Dove Season Eve

I've been trying to come up with a joke that goes with the photograph I took earlier this week in my mother's backyard, but it's not happening.  I keet thinking, "A dove and a starling walk into a bar...." but, that's as far as I get.  Oh, well.

We used to never see Whitewing dove in the Texas Panhandle -- only Mourning dove.  Now, there are Whitewing, White tipped and Ringneck as well as Mourning dove.  The species are spreading and intermingling.  Dove season starts tomorrow for much of the state. 

When I was a kid it seemed that everyone wanted to hunt.  The problem for many was gaining access to properties on which to pursue the high-flying game birds.  Most of the farmers were open and willing to allow hunting as long as you were respectful of their property.  Many saw the birds as a pest that wanted to eat their ripened crops before they could be harvested.

One of my favorite places to hunt was a pecan orchard owned by a neighbor to my grandfather.  The dove would be out in the grain fields during the day but, would come into the orchard late in the afternoon to roost for the night.  It was a large orchard and you never knew where the birds would enter.  The best positions were at the corners so that you could see down two sides of the orchard.

Usually, we would spend some time walking between the rows of trees hoping to flush the birds.  It was a challenge to hit them in the brief moment it took for them to cross the narrow open space between the trees.  We tried our best not to shoot into the pecan trees themselves because it would knock the ripening nuts from the trees.  Occasionally a few leaves fell victim.

Where we live now is very different hunting than the open plains where I grew up.  Here, there are trees everywhere.  Fortunately, dove season starts at the end of what is usually the dry season so there is opportunity to hunt near water where the dove will come in for a drink.  To many that seems unsportsmanlike, but let me tell you, those birds are still flying up to 70 miles per hour and are great at using "cover" on their approach.  They will come "out-of-the-sun" or, from behind a line of trees.  They may be low or, they may be high.  They could give the best fighter pilots a few lessons on how to utilize land forms and natural structure for camouflage.

I laughed to myself in the middle of the night, this last day before season opens.  The reason?  It was raining.  It is still raining.  There will be water everywhere and the dove won't have to come into a water tank, or stock pond for a drink.  They will find it in many places.

It has been dry in much of the Texas Panhandle where Mom lives.  She commented that she didn't know why the birds were coming to the bird bath since she never put water in it.  I suggested it might catch some water from her sprinkler system that waters the yard.  Sure enough, the starling soon began to "take a bath" in the water as the dove looked on.  Maybe that's the joke:

A dove and a starling walk into a bar for a drink.  The starling immediately dives in and is having a good old time while the dove looks on.  The starling says, "Why aren't you enjoying yourself?  You not only can drink it, but you can splash around and cool off too!"  The dove says, "I'm waiting to see if you get shot first."

Okay, it wasn't much of a joke anyway....

Big Tracks

No matter where you go in this old world, people have been there ahead of you.  I think that's why history appeals to me as much as it does -- I want to know what they saw before I got there.

Several times each year I pass through the small community of Saint Jo, Texas.  It lies on U.S. Highway 82 to the Northwest of Fort Worth.  It is one of those places that tend to slide right by as you travel by automobile across the country.  It was once a very important community.

It was founded in 1849 by Prince Singletary who entered the area in a fruitless search for gold.  He found it to be an ideal place to settle near the head of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River.  It grew in importance as various military expeditions crossing the area discovered it as an excellent camping spot.  Later, it was considered to be a crucial way point on the cattle drives as they headed north.  It was one of the last places to obtain supplies before heading across the Red River into Indian Territory.

Only in the imagination can you see signs of the old cattle trails.  The land forms suggest the likely path the cattle were driven on their long journey north.  Of course "the trail" wasn't what we might envision when we hear the word, it was spread out and varied somewhat in course depending on which herd was passing through.  The cattle had to forage for the grass as they walked, so each herd's path would diverge slightly in search of grazing.  The common points of convergence would be water sources and river crossings which constricted their flow to specific points.

Saint Jo is still in the heart of cattle country although it is not far from the thriving cities of Fort Worth and Dallas as well as smaller, but quickly growing communities in the surrounding area.  Some day it will likely be swallowed by suburbs that seem to expand in an endless quest for more land on which to build houses and industry.

I'm sure the citizens of Saint Jo would initially disagree, but there is value in preserving our heritage in places like this.  There is even greater value in conserving the precious resources that made this an important point on the early trails crossing the area.  At the head of an important watershed crossing the eastern portion of the state, it is critical that natural land forms and plant communities be maintained to protect quality for those downstream who are dependent upon it as a source of clean water.  The real issue however, isn't currently the land use around Saint Jo, it is the land use further downstream where urban and suburban development have engulfed the river and surrounding watershed with concrete and asphalt which causes frequent and severe flooding in the event of heavy rainfall.

The best solution to those issues is to ensure the land continues to be used for grazing which is the ideal way to maintain grasses and tree belts to mitigate rapid runoff and provide natural filters for water entering the system.  Saint Jo was important for the cowboys heading north because it provided relief and supplies from the trail.  It is important today because it is at the heart of a way of life that protects millions of people downstream.  The ranchers that come to the The Lazy Heart Grill or, the Stonewall Saloon seen in the photo above, probably aren't aware of how important their operations are to preserving the quality of life for the myriad people who live down state.

"Oh, look at the pretty flowers!"

Texas is a land of wildflowers.  They are pleasing to view while traveling across the open spaces of the Lone Star State.  They have their place and are useful to wildlife, but some are toxic to many species.  In the photo you see what I believe to be Bitter Sneezeweed (Helenium amarum).  It is an invasive plant that likes to colonize overgrazed pastures.

This one was growing on our place -- not at our invitation.  When a plant is not where it is supposed to be it is considered a weed and we treat them as such.

One of our neighbors has a pasture that is almost completely covered with these weeds.  They grow right up to our fence and then stop.  His pasture was overgrazed a number of times and the weed has colonized.  We see only an occasional plant pop up in our pastures.

