Dec 2008

 

We have permanently moved to the New Web site:  

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THE PEN IS MIGHTIER

 THAN THE SWORD..

 

Last Updated

 Wednesday, 03 February 2010   

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Welcome to the Adventures of

Dear Abbie's Wife

 Hello & Welcome to our Diary page.  The purpose of this diary is to record our adventures, folks who stop by, travels and events at the Thorne Ranch.  It was primarily meant for family and friends in the beginning, but we have grown a large number of faithful readers in the past eight years.   Over 90,000 from all over the world have visited us.   We don't intend to offend anyone or to glorify our life here.  It's pretty boring most of the time as you will see!  We are pretty common folks trying to make a living doing what we love, breeding and raising cattle.  Our wish is that someday this Diary will be enjoyed and appreciated by our grandchildren and great grandchildren.  In the mean time we hope you get a few good laughs at our expense. Learn from the mistakes of others.  You can't live long enough to make them all yourself."  

Abbie and Joan

2008

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Champagne in one hand - strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up and totally worn out, screaming 'WOO HOO! - What a Ride!''   - Author unknown

 

January 2007   February 2007   March 2007   April 2007  May 2007  June 2007  July 2007  Aug 2007  Sept 2007  Oct 2007  Nov 2007  Dec 2007

  January 2006   Feb 2006  March 2006  April 2006   May 2006    June 2006   July 2006  August 2006  Sept 2006  Oct 2006  Nov 2006  Dec 2006

  The Old Farmers Almanac  check out the best times of the moon projects!!

January 2008  February 2008  March 2008  April 2008  May 2008   June 2008  July 2008  Aug 2008  Sept 2008  October 2008  Nov 2008
  • December 1-2  Our trip to North Carolina was certainly a fun time.  It is always wonderful to see the kids and grandkids in their own element and life style.  It sure makes you appreciate how much easier it was to raise kids in my parenting time frame.  No cell phones, I Pods, video CD's, no lap tops, no violence on the TV.  Today it is a harder road to raise kids. With all the games they can get to keep them occupied you wonder when they have time to be just children and play pretend. 
  • They called my generation the Baby Boomers.  I would call my kids generation the Electronic Age and our grandchildren the High Technology Period.  I don't think us old timers have seen anything yet.  I played a wireless remote car steering game with my grandson's and it was evident that I was over steering most of the time.  I hit all the walls, bushes and actually went off several cliffs, but lived through it somehow to jump back on the road and go again!  My only problem was that I don't spend hours remembering everything that happens on that video game.  So I never knew when a dangerous curve was around the bend.  It was fun but also a much higher caliber game than Atari that my girls had way back when shooting ducks.   Grandson Phillip is way ahead on his math capabilities.  He is in the 5th grade and n High School level math skills according to his testing.  Clayton is smart and he uses his head in anyway possible to try and out think you.  ha  He will be a real challenge when he is 16 and wants the car.  Olivia is as sweet as her name but a real bossy little chick when it comes to handling her big brothers.  She will have them all in the palm of her hand for years to come.  They have a busy life of mom and Dad both working hard.  I don't envy raising kids these days.  It's a hard job to keep everyone fed, clothed and educated anymore and keep up with the Jones'. ha

  • December 3-7  Happy Birthday Dalton and Kyleigh! This week I broke out the leather look material and sewed up some pillows for gifts.  They aren't very hard and believe it or not they are pretty easy to make.  I am not a Class A seamstress so it's simple stuff for me! ha 
  • The weather has been tolerable and we AI bred on Wednesday.  It went pretty fast with me thawing and loading straws and the guys taking turns breeding and loading the chute.  It goes so much faster with three of us working together.  Caught this picture in the pasture when Jessie and I were checking on them yesterday.  That is complete boredom when all you have to do is chew or play with a branch on a tree. ha  Jessie and I checked the fence line in the south pasture and found a fence where a tree had fallen on it and then found the black walnut tree with all it's bounty.  We blew out the barn brats and worked with cattle in the morning.  It would have been a perfect day to ride but we worked with cattle instead.  Mike, Vance and Nick stopped by to check on their heifer and steer. 
  • The Yoder family will take two steers and two heifers this year.  So we are excited about all the new show kids we get to adopt! ha  Brock went to Lawton and Heidi was 1st in Class of six head in one ring and 2nd in Class of six head in the other so he was happy.  It's kind of a super bowl livestock show that brings out all the toughs!  Brocks is still leading the heifer points at this point for OCCA.  We had 20 some tied in the barn yesterday and they are all coming along pretty well.  Tracker is going to be a challenge, but he likes to be brushed so he will give it up soon. ha 
  • Today we are expecting the Davenports and Umberson's from Arkansas to look at heifers and steers.  We only have four steer left, that is a good feeling going into winter.  Headed to the YA YA Sisters Christmas party this evening at Kathy's.  Picked up Jessie and we took treats and gifts to the party.  Sixteen crazy ladies celebrated the love of horses and riding basically. ha  The gift exchange was fun but not as deadly as last year.  We all must be getting soft in our old age! ha  Material things don't last but friendship is priceless.

