Last evening the rancher hubby came in just before dusk to fetch me. He had kinda a sheepish look on his face which was explained by the “Will you come pull me out” request. Now I realize that when he comes to get the ranch wife – he has already tried several methods of getting himself out on his own. I also knew it was in the meadow which at this time of year is a booby trap of soft ground. I finished up my task and went out and helped load the chains. We also reconnected the loader to the tractor. I was in charge of moving the head in different directions. I have always been amazed that most guys have a uncanny ability to remember which lever moves which part and which way it moves. My method is quite simple trail and error. Ranch hubby says ‘third lever in’ but fails to mention which way so I first go the wrong way. Reaching for another lever I move something else. Getting a stern look, I go back to the third lever. Still no success. But… in moving the other lever I managed to get the thing to do what he wanted and the pin he was driving was finally in position.

We left to make the mile drive out to where the tractor and planter were stuck. As we approached and I saw the tractor & planter I kinda wanted to do the head slap thing that Gibbs does to Tony when he’s not thinking…but rancher hubby said that wasn’t nice He had just been thinking he should turn around and not plant so deep. As we got closer the big tractor started to lose RPM’s and slow down – not what we wanted. It would be an evening ender if we got the ‘big’ tractor stuck.  However, Rancher Hubby and his catlike reflexes managed to get the tractor moving before our progress was halted. We started by pulling on the planter tractor backwards cuz we couldn’t get in front of it because of the mud. A couple of adjustments later, Ranch Hubby was back on more solid ground and I was driving the big tractor back to the house.

I got to thinking (which is a feat) isn’t it nice that God doesn’t whack us along the head each time we screw up!! I’d be senseless by now. Instead our loving Father chooses to pull us back to solid ground, never threatening His love for us. Yes, sometimes His discipline may feel like a whack but ….were our actions evidence that we needed it??

Well – that’s what I get for thinking – Also I apologize to my readers – I have found that blogging is a opportunity that I am willing to cultivate but am struggling to tend.  Like any great garden or field, it takes attention and I am not making a habit of my ‘gardening’.  I will connect with you all as often as I can.   Thank You for reading  :)

She had several employees who were excited that they felt better and had lost weight after following the diet.  The biggest discussion was that their digestion was better and they were pooping on a daily basis.  Yep – said it on television and I just typed it out.  :P One family had a young son who was very honest about the food presented to him on the new diet and He Hated It!!  At least he was honest  :)  My thoughts about the positive results was the simple conclusion that these folks had never considered what they were putting into their mouths to sustain themselves with.  One individual was somewhat alarmed that she had become addicted to fast food.  Our society eats a tremendous amount of prepared food, whether warmed up at home or delivered to our door.  By eating a diet that consists of more fruit and vegetables, folks felt better.  It had very little to do with a vegan diet.  I also felt that the veganist that they had to present her diet ideas had no credentials.  By her own admittance and Oprah’s she was not a doctor, nor did she have any training in nutrition.  She had chosen to go on a vegan diet, it had worked for her and she wrote a book about it.  That’s her credentials.   That’s it….

Two weeks ago Suzanne Sommers was promoting her diet book ‘Sexy Forever’on the morning talk show circle.   Again the interviewer stated that Ms. Sommers had no scientific proof that her conclusions were accurate or could be proven, Ms. Sommers dismissed her question.  Her diet is designed for ladies over 40.  OK – now – I’m a ways past the 40 mark, gained some weight, which is pretty normal.  Rather than read a book or go on a diet…I did what I’ve done my whole life.  I cut back on what I was eating and got more physical exercise.  That’s what it takes – more output, less input  :)  I know that that’s too simplistic but…

I have been blessed to live in the boonies for a half century  I work outside each day, eat what God gave us as food.  I have been blessed – I realize I just retweeted myself but that’s what makes our lives so precious here in the boonies.  I challenge you to find that niche where God intended you to be, whether boonies, suburbia or city, and live according to His statutes.  Enjoy your food! He gave it to you!!

