Even though I recently acknowledged that I need to do things differently when it comes to advertising my personal stuff, I still managed to half ass my own stuff.  Yeah, I’ve taken care of business on the Ag chapter front.  But, a month or so ago, I got a text from Shelly @ Milligan Ventures–“Do you want to do a Valentine’s Day sale like you have been doing?”  My reply–“Yes.”  However, I did not look at a calendar and realize that Valentine’s Day was on a Friday.  (Just in case you didn’t know, Friday is a bad day for an online sale.)  So, on Wednesday morning, I had Shelly movie it to Thursday.  Moving a sale date forward at the last minute is a dumb ass move and I went ahead and did it.  Yet, the sale went way better than it should have.  Nothing stupid high, a few bargains and some that sold right on the money.  It’s all good.  I don’t get too geeked up about what goat semen brings.  None of it makes sense.  So, in my world, if it gets a bid–that makes two happy parties.  One–the person that won the bidding.  And two–me.

I can tell you that there is a change in the weather around this piece of paradise.  It got butt-ass cold for the last 30 something hours.  We made sure that all livestock got a good drink.  What we didn’t worry about was show animals.  NOT ONE on the place.  No adding blankets or moving into a heated barn.  I did tell students to make sure critters were warm, got a good drink of fresh water and add bedding.

As much as I love good stock, I REALLY love being a retired show parent.  Have I mentioned that before?  I’m not sure.

I have survived another county stock show.  As an ag teacher, I do NOT care who wins a county stock show.  I hope that the judge does it fairly and as he/she sees fit.  I do know that our show was placed in a manner that was perfectly fine with me.  Every kid got a good look and a fair shake. And we are now done and on to the next one.  I see county shows as a scrimmage.  (I know that I am in the minority).   We will now make some feeding adjustments, showmanship upgrades and make sure grooming is in proper order going forward.  All species.

It is hard to get through ANY stock show without getting a bit twisted up.  Parents are worried about their kids and projects.  They have a kid or 3 to worry about and a few head of stock.  BUT, it’s okay for a parent to get wound up.  On the other hand, an ag teacher has EVERY kid, EVERY animal and EVERY parent to deal with, so IN MY OPINION (which makes it right) it is perfectly fine for an ag teacher to be a bit pissy!  PERFECTLY FINE!

I made it through this one without a melt down.  I deserved to have a come apart on one dumbass parent BUT I didn’t.  I had one student that was academically ineligible to show.  It happens.  But, this parent checked her kid out of school to help the lazy, little brother wash one, yes one sheep.  No!  Homey don’t play that!  The student is ineligible, therefore, he needs to be in school.  Ooh snap!! Momma got pissy and crappy in a hurry.  So, as a result, neither kid got to show.  My call.

Here’s the cool part.  Guess who financed both kids show animals?  Yeah, that would be ME.  Guess who was counting on the kids making the premium sale in order to pay me back?  Yeah, that too would be ME.  But, I’m, the A-Hole.  I gambled and I lost.  Oohh snap!!

Well, not yet.  So far, I am real proud of how one of the kids has handled himself.  He knows that he is in a tough situation and that his academic problem set things into motion.  He realizes that there are numerous people trying to help him.  He has handled himself in a very mature fashion.  Unlike his parent.  If this kid grows from this, well then, I’m out some cash, but….so what.  This story will hopefully have a happy ending.  There are coaches, school administration and a cranky ag teacher working to help a kid.  Some get it and some never well.

AND THEN, a grandma has to get on book face and go to blasting people.  On numerous posts, on several topics and she doesn’t know….OOOOHHHH SNAPPP!!  I think that I will censor myself and stop.  I don’t use emojji buttons but I would like to send a  SHUT the hell up!!

Let’s not think that I am griping about women.  I don’t care about sex, race, religion or any other excuse.  I have hired women as a salesman at a John Deere dealership and others as parts counter help.  I have hired three co-ag teachers–all women.  Several of my very best ag parents are female.  I was raised by a great set of parents, have a strong willed wife and together, we raised a damn determined daughter.  I don’t care what sex it is, I know dumb ass when I see it.  And I got the pleasure to deal with a couple of dumb asses this county show.

On the bright side, at a recent Shattuck Ag Booster auction, I did buy a year’s supply of Braum’s ice cream gift certificates.  (perfect for a dumb ass that is lactose intolerant)  And then, at the county premium sale, I paid $90 for a peach cobbler.  Yeah, it’s good.  Real good!  I got home tonight and saw that Duke had eaten about $17 worth.

