I catch some grief from time to time about my confidence level.  Some call it arrogance.  Others call it cocky.  And some just call me an (donkey)hole.  One time, in a job interview, I was asked,  “If I was as cocky as my brother Jake the Snake?”  I said, “No.  I am not that cocky, but I am extremely confident in my own abilities.”  I was then told that “they weren’t looking for somebody that could walk on water.”  I replied, “There has only been one person that could walk on water and I’m dang sure not HIM.  But I am a swimming son-of-a-gun.”  I didn’t mean that I was close to being HIM or anything other than that I would do my dangdest to keep my head above water.  I got that job and it turned out to be one of the top 2 best jobs that I have ever had.  Right behind working at Jack & Jill Grocery Store for Becky & Monte McQuigg when I was in high school.  That job was way fun.

     I’ve heard of people bitching because I have been known to brag on here that I have the best helpers and the best showers.  Well, I do.  It doesn’t mean that there aren’t other good ones out there.  There are plenty of other good people that can do what we do.  Heck, we don’t win every show, although we are almost always in the final drive.  It’s just that we aren’t making a living off of it.  We do well at this game and NOBODY has more fun than our team.  It simply means that I like the people that I work with and have confidence in them–kids and adults.  Nothing more, nothing less.  If an overpaid football coach can brag on his team, why can’t I?  Feed ’em fish heads if they don’t like it.

     Likewise, tonight.  Part of being confident is knowing your inabilities and working around them.  I realized that we had a possible situation.  Duke & I discussed how a certain goat acted earlier today when Duke was working him and I now knew that we had a definite situation.  I haven’t had to mess with many kidney stones, but I felt like we were on the verge.  If I’m not the best at something, I get help.  PERIOD.  I’m not too proud to ask.  And I was extremely confident as to whom I was going to need to call.  So, in the purple (grand) theme of Ghostbusters, “who you gonna call?”  Big Bill.  And he answered.  Twenty miles with one stop to pick up supplies and 29 minutes later, he was here.  The Taylor’s had a train wreck due to stones last year, and did not lose a goat.  In fact, they won banners with those goats at Tulsa, Woodward & OYE.  Needless to say, Bill is the expert on taking care of stones.  

     We aren’t out of the woods yet, but when we were done tonight, there was a steady piss stream, a drench had been done, shots given and a wether has a shorter pecker than he did earlier tonight.  If things don’t improve, this goat will head to OSU.  I hope that I don’t have to go to Stillwater this weekend.  But,I always like to go back to OSU.  Well, except for the shorter part.  

      Our crew works together, works to help others and we have fun.  Breeders like our team to feed their goats.  Our kids work hard, win well and lose better.  We will eat, drink and be merry.  We might build fence, swap feed, clip goats and share bucks together.  It works.  And works well for a lot of people.  There isn’t anything wrong with that or the fact that I am EXTREMELY confident in our abilties–mine and others. And the kids pick up on the fact that there are people willing to help them and somebody is there to back them and tell them “Good Job!” or “Holy jeeminy, what the, son-of-a, that isn’t quite, we can do better than that kind of deal”.  My favorite line—“They know what to do without me telling them. They just have to decide that they are confident enough with themselves to do it on their own.”  Then just leave.  It works on kids and adults alike.  

     And since we are talking about confidence, let me tell you something else.  Last year, I made the statement on here that the 2012 Best of the West sale would be the single best collection of wethers offered in Oklahoma.  Guess what?  I was right.  It wasn’t even close.  Look at the results.  The reserve grand at OYE.  The reserve grand wether at Enid, class winning wethers at OYE, numerous sale goats at OYE, Enid & Woodward, a pile of top 5 in class wethers at OYE.  I  don’t know how many county winners.  Heck, it hurts to try to list them all.  Three goats sold high.  The rest were way economical.  I mean, the reserve at OYE brought $450.  Now, I would be a liar if I thought that goat was that good.  Schoovy wanted him for his 7 year old son to show.  He got him, fed him awhile and then we realized that we might have one.  It happens. That’s one of the reasons that we do this deal.  Flipping rocks.  

