Little House on the Horizon

Never Enough Daylight

2012-03-13T14:20:00.000-05:00

So the time changed and we should have more daylight in the evenings, except we seem to find more things to fill the increase in daylight. I don't really remember daylight savings time as a kid, some days you woke up and it was daylight and others it was dark. As an adult, all time is so much more valuable. One of my 2012 resolutions was to get more organized. I can put a big check mark by that. The bills and receipts are filed and the cattle folders are up to date. When running errands I make a list, check it twice and try to complete it in the most efficient way. Now we have a list to write groceries down when we think about them, not just throw a list together when we're out of everything. And being out of everything happens often at our house, I still can't figure out how that happens!

Later this week I'll share with you my three-week meal planning sheet. Whether it be leftovers, fresh foods or things from the freezer, I like to know in advance what we'll be eating. And if plans change then I use that meal on another date. It is done in pencil!!! I never plan for breakfast or lunch during the week, I always have things for muffins, pancakes, hard boiled eggs, toast, oatmeal and the simple things. And if I get to go home I eat leftovers. But we always have a big breakfast on the weekends!!! Other areas I'm working on, organizing my time and chores around the ranch, and organizing my thoughts when it comes to writing. I recently found a story I never even knew I wrote, yikes!

I hope that everyone is enjoying the extra daylight but I'm sure you fill it just like we do.

Looking toward the future.

2012-03-12T10:54:00.000-05:00

I've never been one to really dwell or want to recap the past over and over. Let's just move on and look toward the future. Ever day we plan for the next, we plan for the next breeding season in our herd and the next trip to the feed store. So when I found this quote...it hit home!

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant. - Robert Louis Stevenson

The seeds we plant today will grow and be harvest in the future. I plant 'seeds' every day and look toward the future.

Ranch Hospitality Part II

2012-03-09T13:46:00.001-06:00

So once you’ve taken the tour, it’s time to entertain, or just get the deal done. If you ask me if I’m hungry and I say no and have my checkbook in hand, that probably means I’m ready to head home. I’m not being rude; there is just probably something at home that needs to get done. And if you’re at our place I would love to feed and entertain you. There’s just nothing better than a good meal.

Finishing the deal…if you know a customer is coming be prepared. Have the registration papers in your hand and an invoice waiting to be completed. In the past I wasn’t so organized, but I am now, I know where every paper and cow folder is, they are all filed together and we can take the whole box to the barn. I want to be able to tell you everything you need to know without you having to wait.

Be thankful of each and every customer. No matter how big or small the purchase is you just never know when that person might come back. If they leave your place with a bad feeling, they may just visit your competitor. And then add that customer or guest to your address list so that they can be included in your mailings. Don’t forget if you’re selling cattle to be shown, it’s always a nice gesture to go watch a show or two. People should feel like you care about their program, herd, success and kids!

That’s it for ranch hospitality right now, I’m sure many of you can add things to this and I’d love to do an update in the future!!

A Peak at what I do for Lunch!

2012-03-08T15:53:00.001-06:00

Okay, this was not today, but a few weeks ago...today it was working on the tractor with the wind blowing 60 miles per hour. But in case you can't imagine what country girl does on her lunch hour here's a sneak peak.

Here I am arriving at home in my 'work' clothes and heels...

Now with a coat and overpants...and boots to go check a heifer.

After lunch I returned to 'work' clothes and made my way back to town. This life is exhausting!!!! But I wouldn't trade it!!

Wheat Pasture Cattle

2012-03-08T11:09:00.000-06:00

In some areas of the country this is more common than others. I drive by this pasture every day, can almost tell you how many are out there and always know when they have been fed. And they are growing. It's that time of year, utilizing crops for livestock and acreage as well!

What I also love about these photos are how crooked the utility poles are!!

Quote for the Day

2012-03-07T08:48:00.002-06:00

I've posted this on facebook before...but today remind myself:

Talent is God-given. Be humble.
Fame is man-made. Be grateful.
Conceit is self-given. Be careful.

A while back this was on Randa Yezak's facebook. She's so talented and has done so much and she's still young!!! We all need to remember these things even when we go big!!! I'm posting a recipe on the food page and a gripe on the from the road page!!!

Teamwork, Ear Tags & More!

2012-03-06T09:12:00.000-06:00

Every marriage takes teamwork, another player, another partner, and every once in a while both of you have to coach. I have the best of each of these and wouldn't trade him for any other!!!

That was my post on facebook yesterday!

So here's a recap of the weekend...well actually just ear tagging new calves. Ryan drove out in the pasture, I put Tana on the back of the truck and we'd approach the calf. Ryan would hold the ear tagger in his left hand and grab some part of the calf with his right hand...for me to scoop in and tackle!!! Now that's not how it should go, there's a very easy way of holding down a calf, but I went a little overboard. The heifer now tagged as White #29 might be scared for life as I was bear hugging it on the ground. The only problem was I was literally sitting on her head and Ryan could get her ear out to tag! The fun things that happen on the ground in the middle of the pasture!!! That's called teamwork! Here is an example of our ear tags, Richey Tags, we have five different colors, all mean something different and then there are the numbers of course!!! And my phone number is on the back side!!

Meet 'Flop' - as you can see she has big ears!!! (Her daughter is 'Flip')

Meet 'Annie' - who has now had three heifers!!

Ranch Hospitality Part 1

2012-03-02T11:07:00.000-06:00

Ranch Hospitality Part 1

There are many opinions of what hospitality means, and probably even more opinions of ranch hospitality. Ryan and I have picked up a few specific things that we have learned along the way or what we hope to offer in the form of our hospitality. This will be a two part series, the first part today and the second will be next Friday.

I hope that when you drive into our place or any other place, it looks nice, the trash is picked up, the corners are painted and you aren’t dodging potholes! Now our corners need to be painted this year, and the wind has been blowing 90 mph for days, so trash is hanging in the barbwire. But for the most part we want you to know that we take pride in our place, and we want to know that of other places. We try to keep it mowed and I’ll plant a few flowers. The hay is stacked and hopefully everything else is in its place. I hope your gates are not held together with hay wire or duct tape. And I hope the pastures are clean so that cattle can’t be injured.

Next we want to greet you or be greeted as soon as possible by you. This is easy for us, there are no trees, obstacles or anything in our view, we know when someone is driving down the road. But we own our place and are proud of it and want to welcome you. And we expect to be welcomed when we arrive at your place. And please be dressed in something other than pajamas!!! I don’t let my own dogs jump on me so I expect the same of yours as well. I love my animals but not necessarily yours!! Remember we all put our pants on the same way. Side note: during my speech at career day on Wednesday the third key to success is the golden rule…and that makes a huge difference in a promotion or big sale. You never know who your future cattle buyers or partners might be, treat them all equally.

Once you’ve had time to step out of your truck and shake my hand…the tour is on. Why, well because Ryan and I are so proud of our herd and what we are producing. We started with two head, acquired five more calves from the herd my parents had and then they eventually a couple more of the retired show gals. But we started with two…and by keeping back heifers and buying cows from certain bloodlines we’ve built a unique set. I want you to know that Sadie is old, she’s nice, we have lots of daughters and granddaughters and she’s the last show heifer I ever had. But that there are five more daughters of show heifers, some Registered Angus, and heifers that we’ve raised ourselves that can compete in the pasture or show ring, which is our goal. I’ll even show you Annie – the little orphan calf that grew up to raise two beautiful heifers (on the critters page). She might be little, but dynamite comes in small packages. At your ranch I expect the same, want to know what you’re proud of, any cow that has a history and the future of your herd. That’s part of being cow-people and going cow-shopping! If the visit has been arranged beforehand know what you customer is looking for. Be prepared (hey that was the first key to success!) have cows or bulls or a set of something in the pen for the customer to look at. Or be ready to feed them again so they all come up. Or have the show calves tied and ready to be looked at. I don’t want to have to help you pen them from five miles away; as soon as we make a deal I want to load them on the trailer!! And momma always said never tell all of your secrets!!

What’s for sale…everything! Well I won’t sell you my husband and he isn’t allowed to make deals on me either. But anything on four legs except the dogs are for sale, the price just depends on how bad we want to sell them!

Part II will include what happens after the tour!!!

Livestock Ads

2012-02-29T15:58:00.000-06:00

There are a million different livestock ads out there right now. Some done by professionals, others done by individuals. Some are better than others, some are more colorful and some just get to the point. We receive several livestock and agriculture magazine, some are resigtered ranches and many others are commercial. I feel that we are well blended, been down the show cattle road, grew up on a commercial ranch, and Ryan is very much on the commericial side of how to run cows and make a profit.

There are commercial ranchers that turn their nose to registered, fed-up, well-groomed cattle, not expecting them to handle environmental conditions as well as others. I believe the two side work really well together. But in a magazine we received lately an ad stated 'No over fed fat fluffy show bulls. Bulls fed to work in the hot summer sun.' Wow talk about a dig at registered show cattle operations. While there is some truth in this statement - this ranch must focus on hardy cattle with just as good of a look as the clipped kind. But I hope that not all ranchers feel that show cattle are just fat and fluffy.

I have several retired show heifers in the pasture, all were fat, fluffy, clipped, over-fed (in some's opinion) at one time. They never skipped a beat and have calved every year. Now they aren't fluffy, clipped or over-fed, but I think both kinds of cattle should be interchangeable. I think the goal of show cattle should be production and how they perform in the pasture, and I think commercial cattle or registered herds that aren't shown should still produce a good looking, well balanced herd. Or I think this is what we are striving to do. Raise registered cattle on a budget as well as mix in our good looking commercial herd to produce great heifers!

Quote for the Day

2012-02-28T10:06:00.001-06:00

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will." Vincent T. Lombardi

Planning for Spring

2012-02-27T09:26:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was beautiful, we cooked out, played with the cows and enjoyed being outside. It was a taste of spring already! And then today is cold... I'm already planning for spring, flowers, green grass (we hope), the garden, and of course our swimming pool. I told Ryan we had to bring the stock tank back to the house, there was just nothing better than sitting in a tank of water at the end of a long day! Spring also means we begin calving, maybe even today, there are several getting close, they are a few days early, but they are pros at having calves!!! Here's to a great start to the week!

When People Come Into Your Life

2012-02-24T14:27:00.000-06:00

You could classify me as a suspicious person! I don't make friends easy and always wonder if there is an ulterior motive behind actions. But recently a person came into my life that has already changed it forever. She is the sweetest, most kind person, who has taught me more about life in two conversations than I would have ever found out on my own.

She took a leap of faith, put her husband through school, moved across the state and has literally began a new life. And through all of this she was positive, knew that God had a plan for her family and did not worry. As she said today at lunch she can breathe, it has all come together. And throughout this journey, she supported her husband to the fullest, lived apart from him until she and the kids could move. She is his number one fan. And that has reminded me that I am Ryan's number one fan, and while life gets crazy, that's what is important. Remember when I told you I wrote out my priorities and number one was that my first jobs were as a wife and a mother. She is the perfect example of how those two things come first.

Even in our short visits during lunch I find myself thinking for days about the things she says. We should all be more positive, motivated and supportive. She has already made me a better person. So the next time someone out of the blue comes into your life, don't be as suspicious as I am, I have found a great friend and mentor!

Step Out There!

2012-02-23T10:33:00.000-06:00

With the first box of books arriving this week, 22 necklaces made this past weekend and at the moment thinking of brilliant things to tell the high school students at the career day next week. In three words I've come up with 'step out there'. You never know what you can accomplish unless you step out there and try. I've lately been thinking about some fabulous people who stepped out at an early age and have successful businesses today. I don't think it's ever too late to step out there either. So whatever it is you're thinking about, pondering on, or an idea you have, maybe it's time you step out there. What can it hurt.

Quote of the Day!

2012-02-21T09:57:00.000-06:00

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. - Buddha

What is your world? And are you devoting everything to it?

Guest Post - The Book, A Great Teacher & More!!!

