I do not remember the exact year.  But I do know that it was in the mid to late 80s.  I remember looking at a magazine and there was color pictures.  OOOHHHH yeah!   It wasn’t playboy or some other porn.  It was better!  It was the two page spread of Payton Scott’s club calves.  Oh man!  That deal was fun to look at.

I remember the first time that I went through Rising Star, TX.  DUDE!!!!!  There  is a salesman near here, somewhere.  I don’t have a cool story.  But 3 plus decades later, I still remember who Payton Scott was.  And I do know that he moved a lot of calves.

On this site, we like to make lists of best whatever.  I am going to make a list of the greatest salesman of all time.  Legal.

This list starts and ends with Simon Cowell.  What an ass!?  But think of the millions that he has made others, all while cashing a check himself on every move.  Tammy hollered, while I was waiting on a pot pie to cool down.  “Chris, do you remember Susan Boyle?”

” Yes”, I replied.  She yelled back, “She is on tv again.”

So I carried my little pan of cooling magma into the living room and watched.  Way cool.  That dude made her famous 10 years  ago.  And now, he trotted her back out a decade later.  They both made bank.  Cool.

That dude is wicked good at what he does.  He may not be likable but he makes money for all involved.  He is the elite salesman.

By the way, if you want to buy one of those lasers.  Just under $8,000.  I can hook you up with the dealer.

Technology just keeps going forward.  Too fast….yes, at times.  Maybe, I’m old but I am also right.  I still don’t want a text conversation with one or both sides being upset.  If there is a confrontation, I want it face to face.  I can text, I just don’t have to like it.

Likewise, in the stock show world, technology and information keeps pushing us forward.  Personally, I think that there is an overload of info regarding feeds and feeding.  Too many people don’t understand proper nutrition, so they are all looking for that “magic bullet”.  Thus, the reason there is so many feed additives that are snake oils.   But, some people feel good paying money for this stuff.  They feel like they are doing something.

Then there is the utilization of new enhancements.  I am sure that the first people to trim cattle hooves were probably deemed as cheaters.  Back in ’08 or 9, I know that we were frowned upon for fitting does using adhesives and other hair care products.  Now, it is common place.  Heck, when we first started showing wethers in ’03, we pulled weight, just like a calf, pig or sheep.  Others weren’t.

Recently, I watched a lady come “work” on a couple of species of animals with her laser.  To be honest, I was hoping for a tool that looked more like Han Solo’s blaster or Chewbacca’s crossbow.  But, no, it looked like something the Schwan man would use to scan a box of ice cream sandwiches.

As a parent, a breeder and a person that has been known to sell large quantities of show stock, I have no problem with the use of technology like this.  It is non-invasive and is nothing different than people do to themselves.  As a parent, if it isn’t illegal and it helps an animal, use the technology.

As an ag teacher, it is hard to justify telling a family, “We need to get your pig lasered twice this week at $50 a pop. And yes, you need to buy another $50 bucket of pay lean and this $20 jug of fat, and 4 more bags of $8 wood chips.  And this jug of hair care products ($22) and this can of skin care ($8).”    Wait, it was a $300 pig to start with and the addition of all of this other crap does NOT increase the value of this pig at sale time.

Now, don’t go to texting me yet.  Sure, if I can tell that this cheap littly piggy has a chance, I will tell them to do it.  Heck, I have been known to pay for this kind of crap out of my own pocket.  My point is that the days of the “ag farm” kid being competitive are probably gone.  I hope not, but it is getting harder.

This is not a stock show epidemic.  There are specialists in athletics, tutors in academics and private lessons for musicians.  No matter the competition, one must be focused and thinking ahead of what they need to do to optimize their success.

While watching this laser work, I was thinking.  The people that can truly make money in the stock show world are not the breeders or the feed stores.  It is all the service and feel good salesmen.  The clippers get their money, no matter what.  The chiropractor gets their money even if the animal doesn’t win.  The hair care, joint supplements, attitude paste, hair growth, hide tightener stuff, hoof trimming, adhesive products and muscle enhancements due to nutrition or modern scientists are the only ones that actually make money.  If a breeder doesn’t raise winners, price goes down.  Not so with the rest.  If somebody feels like it helped, it sells.