In the photo you also see seed heads of Bahia grass and you see a lot of organic material covering the ground.  It is important to let the grasses go to seed regularly in order to maintain plant populations.  The organic material covering the ground helps to conserve moisture, return plant nutrients to the soil, provide strata for bacteria and fungi which break down that material and also to prevent the colonization by invasive species.

Monitoring pastures is something we do constantly.  Every time we cross a piece of ground we are looking at the plants, the condition of the grasses, the moisture levels, invasive plants such as trees and weeds, the shape of manure piles from the cattle as well as their coloration.  We watch for insect species, for other wildlife signs, the height of remaining forage, and many other things.  It is a habit of constantly monitoring and evaluating our operations.

I had a great conversation at breakfast yesterday morning in which we talked about how in every business there is a tendency to quickly "institutionalize" the things we do.  We lose the motivating factors to innovate -- to change -- and things become routine.  The problem is that the world changes around us and sometimes we get significantly "behind the curve" because we fail to change with it.  We stop monitoring the processes because they are "tried and true" and familiar.

Whatever your business, it is important to constantly monitor the processes that brought you success.  Subtle changes, like the appearance of that single invasive plant, could signal the need to make an adjustment, or they might just be an anomaly.  If we aren't paying attention, those anomalies can become part of the "accepted" background and creep in on a scale that is destructive.

Heart of the Farm

It stands against the wearing time --

Rusted, used and worn --

With smells of dust and hay and horse

This massive ancient barn.

A place of shelter filled with things

Of wonder to a child

Like harness, old and brittle

Hanging on a wooden stall.

There's a set of scales with hanging weights

Suspended from a chain

Used to weigh the cotton sacks

And calculate the wage

For Pickers paid by the pound

Harvested each day

And stuffed in sacks they drug along

As they stooped under its sway,

The new is parked beside the old

As time has changed all things;

A diesel tractor now is there

Where plow horses once stood

Patiently waiting to be harnessed

To the wagon on which was piled

The heavy sacks of cotton

To be hauled to the gin.

Through it all the barn has stood

Witness of the change

From cotton crop to livestock;

Still the heart of the farm.

Trees, Trees, Trees!

We fight a constant battle with trees in our part of the world.  This is a seedling American Elm tree peeking through the grass on our place.  The elm are spread by wind.

Here we see a small pecan tree.  Birds and a few other animals such as squirrels spread pecan trees.  Squirrels will gather the nuts and bury them for later consumption.  Time in the soil softens the hard outer shell and makes it easier for them to get at the meat.

This appears to be another pecan.  These are native varieties and the nuts are small.  There are a number of very large ones on our place.  Water washing across the land can also spread pecans.

This looks to be a Redbud Tree.  The small seeds of the Redbud are spread by birds.  The seeds need the scarification action of the acids in the bird's alimentary tract in order to germinate.  Otherwise, they are just a hard, round bee-bee of a seed that will sit for many years before germination.

We have a constant battle with trees.  Generally, in our part of Northeast Texas, if land is left fallow for a few years it will become overgrown with trees.  One of the most common colonizing trees we have to deal with is the Honey Locust.  I didn't take a photo of any yesterday when I was out scouting the pasture, mainly because this year's seedlings are already from 1 to 3 feet tall.  They are very obvious.

The ideal way to deal with the encroachment of trees is with fire.  It is the way the American Indians dealt with them.  It is the way nature deals with them.  Now, in this modern time it seems we have become "smarter" than either nature or the earliest Americans; we think fire is something to prevent.  Because we no longer use fire as a management tool, our forests are full of dead, fallen limbs and trees and our open grasslands are being invaded by colonizing trees.

We hear a lot about the need to retain our forests as a means of capturing and storing carbon.  They are part of the equation, but only one aspect of it.  Forests, just like any other concentration of vegetation, are constantly dying and renewing.  That process releases carbon through decay which is then re-captured through growth.  The same happens in grasslands.  The same happens in animals.  Read about the Carbon Cycle.

In our part of the world it is difficult to do a controlled burn of pasture due to the bottomland forests which surround us.  The fuel load in some of those forests is so large that the fires would burn for weeks and be extremely hot.  Ideally, fire should occur periodically -- even in those bottomland forests.  It would clear out much of the dead, fallen limbs on a regular basis and allow a natural succession of hardwoods to take place.  Instead, the woods are full of fallen timber which washes into the streams during heavy rains, causing damming to occur which leads to the streams escaping their banks and eroding new channels.  It also cause the water to back up and flood many acres that would otherwise quickly clear of water.

There is much talk of how agriculture has changed land use practices.  That is true, but only part of the story.  One of the greater issues is how man has changed the natural cycle of fire and renewal.  Now, about the only way to effectively control the colonizing trees in areas such as the open meadows of our land which are crucial for wildlife, is through chemical or, mechanical means.  Chemical means risk exposure of animals to substances that may have temporary harmful effects.  Their use can impact the diversity of species on a localized basis -- even if it doesn't directly harm them, their presence seems to discourage some from utilizing the land resources.  Mechanical means are typically only marginally effective and there is often re-growth.

If you read about the Carbon Cycle in the link above, you will find that it points to the burning of fossil fuels as the single biggest cause of excessive carbon in the atmosphere which many claim is the reason for global warming.  It also refers to land use practices -- particularly by agriculture.  Here is where I take some exception; I suspect the "viral" spread of urban and suburban areas with the concomitant use of concrete and asphalt is a bigger issue.  It not only changes reflectivity of the land, it changes water runoff patterns and contributes to flooding issues.  Folks are concerned about burning the rainforests of Brazil, but I'm more concerned about the spread of urban areas.  I hate the loss of biodiversity in those lost forests, but I know they will be replaced by plant life that is part of the natural carbon cycle.  Land taken for houses, highways and parking lots will likely remain in those uses as long as mankind occupies this planet.  We need to seriously re-think our cities and surrounding suburban areas.