Stetson and I thought it would be interesting for Stanley to follow Stetson while he does his morning feed route.  15 miles  :) Below is the info we sent and pictures of Flat Stanley and the fun he had while being a rancher for a morning on a feed route!!

Good Morning to Jake and Ms. Rorie’s entire second grade class.  I was so tickled that Jake’s Aunt Janice wanted to send Flat Stanley to different agriculture based places.  We are a cattle ranch in the Western edge of the Nebraska SandHills.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebraska_Sand_Hills

The Sand Hills are the largest grass covered sand dune area in North America.  They are also located above one of the largest under ground water aquifers in the the world called the Ogallala  Aquifer. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogallala_aquifer

The grass these Sand Hills grow makes fabulous feed for cattle and horses.  Our water is easily pumped from the ground because of the Ogallala Aquifer.The Sand Hills we live by are very large and are very tall, almost like small foothills in the mountains but made of sand.  :)    We can go sledding and sometimes with enough snow we can go snowmobiling.  That is great fun.

http://maps.google.com/ Ostrander Road, Gordon, NE.

We live 32 miles from the nearest town and it only has 1800 people living there.  When I go to Wal-Mart I drive 80 miles, that’s a long ways.  Our nearest neighbors are 3 miles away.  Because not many people live out here we see lots of animals.  We have white tail deer and muley deer, pheasants, grouse, owls, coyotes, rabbits, and the list could go on.  We raise cattle and have a momma cow herd of about 400 cows.  We also have year old cattle in the summer called yearlings.  Our baby calves are born in the spring and get to live with their moms all summer.  I raise Quarter Horses and we have colts in the spring also.  It’s a great time of year to see all the young livestock playing.

1. Doctoring colt-Flat Stanley held on to halter

2. Stanley takes a ride

3. Stanley watches as Stetson feeds old cows

When you go with the feed guy you 'get' to open gates for him )

Stanely watches as Stetson breaks ice in tanks

More ice breaking

Once you have the ice broke, then you pitch it all out

These are heifer calves we fed

Stanely enjoying watching the calves eat & the scenery.

Feed coming out of feeder

Calves following pickup & eating

Reloading pickup with feed mixture

Stanley was right at the top

The pickup feeder has a counter so we know how much we feed

Momma cows

Stanley enjoys the scenery

Stetson driving & feeding

Happy momma cows eatting.

Our riding horses & bulls are fed together.

These are heifers that will have their 1st baby calves this spring

Smaller calves that are fed in bunks.

We have a creek that runs thru the home valley.

We had a blast putting these shots together and figuring what ‘Stanley’ could do next!!  THNX!! to Stetson who was a great sport, but I did open all the gates for him!!  :)

Well, I hope you got to see that Stetson has a big job to do each day in feeding cattle and horses.  He does this when the weather was beautiful like today and also when it’s bitterly cold like two days ago when it was 0 degrees and the wind was blowing making the wind chill -25.  I think Stanley liked to ride along with Stetson and get to help me open the gates.  We saw some grouse and pheasants but didn’t get a picture.  We also saw some deer but they were a long ways off.  We love raising cattle and hope you enjoyed getting to see what Stanley got to do.

#374  FRIENDS  AND  FANCIES

by  Bob Moreland

Down in the Sandhills about 35 winding miles south of Gordon, Nebraska, on Highway 27, you come over a hill,  and down deep in the valley is the Pleasant Point Church.   We were invited for their annual Thanksgiving celebration on Sunday, November 21st.   Living nearly 75 miles away, by the time we arrived, Sunday School was nearly over and church services about ready to begain.

