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Give thanks 10 out of 10 times.

           https://youtu.be/CchtUyIhmZQ         

Testimony

Is good for all. 

           https://youtu.be/LabZW9znegU         

Judgement

Think about the seeds we sow now. 

           https://youtu.be/UGTBu3JCrd8         

Lamb of God

Our King is a lamb.

           https://youtu.be/BvffMuhjUB4         

Breakfast Sandwich

With having more time free on Sunday mornings, I have been able to exercise some culinary creativity. Such is the case with my latest creation, the Breakfast Sandwich. 

This bad boy is easy to make and delightful to eat. Watch and learn. 

Cooking with gas is a new experience for me. But this 1957 gas stove top continues to get the job done. 

I like to use some cooking spray to keep the surface slick. Then crack two farm fresh eggs into a heated up pan. Then cool the heat a bit. 

In the meantime, get your toast toasting. 

This is probably the hardest part, the flip. 

Once cooked on the bottom, flip the eggs to sear the top of the yokes. 

Immediately, put on your chopped ham lunchmeat and a slice of cheese. 

Then cover it with a lid. 

Once the cheese is melted, it's ready to serve. 

I put a piece of toast on top of the cheese while still in the pan.

Then just give a flip onto the plate. 

Cap it with the other side of the sandwich and roll it over so the cheese is back on top. 

Bon appetit. 

Beautiful. Being creative in the kitchen is nothing new to me. I've been coming up with cowboy concoctions for years. This, I have to say is one of my more practical creations. The Breakfast Sandwich serves a good purpose. It adds to the solemnity of Sunday, while keeping you fueled until lunch. Feel free to share this recipe with others. I remain dedicated to feeding America. Ranch on. 

Mystery

 The Church is the presence of the Kingdom of God in Mystery. LG

           https://youtu.be/PLqCavZF5Co         

Rescue Mission

Over the years, Dad has come to my rescue in many and varied ways. This time, the tables were turned. I got a call Thursday afternoon that he was stranded at the cabin. He drove in, and his pickup wouldn't start when he went to drive out. There was no rush as he had plenty of accommodations. But that evening, White Horse and I hit the trail.

We borrowed our new ranch partner's tilt bed. I think this relationship with Jack is going to be a real win-win. 

We stayed the night at the cabin and when we went to load up in the morning, Dad's pickup started. So he headed for town, only to make it a mile or so down the highway before she quit. We were suspecting the fuel pump. So we jumped it on the trailer and completed the journey to Worland. 

Beautiful drive down Tensleep Canyon. Fun to take it slow for a change. Lots to see. 

Once back at the ranch, she started and ran enough for us to get her backed off the trailer and put in the shop. 

This is an interesting tilt bed trailer. It's got a lot of pivot points and latches.

Before it was said and done, one of those latches jumped up and bit me!

Nothing Dad couldn't fix with a blue shop rag and a little black tape.

Then we went to cleaning out his bed. Our mission was to pull the truck box off and expose the fuel pump.

Six bolts hold the bed on. 18mm. 

Then remove the fuel-fill set up. 

Unhooking the lights was probably the hardest part. 

Then, with the help of a cherry picker and a couple of hands that are working on the house, we pulled the box back and rested it on the tires. 

Thus, exposing the top of the tank and the fuel pump assembly that rests inside of it. 

After unhooking the lines and wires, we pulled the culprit out. 

Then slid the new one in. 

Rehooking all the lines and wires again. She fired right up. 

Then restocked the tool box. 

And went back to work.

Mission accomplished. A rancher's truck is his lifeline. Without it, he's lost. With it, he's ranchin! Breakdowns are going to happen, but woe to poorly manufactured parts that cause them! This is the third fuel pump that has been put into Dad's truck. This time, I think we got it. We put in a good quality pump and are pretty confident that it was done right. A lot of guys will drop the fuel tank to change the pump. That works if you have a hoist and an empty tank. We had a full tank of gas and no hoist. Pulling the box was our only option. Worked good. Dad is now back on the road and the world is a safer place because of it. Dad is used to rescuing others, but it doesn't hurt for a guy to have to get rescued himself. Keeps you humble and compassionate. No time to waste, though. There's miles to cover! Let's ranch. 

