Author: Amy
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Our V.I.T. (Very Important Tool)
I recently wrote a column about twine cutters. They are a necessary implement in the wintertime for feeding cows hay that comes in round bales. Since these bales are held together tightly with nylon twine, a sharp-edged tool is needed to cut the strings. Most guys will just use a pocket knife. My husband likes…
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Ridin’ Shotgun
Most farm and ranch outfits have a dog around the place. Our dog Pepper, gets to go along to help feed cows in the winter and check water and cows in the summer. It’s all fine and dandy if there are no other passengers because then Pepper has the whole passenger’s seat to herself and…
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Reminiscing Little Delights in 2012
Sometimes it’s hard to remember those little things that happen to us throughout the year that make us smile, like now. It’s been a depressing couple of weeks for me thinking about the victims in Newtown, Connecticut, the surviving schoolmates, the families, friends, and the community. I continue to pray daily for them. Tragedies like…
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Girlfriend Survival Kits
When I have time, I like to make gifts for my friends either for Christmas or their birthdays. I enjoy giving thoughtful gifts from the heart but when I have a lot of friends on my Christmas list I want to give gifts to and can’t spend a lot of money for several gifts so…
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Hankies and Bandanas
Hankies are a necessary staple at our house. We have stacks of them and there’s one in every pickup and car. My husband and I also both carry one around in our coat pockets as well. The ones in the vehicles come in handy for other things besides blowing one’s nose into. They’ve become good…
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Cow Sorting Tip
It’s been a very hectic few weeks since I posted on my blog . I’ve had a lot of big writing and speaking projects in addition to our normal fall ranch work and once I finally got caught up and had time to get back to my blog, I couldn’t get my photos to upload….
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What Does ‘Working Cows’ and ‘Vaccination Day’ Mean?
Every fall we work our cattle to implement our vaccination program on our cows against known cattle diseases to ensure individual animal and overall herd health. We schedule a Saturday with our vet to vaccinate and pregnancy test our mother cows. Last weekend was our vaccination day. Working cows entails friends and neighbors working together…
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Bootjacks: A Cowboy Boot Wearer Must
Essential to every ranch outfit are bootjacks; not just one but a collection of them. Bootjacks aren’t limited to one style. They come in a variety of styles and are made from metal or wood. Many bootjacks are made by the cowboy boot wearer. All of ours were made by a family member. A few of ours…
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Discovering My Mitchell, SD Coffee Shop Fans
There are days as a columnist when I feel like words just won’t bind together for me on the topic I’m trying to write about. When I look at what I’ve written and feel like a 5th grader could do a better job, I sometimes wonder if anybody out there actually read my stuff. Then…
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Beef Flavor Factors
Even though my family is able to fill our chest freezer with a wide variety of different beef cuts, I still get confused in remembering where each cut comes from and knowing the best way to cook them. This is especially true now that new value cuts have been created out of the chuck, shoulder,…