I’m in Fort Worth, at the Texas and Southwest Cattle Raisers Convention this week.  I listened to Donnell Brown at the opening session and much of his talk was based on family pride. Great presentation.

Todd MacCartney offered to bring a horse in for me to ride.  I gladly accepted as they have real nice horses, and I asked to bring another horse and his son I call “Young Ben” to help. (he reminds me of one of the boys on John Wayne and the Cowboys so I had to give him a movie name)

Todd and wife Mary Ann have a great family and all the kids are just wonderful to be around.  It just happens that I’ve had the chance to work with Ben the most and I really enjoy seeing how Todd and Ben get along working together, and how proud Todd is of Bens skills.

Red Steagall sings Texas Ranching and cowboys.  He tells it as it should be told, so it the most fitting choice f

As I have watched my Friend Todd grow as a rancher and Father over the years, and when he speaks with such pride of Young Ben and all his children and wife, this seems to be a song written for Todd and all the other fathers that have watched their son dragging calves to the fire.

The song “Who’s Going to build your wall” created quite a lot of talk.  I really like Tom Russell’s music and probably listen to he and Ian Tyson more than any other musicians.  Today we will look at things from the other side.

I am going to feature another of the musicians I really enjoy, and being I am headed to Texas this week it fits just right.

The first song is about crossing the border going south instead of north and for a different reason.

The next song is a look at the very thing of why we may need Mexican workers and the new big issue of legalizing marijuana.  It goes well with the thoughts I have been discussing.

Just to make things clear.  I am not a fan of marijuana as it has caused us lots of challenges in our family.

Darrel Burnett got me started listening to “Texas Music”.  He and Houston are friends and traveled together rodeoing back in the day.  He said Houston was a real good bareback rider.  I sure enjoy all his music, and I’ll finish with one that fits with my answer to ”DennisRanch” as to not get myself in a spot to let it “Worry Me”.

Hope you enjoy all Houston’s music as much as I have.

I received a comment on the “Who’s Gonna Build Your Wall “ song a while back.

dennisranch
March 3, 2018 at 12:14 PM
WHILE I AGREE WITH YOUR SENTIMENT, WHAT ARE YOU GONG TO DO WHEN ALL THE PEOLE YOU WOR FOR HIRE SOMEONE WHO WIL DO THE SAME WORK AT 50% OR LESS OF WHAT YOU CHARGE?

Well that is a fair question and it opens up a whole new subject. I didn’t put the song on for a political stance, I just like the song and see some truth to it. Many people in the US and Canada would rather pay someone else to do some jobs than do them ourselves. Construction and agricultural jobs being a big share of it.

Now to the question.

We have laws in this country. If someone breaks the law they are punished.(if caught)

Lots of people break the law if it’s inconvenient or they don’t think they will be caught. Lots of people break speed limit laws, and get upset when they get caught. Fact is you broke the law and got caught, you must pay the consequences. The folks coming from Mexico, are coming here because they can hopefully create a better lifestyle, and some don’t follow the law and rules.
If they get caught they suffer the consequences. They broke the law.

We went and visited my Grandmother in Idaho last week. I remember her telling me they were on a ranch near the Mexican border south of Marfa, Texas.
They worked Mojado’s or wetbacks as the slang word was. When the “Chotas”(border patrol) were there checking she would hang a towel over the kitchen window sill and the workers would hide. That was in the 1950’s so this is not new.

[Granny Alice and Wife Tammy-two women that have had to put up with Pate men]

I go to Canada and work a bunch. Crossing the border at customs is not much different going to Mexico or Canada. The big difference is the border fence. At Sweetgrass/Coutts it’s a four strand barbed wire and not even that good of one.

At Yuma/Algedones it’s a metal fence that even a goat couldn’t get through and armed border patrol watching from the ground and sky.

When I consulted for Zoetis at the feedlots in Mexico, the workers received the equivalent of $18.00 /day and worked 6 days a week. In the U.S. and Canada feedlot workers make considerable more in a day than they do in a week in Mexico.

So just like the people that drive faster than the speed limit, the Mexican is willing to chance breaking the law to get a head in life.

Now to the question of them taking my job for half the amount I would do it for.

I believe in supply and demand. If someone else can do it better than I for less money, the person looking for help has to make that decision. If he wants to break the law, that’s his decision. All I can do is try to be as good as I can so I can get the most for my skills.

In my job I never know if I will have work or not. I feel like I get paid very well for what I do, but because I don’t know what my income will be I am very careful about not overspending and don’t like to have debt as I don’t know how much I can repay. I feel like as long as I have the physical ability to work and think I can get by with very little and still be content with life as I enjoy the simple things, and like my Grandparents don’t need much to live.

If I had a lot of payments to make, and required lots of “stuff” to be happy I would be concerned. Luckily my wife is pretty much feels the same. (Maybe not so much in the vehicle department)

My Grandfathers work and lifestyles were very similar. My Dads Dad, Ed Pate worked for Livestock producers and made them lots of money, but was never paid very good wages, so he never had much extra, but he enjoyed work and people so he was happy. My Grandma didn’t always have it the easiest but she seemed ok with it too. I don’t think they worried much about money, but they just did without if they couldn’t afford it.

My Mother’s Father, Leonard Frank worked for himself and traded livestock and real estate and made lots of money. He was single all the time I knew him, so he lived as he wanted. He died with lots of money, but he probably live more frugal of a lifestyle than my other Grandparents. He didn’t worry about not having it but what to do with it.

I think they were both about equal when it came to quality of life. Grandpa Leonard always said you made money on the buy and not on the sell. I believe that is the same trading cattle as it is in living life.

So I’m not to worried if a Mexican fellow takes my job. I’ll just spend more time in Canada and take some Canooks job, or eat hamburger rather than steak.

I have been around people with money. I worked for a lady that was very rich. She was miserable and made everyone around her miserable. When you have lots of money and are miserable it just amplifies the misery.

I have a friend Tim Trabon. I get the impression he grew up kinda poor(he never really said or complained about it). He built a business and did very well.
He and his Wife Patty, live a very good life and from what I can see add to the lives of everyone they come in contact with. They live the same simple lifestyle my grandparents lived, they just have heated seats in their vehicles and a nicer barn than my grandparents home.

Tim and I have discussed living life right and being happy, and I know they would be just as happy with nothing as with everything (maybe not as content, maybe more).

That is what I like about the Mexican culture. They have very little, but they are happy, and appreciate what little they have.

That is what embarrases me about(the) U.S.. We have way more than we need and most of us are not happy, and think we need even more.

The ones who benefit from a society that has more than they need is the animals. The Trabon’s animals get very well taken care of, and they are able to share the wealth with not only the family, but the animals that are part of the family.

I feel that is how you can really tell the true character of a human. How they treat other humans and animals, money or no money.

I was having a discussion about money with Merle Edsel, a fellow I worked with some, and I said “Money isn’t everything” and he said “Say that when you don’t have any”.

I should have thought about that first and it would have saved a lot of reading and writing! That pretty much says it all.