This has not been a fun week.  But it could be worse.  One only has to see what people that were in the path of the fires are enduring.

I did enjoy reading the write-ups on the Sloan-Page sale.  Those were good.

Have a good one and I hope you are dealing with smarter people than what I have had to deal with.

It can be hard to find time or desire to sit down here and write some crap.  This weather can just suck!  The fires are back in Dewey and Major county.  Tammy’s parents were evacuated last night.  Luckily for them, the winds shifted.  Lots of acres, livestock and homes lost or damaged.

For the first time in a long time, the weather experts are calling for rain on Friday and Saturday.  MY GOD, I hope that they are right.  This part of the world needs it.

Prayers for all of those affected.

Sweet and I parted with a buck that sold tonight.  And that buck is now headed to Ohio.  This one will generate good goats.  No doubt.  This one fixes a lot of problems.  I like this goat and he will generate.

Thank you to all the buyers and bidders.  I am honored to have a part in making one of this caliber.  Good genetics just keep going, and going, and going.  Energizer bunny anyone?

At what point is it not kosher to say that it is “900”  or “191” genetics.  A lot have never even seen the bucks themselves.  And one of them is still alive.  We lost our last actual doe that came from the Mike Kelly herd.  She was damn old.

The last few days brought us some of the worst weather that I have ever witnessed in this part of the world.  Temps–Thursday it was a hundred degrees.  Friday night it was in the mid 20s.  Still no rain.  And the wind.  Oh jeeminy!  What a brutal wind for several days straight.

Thursday brought fires north of Woodward and south of Vici.  Friday saw a repeat with Dewey County losing lots of acres of land.  Lots of homes, barns, fences, hay stacks and livestock have been lost.  Fortunately, most people have been safe.  Thank you to all of the volunteer fire fighters that have fought these fires.  Saturday brought a relentless wind.

Some of these people north of Woodward have lost homes, land and livestock three years in a row.  Prayers are needed for the people and for rain.

Huge thank you to everybody that had anything to do with our online buck sale.  I am ecstatic with how it went and look forward to getting sale and show reports of the kids from these bucks.

I do think that it would be good for all goat buyers, breeders and sellers to have to deal with an online yearling buck sale.  It ain’t fun.  You don’t just grab a yearling buck out of the pen and make them set up.  A yearling buck isn’t cute, fuzzy, they have a smell, an attitude and dang they do not want to take video.  But, I am going to figure that out.

I really like it when people venture to Fargo to get their hands on these dudes.  I do enjoy taking most calls, some texts and trying to describe each goat to the best of my ability.  I would rather take the breeders word for it then watch some video.  But, I get it.  And the consumer is always right.  So, we will figure out this video deal.

Now, for the rest of the story.  I did not want to sell lot 1.  DID NOT WANT TO SELL HIM!  But, after taking pics, we had a goat stone up.  He was a Manilla Gorilla x Rumour Has It x Smokestack. I loved this goat.  But, he stoned and he was not going to be a breeder.  Down you go then.  So, lot #1 became available.

Last year, Tom & Kerensa Kester bought Prom Date.  I bought back 1/2 of him.  Then he decided to be a goat and find a unique way to end his existence.  The Kester’s then leased Manilla Gorilla.  When they came to pick him up, I said, “Take this young buck and breed to him.  He will work.”  They were a bit shell shocked.  WTH?!  Why?  The blood in this one is wicked good.  Use him.  Use him hard.

On their way back home, they had to take a detour through Tulsa.  They called, “Does this young buck have a name?”  NOPE.  “Can we call him Detour?”  Yep.

Fast forward—At the end of March, they started having Detour kids.  I have yet to be to NE OK to see these kids, but the future sounds promising.  And if the bigger, badder twin brother is available, well, you buy him.  And that is what Tom & Kerensa Kester did.  They bought the good one.  And if you couldn’t tell in the comments on lot 1, I think that this one is a damn good one.  If the Kester’s sell semen or do outside breedings to him, I highly recommend using him.   I will gladly tell you what kind of doe to breed to him (most all of them) but you need to make arrangements with Kerensa.  Probably, not Tom.

