Environmental Ranching

It seems there is no end to hard manual labor on a ranch.  It doesn't matter whether it is a large or small ranch, there is always fence to mend, brush to clear, water to fix, animals to feed, or something else that needs done come rain or shine, heat or cold.

We moved to this part of Texas because it was a great place to raise cattle.  The reason it is a great place is because it gets plenty of rain to grow lots of grass for them to eat.  That same rain makes trees and brush grow too.  It seems that constant vigilance is in order or the trees will take over the place.

If you are a global warming alarmist, you might think we should let the trees take over until they choke out all of the grass and the land will no longer support cattle.  I actually understand that logic but, it is incomplete.  If you value wildlife and proper management of the land and environment, you must realize it is important to have a complete ecosystem in order to be sustainable.

If allowed to grow unchecked, the first trees to move in typically have thorns and are very short lived.  They create thickets that harbor very little wildlife for the most part.  As they choke out the grasses, they allow other, longer-lived varieties of trees to take hold, such as oaks which begin to grow in areas that aren't completely choked by thorny varieties.  The oaks and other large trees, over time begin to decay and fall and the rotten, decaying logs wash into waterways and choke them causing flooding.  The flooding causes further degradation of the environment until the land becomes virtually unusable except to feral hogs and such.

I admit that I am simplifying things a bit as well as compressing decades into what appear to be shorter spans of time, but essentially that is the process of succession.  The brush-choked, decaying forest is also a prime opportunity for fires to rage uncontrollably for many miles.  If burned, the land is then highly subject to extreme erosion.  The soil which washes away destroys stream and lake health causing fish to die.  It ultimately ends up in the ocean or contributes to destroying estuaries.

The alternative is controlled grazing with sculpting of the land by allowing old-growth trees to flourish along water courses in order to control erosion.  Minor brush infestations can be cleared through controlled burning.  The grasses act as a filter for the water going into waterways so that it is cleaner and healthier.  Cattle grazing the grassland control undesirable species.  Wildlife flourish because of the variation in the environment.  Very little, if any, erosion occurs.

Most animals prefer what is referred to as edge.  Edge is where two different types of plant growth come together.  It can be the edge of a forest adjacent to grassland, or the border of large trees growing along a stream.  It allows animals a place to move from an area of high food value to one of "cover" or protection very quickly.

I spend a lot of time on the ranch managing those things.  It is important to me that we have a complete ecosystem on our ranch so that wildlife have a safe place to grow and propagate.  I want to see deer and bobcat and songbirds thrive just as much as I want the cattle to thrive.  Cattle need the shade of trees as well as grass.  A properly managed ranch provides for both while locking carbon into the grasses, the trees and the soil.

Driving Lessons

I remember the first time I got to drive by myself.  I was probably about 10 or 12 years old and had gone to the ranch with my grandfather.  We had been working on a water sprinkler and after awhile we had worked our way about a 1/2 mile away from the pickup.  The pasture was wide open and Grandpa had been giving me some basic instruction on driving, but with him in the pickup with me.

I guess he took advantage of me because he asked me if I wanted to go get the pickup and drive it back to pick him up.  He must have been planning this ahead of time.  Of course I ran the 1/2 mile to the pickup and drove it to him.  He asked me to pull up to a specific fence post and stop just before I got to it.  I had to back up and try 3 or 4 times before I got it right.  By then he was through with the fencing job and it was time to go back to the old trailer house that served as somewhat of a line camp for the ranch.

This comes to mind because the grand kids are visiting this weekend.  This morning we went out to the ranch where they did a little fishing in one of the ponds while I did some work.  Their father was with them and the two oldest got to take turns driving the Polaris Ranger.  He was with them giving close instruction.

This afternoon the 2nd oldest (who is a very tall 8 year old) and I went back out to do some feeding and he got to drive the pickup.  I sat in the passenger seat and he had full control.  He got to drive about 1/2 mile from the pens up to the gate which leads out onto the county road.  He was pretty excited about it.

I'm looking forward to having some young legs to help me out during the summers.  If he only knew why he was getting to learn to drive....

Summer Trips

Summer is the season people like to take a trip
In a car across the country; in a hurry they do zip

Until they reach a destination sometimes never been before
Where they ooh and ah attractions while craving even more.

Then they come home tired and weary to their permanent abode
Worn out from their journey on the long and open road.

I thought that a vacation was to be a time of rest
To escape the ordinary -- let our mind relax at best

But, instead it is endurance often drives the weary soul
Once more to accomplish some listed unmarked goal,

Returning home again to face tomorrow's task
Unrested and still needing time to just sit and relax

Putin to Washington?

