After reviewing John’s performance today I am extremely disappointed.  I am not sure if he is half way drunk or not, but he must be because there is no way anybody could possibly be that uncoordinated.  Also, I have never seen anybody as lazy as him in my entire life.  Instead of helping the little kids flip a calf and preventing a wreck he is plum content to lean against the fence and eat a cookie.  And then I made the mistake of letting him rope.  Common sense told me that when he fell off his horse three times during the gather I shouldn’t let him, but I was a nice guy and decided to give him a chance.  First off he only caught like ten calves in a hour and he roped every one of them off of the back of the coral.  I mean come on man that’s what I did when I was like seven.

In conclusion, I am very disappointed and cannot believe that I have made the mistake of inviting him.  I guess I will just have to learn my lesson and remember to not make the same mistake again next year.

Wednesday night 7:30 p.m.

“Hello?”

“Hey Larry this is Fred how ya doing.”

“O not to bad, just trying to finish up calving and enjoying the beautiful weather”

“Ya well I think we are going to try and brand on Saturday if you wanna come.”

“Ok I don’t have anything going on so the kids and I should be able to make it”

“Ok sounds good. Make sure you bring a horse cause I have quite a few people coming to wrestle but I don’t have anybody roping”

“O ok sounds good.  What time and where.”

“O try to be at the corals there about seven thirty”

“Sounds like a plan thank you”

“Yep see ya Saturday”

Saturday Morning  5:00 a.m.

“Fred this is Larry.”

“Good morning Larry.”

“Hey I was just calling to see if it rained over there.”

‘No it didn’t rain a drop.  It is kind of cloudy but I think we are going to go ahead and giver a try.”

“Okay, well I was just making sure cause it rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock her last night”

“Huh? That’s funny cause it didn’t even try here.”

“Okay, well I will see ya in a couple hours.’

“Sounds good, bye.”

3/30/12

I chose to write a poem about branding.  It reflects on how spring is such a beautiful time of year and the wonderful experience of going and helping people brand.

The snow has melted
The grass is green
and the sun has begun to shine
So it is time to make some calls on the telephone line
You call your neighbor, friends, and family
Because the chore of branding is not to be done alone
It is a time for everyone to gather and for their skills to be shown

The day has finally come
and your up at the crack of dawn
You can not believe that spring is here and you wonder where time has gone
Everybody arrives from near and far
and not a single one of them is driving a car

You all go out to gather the cows and their calves
If they don't want to go in the coral one hell of a time you're going to have
Everything goes smoothly you have finally had some good luck
But then you turn around and you crew is already drinking the beer from the cooler in the truck

Baraka

blog 6

He had scar.  Actually he had several of them but the biggest one you couldn't see. It was a scar on his heart.  You see several years ago there was a girl her name was Katey and Katey was responsible for the scar on his heart.  She had ripped a hole in his heart like the Grand Canyon, deep and rugged.  Sure it had healed but it took time, lots of time and there John sat ten years later stuck in a wheelchair without a friend.

"You better come back safe and sound" Katey cried as she kissed John goodbye one last time.
"I will just as long as your right he waiting" Jonh said firmly trying to cover up the fear in his voice.
"You know I will".
"I do" said John as he gave Katey one more goodbye kiss and he was on his way.

It was a hot and humid day in Veitman and something just seemed strange to John he could not figure out what the hell it was but he knew something just was not right.  Then it was just like the sky turned black and there was nohting over head but Veitkong air craft.  John did his best to find someplace safe but bombs were going off all over the place. And just when Jonh thought it was over and he had survived the ground erupted like a volcano only ten feet away.

The next thing John knew he was waking up in a military hospitile.  As he slowly came to he started to realize he was covered in bandages.  Then he tried to move his legs and there was no reponce like they were not even there. He could see them but they just would not work.

The next several weeks were miserable for John. He kept wanting to get up and walk but every time he tried he was crushed with the brutal reality that walking was no longer a option,  Then came the day when his bandages were removed.  John had always pecieved him self as a good looking guy but he could not even stand to look at himself in the miror anymore.  Several times he contemplated sneeking a knife into the bathroom and ending it all but everytime he thought he had mustard up enough courage to do it Katey's face and the word "I love you" popped into his head and he would melt like butter in the mircowave.

Finally the day came. The day that had kept John going for the last month and a half, he was going home to see Katey.  His plane landed and he looked out the window and sure enough there stood Katey right where he had left her six months ago.  And boy did she look good.  So good that John got butterflies in his stomach.  Worse than that first time when he had to meet her father.
"Everybody off" the flight attendent yelled and John slowly wheeled his way off the plane.

He slowly wheeled is way towards Katey who stood there not even noticing he him.
"Hey babe " John said and Katey turned and looked at was to her some freak in a wheelchair.
"O my god is that you John" Katey exclaimed.
"Yes babe" John repllied trying to be strong and fight back the tears that were boiling in the back of his eyes.
"Holy Shit" Katey yelled " You look like hell I do not want anything to do with you" and she turned and walked away.

John sat in his wheelchair and sobbed. Everything he loved and cared about had just walked away and left a crator in his heart.

blog 5

She adjusted his bowtie and gave him a kiss.  In most instances a thank you or i love you would have been a standard responce.  But not in Ava's case, she revieved a great big MEOW!  To Ava though a meow was just as good as a kiss or perhaps even better.

