Dorthory and the Wizard of Oz

That's how I felt anyway.

Thursday at 11:30 am, a tornado went over head and touched down about a mile away. It then went on a 30 mile path of destruction taking out houses, barns, telephone poles, trucks, cars, trees and killing 1 man.

I was working from home and had no idea a tornado was in the area. I really should keep the news on when I'm working and the skies are overcast, but we don't get lots of tornadoes in this part of Colorado. The area I grew up, was a different story, but here it's usually pretty safe.

The Internet went down and I thought it would be a good time to stop work and chill for a bit. Then the rain and hail came, I was looking at the window making sure the calves were safe in the windbreak. They were of course, they have great mommies that do their jobs well.

I texted Phil saying "raining and hailing like crazy here." Still didn't think anything of it. Then Phil's mom called and said a tornado touched down in Gilcrest. Then Phil called and told me to go to the basement. Both calls came after the tornado already past while I was being oblivious.

We went out yesterday too look at the destruction. I meant to get pictures for the blog, but I couldn't bring myself to snap pictures of others that were not as fortunate as myself.

It was bad, 100 year old trees laying on their sides with roots ripped from the ground. Barns that looked like a hill of lumber instead of a shelter. Brick houses with only 2 rows of bricks, tons of homes with the roofs plum blown off.

Reports say it touched down 1 mile from the house, but the best I can see the destruction was about 5 miles away...still too close.

A dairy in the area lost 25 cows and all their buildings. They built the place in 1977 and it had been in the same family since it was built.

The news showed a story where a 8 month pregnant wife ran outside to save her blueheeler, but when she saw her patio set blowing away she got scared and ran in without him. As any good blueheeler would, he hunkered down in a low spot. He lived through it, their house did not....but a house can be replaced a pet cannot.

A day care in Windsor moved all the children to the bank vault next door minutes before their roof was blown off saving all the kids

TR Cattle 2008 calving season - done

May 14th about 1 in the afternoon, TR Cattle had their last calf of the season. Fishhook was the last this year. She and daddy spent the summer at a friend's pasture who wanted to breed to skunk. This calf is Skunk's only calf, we personally have.

I think this little guy looks like a cross between a jersey cow and an albino deer...really neat how he is colored up, almost all grey with that tan head. His nose is black with one pink stripe down the center. Cute litle guy. Let's hope it's a little bull.

May 7, 2008 Berry calved early morning. Phil was out in Yuma planting corn for work so I was flying solo. Checked cows that morning and this new little one was up and drinking already. At first all I could see was the tail-end...looked like an all black calf...then saw a white face...couldn't get close enough to see the brockle maze...so she looked like a black bald face...that was pretty interesting since mom is Red and dad is black and white (with more emphasis on white). Sure was wondering if Catfish jumped the fence in the middle of the night...but once I got a closer look this one is definitely Dr. Seuss. He's been throwing that brockle face and this one looks just like Dr. Seuss's mom (just black instead of brown).

We have one more to go, and she's the tie breaker. Currently we have 5 bulls and 5 heifers....hoping the bulls win this year. I can only keep about 15 females around and right now with yearlings and the newbies, I'm at 22....gotta starting selling soon.

Happy 12th Birthday Cowboy

Ok, I have no kids of my own....so yes my little puppy Cowboy gets spoiled and a little extra attention from his mommy.

Today Cowboy is 12...It's hard to believe.

I remember the day I got him. Phil and I were still living in Sterling. We'd been together 3 months, but it felt like we were a happily married couple with 5+ years of expeirence.

Phil had Jenny, his little girl blue heeler, and I wanted a little boy for myself. We'd been looking but hadn't found anything.

It was the summer of 1997 and we decided to drive to Windsor to the bull riding (this was a few years before we had bulls and just went to watch). I'm pretty sure Phil was retired by then, but can't remember exactly.

A couple from New Raymer had a litter of pups for sale and I headed right over. Saw a cute little red heeler. A fun little boy, but pretty scrawny and just not 100% perferct. I was about to settle for him when this big fluffy blue pushed his way through the litter mates and stole my heart. I picked him up and it was all over..I had found the one. He was $100, and $100 was a lot for a starving college student working at Wal-Mart for her part of the rent. But, he was worth every penny.

Named him Copenhagen Cool Cowboy on the way to Phil's parent's (couldn't be this close to their house and not visit, Phil said).

I love you Cowboy, thanking you for being my best friend...here's to another 12

My boys

If they could see him now!

Catfish was a hell of a bull in his day. He knew his job and he took it serious. But, he was never out for blood. He didn't want to hurt the rider, just wanted to win and buck him off, he was an athlete. And he never did stay in the arena to chase the bullfighters like some of his team mates would. He went out... did his job and left. But, he wasn't a softy either. Catfish wouldn't let you close to him, he was a bull...a bull didn't get scratched behind the ears..At least so he thought.

In his prime he bucked off some of the best bull riders. The ones that were lucky enough (or talented enough) to ride him, well, he took them to the pay window. When we were invited to bull ridings, we were told "Bring Catfish and those bulls." Everyone wanted to see Catfish.

I could talk about Catfish forever, the time he went to Tucson Arizona and Donny Gay was announcing. "They call him Catfish, and that bull BUCKS," Donny said. Or the time we took him to Jerry Nelson's PBR in Casper Wyoming and he through off his riders both nights. Or Bismark, ND where Cody Lambert marked him a 22. And the many times we'd take him to Greeley or Fort Collins for a Wild West Show and everyone knew Catfish and everyone wanted to draw Catfish...of course they had to make it to the short-go for a chance at him as more times or not that's where he'd be.

Don't get me started on all the times he'd jump fences. Once he jumped over Phil who was standing on top of the fence, I thought he'd killed him. Or the time he jumped out of his pen at the Greenriver rodeo and Phil thought I'd leave him if he didn't get Catfish back safely. And my favorite story, the time he jumped out of a pen of bulls going to the packer and jumped in with a pen of bulls that were trying their "hooves" out at rodeo.

But now, Catfish is retired. He's a daddy and a trainer (I like to think the younger bulls look up to him and learn from him). And he's not the hard-nose bull anymore...now he is a softy. He's learned that this girl and that guy that comes out twice a day and feeds him, the ones that are always talking to him, the ones that let him spend a few summer with his girlfriends, well they aren't that bad. Actually they are pretty fun. And well, being scratched is almost as fun as bucking.

And Phil...Well, a bull rider, even one who's retired, never lets an opportunity to get on a great bucking bull pass him by. Even one that is smart enough to know the best scratching happens from above. Oh my boys! I wouldn't trade them for the world.