I think it is a great idea that President Trump has extended an invitation to President Putin to come to Washington.  If we are proud of our country we should show it off.  I for one am proud.

While there, I think the protesters which will turn out en masse, should be relegated to some obscure area and blocked from the proximity of the White House, Capitol Building or other prominent monuments and places.  Let Putin see us in our "Sunday finest."  Take him to a grocery store, a factory, a museum, a shopping mall.  Let him see what Capitalism is all about.  Make him envious.

We should do the same for leaders of other countries such as China.  We should even invite Kim Jong Un from North Korea.  They don't all have to be treated to a State Dinner, but they should all be shown what is possible under a system of government that allows Capitalism to thrive.

The press will take care of seeing that the protests are televised and likely blow them out of proportion.  The protesters never represent the majority of citizens; they are usually the vocal minority who are either hired by powerful moneyed groups with an agenda, or they are dedicated members of a minority cause (minority in the sense of numbers, not ethnicity, gender inspecificity, etc.)  Do what other countries do and keep the "riff-raff" in the background.  Show the world the good side of who we are.

Just my thoughts....

A Day of Opportunity

Opportunity waits with each new day

If we but ope' our eyes

It sometimes comes with clarity

At others in disguise

The world would steal our hopes and dreams

And tell us it's not real

It comes at us in jealousy

Our happiness to steal

Sometimes we have to seize the day

And make what comes be ours

Subduing all that seek to sway

Sent by unearthly powers

Focus on the distant goal

Though all else is at odd

And capture opportunity

Placed there for us by God

Lost in Translation

I've been on a project that involves working with a group in Argentina.  It has been challenging for a number of reasons:

• It involved the taking of samples to genotype for specific genetic markers on cattle in Argentina.
• Due to regulatory restrictions and potential intellectual property issues, the evaluations had to be made either in the U.S. or the U.K.
• Import restrictions of animal tissue into those countries from Argentina is very strict due to potential spread of infectious disease so, the DNA had to be extracted there before shipping.
• The company we had partnered with is U.K. based.
• The genotyping ended up being done in the U.S.
• Results were then transmitted electronically to us for analysis.
• Gaining regulatory clearance for importation was made more difficult due to the transitions to a new Executive Team in the U.S. who insisted on reviewing all past policies before allowing the clearance.
• There were language barrier issues -- not just in the words themselves, but their understood meaning within common usage of multiple cultures.
• There were cultural barriers -- primarily the sense of urgency is lacking in Latin America.
• There was an individual within our U.K. partner's organization who was somewhat obstructionist due to fears we were usurping her territorial authority.
• There was the inherent bureaucratic dawdling of U.K. based companies -- if there is no clear policy, do nothing.
•  Since much of the data was collected in Argentina, the combining into a uniform database was complicated by the terminology.
• Standards for a large subset of the data are different in Argentina vs. in the U.S.
• Time seems to have a very different meaning in Latin America.

Thankfully, we have almost completed the collection and collation stages of the project.  Now come the analysis and reporting.  Let's hope we connected all of the dots correctly....

The World in Our Hand

Everywhere I look I see people staring at their hand

As though there was something important there to see.

They miss so much around them with their eyes so firmly fixed

I wonder how important it must be!

Maybe its some kind of window that looks out upon the world

With vistas grand that hold them oh so rapt

Or, maybe there's some monster that lurks there within their hand

That has their mind completely in a trap.

I suspect it is the latter if the truth were really known

As to why so many lose their self control

And focus on the shiny thing that lies within their hand

Even while they're on a quiet country stroll.

The Art of a Really Big Deal?

It is interesting to note the commentary today after the meeting between President Trump and Russian President Putin.  It seems to be consensus that Putin gained and Trump lost.  I seriously doubt that is the reality of the situation.  Here are my thoughts:

• Russia has tremendous resources but is backward in many ways as an economy.
• Trump's focus and basis for everything he has done appears to be business and making deals.
• Leverage for gaining what one wants is based in economic power (at least that's the way I suspect Trump views things).
• Russia could "balance" China.
• Russia can offset the E.U.

As to the claim that Trump "trusts" Putin above his own intelligence service on the matter of election interference, can you really blame him when you see the farcical hearings of FBI agent Strzok and the supposed "blackmail" file that our esteemed CIA was involved in collecting and releasing during the campaign?  Would you trust the Deep State?

