The wind today has been absolutely relentless.  There are a few days per year that I am reminded that NW OK is NOT paradise.  It has been a steady 25-35 mph straight line wind today.  I had several outdoor jobs planned for today, but it didn’t take much to talk me out of them.  

      However, I do feel lucky to live where I do.  The wind was BRUTAL but at least we could go into the big barn and work hooves, goats, showmanship, etc.  We had a really good crew today and a couple of good ones yesterday.  

     I’m not generally considered to be a lucky person.  I wasn’t born into the “lucky sperm” club.   However, I’m probably the luckiest son-of-a-gun that you will ever meet.  I have a strong family background.  I have a wife that understands my addictions for good people, good animals and big fun.  I have great kids.  RUSM?!  I have a job that involves John Deere tractors and they pay me.  

      I am lucky enough to be able to pay the bills, have fun, work hard, recognize opportunities and have the work ethic to act on those opportunities that occasionally appear.  You can’t buy a lottery ticket for the kind of lucky that I am.  

     It has been said that some make their own luck.  I agree.  I have worked to be lucky in a lot of regards.  I have also been the sole cause of most of my “bad” luck.  And most of that has turned out to be very LUCKY!  

      I hope all of you can stay flexible but not limp.  And I wish all of you nothing but horseshoes and shamrocks.   

      Tammy loaded up the ’93 Chevy van with a pile of kids and headed out to take a bunch of 11-14 year olds trick or treating.  I’ve got a feeling that the van will need cleaned up after tonight.  I actually got pulled over by a Hi-Po on Saturday night.  Had a bad eye and didn’t know it.  The nice lady Hi-Po gave me a warning for a dead headlight and I turned around went home.  Tammy took the ’93 Chevy van to the optometrist today and now–20/20 vision again.  

     I never cared much for dressing up in costume and it looks like this is a genetic deal as Duke just wore his regular outfit, but had a bag of masks to take along.  I find it ironic that one of the masks is a Yoda mask.  When he was 2 or 3, Kela would put this mask on and scare the living $h!t out of him.  The great thing about a Yoda mask was back in the early 80s, Jake and I dressed up as Star Wars characters for Halloween.  Daniel was just really starting to walk good; therefore, the perfect size to be Yoda.  He didn’t know who Yoda was at that time, but he does now!  

     It is a well documented fact that I thoroughly enjoy the Star Wars movies.  There are several that use the Darth Vader music as their ring tone for me.  Chewbacca is an absolute bad donkey and R2D2 always saves the day.  Plus, how hot was Princess Leia?  Yoda is one of my favorite characters of all time.  Super intelligent, diminuitive in stature, not afraid to stand up for what he believes in,  extremely confident, understands unseen powers and a faith in an unseen “force” and dang good looking for someone that was green, bald and big eared.  My favorite Yoda quote, “Try not.  Do or do not.  There is no try.”  I love it.

     Speaking of good quotes, I saw a new one today (at least new to me).  It isn’t scripture, but it is pretty close considering who the quote is associated with and about.  “When the road looks rough ahead, remember the MAN upstairs and hope.  Hang onto both and tough it out.”  John Wayne.  

      I llike the word HOPE.  One of the best movies of all time–Shawshank Redemption–ends on that word, “I hope.”  Stop and think about the power of the word HOPE.  Almost every decision that we make has that word in it.  

Just think about our little stock show world and how the word HOPE fits in.  

Mating decisions, feeding instructions, purchases, showmanship techniques–all given with confidence but actually hoping it works.

Will this injury heal?

Did the flush work?  

Will Okie State have a good football team?  

Is this the right wether for Chesley, Duke, Lexi, Bree, Darcy, Chancery, etc.?  

Yes, Braden, I think that this is the one.  At least I hope that he is.

A common line heard from me–“I hope it works and if it doesn’t we will wish it would have.”  

Don’t ever lose hope, because hope is our driving force.  I hope that they buy this tractor.  I hope that we can place well at this show.  I hope that it rains.  I hope my team wins.  I hope this steak tastes as good as it looks.  I hope that this check clears.  I hope she isn’t pissed at me. 

Some hope is unrealistic.  

I hope that Big I chooses me as his vice presidential running mate when he chooses to run for president.  ( It will be Milligan or Ring.  I’ll have some title that you only hear about when they get fired, impeached or jailed)

I hope that our government gets straightened out. 

