Lost In A Blog

This is a repost from Thanksgiving 2010. My Grandmother Hazel was an amazing women and we all miss her. Pictures are so important to me, I'm always gathering everyone up for "one more" photo shoot, something that drives my family nuts.  I'm so glad they agreed to gather for this one. 


Five Generations
My mom, my daughters and granddaughters and my Grandma Hazel. My 97 year old grandmother was able to spend all Thanksgiving day with us. For over 50 years she operated our local grocery store and was voted Seiling, Oklahoma's Business Woman of The Year. She's still witty, sharp and feisty


Well...now I AM confused. I've been sick for a few days. I hit a brick wall after Thanksgiving dinner, limply slithered into my recliner Friday and have been sitting here contemplating my social media skills. While surfing blog and websites I've concluded that I'm in need of a facelift. My blog needs it, my facebook page needs it, my website needs it, and I'm pretty sure my mug could use one too after sitting in front of the computer for hours, but I'm just not sure where to start. Do I keep GoDaddy? Do I switch to Wordpress? Our guys were "BRANDING" yesterday, I learned I need one too-maybe I should have got in line. Do I tweek my own design or hire another done? Maybe the latter because some of the conversations between the elite SMers were in the 400 or 500 level. I've been complacently comfortable residing at "introduction to___"level. If you're one of my "10's of readers" just bear with me until I get all of this figured out. My SM skills at this point: not pretty, but functionable- Telling A Positive Animal Ag/Beef Story To Anyone Who'll Listen.

Back In The Saddle...Almost

I’m back…for a while, barring I don’t slip on another tutu or fall over another tombstone.  

The morning after Easter 5:45 a.m. to be exact, I slipped on a princess tutu and tore my rotator cuff.  In June I had surgery and spent the summer going to physical therapy three times a week 60 miles away.   In August my Grandmother Hazel passed away.  She had lived a long, happy, successful, life.   She was 96 years old and it was hard to say goodbye to one of my best friends. 

My shoulder was on the mend,  but at Grandma’s graveside service I fell over a tombstone.  During the service I’d been watching near misses and worried about someone tripping over the one on my end of the tent.  I didn’t realize there was another on the other end.  Remember I have 10 grandkids, 7 of them under the age of 7.  I had my hands full of water bottles, mine and theirs. As I hurried out of the tent to speak to some relatives I fell head, neck and face first over the tombstone my rear and high heels in the air and my mouth full of dirt and grass.  Needless to say, I hurt my shoulder again, among other things, including my ego.    My “audience” watched in awe as I staggered to my feet, grass in my hair, spitting dirt out of my mouth.  All eyes were on me, then suddenly all heads turned away in unison like they’d not witnessed a thing.  I guess they were embarrassed…for me.  I was in too much pain to be embarrassed.  This is the first time I have been able to sit on the couch, watch television, do my nails, eat bon bons and be waited on.  I felt like a princess.   That was short lived.  Last week I graduated from physical therapy and returned to the barn only to leave with a limp after being kicked by an unhappy show heifer.  Returning to my running program is looking like a distant dream. 

Although I’ve been slack on posting, I’ve never lagged on my Facebook conversations.  Our animal ag and pet industries continue to be attacked on a daily basis and at this moment in time I have been compelled to share the facts of these attacks with women's groups across the country. Extreme activists are undermining us in all directions and will not be satisfied until their goal of abolishing animal agriculture and animal ownership is reached.  This sounds like a crazy absurd statement.  I wish it were.  I wish that I was able to devote all my days to writing and sharing my recipes and daily happenings but our business depends on owning and raising animals and when an entity, group or individual sets out to destroy your business you must stand up and defend that business.  That is what I’ve been focused on for nearly a year when our ranch realized extremists were making their way onto America's ranches under a deceptive guise.  For more information about the onerous programs and groups that are destroying our animal ag and pet industries visit  Animal Ag Armed

I will try to return to sharing more in-depth daily activities on our ranch.  For those of you who are revisiting this site please go to My Kitchen Is an Ecosystem  I ‘ve added new recipes and ideas for saving on your food bill by reducing, reusing and recycling in the kitchen, something I’ve done for years. and something that all of us are going to need to do during these difficult economic times.  

