Shipping Calves

Fall is calf shipping season in the Rocky Mountain ranch world. I got my first call to lend a hand at the Borgialli Ranch about 25 miles east of Buffalo. Good time. 

I was assigned Ol' Blue. I'm not really a Dodge guy, but this Cummins diesel really pulled! 

Indian Creek, is the exact area. Dry and dusty, yet beautiful. 

Jim Borgialli is the head honcho of this outfit. He caught me at church one day and asked if I'd like to lend a hand. Sure would!

First order of business was weaning the calves from the cows. Clayton Borgialli made light work of it. 

They stuck me in the alleyway to keep the critters moving once separated. 

After the cows were cut out, we were able to bunch up the calves.

And jump them in the trailers. 

We hauled them to the sale barn to weigh and load them on the truck. 

Nice even bunch of black Angus calves. 

The next job was to separate the heifer calves from the steer calves. The buyer rep did the sorting, while the brand inspector inspected the calves' brand. 

Then we ran the steers in the barn and got an average weight on them. 

All 80 steers averaged about 592 lbs, about 12 pounds heavier than they were contracted for. Bonus. 

Then we jumped them on the truck. So long kids. 

After all that, we headed back to the ranch to do some fall conditioning to the cows. 

Fred Carr gave the vaccine. 

While I poured them. Should be free from Covid for a while. 

We just loaded the alleyway and Fred gave the shots. 

While I deloused their backs. 

Done. 

This is the day most ranchers are looking for. Around Montana and Wyoming, cattle producers mainly raise calves through the spring and summer, and sell them to buyers in the fall who will feed them up to 1200 lbs or so before they land in the steak house. After all is said and done, it's nice to take a breath and thank God for the year. But don't get too comfortable, there's always more work to be done. We’re on to the next one. 

New Era

Late September and October is sugar beet harvest season. Beets have been grown in the Big Horn Basin since the early 1900's. Originally they were dug by hand and hauled to town by horse and wagon. Eventually single row tractor drawn diggers were developed. Which turned into three row, six row, and even 12 row diggers pulled by John Deere steeds. Well, today around the Basin you'll now see self-propelled diggers.

This bad boy is operated by my buddy and classmate, John Bush. Johnny has been running equipment since he was in the second grade. A few years back, he told me that this self propelled digger was the biggest piece of equipment that he has ever run! 

Holmer diggers are made in Germany. Not only do they dig and store the beets in one unit, but they also defoliate the tops as they go along. 

John was running a digger just south of Worland for Madden Farms. 

Sugar beet harvest has just begun around the area and it looks to be an exceptional crop. 

Here's a digger in action. They have two of them going in the field at once.

Depending on where the digger is at in the field, they'll run these carts around and offload the beets while the digger keeps digging. 

Then run them to the trucks and haul the beets to the factory. 

Most guys are using semis with live bottom trailers, these days. 

Once loaded, they head for town just as empty trucks are coming back for more. 

Good stuff. This is definitely a new era in sugar beet harvesting around the Big Horn Basin. Worland has always been known for its progressive strides in the agriculture world, but this is a substantial leap! Not everyone is on board, though. Self propelled diggers don't fit every situation. But for those farmers that want to get in a field and get out as soon as they can, they seem to fit the bill. Good work, Johnny and crew. You keep a boy's passion of playing in the dirt, alive!

Wall Hanging

Parish life at St. John the Baptist is great. The people, the church, the staff, the area... are all wonderful. However, it has the old school office/rectory set up. That in itself is not bad, but there are no clear distinguishing lines that help draw good boundaries between personal life and parish life. That is, until now.

You may have heard about this amazing spiral staircase in New Mexico that a man just showed up and built for the sisters a hundred years ago or so. Legend has it that this man was St. Joseph. Well, I feel like I was blessed by that same experience on this job. Joseph Adams, a family friend from Lander, came over this weekend and lent me a hand. 

Here's the old set up from the vantage point of what is known as the parish office. Our task was to move the dinning room to a niche in the living room. Then build a dividing wall with a door at the end of the kitchen. Thus distinguishing the living quarters from parish space and making this carpeted area another office.  

Once our work was planned, it was time to buy materials. 

