Get a Move On

September 6, 2010

I know people want to picture cattle blissfully grazing away in green pastures. We like having our cattle grazing on green pastures, too.

But when November rolls around in Central Kansas, there are not a lot of green pastures to be found - not even factoring in an unseasonably warm fall.

So since the beginning of November, we've been sorting and moving cattle from their summer homes.

We had moved the heifers to a pasture near Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in early September. We use rotational grazing during the summer. Once the heifers had eaten down the grasses in one pasture, we moved them to another.

But on a beautiful fall day, the grasses, the tree and even the sky looked a bit different two months later. The lush greens of September had turned to the browns of November.

Of course, the only critters hanging around the corrals and barn were the bulls, who we didn't need to catch. It's one of the inevitable "rules" of cattle round-up time.

As I waited for Jake to round up the heifers from the far corners of the pasture and bring them over the hill toward the corral, I thought it looked just like a movie set. I was waiting with anticipation, watching for the moment the herd would crest the hill. (Yes, haven't we already established that I have a vivid imagination? Throw in the theme song from Bonanza and, well, you have my unique view of the world.) But instead of seeing the heifers being guided by a cowboy on his horse, I saw the Fritzemeier Farm version: We have four wheels, not four legs on our "horse."

Randy and I were on foot to help guide them toward the corrals.

Ah, success!

But ... Not so fast.

We had an escapee. One heifer decided she preferred to hang out with the bulls and jumped the fence. Jake convinced her otherwise.

We hauled the heifers to the farmstead, where the young mamas-to-be had their first "obstetrics" appointment.

At least, we hoped they were mamas in the making after being with bulls for the past 6 months or so.

To find out, the veterinarian, Dr. David Harder, did a "preg check," a physical examination to determine if the heifer was pregnant. There were three who weren't. We will fatten them and use them for meat in the freezer.

We run the heifers through a lane into a squeeze chute to safely restrain the animal and also to keep the people involved safe.Then Dr. Harder also estimated how far along the pregnancy was by the size of the baby.

The process has gone high-tech. Using a laptop computer, his vet assistant recorded the ear tag number of each heifer, made a notation about how far the pregnancy had advanced and recorded the shots given to each animal.

I know there are people who don't believe any type of shots should be given to animals grown for human consumption. However, we do have the veterinarian give shots to the heifers, cows and calves as they go through the chute.

The heifers and cows are given a blackleg booster shot. Blackleg is a highly fatal disease of the skeletal and heart muscle of cattle. We also give a combination shot that prevents leptospiriosis and BVD. Leptospiriosis is an bacterial infection that may cause abortion or stillbirth. BVD stands for Bovine Viral Diarrhea - 'nuff said. Dr. Harder also gave a shot as a dewormer to control parasites like worms, lice and liver flukes.

(He had a fancier shot system than I'm used to. The medicine was hung from the chute in thermal containers to keep it cool and the syringes were kept in an ice chest to keep the medicine cool and the tools clean.)

Dr. Harder gave the heifers a shot of Scour Bos. The vaccination helps prevent scours (diarrhea) in their babies.

Cattlemen want to produce healthy cattle. It's better for the cattle, and it's also better for the bottom line.

Just like we gave recommended vaccinations to our children, we believe it's important to give our cattle every medical advantage to have a healthy life.

We humans take medicines to lower our blood pressure and lower our cholesterol and for a myriad of other conditions. We take medications when we are sick to help us get better. It's the same principle for the animals we care for. It's part of our stewardship of the animals to provide the best care possible.

After the heifers had their "doctor's appointment," Randy and Jake hauled them to graze on milo stalks. They also have access to a mineral mix of calcium, magnesium and vitamins in feeder tubs.

Once the heifers have eaten down the stalks, we'll move them to corrals for the winter, where we'll feed them the silage, sudan bales and alfalfa hay that we harvested during the summer.

And then, we'll wait for the babies. For the heifers, that process should begin in late January or early February.

Welcome to the County Line version of a maternity ward.

Thankful

Rain showers my spirit

and waters my soul.

~Terri Guillemets

For some, rain is an inconvenience. It plays havoc with a perfectly coiffed hairdo and gets your shoes all wet.

But for Kansas wheat farmers, the rain over the weekend was an answer to prayer. We got 3.10 inches here on the County Line.

Before the rain, our wheat wasn't looking so good. Most of it had come up, but it was spotty and sparse. I know other farmers who didn't even have that glimmer of hope. Their planted fields were still brown. With no subsoil moisture, the newly planted wheat seeds hadn't germinated and the wheat lay dormant beneath the surface.

So the rain was a blessing. With every drop of moisture, there was an almost perceptible lifting of the collective mood in farm country.

