Christmas 2008 and New Years 2009

After a harrowing journey east (thanks Northwest Airlines ground crew in Billings, MT for a horrible experience) I spent the holidays in Virginia. The flight out of Montana was delayed for 3.5 hours and when I did arrive in Minneapolis all of the flights out were canceled so I got the extreme pleasure of camping in the airport...that SUCKED big time. Pictures from the Minneapolis airport can be found here...looks like fun huh? Finally, I arrived in Charlotte, NC which is as close as the airlines could get me to my parents (Charlotte isn't really close) however, they did forget my luggage in MN (figures) so all of that threw my travel plans out of whack by about 2 days. I did get to go down to Patrick County and see some friends and eat at El Rancho and have a Honduras Coffee chaser (I recommend the Coco-Mocha Nut Latte Frio...mui bueno!!!). I spent Christmas eve and morning in Tazewell and then spent a few days with the folks in Gate City. I traveled to Blacksburg to visit some family and friends and am spending the New Year in Tazewell. Tomorrow I am meeting the folks and we are going to Oak Hill, WV to see my brother and his wife and Kathryn, and then back to Tazewell for the Orange Bowl. Anyhow, Happy New Years! Pictures from the trip thus far can be found here.

Home for the holidays

Well, since no one wants to come to Montana to visit, I thought that I would show you what you are missing. At least what my house looks like decorated for Christmas...click here.

Someone left the freezer open!

Winter has officially arrived in Montana! We have been experiencing the wonder that is sub-zero temps for the last couple of days. The high today is -11 and the high yesterday was -5. We will be experiencing something of a tropical heat wave on Wednesday with temperatures around 10 above for highs! One of my secretaries just phoned in and said that she will be late this morning...she drives a school bus and it is -36 where her route begins! I think that the low in town last night was -25, but I haven't seen an official temp yet.

We also have some snow...about 5 inches. That isn't a whole lot of snow, but it is something. The snow came in on Saturday morning along with 60 mph winds (which was a whole lot of fun working outside in).

I had a Christmas party on Saturday night...which I DID shovel my sidewalk, but the forementioned winds took care of my work for me by the time anyone showed up. I just turned on the XM Christmas music and served up some yummy Santa Fe Cheese soup and we had a pretty good time. It was actually surprising to have as many folks show up as I did. I really didn't expect anyone to get out in the storm, but I guess I had 10 or so people at one point or another...they all just wanted my cooking!!!

End of Semester...Time to Party!!!

Today is the end of fall classes!!! I just need to finish my finals and I am done! It will be such a wonderful feeling to not have to worry about class work for a few weeks. It will be such an uplifting feeling that I am throwing a party tomorrow night. I have invited nearly the entire town, although I think that actual attendance will be slightly less than that. I bought and put up a "permanent" Christmas tree last night (it's a biggen') and to be honest it is a lot bigger than it looked like at the store, but it's OK. I will probably spend most of the day tomorrow cleaning up the house and splitting firewood for next week. That is another story all together. If you want to see something scary, look up the forecast for Billings, MT for the next week...we are not supposed to see positive numbers in the temperature department for a while. After today, it's gonna be COLD!

New look and writers block

Well, what do you think of the new look? I thought that the shades of brown were a little "tired" at this point.

Can someone please write my paper for me? I have tried to make this thing come together all week and I'm just not feelin' it. Which is a problem, the paper is due tonight. I guess at some point I will finish this thing and submit it, but at this point, I am having to really trim down my data to make it fit within the prescribed 5 page limit. At some point in my life I would have thought that 5 pages would have been a chore to reach and now I find it a chore to trim down my material...maybe I won't be docked too much for 6 or 7 pages, I think that I can get everything to fit in that space.

Also, another paper that I have to write this month...my faculty report for the university. This is a really important one and I am kind of stressing out about it. This is the "Justify you job" paper required of all faculty at MSU. It's easy to justify my position, but I hope that I can truly relate the amount of new programming that I have put into practice this year. I was looking back over my calendar today and it's amazing to me just how much new programming (not to mention continuation of programs) that I have done this year...big programs too! I have always had trouble putting these programs and their impacts into a concise report, but I will give it another try this year. Wish me luck with these things.

Snow in December!!!

We have SNOW!!! About 2 inches of the white stuff fell yesterday and covered Big Horn County. I know that it isn't a lot of snow and that our Columbus Day storm was much larger, but it is nice to say that winter has arrived (very cold today too). I usually don't like snow and I'm sure that I will be tired of the cold by January, but for now...at least until Christmas, the snow and cold weather are nice. Town is starting to look like Christmas, with all the decorations going up (I was second this year in putting up my outdoor decorations) but now there are several houses sporting festive lighting!

Bambi lives...for now

Hunting season for deer and elk ended yesterday...without another animal finding its way into my freezer. I wish that would have had a different outcome but alas all we saw were bucks and with only doe tags, we had to let the deer live. Now, bird season is still in so hunting for me is not totally over for the year! I enjoy pheasant hunting more than deer hunting so really the season is just beginning for me! I may still yet buy a duck stamp and migratory bird license and go goose hunting as well...we saw hundreds of Canadian geese while we were hunting deer this weekend and had I been carrying a shotgun I would've taken a couple of geese and given up on the deer.

Something more fun

Yesterday, I had two things going on that took me from 7:45 to 22:00 to complete. First, I had a meeting with the state 4-H director and curriculum specialist from Bozeman regarding my grant at Pretty Eagle Catholic Academy. The grant staff and myself (with student leaders) took the state personnel on a tour of the school and explained some of the Crow culture, we introduced them to the kids participating in the grant, had the kids show off their short films (the long ones aren't completed yet), and met about next year's grant. We are trying to incorporate a few more technologies into the grant next (possibly GPS/GIS) and we are writing in a field trip to Bozeman so that the kids can see PBS studios and see the MSU grad students' studios. This is such a fun project, sometimes it is hard to believe I am getting paid for this stuff!!! I hope to get these kids to present their films to the county commissioners (I talked to them about it this morning), our 4-H Council, Tribal Council, 4-H Fair, and any other venues that I can put these kids in front of. We are going to need to have a session on presentation styles and etiquette soon (this is a weakness of the kids right now...we are going to change that)!!!

After I got back to the office from that adventure, I went to help our exchange trip kids bake and deliver pumpkin pies. We made 144 pies last night and we made nearly $800.00 on the event! Two months ago, I wasn't sure we were going to make this trip a reality, but I reserved our train tickets last week and we are slowly but surely making the money needed to travel! I am thinking of requiring these kids to each do a "research project" on one of several topics relating to Virginia prior to going and presenting their projects at fair next year (I am really pushing "indoor" projects this year). I think that I will give the kids the choice of: crops of Virginia, history of Virginia, or geography of Virginia as topics to choose from...any other suggestions?

Economy of Stupidity

That is what we are in right now. For the most part, Montana has been shielded from the imploding economy seen in the rest of the country; but one of the local mines shut down this week and Sweet Grass County's economy just tanked. The Stillwater Mining Company provided 40+% of Sweet Grass County's tax revenue and now that source is gone. I don't know how far-reaching that one company's failure will be here in the state, but it will send ripples across the entire state. My county is still fine (we operate on a different economy due to the reservation) but still things are changing. Now this isn't supposed to be a "woe is me" post, but I am angry at the process that has put the country in this position. Stupid decisions made by people have crippled this economy. That's all it is; from CEOs to everyday common folks. Ordinary citizens "needing" more home and "stuff" than they can afford, bank personnell willing to give money to people who cannot afford to repay it, CEOs making it company policy to seek out and sell their products via financing options, and Congress willing to FINANCE failed business models! All of this is stupidity in action! I know that I rant about this frequently, but it is an important issue in America right now and this one issue dictated who and what I voted for (I don't usually vote on a single issue, but I did this year). Enough about that...

Update...

