"Learn from the mistakes of others.  You can't live long enough to make them all yourself."

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

•  I'm back!  Like a bad heart attack!  I know it's been a long drawn out affair but I plan on making up for it now since I have a new server and a new satellite receiver for internet service and a little more time than I had last month to spread the word! ha 

• Sitting on a tractor raking hay does get my brain working and thinking of things that should be said for the female race.   I know?  Ranchers wives are a dieing breed.   Something has to be said about how diversified we have to be to qualify for the holly name of "Ranchers Wife"    So I was thinking of all the things that explain my job descriptions.   I made a list of my qualifications, see if you qualify?

"Oklahoma Ranchers Wife Qualifications"

• Must be able to scoop manure at least four times a day.

• Must be able to push a one wheel barrow and two wheel barrow that weighs 100-150 pounds after the product is scooped into it.

• Must be agile and balance between a 1500 pound bull on one side and a 1600 pound bull on the other side while you clean muck.   Be prepared each scoop may weigh at least 10-15 pounds.

• Must be prepared to wear what you scoop.

• Must be prepared to wash cattle, feed cattle, drag cattle, stick cattle (show stick training)  If your wondering what that meant.. show people know. ha  "Look it up in Cow Dictionary"  My kitchen has a book along with my cow collection.

• Must be ready to jump on a mow tractor in the morning and rake tractor in the afternoon.  

• Must be able to eat dirt and wear grease with dignity.

• Must be able to fix lunch and supper after you have worked beside your man all day long and clean the table and dishes before you get to take a shower.

• Must be able to show cattle and sell cattle in between washing clothes and running the dish washer.

• Must be prepared to fix a six course meal when company or customers drop by for a visit.

• Must be able to perform miracles with rusty baling wire for cheap repair projects.

• Must be able to use duck tape in any given situation.

• Must know the difference between a whistle to move left and a whistle to go right.  Most of the time I just jump up and down..  Hate that whistle!

• Must have the lawn mowed and the flower beds weeded and watered before day light or after day light!  Because the man of the house says it's the best time of the day to water.  

• Must be pleasant and always cheerful when you are asked to run to town to pick up parts.   The best "part" is the wife can usually pick up lunch to go at Arby's so you don't have to cook when you get home to more company.

• Must be the hired man when gathering sick cattle to doctor.   Be able to cut cattle like a cutting horse and pull them like a 2000# Draft horse.

• Must be able to stand on your head when hanging up fans and be ready to put the bolt and nut on quick, or else catch a lot of flack.

• Must be team oriented and work endless hours at cattle shows, smell bad, giggle and crack jokes.

• Must be able to drop your hat and haul cattle to market at any given moment!  I like those trips because then I can stop afterwards and shop without the boss.

• Must be able to smile and relax at the days end and say.. 

"Thank You God for giving me such a wonderful Rancher husband to work beside!"

• July 31 Gebharts hereford cow Freona came in this morning so Abbie AI bred her before we left.   The other one still hadn't came in so he made plans to come back home after he got us situated in MO.  We made it to Springfield MO to the Ozark Empire Fair by 10:00 a.m.  We got everything set up and had lunch at Ruby Tuesday.   We sweated a lot that day.  Not much breeze and what breeze there was was over 100 degrees.    You looked around and everyone was as miserable as you were, so misery loves company.   We tied the cattle out at 8:00 and we headed to the motel rooms for a swim and we had pizza delivered.  The girls are having a good time together.

• Aug 1   We made it up about 5:30 a.m. to wash and feed the cattle.  Morgan was showing Star that day in the Junior show at 8:00.   She was selected Grand Champion Fullblood/Purebred female.   TLC Juna and TLC Waverly shown by Reighly and Rashelle won Grand and Reserve Grand Champion percentage females in the Junior show.   The cattle did better handling the heat than the people!  We met lots of nice folks and made some new friends.  Susan came up and she helped us a lot.   Thanks for your help show cattle mom! :)

• Aug 2  I slept about as little as I did the night before.. when we go to the shows I don't sleep much. Abbie made it in the morning and helped us prepare the five head for the open show that started at 11:00.   We did get to show up in the new show facility on the hill but the dirt wasn't wet down and we were in a dirt fog most of the time.   Star was selected Grand Champion again and Morgan was beaming.   Linda was selected Reserve Grand Champion behind the Ali heifer that Reighly got from us.   The bull show was very disappointing but that's the way it goes..  Guess you can't win them all huh?  We packed up and headed back to Oklahoma about 4:30.   Roger McDowell, Mark Ivey and Patrick spent the night with us.   We showed them some of the cattle in the pastures had supper at the truck stop or better yet breakfast.   We talked cattle until the wee hours of the morning.  We are really dumb people... we just can't quit talking about cattle...   We enjoyed the visit Roger!   Bring Tabetha and the kids next time!

