Belt Buckle

You ain't no cowboy, unless you have a belt buckle collection. Even if you didn’t win them at a rodeo, sport them with pride. Whether they were given to you or you picked them up at a special event, belt buckles carry a lot more meaning with them than just the britches they hold up. 

You can't wear them all at once, so setting them up as a reminder of happy days is always a good option. 

This one I got on my first trip to the NFR. Even though I was sitting in the pews, the trip was still worth the memento. As a side note, NFR belt buckles are a good first starter. Many of us have had them over the years. My first buckle as a kid was one from 1987. 

Some buckles have a depth of meaning that words can't contain. This is my buddy John's. It was his Grandpa Armando's, who is John's name sake, Armando John Flocchini III. 

It was made for his grandpa by relatives in 1966, years after they had full reins of the Durham Bison Ranch. 

This guy is a neat treasure. I just received it today from my buddy Jim. Classic 1960's style. 

Jim Walport was given it after he and his buddies put on an exhibition of rough stock rides back in his younger days. Thanks pard. We'll take good care of her. 

This one is on loan from my buddy Chase Williams. He got it after he and buddies won the Moorcroft Ranch Rodeo.  

I feel I earned this one, though it is second hand. Dcn. Kim Carroll gave it to me just last year. I rode in this rodeo, though not long enough I guess. We'll call it my participation buckle. 

This was my Grandpa Lloyd's. Though I never saw him wear it, it is classic Grandpa. He was alway bending his brand out of a brazing rod or something, and sticking it on a buckle. 

Grandma felt sorry for me getting bucked off in Ten Sleep, so she gave me this buckle. It does make me feel better. Actually, it's more precious than a rodeo win. The Lungren family has been growing Coors malt barley in the Big Horn Basin since it was introduced to the area in 1972. After being the top grower in 1984, Grandpa was given this buckle. He only wore it on special occasions. 

I've been wearing it ever since I received it in 2020. Somewhere along the way I lost the Coors emblem. So in good Grandpa fashion, I bent and glued on the Rockin' Chi Rho. 

Giddy up!

Cowgirls like belt buckles just as much as cowboys do. It's standard western attire. But even if you don't wear one, you can still set them on the shelf to remind you of the good ole days. "It ain't the years," says Chris Ledoux, "it's the miles!" Cowboy belt buckles stand the test of time. Whether it's the miles you've put on them, or someone before you, a cowboy's belt buckle is a reminder of the good times had and those yet to come. Sit tall in the saddle, partner. The ride ain't over! 

Law of Love

Jesus add Himself to the Law, which is Love.

           https://youtu.be/DMY7CMDebG8         

Extraordinarily Ordinary

Don't miss the grace of the Sacraments. 

           https://youtu.be/cgXIBr_lChY         

Commandments of the Church

The 5 precepts of the Church keep us safely in God's pasture.

           https://youtu.be/_STO4xkKzfc         

Spring Cleaning

With an afternoon of decent weather, I decided to play with the horses at bit. After several months of being cooped up, a spring cleaning was in order.

Horses put on extra hair in the fall for the cold weather that lies ahead of them, called their winter coat. In the spring, they start to shed it.

A good brushing let's you know that spring is on its way. I've often wondered how horses know when to hair up and when to start shedding. I know animals have keen instincts, but their ability to predict the weather I question. One ole boy told me that he thinks it's the change in daylight, both the amount during the day and the angle of the sun, that triggers critters when to hair up and when to shed. I'm with him. That's got a lot more science to it than random hairing up and shedding due to the temperature, which is always inconsistent. 

After a good brush down, I tackled their hooves. 

Picking them cleaning is always the starting point. It feels good to dig the muck out of the frog and clean the growth off their sole. 

Trim while the trimming is good. For me, I like to do it early in the spring. Because I run barefoot, by the time I start doing some serous riding, their hoof will have found it's natural setting place. That's my thinking anyway. 

It's a rasp, not a file! 

A little chamfer around the rim and call it good.

Chief's are easy. 

Mollie's are tougher. 

She's like working with a Percheron. 

Good enough. 

Spring cleaning also allows a guy to do a good physical examination. Mollie tore this chunk open at least a year ago. It's placement on the rear of her ribcage has made it a hard healer. Over the summer I thought it was pretty well healed up. Maybe, maybe not. Regardless, it left a tag that always catches on something and opens it up again. Not sure what to do with it in the long run. 

But for now, dope it. This antibacterial cream is standard issue inside any cowboy's tack shed. 

Just load it up and walk away. 

Everybody's happy!