Chain Ranch History

This past year the American National Cattlewomen chose several women to serve as conversation leaders in our beef industry through the United States Farmer's and Rancher's Alliance I was one of those women.and have enjoyed the training through this program which is striving to form a bond between consumers and their food producers.  This video was taken as part of USFRA's competition, Become The Face of Agriculture.  We are trying our luck, but if we don't make the cut, it was something I've been wanting to do with my dad for several years.

Catching Up...

Apologies once again.  I refuse to say that I'll do better at posting because I will not.  My blessed life revolves around my family which today includes 10 grand kids, my husband, my folks, my children and their spouses and a host of in-laws, friends and acquaintances.  I love this life and I wish it were all I had to do- cook, play and visit.

 But fortunately it's not, because if it were I might not ever leave the house.  just revel in this splendid chaos, a scene that resembles Cheaper By The Dozen on most days. I do have the responsibility of helping manage our ranching operations. The blessings of my big family include the fact that now the physical labor is left up to my husband, dad (yes, he's 85 but still climbs aboard his 850 John Deere bulldozer everyday and levels things),brother, sons, son-in-laws, nephew...and now two grandsons that are always ready and willing to jump in the cab of a tractor or combine to pull their share of the load. I've even relinquished my swathing, raking and baling duties which I do miss at times.

My focus over the past eight months has been on the numerous attacks on our industry.  It has been so much of a concern that I've designed (with the help of other concerned animal ag producers) two other blogs: animalagarmed.blogspot.com. and agvoicesunited.blogspot.com  So this explains why I've left my "first love"...my personal blog and website...for a time.

Animal ag producers are under attack like no other time in history.  We are not only having to tell our story to consumers who know little about where their food comes from, but are now having to  stand up against covert attacks within our own industry.   After an incident on our ranch in October it became apparent that some individuals in our own industry have caved to greed. It has left  me confused and now skeptical, groups and individuals who had my complete trust have now lost that trust.

But that's for the other sites.  I will try to keep Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde separate and keep this site carefree and cheerful...but I'm not promising anything.

Catching Up... 
On Ranching
All of the heifers finished calving around the last of March.  Those calves were gathered and worked  (castrated, ear-notched and vaccinated)  this month and turned out on grass.
The grandsons have been to numerous stock shows; won some lost some, always having a great time meeting new friends.
We're cutting canola, getting ready to cut wheat and putting up alfalfa.

 Hmm I'm sounding like those Christmas cards with letters in them that I have trouble reading... (sorry I know some of you send them but if they're longer than two pages...you've lost me)

Anyway

On Other Things
In April I attended the Animal Ag Alliance Summit in D.C. a summit that I will not miss as it  covers issues that will determine whether our family will be able to continue to provide safe, affordable animal protein for the world.
 I hate to fly so I took the train like I have the past two times I've attended.  I love doing this.  I drive three hours from our home, catch Amtrak to Chicago, transfer, go to sleep and wind up in Union Station around noon. I have this down pat as I did it often when our youngest daughter and family lived in D.C. 
Everyone worries about me when I take this trip but I assure them I NEVER let myself get into compromising situations.  That was until this time.  My 2:30 a.m. train was three hours late.  Generally there are several others boarding the train at this time, so I'm never alone.  However this time I was alone...or so I thought.  The quaint little station is tidy; renovated, houses a cute coffee/shop which isn't open at 2:30 a.m. It's relatively safe. I was unaware that my train was going to be three hours late (that's how train travel is) I called to check on arrival times and each time I called it became later and later.   I stayed in my car as long as I could, but after two cups of coffee I had to make my way inside.  As I opened the door to the station a man was lying on the floor under the trendy coffee shop counter.  I immediately did an about face and hurried back to my car.  After sitting/floating I had to try once more.  I thought maybe he'd left.  No, he was still there, but he hadn't moved, so I thought he's either dead or asleep.  So I tippy-toed in and hurried past him.  I just prayed to God that he would protect me ( I shared this story with my husband and told him not to tell my folks because they would worry and he said,  "The Lord always watches out for you; he knows you can't take care of yourself."  So anyway I hurry into the bathroom; hurry out and as I pass a long clothes closet down the hall I hear snoring.  It's another person.  I hurry out and get in my car.  My heart is pounding. There were two of them.  I lock the doors and wait.  But now I must think about getting my cargo into the station (when the train arrives there is no waiting, you either get on or you get left) I had to have everything out and ready to board.  So I just pray again. I get out drag my luggage to the entrance, slip pass the (dead/sleeping?) man, and with snoring coming opposite of him  I hurry and push all my belongings into a corner.  Then I hurry back out to the car/ lock the doors and wait.
I'm then pulled between watching my belongings and getting killed.  "What if they take my stuff?", "No, it's too heavy". "But what if they take the little bag, the one with my laptop?".  So I go back; peek in the door and the man under the trendy coffee shop counter is still laying in the same position.  I'm really thinking he might be dead at this point.  So I open the door and slowly step inside.  It's 5:30 a.m. by now and as I start to walk in I hear rustling coming from the closet.  A disheveled man in khaki shorts, hiking boots and a jean jacket about my age appears.  He said, "We're harmless"  "That's my brother down there and I'm Joe".  I could do nothing more than smile and introduce myself.  By now I could see other cars in the parking lot with folks getting ready to board the train, so I was somewhat more at ease. 
Joe offered me a seat at his table and I accepted. As he was pouring out his life to me another man stepped in with a cup of coffee and a newspaper for Joe.  I'd seen this guy before as he had been in the station when I'd boarded the train on previous trips.  I always thought he worked there.  He didn't.  He was homeless also and Joe's friend. And he had connections with the night shift at Burger King, which explained the coffee.
In the end this homeless man who'd lost his job was a true gentlemen.  He shared his paper (wanted to share his coffee-had to refuse that), and helped me get my bags on the train.
I said a prayer for those three men.  It was such a sad eye-opening experience, but one I feel truly blessed to have encountered.

