Granny's Goodies

This is one of the first years that my parents have been around during our annual sale. They actually live here on the same farm in the house that I was born and raised in. They have a lot of fun sitting out on their porch watching the folks drive in to look at calves. My mom, however, has taken some delight in keeping all of us filled up with goodies. She has been shameless and Betty Crocker would be jealous! It's killing me and I am pretty sure that NONE of my jeans fit anymore. Jade cleaned out a pan of pumpkin bars the other day and said, " Tell Granny to set us up on some sweets!". I guess she took it to heart because we are on our third set of goodies...or is that fourth? Oh ugh, I am miserable! I truly love having them here and I am sure that they are enjoying the entertainment as well. THANKS MOM!!!

What's he worth?

I think that one of the most often asked questions during this sale is "What is he worth?", or "How high do you think that one's going to go?" These question apply to the one's starting at $800 as well as the ones that have climbed to $3000. We have families come in looking for a calf that will be competitive on a national level as well as families looking for something that will be competitive on a county level. Sometimes it is tough to answer.

My first response is normally, "What is your goal and what are you willing to spend on achieving that goal?". The answer is different for everyone and in a lot of cases you have to keep in mind that if you fall in love with a calf that you see in the pasture, you have to know what it is worth to you.

For example, have you been watching Lot #90? Obviously there is something about that "puppy" that has caught the heart of several bidders. When you find the one you really want you have to stick with it if it is within your means. I have never walked away happy from an auc tion when I was in second place. I think that is buyers remorse in reverse.

One thing about this auction is that you should be able to find the calf for your needs as well as your means. We have all kinds for every type of show. Another thing is that when you have bidders from over 24 states looking at them and bidding on them, you will have a good idea of what they are actually worth in the real world. So when people ask me what I think they are worth I usually tell them that we will ALL know after Labor Day.

After Labor Day I will be able to point out to my husband that our Lot #90 is OBVIOUSLY worth a LOT more than what he keeps saying he's worth. Sometimes it is best to let the people speak. They know a good one when they see him!

ADVICE FOR THE DAY:

BID HIGH AND BID OFTEN!

HAPPY BIDDING!

Oreo cookies and milk

Well, it was a great day in paradise yesterday. The morning was crisp and cool and I think even the calves were moving a little slow. Once they heard the Kubota fire up for breakfast they were all standing at the fence begging for chow. Ryan and Jade got started early on calves. The cool weather is making hair grow like crazy and they have been working their tails off trying to get through the calves and reclip. They don't have too many left so the rinsing and blowing process should go a little faster from now on.

The traffic started out slow but picked up to a steady stream right after lunch. Brad tossed some burgers on the grill and it seems like everyone must have smelled them because that's when they started rolling in.

The bidding is active and several of the calves have really taken off. It's always fun to see the different bidding styles. Some people will wait until the very last minute on Labor Day to place a bid. Others will see what they like and bid immediately. With our on-line bidding option everyone can keep in touch with where the calves are in the bidding. I have to appreciate the people that find that calf that they want and bid right away. If they have another bidder on that calf they have many "bidding wars" pop up. It's a good strategy I think because if you know what you are willing to spend on a calf you can find out early in the game if you are going to have a shot at her. If the opposing bidder drops out early then you may have a better idea that you are going to be able to stay on the calf with whom you initially fell in love. Some bidders will look at every calf in the state, pick their favorites and then bid on them accordingly at the last minute. I guess it's kind of like eating an oreo cookie. Some of us nibble off the top cookie and eat the filling, others like to dip them in milk or sprinkle them on ice cream...and most of us like to just stuff them in and devour them. I don't think there is a wrong way or a right way as long as you get the cookie. To each his own.

Never miss an opportunity

I know some of you who know me realize that I have a bit of a strange...perhaps twisted...sense of humor. If you are reading my blog you have probably looked at the on-line auction. Well, with those two things in mind I guess you know that I am having some fun with lot #90. If you don't know what I am talking about you probably haven't looked at ALL of the lots online. BAD BLOGGER, NO COOKIE FOR YOU!!!