Jessie holding some of the black walnuts we found.  We ended up with a bucket full and there were still hundreds on the ground.  I wonder if cows like these kind of nuts?  They sure were eating the pecan's that fell on the ground along with the squirrels.  They say that one squirrel can pack away 40 pounds a year?  That is a lot of dollars in nuts at the price of $9.00 a pound!  $360 a Squirrel! ha

Mutts guarding the buggy

Mosaic's baby heifer TLC Mosita looking good!
  • Dec 8  Received this email from our friend Lynn in Texas, that I think is worth passing on.  Please send a Christmas card to this address.  It will make the Veteran that receives it feel appreciated and you will feel good too.  Just think how depressing it would be in a Hospital during Christmas...   
     

    A veteran is someone who, at one point in his or her  life wrote a blank check. Made payable to 'The United States of America '  for an amount of  'up to and including my life.' That is Honor,  and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.'

A Recovering American Soldier
c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue, NW

Washington, D. C. 20307-5001
  • December 9-10  Monday was catch up and it was a pretty nice day if the wind hadn't blown.  But today was another story all together.  It was 50 degrees this morning and now it's down in the 20's.   Jarod came out today had lunch with us and semen tested bulls.  I took pictures and also took a  video clip of some of the Spring calves.  Tracker got his mug shot in there with the girls too.  Some are sold in the video and some are going to be our show girls for 2009 and prospective donors.  Of course the picture of Deerdra tells the story of why we called her Deer!  She is the greenest one in the barn but somehow is the smartest one to figure out that she can take pressure off the halter by standing on the pipe fence! ha  We raise trick cattle as you can see with loads of personality. ha  It rubs off on them from us! ha  Talking about Mr. Thorne you know!
  •  Michael Helle called and he and friend Henry are headed this way from Texas A & M on holiday break.  So will have company tonight and tomorrow morning.   They came to pick up a blue heeler puppy in Wagoner just south of us! The wind is cold and we may have snow by morning.  At least we didn't get the repeat ice storm of this time last year.
  • Michael and Henry got left about 10:00 after pancakes, eggs and sausage.   They headed south to warmer climate and to pick up their Christmas puppy for Henry's Dad!   They are on the wool judging team at A & M and was telling us that they are scheduled to go to Laramie Wyoming next month for judging contest.  They were not looking forward to coveralls and gloves. ha  Those south Texas boys only think they are tough! ha  They will be wearing wool caps and socks before it's over! Mikie as we always called him showed our Braunvieh cattle in south Texas with some success in his growing up years.  Thanks for stopping by Mikie!  We love you like one of our own!
  • Today is pull cidar day for the virgin heifers we set up to breed.  A cold blistery day and one that would be best spent in the barn or office. 

TLC Deerdra doing her tricks! ha  She is sired by Hardcore out of TLC Vienna a Draftpick x Veronica.  Pretty little heifer when she stands on the ground like she is supposed to! ha

 

TLCC Tracker and lady friends.  Molasses, Trish, Linse and Peggy.        Video Clip   

