Get Back to the Country

Doggon' it! We have a dog!

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:52:00 +0000

There's been a new addition to our family!
Rorri came home with us on June 16. We'd been looking for a dog to replace Dad's border collie, Radar, who vanished late last summer. Rorri, an Austrailian Shepherd mix, finally appeared at the Liberty Animal Shelter a little over a week ago. We took Dad to see her, but he wasn't sure that she was what he wanted. However, WE fell in love with her, and now she's home!

All Gassed Up?

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Fri, 16 May 2008 14:24:00 +0000

I recently heard a nationally syndicated "pundit" bemoaning how much gasoline it took to produce the traditional beef found in the grocery stores. By the time you add up the fuel used to grow the corn to feed the steer, to haul the steer to and from the feedlots, to haul the processed beef to it's final destination in the supermarket, it's a significant amount. This "expert" then coyly asked if it wouldn't be better for the planet, more "green", if we all stopped eating beef.

Well, there's another alternative.

Why not START eating grassfed beef? The use of fossil fuels to produce such a product is a small percentage of that of the grainfed beef. My guess is that most grassfed beef in the US is bought and eaten within a short distance of where it is produced, instead of being shipped 1500 miles or more, as is the average distance travelled for most products in the typical supermarket.

Wouldn't this be a way we could have our beef and eat it, too?

GO GREEN! EAT GRASSFED!

The Lowline Lifestyle

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:08:00 +0000

What is it?
It's a lot of things, grassfed beef, country living, urban ranching, and more.
Find out about it at:
http://lowlinelifestyle.com

Watch Out For That TREE!

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:34:00 +0000

I was trying to chase one of the 500 pound calves out of a lot we have fenced off, and he had somehow gotten into. Now, it's been years since I did much "hearding". So it was kind of an adrenaline rush. I mean, here I was, the "smart one", heading that dumb beast to the gate I wanted him to go through. Suddenly, he darted and started to go around the pickup I was driving to herd him. "AHA!", I thought. "Just jump in reverse and cut him off!"

Would have workd well if it hadn't of been JUST slippery enough out there for me to slide into the tree he darted around.

OUCH!

Anyone good at putting in new tail-lights?

Broken Water

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 23:12:00 +0000

I knew I should have let the sun thaw it out today. But there was
1/4" of ice on the waterer, and I decided to break it free. When I
did, I somehow broke the chain that holds the float ball to the
shutoff valve. So now I had an overflowing waterer.

The temperature was 24 degrees out, and that water was COLD! I found
a rock I could wedge under the float valve to stop the flow. Then I
had to bail out the water to get to where the chain connected to the
shutoff arm. I eventually managed to get things all piced together
and adjusted again. I was chilled to the bone after an hour and a
half out in the cold air, and elbow deep in cold water.

But it felt good to have figured it out and gotten it done!

Broken Water

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:31:00 +0000

I knew I should have let the sun thoaw it out today. But there was
1/4" of ice on the waterer, and I decided to break it free. When I
did, I somehow broke the chain that holds the float ball to the
shutoff valve. So now I had an overflowing waterer.

The temperature was 24 degrees out, and that water was COLD! I found
a rock I could wedge under the float valve to stop the flow. Then I
had to bail out the water to get to where the chain connected to the
shutoff arm. I eventually managed to get things all piced together
and adjusted again. I was chilled to the bone after an hour and a
half out in the cold air, and elbow deep in cold water.

But it felt good to have figured it out and gotten it done!

Oh, deer........................

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 19:40:00 +0000

Life in the country can be all about the timing...........

As we were getting into the Jeep, I happened to glance down to the end of the drive. I spotted some movement on the other side of the road, so stood still a moment to see what was going on. Out of the small ravine came a buck, about a 12 pointer as near as I could count. Behind him came a harem of 4 does, followed by 4 young deer, judging by their size. They quickly crossed the road and followed what seemed to be a well known path up beside the driveway, then gracefully leaped the fence at the back of the yard, crossed the corner of the pasture, and leaped the boundary fence there before trotting on up and over the ridge.