If you don't know me yet or understand my sense of humor you may think that I have lost my mind or that one of my consignors has some SERIOUSLY ugly cattle! At any rate I thought you would enjoy the fun. Actually, I was hoping that I could get my citified extended family involved in what goes on out in West Central Iowa during Labor Day. They are going to learn what being an online bidder is all about.

When the work gets overwhelming you have to find something to make you remember the fun of having a sense of humor. NOW LET'S GET BIDDING!!

Waitin' on the "stuff"

No matter how well we plan our lives nothing ever seems to go the way you would like. In a perfect world...well, as of 4:10 P.M. today I just couldn't find that world. I am finding that being responsible for the care and marketing of the livelihood of over a dozen consignors can be a huge weight to carry at times. I have run everything as if it were my own; doing everything above and beyond the job. So far things have gone very well and I am very happy with how things are progressing and how great the calves are looking. The bunkhouse is open and ready for business. We are equipped with computer/web connections so we can use the online bidding and website. We have current bids listed on boards for all of our visitors to see, cattle are all feeling good and are getting rinsed and re-clipped in the "cowboy spa" , traffic and bidding is rolling, calves are sorted and ready to go, pictures and video have been taken and are up on the internet...well almost. O.K., so NOT perfect, but they will be VERY VERY SOON!! The editor had a little tornado issue. Sorry Texas folks...we'd send you some of this weather if we could...not a perfect world!

I hadn't heard from one of my consignors for a while and I was getting really restless about it. I like to keep in touch with my consignors but I don't like to be a pest so I hadn't flipped open the phone lately. I guess I should have. I was very heartbroken to hear this morning that Jeff and Toni Scott had a new baby boy and that het is in intensive care. I am so happy to hear about their new arrival and I am going to be sending my best for his speedy recovery! Welcome to Club Calf Paradise Jacob Jeff Scott!!! New babies...sometimes the world is a little closer to perfect.

Sortin' and blowin'...it's all good

Well the rains have ceased and the sun is shining. The calves look like mud balls but the guys are busy rinsing and blowing. We are hoping to get the heifers and steers sorted tonight and have everything up to shape by friday. We are still waiting on the last of the pictures and video but I am sure they will be finished by the weekend.

Rain drops

Well, I got up early and I have rinsed ALL of the calves. I am Wonder Woman! Actually, it's been raining like a monsoon here all day. I can't believe this is August! The funniest part is that I am sitting here inside the bunk house watching somebody actually walk through the calves!

It smells great in here today. I lit a few candles and, mixed with the rain, it is very refreshing. Actually the bunk house even has a hint of homemade brownies...burnt! I baked a pan of brownies after lunch and and ran down here to get something...that was a mistake. One thing led to another and I didn't get back to the house in time. I could tell something was not good even before I opened my front door. I think the smell of burnt brownies sticks to everything. Oh well, I guess I will give it another try. It will be something to keep me from pacing around the porch on a day like today.

I sent Ryan home for a day off and Jade has been cleaning the shop, working on the show cattle and guarding the sale cattle. I think they were both ready for a little down time. We'll be going full throttle tomorrow!

Juli is back!

Sorry to anyone... if there is anyone...who has been following my blog. I have been terrible about keeping up to date. Between Hayley leaving, going to the Iowa State Fair and getting ready for the sale it's been a little crazy around here.

Well, state fair was great. We brought home several banners and awards. Nelson 26T2 was the Grand Champion bull and the Grand Champion Iowa Bred bull. "Stella", a.k.a. Cowpower 418u, was the Champion Junior Yearling Heifer. The Iowa State Fair also presented me with the award for herdsmanship for all of the work that we do with the Iowa Maine display as well as the design and look of our Nelson Cattle Company display. It was a great fair!