      Now for the 2013 version of the Best of the West sale.  Could it be better than 2012?  Hell Yes!!.  Will it be?  RUSM??!!  Way better.  The old Bear from Beaver is brining a bad ass wether, maybe 3.  Lamle has been messing with those South texas genetics and might have one that we all need.  Tyke has a way better set of wethers than he had last year and he raised a load of premium sale wethers.  Oh yeah, I think Braden Schovanec is showing a GT Joe Dirt wether that has already done some winning this summer.  Maybe, the worst he has placed so far is reserve grand.   All but one of the GT goats are sired by the proven man, Joe Dirt.  There is a red footed goat that could be way fun.  I think he is also going to part with a doe kid or two.  

      Milligan may be selling something.  May not.  It depends on how this texas trip treats him and what he can get prepared by Monday.  

     Ralph and Steve are sold out.  They won’t be there.  Those two are all-timers in the goat industry and I always like cracking a top with them.  But, they are out of goats so that is that.  I envy them as they don’t have a feed bill right now.  

     But we still have a texan coming to the sale to sell goats.  A little known breeder named Helms Show Goats.  Kenneth is bringing 6-8 doe kids that will feed and are backed by the most proven genetics in the business.  I’ve seen 1 or 2 of these doe kids that are WAY good to show or breed.  Nobody likes to sell goats like Kenneth and he is bringing goats that need a new home with feed and care.  Look at the Helms track record—rivals the best of all time.  There will be at least TWO Helms wethers that are offered for sale.  If you don’t buy them, that is fine with me, as they can just come back to live at my place.  They are as good as anything that has been offered to the general public this year.  How good are they?  One is a late bloomer that was missed by the know-it-alls and the other was on facebook earlier this year.  (Yeah, I might have missed one)  You wanted them, here they are.  They need feed and a good showmen.  Just a small warning, I will have a buyers # which means that I am all in, right up to the point that the Dragon Lady looks at me and glares. She might need to go to wal-mart to pick up drinks right about the time the sale starts.  

     Oh yeah, I’m going to sell a couple.  Might even bring a pair of doe kids.  One is out of Fade2Black.  She doesn’t have any cover on her ribs, is way feminine,  snakey necked, clean uddered, cool from behind and way cool.  If she was a chick, she would be in a victoria’s secret catalog.  Except that there isn’t any secret about her pedigree.  The other doe kid is out of Rumour Has It and a proven 900 daughter that is out of the batch of bottle baby doe kids that Mikey Thompson and I got from Mike Kelly back in 2009.  Her mother has raised premium sale wethers the past couple of years. This doe kid is green in condition, bad haired, moderate framed and well, if you like her, buy her.  If you don’t like her, fine.  I have a home for this kind of doe and I already have a buck in mind.  Sometimes, when in a partnership on a deal, you have to let something go.

    Wethers?  Okay, I will bring some.  They will be out of good bucks and good does.  

     I shit you not.  This will be a way cool quality set of goats.  The best part about this sale, you won’t have to trip over a bunch of texans bidding against you.  If you want does or wethers, it will be worth your time to drive to Woodward.  Last year I told you this sale would be the best collection of wethers.  I was proven right.  Not this year. This will be the BEST sale of wethers & DOES offered this year.  Notice I did NOT say in Oklahoma.  For one sale, one offering, one day, one location…in April 2014, you will have to listen to/read about this sale being the best.  I did NOT say the highest priced, averaged, attended–nothing other than quality of animals and how they will feed. Not in texas?  Well crap.  The best breeding stock has been  coming to Oklahoma for years.  We aren’t afraid to drive.  If they aren’t here, that is their mistake.  This sale will prove me right. Again. 

     If you want, come to the piece of paradise south of Fargo on Sunday night.  It will be fun. Unless you are going to be an a-hole and we have our quota already.   

     How come I haven’t been buying piles of goats at auctions the past couple of months?  One or two, here or there.  Well it isn’t because I’ve got all of the orders filled. On the contrary.  I’ve seen the ones that are backed by genetics that will be selling on Monday. I’ve been waiting.   

     Arrogance. No.  Cocky?  Maybe.  A-hole?  At times.  Confidence?  Yeah… I’ve got it.  If you need to borrow some, there’s an extra bucket around here that isn’t being used.