cap was all ears and listened & heard what I was telling him.  I didn't even have to raise my voice because he had tuned in to me and my requests.  He was listening and hearing and responding.  More smiles to the boss lady!!

     Then a couple days ago, I saw this same approach when we moved yearling heifers to a new pasture.  Rancher Hubby Cash was leading them with the tractor and hay bales and I was encouraging the stragglers horseback.  It was a nice day, a little windy (but that's normal for Nebraska) so it looked like I wouldn't have much to do.  Now we were headed across a field and they were pretty hungry, so they were following the tractor really well.  The tractor usually stops and grinds up the hay, and their walk is pretty short.  They were expecting the same today.  When we got to the edge of the field they suddenly found fresh grass, what a huge distraction.

Since the tractor hadn't stopped and ground their hay, they all started eating the grass they had found.  If your wondering where I'm going with this - keep listening, don't tune me out just yet!!  I wanted to tie this back to where our country is today.  In 2008, we were headed toward an election and there had been a couple new things mentioned but mostly America as a country was still on track.  However later that fall, we started to hear about what we could have and how bad things were.  As a country we got distracted from the main message, how to protect our country and help business grow.  

     Now back to our yearling heifers - by the time we had gotten over this first hill, they had decided that the tractor was not what they wanted to listen to.  Now they all could still hear the tractor, but they chose to walk toward what appeared to be a better option.  The grass they found at this windmill was some of the first green grass of spring.  Because it is so early and so fresh, it has very little nutrients in it.  There's no 'meat' in what they wanted to eat.  Notice that the majority of the herd have stopped and are eating grass.  This was a very short term gain for the heifers.  We couldn't leave them here because the grass wouldn't sustain them.  It couldn't last.  Think about what we heard as a country in 2008 - what we had wasn't good enough, our economy was suffering and we could be 'given' better.  Just what most of America wanted to hear.  Let's look at things in the short term, we want whatever the government can 'give' us no matter the cost to future generations.  These heifers could have stayed right here and ate this green grass .... but they would have been starved and wandering by mid day.  It took quite a bit of hazing on my part to get them to even consider following the tractor again.  

We did manage to get them to listen to the tractor again and get over the last two knolls, but it took quite a bit of pushing on my part, so much for an easy day!!  As I topped the last hill, Nobody was listening to anything (except maybe my horse -I had asked that he stand still!!)

This picture makes me think of Congress today.  Everyone is running, doing whatever they think is right, no one is listening to anyone.  Dems don't hear Republicans, Republicans don't hear Democrats.  NO ONE is listening to what their constituents at home are asking for.  Congress is on a runaway train toward national bankruptcy, granting whatever people want with no foresight into what it will cost our children.  We may, as a country, be getting a taste of 'green grass' but it is a short term craving, the long term cost is our children's and their children's future.  

     I was in DC early this month and was so discouraged at the lack of any one listening to any one else.  Because so little is based on agreeable terms for both parties, the balance has been broken and we are headed in the wrong direction, just like the heifers in the picture.  Back to my son's dog - because he was tuned in I didn't have to yell to be heard.  Today I attended my first Tea Party Express rally in North Platte, NE.  In my opinion, because congress and our president have lost the ability to listen to the people, 'we the people' are learning to 'yell' back at them.  The folks that attended this rally are not violent, militant, racist or extremists.  They are the people of America who are tired of not being heard.  When you're not heard you have a tendency to raise your voice and when that doesn't work - well....  YOU YELL!!!  I plan on using my vote in 2010 and encouraging others to holler with me.  

Sorry I got into politics... but it's a part of my life - I WANT TO BE HEARD!!!   r u listening.....

