Kings High Ranch - Part 1

This past weekend Larry and I travel towards the Panhandle for Memorial Day Weekend.  Texas is known for it's wonderful hospitality!  Our friend and owner of Kings High Ranch certainly provided the most wonderful hospitality anyone could wish for.  We were the first to stay in their wonderful new 1 bedroom/1 bath guest house.  And here are a few of the photos of the interior.  Classic western decor.

Darling kitchen, the porch table kept inside due to the ever blowing wind.  We did move it outside to enjoy the beautiful sunsets.

Kings High Ranch makes up several different properties in four counties just below the Cap Rock.  A few photos of what I found interesting on the property where the guest house is located.

Some triticale King's High is growing.

Cap Rock in the distance.  Through the gate is the bank of the Pease River.

Traveling from one of Kings High properties we passed what George called the "Red Neck" Windmill.

I've seen these wind generators on the web before but can not find it now.  George told us the story behind it.  Some still operate, but very noisy as are the big wind generators of today.

The above picture is another property of George's he has leased out and will eventually fill with his own cattle.  This field was filled with Thistles with beautiful blooms making a striking contrast to the black calves.  We have a different species of Thistles, Musk or Nodding Thistle on our ranch with beautiful purple blooms that look like purple cotton balls.

I have more photos for tomorrow.

"So God Made a Farmer"

On Sunday across our nation farmers took notice of a commercial by Chrysler.  A simple ad with beautiful photographs across this nation and the voice of Paul Harvey about farm life.  Even I have recently posted about one of the sentences in Paul Harvey's 1978 Speech to the FFA National Convention.  The web has been alive with the buzz of the Number 1 ranked Super Bowl Ad.

My favorite Agriculture blogs are from my daughter's age group.  The young to middle age 20 something.  Their enthusiasm for farming is just amazing to me.  I know without a doubt that this age a group is ready for the task ahead, to take over the family farm.  They will ensure continued supply of food into the future, just as Paul Harvey spoke to my generation in 1978.  That year I headed off to college with the excitement of studying what I love Agriculture Economics.  Now to share two of my favorite bloggers.

Ryan Goodman is working on his Masters at Univ. of  Tennessee.  He's the founder of the blog AgricultureProud.com.  He is also regularly featured on CNN.com.  I started following Ryan when there were few if any Agriculture bloggers.  His blog Sitting in the Pasture inspired me to blog.  Although he blogs less often on this Sitting in the Pasture it's a treat when he does.

Brandy Buzzard is another I follow with her blog tittle Buzzard's Beat.  Bright and intelligent she sometimes brings an amusing perspective to her life as it relates to agriculture.

Crystal Cattle is yet another!  I've followed her blog for at least three years.  She offers so much to information to first time agriculture bloggers via her pages.

Just one more wonderful blogger, Kelly Rivard working as a agriculture digital communicator.  Another bright witty blogger I have been following since she was in college.

I hope you'll visit some of these and other individuals who blog about agriculture and life on the farm.  Farmers bring food to your table each day and many are sharing via twitter, facebook and blogs.  Thank you again Chrysler for making 2013 The Year of the Farmer!

Bo Bunny's Prairie Chic - A Review

From the moment I saw this line on Bo Bunny's Blog I was completely and hopelessly smitten by what I was seeing before my eyes!  This was the had to have line of everything that came out during Winter CHA for me!  And when I click post, I'll hit click and the whole line will arrive shortly in my home!

 

Now on to admonishing the company's who see the west as bucking broncos, rattle snakes, cactus and then have the gaul to put a Jersey Cow in the mix.  A Jersey Cow is a dairy cow not a beef cow.  Don't get me wrong Jersey's are my favorite breed of milk cows.  And don't get me wrong, I think those who own a dairy are amazing individuals.  Their work load in taking care of their herd of cows is incredible to bring you the perfect food, Milk!  I wouldn't know how to run a dairy if you paid me.  Bucking Broncos really irritate me!!! That's rodeo, that's not the ranch lifestyle or any way to train a horse.  If you are a trainer worth your salt then any horse you train never in his or her life offered to even pitch just one time.  The John Wayne movies, Lonesome Dove, etc just ain't (yep used the word for effect) what it's like on a beef cattle ranch of today.  At the same time I understand marketing and common misunderstood perceptions being an agriculture economist.  But I sure won't use those items.  Off my soap box.

  

Back to Prairie Chic!

BO BUNNY GOT IT RIGHT!  WHOOP!

