I have started this post numerous times the last couple weeks. I am determined to press "publish" when finished typing this time, overcome my writer's block and get back to blogging.
The first two months of married life have flown by, and have been crazy. No one really told me about the crash landing that occurs when your honeymoon is over. How, about three days after being home, you're exhausted from sharing a bed the size of one you comfortably occupied alone prior to being married. How you have both been able to go to bathroom, start your car, run errands and accomplish countless other everyday tasks just fine for years, even decades, without this new spouse unceasingly telling you how to do every little thing. I naïvely believed we would float on bliss for a couple months at least until we started to deal with this sort of thing. Not so!
Then there are dealing with all the life events that don't stop, slow down, or have any consideration at all to the fact that you have been slammed into a whole new world, feel permanently separated from anything resembling a comfort zone, and are not finding anything lie is throwing at you the least bit amusing.
When your life involves being responsible for hundreds of other living things, all the feed to keep them full and happy during the upcoming winter and a return on investment ratio that would make a "real" businessman run for the hills, and when you're both use to being in charge of the day to day operations of such a place, it adds a whole new level to the adjustment period and the stress included in building the foundation of a strong marriage.
This has been our life for the last two months. We are incredibly happy one moment, and ready to attack the other with the closest blunt object the next (I mean that figuratively for the most part). We're completely worn out, very much still in love, determined to make this work in a way that includes us both getting some sleep, and actually starting to make a little headway some days.
We've discussed all this, and both believed, again naïvely, that seeing as how we are both responsible adults who maintain super busy schedules and multiple businesses, that blending our lives together would go fairly well. Oh I'm sure God got a good chuckle out of that thought.
Truth is, he has presented us with challenges right out of the gate that would be incredibly difficult at any point in life for one or the other, or both, of us to deal with right. For example, we had pinkeye sweep through our cows not once, but twice this summer. Every one of my cows but one has had it so far, and that was devastating to me. Seeing an animal, my animal especially, hurting or otherwise unhealthy or unhappy will put me in the worst mood, and has been very hard at times.
There have been other serious animal and crop issues. Our house was a complete disaster for well over a month after moving my stuff here, and you really did not want to attempt a trip through to the bathroom in the dark if you valued your toes. We have had multiple vehicle issues and breakdowns, I missed recording a couple checks in my register at one point (you can imagine the rest) and a raccoon pooped on the roof of my car!
But, through it all we have been working steadily on building the cornerstone of our relationship with Christ, as the man who married us explained was so important prior to and during our wedding. We feel stronger as a couple, are getting much better at running full-tilt with little to no sleep and have worked some things into our routine to make it easier for both of us. We've started to learned how to compromise, to enjoy the fact that we both love our lifestyle and have all these ideas on how things should be done, and to realize how much the other is trying to make this go as well as possible.
We're to the point where we very cautiously say "bring it on" with tired determination and a sincere hope it won't be brought on right away.
I can't wait to share it with you, as soon as I get my camera repaired and the memory card with everything from the last few weeks and our honeymoon on it to a tech person so they can hopefully recover all the images. I wasn't kidding when I said we were hit with challenges from every direction.
Here's to starting month three of marriage, farming, ranching and writing in Western South Dakota.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
My Favorite Things
Guess what came to feed this morning?! Yep, the first three beautiful, feisty baby calves of 2013. Here comes one with his mom to check things out. Seeing the baby calves of spring is among my favorite things in life. Having three of them to oooh and aaahh over today was a perfect way to celebrate what is a big holiday in my world: National Ag Day. While I have a jam packed day of ag-related tasks that run the gamete from writing about the industry to feeding the cows that comprise it, I wanted to take a few minutes and share a few of my favorite things about agriculture with you in honor of this holiday. I have been trying to narrow them down in my head, so this post doesn't turn into a novel - we'll see how I do.
I love cows. From feeding them to working them to breeding them to excel and be among the best there are, I have what will be a lifelong fascination with raising exceptional cattle. From watching them trail into feed in the winter and mentally listing the traits they excel at, and what needs done to make them better, to marketing them and watching them exceed your expectations, to days like today, when over a year's worth of work sees its reward in the first new life of the year, there is an unending array of tasks and rewards involved in cattle production that is a key part of my family and I's happiness.
The land. When you're raised on a place, personally involved in improving and upgrading it, and especially when you know what those before you sacrificed, and that they worked harder than you'll ever have to work to give you the chance to have it someday, the land gets in your blood. I have helped build miles of fence that is close to perfect in post and wire spacing, put in numerous tanks and miles of pipeline to provide water and improve grazing, rebuilt corrals after the freshly weaned calves tore them down, bogged a horse down in a snowbank, saved numerous newborn calves lives and watched mother nature at her gentlest and most destructive on this land. You can't buy that, and while it would probably be easier in many ways if the emotional attachment wasn't there from a management standpoint, it's the connection to the land that makes us so good at what we do in many ways.
I love my family. I have the best family out there, and I hope all of you can say that with equal sincerity. They are God fearing, honest, hardworking people who lead by example and do a good job of it. They're perfectionists, and doing a mediocre job because of some excuse like it's a fence no one will see hasn't ever flown, or even flapped its wings, around here. They raised my generation to be nice, sincere and fair, to work hard and help people, to stand up for what we believe in and that no one can take our education away from us. They pray at every meal, and among my favorites is thanking God for putting us so close to his creation and giving us a job on earth that we love so much. It is often said in the middle of a pasture or corral, when we're covered in dust or mud, manure and grime, and it is said from the bottom of our hearts.
The people. In addition to my family, I also get to make my living writing for the people in agriculture. I meet new folks in this industry almost daily on the phone or via email, and they don't come any better. I've interviewed people while feeding cattle, calving heifers, and while stopped along the side of the road while shipping cattle, and have had the folks I'm interviewing take the time to talk to me in many of the same situations. I've sat at tables that hosted famous politicians, celebrities and outlaws, talked to families that can trace their history farther back that you know what to do with, and have been welcomed by all. They are the most gracious people I interview, and almost every one will go above and beyond what I'm asking about to make sure that this reporter that called understands the big picture in relation to whatever specific topic I called for. I love that.
I love the work. I love having the sun rise while driving or riding to gather cows, and I love that it doesn't happen that way every day. I love riding great horses, building good fence, watching it rain and the grass grow, completing annual tasks and having it go smoothly, seeing animals born, caring for an animal and having it make a full recovery, and writing about all the things that make this industry what it is. Even better is that sense of exhausted accomplishment that follows a day spent branding big calves, sheering ewes, installing a tank and watching it fill with no leaks, or riding all day and having your equally exhausted horse step out and stop that cow before she cuts back when you're almost to the barn. Agriculture work is hard work, but it's also the best work.
This is just a glimpse into what I love about this huge, diverse industry that ultimately feeds the world, which is another big perk of the job I do. I am very, very blessed, and very thankful to be a part of the ranching and agriculture industry. Happy National Ag Day!
If you would like to know more about agriculture in my home state, click on this link to get started.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Wedding Details, Part 1
Thank you to everyone who left such nice comments and sent emails after I posted about getting engaged! Many of you also asked for wedding details, and I am here to share a few with you today.
First up, the date and location. We will be getting married on July 6, 2013. The ceremony will be on my parent's ranch, with just family in attendance, which means about 40 people. In addition to all the other reasons to pray for rain, I would also really like some so it's nice and green and beautiful for the wedding!
