2nd aNNuaL PNW YounG CaTTLemen's ConferencE

Excitin' news Y'all...the grand inauguration of the Pacific Northwest Young Cattlemen's Conference was such a thriving hit last year.....we are bringin' it BacK!

Save the Date(s)! ...Friday, January 21, 2011 and Saturday, January 22, 2011, be in Pendleton, Oregon Friday mornin' and soon you'll be bound for Boardman & Baker City, OR. See the links below for more tour details which includes stops at Pacific Ethanol, Beef Northwest Boardman Feedlot, Port of Morrow, McKenzie Ranch, and more.

Please find further details below or at Young WA Cattlemen and be sure to register prior to January 14th!



2010 PNW YCC Attendees

RFD-TV short segment feauturing interviews from last year's attendees: Ben Carpenter, Ryan Rademacher, & Jenna Feusner as well as highlights of the two days!

GoD is fOr YoU

The following was taken from a daily Purpose Driven Life email. I love that this "Christmas" message goes beyond the manger, star, and shepherds. Those things are such crucial pieces to Christ's birth and ultimately his life on earth. However, often I feel the details of Christ's birth have become more symbolic and decorative than grabbing our hearts and reminding us why we have Christmas...because God IS for US. Personally, a Christmas message that focuses on God "having my back" is what I need at this time in my life. So many people do not countdown the days and hours until they celebrate...they countdown the days and hours til the holidays pass. I encourage us all to be mindful of those who don't have a place to travel to, a tree to put up, family to buy for or to even see. There are millions of people who are stripped of joy when these months roll around rather than are filled with joy. I pray someone out there is able to show them with love & generosity that Christ is For ThEM...

But the angel reassured them. "Don't be afraid!" he said. "I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people." Luke 2:10 (NLT)

Knowing God is for you will change your whole perspective on life. You'll stop thinking of God as someone looking down from heaven, ready to yell, "Gotcha!" anytime you mess up.
Instead, you'll realize God loves you; God is with you; and God is for you! God is for your success in life; he created you for a purpose and he wants you to succeed. It is God, your Creator, who will measure your success in life, and no one else.
This is extremely good news!
It means you don't need to be afraid of God because God is for you. Yet, some people are so afraid of God they get nervous just talking about him. Do you know why? They feel guilty, and then they start thinking, "If I get close to God, he's going to lecture me. He's going to remind me of all the things I've done wrong, and then I'll feel even worse!"
Nothing could be further from the truth of God. Jesus said, "I did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it." In effect, Jesus is saying, "I didn't come to scold you, I came to save you."
And if God is for us, who can be against us?
Jesus came to save us, not to scare us.  That's why when the angel was telling the shepherds about the birth of Jesus, the first thing he says is: "Don't be afraid!"
In fact, when God sends a message to people in the Bible, it's not unusual for the first words to be: "Don't be afraid." There are 365 messages from God in the Bible that begin with a phrase like, "Fear not!" In other words, every single day of the year you can read a message from God that says, in effect, "You don't need to be afraid. I am for you; I am with you; I love you."
We celebrate Christmas because of this good news from God!
(devotional by Rick Warren)

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Don’t let Capitol Hill strangle free trade

Interesting Editorial by Christopher Gillis of American Shipper News ...would love to hear some opinions raised from y'all on this delicate topic. Remember..without opinions or thoughts of our own...well, we might as well just be a socialist!;)

American Shipper   12/22/2010

When a free trade agreement is right for American shippers, like the one recently concluded between the United States and South Korea, then our elected officials on Capitol Hill must make every effort to expeditiously ratify it.
However, as so often goes in Washington, there will be a group of isolationist politicians — both Republican and Democrat — who will do their best to stymie the ratification process, further demonstrating their inherent ignorance in the value of free trade to U.S. industries now and in the long term.
Simply put, free trade agreements are about ending tariff and non-tariff barriers between two countries’ imports and exports. Why should protectionist barriers prevent high quality U.S. products from reaching overseas consumers?
Some lawmakers, as well as labor unions, would argue that these trade deals result in domestic job losses, or don’t do enough to hold trading partners accountable on human rights, labor and environmental standards. While these impacts are arguable, the result of doing nothing to achieve free trade with our closest economic and political allies may spell lost jobs anyway, as U.S. companies’ products fail to be competitive in these overseas markets.
One of the most important U.S. industries — agriculture — has already reaped the benefits from existing free trade agreements between the United States and other countries, such as Mexico, Canada, Chile, Australia, Peru, Morocco and the Central American region.

According to a recent study by a group of U.S. agricultural industry analysts (the 2010 Analysis of the Effects of Trade Agreements on U.S. Agricultural Exports and U.S. Market Development Programs), the North American Free Trade Agreement, from 1994 to 2008, resulted in a boost in U.S. agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada of more than 300 percent or more than $12 billion.


...finish reading more about the US-Korea FTA and the remainder of this editorial jump over to American Shipper

NSCLC/CANCER (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer)

It has taken me quite the dose of time but I have updated my NSCLC/Cancer page above and it is important for me to direct y'all there. I have not wanted to add any words to that page, mostly because I have always felt each video spoke for itself. However, there are links to CancerGRACE, a non-profit foundation providing educational resources to patients/caregivers that I am passionate about people knowing is out there.

I enocourage you to head to the site, and pass along the information to any and all that may benefit from this amazing resource.

...If you need inspiration..well I may be biased but there is none better than the man I wish was able to teach me more in the 25 years I had him...I recommend "Success with Tarceva" to kick you off...modern medicine isn't always perfect..but it ain't always deserving of the bad rap it receives...a little like the rap that is too oft thrown the way of steward of the land cattlemen...

