There is a spider that consistently builds a web inside the pathway in one of our sheds.  The web extends from the side of the shed and extends across the walkway and hooks up to a gate.  The gate gets opened at least twice a day.  Upon opening this gate, it breaks the web loose.  The spider first began building this web a couple of weeks ago.  The first couple of mornings, I walked into this unseen web which forced me to do the “spider dance.”   We’ve all done it.  That violent thrashing, waving, jumping, cussing kind of dance that you do right after you realize that you have walked into a spider web.  Images of Frodo from the Lord of the Rings flash through your head.  

The spider has rebuilt its web every time that I get tangled in it.  After a couple of days, I learned to shine the flashlight on the web, then the spider.  Then I would open the gate and duck under the remains of the web.  This routine has now gone on for a couple of weeks.  I haven’t squashed the spider as I hope it is catching flies during the day.  

I see this spider web as a lesson in futility on the spider’s part.  Build, wait, web gets tore done, repeat.  But now, I am thinking, is this spider sitting there, watching and thinking, “Dang, I almost caught the big one!  Tomorrow is the day!”  Is this arachnid making design improvements that I am unaware of that will eventually lead to my demise?  I don’t want to end up like the ending of “The Old Man and the Sea” with me being caught and dead as well as the spider not surviving to enjoy his victory.  The spider may get removed.

Have a good day and watch out for spider webs.  

July of 2014, I told Shattuck schools that I would teach for a year so that they could find a good teacher.  Here, we go for the 3rd year.  Today, is the 1st day back to school.  Big fun!

What a wonderful Sunday!!!   This dude got up and did chores then cleaned up and headed to Mass.  Got done with the spiritual stuff and gave the youngest brother a lift home, but first I made him go grocery shopping with me.  With nothing on the calendar today, I decided to fire up the smoker.   Spare ribs, turkey breast, goat tenderloin, round steak (bologna) and hot links.  Boiled up some ears of corn and fresh dug taters for the sides.  I then spent a couple of hours as a tractor jockey while the meat was absorbing the pecan wood smoke.  

While farming, I sent a text to a few close by peoples that the smoker was going to be done about 6:30.  As I was finishing dragging the sweep across the goat triticale pasture ground, I noticed one of Duke’s hereford marked heifers wringing her tail.  I parked the tractor, jumped on the gator and went to check it out.  By the time I got there, Duke had another fresh born heifer calf.  

Dude, we couldn’t have ordered a better weather evening.  It was perfect for sitting outside, eating some grub and BSing.  Great company!  Duke loaded Mimi up in the gator and went and tagged the newborn calf.  Mimi is all in on doing grandkid things, but newborn calves put everybody in a good humour.  

Dad brought his newest fermented creation.  He has made some really good, top shelf wine in the past.  But this wasn’t wine.  It was Kvass.  Google it.  If you didn’t know, the Kelln name is German that then headed to Russia then made it to the USA.  In past years, Dad has made a couple of tours of Russia helping setup their ag credit system.  He made Kvass, which smells like moist rye bread, but actually tastes good. Although fermented, it is very low in alcohol content.  It is sold like a soft drink in Siberia and the Baltic states.  Tyke didn’t care for it.  But his bride couldn’t smell it, so she liked it.  Brandon the Bruce was polite.  I liked it.  

Dude, this was a good day.   Hope yours was as well.  

I actually had a Saturday planned to get personal stuff done.  Brush beat, tear down kidding pens, wean does, move goats–check, check– got it all done.  But I was 30 minutes later than I wanted to be.  I quickly showered and jumped in the pickup and headed towards Pfeiffer’s sale.  I made it about 55 miles and realized that I did not have my black bag with me.  Tammy calls it my “murse”.  That black bag is full of important stuff–gum, toothpicks, tools, goat notes, pens and most importantly, my checkbook.  I have never left without it before.  Kind of hard to go to a sale without a checkbook.  But, I kept heading east, thinking if I get something bought, they’ll carry me till the mail gets there OR Tammy is only 20 miles away in Stillwater.  She also has a farm checkbook.  

