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
You are viewer
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 but I applaud
their view on life! The
Old Farmers Almanac check
out the best times of the moon projects!!
February 1-2
We had about
three inches of snow on the ground yesterday and its almost all
melted off today. It made the pens a muddy mess again!
Sounds like we are lucky to have moisture though as southwestern
Oklahoma, according to Parker
Angus Ranch are having wild fires and really dry. Of
course someone is setting those fires too! Karen said they
even had fire tornadoes in places. So guess we should be happy
we got the moisture and not the fire and wind. We hope
they catch those arsonist soon. We hope you get to feeling
better real soon Karen!
We started the Annual
Spring Hair Cut Season for all the Fall Calves. We have around
60 head this year to clip out and make them beautiful. Hairy
little creatures and so far they have all loved their hair cuts.
We put them in the chute and halter them and then swing open the
side gates and go to clipping! Abbie clips the show side and
Crystal and I clipped the left side! ha We all had our special
area's to clip! Cody put out hay and Bull started trimming up
trees along the road! Brian came today to pick up his cows and
heifers. Six out of seven we got bred for him. I ran
into town at two this afternoon to vote for Board member for the
Mayes County Fair Board. Picked up a filter for the Mule and
came straight home. It was nice today and suppose to be even
nicer tomorrow. Four head clipped out and 56 to go! ha
Keep watch for some nice calves to make their début.
Half Brother to TLCC Turk! Really a nice
bull calf and so sweet and gentle!
Oh the life to lie in the hay all day long!
February 3-4
Another couple nice days! We got some more clipped out and we took a
few pictures just before dark! I picked up groceries and also
hydraulic fluid for the tractor and chain lube for the chain saw.
Today was absolutely beautiful. Higher 70's today! I
didn't even have a jacket or coveralls on today! We sorted the
north pasture and got all the heavies moved to their calving
pasture. Some 1st calf heifers and 2nd calf heifers needed
more feed and TLC so we had 22 head of those too! We
moved all the fall calves together and they had fun meeting new and
old friends. They really are quite social! ha I
got the barn office swept and also the show barn all cleaned and
added new cedar fiber to get it up to snuff! Kind of like
keeping your floors clean in the house! Of which we will be
tearing out the old striped carpet in the dining room, utility and
kitchen this next week. We finally made a choice for flooring
and it is on order to arrive this Friday! Vinyl Tile
that looks like tile with grout but not as hard as ceramic or
porcelain tile. It looks like brown and tan rock! I can
hardly wait to start tearing it out! It will be a lot of work
as there is plenty of it! I can only imagine how dirty it's
going to be under that stuff! It's raining! Abbie is AI
breeding Isabella and giving donor shots. I heard the pitter
patter and could not believe the rain! I almost got soaked
going back to the barn to gather the chain saw and fuel off the
front porch! Lighting to go with it! Darn I am getting
off this computer!
TLCC Andrea 3/4 Maine heifer that is going to be
nice show prospect.
February 5-6 I made it to Adair to vote and got wet in the
down poor.
We
must have gotten two and half or three inches of rain as it was
fording across our road into the ponds! To say that the 5th
was a good day would be an oversight and down right lie! Yes
we are still breathing and it always could have been worse.
But on the other hand it sure could have been better too!
First off our neighbor, Mr. Wayne passed away leaving this
neighborhood void of a great guy! He has been battling
heart problems for years. Feeling pretty gloomy anyway Abbie
Dear had me help him put out "more hay" Took the Silver
truck as it was already hooked up to the hay trailer. We
went out north through the curved alley. I made it out okay
and didn't get stuck. Then made it back through okay
until the last feed bunk caught the right hind tire of the hay
trailer! Yep I was gazing at one of those heifers on the
left when the right side went air born! Well to make the
story short I managed to rip it off the goose neck and flip it
over on it's side and it came to a side ways stand still laying on
the left side of the truck box. I was in shock and
disbelief! I can't give Abbie Dear too much heck now! I am a
disaster looking for a place to happen. My thoughts were to
just leave and go to the house! ha Because I figured I was
going to get a real A S S chewing! Which I deserved! ha
But surprise, he was just laughing at me! He was
behind and saw the whole wreck and episode! We lifted the
trailer off the truck box with a chain and I drove it out from
under it. Then we proceeded to chain onto the trailer to
turn it back onto it's rightful level! Sorry I guess I
should have taken a picture for your visual insight! At the
time I was just wanting to get something back to normal and your
visual was not my priority! We tipped it back over and we
hooked up again and away we went for another load of hay to head
over north! Loaded with six more bales and got stuck so he
had to push me through one pasture. I noticed D17 by
herself. She had delivered a premature heifer calf and of
course it was DOA. So gathered that poor little creature up
to go dispose of it! We put that hay out and loaded six more
hay bales and headed south! By then I was pretty beat down
and depressed! But we made it to the south pastures and no
big issues came up and the cattle were happy to get "more hay."
