Wyoming Catholic Cowboys

Wednesday, December 22, 2021

Real McCoy

Hannah is a type of Mary.

https://youtu.be/6sZZCJLiGT4

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Rejoice

Spring is in the air.

https://youtu.be/NQqRzI_9X8Q

Monday, December 20, 2021

Home

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.

https://youtu.be/iFDDjqMNX4o

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Growing up Dad pumped oil and gas wells. And as a kid I often tagged along. Each well had a name, which was usually like 12-dash-32 or 26-dash-15. One of the great gifts of my corrals on Bell Creek is the pumping unit in the background. I have affectionally named her 10-24.

It was fun to hear her pumping away. She was no doubt on a timer because she'd come on and off at random intervals.

I kind of felt like she was watching over me. Every time I looked south there she was.

Pumping units and cattle, so iconically Wyoming.

The circle of life.

People often ask me if it's hard to shoot a cow. It's not, but sometimes I wonder why. I'm not a morbid guy. But there is something beautiful about ethically harvesting a critter. What better way to die then to give your life for a good cause. They become our food, and how grateful we are for their sacrifice.

10-24 reminds me that this dynamic has been going on for quite awhile. Fossil fuels come from decomposed plant and animal life buried millions of years ago. Our modern way of life is indebted to the sacrifice of such life form. It is not evil to receive such a gift. But it does come with great appreciation and responsibility. To whom much has been given much will be expected.

Stewardship should be our response and way forward. It is how we properly care for and use the animals, lands, and minerals entrusted to us. God gave us dominion over the earth. Not to exploit it for selfish reasons, but to care for it and use it for it's intended purposes.

Animals and plants serve our needs and we are called to do the same for them. We can also learn from their sacrifice. True love is about giving of one's self for the good of the other. Our Lord's coming in the flesh this Christmas is all about that. He was born to die. Out of love He gave His life for us. Out of love we are called to do the same.

Signs

Let's be open in faith to the signs God sends us.

https://youtu.be/vyuDTsT4w-I

Friday, December 17, 2021

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.

Thursday, December 16, 2021

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.