Whatever your opinion of our fair Senator Max Baucus may be he is at least asking some very good questions that many cattle producers are asking (Enzi, Baucus attack latest USDA estimate of meat labeling costs).

Many Cow-Calf operators feel that COOL(Country of Origin Labeling) will have a positive effect on cattle prices and will help there bottom lines and positively help the economy of Montana and other farm states. The big meat packers have fired back and said it will cost billions of dollars to implement and will cost Cow-Calf producers more money than they will gain. I am glad to see that some of our congressmen are started to question these assumptions and are looking into the real costs of the program.

As for my opinion of the situation I don't see that COOL will help on a product such as beef, that is a basic commodity, and that the consumer purchases on price and not quality. By the same token I don't see how it will hurt us and support the whole COOL program. I just for the life of me can't see how it will cost so much money.

Roast Beef, Medium, is not only a food. It is a philosophy. Seated at Life’s Dining Table, with the menu of Morals before you, your eye wanders a bit over the entrées, the hors d’oeuvres, and the things à la though you know that Roast Beef, Medium, is safe and sane, and sure.
Edna Ferber (1887-1968), U.S. author

Well the first snow and really cold weather of the season has finally arrived today. Some people see this event an ending. The end of the growing season, the end of the good weather, the end of all the outdoor warm weather fun. Other people see it as a beginning. A begining of a new cycle of seasons, the begining of a moisture year, the begining of all the outdoor cold weather fun.

For myself I see it neither as a begining or an end. I see it as a continuation of the cycle of nature. From warm to cold then cold to warm. It happens year after year as God intended and we should be thankful that we are here to experience it. It might be cold, cloudy, and snowy today but another day in the future will be sunny and bright and something to look foward to.

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.
Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

Tears of God
By Sarpy Sam



Tears of God our souls conspire
Attempts to quench the inner fire.

Despair fills the hearts of many
Crushing the spirit, felling like a penny.

Tears of God wash us clean
Our innermost being, make not so mean.

Remind us in despair so great
Not to fold and feel the weight.

Tears of God fill up our souls
Lighten our tremendous load.

Brighten our ghostly conscious mind
With the promise of better times.

Tears of God wash us down
Make our hearts a joyous sound.

Prospects of life, in profusion to arise
Coat our spirit with a light hearted cry.

Tears of God our souls conspire
Will not quench the inner fire.

It was reported today (Scotsman.com) that the Atkins Diet followed by many people could lead to depression in them in the winter months. This protein (meat) rich diet removes most carbohydrates (grains, potatoes,sugars,etc.) from there diet. the claim is that the lack of carbohydrates leads to lower levels of seratonin in the brain which is the chemical that makes us feel happy.

In another report today (The Independent) experts in Britain report that the number of cases of rickets in children is on the rise after seeing an almost virtual eradication of the disease. They say the cause of the increase is mostly attributed to children being fed too much junk food or being on a vegetarian or macrobiotic diet.

I know that many people in the cattle industry applaud the Atkins diet for increasing the demand for beef and raising prices for our products. They also curse people who follow a vegetarian diet since they are "not getting the proper nutrition" from a diet that does not include there cherished item beef.

It seems to me like from these two reports the best diet for people to be on is a well rounded diet that includes nutrition from the old four basic food groups. My opinion of the new food pyramid is that there were too many "politically correct" items went into its formulation. If we eat sensible and exercise moderately we will have a long, happy, and productive life.


Food is an important part of a balanced diet.
Fran Lebowitz (1950 - )

Part of the secret of success in life is to eat what you like and let the food fight it out inside.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

I see today on World Net Daily that we are now trying to blame the California wildfires on al-Qaida. It sure seems to me like we need to concentrate more on putting the fires out and saving lives and property than we should be laying blame on how they started.

The world and our lives sometimes moves too fast and we need to consider that at times we need to stop and smell the roses.

I had to do a little riding today and move a yearling back to the pasture she belonged in. Normally in the press of time to get things done this would have been a hurry up and get it done job so that I could get on to the next project. Well as is my goal my work is mostly caught up and I was able to take my time and enjoy the horseback ride. I took my time, put her where she belonged and then headed back to the corral.

On the ranch I have many sandstone rock formations and have looked at many of them but amazingly enough not all of them (I have been here basically my whole 40 years and my family has been on the place 90+ years). Well I decided to ride by and look at one rock formation that I had never looked at before since I had the time. Hidden in a pocket that you could not see from a distance was a formation of rocks that to me was amazing and wonderful and caused me to stop and admire the beauty that God left for us to find in our lives.

Maybe we all need to stop, slow down, and find the beauty and wonder that is all around us.

One cannot fix one's eyes on the commonest natural production without finding food for a rambling fancy.
Jane Austen (1775 - 1817)

I see today in the paper that there are some tremendeous fires in California and some people are losing there homes. I have great sympathy for these people and what they are going through.

I had a large fire on part of my ranch this year and a special fire fighting team from California was brought in to fight it. It was just a managment team and they were the most stupid, incompentent bunch of people that it has ever been my lot to meet. The local people that were fighting the fire were managing barely to hold the fire and it was no more than 4000 acres but there recources were getting streched very thin. When the California Clods came in the fire BLEW UP and before mother nature (not the firefighters) put it out it burned over 30,000 acres.

If this is the Quality of people managing the fires in California now I have sympathy for the landowners because it will be a long time before the fires are out.

Well I see the Marlins have wom the World Series. I do not pay attention to sports and don't even know who the players are in the game but I am glad to see the Yankees lose. My limited understanding is that they are a arrogant "big money" team and I always like seeing that type of team lose.

After reading some Blogs and thinking about it I have decided to try my hand at it. This will be a new experience for me and I will see how it goes for now.

Today I attended a Memorial Service for a neighbor. Boy nothing makes you think about your life more than one of these situations. The thinking can be sad but for now I am happy with where and what I am doing with my life so I should not stew so much I guess. My thoughts should be, and are, with the family in their time of need.

Well just a start for my blog and we will see what happens.