The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West

The following documentary comes to us from WSU student film maker Michael DeTerra, a Beef Checkoff "Millennial Movie Making Project" grant recipient, produced the documentary The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West. The film features Washington rancher Dick Coon, cattle feeder Cody Easterday, and Oregon Rancher Bill Hoyt. The film also features Dr. Temple Grandin, Professor Emeritus Animal Science-Colorado State University. Dr. Grandin is featured in 2010 Time 100, Time's list of the 100 most influential people in the world, due to her innovative contribution to animal husbandry practices in the Livestock Industry as well as her work bringing public awareness to Autism.

(Jump forward to clips of WA Cattlemen: Dick Coon begins at 5 minutes 30 seconds, Cody Easterday begins at 10 minutes 20 seconds)


The Care Package: Cattle Welfare in the West from ExploreBeef on Vimeo.

Well deserved thanks are due to Michael DeTerra for producing such an informative, thorough, and beautiful documentary! Those 'Cougs' sure are make for a unmatched group of folks! ;) 

BreNN hiLL& the CaTTLe Industry Make QuiTe the PaiR

Not every day one of the famous folk gives a nod to our cattlemen, so when a savvy singer & songwriter like Brenn Hill is sending a chunk of his change to support our ranchers we all best take notice! 

Mr. Hill is saying "thanks" in December to the people who put food on his table by donating $5 from the purchase of any of his albums to the United States Cattlemen's Association (USCA).

"This organization represents the folks across this country who take care of the land. I feel that USCA fits the fundamental values of my music, so working with this group seemed to make perfect sense," said Hill. "I find myself thinking sometimes about how I can help ranchers and farmers, and I thought this would be a small step toward letting them know how much I appreciate everything they do."

Brenn knows that farming and ranching isn't easy...it's one of America's most critical businesses and ways of life...plus each and every day it takes organizational advocacy to ensure that the U.S. Cattle Industry remains profitable and viable...Brenn has dedicated the widely acclaimed "Into the Wind" (click here to listen to a portion of the song) to all of the hardworking ranchers across the country...Into the Wind is the rallying call for ranchers to continue their successful operation, and it's the rallying call for USCA to champion the issues affecting the U.S. Cattle Industry...

'Equine' Album

During the month of December, purchase ANY Brenn Hill CD, and Brenn will donate $5 from each sale to the US Cattlemen's Association! Good music, a budding icon that will one day be a singer/songwriter legend, and a chance to support the cattle industry, doesn't get much better than that! Not sure what Brenn's sound is all about? Just sample a few tracks on his website then jump to his music section for a quick and dirty purchase! 

(Information compliments of USCA, all photos from Brenn Hill website)

Mark Crowley ~ GrEAt family MaN, CoWboY, 'neighbor' to aLL

The following article was previously published in the November 2010 Washington Cattlemen's Association periodical, The Ketch Pen. This article is dear to my heart for a few reasons. Mark was the first person to contact me after my very first foray into WCA involvement and ultimately the cattle industry.He graciously "welcomed" me to the fold and small gestures like that are rarely forgotten. Also, this article was "anonymously" written by our then-president's wife, Paula Coon. Paula and Mark share a humility that I great admire and continue to be humbled and inspired by the work they accomplish through their strong dedication to the industry and its people.Paula lent these words after I ingquired about posting this piece, "Mark is one of the many who live quietly and are the backbone of their communities, where their contribution is felt, but sometimes unrecognized." 

The kind of person who holds our world in place....

Mark Crowley

Veteran Secretary of Board

A native of Kansas, Mark Crowley, has served as WCA’s secretary for six out of the last eight years. Working with Sid Viebrock, Jim Sizemore, and now Dick Coon he takes care of recording the minutes of the meetings.

Mark served four years in the Army stationed at Fort Lewis and reaching the rank of Sergeant and serving as Squad Leader. A major in Agriculture Economics with an Animal Science minor he’s a 1992 WSU grad and a loyal Coug. He was hired by Gerry Pittenger, who raised Wagyu cattle. Mark had experience working under Dan Coonrad at WSU. “It was a big change for me and Gerry was pretty patient with me right out of school.” “Those nine years with Pittenger and that job provided me the opportunity to get involved in the cattleman’s association.”

He met his wife, Raquel, in Ellensburg. She is the Vice Principle at the Granger High School, and they have three children: Jessica, 21, Elizabeth, 20 who both work in Ellensburg, and seven year old Wyatt.

Using the Internet to find job leads is a modern day trend and that’s where Mark found his present employment. Mark works at the Kittitas County Conservation District as Resource Technician where he works mostly with irrigation but also fills in with many other aspects of the Conservation District’s mission. “It was a steep learning curve to catch up on water rights and irrigation design. It was on the job learning.” They deal mostly with endangered species issues and water quality and quantity.


Like so many of the ranchers I’ve been privileged to visit with, Mark enjoys working with the youth in his community. He has led the Get Up & Go 4-H Club for sixteen years. He’s a past president of the Yakima Valley Team Penning Club, current president of the Cascade Team Penning Association as well as an an event announcer for them. YVTPC has eight events a year. This February a cowboy event, Californios (http://www.thecalifornios.com/), a companion to Spirit of the West is something Mark is looking forward to. It’s described as a ranch roping and stock horse competition involving working and doctoring cattle comprising the least amount of stress.