Then I made it another 20 miles and ran into “Highway closed” signs on the east side of Canton.  This meant a detour that was going to cost me miles and time.  I was already running late.  Now, I wasn’t going to be able to watch the goats walk.  As I followed the highway north towards Longdale and Fairview, my mind was spinning.  Now, I’m mad–at myself, the road construction–just mad.  I said to heck with it.  I’m going back home.  So, I caught the highway west of Fairview and headed back west.  I passed the vegetable stand and my good eye spied a cantaloupe or three as I went by at a rapid pace.  I pulled a U and went back.  Like a dog sniffing another dog, I stood there smelling the available cantaloupes.  I made my pick, stuffed my money in the box and headed west.

So, no, I did not make it to the goat sale.  And yes, I drove a 150 miles to buy a cantaloupe.  This better be a good cantaloupe.  Have a good day and a better tomorrow.  

Yeah, I witnessed the speech from a retired ag teacher that is making all the news.  I also witnessed the other retiree speeches that were AWESOME.  The absolute best part of summer conference is the retiree speeches.  Yes, I personally know Larry Long as well as the young man that was “awarded” the kkk outfit.  This is a good, young ag ed teacher that has already said, “That he was not offended.”  That needs to be the end of it.  But it isn’t the end of it.  And by the way, there was NOT a confederate flag, as if that really makes a rats donkey.  It was a joke that went awry.  That’s it.  Mr. Long is at fault.  That is it.  Nobody else.  You have to know the whole story to understand why a person would even do such a thing.  But, your media doesn’t ever play the whole story.  None-the-less, I got the joke, but even I thought that it was wrong.  I don’t want one teacher’s almost 50 years of good to be marred by this dumb ass mistake.  And I dang sure don’t want a good young teacher to be tied to something like this just because he has a more permanent tan than some of us.   
Mr. Long made a mistake.  An absolute retarded mistake given the current social climate.  However, there is NO other person that should be held accountable for this deal.  I mean NO other person should be the sacrificial lamb.  Mr. Long is a retired ag ed teacher.  It is done.  I grant you that nobody is more upset with the outcome than Larry Long.  He has always been a jokester and this joke bombed.  Bombed bad.  He is done and I hate that this will be his legacy.  But, common sense should now prevail.  Hold him accountable and NOBODY else.  

Cover up? RUSM?   In today’s social media and less than 24 hour news cycle, ALL OF US should be aware when NOT to video, photo or hit “Send”.  I promise you that the NBA, NFL and MLB teach their “employees” not to hit send.  It isn’t a cover up.  This was nothing other than “Damn!  This ain’t going to look good.  Don’t throw gas on the fire by forwarding this crap.”  Once again, common sense should prevail.  Yes, I am aware that as teachers, at careertech conference, etc. it is tax payer funded.  But, NO tax payer funded organization is going to be successful unless it is ran as a business.  Public schools should be ran as a business.  You got a high quality teacher and don’t want to lose him/her, pay them.  It is cheaper to pay for talent than it is to try to replace it.  Likewise, if you have a non-performing employee, send them down the road without all of the paper work that is required to get rid of a teacher.  If you don’t have the money for that activity, don’t do it.  It is simple.  Likewise, if this was a private business, employees would have been told to NOT send that crap.  Not a cover up.  Damage control.  Common sense.  A cover up happens when people get hurt, die, crimes are committed, etc.  Ask hillary the definition of a cover up.  This was a head-up ass moment by Larry Long and NOBODY else.  That’s it!

As I sit here and type with the iTune’s blaring, Cher’s song, “If I could turn back time” is playing.  If I could turn back time, I would have tackled Larry Long when I realized what was happening and then the news spin would be “deranged goat herder assualts senior citizen.”  Dude, I’ve been in the news before, I can handle it.  But, it wasn’t my place to stop him.  And I didn’t.  Nor did anyone else.   And that is what is wrong with our society.  Everybody went , “Dang!  I don’t want to be a part of this.”  Instead, the PR people will make an example out of someone.  The wrong someone(s).  Larry Long is the only perpetrator.  Put him on the news and be done with it.  Plus, the big media wouldn’t give a rat’s donkey about that story if I tackeled him because it didn’t involve race, economics, politics or this bruce/kaitlyn henner stuff.  Basically, that story would have gotten printed in 2 or 3 local papers just for legal and insurance purposes.  Not much news there.  

If u need the whole story, call me.  As usual, the whole story is way better than what the “copy & print” media will put out for the “public” to read.  