And while watching this laser work, I was also thinking, “Dude, I think this would feel good down my back, around my knee and on that effed up toe and these flat feet.”  If it feels good, it sales!  No matter the species.

It is a known fact that I don’t spend a lot of time asleep.  Three to five hours a night is good for me.  Until I get tired and then, once a month, I will crash from 9 pm to 4 am.  It is also a known fact that I don’t spend a lot of time watching the news.  Why?  I don’t care what the traffic is like in OKC.  The weather normally doesn’t apply to NW OK.  I can watch some ESPN and get all the sports I need.  Fox or cnn…no, they can’t keep the politics in the middle.  One leans hard one way and the other is the polar opposite.

However, I do spend a lot of time reading various things about a variety of factors that influence markets, economies and policies that can affect an average dude like myself.  Basically, I have read a lot of horror stories.  Over the past 10 or 12 years, these stories have gotten scarier.

I did not like your previous president.  I didn’t like anything about him.  He was a counterfeit, a liar, had no experience to allow him to do that job properly and I never trusted him.  I still stand by that.  And history will prove me right.

I also did not like the clinton regime.  Personally, I fear for our country, if we ever find out all of the truths of those people.  I am not the only that didn’t trust them.  There is a reason that she didn’t win.

I spend very little time telling anybody that the Trumpster is the greatest POTUS ever.  He may be.  Probably not.  But he is not the problem.  This divide between left and right is not healthy.  One side doesn’t care about facts, history or common sense.  The other side simply doesn’t care about the other side.  Right or left.  Red or blue.  Wrong or right.

I do think that Trump is trying to do his job.   I do wish all parties would just do their jobs.  I do NOT like that pelosi thing (can you get a shot for that disease?)  Probably not.  How do some of these districts elect these people.  Then I realize, they think that they are doing right.

I have a favorite daughter that lives in one of the three worst places in the U.S. of A.  California is one of our absolute greatest states.  HUGE agricultural producing state with immense diversity and quality.  California is one of the best ag producing regions of the WORLD.  But that cancer called LA is a problem.  They are the squeaky wheel that gets the attention (along with nyc and that crap-hole called chicago.  I have not been to nyc.  I like the state of Illinois but we could do without chicago–especially the cubs.  Just kidding. Kind of.  we can keep the cubs.)

Has she turned–no.  But I can tell that she feels it.  She is more cognizant of issues that are still common-place jokes in this part of the world.  My day2day mouth would cause me problems in la.  It shouldn’t.  I treat all people equal. I’ve had numerous conversations with other parents that have kids that left the midwest to chase their dreams.  In the end, all you can do is hope that you did your job as a parent.

This morning, I was hungry enough to eat……let’s stop there.  Something about a skunk and …..alright.  I was hungry.  So, I pulled into the local cafe.  I had NEVER eaten breakfast there.  Why?  It hasn’t fit my schedule and it was only the last year or so that they started to serve breakfast.  Well, it was good.  And I was the only patron under 50.  Keep that in mind.

Enough of the food report.  Anyways… while there, the morning regulars were watching the news and discussing all topics that came up.  Some black mail of some dude named Bezos.  They didn’t know who he was, just that he was worth a pile.  That pelosi looks like….   Well, that stupid son-of-a–.  And then, somebody brought up a talk show host named ellen.

I then learned a new term.  One of the all time unique Shattuck personas said, “I came home the other day and my wife was watching that ellen chick.  I told her that we ain’t watching that snicker licker in my house.”

Forevermore, when I see a snickers candy bar, I will remember that.

      I am not racist.  I dislike a lazy, drugged up, lying POS person–male or female, no matter the race, sexuality, political affiliation or religion.  I will gladly pay taxes when that money is used properly.  Anybody that knows me, knows that I will deal with you exactly as I see you.  In my world, a spade is a spade.  Wait?! Should that have been a shovel is a shovel.    It is horrible that one has to consider if that statement was proper.  Jeeminy.

I do not think that a wall will fix all of our problems.  I do think that it will help alleviate some issues.  I do think that we need the electoral college.  This might prove to be one of the smartest things that the founding fathers developed.  Just look at the representation that you people have elected from la, chicago and nyc.  It is mind boggling.