Seven bucks that are headed to 5 different states–from coast to coast.  Considering that we are just a small operation located south of Fargo, OK–Dude, that is cool.  The power of the internet.  To think back to 2003 when Kela, Danielle Litzenberger and Kourtney Childers conned me into showing goats and then Kela took a website called oklahomashowgoats.com, held the first ever online goat sale then went to college, now Hollywood and I’m left with the goats and the Milligan’s have the website.  What the?!  It’s all cool.  Keep your eyes open and your head on a swivel.

It is cool when people start texting you the names of their new buck purchases, literally within minutes of the sale closing.  When they have been here, seen em and have an idea–that is fun.

Thank you to all that help.  I know that I can be/seem like/be an ass, but I do appreciate all that it takes to make these things work.  Thank you.

Now, time to slide into the next one.  And it is just one.  But…..if you are needing that buck.

Anybody in the sheep or goat industry understands the value of a guard animal.  Here at Kelln Livestock, we have a GARP–Goat And Ranch Protection.  He is a neutered 7/8 Pyr & 1/8 Komondor male.  He is a DGD–Dang Good Dog.  I have seen the use of llamas, donkeys and really mean dogs.  In some cases, all of the above are needed.  However, today, I saw a first.

If you know me, then you know that I love a good story.  And this crappy blog will never do justice to being a witness to this event.  But, I have a story.  How good?  Decades from now, the kids that I was hauling today may not remember why we were near Quitquae, TX, BUT they will always remember the Attack Chicken.

So, I hauled a pickup load of dang good kids to some CDE contests on this butt-ass cold Saturday.  We first traveled to Clarendon College.  We left there and headed to Turkey to eat lunch.  We had about an hour and a half spare time before the next contest started at the Valley School.  I told the kids, “Hey, I know a guy near here.  Let’s go look at some goats.”  They asked, “Does he have more goats than you?”  I explained that I have 50 does and this dude has 850.  “WHAT? Are there babies?”

Now, we pull into this piece of goat heaven.  The owner is not there.  I call him and he is gone delivering a sold goat.  I make sure that it is okay for the kids to walk through some young goats and nannies.  Of course, he says yes.  This is where the fun begins.

I love this pen at Helms.  I have so many stories from this pen.  First time that I saw JO86 (now I40), first time I saw Rumour Has It, Braden’s OYE grand goat, Bree’s lone star elite wether, Vanilla, people taller than Helms or I walking into the overhead electric fence, JBone, etc. etc. etc.  were all in this pen.  But, this was wicked fun!

While in this pen of about 30, 40 or 50 nannies with two week old babies, one of the girls is trying to pet the llama on the other side of the fence.  I’m on the phone.  The other kids are petting baby goats.  All of a sudden there is a squawking, yelling and running–all of which stemmed from a sophomore girl.  I first thought that the llama had spit on her.  NOPE!  She had been attacked by a chicken.  Pecked her in the shin.  “It dead-legged me.  I thought a momma goat had hit me in the shin.  Like a bowling ball was thrown at me!”  Her words.  Drama.

At this point, goats were moving.  I spied a cool little one.  I’m now trying to read an ear tag.  Actually, I’m trying to catch the goat, then read the tag as I am loading him and we’ll see if that Helms dude even misses him.  And the kids (humans AND goats)  all take off running.  This rooster is chasing them again.  He ran them right out of the pen and back to the pickup.  One of the girls even took video as she was running from this Battle Rooster.  The commentary on the video from the kids is awesome.  I loved one of the comments, in a Hispanic accent “Crazy Chicken”.  I cannot do justice to this story.  You have to know the kids, the facilities, my mentality, the weather….you just had to be there.  And I was dang glad that I was.

Irregardless of the chicken attack, this was a fun day.  We were treating this day as a workout and we got to see lots of stuff at two different contests that are way more in depth than what we see in OK.  There were PILES of people in Clarendon for this contest.  The Valley contest was well ran.  And it is very apparent that a lot of Texas schools will spend some jack to paint a school activity bus.  They were fun to look at.