• Aug 3  I ran to Vinita for more pipe and fittings for the satellite.  I lost it out of the truck on the highway!  That about scared me to an early heart attack!   Thankfully I had some baling wire in the back of the truck from the cattle show!  We dug the trench for the pvc pipe and Abbie did some gymnastic welding on top of the ladder for the dish.  We were two slow old people after we got that done!   We have internet service by  www.wildblue.com .  The gentleman that installed it was sure a nice guy!  He had lunch with us! We let the cattle enjoy a day of leisure today.. or should I say a day of leisure for us.   They seemed happy to stay under shade trees for a change.  Besides all the fan's were still in the trailer.  Madison and David came about 8:00 and picked up their Kadabra heifer Oprah.   We toured the pastures and they checked out their calves they picked out earlier.   We went to bed with the chickens!

• Aug 4  We are still trying to catch up.  Matt came and picked up the their two cows this morning.  Kevin brought his Hereford cows to preg check and the weaned bull calf.  I finally got most of the trailer unloaded and stuff put away.   It's amazing how much stuff you pack out of the barn.  I finally got the washer going too.  I wonder who those dirty people were that I did their laundry for today? ha  I almost lost my voice.. that was a good thing Abbie thought...ha  Ate too much dirt in MO...  I finally got things situated for the web site... still working on my email but bare with us we are gaining.   It's nice to be back friends..  Here's hoping you all have a great Wet weekend..  Come on RAIN!   We need you desperately...  Pray for us!

• Aug 5   Saturday  Still hot and dry in OK!  It rained in Pryor just south of us last night but we didn't even get a smell.   Went to Claremore today and picked up more beet pulp and supplies.   Stopped and saw Trecia and we split a sandwich for lunch at her  "A Place of Grace" book store.   Abbie's cousin Dale came walking in and he didn't recognize me with my new flat hair style!   We had a good visit!  I am working on genealogy for the Thorne family and also on my side of the family.  It get's pretty interesting to find out where you genes came from.   Most of mine came from German immigrants.   My grandpa Herrington always commented that we were German and Dutch and didn't amount to much.  ha  

• I am doing mounds of laundry today.   Washed up all the beds for the next crew that will undoubtedly coming through someday and need a good nights rest! 

• Aug 6-10   Monday we were up at the crack of dawn to gather three pastures to pregnancy check.  Clint got here about 7:30 and we were almost done by 11:30.   We also pulled all the clean up bulls and they were not happy campers to leave their girl friends!  Especially Jackpot who thrived on herding his heifers away from the gates. ha  We ate dirt all day long in the corrals!  Still no rain!  They got an inch in Pryor on Sunday evening and over three inches between Oolagah and Chelsea.   We got a smell of rain is all!   I made it into ww and the weigh in was better than I anticipated!   I lost since a month ago!  I picked up groceries! 

• Tuesday was another early rise day and we gathered two pastures of heavy bred cows and sorted for the first bunch due in two week!   We got done about noon and doctored some sore footed calves too.   Dani Leigh came to visit and we spent most of the afternoon in the house trying to stay cool!  She spent the night and entertained us as usual!  Doesn't take much for us old nana and papa's to watch in amazement at all the extra energy these grandkids have! ha 

• Wednesday we got in three more pastures to preg check and Rox called and said that she was on the way.  Did we need any help!  We sure were glad to see her!   We got all the show cattle washed and done before 9:00 today!  It's amazing how just one extra set of hands can help so much!   We got them all headed back to their pastures and we went to town for lunch!   We had out first baby this morning and it's a pretty little shorthorn heifer we will call Fantasia!   We rescued her after her  Maine/Braunvieh momma went to the tree patch and left her under another shade tree clear over east!   I swear some of these cows are selfish!  The Registered Angus cow Blackbird had twin bull calves from 6I6 in the afternoon!   Two little black babies!  We took Dani home about 9:00 and got to visit with Rod and Andrea. 