We will now break for some real first-world kind of problems.  It was 1 degree this morning.  Yes, ONE, UNO, EINS.  It was 5 when I left the house.  3 when I went through Gage.  But then it dropped to 1 as the sun was coming up.  But, at least it wasn’t windy.  As I sit here tapping this keyboard, I made a decision.  It is Friday night and I ain’t going anywhere tonight.  I think that I will have me a frosty beverage.  So, I braved the elements and stepped out onto the carport to get a cold one from the fridge.  Guess what?  The cold ones that were inside the fridge were like Elsa.   FROZEN!   WTH?  They froze inside the fridge!

And to continue our real first-world kind of problems section.  As I am typing this crap, I have received a text requesting that Bob Seelke be a guest blog writer.  NOOOOOO!   Not happening.  I like Jodi too much to let that happen.  But… but…. if it were to happen, all barriers would be broken.

Let’s clean this political mess up.  We, the people, still have a say when it comes to vote.  Clean it up.  Make your town, your state and America great.  Not again.  Just make it great. Period.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.

The weather people are a whole lot like goat reproductive technicians.  Their success rate isn’t always very good BUT, they still get paid.  Right or Wrong.  We ended up in an ice hole around here.  And they weren’t calling for it.  At least the wind wasn’t blowing.

I lose track if this is a goat website, ag teacher blog, NW OK weather report, movie/music critic or foodie site.  In the end, it really doesn’t matter.  If you don’t like what you are reading, go read somebody else’s stuff.

It is about time to start peeling some hair off some wethers and see if my hands have been lying to me.  Might wait till the weather warms up a bit.  I don’t know if any kid from Shattuck will ring a big bell at the shows this year.  But, the stock looks good, in all 4 species.  At this point in time, if you feel like you still got a chance, well, you still got a chance.

Several are trying to make strides on feeding and fitting while others are working to step their game up on the showmanship scene.  In the end, I like the effort and I like the stock.  I hope some get some hardware to validate their work.  No matter, (win, lose or dang, I didn’t see that coming)  the journey is important.

Been hooked up and busy dealing with Shattuck FFA stuff.  I really can’t complain as I have gotten to deal with some top shelf kids and adults.  Although, I have had to deal with a computer program quite a bit.  FAET.  Yep, that makes it a four letter word.

Weather–check.  Goats–check.  FFA–check.  Hang on dudes, lets keep the randomness flowing.  Unless, it freezes up like a faucet at the ag farm with an undrained hose still hooked up to it.

Iconic movie roles.

If I ever turn the keyboard over to somebody, there might be a strong chance that Tom Kester could do it.  That dude must not be right in the head.

Roles that nobody else could properly play.  One in mind, is Stephen the mad Irishman on Braveheart.  Great character.  “He wasn’t right, n the head.”

There are several actors that play iconic roles–that IS what they do.  Tom Hanks, Kevin Costner, John Wayne & Harrison Ford.

Then there are those that have had excellent careers but they have played a role or two that NOBODY else could do better.

For example, Rocky.  Sure, Sly Stallone is a fallible actor.  But none of us would change the original Rocky character.  It works.

Bad guys–How about Al Pacino as Tony Montana in Scarface?  He killed that role.  Or Anton Chiggur in No Country for Old Men.

Cops–Jerry Orbach in Law & Order.  He made that series.  How about Frank Drebin in the Naked Gun flicks?

Samuel L. Jackson as Jules in Pulp Fiction.  “Say what again!”

Powerful characters–Can a voice actor be on this list?  Heck yeah.  When two of the most memorable characters of ALL time are backed by the same dude, then, yes.  Besides, it is my list.  Darth Vader and Mufasa.  Oooooohhh, say it again.   Mufasa.  My friends, James Earl Jones can use that voice and can turn a role into a role of a lifetime.

Aaaahhh, here we go.  Let’s tie this back to the goat game.  One of the best pieces of livestock that I have ever dealt with was a buck named….Rainman.  And that role played by Dustin Hoffman was iconic.

And, one of my favorites, Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire.