I finally headed to the house and started baking a Coconut Cream
Pie for the neighbors! That actually went pretty well and
they didn't totally flop or flip! Abbie had the last shots
to give the donors tonight! We had a normal supper and
watched TV. We saw all the bad weather East of us.
We felt pretty happy we were not in that Tornado path.
Then Abbie Dear said, " Did you leave a door open somewhere?
" I feel cold?" Well to make that story short we had run out
of propane! So we had a cold evening to go along with all
the wrecks. They were out bright and early this morning to
fill our propane tanks. That cost an even $1,000 to fill
them up! Skip Grace came by today from Arkansas and he
inspected his butcher beefs that he is going to pick up in March.
Nice to meet him!
We had a strange call and request from a Lab in Connecticut this
morning!
They wanted a "COW KNEE" and thought we might know where they
could find one? We have now become an answering service for COW
PARTS! I suggested a
veterinary clinic or a butcher shop! I asked him if he would
like a good used HAY TRAILER! Only been flipped once! ha
February 7-8 We got all the old
striped kitchen carpet pulled up yesterday morning! Our neighbor
Jack came down with his tool box and scraper! He was great
help and then Abbie didn't have to cry when his carpet went bye
bye! ha We were actually surprised that it wasn't as bad
underneath as I had thought it would be. I must be a better
house keeper than I thought or else that central vacuum does do
it's job! I want one of those robot sweepers that goes
around all day while I am out working with cattle and it
sweeps up all the dirt! I can only imagine what the
Schnauzers would think of that? They would have to
play guard dog and bark I am sure! ha I might as well
wish for a maid too while I am at it! Since we had the kitchen
kind of tore up we made Abbie take us out for lunch! One
good excuse not to cook! Remodel the kitchen! ha It
sounds pretty hollow now with all that padding gone!
Actually think we could tap dance on it now! The tile didn't
come today as it was suppose to but they called and said it will
be here next week on Tuesday. The Carpenters will be here on
Wednesday. We won't hold our breath!
We went to our neighbor Wayne's Memorial and
Funeral today! Big crowd of folks there. It was very
evident that he was very much loved from all the caring folks
there!! He was always so friendly and happy! He would
drive his golf cart up with the grandkids and great grandkids for
a ride off and on until the past year. Wayne was the
first neighbor to welcome me into the neighborhood way back in
1996. Big man with a big heart and we are all going to miss
him! But we also know that he is in very good hands now,
free of pain and suffering.
Crystal got here shortly after we got home from
the funeral so we had our dress up duds on. Abbie looks so
handsome in his hat, jacket and tie! So I had Crystal take
our picture. He is dressed in blue jeans, a cap, and
coveralls most of the time! She did a nice job and we hope you
like our new picture at the top of the Diary!
No carpet! Waiting for tile
This is a before and then
we will show you an after. HGTV beware!
Abbie Dear
February 9-12Happy Birthday Son In
Law Rick! Hope your day was great! Saturday was a really nice
day and we got all the heifers, bulls and steer washed. We tied
them up to the trailer in front of the barn and went to soaking off the
mud! We ran into Pryor for lunch and stopped and visited the
Stierwalt Clinic crew at the Fair grounds! Kirk said they were
really dry in western Oklahoma so not to complain too much about mud!
Sunday was cold and windy! We get one nice day and then 10
miserable cold days. I wonder if Spring will ever come to
Northeast Oklahoma! ha Looked like winter yesterday when cold rain
came pouring down off and on all day! Sure glad we fixed the roof!
ha
We heard from our Mississippi friends and one of the
TLC Steers did exceptionally well at the 2008 Dixie National Livestock
Show. The other steer got hurt and had to be disqualified due to
injury coming off the trailer. The one that did well was out of a
Black Icon daughter and Open Bar. Go to the
News Page to see the information we
received from Scott Overby this morning! On a high note Lexi won
the Best Hair Class and also a $5,000 scholarship! Great job Lexi!