• Thursday,  Rox got here early and we got the show cattle all rinsed before 8:00.  She and Abbie also got Victory and Tracina clipped out for the showmanship school that Brian is putting on at his new barn on Saturday.    They certainly look different with their hair cuts!   Rox held onto the two twins in the back of the mule and we brought up the Angus so they could enjoy the shade of the barn.   It was up to 109 again today and it's like an oven outside!  Rox body clipped Glenda one of the Maine Anjou heifer pets.. she was miserable and wearing way too much hair for this weather.   That is one of the things we really like about our Maine and Braunvieh cross cattle.. they can handle more heat than the straight Maine cattle.    We have been having such a drought that it makes you look at your genetics real close for heat suffering.   Those darn old Fullblood and Black Purebred cows are still amazing... they stand out in the middle of the heat and eat grass!    When everything else is standing in the ponds, shade and panting!   I must not have any Braunvieh blood in me because I can't take the heat and sun either!   It's clouding up in the north...  We are just holding our breath that we may get some showers.   We hope you all get some rain too!  Pastures are starting to really stress.  

• Congratulations Allison and Roxane on your new appointment to OK Junior Cattlemen as officers.   President and Vice President!     Allison is also the Oklahoma Angus Queen this year.  As if you both don't already have enough on your plates!  We are always proud of your gals!   We know OSU is going to take good care of you both!   School will be here before we know it!  Seems like the summer went way too fast and hot!  I am actually looking forward to Fall for a change!  Maybe we will get some nice fall rain showers..  hopefully for about a week!  I can keep on hoping and wishing right?

• August 11-13    Friday, We got a shower last night... not as much as we need but as much as we were going to get!   I arose early to hear Dear Abbie had my day planned already!  I was hoping for a rain day so I could catch up on stuff in the house.  He said that I needed to go to Checotah OK and pick up a pallet of cedar fibers for the show barn bed.  He said, all I had to do was back up so they could load me with a fork lift.   It was sprinkling rain still but only a little so that I had to use the wind shield wipers.    So I hurried around and headed the Silver Bullet and the new aluminum trailer south down Hwy 69.   Of course you all know that Checotah is the home town of Carrie Underwood.     Well I didn't run into or find Carrie there as I was told to turn off at Rentlesville and head along 69 going south and I would surely find the vet clinic.   Well to make this adventure  story short.  It was the wrong exit and I ended up in Tim Buck Two!   Actually it was a little town called Otaha...  I know I miss spelled that one!  I don't mind pulling a big long trailer but when you get into a tight spot as I usually do.  I start to stress!  I was calling my husband all kinds of names before I got out of that little area! ha   It was so tight I didn't even have time to call him on the cell phone until I made it back to highway 69.   I then called the Voss Vet clinic and got the right directions.   Abbie had me turn on the first exit to Rentlesville.   I needed to go eight miles south to the next exit!    All this time I was driving in a down pour from Pryor through Muskogee and onto to Checotah finally!  So it wasn't all bad to see the wind shield wipers still worked!   The rest of the story is that they didn't have a fork lift and it had to be loaded by hand.   By then I was a very disappointed wife!  I had been set up again by Abbie dear!   Yes, I got them all loaded.. all 67 some bags of itchy scratchy cedar fibers.    The only thing good was they were all Grannie size bags of 25# each.   So all that I loaded was 1675# pounds one at a time!  I opted not to get two pallets and made it home just before noon to find Abbie with a big grin on his face!  He and Rox were sorting pastures and he swore he didn't know I would have to load them by hand!  Right!  They were sorting heifer calves and their mommas to one pasture, steer calves and their momma's in one pasture and the bull calves and their momma's in another.   I swear I will get even someday! ha  It's sure been nice to have Rox the past week!  We are going to miss her.   We did get the cedar fibers unloaded and down in the barn and they sure do look nice under the show cattle.   Burk and Anita brought Megan over and she spent the night preparing for the next day Showmanship clinic at Brian's.

• Saturday.   Megan and I got the cattle ready to load and Abbie did up chores and checked the heavies before we headed to Brian's for the Showmanship Clinic he was putting on.   Erica, Allison and Roxane took three groups of kids and helped them learn the basics to the extreme showmanship.   It was terribly  hot but those kids and cattle stuck it out to 2:00.  Friend Sheila and I took entries and cooked up about a 100 tube steaks for kids and parents.   We made it home about 2:30 and found the air conditioner in the house! ha   Burke and Anita came and took us all out to supper at Crosby's Catfish for supper!  We are kidless again!   We sure do enjoy having Megan here!  She jumps right in and takes charges of things.  She worked the Angus heifer Queen Ann and Morgan worked with Victory the Fullblood heifer at the showmanship clinic.  We took Tracinda along so she could get used to all the action.