Then there is this entry.  The role made the actor famous.  He has made other good movies.  Maybe even a bad one or two.  Once you have seen this flick, you never forget it.  Slingblade.  Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed and played the main character.  “Some folks call it a sling blade.  I call it a kaiser blade.”  Bad Santa was dang good but Slingblade is iconic.  Unmnhh, hunmnh.  If we were to make a most under-rated movie, this one might win it.  Dang good flick with an iconic character.

Iconic does not have to be on the big screen.  This show is right at 30 years old.  But it ain’t aged a bit.  In fact, “The older the violin, the sweeter the music.”  And those characters will live forever.  Gus and Captain.  Augustus McCrae and Woodrow F. Call.

“I like to kick a pig, every once in a while.  How would I do that?”

“I put a lot more value on the animal than I do my name.”

“I won’t say I did and I won’t say I didn’t, but I will say that a man who wouldn’t cheat for a ____ don’t want one bad enough.”

“I hate rude behavior in a man.  I won’t tolerate it.”

“It’s not dyin’ I’m talkin’ bout.  It’s livin’.”

And then there was Phoebe Cates.  Hunh.  For some reason, I am ready for the weather to warm up and go swimming.

All iconic.  Yes, there are more.

People, have a good one.  Have a better tomorrow.  I hope that all of you get to deal with some iconic characters on a regular basis.

Yes.  Without a doubt,  the most common question that I get is : “How much longer are you teaching?”  I can honestly answer–at least until May.  After that, I do not know.  There are parts of me that feel like going the distance.  But, there are also parts that are itching.  I planned on a year, did a 2nd one, had to do a 3rd year and now finishing 5.  IDK and don’t have time to worry about it.  Busy.

I like what we are doing.  But parts of the job can WEAR you out.  Stock shows being the number ONE factor that can burn an ag ed instructor.  I say this, yet, I kind of know what I am doing with stock shows.  I have a family that understands stock shows.  Heck, for that matter, stock shows are what made me want to be an ag teacher.

Until you have done this job, you have NO idea!  If you are griping about your ag teacher, DON’T.  Analyze, if  you like them,  on everything they do EXCEPT stock shows.  If stock shows are their weakness, well, then walk away and go pay a jock to do what you are wanting.  Let the ag teacher teach and provide a positive experience for your kid(s).  Pay the jock to do whatever it is that you need/want.  I understand all aspects, probably better than anybody else in the game.  I have done both at a high level.  Except, the getting paid part.  My fault and I am at peace with decisions that Tammy and I made years ago.

Speaking of stock shows, I did haul some middle school age boys to a doe show this weekend.  They placed well.  But the trash talking from a pair of brothers was legendary.  I love driving an ag pickup with kids just being themselves.  Big fun!

If you are showing goats right now, you need to spray for fleas.  They get them.  It happens.  And this is the time to spray, comb it in and then do it again later this week.  There is that itch again.

Weaned mini herfs.  Put big calves on creep feeder.  Spent Sunday afternoon looking at student’s projects.  Actually kind of pleased.

I guess that there is a football game on tv.  The Dragon Lady cooked up some t-bones that I stumbled across this morning at the grocery store.  High choice, great color (actually porterhouse) for $7.29/ lb.  We are lucky to have a wicked good grocery store.  The Venture foods crew keep good produce and have a bad ass meat market.  Did I mention that they are cooking for the Shattuck Ag Booster dinner on Tuesday night?  And they help me with anything that I need for class projects (The seniors like to cook/eat).  I’ve got a story or two involving making wurst with this class.

I think that I will hit publish and eat some steak, taters, beans and DANG, there is a reason that I am getting fatter.  She is putting the croissants in a ziploc bag.  She is full, I’m full and wait, what, RUSM, I did not know that it was possible….Duke is full!

We ain’t rich but we are better off than 6 billion+ other people on this planet.  If you are reading this, then you are as well.

Have a good one.  Make a donation.  Help a neighbor. Pray for those that need help.  Make it better for others.

It is cool getting texts to line me out about these blogs.  Actually, it is amazing how many different states can be represented and how many people actually read this crap!!  There are some readers that I think have an alert when I hit the “publish” button.  Others are like a morning ritual, they hit me up about the same time of a morning.  No matter, it’s all cool.  Maybe, I ought to make a comments section on here.  But, it takes time and effort to police something like that.