Mark sees the new HSUS invasion into our state as something to watch out for. HSUS has eight ‘Grassroots Meetings’ scheduled in Washington in October and November. He adds, “Water issues are central because you can’t live without water; both stock water and irrigation. WCA does what it can but unfortunately many cattlemen are not members of the WCA and don’t get the information about some of the important impending issues that will affect them. It’s essential; educating other cattlemen to realize how important these issues are, even team penning members should support these things or they won’t have cattle to pen. Everyone I work with, all types, need to be paying attention and helping out too. I always wanted to be a cattleman”, Mark notes, “cattlemen are steady people, they are people you can count on, the ‘go to’ people of the community.”

(Article written by Paula Coon)

Estate Tax--Go in with GuNs BlaZin'

Today the Senate passed a tax plan which reduces the top rate of the estate tax to 35 percent; increases the exemption level to $5 million; indexes exemptions to inflation and includes a stepped-up basis.
The House is expected to vote on this bill as early as TODAY.

Please contact your representative and ask them to support the estate tax provisions in the Senate bill.

Tips for calling members of Congress:
Remember calls are typically received by a staff member, not the member of Congress. Ask to speak with the aide who handles the issue about which you wish to comment. After identifying yourself, tell the aide you would like to leave a brief message for the Representative.
You will want to state reasons for your support or opposition to the bill. Ask for your senators' or representative's position on the bill. You may also request a written response to your telephone call.

Click below and enter your zip code to find your representative's contact information.



(http://www.inspiring-posters.com/pictures/Annie-Oakley.jpg)



WesterN winTer wAnDERLust

 

 

When there are days you need to see God by your side, He places His hand in yours and leads you to where hope shines through life's roughest weather. 

~He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak~

 Isaiah 40:29

~DeLIST the GraY WOLF~

PLC, NCBA Support New Legislation to Delist the Gray Wolf

For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON (Dec.7, 2010) -The Public Lands Council (PLC) and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) support the State Sovereignty Wildlife Management Act, which would return management authority of gray wolves to the states and remove them from the endangered species list. The legislation was introduced by U.S. Representatives Rob Bishop (R-Utah); Mike Simpson (R-Idaho); Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.); Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.); Trent Franks (R-Ariz.); Wally Herger (R-Calif.); Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah); and Dean Heller (R-Nev.). PLC and NCBA support their efforts to return wolf management to states and bring relief to livestock producers.

"Wolf depredation of livestock is becoming increasingly prevalent in areas where wolves have been introduced under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). We lost a couple of calves and a cow this summer," said NCBA President-elect and Montana rancher Bill Donald. "When the pack on our ranch grows to more than eight, wolf depredation of livestock starts. If the pack remains small it doesn't bother cattle. This is evidence that wolves no longer need to be listed under the ESA. However, instead of delisting wolves, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) continuously increases ESA Recovery Plan goals, making delisting impossible."

According to PLC President and federal lands rancher John Falen, unlike many species listed under the ESA, wolves pose a serious threat to wildlife, humans and private property, especially livestock. Falen said the FWS does not have resources to manage continued listing of the gray wolf under the ESA. More specifically, he noted that studies have shown for every confirmed kill of livestock there are seven to eight that go unconfirmed.

Male Gray Wolf..what we are blessed with in WA

"Rather than continuing to allow the distant federal government to dictate how ranchers manage and care for their herds, the State Sovereignty Wildlife Management Act would return authority to the states where it rightly belongs," Falen said. "Wolf depredation threatens ranchers' livelihoods and rural communities and economies relying on a profitable agricultural industry. It is time to end the unwarranted listing of the gray wolf. We urge more members of Congress to support this legislation."

Wolves kill 23 lambs in NE Oregon (via http://www.kval.com/news/43055822.html)

Contact: Mary Geiger, 202-879-9138 or mgeiger@beef.org 

--------------------------------------------------------

The above was taken from an NCBA Press Release I received earlier this week. I found it curious that no WA of OR Representatives signed on to introduce this legislation...perhaps because we are working on a State Wolf Plan (oh yes THAT wolf plan introducing EIGHT breeding pair into our lil tiny state). Thoughts?? Ventings??

RePENTance

I loved this post & haven't been able to get it out of my mind! Ironic because I typically despise the word "convicted". I have sometimes felt its misused and abused not a singled out attack on anyone specifically just my own (prob very misguided) thoughts!:) Just been a deep philosophicalesque question of mine if using convicted is a way of still leaving a veil up and therefore not fully correcting our actions. My thoughts are not rooted in study but I feel if it takes a divine intervention for me to realize everytime I've wronged another or sinned then I haven't learned a GD thing in life (bad expression to use in this context whoops!). As a "Christian" If I can't figure out my wrongdoings without a push from JC then why gosh it doesn't make ANY sense to hold anyone accountable for their wrongdoings who lacks divine intervention much less lacks a "filled soul"....just a thought to stir up conversation;)
And yet after aLL tHAT I end up feeling "convicted" of my animosity of the word, "convicted" after reading the devotional below!!:) WoW almost ridiculous play on words eh! 
~enJOY~

(The following taken from www.myutmost.org/repentance)

Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . —2 Corinthians 7:10

Conviction of sin is best described in the words:
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.

Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person's conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person's relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . ." (Psalm 51:4). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, "I have sinned." The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man's respectable "goodness." Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person's life (see Galatians 4:19). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for "the gift of tears." If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.

BeeF inforMatiON DAY --- Grant County, WA

~FREE Beef Information DAY~

 Grant County Beef Information Day, Wednesday December 15th 2010 show up with your BesT bOOts at the George Community Center in grand ol' George, Washington! Join in on the learnin' at 9:25 AM and stay until 2:45 PM. Get your fill of listenin' from local and regional speakers with expertise in cattle health, beef quality, and agriculture commodity transportation will be featured.