Well, there isn't much to update. Things are pretty busy right now but it isn't very exciting. I am working on finishing two classes, Christmas shopping, working, and hunting; not neccessarily in that order. My Christmas shopping is nearly done, hunting season (for deer and elk anyway) ends next Sunday, work is slowing down for the holidays, and my classes end in three weeks (YAY!!!). I will not be taking two classes next semester, it's just too much to keep up with. Although, hunting season will be over next semester...Nah, it'll get warm toward the end of the semester and then I'll have spring fever and won't be able to concentrate either! I just got a call from a friend of mine asking if I want to go fill my last deer tag on Tuesday morning...I just might have to do that. Since I have already killed Bambi's daddy, it's time to kill his momma!!! Although, I don't have a lot of room left in my freezer...I'll probably give most of the next deer away. I will keep some of the tenderloin and some burger, but that's about it. It's easy to get rid of deer meat!

1st Mountain-Plains Sheep and Goat Conference

I helped make history this past weekend! The mountain-plains sheep and goat conference was a big success and the plans are being drawn up for the next one! We had producers in Greeley, CO from as far away as Missouri and Arizona. We had a crowd of about 100, most of which went into the goat track. It was exciting, nerve racking, stressful, and informative all at the same time. The CSU meats team provided the catering and did an excellent job preparing the lamb during the meals...CSU's mascot was very tasty!!!

After the conference yesterday, I did a little sight seeing in Fort Collins before returning to Montana. I went up into the Poudre River valley and ate lunch near the continental divide. Those folks that live up there in that valley ain't right; all that was missing was the little banjo playing kid from 'Deliverance'.

The Deerslayer

That's right...I killed Bambi's daddy yesterday and my hunting partner killed Bambi's mother just before that!!! I didn't plan on hunting deer this year, but the opportunity arose and I bought my tags and went. This was the most unusual hunt I have ever been on. There was none of the boring sitting around waiting, no stalking through the woods (there weren't any woods to stalk through), there was no long trek into the brush. There was simply a drive out of town to a parcel of state land, parking the truck on the prairie, wathching the deer graze, selecting the desired targets and killing the deer. Aaron shot his doe first at 250 yards and as we were walking over to it a small buck came back into view at 180 yards and I knelt down and shot it. All told, it took longer to drive to the site than it did to kill two deer. Now I have him hanging in the garage aging and I will probably process him on Tuesday. I still have a doe tag to fill so I will probably go get another deer next week after I get back from a quick trip down to Colorado for the 1st Annual Mountain-Plains Sheep and Goat Conference where yours truly is the only speaker without initials after his name (pretty cool huh?)!!!

November already???

Wow, time really flies doesn't it? I can hardly believe that it is November, especially with the weather that we have had this week. It has been nearly 70 degrees all week and sunny. It's back to reality this week though...oh well, it's fall and I guess that it is supposed to be cooler.

We are in the thick of fundraising for the 4-H exchange trip to Virginia next summer. We have raised $3100.00 out of the $33,000.00 that we need...anyone want to donate a large sum to my 4-H program??? We had two fundraisers this weekend, raising a total of $1100.00 but we are going to need LOTS more if we are going to make the total.

Oh, I will share this with everyone. I have really taken an interest in bread baking. I make an average of 6 loaves a month (which isn't an enormous amount, I know) but I really enjoy making the bread. My attempt this week yielded my best product thus far. This bread is INCREDIBLE!!! It was really tasty fresh out of the oven with some honey butter!!! Now, I have found myself wanting a stand mixer...that ain't right, a 29 year old man thinking that a stand mixer would be a wise purchase!!! I may have to seek help for this one.

Two wheeled adventure

The transitional time continues for the Northern Plains, Saturday was beautiful and near 70, Sunday was beautiful and only 40, and today is beautiful and back to 60. At least there is no snow or rain forecasted for the next week, just blue skies and warm weather...for now! Saturday I took the motorcycle out for probably the last time this year. I went for a ride down south to St. Xavier, over to Pryor, up to Billings and back to town. I wanted to see the beet harvest and just get out and enjoy the warm weather and blue skies! The wind was TERRIBLE though and I fought a head wind all the way to Billings; although the ride home was easier due to the strong tailwind! I was really a neat ride and I had a good time...looking forward to more riding next spring when I hope to take the bike to Canada and finally do the Icefields Parkway near Banff, AB!!!

Vindication

I just read an article about oil prices. The report cited oil trading today at one point below $70.00/barrel; less than half what it was trading at merely three months ago. The report cited a downturn in demand and an increase in supply as the reasoning behind falling oil prices...didn't I say several months ago that if we demanded less oil that the prices would drop? I believe that I did! Now, I am being proven right and I will go on to say that if demand for oil creeps upward again and people don't permanately adopt the changes in driving habits that they have begun during extremely high pricing that oil will again go up and prices at the pump will follow. Again, the only way to see lower energy prices is to demand less energy. It really is that simple.

Debate Revisited

Now that the last presidential debate is over...how does that affect your vote? Me, personally, I think that while McCain clearly wanted to "duke it out" with Obama tonight, Obama stayed the course and took the "high road"...amazing! I really do not like either candidate, but as I am watching the debate and listening to two men bash the policies of Washington DC I could not suppress the feeling that these two men ARE PART OF THE WASHINGTON DC CROWD!!! They are bashing the same system that both of them are a part of. How can either be entrusted to change a culture that they themselves helped create? When it comes right down to it...and I can't believe that I am saying this, Obama's message rang truer with me tonight. His economic policy makes more sense (not that I think that it is a good plan, just better than McCain's). Obama's line that for every dollar in spending increases there has to be a corresponding dollar of spending cuts makes perfect sense; his message that Americans have been living above their means and that has to change makes perfect sense; however, his plans for universal health care and universal college education do not make sense. On the flip side McCain wanting to buy up "bad" mortgages and help "people stay in their homes" is a load of bunk; that is strictly a political ploy and another indication that maybe John McCain has been in Washington too long...maybe it's time to buy that membership at a nice golf club in Phoenix John...you know, RETIRE!!! This is starting to sound like I am an Obama supporter (frankly the idea of those words escaping my mouth scare the hell out of me) but tonight anyway Obama made more sense. 19 more days of deliberating before it's time to pull the lever and pick your poison America!

Catchin' Up

After a longer than expected absence...here is what's going on in the "Last Best Place". We had a major winter storm this past weekend with 8 inches here in town and 12-22 inches over in Billings. Red Lodge got nearly 4ft and the ski slopes may open early this year because of it. Now it is Wednesday evening and all of the snow is gone here in town and the temperature is supposed to be in the 50s and 60s for the remainder of the week...weird huh?

I have made the determination that universities make absolutely no sense when it comes to policy. My graduate career is progressing nicely except that I cannot transfer credit from Virginia Tech toward my MSU degree because I already (according to MSU) have the maximum of 9 transfer credits. Now, the interesting part of this is that the 9 transfer credits that I have...guess where those credits were earned...that's right, Montana State Univerity-Bozeman! Now would somebody like to explain to me how someone can transfer credits earned at a university into the SAME university!!! It is complete lunacy!!! The reasoning given to me by the department head was that those 9 credits were earned at MSU prior to my official acceptance into the department. Now, the reason I wasn't given formal entrance to the department was that the graduate committee wanted to see some more progress of my academics prior to offering me admission and suggested that I take some classes in the department where I would be studying...now those credits are TRANSFER credits!!! I am now completely convinced that graduate school is not about learning but rather a rigorous set of challenges designed to test your ability in jumping through hoops and navigating the inner workings of stupidity...anyone want to argue that point??? While I am on my soapbox about stupid university things; I got a bill from MSU for $4.00 today. The bill is for a beef ribeye card (which I do need and would love to have), but I never got the card. The best part of this...the bill was marked "Late, past due". I never got an initial notice, nor did I recieve the product that I am being billed for. I don't know who hired the accountants in Bozeman, but I think that maybe they should pay a little closer attention to detail down there.

October 2

It's October...doesn't seem like it should be but it is. Montana is beautiful right now, our leaves are changing colors (or color; everything turns yellow here). The two trees in my front yard have already given up for the year and all of the leaves are off. Beet harvest will start in the next week or so and I hope to get out and help out (or at least watch). Cattle are being shipped south to Colorado and Nebraska to feedlots. All in all, it's a busy time.