Yes, I agree that there was a couple of glaring omissions from the coolest movie ever blog.  I guess that they missed their class.  I take the blame for one of them and the other I will blame Duke.  There were some honorable mentions.  Speed, yes.  Anything with Clint Eastwood–agreed.  Men In Black–good one.

Dude, I should have not forgotten The Big Lebowski.  I mean, THE dude, and the whole show is bad ass cool.  My fault.  I must have been looking at last year’s class breaks instead of the current breaks. (this has actually happened, fortunately for me, it was my own kid.)

The next cool movie is one that Duke keeps on DVR and watches several times a month–AT LEAST.  It is way cool and I can’t believe that he and I both forgot it.  The RUSM? how do you miss that one award goes to—Tombstone.  For the sake of this movie, I hope this imaginary contest took place in Texas where there are multiple major shows and they can go to another “if” the judge missed one.  If in Oklahoma, well, I hope it will hold for Tulsa.  Otherwise, the term is S.O.L.   Val Kilmer & Kurt Russell have played some cool roles.   But these are their coolest.  How many cool quotes come from the movie Tombstone?  I can answer that–more than one.  “You called down the thunder, well now you’ve got it.”  My favorite.

Random.  Okay. I don’t like to use many needles and/or drugs but sometimes there are things that are needed.  In goats, one prime example is one that is getting a bit soft in their pasterns.  So, you give a couple of ccs of BO-SE.  This can help tighten ligaments up a bit and therefore, get them up on their pasterns a tick better.

However, if you are dealing with an animal (goat, sheep, pig or calf) and they are getting tight in their movement, what should you give them?  Guess what?  BO-SE.  This makes no sense.  IDK.  I’m just thinking about random stuff.

Let’s keep this randomness going.

Treadmills–we have one.  It wasn’t cheap. We have used it.  It has helped on certain goats.  I do not think it is the end-all-to be-all.  I do think that sheep respond better to treadmills than goats.  I do think that a treadmill can do more damage than good to goats.  EVERYBODY should watch a treadmill being used properly before they ever try it for themselves.  And, it seems like an animal on a treadmill needs a steady round of BO-SE.

Back in the day, Kela had a human treadmill that she used to walk wethers backwards on.  I don’t think that it ever built butt but it may have helped to harden tops.  Now, for the past several years, Duke has had one of the bad donkey sheep treadmills with “goat” inserts.  It has helped several of  his goats.  When it was needed, this thing earned it’s keep.  Currently, it is collecting dust.  BUT, we have it if we need it.  However, this dude is going to be removed from a depreciation schedule later this year.  As well as a bunch of other show equipment.

Speaking of treadmills.  I may have or may not have mentioned this on here before.  But several years back, I may or may not have watched a livestock legend work a big blue-butt barrow on a horse treadmill.  A couple of weeks before this event, I had asked this cool dude if it was true that he could make a pig walk backwards on a treadmill.  He grabbed me by the shoulder, laughed hard and said, “You give me a hot shot, a twelve pack and I can make a pig wear a tutu and turn cart wheels down this aisle.”  I went to their barn for a different species but I can say that big blue pig would jump on that treadmill and run forward like it was related to Secretariat.  However, when motor direction was reversed, that big pig was walking backwards and not liking it.  Much like me on a treadmill, that pig wanted no part of it, but it was getting a work out.

Actually, as I buttoned a pair of slacks before I went to Mass this morning, I realized that I might need to be like that big pig.  I need somebody with a treadmill, a hot shot and a twelve pack.  Wait, I’ve got all of the above.  And therein lies the problem.  I need somebody to use the hot shot on me and make me use a treadmill and keep me away from a box of beverage.

Keep the randomness coming.  The Dragon Lady is sitting here in my office, watching a “live” tv version of Rent.  She is actually just sitting here, waiting for Idina Menzel.  She has that focused look much like I would have waiting at a concert for Motley Crue, Tesla or Def Leppard to take the stage.  EXCEPT, she has already seen Idina perform live in LA with Kela and Mindi Clark.

