A New Hire at The County Line

Every day across corporate America, business people in pressed suits gather around conference tables for meetings. They gather to make decisions designed to advance their companies, to increase profits, perhaps, even to make a difference in the world.

Some may arrive after a subway ride. Others hopped on a train from a suburb to a towering skyscraper in a sea of tall buildings. Others may have grabbed a taxi or a Lyft or an Uber for their trip from Point A to Point B.

 

The meetings may look a little different in the middle of a Kansas farmstead. While those city commuters may be dodging people and traffic, the country meeting attendee may need to strategically avoid a cow pie or two after stepping out of their transportation for the day - a pickup hooked to a mud-splashed cattle trailer.

But the decisions made in those dirt lots also impact the future of businesses. Choosing a new "employee" requires research and making informed choices - whether in a boardroom or a straw-covered cattle lot.

Randy and I attended the Carcass Plus Bull Sale last Wednesday at Poland Angus Ranch near Isabel. Angus bulls from the Polands as well as CB Farms at Preston were offered for sale. 

Before we arrived, Randy had gone through the sales catalog, circling bulls that fit his criteria. He was looking for an Angus bull he could use for breeding to our heifers, who will be first-time mamas in 2020. So he was looking for a bull who would produce lower birth weight calves and calving ease characteristics.

As we walked through the lots, Randy referred to his sale catalog for the particulars and made notes on some of the animals he was interested in.

Ironically, the first bull I photographed that day was the one who eventually went home with us - Lot 12, aka PAR 613 Product 867.

It was one of those Randy had circled at home, but he wanted to look them over before the sale started. And we had to arrive in time for our dinner date. It was free if you don't count the price of the bull. That counts as free to a farmer - just like "free" caps when you buy a tractor (wink, wink).

Along with my barbecue beef sandwich, I chose a shamrock sugar cookie. A little luck is never a bad thing when it comes to bidding at an auction. 

Neither is bringing a book to pass the time between the lunch and the bidding. Randy read the catalog. I read my book.

This sale was a little different from the last two I've attended. Instead of bringing the bull into a sale ring, each appeared on television screens for bidding.

Here's Lot 12 during his time on the auction block. Here's what it said about him in the catalog:

This deep-sided 613 son has really good Wn (weaning) and Yr (yearling) ratios. Couple that with his top 15% for marbling, it makes him a really good prospect for siring high-marbling calves that will bring you a premium on the rail.

Though the bulls are getting the once over from interested buyers, it's not just a beauty contest, though correct conformation for each breed is one factor in the decision-making process. While Randy looks for bulls that produce smaller birth weight calves, he's also looking for those whose progeny have higher 205-day weaning weights and yearling weights.

Genetics should provide a progressive weaning weight and yearling weight. For Lot 12, the EPD - or expected progeny difference - at weaning is 57 pounds above the average Angus weight. The yearling weight EPD is 103 pounds above the average. Its numbers also ranked above average for meat marbling and ribeye area. He had good milk EPDs, which should make the females he sires good replacement mamas who will make plenty of milk for their calves.

This bull was born on Veteran's Day of 2017, so he's a little more a year old. He now weighs around 1,200 pounds.

For the past several years, we've used a Hereford bull with our heifers. But to add genetic diversity to our cattle herd, Randy opted for an Angus bull for the heifers for this upcoming breeding season. If you want to get all technical, it's a matter of heterosis, "the marked vigor or capacity for growth exhibited by crossbred animals," (according to the dictionary).

We paid $3,500 for him, minus a $50 discount for picking him up and hauling him ourselves on the day of the sale. 

Once we got him home, he strolled the entire perimeter of the lot to check out his new "digs."

Initially, he was by himself in the lot, but after he got out, Randy put another calf in the pen with him to keep him company. We hope that cures his loneliness and keeps him "home" and content until he begins his job this spring.

Just 10 Photos? Mission Impossible

I was nominated for the 10-day farming/ranching family photo challenge by my friend, Millie. You may have seen it on Facebook. Several of my rural friends have been participating.

The challenge is this: Every day for 10 days, post a photo from a day in the life of farming/ranching that has had an impact on you and post it with zero explanation.

 

No problem, right? I have lots of pictures.

 

Except that is a problem. My blog posts probably average five or six photos per time. My Tuesday post had 13 photos plus a graphic. That's not unusual. Weeding through my thousands (tens of thousands) of farm photos and choosing just 10 is daunting, to say the least. (Nobody said I couldn't cheat just a little bit and create a collage.)