A reception will immediately follow, as soon as we can make the one hour drive, in the beef barn on the fairgrounds in my hometown. The beef barn is a great wooden quonset hut with a cement floor and big doors at either end that we can open for a breeze if it's warm, and it most likely will be. It seems a very fitting location for us, as we were both very active in showing cattle growing up, and this same barn is where I spent 11 fairs housing my 4-H beef projects as a kid.
The preacher. We are very blessed to have found a man who grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, and who takes marrying a couple very seriously. I really appreciate that he wants to make sure God is at the center of the whole affair, after all God is the most important guest and part of joining two people in marriage, and that he understands and lives the same lifestyle we do. Beyond that, his personality is great, he has a fun family who I hope can attend with him, and I'm thankful that he wants to meet with us a few times prior to the actual wedding.
The photographer. This was a biggie to me, surprise surprise. It was also a big surprise to find out that two other Wyoming photographers are getting married the same day. One of which is a friend of mine, and one of which would have probably been my first choice for a photographer. After learning this, then scouring our (I scoured, he listened to me as I scoured) possibilities, we made a decision.
Three weeks and a couple emails later, I still hadn't received a contract, so I freaked out, scoured more, found someone really good and available, and booked her, at which point the first photographer finally emailed me a contract. I felt really bad, as the first person is someone I am acquainted with, and I really hate having to let someone know that I'm no longer using their services, even if is because of no fault on my part. I still feel bad. I'm also convinced that the new photographer probably thinks I'm a complete basket case because I've changed my mind about four times on what package I want. To blow the budget or not....yes, no, yes, no. This has been my mind the last week Today I finally reached a compromise, and kept things within the original photography budget. Hopefully we can get a contract signed in the next couple days and the whole photographer thing wrapped up until the big day!
So there you have it. There have been countless other ideas, decisions and changes in the last couple months, and I'll be sure to post an update from time to time. There are a lot of things that I want to wait to show you until I can include a photo or two (the dress, meal, decorations...), so those may not show up until afterward.
First up, the date and location. We will be getting married on July 6, 2013. The ceremony will be on my parent's ranch, with just family in attendance, which means about 40 people. In addition to all the other reasons to pray for rain, I would also really like some so it's nice and green and beautiful for the wedding!
A reception will immediately follow, as soon as we can make the one hour drive, in the beef barn on the fairgrounds in my hometown. The beef barn is a great wooden quonset hut with a cement floor and big doors at either end that we can open for a breeze if it's warm, and it most likely will be. It seems a very fitting location for us, as we were both very active in showing cattle growing up, and this same barn is where I spent 11 fairs housing my 4-H beef projects as a kid.
The preacher. We are very blessed to have found a man who grew up on a ranch in Wyoming, and who takes marrying a couple very seriously. I really appreciate that he wants to make sure God is at the center of the whole affair, after all God is the most important guest and part of joining two people in marriage, and that he understands and lives the same lifestyle we do. Beyond that, his personality is great, he has a fun family who I hope can attend with him, and I'm thankful that he wants to meet with us a few times prior to the actual wedding.
The photographer. This was a biggie to me, surprise surprise. It was also a big surprise to find out that two other Wyoming photographers are getting married the same day. One of which is a friend of mine, and one of which would have probably been my first choice for a photographer. After learning this, then scouring our (I scoured, he listened to me as I scoured) possibilities, we made a decision.
Three weeks and a couple emails later, I still hadn't received a contract, so I freaked out, scoured more, found someone really good and available, and booked her, at which point the first photographer finally emailed me a contract. I felt really bad, as the first person is someone I am acquainted with, and I really hate having to let someone know that I'm no longer using their services, even if is because of no fault on my part. I still feel bad. I'm also convinced that the new photographer probably thinks I'm a complete basket case because I've changed my mind about four times on what package I want. To blow the budget or not....yes, no, yes, no. This has been my mind the last week Today I finally reached a compromise, and kept things within the original photography budget. Hopefully we can get a contract signed in the next couple days and the whole photographer thing wrapped up until the big day!
So there you have it. There have been countless other ideas, decisions and changes in the last couple months, and I'll be sure to post an update from time to time. There are a lot of things that I want to wait to show you until I can include a photo or two (the dress, meal, decorations...), so those may not show up until afterward.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Shooting Skunks
For whatever reason, I am currently unable to upload photos to my blog. So, I'll have to settle for a story instead.
A few months ago now, I woke up to a light flashing across my window shades at 3:30 a.m. Our house is shaped like a big "L" so I can see the back deck from my window. I groggily glance past the shade, and see my brother on the back deck. Big deal, you may think. But, he was dressed in his moccasin style slippers, red gym shorts, Carhart coat and winter hat, which made for quite a site. Adding to his overall visual was the rifle he had aimed across our yard, and the flashlight he was also holding and attemping to shine on the something.
Being intuitive, I looked in the direction of his flashlight beam, and saw a skunk waddling along our yard fence, seeking a way out.
I glanced back at my brother, who had no idea there was another soul awake in the dark world, and he turned and headed back in the house. I opened my window, kept an eye on the skunk, and waited.
Presently he returned, walked out on the deck, looked around, then jumped off and conveniently stopped just under my window.
Helpfully, as any sister would do, I hollered out, "The skunk went toward the barn!"
The response was priceless. He jumped several inches off the ground, almost shot the gun in my general direction, and practically dropped his flashlight.
Success!
He quickly gathered himself, glared at my dark window, and stalked off toward the barn. A few minutes, and swatches of flashlight beam later I heard the telling shot, and later learned that was the only .22 shell he could find, which is why our house is still empty of bullet holes.
I was so tickled at such a well implemented scare on him that I could hardly sleep the rest of the night.
And that is the kind of family I come from people. We never pass up a great opportunity for a fun laugh.
A few months ago now, I woke up to a light flashing across my window shades at 3:30 a.m. Our house is shaped like a big "L" so I can see the back deck from my window. I groggily glance past the shade, and see my brother on the back deck. Big deal, you may think. But, he was dressed in his moccasin style slippers, red gym shorts, Carhart coat and winter hat, which made for quite a site. Adding to his overall visual was the rifle he had aimed across our yard, and the flashlight he was also holding and attemping to shine on the something.
Being intuitive, I looked in the direction of his flashlight beam, and saw a skunk waddling along our yard fence, seeking a way out.
I glanced back at my brother, who had no idea there was another soul awake in the dark world, and he turned and headed back in the house. I opened my window, kept an eye on the skunk, and waited.
Presently he returned, walked out on the deck, looked around, then jumped off and conveniently stopped just under my window.
Helpfully, as any sister would do, I hollered out, "The skunk went toward the barn!"
The response was priceless. He jumped several inches off the ground, almost shot the gun in my general direction, and practically dropped his flashlight.
Success!
He quickly gathered himself, glared at my dark window, and stalked off toward the barn. A few minutes, and swatches of flashlight beam later I heard the telling shot, and later learned that was the only .22 shell he could find, which is why our house is still empty of bullet holes.
I was so tickled at such a well implemented scare on him that I could hardly sleep the rest of the night.
And that is the kind of family I come from people. We never pass up a great opportunity for a fun laugh.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Weaning and shipping
One of the things I love about our operation is that it's based on family, and this week really highlights that. We come out of the woodwork of our individual busy schedules and make it all happen every spring and fall, and we do it together. There is no way it would go so smooth without the great help we have in each other. It's a lot of fun, and that's due to the combination of us loving our work and being able to do it together. We're very blessed to live this life, and weeks like this one give us all a chance to get together and remember that.