The colors, the designs, the use of boots and flowers so reminds me of the country girl I am.  I love more then anything else being dirty from head to tail at the end of a day at the ranch.  Mind you it's a seven day a week job and sometimes a 24 hour day if you have an animal to care for or a cow your worried about her having her calf safely.  And at times not a pretty job when you fight tooth and nail to save a calf's life only to loose the calf.  It tugs at this ranch gal's heart strings in a way that tears are ok to let flow.  At the end of the day a good shower and fresh crisp clean clothes to have that very special husband say, 'We're going on a date tonight.' makes me realize Prairie Chic is that ranch gal's dream of the pretty that exists in everyone of us.

  

So thank you so much Bo Bunny for bringing the pretty of being a country girl, cowgirl and plan ole ranch hand into my heart!  I truly think this is the very BEST LINE you have created!  Now to line up all those boots of my country girl ranch hand daughter in a row and get that special photo to scrap with this line.  I guess it is my age, I just prefer my solid lacers that became so popular when I was my daughters age!  Oh, and those squared of toes!  Yuck!  Or pointed toes! Yuck!  Give me that softly rounded boot!  

  

Sure hope the other company's stand up and listen....there's the country gal and country boy who deserves the true west of today!  Including beef cattle instead of dairy!  Why not try a Red Angus or American Angus for a start!  And I own only two American Angus!  The rest are Lowline Angus and Santa Gertrudis with a few Longhorns for Yard Art!

Oh and just the time in this post to invite you to visit our website Flying J&L Ranch.

I HEART PRAIRIE CHIC!

EZ Undercover Agent

I have been following Unscripted Sketches for the last four months!  We are so busy at the ranch this time of year I have yet to get a card posted on the blog in time.  I peeked on Monday to see the sketch for this week and oh what an awesome sketch!

Circles have been in my head all week.  I finished my Design Team work and took a look at the Challenges at ACOT!  Between the January Lift Yourself Challenge and this wonderful sketch I was off to the races and two hours later I was done!  I love this creation of EZ Undercover Agent!

When Larry purchased Agent I had a wonderful advertising logo for this bull which I never got to use or even get done before Larry sold him.  If I remember right he sired 3 or 4 calves for us.  But as my husband has a habit of doing he will sell all but a handful of the cattle on the farm if he has a chance to sell one at a profit.  Agent now resides on another Texas ranch as a senior herd sire.  As for the photos, I have no earthly idea why he didn't call me to blow him dry for him.  LOL....we don't blow dry cattle we use the term "blow" cattle.  Don't ask me why we use the terminology we do in the cattle world....LOL!  Thus agent is in the wash rack sopping wet wet when Larry asks me to bring the camera from the house.  On top of that when I arrive he has a show halter on.  Really.....Larry can be really good at adding to the work load on a rare occasion.  Now I have a wet show halter!  So the halter got oiled that evening.  It's one of those times where you just kind of laugh at yourself for getting aggrevated over something that becomes a funny memory a couple of years later when you print the photos.  It's exactly why I scrap!  It's about the memories!

Thank you so much Laurie who hosted the challenge at ACOT and Unscripted Sketches for the sketch!

Family Farm

I love I kiss a family farmer!  I have often blogged about family farms and how we are a family farm.  I am directly involved in the work here at the ranch and since last posting about the farm our daughter has graduated Texas A&M and joined us on the farm.  We pay her a salary and pay for most of her living expenses such as water and electricity.  She will pay for groceries when Mom and/or Dad are at our other home.  We are so proud of her with a Masters in Agriculture Leadership, Education and Technology.  I've also written about how we are incorporated.  We are a business just like any other business.  I wanted to share a blog post written by another farmer's wife which describes my sentiments exactly.  I also love the photos from this West Texas Farmer!

http://txagtalks.texasfarmbureau.org/family-farmer-who-decides/ 

But let's not forget to share a photo from May on the birth of a very special little heifer on our farm!!!  Meet Miss FJL Texas Red Pearl 17 a fullblood red Lowline Heifer with a very rare pedigree!

And of course the day wouldn't be a happy day without seeing a layout I did of my son's show heifer way back when named Scout!

I laugh with a brahma in the photo and Holstein cow paper from Studio Calico!  And the cat squashed the flower which I have since fixed....have to love tissue paper flowers!  And I know my daughter showed her instead of son!

Have a blessed day!

Texas Wild Fires

I suppose one might ask why I have this layout with this title. We are attending a Southwest Lowline Angus Breeders Assoc. Field Day just south of Paige Texas in 2009 at a breeder who live on Hwy 21. I finally got hold of this breeder yesterday because I had a feeling they were way to close to the Bastrop Complex fire. As the breeder told me, 'If you could see the photos I took right before we evacuated, you would not understand how our house didn't burn.' Fortunately her cattle are ok, too. As of yesterday they are still not allowed back in to care for the cattle. Yet she has a friend who is allowed access and is feeding and watering her cattle for her.