 

And, really? I'm supposed to post photos without commenting on them? That's kind of a tall order for a writer, don't you think?

I never seem to complete these Facebook challenges just as they are presented. (Case in point is the Love Your Spouse Challenge.) I am a rule follower, but I'm not without my stubborn streak. (OK, I've admitted it, so you don't have to poll my parents or Randy, OK?)

 

So, here's my attempt at selecting 10 photos that reflect our life on the County Line. I've tried to provide a representation of seasons, crops and people, but this is one of those times when diversification of crops is not my friend. (I totally left out milo, silage and sudan.)

 

On second thought, here's a baker's dozen. If you want an explanation of anything I've chosen, just ask. Really! By all means, ask!

 

Another part of the challenge is to nominate 10 people to do the challenge. Please view this as your blanket open invitation. (Maybe you'll have better luck following the rules.)

 Well, at least a few of the photos won't have some sort of commentary blanketing them. 

Not Fit for Man Nor Beast

Sunday morning was "not fit for man nor beast," as the old saying goes.

Well, it may not have been fit for man, but it was perfect for dogs ... sundogs, that is!

Randy went out to check cattle Sunday morning. Wind chills were well below zero and the 3 inches of snow that fell overnight were swirling and creating ice darts on exposed skin. But when he saw that the eastern sky had sundogs, he called and asked if I wanted to bundle up and come, too.

Sometimes, weather phenomena are over and done before you can tell someone else about them. But Sunday morning's unusual sky lasted for awhile.

I later turned to the internet to learn more:

A sundog is a concentrated patch of sunlight occasionally seen about 22° to the left or right of the Sun. Sundogs often form in pairs on either side of our daytime star when sunlight refracts through icy clouds containing hexagonal plate crystals aligned with their large, flat faces parallel to the ground. Technically known as parhelia (singular parhelion) they are often white but sometimes quite colorful, looking like detached pieces of rainbow, with red on the inside, toward the Sun, and blue on the outside.

From Sky and Telescope

OK. That was a mouthful.
Let's see what The Old Farmer's Almanac says.
This old farmer thought it was easier to understand.

Sun dogs, or parhelia, are the canine cousins of rainbows. Sometimes they look like bright pieces of rainbows on either side of the sun. Other times they are brighter and actually look like two extra suns. Indeed, they are frequently called “mock suns” or “phantom suns”. The most common name, however, for these bright lights that faithfully follow the sun is sun dogs.

Both rainbows and sundogs are formed by moisture filtering the sunlight. Rainbows form when drops of rain act as prisms, breaking sunlight into a multitude of colors. Sundogs appear when sunlight hits clouds of ice crystals and the ice acts as prisms.

Old Farmer's Almanac

There are some differences. You see rainbows when you look away from the sun. You see sundogs when you look toward the sun. And that shuts down the camera lens, making it hard to capture a photo. But I did my best.

From HyperPhysics, C.R. Nave Georgia State University

In medieval times, the three bright lights were sometimes interpreted as the sign of the trinity, a sign of great fortune. Nowadays, they are a sign that you were lucky to be looking at the sky at just the right time.  

James Garriss, Old Farmer's Almanac

I love a writer with a sense of humor! But since church got canceled due to the extreme wind chills and drifting snow, a reminder of the Trinity was a good idea, too, though I am frequently reminded of God's handiwork when outside in His creation ... even when it's way too cold!

After our sundog viewing, I went along for the ride for the cattle checks.

This baby had a rather unorthodox way to dine. (I wouldn't recommend positioning there, but I guess warm milk trumped practicality.)

Our cattle all have northern windbreaks, and they put them to good use. It's amazing to me that they know instinctively to gather for protection from the elements.

Before the snow started, the guys made sure they had plenty of hay and water to help them weather the storm.

Even though it was cold all day long, the sun melted the ice on their coats by the time we checked cattle Sunday evening.

I did most of my viewing from the passenger side of the pickup while Randy walked out and checked cows and calves.

Thankfully, we're 3/4 complete with calving, and we didn't have any born during the cold sub-zero wind chills Saturday and Sunday nights.

That would have been a cold, cruel introduction to the world!

The cattle weren't the only animals out in the cold. So were deer and ...

... turkeys. There were probably 20 to 30 as we drove into one location. Sorry the photo isn't better. Turkeys may be slow ... but I guess I'm slower.

Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup: An Antidote to Winter

I admit it: I'll be scrolling along on Facebook, and I'll get momentarily distracted by a cooking video. Sometimes, my distraction turns into printing the recipe and actually making it. (Jill would point out that I don't actually have to print the recipe. I could just pull it up on my phone. But I'm a paper recipe kind of gal.)