2012-02-15T09:24:00.000-06:00

“Write about it by day and dream about it by night.” – E. B. White

For those that have not heard the latest – Katy is a published author. (Proud, so proud of her!) Her new book “Where’s My Cowboy Hat” will be available very soon and is now available for pre-purchase throughTate Publishing and the fun begins! I can honestly say that this book has been a major undertaking, from the ground up. Tate Publishing took a big chance and it will pay off! If you know Katy, she is like a snapping turtle when a thunderstorm approaches, when she gets an idea, she doesn’t let go. She formulated this idea that she wanted to write a children’s book, a book that has some purpose, some little message. Of course, I didn’t really realize what she was going to do with that idea, much less that she would be published, but she had my support, even if I’m her proof reader for the most part or sounding board.

Katy has always had the ability to write and a lot of credit needs to be given to Kay Hesby. Kay was Katy’s high school English/Literature/Speech teacher and was able to carve out Katy’s abilities in writing and speaking, hence the reason Katy went on to a degree in Communications. Thank you Kay for instilling in Katy that she can do this.

I can’t tell you the numerous possibilities she has formulated in her mind, or on scraps of paper, small little napkins, meeting agendas, sale catalogs, torn paper sacks, the back of anything is safe ground for writing down her thoughts. I know she has lost many of these ideas because they never make it back to a safe spot and I’ve asked her many times why she doesn’t write in her laptop, and she just says it’s not the same. You can tell that this is serious when I got a phone call and I hear her walking across a parking lot and she is spouting off titles of her next book, next series, or next character even before the first book has been accepted for publishing – and I really can’t hear her for the hurricane force winds that she is walking in, but I agree with her and then click - she is gone on to other things in her busy day.

There will be more books in the future, sometimes based on her childhood and her family life with Ryan, Tate and Tana, names will be familiar to some of you, you might see a similarity here and there. For most of us, we will sit back and enjoy the ride with Katy where dreams do come true, even for a snapping turtle.

(I look at the cover of the book many times, because to any author, when your name is in print – it actually means something.) Katy will begin scheduling dates and will have a shipment of books in soon, for now here is the link to order it online. -Lee Ann Scasta

Where's My Cowboy Hat? by Katy Williams | ISBN # 978-1-61862-208-2 | Tate Publishing

A Farm Quote About Love

2012-02-14T11:18:00.000-06:00

Being Valentine's Day I decided to find a quote about love...and how fitting that I found this one!!!

Love is the thing that enables a woman to sing while she mops up the floor after her husband has walked across it in his barn boots. ~Author unknown, as printed in The Hoosier Farmer

Haven't we all been there!

Take a look around the blog, working on updating many pages and sharing more stories!!!

Using Other People's Talents...

2012-02-13T09:48:00.000-06:00

Since the beginning of the year I've tried to become more organized...which hopefully you will see soon in this blog, with a better schedule of updating it. And...I've come to realize now more than ever that each person should learn how to use another person's talents. I believe this will save time and money! For example, I have a friend that has started making cakes. I let her make the birthday cakes for the kids, because I had no time! And she makes excellent cookies, so I'm done making cakes and cookies...you'll see some of her work soon...she's doing the cookies for my book release and then signing parties!!

I can write and I can make jewelry, I'll use other people's talents for other things!! Look around you and find out who has talents that you don't have. I'm not saying I don't love to cook, because I do... but there are just some times it's easier and wiser to find someone else. My mother's talent is proof-reading...so who do you think is my number one editor. Before the book was every sent to the publisher, she got it...and still today I read some aloud to her over the phone when they are in their first stages. Like the one's written sideways on a piece of paper from the last seminar I went to! Before they ever get typed, she's my direction. My husband has many amazing talents, so you bet, he gets put in charge of many things that I just don't need to do, he can do them so much faster and easier.

This week's challenge is to find someone who has other talents that maybe you could trade for!!! Good luck!

Newlyweds - Sharing a Blog

2012-02-09T10:31:00.000-06:00

I think sometimes we forget what it's like to be a newlywed again! So today I am sharing a blog written by the newest member of the family - Kim Schafer...she married Ryan's cousin, Jeff. Rarely do I instantly click with someone...but Kim is awesome. She jumped right in and helped cook calf fries for the first time...and will follow Jeff on any adventure he takes. Kim's not afraid to get dirty either! She's working on increasing her files of easy recipes for a picky husband so if you have any ideas email them to her!!!!

The Newlywed Diaries!!!

Hope you enjoy!

What would you use...an OB sleeve?

2012-02-04T11:43:00.000-06:00

...to cover a cast on a wrist, on your dominate hand? Well when you are a rancher you use what's handy, useful and makes sense. A few weeks ago my cousin, Andy, broke a bone in his wrist. Just one of the many hazards of working with cattle and large equipment. He returned to the doctor this week and it was casted. So I shouldn't have been surprised when I stepped in his shower this morning to find an OB sleeve hanging on the shower curtain rod. Makes sense to me...it's long...covers the whole arm...is waterproof and has places for your fingers. He tapes the end together around his arm and manages just fine!

Growing up Showin!

2012-02-01T10:25:00.000-06:00

Our county show was held this past weekend and boy did it go well. Tate had second and third place, and his sister Kaetlon had Champion Pig! We have a blended family and Tate has many sisters, parents and grandparents, and it was an exciting weekend for all of us! Tana visited the show barn many times. The family that she stays with showed a goat, and Tana would tell you that was her show goat. She wants to show pigs and we’re working on a deal so that when she gets old enough she can…but they are staying in someone else’s barn!!! The cows are at our house. In the mean time she wants to show the babies!

We have a set of six calves that will be weaned toward the end of April. Here’s the breakdown: 3 Registered Angus bull calves – two of which I plan to sell and one I would like to show or we will just feed out to go back in our herd in the future. One Registered Angus heifer that we plan on showing, one commercial heifer that will either be shown or just a replacement heifer and one commercial bull that will be a steer soon and go in the pen to be sold – maybe as a show steer. Tana wants to know why these babies won’t come pet her when she’s in the pen. I tell her not to worry because in a few months they will have halters on their heads and she can pet them all she wants. Surely out of these six I can turn one into a pet that she can lead around and have fun with.

There is a picture of me at a very young age with a bottle calf named Rose. While we had many bottle calves in the back yard, Rose was the first one that got a halter. I’m not sure why but I don’t remember being scared. From standing on the catwalk on the family ranch to watching my older cousins begin showing, I couldn’t wait. I remember getting to show extra heifers when we had too many in a class or division and then there came peewee showmanship…my first show was the Brangus Nationals in Texarkana. I think Tana is the same way; she can’t wait to get in that ring! I know she’s only 3 now, but I have no doubt she’s going to be a big helper. She even wanted to take her stick to the show…not sure what her plans were but I decided that wasn’t a good idea!!!

Looking back I had many great teachers and was lucky I was related to so many. Who knew that you could learn so much about showing cattle from your mother! My mom jumped in head first, learned from other adults and helped us every step of the way. Then there was Matt – he was the oldest and learned by trial and error which made it easier for Andy and I. Matt preached that you never let go of that halter too! Andy was the middle cousin and the social butterfly of us all! You never knew whose stalls he would be at! I followed them both, learning as much as I could. Doing minor things, they were the head fitters in the family, but I could do front legs!!! I spent many hours with Matt as he clipped and I scratched bellies, we travelled and had many hours in clipping rooms. How did I learn to fit and clip…by watching…some of the best in the business. So when just a few years ago I picked up a set of clippers for the first time in many years to clip local 4-H heifers…all I did was remember what I had watched and been taught. Who knew you could learn so much from observation!

Spare Change

2012-01-30T16:08:00.000-06:00

The newest addition to 'the office' chest is my spare change jar. We all have spare change. I try my hardest to use coins whenever possible, but have decides every so often I will clean out my purse and car to empty my spare change into this container. It is taped shut! I haven't decided when I will open it, but I hope to rack up a good amount in a short time! I'd love to hear what you all do with your spare change. Do you save it? Spend it? Have it set aside for a special project? Or treat?

Guest Post - Birthdays

2012-01-27T09:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to my sweet grandchildren – Tana will be 3 on Jan. 28 and Tate will be 9 on Feb. 5. As the saying goes, “Grandchildren are the reward you get for not strangling your teenagers”. How many ways can you say, I am a blessed person!! ! We were fortunate to have Tana stay with us last week while Katy was at a conference in the Ft. Worth metroplex. She is almost 3 this month, is taller than her mother was at 4, loves to be outside and remembers everything, she will not forget what you promise! She spent time with GG and PaPa and of course there was no spoiling going on at their house! She had a great time washing dishes, playing in the bathtub and with her Barbie kitchen, our time together flew by because you know I didn’t do anything but play with Tana all week. She is a spitting image of her mother, and I see the determination of her father in her too!

I wish I had done so many things differently when Katy was this age – but you can’t go backwards, all you can do is enjoy the times in front of you. Tate shows his pigs this weekend at the Ochiltree County Show – wishing him the best of luck, and Tana will be trying to figure out why she can’t help show Bethann’s goat! -- Lee Ann Scasta

The Best New Things are Leftovers!

2012-01-24T14:07:00.000-06:00

I've been thinking a lot about this lately. We often donate too small clothes or shoes to our local crisis center - and most of the time we collect things for our family's garage sale. The shirt that doesn't fit Tana anymore, is new to another child. Friends of our have been gracious enough to hand down clothes to us for our kids and we do the same to others. Tana does not know that it came without a tag - she thinks she has a brand new outfit! And I smile!

My mother and I often visited resale shops when I was young, it was a challenge and a game to see what we could find. Name brand jeans for $5.00, shirts for less than that...and I'm not afraid to admit that the beautiful wedding dress I wore came with the tags on it from the resale shop! It was brand new, literally, and new to me at a huge discount. I'm sure it had a sad story of how it wound up there, but it tickled our boat!

Recently I've purchased a 'new' vehicle, it's new to me...but my mom has been driving it for the last several years. I call it my new car because it is new, besides it looks great and is in fantastic condition! I have seat heaters and can drive through the bank drive through lanes for the first time!! I'm out of the dually!!!!

An Aunt and Uncle of our came to our place last weekend and raided our 'junk' pile. While to us it was leftover pieces of wood and wire from previous projects, it was their new find to build a chicken coup and more.

I've been fascinated about watching this cycle and truly believe the best new things are often someone else's leftovers.

Our First Remodel - The Tack Room

2012-01-16T10:58:00.000-06:00

Yes, we built and moved in the barn and bunkhouse in 2008 and we are already on our first remodel...the tack room. For those who haven't seen it, it was nice, everything had a spot and it was pretty organized, but dirty. Trying to save money in the beginning we did not insulate the tack room, and it's not sealed up as well as it could be.

Late Saturday night we tore everything off of two walls, moved it out of the tack room or piled it up on the other side, and here's what we had:

A blank slate to work with, a crowded corner:

And junk piled all over!

After adding more 2x4's and insulation this is what we had around 2:00 yesterday afternoon. By last night we had hung plywood and the saddles had been blown off with the air compressor and found a new home in this corner.

The bits, reins and ropes were hung as well. Step 2 will be finishing the opposite wall - adding cabinets and a really nice workspace for Ryan! I can't wait to show you more soon!!!

My Home Office...in a Trunk

2012-01-13T14:05:00.000-06:00

Last fall I found a trunk on Pinterest and fell in love with the idea of having files and my 'home office' in the trunk!

What a fabulous idea right! At Christmas while unloading the presents and packages...there was a trunk in the van. Long story short - I came across a trunk many years ago that was in terrible condition, I actually thought it might have made the trash...but my Grandfather was able to clean it up, put all new parts on it and make it look fabulous!

We moved it in the bedroom and my work began!

Filing box #1 - Cattle - each animal has it's own file, with an original worksheet, update sheets, papers, medical records, etc. We have always been very good about keeping up with the cattle - but never like this. These file boxes are also waterproof, so they can go outside.

This is our original sheet - from tag number, tag color (because there are many), dam, sire, history, future and notes!

Filing box #2 - bills, receipts, taxes and important files.

Storage boxes - there are two - and they will be full soon with all of the stuff laying around the house!

Second storage box.

These are awesome plastic boxes, big enough for a few files, notepad, pens, etc. - and handy enough to carry to the squeeze chute! There are two of these - one for me and one for Ryan!

Here's a picture of the whole thing - I have a lot to add and organize but this is my start.

I have a few gadgets that we'd like to add to our family and computers, etc - this will be the storage place for it all - pens, pencils, tape...our 'home office'.