This past weekend I watched as fires popped up around us. I fear this will be the norm and not occasional occurrence through October. It's stressful! Texas Forest gives daily updates HERE. The map showing current fires is HERE. The closest fire to me is the Limestone 481 and is 95% contained with 3000 acres burned for the past two days. It started due to an electrical line malfunction due to high winds on Sept. 4th. We decided to try to start a green space around barn and home. I just hope the soil temperature has gone down enough for seed to sprout. As of this morning I am also watching my neighbors house as he's in the hospital after having six bypasses.

I ask a favor from you should you read this post. Please pray for our state. At the same time I have sent prayers this morning for those being affected by more floods in the NE and wish you will do the same.

As for the inspiration on this layout. This was the layout I created in April as part of my application to My Scraps and More Design Team back in April. This was the first design team I applied for and I just love the community. I didn't make the team, but I look forward to applying to be on more design teams.

Praying for Rain & Cooler Weather

It's mid July and the heat and drought is on and today will make 16 days in a row above 100 and over 30 days above 100 for this year. If only the high pressure would break over Texas! I pray for rain right now. Dreaming of fall right now makes the hot horrid temperatures seems to allow each day to drag on and on. I thought this writing this post might make me at least feel cooler. Winter....I love the cooler temperatures, I just don't like February in Central Texas. We get our worst weather during this month. I love the clear blue skies so representative of a blue norther coming through. The air crisp and clean! At night living a rural life allows one to see the Milky Way in no other way one can see it in an urban life. I love these photos, they represent what we need to do during the summer as cattle producers to take our cattle through the winter. The other picture looks up the hill from my neighbors ranch to ours. The tree line in the distance is a lease pasture we have which borders our ranch. I wouldn't trade living right where I am for anything in the world. I repeat that sentence over and over and over. I will not ever stop either!

Predators in My Life

Following some of the friends I've made online in Agriculture a post on a Hunting Blog reminds me that life on a ranch is not always a friendly place to be. Please be warned there are graphic images.

Wolves Kill Prized Quarter Horse

We are fortunate we don't have wolves in our area of Texas. But we do have coyotes and mountain lions or cougars. They are the same species just different terminology. We have two donkeys in the pasture with the cattle to help protect calves. The really sad part as the drought deepens here, the chance of coyotes hunting in packs increases as their prey decreases. Their most common prey is rabbit and other small mammals in our area.

Yet, coyotes are opportunistic hunters and your pet dog can become a meal. Puppies in an yard are their favorite because they can lure them away from a home. Coyotes have learned to be leery of humans. When one has an experience that coyotes will not always remain out of a human's way, you begin to reevaluate your status on the food chain. We are only at the top of the food chain because of our brain in relation to other animals.

Top of the Food Chain came in full view earlier this spring as I watch unfold before me the cruelty of my environment play out in front of me. To become part of a coyote hunting it's prey was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. The prey, our beloved German Shorthair Pointer Belle. I'm just glad I was there to remind the coyote he should be leery of humans. At the same time my biggest regret was I never had a clear shot and when I did he was out of range. I could have been the one the coyote was after, to think differently is just plain stupid on any human's part.

Agriculture and Scrapping All in One Post

I follow Crystal Cattle, one of the best cattle blogs on the web IMHO! Today's post The Farm Sign - Marketing 101. Crystal is exactly right a business markets itself first with their sign. I agree a sign needs to be up so one knows those gorgeous cows in the pasture by the road belong to. I'm not wild on the signs breed registries make like with Brahman Cattle. But take a look at the V8 Ranch sign on Crystal's blog today. V8 Brahman Cattle match the sign......AWESOME! So after the house is built this year I'll make sure we concentrate on the sign! Somewhere in the back of my head you'd think I would have been putting more emphasis on the sign, but the herd had to be built first! I am after all the Ag. Economist in the family.

I finally had the time to visit GCD Studios Blog today! They have been releasing lines since December and I'm loving them. Today's was Fun House. Don't forget to leave a comment on GCD's Post because one lucky winner will get the entire line. Need a Circus Line with a little vintage flare tossed in. And who said it had to only be for a Circus. I could just see the darling photos Lynn took of Tillie's calf this fall with her cute Angus head she got from her sire Peyton and all sorts of Milk Face going on done with this line! So enjoy some of these then click on the link for their blog!

And of course some of the embellishments:

You will just have to go to the two blog posts to see the rest of the lines, HERE AND HERE! I am so drooling!!!!

What's in the Shoe! ahhh Boot!

