Cowboy Consistancy in South Texas: Going 4 for 4 (part 2)

Update: Click Here for Part 1

Lunch usually gets wrapped up pretty quick on days like these and so we were back at the pens loading up a little before 1:00 pm.

I had saddled the paint horse right before lunch so all I had to do was grab a bit since Dick had already loaded the horses when Dad and I arrived. Everyone else was riding the horse they rode that morning. Lilly did fine, but she's not ready for what we may get into this afternoon.

Well we headed down 202 until we got to Trunkline and took a left back into the ranch. Down the dusty old ranch roads we went. Two ranch rigs, the rolling pens, and my grandfather in his trusty chevy punching through the rising dust that hadn't been hit by a drop of rain in more than eight months. About twenty minutes later we got to the lake and left everything but the rolling pens. If you rattle a bunch of stock trailers up to a trap of Brahmans that haven't seen anybody since this time last year, you can't be surprised when you arrive and don't have many cattle to work.

Cowboy Consistancy in South Texas: Going 4 for 4 (part 1)

Update: Click Here for Cowboy Consistancy in South Texas - Part 2

Anybody who has worked cattle in the brush country of South Texas knows that consistancy isn't really part of the deal. Sure, there's a plan when you get started, but you never know what's going to happen.

Before I get to far into this story, let me set the stage a bit. I head south from San Antonio, Texas every Thursday to a place I like to call Quincy. Sometimes I am tasked with riding as many horses as humanly possible before 3:00 or 4:00 pm, roping till dark, and then heading back home. Those are the days I live for. Most days though, we work cattle. Truth be told, I live for those days as well.

Well yesterday we worked cattle. I headed out around a quarter till 6:00 after I fed the horses and loaded up some old roping calves that I was returning to the ranch. Just south of Pleasanton the sun started to rise and I knew it was going to be a beautiful day.

The calves and I arrived around 8:00 am and I met my dad, Morgan, at his house. We fed some of the weanling colts and headed over to the Murphy to drop off the calves and put out some round bales.

"So what do yall have going to day," I asked him.
"We've got some trapped over at the Cat and Pop's got some over in Little Quincy and the Coots," was Dad's response.

Are we all but seedy characters?

Father Ed, or Fr. Ed, or Fred as he likes to refer to himself, had a good one today. After reading Mark 4:1-20, he joked, "So, does that mean we are seedy characters?"

There's always philosophy behind Fred's jokes. And today being the feast day of Saint Thomas Aquinas, it's only fitting that we speak of philosophy. Just how seedy of a character are we? Where are we in our understanding of the Word of God?

If you're like me, you feel like you're never good enough. Guess what. You're not. I'm not. We could never be good enough to deserve what Christ did for us. Take comfort in knowing that we don't have to be. If you're the seed on the path, or the seed on the rocky ground, or that among thorns, it's OK. Salvation is a gift. What we have to do is believe and be gracious in our thankful acceptance of His gift.

"The things that we love tell us what we are." - St. Thomas Aquinas

Have a great contemplative Wednesday!

Horse Business takes all kinds.

Our Horse Business Innovation company, RanchForeman.com, signed a new account last week and we're scheduled to meet with the client next Monday or Tuesday. Who freakin' cares, you may ask.

Well, I was a little star struck since it was the former CEO of Cingular (then AT&T), Stan Sigman. Most people get temporary retardation when they meet people like George Strait. I, on the other hand, have to supress my backwoods tendencies upon meeting successful business people like Stan.

I couldn't stand it though and during our first meeting I quizzed him about the iPhone and their partnership with Apple. I'm glad I did. He unravelled a wonderful story that began with the words, "Well, I was sitting in the office one day and Steve calls me up." OK, stop right there. That's Steve Jobs everybody. The guy who runs Apple, Inc.. He continued with his story and I won't bore you with the details as most of you probably don't study Fast Company Magazine, Inc. Magazine and The Journal like I do. I guess I'm a big dork when it comes to things like that. The point is, this man was not who I thought he was. Yes, he's a hard working business person. But, he's humble. He's enthusiastic. He's a country boy at heart. And now, he's in the horse business.

So, Saint Paul and two Bishops walk into a bar....

OK, I know that's probably wrong on so many levels. But, it may also be right in a way.

Today was the feast day of the Bishops Titus and Timothy. Timothy served in Lystra and Titus served in Crete.

Timothy and Saint Paul were very close friends and Titus was also an acquaintance of Pauls. They accompanied one another on many of their travels.

Both Timothy and Titus were among those bishops ordained by Paul.

Shooting Ranch Geldings

My wife is a heck of a shot.

With a camera that is. Actually, she's a remarkable shot with a pistol, rifle and a shotgun too, but that's a whole other story.

I've been riding two particular geldings the last four months in preparation for the Ranch Gelding Stakes and Sale in San Antonio, February 15, 2009. I'm a bit anxious regarding the sale since the horse-market has taken a slight turn downward. However, if I can get them placed, I think we'll do just fine.

One of the geldings was consigned to the sale by my grandfather, J.M. O'Brien and the other belongs to me. With these pictures going out to our past customers we should both do fine.

Thanks Tonni. The pictures and the postcard look great.

Here's Royal Caliche Red: a.k.a. Prime

And here's Home Grown Jack: a.k.a. Whiskey

If you want to check out the postcard Tonni put together click Ranch Horses

Blind Pride

So I'm headed to church this morning and on the right hand side of the road sits an 80 model chevy that has defenitely seen better days. As I keep rollin down the road I come upon a fellow packing what has to be the smallest gas can I've ever seen and guess what. He has defenitely seen his better days as well.

Since my wife and I weren't on our normal schedule, 5-10 minutes late, I pull over and offer him a ride. He's reluctant at first. I just told him that I knew it wasn't very far to the next gas station, but that's no reason to have to walk there. He loaded up and off we went.

His name was David and turns out he grew up right down the road from where we live. He had lived in Houston and Arizona but had to come back to his roots for reasons we didn't get into. We didn't get to chat long as we arrived to his destination quickly then headed over to St. Mary's.

I knelt down and thanked God for giving me a chance to help out my fellow man that morning. You know what Our Lord said to me.

"Should have invited David to join you here this morning."

Of course I should have. Remember, it's just as easy to quit listening to God when you think you're on the right path as it is when you're on the wrong one.

Are You In The Belly of the Whale?

When God called Jonah to do his work in Nineveh Jonah said, "No Thanks". Actually, he was a bit more colorful than that since he thought God's ways were ludicrous and that he was being lead to slaughter.

Didn't matter to Our Lord God much. He followed Jonah always thereafter. Jonah continued to make decisions on his own that eventually lead to his being eaten by a whale. What kind of decision gets you eaten by a whale anyway? Seriously. Sorry, I digress. I do that alot. Anyway, when he was shot back out of that whale, he was ready to do God's will.

The results: The entire city of Nineveh repented and turned away from their evil ways escaping the evil God had in store for them.

Are you making decisions leading to the belly of your whale? Are you already in there? Trust in His plans for you and act on that which only you can hear.

God Bless - James