Projects, Goals and Lists

2012-01-12T13:05:00.000-06:00

This year I have focused on becoming and staying more organized! With that I have created file folders to actually use and write down our projects and goals. This way we can consult that folder often to see if we are on track!

Tomorrow I will share with you how I'm turning a trunk into my home office, and a little about my filing system, including the sheets we keep in the cow files!

And soon I will tell you about my venture with 'scrubs'. I made peppermint scrub before Christmas and this morning I made brown sugar scrub for hands and feet. So easy and so rewarding!!!

Inventory -

2012-01-09T16:24:00.003-06:00

Many of us keep inventories, of our lives, pantry, freezer, cattle herd and I’m sure there are other things. A few weekends ago while organizing our shop, I looked at the feed truck and thought ‘what an amazing story to share’, the inventory of a feed truck! It’s a 2001 White Dodge 2500 in immaculate condition, thanks to my husband, Ryan, with a front-end replacement for anything you might need to accidentally run into, and flip-out mirrors because we like them so much on our 2008 model. In the spring of last year we decided to take the plunge and really make this our feed truck.

Previously we put hay out with a 1984 Chevy with a wooden flat bed and a spike and were feeding with a 1985 Ford with a feeder and our fencing supplies. It worked, but it was time to do something different. We decided on a Krogmann squeeze bed, after much research, and have used it for more than just moving hay. Later in the year we purchased a T & S Trip Hopper, painted black with no stickers. There are several other additions including: a high lift jack, sorting stick, axe, working lights for feed bunks, toolboxes with chains and tools, siren, pickin’ strings and two dog snaps. It sounds a bit much, but the truck is complete and will be used for many more years!

One of my 2012 resolutions was to become more organized and I think we are all well on our way. I plan to share on my blog in the near future about how I’m turning a trunk into my home office. In a little over 900 square feet, space is important. A little about us…Ryan and I met in 2006 and after our first few dates included fence repair and roping some of the craziest cattle I had ever seen, we decided we ‘could’ be the perfect pair. I’ve quit pretending…no one is perfect, but it is just plain scary on the things we can accomplish together!

In 2007 we purchased a piece of property, moved our then, small herd of calves and horses, and had two barns built, literally the weekend we got married. Not that we were in a rush to get home, but we couldn’t resist seeing the barns finally finished. From there we began construction in 2008 to finish a portion of the barn into our bunkhouse. Now my daddy is a carpenter and Ryan is a talented electrician and so much more, so we are pretty proud of the way it turned out. Thanksgiving of that year we moved in and in January, Tana made us a family of four, and a little sister to Tate.

Today we have a mixed herd of registered and commercial cattle with an ultimate goal to go registered but on market prices. That is a challenge in itself, but we strive to produce a quality calf, using the cows we have, what we purchase and the heifers we keep back. While Ryan and I both work full-time, the ranch is a chore, and often times it’s all done in the dark. A few weeks ago I wrote about a set of weaned heifers that only saw me in the dark for the first three weeks – they learned to find the feed by flashlight!

Last night I began figuring how many hours a week we are truly at home, between bedtime and on the weekends; it comes out to about 35 hours of available work around the ranch, not including the kids’ activities and an occasional visit to the grocery store. Did I mention date night with the most wonderful husband...wait...do late night trips to check calving heifers count? That means I sit behind a desk more than I cut strings off of hay bales and run cows through a chute. We truly enjoy the sunshine on the weekends to look over each cow and watch the kids play on the hay stacks. Ranch life is what we love and enjoy and we only plan to grow in the future with more land and more cows.

On top of all of that I love blogging about ranching and rural life, and it’s not always easy. I am a fifth-generation rancher and come from a family of amazing cooks, I love trying new recipes. Making jewelry and photography are just a few of my hobbies, with a future pillow project added to the list. I have recently announced my first book to be published ‘Where’s My Cowboy Hat’. It is in the production stages now and will be available for sale online and through me soon, so check back often. But overall when asked what my favorite thing to do is: being in a pen with the family and the cows!

Here are a few pictures of our lives!

Ryan, Tate & Tana

A Daddy's Girl

Tate's First Snake with a BB Gun!

Two of our Girls, Boss & Kitty

Feeding Yearlings in a Drought

Our 2011 Swimming Pool

Tana and me

Ryan and Tate working with Clyde

Release date to be announced - Spring 2012

You might be a ranch wife if...

2012-01-04T10:39:00.000-06:00

It is not often that I crack myself up...but this one did it!

You might be a ranch wife if…

-Talking about semen tanks and what to breed your cows to comes up in conversation every night

-A hole in your rubber boots does not mean it’s a night off from feeding cows

-You know the reproduction system and the cycles of your cows better than your own

-Your household contains more medicine for the livestock than people

-You can hear a cow in distress from miles and know exactly what she’s thinking

-When your husband questions the color and number of an ear tag, you know exactly what it is, and what her nickname is, who her dam was and what shows she won. And when he begins to debate, you just motion to the truck, because you know you are right

-Wearing dry-clean only sweaters to drain puss from an abscess is no big deal

-Chewing on a piece of hay or flake of alfalfa is just something that happens in the barn

-The feed store list is longer than your grocery list

-And last but not least – there are only five pounds of ground beef in the freezer but at least eighty pounds of calf fries!!!!

More to come soon, thought you all might need a laugh today! My dad will be proud, lately he's made a list of 'you might be a redneck if' jokes that could make him famous!!

Sharing Resolutions by and for Women

2012-01-03T10:28:00.000-06:00

I've been following and reading a lot on a new blog - Rural Women Rock, they are also on Facebook. Why, because so far it's the best blog I've found for and about rural women, the working kind! From flower shops to farm wives these women have ties to rural life and stories to share. And guess what - I will be featured on their blog soon...like next week! But today - you must read the resolutions for 2012 that Kasse has shared on the blog. If you are like me, you will read each one and instantly be reminded of something. Is it good enough to read it once? No, print them out, hang them somewhere, tape them to the mirror or inside of your calendar and remind yourself of them often. Thank you Kasse!

When to Say NO - It is your time.

2011-12-30T16:18:00.000-06:00

A few years back I participated in Leadership Perryton, a great program that our community is so fortunate to facilitate each year. Remarkable speakers travel to our small town for monthly meetings to educate, inspire and encourage. I remember one talking about ‘it’s okay to say no’. There are so many activities, boards, community events and other things going on. It’s okay to say no. But saying no doesn't mean that you don't care, it means that you are not willing to give up time in any other category of your life for whatever it was.

So when I said no a few months back to serving on a local board, it was because at that moment, I did not feel like giving up time from anything else in my life. I cannot shorten chores, and I will not give up time with my family. There is little of it, and right now it’s dark when I get home. The next time someone asks you to participate and you don’t want to, it’s okay to say no, it’s your life, and you are the only one that can manage your time and what is important to you (that will be different with all of us), don’t feel bad for making those decisions.

Angel on the Run

2011-12-29T13:12:00.000-06:00

This was Tana last night while participating in a church play! She did great, especially for the first 10 seconds when she stood where she was supposed to. After that it was ‘momma come here’ and I had to sit on the steps with her, and then it went downhill. It was a great performance and next year Tana will be one year older. Jokingly I called her the ‘angel on the run’. But after thinking about that more, I doubt that most angels sit still long!

Clear Your Calendar Day

2011-12-27T15:13:00.000-06:00

Today I am sharing with you another blog article, Clear Your Calendar Day. How many times during the holidays did you say, mommy can't play she has to cook/clean/do laundry/pick up/take down the tree/take out the trash/make the beds. For many of us, including me, this would take a lot of advance planning, not to have all of the above things going on as well. But there are just some days that nothing else should matter.

Looking back to my childhood, I remember having a summer activity at age 4-5 being a little cheerleader. After that we began showing cattle (which I believe still to this day was 10x better than most of the activities today, and we did it as a family, it's wasn't my momma's project and she didn't ever just pull up and drop me off and treat it like babysitting). It wasn't until 6th grade did I participate in sports - do I think that's bad, no, I'm pretty confident that I was just as good and better than some who had been playing since age 4. It's not the years, it's the talent, hard work and effort put into it.

Though our schedule is slow for the moment, it will again pick back up to practices, games, school activities, church plays and more. So I plan on making a 'clear the calendar day' soon, and often. It might have to includes chores around the ranch, but a stay-at-home day with nothing else planned. The kids love to make their own pizzas and cookies, so we'll do that too! And I'm going to make an effort to put the laundry and dishes off just a few minutes longer if the kids ask to play or color!

Remember Who You Are - Guest Post

2011-12-22T09:44:00.001-06:00

“Remember who you are and where you come from.” My sweet daddy branded this on my forehead and anytime I left the house, he repeated this. You see, my dad was and still is well known throughout the states of Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, because of being a successful business man. From childhood to high school, college and beyond I always lived with knowing that I couldn't do anything out of character because there is always someone nearby that knows my daddy. In essence my daddy was saying; don’t do anything you don’t want me to find out about, don’t embarrass me because someone is watching, don’t get in trouble, don’t make me come and find you.

With that said, there have been some funny occasions that led us throughout the state, or elsewhere and somebody asks how my dad is doing – there he is again, somebody still knows my daddy. Another time, I had a job interview in downtown Houston, went to lunch with the person that interviewed me and before I had gotten home, my dad had already been told of my lunch because someone in the restaurant knew him, (it was not funny at the time), but we can chuckle about it now.

My sister and I took this one step further and have branded it on Matt, Andy and Katy from day one of their childhood and beyond. They did not leave the house or the ranch without reminding them to remember who they were, because there would always be someone that knew who they were. There is not a show barn that my nephews go to without somebody knowing them and relationships they made as young boys become very valuable as businessmen. The cattle that Katy and Ryan have purchased recently became open to them because of who she is, where she came from and who she knows.

So jumping forward, my grandchildren are going to be reminded that their parents are respected community leaders and business owners and will once again get the brand on their forehead from their great-grandfather that says “remember who you are and where you come from”, because somebody knows who you are. I know they are growing up, fast, but they need to be taught to be proud of who they are, the characters that are to be formed and that they are valuable…..never hurts to remind them! Start now….even if it sounds like a “warning” to some, it worked for 3 generations from a sweet man with a thunderous voice. -- Lee Ann Scasta

Like mother like daughter - read on the family page about being proud of who you are and our lesson at home this morning.

And I'll be taking a break over the Christmas holiday so it may be a few days before I write again!

The Chores That Wait

2011-12-20T13:31:00.000-06:00

In a dream world I would be the number one ranch hand, fence builder, painter, herdsman, mom, wife, cook, crafty person. But back to reality I sit looking out the window of my office making a mental list of the chores that wait for me to do at home. The rain came and snow fell yesterday and this morning, while it's nasty, it could be so much worse. So what's my plan when I get home:

- clean out wood burning stove and get a fire going
- change laundry and dishes
- dress Tana in ski bibs and two coats, leather gloves and her boots (this actually takes a while)
- dress myself, although last night I discovered a hole in my rubber boots while standing in wet **** in the cow pen, lovely, but they will have to do for tonight too
- make the trek to the barn, there's no way the gator will make it in the drifts - Tana will probably want to ride on my back
- dogs first, fill water, feed and love on them
- horses next, check water, hay then grain
- cows, first the heifer and bull calf in the pen, see if he has nursed, check all waters, move gates around if needed (Sunday we put out several pens worth of hay because we knew it would be too wet to get back in the pens, we try to always be prepared for a week to a week and a half's worth of hay out)
- check the last few heifers that have not calved yet, see if any of them need to be penned
- did I mention carry/drag/answer questions/occupy Tana the whole time? Don't worry she carries a small sorting stick and knows how to use it! And she'll stand near the new calf just to see if he'll let her pet him. She has an amazing way around cattle and when she says 'cows come pet me' they usually let her pet them!
- trek back to the house and check the pasture of weaned calves, it's their turn to be fed today. They have been weaned for four weeks now, and rarely fed from the feed truck. Actually they usually see me at night with a flashlight! But the way I look at it, the more contact you have with them, the gentler they will be. I'm proud of the herd we have and except for a few, we have raised most of them and they are super-gentle to be around.
- peel the clothes off of Tana - she will be wet, she can't resist puddles of mud and she will love playing in the snow
- stock the fire and work on dinner, change the laundry again!!

