Meatless monday and farmers markets

http://www.worldcrisisnewswatch.com/2012/03/video-milk-man-faces-multiple-felony.html

Coming soon to a farmers market near you.

http://www.beltwaybeef.com/2012/02/whats-wrong-with-meatless-monday.html

I thought this was well written by Mr. Daren Williams. We have an up hill battle judging by some of the comments.

When the government gets total control over our food, they can do anything they want with the country. Hungry people follow a lot better than independent full ones. This has happened quite often throughout history, Russia, China, almost any communist country you can think of to google search. Scary stuff if you ask me. And... all done while telling us it's for our own good. And... all done without wasting ammo. They are saving the ammo for you independent types that refuse to conform.

Branding

We branded and worked our calves the last couple of days. We moved all our corriente cows by truck to some pastures that finally caught some water, and will let the native grass pastures they usually run  on rest for the summer. We were real hard on our grass through the drought, and it deserves a break.
Cattlemen may claim to be in the cattle business, but we are really all grass farmers. If we take care of it, it will take care of us.

The brand

Nobody makes working hard look easier than Randy!

Picking one out

Going to get another one

I should have some more pictures next week, complete with wrecks, storms, and misses. I can't wait to see how they turn out!

Buckles and wheat

The finished product from the can damascus and buckle blanks I showed a week or so ago.

 Monday was a day that every cowboy looks forward too. Light wind, mid 60's in the morning, mid 80's in the afternoon. The wheat is growing, the cattle are straight, and we can ride around at a leisurely pace checking things. Life doesn't get any better.

Things haven't looked this good around this part of the country in years.

Spurs, knife, and tearing things up

I spent yesterday afternoon decorating birthday present spurs to the direction of the birthday girl. We managed to keep a secret, gave her the spurs without silver, and let her put what she wanted on them.
There was only one question I forgot to ask. How old are you Kim? I saw what I thought was a forrest fire to the north wednesday evening, might have just been candles.

Ole Jug ought to giddy-up now!

I got this one back from Armorall Leather. 1095/nickel damascus, with a paper micarta handle. 

It is for sale, email for details.

We have been clearing cedar on some country just south of my house. My intention is to get the native grasses back in place, and the water flowing from the springs again. Cedar chokes every thing else out, and gets most of the water. Hunters like it, but I can't understand why, deer won't hang out in them unless they are pressured, mainly because there is nothing to eat, and the cedar flies chew them up.

I wasn't standing in the same place when these pictures where taken, but you get the idea.

Another casualty. The seeder is pretty well trashed. I guess that's what I get for working on Sunday. I really should sell every thing that can rust but horse shoes. Me and anything mechanical just don't get along.

Mailed knife and politics

I got Ryan's knife back from the sheath maker and snapped a few pictures before I sent it on up to him.

I hope it serves him well.

  Politics

Here are a few articles I came across while fooling around on the internet.
http://beefmagazine.com/regulation/land-availability-government-regs-main-young-farmer-concerns
http://tscra.org/news_releases_blog/?p=533

It is a shame that the biggest thing on farmers and ranchers minds is the federal gubmint and it's regulations.

http://farmfutures.com/story.aspx/senator-expresses-concerns-labor-secretary-10-58191

They aren't going to go away on this one folks. When we where told that America would be transformed, he meant it. How come nobody asked what it would be transformed to. Maybe he was and it didn't get reported.

 I would like to remind Mr gubmint lady Solis that I, as well as the neighbor kid's parents that will come help me work my calves in a few weeks, know a lot better how to raise our children than you do. Horseback and following me around is a lot safer and more educational than sitting in front of a video game. Just think of all the new words he will learn when the cattle don't pen or some one leaves a gate open. Why deprive these ranch kids the opportunity for a real education? Do you hate children, or just the farmers and ranchers?
Leave us alone Ms Solis.

 I would also like to take this time to remind the federal gubmint that my family and I have to eat what we produce. We don't have a secret stash of clean food that we eat, and send the dirty stuff to the grocery store for the townies to eat.
 We also have to breath the same air, and drink the same water you do.
  Please get off our backs and let us make a living.

Canister damascus

Here are a few of the steps I go through when making damascus using scrap pieces.

