Native Grass

In the badlands of Wyoming, its not so much about the amount of moisture you get, but the timing of it. This has not been an exceptionally wet spring around our home place near Worland, but the native grasses are exquisite. 

This hill top is part of my great-great grandpa Bernard Neiber's homestead. Most everything here you see is native. Some sage brush, cactus in bloom, Yucca plants, which my grandma always liked, and other native grasses in the background. 

This tall blooming bunch grass is what has really caught Dad’s and my attention. 

So I called my buddy horticulturalist, John Flocchini, to get the species on some of these plants. This is what is locally called Needle and Thread. More formally, Hesperostipa comata. We don't recall seeing it this tall and fully bloomed before. Looks great. 

This form of crested wheatgrass also stands tall this year. Big and bunchy. 

Unfortunately, intermingled with some of this native grass is cheat grass. In typical badland country, you have different bunch grass with about 18" of dirt and rocks between the next native plant. Now different noxious weeds have crept in. And in some cases, choked out the native grass. Cheat grass is a fall germinating winter annual grass, which means in gets jump on the perennial grass by robbing the spring moisture. Then it dies out in mid-June spreading it's seed heads all across the country perpetuating the problem. 

I like to focus on the grass though. The thing with prairie grass is that it packs a protein punch. It may be sparse, but there is a lot of nutritional value to what is to be found. Cows and sheep can do real well out here. 

This is the hill I hope to be laid to rest on. My homesteading grandparents, Bernard and Mary Neiber are buried up here, along with other relatives and neighbors. The hillside is so Wyoming, sagebrush, sporadic bunch grass, and a lot of dirt and rocks. I love it. 

Good stuff. Not every spring stands out like this one. But when it does, you better stop and take some pictures. Native grass gives me hope. There's always weeds in the world, our Lord said there would be. But He also says, be of good cheer. I have overcome the world (John 1633). Let's ranch. 

Thy Will Be Done

Tips on how to know God's will. 

           https://youtu.be/LPxmrLlcbdM         

SJV

June 8th marks the calendar anniversary of my priestly ordination back in 2018. I'm forever grateful for my seminary experience. I did four years of college seminary at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon and four years of Theology at St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Denver. On my way home from retreat in Colorado, I swung in to reminisce a bit. 

Beautiful. The colors around here both lift your mind to God as well as draw your heart into the reality that He became man. 

St. John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests. Thanks for the help, pal. Keep the graces coming. 

The chapel is the heart of it all. Here we daily encountered the Lord in the Eucharist, which is the source and summit of the Christian life. The main reason we are ordained a priests is to celebrate the Mass. This is probably the manliest chapel I’ve come across. 

The statues and side altars are dynamic, which lead you into the mystery our our Lord's incarnate love for us. 

On this the feast our the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the day I celebrated my first Mass, I totally entrust my priesthood to you, Mary!

St. Joe played a big roll in my personal priestly formation. It was through his spiritual encouragement that I took up wood working again. 

As a parting gift, our class of 2016 made two votive candle stands, one for St. Joe and one for our Blessed Mother. 

They were a fun project, which about three of us embarked on.

The original seminary was named St. Thomas and run by the Vincentians, the religious order founded after St. Vincent de Paul. After their doors closed in the 1990's the Archdiocese of Denver reopened the seminary as St. John Vianney and has been in operation since 1999. 

Along with the chapel, we spent a lot of time laughing and dining in the refectory. 

Over the years, Archbishop commissioned me to build a couple projects. 

The first were these benches to be placed outside the Holy Trinity Center. 

The next were the pews for the chapel inside his residence. 

These guys definitely tested my wood working skills. 

I built them, but another guy stained and finished them. 

What joy it brings me to walk down the hall and see that my buddy Frankie and I finally made the wall of fame. 

I couldn't have done any of it without my formation director Fr. Jason Wallace. Good man and good priest. He could see that I was cut from a different cloth so he made sure I had plenty of projects to keep my hands active. Fr. Jason knows what it means to be a son and a father. Thanks brother for helping bring out the best in me. 

I sincerely love being a priest. It is what I am made for and is my mission in life. This vocation builds on my baptismal identity of being a beloved son of God. I am forever grateful for this proper ordering of formation that I received at SJV. It helped me to learn that the priest God wants me to be is the man he created me to be. Let's ranch!

Sacred Heart Retreat

Every spring the presbyterate of the Diocese of Cheyenne gather for their annual five day retreat. Not having a retreat center in Wyoming we alternate between going to South Dakota and Colorado. This year's retreat was held at Sacred Heart Jesuit Retreat House in Sedalia CO. 

The Diocese of Cheyenne has about 40 active priests and most of us were able to gather along with Bishop Steven. 

The hardest part of the retreat was getting there. Denver traffic on a Monday morning can be brutal. Much time to reflect on my days of seminary down here. 