It was a magnificent sight, a sight that would have been missed had the timing been 30 seconds different.

God blesses us so richly!

Early Hints of Spring

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:22:00 +0000

It was cold out this morning.

The thermometer read 12 degrees. My hands were almost instantly
chilled as I tried to work the clasp on the chain and then open the
metal gate into the pasture. There was a 2 inch thick layer of
"slush" on the top of the waterer, and by the time I'd scooped it out
with my bare hands, they were longing for the warmth of the heater
vents blowing on high.

But there was a beauty to this morning as well.

The pale reddish pink of the rising sun seemed to have just a hint of
warmth too it, something that has been missing for awhile now. As I
stood a few moments in the reflection, feeling the calm, cold air, I
looked up to see 3 V's of geese coming my way. I watched them
approach and fly over, heading northward with much loud honking, some
kind of communications between them.

And I thought of spring.

February 15, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:10:00 +0000

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day!

The sunrise this morning was exceptionally beautiful! The orange marmalade sky looked deliciously yummy, and made me think of warmer days to come. The cows all looked content as they munched their hay, or lay quietly on the open ground.

Hopefully, the rain predicted for Sunday will not be too much or too cold.

~BG

Monday January 7 2008

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 17:49:00 +0000

I KNOW better, but the smell of spring was certainly in the air as we “did chores” this morning.

According to the truck thermometer, one place in the pasture reported a temperature of 66 degrees! The brisk breeze, actually maybe more a wimpy wind, was carrying the smells of the thawing earth to my nostrils.

The geese were flying in big circles, perhaps confused about which way direction to be going.

There were the occasional splatters of rain teasing the winter-dried skin of my forehead with their touch as I walked between the gates, trying to avoid as much of the muck and mud as possible.

Not a bad start to a Monday.

J

Friday morning

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:17:00 +0000

The cattle all looked fine this morning, prefering the shelter of a wooded area, where we have their hay rings set, to being in the more open pasture areas. The trees block the wind some, a wind which is blowing just enough this morning to let you know it still has an icy edge to it.

Although the temperature is 20 degrees warmer than it was 2 mornings ago, the orange and pink glow of the rising sun seemed more reminiscent of orange and raspberry sherbert than of anything warm.

I find myself with a subtle, or not so subtle, longing for spring.

Hope your day is great!

Cowboys Love Clear Country Mornings

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 19:09:00 +0000

What a FABULOUS morning!

The early morning sunlight glistened on the dew covered pastures, creating the illusion of acres of sparkling diamonds.

Three newborn baby calves were just beginning their wobbly journey to the nourishment awaiting them from their proud mamas.

As I rode herd over the land, making sure all was well in the cattle empire, a beautiful white tailed doe sprang up from her bedding place. She gave me a passive look, leaped a ditch, then paused at the top of the ridge to watch my actions.

Calme, peaceful, serene.

What a wonderful way to start a beautiful fall day!

Organically Grown Foods

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 14:40:00 +0000

The food we eat should be tasty, nutritious and healthy. The way it is grown should help, not harm our environment. But can we really be confident that the fruit and vegetables bought from a supermarket meet these two simple criteria? Are we sure the levels of pesticides, insecticides and fungicides our food has been treated with will do us no harm?

Organically grown foods are not sprayed with these chemicals. They may not look as colorful and well presented as shop produce, but they are nutritious and full of taste.

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is easy. You just need to learn some general principles, familiarize yourself with the plants you intend to grow and get started. Nature does most of the work for you.

First, you need to think ahead. Plan which crops to grow, where to grow them, and the type of fertilizer to use.

Rotating the crop grown in an area is good for the soil. Not rotating means toxins can build up and may harm the crop if it is grown in the same plot for successive years. One crop can even prepare the soil for another. For example legumes replace some of the nitrogen that other crops can remove. If you intend to use more than one plot a simple rotation can be set up by keeping the families or types of vegetables in separate areas and moving them in rotation to a new plot each year. For example you could grow the cabbage family in one plot, legumes (peas and beans) in another area, and root crops (carrots, potatoes, etc.)in a third plot.

