Persevere in Prayer

Patience grasshopper. 

           https://youtu.be/2W7ciAjS_6I         

Memorial

Re-presenting the one sacrifice of Christ.

           https://youtu.be/i5ODaRebDe8         

Christian Philosophy

St. Thomas, pray for us. 

           https://youtu.be/o0WE9RX3Sas         

Unforgivable Sin

Is choosing not to repent.

           https://youtu.be/62_xoZepg98         

Pilgrims of Hope

Hope does not disappoint. 

           https://youtu.be/Gj4zoP0YT1U         

Gate Latch

The problem with dual swinging gates is that they have a hard time staying parallel. I knew of this before we hung our new corral entrance gates, but the Wyoming wind said that it needed to be addressed sooner rather than later. 

Dad said that the one good thing about the swaying gates is that they tell you which way the wind is blowing. Unacceptable. 

To remedy this problem, we got ahold of some 3 1/2" tubing, which slips nicely over 2 7/8".

The plan was to cut it in half lengthways. A little trick to drawing a straight line down the middle of pipe is resting a piece of angle iron on it. 

Just follow your line with a cutting torch. 

Good deal. 

For heavy grinding like this I bring out ole Bertha.

That'll work. 

The idea was that the half pipe would cradle over the two top rails and keep the gates parallel while at rest.  Then when in need, simply lift the one end up and open the gates. 

So on one side we put a simple three piece hinge. 

For the other, we needed a handle. So we dug around in the barn and found some of Grandpa's old Percheron horse shoes. 

To work with these guys we brought out ole Betsy. 

We first cradled the shoes around the pipe and welded them on. Then we heated them up to bend them level. The iron alone on these shoes takes quite a bit to heat up. And keeping both sides hot enough to bend upright is a pretty tall order. 

Got it. 

We put a shoe on each side. To get in, first unlock the chain that does the heavy hold of the gates. Then, simply lift up the end of the bar with the shoes and move the gates freely. 

Muy bien. 

Mom was not liking the look of uneven gates from our house on the hill. Problem solved. I don't see any drawbacks from this gate latch. When it's open, the end of the bar is vulnerable, but is so far off of the ground that I don't think anything will bother it. Time will tell. But a straight gate makes for a jolly rancher. Bring it. 

Jesushood

 St. Mariann Cope, pray for us.

           https://youtu.be/2wI1RNyQ5r8         

Righteous Anger

Is anger in the face of an injustice. 

           https://youtu.be/V6g9fiI5qKg         

Virgin and Martyr

 Consecrated virginity is a martyrdom.

           https://youtu.be/bzvw492YEVU         

Obey

Jesus teach us how to. 

           https://youtu.be/Oxyg-uf9zeE         

Feeding

With an arctic front going through town, I decided we better start supplementing the horses. Grass this time of year doesn't have much protein to it. And if they want to stay warm, their bellies better be full. 

The other day I brought them a mineral tub mixed with molasses. Seemed to be a welcome treat.

The front really moved in Sunday afternoon. It is supposed to get down to 15 below or so tonight and then warm back up again. 

So I ran out to feed them before the cold really sets in. 

This is the winter water tank that Jack uses. Totally free standing and easy to move around. I've got to say that I was pretty skeptical, but the idea is to fill it with water and the sun warms it and the thick poly exterior keeps it insulated. 

After 30 hours of single digit weather, it was still thawed out. I'm impressed. 

Just keep it full. The lid bobs around and helps keep the heat in. The horses just have to bump it with their noses. 

Buck has it figured out. 

I fed the horses heavy. Grass hay on frozen ground, they can have all they want.

I enjoy feeding. It's good to have something dependent upon you. Brings out the cowboy in a guy. I was reminded of all the times I ran down to Chuck's ranch in the Campbell County prairie to feed cows on my way to Wright. Good times. Fun to look back on. We keep trucking!

To Listen

Then we can do whatever He tells us.

           https://youtu.be/vtxnzsX5SCI