I hope to win the lottery.  Probably isn’t going to happen since I haven’t bought any tickets.  

I hope to win this show even though we haven’t worked with the goat or blanketed him while it has been cold and we might have skipped a feeding or two.  

Hope is having faith in something that we have very little control over.  I hope that the next song in the iTunes shuffle is AC/DC.  How you handle your hopes when they don’t come true can define a person.  Not AC/DC?  YES!! It’s George Strait, even better.  

There is a pile of kids going door to door on this fine evening.  Why?  They are hoping to get some good loot from some kind people.  They aren’t looking for letters from the lady in Fargo, ND that states “I’m not giving out candy to your child because they are borderline obese and you need to be a better parent” or something like that.  

They are hoping for high quality snack items.  I hope that Duke has Reeses’ peanut butter cups, peanut M&Ms and some really good popcorn balls.  

There are those that will say that my writings get a little all over the place.  RUSM!  We went from a ’93 Chevy van, Halloween, Star Wars, John Wayne to hope.  Well, I’m pretty sure that the original 1977 Star Wars was titled “Star Wars: A New Hope”.  So there you go.  It all ties together like a neat package of peanuts, raisins & M&Ms wrapped together in the neat little cellophane wrap by the lady down the street.  Speaking of which, they now call that recipe–Trail Mix.

I hope all of you deal with nothing but shamrocks and horseshoes. 

This blog….hunh.  This deal is borderline retarded.  It is amazing at the number of people that actually read it and where they are from.  It is scary and it is humbling.  I get a laugh anytime I get a text, call or email regarding this blog.  

     To the contingent in the 602, I enjoyed the text and would like to do it, but we just can’t make it work this year.  Our fingers are crossed for next year.  

Met some new friends from Kansas this past weekend.  I do enjoy meeting new people and seeing kids that have that fire in their eyes that WANT to do well.  Mom even backed it up by asking good questions and calling me out when I said, “Get us a picture if you get a banner shot with that goat.”  Her reply, “What do you mean IF?!”  My reply,  “I like your way of thinking.  Get me a picture with a banner.”

     We’ve got a family squabble going on at this time of this fine evening.  The Dragon Lady is upset that the Cardinals are getting beat, Duke is giving her crap about which Red Sox cap he is wearing tomorrow and I just enjoy watching/listening to the game.  My life will go on no matter who wins.  

     Facebook…..I don’t want any part of that deal.  Had somebody tell me that I need to start posting on facebook.  I’m OUT!  I upset enough people without reaching out to “friends of friended people”.  Besides, the last picture that I looked at on facebook cost me a pile.  I’ll leave the facebooking to Helms.  On a side note:  I understand the facebook deal, I just don’t like the thought of my dumb ass being connected to that many people that quickly.  Seems a little dangerous.

       Shout out to those that want to use the word arrogant when describing me.  Look at the definition.  I don’t feel superior or have a sense of over-bearing self worth.  There are people better than me at most everything that I do.  However, I am extremely confident in my own abilities.  I am well aware of what I can and can’t do.  I know that I can’t dunk a basketball on a 10′ rim.  I know that I better be within close proximity of a toilet when I drink milk or eat ice cream, otherwise Staats has to pull over and let me out–while the pickup is still moving.  Talk about a humbling experience.  I have 3 or 4 positive attributes.  I am not afraid to work.  I do NOT care what anybody else thinks about me.  I do and will try to help those that are willing to work to be helped.  And I will have a LARGE time.    Oh yeah, I have a story about that extremely confident line.  It works real well if you can back it up.  

     By the way, the Dragon Lady hates this blog.  But, her phenomenal daughter reads it.  Duke, well, I’m not sure if he can read much yet.  I mean, he’s only 12.  Ha!! 

Speaking of work ethic, think how many Bostonians are not going to work tomorrow and very few of their bosses are going to care.  The Cask & Flagon is going to be crazy.  I’d kind of like to be there for the celebration.  

      My simple minded buddy Schoovy and his clone son are headed back to Kansas City tonight.  They are fired up about showing heifers.  I wish the Bedwell boys were there to help you.  Good luck!  No matter how it goes, F & FFH!

