Good Monday morning to all you critter and land loving folks! I feel the desperate need to place a disclaimer on this blog. . . as in give you my qualifications. My first qualification is I love this man named Clay – and so, in my feverish love for this man I opened my big heart and mouth that uttered the words, “Is there any way I can help?” Gulp! Job assigned – I will give it a shot, and take fever medicine next time. My second qualification is my prior knowledge of cattle. . . yeah, I grew up around a small herd that my grandpa ran. I am not a complete newbie. . . I can tell you as a very wise eight-year-old I knew which gates to jump and just how fast you would need to book it to outrun that wild buffalo (actually a cow named “Wild Buffalo”) if she wasn’t gonna eat your lunch. On really tricky days you had to walk through the whole herd to get to your cousin’s house. I learned mostly how to escape in a pinch – looking back grandpa’s herd wasn’t what people today would call “kid friendly.” In that very same herd was one big baby of a bull named Ferdinand   – you could walk up to him with a rake and rub his back down. All this previous experience makes me not much help today.

Lastly, my third qualification – by the ripe old age of ten I had purchased my first cow. A Holstein bottle baby that I paid $50 big ones for. All that summer my allowance paid for his milk replacer. After a long summer and lots of tears leading up to sale day I skipped a day of school and sold that same calf for $50 small ones. I went home that day worried about cow folks all around and telling my momma if we had cows we would be praying to God for money. Life lessons and some responsibility learned that season of life. Those were my profit, that and the swag pocket knife I acquired on the way out the door at the sale barn.

So there you have it my huge disclaimer on this blog because of my small list of qualifications. Above all, I do hope to pass along helpful tips and tricks we learn from all of you. Like the Working Cows Podcast says we are here “to provide a platform for producers.” That means we aren’t the most qualified but we are willing to put in the time to give you all opportunities to teach us. We love livestock and the way of life that comes from working with the land, livestock, and so important to us family. This first blog is just a chance for me to introduce myself a bit, and let you know I will be back next Monday with some musings about preg check day and some pictures for your Monday. Until then blessings to you, your family, and your operations.

Cowboy quote for the week: “Tomorrow hopes we have learned something from yesterday” -John Wayne

Happy cows out in front of my house growing up.

Grandpa looking his calves over on a day of branding.

One cute baby!