Individuals involved in any segment of beef cattle production are invited to attend, and participants need not be a member of the Grant County Cattlemen or resident of Grant County to attend. The program is organized by Washington State University Extension and the Grant County Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s Associations.

Once you've had your fill of fReE coFFee & DONutS you'll be ready to saddle up for the mornin' session. Receive training & certification in the Western Beef Quality Assurance program and a presentation about improving heifer reproduction rates. After you've refueled with plenty of tasty beef  hit the trail hard for an afternoon learnin how to spruce up your operation's management plan with results that can be tasted! Just before you hit the open road, do you have what it takes to be legal on WA roads with your trucks, trailers, & farm equipment? The WSP CV Division will tell you how to keep your operation in the clear!

Tip your hat to the Grant County Cattlemen & Cattlewomen for cookin' up a FreE beef lunch! There is no registration fee to participate in the day’s activities, but ya better get your seat claimed before DEC 10th, 5:00 PM by callin' WSU Grant/Adams Extension 509-754-2011 Ext. 413.

(Read the entire NeWs ReLeAsE curtosy of the YWCA)

China & Washington...which is the "LittLe enGinE that cOULd"??

China Imports $6 Billion A Year From Washington State

"China's status as the United States' number one importer has heavy hitters like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Michael Bloomberg passing through Beijing jockeying for a piece of the China market, But there's one little welterweight that's making a big hit. Call Washington state the little engine that could. After a hard-fought campaign of cold calls and constant visits, China is eating Washington up, from its apples, to its salmon and its candy.
In the last decade, Washington state's exports to China increased over 300 percent. Last year, the state exported nearly $6 billion worth of products to China, second only to California."   (from ABC World News )

Well...not quite sure I like the sound of "little engine that could". Washington State is a heavy hitter in exports which means its often only viewed as a little engine by its own nation. I guess since I am now paying my bills through employment in the WA hay export industry I could be called bias in my opinion. However, I grew up in Yakima County...anyone ever heard of WA apples, what about hops..those things they make beer out of...over 75% of all US hops come from Yakima County alone. Oh yes and let's not forget that hay industry...the largest hay exporter in the world resides right in lil ol Kittitas County, not to mention numerous other hay exporters from the same county. Guess this "little engine" has a bit more steam than others were aware.

Like I say, folks are only ignorant if you allow them to be. ;)

diZZying DichOtOmY

...'nough said

Legislative PaGe...all the cOOl kids are TrYinG it

Warnick encourages teens to apply for page program in Olympia 

Each year, students from around the state travel to Olympia to serve in the legislative page program for one week. During that week, students learn about the legislative process and assist with delivering documents on the House floor.

Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, wants to sponsor teens who are interested in this unique opportunity.

"The page program has a long history of connecting students with their government. Several of our current legislators were once pages," Warnick said. "I hope students from the Thirteenth District will take this opportunity to see our state's capitol up close."

At the end of their week in Olympia, pages write their own mock legislation and testify in favor of the bill in front of their peers.

Students aged 14-16 who wish to serve in the page program must be sponsored by a member of the Legislature, and obtain permission from their parents and school. Applications can be downloaded from the House Page Web site and completed applications mailed to Warnick's district office at 326 South Cedar Street, Moses Lake, WA 98837.

The 2011 Legislature convenes Monday, January 10 and is scheduled to end Sunday, April 24.

Coal Miner's Daughter

Tough to find a better song that so perfectly highlights one's hardships without ever disrespecting the players involved....Enjoy~

WCA aNNuaL ConvENtiOn WeeK

Can't beat my view at work

...It is already that time of year..the WA Cattlemen's Association Annual Convention technically begins...TomoRRoW! That means that it is already Mid-November(ish), which means its already winter...oh wait did I mention yet that it snowed...ALL..DAY...hmmm where was I again? Oh yes, Convention, November, Winter, all of this means that another year has FLOWN right on by! I'm not sure if I was gracefully flying through the year or more like an already disheveled mess that was forcibly plucked up by a crazed dustdevil, then bounced around through the year and dropped hard on my rump looking like a cross between a resident of the Harlem Projects & Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus! (umm yes, definitely the latter was how I traveled thru the yr!) Luckily, convention will not leave me in the dust...or at least not too much! I will be working throughout the remainder of the week but I am lucky enough to work in the same county as this year's convention location ! Tomorrow night I actually get to attend my 4th (??) WCA board meeting since it will be in the evening! I am excited to see all the great fellow board members as the last time I saw them I was saying goodbye enroute to TX. Although my detour is bittersweet for me, any free help that sticks around WA I'm pretty sure is just sweet by the WCA's standards. ;)

Friday night our banquet has a pretty snaZZy spECiaL guest: BaXteR bLaCk will be our entertainment following the Prime Rib banquet dinner! Tickets still available, contact information posted below! Thursday night is our social and Endowment Trust Fund auction so come on out both nights before Winter buries you inside and bans all socialization:) Thursday is Veteran's Day so those of you who get the day off from work have a great chance to head up to Suncadia Resort (maybe even sneak off for a relaxing massage...it is a resort after all!) Don't forget to come back Saturday for the Pfizer Cattlemen's College! I am excited to pop into that since I will be working during Thursday and Friday's daytime events.

Call WCA for tickets: 509-925-9871

where do YoU gO?