Life at Club Calf Paradise is going well. The calves have all arrived and we spent the weekend finishing up the video on the last of the calves. That should all be up along with pictures by thursday or friday of this week. The calves look great and I am confident the we have something for everyone. We even have several Iowa State Fair winners including the Maine-Tainer Champion Junior Heifer, the Champion Maine-Anjou Junior Heifer, the Champion Feeder Calf heifer which was champion over all of the feeder calves...including the steers. We have NUMEROUS winners from area jackpots as well.

We kicked off our sale sunday night with a consignor appreciation BBQ at the bunkhouse. A very good friend of ours put together the entire dinner with smoked pork loin and smoked bacon wrapped eye of round, prosciutto wrapped shrimp, rosemary potatoes, home-grown tomatoes topped with mozzerella and drizzled with seasonings, balsalmic vinegar and garnished with fresh mint leaves, cooked carrots and chilled beverages! YUM YUM!!! We had a great time, the weather could not have been better and now we are ready to get the sale rolling.

It's a bit warm and humid today and it is supposed to rain most of the afternoon. Imagine that! The calves are resting comfortably and with the exception of doing some re-clipping, we will just stay busy rinsing and blowing from now on.

Jayde Hunt has joined our ranks to help with the sale cattle. He and Ryan Kunze are a great team and I am very happy to have such great help. Mostly I like that they appreciate my cooking but I am guessing that they are just buttering me up!

Darby had a near death experience yesterday when he somehow got a pretty nasty gash on his side. It actually looked like a shot from a pellet gun or something so he and I went to the vet. An x-ray didn't reveal any lead poisoning so we gave him lots of jerky treats, some antibiotics and he is resting comfortably on the sofa in the bunkhouse today. I did manage to slip him a piece of left-over smoked pork. He loves me.

Well, stay tuned. I will PROMISE to keep up better on my blog. I know how much you all enjoy my stories that reveal my own "blondeness" ...just kidding. I suppose that if I am boring you to death that you wouldn't be reading this right now. So keeping checking back! We hope to see all of you during the sale!!

The Slap!

I wish I could explain how good it feels to hear some of the stories our customers share with us. Sometimes it is hard not to get teary eyed. I would really like to share a story about a young man named Avery Bates that bought a steer on our sale last year. He and his family drove all the way from Montana to our farm and picked out several calves. Avery had his eye on a steer we all referred to as "Tank" and when the trailer left our place...Tank was on it. This young man was determined and he obviously put a lot of hard work into his calf. Here is a letter I recently received from his mother.
Good morning Juli --Well the end of the run is here...much to our dismay. I don't know why it's so stinking hard to see the good ones go, but it sure is tough. Many tears have been shed the last week seeing that the end was here. County Fair was quite eventful. We had a couple different families that we didn't even know travel down to the fair just to see "Tank". He got a little bit famous there in the last few weeks of Jackpost season. (Because he was winning all of them!)..... .. Avery and Tank were Grand again for ther final hoorah!! So lo and behold Tank had to come back home because of an injury and had a withdrawel period which was a nice treat until yesterday...Dan loaded him up and it was off to the processor!!! Oh what a tough day...but many good memories. Oh, I must brag a little more...Trista had Grand heifer and Avery had Reserve...we definately can't complain! The kids have one more show the 2nd week of August where they will shoe three of the other steers we got from you. Trista's little steer will hopefully do well there....but we have to wait and see.....
----Amber Bates

Yeah, that's what it's all about!

Smokin' at the bunkhouse.

Sorry I haven't been around for a while. It's been a mad rush here trying to get things ready. We have all worked our tails off trying to get the calves that are already here down to the front pasture. My brother, Erik, was back for a few days and he helped out a lot at the bunk house. Well, mostly he helped us fire up the smoker (by the truck) and smoke a ribeye loin. It was incredible but I suppose most of the credit goes to my beloved.

We spent the weekend installing two new shade canopies for two of the paddocks that were lacking shaded areas. Thanks to my ENTIRE family we were able to get them all put together and nobody was injured...but it was close! As you can see Brad was truly into the spirit of the task! It was especially nice to have my father overseeing the job.