I wish that I had time to go to Stilly today.  The baby brother–aka Big D and his family left church this morning headed straight to Stillwater.  Okie State and Iowa State wrestling match.  Two of the all time programs tangling in Gallagher-Iba.  COOL!  I foresee a future of fewer stock shows and a couple more wrestling matches.

The Dragon Lady and I came walking into our homestead and Duke was home alone, watching a movie, in the dark.  Sometimes, when you walk in on an 18 year old male watching movies, you cringe.  But not on this night.  The favorite son was watching maybe the coolest movie ever made.

I did not say the best (it could be), but people, we are talking about the cooooolest movie ever made.

I had help with this list.  I originally asked the people in this house.  Then, I sent out a text to a select few INTELLIGENT folks.  Oh, they did not disappoint.  In fact, they even made me think about it.

It is becoming cooler to use numerous judges to line up a given show.  And actually, I am a big fan of using the Olympic style. Here goes.

14–Die Hard–wicked cool.  Still relevant.  Bruce Willis makes the everyman look cool.

13–Major League–love this movie.  So many cool characters.  Willy Mays Hays.

12–Indiana Jones–pick one.  They are all cool.  Personally, the coolest moment, is Indy pulling a pistol to shoot the dazzling swordsman.

11–For Love of the Game–I like baseball movies.  I like Kevin Costner’s characters.  I really like a lot about this movie.  It is way cool.  But cheesy.

10–Star Wars–should it be #1.  Probably.  But this single movie(s) has probably created more nerds than any flick ever.  Cool.  Not cool.   IDK

9–Blazing Saddles–best movie ever?  possibly.  Funniest? probably.  Coolest? close, but it is like that Ratt song and a Tim McGraw song–“Way Cool Jr.” and “I like it, I love it”.   DANG good but not #1.

8–Revenge of the Nerds–this movie made being a nerd cool.  Such a crappy movie that it is still cool to watch.

We are dealing with a really deep class that is packed with quality.  We had to sort off some good ones to get to this point.  I know that we normally only talk the top 5  but we are dealing with a class full of stock that came to win.

7–Quiet Man–Wait? What?  Wicked cool movie.  John Wayne was a bad ass and this movie took it to a different level.  So many cool moments in this flick.  I love this movie.

6–Blues Brothers–6th? RUSM?   This one could win most shows.  “There are 106 miles to Chicago.  We have a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses.”  Way cool movie.

WHOA!!!! We’ve got an issue.  We just weighed one out.  Maybe the coolest movie of all-time– Pulp Fiction.  Look at that line up of characters.  Great story, cool music, cool ending, but only a fraction of the population can watch it.  Lots of issues.  This one didn’t pass the scales and probably wouldn’t pass a urine test.  But, dang that one is fun to watch…for some.

5–American Graffiti–How many cool movies did Harrison Ford act in?  Awesome movie that was cool to watch.  I know, I know…you clowns forgot about this one.  Cool story, cool music, cool cars….cool.  Real cool.

4–Bull Durham–The coolest baseball movie.  Cool characters/actors.  Cool story.  “Sears sucks.”   Cool, cool movie.  Cool moment–“What do you believe?”

3–Man From Snowy River–the Dragon Lady submitted this vote.  Can’t argue.  But, this is her vote for best movie, best everything ever put on film, etc.  This movie is cool.  Cool story, cool characters and then her response, “The coolest thing ever filmed is Jim chasing the brombies over the edge.  Nothing cooler.”  She ain’t wrong.

Duke went, “Hunh. Cool!”  I was like, “Yeah.  That is dang sure cool.”  She ain’t wrong.  This is a cool movie.

Put it #1, I won’t argue.

But, we are now down to two.  2, dos, zwei.  This top pair is so cool that one of them has cool in the title and the other, well.   Feel free to argue.

2–Cool Hand Luke–Duke’s #1.  I love this movie.  In Duke’s word’s, “He took a pipe cutter and cut the heads off of parking meters.  Is that even still a crime?  And I am a kid and the movie is still cool….now.  Top that.”

I can.  How?

I’ll tell you how.  Duke, you are currently watching one of the coolest movies ever made.   His reply, “Yeah, you got me.”

