April 2006

"Learn from the mistakes of others.

You can't live long enough to make them all yourself."

April 1-2 April fools day went by without any April fools jokes being played on me for a change!! ha Abbie tried to tell me that we had a set of twins and I headed him off at the pass! The joke was on him! ha
Saturday I got the new trailer cleaned and washed out. The 11 head of cattle we hauled to Pryor the other day didn't quite make it look like a new trailer anymore! We didn't get the wood chips down so it was scoop and hose it down! I had just enough of the stuff to dump on my flower beds! I actually took a scrub brush to some of that pasty stuff! Our life seems to revolve around that stuff for some darn reason! I have a little cow in our entry that says! "Some days you step in it, and some days you don't!" Most of the time I side step but you know men they just wade through it like it's water! ha We had a gentleman from southern Oklahoma, Jerry Stevens here to look at the cattle on Saturday afternoon. He says he will be back in June when all the little Simmental cross baby heifers are going to look awesome! ha
Sunday we did various chores, moved the first calf heifers and their babies and tried to relax some! My way to relax is to bash cow pies, I was over north of the road with the Mule and bed springs, when Lance and Jane came driving up... So we picked them up and made the rounds in the pastures of new calves on the Mule! It sure is coming in handy for viewing the cattle. We went to Pryor and had lunch with them. We made it home and I finished dragging that pasture spot! It's where we are going to park all the trailers for the trail ride folks the end of the month, so you know me I am in dire preparation! ha We fed all the hungry calves and here we are relaxing on a calm Sunday evening...after a great rain last night! It soaked things pretty good! We even got some hail with it but it wasn't too bad! We will take any moisture we can get at this point!

Polled Dragon in halter training! Just turned a year old and weighs over 1200 pounds already! He is going to be a big boy when he matures! He was not thrilled about the halter but accepted it after awhile.. Abbie makes these breaking halters and they are very humane and don't sore them.. Sometimes less is more when breaking cattle to lead. The halter puts all the pressure behind the ears and not on the jaw or nose!. April 3-5 Monday was a busy day of catch up after the hour we all lost to time change! I just wish they would leave it the same one way or the other.. Do you know how many clocks we have in this house? I just get them changed and it's time for a change again..ha I made it into weigh in and also picked up some groceries, I shopped for diet food again! ha! Mike Rose came by and picked up Kade for his daughter to show this summer. We were happy he got a great new home. We think they will have lots of fun with him as he is a big putz! He weighed in at 750# and only just 7 months old. We had to assist an Iron Man first calf heifer yesterday afternoon. A big black bull calf was delivered safely! Leo came out to pick up the dead golf cart and that was a deal to get it loaded into the back of his truck! We put out several bales of hay for almost all the pastures until we ran out again! The trailer is loaned out so we will have to wait for it to come home before we can hay again! We are hoping that grass will get here pretty soon! Seems like it is just sitting there idle! The weeds are growing though! I worked in the yard all morning and trimmed and worked on several plants... So much for finger nails! Check out some of the new calves below! There sure are some nice babies this year! I think the first calf heifers have the nicest group of calves so far. Of course they are the chosen one's that we have been working to get to this point so glad we are not disappointed...

April 6-9 We were under a severe weather warning all day Thursday... The wind came and the rain went along with it! Just a sprinkle with some little pea sized hail. But several folks got some base ball size hail!
Friday we had company from Jimmy Epperson and his Pawhuska FFA boys. They picked out a steer that William Ramey should be able to get along with. A real gentle little steer that he should have some fun with! We met Terry and Susan in Pryor for supper and had a good laugh and visit as usual! I got some of my tall wallpapering done in the living room! With 10 foot ceilings it takes a roll of paper to make it tot he top. ha
Saturday was a busy day of weighing and tagging calves... Abbie had them almost all done before I got out there to help him. I waited for his call and of course I am suppose to be a mind reader and know exactly when I am suppose to be where..ha We had several first time heifers deliver some pretty babies. We had just finished when in drove Karen and Bob Yarbrough from Locust Grove. We checked all the new calves in the pastures and caught up on each others busy lives with cattle. Karen helped me move the fresh group of pairs to pasture 8 down the lane and it was a trial to keep them all from going under the hot wire! We finally got them secure in their new surroundings and they were like little deer checking out their new spot to play in! We had one little Shorthorn heifer calf out of M248 that is simply spectacular! Her name is going to be Cotton Gen... Mostly white with a little red on her face! She will be a fancy show heifer for some little girl! We did the chores up and we all headed to Pryor for supper at the Italian Grill. Enjoyed our time with Karen and Bob. Great people!
Sunday, today at 4:00 a.m. it was 37 degrees, so I brought in my house plants that I have been trying to wean outside! It was chilly! At 11:00 now it's up in the high 50's already! The Shaffer family will be here this afternoon sometime. I have been trying to convince Abbie dear that he needs to get my lawn mower serviced and running! It has three flat tires (nothing unusual) and a dead battery.. Guess I might as well play mechanic and go get it ready! The weeds are growing and it's looking pretty shaggy around the yard and drive! You know me I like things neat and tidy! I have already run the weed eater once...