Ever since she was a little girl Ava possessed this strong and unusual obsession with cats.  As a little girl she would sit in class and draw cats on her assignments and at one point she even reached a point where she would no longer speak only meow.  Then she moved to high school and started to become a little more normal.  Well at least until Halloween came around and what do you no Ava dressed up like a cat.  After high school Ava went to world at an animal shelter, specifically the cat department.  All was well and Ava was as happy with her life as she could be until she got fired for stealing a cat from the shelter.

Ava took loosing her job hard for awhile and then she came to terms with the fact that she had Mr. Tom and that and was all she would ever need.  She and Mr.Tom would sit in their cardboard box of a house just down the ally from McDonald's, all day.  Ava would dress him up and put bow ties on him and brush him and Mr. Tom just put up with it.  Not once did he ever scratch her or hiss at her or try to run away.  It was like he understood that he was Ava's only friend in the whole world and with out him she would have nothing.

Now there is one thing to remember and that is that Mr. Tom was a boy and boy cats have certain needs that must be met.  So,late at night, when Ava was sound asleep Mr. Tom would make his way down the ally to the McDonald's dumpster, where he was sure to find some fine feline female looking to have a good time. 

It was after one of these late night escapades when Mr. Tom was heading home when suddenly he was blinded by a bright light and then suddenly there was nothing.  Mr. Tom had been ran over by a  garbage truck.

When Ava awoke the next morning to find Mr.Tom gone she was scared.  She frantically ran up and down her ally yelling "Mr. Tom, Mr. Tom where are you.  After an hours worth of yelling and searching Ava made her way to the Sherifs office. She walked through the door and approached an officer standing there "Excuse me sir, I am looking for my cat" Ava said with just a hint of hope in her voice that the officer might Know something about Mr. Tom, "Do You know anything about him.  The officers face kind of turned white and he replied "I am sorry mam but your cat was ran over by a garbage truck early this morning."  Ava's heart sank and tears began to run down her face.  She had just lost her best and only friend in the whole world.

Blog4

They were sitting in the hallway talking just like they do every day after lunch when here she came, undoubtedly the hottest girl in school they both just stopped and stared as she walked toward them. Then as she passed them and proceeded down the hallway John spouted  off like he always does. "Hey Zach checkout that ass". And they both turned to look at Taylor as she worked her hips down the Hall as if she just wanted them to check her out. "No doubt" Zack replied "she is pretty hot" "but she is such a skank "John said with a look of disappointment on his face "Its not Like you even have to try to hook up with her.  Isn't that right Matt  "Whats that" Matt asked not having a clue what the two were talking about.  "O John and I were just discussing how attractive Taylor is but how she is a total skank."  "Ya no kidding", Matt exclaimed, his eyes  wide like a little kid who had just opened their favorite presents, "That girl is fine". "THere is just one problem she is like the town bicycle, everybody gets a ride".

Blog 3

As they sat eating dinner at the five star Italian restaurant Howard notice a group of about six young guys walk in joking around and having a good time.  Then Howard look across the table at his beloved wife of fifty four years and is stomach became like a rope with a series of knots tied in it.  You see the sight of these young men brought back a memory to Howard, one that he had been trying to forget for the last fifty three years.

"Lets go", one shouted, "Vegas Baby !", another one of Howard's friends shouted, and they all boarded the plane for L.A.  "So are you ready for your wedding Richard?", Howard asked.  I will be as soon as this trip is over", he replied.  "But until then I intend to party as hard and get with as many girls as possible".  Your getting married Howard thought to him self how could you do that.

Finally their train had arrived and they all got off tiered but ready to have a good time.  First they checked into their hotel and then it was to the beach.  They were swimming and drinking and having a good time when there she was the most beautiful Howard had ever seen.  Her dark tan skin glistened in the sun light and he could help but to stare.

They returned to their hotel and got cleaned up to go out.  Howard was tired from a long afternoon of swimming and said he would just stay at the room but Richard and Bill convinced him to come.  At the bar Richard and Bill were drinking away and Howard still tired and not feeling well was just sitting at the table sipping a Coke when he saw her again.  Your married Howard told himself don't even look at her.  But he couldn't help himself.  Then just what Howard didn't want to happen happened their eyes met.  Howard, knowing what had just happened tried to pretend he was looking at the clock on the wall but, it was too late.  She got up and walked over.  "My name is Rose", she said sticking out her hand to introduce her self. "I'm Howard" he replied.  Would he like to sit down , Howard offered just trying to be polite still telling himself repeatedly that he was married.  "Sure" Rose replied.

After that it was all down hill for Howard.  The two of them sat and talked for awhile and it didn't take long and Howard was no longer feeling poorly at all.  Then Rose said the most dreadful thing Howard had ever heard.  "Would you like to go to my place?".  Knowing that he should say no Howard just couldn't bring him self to do it.

The next morning Howard awoke lying next to Rose.  As he lay there not wanting to wake her up all he could think about was his lovely wife back in Chicago.

1-20-12

It may look like just a boring white banner
But you wave it around in a cheering manner
You yell and scream
To support your team
Winning or loosing you cheer any way
Because they are your team and you will support them any day