As a rancher of beef cattle what is in the footwear one wears. The first thought is a rancher wears boots. I smile as women want to marry the rancher but buy their food from a farmer. Even before I was high school graduate, I was a Wranglers and T-shirt gal. Hasn't change even after marriage. I love my Wranglers and t-shirts. I am even back to wearing men's Wranglers. Why, well I could go into all the economic gobbledygook about why, but lets just say I can't find my size anymore. I was blessed with a short waist and longer then long legs with needing a 36 inch inseam jeans. And as you can imagine I do not own a dress pair of slacks with needing that inseam. But boots....even getting me to ride with boots on unless I was in the show ring was not happening. More then likely you would find me barefoot as a teenager cleaning horse stalls and slip the tennis shoes on to ride. Sigh.....the joys of teenage rebellion. Tennis shoes even when riding until I went to work were State of Texas regulations required me to ride with boots on. Yep, my supervisor pulled that one on me. But if I didn't have a supervisor around on my weekend I had to work once a month, back in the tennis shoes horseback. Now happily turning 50 this year I look back and realize I have some real problems with my knees and ankles having worked with livestock my whole life. So now when I'm in the barn I look for a shoe which gives my ankles more support. Still no boots, but yep I have a pair for when I go to a cattle show. They are a pair of Ariat Lace Up. They are so uncomfortable and yet again finding my size was an issue, I wear a 7 1/2 C. It's that darn C width. Next pair of boots I'm going back to Justins! My work in the barn shoes are my US Polo Muckers. Oh My Gosh they are so comfortable! And then if it rains I'm back in what I call my work tennis shoes. So once again, I dispel the myth of all cattlewomen walking around in western clothes and boots like any of those old western movies. This gal loves her muckers and tennies in that order!!!

Shortie

My other post for today "Shame in the Horse Show Ring" made me think of the most wonderful Quarter Horse I ever rode. I was working as a Livestock Supervisor for Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice. I watched for three years this horse being ridden by another individual doing what one does with cattle: checking cattle daily, penning cattle for working, and checking fence. His name was Shortie. A fire orange sorrel gelding built like a little bulldog standing just 14.1 hands. The time came when his rider left the ranch. I was able to pick him up. Why that rider loved to have this horse's nose in the air was beyond me. I was drawn to Shortie because he loved his job and had a real gutsy attitude. He just knew he could do anything the bigger horses could, and he could.

Well that rough nose in the air gate had to go. Patience was the rule every day I stepped onto his back. After three weeks of a get to know you period I set up a series of cavaletti for Shortie. We would work about five minutes everyday at a walk and trot across them. At first it was like a fish out of water. This powerhouse athletic gelding couldn't even walk across them with out almost falling down. It took two weeks for him to begin to look down at the ground. It was the beginning for him to realize he didn't have to stick his nose in the air. Slowly over the next year he began to drop his head, learned to cadence his gait. We could head across open ground at an extended trot and I could sit and ride with ease. His jog was exquisite and balanced. His lope like a gentle rocking chair, easy and free lead changes with just a shift of the opposite leg by me. His neck level and collected at all gaits. All I had to do was lift my hand and he would stop. A year and half later other employees took notice, the gutsy little gelding was the envy of the ranch. Time and again I would hear someone say, I can't believe Shortie is the same horse. Can I ride him, the answer was always some other time.

Then one day as I climbed on his back, something was amiss. After twenty minutes I got off and check the girth, the pad, the saddle, the bridle, the bit.....I mean I checked everything. He was off, he wouldn't collect, wouldn't cadence any gait. After two hours I felt beaten to death like when I first started to ride him. On top of that I'd felt I was fighting him all morning. He wasn't tossing his head, he wasn't angry....it felt like a test. He didn't accept a single cue I gave him. I was trying to get a cadenced jog when I finally had enough. I didn't raise my hand to stop as I just stepped off of him. Roping horses are trained to stop when the rider comes off. He wasn't collected like he should have been. The result taught him a simple lesson he would never forget. He stumbled, scrambling to stop, and his knees hit the ground followed by his nose. He picked himself up as quickly as he fell. Stunned he stood there eyeing me.....I touched his neck lightly stroking him. 'Shortie,' I said, 'I hope that taught you a lesson.' I mounted and my wonderful gelding moved off at a walk, no soreness. I gently asked for a jog, and my gutsy little gelding was in fine form, collected and cadenced. He never again tested me. I never asked Shortie to drop his head so low he couldn't collect himself. I never forced him into an unnatural gait. I asked him to be on the bit and drive off his hindquarter. He was a horse I will never forget. A gutsy little guy that had one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen in a horse.

Some of the best horses I've ever mounted were ranch horses or PRCA Ropers. Working animals with hearts of fire and the patience to go all day long, day after day.

Kim

Day at the Ranch, May 19, 2009

Yesterday, Larry and I spent the morning trying to get our new donkey, "Donkey" to either get caught or go out the gate so we could move him down the road to home. Yep, he visited the horses next door. He's now keeping our new senior bull Premier company until we get him gelded. Larry left for our Angleton home and work. I sat to cool off from the miles I walked behind "Donkey." Yep, his name is Donkey when we purchased him, so the name sticks. Thank you Natasha for such a rascal.