Then we have the comments about the EU being our opponent.  Certainly they are an opponent relative to the Iranian Nuclear Deal in which the EU continues to trade with Iran while we re-imposed sanctions.  They are negating our efforts to thwart the rise of a nuclear Iran.  What else would you call them?

I believe the President sees opportunity with Russia.  There is opportunity for trade which might be the "fertilizer" to strengthen the seeds of Capitalism within that country and give us leverage for stronger foreign policy.  After all, Russia, like the U.S., is one of the strongest holdouts to the rise of "One World" thinking which is rooted most deeply in the E.U.

Let's Make a Deal on a global scale....

Protesting Trump

When I see the media coverage of large number of protesters in England who are protesting -- I'm not sure exactly what -- Trump, I have to stop and think, "Why are they protesting?"  I suppose it came to me as a bit of revelation that is isn't really about Trump, it is the Left's fear of what he represents.  They have a stronger hold in the U.K. and Europe than they have in the U.S. in spite of the constant media bombardment in support of their agenda.  They don't want the grassroots conservative movement to catch fire in Britain.

Brexit is one of the few conservative moves in the "Old World" that could become the platform for even more conservatism to take root there.  It threatens the movement toward a One World Order -- a unified global governing body.  Individual countries can't exist in a unified world because it divides loyalty.  To some extent it was the basis for the U.S. Civil War many years ago -- state's rights vs. a unified Federal power.  (Some day I may write about my thoughts on a unified global governing body -- i.e. One World Order -- but not now.  It might require a book.)

Trump is magnetic -- definitely not charismatic -- but, he draws attention.  It is an interesting style that is effective.  When you lack charisma you must rely on other things to move the crowd.  He does it through controversy and confrontation.  It works.  In this country the "Right" is more engaged that it has been in many, many years thanks to Trump.

Love him, hate him, or whatever your feelings toward him, he is effective at bringing the deep issues into focus.

Trump in England

I had many misgivings about President Trump in the beginning.  I still wish that his style was a bit more -- civil at times.  I must admit, though, that he is effective.  I get the sense that the world, or at least some of it, is beginning to understand him.  He is a negotiator.  It's all about "the deal."  Maybe everyone should have read his book.

The English have been at the game of diplomacy for so long that his rough-edged style is in stark contrast to their polished dissembling.  He says bluntly what he thinks while they cloak their thoughts in flowery language and subtle phrases that are somewhat opaque.  He comes from a position of assumed strength while they, though proud and not without their own strengths, come from a position of need.  I think it is a very uncomfortable place for them.

Hopefully the English will recognize the opportunity before them.  The simple act of a true free trade agreement between our two countries will provide them with a tremendous level of economic security which in turn leads to greater military security because the "Trump Doctrine," as it appears to me, is one of "we protect our economic interests."

Let the Pounds and Dollars flow....

The Scent of Rain

Once again, the rains have passed us by.  Each day for the last several the National Weather Service has shown us to have a significant chance of rain.  Heavy showers have fallen in many places around us, but we received only 1/10 of an inch.  It is dry.

First a hint of puffy white

Appears up in the sky

Then slowly grows and grows and grows

Until it fills the eye.

The promise of the quenching drops

Wafts across the land

On gentle breezes flowing by

This parched and weary strand.

The leaden gray with streaks of light

Approaches from the west

With winds that cool the sultry land

And promise moist rest.

The sand that stings flows ever higher,

The cattle turn their back,

The storm clouds flow across the land,

The sky turns nearly black.

But, soon it passes on its way

Its promise hoped in vain

Leaving nothing here behind

Except a scent of rain.

The List Goes On and On

I have probably mentioned somewhere previously that I am a list maker.  I find that lists help me organize and prioritize the tasks that I have and as I grow older, I find that it helps me not to forget things....

I don't know that I have ever completed a list before adding more to it.  There is always more to do than gets done.  That's probably a good thing.  I have also found as I age that having things to do, something to work toward, is important.  When there is nothing left but to sit and watch television I will probably die.

I am sometimes a procrastinator.  Lists help me to procrastinate because I know which items are urgent, which are important and which are merely things that would be a good idea but are neither urgent or important.  They are sometimes things that would add to quality of life if done, but just aren't necessary.

I have different types of lists.  Some are work related.  Some are "around the house" tasks -- aka "Honey Do's."  Others are related to some specific project.

I usually rank the tasks in order of importance, but not always.  Sometimes they are just a list of things as I think of them.  I don't always do the things on the list in order of importance either.  Sometimes the lists are so overwhelming that I pick some of the easier tasks, or those of shorter duration and do them first in order to gain the psychological impact of accomplishment.  Yeah, I play mind games with myself.  Is that weird?