The parked cars, down in that remote ranch country, made it look like the parking lot of Chadron’s Walmart!   Pleasant Point, at that moment, could probably be considered the “Metropolis of the Sandhills.”    Towns that are actually surrounded by Sandhills like Merriman, Eli, Cody, Nenzel, Kilgore, Crookston, Brownlee, Thedford, Seneca, Whitman, Tryon, Hyannis, Ashby, Bingham, Antioch and Angora aren’t all that big.   Pleasant Point would be very strong competition!  Granted, this was a special Sunday but a high percentage of those automobiles appear on most Sundays!

In a prominent place on the church bulletin, right up at the top, this appears:  “As a family of believers we seek to glorify God in worship, share the Gospel in truth, study the Bible for wisdom, and demonstrate God’s love in action.”   This statement describes the Pleasant Point Community.  To have built and then maintain a worship center on  this  level in the sparsely settled area where it is takes a mountain of dedication, cooperation and sacrifice.

Pastor Bob Townsend’s sermon centered around  the man, being head of the house, has the responsibility  of setting an example to his family.  That philosophy has been followed through the years and still prevails in the Pleasant Point community.   Young people are following their father’s footsteps with many of them staying in the ranching business.  It has been an ongoing tradition. Some Pleasant Point people are the product of several generations living in the area with early day homesteaders in their background.

Gail Glassgow and Jan Jones, combining their talents in a piano-accordian duet, was another feature in that Thanksgiving Day Celebration.   A scrumptious Thanksgiving Dinner was next on the program as a result of the culinary artistry of the Pleasant Point Ladies.   I already knew about their cooking ability in that I have attended many Men’s  Retreats during these past 20 years!

Our Sunday Celebration still hadn’t expired.     Gary and Kaye Frye invited us to the beautiful home on their ranch for “Bed and Breakfast.”   They live a bit south of the Survey Valley Road a few miles east of the church.  Their home has  “Western” decor unmistakably identified by furniture, pictures of cattle, horses, cowboys and grandchildren.   And, talk about grandchildren!  Their son, Greg, and his wife, Jenna, have fourteen:  four sons and ten daughters.   Their daughter, Jecca, and her husband, Cash Ostrander, have three sons.  The grandchildren are all notably healthy and good-looking.  One of the interesting wall hangings is a very large card the Greg Frye children made for their grandfather when he was ill.  The signatures reveal the unusual beautiful names they bear:  Tessa Marie, (now 25), Natosha Mae (24), Wrustler Jay(21), Shianna Rose (20), Tashonna Fawn (18), Riyatta Wrose (16), Jennaya Love (14), Wrangler Gregory Jahye(12), Shakeeya Peace (10), Duwrango Jae (9),  Tiyonna Truth (7), Onnikka Prayz (6), Javonna Joy (4), and Lattigo Jaye (1).   The boys were given their father’s middle name, Jay, but each has his own unique spelling.  Jecca and Cash’s boys are Stetson Edward (25), Sterling Fritz (24) and Steele Lewis (22).   Stetson is working on the home ranch,  Sterling owns a fencing crew in North Central South Dakota and Steele is a jet engine mechanic at Addison Airport north of Dallas, Texas.  Most of the grandchildren are natural born horsemen.  They can start green colts and turn them into kid proof saddle horses in jig-time flat!

This was a great weekend.  We were inspired by everything we saw, heard, felt and tasted!  Thank you!

Everybody working even Cap the dog!!

This past Saturday after Thanksgiving I was part of an unique crew that moved cows home from summer pasture for our neighbor.  When my neighbor had called he thought it would be himself, his wife, me and another neighbor for help.  The evening before they had stopped at the pastor’s to check in.  They’d had family for Thanksgiving and two extra guests.  Our pastor teaches at a very small bible college about 3 hours away.  These two girls had come to spend the Thanksgiving vacation as they lived to far away to be able to drive home.  They were intrigued by a cattle drive and asked to come along with us.  It was a blessing in disguise for my neighbor’s wife as she had been struggling with a head and chest cold and was hoping to be able to stay inside and out of the very cold air.