P.S. I am linking up with Rural Thursdays over at A Rural Journal
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Thursday, August 30, 2012
If you really knew me
I got this idea from The Farmer's Trophy Wife's blog the other day, and thought it was a fun. While this isn't an overly personal blog, it is fun to share a little more about myself from time to time. Plus, I enjoyed reading hers, so hopefully you'll enjoy reading mine.
If you really knew me....
You would know I hate eggs, especially over easy. My dad's version of over easy eggs is warm...and the reason I cannot eat one to this day. I ate plenty of them growing up because we ate what was served, period.
One of my great fears is having someone cook me an over easy egg for breakfast when I'm a guest in their home, and not having the ability to choke it down without gagging. Manners versus gag reflex...scary stuff!
Driving slow drives me nuts
I love coffee, have my own espresso machine, coffee bean grinder, assortment of coffees and flavoring syrups, and make myself a homemade latte almost every morning. Sometimes I make two.
I also love shopping. In the mall, at thrift stores, garage sales, little downtown shops. You name it, I'll shop at it, unless there is a support sign in the window for an anti-ag group, like PETA, Greenpeace, etc... Then you will not get my business.
I have one of the closest families you'll ever meet
If you really knew me...
You would know that I am shy and quiet until I get to know you, then, according to my family, I never shut up. Ok, they're right.
This shyness is more of a one-on-one thing. Speaking in front of crowds, lobbying, discussing agriculture issues with various groups and presenting speeches doesn't bother me. It used to, but doesn't now. However, carrying on a conversation with a single person is an area I can struggle with, and work on.
I largely attribute my ability to speak in front of people without being nervous to giving thousands of sets of livestock oral reasons.
I currently live and work from my childhood bedroom, while renting my own home located 2.5 hours away because I chose to leave a deskjob, return to the family ranch and start my own business over a year ago, and moving back in with the parents is about the only option when they ranch an hour from a town, and rentable house.
I love what I do, all of it (except being a landlord, I just love the check from that), beyond measure, and have never been happier in my life than I am right now.
I am complete home decor and furniture nut, and have tote upon tote of kitchen wares, decorations for every season, bedding, furniture etc... stored all over the ranch, impatiently awaiting the completion of our trailer house repairs so that I can move across the yard from my parents and into my own space again.
And, if you really knew me....
You would know I believe in God, without doubt, and my faith is very important to me.
My family prays together, for each other, at every meal, and at random times when we feel we need to
Being completely covered in dirt/mud/manure doesn't bother me a bit, but I despise getting grease on myself
That I never set out to be a writer, and that the Lord directed my steps to what I do today.
My boyfriend and I were set up by my relative/his friend, and neither of us was excited about being set up at first. We both got over it.
I have a critical eye for livestock, and will see what is wrong with them first
There you have it. Let me know if you decide to do your own, "if you really knew me." I would love to read it!
If you really knew me....
You would know I hate eggs, especially over easy. My dad's version of over easy eggs is warm...and the reason I cannot eat one to this day. I ate plenty of them growing up because we ate what was served, period.
One of my great fears is having someone cook me an over easy egg for breakfast when I'm a guest in their home, and not having the ability to choke it down without gagging. Manners versus gag reflex...scary stuff!
Driving slow drives me nuts
I love coffee, have my own espresso machine, coffee bean grinder, assortment of coffees and flavoring syrups, and make myself a homemade latte almost every morning. Sometimes I make two.
I also love shopping. In the mall, at thrift stores, garage sales, little downtown shops. You name it, I'll shop at it, unless there is a support sign in the window for an anti-ag group, like PETA, Greenpeace, etc... Then you will not get my business.
I have one of the closest families you'll ever meet
If you really knew me...
You would know that I am shy and quiet until I get to know you, then, according to my family, I never shut up. Ok, they're right.
This shyness is more of a one-on-one thing. Speaking in front of crowds, lobbying, discussing agriculture issues with various groups and presenting speeches doesn't bother me. It used to, but doesn't now. However, carrying on a conversation with a single person is an area I can struggle with, and work on.
I largely attribute my ability to speak in front of people without being nervous to giving thousands of sets of livestock oral reasons.
I currently live and work from my childhood bedroom, while renting my own home located 2.5 hours away because I chose to leave a deskjob, return to the family ranch and start my own business over a year ago, and moving back in with the parents is about the only option when they ranch an hour from a town, and rentable house.
I love what I do, all of it (except being a landlord, I just love the check from that), beyond measure, and have never been happier in my life than I am right now.
I am complete home decor and furniture nut, and have tote upon tote of kitchen wares, decorations for every season, bedding, furniture etc... stored all over the ranch, impatiently awaiting the completion of our trailer house repairs so that I can move across the yard from my parents and into my own space again.
And, if you really knew me....
You would know I believe in God, without doubt, and my faith is very important to me.
My family prays together, for each other, at every meal, and at random times when we feel we need to
Being completely covered in dirt/mud/manure doesn't bother me a bit, but I despise getting grease on myself
That I never set out to be a writer, and that the Lord directed my steps to what I do today.
My boyfriend and I were set up by my relative/his friend, and neither of us was excited about being set up at first. We both got over it.
I have a critical eye for livestock, and will see what is wrong with them first
There you have it. Let me know if you decide to do your own, "if you really knew me." I would love to read it!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Photo update
Here are a few shots of what's been going on around here the last week.
We weaned yesterday, and it's 101 degrees today. Earliest and hottest round of weaning that I can remember.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Paint Sticks
My camera is broke, and it's been raining around here the past few days! What that means is I don't have much for photos to show you.
In the meantime, here is a story for you. Any young ranch wives may particularly enjoy this tale.
When my parents were first married, my grandfather (my dad's dad) stopped by after gathering supplies in town for a day of fall cattle work, and realized he forgot paint sticks. He was a little frustrated after going all the way to town just for supplies. My mom wasn't sure what he needed paint sticks for when working cattle, but was excited to be able to help, and informed him she had a whole bunch and would bring them along in the morning.
My grandfather gave her an odd look, likely wondering why she had a supply of paint sticks laying around (my mom wasn't raised on a ranch), but agreed and left for home.
The next morning, early I'm sure, my mom dutifully and happily presented my grandfather with about eight paint sticks - as in paint stirring sticks.
To hear my parents tell it, my grandfather just looked at her, dumbfounded. You see, he was referring to cattle marking paint sticks.
"What could you say?" was my dad's laughing remark to how his dad responded to his new daughter-in-law's happy attempt to help him with his odd supply list request.
Good luck to all you ladies who marry into ranching families, especially those who weren't raised in agriculture! After 27 years, I can assure you my mom has learned a lot, and taught a lot, to everyone in the family she married into : )
In the meantime, here is a story for you. Any young ranch wives may particularly enjoy this tale.
When my parents were first married, my grandfather (my dad's dad) stopped by after gathering supplies in town for a day of fall cattle work, and realized he forgot paint sticks. He was a little frustrated after going all the way to town just for supplies. My mom wasn't sure what he needed paint sticks for when working cattle, but was excited to be able to help, and informed him she had a whole bunch and would bring them along in the morning.
My grandfather gave her an odd look, likely wondering why she had a supply of paint sticks laying around (my mom wasn't raised on a ranch), but agreed and left for home.
The next morning, early I'm sure, my mom dutifully and happily presented my grandfather with about eight paint sticks - as in paint stirring sticks.