People, have a good one now.  And please, have a better one tomorrow.  OOOHHH SNAP!!

No matter what business you are in, one has to decide when and where to advertise.  Let’s be real.  I have done a piss poor job of promoting my own stuff for several years.  Hell, I haven’t even updated sales & successes  page on my own website for almost 4 effing years!   We’ve raised grands & reserve grands at district shows, class winners at state and national shows but NO, my dumb ass can’t seem to find time to forward some pics to get added to my own dang page.

Several years ago, I spent money for a farm show to make labeled cow bells.  That was money well spent.  The next year, while Duck Dynasty was so popular, I had duck calls made with logos on them.  That was even better. Basically, I do a better job of promoting other stuff than I do my own.  Look at the Shattuck FFA book face page as compared to my personal page.  There is no comparison.

I understand the value of pics on social media.  I occasionally post a goat or two, but not to the extent that I should.  For the past 5 years, it has been all about promoting a buck or two.  Those pics have been on my website, e-blast, oklahomashowgoats and book face.

I haven’t ran a print ad in years.  Should I?  I don’t know.

Selling bucks has been good and I haven’t had any problem moving wethers.  So why pay for advertising?  Once again, I don’t know.

What I do know is that most people think that I can be hard to deal with on a wether.  Not at all.  I want the good ones to go to a good home.  And yeah, I want a fair price.  But, I do understand the value of a good home.

This blog has helped me move a lot of goats but it may have also turned some people off.  I realize that and understand it and things probably won’t change.

One must have a strong web presence, understand the importance of utilizing social media and choose the best value for print ads.  The future will show if I know what I am doing or not.  Probably not.

On a side note, I’m paying attention to the oscar’s tonight.  I don’t care who wins but I did enjoy the montage of iconic movie theme songs that INSTANTLY identifies the movie.  Of course, Rocky is a great one, the Titanic song and ooohhh, Whitney’s “I will always love you” are off the charts.  But, the song that is identifiable on ONE note.   Yes, I would like to name that movie.  It is “Deliverance”.  That first banjo chord hits and it is hard to NOT think about squealing like a pig.  I really liked how they segued from a line in Deliverance to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself”.

One hundred and three years old.  That is a long run on this planet.  Issur Danielovitch Demsky died at the age of 103.  Who?  What?  That would be the given name of the actor Kirk Douglas.  I would have changed my name as well.

Read up on some of the things that this guy did.  He wasn’t afraid to rock the hollywood boat.   Yes, he was an actor but he did so much more.  And wasn’t afraid to stand up to things that he didn’t like.  Duke & I love the “The War Wagon” which he played alongside John Wayne.  “Spartacus” is probably his most well known role.  Tammy says that his best movie role is actually a “times two”.  He played two brothers–Spur & Harrison. If you haven’t noticed the trend, any time there is a discussion about best movie ever, the Dragon Lady always throw in her two cents about “The Man from Snowy River”.  I really can’t argue with her.

Speaking of democrats.  I didn’t watch the State of the Union address.  But, I have watched enough replays and read a pile of the out-takes, excerpts and BS that has arisen from it.  I don’t care that the Trumpster didn’t shake that bag-of-used douche’s hand.  Maybe he didn’t see it.  Personally, I don’t know why she offered to shake his hand.  I don’t care.

As for the tearing up the speech, I really don’t care.  But, I do think that it was a shameless tactic on her part.  At best, she has some followers that are pumped about this move.  At the worst, think how this plays on the world wide stage.  Which may be her plan?  I mean, if you are from some other country that wants to do harm to the US of A, don’t waste money on bombs.  Just send it to that sack of crap and her cronies and let them work to destroy us from the inside.  I feel that she is the worst person that we have seen in a national office in my life time.  I do not like her or her politics.  I do not understand how the voters in her district have elected her numerous times over the past 30 years.

It is not healthy to have the two main parties so far apart in ideology.  I don’t like how mis-managed the Iowa caucus looked.  Nobody seems to be in control of the Democratic party.  Yet, I wish that Trump would stay off twitter.  I’m not the biggest fan of Trump but the other side is absolutely NOT giving voters a logical choice.

