However you want to put it, 4 for 4.  Four-Quatro-Vier (which in German is said “Fier”, like fear).  We are on a streak.  Four days in a row.  Better go look for a 4 leaf clover.  

     Some of you may know that I really like listening to Jerry Clower.  The guy became famous just telling personal life stories and tying them to truisms.  And he was clean. He was a character, but no matter you’re upbringing, you could listen to him and get the jist of the story.

This one is about a general store owner who never rang up a sale without quoting scripture. For example, if a little kid bought a Tootsie Roll, he’d say, “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” The old guys sitting around the store always waited with amusement to hear what scripture he’d quote.

One day a guy rolled in in a big expensive truck, pulling a shiny horse trailer. He walked into the store and said “I’ve got a prize-winning horse out there and I need the best horse blanket you have.”

The store owner went into the back and brought out a horse blanket, and said, “That’ll be five dollars.”

The customer said, “I don’t think you heard me. That is a prize thoroughbred out there, from one of the best bloodlines in this country and probably all the world. He deserves the BEST blanket!”

The store owner went out back again and picked out another blanket – he only had but one kind in stock – of a different color. He took it out and told the man, “this one is better quality, twenty-five dollars.”

Now the customer was indignant. “You just don’t get it. I’m not putting a cheap ol’ $25 blanket on that horse! Now get me the best or I’ll go elsewhere!”

The store owner said “yes, sir, I understand,” and went to the shelf in back, choosing yet a different color. He took it out and said, “this is the best blanket I have, sir, and it’s fifty dollars.”

“Now that’s more like it!” said the customer. “I’ll take it.”

The store owner rung up the sale, and as the customer walked out, the old guys sitting around the store waited to hear what scripture he could possibly come up with for this one.

The owner looked up to heaven and said, “He was a stranger, and I took him in.”

      How often does this happen in the livestock game?  I would have to say “quite often”.  I watch almost all of the online sales.  I go to as many auctions as I can and I talk to LOTS of people.  I will even say that I have been guilty when somebody calls and says “Do you have any $2,500 wethers?”  The answer is YES!.

      Now, if they ask, “Do you have any $2,500 wethers that can win OYE?”  I will give them a straight up answer.  Which is probably, NO, as there is a long list of people that will pay $2,500 for a wether that is good enough to win a major.  Myself included.  

I’m not bashing anybody, cussing any part of it, I’m just saying, you look at the sire listed  and 4 me, personally, as always a potential buyer, I go “Whew.  They don’t even actually know what the buck they used was.”  

     No need “quatro” anybody to get upset as I am not pointing fingers, or meaning anything accusatory.  I just like the Jerry Clower story and it made me think about how my dumb donkey operates.  

      People show up and ask to see Rumour Has It.  Well, he’s at Seelkes.  He is only ever here or at Seelke’s.  Most live sightings have occured at Seelke’s which is good.  Because they are nice, have him in an accesible pen and take way good care of him.  

      When he’s here, well, he is either on a feeder or getting ready to get some, and I use the biblical term, get some ASS.  

      Now, Rainman.  Call Poe, because I never know where he is.  He has been here twice–Rainman, not Poe.  I’ve seen him at Miller’s and Poe’s.  Rainman is easy to spot if you ever see him.  But, he hasn’t spent much time here.  But I REALLY like that buck and his kids. 

      And then there is Joe Dirt.  He is either 20 miles to the west, 15 miles to the east, 30 miles to the southeast, a couple miles north.  Basically, he is always “vier”,five or another couple of miles away.  Dirt has the same tag in him that Joe Ed put in his ear back in 2010.  If he’s rented, loaned, bartered, pimped out or just plain going to get some “donkey”, there is NO doubt who the buck is that is being used.  

      If you are selling show stock, if at all possible, state what the actual sire/dam is.  Not just some damn BS son.  Or some damn (insert breeder name) doe.  Every breeder has multiple bloodlines and every breeder has had something that just wasn’t good enough.  Myself included.   And I like to study genetics.  

    And if you can’t name the actual bloodlines, think about Jerry Clower.