Then I dashed out the door to go see the cattle out back. Purpose other then to check and make sure everyone was there was to get a picture of "my" new bull calf. I claim one cow on the farm. PX 20L is my cow. I found her in the 2008 Get Back to Grass Sale Catalog and marked a big red star as the first one to look at. The picture was not of a cow of a particular great animal. Pictures are not what you will see in person. I marked her because she was a daughter of the great Lowline Bull Quartermaster. I'd been bugging Larry for Quartermaster semen for two years last fall. All falling on deaf ears. When I arrived at the sale, I headed in the barn looking for PX 45. I stood there looking at a seven year old cow, in the prime of her reproductive capacity. There was a lot to like about her and some I didn't. But then again I could pick apart any animal. I liked what I saw and had visions of her being bred to Tequila, Peyton, and Machine. I could probably think of a few other Lowline Bulls I could breed her to. I said to Larry I wanted that cow. He said there are better and she's older. "I want that cow!" He said I don't think we need her. "I want that cow." I think of the on going remarks prior to the sale about that cow. My reply kept being "I want that cow." Larry asked Lynn about that cow. She was positive. Then I happen to be in a group of individuals and asked Neil where Quartermaster worked the best in the breed. He said on the half-bloods and listed the whys. I happened to go outside about two cows before she was to sell. When I came back in she was selling. Then I spotted Larry and I saw his hand wave. I could barely contain my excitement. He was bidding on the cow I wanted. Of course you know the story, she came home with me.

She was exposed to two different bulls. I was excited when I looked at when she was palpated, Wow maybe she'll give me an Absolut calf. Yet when she calved and I took one look at my new bull calf it was obvious she was a Bruzer son. Mr. FJL11 V01 is a half blood lowline, a quarter Gelbvieh, a quarter shorthorn. He's been the best of the three percentage calves born on the farm this year. I had no doubt he would be. He's better then the Absolut heifer he had last year and she was a show quality 3/4 Lowline heifer. I'll see how he does when we wean him on his weight. Right now he's advertised for sale as a show steer or bull. He should easily make the lightweight class for a steer. Needless to say my husband is very pleased with my now eight year old cow.....who goes by the name of "Your cow."

I took alot of pictures this day and put two of my other favorites up on this post. The one at the top of the post is of the massive bloom all of the Prickly Pears are having. It's a larger bloom then I've ever seen before. All of the Prickly Pear large and small are blooming with a passion. Then there is the yard art to the left of this paragraph. I couldn't resist this shot after the photos I took of my calf. There was Chili Pepper
and my loyal "cow dog" Paige who is currently warming my feet. She long ago realized the safest place for her when the herd was around was in the mule. The cows don't pay any attention to her, she's just part of the crew to them. Paige loves to be in the mule while I'm wondering among the cattle. She's sooo cute watching her "Mommy".

May your day be as peaceful as mine! Kim

NSD '09 ... ACOT

NSD or National Scrapbooking Day is really celebrated around the world. To be honest I think we need to change it to National Scrapbooking Weekend. There are all sorts of functions going on across the country in LSS, consultants with Creative Memories and other home businesses, and online. My cropping group this year will celebrate next Saturday with our monthly crop. This weekend though I spent time at A Cherry on Top or ACOT! They hosted a very fun online crop! This was a first for me and I am so HOOKED! Here are some of the pictures pulled from my picture library and projects I completed over the weekend. I would have gotten more done had it not been for doing some work around the ranch. The pictures and other items are in desending order.

I fell in love with Challenge #11! We had to list all of the STUFF in our bag (purse) on the thread. Then go back and read the rest of the post. Common items we choose to carry were matched with a product. Here's what I wrote with parenthesis the matching product I was allowed to use in our LO's. Cash (pattern paper), Debit Card (cardstock), receipts (die-cut), lipstick (glitter), coupons (stamp), hair brush (paper clip), car keys (flowers), mints (brads), cell phone (buttons). I also had business cards listed and since it wasn't given on the list I was allowed to choose an additional product and I chose alphas. I chose to do LO that reflected our lifestyle and work on the ranch.



Delta Zeta's rose, Killarney! How I love this rose! Used on the thread asking how we chose our nic on ACOT's message board. My nick killarney_rose!




My darling Paige asking my son James for some sprinklins'!
Posted this photo of my precious girl spending time with her James. The thread asked us to tell which breed of dog they would buy. Of course I would have another Cavalier. Small dog averaging twelve pounds bred to be a lap and foot warmer during the middle ages. Wonderful temperment not yappy and a real joy to have. Paige is currently warming my feet.


