Much of what we love about the western states involves open lands. Both private and public ownership of millions of acres make up these open spaces where we can enjoy wildlife, big skies, and the last remaining wide-open country. Do livestock and farming operations contribute to retaining these open lands? I decided to tackle this topic … Continue reading Open Lands Contributions by Livestock
Thankful for Snail Mail surprises
I guess life's not all bad. I'm stuck in the office most of the time. I don't mind getting there so early that it's dark outside, but I do miss the sunrises every day. It does stink to leave the office when it's dark too. So I am thankful daylight hours are getting longer. Apparently … Continue reading Thankful for Snail Mail surprises
I am not a good fisherman
I'll never claim to be a good fisherman. As a kid I went pretty regular. On our ranch we had several ponds with catfish, bass, and crappie. Every time the grandparents would come visit we'd be out at the ponds all day and cleaning fish at night. I look back at those days and enjoy … Continue reading I am not a good fisherman
National Geographic: Ranch Edition
Out here on the ranch I am accustomed to seeing all the birds and coyotes and wildlife that one would see in the outdoors. However, this week's encounters have been a bit more of a National Geographic/Animal Planet scene. I've seen black birds pecking at and a chasing a hawk, a turkey chasing a coyote in … Continue reading National Geographic: Ranch Edition
Sounds of Summer
Memorial Day! This week marks the start of summer as well as hay season here on the ranch. We'll start laying grass on the ground and with temps this week in the middle 90s (heat indexes nearing the century mark) it'll cure pretty quick. The cows are pretty content, so I had the opportunity to … Continue reading Sounds of Summer