We didn’t start extremely early because all the cattle needed to be fed before we could start.  I’m sure this later hour worked better for our adventurous college students.  We saddled one extra horse and loaded a 4 wheeler into the back of the trailer for the other student.  One girl had ridden before and the other wanted to go ‘motorized’!  :)  We trailed several miles to where the cattle had spent the summer.  We drove on a state highway, a one lane black top road, gravel and then onto trail.  The interesting part was that we never left the route that the mail follows.  The mail carriers in our area are also adventurous types or they wouldn’t be able to handle the good and very bad roads.  :)

Rachel was our extra horseback rider.  She is from West Central California,right along the coast. This had been a eye opening week for Rachel, she had never felt temps below freezing and Western Nebraska saw temperatures fall to zero and below with a nasty wind driven cold.  We’d even had a dusting of snow.  Rachel’s folk run a bible camp which is open year round.  They do youth and kids camps through the summer and have other adult meetings and conferences during the rest of the year.  She grew up loving horses as a girl and her parents finally let her start riding her best friends horse for lessons.  She then graduated to owning a horse and enjoyed showing it in English classes and jumping.

Chrystal was our 4 wheeler driver.  She was from Pennsylvania and had grown up on a small acreage around livestock.  Her family had an orchard, a large garden and a few head of cattle produced for beef.   She was impressed with the vastness of the Sandhills and the bleak beauty of the hills during the winter months. Our day was a good one for the week as we enjoyed some sunshine and the wind didn’t howl furiously.

Our crew as we left that morning – Nate on a 4 wheeler,  Gordon the trail boss and owner, Chrystal on a 4wheeler, myself (Jecca) and Rachel.  Nate went ahead of us and opened gates or let the fence down so the cattle could cross.  He also made sure we left the fence in better shape than when we let it down.

Chrystal getting started

Gordon & Rachel

Going through the first gate.

Vast Country

Gordon & Nate broke the ice in the tank so the cattle could drink as we go to the pasture.

Just thought I’d share another great day in this ranch wife’s life.  It was such an encouragement to get to know these two young ladies better and to be amazed at the connections we have across this great country.  Who would have thought that both east and west would be on a cattle drive in the middle of the Sandhills of Nebraska!!

In the past year and becoming more ‘seen’ on the internet, I have watched as the Ag Chat Foundation and it’s family have become my friends & acquaintances.  What an outreach to our consumers and what an ability to engage those who are removed from agriculture into what we in ag do.   Our efforts are from a rich heritage of hard work and ingenuity, ranchers especially are independent and stubborn thinkers.  (I should know I married one and are one  :)  I’m thankful for the many producers who work to make our Thanksgiving season so very abundant.  We have so much to be thankful for.   There are those behind the scenes of a Thanksgiving feast we rarely acknowledge – how bout the truck drivers, and supply flights that get so much food all around our great country.   We have resources beyond what other countries dream of.  There are those who package or process our food before we start preparing it.  Those turkey farmers are fantastic!!!  To get so many birds ready at approximately the same time, that’s got to be a huge job!!  Thank you dairy guys cuz pies wouldn’t be the same without some whipped cream or ice cream  :

oh – & thanks to the egg producers because these pies wouldn’t have been yummy without eggs!!

and thanks to the folks who raise veggies

and to the ones to make sugar – Thanksgiving wouldn’t quite be the same without sugar  :)

I’m also thankful for the men and women who are serving our country in the military here at home and overseas.  What commitment to be away from your families and to be placing yourself in harms way.  You make our lives what they are today and enable us to enjoy the bounty this country offers.  I’m Thankful that God allowed me to grow up in a Godly home in a country that was founded by Godly men.  What a privilege!!  I could go on with my list but I encourage you to finish this post….continue posting or comment those things you are thankful for, whether family, food, your job or your life in general.  We are so very blessed to be in America,  Land of the free and Home of the Brave  :)

You are looking under the Cat at the stump…still doesn’t look like much but…. he’s not moving.    So he wants to put logs under the blade so he can lift it and hopefully pull itself off.  Nope…didn’t work… he’s still spinning in the air.  Soooo I’m assigned the ‘rescue tractor’…

This is always unnerving…get the chain just tight and then increase the power.  And then there are usually confusing hand signals.  Those are the bain of any marriage for the rancher/farmer wife.  But today I did it about right.  Wish I could drive a tractor and handle a camcorder…I kinda spun him crazy on the stump and then tugged and then wa-la, he and the Cat were off their perch.  :)Rancher hubby with a smile

My trusty side kick Cap’n – he goes just about anywhere!!