Season's Greetings-Past, Present and Future
  Andy

Beautiful Bovine Birth



A Full Moon Plus...

The Duty of Calving Out 300 Synchronized Bred 1st Calf Heifers...



Is Not...

 

For The Weak...

 

Or Faint of Heart.



Witnessing the Beauty of Birth...PRICELESS


So to clarify some things if you're new to bovine births.  Synchronizing heifers, in our case, means bringing their heat cycles closer  together through a fairly complicated process and then artificially inseminating the animal.  What it all boils down to: approximately 300 first calf heifers start having their calves within a 10 day period.  This gets pretty intense as you can have several heifers calving at the same time.
It is important to use bulls with low birth weights on first calf heifers.  EPD's or  Expected Progeny Differences allow  producers to pick sires that fit their programs.
In most cases if a low birth weight bull is used, the heifer will not need assistance in calving, however; there are always a few that need help.  This certain night we were up until 2:00 a.m. delivering.



Merry (Retro) Christmas

I have to say this was a Christmas to remember. God has poured out his blessings on our family and I am so very, very thankful.  One of those blessings has been the opportunity I have had to enjoy my close-knit group of creative, funny, quick-witted, quirky kids and their spouses.

 This year they had a grand plan...

locate the ugliest Christmas sweater or outfit ever and wear it for our family Christmas. The hard part was finding one. It seems this was a popular event, not just in rural Oklahoma, but everywhere. We were in Minnesota several weeks ago and a thrift store in The Mall of America (yes a thrift store-a chain thrift store-there were three of them in the mall) was selling these things for $20 a piece!  Finally I found ours at our local thrift shop for $1.99.  It was such a big hit we're making plans for next year!  Someone mentioned Easter outfits...we'll wait and see about that one.

Not all the kiddos were as excited about dressing the part.  Those refusing to dress ugly were required to wear a Santa hat.

hmm?

Green pin-striped seersucker pants completes #1 RFM's Christmas outfit.

My dad escaped the ugly outfit and Santa's hat-seniority rules.

God Bless You and Yours!

"What'll You Give?"

Thought I'd update you on what's happening on the Chain Ranch.  We've been really busy getting ready for our 2nd Annual Red Dirt Red Angus Sale.  
We have had cattle sales on our places for the past 14 or 15 years, always hiring a sale company to put them on.  The last two years we have been doing most of the work ourselves along with the @Oklahoma Red Angus Association and @Cattle In Motion and @Superior Livestock .  Come On Out Saturday and Enjoy The Day.
If you're really feeling adventurous and you're a golfer...or not... come watch the Pasture Golf Tourney on Friday.  It's getting more attention than the sale!