This routine usually doesn't take long...but with drifts of snow a couple of feet high we will go much slower. Ryan brought Tana and I to town today, so he'll have to take us home. He plans on taking us home early (it will actually be daylight) and my plan is to have all of this done before he gets home. It was a late night and he was up early monitoring roads and routes for work. We could all use a quiet, relaxing evening (but maybe that's in my dream too)!!

Do you have a New Year's Resolution?

2011-12-19T09:59:00.000-06:00

I know Christmas isn't here quite yet, but 2012 is just around the corner. Lately I have changed many things around our house. I am trying to be more organized, get things done faster and easier. I have a nifty little grocery list hanging inside the cabinet door that is very convenient and keeps me from using a ton of sticky notes. And I've 'encouraged' the kids to help out! They make a great team unloading the dryer and picking up around the house too. Tana even sweeps around the wood burning stove with the small dustpan!

But what are my goals for 2012? I haven't thought a lot about it yet, but I will continue to work at being organized around the home. The freezer has turned into a mess and I plan to organize that soon (but the 60+ pounds of calf fries are taking up a lot of space). We will strive to eat what we have and not waste fruit or veggies. And I will challenge myself to save money in any way and use coupons and sales when shopping. This used to be called, being frugal, and now it's called, living creatively!

I've neglected the blog some lately because I have been reading other blogs by amazing women who have tons of great ideas on getting organized and living creatively! I'll share some soon.

It's Official -

2011-12-16T09:53:00.000-06:00

Yes it's official, it's been one week since I began sharing the cover of the book.

I can count on one hand the few people that knew anything about this two years ago and then the progression since June of this year! There are so many thank yous for support, encouragement and the people who have helped me a long the way. The book will be available soon and I will know dates later!!!

And - yes there are future books both on paper and in my head!

Check out the food page!

Putting the Squeeze on Love

2011-12-13T09:24:00.001-06:00

Putting the Squeeze on Love

By Gary Hodgson

I recently stumbled onto what probably is the most important discovery of our century. It’s nothing insignificant like the fountain of youth, a cure for the common cold or intelligent life on Mars (or in Washington DC). Nope, I’ve recently discovered something. I’ve discovered the secret to a long, happy marriage. If couple contemplating marriage will follow my directions, they will know immediately if they are marrying the right person. My secret? A SQUEEZE CHUTE!

Yep, those hinged, noisy, finger-pinching, knuckle-rappin, labor saving devices mark the hidden path to marital bliss. Forget showers for the prospective bride that only give her the impression that her towels will always match and her life will always have a place for a cappuccino machine. Discontinue bachelor parties where the groom gets the idea he’ll still be able to get together with his buddies once in a while to have a wild ‘boys night out’ without suffering dire consequences.

Instead of these time-honored and totally misleading traditions, here’s my plan. Weeks before the wedding, before the invitations have been printed and the church reserved, assemble the bride, groom, and about 70 uncooperative crossbred cows and one of the industry’s best squeeze chutes. The goal: with no outside help, let the two lovebirds process the cattle through the chute. Once this has been done, if they’re still speaking to each other, this marriage will last. In short, all the problems a couple can encounter in life will be addressed right then and there.

First, there’s the question of authority. Who will be in charge? The boss, you see, gets to run the chute. The submissive partner brings the cattle up the alley to the chute.

Once that issue has been addressed, there’s the question of forgiveness. There’ll be one old cow that does not want to go up the alley to the chute. She fights, bellers, and flings all kinds of bodily fluids over the one trying to coax her up the alleyway. Finally, after risking life and limb, the cow charges up the alley and right out of the chute. The ‘boss’ on the head gate will likely miss her. How’s the old forgiveness test going?

Also there are lessons concerning compatibility to be learned. An aggressive ‘type A’ personality on the chute won’t be satisfied with the performance of a laid back ‘type B’ bringing the cattle up. Hollering ‘more cattle’ about 11 times usually brings a premature halt to the test proceedings.

I know this system works. Not that long ago, I helped my oldest daughter and her husband work cattle at their feedlot. I was impressed at how well they worked together all day long. He runs the chute; she always has one ready to enter. Those two will make it way past Valentine’s Day.

My first wife and I worked cattle together. That’s probably why I must distinguish between the first and second when speaking of wives. My present partner in life and love helped me put 400 yearling heifers through a chute on one of our dates. Any gal who could stand that is okay by my book. I ran the chute, but she told me how. That’s pretty much our system and it’s a good one.

So the next time you see a couple looking all gooey-eyed at each other, don’t buy them a toast, get’em a squeeze chute instead.

The End

My first 'date' with Ryan included repairing a fence for a local rancher when a major storm blew in. Did I mention the horse was loaded in stock racks in the back of the truck. And it began to hail. Second date included roping the meanest, craziest 'calf' 800 pound bull, and Ryan caught him about the time he was leaping over the edge. Ryan sent me after the truck and trailer, I rode up the hill thinking he never asked if I could drive a standard, which I could! And he was sitting at the top of a bluff wondering the same thing!!! And when working cattle there are many times it doesn't go smoothly, including the time I tackled the bottle calf only to step in a ditch-line and to this day I will still say I broke something in my foot. But the point is you have to be able to forgive and still love each other when it's all over with!

Coyotes in the Yard

2011-12-12T15:12:00.000-06:00

I am telling you, they are in the yard, literally! The other night Ryan walked out on the front porch to do what all men in the country do…and they took off just yards away from him. So yet again, I have declared war on the coyotes, and we will be sighting in a few other rifles so that we are ready any time, any place!

But I’m going to get a little deeper here. Between having coyotes around the house and barns, dog kennels and cows, and between a great church service I attended on Wednesday…are there coyotes in our own lives. Meaning coyote in the terms of someone that is an enemy, someone that has underlying motives, or even someone that befriends us for the wrong reason.

Most of my deep thinking either occurs in the truck between dropping Tana off and getting to work (quiet time), or while putting on my makeup. It’s not that I don’t like having people close to me, but I am very cautious. So my theory is: keep the coyotes out of the yard and out of your life!!

It's Not All About You - A Must Read Guest Post

2011-12-09T09:14:00.000-06:00

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

I recently was in our breakroom at work for a meeting regarding the move of our offices. Naturally, I was thinking about the impact this move was going to have on me, extra miles to drive every day, leave home much earlier, etc. So, I sat down in a random spot to listen about the pending move and I looked down at the table and the paper in front of me said “It’s not always about you!”. I was floored, my mouth opened, I wondered if management had put this at every place on the table. Looking around, it was only in front of ME.

Like a huge slap in the face because I was throwing my own pity party, I read the paper in front of me. It is written by John Cuff and in part it says……“Someone once told me that the secret to being humble is remembering that it’s not all about you. “It’s” meaning is the world, the day, the conversation, the traffic jam, etc. In order to really believe it’s not all about you, you have to believe that everyone is more interesting than you. The person who cleans your office, the guy next to you in traffic, the businessman who sits next to you on a plane….EVERYONE. “Stop being so interesting and start focusing on being interested.”

Most of the people you encounter in an average day are only going to be there for a second or a minute. You’ve only got a moment to hear their story, a second to pause your busy life long enough to hear about somebody else’s. Your access is incredibly limited, they are more interesting than you. What about the people we see all the time? Coworkers, friends, family members, why are they so interesting? Because you already know your stories. You’ve heard them a dozen times. But the coworker that is sarcastic and negative, you know that person? He is going to tell you how he’s doing because he’s exhausted carrying his story alone. It’s heavy and he’d gladly share the load with you if you weren’t so focused on thinking it’s all about you….it’s not. And if you’ll ask people a question, more often than not they’ll tell you a story that will blow you away or make you laugh or cry. Because people are more interesting than you.”

WOW-I needed that. I’ve been concentrating on myself lately because of medical issues, so I needed a re-adjustment! I think at this time of year, when we have lots to do and manage, that there comes a time that we have to stop and remember that It’s not always about you, and focus on what is important, our God, our country, our family and friends. Be interested in others in 2012! - Lee Ann Scasta

(Note: my mother is one of the strongest people I know, and while battling with a worn-out, over-worked, not-cooperating foot that she finally had surgery on, she still takes care of everyone else near and far!)

Sharing a Friend...

2011-12-07T10:17:00.000-06:00

Today I would like to introduce you to ... Chera Taber, author of Muddle Creek Zoo.

Check out her website and blog here! Chera will share with you her path through turning a poem she wrote at a young age into a published book (her project). If you think it's easy, it's not, it is a constant work on progress. A book can almost be referred to as a child, it is born, it grows and some day you get to see it out on it's own. Chera is nearing the end of the process, waiting for a final proof and then will go to printing, with a release date to be announced soon. I will give you all an update of how to order Muddle Creek Zoo soon!

Loaded Plate

2011-12-06T14:22:00.000-06:00

It may be the time of year, current projects, kids or the fact that it is getting dark so early, but today I feel like I have a loaded plate! It surely has nothing to do with the fact that I'm not done with my Christmas shopping either!!! And Tana's birthday is in January...Tate's a week later in February. So instead of writing some sappy article today....here are more pictures! I plan to be back on track soon with regular updates and a new set of photos!!

Does this look dry or what?

My cousin, Andy Scasta's dog, Callie.

Clyde - one heck of horse that we keep turning down offers on!

Tate one evening on Clyde.

Tate - he's just so photogenic!!

Broken Ornaments

2011-12-05T11:32:00.000-06:00

Our Christmas tree is a long story already and I'm still not sure it won't wind up in a dumpster after the holidays! So here goes - unpack the tree, put the bottom portion on the stand - plug in. Ya, the lights work. The thought went through my head, what happens if the lights don't work on a pre-lit tree. Well - the next section only had half the lights working and so did the top. Ryan replaced several and decided we needed many more to get it all working. Well they are special lights that you can't find locally. So I tried to buy a stand very similar and thought we could use those lights to put in. That didn't work either.

So the Christmas tree sat naked for several days with only a portion of the lights working...what did I do, took a huge strand of colored lights and covered the whole thing. And then as a family we put the ornaments on and called it good. Tana thought it was perfect with only half the lights working. So this weekend we decorated, Tana help, and there were many broken ornaments. But that really didn't matter! In life so many things don't go the right way, and in the end it really doesn't matter! We have a beautiful tree, presents underneath it and every morning when I plug it in Tana says it's perfect!!!

Reflecting

2011-12-02T11:57:00.000-06:00

As I went through my mom's online photo albums, I thought today would be a great day to share a few photos!!! I'm pretty partial to cousins and these photos are too cute!

Reign (Scasta) holding baby Tana:

Reign must have convinced us baby Tana needed to get on the saddle too!

Reign taking Tana for a ride.

And Reign driving Tana around! They have grown up so much!

Tate, Tana and Reign at Blue Bell:

And the newest addition to the cousins...Cutter Scasta.

These kids have grown up so much and I can't wait till our next visit for new pictures!

What Was I Thinking

2011-11-30T14:40:00.000-06:00

I took yesterday off, a much needed day of crazy catch-up..or so I thought. It started off with a change of my original schedule...then taking kids to the sitter and school. Off schedule already I postponed my shower till I got home. Thinking back now I know why so many moms wear their sunglasses to drop their kids off. Continuing.. On this track I would be home by eight, showered and dressed by 8:30 then on to my growing list of items to get done, then Lions club for lunch, a few errands around town and back to the list in the afternoon.

But on my way home I realize a neighbor has cows out, they were two miles up the road...sitting in our entrance I debated. Do I go help? Or do I mind my own business? In our world, if MY cows are out and I am not in distress, leave me alone. I know them, call them by name, yell at them and know exactly what makes them tick. Some times help just gets in the way. But this time I felt the need to bring up there rear. So four miles later I am following a nice herd of cows back to their hot-fenced pasture. Once all are in the neighbor pulls up, rolls down the window, looks at me and asks if I am Ryan's wife. I answer yes, good luck in keeping your cows in...blah, blah, blah, tell him it's my day off happy to help. I know that I am not dressed for the occasion to begin with.