Now that the shades are in place all of the calves that are here thus far have been moved, are clipped and are being rinsed every day for the sale. They are looking fabulous but I don't think that they are liking the warmer weather we are getting right now. It's still the coolest summer in history!

The big move

Nick was so excited today that we were finally able to get some of the calves down to the front pasture. The cool weather has been a HUGE asset in getting these calves ready and in good condition. I have to say that this is one of the quietest sets of calves that we have every had and that helps matters a lot. I think that we may have broke 90 degrees for the first time this month but Nick has been working his tail off all day down in the new "wash house" rinsing calves and doing a little clipping. The calves look great thanks to Nick's hard work and I would guess thanks to our consignors who brought us such a powerful set of calves.

I don't think that I have told you all about Nick yet. Nick Andreson is heading into his third year at ISU this fall and is planning on being a vet. I hurt my back this spring so I posted a job opening at ISU just before finals week. We had several great applicants and we are thrilled to have Nick with us. He is incredibly talented with the cattle and has a great way with them. It takes a special person to do this work...or maybe just to work for me. I am a little particular about how my cattle are handled and Nick has greatly lived up to my standards. He thinks outside of the box and recognizes a problem...he just has some mechanical issues. We try not to tease him too much about that as I am not sure that he has my sense of humor. He is very athletic however and has been able to put his fire pit jumping skills to work. I would have to say that his pole vaulting skills need a bit more tuning. I don't think the pole is supposed to go through your foot! Ohhhh, the stories I could tell! LOL

We will miss him when he goes back to college but we are really looking forward to having him along with us during the Iowa State Fair. Nick is planning on coming back on weekends until our sale if over so I hope all of you get a chance to meet him.

Interesting weekend

Have you ever had that feeling that somebody is watching you? You know, the one where you look around and think that someone is hiding behind a tree waiting to jump out and scare you? I had that feeling yesterday. Darby went behind the bunkhouse and I saw him looking at something. When I investigated I saw a skunk crouched on the ground and I shrieked at Darby to try and get him away. Luckily SOME of our training sessions paid off because as soon as I called to "leave it" he backed away and jumped in the Kubota. I promptly stuck him in the house and headed for my son's gun.

I couldn't find the pin-striped little bugger and was kind of happy since I didn't really want to be part of his demise if he was just out wandering around. I really didn't think much more about it until the hair stood up on the back of my neck after I had been fixing fence for a while. When I turned around he was staggering towards me. He stopped for a minute, smelled the air and then continued to try rip me to shreds...or so I imagined. At that point I did what any normal woman would do...I RAN AWAY!!!! I called Brad and encouraged him to get his tush down the hill with the gun and save me from certain death!!!

The skunk decided to take another break in the shade of Brad's new smoker. BIG MISTAKE!!! Apparently it's ok to mess with me but DO NOT MESS WITH BRAD'S SMOKER!!!!! Needless to say the place looked like a crime scene. I don't know much about guns...or ammo...but apparently deer slugs will pretty much take care of a sick skunk. That's all I have to say about that.

As for the picture of my shop foreman...well, let me just say that Brad is NOT just a desk jockey. He has multiple talents and I am especially happy that running a welder and plasma cutter are part of them. Of course, you "might be a redneck if..." your honey-do list includes adding three feet to the length of your working chute. I do love that man...really!!!

Money is an issue!

Well, with another beautiful weekend I took advantage and worked my tail off setting things up at the pasture for the sale. The wash building is officially finished and we are currently working on finishing the upgrades on the chute and getting it moved in. We are supposed to get more storms today so we are waiting to move calves until tomorrow.

I wanted to take a moment to comment on something that I heard the other day that has me a bit concerned. The comment was that many people aren't coming over to Western Iowa for the sales this fall because they feel that they just can't afford a high dollar steer to use at their county fairs. That really upsets be because I think that there are calves here that will appeal to all; there will probably be some high dollar fancy steers that will certainly be competitive on a national level but I like to think that I have calves that will also appeal to the county-level projects as well.