    I also am not a fan of the Medal of Freedom being given to Rush Limbaugh.  It doesn’t offend me but that dude hasn’t always done things right.  There are so, so many soldiers, philanthropists and teachers that have done way more good for the US of A than Rush Limbaugh.  Just another sign of how out-of-whack anything regarding politics has gotten.  

      Politics.  In it’s current state, the US political scene reminds me of taking a dump.  Everyone does it.  It is a needed, natural movement.  Yet, you really just want to wipe, flush and walk away.  But, for some reason, you know that you have to look right before you flush.  You don’t want to, but you do.  Then, a few minutes later, you realize that a second flush is needed to get it all down.  Which in turn, makes you think, “If I had to flush twice, do I need to re-wipe to make sure I got it all.”  Basically, it is hard to ever feel clean when dealing with politics. 

Ironically, as I was pounding the keyboard, I was sent a text in a group chat.  It was a picture of YOUR speaker of the house with the caption:

“The devil bowed her head

because she knew that she’d been beat.

And she laid that golden pen

on the ground at Donald’s feet.

Donald said, “Nancy, just come on back,

If you ever want to try again.

I done told you once, you drunk old witch,

I’m still your PRESIDENT!”

Whether you like the wording or not, I could give a rat’s ass.  But, if you can read this and NOT hear one of the most iconic American songs of ALL-TIME playing in the background, well my friend, you might need to look into moving out of the states.

People, I truly hope you had a good day and will have a better tomorrow.  Please pray for our elected officials.  All of them.  Pray that some get re-elected and that some don’t.  No matter what, pray that they choose to do right (for a change).  I pray that I don’t live to be 103 years old.  However, if that is GOD’s plan for me, I pray that I’m never a crooked politician.

For some reason or the other, the movie Full Metal Jacket has been showing on my tv on a regular basis.   The director of that all-time great war flick is Stanley Kubrick.  This dude has made some wicked good flicks, some weird flicks and some bad ass movies.  One of the weirdest movies that I have ever watched (numerous times) is Dr. Strangelove.  I love Slim Pickens riding the bomb.  James Earl Jones, George C. Scott, etc.

I don’t know, something about Full Metal Jacket always ties me up inside.  It seems real.  And recently, it seems like it is really real.

Got home from making rounds and picking up parts tonight and the favorite son was cooking himself a bacon & egg sammich.  He had Alexa playing tunes.  I asked, “What is that one?”   He replied Shine Down.

Dude, I like some of their stuff.  So, he said, “Alexa, play a bunch of Shine Down.”  DUDES, I did not realize how much of their stuff that I like.  Good, good tunes.

Sunday morning, I got out of Mass and headed to the best grocery store in NW OK–Shattuck Venture.   I gathered up some items (I went in there for Raisin Bran & bananas–came out with a cart load and headed towards the bananas (last thing on my list).

Yes, the question is—Why did I have a list if it was just cereal & bananas?  This is why Tammy does NOT send me to the store.

While there, I saw Tammy’s brother.  THE Todd Atha.  He was picking up some breakfast items.  Todd should hate me. But we have a lot in common.  We both married above our pay grade and raised kids that are really good humans.  I shit you not, we both (along with some strong maternal genetics) raised a pair of kids that are WAY better than the paternal genetics.  Damn good dude!  I was blessed with two brothers that are wicked good people.  This brother-in-law can hold his own with them.

I would have spent more time bragging about Tammy’s brother, but she showed up as I was hitting the keyboard and handed me a hand-laminated thank you card from a kid. First year showman that gets it.  We are going to need a seatbelt for the next few years.   Those of you that really know me, now know that there is a kid (not from Shattuck) that is getting ready to beat somebody in the coming years.

It is the way.

Why is it that trailer lights will work when hooked to this pickup but not another?  Brakes as well.  You would think that every trailer plug would be wired universally.

Speaking of trailers, I can argue that the ramp is the worst livestock accessory…EVER.  First, it is always in the way when you need to load.  Two, they add weight to the back of a trailer, catch & hold wood chips which in turns makes the doors harder to close.  And maybe most importantly, as ramps have become more and more popular for show stock trailers, the animals have become more and more unsound.  Especially pigs and cattle.

I may have had a trailer ramp incident this weekend.  Before we pulled out, I asked the 8th graders that had put their goats on the trailer, “Are the ramps up?”   Of course, the answer was “Yes.”  Several miles down the highway, I get a text, “You are dragging your ramps.”   Yes, I was and am still pissed.