Abbie and Cotton Gen sired by the Bookie

About Time Juneau S6135

Bull calf out of 1 calf heifer.. He is stout! His mother is a Juneau x TLC Queen (half Angus half Braunvieh) TLC Queen is a Silverwood Dragon daughter.. He has some power in his genetics! We heard through the grape vine that About Time sold too. Now you can't get the semen very easy!

April 10-11 Happy Birthday New Grandma Beck! Monday was a real nice day here and the wind didn't blow for a change. Weigh in was good and I lost more pounds! Plural! ha What a great feeling to weigh in and not see the numbers raise! ha All the extra activities around her have helped I'm sure! Picked up groceries and also got a hydraulic hose fixed for the cuttle packer... don't now how to spell that machinery but it will break up some pastures and if it ever does rain it will soak in! I did get the lawn and road mowed last night! Genex man came in the dark and delivered a new semen tank. Susan and Terry came to pick up their new tank too! Anna and Bruni both calved yesterday. Two old donors that both had black bull calves.. Law of averages it was time they both had bulls...ha We have an order for one already! Anna and Bruni still have perfect udders and Anna just turned nine years old.. Bruni turned 14. Longevity in Braunvieh cattle...
Today I am doing bookwork and paying bills! YUCK! I baked up a couple of pies and made a rubarb coffee cake that looked pretty good yesterday so I can leave the kitchen today!
Talking about babies! We got a real cute picture of our nephew Beau and Shelly's baby boy, Gage Michael Herrington, born on April 6! Six pounds and 3 ounces... with a head full of hair! He is a really cute little guy! I know Beau and Shelly are beaming as are all the new grandparents.. Congratulations family! A new little cowboy at the Herrington Ranch! He doesn't have a chance at being anything else!
Kevin came today and they are doing various things at the barn. They are going for another load of hay. The pastures just aren't quite ready for full grass yet.

TLC Anna day before she delivered a fancy OSU Ransom bull calf

Gage Michael Herrington

April 12-14 Happy Birthday Daddy! Glad to hear you are doing great at 77 years young! Was the trucker on Wednesday and took some cull cattle to Vinita. Picked up wood chips and supplies at Atwood's. What a disorganized mess that place is... You expect most stores to be the same but management does play a big part in the isles being clean so you can go down them. I drug pasture 15 until dark and it's getting a lot smoother..ha I have been working on the yard and flower beds again! Veronica came by in the afternoon on Thursday and we had a great visit. I am designing a web site for her business. We had to make a quick trip out to see some of the babies in the pasture, too. It got up to 91 degrees yesterday! Wow that is way too hot for April... what will it be like in July? Still dry and no chance for rain.. we would appreciate your prayers for our area.. I know that California needs to have some rain leave there. Of course if everything were perfect we wouldn't have anything to complain about now would we? You all have a blessed good Friday and an even great Easter... Don't buy any blue bunnies or pink baby chickens.. Go all natural and buy normal color! ha New heifer baby TLC Lindy Act to the right has a unique mark on her nose.. she looks like she has had her nose in a paint bucket...ha