Every one of our consignors has to place a floor bid on their calf. That bid is not allowed to change and they have to agree to sell that calf at that price if there is only one bid on that calf. Many of the steers will be floored in the $900 to $1100 range. Granted, that price is above the salebarn market price but it is not unreasonable. You have to understand that these are AI sired, they have been worked with and are ready to go into your kids hands. You know what you are paying for and a lot of the risk has been eliminated. When it comes to your kids that little bit extra is worth it in my book. We will sell a lot of calves in that price range. We are not just here for the big time showmen and we want to work with all of you. Everyone gets equal treatment at Club Calf Paradise no matter how much you spend!

I really hope that some of you that are hesitant to head this direction take time to read this. I would really be disappointed if you missed out on a nice steer that you could afford. At the very least take a day and come see us. Looking is half the experience!

Breaking out the sweaters

I woke up this morning with my nose sticking out from under my goose down quilt. I thought I was dreaming. It's the middle of July in Iowa! I am afraid that the calves that Mickey Peck sent up from the furnace of Oklahoma are going to go into shock. Even the yearling bred heifers in the oak grove look fuzzy this morning. I can't believe this weather but I will certainly enjoy every minute of it. It's almost noon and it's only 63 degrees. WOW!!!

Today kicks off the annual Darrell Nissen Memorial Calf show in Denison. This weather should really help bring out more market animals. I am looking forward to seeing everyone today and hope to spend some time this evening at the bunk house having some bbq and beverages. I am sure the front porch will be full but there is always room for more.

The Wash House

Every year we try to make some new additions to the front pasture. Last year we had a somewhat temporary set up for rinsing and working on calves while they were in the front pasture. This project had a July 4 deadline and is still not quite finished thanks mostly to the wonderful rains we have been having.

Last year we just had a chute and a temporary awning with some portable holding pens but it was still a far cry from the steel posts and portable gate panel that we had in the past. We even used to just tie the calves up to the side of the four wheeler and rinse them. Needless to say I am quite excited about getting this finished. We are getting excited about moving most of the calves down to the hillside paddocks as soon as possible.

They are supposed to be pouring concrete tomorrow and Darby is looking forward to putting his paw prints on the new cement. The workers always love that!

Tech Support

Club Calf Paradise doesn't just happen. Everything is choreographed from day one and includes help from a lot of people. Somewhere over that past year I lost my Wonder Woman uniform so I have had to resign myself to the fact that I needed to hire some assitants. So far I have been very happy with the people that have made a commitment to being part of the Nelson Cattle Company and Club Calf Paradise sale crew.

Pictured is Allison Vary. She is a recent high school graduate and is headed for College at Butler Community College this fall where she will be taking Ag. Communications with a Minor in Animal Science. She will also be an active member of their livestock judging team.

Currently Allison is working on her PhD from N.C.C. (Nelson Cattle Company) in Turf Mantenance. She is quite skilled at operating a JD 950 with belly mower and keeping the sale paddocks in immaculate condition. Occasionally you might find a stray golfer trying to chip balls from paddock to paddock. Recently the water hazards have posed a bit of a challenge but Allison has used stealth navigation to avoid them.

Stayed tuned for information about other employees...Nick Andreson is currently working on SEVERAL degrees at NCC. The last month has undoubtedly been a challenge for him as he is apparently working towards a triple major!

Password Society

Have you noticed lately how everything we do requires a "password"? Our phones, our computers, our bank accounts...pretty soon we will need a password to access vending machines and gas pumps. Heck, essentially I even have to remember a password to get into my car! I hate passwords. For some reason, on Monday mornings when I am exhausted from the weekend and I have not had my daily requirement of caffeine my brain randomly shuts down it's "password" memory and I have to spend a few minutes of stressed out confusion trying to access any and all of my accounts.

I have tried to keep track of my passwords by writing them in a "secret book" but I never seem to have that book handy when I am having a password brain-fart. Or along with forgetting my password, I forgot the safe place I left the book. Then when I am completely at a loss I will change the password. That is simply a bad idea because no matter what I can never remember the clever NEW password the next time I need it because I didn't have my stupid clever book to write it in which, if I would have had it in the first place I wouldn't have had to change my password!