The scrap is all 1018 steel and nickel that was cut off of various bits and spurs I've made in the past. I have three buckles to make for a family, and thought it would be a good place to use it since, outside of size and initials, I was kind of given free reign.

The can packed with scrap. I will fill the voids with 1095 powdered steel.

The can is simply a 6 inch piece of 1.5 inch square tubing.

3/16 plate welded air tight on each end completes the can.

Into the forge. I let this stuff soak at welding temperature for about 20 minutes to make sure all the welding inside the can takes place, then draw it out with my forging press and hammer.

Drawn out and ready to make something.

Buckle blanks cut out of the billet above.

I'll show more of these as I get them done. I have several projects going, and may not work on these for a few days, so bear with me.

Preg checking

We managed to salvage 30 heifers out of the drought this year. They spent the winter where I want to cut hay this summer, so while I had them penned to move them, we pregnancy checked.
I put a bull with these cattle for 60 days and pulled him out about 6 weeks ago. Being this light bred, I got the Doc to bring his sonogram to be sure.
 60 days might not seem like long for the bull to be in with the cows, but I've found that if they don't breed in that time, I probably don't want them. 27 out of the 30 where bred. Not a bad ratio when your dealing with heifers.

Thomas, our spring break help. I hope the d.o.l. doesn't see this.

Joe checked first to hone his palpating skills,

then the doc checked him with the sonogram.

Joe did real good, he didn't miss many, but we are 100% sure now. 

Hot iron

I love these forge pictures. Been working on buckles and a bit, all damascus, and will be glad when I'm far enough along to show something.

This is a stack of 1018 steel and nickel at around 2200 degrees.

Post replacement

I had to delete a post from yesterday. Sorry to anybody that tried to read it and couldn't. I will try to figure out what went wrong, and repost in a few days. In the mean time, here are a few more of Kim's pictures to keep you entertained.

Badger

Badger's job is to stand in what ever gate we are trying to get cattle through and get yelled at.

Moving to another pasture.

Too bad diesel will soon be 5.00$ a gallon, I guess we will be back to trotting cross country.

A wheat pasture cowboy's rig.

Good looking bull.... the white one is nice too.

Little using knives

I got these back from Armoralleather this morning. For the steel on these I used 52100, which is the same thing ball bearings are made of. The handles are micarta.

These top two don't have a home. Both have around a 2.5 inch cutting edge, green  canvas micarta handle, and are 1 inch wide. These are made thin to be easy to carry. 175.00$ each. Email for more details. 

The whole lot.

Tom, learning how to run off with hobbles.

What a fashion statement!

Knife, spurs, and buckles by Chad Cunningham, chaps by James Jaggars.

Surgery 2

Kyle, holding his end

Brain surgery complete

Threading the needle and ready to close

Sewing it up

Tying it off

Doctors Steve, Joe, and Chad are available for all you surgical needs. Brain surgery to hemorrhoids, we can fix you up.
We also build rockets in our spare time.

New labor laws

http://doublehphoto.blogspot.com/2012/03/dol-child-labor-law-revisions.html

Double H photo sums up what is going on with the new labor laws that the federal government is intent on pushing through no matter how bad an idea it is.
This, and the fact that they are also wanting to do away with the 4-H and FFA in favor of of some kind of nationalized system hasn't gotten much attention from our regular media sources. Most people have no idea how we live here in fly over country,  where their food comes from, or how it is produced.
These rules will reach a lot further than the farm or ranch. The way I read them, your kid won't to be able to mow the neighbor's lawn for a few bucks.

I often wonder what will happen when I finally decide not to give up any more of my freedoms.

Where will America's Siberia be?

Shall I dress for warm or cold weather when I'm sent to the re-education camps?

Surgery 1

Sometimes we have to doctor cattle, and what we have to do just can't be done in a conventional squeeze chute. This one required a little surgery on his belly.

Two for one

Caught, and ready for the heal trap

Heal trap set

Stretching him out

John, holding his end

The doctors have arrived. I am the anesthesiologist on the right.

The actual surgery will be on the next post. Kim Goldsmith was our photographer, and was pretty brave to be around all this with a camera blocking her view.