We know you won't be going to beauty school to do hair! ha We hope
your dreams of being a vet are still there!
We are preparing for tile layers tomorrow so best go
clean out that big old upright freezer! The wood cook stove is
going to be a real challenge to move and tile under! Any idea's?
Guess a floor jack may be in order! ha Stop back soon for more
exciting times and hopefully a completed kitchen and dining room floor!
February 13-15 The past few days have
been spent updating cattle inventory and helping install the new floor.
Jonathan did an outstanding job of installing the very time consuming
job of laying out and gluing down tile. He finished up this
afternoon and I have almost gotten everything back in order. Wow
that gives new meaning to Spring Cleaning. Now if we could get
some nice warm weather to go with it we would be way ahead of schedule!
I am so happy with the new floor! I just stand and look at it in
awe! ha This is going to be nice and easy to keep up too! I
don't mind mopping when you know you are getting down to the nitty
gritty! ha Hope you all have a great Valentine's Day! Sure
hope you all got lots of candy kisses! Abbie took me out for supper the
night before so that was our big celebration! ha We are
already calving and have several on the ground since yesterday.
They look good so far and we hope the little babies don't freeze any
body parts tonight! It's bitter cold again!
By the way if you haven't already heard, they can
match your DNA up with another perfect DNA match for the love of your
life! They tested several perfectly happy couples and found only
one pair that were DNA perfect!
Sure hope they aren't related! ha
What will they come up with next? I am sure Abbie Dear and I
are Perfect DNA Opposites! Opposites attract you know! We
are living proof! We do get along most of the time though!
The good Lord knew both our weakness' and thought we would somehow
compliment each other! As long as everything goes his way! Or did
I say MY WAY! Have a good one and come back soon! Bring your
DNA!
Jonathan studying
his lay out!
Finished!
Kitchen
February 16-18 Water is standing on top of
the hills! We received a soaking rain all weekend! We have been busy
with calving and feeding as usual! So far the calving has been going well
and we have some super new babies to show you all! We heard from one
of our customers in Texas last night that had purchased a Gold Club out of
Anna bull a few years ago. We were happy to hear they loved the
calves out of Massey! But sad to hear also that he was struck by
lighting along with 11 cows and 2 calves. That happens more
than you would think! Talk about lighting! The scare tactic and
Ground Beef hold over the Down Cows on Television this morning leaves you
shaking your head at the News media ready to broadcast anything to do with
animal rights! The people in charge of that facility and also our
USDA who allowed those weak crippled cattle into the plants are also to
blame! Also the producer or owner that let them get into that bad a
shape and then expect to salvage something! How do we not know that
the person taking the pictures didn't work at the slaughter plant? What
better way to record something like this than be an employee! Don't
attack the industry but the employee doing the in-humane handling.
They don't show you everything that they want you to see! That meat
would not be contaminated or spoiled if properly butchered? If we
knew how meat was handled in foreign countries you would not buy it and
would also demand country of origin and proper information on where it
came from and how it was handled! It's time that beef producers have
something to say! Where is our voice? We believe animals
have rights or we wouldn't have so many fat cows running around here!
Our cattle are pampered compared to several herds I suppose! If we
get a weak or crippled cow we do the humane thing, we put it down and
don't expect to have it go through the food chain! Wolves, Coyotes
and Birds are hungry too! Now isn't that humane to feed predators
that they say is becoming extinct? If we listen to everything
we hear we the human race will be extinct!
On a good note! We are enjoying the new flooring
immensely! Seems like a different house! I have been checking into
mops! ha Do you know how many new mop heads you can get these days?
ha My new hair cut kind of looks like a mop right now!
Mercy why do we women think a hair cut can make life better. You
would think we would have learned our lessons before now! Oh well it will
have to grow with the grass this year!
I blew out as much mud as I could out of the show
cattle yesterday! They enjoy coming into the barn to lie on dry
bedding! We waded in water and mud last night with a flash light to check
the heavies! It's getting so saturated with H2o that even the mule is
having a hard time getting around in the pastures. Plus the moon was
full so we could pretty much see all the critters.