To hear my parents tell it, my grandfather just looked at her, dumbfounded. You see, he was referring to cattle marking paint sticks.
"What could you say?" was my dad's laughing remark to how his dad responded to his new daughter-in-law's happy attempt to help him with his odd supply list request.
Good luck to all you ladies who marry into ranching families, especially those who weren't raised in agriculture! After 27 years, I can assure you my mom has learned a lot, and taught a lot, to everyone in the family she married into : )
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
The Last Little While
Over the last little while a lot has happened around here. We are down to four heifers to calve! Our cows are pretty much done too. It is very dry here, to the point of being concerning about our entire year. But, we are supposed to get some rain later this week, and are all holding our breathe that it actually comes through. We also got scours in our calves last weekend, which is practically unheard of here. After catching us very off guard, we got on the ball and I have been doctoring and monitoring this week.
My parents, brother and I have purchased a swanky trailer house for my brother and I to live in. I didn't know I could be so excited about a single wide trailer, but I am! The idea of my own bathroom and dedicated office space is something I am very grateful to have in my near future (we all really wish we could just move my Casper home out here). My brother and dad are staying plenty busy getting the water and sewer put in, before the gravel arrives that will elevate the trailer a few inches. We get serious flash floods around here (it's pretty much feast or famine in the rain department), and plan to attempt to divert water around our new home. We aren't looking to be floating down Dogie Creek the next time it does actually rain around here. New house, yes! New house boat, no!
I've been doing some traveling, and the sage grouse, turkeys and various other birds are in full strutting swing! It's like rush hour traffic on some gravel roads around here, and I've been at a complete stop more than once. I'll take this type of early morning traffic any day.
One trip was to pick up two new Hereford bulls! We will be having a few more cute baldy calves next spring, and are very happy with how the bulls look in general too.
Not so happy about the "genetic drift" seen in our calf crop this year. We should only have black calves, but have a few red ones that have been showing up. They may be the result of a neighbors bull, or one of our new "Registered Black Angus" bulls not quite being what he seems. I am investigating. Red I can deal with, but that grey one causes my blood pressure to rise. He just came to the feed ground for the first time yesterday, and I was less than impressed to see that one of our cows had managed to find a Charolais bull. Reds will fit on, but that guy is going to stick out that bad his entire life, and will most likely be unwanted by the buyer when we sell these guys in a year and a half.
On a happier note, here is a photo I found of my dad and I in my earlier days. I am using it in an upcoming Farm Bureau presentation, which is another project that has been coming together the last few days. It's always fun to look through old pictures and reminisce (not that I have a great memory of this time in my life).
Other than those few things, in the last month I've sent articles and photos to two new publications, and am working on multiple potential weddings to photograph this summer. Looking forward to meeting with some of the couples during a trip to Laramie for meetings later this week!
Hope all is well in all of your lives!
My parents, brother and I have purchased a swanky trailer house for my brother and I to live in. I didn't know I could be so excited about a single wide trailer, but I am! The idea of my own bathroom and dedicated office space is something I am very grateful to have in my near future (we all really wish we could just move my Casper home out here). My brother and dad are staying plenty busy getting the water and sewer put in, before the gravel arrives that will elevate the trailer a few inches. We get serious flash floods around here (it's pretty much feast or famine in the rain department), and plan to attempt to divert water around our new home. We aren't looking to be floating down Dogie Creek the next time it does actually rain around here. New house, yes! New house boat, no!
Other than those few things, in the last month I've sent articles and photos to two new publications, and am working on multiple potential weddings to photograph this summer. Looking forward to meeting with some of the couples during a trip to Laramie for meetings later this week!
Hope all is well in all of your lives!
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving
That means we've been extra busy giving all our livestock extra feed, ensuring they have lots of water, and basically doing three days of work in the last two, so we can be gone tomorrow. As ranchers, we can't just leave anytime we want. A lot of planning and work goes into everyone in my family being gone at the same time, even if it's just for a day or two.
But, we're sure thankful we get to live the lives we do, in the place we do. We are very blessed, and wouldn't trade what we do for a living for anything!
Hope you all have safe travels and a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
A Yearling Sorting Story
This story has been floating around this week, and my whole family gets a kick out of it, hope you do to.
When I was around six or seven years old, we would go to the Rocky Point Grazing Association, which you can read about here. Every fall we had to sort our yearlings multiple ways prior to shipping out. You know, get the neighbors out, sort steers from heifers, sort of any gimps or dinks, etc...
By this time I was an exceptional gate runner (or certainly thought I was). Running a gate means you're responsible for opening and closing it in time with the animals that need to be sorted into your pen. Sounds simple, and sometimes is, but it can also be a very fast moving, complex job at times. There are moments it will test your grit too as a little kid, when an alley of 900-plus pound yearlings are bearing down on you, and you're responsible for running out in front of them, holding a gate a little stick for protection, just to sort one into your pen.
Anyway, I was assigned a gate to run. This guy named Frank, who is also a member of the grazing association, apparently thought a little three and a half foot tall, probably 50 lb, girl with wild, almost white, blond hair, might need help. Poor guy.
Frank had one of his hands wrapped, because he had injured it in some way. He also always has a great big cigar in his mouth that he chews on and rolls around while working cattle.
He props his wrapped hand on my gate, which immediately causes a smalle tingle of concern to go through me. My dad must have been another gate across the alley, because he watched all this, and didn't tell Frank I was capable, which also caused a tingle of irritation to go through my little body.
Down the alley come a bunch of yearlings, and my uncle starts calling out names as to where they needed to go. There's one for my pen, and Frank moves too slow and the yearling blows by our gate. Up goes my irritation level, especially as I get a less than patient remark about missing the steer.
A little additional information: My father and Uncle weren't patient when we were little kids, and I was the first born of my generation. We also ran a big operation at the time, and as they each had kids, we were expected to help at young ages. It was great for all of us, and their high expectations of all of us kids, and limited patience with us when we messed up, is why I could do things like run a gate like an adult at six or seven. It also meant that I too had very little patience with anyone who didn't get it right the first time around.
I don't remember this, but suspect my father was laughing at my prediciment right about here (we have quite the sense of humor in my family). My uncle, who couldn't see anything, but knew I was missing yearlings, wasn't laughing at all.
We get that worked out, and down the alley comes another draft, and again Frank is too slow in "helping" me get my gate open. This time I probably got yelled at, which will really set you into motion on our place as a little kid. It also caused my temper to spike, high up into the red.
Third time, here they come down the alley. My uncle yells my name, and I swing that gate out hard and fast, and smash Frank's hand between the gate and pipe it latches too.
My dad will be laughing so hard at this point he can hardly add that upon having his hand smashed by a little girl, Frank almost swallows, and chokes on, his big cigar.
The yearling goes where it's supposed to, and Frank gathers his composure and heads off to another part of the correl. I have no more issues with sorting that day, and don't get yelled at anymore.
Like I said, poor guy.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
World Down Syndrome Awareness Day
Was yesterday...oops. But, it's nevertheless an important date to me. One of my most favorite has down syndrome, and she's my hero.
While it's certainly not an easy thing to have a special needs child born into a family, nothing better could have happened to ours. Holly is a walking, talking (all the time) miracle, who has affected more people in her 15 years than most people touch in entire lifetimes.
She's been thrown right in the mix, and has thrived. She means the world to all of us, and we constantly learn from her.
She's the best sister in the world, and I love her to death.