      Here’s a shout out to all those that help young people.  If we don’t help young ones do things right the first time, somebody will help them to do things wrong the next time.  In the words of my dad, “It’s a helluva lot easier to do it right the first time.”  

       Still watching the game.  Nobody does sports like baseball.  Sportsmanship, tradition, recognition where it needs to be, pre-game prayer,  National Anthem, veterans, 7th inning stretch with GOD Bless Americas, hot dogs/beer/ and hot chicks in the stands.  How about a story involving Fenway Park, Yankees/Red Sox, batting practice, styrofoam cup on a 20′ string and Mo Rivera?  Tyke has a story about pretzels, hot chicks, starting pitchers, cloning dad, beer, pony rides, etc. in St. Louis.   I’ve got a story about Denver, Coors Field, I wish I was single like Tyke was at the time, bachelorette party, decorations, Tyke squats to pee, etc.  Guess what?  Large time had by all. 

     Shout out to the ’91 world series–Braves/Twins.  Jack Morris, Kirby Puckett, Smoltz, etc.  Still the best world series ever.  And here’s a toast to my old friend Nick Pool.

Well, the series are over and the Red Sox win.  Why?  Probably because their manager is an OKIE STATE guy.   

     I’ll tell you some things that I miss….here’s a shout out to the good old days of quail hunting and OSU baseball in the college world series every year.

Speaking of shout outs.  Here’s to Rumour Has It.  He has come home to Fargo this week and he has been nailing some high quality tail.  It’s time to find out if he is good or real good.  He looks pretty confident in his abilities.  

I get to listen to farmers/ranchers ask what is wrong with America?  Some will just ask, in passing,  as they are at the parts counter.  Others will come into my office, probably because they know that I will have an opinion.  Others just catch me at the quick stop.  I listen to the radio/some tv/read some internet crap/read magazines and this is a consistent question–What is wrong with America?  I’m not talking republicans or democrats, white or black, rich or poor looking, for an argument.  People just wondering, “How in the hell did we get here?”

I’m not a preacher, bible thumper, priest (although there was a time when my mom thought that I might want to be the Pope or at least be a cardinal.  Came up a little short of those lofty goals.)  However, I do like to think that I use some common sense in my day2day and when dealing with my offspring.  I understand that there are forces way more powerful and way better than me.  Watch the birth of an animal, rain, the look in some people’s eyes, etc.  You just know.  Some call it Faith.  

I truly believe that our problems are simple–Lack of WORK ETHIC, which may be directly tied to lack of faith.  Everybody wants it free, easy and NOW!!!  Doesn’t matter what we are talking about.  Everbody wants to win, even though they haven’t earned the right.  Everybody wants a piece of the cash pie, so they hire a lawyer who in turn has an in with a judge that didn’t earn the right to be a judge and was appointed by a politician whose parents had cash and used that influence to get jr. elected who now has influence on public doctrine even though there was no work ethic used to earn the right.  They didn’t earn it, so they don’t respect it.

  These aren’t my words, but the following words hold merit of consideration, regardless of religion or lack thereof,  “Consider that while the Torah required farmers to leave a portion of their crop for the poor, widows and orphans, God did not expect the farmer to deliver the produce to them (Ex 23:11; Lev 19:9-10; 23:22; Deut 24:19). In addition, justice for the poor in the Torah did not mean redistributing the wealth of the rich or giving favoritism to the poor, but simply that God’s absolute standard of justice would apply in all cases regardless of the status of the parties (Lev 19:15; Deut 1:16-17). The apostle Paul laid down the dictum, “If anyone will not work, neither shall he eat” (2 Thess 3:10 NKJV).”  All of this makes sense to me.  Help when needed, but don’t just hand it to them.  Earn it.  Work for it. 

      Where else have we heard this?  How about the 4th paragraph of the FFA creed.  “I believe in less dependence on begging and more power in bargaining; in the life abundant and enough honest wealth to help make it so–for others as well as myself; in less need for charity and more of it when needed; in being happy myself and playing square with those whose happiness depends upon me.”  The bible, torah, GOD or JESUS are not mentioned by name, but it says the same thing as those scripture verses.

It’s simple!  Work.  Earn.  Be ready to help people that need help.  Don’t give it to them, but be quick to offer them the chance to earn it.  Once helped, pay it forward to help others.  Don’t beg for help, but earn the help.  Be honest with others.  