  • December 11-12   It warmed up some just in time for us to get our AI breeding done this afternoon on the heifers.  We had company and customers from Missouri.  Matt and Katie came and picked up a trailer load of heifers for their growing cow herd.  Renita and Roger dropped by to pick up their heifer Velvet, so it was a day of people and trailers in and out.  We are trimming down on the weaned heifers and breeding bulls some.  Jimmie will come tomorrow to pick up Hard Rock whom he purchased for his Angus and Simmental cow herd.  It really is surprising how many folks are looking for cattle considering all they talk about on the news is the lay off's and closings of this plant and this plant.   Trickle down economy will hit us all I am afraid.  The ride has just begun!  Tighten up you cinch and buckle your straps we have not seen anything yet!
  • December 13-16  Saturday was a busy day of folks in and out picking up cattle.  The Purcell family and Yoder family picked up show heifers and show steers.  Jimmy Epperson came to pick up his bull, Hard Rock.  It was a blistery wild windy day of wind from the south!  Rod came over with his tractor and trailer and the guys hauled hay all day too.   After the last trailer left I hurried to the house to cook up supper for the hay hauling crew.  Andrea and Dani came for supper too.  Sunday we hauled more hay and we got it off the east side at least before the 74 degree weather turned into 40 degrees in 15 minutes.  The wind changed from the south to the north too.  By dark we were in a sleet storm that covered everything up with with ice.  Not as bad as we have had though and we didn't loose power.  The past couple of day have been miserably cold in the low teens.  Abbie and JR have spent most of their time feeding, putting out hay and chopping ice.   If this is the warm up for winter I think we need to head south quick.  Today we had a prospective steer shopper from Texas.  He was checking out the fall babies.   Typical steer jock.  They always seem to have some big secret under their wings! ha  They don't say much and don't have much to say either.   If you do sell to them you never hear about that calf again.  They plan on making at least 50-100% or more on their investment to resell those calves to others that didn't take the time to check out pastures like him.  Prices go up for those guys!
  • Visited with Dr. Perkins today.  The word is out that he will be the new Executive Director for the Beefmaster breed in San Antonio Texas.   We want to wish him and his family well on their transition back to life in Texas.  He will be a real asset to that breed and they are very lucky to have such a knowledgeable person that knows all about ultra sounding cattle.
  • Pet Peeve for today!  Texting!   We recently had a young man here and he spent all his time texting, in fact he couldn't even walk straight for staring into his phone!  We are going to have to give them all a seeing eye dog to keep these kids from walking out in front of the traffic or an on coming crazy cow!   He was more interested in his text messages than a real live person to talk to.  How rude!  Doesn't anyone see what this is doing to our children's communication skills?  Instead of it hanging on their ears, now they stare into the darn thing, mesmerized.   Surely we have not recessed to Telegraph and Morris code yet?  When you are around others I think it's just plain rude and insensitive to text.  Our society needs to teach some text etiquette and graciousness skills.   So this is my opinion and only my opinion. 
  • Text only when you don't have anyone present to talk to.  Text only when calling and talking to a real person is inconvenient for that person.   A real voice is still worth more than a typed word on a blank screen.   So now that I have text my opinion here on this web page.  Have a great day...  if you want to talk, call me.  I still answer my phone! ha
  • December 17-22  It's been a busy place preparing for Christmas!  I have spent most of my time shampooing carpets, cleaning, cooking and decorating.  
  • We hauled cull cattle to Joplin on Wednesday only to find they were done selling by 1:30 so we hauled the load back home and took them to Coffeyville OK on Thursday and Friday.  Less mouths to feed.  It almost brought tears to my eyes though to see some of those old open cows leave their home!  They have done us a good job!  We sold Fancy our old Registered Angus cow too.  She was getting thin and old so she will go to cow heaven for sure being that she was such a great cow to have around.  We have several daughters from her so her blood line will continue!
  • Josh White and his girl friend Cody came by on Friday to check out the Spring bulls.  It was a beautiful day to be outside!  He selected his 3rd TLC bull for his cowherd!   That is what makes raising these cattle rewarding when you have repeat buyers consistently. He has commercial cows and has used an Angus x Braunvieh bull and also a Maine x Braunvieh bull with great success.  He went back with an Angus x Braunvieh bull this time.  He lives in northeast Arkansas so we will meet him in Springfield one of these days when we need a day away from the place! Clay came in on Friday night to pick up Mick.  It was great to see him and his girl Stephanie even if it was only for a few minutes!  I am sure Mick was wondering what was going on too as he has never been off the ranch.  I sure hope he finds warmer pastures and pretty cows for the rest of his lifetime!  It's hard enough to worry about your kids and here I worry about our cattle's after life off Thorne Ranch. ha
  • Sherry came out Saturday and spent the day.   We had a good time catching up as we cruised the pastures in the truck.  Due to the very cold day.  Sherry and I had supper at Pryor with JR and Kylie.  Abbie delivered pecan's to his mother.
  • We went to Joplin late yesterday afternoon to finish up Christmas shopping!  We picked up gift certificates and a few goodies for the grandkids!  We had supper out at Logan's Steak house!  It's not good to eat steak out!  It is never as good as home grown beef from Thorne Ranch. ha
  •  It has not warmed up yet either!  I baked up cinnamon rolls for the neighborhood.  I finally got those delivered this morning.  Before Abbie ate them all!  ha  I missed several families so will have to try again.
    •
  • Dion Frances from Tahlequah came to pick up his two cows and calves today.   Jon Piercy stopped by after lunch.  Abbie and JR drove up to SEK in Galesburg Kansas to take blood tubes up for pregnancy checking the last transfer of embryos and also to pick up parts for the Mule in Columbus.  I think it was a good excuse to stay in the truck with the heater today! ha
  • We celebrate our 13th Wedding Anniversary tomorrow!  We have dear friends from Missouri coming to help us celebrate! Lucky 13! ha  At least Dear Abbie has finally made it past 13 years with one woman! ha   ME! ha  Third time was a charm! 