I have added Blog Post as a daily task on my list.  Why?  I guess it is a matter of practice since I wish to spend more time writing.  I make a little money on the side writing a column for a trade publication and therefore know my ability is saleable, so I plan to work toward writing more for publication as a supplement to my income as I begin to consider retirement.

Retirement???!!  What am I thinking!  I think that word should be removed from the dictionary and replaced with something that has a different connotation -- one that denotes moving on to other things after a "career."  Just my thoughts this morning...

Out of the Darkness

The news today is that the Thai soccer team that has been trapped in a cave was gotten out safely.

Rescue

It is hard to imagine the sequence of events that got them into the situation in the first place.  Caves are risky.  It is even more difficult to imagine the things that must have gone through their minds while in the cave.  Only time will tell the impact that the experience will have on those boys.  For some it will build a well of strength from which to draw and for others it will be a source of nightmares.

Imagine being trapped in a world of utter darkness.  At some point, the hope of rescue would begin to fade until only despair occupied the thoughts.  The wait for death -- the end of their earthly existence -- would be the point of focus for every conversation and every thought.

I am thankful for my belief in something more than what this life offers.  There is an eternity, an existence beyond our brief time on earth.  It is my hope in Jesus as my rescuer from this world of darkness that keeps me focused on the future.  There is much, much more to this life than what we see.  The Rescuer is available to each and every one who calls on Him and acknowledges Him as Savior.

Dead Trees and Snakes

I realize you can't tell much from the photo, but this is part of an old dead tree that fell in a recent windstorm at our place.  I was fortunate that it missed the fence which borders between our place and the neighbor.  If it had landed on it, I would have been scrambling awhile back to clear it and re-build the fence to keep their cows out of our hay meadow.

The tree fell because it was rotten -- the core of it was hollow.  It is/was a huge oak tree that had stood for many years.  I couldn't count the rings very easily and didn't really try, but I would guess it to be somewhere in excess of 80 years old.  The photo really doesn't do it justice, it was massive.

When I took the photo I had already removed most of the smaller branches.  The cut ends of what you see here are probably 8-10 inches in diameter.  It truly was quite a chore.

As I cleared the smaller limbs away I was vigilant for critters which might be hiding in the tall grass and wood debris.  Sure enough, a cottonmouth made his appearance and moved from one spot to the next as I cleared away the limbs.  I was careful as I picked up branches and of where I stepped because I knew there could be others lurking among the litter.  I also frequently lost sight of the one who made himself known.

I suppose there are a couple of lessons within this brief description.  1)  Even the mighty will fall when the rot/decay inside them is so great that it saps their resistance.  2)  There are serpents lurking within the debris, every ready to inject their poison into us as we go about our task.

Yeah, it turned into a political post....

Bank Fees for the "Poor"

The French government is considering capping banking fees charged to the poor as part of a new poverty plan.

French government looking at capping bank fees on poor

As a former banker and avowed Capitalist but, a compassionate conservative, I have mixed feelings about this.

The average person doesn't understand how banks work.  The brevity of the post requires that I postpone that discussion to another time, but in brief, deposits of customers provide the base from which loans are made to other customers.  Accounts that carry little, or no balance actually cost the bank money.  Labor involved in handling returned items, statements, etc. more than offsets the small amount that might be made from lending the fractional amount allowed to others.  In fact, fractional lending requirements often mean that, based on the average balance of the small account, they add nothing to the lending base of the institution.

On the other hand, excessive fees make it more difficult for the low-balance depositor to gain any ground on his financial position.  Many of the small depositors are poor money managers to begin with and don't understand the reasons their small deposits are "taxed" with what appear to be large fees.  They need education, not penalties.

Perhaps the answer lies in banks offering basic classes in balancing ones checkbook, the impact of compounding interest and the basics of how the financial system works rather than penalties for poor money management.  Ignorance should be replaced with knowledge, not reinforced with anger-causing actions.

I oppose state mandated behavior in this area, but I see the need for action. 

Campfire Coffee

The coffee is on and the biscuits are hot

Daylight is burning, get out of your cot

There's work to be done and it won't do itself

Get up lazy bones or you're gonna be left

Hope and Change

During the reign of the previous administration -- yes, that word reign was intentional -- I became very disillusioned with the direction of our country.  The pretender's message of Hope and Change had turned into fear and frustration for me.  I had serious doubts that the direction we were being taken could be changed.