 If you're pouring, I'm drinking

You got me thinking,
Pretty girl what's on your mind

something's got you down for you to be wearing such a frown

Your too young for your old lady eyes

you need a break from everyday

I want to call you up and say

Where do you go when you get lonely

Where do you go when you get scared

Where do you go when you get lonely

Let me know and I'll meet you there

I've been screaming at the top of my lungs

No one seems to hear a word I've been saying

and I've been talking to Heaven

It sounds more like begging

I need a break from everyday

I want to call you up and say

Where do you go when you get lonely

Where do you go when you get scared

Where do you go when you get lonely

Let me know and I'll meet you there

There's an airplane flying over me 

Wonder where its going, wonder if I know anybody there

But if there's nothing there for me
There ain't much for me here either

I hate flying to get me in the air

Because I'm tired of toiling over chords

and I'm sick of trying to talk in rhymes

Where do you go when you get lonely

Where do you go when you get scared

Where do you go when you get lonely

Let me know and I'll meet you there

"Where Do You Go", Matt Powell

Listen to the FULL song for FREE here

Pride.....more puny than powerful

PRIDE PRODUCES MISUNDERSTANDINGS

Humility gives insight

PRIDE PROVOKES ARGUMENTS

Humility brings peace

PRIDE PREVENTS INTIMACY

Humility builds closeness

PRIDE POSTPONES RECONCILIATION

Humility admits mistakes

PRIDE PROMOTES ITSELF

Humility encourages others

Tripped over this last week via a FL Radio Blog so I thought it was bout time for me to get around to sharing. The author wrote that the Bible mentions PRIDE 62 times. (I'm going to take their word on it....for now....although I do like to do my own fact checkin'...someday;>) I do have a hunch that few of those mentions would be positive. Humble....humble.....humble....maybe if we turned it into a catchy kids song it would be easier to remember. It does rhyme with quite a few words: humble, bumble, tumble, heck throw a thimble in for good measure......just sayin'!

       ~Enjoy this Tuesday Train O' Thoughts Derailment  segment....Tomorrow brings a tour at the Port of Seattle AND a vessel!!!!!!! Not sure if my puncation usage properly relays my exCITeMeNt!!! Only thing that would make it better would be if 20 or so containers of Hawaiian Cattle were being loaded onto chassis while we were there! ....another tour for another season;)

CrazY cowBoy DrEAm

Crazy Cowboy Dream

“The miles that I have traveled, the places I have seen

Just won’t let me put a saddle on this Crazy Cowboy Dream”¹

          

A few days ago I took my niece up on the invitation to join her at school for “hot lunch”. When your nephew and nieces range in age from 13 down to 7, it is easy to see the GIANT handwriting on the wall. Those pending teenage years have the possibility to make those invitations a thing of the past ! A scheduling conflict resulted in the need to move our original lunch date from the coveted “salad bar” day to a standard “hot lunch” day. Have no fear, this school brought it’s noon hour A-Game. My nephew and nieces attend a private Catholic School in Yakima. Most of the teachers recognize me by now as I have been picking up at least 1 child a year for going on a decade! Despite what most folks would consider a less-than-friendly locale, the school proves friendly & welcoming to the weary lunch maven or afternoon courier. On this recent voyage I found myself likening their school to a small, rural town. The kind of town where the lunch is hot, the smiles are warm, & crazy cowboy dreams are still dreamed.

Back at the cafeteria my small town euphoria was kindly interrupted by a sweet voice, “Aunt Jenna, would you like milk?” Don’t tell the health officials, but typically the only time I reach for milk is when it comes served as a double in a tall glass with ice, a few choice ingredients, and a name that sounds suspiciously like a famous handgun!  On this day, nostalgia won as chocolate milk beckoned its way to my tray. As I found my way back to a table surrounded by 11 year old girls and not a boy in sight, I found myself wondering when that fateful day arrived so many years ago that took away the choice of chocolate milk and took our crazy cowboy dreams right along with it.

One of the great blessings life throws our way are the times when a philosophical theme of one kind or another takes residence in our mind. This philosophical battle invokes pondering that may last for days, weeks, even months. As we drive to and from the kids’ school, ride through that group of pairs, or fix the familiar fence line we may not even realize what our brain fervently ponders day after day. If we are lucky we will reach the pinnacle of all great pondering…the much lofted after revelation. Cattle ranchers are blessed to be an intricate part of nature that includes few others. They are able to take in the wide open spaces, fresh air, understand the delicate balance of all life that surrounds them. All that oneness with nature is great but let’s face it; 'em ranchers are slightly scant on human interaction! It has been a long time since they saddled up to a lunchroom table with their chocolate milk, unless you count those bi-yearly trips to the sale barn cafe!  However, this lifestyle makes them far from short on philosophical ponderings or even a profound revelation now and again. Rather than send our ranchers to “Mingling 101” down at the local Eagles, let’s keep them out on the range & tap into that pondering mind. How intriguing it is to sit down at the lunch table and hear a group of folks whose crazy cowboy dreams may very well be alive and kickin’.

My penchant is strong for anything that takes me back to a time when the worry was less and the “living and doing” was more. Typically that means a great deal of enthusiasm at every 2/$1.00 candy rack where the packaging hasn’t changed since Reagan was in office. However, if you look beyond the Cinnamon Bears, Bubbletape, & Slurpees you just might catch a glimpse of the “good ole days”. The Good Ole Days are not limited to the 1880s or the writings of Laura Ingalls Wilder. We all have our very own version of good ole days. That school lunchroom with its choice of “white milk or chocolate” is just one small peek into our glorious yesteryears. Those days when our minds were full enough to be present yet empty enough to dream.