I went to a community choir rehearsal yesterday afternoon. For the Stafford Ministerial Alliance's Community Thanksgiving service next Sunday afternoon, singers from most of Stafford's churches will come together to sing two anthems.

Most of us sing in our own church choirs. But I think we all find a message of hope and cooperation in churches coming together to worship and sing.

One of the songs is called "He's Always Been Faithful." I'd never heard it before, but it seemed like a perfect theme song after the blessing of rain.

And then, when I was on my way home, there was a rainbow in the eastern sky.

I don't know whether you can see it that well, but for me, it was like an exclamation point ... a confirmation of God's providence.

The words to the song are, in part:

Morning by morning
I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God's hand in mine

Season by season I watch him, amazed
In awe of the myst'ry
Of his perfect ways.

All I have need of
His hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me.

So, for your Monday, here's Sara Groves' rendition of "He's Always Been Faithful," which incorporates the old hymn, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness." And even more miraculously, the person who posted the video to youtube used rainbows to illustrate the music.

It's a God thing ...

Supporting Roles

I went to my niece's high school play last night. Of course, to my family, Madi was the star. I'm guessing the family members of the other four cast members saw a different actress in the starring role of Nunsense II ... and that's the way it should be.

(If you live near Pratt, I recommend attending the final performance tonight at 7 at Skyline High School. It's a really cute show)

But there were other "stars" who didn't appear on stage. They were the ones running the lights, adjusting the sound, painting the sets, typing the programs and greeting the audience. It was the accompanist who spent hours at the piano bench and even the high school page turner who made sure the music pages were turned at the right time. It was the director and her assistants who clocked more hours than they will ever get paid for.

It was everyone behind the scenes who were doing the myriad of tasks that make it possible for the "stars" to shine.

On that Veterans Day evening, it made me think about the people in the background. While we rightfully herald our nation's heroes who risk their lives to protect our freedom, there are plenty of people in "supporting" roles who may be forgotten.

Our church bulletin has a list of active servicemen and women with Stafford connections. It's amazing to see how many patriots our little town has produced.

But for every one of those names, there is a family who is also making a sacrifice. There's a Mom who is going to say goodbye to her 19-year-old son next month and send him off with her prayers to Afghanistan. There is a young wife left at home to care for young children ... to effectively become a single parent for the next year. There are grandparents who are stepping into the parent role when a husband and wife are both called to duty.

They don't wear the uniform. There aren't parades in their honor. But their sacrifice is very real. So on this day after Veterans Day, I say thanks to the families.

On our recent trip to Nebraska, I learned about another group who offered a supporting role to troops during World War II. The North Platte (Neb.) Canteen served more than 6 million servicemen and women who traveled through Nebraska from December 25, 1941, to April 1, 1946.
As someone who likes to bake and share, the idea of the North Platte Canteen intrigued me enough that I did more research when we got home.

It started to welcome some of their own. Some civic-minded women heard that a Nebraska troop train was coming into town. So they gathered homemade treats and other goodies and went to the North Platte train station.

But instead of Nebraskan troops, the train was filled with Kansas soldiers.

One young woman - Rae Wilson - recognized those Kansas soldiers needed a glimpse of home just as much as Nebraskans would.

She decided she wasn't going home with the cookies she'd brought. She was going to hand them out to the Kansas guys. And the North Platte Canteen was born.

This was Rae Wilson's letter to the editor of the North Platte Daily Bulletin that launched the Canteen. It is probably hard to read, but it says, in part:

"I don't know just how many people went to meet the trains when the troops went through our city Wednesday, but those who didn't should have. To see the spirits and the high morale among those soldiers should certainly put some of us on our feet and make us realize we are really at war. We should help keep this soldier morale at its highest peak. ... Let's do something and do it in a hurry! We can help this way when we can't help any other way."

Volunteers at North Platte met every troop train during that time. Every. Single. One. They served up homemade cookies and cakes, coffee and sandwiches. But even more importantly, they showed America cared.

Even when it meant giving up a part of their family's war rations, the Canteen continued to serve the troops. An average daily shopping list included 160 to 175 loaves of bread, 100 pounds of meat, 15 pounds of cheese, 2 quarts of peanut butter and sandwich spreads, 45 pounds of coffee, 40 quarts of cream, 500 half-pint bottles of milk and 25 dozen rolls, plus the homemade goodies contributed by cooks across the region.

Pretty remarkable ... It just goes to show how important supporting roles can be - whether we're talking about a high school play or supporting our troops.

Blank Check

A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to The United States of America for an amount of "up to, and including" his life.

Author Unknown

This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.

