Deciding what fence-splicing method you choose depends on where the break is and how much tension the wire holds. Here at the Cross-Dubya, some of our fencing is approaching 20 years old. Checking and repairing fences is an almost daily event. All those years of being leaned on, stretched, and tore loose from your anchors Read More >
Praying comes easy. Farmers and ranchers spend a lot of time praying. We pray for rain, sun, health, help, and harvest. Praise doesn’t always come as easily. It is sometimes difficult to praise God during a trial, but I’m learning that’s the time I need to praise Him even more. A few weeks ago, the Read More >
An interesting trait among Red Angus cattle is that they are some of the noisiest around. My herd bull “Mavric”, a registered Red Angus with amazing EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences), is a prime example. As the only bull on the Cross-Dubya, “Mavric” is normally a very happy fella. But when all his ladies are pregnant Read More >
What are those strange sounds coming from the great room? Was that a grunt? What is that infernal racket? And where’s JD this morning, he’s not in his den? These were the questions running through my wife’s mind as she walked down the darkened hallway leading from the bedrooms into the rest of our home. Read More >
Had we not just finished a huge lunch at Tejano’s, the local Mexican restaurant, sitting on the drive listening to the cows eructate might not have been so funny. As my young helper Beau and I were just gearing up to do some more fencing, he asked, “Why do cows lay around and chew so Read More >
Each year in late August, the reports trickle in. By mid-September, you hear of them almost daily. If you’re not prepared to do battle before you spot large brown spots in your pasture, you lose. What do farmers and ranchers in east Texas battle each year as we transition from summer into fall? Army worms! Read More >
Recently, I took part in an on-line Bible study; learning how to Build My Footprint for God. As with most every gathering these past six months, they facilitated this study through a Zoom™ meeting. Other than enjoying the different and sometimes exotic places our friend Roger used as backdrops, the greatest blessings was to see, Read More >
On April 30, 2017, God blessed our little ranch with the first calf born on this property. We named the beautiful little gal “Uno”, Italian for one. As you might imagine, I was one nervous fella waiting for my first-time heifer to deliver. I had my vet on call, texting him throughout the day. I Read More >
Runt, throwaway, cull, lung-er, reject, discard—all words that speak of little worth in this world. Ranchers use these words to describe calves born with defects or challenges that will require extra care, and sometimes still result in death. “Rowdy”, born just a few weeks ago, is one example of that. After being born with a Read More >