We were in this pickup of mine, with me driving, of a morning, with my music.  A kid or two were asleep in the back seat.  About 7:00 am this morning, we stopped at Shamrock.  I went in to get me a Mountain Dew.  Came back out.  A freshman boy had awoke from his slumber.  “I feel like I was dreaming that I have been to a rock concert.”  Yes, yes you had.  Just not a live show.

And now that I am home.  I have a lot of thoughts.

1–Dang people!  I had a fun trip today.  Great kids.

2–WTH?  No Dairy Queen in Clarendon or Shamrock?  I thought every TX town with more than 500 people HAD to have a DQ.

3–Remember the story of me loading a goat into the back seat of a Cadillac?  That story ain’t crap compared to the one I read about today.  #dealertags#100poundbuck#beinthenewsuburbanovernighteatingoutofthefloormats#WTH?  I really don’t understand the pound signs or hash tags but just trying to be cool.

4–How did that damn Helms know that he needed a Fightin Chicken to keep me from stealing that goat?  He didn’t know that I was going to be anywhere near the greater Turkey/Quitiquae metropolitan area.

5–If he can train a chicken like that, why is he raising goats?

And don’t shit yourself.  I may not be as good as I once thought I was.  But when it comes to spying a young prospect, in sub-par conditions—yeah, I like my chances.  I may only have one good eye but I read that tag#.

If any of you had a day half as good as I did, well then, you had a DGD!  Peace out and have a great one.  I did. and do.

I saw one of those memes with a picture of a baboon and the words “Common sense is not a gift, it’s punishment.  Because you have to deal with everyone who doesn’t have it.”  I thought the baboon was appropriate.  I especially liked how his hair slowly blew in the breeze, kind of like some slo-mo commercial with some dang celebrity.

We recently had to buy a new fridge.  The last one did not last as long as I thought it should have.  We bought it in 2008.  It crapped the bed in 2009 (while under warranty) and had to be worked on.  Which was a pain in the ass.  I didn’t want that fridge and I never liked it.  It had a bottom freezer.  I hated it.  I especially hated it when we moved.  It had 3 doors to take off plus I had to deal with that sliding bottom freezer drawer.   It was a Kenmore which at some point in time was a name brand associated with quality.  When I opened that bottom drawer, I often thought of one of my favorite movies–Bull Durham.  The line was delivered by Robert Wuhl.  “Sears sucks, Crash.  I once worked there.  Sold Lady Kenmores.”

I like that movie a lot.  In fact, my brother Jake and I once owned a bull that we called Bull Durham.  He was an Ice Pick x Pistol Pete.  He sired breed champion steers and heifers at Enid and Woodward District Shows.  And he sired several class winning heifers and steers at OYE and Houston.  There are promotable bulls that didn’t sire as well as that guy did.

And now, we have a new Side by Side fridge.  Nothing fancy.  Just cold and easy to deal with.

Name me two other great movies that Robert Wuhl played in……..(feel free to hum the Jeopardy tune)   Another great movie called “Good Morning Vietnam”  and he also played in the 1989 Batman.

Stock is all tended.  The wind is cranked up.  The temps are dropping.  If the freeze earlier this week didn’t kill the sand plums then this one is going to.  I’m glad that I haven’t planted the garden yet.

Have a good one.  Stay warm.  And call if you have questions about the bucks.

I didn’t do much but I got a lot done.  It was a short day at Shattuck Schools so I hauled a couple of sheep and a few goats for several kids to the Perry Sale Barn.  This was a somewhat traumatic yet cathartic experience for me.  I have bought high dollar wethers for others but not so much for my own kids.  However, this past year, I spent some cash on a wether.  This wouldn’t be the first time that I have mentioned it.  No matter, it is now done.  Next Tuesday, there will be a check in the mail that will finalize how much I lost on this deal.

I then made my way to REI.  The cool thing about my stops there, they just add it to my monthly statement.  It’s all good.