I have called facebook a “STD–Socially Transmitted Disease.”  It has its place and can definitely be a positive tool.  But too many people just sit and scroll, like and all that other crap that goes with it. 

I don’t know enough about snapchat or instagram to even comment, but I am sure that they fall into the same category.

Texting is another problem area.  It is obviously a very useful, cheap and easy form of communication.  But it also brings problems with it.  It can lack personality, I don’t like it when dealing with someone that I have never talked to before and it emboldens some people.  I recently saw a quote that I agree with, “If social media is a disease, texting has to be a tool in the devil’s workshop.”  

Have a good day!   

No matter how good you are or how long you have been good, there is always somebody better.  Maybe it was someone that came before, or yet to come, but there is always somebody better.  

We’ve had fun around here today.  Even though there are goats born around here on a regular basis, Duke’s first calf brought excitement.  My brothers and I were raised around cow people.  Tammy, Kela and I had cows until 2006 and then the goats took over.  Therefore, a newborn calf just feels right.  Plus, it is sometimes hard to tell if Duke is excited or not.  Not this morning, or this evening, as he had newborn calves at both times of the day.  He likes his cattle.

I got inside just after dark and caught the end of the Motley Crue–The End tv special.  We made their tour stop in OKC and had a large time.  MIght have even given away some cheeseburgers in Bricktown after the show.  But, that’s another story.  Although the Crue had a 30 plus year career and I like their tunes, there is always somebody bigger.  They ended their tv special with a great tune.  Not one of theirs, but one of Frank Sinatra’s signature songs–“My Way”.  As big as the Crue was and is, Sinatra is bigger.  I agree with the Crue, that is an awesome song.  

Cheers!  Have a good one.  

Have I mentioned that I don’t enjoy wasp stings?  

The package went over the line.  It brought $25,500.  No, I did not buy it.  I was the bidder, but not the buyer.  2 Sweet Livestock are the purchasers as they continue to build a dominant doe herd.  Great time at the Helms sale.  The Dragon Lady and I went for the Ronnie Lumpkins ribs on Friday night.  The potato burritos and fried fish & chips were dang good on Saturday.

Made it home Saturday evening.  Headed out to do chores.  Had a young one or two that had the squirts.  I grabbed some SMZ tablets and scour halt and went to catch them.  One of the little buggers ran into a shed.  Good deal–I now have him cornered.  As I crowded him, he went all matrix and went up the wall, then went all Bo Jackson like and ran horizontal along the wall and then kicked as he came off the wall.  I caught him.  His antics stirred up something that I haven’t dealt with since 2012–Wasp Bite.  Dang!  I got nailed right in the middle of the spine.  I wasn’t right all night and I can still feel the effects.  I did not know that nest was there or it wouldn’t have been there.  

What do you think the over/under line should be on the Helms’ Breeder Package?  I will say the line is $20K.  I will take the under.  Personally, I think it will be in the 17-18.5K range.  But, I will also bet you that it goes overs 20K.  It only takes 2 serious bidders that drug a trailer to the middle of the TX panhandle and they don’t want to go home empty.  

Should be fun to watch.  If I buy it, then it went too cheap.  Have a good weekend!

And here I was getting in a good mood about stock shows again……WOW!!!  I got the absolute world record LONGEST text message.  My phone went dead.  Dead from Texts??  Not to mention 27 pics which actually proved my point in some blog months ago.  I don’t like dirty pool.  

Here’s my reply.  

1–If you are reading this, you clicked to this page.  This blog does not show up on a facebook feed.  YOU clicked here.  If you don’t like it, go back to facebook or some other crap.  

2–Take your meds.  

3–This is why I don’t like local shows.  I had nothing to do with this local/county war.  

4–This proves why I decided not to help your family show wethers back in 2012.  The people that I deal with aren’t perfect, but they are good to my family.  That is ALL that I care about.

5–I’m in such a good mood after last weekend and summer conference, that I am wound up about some shows again.  Duke probably won’t win a big one, but his mother and I are focused on the kid, not the animal, the banner or the critiques.  I am sure that Duke’s father is a limiting factor.  We are actually real sure about that fact.  Fine. 

To end with, there is a Dennis Leary song that comes to mind.  And I would like you to google it and realize that “IF the shoe fits…..”  

Here’s to wishing everybody shamrocks and horseshoes!  Some more than others!