She is a true blessing, and there's nothing wrong with her, it's just that the differences that make her beautiful and unique are more visible than most people's.
While it's certainly not an easy thing to have a special needs child born into a family, nothing better could have happened to ours. Holly is a walking, talking (all the time) miracle, who has affected more people in her 15 years than most people touch in entire lifetimes.
She's been thrown right in the mix, and has thrived. She means the world to all of us, and we constantly learn from her.
She's the best sister in the world, and I love her to death.
She is a true blessing, and there's nothing wrong with her, it's just that the differences that make her beautiful and unique are more visible than most people's.Thursday, March 17, 2011
Hello
Hello hello. I have had several new people follow and comment on my blog in the past few weeks. Thank you all so much! I've enjoyed hearing from you, and about where you're from and what you do. I've been to several of your blogs and loved reading your stories and looking at your pictures as well.I recently saw a post where a girl went through the ABC's to describe herself. She had great little questions for each letter, and I didn't save it and can't find it again. But, I thought the idea would be a relatively quick and easy to tell you a little about me if you're new to reading this.
A- Agriculture. It's how I was raised and encompasses my life, as it has generations of my family before me. It's also the primary focus of this blog.
B- Blonde. I'm a natural blonde. (you can take that any way you wish)
C- Cattle. I love cattle, and am especially fascinated with genetics and using them to improve cattle. I head up anything regarding genetic selection on our operation, and raising cattle is my favorite thing to do.
D- Dogs. I have two, a mini Aussie named Emmie Lou and a mini Dachshund name Pearl.
E- Expectations. I expect a lot out of other people. But, no matter who you are and what the situation is, I always expect the most out of myself, in every instance.
F- Family/Faith. I have a very strong family. We are a great team and love and support each other through everything. I also believe in God wholly, and know, without a doubt, that the only way I've achieved what I have is with God's help.
G- Government. I am very conservative, and believe less is more when it comes to government. I also believe if you want to run for president you should have served in our military. If you want to be in charge of our country you should be willing to fight for, and die, to protect it. I also have no sympathy for people who complain about government, but who don't vote. This is the only place in the world with this form of democratic government, if you don't like having that right, feel free to move somewhere where it doesn't exist.
H- Heather Hamilton. That's me, and the name Hamilton encompasses a lot of hard working, ambitious people that I'm proud to be related to. I have a family that keeps track of their history, and we can trace our ancestors back to before they came to America, and tell you what they did, and how we came to be where and what we are. It's fascinating to know where you came from in my opinion.
I- Impatient. I do not have patience.
J- Journal. I keep a journal so I can remember what I've done, where I've been, who I've met and what I've seen when I'm not living this sometimes fast-paced life I currently have. It's just a short entry each day, depicting the days events, and I would recommend trying it. I enjoy glancing back through it from time to time, remembering trips and people.
K- Kids. No, I don't have any, yes I do want them, someday. I would like to have a big family in the future, and, in typical girl fashion, I have names I picked out for both boys and girls.
L- Lattes. I love lattes. Not black coffee - lattes. I have my own (cheap) espresso machine, coffee bean grinder and syrups, and make my own pretty much every day. Making your own is considerably cheaper than making a trip to Starbucks every morning, and I enjoy trying different kinds of beans and syrup flavors.
M- Music. I love music and am much more likely to have music playing instead of the tv at my house. I listen to Texas Country a lot. I also enjoy modern and older country and rock. I listen to the more pop/rap stuff when I'm running. My favorite instrument is the piano.
N- NyQuil. I have an awful time sleeping, especially in town. This is my go-to nighttime sleep aid, when I choose to take something.
O- Occupation. My jobs include being the assistant editor of a statewide weekly ag newspaper in Wyoming, my photography business, and working on the family ranch. Certainly keeps me occupied most of the time.
P- Photography. I truly enjoy it, and after cattle it's my favorite past time. I literally have a camera with me 24-7, except when gathering cattle on a horse.
Q- Quarter Horses. I have two horses, and enjoy using them. I do not trail ride, or anything like that. However, some of my favorite activities include sorting pairs and moving cattle horseback.
R- Reader. I love to read, especially fiction, and anything that deals with cattle reproduction or nutrition.
S- Short. I am 5' 2 1/2" tall, and I am quite proud of that extra 1/2' - at my height you have to take every little bit you can get : )
T-Thrifty. I enjoy thrift store shopping, and hunting for that perfect piece of furniture or decor at a fraction of the cost new. I also enjoy antiques, and other old items, which adds fuel to the fire in this area. While were on it, I pretty much love shopping in any form.
U- University of Wyoming. This is where I got my bachelors degree, in Animal Science.
V- Vacation. Yes please! I've been all over the U.S., to Canada once and Mexico twice. I love to travel and see new places and am hopeful I can plan a trip to somewhere new sometime this year.
W- Wyoming. This is where I was born and raised, and I love it here. As mentioned, I've traveled a lot, and lived in other parts of the U.S. I feel it's important to be well-traveled, to make sure where you end up is where you belong. I've enjoyed seeing many new and exciting places, but this is, and always will be, home.
X- hmm...how about my mom's family. Another example of a hard-working group of people. My grandparents did everything from own trailer courts, gas stations and an excavating company to managing and maintaining now famous ski resorts in Colorado. My grandpa is also a veteran and worked as miner for decades, and my grandma was the secretary at the high school.
Y- Yacker. My dad says my sister is just like me, she gets going and just, "yacks, yacks, yacks." While I'm not that talkative if I don't know you, or around a big group, I talk a lot around my friends and close family, and get teased about it regularly.
Z- I've got nothing, but since it didn't make it anywhere else I would like to mention I am one of those people with lots of acquaintances, but very few really close friends. My best friend is like a sister, and I'm so blessed to have her in my life.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Happy Friday!
I am headed to Torrington for an oil and gas development workshop tomorrow, and am going home from there! I talked to my dad this morning, who laughingly told me to get all caught up on my sleep, because I wouldn't be getting much while home as I will be in charge of calving heifers, and he is leaving to haul hay.
I told him to bring it on :)
Hope you all have a great Friday, and weekend!
This photo was recently taken at my family's place, and is an old sheep barn that we will be replacing in the near future (that means in the next few years).
Friday, February 25, 2011
A family Affair
Our operation, like so many other ranches and farms, is family run. The family element is what makes the vast majority operations across America work. Factory farms don't exist where I'm from, and the reality is that almost every farm and ranch in America is family owned and operated.
Here is my family this past weekend. As you can see, despite the frigid temperatures, we enjoyed our time spent together working our cattle. Our work is our fun, and we feel incredibly blessed to be able to say that!
It's also great that my family has fully embraced the idea behind "Heather's blog," and will randomly grab my camera a take a couple pictures when they have a few seconds.
When we have the vet out for something, or go somewhere else, and as I'm taking pictures here and there, it's pretty common to overhear one of my family members explaining my behavior.
It usually goes something like, "Yeah, Heather has this blog, where she explains what we really do out here, to combat all the misinformation out there about agriculture...Well, I'm not sure how a blog works either...but she uses a lot of pictures and tells about ranching....it's pretty neat...yeah, I don't keep up with all this technology either.... she has people from all over the world read the thing."
You have to love family!
Here is my family this past weekend. As you can see, despite the frigid temperatures, we enjoyed our time spent together working our cattle. Our work is our fun, and we feel incredibly blessed to be able to say that!