Yesterday when I went home for lunch the dogs were barking like crazy (nothing unusual there) but something made me go out back and see what was going on. It took a while to see what the issue was, but Maggie had a HUGE squirrel treed. It was one of the biggest squirrels I have ever seen! Maggie really does have a nice tree bark, but I am sure that the neighbors get tired of the hound baying. Speaking of which, I saw this past weekend in USA Today and article that was discussing a growing storm with hunting in Virginia; it seems that a few tree hugger types are trying to ban hunting with hounds. I know that there are a few bad apples in the coon and bear hunting community that don't respect landowner rights (in Virginia, that is EXTREMELY limited due to the "right to retrieve" laws) and these bad apples are going to ruin the sport for everyone else. It's the same thing in Montana (only without hounds), a few bad sports cause loss of access for everyone. It really sucks for those of us who do follow the regulations and try to be a good ambassador for the sport of hunting. I guess that I am on my soapbox about hunting right now because the countdown has started for pheasant season (9 days to go)!!! I can't wait to get out and watch the dogs (I've been talking to Kevin about taking Jet and Hatchet out again this year) and maybe we'll be lucky enough to find and flush some big roosters!!!

Children of the corn II

35-30...great win!!! The game was incredible, the fans were excited, the atmosphere was electric, and the best part was that Tech WON! I am back in Montana after the little jaunt to the cornhusker state. I am also going on approximately 2 hours sleep as we didn't get back to the hotel until after midnight and the flight out of NE was at 6:55 am which meant a 4:30 wake up and quick shower before calling a taxi back to the airport. Now my throught is soar, I am hoarse, and I hope to sleep tonight, but it was a blast. Pictures from the Hokies win can be found here.

Children of the corn

I am enjoying my trip to the cornhusker state and hopefully tonight the Hokies will show up and quieten down the home team. The folks here in Lincoln have been incredible...no joke. I didn't pay for a drink all evening last night...thanks Huskers!!! I hope that next year Blacksburg will be as accomodating to the travelers that they have been to us this year. Well, it's time to go tailgate and get tuned up for the game...LET'S GO.............HOKIES!!!

Just another rant

I listened to the President last night discuss this country's financial problems. Now I understand that the government probably needs to step in and save the financial industry but it really chaps my tail that bad descions by greedy (no other word for it) consumers has led this country to the point that we are at. President Bush is correct when he said that the underlying issue, the issue that started the whole mess was consumers' assumptions that housing values would continue to rise at the inflated rates of the 1990s and early 2000s and then borrow more money than they can afford. How stupid are people? If you are buying real estate as an investment fine, but don't borrow more money than you can afford. I have heard a lot of people want to blame this crisis on "predatory" lenders...to that I say bull. It doesn't matter how "predatory" the lender is, they still have to disclose the terms of the loan and you as the consumer still have to sign it. I have never seen a loan agreement that says "I promise to pay this loan back so long as my investment is making money". I know that it is sad that people are losing their homes...that is a travesty, but if these people took out adjustable rate mortgages or fixed rate mortgages that they could not afford then that is their own problem I should not have to bail out stupidity. I am not saying that there aren't lean times in people's lives and that sometimes a little help is needed, but to take out a loan on the assumption that you can refinance once the value of the investment rises is purely irresponsible behavior. These people infuriate me because they destabilize the entire economy putting people that pay their bills on time every month (me) at risk. Now I am on the hook, and so is every other taxpayer, to invest in shaky investments just so banks can resume lending...what a crock. I believe that there are times that call for borrowing money like buying a house that you can afford, operating loans on large farms and ranches, and such, but borrowing money should be avoided as much as possible. I for one have lived without credit for over a year now and it is wonderful. That is not to say that I have paid off all of my debt, but I have not incurred any new debt. It can be done, it should be done, and now it must be done...

Last vestige of summer

This weekend was probably (not hopefully) the last warm weekend we will see in Montana, so I just had to get out and enjoy it. Saturday I went out for a bike ride that ended being quiet an epic adventure. I didn't realize that the divide between the Little Big Horn and the Big Horn Rivers was quiet that steep or long. I started out like normal riding down to the Big Horn where I talked to a couple of families that were getting ready to put their raft in the river for a family float trip (looked like fun...although the kids were being kind of snotty), I then decided that I wasn't ready to go back to town so I continued up the Big Horn Valley to the "Crow Cut Across" (a paved road connecting SR 313 to Crow Agency) and I rode across to Crow Agency and then back to town on the frontage road. The cut across is a lot longer than I thought and quiet a bit steeper than I had anticipated, but it was fun. The frontage road was BORING to ride on, but at least no one tried to run me over (it happens sometimes on the "old" highway to Billings)! I then went to the 4 Aces to watch the second half of the VT game...Danielle and I don't even have to ask them to put the game on anymore they just ask which channel that Tech is playing on when we come in! Yesterday was supposed to be my second 4-H shotgun class, but no one showed so I just went back home and cut the grass and piddled around the house before taking Maggie for a walk around town last night...Maggie likes to explore town and rile up every dog and cat here!!! Anyhow, this is going to be a short week as I am going to Lincoln, Nebraska this week to watch Tech play the 'Huskers. That ought to be fun; I haven't been to Nebraska for several years and I am kind of looking forward to it. I wish that I was driving, but flying was so cheap that I couldn't pass it up.

Just checking in

Well, nothing of major consequence is going on right now. I started class this week, started the 4-H shotgun project, went to Bozeman for a training, held a 4-H goat meeting, and tonight I hope to start on the flooring in the basement. I did go out this morning and look at some trees for a homeowner and then went out and took some pictures of the farming activities going on. Fall is certainly coming on and it is an active time on the farms (even though grain harvest is over); winter wheat is planted in most fields and is growing nicely, beets are nearing harvest, fields are being plowed for spring plantings, and hay is being made. It is really an interesting time! Anyhow, some pictures that I took this morning can be found here; no more talk of Montana being a brown wasteland, OK. I also took some pictures while I was in Baker, MT two weekends ago; there was a herd of antelope that I found while I was trying to get close to the wind turbines. These pictures can be found here.

Sad Post

When I talked to my folks this week they told me that my cat Nicky had gotten run over. I had two cats when I moved out to Montana and I left both of them in Virginia with the folks. I figured that it would be nearly impossible to move the cats; and cats don't move well anyway. Well, Thomas (the other cat) hasn't been seen in a while, but Nicky was hanging in there until last week. Anyhow, attached are pictures of Nicky (Grey) and Thomas (Orange). They are older pictures, but that is all that I have.

In the Clear

Well, maybe I was a bit worked up last week. The situation, while not totally resolved, is at least at rest for now. My boss backed me up and it was awesome! It is really incredible to work for someone that has your back and doesn't make any "bones" about it. Coming to Montana from an Extension system where the administrators not only didn't back the agents but helped deride them it truly is a "breath of fresh air".

Moving on... This weekend was a busy one that began with a meeting at Pretty Eagle Catholic School regarding a grant that I am on to introduce science and filmmaking to elementary school kids. This project is really cool; the plan is to introduce the topic of ethnobotany (how and which plants were and are used in traditional Crow culture) and then have the kids make a movie about it! How cool is that? I had to cut the meeting a little short and leave for Baker, MT (it's not the end of the earth, but you can see it from there...a little shot at North Dakota!!!) for shooting sports leader training. I helped teach shotgun and got to go through the new cowboy action training. Cowboy action shooting is a pilot project this year and is going to be a really cool project that introduces 4-Hers to the history of the west (clothing, firearms, customs) and melds it with a fast-paced shooting experience! During our training we were instructed on the basic "rules" of the game which were to use the revolver and shoot five round targets, then move to the repeating rifle and shoot the five back targets, and finally move to the shotgun and shoot the "fall down" target, all while being timed! When fully implemented, the kids will dress in period clothing and shoot more targets. This is going to be a really great project; one that I hope that I can bring to my county at some point.

Sunday I did not work. I went on a "poker run" with some friends. I had never been on one and it is a pretty neat way to raise money for, in this case, one of the VFW posts in Billings. The weather was cold and I realized that I don't particuarly care to ride in cold, rainy weather but it was still an enjoyable day. It was nice to get the motorcycle out one more time before the cold sets in for good!