There is no password that is unforgettable. I have even tried using the word "PASSWORD" as my password. Clever huh? Yeah, well 24 hours later or after I have inadvertantly washed my clever little book with my jeans...GONE!!! I dunno...maybe it's my age. Maybe it's my hair color. Maybe it's that I can actually remember what life was like before Internet, cell phones and PASSWORDS!!! At any rate, now that I have rambled and vented about this subject I have completely forgotton what I was going to "blog" about! So for today I am going to suggest that somebody outthere name a bull PASSWORD. I think it has some genius marketing potential. Can you imagine the response when you ask anyone if they have seen PASSWORD? They will think that they are privy to some deep secret that should never be shared with others! They will all want to know what it is and get access to it. You could even refer to his semen code as his PIN number!

Can you hear the music?

What is it about Sunday's and rain that make every song you hear tweak some deep sentiment? Maybe it's just that I am too mushy. Maybe it's the phone call that I got from a dear friend in Texas while standing outside in the middle of thunder and impending rain at 8:00 AM this morning telling me that after generations they are throwing in the towel due to the drought. I don't know. Life is so amazing to me sometimes; the delicate balance that we are constantly battling to maintain with mother nature. So here I am sitting in the house blogging while it pours...almost two inches now...listening to the soundtrack from Evita! Eva's final broadcast...it's a killer!!!

The north creek fence/hotwire is gone from the last storm. I had a massive floodgate firmly secured on twelve foot banks with massive augered anchors. That was demolished last fall after ten years of faithful service. Since then I have resigned myself to "breakaway" flood fencing. After any bad gully washers I simply have to replace a single wire and about three cheap insulated posts. I sometimes feel a little smug about this arrangement. Kind of like thumbing my nose at that Mother, Nature. She can't beat me!!! But this morning, armed with my cheap posts, light wire and fencing pliers I stood braced for the next rain battle with my cell phone in my hand and listening to the tears of a friend who was giving up his life dream. As the torrential downpour gave me yet another slap I hung up my phone and left the scene. Today you win Mother Nature. I'll be back! Evita, sing me a happy song.

Another day in Paradise

It's pretty quiet here today in Paradise. I am worried about the weather as it hasn't rained in almost 24 hours. I hope this isn't a trend! If this keeps up I may have to put my hip waders away and get out my Justins. The temperature is perfect and I think the calves are even laying out in the sun to try and stay a bit warmer. I love days like this.

Brad and I spent a good share of the day in an orientation meeting for Rotary exchange families. It was really interesting to meet with the other families and kids that are going to be going abroad. I am pretty excited but I think that it was a bit of a reality check. Our nest is seriously going to be empty and there aren't going to be any weekend visits or "home for the holidays" for the next year. I think that the emotions are going to run pretty deep over the next few weeks.

Nick is back from his trip and is working hard on the calves. I am not going to brag on him much because I am afraid that somebody will hire him away. He has been fabulous though and I don't know what I am going to do when he goes back to school. It is so hard to find somebody that respects the animals and is willing to work with them and treat them the same way that I do. He gets a little keyed up now and then but if he ever learns how to handle the "mule" I think that he will really be an asset to our program! BTW, if you can't tell...this is sarcasm.

So, gotta run. Going to Bonner's for a "Mario Kart Smackdown" and eat homemade bars before going to the movie. I have no idea what some of this is but I vowed to be random today and enjoy one of the last few days with my daughter.

Until tomorrow,
Juli

2009: Away we go!!!!!

Where has the year gone? I can't believe that it's time for another sale already. It just seems like yesterday we were pushing snow and cleaning calving pens! Club Calf Paradise is gearing up at full speed to get things ready for the sale. There are lots of changes in the front pasture this year. The Bunk House got a bit of a remodel and is more like home now. We are working hard to finish the new "wash bay" for the calves.

