Amarillo Sky

Such a great tribute to America's Farmers, "Amarillo Sky" by Jason Aldean...hard to get tired of listening or watching this one!

Christmas Poem of the West

T'was the night before Christmas and all through the West

The people were struggling to do what was best

The Century farms were tucked in for the season

The hay piled up high; feeding cattle the reason

But the families have had to split chores don't you see

'cause one of them's making the flight to D.C.

To the un-ending work on the farm they now add

countless hours to lobby, just to prove they aren't bad

With a nation that's led to believe, by some quirk

That their food comes from Safeway and requires little work

And thus disconnected from food, they assume

Regulation won't stop all that food they consume

And the timber producers lay snug in their beds

And hopeful solutions all danced through their heads

Would a new forest plan finally bring needed sense

To the tinder dry forests, overstocked and too dense?

The moon on the fresh fallen snow is a sight

Feeding hopes that low water won't start a new fight

And we gaze at this vision and pray for good cheer

And for better relations in the upcoming year

But what to our wondering eyes should appear, but

A red-cheeked, round man on a brand new John Deere

Thinking its Santa, we give out a yelp

But he's here from the government.... says he can help?

Dear Santa, won't leadership finally see?

The solution to Oregon's economy

Is don't give us some brand new idea to endorse

When we're rich in traditional natural resource

So let us exclaim, or we'll fade out of sight

Merry Christmas, and trust us, we still do this right!

~Colleen MacLeod

This poem was written by Colleen MacLeod of LaGrande, Oregon.  She is a former Union County OR Commissioner and former staffer for Congressman Greg Walden.  She is currently running against Rep. Greg Smith in Oregon's House District 57.  A passionate agriculture advocacte for Oregon, friend, and WSU alum sent this to me and I had to be sure to pass it on for others to experience!

~Merry Christmas~

The Charge of the Light Brigade

This weekend I went with my mom to the movie, The Blind Side.  I'm certainly glad she asked me if I would go with her to a movie because this was without a doubt the best movie I've seen in a long time.  One website said, "It has a clear vision of compassion". The story was amazing but actually left you feeling really great, not too heavy, sad, schmultzy or anything else! It is about Baltimore Ravens football player Michael Oher.  Here is a poem that was read in the movie by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.  (Oh and try the book too, I think I'm going to add that to my ever growing reading list!)

Half a league half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred:
'Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns' he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

'Forward, the Light Brigade!'
Was there a man dismay'd ?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Some one had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do & die,
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd & thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack & Russian
Reel'd from the sabre-stroke,
Shatter'd & sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse & hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death,
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder'd.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!