Someone reminded me this week of the saying about doers and dreamers. My personal rendition goes something like “There are three types of people in this world: Dreamers, Doers, and those that let others do the dreaming and the doing.” I believe we cannot successfully do until we have successfully dreamed. When is the last time you let yourself dream or even turned those dreams into something you did? We all know that no one has successfully ever kept us down without our consent but sometimes it takes a good hot lunch, carton of milk, and a kickball game to remind us to start living our crazy cowboy dreams.

“....The miles that I have traveled, the places I have seen

Just won’t let me put a saddle on this Crazy Cowboy Dream”¹

(¹ Robert Earl Keen. “Crazy Cowboy Dream.” Bigger Piece of Sky. MP3. Koch Records, 2004.)

Originally published in WCA Ketch Pen November 2010. 

Just an old chunk of CoaL, but I'm gonna be a DiaMonD some DaY

The greatest part of modern technology is the ability to have the possibility of interruption to one's own thoughts now and again! If you are like me those thought interrupters tend to just encourage more head-scratchin thinkin'. While I was pushing the ol mower around the lawn turned pasture this evening I found company in the shuffle mode of my MP3 player. Some days the shuffle feature alone is enough to get my mind to wandering crazy, insanity filled bits just on the overwhelming gratitude I possess towards the talented soul who invented SHUffLE! Tonight my mind was more entrapped by the musician himself. Shuffle landed on a tune by Billy Joe Shaver from his Storyteller album recorded live. "Just an old Chunk of Coal" would be played four more times before it was settled this bittersweet tune efficiently would sing September to a close.

My blogging habit has proven my attention span well....short-lived! ;) My last hiatus from posting comes from the sudden surprise of another Ketch Pen article already due, an interesting situation I found myself in...ok not interesting but about the only polite thing I can call it, as well as an impromptu trip to Texas..YES another one:), and a very poignant one year anniversary that has been annoyingly never far from my mind throughout the year. This tune's timing in my ears may be far from fate but it is not far from being exactly what my heart needed to dance to.

I'm just an old chunk of coal now Lord

But I'm gonna be a diamond one day

I'm gonna grow and glow until I'm so blue pure perfect

I'm gonna put a smile on everybody's face

September 18th was the day my father made his debut at heaven's gates & the Lord's feet last year. September 26th was the day I led my family up the aisle of a church with one hand gripping my mom's and the other gripping my niece never so aware of the need to present myself with the tallest posture I was capable of. "Successfully" not allowing one tear to slip by until after the words I needed to speak in front of 400+ had been said and my well-heeled feet had taken me back to my pew. I do not believe I have ever been so aware of being alone until I stood watching my one emotional link to "family" lowered in the ground. Less than a half mile from our home & standing in the cemetery our ranch surrounds, the day I was most fearful of had arrived. Everyone surrounding me had a hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on, and I just stood...once again as tall as my 5'9" posture could stretch. Last week, I had a second interview for a job I never wanted more in my 26 years. I was asked what I still think to be a peculiar question, "What is your biggest fear?" Honestly I wanted to wrinkle up my face and say with every bit of attitude I easily possess;) , "Umm Seriously? Believe me...you do not want me to really answer this question!" Right, wrong, or indifferent I proceeded to tell the nice man interviewing me the only way I knew how to PROPERLY answer: honest but still withholding what I so very much wanted to unload..."Well, if I may be incredibly honest, the very things that feared me most, it seems life has brought me face to face with over the last decade. I guess the only thing that remains to be afraid of is something I've been chiseling away at this last year: waking up one day or even ending my life without achieving true peace or contentedness within my soul." ........YEP...that was my answer. Trust me, I will not be giving Interviewing 101 lessons...EVER! Fortunately I believe we have a truly & astoundingly merciful God....and I will now be employed by that interviewer;) Back to subject at hand: Coal. 

When you think of coal you might think of Santa Claus? I think of something that people don't really see a whole lot of worth in...its dirty, its mined dirty, it burns dirty, its just blghh. When you might think of diamonds, you might think of something you yearn for or even something you think is neccessary for happiness. Diamonds don't really appeal to me I won't lie...but diamonds do sparkle. Whats so significant about sparkle? I hear that word and think of a person...not any person...that person. I don't think of the status and love that women tend to joke or perhaps seriously think comes from Diamonds. I think of the analogy this song so beautifully paints. To me, sparkle might just be one of the most awe inspiring words used to ever describe someone. You can't buy sparkle, you can't curve it up or skinny it down, you can't paint a face on it...you just can't spruce sparkle. To sparkle so bright that others can see it, sense it, feel it, and be encouraged by it...can you imagine? So when Billy Joe Shaver sings about being an old chunk of coal and he's gonna be a diamond one day, that's a whole heck of a lot of sparkle he gives a gal hope in;)

I'm just an old chunk of coal now Lord

But I'm gonna be a diamond some day

Oh I'm gonna be the cotton pickin rage of the age

I'm gonna be a diamond some day

 

Heart Like a MuLe

An early evening perched on my family’s deck left my gaze to rest upon what I have long thought to be the most striking animal in the corral. As the sun set slowly behind Mt. Clements, the coloring of this animal was brought to life before my eyes. The sky’s gold and orange hues set off the rich chocolate dorsal stripe, surrounded by an almost brindle colored coat. The animal gazed up at me and I swore our eyes locked for a few fleeting seconds. Those soft eyes left me wondering what past such a beautiful creature was holding onto. Over the last year I have been intrigued over how something so rare and beautiful on the outside could be so fragile and complex on the inside. You see, this animal was not just another normal four-legged creature that had found its way onto my family’s abode. This was a mule. In fact, it was the first mule to ever have found a home here. “Mule” seemed to be its name, and in the nearly two years since he’s moved in he had come as far as almost allowing me to pet him! Dear family friends were kind enough to loan him to us in hopes we could lure him out of shell with TLC and more than a dose of trust. As I have not been the one footing the feed bill, “Mule” is of no bother to me. His “beautiful” bray always supplies me with one of those from-the-belly laughs and typically when I needed a laugh the most. His rare coloring gives a girl all the eye candy she could ask for, so as far as I am concerned he can put his feet up and stay awhile longer.