I sort of put my hair on top of my head, had on a t-shirt with a zip up jacket trying to hide the fact that I was too lazy to put on a bra! Heck I made the kids pumpkin muffins and it was my day off. I am in wind pants - the kind that you wear over your jeans, which are a size too big and rolled at the waste...and flip-flops. Yes I got out of the truck and yelled at the cows. They even looked at me like I was crazy. But after returning home and looking in the mirror I realized I had not taken all the mascara off from the night before and I look like I have at least one good black eye. WHAT WAS I THINKING. No wonder he asked very politely if I was Ryan's wife...thinking in his head, that can't be her!

I have now twice told Ryan to never let me leave the house like that again. This morning, he informs me I've done it multiple times. I'm never doing that again... I documented my day off but this story was just too good to miss!

Shortcuts - are they worth it?

2011-11-28T13:46:00.000-06:00

We all do it...take shortcuts to save time, money, resources, etc. But like many of you, sometimes we realize that taking shortcuts can actually cost more time, money and resources. Yesterday Ryan and I looked at each other and said 'no more shortcuts'. Our time is valuable, with both of us working full time the only time we have to devote to the ranch, kids and animals is in the evenings and on the weekends. We make it work...but time is money and money is precious, and we have big plans. No more shortcuts...at least for now!

Check out the on the road page to see the tumbleweeds and the critters for the few that wanted their pictures taken. Also the food page...I ate leftovers!

And then later this week I will share with you our weekend project!

One of our Christmas Traditions

2011-11-25T09:32:00.000-06:00

Now that it's the day after Thanksgiving, I'm at work, listening to the most amazing CD by Blake Bolerjack...thinking about Christmas traditions! In my past life - Christmas was split between several houses, you had a different menu at all and it was something we all looked forward to, including my mom's chili con queso.

In the new life, going on six years - one of our Christmas traditions is watching the entire set of Lonesome Dove. But we've spoiled it! In the last few weeks we've watched the whole thing already. Tana has moved on from watching cartoons to now wanting to watch cowboy movies! A girl from my own heart. But another Christmas tradition - is beef for Christmas, usually fajitas or tenderloin or brisket! Check out the food page and see the soup I made for lunch yesterday and what I'm going to do with it now!

My Bucket List

2011-11-23T15:45:00.000-06:00

This post will be a work in progress. As I sit here today thinking about all of the things I am thankful for, I've decided I need a bucket list/wish list/want list! But I have a sad sad announcement, I don't know where to begin. My first item is the purchase more property or find a much much larger ranch. Second for that property to have a house or us build one where we currently are! We are outgrowing our 920 square feet in the barn, quickly. This is 'my' list but I'm going to enlist the help of my mother and husband, my goal by the end of the weekend - 20 items! So here's a start:

- Purchase more land or find a great big ranch to buy
- Said ranch should have a house or we will go back to our original plans and build one
- Go to Vegas - sounds crazy, but I've never been
- Go to Australia - been a goal of ours for many years
- Keep up with the laundry for at least 2 weeks - I do good 1 week at a time but I know it can happen.
- Begin consigning cattle to Registered Angus and Brangus sales by 2013
- Provide for my family the best I can each day

These are a few of the big one's, I'll dig deeper!

Priorities

2011-11-21T14:01:00.000-06:00

Lately I've been reading and thinking a lot about priorities. Your's will not be the same as mine! There are priorities on a daily basis, those are the ones that I think about most often, what needs to be done, accomplished, errands to run, etc. We live these each day. But the type I'm talking about is overall, priorities in life. While doing some blog hoping I found a woman who defined hers so well, that I decided to copy/share/make them my own! I've printed two copies of what is below, one is in my closet and the other in the notebook I carry every day:

Family & Faith Come First

1st Jobs - Wife & Mother

Next Priority - The House

Sleep 8 Hours

So let me explain, at all times family and faith come first in my life. I need to always remember that my first jobs are to be a wife and a mother, everything else comes after that. My next personal priority is the house, keeping it picked up and in order! And last but not least, I require my beauty sleep, and I'm guilty for going to bed at 9:00 some nights if everything is done! The kids go to bed between 8:00 and 8:30 and then Ryan and get can plan anything after that, or just doing laundry or a special project together.

A while back I had 'Eat, Pray, Love' on audio book. While I did and do not agree with a lot in the book, I picked up on repeating the same prayer. I liked that, I had a goal and I believed the more I believed in it myself and trusted that a solution would come, the more positive I stayed, there are times I've repeated the same prayer for months. I will add to my list of priorities, but for now I will repeat these!

Custom Hats

2011-11-18T09:06:00.000-06:00

First I would like to say my husband has taught me so much...on handmade and custom things. I once though he was crazy for painting, writing, and actually branding everything, but now I love it. Ryan has great taste and expects a quality product, whether it be our ear tags, his hats, boots, etc. Today I'm going to give you a few links to hat makers. I'm pretty partial to a few, those we use, those we've seen, those who do a good job and make a quality product, so here goes:

Mike's Custom Hatters - Ryan has three hats from Mike - and this year we bought Tate his first one while at the Ranch Rodeo. (Tate and I will be wrapping up his old hat and he's giving it to Tana for Christmas, the joy of children 6 years apart, the too-small stuff gets re-gifted!)

Limpia Creek Hats - A very nice black hat hangs on our rack from Limpia, it's at least 10 years old, maybe 12 and still in great shape. Ryan has used it as his dress hat for many years, but now it's a work hat!

Bar None Hat Company - If you have ever met Kaycee Orr-Hoffman - you know that she is the worker in the family, but I'm also partial to true ranch wives! The whole family works, it's a family ranch, but Kaycee's talent does not end in the cow pen. She has developed a name from California to Nebraska and all over for making and restoring hats. Kaycee has a welcoming store and a huge personality, so if you are ever in Thedford, Nebraska, look Kaycee up!

Here are a few of our favorites, there are many more out there.

'Let Me Think About That' - Guest Post

2011-11-17T10:08:00.000-06:00

“A well-timed ‘let me think about that’ can make all the difference in work and in life.” As most of you guess, I’m a proud mother and grandmother. I’ve been criticized by many for being “too tough” on Katy for most of her life, so it’s a little comical to see the tough side of her come out when raising Tana. One thing I tried to instill in Katy was to “think before you speak”.

My dad branded this on my sister and I everyday and frankly it is a trait that not many people can do. Words can do damage, they can kill hope, they can kill possibilities; they can kill relationships. They can, indeed, do mortal injury to the reputation of another. Misunderstandings, conflicts, fights, wars have started because of words. Words are like arrows, once shot they can’t be recalled. They are on their way to help or hurt. After we fire those word-arrows, we can regret them, we can apologize for them, we can try to make restitution. But we can’t finally do that which we wish most often we could-take them back.

Ask yourself what have I said today that mattered? What have I said that helped, encouraged, uplifted someone else. And what have I said, thoughtlessly or maliciously, that wounded another. Thanks Dad for teaching us this and many other things, but to think before you speak is one that should live within us all. -Lee Ann Scasta

Ritchey Tags

2011-11-16T13:23:00.001-06:00

Today I want to share with you Ritchey Tags. With many products to choose from and a variety of custom tag styles...we use Ritchey Tags. And actually, we first learned about them while visiting Hoffman Herefords in Thedford, Nebraska, where my cousin, Andy Scasta, works. While you can order a custom tag already printed, you can also order a blank tag and customize it yourself to coordinate with a certain number, cow, breed, sire in your herd. We were sold! So our tags are organized in the following way, it is complicated, but works for us:

White - our original herd, calves we've kept and where we started
Red - cows, two of our old cows and then all of the cows we've purchased
Green - bulls
Yellow - yearlings and stocker cattle turned out - and we cut them out before to go to auction and re-use
Blue - blank for engraving

My spreadsheet is organized by color and number! And something funny...Red 001 is Sadie, White 001 is one of her daughters - an original, she was one of seven that we started our herd with! Sadie moved to the Panhandle a few years later!

The Clydesdales!

2011-11-15T09:16:00.000-06:00

If you have ever seen these horses perform, you understand that they are large, powerful and beautiful! Here are a few photos – we caught them exercising in the parking lot!

Also check out the family page and see pictures of Tate’s Jr. Ranch Rodeo team that competed! And then the food page and see how I make food last!

WRCA Ranch Rodeo Finals

2011-11-14T09:10:00.001-06:00

We took a quick trip to Amarillo for the WRCA Ranch Rodeo Finals. Over the next several days I’ll share with you the people I saw and more! Whether you go for fun, family or have a ranch in the competition, you always see new things, meet new people and have a great time. I will say there seemed to be a lot more people walking through exhibits than last year. And we are already planning our trip back next year. Here is your first sneak peak of who I saw!

Cheramie Viator of the Silver Spur Ranch and Mary Lou Bradley Henderson of the Bradley 3 Ranch, two great women who know more about a cow than the actual cow! They have been in the cattle business for many many years, both registered and commercial. Visit their ranch sites for more information. I’m proud to say we purchased a few cows from the Bradley’s this summer. And I’ve known Cheramie my whole life. My mom put me on a plane at eight years old and flew me to Maryland to meet up with Cheramie and family that had an Angus Ranch. After three weeks up there and travelling to shows with them…I called my mom the night before I flew home!

Keep checking the blog I’ll update it with several other things and I have a few great pictures. Plus Tate competed in the Jr. Ranch Rodeo! More later!

What a Week

2011-11-10T10:39:00.000-06:00

Some times we have days, weeks, months and years that don't go our way or just seem busier than usual. There are people in my life right now that I know are having a difficult time, so the fact that I've had an election, an audit, an anniversary and an upcoming audit and I think my weeks might be rough, is nothing. At every corner there is something else planned and unplanned that comes up. Be prepared for both! I am looking forward to a great weekend with family and friends and plan to take many pictures to share with you...including ones from the WRCA Ranch Rodeo where Tate will be participating in the Jr. Ranch Rodeo with Pokey the Clown!!!! For now have a great weekend and I'll give you an update next week.

Hay Arrived

2011-11-07T13:46:00.000-06:00

A load of hay arrived and we've never been more thankful or excited to watch a truck pull in. We will need more, but here's to a late start at locating it!

Yes it WAS leaning! A busy weekend on the ranch, finishing up lots of projects and preparing for winter, waiting on more calves to arrive and enjoying life! Take a look around the blog, new pictures of the kids and you won't believe the skillet I bought for Ryan and what he has cooked so far!

The Real Me

2011-11-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

Today you only get a portion of it! I go to work most days in heels, slacks and a shirt, some jewelry on and makeup, I've been in the habit of not really fixing my hair, but I'm working on that. My coworkers see me in this outfit, except on Fridays when I get to wear my jeans and boots! People in town that see or work with me on a daily basis and read my blog can't believe I'm the same person. Yet the people who have been to the house and work cattle with us, laugh when they see me in my 'work' clothes. What do I consider my work clothes, well Monday - Friday between 7 am - 5:30 pm, heels, slacks the whole deal. Every evening and weekend: boots, jeans and shirt that's not too nice to get dirty!

What's the real me - the country girl, ranch wife, mother of two, who's not afraid to get dirty or go hunting for a coyote in heels! It's a mix of both! Everybody has many sides to their days and life in general. Some people know us for one side, the other side and few know us for the real person. I'm thankful to have a mother and a husband strong enough to support the many sides of our lives! There will be more about this in the future, the real me! What is the real you?

Real the fashion page, you'll get a laugh out of it.

Old Man Winter...

2011-11-02T13:01:00.000-05:00

...might be here. I'm not happy with him though. We missed rain all year and the first snow of the Texas Panhandle went way south. Mr. Winter, please bring moisture in any form, we have plenty of firewood to keep the house warm!

With winter arriving, our fall set of cows/heifers has began to calve. Everyone is doing great and have proven to be wonderful mothers already, just a few left scattered out this month and next month. Want to see a sneak peak of how a cow hides her baby with no grass or cover around...check out critters.

Bird in the Kitchen Cabinets

2011-10-31T16:40:00.000-05:00

It was a long weekend, not a bad one, but we worked on many project, had a few extra hands too! Lots of welding was completed, with me watering the grass heavily to reduce the chance of fire...wait dirt can't catch on fire...there is no grass! Anyway, we've almost finished the arena, at least one step closer and then I'll have pictures.