Talk about a mess...my scrap space during crop! We were asked for a photo of a messy scrap space. Mine was relatively clean compared to some, LOL!





Fast Scrap 13 was so fantastic! I didn't think I could do it but I did! I'm so excited! The challenge was to make an altered item or a card holder to hold a hand made card. I thought this was a neat way to dress up a present! I so love my Creative Memories Pattern. I could stick with a star theme with a star on the card I made. Then on top of it all I WON the challenge and received a $5 gift certificate to ACOT's store. So excited!





My Fast Scrap 12 entry for the birthday card. Thanks for getting me to move with lightening speed! Done in 10 minutes. Uploading it with a site I'm not familiar with was another story!!!!! LOL!



Me on the porch of our house at the ranch during ACOT NSD Crop! The thread asked for a picture of us during the crop. Well I love showing how I think when it comes to the ranch. I love using the cattle to mow our two acre lawn! A thread for a picture the morning after our first night. The crop was a 50 hour extravaganza!

There is nothing more fun then spending time sharing family, our stories and having a blast producing a item for others to enjoy! I AM ADDICTED TO SCRAPPING!

Out My Window

Living on a ranch there is never a dull day. Just looking around you see a world open before you full of wonder. This morning Larry comes out from his morning shower and asks me to come back to the bedroom. He points out the window to a brown mass in the trees along the fence line. There in the tree is a swarm of bees. He tells me to be careful if I go out to get a picture. I tell him not to worry. I've no desire to disturb this group of one of the most wonderful insects in the world! Kim

Barn Raising

I'm a product of a urban (suburbia) up bringing. I remember how crowded it seemed when we lived up north in Niagara Falls and Wilmington. Houses seemed crammed together. In the Clear Lake area from the age of 9 through high school there were wide open areas. Lots of room for kids to investigate. If you went to the other side of Clear Lake into Galveston County the space was even larger. Somehow, I didn't always feel like I was living in a suburb of Houston. As a teenager my friends and I rode our horses where there is now houses, chemical plants, and shopping centers. We loved to ride to Galveston Bay, tie the horses and go swimming. By the time I was in Clear Creek High FFA I loved being down at the school farm. My closest friends were in school at Clear Creek, they always told me I wasn't stuck up like most of the Clear Lake High students. My friends were right. I went to Clear Lake, but if you want to take an Ag course you were at both high schools in our district. There were still gravel roads in the League City area.

I go home now and it is like being in a real city. I am always thankful I don't have to stay. I love the open spaces of where Lynn and James grew up in Angleton. The feel was like League City 30 years ago. Once again, though, I'm watching the urban sprawl move south towards Angleton, just as I watched it grow south towards the Clear Lake area and then engulf it. I'm so happy our business has allowed Larry and I to "return to the farm."

As a child I loved the drive from Wilmington, Delaware, to Geneva,Ohio to see my grandparents. It meant we drove through Amish Country in Pennsylvania. I loved the big barns. I wanted so badly to climb to the top floor. I've always loved the smell of a barn. Especially, if horses resided there. I've often thought about the age of those barns. The barn raising being a social affair for the community.

Fast forward to the 21st century. Our own barn raising and still a year later it is not quite complete. Our barn is 40'x80'. That's big to me. Now we are using the barn, it's small. There have been a host of considerations for a cattle barn vs. one to house horses. I think one of the most interesting things we had to consider was taking into account our hoof trimmer and his chute to trim one of the cows who has never been halter broke. Terry was amazed as I asked if what we were planning would work to get cattle in his chute. He had never been asked a question like that. I want everything set up right so we can care for the cattle in a fashion that is in their best interest of their health and welfare.

I'm excited about the wings which will go on the long side of the barn. It will provide more protection from the north wind in the winter for an animal who may be in the barn because they need attention to a health issue. The wings will allow me to have the show cattle out of the sun during the day so their coats will be healthier. It does mean fans will have to be mounted to during the summer. Consideration must be made for a tractor to be able to get into the pens to scrap the floor to remove manure. We also need the wings because we plan on having a yearly field day at the ranch. A chance to give back to the local agriculture community involved in beef cattle production especially the youth.

I hope you have learned a little more about my story and my love of my cattle, horses, and the rural life. I get to wake every morning to watch the heifers in the front pasture, in the distance the show cattle and horses sharing a pasture eating side by side on a round bale of hay when it's needed. And beyond them the bulls. Eating in the early morning sun. In the afternoon the bulls are lounging in the shade. I love the spring.

The scrapbook layout of the pictures I took of the barn was entered into 52 Sketches...52 Weeks for Week #14 Sketch. I guess making my own nuts(hex nuts) as an embellishment worked because I've found a lot of comments on the LO. To those who visit my blog because of the community at 52 Sketches...52 Weeks, I am very thankful to you for your wonderful support and love. To Julie, thank you for the wonderful work you do to make your site a wonderful community of supportive women.

