Wyoming Catholic Cowboys

Sunday, February 27, 2022

Integration

Virtue is when boys become men.

Saturday, February 26, 2022

Fr. Zane Pekron has been cracking a whip since he was 12 years old. He's gotten pretty handy at it over the years. Come seminary, in an effort to keep himself grounded, he thought he'd try his hand at braiding one. Since then, Zane has become quite the braider, making anything from stock whips, to belts, to alb cinctures.

Zane said his grandpa taught him some simple braids when he was young. Which made taking the next step to more complex systems rather natural.

His high school algebra finally came in handy. When making a whip or belt to a certain length you need to figure out ahead of time how long to cut the cords.

Paracord is his preferred braiding material. Most of his projects he guts the rope so it'll lay flat. Some, like the overlay of a whip, he leaves fully round.

Flat braids are probably simpler than most. But once you add 14 strands like this one they get complicated in a hurry.

You make up the particular pattern. It might be over 1 under 1 like this one. Zane's trick is to pull tight the strand he is going to weave, cinching up the entire project as he goes.

I think Garth Brooks would wear this bad boy.

Round braids add a different degree of difficulty. Each time you braid a strand you loop it behind the work and then weave it accordingly. Thus making a rope.

4 round is a good starting point for a whole lot more. This is the beginning of a lead rope.

A stock whip is the ultimate project. Having some 16 under his belt by now, they are becoming old hat. The long durable handle is characteristic of a stock whip. Bull whips have a shorter handle and usually don't swivel at the base of the whip like a stock whip.

Get along little doggies!

Nice work brother. I dig seeing guys take on a challenge and begin to master it. You are well on your way. Keep wearing that hat. The People of God like a priest they can relate to. It reminds them of Jesus.

Thursday, February 24, 2022

Saltiness

All of us will be salted with fire?

https://youtu.be/JpgPck3eogc

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Cold Snap

Spring in Wyoming has a way of taking its sweet time. Cold fronts will probably come and go in the midst of warmer temps clear through March and even into April. I don't mind the cold, as long as you're geared up for it. But bring on spring!

-17 is not uncommon this time of year. What's brutal though, is when the wind complements it.

Keeping water thawed is probably the toughest challenge in winter ranch world. There is something inherently contradictory about open water in winter. Whenever I see water standing still waiting to be drank in subzero weather I marvel and thank God.

I actually like the challenge of winter. It can play the biggest head game with you if you let it though. Especially if it gets ahead of you. I've had this waterer freeze up twice. What I discovered was that the heat under the trough was good but down the hole that the water line came up was vulnerable to the cold. So we just placed a 75watt light bulb down the casing and haven't had a problem since.

Oats make for happy horses.

It doesn't matter how mild or harsh winter has been, come the end of February, everybody is ready for spring. Like Grandma always says, this too shall pass.