Speak Lord

It was my last day to feed the cows for the winter so I took my time heading to the corrals. It's amazing what you can see when you slow down. Creation will actually speak to you. 

Nothing like trying to keep water open in the winter.

Opening water holes has been a rancher reality since the first cow stepped foot in Wyoming. I knew guys who saddled up and rode daily to different reservoirs in the dead of winter just to give the cows a few hours of drink.

Nice little gift on my way out.

Running down Bell Cr. Road this year has been a super blessing. There's nothing like getting out on the prairie to clear a your mind. If a guy slows down and looks around, God will speak to you through the beauty of nature. 

 

T-Bone

My favorite cut on a cow is the T-bone. It takes two nice pieces of meat that might be a little small on there own and combines them: the New York, which is at the tail end of the backstrap and the Tenderloin, which is inside the rib cage. 

Out of each cow I can get 12 1 1/4" steaks. The top left 4 are Porterhouses, which are the furthest back on the backstrap and have the biggest portion of the Tenderloin. The New York portions has the fat rind. If you quarter turn these steaks with the rind on top, that's how they'd sit on the cow. They butt up to each other and the spinal cord runs through them. 

It takes a steady hand, but I just cut them with my Sawzall. 

Ready for the grill.

We have only one cow to go out of the 12 we purchased this spring. No complaints. Ol' 32 will come home this weekend. 

The Good News

... comes in different colors.

           https://youtu.be/WUbtiSEC-Ys         

 

Test the Fruit

Sometimes Jesus is disguised.

           https://youtu.be/ujhEtJGrZwM         

Dig Deep

 ... in Christ.

           https://youtu.be/2fDYPSwdpq8         

Insight

Faith is insight into the teachings of Jesus.

           https://youtu.be/SBabYEkyWgM         

Holy Mother

 Stick close to Mary and Holy Mother Church.

           https://youtu.be/jceKFZFFTSo         

The Chosen

Well said partner. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfXSvc_MAVI

Spring Fever

It's never too early to be talking about spring. Dad and I had tied up some continuous fence panels in Buffalo and Friday was the day to haul them home. Why not a little white fluff to add to the fun.  

Even though she's got 235k miles on her, White Horse doesn't quit. She was rarin' to go bright and early after we celebrated Mass. 

Bolinger Inc. in Buffalo supplied us with the 62 20' 5 bar panels. We were able to pick them up before the price of steel doubled. 

Kim Bolinger did an excellent job loading us up. I had full confidence that this load wasn't going anywhere. I look forward to doing business with them again. 

Someone suggested that I go around through Casper than over the mountain. I would rather brave Powder River Pass than the 100 mile stretch between Casper and Shoshoni. On a snowy day the ground blizzard over there is treacherous. The boys on the mountain, however, do an excellent job of keeping the pass open. White Horse did great. No power house, but slow and steady. 1st gear up and 1st gear down. 

I always love dropping off of Rattlesnake Ridge into the Big Horn Basin. This is home. 

Dad had his tractor fired up when I got there. You can't beat the blue skies of Worland. 

Pure potential. 62 panels of continuous fence and 68 joints of 2 7/8" tubing. God has been good to us. I can't wait till spring. 

After Mom fixed me up with some chilly we were on the road again. Smooth sailing back to Campbell County. Arrived just in time to see the Wright brothers take off. AMDG

Childlike Seriousness

St. Juan Diego, pray for us!

           https://youtu.be/lkM8arfLlCA 

Feast Day

I love the feast days of the Church. Today we celebrated the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. No fasting here. It was all-out celebration. Of course the biggest party was the Mass. Outside of that, I think we were able to sufficiently signify the day.

No better way to start off a solemnity than with a Maverik Bonfire Burrito. Along with a cup of Bodacious Bean coffee and an OJ, the trip to Moorcroft for a sunrise Mass was delightful. 

Afterwards, Chad and I thought we'd keep the fun alive with a caramel roll from Donna's drive in. 

After a midmorning school Mass and a break for lunch, I booked it down to Wright for the granddaddy of them all. My right-Hand man and I scored a 94.5 ride from the judges in the pews.

No sense in letting the evening go to waste. The crew and I enjoyed a fine meal at the Open Range Steakhouse afterwards.

St. Teresa of Avila once said, When I fast I fast. When I partridge I partridge. In her day, evidently partridge was the steak of choice. Today, the menu may have changed, but the reasons for celebrating the triumphs of our faith haven't. The grace Mary received at her conception from the merits of Jesus Christ on the Cross is worth throwing a party for. After all, it's how the devil is defeated. No fear here. In her arms, life is a celebration. 

 

Enmity

 In Mary's arms the devil can't reach us.

           https://youtu.be/BSlXzWrPtNc