It's also great that my family has fully embraced the idea behind "Heather's blog," and will randomly grab my camera a take a couple pictures when they have a few seconds.
When we have the vet out for something, or go somewhere else, and as I'm taking pictures here and there, it's pretty common to overhear one of my family members explaining my behavior.
It usually goes something like, "Yeah, Heather has this blog, where she explains what we really do out here, to combat all the misinformation out there about agriculture...Well, I'm not sure how a blog works either...but she uses a lot of pictures and tells about ranching....it's pretty neat...yeah, I don't keep up with all this technology either.... she has people from all over the world read the thing."
You have to love family!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Meet the Parents
I recently realized I had never properly introduced my parents. It's not like I just turned out this way...nope, these two are largely responsible. They may look a little bleary eyed in this early morning Christmas photo, but you get a couple cups of coffee in them and most people my age would have trouble keeping up.My mom was born and raised in Colorado. Her family had a number of family owned businesses, including an excavating business and a trailer court. Her dad grew up on a farm, but she wasn't raised on a farm or ranch. She was an Olympic qualifying skier as a teenager, and is the oldest of three kids. She has an accounting degree from UW, and is one of very few women I've ever met who actually thrives as a ranch wife when she wasn't raised on a ranch.
She's what you would call energetic, and gets abnormally excited about things like the weather.
My dad was raised on a ranch in Northeast Wyoming, and is the fifth generation of Hamilton's to ranch in either North Dakota or Wyoming. He went to college in Casper, then transferred to UW, where he obtained his bachelors in Ag Economics. While in school he worked on a large-scale yearling operation on the Laramie plains.
He's served on just about every board in the county and state that pertains to agriculture, and has always enjoyed politics.
They're both extremely driven, smart people. Neither one has a lot of patience, but it shows up differently in each of them. They each have a great sense of humor, and they have both mellowed considerably in recent years.
My parents met in college, and were friends for a few years before they started dating. They got married, and moved back to the family ranch in Northeast Wyoming. Eleven months later they were blessed with me, then my brother showed up about 2 1/2 years later. Holly arrived ten years after I did.
They have been through everything that can happen on an ranch operation, including expanding the operation, adding sheep, ten years of drought, grasshoppers, blizzards, injuries, death and breakdowns. They kept it together through having a special needs child that spent the first three months of her life in a hospital three hours from our house, and have almost constantly maintained one to three jobs or businesses off the ranch. They've also raised three kids (not that that is difficult...), survived a few other notable medical issues, and moved built a house together (you always here that's the make or break it for a couple)
And, by "kept it together" I mean they are like that annoyingly sappy middle school couple, who are constantly holding hands, whispering to each other, and pining over each other when they can't be together. It's pretty great to have parents like that, especially as I meet more and more couples their age who haven't had a relationship that's flourished over the years. They are definitely still in love, and make an exceptional example of what a marriage should be like.
Back to the raising kids part. One thing I am incredibly thankful to them for are the things they taught us as we grew up. When you grow up on a ranch, and there isn't enough help, or money, you learn things young. By the time I was in school I could drive both pickups and machinery, ride a horse that was anything but a "kids horse," fence, lay pipeline and perform a number of other useful skills. I also had a firm grasp on God, and the power of prayer.
Another great thing about my parents is my dad did not take the "she's a girl" approach with me, and my mom was fine with that (for the most part). As you've heard on here previously, I flourished under that approach. I was oldest kid on both sides of the family, and like I said, they needed help. It didn't matter if I was a girl or a boy, I was right in the middle of it all from day one.
Dad also had the thought process that if he excepted us to do things, we needed the right equipment. So we rode good horses, drove machinery that was old but worked, and knew that we had better get the job done right, because the excuse was definitely not the horse, tractor, etc... He expected us to be hard working, fair and honest, and he taught us those things by example. If he showed us something once, we were expected to be able to do the next time, period. He challenged us, and expected us to rise to the challenge, and that has a lot to do with my brother and I's success today.
The other thing he expected us to be was tough. While my mom is also tough, she definitely saved a few limbs and nerve endings in this area. If we got bucked off, trampled, kicked or anything else, the response had better be, "I'm fine," as we continued on. Now, my mother isn't simple, and there have been a few incidents where she drug her husband or child all the way to the emergency room in Newcastle as we muttered, "I'm fine!"
My mom was also our biggest advocate in school. Having a special needs child takes a lot of time, especially when dealing with lazy, incompetent teachers, which our district has abundance of, unfortunately. There are teachers out there who quake at the mere mention of my mom's name. She was right there every single time one of them tried to let my sister slip between the cracks, or when they blamed her for something that wasn't quite right. She ran for, and was elected to school board during part of my sister's stint in public school. She did countless things, big and small, to make sure each of her kids made it through school.
Another neat thing is that my sister was exposed to the same principles listed above, and as a result of being expected to do as much as she could, she surpassed her doctors expectations of how well she would function as an adult at 8 years old.
Together my parents encouraged each of us kids interests, held us accountable, and taught us a abundance of immeasurable traits. They expected us to do our best at whatever task was at hand. We grew up a long way from town, and did all our ranch work together as a family. When you add three kids to a couple like my parents, a lot can get done.
Today, we're one of those families that scatters in five directions each morning, and come dragging back in each evening. We love to tell stories and laugh at recollections. Our work is our play, and not a lot of people understand that. It's hard to explain that your favorite pastime is sorting pairs or trailing cows with your family. We can count on each other no matter what, and it's great to be a part of a family like that. My parents did a good job.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Christmas List
In my family we all write a Christmas list each year, and each year I swear I will write things down throughout the entire year as I think of things I need and/or want. Each year I either lose this list, or never get it started.
But this year I knew what I wanted, and promptly told my parents I would like to expand our ranch, and I want to live on the new addition. I was told to either find a way to triple my income, or keep writing. Then I haggled for just a pasture, with a trailer house and no corrals, and got the same response.
sigh. It's what I really want...
Anyhow, I managed to scrape together a list of desired photo equipment, Hobby Lobby gift cards to use for framing photos, gutters for my house, gift cards to such desirable stores as American Eagle, Buckle, Target, etc..
I fully expect to receive one of those gifts, from my mom. The remaining presents will likely be studded snow tires for my car (Kyle has checked out my rims beyond anything that's normal, even for him), or chains for my new car, maybe a shovel or rake, a gun, and other such feminine, resourceful gifts. All of which are useful items I would be happy to receive...with an American Eagle gift card tied to them in the ideal world : )
All joking aside, I will be happy with whatever I receive. The important thing is celebrating Christ's birthday, and remembering that I am blessed to have a wonderful family, and the resources to be able to exchange gifts during the holidays. The actual gift part has always been a fun part for our family, but certainly not the focus of the holidays.
As far as gift giving goes, I am almost done. Waiting on a couple items I ordered off the Internet to arrive, and am planning to finish up a couple photo based gifts this weekend.
I have already given one Christmas present this year...to Holly.
I got Holly tickets to the Carrie Underwood, Billy Currington, Sons of Sylvia concert in Casper in early December. (Please note: if the photographer had removed her finger from the flash, both subjects would be properly lit. Just a little photo tutorial thrown in).
While not a huge Carrie Underwood fan myself, and certainly not a person who would normally buy tickets to see someone who is a member of PETA, Holly ranks pretty high.
She also happens to be a HUGE country music aficionado, and Carrie Underwood ranks in her top five, current favorite singers. So I surprised her the day of the event with the tickets, took her to dinner at Pizza Hut, then off we went to the Casper Events Center. We had to buy a t-shirt - of course - which she put on as soon as we got to our second row seats.
