I’ve been riding Ruth and Dalila, my Agape horses in the hackamore. I started with a 3/4 I had that was made by Vince Donnelly quite a while ago. It is real nice work and they were doing great.

Bill Ferreira is a braider that we know very well as he stayed on our place and took care of things when we were on the road. He is a down to earth and traditional as they get.

Check out his work at “https://billferreirarawhide.com/“

He now has a wonderful family and moved from his homeland of Hawaii and back to Montana to pursue his braiding career and raise his family in a different environment.

The first bull that we really had that did well was a bull “702” that Daughter Mesa and my Mother partnered on. He won some money and bucked good. He got old and I had him slaughtered and made sausage and hamburger out of him.(I was not real popular around here for a while)

Bill picked up the hide from Tizer Meats and made rawhide. He made Mesa a real nice set of reins, and some nice using Hackamores.

They are smaller diameter than what I have been using, maybe 1/2 inch and boy do they feel good! They feel alive in my hands and my horses really respond nice.

It really is nice to use something that has been a part of life for a long time to it’s fullest. We believe grazing animals are a very important part of the ecosystem and sustainable use of resources. He grazed and crapped and recycled lots of nutrients in his life. Mesa learned and got started in a business because of 702, made some money, and then we all enjoyed some very good meat from him, and now his hide will create good horses for as long as someone take care of and uses it. How could an animal contribute more to the earth than that?

We need to honor the creator with the best use of his creations! Treating the environment with respect, caring for animals, and not wasting resources seems to me to be the best way to do that. That’s stockmanship and stewardship.

Flying home from a good trip to way up north in California to Yreka and the Siskiyou County Cattlemen.

Had all the components that make for a good demonstration.  Good people in charge of event, a good facility, good sound(very important), good cattle to work and a good horse to ride.

I would mark all of the above on this one.  I love going to California and working with the livestock and Ag producers in the state.  First of all I really appreciate all the great tradition of the “Californio” style of working with livestock and living a very good life enjoying nature’s bounty’s.

Second, with all the different opinions, rules, regulations and agendas they must be very proactive and are way ahead of most places understanding how to get along or when to stand up and fight for things.

Bill Dale, of the California Beef Council and good friend picked me up in Sacramento and we drove for 3 1/2 hours or so north to get to Yreka, stayed overnight, did the event and then headed south to his place in Lincoln California. 

We drove by one my favorite auction markets, Shasta Livestock in Cotton Wood, and I am sad to report the pens are empty and the sales are no more.

Western Video Market is still rolling, and a real funny coincidence is our friends Kevin and Cynthia Devine had invited us to meet them in Bozeman where they were, and I was driving by his office in Cottonwood.

Eight hours is a long time in a car and we talked about a lot of different subjects.  Bikini barrel racers, T-bone steak and Spanish wine, (a Tom Russell song)Buick Rivieras, and dishonest auctioneers and ring men were just a few of the subjects covered. 

The smoke was real thick, Lake Shasta was real low(real low) and traffic was real heavy and fast. The smoke cleared up on Saturday (the traffic didn’t)up north and we could see the beauty of the mountains and valleys of the good but very dry country we were in.

We got to his place and Bills partner Lisa had prepared a wonderful Tri-tip dinner(Tri-tip is the real reason I love to go to California), and we got the nice surprise of my favorite niece(Bills Daughter) being there.  After supper they worked dogs and I learned a lot and very much enjoyed the whole evening.

I am so glad I got to go and do some other things for the last couple of years.  The experiences were great.  However, after a great weekend like I just had I know I’m right back in the middle of the best people in the world and have the best job in the world!!!

This is the song we were talking about.  The reason it came up is we drove by the Lassen Steakhouse, and we had eaten at several years ago.  It was a real tradition California Ranch country steakhouse, and when I listen to this song, the Lassen bar/steakhouse in my mind is that one.  I’m sad to say it didn’t survive COVID.  Any way I like T-bone steak and good memories of places I’ve been.

This coming week, August 26 and 27 the Stockmanship and Stewardship tour is going to be in Durango, Colorado.

Check it out at “www.stockmanshipandstewardship.org” for the program info and schedule.