~Elmer Davis

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.

~Author unknown, sometimes attributed to M. Grundler

We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.

-Cynthia Ozick

In Commemoration of Veteran's Day - November 11, 2010

The photos were taken at the 20th Century Veteran's Memorial in North Platte, Nebraska. The bronze statues salute the five major armed forces: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard. They were sculpted by Nebraska rancher, artist and veteran Ted Long.

***

In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with these words:

"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"

So why November 11? World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France.

However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - November 11, 1918.

In 1968, Veterans Day was one of the holidays included in the Uniform Holiday Bill, intended to ensure three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day.

However, on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Photo taken October 2, 2010, Stafford Oktoberfest parade

Thank you, veterans and current service patriots, for writing that blank check for me and my family!

No Dinner Fairies Here!

Being a farm wife can sometimes get in the way of your to-do list.

I'm a Type A personality who sincerely likes the order and symmetry of a to-do list and a plan for the day.

I'm not necessarily proud of this little idiosyncrasy, but I'm woman enough to admit it. So I just love days when I know my services will be required but not the timetable for said services (sarcasm intended).

Such was the day on Monday. I knew I would have to help move cattle. A mid-morning call on the business band radio from the hubby solidified an afternoon "appointment" on my to-do list.

THEN my farmer discovered that his pickup clock hadn't been changed since Sunday's return to Central Standard Time. He had a whole extra hour, so we could do the great cattle round-up and get two loads of cattle hauled back to the corrals by dinnertime (our noon meal).

I got my cattle moving shoes on and went to the pickup. It was 11 o'clock.

I really tried not to say anything, but I must admit, this slipped out:

"You do know that there are no dinner fairies who are hard at work preparing our meal, right?"

Yes, he knew there were no dinner fairies. (Just mouthy farm wives, I guess.)

He said he was fine with sandwiches, and I know he meant it - really. He, unlike me, is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy.

But by the time I got back to the house, I had a plan. So maybe there really is a dinner fairy around here. She just looks a lot like me.

It may seem more like soup weather than salad weather, but if you're looking for a fairly quick meal, Taco Salad may be an option.

I don't really use a recipe. I had hamburger thawed and ready to brown. After quickly browning it with a little minced onion, I put part of it in the refrigerator for another meal, then added taco seasoning to the remainder (I buy it in bulk at Glenn's Bulk Foods).

For the salad, I tore up lettuce and cut up veggies like I would for any salad. I added the seasoned hamburger, shredded cheese and some crumbled taco chips. For the dressing, I combined one can of chili beans and 1 bottle of fat-free Catalina dressing. You won't use it all for this meal, but it stores well in the refrigerator ... until another day when you need a dinner fairy to appear.

(Stay tuned for photos and stories from our cattle moving adventures. No more time today ... my to-do list beckons, along with my farmer who needs help rounding up the cattle before the vet gets here. The dinner fairy may need to make a repeat appearance, who knows?)

***

True confessions: I wrote this last night, but with my Type A compulsion to check things over again, I left it to "simmer" overnight. Then the electricity was out this morning on the County Line. My computer doesn't work too well with no electricity. Neither does the coffee pot or much else.

Hmmm ... just what I needed ... another reminder that I'm not in control at all. And perhaps I should not be so addicted to my plan. I'm a slow learner.

Rotten Tomatoes

Green tomatoes picked before the hard freeze overnight November 5, 2010

My tomato plants have been much more prolific at the end of their life cycle than they were earlier in the summer.

Hmmm ... I wonder if there's a life lesson there anywhere?

Anyway, I felt like I got pelted with rotten tomatoes when when I got my first hate mail on my blog last month. It was a response to The Legacy of Agriculture, which I wrote back in July, so I was a little surprised to get reaction from that post in October, but there it was.

Besides implying I'm a mercenary, the writer also disparaged my tomato crop. (I've left punctuation, etc., as he/she wrote it):

In part, he/she wrote:

You should really take off the blindfold. Grow more gmos use more chemical fertilizers spray more poison onto the food supply. All in the name of "feeding the hungry". The poor are being poisoned as corporate wallets get fatter. The farmer is stuck in the middle. The decision is clear become a mercenary and kill for money, or stand up and say I won't spray those chemicals I won't use the chemical fertilizers or grow seeds developed in a lab. Of course saying no comes with the very real risk of losing everything. However isn't it better than wearing a blindfold and pretending everything is ok. I read a previous blogging of yours about the cheese dreams and how you were only able to grow two tomatoes and one had a hole in it. Perhaps you didn't spray enough round up!

That little love letter appeared the first day of vacation. I was innocently reading my email in a motel lobby in North Platte, Neb., and there it was. What a way to begin our journey!