Life; enjoy the ride!!! (a little pissed off)

When I was playing baseball back in high school I used to really enjoy having a pitcher throw curveballs. The reason being is that I bat left handed and for a right handed pitcher throwing to a left handed batter most of the time the pitch will break down and away which puts the ball right a good place to hit with power! In life I do not enjoy the curves as much. Take for instance this week (and a good portion of the past two months for that matter) I feel like I am having to defend myself against things that I have no interest in fighting. Tomorrow will be another test and I don't really know how things will turn out. I know that I would prefer things to just 'go away' and 'blow over' but I also know that this will not be the case. I am embroiled in a situation involving some angry people and a decision that I made regarding these angry people. I am getting absolutely no support from people that should be supporting the decision (someone who has repeatedly told me that we needed to "be on the same team"). Instead of supporting a decision that I still believe was correct I have been undermined in public, to my boss, and to the state office...ahh, nothing like politics to get you going!!! The reason for all of this...I really don't know. I am not interested in a "pissing contest" but that appears to be what this is. So tomorrow I will go into two meetings and have to defend a decision that WAS CORRECT and I will defend it and myself with all the energy that it takes to fight off this unwarranted attack! This is not to say that I don't feel some trepidation at the thought of tomorrow, but rather that I am sick and tired of being cut down and my decisions being undermined...tomorrow is WAR!!!

What we call the news.

When did it become national news when a 17 year old girl becomes pregnant? I really cannot see any relevance of Bristol Palin's condition and her mother's ability to be vice president. If someone can please give me insight into to how this is newsworthy I would be most appreciative. Moving on now.

This was an extremely uneventful weekend...the words "bored to tears" come to mind. Saturday was a fundraising event for the exchange trip next summer (where I think that the sun got to me because I felt awful when I got home), Sunday I cut a tree up for firewood, and yesterday it was rainy and cold (high of 55). We did invite some friends over for board games last night so that was entertaining, but on the whole it was a pretty dull weekend. I did find out that cottonwood is extremely difficult to split when it is green, but it still burns good!!! I tried out my fireplace yesterday...works really nice.

College Frustrations

I used to have this grandiose vision of going back to school to receive an education and then go forth and make the world a better place. I now realize that graduate school is a synonym for "jump through hoops" or "dance puppet"...either one. I have been battling not with the course load but rather with people of authority in administration that obviously never make mistakes (read EXTREME sarcasm). It has taken over a month to get my account settled and registered for fall classes because of a mistake made in the university computer system! It's all taken care of now and at Christmas I will be half way done with my degree!!!

On a totally different subject; I have been riveted to news about the DNCC in Denver this week. It's all over the local channels in Montana as well as the national feeds. I am riveted because of the historical significance of nominating a black man for president, plus the man is a wonderful orator that gives you the "warm and fuzzies". That being said, the man still, in my opinion, is not the best choice for president. I'm not sure that McCain is either by the way. I would not vote for Obama on one simple issue...his vote in the senate to extend social security and welfare benefits to illegal immigrants. How can anyone think that is an acceptable plan for America?

What's goin' on?

It has been an interesting few days. Not really anything spectacular going on, but a few things that have been fun. I went to Crow Fair on Friday night and had a blast! It was really cool seeing hundreds of folks in their outfits dancing. It was impressive seeing hundreds, literally, of teepees set up. Aparently, it is a big deal to have a teepee at Crow Fair. I guess I stayed down there watching the dancing and exploring the fair for a few hours Friday night...I didn't get back to the house until after midnight! I know lots of people that camp in Crow for fair, but I managed to only find one family...actually, the kids found me and took me to their camp! Only three of my pictures turned out from Crow Fair and they can be found here. This was truly an amazing experience and I can't wait to go again next year!!! There is a video of Crow Fair at the bottom of the post...it didn't turn out very well, but you can kind of get the idea. Enjoy, but please don't get motion sickness from watching!!!

Saturday, some friends and I drove out to Spring Creek Resort (bar and cafe) for their grand opening. They had free food and live music...the band was Mile 7 from here in town and I really like them. I was fun and an interesting crowd; there is NOTHING close to Spring Creek and the crowd was the local ranchers and their families...very different to see 15 kids running around at a bar. I didn't spend any time in the bar...the music and food were in the parking lot, so that's where I was all night! Another late night, but it was fun.

Big Horn Mtn Camping Trip

I just got back last night from a few days of camping with some friends in the Big Horn Mtns of Wyoming! I took the motorcycle down and had a good ride to the mountains...it also cost a heck of a lot less than driving the pickup!!! I met up with the guys on Wednesday night just in time for hot dogs and chili over the campfire. This was not a usual camping trip for me, in that we didn't move camp around and there weren't any hikes scheduled. It was just a time to relax and be in the high mountain air! I did do some rock climbing there, nothing too 'hard core' probably didn't climb anything over twenty or thirty feet, but it was fun. Yesterday we all did take a pretty nice hike up to the Medicine Wheel National Historic Site on Medicine Mountain. It was a short hike but the day was perfect and the scenery was incredible so we all just sort of took our time and enjoyed being outside. I had meant to meet up with the church group that was camping over in Red Lodge this weekend, but I didn't leave the Medicine Wheel until 5 yesterday afternoon and its easily a 2-3 hour ride over to Red Lodge from there...which isn't bad if you know exactly where you are going. So I just came back to town last night and played with the puppies and went to bed...I actually slept better on the ground in the Big Horns than I did in my own bed last night...must've been the cold nights up there!!! Pictures from the Big Horns can be found here. Also, as promised, pictures from my trip back east can be found here.

Fair 2008

This past week has been our county fair. All I can say is 'thank goodness it's over'!!! I really enjoy the 4-H portion of my job, but this fair was a killer! For the most part the kids were great and their projects were excellent, there were just some issues that needed to be dealt with along the way. I could not have been prouder of the goat project kids (I have been working with them since March on their showmanship). These kids were AWESOME!!! The judge came to me and told me how difficult it was to place the showmanship class...GREAT JOB GUYS!!! The two top showmen got to go into the 'Round Robin' portion of the show to compete against the top showmen from the other species and while the goat kids didn't win, they had a great time and are really excited to go back. All in all, fair is a great experience for the kids and I hope that next year's fair will be an even better experience for them! A few (very few) pictures from fair can be found here.

Visit back east

I have been out of the office for the past couple of weeks, so my writing has been very limited. I got to go back and visit the folks and spend some time in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, TN. The family rented a chalet in Pigeon Forge and we spent the week down there going to Dollywood and Splash Country, playing miniature golf, seeing Smoky Mountain National Park and the Cherokee Reservation (just for comparison's sake), and hangin' out at the cabin. I didn't get a whole lot of pictures, but I will post some a little later...I left my camera at home. The picture with the post is a panoramic shot from the top of Clingman's Dome (the tallest point in Tennessee).

No title

I guess the word is out...the ag agent is back in the office for a couple of days. I have 4 clients to visit today spread from here to Wyoming! I'll be looking at trees, wheat, and corn...fun stuff! I went out yesterday to look at a lilac, but the homeowner wasn't home. Well, I guess that I had better get to it.

It's been a while yet again!!!

This has easily been the busiest two weeks of my life! I have hosted 35 delegates from Floyd County Virginia this past week. It was easily the biggest project that I have undertaken as an Extension Agent. We picked the group up in Malta, MT from the train station...the train was 9 hours late so we didn't get back to town until 3:30 am! Rather than have host families come to town that early, we just crashed at the fairgrounds on the floor...really good night's sleep that was!!! The next morning we hauled them down to Yellowstone National Park for a camping trip. I don't know if anyone else has ever tried to camp with 53 people; but it's kind of like herding chickens. The park was beautiful and the weather was great, but we didn't make very good time up the Gallatin Valley and we didn't get back to town until 2:00 am. The 4th of July was a "family day" but some of the families wanted to get together and BBQ, so those of us who wanted to went to a ranch and just played all day...the kids thought it was great fun to throw the adults into the stock tank (I went in once; some went in more than that). The stock tank was a better option than the water hose...coldest water I've ever felt coming out of a hose! The next day was a tour of the county with a stop at the historical museum, battlefield, a pow wow on the reservation and dinner at another ranch! The final day of the exchange was another "family day" and I took my folks out for a day at the Grapevine Ranch...it was great, we toured, grilled steaks, and generally just took it easy. On the 7th we hauled everyone back to Malta to catch the train and again I didn't get home until after 8:00 pm. 4-H Congress is my next event so maybe I will get to see my home sometime soon...who knows.