TLC Lindy Act

April 15-17 Happy Birthday Clayton Edward Plott! Wow five years old today! I was there in North Carolina when you were born! Wind and more wind! Still dryer than a bone in northeast OK! I made it to Pryor for parts and some supplies. Picked up some more flowers and a couple of Pin Oak trees to plant in spots that the trees died this winter. Jimmy Epperson, William Ramey and Logan Horn came by in the afternoon to pick up their steer. Great guys! Very polite young men! We like doing business with people who appreciate your efforts and cattle. We made it back to Pryor and checked out Brian's new barn and had a late supper at the new Chili's. Not bad but sure was soaked in grease! Since I have been counting my food values I would have to think it went way over on that meal! ha Since I am a cattle woman I guess I always think in terms of pounds and cost of gain! So this is my estimation of weight lost at WW. No that is not the WORLD WEB...either. ha Having now lost 12.4 pounds in 14 weeks at a cost of $12.00 a week that means that it has cost me $13.54 a pound lost! But the benefits out weigh the cost of loss of gain here! ha Better health, smaller body, new hair style, new clothes (Will cost more in the end for less clothing) happier and in control of my stress factors..ha The only one complaining is Dear Abbie who has had to have a few WW meals for late night suppers.. ha I still make him a pie or cake once in awhile just to keep the peace!
Good hearing from the Onley's from Australia.. Sounds like Trevor is back in full swing now.
Saturday, ran up to Vinita to see some of the cattle kids at the Vinita Spring Cattle Show. Visited with Haggards and LaRue families.. Madison and David came to pick up their steer and heifer so we went to Adair for lunch. Rick and Barbara came by to weigh their trailer load of cattle. They have some nice babies that have grown up to be awesome!
Sunday, Happy Easter! We spent the day relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet. The Middleswarts came by to pick up string and needles for a prolapsed cow and brought along son Ron, Sherry and grandbaby Amber. What a cute little girl! She is 10 months and a real doll! I made up some Easter eggs for Dani but they didn't find time to make it over so guess I will kidnap Dani this week sometime and we will have our own hunt.. It's preparation time for the trail ride this week! Need to go cut some thorn bushes so that some unwary rider doesn't ride into them..
By the way we have "two daughters expecting" More grandbabies due in November! It's going to be another great year of babies! By the way here is a link to check all the reasons for eggs and bunnies at Easter time... http://www.factmonster.com/spot/eaterintro1.html

Jimmy, Wiliam and Logan from Pawhuska FFA

Sign I designed...having several made for my ya ya cowgirl sisters...

April 18-21 A busy week...again! Have had a few folks drop by like Jim Bob and his wife to look at the new trailer. I made a quick trip to Tulsa on Tuesday. Picked up the border that I was missing to finish the hall way at Lowes on Yale Street. Made it back to Claremore and had lunch with Susan and then picked up a pick up load bull ration. The truck didn't make it and we were out of feed again. I have been planting and working in the yard. It's starting to look civilized and looks like someone cares..ha
Thursday, I ran to get vet supplies in the afternoon. Still no rain. Worked on several projects.. Designed a web site for friend Veronica this week and it's up and going.. Check it out at Veronica's Gold Slipper Reflexology. It was fun to design a web site with out cows...ha for a change!
Friday, They got rain just south of us 40 miles but it didn't make it up this far. It's beginning to look like Fall in the Spring. Please keep us in your rain prayers. At this rate we will be down sizing the herd real quick. Happy Birthday brother Bill! Today I am finishing the new paper in the barn. Abbie and Juan are preparing cows for breeding and vaccinating. So it's busy here! Just wish we could get a good rain to relieve the pressure on the pastures and settle the dust bowl. We are still putting out hay. Un heard of in this area this time of year. I am going to take a picture of our almost dry pond so you can really see the drought ..in our area. Good thing there wasn't any good fish in that pond... The turtles hardly have anything to swim in now! It's about ankle deep all across it. This time of year it's usually running over..not this year. But we still have hope! It sounds like we have a dozer coming to clean it out in a week or two just in case it ever does rain so that it will hold water again. Those guys have really been busy in the area cleaning out tanks! Tanks are what these folks call a pond dam. Looks like a pond to me! ha A tank is a metal tank in our country in the Sand Hills. We are not giving up hope for rain next week... slight chance on Tuesday and Wednesday they say at the weather station. So far they haven't gotten many weather forecasts right yet.... But like I said we aren't giving up hope! Pray for us all, even the weather man!