Sigh, I suppose I got on my soapbox a bit this morning.  

Preserving the Unknown for the Future

Normally webworms are found up in the trees.  This is some type of tall weed of which I don't know the identity.  It was standing along the edge of a hay meadow near a dense cope of trees.  There were a few webs up in the trees, but they were not as dense as these.

If you zoom in on the photo you will see that the leaves have turned snowy white and are completely enclosed by the webs.  It is as if each leaf is the center of a collapsed paper bag.  I could not see any active worms within the bags, yet they seemed intact.

If any of you who read this know what this critter is, please post the identity in the comments for me.  If they only attack weeds I may start raising them as a cash crop!

There are many things in nature that we don't understand.  Why did these "bugs" attack this specific plant and leave all of those surrounding it alone?  Is there some critical nutrient they were seeking that drew them to it?  There were other weeds of the same type nearby that were untouched.  The lower leaves on this plant were also untouched.  I should have taken a photo of them for comparison, but it didn't occur to me as I was checking cows yesterday.

I suppose I'm a little weird, but things like this intrigue me.  Did you know that many of our medicines come from plants?  Could it be that the same chemicals that drew the web-makers to this weed have the potential to cure cancer or, other diseases?  Is there something special about this plant, which I see occasionally, but is not common on our land?

Maybe it isn't the plant that is special but, perhaps there is something in this patch of soil that has been taken up by the plant?  Could creatures like these "webworms?" be genetically programmed to seek out specific chemicals?  Could they be programmed to mine potential basic molecules from plants to be used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals?

Like I said, I suppose I'm a little weird, but I know that there are things occurring in nature that we don't understand that could be of great benefit to us.  We must take care to maintain large natural areas where such interesting and unique processes occur simply for the fact that they are a laboratory for research into what we don't know.

We also need to train scientists to incorporate the observation of nature into their quest for the "new and better" which may be something that has been around for millennia in a natural process that we just don't yet realize is occurring.  Without wild places that would be impossible.

Just my thoughts this morning.  Again, if you know exactly what caused the webs on this plant, please comment.  I would appreciate it!

Snowy Egret

In the shallows,

Statue still,

Poised to strike

Some unwary victim

Soon to be victual.

Pristine white feathers

Against the sky,

Deceive the eye

Of passing creatures

Down below.

Patient hunter,

Winged beauty,

Graceful flyer,

Eye catcher,

Peaceful elegance.

The snowy egret was once threatened for its beautiful plumage which brought double the price of gold in the 1880's.  The feathers were highly prized to grace the hats of the ladies.  They have recovered and are common today.  Read about them here.  The one in the photo above was visiting one of ponds on our land.  Without the development of water sources such as this one, the opportunities to feed would be greatly diminished for many wading species such as this snowy egret.  Ranching has and continues to serve an important role in conserving open spaces for wildlife throughout our country.

Teleology and a Newborn Calf

Sometimes you really have to hunt to find them -- those newly born calves.  There's a lot going on in this photo -- like the spider web, the cow's nose almost touching it, some serious thorns and the calf's ears back, listening to my approach.  If the cow had acted normally I would never have guessed there was a new baby hidden in the tangle.  As I approached the calf, she move aggressively toward me rather than moving off in another direction.  She was ready to go into protection mode.

Animal behavior intrigues me.  I've been reading (just like a few pages to finish) "The Foundations of Ethology" by Konrad Lorenz.  It has been around awhile; it was one of my better-half's college textbooks.  It probably seems like a strange thing to be reading but, it's about the study of animal behavior.

Some of it is a bit of a struggle simply because Dr. Lorenz was German and his thinking/writing reflects that.  It's a style thing.  He uses plenty of big words that sometimes drive me to Google in a search for meaning -- words like "teleology" which is "the explanation of phenomena in terms of the purpose they serve rather than of the cause by which they arise."  I would explain it as "why do they do what they do?"

When you really think about behavior there is a dawning realization that much of it is based on genetic programming.  The baby in the photo above is "programmed" to stand at his mother's urging and lift its nose to her while moving its untested legs in a fashion that propels it along her side to the source of its first nourishment.  The cow isn't "telling" the calf what to do although she sometimes will urge it in the right direction by moving slightly or nudging it with her nose, the calf "knows" what to do the moment it is born.  It runs its nose along her side until it finds the hairless faucet that is likely dripping enticement.

If you begin to break that behavior down into parts it becomes even more interesting.  How does the leg know how to move?  It takes a series of signals that must be transmitted through the nerves to the muscles and tendons to cause it to function properly.  It is born with that ability already there.  Expand that to the fact it must coordinate the movement of all four legs as well as the head and neck for balance simply to stand before it can begin to walk.  It is born with that ability programmed into its makeup. 

Back up even further.  How do the cells know to differentiate so that what begins as a mass of sameness divides into different types of cells that grow into different types of organs that perform very different functions which are all part of a connected and coordinated system that is the animal?  Some, such as Lorenz, attribute it totally to evolutionary processes that began millions of years ago in a single-celled organism; others to a Creator.  Whatever your belief system, it is amazing.  Hmmm...the fact that you are able to develop a belief system is amazing.

I think most of us have some level of curiosity about the world around us simply because we want to better understand ourselves.  Why do we do what we do?  What are the teleological aspects of our presence here on earth?  I guess that word is stuck in my head now....

The Privilege of Producing Food

Preconditioning is part of the program we use with our cattle.  This is a small group of some of the early calves this year.  The photo doesn't really do them justice.

When we wean the calves, we run them through the processing chute, use an endectocide on them (a pour-on de-"bug"-er), implant steers, put an ear tag in if it hasn't already been done and then we put them into what we call our weaning pen where they have access to fresh, clean hay and water and receive a supplement which you see them eating in the photo above.  The pen has a good net wire fence around it inside the barbed wire.  It is adjacent to the area we call "the trap" which is centrally located on our place and is where the cattle come to water from the different grazing paddocks that radiate from it.  This allows for fence line weaning of the calves -- they can see and talk to Momma, but can't get to her to nurse.