Reenactment

This will just be quick. I went to the reenactment of the Battle of the Little Big Horn yesterday with a co-worker's family. It was hot and dusty but the production was done very well. I think that the script, written by Dr. Joe Medicine Crow, was brilliant! It showed the development and destruction of the relationship of the Indians and the federal government, all of which culminated with the battle. Pictures of the reenactment can be found here.

Oh yeah...I got to do what every proud southerner should do...Boo Gen. Sherman! It was great!!!

Big Horn Days...part 2

Well, Big Horn Days is in full swing now. I just went to the parade and I am going to go to the street dance and bed races tonight! Custer was in the parade today...I am always amazed how good he looks for a man who has fought indians for two days now. One time, just to mix things up, they ought to let him win the battle! That would really throw the crowd for a loop don't you think? Some pictures from the parade can be found here.

Big Horn Days

It is now Big Horn Days here in Hardin! I heard Gen. Custer on the radio this morning...he sounded pretty good for a guy fixin' to get shot up for the next 3 days! I guess he's just excited for the 1876 Ball tonight...pretty women all gussied up in period costumes; that might make any man forget about the 8,000 Sioux warriors that are waiting for him! We also have the street fair which really gets set up today. The Koyama family has been selling indian tacos all week (it's kind of interesting that the best indian tacos are made by a Japenese family...gotta be something to that) and the Ford dealership has gotten their book fair set up. This is probably the best week of the year to be in Hardin for one simple reason...the cops actually do their job and clean up the winos off the street! It's great you can walk down the street and not get solicited for money, what a concept! The street dance is Saturday night along with the bed races...I'm definitely going to those events. It all ends on Sunday with the final reenactment of the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

The "calm" before the storm

It's all relative. It is not calm in my world right now. I am SWAMPED with school, job, house, etc, but I know that the next two weeks are going to be even worse. The Virginia kids get here on Tuesday (one week to go and counting) and after they leave it's off to 4-H Congress in Bozeman for a couple of days. Then...finally, a small break as I am planning a camping trip in Tetons National Park. Peace, solitude, and 23 miles of hiking bliss...I can't wait.

Also at the McClellan household today I am hosting a small german shorthaired pointer puppy. I was going to keep the puppy but Maggie does not like the puppy and worse than that, she tried to attack the puppy. I guess I will not be keeping the puppy nor will I get another female dog while I still have Princess Maggie.

Busy Time

I have been incredibly busy the last few weeks. On top of everything at work, I have decided to take a summer class and further my cause toward a master's degree. This class is MUCH more intensely paced than the spring semester classes. I am actually currently working on assignments that are due tomorrow morning so that I can catch up! I haven't spent the entire weekend in the office though. I took the motorcycle for a short ride yesterday down to the river at Two Leggins and sat and watched the river flow by. It's really high right now, but it is still a pretty river...one of the prettier rivers that I have been on. Today I took my other bike (the non motorized one) to Touluca and back via the old road (about 20 miles round trip). That was kind of fun! I just hooked up the XM, grabbed a liter of water, and hit the road. The trip only took about an hour and a half even with a nice stop out at Touluca. The wind picked up on the ride back to town and it really slowed me down...oh well. Well, I really should get back to work and finish up the school work so that I can go back to the house and mow the grass and play with the dogs!

Been a while

Well, it has been a while since I last wrote anything. I has been a busy time here with 4-H OREO Camp in Ashland (not my county, but I still had fun), finalizing arrangements for our Virginia Exchange Program in THREE WEEKS!!!, planning for 4-H Congress, a carcass grading clinic, starting class, and life. This is just a brag about Montana...we aren't hotter than 40 hells right now!!! I have been working like crazy today trying to finalize the details of the exchange program. I have gotten together a small greeting delegation to go to Malta and meet the Virginia delegates and I arranged a meeting to explain how everything will work, organized an activity night, reserved transportation, and stressed out the whole time. Pretty good, huh?

Another blow to the Big Horn

This is strictly a rant...nothing of any lasting impact will be presented here. I just learned that the best overall restaraunt in town is closing (whether permanent or temporary is still up in the air). Now this business will be the sixth closure for Hardin in the last 18 months and the decline does not appear to be slowing. This particular business's reason for closing is NOT lack of business, but rather lack of employable people. That to me is CRAZY; Big Horn County has one of, if not the highest rates of unemployment in the state of Montana (somewhere north of 9%). There is not a lack of jobs in the county (up until recently, everyone in the office with me worked two jobs); there is simply a lack of will to work. It amazes me that a business in a county with 9% unemployment has trouble finding people to do remarkable tasks like: showing up to work, showing up to work on time, staying till the end of a shift, leaving cell phones off during work, and the esprit' de corps...DOING THEIR JOB!!! Then these same people want to tell me that the government should help them out because they are out of work, that's crazy. In this election year the next president should focus not on fancy words or "band-aid" solutions to problems, but really developing a plan that can fix some of the laziness that our society has tolerated for faaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrr too long. It should all start with mandatory drug and alcohol testing for ANYONE receiving government assistance (section 8 housing, welfare, foodstamps, etc.); basically, you fail a drug test or get hammered one night...NO CHECK FOR YOU. This would encourage personal responsibility (something sorely lacking in today's society). Next step is to limit the amount of time that someone may draw welfare (two years should be plenty of time for someone to find a job). I would also not totally cut off welfare payments for someone making minimum wage (that is not a livable wage anywhere that I am aware of), but if you can't even secure a job making minimum wage in two years then you are on your own. We need to quit rewarding people for being lazy. We enabling people to do drugs by paying them when they are fired for doing drugs on the job. We just need some common sense back in government.

Memorial Weekend Trip

I just got back from South Dakota last night. It was a last minute decision to go, but it had been raining in Montana for four days straight and I needed to see the sunshine; so off to the Badlands and to Mt Rushmore we went. I really think that the area around Spearfish, SD is one of my favorite areas in the country. I love the Black Hills and the prairie and how they come together in that area. I doubt that I would ever be able to afford to live in that area (very high dollar) but it still is nice to visit. I drove down and back two different ways, just to see some different scenery. I drove to Interior, SD via US 212 to Belle Fourche, SD to I-90 and drove back via SD 44 to Rapid City, south on Mt Rushmore Road and then north into Lead and Deadwood, SD back to Spearfish and then across Wyoming on I-90 back to Montana. It was beautiful in the hills and warm yesterday in South Dakota (it was cool last night in Wyoming and Montana). Today is going to be an unpacking and straighten up the house day. It is cool and overcast again here in Southcentral Montana (although it is supposed to be really warm later this week); the high today is 55, but with the wind blowing it feels cooler. Anyhow, pictures from the trip to the Badlands and Mt Rushmore can be found here.

Rediscovering Old Hobbies; Work, and My Opinion

I am attending a training session in Billings this week. I am supposed to be learning how to facilitate a meeting and keep everything going smoothly, resolving conflict, developing concensus, and making decisions. Right now, it is 01:05 and I am still awake...why is it that whenever I have these training sessions, I always have trouble sleeping? Just once I would like to go to a training and sleep well and enjoy the sessions (I can sometimes get one or the other, but rarely both and most times neither). I am just being whiney because I really want to go to sleep; I am not trying to be a night owl...I didn't even do that while I was in college!

On a different, more pleasant subject, I got my mountain bike back on a trail today. I rode Zimmerman Trail on top of the Rims in Billings! Great views of the city, lots of rocks to ride on and generally a fun time. I had forgotten how much fun that it could be to ride! It is safe to say that I have the bug again...I guess at this point in my life I CAN major in mountain biking (as I was accused of my freshman year at Virginia Tech)!

Oh, in case anyone is wondering, I did not go to Crow Agency yesterday to see Barack Obama! I also did not go to Billings to see him or either one of the Clintons when they were in Billings. This is a disappointing election year...I don't think any one of the three major candidates are worthy of being President. I don't think that any of the three will restrain government spending (here's a concept that might work...don't spend more that you make), or secure our border (come legally or not at all), or figure out a way to expedite other countries taking care of themselves and letting our men and women come home and quit babysitting in other countries (let's face it; that's what it is...I'm talking to you Iraqi Parliment). Anyhow, there is a decent rant for this late at night. Well America, here are your choices for President:

Hillary "duck and cover" Clinton--enough said
Barack "Karl Marx is my hero" Obama--listen to him and you'll understand the analogy
and John "Mr. Politician" McCain--served honorably, but is a true politician that does not connect with "Main Street" America and has been accused of "losing his bearings"

Some choices we are left with this year...