      This isn’t just some Kelln thoughts going sideways because I’m pissed at something or provoked because there was an icy beverage or 12.   On the contrary, I haven’t had to edit myself tonight.  This is for real.  

        Now how does all of this apply to the goat/show industry?  Showing isn’t a charity event.  Welfare does NOT apply here.  Earn the right–to judge, to win, to teach.  But always, be ready to help somebody else that has earned the right.   Help somebody with showmanship, feeding/exercising instructions, genetic selection, whatever.  It isn’t about the money or the wins.  It is about the journey to earn the right to win shows and/or money.  

    If you judge stock shows and are reading this and have to think about your past selections/transgressions; well, maybe you need to consider why we do this.  Judge it right.  Don’t just hand it to somebody because of a pre-arranged, buddy kind of deal.  Make them earn it.  If things don’t end well for me, I don’t want a stock show to determine whether I lived right or not.  I’m fine with another lavender colored banner.

Work hard. 

          Have fun.

Help somebody.

                Help somebody, do it right.

Help somebody have fun.  

If I can’t have fun, then I don’t want to do it.

Whatever it is that you are doing–work at it.  Don’t ask for it.  Don’t try to buy it.  Earn it!  Stock shows, sports & America.  Earn it!

     A boy and his father go fishing together.  While in the boat fishing, the boy asks, “Dad, how do fish breathe underwater?”  Dad replied, “I don’t know.”  

A little later, the boy asks “What makes the boat float?”  Dad replied, “I don’t know.”  

A while later, the boy asks, “How do the fish see underwater?”  Dad once again replies, “I don’t know.”

A few more minutes pass and the boy asks, “Dad, do you get sick of me asking all of these questions?”  Dad replies, “Not at all.  If you don’t ask questions, how else are you going to learn.”

There is a lot of truth to this little story.  You need to ask questions to find the answers.  But you also need to ask the right people.  I imagine that this boy just learned that his dad didn’t know much.  I think that people need to ask other succesful people how they do things.  It is common for succesfull coaches to spend time with other coaches studying film and discussing philosophies during the off season.  Priests and other men of the cloth attend retreats to study and discuss scripture.  There is always somebody that knows more.  Likewise, in the show industry, many of the so called experts, will talk together, compare notes, etc.  There normally aren’t many secrets, just discussion of feed, genetics, new products, etc.  

       Now, I also think that you need to earn the right to ask the questions.  Don’t just walk up to somebody that you really don’t know, or haven’t done any business with and go to firing off questions.  That approach isn’t going to work.  At a show or sale, I will almost always try to answer kids’ questions.  Adults–you might get a grunt, growl or a cuss word.  There is a time and a place.  You get me at my barn, sitting on a bucket and you can get all kinds of info–some worthwhile, some of it, maybe not.  

The person you need to question the most is yourself.  You need to constantly question your goals and are you working properly towards your goals.  Have I done everything that I can possibly do to do this right?  Can I do this better?

     This is an ongoing question that is not relegated to the goat industry.  Which  is better 1) to raise purebreds or 2) to raise a crossbred?  To me the answer is simple.  I don’t want any part of raising purebred goats.  Why?  First, and foremost, I am geared towards the wether shows.  So that removes the purebreds.  Raising purebreds should be focused on raising seedstock.  Which means that the does will have value and a small percentage of the males will be quality enough to be kept/sold as bucks.  That means the wethers and common bucks have little to no value except at a sale barn.  This means that roughly 40% of your production is headed to the salebarn.  I know that some will claim that a purebred wether can be competitive.  They can’t.  Not at a major show with a real judge.  

     Purebred boer goats have a thicker hide, deeper body and a shallower muscle shape, especially in the rack and loin.  They also have a better growth pattern, meaning that they grow faster and therefore mature earlier.  These reasons are why a fullbood wether doesn’t compete on a regular basis.  

      Am I anti-fullboods?  To the contrary, absolutely not.  I just don’t want to raise them.  I don’t want to do all the paperwork, pay the fees, etc. and like I said, they just aren’t my type of goat.  But the purebred breeders need to continue to make a quality goat that keeps the breed standards.  Wether breeders are going to need a shot of fullblood genetics from time to time.  They will need these genetics to try to fix growth patterns, add bone and try to remove faults such as parrot mouths and twisted ears and bad udders.  