After the calves have been weaned for two weeks we run them back through the processing chute and give them their first round of vaccinations consisting of a modified live 5-way viral shot plus Mannheimia haemolytica which is one of the pathogens causing bacterial pneumonia.  We also give them an 8-way Clostridial vaccine plus Haemophilus somnus.  It covers a number of other diseases to which the calves will likely be exposed in time.  Then, according to the label directions, we will revaccinate the calves a few weeks later for the same pathogens in order to ensure their immune system is reacting properly.

The reason for delaying the first round of vaccines is to allow the calves time to get over the stress of weaning and adjusted to their new environment away from their mother.  When an animal -- or, human for that matter -- is stressed, their immune system is not working properly and often will not mount a proper immune response to the vaccine.

Another thing that happens with how we handle our calves is that they become habituated to going through the processing chute.  Each trip through becomes smoother until the calves almost flow through on their own.  This is important for reducing their stress response and it makes them easier for the next owner to handle.

We use a low-stress handling technique and our facility is set up on a "Bud Box" design.  It is built to accommodate their natural behavior to the extent possible.  This further helps to keep the stress levels down so the cattle remain healthy and able to respond properly to the vaccination regimen.

My goal here isn't to talk about our processing system as much as it is to talk about how 1) we believe it is our responsibility to handle the animals in our care with the best possible methods which are scientifically proven, 2) we believe it is important that we prepare the animals for their next owner so they have the best chance of being successful with them as they are co-mingled with other cattle (like sending your kids to school for the first time) and 3) we believe in doing the best job we can as stewards of the resources placed within our care.

Folks living in the city often get the impression that the people who raise their food are just a bunch of "hicks" who know nothing, abuse the land and are the primary cause of global warming.  They need to understand that isn't the case.  Our cattle operation complements the natural environment in ways that it would take "reams of electrons" to explain.  The land is well-maintained, wildlife are abundant and the water resources are protected by grasses and trees which filter the runoff.  The animals we raise are also handled with respect for the consumer who wants a consistent, quality product that they know is safe for their family to consume.

Some might say providing food for people is a heavy responsibility.  We think it is a privilege.  We do everything we can to do it well.

Anticipation and Determination

The days are getting shorter and in spite of the omnipresent heat, there are signs that Fall is just around the corner.  From the time I get up in the morning until the sun rises is over an hour.  Dove hunting season begins in less than two weeks; I've seen lots of those silvery-gray bullets darting around the area, practicing their evasive maneuvers.

I'm looking forward to the cooling weather, college football, hunting season and harvest time.  Yes, even in the cattle business there is a harvest time.  For the cow/calf rancher it is when the calves have been weaned and pre-conditioned and are ready to head to wheat pasture for awhile, or possibly straight to the feedlot where they will be fattened for the "final" harvest.

Fall is also a time when many herds are calving.  In fact, Fall calving has begun at our place.  We have a small group of cows that will be calving over the coming weeks.

I enjoy Fall.  Growing up in the Plains my eyes developed a desire to see great distances, unhindered by objects in the way.  Here, in Northeast Texas, the trees block my vision and I often feel enclosed.  When the trees shed their leaves during the Fall and Winter it gives me a sense of being able to see again! -- if only a little further into what is impenetrable greenery during the summer.

Perhaps it is the changing season that is enhancing my anticipatory mood.  I have a sense of change on the horizon and it promises to be exciting.  Hopefully, it will prove to be good change.  I firmly believe it will be and will do all I can to make it so.  The trouble is, right now I have no idea what it will be!  I do know that I am determined to make the best of it.

A Cup of Pride

My favorite cup is getting worn,

The emblem is all scratched

But, it still shows school pride.

I guess I am attached.

I know that it's anathema

To purists far and wide,

But sometimes I wash out the stains

That coat the white inside

And when I do the washing

That my cup must then endure

It slowly chips away the paint

That makes it Aggie pure.

Someday I'll replace it with

Another special cup

I'll take a trip to Aggieland

Where I can pick one up!

Gentle Giants

Deep in the woods on our place is this giant old twisted oak tree.  I don't know the specific variety, but it has a different appearance than other trees that are as large.  It is surrounded by trees and yet it stands alone -- it stands out.  I don't know how to explain it except it is just different.

The tree sits about 20 yards away from a deep creek which is one of two which cross our place.  It rises out of a bamboo thicket which is an indicator that it is often flooded when the creeks rise.  It shows only minor signs of disease but, there are a number of branches that truncate in a broken stub.  There are a few holes in the trunk where a branch has broken off and the elements eaten a cavity into the wood.

Other than the bamboo, the ground is fairly clean beneath the tree.  Usually when a branch dies and breaks off it will lie under a tree until it decomposes.  I'm sure the creek washes away anything not anchored to the ground in this area.

I haven't noticed that the tree is infested with insects although it would greatly surprise me if not.  There are no woodpecker holes in the trunk anywhere that I can see.  Most of the trees in our part of the world are full of boring insects and it destroys their usefulness for timber.  This one likely has some defense mechanism that makes it resistant -- unpalatable -- to the local six-legged critters.  That's an indicator it is uncommon to the area.

The tree is a "way mark" on the trail we cut through the woods that takes us across the creeks to the back side of our place.  It is about half way across what we call "the island" -- the area between the creeks.  If someone is not familiar with the place, it is easy to get turned around in the woods.  This tree is one of the landmarks I learned to watch for when I was first getting oriented to the land.

The tree reminds me of some people I have known through the years.  They are people that stand above the crowd for some reason.  I think of them as the "gentle giants" in my life.  In the list I would include a couple of farmers, a college professor, a pastor, a banker and a couple of businessmen.  They weren't "showy" or, focused on drawing attention to themselves as so many are, they simply went about their professions, quietly being the best they could be while investing in the lives of others.  They were the ones I knew I could always turn to for advice and trust what they told me -- even when it wasn't what I wanted to hear.  They were mentors.