The coolest movie ever made, not the best, although some of the best played in this flick…..

1–Smokey and the Bandit–the car, the lead actor, the lead actress, the sheriff, the sheriff’s son, the trucker, the trucker’s dog, the songs, the story…. nothing but cool.  Maybe the coolest character of all-time–Sheriff Buford T. Justice.

All of the above is open2discussion at the proper setting/venue/place.   Over and out.  Which brings us back to Kris Kristofferson.  That Convoy movie is bad.  But, it is so cool that I would watch it again. I’m done.

For me, there were a lot of things memorable about that OK Youth Expo.  Not all of them are happy memories.

Kela had the res. div. 1 wether and the champ div. 3 wether.  The was the first year of Pfeiffer goats being shown.  Fairvew had 5 class winners with goats from their first sale.  Including Kela’s pair.

That was also the year that the fairgrounds were under construction, so that had to change the schedule of the show.  Sheep and goats shared a ring.  And also shared a “grand” drive finale.  Instead of the limo, lights and music, the kids got to ride in to the ring in the back of a gator.  Not quite the same.  But everybody did what had to be done.

Knowng that we were gone, during that grand drive, my father-in-law was at Fairview, so he went to check on our does.  We had about 40 penned up in the corrals that were due in the next couple of weeks.  To his dismay, a neighbor’s pit bull had got into the pen and killed a bunch, injured the rest and aborted most of the survivors.  That is another story.

And in dog related OYE 2007 events, Kela came across a puppy.  It was a corgi female that Tanner Miller had at OYE.  He was peddling this litter of pups.  Kela fell in love with the runt.  She kept her hid from me for most of the show, but I finally found out.  She wanted to buy this dog.  I finally agreed, but only if she backed him down on his price.  She did and she now had a new dog.  This is the tricolor Corgi that has ruled the place since then.

Sasha has been a key part of this family for dang neart twelve years.  Sasha belonged to Kela, but once she went to OSU and then moved to California, Tammy, Duke and myself were allowed to be her keeper.  Kela and Sasha were kindred spirits.

On Friday evening, Tammy found Sasha in great pain.  She had been run over.  Broken hip and leg, cracked vertebrae.  The vet allowed that we needed to wait to see how the weekend would go with her. You don’t just do a complete plate, pin and screw surgery on a twelve year old dog.

When Kela was home for Christmas, she felt like this would be the last time that she would see her dog.  Sunday evening, Sasha face-timed Kela for the last time.

     From Friday night through Sunday night, Tammy was taking care of Sasha.  At 1:17 AM, Monday morning, Sasha passed.  

That dog helped chase wethers from 2007 to 2019.  She ate tons of goat hoof trimmings.  Licked lots of newborn baby goats butts and loved eating hot dogs.  And had the WORST silent farts.

     Ironically, Sasha LOVED riding in the gator.  I mean LOVED it!  Which makes me wonder if Kela had that puppy smuggled inside her FFA jacket during that OYE grand drive.?! 

One last gator ride, Tammy face-timing Kela, Duke and I placed the coffin holding Sasha into her final resting place.  If you don’t shed some tears burying a part of the family, then I have no words for you.

Later in the night, via family text, we all shared Sasha pics and stories.

Here’s to all the good dogs and the way that they can become part of the family.  Have a good one and a better tomorrow.

I would venture to say that most show goat people have not eaten goat meat.  A lot of people see them as pets, objects, show stock but not food.  Here, in the U.S. and in a lot of Europe, we don’t eat much goat meat.  But as we get more and more people from Asia, central & south America and Africa, goat will become more common.  It is the most eaten meat in the world.

What? BS!   Nope.  Serious, dude.  How can this be?

Simple.  Two reasons—1st is religion.  There are no religions that have a law against eating goat.  Beef–there are almost a billion (that is billion) Hindus in the world that don’t eat beef.  Pork–Jewish, Seventh Day Adventist and Muslim religions don’t touch it.  (that leaves more bacon for me)  The 2nd is economics–beef is expensive.  They take more land, more feed and more time to be ready for slaughter.  Basically, a large part of the world can’t afford to keep, feed or eat beef.  However, they can milk them.

