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Updated 07/02/08

Look here if you are interested in our month to month activities at Smith Land and Cattle Co. 

Thanks for stopping by - Carol

Visit our CR Journal Archives 2006 & 2007

June News 2008

Summer seemed to sneak upon us quickly this month. We took cattle pictures for the September 13, Fall Sale and it was 94 degrees or so and then the heat index. Had to laugh, during pictures as we were melting , I said something about we needed to move them to June and Oh yeah it is still June. Getting the girls to behave is always interesting anyway.

We started spraying for flies and ticks. It seems like the ticks are really bad this year, having a real problem with them in the ears and around tail heads. Don't know if spraying will do the trick, but I guess its makes us feel like we are fighting back somehow.

Must be the heat, doing weird things again, trying to beat the heat, went to OKC area and picked up a cow and two horses. Left about 3 a.m. so could get back early before things really heated up. At least I took the stock trailer on this trip and didn't try to put a cow in the horse trailer again.

Well horse racing is, what it is, and our CR Ella got fifth in the OK Futurity, but was still happy, she wasn't last and she did qualify. Fast Prize Zoom runs in July and so do several others, so with a little racing luck will qualify something again for a Futurity.

We finally cut our first hay, last weekend, and will try to get it up, before the next rains hit. Should be fine as next rain isn't supposed to hit til later in the week.  Native is going to be slow this year, won't be able to start around the 4^th of July like we normally do. It is just growing too slow, so will have to wait a few more weeks. That's alright though we still seem to have plenty to do around here.

Kate and Ella came and picked apples, got enough for an apple crisp. Got more than enough for us and left plenty for the birds, but was kind of fun to show them apples come from trees and not just a grocery store.

Have a great Fourth of July and remember the guys fighting for Independence.

May News 2008

We still received plenty of rain this month, but its kind of a strange year. We have the moisture but the grasses are slow to grow. Everyone I talk to, it’s been pretty much the same. Oklahoma got hit by several tornados this spring and they seem to keep coming with the weather.

 Friends in Missouri too have seen a lot of tornados. One had a lucky break, got caught under an underpass, which they went under because of the hail and rain and almost got caught up in one as it passed over. They got some car damage, it picked the car up about six feet in the air, but survived, on the drive home saw all the devastation around and said a prayer of thanks.

Been breeding spring cattle all month, we are always excited when we begin and ready for it to end a little before we get done and put bulls out. Horses have been getting a workout as bring everything in and gather on them as cows come in heat.

 Got our fields spayed for weeds so aren’t seeing any of those may flowers that the April showers are supposed to bring so this month , the picture is of the only May flowers I have growing around here which are calves. Although, I consider them just as pretty as flowers, if not, as colorful.

We had a cow get struck by lightning. Had a rain storm come through, yesterday morning, they were all fine in the pasture earlier on check, then a storm came thru. She was upside down head, in a strange position and tongue out.

Grandgirls, Kate and Ella got to come out on a decent weather day this month and we rode old Sugar. And yes, this time I actually took the time to saddle her so both can ride at once. Have discovered it’s too hard to hold one while the other rides, so it’s a lot easier to take the time and put the saddle on now. Sophie is growing like a weed, kids sent us a email picture of her first ice cream cone, guess she loved the stuff, can’t really blame her.

CR Ella our little homebred mare qualified for the Oklahoma Bred Futurity to run next week end in Tulsa, so wish us luck. Until next time.

April is almost over and not sure where all the time went. We finished calving finally, only had a few left but is nice to have them all on the ground and see them doing well. We flushed cows at the beginning of the month and had pretty good results. A weather front didn’t come thru while we were setting them up and A. I. breeding. Have a friend that says that sure can make a difference on the results, something about the low pressure.

About the middle of the month we got the older calves weaned, gave them their booster shots and weights, heights and scrotal recorded on paper. Got the rest of the preg. checking done and finished bleeding cows to remain certified. We also got the yearlings ultra sounded this month. We got all this completed between the rains. We only flooded in the bottom here three times. Couldn’t get across the creek until 9:30 one morning and was about 10:30 the next time, and then Highway 20 towards Pryor was under water also. Needless to say, have had enough rain for a little while. Thank goodness we had moved all the small calves out of the bottom so they could stay dry. You might look at the picture of the horses they found a dry spot finally.

We would like to thank everyone who bought bulls from us this spring. We really appreciate the confidence you place in us by selecting bulls from us.

Ed had horses racing, so was on the road here in Oklahoma and went to Sunland this month in El Paso Texas. Ed is partners in a horse named Fast Prize Zoom and she won her trial heat in the West Texas Futurity and broke a track record and set a world record. We watched her on simulcast and it was great! Then on April 20^th, the finals for the West Texas Futurity ran. She broke 9^th (which is late) and the jockey hit her twice and she Zoomed…. She won again in her second out and set a new world record!!! GR Carter was the jockey and said this filly gives her all and likes to run. Guess the results prove that! Whew what a weekend.