But not to happy when told to stay.  That’s  my son’s dog Gus.

Just had to throw the dogs in here – Ok – they’re always cute…

back at the ranch – the pond is now filled in which is somewhat sad.  We had many boy memories at the pond, fishing, ice skating and just sitting around enjoying the scenery.  However, in the past few years it has only been a spot for the mosquitoes to grow  :(  Soooo it had to go.  Saying goodbye to an era, of little boys and ‘toads and snails and puppy dogs tails.  Now to realize that those boys are men and creating adventures of their own.  May they be like their rancher hubby dad…never a dull moment or if there is one…just give him a sec  ;)

There are only a couple things that I get out of bed early for.  Although I am ranch wife, an early riser I’ve never been.  I’m more of a night owl.  :)  Last night I read a couple blogs that really got me thinking about the value of social media.

First – a thought on the elections – YIPEE!!!  Ok – that’s my personal opinion.  Take a look at this map

http://www.foxnews.com/interactive/politics/election-map-2010/#race=racesInPlay&pres=false

This map also has the ability to show you how the map looked in 2008 and also before the election on the 2nd.  My impression is that the majority of the country’s land mass made the decision this election.  Now my challenge to all of agriculture is how to engage and communicate and build relationships with the population centers in this country.  We have kids that don’t know where milk comes from, that veggies are also found in the store and that it all starts at the local grocery store or maybe Wal-Mart.  Social media is a phenomenal tool, we can reach out to others and open dialogue without leaving our offices or perhaps from our tractors or horseback or 4 wheelers.  Most folks want to better understand where their food comes from and if we are doing a good job at keeping it safe.  They want to be assured that we are giving our livestock the best care we can and that WE CARE!!  It isn’t a ‘all for the dollar’ business at our ranch but a love of the land and the privilege to be able to care for it to the best of our ability.   Social media allows us to communicate on a personal level!!   November is a month of being thankful.  America has the safest and most plentiful food in the world.  Our farmers are raising more with less ground and less fertilizer.  Ranchers cattle are more efficient and productive than ever before.  Ok – I step down from my soapbox…. but we need to be involved personally in talking about our products.  Getting to know the farmer/rancher growing your food makes the consumer more confident in what you are buying.  One more sidebar – Missouri lost an initiative on puppy mills – again look at the map http://www.sos.mo.gov/enrMaps/20101102/ballot_Issue_map.asp?eid=300&oTypeID=25

and then read Darin Grimm’s blog post on the election and the map that matters!!  http://daringrimm.wordpress.com/2010/11/03/election-2010-the-map-that-matters/

OK – thought two – found this about the #140 Conf i.e. 140 Character Conference (Twitter) held in Kansas – http://www.webdancers.com/2010/11/early-report-from-kansas/

What I want is all parents and teachers to watch and understand is this video.  Although we personally live in an area that doesn’t have cell service and are able to limit the usage of cell phones with our kids, many parents aren’t that fortunate.  Learn how to use this tool called social media!!!  I can’t emphasize this strong enough.  It is this new generations’ preferred method of communication and they don’t hear you with out it!!