Holly also had her new boots on, which are much brighter than the picture does justice. While we are very much alike, one of our more notable differences is that Holly is considerably more "girly" than I am. There is no way I could pull off fuchsia, fake alligator boots, with stitched swirls, skulls and flowers in a variety of bright colors on the black tops.. I'm sticking with plain old brown ostrich for now!
First was Sons of Sylvia, who were more of a rock band...and I didn't get a picture. Second was Billy Currington, who sounded good, and wore his sweatshirt, tennis shoes, and who hadn't shaved in several days. As someone there to look at him as much as hear him, I was slightly disappointed by the outfit.
While not really close to the stage, our seats were ideal for us. Holly and I could both see (we're short), we could sit, and had a clear view. Good seats - check!
Carrie Underwood was definitely the main event, and put on quite a show. Her stage had several lifts in it, and she could swing her band from one side to the other as she did different things, like swing on a rope swing several feet off the stage.
The highlight was when she rode out over the crowd in her Carrie-mobile, which was a fiberglass replica of a 19?? Chevy pickup. She explained she wanted a way to see the back, and involve the entire audience. It worked!
She sang for over 2 hours, and had lights, a movable band, stage lifts, a lot of costume changes, and of of course the pickup. It was cool, we were worn out by the end, and sat in the parking lot for an hour waiting for traffic to clear out. Holly snored in the passenger seat while I just sat there. Overall I think it was a successful Christmas present!
But this year I knew what I wanted, and promptly told my parents I would like to expand our ranch, and I want to live on the new addition. I was told to either find a way to triple my income, or keep writing. Then I haggled for just a pasture, with a trailer house and no corrals, and got the same response.
sigh. It's what I really want...
Anyhow, I managed to scrape together a list of desired photo equipment, Hobby Lobby gift cards to use for framing photos, gutters for my house, gift cards to such desirable stores as American Eagle, Buckle, Target, etc..
I fully expect to receive one of those gifts, from my mom. The remaining presents will likely be studded snow tires for my car (Kyle has checked out my rims beyond anything that's normal, even for him), or chains for my new car, maybe a shovel or rake, a gun, and other such feminine, resourceful gifts. All of which are useful items I would be happy to receive...with an American Eagle gift card tied to them in the ideal world : )
All joking aside, I will be happy with whatever I receive. The important thing is celebrating Christ's birthday, and remembering that I am blessed to have a wonderful family, and the resources to be able to exchange gifts during the holidays. The actual gift part has always been a fun part for our family, but certainly not the focus of the holidays.
As far as gift giving goes, I am almost done. Waiting on a couple items I ordered off the Internet to arrive, and am planning to finish up a couple photo based gifts this weekend.
I have already given one Christmas present this year...to Holly.
I got Holly tickets to the Carrie Underwood, Billy Currington, Sons of Sylvia concert in Casper in early December. (Please note: if the photographer had removed her finger from the flash, both subjects would be properly lit. Just a little photo tutorial thrown in).While not a huge Carrie Underwood fan myself, and certainly not a person who would normally buy tickets to see someone who is a member of PETA, Holly ranks pretty high.
She also happens to be a HUGE country music aficionado, and Carrie Underwood ranks in her top five, current favorite singers. So I surprised her the day of the event with the tickets, took her to dinner at Pizza Hut, then off we went to the Casper Events Center. We had to buy a t-shirt - of course - which she put on as soon as we got to our second row seats.
Holly also had her new boots on, which are much brighter than the picture does justice. While we are very much alike, one of our more notable differences is that Holly is considerably more "girly" than I am. There is no way I could pull off fuchsia, fake alligator boots, with stitched swirls, skulls and flowers in a variety of bright colors on the black tops.. I'm sticking with plain old brown ostrich for now!
First was Sons of Sylvia, who were more of a rock band...and I didn't get a picture. Second was Billy Currington, who sounded good, and wore his sweatshirt, tennis shoes, and who hadn't shaved in several days. As someone there to look at him as much as hear him, I was slightly disappointed by the outfit.
While not really close to the stage, our seats were ideal for us. Holly and I could both see (we're short), we could sit, and had a clear view. Good seats - check!
Carrie Underwood was definitely the main event, and put on quite a show. Her stage had several lifts in it, and she could swing her band from one side to the other as she did different things, like swing on a rope swing several feet off the stage.
The highlight was when she rode out over the crowd in her Carrie-mobile, which was a fiberglass replica of a 19?? Chevy pickup. She explained she wanted a way to see the back, and involve the entire audience. It worked!
She sang for over 2 hours, and had lights, a movable band, stage lifts, a lot of costume changes, and of of course the pickup. It was cool, we were worn out by the end, and sat in the parking lot for an hour waiting for traffic to clear out. Holly snored in the passenger seat while I just sat there. Overall I think it was a successful Christmas present!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Emotionally Invested
I have been transcribing interview notes most of the day. The latest was from a first-generation ag family. It really hit home when one of the family members said,
"I don't think the average person knows how emotionally invested you are in everything you do as a person in agriculture. They don't realize that you love the land you work, you love the cows you raise, and you worry about those things. As a person in ag you go through all these things like blizzards, droughts and grasshopper invasions, and people don't understand because they experience those things. Being in agriculture is a very real experience."
In my opinion this is a very true statement. I'm not sure what you do for a living, but do you love it enough to sacrifice almost everything else in your life? I applaud you if that is the case. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be willing to make extreme sacrifices for my newspaper position. I wouldn't have taken the job it if it was a low pay, high risk position, where I was barely scraping by most years.
But for my family's ranch I would, and have. So has every other member of my family.
I have missed trips, award ceremonies, parties, potential photography jobs, meals, classes, weddings, and a variety of other opportunities and events to pound fence posts, feed cattle, work sheep, ride, and help out with whatever else needs done. I've worked all week, or when in college attended class, then drove home and worked all weekend on the ranch. And I was fine with that in almost every case.
That's what it takes to make it in ag. There are lots of families like mine, who make sacrifices to keep the farm or ranch going.
The other part is that we love what we do in a unique, gripping way.
Again, do I love the stories I write? Yes, I certainly enjoy my work, but it's not a consuming thing I can happily and thoroughly submerge myself in every single day. To me my job is a career, something I do primarily to make a living. If given the choice of how to spend my days, to do whatever I wanted, I would pick ranching. That's the difference.
I really, truly love cattle, and the art of raising them. I love the land I grew up on, that my family has improved from an overgrazed, worn out piece of property with no livable buildings to what it is today.
When you put every ounce of energy and effort you posses into something every single day for years, it becomes a part of you and something you can't just walk away from. When you do this as a family, all members headed in the same direction, it ties you all together in way not many families understand today.
Then there is the "real" part. No doubt everyone deals with very real things daily. But the quote was referring to the reality that is unique to agriculture.
Real for me includes putting in over 20 miles of pipeline on our ranch in July and August, when it's hot, windy and dusty. Riding after a March blizzard and burying a horse in a snow drift and almost not getting out while checking on cows. Finding a newborn calf dead for no apparent reason. Riding over 20 square miles, multiple times, looking for cattle someone stole from us. Fixing an electric fence for days, literally finishing the last post and looking up to see a flash flood rip it all out, then fixing it again, and having the same thing happen again, and a third time in one summer. Being run over, tromped on, kicked, and generally beat up by sheep and cattle a number of times. Sunburning my eyes, having my toes so cold I can't feel them and overheating.