One day while out painting by the shop, “Mule” decided to rest his head over the nearby gate and keep me company, from a distance he felt was safe of course. Looking over at this creature that wanted so badly to trust but couldn’t unbury his past, I got to pondering about what path folks leave behind and the path that remains in the distance. As the mule loudly beckoned for my attention I looked up once more and begin to wonder just where one crosses over from the heart of a horse into the heart of a mule.

As I have journeyed through this writing experience with the Washington Cattlemen’s Association, some very drastic changes have occurred in my life, but more importantly in my soul. My recent WCA Ketch Pen sabbatical was not unintentional. For those of you that may tune into my blog now and again, you will have possibly noted the change. Anticipating a move to Texas, I quietly changed my blog from the Young Washington Cattlemen’s Association to The Sagebrush Chronicles. This name change was about more than just a potential location change, it granted me the freedom to dive deeper into philosophical ramblings without fear of remaining politically and socially neutral. My writing is something that seems to come from whatever journey my mind and soul is adventuring down. Great for a blog, not great for newspaper deadlines or an audience featuring a load of cattlemen and women that may be used to a slightly stauncher read. After many months of being left high and dry come Ketch Pen time, I came to a bold decision. As just a volunteer writer for a non-profit organization, I decided I was going deep. After all, aren’t all of us trudging up the same trail in life? That inevitable trail that seems to be left off of any map.

That very trail would be the one God and I have been climbing up the past few months, ice pick and all. I honestly acknowledge my recent articles have come up short on bovine related content. The cattle industry has not left my mind entirely; however, due to other circumstances it has only received the occasional nod in its direction from me. Less than two months ago I said goodbye to my job at Farm Credit and pointed my rig west on I-90 for what I hoped would be the last of my weekly Spokane-Selah commute. After a pit-stop in Lind, WA for the annual Combine Derby, I arrived in the Wenas with less than 5 weeks until I was bound for Fort Worth, TX! Last February I boldly applied for a one year Ranch Management Program at Texas Christian University. After inundating the professors of the Ranch Management Program with a lengthy auto-biography I was summoned for an interview. So, mid-April I was once again hitched up on the Southwest wagon, destination Fort Worth. Less than two weeks after my interview I had an official acceptance letter in my hands and the world as my oyster. Once I figured out a well-timed departure from my corporate career, I had just enough days left in Washington State to sell and pay off my car, sell most of my belongings, and find room in a rental rig for my *extensive* wardrobe, minus any winter item containing wool or insulation of course!

Then, that fateful morning dawned with a financial aid wake-up call. This well-oiled, smooth running plan thus far had seemingly been crafted by someone far wiser than me and months back I gave that wise leader the reins to this stubborn mule. God had the ability to change the plan at any time and this time I vowed to be willing to bend and so it seemed our “come to Jesus” talk had arrived. Would I “have the faith” and bend or would I stubbornly stand my ground and continue forward on this southbound trail I desperately wanted to travel? This time, I relinquished control, ignored what the world might say and have been hanging on ever since.

How many of you have sat around the kitchen table late at night wringing your hands through your hair facing a similar situation? God changed the plan mid-game and now what were you to do? The haystacks all caught fire, cows were stolen, Federal grazing stripped from your hands, a family member passed, your “income earner” lost their job...the scenarios seem endless. Well there are really only two options in times of unknown; we can view a change in the trail we were on as an opportunity or a dead-end. With those as my options, it seems I once again find myself picking up my crazy heart and giving it one more try.¹ Over the last decade I have found myself in more situations than I would have ever dreamed possible where I asked God, “So I guess we’re adding THIS to the mix?” Would the world see those bumps in the road as blessings? Well...probably not, they would probably just see a trail-block. But the world has the heart of a horse. Sometimes life is complicated, it is deep, it is not to be understood in the present, if understood ever. Sometimes, life requires the heart of a mule.

 (¹ Bingham, Ryan. “The Weary Kind.” Crazy Heart. MP3. New West Records, 2010.)

Originally published: Washington Cattlemen's Association Sept 2010 Ketch Pen

Peace...stilling the heart

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.