“If you want to build a filter for your kids – build the one between their ears – it’s portable!!!”  @kevinhunnicutt

Kevin Hunnicutt

Watch it and start learning the network!!!

and thought 3 – opened my devotional & found it was on communication.  Has three fantastic points -

1.  We must be prepared.

2.  We must be interesting.

3.  We must be practical.

Read the whole thing here – “Gone Fishing” by Chuck Swindoll

Let’s get involved, the world has changed, you have a story, you have passion, just start telling your story!!

http://www.negop.org/site/c.dwKULiO6LtKeF/b.6360265/k.949A/Sheridan_County.htm

http://www.voterinformation.org/

Please go and enjoy this honor of VOTING!!!

I got asked the other day if there was anyone of importance running this off season election. Actually it happened twice in one week. Because we are in a remote area and all have dish tv or direct, we don’t get much local news. So I thought I would compile a few people and their web sites that I know we will be seeing on the ballot this November 2nd. This applies to Nebraska and mostly to the western half of Nebraska.

This is a link at the Secretary of State site of all elelctions across the state. Doesn’t list the county elelctions. http://www.sos.ne.gov/elec/2010/pdf/general%20election%20list.pdf
1. Governor Dave Heineman – yep there is an on-going governors’ race but we don’t hear much about it. Governor Heineman
2. Representative Adrian Smith – there will be three candidates on the ticket. The democrat running is a very very lift wing liberal, very bad for Nebraska. There is an independent on the ticket who petitioned to be on the ballot, Dan Hill. He has been a life long republican. My concern is splitting the republican vote which could allow the democrat a win. Here are Adrian’s & Dan’s web sites. Adrian Smith Dan Hill
3. Secretary of State John Gale – http://www.facebook.com/pages/John-Gale/86779768800
4. State Treasurer Don Stenburg – http://ontheissues.org/Senate/Don_Stenberg.htm
5. State Attorney General Jon Bruning – http://jonbruning.com/index.php?PID=1&TYPE=HOME
6. State Auditor Mike Foley – http://www.auditors.state.ne.us/
7. State Board of Education – Cindi Allen – This is one those of little known about positions that has such a large impact on state education. Cindi is a Republican, Conservative, LEAD Alum that we are backing. She is doing a great job but is not endorsed by the union, (which in our opinion is good) She will be representing 35 counties across the western part of our state. Cindi Allen If you know of people or friends in the east part of the state (North Omaha-Spencer) John Sieler John Sieler
8. Regents – Bob Phares – http://www.northplattebulletin.com/index.asp?show=news&action=readStory&storyID=18107&pageID=3&sectionID=3
Frank B. Svoboda – http://www.svobodaforregent.org/

Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District
District: 01
Jim Irwin 2380 CR 59, Alliance, NE 69301
District: 02
Curtis Roth 6072 – 270th, Gordon, NE 69343
District: 03
David E. Kadlecek 6473 – 440th Lane, Hay Springs, NE 69374
District: 04
Tod M. Dorshorst 4745 – 410th Ln, Hay Springs, NE 69347
District: 05
James Lees 106 Haynes Rd, Whitney, NE 69367
District: AL
Steven M. Sandberg 4473 – 470 Ln, Hay Springs, NE 69347

Northwest Rural Public Power District
District: 01
No filing
District: 02
Bruce Troester 3143 River Rd, Marsland, NE 69354
District: 03
Michael Van Buskirk 4597 – 420 Rd, Hay Springs, NE 69347
Marjean Terrell 4412 – 436 Trl, Hay Springs, NE 69347

Educational Service Unit No.13
District: 01
Patricia K. Dobry 1011 Sweetwater Ave., Alliance, NE 69301
District: 03
Rosalene B. Tollman 211 Squaw Mound Road, Marsland, NE 69354
District: 05
Mark Sinner 180076 Nash Drive, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
District: 07
William D. Knapper 2002 E 32nd, Scottsbluff, NE 69361
District: 09
Marilyn Wimmer 635 – 2nd Ave, Bayard, NE 69334
District: 11
Donald Egging 2382 Maple St, Sidney, NE 69162

There are school board positions and county positions that I don’t have at this time. I will try to add to this post when I find out about those. Hope this helps you all out!!!