“The basis of optimism is sheer terror”.
~Oscar Wilde~

Some days turn into train wrecks and those days can turn into weeks just when you least expect them. Just ask our current President Obama or anyone breeding Angus cattle today. It has been gratifying to see most of our Angus bull sales on the West Coast stay solid, although it is getting more difficult to move large numbers on any given day, but the market has held pretty close to what it was doing last year at this time. We can be grateful those events haven’t been stuck on the tracks like so many other issues.

Unfortunately it seems we are just waiting for the next ball to drop on our genetic woes with the advent of “fawn calf” looming on the horizon. I’ve danced around the genetic problems facing us in this editorial for a year now and a lot of the reason is like so many of you out there I’ve been unable to grasp the big picture of what it all entails. The rules seem to contradict one another in some instances depending on the variables. It may have been simpler to bite the bullet and define right and wrong and eliminate the big swath of gray that confuses the whole picture. I keep going back to what level is it ok to show or sell known carriers, how is that helping anyone, other then the fact we’re simply acknowledging the difference. It is a fragile question, and it seems to have a variety of answers depending on what side of the street your standing.

On my own personal set of train tracks, things aren’t feeling any shinier. Like all of you out there trying to keep up with cattle and life, we know that the days and the weeks just get shorter with the advent of fall and everything that has to get done. This afternoon I returning home to the ranch to start my least favorite job of raising these cattle and that is weaning. While calving season is my favorite job, weaning rates right up there with the most hellish. I hate the drama for the cows and the calves; the noise is just one sad wail that doesn’t let up for days. This year we’re working at doing everything we can to eliminate some of the stress. For instance we’re weaning just when the Farmer’s Almanac tells us to, we’re keeping them on separate pastures besides one another, and just about anything else we’ve heard to make everyone’s transition a little easier. Although I know with all these measures taken, that tonight sleep won’t come easy.

This month is also finding me trying to train my Portuguese Water dog puppy, not an easy task at best. Training dogs requires lots if consistency and patience and unfortunately I’ve been running short on both counts, so as a small warning for all intending a visit to our hacienda anytime soon, keep in mind my dog is a reflection of my erratic training patterns, not just a pain in the butt.

Hopefully by the time I pen this editorial next month, someone will have shined some light on our genetic dilemmas, our economy will take a turn upward, and my dog won’t just yawn at me when I say “lay”. For the time being, stay off the tracks and enjoy the fall colors and the cool weather it ushers in…..Until Next Month.