O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love; For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

~St. Francis  

A few weeks ago a high school friend dropped by out of the blue, it was one of those good Sunday Afternoon visits that seem to only happen every few years! My friend mentioned how much they enjoyed this prayer and I found it to be something that humbled me greatly when I read it. Its words give that oft-needed reminder that contrary to what we are so trained to believe these days...it really is not always all about US! I have been meaning to post something for weeks but each day came...and went. I have had a rough month, TCU orientation came-I was not there, TCU Ranch Mgmt 1st official day came-WA state not TX is where I remained, brothers wedding came coincidently the same weekend I was admitting my dad to the hospital last year and signifying just 3 weeks until that fateful 1 yr mark comes....and still no job, many many applications, many interviews, and no job, no income & living somewhere I didn't ever dream of living with none of my truly great "family" within 1000 miles. However every day I keep my sights set on those times in life where I felt like despair would last forever and years later how embarrassed I was at how short of a time that "suffering" really was & how small of suffering it truly was. So many people will say how undeserved these struggles are, for oh so many reasons, why this year of all years, etc etc. However, I have a roof AND a bed, I have food, I do not have cancer, I have great friends albeit far in distance but not far in spirit, religious freedom, education, and the list goes on and on. Here is to the words of St. Francis binding strongly to you and may this find you pardoned, loved, and with peace:)

TravELinG heart & A side of Home-made RooTs

Boy, I have had lots of things itchin' to get posted on here...but alas...time has got in the way...or perhaps it is more the management of my time! ;) Ahh yes, that is probably much more accurate. I have had some pretty niFTy experiences over the last week but I leave those ponderings for another time. Today...is all about a wishlist. It should come as no surprise my undying ML loyalty (uhh Miranda Lambert folks keep up!). Now as you all should know;) ML has a song titled, "Airstream", with this song bred a bedazzled-out Airstream compliments of Junk Gypsy's super nifty decorating skills!

Super SweLL!! viz www.junkgypsyblog.com

Enter the rationalization of owning an Airstream becoming a NECESSITY of my daily existance:) .........

~ToP 10 trUTHs I nEEd to owN an AiRstREAm~

10) Home-made curtains...

 9) Its a bright, shiny object...bound to hold my attention! 

8) BerNICe tHe bEAsT totally has the raW beaSTliNeSS to tow my home on wheels...a lil V8 & heart all ya need!

7) RETRo...

6) Location options=limitless

5) Encourages outdoor rugs, lawn furniture, sitting outside...all must-have FaV's

4) PersonALItY*...'nough said!

3) Small surface area to furnish...double bonus since most of my furnishings were sold or donated w/ that pesky anticipated move south;)


2) Epitomizes living with less without losing your ever-so-important ~FlArE~

1) Shall a move south ever still remain in my whimsical future...a saSSy Silver home on wheels will no doubt be received with a big ol' welcome!

Gonna Get There SOMEday

Well its been a year and there so much to tell
been doing alright in spite of myself
just wish i could stop feeling bad when i pray
But I know I'm gonna get there someday


Got that job I was dreaming about
sometimes its tough traveling around
but who i wanna be still seems so far away
but i know i'm gonna get there someday


glad i told you all i meant to
while i had the chance
cause every moment i had with you
made me who i am


by the way, i met someone new
and wouldn't you know, she's a whole lot like you
still i ain't ready to settle down in one place
but i know i'm gonna get there someday


well i guess i'll be movin on
i'll just leave these daisies by your stone
and momma, i still miss you every day
but i know i'm gonna get there someday


when that'll be, guess only God can say
but i know i'm gonna get there someday (Dierks Bentley)

Covered in weeds, grass, and who knows what else I decided showering off prior to hopping in a bed with *clean* sheets would be a wise way to start off my week this evening. I started up Pandora on my phone and the song above was the last song to play. Although I can't relate to ALL of the lyrics (got that job I was dreamin about, met someone new, hasn't QUITE been a year....you get the idea), that song hits me hard every time he sings, "glad i told you all i meant to while i had the chance cause every moment i had with you made me who i am". If God ever lays it on your heart, gut, mind, etc to spend time with someone....do it. Go out of your way to do it, you won't ever regret missing a movie, a party, a workout, but you definitely will always regert or remember what you chose to do instead. The one and only thing I may have ever got right in my life was choosing to spend the last 9 months of my dad's life driving home almost every weekend...taking care of him for his last 3 weeks straight...those moments I could soak up his love, knowledge, faith, or even help him through extra company, jokes, or in the end just plain nuturing. 

On another note...I write with a heart that is no longer heavy, i'm pretty sure its emptied and drained completely by none other than the big guy above. I had a week of crazy closure regarding my TCU Ranch Management program among all other things. It amazes me that God has completely wiped my heart clean when I thought it couldn't go through many more cleanings & changes. Well...I'm excited but really just wiped for a little while longer. I mean God has emptied me of all of so many world focused desires I always focused on (I'm far from perfect so its a minute by minute struggle;>) & he also cleaned up some of my sinful shame that I wasn't willing to dig out & just ask for forgiveness...the only way I can vaguely begin to describe it...he is preparing to fill his desires, wants, wishes, orders, & love in all those crevices of my heart that I never even knew existed.

The last few weeks I have had a hard time smiling, let alone laughing...those forced smiles aren't typically "me"...but there are always moments to be grateful for and there were some grand ones sprinkled throughout! 

~A Good Friend came to spend the night saturday night, even though it was a 3.5 hr drive AND she had to leave the next morning at 4:30 am! We sent her home w/ the dog bed seen below which her dog obviously loved, some food, & other "family" items;)

~I moved bedrooms and didn't have to move all the furniture by myself upstairs...my brother *actually* helped me & we didn't fight;)

~The same day I officially sent off my official "goodbye" to the dream I had for the last year...I was given a blessing in the form of one of my oldest friends I hadn't seen for quite awhile...He brought me Miller High Life and we set off for the top of the valley so he could sight his rifle! I got to hear about the work God is doing on his heart...an unexpected convo that still stuns & humbles me...Heck we even discussed Fireproof as he watched it with his girlfriend...now that is God's work & THAT makes me grateful...

you NEVER know what God is working on and WHO he is working on:) In the midst of my own melodramatic downer days I still couldn't turn a blind eye to the amazing work God is doing all around me and all of us...we just have to live our face enough to see it!