     Heterosis is a good thing in livestock.  Crossbreds of all species usually dominate a market show.  But all species need to be able to utilize pure genetics to improve their crossbreds.  The cattle boys have used pure Angus females and Meyer 734 simmental daughters to make foundation females to be used with the clubby bulls.  The barrow boys are always looking for that Yorkshire boar to lay in a set of females that can be used with the wide skulled, heavy boned, big ribbed cross boars.  The sheep dudes are always back and forth using Hampshires to stouten up the Suffolks and then using the Suffolks to pretty up the Hamps.  

     Every species has utilized some new genetic pool to add a new feature to the heterosis curve.  Pietrain, Ibex, Chianina, etc.  This brings new & improved animals that carry a whole new set of problems with it.  Stress gene, Spider gene, bad attitudes, birthing problems, etc.  

     The crossbred breeders have to occasionally “clean” their herds up by utilizing a newer, cleaner set of genetics.  Likewise, the purebred breeders need to keep their herds clean by NOT just relying on papers to make breeding decisions.  Look at the mess that the Angus breed has going on in some of their genetic pools.  Remember, registration papers are only as good as the people filling out the info.  The best thing about registration papers, they could be used as toilet paper if need be.  

      It is up to the individual breeder to decide whether to make pures or crosses.  What is your market?  What are your goals?  Don’t try to ride the fence and do both with the same herd.  Pick one and do it right.  Or you can have two seperate herds and do both, but then you will be spending too much time trying to make decisions to influence both herds while your competitors will be focused on one or the other.  

      There is a reason that these kind of deals are called a BLOG.  That is the sound that is made when the lack of intelligience caused by the writer creates a vacuum in the atmosphere as a result of causing people to utilize more oxygen than normally needed.  BLOG.  Here we go.

     I got my foundation doe online sale purchase picked up last night.  Steve McEowen met me at OKC last night.  I was greatly appreciative of Steve taking care of the delivery and saving me time.  I was way JACKED to see the doe in daylight today.  Sight unseen? Yes.  Pleased with the purchase?  Hell yeah!  

     I’ve had good luck buying online; so I went to whacking on the Hummel sale tonight.  I bid on 3–contending bidder on 3.  I bid way past what I had in mind.  Somebody wanted them more.  

      Tried to make it to KC for the Royal.  Got home on Wednesday night and told the Dragon Lady, “I’ll wake up about 4, do chores and then head to KC.”  Well, I didn’t fall asleep until about 3, woke up about 5:45 am and said “Nope”.  I wish there was a good story about why I didn’t fall asleep until that time, but nope.  So, I just went to work today.  

      A lot of goat breeders in this part of the world have been waiting to breed does until they are sure that they will kid after OYE is over. However, I know of 1 or 2 that will kid right during it.  One planned; the other, not so much.  

     The Dragon Lady and I enjoy baseball.  She likes to watch it on tv, I like to watch it on the radio.  Baseball is a radio sport.  They have the best announcers, the best crowds and it just looks good on the radio.  You can’t beat it unless, you are at the stadium.  Then it gets way good.  Bush/Fenway–big fun.  We both like the Cardinals in the NL and the Red Sox in the AL.  Well hell. Who do we have in the World Series?  Big fun.  Although the sox kicked the crap out of the cards last night.  Tonight,  WACHA WACHA!  I liked the muppets.  Holy jeeminy, Big Papi 2 run shot over the monster right near the Cask & Flagon.  Hold on, I have to go to the porch to get another.

I’m back.  Seriously, no other sport or stock show does it as good as baseball.  National Anthem, tip of the cap, GOD bless America, throwing out the first pitch, 7th inning stretch, batting practice, etc.  I’ll travel to watch OSU and to baseball cathedrals.  I would rather be kicked in the nuts than to go to another nfl game and I’ve been seen the nba games.  The stadiums are ALIVE at a major league baseball game.  They have the same feel as a killer good stock show with a good arena and a top notch judge that isn’t playing dirty pool.  It is fun!!!!