But it's also riding great horses - one that will run down and cut back a nasty cow, and who is good enough to do that regardless of the situation. It's having cattle buyers call you, asking when you want to sell, and/or buying your cattle sight unseen. It's laughing so hard I cry at stories of ranch related events. Working with my brother all day and it never feeling like work. It's seeing good cattle eat grass when there is some, and watching them perform the way we bred them to. It's heading out to do a job and knowing that every person will pull their weight, being confident we can accomplish the task at hand, and having fun as a family while doing it. It's having my entire family intact and happy. It's looking out at the fixed electric fence, the 30 plus tanks on the 20 miles of pipeline, the livestock full and happy, and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction at what we've accomplished.
Emotionally invested is a good way to describe it.
"I don't think the average person knows how emotionally invested you are in everything you do as a person in agriculture. They don't realize that you love the land you work, you love the cows you raise, and you worry about those things. As a person in ag you go through all these things like blizzards, droughts and grasshopper invasions, and people don't understand because they experience those things. Being in agriculture is a very real experience."
In my opinion this is a very true statement. I'm not sure what you do for a living, but do you love it enough to sacrifice almost everything else in your life? I applaud you if that is the case. I can honestly say that I wouldn't be willing to make extreme sacrifices for my newspaper position. I wouldn't have taken the job it if it was a low pay, high risk position, where I was barely scraping by most years.
But for my family's ranch I would, and have. So has every other member of my family.
I have missed trips, award ceremonies, parties, potential photography jobs, meals, classes, weddings, and a variety of other opportunities and events to pound fence posts, feed cattle, work sheep, ride, and help out with whatever else needs done. I've worked all week, or when in college attended class, then drove home and worked all weekend on the ranch. And I was fine with that in almost every case.
That's what it takes to make it in ag. There are lots of families like mine, who make sacrifices to keep the farm or ranch going.
The other part is that we love what we do in a unique, gripping way.
Again, do I love the stories I write? Yes, I certainly enjoy my work, but it's not a consuming thing I can happily and thoroughly submerge myself in every single day. To me my job is a career, something I do primarily to make a living. If given the choice of how to spend my days, to do whatever I wanted, I would pick ranching. That's the difference.
I really, truly love cattle, and the art of raising them. I love the land I grew up on, that my family has improved from an overgrazed, worn out piece of property with no livable buildings to what it is today.
When you put every ounce of energy and effort you posses into something every single day for years, it becomes a part of you and something you can't just walk away from. When you do this as a family, all members headed in the same direction, it ties you all together in way not many families understand today.
Then there is the "real" part. No doubt everyone deals with very real things daily. But the quote was referring to the reality that is unique to agriculture.
Real for me includes putting in over 20 miles of pipeline on our ranch in July and August, when it's hot, windy and dusty. Riding after a March blizzard and burying a horse in a snow drift and almost not getting out while checking on cows. Finding a newborn calf dead for no apparent reason. Riding over 20 square miles, multiple times, looking for cattle someone stole from us. Fixing an electric fence for days, literally finishing the last post and looking up to see a flash flood rip it all out, then fixing it again, and having the same thing happen again, and a third time in one summer. Being run over, tromped on, kicked, and generally beat up by sheep and cattle a number of times. Sunburning my eyes, having my toes so cold I can't feel them and overheating.
But it's also riding great horses - one that will run down and cut back a nasty cow, and who is good enough to do that regardless of the situation. It's having cattle buyers call you, asking when you want to sell, and/or buying your cattle sight unseen. It's laughing so hard I cry at stories of ranch related events. Working with my brother all day and it never feeling like work. It's seeing good cattle eat grass when there is some, and watching them perform the way we bred them to. It's heading out to do a job and knowing that every person will pull their weight, being confident we can accomplish the task at hand, and having fun as a family while doing it. It's having my entire family intact and happy. It's looking out at the fixed electric fence, the 30 plus tanks on the 20 miles of pipeline, the livestock full and happy, and feeling a deep sense of satisfaction at what we've accomplished.
Emotionally invested is a good way to describe it.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Veterns Day
I would like to take the time to thank all our past and current troops for the sacrifice's they have made to keep our country and its people free.
I am proud to be from the state with the highest number of people in the military per capita of any state in the nation (I didn't check the validity of this statement, but have heard it spoken as a fact by numerous times by several distinguished speakers around the state)
I can think of people from my high school class, of which there were 34 students, who were and still are serving in the military. Numerous other individual's from classes before and after mine, and people throughout my very small community, have fought for our country, many doing multiple tours of duty.
My mom asked one of these young men why he kept signing up for additional tours of duty, and he said that it was because he didn't have a family, and if he went back, that might keep one more person with a family here.
I remember the parades we had when convoys of troops drove through my hometown on their way to be deployed, and the flags we waved and their happy waves as they cruised by in their loud trucks, hummers and other green and black vehicles.
Both of my grandpa's fought for our country, at the expense of getting their college educations in both cases. One was a mechanic in the Navy, and the other was a pilot in the Army.
My grandfather that's still alive lists a college education as one of the most important things you can do with yourself, and will tell you all about his grandchildren's degrees and other accomplishments.
I have a facebook friend from college whose husband just returned from a tour of duty. It gave me a new perspective on military families as I read her posts throughout his deployment. They have two small children, and she made a lot of sacrifices too.
Thank you to all our military for what they do!
I am proud to be from the state with the highest number of people in the military per capita of any state in the nation (I didn't check the validity of this statement, but have heard it spoken as a fact by numerous times by several distinguished speakers around the state)
I can think of people from my high school class, of which there were 34 students, who were and still are serving in the military. Numerous other individual's from classes before and after mine, and people throughout my very small community, have fought for our country, many doing multiple tours of duty.
My mom asked one of these young men why he kept signing up for additional tours of duty, and he said that it was because he didn't have a family, and if he went back, that might keep one more person with a family here.
I remember the parades we had when convoys of troops drove through my hometown on their way to be deployed, and the flags we waved and their happy waves as they cruised by in their loud trucks, hummers and other green and black vehicles.
Both of my grandpa's fought for our country, at the expense of getting their college educations in both cases. One was a mechanic in the Navy, and the other was a pilot in the Army.
My grandfather that's still alive lists a college education as one of the most important things you can do with yourself, and will tell you all about his grandchildren's degrees and other accomplishments.
I have a facebook friend from college whose husband just returned from a tour of duty. It gave me a new perspective on military families as I read her posts throughout his deployment. They have two small children, and she made a lot of sacrifices too.
Thank you to all our military for what they do!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Thankful November
Lots of people have been mentioning things they're thankful for throughout the month of November. I like the idea of taking the time to mention and note these important things, and am planning to do a few posts listing some things I am always thankful for in my life.To start, I am thankful for God, who sent his son to earth to die for our sins. I am very thankful for my family, friends and boyfriend. I am grateful to live in a country where we have things like freedom of speech and religion, and I am thankful for the people in the military who fight for our freedoms.
I'm very thankful to have been raised where I was, in a way that I love! Nothing beats wide open spaces, good cattle and nice weather!
In addition to that I am thankful to have a father who embraced having a daughter who loves cattle, and who encouraged and challenged me in my interests! My mom was right there too!
I love having a brother who is smart, athletic, witty and one of my best friends. I love having a special needs sister who constantly reminds what's important in life, and who is so much like myself it's eerie sometimes.
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