April 22-23 You know how a little clean up job can turn into a major destroying mission? Well I started cleaning on the garage and wow did I ever open up a big can of worms! By the time I got done about 9:00 p.m. it turned into a major remodeling job. A truck load of junk! ha I found cattle medicine that was outdated only by a few hundred years. I swear that my man would save bubble gum wrappers! But on the good side I got the place cleaned and livable and hospitable enough for a picnic. The wind has been blowing a good clip for several days so thought that the pot luck supper would be handier here at the house instead of the barn kitchen, plus we have shade here. Abbie and I ran into Pryor late and picked up hot dogs (tube steak) and had a late night supper at the Pizza hut.
Sunday, was another windy hot day but what a fun day it was! Abbie's cousin Linda and her sister in-law Elaine stopped by in the morning for coffee. It was good to see them. In the afternoon the horse trailers started rolling in promptly at 1:00. I was totally in my element with all my horse buddies! Twenty six folks and twenty three riders showed and we only had one episode where Sandy got thrown from her horse at the end of the trail ride. Her horse stepped on her foot. So Abbie escorted her back to the house on his MULE! With that many wild mustangs and wild riders it's surprising there wasn't more accidents. We hope Sandy will heal real fast and come back again for the next trail ride! Tejay (my horse) was such a good boy yesterday. I am really starting to enjoy riding him! The supper went well and so did the silent auction.. we should have raised quite a lot of funds for St Jude Children's Hospital. A very worthy cause! Check out St Jude here and see if you can help lots of needy children and families.
Monday: We got some showers this morning and it freshened up things.. Never enough but better than nothing... Projected rain this afternoon and evening.. Wouldn't that be that be a blessing? This old grandmother is just a little sore today but not bad! It's time to weigh in again...wish me luck today! ha You all have a great week and drop by again soon! Check out the recipes that Cathy sent this morning! The Brochette went over really well yesterday.

Abbie, Linda and Elaine

Kathy, Cathy and Joan (me)

In our T shirts that Cathy made for us! It says in Chinese "Horse Woman"

April 24-30 A busy week of preparation for our trip to Texas. We got cattle and furniture finally loaded on Thursday afternoon and headed to Tyler. We got there about 9:30 and met Thomas Jozwiak at a little town just out side Tyler with the bull. It was his first time to see Massey in the flesh. He was very happy with his purchase. He lead off the trailer all 900 plus pounds of him and only 9 months old! Massey will have a great new home and family to spoil him. We delivered the furniture to Bart and Joy and visited with them a little while before we found a late night supper at I HOP...and a motel downtown. We got up early and met our friends the Overby's from Mississippi just north of Tyler and they had breakfast with us at Cracker Barrel. Their heifer and steer led off well and they transferred to their new owners easily! Great folks the Overby's! We will be interested to hear how Lexi gets along with her new babies! They headed East and we went North west to Canton to check out the Worlds largest Flea Market. They say that over 200,000 people go through that place in one day of shopping! It was unbelievable the stuff and all the people! We did quite a lot of walking but found a treasure...ha A Tim Cox framed print will go into the newly papered and decorated living room very well! We made it to Arlington to deliver more furniture to Doug and Joyce and then headed to Cleburne before all the Friday traffic jams got too bad! We still got stuck up on a ramp way too high for me in Ft. Worth! We spent the weekend with Jeffrey, Diann and Logan. We planted trees in their new yard. The guys had to rent a post hole digger to break up the hard soil and cliché rock. We picked out a tree for Logan to grow with at Lowe's. A globe willow! We had a great time spoiling Logan! What a cute little guy! So happy and full of fun! They lucked out on a perfect child! We headed back to Oklahoma on Sunday morning and made it home to "RAIN" The ponds are full again and we got somewhere around 5 inches... What a relief to see it green again! We have truly been blessed abundantly! Thanks for all your rain prayers! It worked! We didn't have electricity when we got home but it was worth the rain!

Thomas Jozwiak and Abbie

Abbie, Jim and Scott Overby

Logan, Jeffrey and Abbie (3 Generations of Thorne men)

Logan, Nana and Pappa Thorne with his tree in background.

Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it! Hebrews 13:2