Slowing my Facebook scroll was the case for this Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup. A couple of different Facebook friends shared it, and I was cold enough that soup sounded good. Plus, a slow cooker soup is always a bonus because I can fix it and go about my day. Several hours later, I've got dinner made by adding just a few extras ... in this case, crackers and baby carrots. 

The original recipe didn't have the additional vegetables, so I made some adjustments, adding carrots, celery and onions. (I guess I'm getting all "fancy" with my cooking channel "mirepoix.")

I've made this soup a couple of times this winter. One time was when Kinley and Brooke were here, and they both loved it, too. It gets a thumbs up from the younger set and a bonafide Kansas farmer. It's delicious the first time around, and the leftovers warm up well. 

As I looked at the Facebook recipe, there were people complaining about the use of frozen hash browns and commenting about using "fresh" potatoes. Yes, you could cut your own potatoes into cubes, and it would be less expensive. (Though it wouldn't be as convenient.) So, by all means, if you want to peel and dice non-frozen potatoes, go for it!  

But, just for the record, frozen potatoes are "real" potatoes, too. (It seems we have to have reminders like that with the current "organic" and "natural" obsession.

This recipe is perfect for the cold weather we're getting again this week. And the weather map shows snow coming again on Sunday. Here's your antidote! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Adapted from Facebook

1 bag (32 oz.) frozen hash brown potato cubes
3/4 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 box (32 oz.) chicken broth (or water and bouillon to make 32 ounces)
1 can (10 oz.) cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 1/2 cups grated sharp Cheddar cheese
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese
3/4 cup crumbled bacon (plus extra for garnish, if desired)
1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary (or 1/4 tsp. dried)
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste (I used bouillon, and I didn't add any salt)

Combine hash brown potatoes, vegetables, chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, bacon and seasonings. Mix to break up cream cheese, though it won't be totally incorporated at this time. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on High for 3 hours, stirring occasionally to continue to incorporate cheese and cream cheese, until potatoes and vegetables are tender. (It may take a little longer than 3 hours to get the extra veggies tender. If you want to make sure the veggies are tender quickly, microwave the carrots, celery and onion in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup until they are par-tender. You don't need to add water. Just cover with plastic wrap and microwave. They don't need to be soft. They will cook more in the soup.) Taste and adjust seasonings. Garnish with additional bacon bits, cheese and/or chopped green onion or cilantro and serve with crackers and additional raw veggies.

If available, you can use southern-style hash browns, which have some onions and green peppers already incorporated.  I still like adding the bonus veggies.

Note: Use crock pot liners for easier clean up.

Serves 6.

Gratitude

A Time to Think

Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer.
And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good.
 –Maya Angelou, author and poet

A Time to Act

Approach today with a grateful heart.

Sometimes, it's easier said than done. Sometimes, an email devotional comes at just the right time to rearrange my attitude just a tad.

I know I have plenty for which to be thankful. But I don't think I'm alone in letting circumstances beyond my control cause moments of forgetting how blessed I am. Sometimes, it's like I'm looking through obscured glass. It's like my Grandpa Neelly used to say: "You've been drinking muddy water." He was talking about blocking his view to the television. But it works for attitudes, too, I think.

The Sunday School class I facilitate just completed a study called #struggles: Following Jesus in a Selfie-Centered World by Craig Groeschel. Each week, there was a section called Practice: IStrategize. It was a way to put the book knowledge to "boots-on-the-ground" use. An option during the first week was "Cultivate gratitude."

Go on a daily hunt for God's goodness in  your life by keeping a gratitude list. Throughout the day or at the end of the day, write down at least 10 things you're grateful for. ... You might choose to focus on a specific area in which you're struggling with envy or to focus on gratitude in general. Either way, begin by hunting for God's goodness in the little joys or graces you might otherwise take for granted: God, thank you for ... hot coffee first thing in the morning, a good night's sleep, giving me the courage to apologize ... Praise God for His relentless goodness in your life and ask Him to help you make gratitude the lens through which you routinely look at life.

It reminded me of an exercise I'd done several years ago after reading Ann Voskamp's One Thousand Gifts.

 It never hurts to get a timely reminder, does it? I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago. But I could use a change of perspective today. Funny how that works!

After Christmas, I ordered a discounted journal from a photo site, thinking it would be a good place to keep track of my prayer list.

 I've also been using it for my "thanksgiving" list.

 Being thankful isn't limited to one Thursday in November. It's even more important on those days when you have to look around a little more.