I was left home one weekend while my guys went snowmobiling.  Now I had commitments that I couldn't miss or I would have been along for the ride!!!  :)  Anyway, I got to thinking about how important water is to the ranchers way of life.  We not only need water for ourselves but nearly 800 animal units depend on us for their supply of water.  The only task given to me by the 'guys' was to keep the water open for all the cattle and horses.    I noticed the 'thepioneerwoman' has a post on breaking ice which was accurate for her location but mine is quite a bit different.  The Sand Hills of Nebraska actually lay on top of the largest underground water aquifer in the Northern Hemisphere, the Ogallala Aquifer.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_Aquifer Our water is pumped out of the ground by windmills.  Now these are a bit different than the windmills we are seeing that are generating electricity.  Now ours aren't nearly as tall as an electricity windmill and the top part, the head, on our ranch is usually between 6 to 8 feet across. http://www.awwasc.com/

This was the first mill I checked that day and when I drove up I noticed that the ice was melted under the lead pipe.  (That's the pipe that the water runs into the tank by)  Water that comes out of the ground because it's insulated by the ground is warmer than the air temperature.  If we have a steady breeze or a full blown gale, our water in the tank has a portion of it that stays open.    Some ranches will even put a smaller tank inside the larger tank so they have a better chance of keeping the smaller tank open.  I've had another rancher comment that then the larger outside tank freezes up solid and is much harder to open back up.  It a preference thing.  When we break ice in a tank, we use an ice bar, not an ax.  Again, that's probably a preference thing.  It's a very heavy long metal stick with a wedge on the bottom of it.  We crack the ice with the bar and then pitch the ice out with a pitch fork.  It's also important to throw the ice far away from the tank so the cattle and horses don't have to step around it.  If you've noticed my verbiage of heavy and pitch, I hope you can gather that 'breaking ice' is a very physical thing we do.  When you multiply this by several mills, it's a pretty good workout.  This weekend I had really pretty good weather, nights weren't quite as cold and the wind blew most of the time and kept things open.

  Our water in the Sand Hills is vitally important to our business, just as it is to farmers who are irrigating and growing food for all of us in America.  Anytime we put in a post for a fence most anywhere on the ranch we hit the static water table.   I am acutely aware of caring for this precious resource.  We are extremely careful about what goes back into this resource,  After all, not only does it affect the animals we raise but it is also the water we drink.   Yes, there are a few in our industry who have abused this resource and its availability, but not in our neck of the woods (I guess I should say sand :)  ).  I took this last photo at our brood mare pasture - I really like it because of the broken mill in the background.  Not all mills on our place are in working condition.  This one sets in a bad spot that has a tendency to open up and blow, allowing the sand to sift.  We have since shut this mill off and not used it for about 15 years.  the pasture has started to heal but it will be a long process.  Just one of the many ways we work to maintain and protect the land we are blessed to steward.

Early Valentines Day Gift

Most girls think about Valentines Day and what might come it, the special somethings or someone who will brighten this holiday.  Mine came a little early this year.  :)  I had a pretty full day lined out, just normal household stuff which is pretty boring.  As Cash, my hubby , left the house he mentioned that this would be the last day I could try running the excavator!!!!!  YAYAYAYAYAAAAAA - man, all bets are off and I AM OUT OF THE HOUSE.  I mean it's a huge piece of equipment and has lots of gidgets, gadgets, and gizmos.  The fact that my wonderful man would even consider putting me behind the wheel--- well that's an amazing feat in and of itself.  (Wait there was no wheel of any kind!!!  Just levers and foot pedals!!)  As he traded places places with me in the cab, he starts telling what not push first.  :)  There are a few crazy things I could have done but maybe not on my first trip out.  As I sat trying to catch my breath and think, it was soooo much fun but what an awesome responsibility.  Don't hurt anything, anybody ect., watch for the dogs and your wonderful rancher taking pix!!  ;)  The pedals on the floor would run the track and move the entire machine.  Those I didn't start with because I was already to position.  However, each hand has a joystick - wow - it goes more than 4 ways each cuz there are in between spots.  So that's eight ways to think at the same time - did I happen to mention I'm blonde!!  :)  Well, after a few misses I kinda got the hang of it but went really slow.  I gave Cash a camera and he took a couple shots -