Sympathy and Blessing to our family in Nebraska!
Our friend Jo passed away. Her battle with cancer is over and we
pray she is at peace.
February 19 We made it through
the day and have three new babies on the ground or should I say pond!
Water everywhere you look and mud holes are full. Abbie is doing
great and healing fast after his complete extraction of all his teeth!
He can't bite me now! ha He is a good patient and he is a tough old
bird to get down! ha I had a good day and didn't have any problems
with the cattle and feeding! I even worked on the seven head in
the show barn today. I went to the south pastures and took a
few pictures of the Fall calves. So check them out at the
Club Calves page.
They are really growing and hitting the creep feeders now! Feed
truck came again last night and filled them up! Wish we owned a
feed store!
February 20-22 We are having
cloudy cold and damp weather again! The sun shine is limited in
this territory right now! We had company from
Dave Guyer and his friend J
W Day the other day! We were busy feeding and putting out more
hay when they came by to look at the Fall calves. I thought I
should have known Dave but never put the puzzle together until they
left back out for home in Illinois! Dave was on the Cattle Show
on RFD TV about a month ago with our friend Kirk Stierwalt for a
question and answer forum for Show Chow! We sent off for that CD
tape and free Show Chow cap and wouldn't you know it that box of
goodies came the same day that Dave showed up! Talk about
timing! ha He could have saved the postage! ha Anyway we didn't
brave a mule ride and were lucky to not get stuck out in the pastures
with the red truck. They liked several calves and we hope to
hear from them again! Really down to earth kind of guys and we
enjoyed their short visit as they were heading into an ice and snow
storm up north! Thanks for the visit Dave and J W.
We are preparing to load up tack and
cattle and head over to Brian's to clip out four heifers that Crystal
will be showing at Will Roger's Classic show this weekend! What
a way to spend my B day Showing cattle! I couldn't have planned
it any better! ha Come back soon!
Thanks Rondi from South Dakota for your
kind words! We hope lambing goes well for you this Spring!
We hope you keep the coyotes and wolves off your door step!
TLCC Adrianna shown by Cody Duncan as Maine heifer.
February 20-29 A week of flu, calving,
feeding, bookwork, tax preparation, pregnancy checking, hauling bulls
to Strafford and back. So as you can see I am just now getting
around to recording the events. The show went well at Will
Roger's Classic and we made it for one day of two rings and two
judges. We got six first place blue ribbons, two red 2nd
place ribbons and 2 Purple Reserve Breed Ribbons. We made enough
money to buy the gas almost! ha Cody showed Adrianna as a Maine
Anjou, Crystal showed, Red Bud as a Braunvieh, Loretta as a Chianina,
Heart as a Maintainer and Cowgirl as Commercial. Kylie brought
Kara and showed her as Commercial too. She won her class. All of
our cattle kids did great and we were proud of their hard work!
Rashele showed Lulu to Champion Braunvieh heifer and Crystal showed
Red Bud as Reserve Champion and also showed her in the Showmanship
class. She did an excellent job with a very green heifer too!
Rashele won the senior showmanship. One tough cookie to beat in
the show ring! Reighly won the Junior Division showmanship in
one ring and our little buddy Brock won the Junior Showmanship in the
other ring! He also had Champion Simmental TCL Mitz Wave.
If you have never shown a critter you don't realize how much intense
work it is to have every foot in the right spot at the right time!
Jacob Daley came with Harry in the Steer show and was Champion
Braunvieh steer. Donna said they are simply in love with that
calf and that he is perfect for Jacob in his temperament.
We are enjoying the nice weather we have been
getting! This morning we brought in the north pasture to pick
out the heavies again! This kind of weather will spoil you real
quick! It makes me want to go saddle up the horses and see if I
can get bucked off! ha
Crystal and TLC Cowgirl
Kylie and TRI Kara
Brock and TCL Mitz
Brock and his Hereford
Heifer
Jessie, Kelci and
Robert just hanging around the shop!
TLC Redbud and Crystal
Rashele and TLC LuLu
TLC Redbud and Crystal
McKenzie
What a cutie at the cattle show! It won't be
her first or last one! ha
Remember to welcome strangers,
because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing
it! Hebrews 13:2
2008