Kim

"Cow-Tax" Bill Introduced - In Support of Producers

I found this wonderful blog yesterday, sponsored by a couple in South Dakota. To me they are wonderful to keep me politically informed about Agriculture. I love talking about Agriculture and telling my stories. They are about the triumphs and despair one experiences devoting so much energy and emotion to what I love. Yes, it is a part of our family income. Yet who in their right mind would invest over 1/2 a million dollars in structures, equipment, and animals or seed & chemicals to do what they love. A farmer and ranch would. What is our return for that investment, NONE. There isn't a corporation in America that would do what the American Farmer and Rancher does just because they love what they are doing. So I'm sure there will be plenty of double posts in a day. I hope so!


Time and again I find the citizens of this country have no idea where their food really comes from or how much we contribute as a nation to the hunger in this world. We crave certain fruits and vegetables year round, we want specialty items like gourmet coffee, cocoa, etc. These items can and do cause Agriculture production to be limited to meet the needs of a developed nation. Staples like rice and corn are put aside to grow the things we consume.

On January 13th I wrote a post about the proposed EPA tax on cows (beef & dairy) as well as pigs. I'll let you go back and read it instead of writing it over. I'm happy to say Frank Lucas from Oklahoma introduced the House Bill 1426 to amend the Clean Air Act to not allow the EPA to tax or charge a fee for emissions on cattle and pigs. In the Senate, Senator John Thume (SD-R) and Senator Charles Schumer (NY-D) introduced their version of the bill. As you can see there is bi-partisian support for this bill. New York has is a large dairy producing state and of course South Dakota is a large beef production state. These bills are ultimately to keep our food available to the US consumer at an inexpensive cost. It keeps fast food chains from going outside the country and importing beef for you to eat from South America and Australia. This keeps both the American Farmer and Rancher in business. The farmer producing grain the pigs and cattle eat. It would greatly please me if you would be so kind to take a moment to ask your congressman(woman) and Senators to support this bill.

Let's work together to keep American Farmers and Ranchers in business to help feed the rest of the world. Let's not be part of the problems of demanding of other countries for our food when we can grow our own. Let's keep our food products inexpensive so our population in the lower end of the economic scale can afford to eat. Remember you enjoy your lifestyle because of the American Farmer and Rancher!

Kim

A Mother's Love

Since I'm a mother myself, I often translate being a mother onto the cows in the herd. Each cow is slightly different in the way they handle motherhood. Some very protective, some not so much. Yet relationships in the herd develope. Those cows who have full grown daughters in the herd maintain very close relationships with their daughters. There is also a relationship between the placement in the pecking order and where a daughter will be in that order, too. Very close relationships develope between unrelated cows and those relationships are directly affected by breed. Our Santa Gertrudis are very close with no close friendships between the Lowlines. It is the same with the Lowlines. Boss cow is Wendt 7855 aka Angel. She is the alpha female. A quiet leader she is the one who decides where and when the herd will move. On occasion her eldest daughter Lexie can be found elsewhere with a small group of cattle. Lexie is #2. Lexie would make an awful Boss Cow. She is a tyrant for the most part. I think she uses her mother's position to throw her weight around. With the Lowlines, Cimmaron is top gal, yet she is beneath both Angel and Lexie. If Lexie moves off with her group of friends, Cimmaron stays with Angel. On occasion when Cimmaron is with her own group in a separate pasture she is Boss Cow.

Angel is also a very prolific cow. Like clock work she has a calf every year and two weeks. She has only had daughters, 4 total with the last born week before last. Last May I happened to catch in cow terms a very tender moment between Mother and Daughter. So I took the picture. Here's the LO.

I want to thank 52 Sketches...52 Weeks for a great sketch to work with. The LO is better in person. Somewhere I lost something in the colors I chose.... Anytime I do that I just move on.

Kim

Miss FJL May Day FJL02

It's always a wonderful feeling when your the first individual to accomplish something. At a previous job I was the first woman supervisor in Agriculture Production. May Day represents the first Star 5 Calf using Lowline/Santa Gertrudis cross. She is a very special girl. There are big plans for her. She will be bred this fall to a Lowline for her first calf. The next year we will be flushing her to a Santa Gertrudis Bull to implant embryos for the hope of producing a smaller Star 5 Santa Gertrudis Bull. One who would help to reduce the size of Santa Gertrudis in the pasture.