Oh, I heard this yesterday as well and it is a great analogy: "Calling an ILLEGAL alien an "undocumented alien" is like calling a drug dealer an "unlicensed pharmacist". Kind of puts it in perspective, huh?

Fire up the candle (both ends, please)

Well, I thought that quitting my part-time job would allow me some more free time. Guess what, it hasn't. I find that I am now just filling in the time that I would have otherwise been spending at the store, working on my Extension career. I looked at my calendar today and it seems that I am now booked through the second week on August fairly solidly. In fact, it is now 19:00 and I just got back from area agents meeting in Circle (which I left for at 5 this morning) and guess where I came when I got back to town...that's right, the office!!! I just can't help it. I wanted to come over here and put the final prep on a program that I am doing tomorrow. Does anyone know the number for workaholics anonymous?

Branding, back to Texas, and finally...HOME!!!

This has been a busy couple of weeks. I went to a branding two weeks ago and then back to San Antonio last week, and now I am finally home again. The branding was very interesting; I have never been to one and watching cattle being worked from horseback and seeing how efficient the process really is justs blows my mind. Pictures from the branding are here.

My last trip to Texas is also over...hooray!!! I am DONE with traveling for a while. This latest trip was not very much fun. I didn't learn what I really wanted to get out of this conference and EVERYTHING costs too much in San Antonio. It is unbelieveable how much things are in the city. On a lighter note; when in San Antonio, Dirty Nellie's Irish Pub is a great little watering hole on the riverwalk. The piano player is good and the beer is cold.

School's OUT!!!

I'm done!!! I just submitted my final for the second class I was taking this semester! I am now done with school until the middle of June. I did OK in these two classes this semester and I heard from the graduate school that my application would be re-evaluated and my acceptance was now basically just a formality. I will be assigned a committee and my core curriculum will begin in the fall. I am taking another course this summer so by the time that I start my education core I will be 1/3 of the way done with the degree!!! Payraise and tenure here I come! I started to seek a M.S. with the goal of gaining more knowledge to help my clients; now, after seeing how the world really works, it is simply about "SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!" I know that sounds awful, but I obviously do not need a master's degree to do my job (I've been doing it for three years without one) so why not get the money that everyone else is getting already?

Just blowing off steam

I have read more articles on rising fuel prices than you can imagine. All of these articles have come to the same conclusion...energy is EXPENSIVE!!! This is not news, that is the plain truth of it. Energy, like every other commodity, is demand driven. That is, the more demand, the higher the cost...wow, sounds like econ 101 doesn't it? Energy is just like corn, wheat, soybeans, or any other product that is publicly traded. Ask a farmer how corn prices were 10 years ago and he will tell you about $1.80/bu corn. Today corn is trading for better than $4.00/bu; spring wheat in Montana traded for $25.00/bu for about a week in March this year, up from a historic average of $5.00/bu. Why do I say all of this? If you want the energy costs to decline, simply demand less energy! It really is that simple. An example is soybeans; which went from $14.00/bu to $3.00/bu nearly overnight in 2003--04; the demand did not meet the supply and prices fell radically. It is the same with energy.

I am so tired of people grouching about the high cost to fill their vehicles, but are unwilling to leave their vehicles parked in the driveway for even the simplest of tasks (i.e. going to work, going out for that late night munchie run, etc.) . I currently (though not much longer) work part-time in a convience store and see people from here in town drive three blocks to the store, leave their vehicle running in the parking lot while shopping, and then drive home...HOW WASTEFUL IS THAT!!! Why on earth does anyone need to drive to work when they live in town? It is a small town, not even two miles from end to end. Now, before anyone chimes in about how much of a tree hugger I am; I drive a full size, 4wd pickup (16 mpg) and I have no intention of trading it in. I just don't drive the truck to work, or even to the grocery store to shop. I use the truck to drive to Billings, when I need to go, or to anywhere that I just can't get to by walking or riding my bicycle in a timely manner. My gas bill is less than $125.00 a month, even at $3.59/gal, and it takes well over $70.00 to fill my truck. That is the answer people, just demand less energy and fuel WILL go down in price.

Spring has sprung!!!

You couldn't ask for better weather than what we are getting right now in Montana...mid 70's, no clouds, no humidity...it's beautiful!!! So pretty in fact that I did some yard work yesterday; sawed a dead limb off of a tree, mowed the grass, cleaned out the flower beds, and sprayed weeds. I also washed and waxed the pickup. What an enjoyable afternoon! I turned the sprinkler on the yard last night and awoke to a frozen porch and ice clinging to the trees, but the yard is greener today than it was yesterday. I hate to start irrigating this early in the year, but we have only had 0.9 inches of moisture this YEAR so the yard needed water! It is supposed to cool back off into the 50s by the week's end, but for now, bring on spring!!!

Just Curious

I am just curious...does anyone actually read the ramblings that I put up here? I mean I enjoy this, but if no one cares then there are easier ways to get the same results.

Home in Hardin...for now.

I got back to Montana finally!!! My flight out of San Antonio was cancelled and I was re-routed on a Delta flight. I actually landed 30 minutes EARLIER than the Northwest flight I was originally scheduled on!!! How often does that happen? Anyhow, I am glad to be home in Montana...I missed the prairie. I do have to go back to Texas in a couple of weeks, but for now, it's home on the range for me.

As promised, here are some pictures from my trip.

Lone Star

Well, I am now officially trained and certified to teach 4-H shotgun to adult volunteers and children. I have been in Kerrville, TX all week learning the finer points of teaching firearm safety and life skill development. It has been an incredible week! I have met some really neat people from Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and many more states (there were 24 states represented at the training)! Fortunately for me and my fellow Montanans, we were not in trouble with the Texas police like some of our colleagues...although we were at the bars when the incidents happened, we left prior to the incidents!!! Ask me sometime and I will give you the whole story.

On the way back to San Antonio from Kerrville we took the scenic rounte and we to Fredricksburg, TX; Luckenbach, TX ('where ain't nobody feelin' no pain'); and through San Marcos, TX (home of everybody's favorite movie university...Texas State University; GO ARMADILLOS!!!); up to Buda, TX to go to Cabela's; and finally back down to San Antonio. My flight leaves at 7:15 tomorrow morning so it will be an early morning...Montana here I come!!! I will post some pictures from this trip when I get back to Montana. For now that's it!

Goats, Flowers, and Texas...fun stuff!!!

When I moved to Montana, I had hoped to shed the "goat man" moniker that my friend MJ saddled me with in Virginia. Well, the moniker is back; partly my own doing and partly due again to MJ (he told by boss about the name during a reference check). I am now doing goat workshops for the 4-H kids and I have to admit that I am enjoying them. We are now working on showmanship and I had my first showmanship clinic on Monday evening. I had 15 goats and kids from Big Horn and Yellowstone Counties!!! I am planning 3 more workshops for the kids prior to fair so hopefully they will be ready.

Last night I was invited by one of the church groups to do a flower clinic. I taught about container gardening and we planted two large containers that I left for the church. It was really fun and I think that the ladies enjoyed "getting their hands dirty"! Now I don't have any programs the rest of the week, but I am flying to San Antonio on Saturday for a 4-H program next week. I hate that I have to go to TX next week when the weather in MT is supposed to be wonderful...why couldn't this program have been last week (weather was awful up here).

I do have to finish my final exam in one of my grad school classes today or tomorrow and have work to complete in the other class prior to leaving on Saturday...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and hopefully I can breathe a little easier in June!

I have a dream!!!

This is the dream...a kawasaki ninja 650r! I hope that in the next year I can purchase one of these bikes and enjoy the wide open prairies! The bike I have now is serving as a great platform to learn on, but it is not a street bike. I did take it on a farm visit the other day (35 miles round trip) and felt pretty good afterward, but before I ever rode any distances at all I would want something that has the power to get out of the way and my current bike does not have the oommph. I plan on making the bike I have now more of a trail bike and riding off road on it more; it will be great for that.

Still Winter...for now

Well, it is snowing in Montana today. It is just a little snow (the ground is barely white); we are still under a severe winter weather advisory until midnight tonight with maybe 4 inches more. It's going to have to start soon if we are really going to get that much! It is supposed to get up to the 60s later this week so even if it does snow, it won't last. I hope that it melts fast, I want to go out and play outside.