The writer wished me well, which I appreciated, but that didn't do much to alleviate the very real, stomach-churning realization that I had HATE mail. Or at least dislike mail. Yikes!

But isn't that part of the reason I started blogging? Isn't this supposed to be a way for me to talk about what we do and why we do it that way?

So ... deep breath .. dislike mail is OK.

And I really do hope my anonymous reader will check back and get glimpses of life on a real Kansas farm. Maybe then, the writer will discover we are a real family who loves farming and tries to do the best for our family and the world.

And, much less importantly, he/she will discover that we were able to grow more tomatoes during the summer. In my defense, the Cheese Dream post was early in the summer and we were just starting to enjoy the fruits of our (uh, Randy's) efforts.

I got to enjoy Cheese Dreams all summer long. But I also tried a new treat since I had a basket full of green tomatoes. I'd never made Fried Green Tomatoes before, but as usual, Betty Crocker came to my rescue with a recipe.

They were good, though I still say you can't beat fresh, garden tomatoes, sprinkled with a little salt and pepper - even if you have to cut around a hole or two.

Easy Panfried Tomatoes

4 firm ripe or green medium tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup butter

Wash tomatoes. Cut into slices. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Dip tomato slices into flour mixture. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet until melted. Add tomato slices; cook, turning once, until golden brown. Serves 3 or 4.

Music, Spread Thy Voice Around

I love to hear a choir. I love the humanity to see the faces of real people devoting themselves to a piece of music. I like the teamwork. It makes me feel optimistic about the human race when I see them cooperating like that.

Paul McCartney

I don't often have classical music stuck in my head.

Contemporary Christian ... yes.

Old hymns ... decidedly.

Old standards .... emphatically.

Contemporary country ... yes.

Tunes from musicals ... yes and double yes.

George Frederick Handel doesn't often make an appearance in my mental soundtrack.

But after a reunion weekend with the K-State Concert Choir, my mental ipod is still playing Handel's "Music, Spread Thy Voice Around."

Music wasn't my major at K-State. But it was definitely one of my Top 3 favorite things as a K-State student.

I was in Concert Choir in 1978 and 1979 when the choir was under the leadership of Rod Walker. We did our first reunion in 2007, when Mr. Walker was retiring after 41 years of service to K-State. For that event, Mr. Walker directed us all again.

He was to have conducted us again during K-State's homecoming. But grandbabies trump choir reunions, so instead, we were directed by the current conductors of Concert Choir, Dr. Julie Yu and Dr. Joshua Oppenheim. This husband-wife duo are co-directors of Choral Music in K-State's Department of Music. It was great to experience the leadership current K-State students get when they walk into daily Concert Choir rehearsals.

This time, I talked my brother, Kent, into singing in the reunion, too. Other than twin brothers, we were the only other sibling pair at the reunion.

There is no sound like K-State Concert Choir ... even us old wannabes. I'll never forget walking into Room 204 of McCain for my first Concert Choir rehearsal. I didn't get to join Choir until my junior year, but it was definitely worth the wait.

I was singing with people who wanted to be there, not a bunch of people who were there to get out of study hall. Every single person had a good voice and knew how to use it. It was amazing.

For the reunion, we practiced Saturday morning before the K-State-Oklahoma State football game. I forced myself not to yell during the ballgame (that was hard, by the way!) And then we went back for another practice session after the game.

Sunday afternoon, we sang at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Manhattan. The Manhattan High School choir, directed by another K-State Concert Choir alum, was also on the program.

The acoustics were remarkable. The stained glass windows cast jewel tones throughout the sanctuary. The music was challenging (in a good way). It was one goosebump moment after another.

Most of us are in church choirs. I personally love my church choir "family."

But there is truly nothing like Concert Choir.

You know the old guys who are always reliving their best game from high school. Well, I was a bench sitter in basketball, but for me, music was my gift. Concert Choir gave me friends I still keep in touch with and tons of great memories.

We ended our program on Sunday with a song Mr. Walker used over and over in Concert Choir. It didn't matter whether you were in Concert Choir in 1979 like me or in 1989 like my brother: We all knew "I've Got Shoes."

It's a Negro spiritual that talks about what we'll have when we get to heaven. My heaven will include a choir of angels that sounds just a little like K-State's Concert Choir - but even better.

***

I don't know whether anyone recorded the performance on Sunday. Hopefully, I'll be able to share that someday.

But until then, you can hear what I'm talking about with this K-State student produced youtube video. Do you have a child or grandchild who is musically talented? They should watch and listen to this clip and check out K-State Choirs website. There are several events for high school students under the events tab.