Although I made some miles, I did not eat anywhere cool.  But, I did stop and look at a set of clubby steers.  The wind had died down, the calves were not blown out and pimped up, the sun was out and dang dude, I just enjoyed watching some good stock stroll around.

From time to time, I have been asked what kind of stock that I truly like.  Sound, functional animals with enough muscle and a cool look.  Anybody can single trait select for muscle.  But, a correct skeleton with ample muscle and a good look are always good.  It is harder to make correct than it is a freak.

Speaking of a damn good one.  I got word tonight that Blood Pressure had to be put down.  That one was Damn Good Livestock.  Feet and legs were correct.  Ribcage was right.  Hip, tail setting, pin width and chest floor were wicked good.  I have had the luxury of seeing some great livestock in my time.  People, Blood Pressure was one of the best.  I have no doubts that his genetics will prove true.

And how about the Hummel post of 900.2   That deal looks wicked.

16 per layer

10 high

160 cases

12ct/ 9 oz pkgs

If you know what those numbers mean then you either sell a butt-load of Girl Scout cookies or, like myself, you are looking at a case of Samoas.  Or possibly some other high quality cookie that have been made famous by that organization.

Speaking of Samoas, and their dang neart identical twin sisters, Coconut Dreams; these dang things have me in a bind.  As in a bind getting my fat ass tucked into a pair of jeans.  The fact that I am just now motivating decent now after two months of scooting around, combined with Samoas and Coconut Dreams, has left me in a not-quite-healthy state.  Don’t tell me to do sit-ups or push ups.  You can’t with an effed up hoof.  Try it.

As a result, I have came to the conclusion that 3 samosa per day per 195# will add cover to the ribs, add dimension to the ass, hips and pin bones while leaving a top that handles fresh.  I am now almost fat enough to be in the hunt at a major wether show.  Now, if I was a true additive/snake oil salesman, I would say feed at the rate of 6-8 cookies per day per 85# when combined with a source of clean fresh water, full hay and a well regulated exercise program.  Feed to any and all species including and not excluding any animal that may or may not presently be considered a show animal that may or may not already be fat enough.  If in doubt, give them another.  Which, I have prescribed myself to that last line.  If there is a good cookie available, one more ain’t going to hurt.

One of my favorite memories of the house that I now live in does involve a cookie jar.  Grandpa Duke ALWAYS had a cookie jar.  My favorite one was a ceramic COOKIE MONSTER cookie jar.  Grandma Rosetta made ceramics.  So this was literally a home-made cookie jar, made by grandma for grandpa that was no shit, an actual ceramic Sesame Street character that we all know and love called Cookie Monster.  And the best or worst part was reaching in to get a cookie.  You NEVER knew what kind of cookie was in there.  Chips Ahoy–yeah.  Nutter Butter—even better.  Oreo–can’t go wrong.  Knock off oreo deal that tastes like asphalt–ooh.  The skinny pink sugar wafer bars–alright.  The kind of weird vanilla flavored sugar wafer bars–not so good.  The peanut butter square deals that just ain’t right but kind of good.  Even those cheap vanilla, lemon or chocolate sandwich cremes that aren’t an Oreo but are pretty dang good.  Looking back, I now realize that Grandma just played games when buying cookies.  And, Grandpa Duke didn’t give a rat’s behind as long as there were cookies in that jar.

OK teacher walkout.  Did I walk out?  No and yes.  Every teacher deserves more pay.  Some more than others.  Every state employee in Oklahoma deserves better pay and benefits.  Plus, I’ve done my time going to the capitol as a teacher during previous tours of duty.  At this point, I can do more by not being there.  I signed this contract so I can live with it.  Huge props to all that did go to the capitol.  I think that every citizen should go to your state and national capitol at some point.  Oklahoma is not a poor state but those in charge have done a piss poor job of managing it for quite a while now.  There is a reason that our teachers aren’t paid properly and our highways are horrible.

Living in paradise like I do, I get to hear/see first hand accounts of the differences between Oklahoma and Texas.  Texas taxes (take a look at those two words) the living heck out of property and minerals.  Then they spend it on their schools and the best highway system that I have ever driven upon.  I think that they might spend some on prisons as well.