After I started and got the basics figured out, I was wishing I had a camera and a second set of hands and eyes because Cash started making hand signals at me as to what and how to dig -  "curl the bucket", "stretch the arm", "go deeper", "don't take the bank" - you can use your own imagination cuz it got pretty creative.
(Notice my faithful companions - Skip and Skotch.  Now needless to say they didn't sit here very long as that's exactly where the arm was swinging to dump the dirt.  Once I had to bang the bucket over them cuz they wouldn't move.  Eventually they moved farther down and did a better job at staying out of the way. )
     Back to the hand signals - if your a ranch wife you know these are a dreaded means of communication.  What you think he is saying by waving, squeezing, circling his hands and the gyrations of his arms may completely and totally not be what he is thinking with his mind!!!!  The one I can recognize the best is when he drops his arms in disgust and walks away - obviously I wasn't thinking the way he was waving  :)  Oh - the one I thought was funny was the hand signals meaning you are dropping the dirt too high from the bucket and splashing too much.  The dirt was full of water and would really splash mud all over the cab if the bucket was elevated when you rotated and dumped it.  Now I'm not the one who has the job of cleaning the cab - I did find the window washer and it was full of fluid so I could still see out.  :)
     Cash soon decided that I had things under control and left to work in a different area.  I spent about an hour and a half getting braver and more accurate with the bucket and arm.  I even mastered running the foot pedals and moving.  I had a dickens of a time remembering where the lever to lift the blade was - more hand signals!!  :)  However, it didn't take much more time than that and I was back to being the wife of a rancher.  As he walked up, he grinned and said he wanted some lunch and I was demoted back to my original job.  Man - I love that guy!!!!
  Never had any idea when I married him over 27 years ago that we'd have so much fun together.  Ya know the verse in the bible that says He'll "give you the desires of your heart" (Ps. 37:4) - never in a million years would I have known that running an excavator would be a desire but it was ....pretty cool that God maps all this stuff out before you're even thought of (Ps 139:16).  Till you hear from me again - next I think I'll introduce you to the horses  :)

Jecca

Sunshine & Encouragement

The sunshine out today was really just a tease - although it looked like it could provide some warmth, the breeze off the Arctic ice cap took all the warmth away.  I left late this morning to move the entire cow herd by myself, pretty large task if I say so myself.  I had to ride to the other pasture and shut and open gates so the cattle would stay where I put them .  I was thinking that the horse's hooves sounded like I was trotting on asphalt or a highway.  The click and clatter from the ice made me very aware of how slick and precarious our footing would be today.  Now I don't come up with very many thoughts when long trotting across the pasture in a hurry.  I knew I had to hustle to get back and be the cook!!  However, when I topped the crest of the hill and saw all the cows in the meadow I had to have a picture.  As I got closer to the gate I  snapped another shot as I was thinking how I would get them all to move.

  

I know for a fact that a cow will follow another cow just about any where if the both of them feel they are making an escape or just sneaking away.  So I chose 4 cows that where relatively close to the gate and started to shoo them toward the proposed 'escape hatch'.  It took a little while to get them to move on the ice and then actually look to see that the gate was open.  Once they did - Katy bar the door cuz they started thru and then told all the other cows they'd found a hole!!  Now that brings us to a cow's verbiage.  Now I know most people would never think that a cow has different 'moos' but there are distinct sounds she can make in regards to various situations.  A mother cow coos at her baby calf, some may even say she would 'low' at her baby.  It's a much different sound than a 'bawl'.  A bawl is pretty close to a whine if you ask me.  The cows in the back of the herd bawled because they wanted fresh hay and didn't want to walk anywhere for grass.  However, when the cows found the open gate, they mooed.  It's a simple call but not actually a whine.  More informational - "hey ladies - look what I found"!!!!  Not to be confused with a 'bellar'.  When you hear a bellar you'd best be looking to see what's wrong.  A cow bellars when she's lost her calf or is calling from a hill or the middle of the group.  It's loud and long and takes a bunch of air.  A bellar at it's worst is when a cow is mad or challenged, then you'd better have a fence to crawl or just get out of her way.  Anyway - it's hilarious to ride into a herd and open a gate and listen to the conversation.  "Harrrrieeetttt - did you hear?  the gates open"....  pretty soon every one had seen cows moving toward the gate and they started making their way towards the 'escape hatch'.