Discipleship

Mary was closer to Jesus as His disciple than as His mother. 

           https://youtu.be/mat1sLnqkiQ         

Horse Update

Usually around this time of year is when I put the horses up for the winter. I'd enjoy riding again, but the opportunities to do so are definitely fewer. Regardless, it's a good time to make sure they're ready for the cold and reflect back on the year. 

Buck still rules the roost at the Marton Ranch. Having a mare around seems to have breathed new life into his old bones. 

Red finally made it back home to my brother. I had a couple guys put some more rides on him as he needed more attention over the summer than I was able to give him. He's all yours now, Luke. He left a brumby and came back a saddle horse. 

Mollie gets the tough horse award this year. When I needed her most, she came through with a willing spirit. Glad she's on the ranch. 

Overall, Chief had a good year. Put on a show for the school kids, drug calves around, let all sorts of folks ride him, and went on round ups. But his lameness concerns me. Seems to be in his front right leg. Likely it's down low, but maybe in his knee. I'll probably just let him rest until spring and see how he looks. I don't foresee it being too serous, he's only 12 and has had a pretty easy life. He probably just twitted an ankle when Buck was chasing him away from Mollie. 

Definitely going to take some time to get all the cockleburs out of his mane.

After a solid freeze is a good time to deworm a horse. Some people do it often, but I only do it in the spring, after the frost comes out. And in the fall, when the frost goes in. My preferred dewormer is the cheapest one on the shelf. 

I give a whole tube to each horse. Open wide!

It takes them a minute to swallow. Not sure they enjoy it, but they seem to be tolerant.  

Let 'er buck!

Good stuff. It's been an up and down year in horse world. At times I wonder if the work is worth the handful of times I get to ride. But each time I do ride, I'm reminded that it is worth the effort. Horses keep you humble. They keep you grounded in creation and alive in spirit. The best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse. Ranch on. 

Jesus Speaks

Through the four Gospels.

           https://youtu.be/SRqhYJdO4Vw         

First Love

The first love for all of us should be discipleship.

           https://youtu.be/DbQTUHFaUFk         

Turkey Trot

Turkeys hanging around the church is not an uncommon sight. Especially with Thanksgiving around the corner, they find St. John the Baptist to be a safe space. I've actually enjoyed watching them throughout the summer. 

These are wild turkeys, though I don't doubt that they were planted in this area within the last 20 years. All these guys have beards, the tough of hair like feathers sticking out of their chest. That is a male trait, though random females can sport them as well. My guess is that these are all young males.

A group of turkeys is most formally called a rafter. But you can get by calling them a flock, gang, gaggle, end even a posse. This rafter of birds has been wandering around the church grounds all summer. Here the toms, male birds, strut around. Probably just fronting each other, but maybe trying to impress then hens, female birds. 

Turkey track brands are fairly common throughout the cowboy state. Not having any enclosed corners, like a B or 8, it probably goes on a cow real nice.

The only drawback to having turkeys in the neighborhood is their scat. It isn't a pleasant mess to come across. However, it is rather few and far between. Geese are dirty birds, their feces is everywhere they are. Turkeys, on the other hand, don't drop everywhere they walk. That being said, you definitely want to check your boots before entering the church. 

Fun stuff. My first encounter with church turkeys was on an Easter Vigil in Moorcroft. Just as we were leaving the church to start the Liturgy at the outdoor fire, a turkey walked in and went downstairs. I said, Leave it. We'll shoot it later. But an old rancher went down and herded him back outside. That pretty well broke the ice for a beautiful Catholic night in Wyoming. Beside their sporadic droppings and a few rocks being kicked out of the flower bed from their scratching around, I enjoy our little posse of turkeys. Thanks Lord.