Carter Cattle Company

Carter Cattle Company

Well, I'm officially out of the cow business, for now. I took the last calf to the sale yesterday. You tend to get a little attached to them whenn you feed them twice a day and they eat out of your hand. That is, until you get that check in your hand. Cha-ching! Nobody left but Harriett and Jackson. I think I'll let the pasture recover, maybe for a couple of years. The combination of drought and livestock has taken it's toll on the coastal. I'll hit it with fertilizer and weed killer and let it recover. Maybe by then, this drought will be just a memory. Cattle prices are pretty down around here. It didn't help having Japan cut off American beef, either. I'm about ready for some fall type weather. The dove hunt is next weekend, 09/08-10. Got a feeling it'll be pretty hot. The area lakes have really taken a hit from the drought, too. The boat shops are averaging a minimum of 3 weeks waiting period for repairs, thanks to barely submerged rocks and such that are usually 15-20 ft under water. Hey, if you folks get time, go to Google and search "Painted Bunting". This is a beautiful bird and we have some at our place every summer. The kitty-cat likes them, too, much to Deb's dismay. By the way, it's time to get new hunting and Fishing licenses. They expired at midnight, tonight. Well, I gotta get busy. Later, Rick.

Carter Cattle Company

Carter Cattle Company

Well, I'm officially out of the cow business, for now. I took the last calf to the sale yesterday. You tend to get a little attached to them whenn you feed them twice a day and they eat out of your hand. That is, until you get that check in your hand. Cha-ching! Nobody left but Harriett and Jackson. I think I'll let the pasture recover, maybe for a couple of years. The combination of drought and livestock has taken it's toll on the coastal. I'll hit it with fertilizer and weed killer and let it recover. Maybe by then, this drought will be just a memory. Cattle prices are pretty down around here. It didn't help having Japan cut off American beef, either. I'm about ready for some fall type weather. The dove hunt is next weekend, 09/08-10. Got a feeling it'll be pretty hot. The area lakes have really taken a hit from the drought, too. The boat shops are averaging a minimum of 3 weeks waiting period for repairs, thanks to barely submerged rocks and such that are usually 15-20 ft under water. Hey, if you folks get time, go to Google and search "Painted Bunting". This is a beautiful bird and we have some at our place every summer. The kitty-cat likes them, too, much to Deb's dismay. By the way, it's time to get new hunting and Fishing licenses. They expired at midnight, tonight. Well, I gotta get busy. Later, Rick.

Carter Cattle Company

Carter Cattle Company

Will wonders never cease?!! Wednesday afternoon we got 1/2" rain. Maybe it will help the pasture some. I got home about 5:30PM just as it quit. It came fast, but never puddled up. Sounded like a bathtub drain sucking up the water. I sear the donkeys were grinning. Me, too. The okra is holding it's own, squash plants are there but just taking up space. I suppose that's to be expected this late in the year. We did manage to get some tomatoes put up. We had a few jalapenos, but we still have a lot in the freezer from last year. We do have quite abit of okra and squash in the freezer, too. Maybe enough to make it through the winter (if we have a winter). This month has been the hottest August on record. Over 20 days of 100+, so far. The dove hunt is only 2 weeks away. Man, is it going to be hot. Have to have plenty of ice in the ole' cooler. My Capt. is in a hell of a shape. He fell off his elevated driveway and broke some ribs and wrecked a knee. They took him to the ER and he came home on crutches. The next day, the crutches threw him and he dis-located his other knee. Back to the ER, again. Now, he's got both legs in braces, confined to a wheel chair, and ribs taped up. He said it's torture just taking a c***, because it hurts to grunt. He can't leave the house, drive or anything. Will probably be months before he comes back to work. The Dr said after they operate on his knees, he'll be in a rehab hospital for at least 3 weeks, before he can go home. Woo-ha! We got new cell phones at work, today. Thank God! Alltell really sucked. Finally got back on Verizon. I had Verizon before and Deb does now. Smooth sailing, all the way. I love that we get to keep our old cell numbers, now. They even transferred our phonebooks from the old phones to the new ones. The wonders of modern technology. Well, I better get busy. More, later. Rick.

Carter Cattle Company

Carter Cattle Company

Back again. I realize it's been a while, just nothing to report. Hot and dry. El Paso gets floods, Phoenix gets floods, we don't get a drop. My creekbed has full grown frogs that never learned to swim! Took three of the cows to sale last week. Prices are severely down, everyone is dumping their stock because there's no grass. I'm on lousy-stinkin' call this week. Will try to take the other bull calf to sale next week. Don't even ask how things are at the office. Just hope I can make it till October for my vacation before I have a runaway. It's so hot that the chickens have dried up. Instead of 6-8 eggs aday, now we get 1-2. Well, I'm out of news. Later, for now, Rick.

Carter Cattle Company

Carter Cattle Company

It's me again. Rod just came by and we went to lunch. Had a good time catching up. He had a nice visit with Floyd, too. He goes back to Kosovo next Wednesday. I feel sorry for him. He had knee surgery recently and has been on crutches. The post he is on in Kosovo is built on the side of a hill. Everywhere on post is either up or down steps and stairs. Of course, he's too hard headed to ask someone to help, so a lot of the time, he'll do without supper, just to avoid trying to navigate the steps. Maybe he'll be mended soon. It doesn't look like we'll be having a get-together afterall. He has to go to Waco and Killeen and will be leaving Friday and won't be back until Sunday. He leaves the following Wednesday and has to squeeze in a trip to Fredericksburg somewhere in there. Maybe we can celebrate when he comes home in December. Meanwhile, back at the ranch. . . . Folks, ya'll gotta get some rat-shot. Best snake deterrent I've ever seen. I bought some a a few weeks ago and we haven't had a snake since! It's a miracle cure!!!! Gotta go. Rick

Carter Cattle Company

Carter Cattle Company

Greetings, earthlings! Not a lot to report. I'm OFF call, again! Man, is it ever hot. It's all we can do to keep what's left of the garden alive. One of the people I work with says she's watering her garden every morning and every evening. So far, I get by with watering in the evening after the sun sets. I have a couple of tomato plants still going and several okra. I also have three squash plants. There is a lot of plant, but not much production. I've included a couple of photos. The dog days of summer are upon us again. I saw on the news this morning that they're having organized prayer meetings in Lubbock, to pray for rain. On a lighter note, Rod Shelton is home for a couple of weeks. Hopefully, after he goes back to Kosovo, he might get to come home for good in December. We'll all keep our fingers crossed. I know this is getting old for him and Pam. This is his third tour in about as many years. Thanks, Rod, we all owe you a great debt. Stay safe! Deb starts school in a week or so. Cheesey school district. I think it should be a law that school can't start before Labor Day and has to end by Memorial Day. Also, all school holiday breaks (ie Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, etc) should all be at the same time. This way families can get together. The cheesey school districts set the breaks to coincide with their administrators' (the ones that can afford it) trips snow skiing and what not, at the expense of the families they are supposed to be working for!!!! You folks need to remember this at election time! Paul Nelson is back at work. He gave us quite a scare. He had chess pains, went to Lampasas hospital, they thought he was having a heart attack and shipped him to Scott & White in Temple. They kept him Friday through Sunday. At this time, they're not really sure what's going on. May do an angiogram. Fingers crossed, again. Poor ole' Cathy is still nursing a broken toe, on top of everything else. Our prayers are with her, too. Deb's doing OK on her new meds, for now. If I can keep her away from the jalapenos. Better'd get to work. Peace, love and crabs to all, Rick.