I attended a sheep and goat jackpot this past weekend.  This completes my month of all species jackpots.  Now, the county show then Woodward District followed by the marathon known as OYE.

Towards the end of the sheep show, I was talking to Colt Randall.  Colt is one of the premier sheep showmen in the state.  Wicked good.  Real good kid from a good family.  His family was there with their show team.  A teenage boy that was traveling with them was in the ring showing.  This boy’s sheep got loose from him.  The boy gathered his lamb and still won his class.  When he came out of the ring into the holding pen, Colt hollered at him, “Hey, you owe 10 push ups.”  The boy shook his head, handed his lamb to his dad and dropped right there in the wood chips and did 10 push ups.  The other kids and the parents were all laughing, counting em down and cheering him on.  I loved it!

Have a good one.

Anybody that knows me, would quickly realize that I don’t give 2 squirts of goose crap as to who wins the super bowl.  However, I like to watch the commercials and the half time entertainment.

My review.    I loved the commercial with Sam Elliott and the mustache move.  I do NOT like that he lost the “dance” off.  Shitty commercial.  I can’t even tell you what the ad was for but I know that Sam Elliott was on the screen.

At some point in the 4th quarter, it was 20-10.  I told Tyke and the ladies that the Chiefs would win.  They did.  In the mean time, I got worn out playing games with the twins.  Mahomes may have thrown a strike or two, I’m not sure.  I can tell you that Launa was throwing some wicked heat in whatever game we were playing.  I exerted more athletic skills trying to protect myself from her wicked throws.  I won, yet she would not concede. That chick is wicked competitive.

Yes, I watched the halftime show.  Shakira won that dance off.  She shook it well but kept it classy.  The other deal, yeah, I watched it butI think that all viewers were waiting  on a wardrobe malfunction.  Shakira looked real and just sang and shook it.  It worked well.  Real well.

Most fun that I have had for a super bowl in decades.  I’m out of breath but happy that the twins had me hooked up in games.

Have a good one and a better tomorrow.

Wait, what?  Sam Elliott lost the dance off.  Somebody needs fired.

“You don’t need a parachute to sky dive.  You only need a parachute if you would like to sky dive a second time.”

–I don’t know who gets the credit.  I just liked the quote.

As I got out of a steaming, hot, epsom salt & melatonin infused bath on this snowy evening (yes, trying to actually sleep), I pulled on a random t-shirt from my closet.  It was a free shirt from a Houston Asstros game this summer.  And I thought, “Dude, if I wear this to a goat show this year, will people think that I too am a cheater?”

Then, upon further inspection, it does not say Houston Asstros anywhere on it.  It is just navy and orange but says Lone Star Series.  Cool.  No cheatin’ here.  Then again, you have to win to get accused of cheating.  I think that we are safe this year.

Stay warm and have a good one.

In 1983, my dad took me to Weldon Walser’s farm to buy a bred Duroc gilt.  This was my introduction to the stock show world.  I farrowed a litter. Kept a barrow.  Wilbur.  He got an infected cord when he was cut and I never got to show him.  Dad had Wilbur butchered, then later fed him to the family.  It bothered me but not for long.  At that point, I was over it when it came to eating stock show critters.

Over the next couple of years, I showed several pigs and then a couple of grass maggots (as they were called back then).  Dad made me show a Dorset and a Suffolk.  And I quote, “If you want a steer, you first need to show that you can take care of a lamb.”  After the lambs, he too was ready for a steer.

In 1985, I had a wicked good Berkshire barrow named “Berk Reynolds”.  He had been champion a time or two and placed well at a couple of jackpots.  Then the 1985 pseudorabies outbreak hit and that was the end of showing hogs in Oklahoma for that season.

But then 1986 rolled around.  Dad & I got outbid on the pig that we wanted.  So, we bought the skinny litter mate.  And that worked out well.  “Bandit” the blue butt consistently won classes and brought home cash, trophies and banners.  He was only beat in class ONCE!  Dr. Bob Hines stood him 2nd in class at Woodward District.  OK.  But, then he won a class at OKC, made the premium sale and then won a check from the carcass contest ( remember that deal?)  I also showed my steer at OKC that year.  “Ronnie” the black baldie was a great first calf.