I've got the bug. We need some moisture, and no doubt cold weather will come and go for a while. But I'm ready to ranch! So are the horses. They like to eat, but they love to work. That's where we come in. Left to themselves they'd be nothing but wild beasts, with terrible feet and a short life span. But with our help, they become horses. Happy campers with skills beyond their wildest imaginations. God really knew what He was doing when He gave us dominion over creation. It's not so that we can lord over it. But so that we can be its steward. If we choose to bring out the best in creation, it will bring out the best in us. That's not just the cowboy way, that's the Catholic Cowboy Way. Let's ranch!

Cut to the Heart

Trust in God and not in ourselves.

           https://youtu.be/m1CXlvd5fFE         

 

Montana Mission

Last fall my buddy Fr. Kevin Christofferson, pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Polson, MT and Sacred Heart mission in Ronan, MT, asked if I'd come give a parish mission. After a bit of prayer and consultation, I agreed. Well, the time arrived, and I held up my end of the deal and drove to Flathead Lake in the Northwest corner of Montana. 

Beautiful trip across the center of the state. Definitely spring time.

My first stop was to visit my uncle in Helena. He's always up to something. 

Then, before I left town, I had lunch with my old friend Fr. Tom O'Donnell. Fr. Tom played an important role in getting me into seminary. Thanks partner. 

When I arrived in Polson, I preached the weekend Masses. This little church in Ronan is where the mission would take place.

Beautiful and simple old church. 

The first night started out with a dinner followed my my first talk.

In between, Fr. Kevin took pretty good care of me.

 

For the next two nights, I gave a talk in the evening followed by a nice reception. 

Mission accomplished. I had been preparing for this since the first of the year. But giving three 45min talks was no walk in the park. The first one was rough. So I toned it down and just spoke from the heart on the next two. In the end I was pleased. But I'm not sure if this cowboy is meant to give long talks. My mo is generally short and sweet. This was definitely good practice and a wonderful opportunity to meet some great folks. Thanks Fr. Kevin for the easing me into these waters. On to the next one! 

War on Weeds

Weeds are my nemesis. Left unattended, they'll overrun a guy's place. With last year being such a wet summer around Worland, the weeds really showed their ugly face. No more. Part of the problem of tending to them on our little place back home is getting enough chemical on them with the little time we've got. Problem solved. She's yet to be put into action, but our new Binford 2000 spray unit is ready for battle. 

I thought if we had something with some volume, pressure, and reach, then when I'm back home for my 24 hours of leave, Dad and I can really cover some ground. I'm hopeful. 

When the idea came to me last fall I started to keep a watchful eye on some online auction sites. Musser Brothers out of Cody/Billings is always a good resource. This old pickup skid unit, which would've originally had fold-up wings, came to my attention in October just south of Lavian MT. Picked her up for a song. 

So White Horse and I jetted up there during one of our few snow storms this winter. Fun ride. 

Eventually we stuck it in Dave's shop for a little winter project. 

Then we called Warne Chemical out of Rapid City SD and Arron got us all fixed up. 

The Honda GX 200 and centrifugal pump were both new, and the hose and reel we got were slightly used. Warne really did us a good job. 

About the only thing wrong with the tank was a rotted out fitting up front.

We just took an 1 1/2" rubber expansion plug. 

And made light work of it. 

Then we went to fabbing. I come across a wandering Western Welding Academy grad and put him to work. Dillon proved to be a good hand. Thanks for the help, pard. 

This was a budget project. We used all the old iron off of the unit we could, and the rest we dug out of Ernie's scrap iron pile. 

It was fun to put old brackets to use in new ways. 

Plumbing was the interesting part. Definitely had to plan our work before we worked our plan. 

It really came together nicely, though. 

We did, however, have to change out the 400' of 3/8" hose for 300' of 1/2" hose. Dad warned me that there wouldn't be enough pressure at the end of 400'. To my credit, the pump was sized for it. But in the end, he was right. Shorter length and bigger diameter creates less friction and gives good pressure and volume at the gun. 

Changing the design of what this skid was originally intended for, we welded on some cradle points so we could load and unload it with the farmhand. 

Or our bale bed. 

  I'm pleased with the end product. The engine runs super smooth. The hose reel has an electric wind-up. And the pressure and reach of the spray should make light work of things. 

Bring it. 

It's never too early to be thinking about spring. White Horse will probably not be our truck of choice. But with this unit being self contained, we can carry it around on anything. Spray set ups like this are also desirable around ranches because they can dub as fire fighting units. Whatever cause arises, we're ready. Watch out weeds! 

Head Honcho

You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church.

           https://youtu.be/qk6_81zGf0Q