We are lucky to live in the USofA where it is common to eat beef.  In reality, beef is on first-world menus and not so much for the rest of the world.  On the other side of the proverbial coin, goat is cheap to raise, don’t take much land and there is a quick turn around from birth to slaughter.

Around this place, we eat what we raise.  (not entirely true, as Tammy won’t let Duke and I make chicken & noodles out of her pet hens)  And yes, there is a mini-herf steer currently on feed.  Duke and I NEED to know what a mini herf tastes like.  I’ll let you know how that turns out.  We eat goat several times of year.  I like to throw a goat loin on the smoker.  Seasoned, slow cooked in a pecan smoke haze and very few can tell that it is goat.  Then, there is the goat bologna that the Kester’s have made.  It is really good.  Especially the jalapeño mix.

Tonight, I grilled some goat chops.  One package came from a recently slaughtered wether that lived on Special K feed from the end of June to Dec. 27.  He was sold as a show wether but I guess we hit a nerve when giving him a shot of baytril.  He carried that front leg from that June day until he got off the trailer at the Gage Locker.  No matter, these chops looked like little T-bones.  Bright red color and marbling with muscle shape.  Sprinkle of sea salt, black pepper with a touch of garlic powder.  Impressive meat.

The other package was from an un-remembered wether that I bet didn’t make the team.  Then he probably got kicked out on wheat/triticale pasture and hay with the does.  The color of the meat and fat resembled venison.  And once cooked had a wang to it, much like non-marinated venison.

I’m saying that if any of you beef eaters had the chance to sample the chops from the first goat, you would be fans of eating goat.  And the next one, well, you would have to be hungry to like it.  It needed a worcestershire marinade.  And some slow smoke.  And I don’t know but i bet that I’m right, a large part of the world would have liked this meat with some curry seasoning.  I know who is going to get the rest of that wether.

In the near future, I am going to make some goat sausage of some sort.  I’ll let you know.  Might have to mix it with some mini herf.  That sounds tasty and expensive.

Have a good one, a better tomorrow and be thankful that you live in THE United States of America.  You don’t have to like our government, but it is still better than the rest of the world.  Just remember, you could be eating brush goat, mutton or some other meat that isn’t what you are used to eating.  Be thankful.

Made a trip to the state north of Oklahoma.  No ice until I got north of Fargo about 2 miles, then it was icy all the way to the state line.  Then, clear, all the way until I came back south.  The ice line was the state line.  It wasn’t a fun day to be outside.  Cold, but that dang wind made it brutal.

Got a text early this morning that Gary Cramblet had passed away.  He fought the good fight till the end.  LOTS and LOTS of livestock stories that are tied to that dude.  Prayers for his family.  I think it would be cool if a Cramblet goat happened to hit a lick this spring at a major show.

There is never a “slow” time of year at a busy FFA chapter, but the really busy time has begun.  Sometimes, its hard to weigh the needs of a few livestock exhibitors against the needs of a 100 plus students that don’t show stock.  Priorities have to be weighed and handled.  Thank goodness I have help on both ends to keep things going right.

Really dry air right now.  So, it is a struggle to keep calves from rubbing.  This also means it is a prime time of year for fleas on goats.  Spray huts, blankets and the goats with flea spray.  Otherwise, they will be rubbing hair and hide.  And goats don’t re-grow hair like a calf.

There is a lot of hocus mocus stuff on the market advertised to “grow” hair.  Some products will work on certain animals, others don’t do much at all but none of them will ever replace proper care and hard work.  A blower, some water and time always seems to work.

The Dragon Lady got me to sit down and watch some America’s Got Talent champions edition show.  Cool.  Wait, what?!  That chick is how old?   JEEMINY this Courtney Hadwin sounds like a cross between Steven Tyler and Aretha Franklin.  Dang dudes!  I would pay to watch her in concert right now.  That Simon cat is grinning because he probably already has her signed.

I am really happy that we are not dealing with kidding does now, or for the next couple of months.  I/We made decisions last summer and I have stuck with them.  So far, I feel smart.

Stay warm.  Make sure the stock gets a good drink of fresh water.  Work hard.  Have a good one.