• Sunday.  Thank you Lord for this Sunday!  A day of rest we hope!  We are close to delivering several new babies any day now!   We will have babies all over the place real soon!   It's a baby sitting job we must love or we would be running a day care center instead.   With all the hot weather the calves have been extremely small and the heat has been not been an asset in their development after they are born either.   We pray for cooler and wetter days for us all! 

• Please pray for our service men and women and their families!   They are giving the extreme sacrifice!    With war, terrorist, animal rights terrorist, and just plain crazy people in this world our problems at the Thorne Ranch seem very small!  God Bless you friends and come back soon!

Abbie rescuing a shorthorn baby from the heat!	Dani Leigh helping water trees.	Erica, Rox, Allison and Brian at the showmanship clinic	The Group of Kids and parents watching and learning.
Rox working Allison's hair!  Note the hair spray!  You girls are something! ha	Morgan in the front with Victory and kids and cattle working hard	Group of kids and cattle	Megan and Queen Ann doing their stuff...  Lookin good!

• August 16-17   Hot and muggy is the two words that describes northeast OK the past two days  We had more calves born and I am sure they thought it was a darn hot place to enter into.   I am in the process of doing a web site for our friends the Aschermann's in Missouri today so please go and look at their upcoming sale information..   They will have their new look on their own web site real soon, but for now I have created a page for them on our web site..  Check them out!  Great people and great white cattle!  I am headed to town to the bank and grocery store..  I have a story to tell you about how I probably won't be helping Abbie Dear load big pick up trucks on a car carrier again.  ha  I had white knuckles if that tells you anything.  He loves getting me into situations where I am not in control! ha  It has to be a man thing...ha  Sometimes I feel like the puppet around here! ha

• August 18-20   Friday morning we hurried around and finally made it up to Coffeyville KS for the big fair and cattle show.   We went to see Reighly, Rashelle and Megan show.   They all did well and under the big top it was one hot momma.   We made it home and John Oxtoby was here.   He spent the night and helped Abbie clip up one pasture of steers early in the morning.  I got the show heifers all washed and settled by noon.  Sunday  we thought possibly we might would get a shower but not to happen.. It all went west , south and East of us again!  Erica came and picked up Prissy and her calf so we made a tour of the pastures.   The Tennison's showed up right after Erica left and we looked at the steers.   Of course the one's they wanted were already spoken for.   Donnie Shores called and he was headed this way so we will show him the cattle this afternoon.  So much for a cooler day.   It's still 93 out, but with a little breeze.   I loaded up Tee and Jazz Thursday night and went riding with the YA YA Sisters.  It was a warm evening but we sure did have a good time on the trail.   Jazz got scratched up so she didn't get rode but Tee was warmed up pretty good by the time we got done for Bahama Momma's.  A punch that Rita mixed up for the ladies.  ha   Good thing we were not riding when we drank that stuff... Could have gotten (RUI)  (Riding under the influence)

"Wrangler Dreams in Little Britches"

Hope you enjoy the picture of grandson Dalton Lee in his Wrangler jeans gazing at the cows...  We  sent it off to Wrangler for their approval..    Daughter Shareen won "Best of show" at the County Fair with this picture.  Great job Sheen!

This has been a busy week so far!  We are now down to two head left to calve in this bunch.  We have been clipping and breaking calves to lead for the past couple of days!   We had 21 tied in the barn yesterday.   Some we are getting ready for Tulsa and some just ready for the buyer.   There sure are some nice calves this year.   With such dry weather they have still done really well.   It has to be all that momma milk our calves get. ha    Seems like this month has gone by way too fast! 

 It's tag and weigh calves again today!  I wonder what kind of rodeo we will have today!  Sports illustrated should be here sometimes! ha   They could get some real action shots.. of grandma and grandpa in action! ha  Have a great Labor Day weekend and please drive safely!  Watch out for the other participants.. too!

Rick, Clayton, Delynn and Phillip

Phillip, Clayton and Delynn

Clayton giving his speech at Pre School Graduation. 

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

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