Jimmy Epperson a happy buyer of Hard Rock.  Jimmy is the Ponca Ag Teacher.

  • Well folks it is time to wish you all a Merry Christmas!   I hope to be back before the New Year, God willing!  Blessing sent your way and keep a stiff upper lip in the smile format!  We are so excited to have five grandchildren here for Christmas!  All under the age of FOUR! ha  It's going to be a fun and memorable time!
  • Remember JESUS is the REASON for the SEASON!
  • December 23-28  Happy Birthday Jeffrey!  Happy Birthday new born into the family! Maci Jay Herrington!  Congratulations Beau, Shelly and big brother Gage!  She looks like a keeper!  Beautiful like her mommy!
  • A busy week of preparation for the family!  Jerry and Leona came by and they took us out for our anniversary to dinner.  They spent the night and left after Jerry inspected the cattle.  We had a great time together as usual!  They headed south for a visit to their son in Arizona.  Christmas Eve I shampooed carpets and baked pies as fast as I could before the crew made it in late!  We had a fun time with all the grandbabies on Christmas morning and it was fun to see their faces each time they opened up another gift!  Enough gifts for 20 kids and there was only five!  Makes you wonder if they realize how some boys and girls are lucky to get one present.   I spent most of my time cooking and picking up behind the crew!  Today was shipping day and they all packed up and hauled their bounty to their homes in Texas and New Mexico!  J Fred even took a load of hay home to his cows in New Mexico.  Guess we should have tied a big red bow on the five bales he took!   Hay in New Mexico is $100 a bale?   We captured some cute shots of the grandkids...  It was nice two of the days and they played outside which was fun for them and us.   The electric fence still surrounds our yard and we didn't have any hot wire wrecks this time.  I have commented that we need to put up a real fence for the grandkids and Abbie's response is they will only touch it once and they will stay in the yard!  That is a man's answer to everything right?  Hot wire!  ha Good excuse to not put a decent fence around the yard too!   Mom and Dad surprised us and came down on Saturday.  We had a fun day together.  Dad showed Abbie how to work the wire wrapper this afternoon so one of these days we will get the old wire off and new barb wire hung up on the five miles of new fence we need to build.   Happy Birthday Jeffrey!  Too bad you spent most of the day driving home with two car seat sore kids!  Gosh I wonder if the people who invented those car seats ever sit in one?  They need to make one adult size and see if they would like to ride in it for 500 miles!  I bet they would have more cushion in them, what do you want to bet?  We are gearing up to breed donors in the next few days.  So we will be flushing on the New Year.  I am planning a trail ride for all my horse buddies on New Years Day, so cross your fingers that it is nice and not windy!   Happy New Year!

Grace, Logan, Ruby and Thomas and Fred below with his duck hunting cap on.. and the Christmas goose!
  • December 29-31  Another year has passed us all by and we appreciate all that we have and enjoy in this great land we live in.  It's time to say, "Thank you to our family, friends and customers for all the great year of memories!   Abbie hauled a young bull to meet Josh White in Springfield MO on News Years Eve.  JR and I saddled up the geldings and went for a ride over north checking the bred cows.  Both horses acted well and it was nice to get out and get some fresh air.  I actually think the horses enjoyed the new territory.   They are both so fat with a hay belly that the back cinch was on the last notch! ha   I know how they feel! ha Once again we will promise to loose that extra weight next year! ha   I did get all the beds washed and made up again ready for the next herd to come in!  We had 16 bodies here under one roof over the Christmas holiday including, five dogs, five grandbabies under the age of four and 11 adults!   I think next year we need to rent a Holiday Inn with a swimming pool and convention center party room!   Hire maids, a caterer and an entertainment committee of clowns for the grandkids! ha  All Grandson, Logan could say to me was JO JO you funny! ha   At least he saw some humor in his crazy grandmother!  
  • Baby Grace Abigail in my blue dress.  She is a keeper for sure!

May you be in Heaven an hour before the Devil knows you're dead.

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