The wall is intended to be temporary, until one day when an entirely new office space is figured out. So we just framed right on top of the carpet, with the intent of taking it back down in the years to come. 

A stud finder was handy to find the rafters to mount to. 

Still have to have a hand saw on hand for those times when you miss-measure. 

Then Joseph showed up and we got to work on the siding. 

I'm not much of a drywall guy, so we went with the cabin look, which matches other paneling in the house. 

Hanging the door went rather smooth. 

Then got to priming and painting. 

The structure really shaped up well. Before Joseph went home we had to put the crowning jewell on, even though there was still trim work to go. 

Giddy up. Good work, son. 

Then Darin came in to help fish the internet and phone lines over.

Not an easy task, but he managed. 

Then we got to trimming. 

Cordless, baby. 

Mui bien. 

Good stuff. This is a text book case of planning your work and working your plan. I had been thinking about this and planning it out for the past couple months. Once completed in my mind, carrying out the labor was a breeze. Special thanks to Joseph and Darin for their help. Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks also to the parish council and staff, who supported and encouraged such an endeavor. Now we can move on to setting up a more permanent space for the pastor's office. Let's ranch!

Compassion

Compassionate preaching both punches the gut and gives a hug. 

           https://youtu.be/4kJkht6wVog         

Roof

Lord, I am not worth that You should enter under my roof. But only say the word and my soul shall be healed! 

           https://youtu.be/TH8pgkkw2Rs         

Crux

Let's think like God and not human beings.

           https://youtu.be/K2rCnKtZ114         

Rosary

I like to carry a Rosary on my hip. It is intimidating to the devil and it is also a source of consolation to know our Lord and Lady are close by. One danger of a cowboy wearing a Rosary is that it is bound to get beat up. Mine has held up well, but it was time to replace it.

People often ask me what kind of Rosary I carry. I tell them I like a Rosary that can dub as a tow rope in case your pickup gets stuck. Well, Rugged Rosaries are the ones. Made of paracord, they'd break your hip before they let go. Where it attaches to the Cross is the only problem I've had. But thankfully, there is something that will give in case you ever really did get hung up. This new Rosary is a simple monastic style with a St. Benedict medal on the Crucifix. St. Benedict medals need a special blessing that involves a minor exorcism first. Powerful sacramental. 

I loved my old one. It was given to me by a friend after she was brought into the Church. It's hung on my hip for the past three or four years. It always held up well until the Crucifix broke. So I gave it to my Florida buddy, Bob, who likes to fix Rosaries. 

Back in action.  

I love praying the Rosary. It covers me with the protection of our Blessed Mother. All the while, drawing me deeper into the mysteries our Lord, Jesus Christ. If I don't pray the Rosary before the day gets going, I know it. Best to pray it first thing and reap the spiritual rewards throughout the rest of the day. It's good to have some serious heat back at my side. I guess I could carry a firearm instead, but I wouldn't feel as safe. Nothing is more powerful than true devotion to Jesus and Mary. Outside of the Liturgy, little draws us closer to them than praying the Rosary. 

Cheyenne

Thursday and Friday I took a little pilgrimage down to the capital city of Cheyenne. I was invited to give a talk to the ladies of the Bishop's Guild, so I took in a little site seeing in the process. 

Beautiful capital building. We went in it years ago during a family vacation.

Wyoming was formed as a state in 1890. 

Affectionally known as the cowboy state, our official nickname is the Equality State for being the first state to allow women to vote. 

Cheyenne is also home of the Chancery, where the bishop and all his staff take care of business.

And of course, the Cathedral of St. Mary. 

I was ordained a priest on this marble floor back in 2018.

Beautifully simple chair of the Diocese. 

Early Friday morning, Fr. Seth and I celebrated their daily 6:45 morning Mass. 

After which, he cooked us breakfast. 

On the way out of town I stoped in to see the rodeo grounds for the Cheyenne Frontier Days and the Daddy of them all.

Lane Frost rode his last bull here back in 1989.

My final stop was to see Debby and Ray Hunkins. Ray liked my book and I look forward to reading his articles in Range magazine. 

Good time. I enjoy getting out and about. I've been to Cheyenne plenty, but sometimes you have to stop and look around. Neat history down here. I'll been down again, I'm sure. But for now, think I'll hang up north in Buffalo.