Farming

Springtime in the Big Horn Basin is heavy farming season. And it is no different on the Gooseberry. After moving our pivot sprinkler, one corner that it already missed turned in to about two acres. So decided to plant it with some horse hay.

Many farmers would like to keep the plow out of the ground because of the work it takes to follow them up. But they still do have their place. 

Before we got going this spring, Dad put new shares on the 4 bottom. 

Luke also hauled over some finely fluffed fertilizer. 

Pretty sandy on our place, but our little corner tilled up real nice. 

We even drug a leveler around to make for a nice seed bed. 

Grass/alfalfa is the combination of choice. We mixed it 50/50. Beings everything is under irrigation, the right kind of grass that will regrow for three cuttings is necessary. Orchard grass should fit the bill. 

Uncle Chris let us borrow his drill. 

You know your really a rancher playing farmer when you sow your seed with a farmhand. 

After we drizzled the seed on the ground, we ran around and covered it lightly with a roller harrow. 

Bring it.

We pushed through to get the crop in in time for a storm that's coming through. Hopefully that'll get it started. Next up is getting water to the corner. Where there's a will there's a way. Irrigating is essential in this area, and thank God for it. Man was created to till the soil. And oh how good it feels to do so. 

Breaking of the Bread

The road to Emmaus is the Mass. 

           https://youtu.be/yX_9Bne3ew4         

Name that Tune

God calls us by name.

           https://youtu.be/SQ5xNGzsJ2I         

 

Go

Encountering the risen Jesus inspires us to Go!

           https://youtu.be/nUBh8GV9Vt0         

 

Fr. Javier

One beauty of Catholicism is discovering members of the family I never knew I had. Fr. Javier joined us in Gillette for Holy Week. He was here to help out with the Spanish speaking community so I thought I'd show him a bit of the Catholic Cowboy Way while we were at it.

Originally from Colombia, Fr. Javier Muñoz is a priest for the Archdiocese of Atlanta Georgia. Not too different from Campbell County. 

In the middle of our spring winter storm I took him up to meet Mollie and Chief. It was love at first sight.  

Throughout the week I taught him the joys of feeding the herd...

Introduced him to the goodness of Maverik Bonfire burritos...

And got him in the middle of Chief. 

After all our fun adventures, we settled down for a Buffalo Burger at Pokey's restaurant. 

In return, he treated me to the movie Father Stu. 

Happy Easter brother.

God puts amazing people in my life, and Fr. Javier is no exception. A cowboy can smell inauthenticity a mile away, and I'm here to tell you that in Fr. Javier there is no duplicity. He is a Catholic priest. And now I also consider him a friend. Keep up the Good work, partner. I know our paths with cross again, though only God knows when. Peace. 

Burial Cloths

The message of Easter is that through death comes life.

           https://youtu.be/gMV0Hn4vR_Q         

Fr. Stu

    In December of 2007 I went to my first ever priestly ordination at the Cathedral of St. Helena in Helena Montana. The two men getting ordained were Eric Gilbaugh and Stuart Long. I had never seen anything like this before. It was like a wedding, the most beautiful wedding I had ever seen. 

    Afterwards I hung around down stairs visiting with folks and wanting to get a priestly blessing. Fr. Stu's line was long and I was probably the last one in it. I told him that a month prior I heard God call me to the priesthood. He encouraged me and blessed me, and that fall I entered the seminary.

    In the years that followed, I like many folks would stop by Blue Sky Nursing Home and visit him. He always encouraged me to keep going. Though he suffered greatly, he remained joyful and super charitable to those who took care of him. I'll be honest, I don't remember a single piece of advice he gave me, but his example spoke volumes to my heart.

    In 2014, I was at the last Easter Vigil Mass he attended. There, I watched Fr. Stu, from his wheelchair, stand behind his Dad as he was received into the Catholic Church. Something inside me said that it was for this moment he had become a priest. At that Mass were workers from the nursing home who also joined the Church. That spring Stu died. 

    His funeral was beautiful and packed. Nothing too remarkable as I recall. Except on the ride to the cemetery, I remember his ordination comrade Fr. Eric saying, I'm not sure where he's at now, but wherever it is, that place is a lot more interesting.

    In 2018 I was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of St. Mary's in Cheyenne Wyoming. Attending that Mass were members of the Helena 4th degree Knights of Columbus council 844 who supported me while in seminary. There, they presented me with a chalice and paten in memory of Fr. Stuart Long.

    Fr. Stu's role in my life didn't seem too influential until I watched the movie Father Stu today. His faith had dirt on it. It was dyed in the blood of suffering. No doubt, his prayers and example helped me to the Altar. My hat goes off to Bishop George Leo Thomas, who took a chance and ordained him to the priesthood.

    I am forever grateful for Fr. Stu's continual encouragement in my priestly vocation. The way he lived his priesthood continues to be inspiring. It was raw and real, to say the least. With little doubt, the Church could use a few more faithful with the perseverance of Fr. Stuart Long. 

    

Final Countdown

Nothing happens outside God's will.

           https://youtu.be/HbyZ01Cpa9E         

I Wonder

How did Jesus feel?

           https://youtu.be/u_loi3SqLNA         

 

Intimacy

Our Lord want an intimate relationship with us all.

           https://youtu.be/tt3rUQ7IG6M         

Stand Back

Don't get sucked into the fear. Ride with faith. 

           https://youtu.be/VGVLrVvLFS4         

 

Pipeline

Moving the pivot was easy compared to plumbing it back in. Plan your work and work your plan, though. The wind has been crazy all week, but the Lord gave us one perfect day to get all the work we had to do done. Heck, it was even fun. 

Dad's place is like a mine field. You don't dare plant a potato without calling for a line locate. There was a 2" natural gas line in our way so they wanted to be on site when we crossed it. We ain't scared. 

I think the guy that buried the main line the first time thought we were going to be irrigating in the winter. 3' deep in a field is plenty partner. Once we found it then we could stick with it and find a good place for our new splice. 

I feel like I did most of the shoveling.  

John came over for the important work. We cut the old line and 45'd it to lead to the new pivot point. 

Looks good to me.

Dad brought out his cute dozer for the back filling. 

Alls well that ends well.

Once the power is hooked up and the field is plowed, we'll be ready to plant corn. This was a pretty big project for a few farm boys to tackle. We moved it in our minds first. Then the actual carrying out of the task was no problem. With God, all things are possible.