I have been pleasantly surprised by the accomplishments of the Trump administration.  I still cringe at his style at times, but I admit openly that he has been effective in many areas.  I suppose it is the rough and tumble world of New York business that created him and that is what we needed.

My hope has been restored to some degree.  There is a long way yet to go to overcome the setbacks of the 8 years of Leftism, but progress is being made.  I remain frustrated that change cannot, or is not, occurring more quickly, but we do seem to be turning to a better direction.

Hope is fragile and it frequently hinges on change.  Now, if we could only make progress through change in our educational system -- primary, secondary and college levels -- that replaces the Leftist garbage with some common sense, perhaps the small hope today will grow more firm.  I fear for the future that has been seeded with land mines of Liberalism through our educational system.  I must have faith that enough will see the light for reason to prevail.

The Cruz Tour

Senator Ted Cruz stopped by our small town for a visit yesterday.  He was here for almost 3 hours.  He gave a very brief speech regarding priorities and progress and then spent the majority of the time fielding and answering questions.  Most of the questions were predictable and fit well into the narrative that he wished to develop.

In his address he mentioned that one of the top priorities was unfinished business -- healthcare reform.  I am gratified for that acknowledgement since it is my #1 issue with Washington.  It has been for a number of years and will continue to be until fixed.

My wife and I are both self-employed and therefore do not fall under some corporate insurance policy as most citizens do.  We must provide our own insurance -- full price with no "partial or full premium payment" as part of some corporate benefits package.  For the minimum qualified plan under ObamaCare our premium is over $1,200 per month.  It comes out over $15,000 per year.  Neither of us have had any health issues and only see a doctor once every few years for something minor.

At least that was the case prior to this year when I had a minor emergency with chemical burns to my eyes.  When I was checked into the Emergency Room we were asked what insurance coverage we had.  Our answer was none, but we will pay as we go.

After treatment which took a couple of hours, we tried to pay on the way out the door but, were told they would send us a bill.  When it arrived it had a 60% discount for paying by check or credit card as opposed to filing insurance.

I was impressed with Senator Cruz.  He is a good speaker and willing to engage his constituents.  I believe he represents the interests of the citizens of Texas quite well.  His opponent in this year's campaign has moved about as far left as possible.  He will appeal to a portion of the voters, but I hope the majority will see him for what he is -- a left-wing extremist who would do away with borders and the rule of law.

Here are a few photos:

Divided California

What would a divided California mean? -- this move to make it into 2 or 3 states.

It would increase the number of Senators from 2 to 6 representing the same number of people.  Will they be Left or Right leaning?  Will there be a balance of 3 and 3?  I suspect it will give an advantage of 1 to the left.

They have Waters in L.A., Pelosi in S.F., Feinstein all over the place and not much sense.  They truly represent the old adage that once the voters figure out they can vote themselves a free ticket they will -- but, being of a strong Leftist persuasion, they expect someone else to pay for it. 

The calls for impeachment of the President are coming from such a mindset as is commonly seen in CA.  Of course, they vote on everything.  Recalls are common there.  To them, impeachment is much like a recall.  It says, "We don't like the bum, off with his head!"  We are fortunate that our Founding Fathers anticipated such a situation and established a Republic rather than a democracy.

There is a lot of wealth in California.  I'm not talking about the billions piled in Hollywood, I'm talking about agriculture and Silicon Valley.  There is oil and gas and minerals as well.  Could they stand as a sovereign country?  Yes, if they reformed their government and got rid of the high tax/welfare system they currently have.  The problem is that they would form a pure democracy if not a communist state.  A communist state might survive but, a pure democracy couldn't.

If they were to split from the rest of us I could probably find a way to wish them well as long as they take the Hollywood idiots with them. 

Robert A. Heinlein saw this happening in CA as early as the 50's.  He had some really weird ideas, but was somewhat prescient.  Craziness....

To Our South

The election of a Socialist as President of Mexico bothers me greatly.  Mexico is ripe for Communism and to me, this is just the first step.

The crisis on our southern border will worsen.  We will have a string of refugee camps.  Human trafficking will increase.  The cartels will move their operations to the U.S.  They will support the Democratic Party directly and by proxy because the policies they espouse favor the cartels.

Texas, New Mexico and Arizona will become a war zone.  California will just be California as it is slowly taken over.  Civil unrest will grow and spread.

There will either be a Federal crackdown that will lead us one step closer to a Police State, we will break out in civil war, or the Left will regain control and we will join Mexico on the road to Communism.

Read the history.  It doesn't look good from where I sit.

Just my thoughts....