In organic gardening pest control does not rely on a highly toxic chemical, but on a series of strategies. For example, pest's natural predators like lacewings and wasps are encouraged into the garden by planting suitable flowers. The insects are attracted by the nectar and pollen.

Weeds are another challenge to the organic gardener. Do not use chemical remedies. Organic mulches like manure, sawdust, and bark chips are one solution. Another is black plastic, but make sure there is enough moisture in the soil before you cover it up.

A good fertilizer will provide nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium for the soil. Well-rotted animal manure is recommended. Once rotted it does not smell and is a rich, brown, crumbly texture. Cow and pig manures tend to decompose slowly and so are longer lasting. If you can collect manure from a farm let it rot for about eight weeks in a covered container. You can add chicken manure to increase the nitrogen content of the fertilizer.

Compost can be made using vegetable waste. You can also add tealeaves, coffee grounds, eggshells and banana skins. Do not add kitchen scraps as they can attract vermin, and do not use citrus peel, as it is too acidic for worms.

Growing your own fruit and vegetables is a great way of getting closer to nature. It is also an effective way of teaching our children about the food on their plate and how to look after the world around us. The independence and satisfaction that can come from growing your own food is as rewarding as the peace of mind you have when you know exactly how the food was grown.

Missing the Meteors

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 18:37:00 +0000

I was really psyched up for the Persied meteor shower!

The Persieds are one of the best regularly occurring meteor showers of the year. This year, the peak was the night of August 12th/morning of August 13th. It promised to be especially good, as this peak coincided with the new moon, providing especially dark skies as a backdrop of the falling stars.

Alas, that night was cloudy here! I didn't get to see a single meteor that night, though I did see one especially bright "falling star" the night before. Such is life.

I'll be watching for the Leonid meteor shower, which occurs in December.

Anyone else get a good show from the Persieds?

First calf!

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:47:00 +0000

A lot has happened since I last posted, and I promise to catch up later.

Today we have our first calf! I haven't even seen it yet. Dad called me to tell me it had arrived. He said it was a dandy!

I can't wait to get home and take a look at the new baby!

Idling Gets You Nowhere

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 19:03:00 +0000

How often do we leave our vehicles idling in the winter, to "warm up"? According to Greentips, this practice is not a good one:

Would you drive a car that gets zero miles to the gallon? Of course not. Yet that is your mileage whenever your engine idles.
Idling wastes money and fuel, contributes to air pollution, and generates carbon dioxide emissions that cause global warming.
Some states even have laws limiting the amount of time cars can idle (see the related links).

Unfortunately, many people believe that idling is necessary or even beneficial--a false perception that has carried over from the 1970s and 1980s, when engines needed time to warm up (especially in colder temperatures). Fuel-injection vehicles, which have been the norm since the mid-1980s, can be restarted frequently without engine damage and need no more than 30 seconds to warm up even on winter days.

In fact, idling longer than that could actually damage your engine in the long term. Because an idling engine is not operating at its peak temperature, the fuel does not completely combust, leaving residues in the engine that can contaminate engine oil and make spark plugs dirty. Excessive idling also allows water to condense in the vehicle's exhaust, contributing to corrosion of the exhaust system.

No matter what time of year, minimize your idling with the following tips:

* When first starting your car, idle for no more than 30 seconds.

* Except when sitting in traffic, turn your engine off if you must wait in your car for more than 30 seconds. You can still operate the radio and windows without the engine running.

* When the time comes to buy a new car, consider a hybrid.
Hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles switch off the engine and use battery power for accessories when the car is not moving, effectively eliminating idling. Visit the UCS Hybrid Center website (see the related links) for more information on these fuel-efficient, low-emission vehicles.

That's something to think about!