In the fall of 1986, I showed another black baldie steer at Tulsa.  “Willard” came from the the legendary Shattuck ag teacher, Mr. W.E. Bradley, who had already been retired for a decade before I came around.  Yes, the W was for Willard.  Mr. Bradley would never tell me his middle initial after I named that first steer after him.  That steer made the premium sale at Tulsa.

1986–From then on, I was over it.  I didn’t care about locals, counties, jackpots or preview shows.  I was now all about premium sales.  I didn’t have to win, hang a banner or bring home hardware.  Make the sale.  It was good.

But now, I am an old ag teacher and a FORMER stock show parent.  This is NOT bragging but I have had students and kids that have shown the grand steer at OYE, the grand lamb at OYE, the grand wether goat at OYE, a couple of breed champion pigs at OYE and the grand broilers at Tulsa.  There has been success at other shows as well.  I have had first hand access to see how numerous families have managed money, followed genetics, worked hard, built a program and worked on showmanship.  I’m not taking credit for any of the wins.  It’s just that I have been in the right place with the right people for several decades and several species.

I tell you this because I have been a stock show addict in four different decades.  I’m not talking a casual user at a weekend party.  I’m talking full blown, back alley, find a vein between the toes kind of junky.  Chicken feed?  Oh yeah.  I know what to feed.  Working cattle hair?  Yeah!   I love the smell of the products and the sound of a blower.  Sorting goats in Texas while getting sandblasted by the wind and some malicious flies clinging to my body….been there.  AIing sows in the middle of the night for a student on a Tuesday night in April.  Yep.  Clipping legs on sheep before shag became such a deal.  That too.

Yet, at this point, I’m over it.  Done.  I would like to just walk away and be done with it.

But………I can’t.  I CAN’T!  I am over all of the money, the additives, the politics and all of the extra crap that goes on in this world.  Trust me when I say that I am over that $hIt!  However, I cannot get over the fact of a kid bonding with an animal.  The work ethic that the good ones develop.  The network of people that a stock show kid develops is better than any college education.  I can’t get that image out of my head when you stop by to check a project and the kid is lying on their animal, while reading a school book.  The image of a little girl playing soccer with her prized pig will forevermore be burned into my memory.

When done right, a stock show project is an oh so powerful tool.  And when done wrong, stock shows can make an old, crusty addict like myself want to go cold turkey and be “Over It”.

I’m not checking into rehab yet, but there are a lot of things about the stock show industry that we could do better.  It’s not any one thing or person.  It is a group effort and as a group, we need to do better.  I need to do better.

Have a good one.  And if tomorrow isn’t better, well, we will wish that it would have been.

I’m no athletic genius but this nfl draft seems fairly easy to me.  If your team earned the first pick overall, why don’t they trade it for numerous lower picks and then draft a pile of big uglies–offensive & defensive lineman and maybe a tight end.  My reasoning–if they draft that elite QB and they don’t have a line, then that high priced new QB is going to get pummeled until they get him a line.  Just look at the list of winning QBs in the past several years–not very many #1 draft picks winning big games.  But lots of lower drafted QBs that are getting to play behind good lines that are winning games.

According to several different websites, the next year’s worth of show goat sales is now upon us.  Sale season is a lot athletic drafts.  There will be some sleepers that emerge.  Some high $ picks will not turn out while still other high $ picks will make a splash.

I’ve been on all sides of this deal–found sleepers, had high picks that hit, had high picks that didn’t, found most success in the upper middle rounds and had a whole pile that turned out just like they should have.

In 2005, Kela & I were at an OYMGA sale in Tecumseh, OK.  There was a white-eared wether that she & I deemed to be the best.  I told her that we would bid to $500.  I quit at $625 but she got the white-eared wether that became “Monkey”.  He won a bunch of jackpots and she sold him in the premium sale at Enid District.

In 2006, I bought the high seller in Pfeiffer’s first ever sale.  The crowd thought that I had lost my mind spending $1,400.  He was shown 4 times–grand 3 times including Enid District and won div. 3 at OYE.

Now, I’ve had a couple of top picks that cost WAY MORE $ that didn’t have that success.

In retrospect, I probably do better drafting like the Patriots.  Stay away from the high $s, take a gamble here and there and stick to what I know best.  I do miss traveling, sorting and buying lots of wether goats.  However, I do not miss dealing with all of those goats.  No matter where they are drafted, that beast is only as good as the work that goes into it.  Even then, they don’t all turn out.

Have a good one and a better tomorrow.