 

Now I know this sounds pretty silly... kinda think so myself - but I know that cows watch to see what the others are doing and then 'talk' about it.  I sure made my job much easier to have pushed the first four cows out the gate and then let the others find the 'hole'.

Kinda reminds me of church people - we like to talk - we watch to see what others are doing and then we talk about it.  Well, maybe the last part is something we should work on.  Just talking about someone's problems doesn't encourage them at all.  We've been admonished to encourage those around us.   A Christian's joy is something they should be able to share freely cuz it is replenished by the Father Himself and will never run dry.  Was reading my 'Our Daily Bread' last night and found this - 'Jesus promised His disciples on the night Judas betrayed Him, "Your joy no one will take from you" (John 16:22). Remember that joy is the fruit of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22) Let's ask the Lord to help us look beyond our sorrowful circumstances and encourage our hearts by the vision of joy that awaits us (Heb. 12:2)'

Our joy can not be taken cuz it's in our hearts - heaven awaits us - actually 'here' is not our home :) just thought it was another encouragement....

til later - or I stuck thinikng somewhere.....  :)

Jecca

When weather gets above freezing :)

Wow!!! What a difference a couple weeks can make - I was pretty much staying inside over Christmas and New Years cuz of the cold and now....we have run our cows thru and given them Ivomec to help with internal and external parasites. Had a couple of really nice days to do it in. We spent the first week moving cows closer to the house. I took a camera along and got some great shots of our valley from the West end looking east. Cows are pretty easy to move this time of year, they know that we are bringing them in closer to feed. We wanted to leave them on our meadows til the end of January or so because we had so much aftergrowth (we hay the meadows in the summer and aftergrowth is the grass that grows back after cutting and baling)  This picture was taken just a couple days before we had to move the cows closer home. 

 I was taking the next picture from the top of the big hill in the background.  







We had moved our broodmares with the cows 
up closer, so we didn't have to drive so far to feed them. We had to sort them off and push them to the north. They've got a nice meadow to graze and we can feed them hay when its colder.  




I have two old dogs that have shown my boys the ropes of dog obedience in 4-H.  I always had to hide in the car when their turn came up cuz the dogs would always look for me and not pay attention to the boys.  I really tried to have them be the boys dogs but now that they have grown up and on, and aren't here very often - I am their favorite person.  Their age is dictating how far they can go on drives.  The black dog, Skipper, will probably start staying at home more.  This day was almost too much for him.  




We moved just under 600 head across the valley.

My most excellent horsemen and camera shy cowboy sons Stetson & Sterling  !!!  :) 

Now.... I had intended on having pix of us running the cows through the chute but they day went well and I never had the chance to pull a camera out of my pocket.  :(  Good that we got them all down in just about 3 hours but I had hoped for some pix - maybe next time.  

Ok - I also must back up about week - Cash (hubby and my Marlboro Man) and I decided to go snowmobiling.  As we were leaving the valley we found Stetson in a bit of a pickle... notice Cash's grin and Stetson's disgust!!  

I watched him dig while Cash went back for a tractor.  

His efforts, which were excellent and a definite effort...

yielded no results!!!  :(

So here came the dad to save the day!!!!

AND SUCCESS!!!!  

So the tractor went back to the house and Cash and I sent on and snowmobiled.  