Many of our consigned calves are arriving this weekend to get ready for the sale. The rest will arrive around the 19th of August. I would say that by the 23rd of August we will be ready for visitors. We have an exceptional set of consignors this year and we are excited for everyone to see the dynamite set of calves we will have to offer. ALL of the calves will be videotaped and online after the 23rd of August. You will be able to see a still photo but also a short video clip so you can see them on the move. Soundness is priority at CCP along with attitude so you can buy with confidence!

I am especially looking forward to keeping up with the blogs and sharing fun stories that are unfolding here during the process. I guess we wouldn't do this if we couldn't have a little fun and I want to be able to share that with everyone.

We are still in the process of updating all of the information on the website. There are some simple changes in the bidding process so be sure to read all of the information. Also, we will be offering some great payment methods and incentives so stay tuned for those as well.

I look forward to seeing everyone again. There have been some great success stories since last year's sale and I am sure that we will be hearing more as the summer progresses. One of the calves purchased at CCP was Grand Champion at the 2008 Arkansas State Fair. Another one of our new consignors, Hanson Club Calves, had the 2008 Grand Champion steer at Louisville!

Darby the cow-dog is looking forward to seeing all of his friends again. We are looking forward to seeing you too!

Best of luck to everyone this summer and stay tuned!

Family stuff

THE BOY: Spencer is living in Iowa...in fact...in Denison. He is currently living at home but has taken a job as manager of Connor's Corner Bed and Breakfast in Denison. (Check out their website!) He will begin on July 1...AND MOVING OUT!!!!! Seriously, it's been nice having him around again. I hurt my back at the end of April and I am not supposed to lift anythin for at least three to six months. (yeah, right! ) I don't know what I am going to do without him.

THE GIRL: Hayley graduated in May...the same day that Spencer turned 21! Whew hoo! She is going to be flying off to Bolivia via a Rotary exchange program and will be gone for a year. We are so excited for her and this new adventure in her life. Her Bolivian family sounds fabulous. We just hope that she will come home. It's going to be hard not having her here for the holidays and to not see her for so long but I guess we have to be happy with modern technology and take advantage of the "Jetson" internet conversations. Sniff sniff! I am thinking that the State Fair timing is going to be good therapy.

THE BOSS: Brad has seen fit to tolerate me for yet another year. He is a trooper but I guess if we didn't love this business so much we would be sitting somewhere in the mountains or on a beach instead of doing what we are doing.

JOIN ME IN PARADISE!

Well, it's Father's Day weekend. The "boys" are golfing, the "girl" is at the lake with her grandparents and I am sitting at the bunk house listening to Sirius(ly) good music and catching up on life. It's beautiful here today. Partly cloudy, no rain...yet, and pretty mild out. Darby is sleeping on the sofa and Hoover, well, he's not here this year. We'll miss him though. Life goes on.

As some of you know I had a large cow dispersal last fall. That doesn't mean that I have walked away from the cow business though. I kept about 20 bred females and my fall heifer crop. I have added a few heifers to the mix and flushed a couple of my donors with much success. It looks like we are going to have a fantastic group of bred females to offer this fall. I have found my happy place when it comes to running cows and I plan on sticking with that number.

Labor Day pasture sale plans are WELL under way. Although with my own smaller herd I will not have as many of my own calves to offer I have put together an incredible combination of consignments that I am sure you will be equally excited about when you see them. At this very moment we have sixty head consigned but as we draw closer to the arrival date I forsee narrowing them down to about 40 head. THEY ARE POWERFUL.

Please keep checking our site. It is not current at this time but we will have it updated very soon.

CHANGES: It just wouldn't be right if we didn't have some new things going on at Club Calf Paradise. The bunk house has had a bit of remodeling. We have added some new furnishings to add to the comforts of the gathering spot. Darby loves them...we are sure that you will too. We are also in the process of building a new structure for washing and working calves during the sale. It's probably going to double as the "smoke house" since the "boys" recently bought a new monster smoker. (More on that later! )