     Got a text tonight asking me an important question.  What is the best “Rocky” movie?  I can answer that question with multiple answers.  Best ending–2,  Coolest–3 (Thunder Lips, Clubber Lang, Eye of the Tiger, etc),  Worst–5 (that movie smells like Joe Dirt in a confined area on a hot day with no breeze–that smell just doesn’t wash off)   Kelln favorite–4 & the best Rocky movie, period?–1

Even though, I like to watch Rocky 4 the best,  the original is the BEST.  The story of how it came to be, plus he lost and it spawned all of the others.  Rocky 4 has a killer soundtrack and it makes me want to get in shape and beat the hell out of the commies or any other gov’t leaches (see previous blogs).  Obviously, I haven’t been watching Rocky 4 lately as I am getting a tick fatter.  

     Tammy, Duke and I got to Facetime with our other family member in LA.  People think this online sale deal is out of this world, try facetiming with your daughter in LA.  I remember slow gaps on live TV feeds back in the days when it was VIA SATELLITE.  Not much of a gap on this facetime deal.   

      The 2013 goat sales are nearing the end.  It looks to me like good goats, backed by good genetics and good people are in demand.  If you are in the livestock business and you wonder why your suff doesn’t sell like you think it should, don’t be afraid to ask somebody, “Why?”  As a breeder, showman, judge, etc., if you are in the livestock business, you need to be your harshest critic.  It is better to be barn blind bashing your own stock than to have blinders on thinking that you have the magical one and then the only sound when offered to others is BLOG.  

      Whoops!  The sound in Fenway park–BLOG.  Cards just took the lead.  There is only one problem with tonight’s game–I’m not there!  

I wish everybody nothing but shamrocks and horseshoes.  I hope that all of you are as lucky as I have been thus far.  

     It is a known fact that I get too many irons in the fire.  I help others with their goats and they sometimes forget to remind me that we have a goat or two that needs sold or shown.  Thus the wether that will be on the Working Clothes Online sale today.  I saw this wether back about labor day when he had been weaned a week or so and was pretty skinny.  His momma didn’t milk much at all.  Between showing, getting ready for shows, etc.  I forgot to pick this guy up and get him ready to sell or show.  He won’t bring what he normally would bring this late in the game, but here he is.  The parts are there and he could be a really interesting D1 or D2 wether.  He is now pounding feed and healthy.

     Another thing I forget about from time to time is the webesite  jackmauldin.com.  This site can answer lots of health and reproductive questions when dealing with goats.  I use it because they have an estimated kidding date calendar that is quick to the touch when making breeding decisions.  

      Friday night and Saturday morning was pretty cold.  There was ice on the water tanks.  There were dead caterpillars lying underneath the trees.  The freeze had zapped them.  Flies and wasps did not die, however.  It seems that the freeze just sent a signal that their days are numbered.  Every where I went this weekend, wasps were buzzing around all over the place.  They weren’t in attack mode, but they were very visible.  I used several cans of spray zapping these aerial marauders.  I climbed a ladder to get to a rather active nest.  I am ready to be rid of wasps, flies and mosquitoes.  

     Survived the Big Willy sale.  Thanks to all of the buyers and bidders on this sale.  These goats are getting really good new homes.  WIlly is going to the Ok/Tx panhandle.  Our crew will be showing some willy good goats out of Willy next year.  The bred does all went to good homes.  

     I saw some interesting stuff at the Perry Livestock Auction on Thursday evening.  Like the Lamancha buck kid that was tied around the neck on a very short, tight leash into the passenger side front corner of a 89 ford pickup, right next to the crate full of chickens covered with a blue tarp.  I helped one of the sale barn employees get the goat out as the driver of this rig couldn’t get out of the pickup.  The sale barn guy worked to untie the knot around the neck of the buckling while I held the goat still.  He got the knot undone, then looked at me and said, “I don’t want this thing to get loose in the parking lot.  I said, “I’ve got him by the tail if you grab him by the ears.”  He looked at me like WTF?  If you know your dairy goat breeds, then you will find the humour.  (Lamancha’s don’t have ears.)  We got him unloaded.

     I bought a doe kid online a week or so ago from Gallagher’s.  I got her home to Fargo today.  Let’s just say that I am rather pleased with the looks of this purchase.  

     It has been a cold, drizzly wet without rain kind of day in this part of the world.  Wethers are blanketed, doe kids have a snotty nose or two.  I think summer is over.