On a brighter note; I get to go plant shopping tomorrow!!! It will be fun to go to the greenhouses again and pick out plants for my program tomorrow night. I wish that spring would decide to stay around for a while so that I could start plants outside...I'm getting antsy for something green to mess with! I plan to make my seed order for my garden this week so that I can plant seeds and start my garden. I plan on trying some different things this year; new tomatoe varieties and some new peppers. I am going to try to grow lettuce and potatoes this year as well. Let's hope that they do something!

Spring is trying REALLY HARD

Spring is trying REALLY hard to happen in Montana...but Old Man Winter just won't let go just yet! The weather has been unsettled and the forecast changes hourly it seems. I know that spring will happen; I just wish that it would hurry!

I was asked a couple of weeks ago to do a program for one of the women's groups here in town on gardening and flowers so yesterday I went out and started looking for plant materials to work with. It was exciting to go to the local nurseries and start looking a plants!!! I am going to work a program up on container gardening and proper plant selection for the group and I hope to put together two containers and give them out as door prizes! I originally thought of just doing my containers for my house, but it is still too cold to place containers outside...but within the next month, I will have started landscaping for the summer! I can't wait!

On a different note...tax day is quickly approaching and I hope that everyone has their taxes done. I would hate for anyone to miss out on the "Economic Stimulus Package" that the President signed in February (I wish that they would give me back ALL of my tax money). I finished my taxes last month, but I just filed yesterday so I will be getting my $600.00 check in May I hope (Northwest Airlines would like me to get my check as well)!

This past weekend, Danielle and I went to Billings and walked on the greenway that runs from the Billings Heights to 27th Street on the Southside and along the Yellowstone River. It was a nice escape for a little while. We then went to "Radio Hill" and watched the sunset over Hardin. Pictures can be found here.

New Pics

I added some pictures to the Battlefield and home galleries.

This weekend

A couple of things from this past weekend. I went back down to the battlefield yesterday and took some more pictures; it was a nicer day then when Mom and Dad went! On the way down to Crow, I saw a wolf on the side of the interstate! It was the first time that I had been that close to a wild wolf (I have seen them in captivity, and at Yellowstone Park, just never that close); it was really neat! There is a large "dog town" next to the battlefield and there were several prairie dogs out scurrying about...they're kind of cute for vermin. Too bad that they are so destructive.

I also worked on the house Saturday morning. I am just about ready to prime and paint the downstairs bedroom!!! It just needs one last sanding and it'll be ready for primer. I got the kitchen island put together and cleaned up yesterday; it looks really nice in the dining room and the extra storage is AWESOME!!! Hopefully, I can get the rest of the house finished this summer.

Spring Fever part deux

I did it! I bought a small motorcycle! It is an ancient little thing (1975 model Honda), but it is in fact a motorcycle. It was cheap and it will provide a good platform to learn how to ride before I spend more dollars on a larger bike. I figure that I can ride this thing for a year or so and trade it in on something else and not lose any money on the trade. I went for a quick ride yesterday with a friend of mine to "Radio Hill" which is just east of town. It was really fun...although quiet chilly! I hope to go out again next week when it warms back up and go for another ride...and Mom, I did buy a helmet as well and I wear it every time. The bike is quiet small (175 cc...a large lawn tractor is faster).

The "Bug" has hit

I have it...there is no denying it now. That thing that infects most everyone every year has hit full force in the McClellan home...spring fever! The past week has been wonderful in Montana. Yesterday, the temperature got to 66 degrees in town! Today, it is sunny, warm, and beautiful; I have noticed a few sprigs of grass starting to turn green and buds on the lilac bushes are starting to swell! The local ranchers are starting to plant spring grains and calving season in in full swing. I love spring! I went out yesterday for a ride on a friends motorcycle (which in no way quells spring fever) and had a blast! I have the 'bug' for a bike as well; and have for a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGGG time, my whorish ex-wife just thought that they were too dangerous and didn't want me to get one. Well, I got two words for her now...too bad!!! I also went out this week and did a ranch visit and got to see some of this year's calf crop! Sometimes I am amazed that I get paid to be an Extension Agent...it is such an awesome job! Well, I think that I will try and get some more work done so that this afternoon I may be able to go out and visit some more farms...and enjoy the early spring weather!

Parental Visit and Since

Well, I finally got around to taking some pictures of the house. I have not taken any of the new stuff that Mom and Dad helped out with; just some of the painting that I have done. These pictures can be found here. While the 'rents were out here, we went down to the Little Big Horn Battlefield and I took a few pictures; they are here. I've lived out here for over a year now and that was the first trip that I have taken to the battlefield. I will go back when I can have some more time and when it is warmer (it was quiet chilly when Mom and Dad were out)! As I was at the battlefield, I couldn't help but think what an arrogant man that Custer must have been. He had a HUGE strategic advantage over the indians; higher ground, hidden by bluffs, artillery; and he squandered all of these advantages and played into the strength of the Sioux...and lost badly. You can see how the battle must have taken place and a lot of the mistakes that were made. It really was interesting.

I went to the Home Improvement and Craft Show in Billings over the weekend...it was HUGE! I talked to several folks about my basement floor and got several ideas and estimates. I talked to a Pella salesman on replacing my french doors and of course, I talked to the home theatre folks. I looked at computers (I really want a Mac) and hottubs (I think that I need one). It was fun and you can't beat a free show! One thing that I did see, and didn't know existed, was a dog grooming facility in Billings that dyes dogs! They had a PINK dog there...and they were PROUD OF IT!!! I have never seen anything like it! Weird! Well, I guess that will have to do for now.

New stuff

Well, the parental visit was good! We got as much as we wanted done on the house...I will post some pictures later. We toured the Little Big Horn Battlefield, saw Billings, and the folks even helped out with one of my programs. All in all a pretty successful week! Now comes the part where I get to finish the house and paint and furnish as I can pay for it...fun, fun. We had good weather for the most part, a small snow squall on Sunday sort of freaked out the folks though! I got rid of one of the visiting pooches (I still have the VERY large male pointer though). Now life will settle back into its routine and normalcy, which is fine for now.

I have to book another flight to TX for May. I am going to another conference down there...that will make two trips in two months to TX. I usually think that Texas is a real good place to keep all those Texans, but maybe my opinion of the state will change while I am down there. At least I am going to get to see the Alamo while I am down there!

Big Plans, Firsts, and Other Stuff

I had a first this past weekend; I rode a motorcycle for the first time. It wasn't very far and not for very long, but I am talking to a friend about going to Billings and riding off road over there in the spring. It was fun...this is just what I need; another expensive hobby!

I went to a friends' house yesterday and rode the bike and we had dinner and played UNO! Dinner was tasty, the bike and UNO were fun; so all in all a good time. This was a pretty good weekend. Now the fun really begins; this week I am doing two programs: one tomorrow on trich and BVD in cattle and the other on Saturday (steer weigh-in and Quality Assurance). I can't wait to deal with contentious steers!

I am also on a planning committee for a large, multi-state small ruminant conference. Right now we are planning a conference call for next week that will include Extension Agents and Specialists from MT, WY, ND, SD, CO, and NE. This, I hope, will look good on my faculty report this year...they like to see regional cooperation! Plus, as a bonus, we are planning this conference for the Ft. Collins area so I will get to visit friends in Colorado again, I hope. Maybe I can also get a brewery tour of Budweiser or Coors while I'm down there...I would like one of the Coors grower hats (if anyone knows a Coors rep, let them know)!

Mom and Dad are coming out on Wednesday this week to help finish my basement! This should be a lot of fun (no kidding). Unfortunately, it will be VERY sloppy while they are here. We have been in the upper 40s and 50s for about a week now, so the ground has started to thaw. Add to that, we got two inches of fresh snow last night; tomorrow's temps are back to 50 and Wednesday's temp is 55 and we are going to have a sloppy, wet mess later on this week! It should be fun for steer weigh-in on Saturday...nothing like wet, muddy steers!