Little Known Facts About Changes In Our Diet

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 18:22:00 +0000

To say that Americans are obsessed with dieting is an understatement! Pick up any magazine, tune-in or turn-on any source of advertising and you're bombarded with the latest diet schemes and food fads. More often than not, they are endorsed by some familiar Hollywood celebrity, or promoted using some other cleaver technique.

It's no mystery that the weight-loss industry has built a thriving empire. In America, for example, we spend about 35 billion dollars every year on an assortment of weight loss products and plans. In addition, we spend another 79 billion dollars for medication, hospitalization, and doctors to treat obesity-related problems. Even with this, the obesity epidemic continues to spread. Sadly, we have become the heaviest generation in our Nation's history.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that we have some very good reasons to be concerned about our weight-gain. Americans, for example are packing-on the pounds faster than ever before and weight-related medical problems are taking center stage. Diseases like heart disease, diabetes and yes...even certain forms of cancer have all been linked to obesity.

Here are a few of the surprising statistics about our weight:

- A whopping 64 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese. That's up approximately 8 percent from overweight estimates obtained in a 1988 report.

- The percent of children who are overweight is also continuing to increase. Among children and teens ages 6-19, 15 percent or almost 9 million are overweight. That's triple what the rate was in 1980!

- Nearly one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. At present, 31 percent of adults 20 years of age and over or nearly 59 million people have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater, compared with 23 percent in 1994.

(The BMI is a number that shows body weight adjusted for height. For adults, a BMI of 18.5 - 24.9 is considered normal. A BMI of 25.0 - 29.9 is overweight and 30.0 or above, is considered obese.)

Modern life both at home and at work has come to revolve around moving from one "seated" position to another: whether it's television, computers, remote controls, or automobiles, we seem to be broadening the scope of our inactive endeavors.

At times, life seems to have gotten almost too easy! For entertainment, we can now just sit-down, dial-up our favorite TV program or DVD movie and enjoy hours of uninterrupted entertainment...

And all those simple calorie burning activities that were once a normal part of our daily routine not so long ago? Long gone! You know the ones I'm talking about...activities like climbing stairs instead of using escalators and elevators. Or, pushing a lawn mower instead of riding around on a garden tractor. And what about that daily walk to school? Now, our kids complain when the school bus happens to be a few minutes late getting to the bus stop!

Along with the convenience of our affluent lifestyle and reduction in energy expenditure, have come changes in our diet. We are now consuming more calorie rich and nutrient deficient foods than ever before.

Here are a few examples of what we were eating in the 1970's compared to our diet today (information is taken from a recent U.S. Department of Agriculture survey):

- We are currently eating more grain products, but almost all of them are refined grains (white bread, etc.). Grain consumption has jumped 45 percent since the 1970s, from 138 pounds of grains per person per year to 200 pounds! Only 2 percent of the wheat flour is consumed as whole wheat.

- Our consumption of fruits and vegetables has increased, but only because the U.S.D.A. includes French fries and potato chips as a vegetable. Potato products account for almost a third of our "produce" choices.

- We're drinking less milk, but we've more than doubled our cheese intake. Cheese now outranks meat as the number one source of saturated fat in our diets.

- We've cut back on red meat, but have more than made up for the loss by increasing our intake of chicken (battered and fried), so that overall, we're eating 13 pounds more meat today than we did back in the 1970s.

- We're drinking three times more carbonated soft drinks than milk, compared to the 1970's, when milk consumption was twice that of pop.

- We use 25 percent less butter, but pour twice as much vegetable oil on our food and salads, so our total added fat intake has increased 32 percent.

- Sugar consumption has been another cause of our expanding waistlines. Sugar intake is simply off the charts. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, people are consuming roughly twice the amount of sugar they need each day, about 20 teaspoons on a 2000 calorie/day diet. The added sugar is found mostly in junk foods, such as pop, cake, and cookies.