Most of them are gone now.  They left their mark on many people -- including me.  We should all aspire to be such.

Standing Against the Flood

We stripped it to its very bones,

The girders made of steel

Anchored in the banks on either side.

The oak with which we planked it

Was fresh-cut sawmill

Hauled about thirty miles.

With cutting torch we cut new holes

For each and every bolt

Then laid that rough-cut timber

One piece at a time

Until the creek was crossed

And then we checked our work

By driving over it with pickup and tractor

Into the hay meadow

Where the green grass needed mowed

An rolled into winter forage

For the cattle whose needs

Were our responsibility

And our privilege.

Then waters came in flood

And rose above the boards

We had so carefully laid.

Debris piled against the side

And lodged on top

But, still our work stood

Against the raging torrent.

We were gratified.

Life is like this bridge we built

Upon the work of those who came before.

Each plank carefully laid and secured

Against the times of storm

Which seek to wash our work away

But, if we do our work well

And anchor each piece securely

It will stand.

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. -- Ephesians 6:14-15

Striving for Improvement

In many ways, raising cattle is a series of trial and error.  The key is to find the right combination of cattle for your specific environment.  We are currently on our third iteration of bull/cow breed combinations and feel very good about the results.  In the photo you see one half of our first attempt.  We put purebred Angus bulls on commercial Brangus cows.  The resulting calf crop was described to me by someone who should know as "the front end of the front end."  This pair of bulls was raised by the Bradley 3 Ranch north of Childress, Texas.  They were of great disposition, highly fertile and threw growthy, muscular calves from the Brangus mother cows.  It was definitely a winning combination -- except for one thing.  Brangus cows have wings.

We really could not have asked for better calves, but any time we had to work the cows it was a challenge.  A few of them were just plain crazy.  They were dangerous when confined in the corrals to work.  One of them bent a 2-inch steel pipe with her head simply because she decided to charge it at full speed.  They were also very large and therefore, high energy cost to run.

We had an opportunity come along, totally out of the blue, to sell that piece of land along with all of the livestock.  We took the deal because the individual who approached us wanted it more than we did.  We were out of the Brangus cow business and when we rolled into another piece of land we stocked it with registered Angus cows.  We were so impressed with the bulls that we had purchased, we went back to the Bradley 3 and were able to obtain a nice set of heifers from them.

Because we liked the calves from the Angus/Brangus combination so well, we decided to go with Brangus bulls on the Angus heifers.  We have a good and very knowledgeable friend who helped us to locate some "low birth weight" Brangus bulls and were able to purchase them at an excellent price.  They did their job and we had no calving problems.  The resulting calves were above average, but not in the category that I would call "first class."

As those young cows became "experienced" we switched over to Charolais bulls.  I love the calves we got from them.  They were a little bigger at birth and then took off like a patch of Pigweed after a rain.  The bull/steer calves are heavy muscled and look like weight lifters walking around while the heifer calves are distinctly feminine and yet still larger framed.

Because the Angus cows are more moderate in size than the Brangus we had previously owned, we are able to slightly increase stocking rates.  They are gentle, low maintenance and excellent mothers.  I attribute that to the Bradley 3 genetics.  Despite everyone in this area telling us Angus cows can't handle the heat, they seem to do quite well.  They will shade up during the worst heat, but all have maintained good flesh through the summers and seem to thrive even during dry conditions when the forage is of poorer quality -- much better than our neighbors cattle with Brahman influence.

My point isn't to talk about our cattle so much as it is to say that in business of any kind you sometimes need to go through a number of major changes to find the right combination that works.  It can sometimes be expensive in the short run, but in the long run it pays in Spades.  It may be replacing an inefficient production line, or changing organizational structure.  It could be as simple as changing vacation or, sick leave policy.  The key is to continually be looking for ways to improve -- continuous process improvement.

It applies to our personal lives as well....

Here's one of this year's steer calves.

I Heard What You Said, Just Not What You Meant

Listening is one of the most difficult things to do for many people.  It is especially difficult for people in sales.  Our mind is focused on what we are going to say and not what is being said to us.

Often the words register, but not the intent.  It is usually because we miss the subtle clues that reveal that intent because again, we are thinking about our response, or about our own message.  We miss the non-verbal, or we misunderstand context.

I learned a long time ago that I am most effective as part of a team.  This is just as important in selling as it is in many other aspects of life.  The bad thing is that my preference is to go it alone on most things.  I am comfortable with myself and being alone doesn't bother me as it does some.  I am perfectly happy with silence and no interruptions.

Learning how to work as a team takes practice and perhaps a bit of training.  We can train ourselves if we want, because it is a matter of learning to allow space for others.  Most people are so completely self-absorbed that they struggle to allow space for others.  It's "all about me" is becoming so ingrained into U.S. society, that to be anything else is an anomaly. 

Being part of a team is difficult because it means sharing the glory when we win and sharing the defeat otherwise.  We can't take all the credit and we have to accept the blame -- even if, in our mind, it wasn't our fault.  We need to realize though, that it is always our fault.  What do I mean by that?  I mean we must be proactive in our preparation, proactive in our planning, proactive in the team-building that will keep us, as a team, from anything but our best effort.

That doesn't mean heavy-handedness; it means caring.  We need to care as much for the success of others on our team as we do for our own.  Whoa, that one is tough.  I thought it was all about climbing over the bodies on the way up?  Wrong.  It is about taking as many with us as we can possibly get in the boat.

I suppose this post is a bit rambling, but maybe there is something here of value.  My main point was intended to be that we aren't very good listeners, but where I seemed to end up is that we are most effective as part of a team even though society is telling us otherwise. 