Dog Pile

This should be an interesting week upcoming. I am dog-sitting for a family (Kevin and Andria Calloway) at church this week. Kevin is working in Hobbs, NM and Andria and their daughter Jordan are flying down to visit for a week. In the mean time, I get to keep their two dogs Hatchet and Jet (German Shorthaired Pointers...and darn good hunters!). Kevin took me hunting a couple of times back in the fall and I just thought that this would be a good way to thank them...although, I don't know that he'll get his dogs back!!! I really like the way that Jet hunts. Anyhow, it should be at least entertaining to have four dogs, Mom and Dad, and trying to do some home improvement projects all at the same time! I guess that I haven't learned how to quit "burning the candle at both ends". Actually, with the dog thing, I am hoping that Macks will start to pick up some of the retrieving commands from Jet and Hatchet. I would like to train Macks to do agility trials with the 4-Hers.

Just quick and mindless

I just need a break for a little while. It is now 21:30 and I have not left the office yet. I am trying to complete my classwork for this week and I think that maybe I am burnt out at this point. I decided to try and post something here, just to give my mind a break. This week's Water Quality lesson is on TMDLs...sound familiar anyone? I am looking forward to really getting into my soils class next week. Oh yeah, I also have to prepare a presentation on trich in cattle since my vet can't do the talk and a quality assurance program for my 4-Hers; we're going to talk about ethics, quality grades, and withdrawal times...sounds fun huh? Apparently dad is anxious to watch me rodeo some 4-H steers when they come out. I got news for you all...the first fence I go over; that steer is gonna be dinner!!! That's my version of "I'm gonna shoot that cow and leave 'em layin'" which is a famous dad quote...other dad quotes that aren't so famous; "When I find the interstate, we're going home", and "I didn't drive eight hours to eat no damn bologna sandwich"...Good times.

Well, back to the grindstone...

Buning the Candle at Both Ends

I am now working two jobs and taking classes towards my MS degree; and I have decided that something has to give. That something is the part time gig selling beer and porn. I have decided to work there until May and then give it up. It has been a huge blessing financially, but socially, and time-wise it has been a burden. I would leave earlier, but Charlie (storeowner) is shorthanded now and I would hate to worsen the situation. This actually has been a difficult decision to make as I am desparately trying to dig myself out of the financial hole that the divorce from the whore has left me in; the part time job was helping tremendously with that. But, my Extension career is more important and finishing my master's is more important so the debt will get paid off at a slower pace now, but it is still manageable.

This past weekend we had a progressive dinner with the church. For anyone who hasn't tried this; it is where you go to a different person's home for each course of the meal. It is a blast! I signed up to do the salad course, but when I saw how many people were signed up to attend, I had the salad at the church instead of at my house. The main course was also at the church as the hosts for that course live out of town somewhat. So we only got to go to two different houses, but it was still fun! There is also talk of a guy's hunting/camping retreat this fall with the church guys...I'm in for that!

Cat in a tree

There was a little excitement in the McClellan house last night...not that kind of excitement. There was a cat stuck in a tree out back and the dogs were, of course, trying to coax the cat down to play with it (read sarcasm). This was about 11:30 pm when I returned from Billings. I had to rescue the cat from Maggie and Macks who were determined to eat the cat. I could not locate the owners of the cat last night so the cat slept in the dog crate in the living room while Maggie bayed at the cat from the basement (fun night). This morning I found out that the cat did not belong to the neighbors so the cat is now at the pound...I had no idea what else to do with it. It was a nice cat; but I don't need any more animals.

This and That

Well, there really isn't anything going on right now. I am leaving tomorrow for Lewistown, MT for 4-H update. I don't enjoy Lewistown as much as Miles City, and I really don't want to be traveling overnight, but that's part of the job. I do have some new career goals that I started implementing today. I am now trying to go every Monday to the Farmers Union and hang out for an hour or so in the morning (as a way to meet and get to know my ranchers in an informal setting); I am also going to start going to see the county commissioners on Tuesdays (as a way to update them on what's going on and so they know what they are spending their money on). I hope that these new strategies work to get me out in the community faster.

In other news, winter has officially arrived on the northern plains! Yesterday it was 50 degrees and today it is 3 above with a 40 mph wind. Tomorrow the morning temp is supposed to be 11 below with snow. It's not supposed to get back to 20 degrees for the next two weeks. Bring out your heavy coats Mom and Dad, you will probably need them!

I went out and saw Alvin and Chipmunks movie last night...it was really good! I am almost embarassed to say that...almost. Well, that's it for now.

Return from Denver

The Western National Trip is now over and I have to say that I am glad. I love my 4-Hers, but they wore me out down there! I probably will not take that particular age group back to the stock show; I would prefer an older group that is more interested in cattle and less interested in shopping. The stock show was truly awesome and I really want to go back at some point when I can look at the cattle longer and even watch the shows and sales more. To get some indication of how serious this show is; the average selling price for bred angus heifers while I was in the sale arena was $6,000.00/animal. That is pretty serious money changing hands!

The drive back was a bit exciting as Montana and Northern Wyoming got a fairly significant snow storm Saturday night and Sunday. The roads were completely clear until Buffalo, WY where they became snow covered and icy for the rest of our journey. We made it back safely and without incident so it all turned out fine. Pictures from the stock show can be found here.

Report From Western National Stock Show

This is a really cool stock show! There are more show cattle here than I have ever seen in my life. Virginia's Beef Expo is NOTHING compared to this! The kids seem to be enjoying themselves and have been incredible for most of the trip. We are going to see the Gambler's Stake Jumper Competition tonight and tomorrow we are taking a slight deviation from cattle to visit the Denver aquarium before finishing the stock show with llamas, and more cattle, and finally the Wild West Show tomorrow night. Then it will be back north to Montana, through what is possibly the windiest state in the country...Wyoming. Nebraska or Utah must really suck for Wyoming to be that windy! Well, pictures and more stories to come when I get back to Montana.

Denver Bound...Cows, Horses, and Goats; oh my!

It is finally here; Stock Show week! I have a meeting with my kids this afternoon and we leave for Denver on Thursday morning at o'dark thirty. I am probably more excited for this trip than the kids. It will be my first Western National and I have been looking forward to going since I moved to Montana. I really hope that the kids can take something away from this experience and improve their cattle production practices and showing ability plus it will be nice to see snow...we don't have any in Eastern Montana and it is very disappointing. Winter hasn't even begun yet...it's 50 degrees today! It is supposed to get cold tomorrow, but we'll see...I have my doubts.

In other news, I am hopefully going to get my hog today...well, half a hog actually. I don't know where I am going to keep all of it, the freezer is pretty full at the current time. I went this past weekend to Billings to look at home improvement products and I could spend a fortune in Lowe's and Home Depot! I still love the fact that I can buy anything I want in Lowe's and put it in the house without having to ask anyone for permission (home ownership definitely beats renting)!

Well, that is enough for now, I will post pictures and experiences from Denver later.

January has how many days???

For it to be January, it is still fairly warm up here. We haven't had any sub zero nights; for that matter we haven't had anything colder than 20 since I got back. It's kind of weird. January always feels like a month that just drags by; and it is usually a busy month at work, so I don't really understand why it drags so. Last night I did a goat workshop for my 4-H kids; they all said that they liked it and wanted me to do another one. We did goat Jeopardy; it was even fun for me! I am also finalizing my trip to the Denver Stock Show. I have 5 kids and another chaperone going with me to Denver; that should be a really fun time! We are leaving out on January 17th at o'dark thirty from the courthouse here in Hardin and hope to be in Denver around dinner time; that way we can check out the pool at the hotel and the local scene in Denver. When I get back from Denver, I am teaching a pesticide education class for the folks who didn't recertify last year in time (not for lack of opportunities) and then at the end of the month I am going to Lewistown, MT for 4-H upate. All this and the month still seems to take forever (or at least 80 days)!

Back in Montana

I'm back out west after a great visit to Virginia for the holidays! The flights were delayed a bit and I didn't get back home until 3 this morning, but as long as you arrive safely can you really complain that much? There is a little snow here in town (very little) but it is still warmer in Montana than it was in Virginia when I left...so there! As promised there are some holiday pictures to be located here, some Virginia landscape pictures here and some pictures of my alma mater, Virginia Tech located here. All in all it was a great visit back east, but I know I was glad to see my dogs and sleep in my own bed; however short a time it was, last night. To tell the truth, I was glad to see this little town in the middle of nowhere Montana. It's good to be home!