But for the meantime we have not yet put wire around the stovepipe. Why…well the wire we originally bought was every small and had very small openings and we were worried about build-up. So each year we occasionally deal with a bird in the house after opening the wood-burning stove. Last night was no exception, he put out my fire while flying around. Ryan tried to re-light it…and the bird escaped. First he stopped at the window seal, then headed to the kitchen. I had been preparing dinner for Tana and there was a kitchen cabinet open. Sure enough the bird flies in. Ryan tried to grab him, no luck, feathers and soot spread all over the dishes. He escaped flew around the house and back to the window seal, Ryan caught him and out the door he went. What are the odds that darn bird could do that again and find the only open door in the house. Needless to say I have washed all the dishes now!

Babies are being born...not just my new nephew Cutter Scasta, but also calves on our place. Hope to take pictures soon!

Supporting Young Farmers & Ranchers - and Our Story

2011-10-28T10:59:00.000-05:00

So while I begin this article I want to point out that yes there are a few programs and grant opportunities for young farmers and ranchers, I acknowledge that and will move on. Some of our closest friends and relatives know that we are desperately hunting more land, at this point in time, any kind of land. We’ve even considered the idea of purchasing land somewhere else and developing it later or finding someone to run our cattle on it. We are not satisfied with the operation that we have (while we are very proud) and our goals and dreams are much larger. I will not give up. In this process we have contacted many local individuals about purchasing their land. There is land owned in our area this has no use, no purpose, it’s just there, fence or no fence, barn or no barn, and who knows the last time it was developed. Surprisingly there is land owned in this area that the owners have never seen with their own eyes. What are some of the reason people refuse to sell their land? The fear of how much in taxes they will have to pay has been one, being stubborn is two, and just not caring may be the biggest of them all. So will they just sit on their land until it is passed on to their estate?

Ryan and I originally made a commitment to not start building a house until we found another piece of property to buy. I mean why build a house when you fear you won’t be able to expand and grow in the future. We feel like we are unique, we built our place from the ground up, brought in electricity, drilled a water well, started with two head and by next year will have a select set ranging around 60 based on cows and heifers on hand right now, not to mention the yearlings we run in the summer. We had two barns framed in, then we built a tack room and a bunkhouse. We have dug each and every hole for fence posts, put in lots of t-posts, strung miles and miles worth of wire, wired posts, built a great set of pens, and an almost finished arena. Why, well we purchased our property in July of 2007, barns framed in November of 2007 while we were getting married. The bunkhouse was started in March of 2008, finished in November of 2008 (it took so long because we built it ourselves, at night till the wee hours and around our work schedules). We moved in around Thanksgiving, having so much to be thankful for, including the fact that I was very pregnant and due in January. Nothing like having a deadline!

Our goal on the current piece of property was a five year plan to be finished…that being November of 2012. We are ahead of schedule, and ever more anxious to find something else, another pasture, even some farm land (although you will never hear me say we are farmers, story later). If land-owners do not sell their land to younger generations I believe several things will happen.
-        There will be very few farmers and ranchers in the future – those who have inherited their family farms and ranches, maybe even never having had a real job, and those who were able to purchase for probably too much money an existing farm or ranch.
-        There could be a huge impact on crop and livestock production.
-        And last but not least, people will move, move to an area that does support young farmers and ranchers, and that would like to see the next generation succeed in an operation.

It’s not like we don’t have any experience either. Being born and raised on what was a very large operation in Central Texas, and having shown cattle across the nation, ranching is what I eat, breath and sleep. Ryan has a unique background that makes him qualified for just about anything, any species, and even running for President, thankfully he knows and likes cows too!

This has been an article coming for a long time, we are frustrated, frustrated with our neighbors, frustrated with land-owners, the economy and so much more. I will not give up on our dreams and goals and some day we will have the opportunity to expand, hopefully sooner than later and hopefully in this area!

Also check the food page - and see what I have in the crockpot this morning!

Firing Range

2011-10-27T15:28:00.000-05:00

Many times in our lives we feel as though we are standing in front of the targets at a firing range! And when it's over and you survived, you've either never felt better or never felt worse! Being prepared is the key to handling it well.

Check the food page for an article on potato toppings!!!

Blog Stats

2011-10-27T11:25:00.000-05:00

I promise I'll have another article later, plus a food article about potato toppings, but for the moment this is copied off of my blog stats...and it amazes me. Every so often I check the stats and wonder who reads my blog, where are they from, how did they find me, and what lifestyle do they live. Are they involved in agriculture? Anyway, so here is what I found this morning:

United States

- 322

Brazil

- 9

Hungary -

Latvia

- 2

Germany -

Singapore

- 1

Feeding in the Dark

2011-10-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

This week has been unusual - with two days of working 7am to 7pm, it has been dark when we leave in the mornings and dark when we get home. It has really messed with Tana’s schedule! Last night Ryan waited on us, Tana was so happy to see him, and she wanted to go feed. Then she told me to go in the house and change clothes, which is what I do every day when getting home from work! I really don’t like wearing heels in the barn, although it happens.

This must have been Tana’s first time feeding in the dark. After feeding the cattle, the black cattle, she couldn’t seem to figure out where they went, or if we ever really fed them to begin with! She also thinks they are all hers, but once she said Daddy’s cows were eating Mommy’s grass when they were turned out in the yard. I can’t wait to be home in the daylight tonight and check on those girls that close to calving! I want to cook dinner for the family and enjoy being home!

Keep it Simple

2011-10-25T15:47:00.000-05:00

Life in general can be a crazy mess, so keep it simple. Dinner should be simple. Getting the kiddos dressed in the morning should be simple. With all of our schedules getting more and more busy, with parents working multiple jobs, kids having too many events in their lives to keep up with homework, animals to feed, the list could go on and on. My life for one is not simple, nor will it ever be. With a blended family, an almost three-year-old, many four-legged family members to feed and a husband who is literally on call every moment of his lifetime – we are not simple.

But we organize and prepare, I set clothes out the night before, we keep a schedule. Ryan and I are adamant that our kids go to bed in a 30-minute window, because he and I need adult and alone time, even if he’s working in the shop and I’m doing laundry! I plan ahead on meals so that on evenings we do get in late there is something to eat and I haven’t spent hours in the kitchen. And I love to cook on the weekends for the week! So while I am challenging myself to work on managing our lifestyle and know that it will only increase with activities, I challenge each of you to make something simpler!

And my last thought for the day – just when you think your life is hard…there are people that we all know whose lives are truly hard, they’ve had obstacles that we never could believe in. Be thankful for who you are and what you have…ALWAYS.

Stay in Your Lane - Guest Post

2011-10-24T13:00:00.002-05:00

A dear co-worker told me this story many years ago. I apply it to this day of reminding myself to stay in my lane. It is valuable and I share it with you so that maybe you can apply it to your every day. Too often I get wrapped up in what needs to be done either at work or home and I forget the task in front of me. Pass it on if you wish.

Watch Your Lane!
When I was a private in the Army I was learning how to shoot the M16 rifle. The firing range is set up into lanes corresponding with each foxhole. Each lane contains pop-up targets varying in distance from 50 meters to 300 meters. During the qualification phase you are given 40 rounds with which to shoot at least 28 targets . To qualify expert you must shoot 36 or more o f the targets. This in effect gives you 4 extra rounds of ammunition. Remember this it is important later. Your mission on the firing range is to try to shoot 36 of your targets thereby qualifying expert and making you a more valuable member of the team.

As I was standing in my foxhole waiting to qualify, the range safety officer came over the loud speaker and said “firers, secure one magazine and hold it high into the air. Now, lock and load. Firers, move the selector switch from safe to fire.” And next came the most important words, “Watch your lane”! At that point to pop-up targets would begin, well, popping up and your task was to knock them back down.

That lesson on the firing range holds true in business as well. You should get enough “ammunition” from your boss to be able to complete the tasks assigned to you. If you do not, you should ask for what you need. Once you are given the ammo, “watch you lane” and start knocking out the tasks. If you stray from your own lane you will be “shooting” your co-workers targets. This is not needed because the boss gave them ammo of their own. Plus, you may not end up with enough ammo or time, to shoot your own. However, if after you have scored expert by shooting your targets, and you end up with some ammo and time left, feel free to assist your co-workers with their targets. Teamwork is a great thing but, if you are doing all of your co-workers tasks for them and don’t get your own completed you are not being valuable to the team.

-Lee Ann Scasta

Check out our critters...we're waiting to be parents!

Distracted Driving

2011-10-21T11:37:00.000-05:00

Usually when the topic comes up we think, eating, putting on makeup, talking on the phone, texting, yelling at the squirts in the back seat, any of those things. Yesterday while making a trip to Amarillo, I stopped at a red light, only to see the man next to me with a small pair scissors....trimming his arm hair. First I found that sort of disgusting (and could only imagine a pile of hair on the floor), but second, that's flat out dangerous. Driving down the road with tiny sharp scissors trimming arm hair has to be distracted driving. Just a reminder to everyone to be careful and pay attention...and if you trim your arm hair in this way or any other way...please don't share that with me!

Habits

2011-10-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

We all have them, some of them are hard to break. Some of them we've worked hard to have. They range from which bathroom stall you frequent, to how you hold your purse, to how you put on makeup, and so much more! Now I'm in the mode of making new habits in my daily life to make things easier!!! Time to think about your habits!

Quotes I Live By...

2011-10-18T08:49:00.000-05:00

(not sure where some of them came from...)

-Today we have to live under the law as it is. (I remind myself of this every day and it keeps me from being resentful about many things)

-Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. (This was posted on Randa Yezak's facebook a while back and I printed it!)

-Hold your head up. - My mom (Whether in the show ring or daily life, one to remember)

-You are on stage...all the time. (I heard this just this past week and it's so true)

-Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense. - Mark Overby (Don't we all know how powerful love is)

I have many of these either taped to my desk or the mirror in my closet. I look at them every day.

Check out the food page for a fantastic recipe from my most famous guest and biggest fan....my mom!

Counting Peanuts

2011-10-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

Whew - what a ride. I think this about my life on a daily basis.

So in a quick trip to Houston and back with co-workers, only would you count peanuts while sitting next to the accountant! At first we compared whose package was bigger - then we decided to count. Game 1 (first flight) me - 16, him - 17. Wow, can't you tell the economy is going downhill when you get 16 peanuts and most of those we all halves. Game 1 (second flight) me - 27, him - 26 - think are looking up. But only would you COUNT the peanuts while sitting next to a bean counter, no offense, but accountants count everything!

Check out the family page - and see what Ryan and Tate built!

Will have recipes and a guest blog later this week! Glad to be back!

Week 2 - the Feed Truck

2011-10-10T12:50:00.000-05:00

We are on week two of driving the feed truck and it's going downhill, fast. But first let me explain, I am not high maintenance. If my job was to feed cows (which I have mentioned is my dream job, they do not talk, argue, or care what you look like), then I would wear jeans, boots and right now a coat, and feed cows, get dirty, wipe my hands on my pants, blow my nose without a kleenex, you know the regular kinds of things! But instead I have to dress up to go to work, wear heels on most days, 50% of the time fix my hair. I try to be presentable in the environment I'm in.

Back to the original story, this morning the feed truck would not start. Okay think - a few months ago we had a similar issue and I remembered what to do. It took both hands, but the truck finally started. While pulling out of the barn I looked at my phone, and while doing so poured coffee down my leg. What next? I cracked the window so it wouldn't be so stuffy and maybe help with the fog that had formed on the inside of the windshield. No luck - must use the defrost. So two weeks ago when I knew I would be driving this truck, I cleaned it. Used the air compressor and blew all the junk out, wiped it down, etc., so that maybe I could make it to work in black slacks still clean! This morning I found out where all that stuff I thought I blew out of the truck landed...in the vents of the defrost. It looked like confetti just blew up in the truck.

Hence the reason I have lotion, perfume in two scents and a lint brush in my desk drawer every day. You just never know what's going to happen before I make it to work. All in all, I'm glad I have a ride, but this is really getting old. Hopefully my truck will be fixed soon!

Humidity, Wind, Food and more!

2011-10-07T09:30:00.001-05:00

First, I want to say the humidity in the air is not being nice to my hair!

Next, the wind better not blow today like it did yesterday.

Third, who knew I could rhyme this time!