The Sacred Heart retreat center was founded in 1959. Our diocese has been utilizing it for presbyterate retreats since the 1960's. Beautiful quite area with about 280 acres to roam. 

It is a Jesuit retreat house who's founder was St. Ignatius of Loyola who lived in the 16th century. His spirituality is solid and universal to both priests and laity alike. In seminary we were highly formed in Ignatius spirituality, especially his discernment of spirits. 

Our digs were moderate and very accommodating. 

Anymore, the year we are down here is a silent retreat for us. The chapel was central station for Mass, Liturgy of the Hours, and Holy Hour. 

This is only my second retreat here. Cool statues around this place. Good ole St. Joe the Worker. 

Retreats like this allow for as much chill time as prayer time. 

It was a beautiful week of prayer that fittingly concluded on the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Fr. Clark Lenz and myself were ordained priests on this feast day six years ago. I love the feast of the Sacred Heart. Always are reminder that God loves us with a human heart. 

The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary always follows the feast of the Sacred Heart. Very fitting, as our Lord's last command on the Cross was for us to Behold our Mother. This statue really says it all. When we totally entrust ourselves to Mary we can stay peaceful as children in her arms, with our eyes always fixed on the Father's will. Let's ranch! 

New Covenant

Is a participation in the divine life of God.

           https://youtu.be/R7YmA2W_8-8         

Horsing Around

Often in life, it’s not about what you know, but about who you know. Well, I know Paul and he knows a lot of cool guys. Like Todd Seeley, who knows a lot about raising horses. Paul's been talking about him and his operation for a long time. So we took advantage of a free day and blew over to Sundance to see Todd and his horses.

The Seeley Ranch surrounds the town of Sundance WY, which is just on the western tip of the Black Hills. In 2020, Todd decided to take up his father's linage of raising horses. He first bought a few mares from Belle Fourche SD, that had blood lines tracing back to his father's horses. Later, he acquired a stud or two and a couple more fillies to get his ball rolling. These guys are three year old studs. They are broke to ride, but will likely remain herd studs. 

We started our venture out by seeing his working arena. His dad built this barn in the early 80's and Todd has made it adaptable to a riding arena or a horse starting facility. Recently, he had this round pen set-up built at his place. It is all made out of floating tarps and rises up to the rafters when you want to use the arena. He's got this nice funnel system that can easily walk an un-haltered horse into the pen. 

Once in, the door drops down by winches and pulleys. There is also a metal frame that rests on the ground. One of the greatest perks of this set-up, is that if a horse slides into the wall, it simply absorbs the pressure and the training goes on. 

This cadillac feature allows Todd to lower all his tack into the pen when he's ready to saddle a colt.  Seems fancy, but when you work as many horses as he does, it's quite practical. 

Next, we went out to see his new born colts. I bet there were 15 broode mares out there, with a good ten colts on the ground. 

So interesting, he keeps a mule around to protect the new born colts. Ole Whitey, knows what her job is and is very grandmotherly to all the horses. Mules are naturally protective and would have no problem stomping out a mountain lion if one came roaming around. 

This little guy is about five days old. He'll probably be a buckskin in the long run. 

This is one of the original mares that Todd bought. Beautiful sorrel. 

He does a good job making sure all the mares are gentle. Some are broke to ride and others aren't. But you can walk up and pet them all. This little guy asleep in the grass is only a day old. Mom's pretty proud. 

Having gentle mares makes for gentle colts. 

Little square-head is about as friendly as they come. 

Hey buddy. 

What's fun about raising colts, is that you never know what you are going to get. Baby isn't necessarily going to look like mama. On top of that, you really don't know what shade of horse they are going to be until they have a year or so on them. This little guy is still a mystery. 

Mom's don't have an abundance of milk like a cow, but enough that the babies don't get to far away. Horses have an 11 month gustation period and you can breed them one year after another. 

After that thrill, we traveled over to the west end of the ranch to check out his moms to be. 

These horses were all raised on the ranch and will be the full-on beginning of Todd's horse raising legacy. They are twos and threes, and will probably be bred when they are four. 

Such a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. 

One thing they all have in common, though, is that they're friendly. It'll sure make for a good selling point when you can show the quality of a colt's mother to a potential buyer. 

Life is good. 

Now, that's Ranchin'!

What a privilege. Paul and I were super thankful for the opportunity to see horse raising at its finest. They say a man's horse is indicative of his person. Definitely true here. Todd is as honest and friendly as the horses he raises. All I can say is, keep up the good work, pard. You are well on the way of providing America with the quality stock needed to keep her cowboy. The world could use a few more good men like Todd Seeley. 

Encouragement

God never discourages us. 

           https://youtu.be/CjWfUttG8Yw         

Holy Hall of Fame

Strive for holiness not recognition. 

           https://youtu.be/_mYakPgc0gQ         

Be Holy

And save your soul.

           https://youtu.be/3BUn3COCLYk