And yes, we had a great time... more later - maybe more snowmobiling pix cuz we did check wells that day or.... maybe ditch digging with the excavator we've got rented - so that's all he does cuz he's only got a month with it,  anyway - lots of choices so til later.....


Jecca 

Cascading Cleaning

Been thinking that the closets around here have been stuffed into for much too long. Isn't it amazing how much stuff you can stuff into an area without even realizing how much stuff you've got stuffed in there!! :) Once you are brave enough to pull a couple items out you become painfully aware that you have opened pandora's box and it cascades from there. I decided to do one shelf in the office today - it seems to have belched and landed mostly on the office floor. I thought one shelf wouldn't take too long, welllllll I just have one more box that I have been piling pictures on for several years - you know the ones - snap shots, Christmas cards, pix given to me or my sons - ones that really ought to be organized before putting them in an album. So for now I will move them on to the second phase of my cleaning. Once I found the puzzles in the back of the closet I knew I wanted to move them across the house into a different closet (are you seeing the cascading yet). Well, that closet wasn't needing anything more put into it until it was gone through also. Sooo the mess was on - I threw quite a bit away, reorganized and put it back with an amazing amount of room ready to accept more stuff. Ok - then I went snowmobiling with Cash and got thinking (by the way, the snowmobiling was a hoot - I would never have thought that me, the horse lover, would enjoy sledding to very very much but .... I DO!!!!)- aren't our lives like that - needing cleaned out soooo we can add more stuff again. But first to prioritize and throw away, rearrange and organize. I'm finding that closets can be kinda fun if you look at them as history or an adventure - what'd I leave in here????
One other thing - found a feather pillow in the trailer that needed washing - WELL - what an experience in patience....getting it to stay in the water - oh yeah air bubbles!!! :) Then two days in the dryer - I knew to put a shoe or something in the dryer to beat the feathers fluffy again, however the shoe kept opening the dryer door. anyway, not sure I'll take that project on again but the pillow smells good and is fluffy once again.

ahhhh success - one pillow fluffy and a closet ready for stuff!!!!

more rattling on .....

TTYL

Jecca

Ranchers Snow Day

Today, (being the day to start a blog), I'm literally watching myself get snowed in, hoping that this snow system will move out as quickly as it moved in. Electricity blip took out our DISH receiver last night and 'thank heavens' I still have internet or I'd play the piano all day - Makes for a sore hand! :) Snow Days for ranchers really don't exist - they just don't have the same 'fun' aspects that most everyone else enjoys when someone says SNOW DAY! Ranching in this weather adds tremendously to the challenges of caring for livestock. Being able to provide cattle with wind protection with our Sand hills and giving them enough hay to fuel themselves to stay warm is a ongoing task and challenge. Today has been harder because my hubby is gone and my son and I are holding down the fort. Feeding was done early and everything had fresh warm hay to eat and bed down in. Tonight I am on the internet watching road conditions guiding him home thru wind and snow, well normal winter driving conditions. I think about how easy our life has become with the internet to help us along the way. Kinda like God, I think. If we'd realize that He is there, waiting for us to use Him or access His wisdom, things would go much smoother. By placing our lives under His direction, we can reduce our worry a bunch (notice I didn't say 'get rid of it' cuz that's not reality :) From Our Daily Bread, Jan. 2nd, 2010 - Scottish mathematician, theologian, and preacher Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847) wrote:"When I walk by the wayside He is along with me. When I enter into company, amid all my forgetfulness of Him, He never forgets me...Go where I will, He tends me, and watches me, and cares for me."

One more thought and then back to searching for road conditions.... Why do we try to go life alone - we have access to GOD!! "I am with you and will keep you wherever you go" (Gen. 28:15) - "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5)

Well suppose this is a start - like I said a rancher snow day isn't the same as everyone else's - I've had a bunch of time to think today - watching the snow and wind out my window....

TTYL

Jecca