There's an old adage in sales that you should 1) tell them what you're going to talk about, 2) talk about it and then 3) tell them what you said.  Hopefully, since I fumbled the first point you will figure out what I meant....

That Tiny, Narrow Line

Though the path is clearly shown,

Fear,

The Great Paralyzer,

Sends trembling through our soul

And we turn our back

To the promised land,

Complaining

That those who have entered in

Did so

By means unworthy,

And we sit with those who with us

Turned

From Opportunity

Which like a shining light is ever there,

To point the blame

To others fault,

Bemoaning

Their achievement as we sit

In judgement

Of what they have done.

Opportunity is something that is ever before us.  The trouble with opportunity is that it often requires us to take chances -- to get so completely out of our comfort zone that we turn away in fear that we will fail.  So many times I have been in groups that talk badly about those whose achievements are clearly a result of their willingness to take the risk and go for the prize waiting ahead.  They have a  tendency to blame anyone but themselves and face their unwillingness to accept the risk and "go for it."  That's when I move on.  I want to spend time with those who have taken a chance and now live their dreams.  Often I find that the difference between the successful and the "complainer" is that tiny, narrow line which one stepped over and from which the other turned in fear.

Dreams of Youth

I saw there in the distance,

Taking shape before my eye,

A tower of water vapor

Reaching upward to the sky.

The promise that it offered

Caused my heart within me leap

In joy for cooling moisture

That across the Plains did creep.

The swelling, spreading blossom

Seemed slowly drawing nigh

Yet in the heat it fizzled;

It was all an awful lie.

There within me sank

The beating organ in my chest

As I saw the withered grasses

Stretching far into the west.

I knew that it was normal,

Part of life's great ebb and flow;

I couldn't help but ponder

Why it sent my feelings low.

Deep within my being

Tiny sparks came into sight

Of dreams that had been shattered

Yet, still there was a light

Shining brightly in the distance,

Growing clearer in my head,

Of good times now remembered

In this life that I have led.

The things that once I cherished

Were now no longer sought;

Replaced by higher treasures

Which love and tears had bought

And I saw the fleeting vanity

Of each and every goal,

Knowing time, with healing answers,

Would bring peace within my soul.

Rising there before me

Were the things I'd held in vain

Dissolving in the droplets

Of gently falling rain.

Scars

Scars;

Badges of honor

For battles won

Against all odds.

Scars;

Signs the enemy

Was engaged

And overcome.

Scars;

Remain behind

After healing time

Has moved beyond.

Scars;

Written deeply

Into the very nature

Of life lived fully.

Scars;
Of the Fighter,
The Perseverer,
The Overcomer.

Climate Change Quarterbacks

Some folks are observers

As they pass through this old life;

They prefer the grandstand

With a perch high above

The nitty-gritty going on the field.

Often, they carry on

A running commentary --

A critical analysis of everything they see

But, in which have never participated

As if they were experts

In the field.

They see the execution

Of well-coordinated movement

Which sometimes doesn't

Work as planned

Because there is opposition

Equally bent on succeeding.

Those spectators

See only a small part

Because they had no involvement

In the preparation,

The investment,

The time spent

Honing skills

And developing plans.

They have no

Sweat and blood and tears

Poured into the ground of battle

Yet, they rage on

With blame

When the results on the field

Don't match

The expectations

Of these sideline quarterbacks.

So it is with the beef industry

Which daily fights the battle

Against the elements

To bring food to the table

Of hungry people

Who criticize them

For what they do

More efficiently

And sustainably

Than could have been imagined

By generations

Who have come before

And paved the way.

Climate change?

Look to your steel

And concrete

And luxurious living

As you jet around the world

Burning fossil fuel.

Coffee and Cinnamon Rolls

It's that time of year when all of the cows

Look for a swimming hole

To cool their hides and drown some flies,

Drink coffee and eat cinnamon rolls.

Well, I've never offered 'em coffee

And as to a cinnamon roll?

I wouldn't give it to my cows

It's for filling my own pie hole.

I've been to Alaska and even to Maine

And they sound good this time of year

'Cause it's hotter than Hades here in this place

And it's cooking this old hide I fear.

Every August it gets this way

It happens each trip without fail;

I'd like to replace it with April or, June

In that calendar up on the nail.

The grass is all brown, trees dropping leaves

And the water dried up in the creek;

I got stopped by a rabbit with half-empty canteen

Asking directions to the nearest water leak.

Texas in August is not for the meek

And no home for the Heavenly Host;

It serves as reminder to straighten our ways

Or, He'll give us to Satan to roast!

Taxi!

Taxis in a line

Waiting patiently for their fare.

Drivers standing, looking at each face

Expectantly.

Sometimes the ride can be an adventure.

Taxi rides are often interesting.  It seems most of the drivers are from some country on the other side of the world and driving travelers to their destination is just one point on their own journey to success in a new land.  Newer versions, such as Uber, are often just as likely to be piloted by colorful individuals whose story is one of transition.

I usually try to strike up a conversation with taxi drivers.  Most of them are talkative and willing to engage in conversation.  I surprise a few by guessing their nationality, or by knowing something about their native land.  Apparently the average American traveler is geographically challenged when it comes to points beyond the borders of this great nation.

The photo of waiting camels and their drivers was taken on a trip to Niger in 2009.  It was near the end of our time there and we had taken a boat ride down the Niger river to a village that, like much of the country, looked like it hadn't changed in the last several thousand years.  Our contact in the country had arranged for us to have a camel ride back to our point of departure and the awaiting modern transport.

The sun was already sinking which helped to make the heat slightly more bearable in this region of the Sahel.  The shadows of our plodding mounts stretched long as we wound slowly through fields of millet and occasional patches of thorny brush on the way to our destination.  It was a relaxing, therapeutic ride.