- In 1978, the government found that sugars constituted only 11 percent of the average person's calories. Now, this number has ballooned to 16 percent for the average American adult and as much as 20 percent for American teenagers.

The days of the wholesome family dinners so near and dear to our hearts, where we all sat around the kitchen table to discuss events of the day, are now a part of our sentimental past. They have been replaced by our cravings for take-out and fast-food. We have gradually come to accept that it's "OK" to sacrifice healthy foods for the sake of convenience and that larger serving portions mean better value.

And, since I have been throwing-out statistics, here's one more: Americans are consuming about 300 more calories each day than we did twenty years ago. We should actually be eating less because of our decreased activity level, but instead are doing the opposite!

Decide TODAY that healthy eating and exercise habits will become a permanent part of your life!

Begin to explore your values and thoughts and other areas of your life where change may be required, and then take action. Begin slowly, but deliberately to make improvements in the areas you identify. And remember, it has taken a very long time to develop your habits, and it will take some time to undo them…so be patient!

Why You Should Host a Thanksgiving Party

noreply@blogger.com (B.G. Roberts) — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 20:12:00 +0000

When it comes to Thanksgiving, a fairly large amount of focus is placed on families. While you are always urged to spend the holidays with your family, whenever you have the chance, you may not necessarily be able to. Each year, millions of Americans spend Thanksgiving alone. Whether you may end up spending the Thanksgiving holiday alone or some of your friends might, you don’t necessarily have to. If you want to make it so you are not alone on Thanksgiving or those that you know and love aren’t alone, you could make the decision to host a Thanksgiving party at your home.

As previously mentioned, the greatest reasons why you may want to host a Thanksgiving party is so that no one will be alone for the holidays. Whether you choose to invite your friends, family members, coworkers, or neighbors, there is a good chance that you may, literally, be making someone’s holiday. In addition to party guests that have no other plans or family in the area, you may also find that even those that do have other plans will try and stop by your Thanksgiving party. There is just something about the holiday season, as well as a party, that makes everyone want to socialize, even with those that they may not personally know well.

Another reason why you may be interested in hosting a Thanksgiving party is to create a social network of friends, family members, neighbors, or coworkers. Whether you are new to the neighborhood, the family, or even work, you may want to think about hosting a Thanksgiving party and inviting your new friends or acquaintances. If you are new to the area, you may find that hosting a Thanksgiving party is one of the best ways to familiarize yourself with those that you may end up interacting with, as well as make new friends. Even if you are not new to the workplace, area, or family, it may be good idea to host a Thanksgiving party and invite someone who may be. You may help make it easier for that individual to feel more comfortable in their new setting.

If you are a parent, it may also be a good idea to for you to host a Thanksgiving party. No matter what the age of your child or children, one thing is for sure, kids love parties. In fact, you may even want to think about hosting a kids’ only Thanksgiving party. Your child would likely enjoy the fact that you are willing to plan a party just for them and their friends. If you would prefer to host a Thanksgiving party that you, as well as your children would enjoy, you may want to think about hosting an all ages Thanksgiving party. An all ages Thanksgiving party would make it so your child or children could invite their friends, but so you would also invite your own guests as well.

Another one of the many reasons why you should, at least, think about hosting a Thanksgiving party is because they are relatively easy to host. Of course, you will find that some planning and preparation is involved, but what is nice about planning your own Thanksgiving party is that you could, literally, make your party anything that you want it to be. For instance, if you would like to go all out and plan the ultimate party of the year, you may want to think about hosting a formal Thanksgiving party. If you are interested in hosting a Thanksgiving party, but you don’t want all of the hassle that goes along with planning one, you may want to host a casual Thanksgiving party. The type of Thanksgiving party that you choose to host will have a direct impact on exactly how easy it is to host your own party.

Whether you are looking to please your children, avoid spending the holidays alone, or if you just want to have a party, you may want to seriously consider hosting your own Thanksgiving party. If you would like to, you are urged to act fast. You will want to invite your guests before they make other plans or someone else decides to host their own Thanksgiving party.