She has developed into a very nice example of an English/American cross animal. Nice enough she is a show calf. I look forward to seeing her in the ring at the Houston Livestock Show. May is red, most Lowlines are black. She should be a standout in the ring. Her sire is Murrumbong Bluey out of nice Santa Gertrudis. Her dam is nothing special, just nice. One of our best Santa Gertrudis gave us a really nice heifer out of Nova. So I can only imagine if she had a calf from Bluey.

I loved the Pencil Lines Sketch #122. AWESOME SKETCH! I love to Layer Lots of Paper. After taking the picture I don't like some of the things about the LO. All of a sudden there is pink and green with the Alpha Stickers. Now that I see it in a picture I should have chosen something else for the title. I love the photograph. May is nine days old in the photo. She was an absolute cutie pie. And no, May is not a sinking ship, she was born May 1st, May Day.

May weighed in at 56 lbs at birth. Over the fall calving season, we have come to realize the great part about using Lowlines on heifers is they have no problems calving. The growth rates are really good. At eight months she is just over 700 lbs and will be a pushing 900 when we breed her. Full adult weight I think will be around 1200 lbs. Perfect size for the commerical cattle herd. She is highly feed efficent. In relation to feeding the Santa Gertrudis show heifers I'm feeding only 2/3 of what the Santa Gertrudis are eating. This would equate a definite savings in harvested feed stuffs in the winter to cattle. It also means one can stock more cattle and more pounds of beef produced on a per acre basis. I truly believe we need to equate pounds per acre of beef produced in the same way we do any of the grains. At the same time we need to consider lbs of gain per day. It's the paradigm shift that is beginning to occur in the beef industry. Just in talking to beef producers around us, they are so resistant to this pyhlosophy. We just have to prove it to the beef producers of Texas.



I talked about size of the Fullblood Lowlines in my last post. I was able to get a really cute picture of Lynn's friend and roommate Natasha with Tillie. Tillie is a very nice heifer in our show string.

Kim

EZ Sassafras - cattle pictures can be difficult

Cattlemen and women in Texas take their first look at the Lowline Angus and think we are nuts to raise a so called specialty breed. Women especially think the Lowline is cute. Even my husband will only acknowledge to me that they are. But really both of us believe with all our souls they are the future of the cattle industry in the US. This breed is a true Angus just smaller. To give you an idea how big they are I'd like you to think about the length of your inseam when you buy a pair of jeans. Sassy measures about 38 inches. Peyton our Junior Bull measures 44 inches at 2 1/2 years and we will probably get him another inch by the time he is three. Nova our Senior Bull measures about 47-48 inches.

I tell people we don't eat the legs of cattle. I always get a cocked head as they process that statement then always get, 'Ya know your right!' Peyton at 44 inches weighed in at the beginning of the month at 922 lbs and still not quite at full weight. He should reach 1000-1050 by the time he walks in the ring at Houston Livestock Show in Mid March.



The picture of Peyton was taken in May '08, the spring grasses just before going to seed. They would come up just above my knee. Gives a real idea of just what the size of a 18 month old bull. He's about 38 inches in this photo. You might ask why there is a ring in his nose. All bulls shown over the age of nine months must have a ring for control. Peyton hates the ring. The only time he has a line attached to the ring is when we enter the show grounds as he loves arrival and gets excited. The other time is when he is actually in the show ring per the rules. Oh and don't pull on that line, he'll go nuts. He literally gets angry. Lynn is a master of not pulling on his ring when she has a line attached. He just instinctively knows if he behaves it won't hurt. He really hates being angry, too. He'll tell you real quick he's a lover not a fighter.

I have two months a year to take really nice photos of the cattle, when the grass is green and lush, April and May. About 5% are worthy of using in advertising or on the website. I've never had a great picture of Peyton, and so hope this year at Houston we'll get a good show picture. If nothing else I use the pictures for identification purposes as Lowline Angus as a breed are not branded. They tattoo the ears instead. Should they get stolen I need the photos. Also Lowlines are DNA Tested for parentage so there is a way other then pictures and tattoos to identify a stolen animal.

As pictures go I couldn't get Sassy (Sassafras) in a position for a great shot. But I did get two right together that reminded me just a silly noise from the human will bring both ears forward. So Sassy, thank you for paying attention.



Even with the difficulty taking her picture I remind myself at times she lives up to her name, Sassy. Remember we give direction to kids for photos and they don't always do what we want. Try working with a child who has always been told to smile for a photo graph, then you tell him/her you don't want them to smile. Yeah, had that happen recently with a great-nephew and great-niece. I really got some strange, 'Are you NUTS!' looks from both. They loved the pictures in the camera when I showed them. Cattle are worse....LOL. I want to thank Pencil Lines for their Sketch this week, Sketch 123. I think that is why I chose to use a pink background. Sassy you can be cute when she wants to, Miss Prissy!

I really enjoy our Lowline Cattle.

Kim