There is something special that connects us to animals who serve us as transportation, as beasts of burden, as means of reducing the toil of labor.  We have lost that in our fortresses of steel and concrete.  Animals -- I'm not talking about the anthropomorphized "fur babies" as some refer to their pets -- connect us to the land and nature in ways that are difficult to achieve otherwise.  They teach us if we will observe them closely.  They help us to understand relationships such as nurturing and community structure and predator vs. prey.

Animals also provide us with food.  Yes, it is part of the way nature was designed.  Life on this planet is structured in an energy pyramid with plants at the base capturing the energy of the sun.  The next level is of herbivores -- those who consume the plants.  Above that are the omnivores who consume both plants and other animals.  Higher still is the first level of carnivores who feast on those below them in the pyramid which finally is topped by the higher level of carnivores who consume even other carnivores who rest lower on the food chain.  Each level is built on those below; it is the natural order.

Every plant, every creature, has a place of service.  That may seem a strange way of describing how all things fit together, but that is the reality.  We -- and I include humans in this -- fill a role in this giant, organic organism that fits together into life.  Life begets life -- even in death.  Energy, which for life, comes almost exclusively from the sun and is only used once, but the matter which combines to make our bodies -- our substance -- is continually recycled.  It is a never-ending journey as long as the sun continues to pour energy into the system.

I still have places to go and things to see and do.  I enjoy this part of the journey and hope I fill it with service to others.  I am anxious to see what's over the horizon.  Taxi!

Investing and Ingenuity

Sometimes you make do with what is available.  I couldn't resist taking a photo of this shovel I spotted on a trip to Niger some years ago.  I've replaced a number of shovel handles through the years, but never had to go find a tree, cut a branch and trim it to fit.  I usually just went to the farm store and bought a handle.  Some people replace the shovel.

I have to applaud the ingenuity of whoever did this.  It was leaning against the wall in a small enclosure where there was a group of young men making mud bricks.  You will notice the wall behind the shovel is made of mud bricks and plastered over to seal it.  Most of the housing in the village where I spotted this was made of the same mud bricks and plaster.  The building materials were primitive, but effective.

I've been involved in a number of startup businesses through the years.  Some burn through cash on the biggest, best and brightest.  Those for which I was responsible for running operated a little differently -- we did our best to get by on ingenuity.  Where possible, we made do with what we had, found an inexpensive way to accomplish the task, or, if it couldn't be avoided, focused our spending on the things that were most critical to growing the business.

I guess my thinking came from both my father and grandfather (maternal).  Both had a knack for figuring out ingenious ways to either build or, substitute something else for what was needed to get things done.  They were the "hands on" type.  They didn't hire someone to change the oil in their pickup, they did it themselves.  Grandpa's barn was a place of repairs.  He had tire-repair tools -- some of which had been made in his shop with a welder and cutting torch -- for patching the tires on the many wheeled trailers, implements and vehicles on his farm.  It didn't make sense to take a tire off and haul it 10 miles one-way to town to have it fixed.  He had a tire patching kit and did it himself.

I wonder today if many new businesses fail because they don't know how to "make do" but, instead act as though they are already successful, spending money on things they could do themselves.  Those are the things "behind the scenes" that are away from the customer eye.  You want your public persona to be polished and professional, but there are always things behind the scenes that don't require the biggest and best -- like the desk and high-dollar artwork on the wall.  If you don't need $5,000 computers, why buy them? Don't sink money into brick-and-mortar until you have to -- rent.  If you don't need a full-time bookkeeper, hire a service.  "Fix your own flats" -- or, replace the handle in your own shovel.

Each situation is different and requires a thoughtful approach.  My point is that if you start a business spending money like a Hollywood Movie Star your chances of failure increase dramatically.  Conserve your resources until they begin to build.  Then, rather than burning through cash, invest back into your business in ways that are meaningful -- that will help it to continue growing.

I remember back in the 90's the primary stockholder of a company I worked for brought his wife, a former beauty queen, with him to see a prototype of a machine my group had been developing.  She was on her knees, looking under the equipment, studying it, trying to understand how it worked and asking great questions.  I'll never forget her comment -- "It's important to see what we are investing in.  I know we are making lots of money but, we don't see much of it; it all goes back into the company!"

It changed my perspective.

Stirrup Deep in Grass

Sometimes I just need some wide open spaces.  This photo was taken a few years back while traveling through a portion of the Canadian River country in the Texas Panhandle.  If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you will see cattle scattered in the distance.

It was early Spring, yet you see a good amount of dried grasses among the greening countryside.  This ranch seems to be well managed and supports a large amount of wildlife along with the cattle.  I often see Pronghorn and Mule Deer when I pass through. 

It is an area once covered with American Bison and was a part of what was formerly the Comancheria -- home to the Comanche Indians.  It is one of the last parts of our country that was "domesticated" by settlers.  It was also a haunt of outlaws that raided the north-bound cattle drives during the late 1800's when The Trail shifted west to the eastern edge of the Panhandle.

Although you don't see it in the photo, this is a high-producing area for oil and gas.  In spite of what appears to be land with "nothing" in it, it helps feed the country, fuel the country, provides a home for wildlife and is visually pleasing to this old eye.  I don't think you can get much more sustainable than this.

In my mind I am horseback with my feet just clearing the grass and trailing west....

Wind, Cattle and Politics

This is one of my favorite photographs of all time.  I have used it before, although it has been a few years.  It was taken near Vega, Texas, at a wind farm.

I suppose it is a favorite because it shows energy and beef side-by-side on the Texas Plains not far from where I was raised.  Texas has long been known for both, although normally it is oil and gas that comes to mind.  These generators sit on the edge of the Canadian River breaks.  If you could look across the river to the north you would see plenty of the oil and gas production.

It is also a favorite because it shows the two enterprises as being complementary.  The land is being used in a sustainable way for cattle grazing on native pasture while the ever-present wind generates electricity that is sent through the power grid to cities far down state.  The last I checked, Texas still leads the nation in wind-generated power.

