December 2009

I hope this edition of the Cattle Rattle finds you refreshed after the holidays. I think this has been the most relaxed Christmas season ever - OK, that might be a slight misstatement. I didn't have to get all stressed trying to fit Christmas around school work, final exam preparation and the hustle and bustle of the season this year. However, I'm not sure spending time with three very excited little girls could be qualified as down time. We could really "go green" if we found a way to harness their energy this time of the year.

Earlier this month, we had a chance to meet with Keith O'Neal of Satanta. He and his family have been processing chickens on the farm for several years. It's always good to visit with others who are doing the same type of thing we are - makes us feel a little more normal. In addition to being a worthwhile learning experience, Kurt and I got to visit uninterrupted for several hours and on the way home, we enjoyed amazing, authentic Mexican food.

We were able to enjoy Christmas at home again this year which means we avoided most of the snow that much of the state received. We were lucky enough though to get about 8 feet of wind. For those of you who live east of here, you have never truly experienced a windy day until you've been in 40 mph wind with very little wind break here in Southwest Kansas.

One last Christmas reflection and I'll move on. One of my favorite parts of Christmas has been watching my girls (and Kurt) try to be sneaky (Nat's word). Allison tries to play it cool and is very noncommittal in her answers. Natalie, on the other hand, tells you almost everything she can about a gift without saying what it is and then, is offended if you remind her it's supposed to be a secret. Anna just gets excited and tries out her new vocabulary while being shushed repeatedly by her sisters. Kurt, takes an entirely different tack. If I begin to ask too many questions, his reply quickly becomes "if you want, I can just tell you." I am glad that the conversation between Allison and Natalie: "I'll tell you what I got you if you tell me" is over for while. Eleven months of reprieve.

Another change we will be making in the next month or so is a small fee for the deliveries we make. After doing some more "ciphering," we've decided that we've not been allowing enough for fuel and wear and tear on the old suburban. Kurt and I are still working on the details and don't plan to implement anything until the first of February. That said, we will be in the Wichita area on January 9th and 10th and the 16th and 17th and in McPherson January 6th if there's anything you need.

I'm not sure how many times during the last few frigid weeks I've heard Kurt say "I'm so glad I'm not calving in January." Life has been so much easier since we started calving in April and May. Kurt doesn't miss checking on heifers at 10 pm and 2 am - especially on those nights when the temperatures are in the teens or colder.

Currently, we have cows on crop residue and calves on wheat pasture and alfalfa. Kurt is working hard to make sure we best utilize our land resources and has been supplementing less and less.

We preg checked our cows and heifers earlier this month and were pleased with the conception rate. (A quick note of explanation: when the vet preg checks he/she checks to see if a cow has been bred and about how far along she is. To do this, the cattle have to be brought into the pen and run through the chute to be checked one at a time.) Allison got to help this year and thought she was pretty big stuff. There was another third grader there with his dad and together they were in charge of tags and record keeping (with a little supervision from Grandpa). Unfortunately, our layers are not faring quite as well. In June, we started 115 pullets - we are down to less than 50! Predators have been a huge issue and just when we think we've taken care of the problem, a bobcat showed up. Kurt has a friend who traps and is coaching us on what to do to eradicate the problem.

Kurt and I are taking 2 beeves to McPherson in January. I think this is the first time I've ever got to ride along when Kurt has pulled the livestock trailer. Our plan is to have more hot dogs and brats made. If you haven't tried our brats or hot dogs yet, you need to. We've had more people tell us the hot dogs are the best they've ever had.

Now for news on the family front. First, my Mom gets to make an appearance in this month's update. Both Allison and Natalie got to go visit for a few days. They both enjoy the one-on-one time with Grandma and enjoy their sisters' company much more when they return. Other big news - my Mom turned 60 this month. Happy Birthday Mom! We'll celebrate big in a few weeks with an Open House.

Allison had her grade school program at the beginning of the month AND she performed a short Christmas poem from memory, by herself, with voices (I have to brag a little). Then, the next week, she played the piano in church. So much braver than her momma at that age.

Natalie also performed in a couple of programs this month. The first one was for preschool and I was so proud of her - she sang out - just like her teacher asked her to. Ok, sang out is an understatement. Natalie went full volume - great for a little girl who hates to sing in front of a group. Then about three weeks later, she had to sing in the church program. Now granted, she didn't know all the words and there was a huge crowd but Nat refused to sing. I think she chewed her gum and frowned the entire time. Very much her own person!

Ok, one more Christmas story - Kurt said I should mention the Red Rider BB gun here. For those familiar with the movie "A Christmas Story," you will see the connection in a moment. Ever since we did our shopping for the Angel Tree, Natalie was obsesses with a Cinderella Polly Pocket - Kurt's become quite the expert if you need to know what this is.
Every morning:
"Momma, can we go get the Polly Pocket today?"
"Do you think Cinderella is still at Wal-Mart? (Kurt explained stockrooms.)
"I wonder who will give me Cinderella." (At which point, her worldly sister felt the need to explain that you don't always get everything on your list.)
"Do you think we could go to Wal-Mart tomorrow?" (I had to remind her that we live a long way from Wal-Mart, thank goodness.)
"Do you think this store might have Cinderella?" (Hope springs eternal for an almost-five-year old walking into the hardware store.)
Thankfully, Cinderella was, in fact, under the tree. Rarely have I seen my daughter so single-minded for so long - if only we can focus her.

I'm surprised Anna didn't end up on Santa's naughty list this year. One morning she climbed up on the counter (and taunted me), emptied her sister's backpack and chased Natalie with a soda cracker (that's a story for another day) - all before 8 am! One afternoon, I found her with a flashlight laid out on the table in several pieces. She was working hard at putting it back together. Then, another night AFTER Kurt put her to bed, he found her at the top of the stairs with a bag of Cheetos. Never a dull moment.

I'm getting ready for the Forensics season at the high school. We hosted a kick off party before Christmas and I'm looking froward to spending time with the high school kids again. Kurt has kept himself busy tending to livestock, cutting firewood and hibernating in the evening (he thinks this sounds better than "he's snoring in his recliner.")

May 2010 be full of blessings!

Andi

I've never consider myself a writer. In fact, I used to dread writing assignments in high school - often resorting to drawing cubes on my paper (writer's block - get?) as I struggled to find ideas and organize myself. Over Christmas, I found out some of my in-laws look forward to getting our monthly updates. Ok, now the pressure is on to write something good. Gee thanks, guys.

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