Okay, check out the ranch page to see the dogs kennel as the rested a long way from where they were. Check out the food page for a picture of the roast in I cooked yesterday and I'll tell you about breakfast this morning. And last - check out the fashion page for a necklace I am super proud of!

Pray for rain, the meteorologists think we might actually get some!

What 'Ruby' did on my birthday..

2011-10-06T14:26:00.001-05:00

The scene: Ruby was a show heifer, it was Jr. Brangus Nationals in OK....very early in the morning - on the washrack. Yes, every year nationals happened on or near my birthday. I think I was turning 9 that year.

Again, very early, sort of dark, or maybe just my eyes were closed.

Back then, especially in the summer I would wear shorts and tennis shoes in the morning and change into nice clean clothes to show in.

So what did Ruby do? She pooped on my foot. Right on top of my foot.

Ruby ruined my birthday and had no idea what she had done.

Now I'm not a clean freak - but that day it was a disaster. I had to return to the hotel, take a shower and start my day all over.

Oddly enough, I thought the same thing today after scooping up trash out of the middle of the road that fell off of Ryan's truck. I wanted to go home and take a shower and start over. But you don't always get what you want, and now I linger of the smell of the trash....

Have a great day!

Forever Young - Guest Article

2011-10-05T11:10:00.000-05:00

I had foot surgery last Friday – so I’ve just completed week #1 of being immobilized for the next 6-12 weeks. I was in more pain before surgery than after, so it was very much needed. So, this little exercise in being one-legged has made me give thanks that it is not permanent and recovery is possible, there are many people that don’t have any hope of feeling better. I have been blessed with people in my life that want to help, have helped and continue to help in any way possible. I can’t say “thank you” enough, and I try to do that more than usual.

What I researched about the much needed surgery is that it is typical in middle aged women, ugh, that makes me cringe! Where has all that time gone? I don’t want to be hindered by not being able to chase after Tate and Tana so I had the surgery, not because I’m middle-aged! I watch Katy and even though I can see myself in her sometimes, I honestly don’t know where she gets the strength on occasions to do what she does. I see her and Tana and think that they will be forever young, but watch out, the time will get away and Tana will be graduating high school and college and will be gone, been there…done that.

I watch only a few TV programs at night, but I recently read the lyrics to Forever Young, Bob Dylan version, the theme from Parenthood. It goes like this…..

My God bless and keep you always, May your wishes all come true

May you always do for others, And let others do for you.

May you build a ladder to the stars, And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young.

May you grow up to be righteous, May you grow up to be true

May you always know the truth, And see the lights surrounding you

May you always be courageous, Stand upright and be strong

May you stay forever young.

May your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift

May you have a strong foundation, When the winds of changes shift

May your heart always be joyful, May your song always be sung

And may you stay forever young.

It says something to me, what I’ve tried to accomplish, tried to build a foundation for my family, tried to show my daughter and granddaughter that the sky is the limit. I needed to read the words, not just hear it being played. - Lee Ann Scasta

Science Lesson - Feeding Cows

2011-10-04T13:59:00.000-05:00

Last night we had a short science lesson in the barn. First it included Tana being told NOT to eat the range cubes...they are for cows. So instead she hides, or takes a bite without you looking, and tastes each piece before throwing it to the cows. Our plan was to distract a few cows, especially the ones that bolt for the gate every time Ryan goes to shut it. And then the other cows would join them in the pen, simple, quick, easy process. Feed them and they will come. Ever since Tana was born I thought she needed to learn how to feed a cow a range cube by hand. Why...because it's neat and every cow is different. So here's how it went:

First we fed Sadie, the retired show heifer - she literally has a tongue long enough to wrap around your hand, slide it in her mouth, retrieve the cube and deposit your hand covered in slobber and snot. Tana didn't think I should feed her anymore. Why not though, I love her. Each time Tana told me no more! So Tana began to throw one cube at a time on the ground for Sadie.

More cows come, #4, also known as Bella, is a gentle cow we raised. She very delicately opened her mouth and took the cube without touching me! Awesome.

Moving on to Gravy (Tana's cow), who was a show heifer we purchased, and has forgotten all manners and behaviors of typical show cattle. She's the first the bolt, run, snort, but she loves to eat! And does she ever...she was so quick to run up, take the cube from my fingers and step back...I thought she grabbed my fingernail.

There were others to, some new to being fed one piece at a time, and those who are old pros. But who knew that cattle ate so differently. I mean the exact same cube in ten different mouths gets ten different ways of taking it and eating it. Just like dogs!

On a side note, Tana is very effective at gentling down calves. We weaned a nice heifer a while back and Tana got to help feed her. Except Tana doesn't just pour the feed in, she made the heifer eat from her hand before dumping the scoop of feed. It worked and she's rather calm now.

Every Ranch Wife...

2011-10-03T15:46:00.000-05:00

should be able to

...drive the oldest feed truck to town in heels
...sort cattle in the pens wearing diamonds
...feed cattle in her ruffled shirts
...ride a horse
...cook a darn good meal
...drive a truck and trailer as well as my mom
...build and repair fence when needed
...lay in the dirt to get the perfect picture
...tend to the laundry when time allows
...enjoy those special moments
...raise and love their family
...never give up!

After a quick update on the blog, I'm back, in full swing, and can't wait to keep blogging! Check out the newest page, FASHION!!!!

Ranch Chores

2011-09-28T16:23:00.000-05:00

While there are typical daily chores to be done around the place…the weekends provide an extra opportunity to accomplish things that take more time or that we just plain put off till the weekend. So while other people relax or take a break on the weekends, we work harder than we do during the week.

This past weekend was as usual, we had a list of things to get done. (I’m so glad my husband supports my list habits.) One of our projects was to doctor ant beds, there are just a few, I can count on all ten fingers how many we found, even found some on the neighbor’s property. But here’s a picture of the ant beds we doctored:

Some of them were small and some were large, but no matter what, they should not live long! Plus it was nice to have some peace and quiet - Ryan and I were able to do this project all by ourselves. And with a two - almost - three year old that repeats everything that was nice!

Little Sisters

2011-09-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

I don't have one, never really wanted one either, but we have a little sister in our house. She loves her big brother. She thinks she's 16. She thinks she can drive and do everything that no only Tate does but also Ryan and me. But she's sweet, loving, and caring. Now from the big brother's view, she asks a ton of questions, repeats everything, follows him around and tries to do everything he does. You have to love them anyway.

There are many different types of sibling relationships, I didn't have the typical, just a pair of double cousins (Matt and Andy Scasta) who lived 200 yards down the way, around the bend in the woods. They were at my house all the time, we had the swimming pool. And every Christmas Andy would ride down to see what I got. We would make cookies with his mom and they had the first showbarn for the cattle. I even remember Matt letting me ride one of his first steers from the barn to the house. Now we would never dream of doing that. I washed cattle in a swimsuit (hum, wonder why I work cattle in a swimsuit cover up now!) We all have siblings of a sort, people we grew up with, people we call siblings even though they aren't our blood kin. Love them anyway.

Riding Horses & Hot Dog Toppings

2011-09-26T14:11:00.000-05:00

When you haven't had a chance to do it for a while...riding horses is the most awesome thing ever. We all got to ride, even Tana. Now she wants to ride with Tate - but we're going to wait just a little while. The first thing Tana did while on the horse with me was kick her heels and said, "Let's go horse." Oh dear. Tate did a fantastic job, even was okay with me laying in the dirt to get what I thought was a perfect picture. I did! I have several of them. One may appear on a Christmas card at a later date too! I'm building my photography portfolio, not sure what for yet - but maybe some day it will pay off!

Before our adventures on four legs - we cooked out and had a small picnic in the shop - check the food page for awesome hot dog toppings!

And check the critters page - I got a few once in a lifetime pictures!

Fashion Friday & The Food Page

2011-09-23T10:51:00.000-05:00

Today I’d like to talk fashion – some of my favorites! I love jeans, boot cut, low-rise, in shades of blue, but mostly dark. And boots – while I think lots of the store-made boots are cute – I prefer my handmade boots that sport our brand on the front. Plus Ryan has boots in all colors. Maybe we should order another pair this year! I absolutely love the idea of boots with a dress but just haven’t jumped off that cliff yet. Going to conquer that in the spring since I have so many nice dresses ready for next year!

I love jewelry, although you can’t always tell, while I make some myself, there are just days that I don’t feel like wearing any. And some days I don’t feel like wearing much of anything, but oh well. I love lip gloss and blush – there are days those are two things you can’t leave the house without!

A good perfume and body spray is a must in ranch life. You just never know what you’re going to smell like!

There are pictures of my jewelry on my facebook page – and maybe in the future I’ll set up and get everything organized on etsy!

Check out the food page for my story/recipe!

How Do You Tell - Guest Article

2011-09-22T10:02:00.002-05:00

I had a grandmother that was a wonderful woman. She was loving and caring and all of her grandchildren knew they were loved. She didn’t buy us extravagant things, or lavish us in any way; it just was that she loved us without a doubt. She was a strong woman, that had gone through many hardships and she had so much love to give. Grandmother D was a wonderful cook; she made special things that our mothers didn’t make, like homemade rolls. She didn’t make bread; she made rolls, all the time. You would visit with her and before you left, she would pull packages of rolls from the freezer for us to take home. That was love, you never questioned or doubted it.

I talk to Katy every week, not every day, but almost, but never on the weekends. That’s hard to believe for some of you, but it’s just how things work out. I’m very proud of them in their accomplishments and dreams; I try and tell them that on a regular basis. My son-in-law is an honest, hard working man that loves my daughter and his children. He doesn’t have much to say, and he never calls, so when he does, I know that something is up, or something is wrong. Let’s say that he tolerates me……I try and help him weld the pipe fences, put out grass fires, feed in the winter when they go to Amarillo for the ranch rodeo, haul his new puppies from Bryan to Perryton in the ice storm, those kinds of things. He is very much like Katy’s daddy, when there is work to do, we get it done, and there are no questions and very seldom any talking.

So, how do you tell your son-in-law how much you love him and are proud of him???? I think I found the way, it’s not the best whisky money can buy, or anything I can make for him because Katy is a much better consistent cook than I am, and he doesn’t like junk of any kind in his shop or barns.

That’s right, we cut and split firewood during the summer and either haul it to the panhandle or they come get it. There are 3 stacks like this and more on the horizon, I know of no other way to tell or show my son-in-law what a great guy he is and how lucky and blessed we are to have him in our family, without any doubt. Lee Ann Scasta

We all have relatives and friends like this - where it's the smallest thing that expresses the most!

Don't forget to read the food page and email me your recipe/story - I'll share mine tomorrow!

Ranch Projects & More

2011-09-21T10:45:00.001-05:00

We have 30 minute jobs that take hours to complete. Our friends have learned if we call and need help for 30 minutes, either chicken out or be prepared to stay a while. One of our projects last weekend was to complete the dog kennels - while I don't have a completed picture...here's one and there are more under the Ranch page!

Also, check the food page for something new that I want all of your help on!

Have a great day!

Blue Pancakes

2011-09-20T13:29:00.003-05:00

I've done this before in many colors, but I made a whole batch of blue pancakes. Why is it that children thing something tastes better when it looks different? It's the same recipe, but they both ate a ton!!!!

It was a busy weekend, I'll work on taking a picture of the project we finished tonight...after meetings and football practice!

Weekend Plans

2011-09-16T16:32:00.003-05:00

Don't get too excited, but here's the run down on the many things we'll be doing this weekend! Feed cows, wean calves, check cows that should begin calving within a few weeks. Load posts, cut firewood, finish wiring wooding posts to one of the fences, clean out post holes, concrete posts, weld, weld some more, move the dog kennels and arrange water and feed, search for hay as we are almost out, go to Tate's football game, put a pork roast in the crockpot, chase Tana and make sure she's fed, get groceries (or at least milk and eggs), make jewelry and take pictures, wait for more supplies arrive so that I fill jewelry orders, come up with another solution for taking jewelry pictures, and anything else we can think of!

Speaking of these jewelry pictures, if you haven't checked my album on facebook...I hang the necklaces on a fence post, but not just any fence post. It has to be shaped just right and is about 40 yards from the house. You can imagine necklaces hanging off my left arm and camera around me neck. After a picture is taken of a necklace, that necklace goes to the right arm. And back to the house we go! Something I have learned, the weather must cooperate, misty and foggy weather is not good for outdoor necklace picture-taking!