However, I did walk out.  I walked out to the shop and helped kids.  I walked out to the greenhouse and checked progress there.  I actually walked out across the street to the high school and talked to the superintendent, coaches, principal and other teachers.  I’m just real glad that I don’t have to use a knee scooter to “walk” anywhere.  Although, the blue trucker nuts on that scooter were kind of cool.  And I laugh every time that I look at that high-tech knee scooter with steering.  I’m REAL sure that a video of me wiping out in the drive on that thing would have gone viral. The #s of that kind of video could make me walk out and just go WTH?  That dude walks with a limp and he isn’t walking out to anywhere very fast and those cookies only have 12 per case.  I thought that there was 24 in a case.  Wrong items.

p.s.  It is somewhat scary, gross and cool–all at the same time–to blow your nose and see what all colors, shapes and sizes comes out.

p.s.s.  Notice, no mention of goats.  I wanted to stay in a good mood.

So, I stepped off the back porch this evening to, well, check the weather.  As I did, I tilted my head back and took a deep breath, open mouth.   AAHHGG!   I tasted that smell.  That smell that was caused by either a corgi dog, goat or mini hereford that had drastically startled a skunk.  It tastes bad and smells worse.  Dang!!  Could have done without that.

As for the weather, it is still dry.  But no wind today and I felt like wearing shorts today.  Actually, I just wanted to go fishing and not see any people or livestock.  But instead, I dealt with people ALL day, got a haircut, bought feed, did chores, heated up some leftovers, then stepped out on the back porch, came back and then I sparked up some Skynyrd tunes.  Seemed appropriate.

Every time that I smell a skunk, I think about an old cowboy (R.I.B.)  that once waxed somewhat poetically about the perfect smell of a summer morning.  In no uncertain words, it went something like this.  “To step out on the front steps, take in the the smell of your own cows, a yet to be saddled horse, fresh dew upon sagebrush and just a tinge of skunk in the air.  That is a good start to a day.”

Now for the hide the kids portion of this.  DON’T read this if easily offended or not above the age of 28 or so.  You’ve been warned.  Of course, I also remember the time in the CO-OP that a group of guys asked this same poet laureate about if he was still “not getting any” from the old lady.  His reply, “The only way that I would be able to….”

OHHHH!! I just can’t do it.  I don’t edit myself very often.  In 1998, when I heard him say this, and then I came up for more air from laughing, I remember thinking “that line needs to be in a movie.”  I still think it needs to be in a movie.

Speaking of movies, I don’t have a clue what kind of deal our favorite daughter is working on at this time but the cast reads, well, like it ought to be dang fun.  I don’t think it will be a serious drama.

I had a weird moment with a group of 8th graders this morning.  I don’t even remember what I said, but one of the boys said, “Dang Mr. Kelln, that almost sounded like a rapper.  Do you even know how to rap?”

I replied, “No, but I do listen to some good rap music on occasion.”

He then asked, “Who?”

“I doubt that you have ever heard of them but they were good.”  I then retorted with, “Dude, you ever hear of LL Cool J?”

To my surprise, he came back with “As a rapper, no.  But did he act in the tv show NCIS?”

“Duhh?!  Yeah.”  was my reply.  He came back with “Doesn’t Ice T play in Law & Order SVU?”    Dang kid!   Yes.

So then, I came back with “Tone Loc played in some tv shows and I don’t know what happened to Young MC but he had a good rhyme on one song.”   He went, “Hunh?”   Lost him at that point.   He had the same look on his face that I have with some of today’s music.  Hunh?  But, it is weird that several late 80s rappers have made it as actors.  Looking back, maybe they just signed bad record deals that really didn’t pay off well and then they wisely turned their 15 seconds of fame into an acting gig in order to pay some feed bills for some bad livestock habits.  I don’t know, I digress.

And sometimes, words heard years ago, seem to get louder.  I hope that there is some good shows on the dish tv program tonight.  Maybe I can see an old rapper playing a cop.  That would be cool.