Those generators are becoming a problem though.  As time passes, that problem will become even bigger.  What do you do with one when it is broken and no longer can be fixed?  There are quite a few beginning to accumulate around the world.  The proponents of wind energy don't acknowledge the problems with it because it isn't in their backyard -- it's in "flyover" country. 

Food production, energy production, mining/extracting of minerals -- all, for the most part, are in "flyover" country.  The people driving for changes in how these things are done are located on the coasts in their elite enclaves of energy-sucking mansions, dining at high-end restaurants and flying around the world in their private jets.  They dictate policy through their manipulation of the political machinery (which includes the press) but don't have to live with the consequences.  They just enjoy the fruits.

There is always room for improvement, but out here in the country we get a lot of things right.  The wind generators in the photo wouldn't exist without large subsidies extracted from the taxpayers of this nation and passed on to already wealthy individuals who invest in the wind-capturing technology.  What we got right is that it didn't really disrupt the production of protein too much as evidenced by the cattle grazing beneath the generators and it brought a portion of those tax dollars out into the countryside in the form of jobs.

I really didn't intend to bring the political aspects into this brief commentary this morning, but it is a fact of life that the "fat cats" in Washington tend to find ways to make life difficult for the rest of us.  It's all about power and money -- it doesn't matter which political party, they're all essentially the same.

Building Bridges

Sometimes getting from here to there can be a real challenge.  The obstacles that challenge us often seem insurmountable -- like the Mississippi River which daunted many westward travelers in the early days of our country.  Now bridges, like the one in the photo we took a few years back, span it in many places and thousands of people cross it daily. (Please disregard the cracked windshield.)

Progress takes Explorers but, it also requires Bridge Builders.  In times of disruptive change, Explorers chart the course, but Bridge Builders turn that vision into reality.  They find ways to overcome the obstacles.  They make certain everyone is able to follow the path until what seemed impossible becomes commonplace.

Today, we need lots of Bridge Builders. 

I came to a place where the land did end;

I looked in deep dismay;

I could see across to the other side

Where the land of promise lay.

Before me was a swollen flood

Of waters deep and brown

Full of broken, tattered dreams

Where it had swept them down.

But, then a man beside me stood

Who saw my fear-filled eyes.

He said, "I will make a way

To where the far shore lies."

He called the people waiting there

To listen to his plan

Then led them in a glorious work

To build a solid span

Across the rushing waters deep

Into the Promised Lands.

Because of his great leadership

A mighty bridge now stands.

Chickens and Evolving Agriculture

Our neighbor's chickens like to come across to our place on their never-ending hunt for bugs.  They do a great job of reducing the grasshopper population in the area where they forage.  There are multiple varieties of the chickens, but I thought these two Plymouth Rock hens made a great photo because of how they blend into the grass.  When they sit still they are difficult to see.

One of the popular movements around the country is for "free-range" chickens.  These definitely fit the category -- at least the survivors.  They like to roam onto the county road occasionally where they sometimes fall victim to an automobile.  They also sometimes succumb to a less-than-totally-domesticated canine that prowls the area.  I'm sure their nests are visited by skunks and other egg-loving predators -- often there is the faint odor of Mephitis mephitis (striped skunk) drifting gently on the breeze.

Free-range, at least for the chickens, isn't all it's made out to be.

I remember as a small child my grandmother raising chickens.  A couple of them usually fell to her hunting skills and became Sunday Dinner (that's what we called a big family lunch in the country).  She could catch, kill, pluck and clean a chicken faster than you would realize what was going on.  It was part of her persona that you didn't want to mess with her.

Chickens have traditionally been woven into the everyday fabric of farm life.  They once graced the yards and barnyards of nearly every farm in the country.  They were a source of eggs, meat and even feathers to be used in stuffing mattresses and pillows.  They also carried tiny little critters (lice) that sometimes infested the heads of youngsters who played in those same yards and barns.  They helped to control insects and snakes and they served as an alarm clock.

I suppose I became "burned out" on chicken when I was growing up.  It was an inexpensive meat then, just as it is now.  Then, because they foraged on their own and required little expense for maintenance.  Now, chicken is inexpensive due to its rapid and very efficient growth in controlled environments.  Carefully selected genetics and modern production practices have made chicken one of the most pervasive sources of protein available in this country.  It just isn't my protein of choice.

I prefer beef.  When asked if I want chicken for a meal, I sometimes find myself involuntarily commenting, "No, thank you.  That stuff is just fowl." -- the double meaning being clear that "fowl" equates to "foul."  I have a friend who is also in the beef business.  The first time I recall giving him a hard time about ordering chicken in a restaurant rather than steak he informed me he occasionally had to do "competitive meat research."  I have to give him credit for a good comeback.

We are blessed in this country to have abundant supplies of meat -- whether chicken, pork or beef.  Modern production practices make it available at an affordable price to virtually everyone.  Can you imagine what it would be like if every home had to raise its own food?  We sometimes hear, or see, chickens in our community, but they aren't pervasive.  What would it be like if every household had a couple of dozen chickens, a milk cow, a hog pen and maybe even a calf being raised for beef along with an acre, or more, of garden to supply vegetables?  When you think about it, there is no way it works so that a large population can be supported.  Modern agricultural methods are necessary to feed the masses.  The back-to-small-mother-earth methods cannot possibly feed enough people.  The "footprint" would be completely unsustainable.  It would require much more land than is currently employed to produce our food.

I certainly understand the sentiment of those who wish for the "more natural" methods of farming used in days long ago, but the numbers just don't work.  I don't have those numbers in front of me but, I have enough exposure to and experience of those methods to know that they are much more labor intensive, require a larger "footprint" and are far less efficient.  Expense and efficiency are inversely related.  Low efficiency equals greater expense.  If cheap and abundant food is desired to feed the masses, modern agricultural methods are the answer.

Now, are there better ways to do things?  Most likely, yes.  Innovation is needed in many areas of food production, but going backward isn't the answer.