Check out the food page where I link the recipe for the pork roast. You will love it.

Phrase of the day: When life gets hectic, get organized!

Do Overs - Guest Contributor

2011-09-15T14:46:00.003-05:00

Not as if any of you would guess, but yes of course my mother is the first guest contributor to the blog! She's one of the strongest women I know and may have more miles of hauling a trailer and kids around than some men! Words from my mom..

Sometimes I wish I could have “do overs” you know, the things that I’ve done or couldn’t do because I didn’t want to fail, and now that I see I could have done it different or even better. I saw a print the other day and immediately wanted to purchase it for Katy – so she could read it every… single… day – and then I thought to myself, wait, I’m the one that needs to read it now. The name of the print is “Do It Anyway” and features a motivational poem by Mother Teresa. In part it says,” If you are kind, people may accuse you of being selfish, having ulterior motives; be kind anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow, do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough; give the world the best you’ve got anyway. You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God; It was never between you and them anyway.” I will go back and purchase the print, and probably buy multiples because I need to remember it frequently in my life. I have so much to be thankful for and even though I still have stumbling blocks, I get to enjoy life every…. single…. day like it is a new present to unwrap. - Lee Ann Scasta

She'll be around the blog more often and I can't wait until she shares some of her famous recipes too. Thank God for coming from a family full of talented cooks!!!

Fat Sprinkles!

2011-09-14T10:14:00.002-05:00

After an evening of regular chores, taking pictures ofjewelry and playing with the dogs…it sprinkled. In fact Ryan convinced me tocome out of the house and watch it ‘rain’. I informed him it was not raining,those were just fat sprinkles and don’t get your hopes up. I’m so optimistic! Youwouldn’t believe it…later last night it did rain, just a little, but enough tosettle the dust for sure! Check out the food pages to see what I have in thecrockpot this morning!

Show Steers...Before & After

2011-09-13T14:17:00.000-05:00

For the last several years Ryan and I have waited for this time to come...time to wean and prepare these little guys for a life as a show steer. We've built our herd from bottle calves, misfits, and now have picked up a set of registered cows that are our future. Check out critters for more before pictures, theses guys need a good cleaning up and then there will be after pictures!

As a child raised on a ranch and showing cattle, we often forget about the before and after of our calves. I remember my very first show heifer...an ET calf that came with a dairy cow from Granada. She was a little nuts, but lived a long life as a cow. Then there was Nikki, the heifer that all the Leifeste boys had to corral in the showring. As long as I sang jingle bells to her, she did just fine. And then there were too many to count! (Ya right, I can probably get close to naming them all...and the tricks they pulled and equipment they tore up, and all of the road trips it took to haul them across the country).

There is just one last retired heifer I must name....Cobb Hill's Sadie. Sadie is in my pasture, has raised a set of amazing daughters who have produced several granddaughters. Half our herd might be related to her, but she's that good! A quick renewal to the Brangus Association, and we'll see what the future will hold for her! Watch out world, the Scasta grandchildren will be in the showring in a matter of years! She produced a big boned Brangus steer this year and he'll go in the pen as a future show steer!

Simple Beauty

2011-09-12T13:11:00.000-05:00

After a whirlwind of a weekend...eating with friends, setting posts, cutting posts for Ryan to weld in place, feeding cows, picking up the water sprinklers...and taking Tana to the ER to have a button removed from way up there in her nostril, I forgot about taking this picture on Saturday!!!!

The simple beauty of a butterfly!!!! And guess what....

Here is a sneak peak:

I'll be taking more pictures as we had a great time making jewelry this weekend!

"Good Luck"

2011-09-09T16:46:00.002-05:00

Ask those around me, this has been my latest saying, and seems to have stuck. I have told people around me good luck, ended a letter in good luck, and now sent an email saying good luck. I truly mean it in a great way, good luck at whatever it is you are doing! I wish you all luck this weekend!

Kittens, Friends, Cows, Cheese & More

2011-09-08T09:17:00.001-05:00

Here is a sneak peak of what you'll find in the blog today! We visited friends this past weekend, they have two cute little girls, kittens and room to run. We played while the guys went dove hunting. Find more under the ranch page! The cows did get turned out into the yard and they had tons of fun, find them under critters.

And last but not least, you much check out the food page, I'll tell you all about our local cheese factory!

Have a great day!

Invasion of the...

2011-09-07T13:23:00.000-05:00

Coyote-

Some people say coyote, some people say coyotey - either way, they have surrounded us. We always have several close by that have to be taken care of, especially during calving season. But last night Ryan fed the cows in the dark, as soon as the cows started bellering, the coyotes started howling....from all sides. The dogs were quiet, the cat didn't move an inch, it was so odd.

Speaking of cats, we usually lose a few to coyotes, and have one that might have nearly escaped. He came back with no tail. I declared war on coyotes on January 1, 2011, and am going to have to up efforts since there are more now!

Evening Attire on the Ranch

2011-09-02T11:52:00.000-05:00

I have waited a long time to write this post! It is hot, miserably hot, too hot to work. Like that stops us anyway. So in the evening, I want to enjoy being outside and be as cool as possible. Some days that means sorting cows in flip flops, what can I say, they are well trained! And most recently, evening attire has included a swim suit cover up, I like to think of it more as a comfy dress! So a dress and flip flops, pitchforking hay, filling up water, and talking cows. Ryan thinks I'm nuts and says the same thing every time we're in the pen, "I see you're wearing your work shoes!" He doesn't approve of the flip flops...but I always get the job done! And we have a long enough road to the house so that I can run to my closet and change in a hurry if I need to.

Changing Seasons

2011-09-01T14:02:00.000-05:00

Okay don't call me crazy, I know it was 106 yesterday, but I can just feel fall around the corner. The seasons are changing, the night time weather is different, and I have such cute winter clothes! And the topping on the cake that the seasons are changing...drumroll...we made our first pot of coffee this morning. We are only seasonal coffee drinkers, but after running several pots of water and dusting the coffee pot off, we set the automatic timer last night. Even better, I already rinsed it all out, filled it with water and grounds and it's ready for tomorrow. When the seasons change I sure hope it brings rain. I usually mow and bag the small yard we've kept alive, but this weekend....the cream of the crop cows get turned out. If I can only keep them from eating the few trees we have left...they will surely enjoy the green grass and I will have less to push mow!

Quality Time

2011-08-30T09:56:00.000-05:00

Quality time included feeding cows (missing the cracks), finishing the gator, and dancing with a feather duster (Tana's new tool)!!!

Tana help sort cows this weekend and took all the notes too!

She just couldn't figure out why these two heifers wouldn't let her pet them.

The new light on the gator.

Check out critters and family for more!

Falling in the Cracks

2011-08-29T08:48:00.000-05:00

As you all know, we are dry...but while feeding on Saturday evening, Ryan was watching the feed come out of the cake feeder...and says, "the feed is falling in the cracks and disappearing". WOW, I never thought of that, but now I wonder just how much feed we've lost in the cracks. We did get a small sprinkler at our house last night, but it's going to take a flood to fill the cracks!

Check out the food page to hear about a creamy mexican chicken pasta casserole!

Have a great week.

Family Time

2011-08-26T08:47:00.000-05:00

Family time is important to me. Being about to sit at the table and eat a home-cooked meal and talk about our day or what's coming up. Being about to sit in the living room talking about the cows and playing together without having to have the tv on. I prefer a regular schedule of events and not driving 50 miles a day to and from this and that, instead, coming straight come and doing chores, enjoying the outdoors, watching the kids ride their bicycles, play with the dogs and shoot at birds. As important as it is to me...there will be less and less family time in the near future and I don't like that. So my way of coping is buying a new crock pot and planning meals so that we can still have a home cooked meal after a late night of practices and games.

Check out the food page to hear about what we had for dinner last night...sitting around the table together!!!

The Wood Stack

2011-08-23T08:53:00.001-05:00

Each year we spend the summer and fall gathering wood for the winter. We heat our home with a wood-burning stove, so this is very important to us! This year we were fortunate enough to have imported wood from my parents. They cut all of this wood! What great parents! While we still need more, it's a great start and calms the nerves. This is our main wood stack...with a metal framed stack just outside the back door. I'll keep you all informed of how the winter goes. We're not sure if it will be mild and a drought still or a wet and nasty one. One thing for sure, we spend every spring, summer and fall working on projects to make the following winter easier. A first for this year...we'll be calving out 10 head this fall, so we are preparing for that as well!

Check out a few of the other pages too!

Vacuum Sealer and more

2011-08-19T10:58:00.000-05:00

I love all sorts of gadgets, especially when related to cooking, we just don't have much room. But I have created space under the bed in a basket for the vacuum sealer my mom gave me. It's too neat, I've done corn on the cob, meat, sausage, and can't wait for more opportunities! This should truly extend the life of products in the freezer and what a great way to divide up large packages of raw meat for portion or recipe size packets. I even sliced a large roast into two portions and froze! Ryan keeps rolling his eyes, but I get excited even about the small things! Check out the food page for a creamy chicken pasta bake!

Heels in the Pasture

2011-08-18T09:35:00.000-05:00

The other day I had a 50 minute break in the evening before returning to work for a meeting...so I decided to go home, see Ryan and Tana, fix them something to eat, the usual thing. Instead the owners of a cow and calf that were discovered in our pasture that morning came to claim her. The drove to their place for a truck and trailer and Ryan attempted to pen them with the gator...well there was a reason that cow was out. She was crazy!!!! With a full audience Ryan ropes the back leg of the cow...I'm about a quarter mile away and see him running behind her. A quick trip in the feed truck across the pasture and Tana and I come to his rescue, tying the cow to the ball. Her owners drove through the pasture and we successfully loaded her into the trailer. In the meantime the calf crawled through the fence and was trotting down the county road. The whole time I was still in my dress clothes and heels. That was a first for me, loading a cow in the pasture in heels! (We never saw the calf again so hopefully they caught it too!)

Eating out with Kids

2011-08-16T16:41:00.000-05:00

We have on and off battled meal time with both kids, but most recently Tana. She is given a plate with a variety of foods on it and what she eats is what she gets. Except we must have a healthy snack before bed or she won't sleep through the night. We have recently enforced this concept even more and I had to stick with it last night while eating out. Tana was given a crayon and piece of paper to write on then I took out a coin purse and a dollars worth of change and a few pens. This kept her busy for a while. She ate a few bites of my salad, then actually ate my dinner with me.

Tana is not the usual child, she does not eat nuggets, pieces, fast food and only an occasional french fry. So even on the go, it's difficult to find something for her to eat and usually it all the healthier options. This pasta dish included chicken, sauce, lots of noodles and chopped peppers and onions. And Tana loves flavor. While last night was a great experience and I was super proud of her....I can only admit it might have been a once in a lifetime occurrence and all in all eating out with young children is no fun! But yet without them Ryan and I just sit and stare at each other. Just joking!!

Been a While

2011-08-15T13:18:00.001-05:00

It has been a while and I apologize. Some on purpose and some not, we have literally been off the map for a few days between work, family and travel. Some things that I have learned:

- Family is the best and while there are occasional health issues they are all doing well, I have a ton of family still around to enjoy!
- You can't beat a good old fashion shrimp boil...more on the food page.
- The smile on a child's face after shooting his first rabbit is priceless...more on the family page.
- Old things are still neat...more on from the road!!!!
- You can survive many many hours travelling in a vehicle with the whole family even if it seems miserable at the time.
- I have fallen in love with my automatic timer and am thankful it works so well, might keep me from having to move the one sprinkler a million times around the yard.
- The small, and I mean small showers we have received has provided enough for a slight green tint on the land.
- We have the best group of dogs ever...see the critters page!

More later, have many many things to share but this is it for now!!!! It's Monday, have a great week.

Go Away

2011-08-01T14:49:00.001-05:00

Haha, you thought I really meant it. Thanks to some fantastic friends this cute little fella sits by our front door. If I ever owned my own store or office, he would be my open and closed sign. One side says WELCOME and the other says GO AWAY. Isn't that what we really mean anyway!

Check out the family page to hear about the weekend!