Due to one electrical storm we had in the middle of the rain storm, I lost my computer for two weeks. Had to have it worked on. The lighting fried my heat watch program and the antenna outside and came down and got the computer. I can’t stress to anyone how important a backup is!!!! I would have lost all my records without one. Never realized just how much I rely on the computer for stored information. It makes breeding decisions easier. I was forced to go back to the old fashioned way which is a lot of work. Breeding season is catching up with me and had to get my semen order in. I am still trying to get caught up recording all the weaning, yearling and pregnancy results. Had to go by the vets early one morning and borrow their computer to download stuff to get ultrasound done. See it’s good to be good to your vets….never know when you’re going to need to ask a favor, strange though it maybe.

I became the President of the Oklahoma Angus Association, this past Friday. We will have the National Angus Tour in Oklahoma this year so some exciting things to come. We have some great people on the board as usual. Check them out on the website www.oklahomaangus.com. Well that’s the month in a nutshell see ya next time.

 

March has sprung and we are hoping so has spring, I think everyone down to the last person has mentioned that they are ready for spring, green grass and some rainfall. Both of which we were blessed with glimpses of them.

Hope the same can be said for our friends in Iowa, Curt & Lori Jager. I visited there early in the month, had a heifer to take up there and Jagers sale to attend. We had 70 and one day of 80 degrees weather before I left on a Friday and remained nice here. I drove into ice at Kansas City and then as I watched as the thermometer just kept going down and down the rest of the trip. It hovered between 11 and thirteen degrees when I pulled in that afternoon. Man was I glad I’d remembered my coveralls and long-johns. Unloaded then went and checked in at the motel, got warm n cozy for a few hours before we went out to dinner. Stepped outside and the wind and cold about took my breathe away…. But the steak supper and company was worth it. Didn’t get up too early for a change to go look at cattle as it was still nippy outside. Made it to the sale and the bleachers were heated in the area I sat so had to take off my coveralls, you know how it goes. Got loaded and made it home by eleven, that Saturday evening. Gave a ride to some cows that were going further into Texas, but the girls thought they had hit the jackpot of weather here for a few days.

Ed had horses racing, so was on the road here in Oklahoma. Had a heck of a day, started off well with a win at Will Rogers Downs by 4 lengths then drove to Oklahoma City for three more races that evening. Two won their races and the other got a third. One made the finals of the Oklahoma Bred Futurity so was a good day for racing, he even made it home later than I did. Whew was glad the weekend was over so can rest at work round here.

Our homebred CR Ella (guess who she's named after) didn't win but if you were there , you would of thought we had won. She got second by a nose. Man it was fun and we are so proud of her, like the purse too it will pay a few feed bills. Went to a few sales mid month and later in the month, seems things are going well for cattle. Sold some bulls at OBI this year and was pleased with the results, so may try it again, will just have to see.

Brandi, Mark and Sophie came into town for a few days, so we got to play with Sophie, my they grow so fast and she's just hitting nine months so keeps changing each time I see her. Had a evening with all three grand girls and was close to heaven. Makes you remember why you had kids, they make the world go around.

Finished off the month by getting the cattle worked and all the fall bred preg checked. A lot of the embryos took that we put in and only a few cows open so was a good week, for the last week. Only a few late calvers left and then I will have to start to think about spring breeding, guess its called job security. Until next month.

February was interesting month weather wise, keeping us on our toes as the calves started arriving in record numbers, think the biggest day was 9 calves. Joked we didn’t break the record of 12 but it was close. We have over half on the ground at the end of the month and so far no losses. That is always nice.

Seems the calving is going fine and got two foals on the ground, both are fillies, one is sorrel the other bay not much chrome on either one. Both are pretty good looking and good conformation. We lost our yearling CR Sophie this month, talk about a bummer of a day. She either got spooked, or was just running and couldn’t stop but ran into a fence and broke her jaw. Was a awful day, glad we don’t have many days like that.

Brandi and Sophie came for a visit, and the afternoon I was watching Sophie, bull buyers came to look so she went on her first trip to the field to show and sale bulls. She did real well and we got a bull sold. So she is now initiated into the fine art of checking cows and showing bulls now.

Had Kate and Ella for a day or two this month, Ella is talking pretty well and following after big sister everywhere and right now that’s cool with her. Got to ride Sugar this month as the weather was decent the day they came and they both rode grinning from ear to ear.

Ed and Chad went on pheasant hunt this month up in Kansas. Hunt pheasant in February you say??? Well it set up according to like how kings and such hunted in Europe, guys been doing it for 18 years. Take guys in pairs and there is a tower in the middle where they release the birds, now there is cover, trees and such in front of you and around between you and the birds. Anyway they release them and you shoot a lot. Then move on to the next station, different from the one you were just in. Ed said he didn’t know if he would like it but, was a lot different from how we hunted corn and windrows when we were young. They brought some home and it was pretty good. Haven’t had pheasant in a good long while.

It’s getting close to sale season again for spring; mail box is filling up with catalogs. Will try to attend some as is always good to get out and see what else is happening besides what is going on round here. Mostly the month was taken up with feeding and checking for calves.

Hey I do have news for all you kids out there that show cattle, A House Bill that cleared a subcommittee, whatever that means says that you will no longer be taxed on awards from livestock events, instead it will be treated as scholarship awards, and therefore tax exempt. I didn’t know you were taxed on any monies earned in livestock shows anyway, but the good news is someone finally said this is crazy and stopped it.

Even though the month was one day longer seemed shorter than ever… not because I’m getting old or anything ha!ha! Maybe March will be more exciting.

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