Me and Professional Shops Don't Mix

So some of you may know that my tractor was in need of repair. It has a four speed transmission with high and low gear ranges for a total of 8 forward and reverse gears. The high and low range shifter was working fine but I could not shift between the left and right sides of the H shift pattern. I suspect that a shifter fork is out of whack or something like that. It wasn't much of an issue while moving snow this winter, 2nd gear was just fine and dandy. However now that we're into spring and bush hogging season, I really could use 3rd and 4th. 2nd is a bit slow and 5th is too high. So about three weeks ago, I called Union Farm Equipment (the local kubota dealer) to get an appointment to bring it in to get the tranny repaired. Since it's spring and they're running a good special, I also wanted the annual service done on it. The front tires are pretty chewed up so I figured I'd get them looked at while it was in there too. As you may also recall, I don't have a trailer for the tractor so I had to rely on them to come and pick it up.

So I place the call and they tell me they'll give me a call just before they come to get it. Good enough. A week and a half goes by and I don't hear anything from them so I give them a call and inquire about picking up my tractor. We'll get to it next Thursday. Well OK at least I have a date. Sure enough they come the following Thursday to pick up the tractor. That Saturday I had to go into the parts department cuz last time I used the tractor before they took it I broke the PTO shaft that connects the tractor to the mower. Much to my dismay, I noticed my tractor was still outside in the parking lot. So a week goes by and I don't hear anything so I give them another call and find out that they've not taken it in yet and in fact there are 5 tractors in front of mine in the rotation, all needing clutch repairs. For those not in the know with tractors, clutch repair is a major undertaking. Basically the clutch sits between the transmission and the motor. You have to take the trasmission away from the motor to get to the clutch - this is referred to as splitting the tractor. At that point most tractors go into two pieces. Long story short - major backlog. So yeah, that's what I was thinking too ... "If you have such a backlog why pick up my tractor so soon????" No good answer but since I can't fix it myself I can't complain. They told me to figure on another week or so before it gets into the shop.

So over a week passes and I don't hear anything from them. By now it's this past Wednesday (and the grass is getting awfully tall). I call (again) and this time find out that they have, in fact, fixed the transmission. This is good. Then he tells me that they figure I need new front tires too. No suprise there. While doing the transmission stuff, the technician found some other things. Ugh - ok give me the list

1. You need new tubes for the back tires - they're leaking.
2. The front left tie rod is loose.
3. The tach does not work.
4. The starter needs a new solenoid.
5. There might be a charging problem.

So we talk about these
1. This is a no-brainer. My tractor tires are filled with calcium chloride to add weight. If the fluid leaks, it can cause rusting of the rims. Gotta fix that.
2. I talked to the shop man about this and he asked me if I drove it down the road in high gear. "Nope." Then we decided it wasn't worth fixing.
3. This wasn't a big issue to me but since it was only gonna be $35 to fix it I decided to do it.
4. Need a price on this one. There is a trick for the starter so I can start it but if it might break in the future better to fix it. Told him to get me a price on this. Turns out you can't get a solenoid
so I'd need a whole new starter. For the $700 decided to pass.
5. I told him that the battery always seems to work but that the past owner had cross jumped the battery so that's likely caused the idiot light to come on.

This is my problem whenever I have a vehicle taken into a factory shop. Remember the last time I took my truck into the shop for an inspection sticker and a cam-sensor recall I ended up with a new oil pan, brake lines, shocks, etc. Bad ju ju

Could have been a lot worse I guess so I figured that I was doing OK. Then about a half hour later I get a call back. "Umm - we were looking a bit closer at the rear rims and I noticed that your tube is actually sticking out of one rim and the other is pretty rusted." Sort of how the call went when the truck was in the shop too but what can you do? Rims are important.

So after giving them the go ahead for rims (I got 10% off of those) they told me the tractor should be ready sometime late next week.

As Stacy put it "see, you're a real farmer"

New Equipment Addition to the Farm

I've been wanting a trailer for a while. Spent a bunch of time debating - stock or normal - gooseneck or bumper pull - 2 horse or 4, etc.

The first question was pretty easy, since the BLM requires a stock trailer when dealing with mustangs that seemed like a logical fit - plus at some point in the future I'd like to have some cows so there just seems to be more versitility with a stock trailer. For those who don't know the difference, stock trailers are open inside them with no partitions to seperate the animals, no troughs for feed, etc. If you gut the inside of a horse trailer you've got a stock trailer. Then I found out about stock/combo trailers which are basically stock trailers with a removable center divider so that you can have the best of both worlds. Since both of my girls have been delivered in stock trailers, I didn't anticipate any issues with one.

As for bumper pull versus gooseneck, originally I wanted a gooseneck. From what I've read, they handle better and have more natural backing characteristics. However, the F-250 is a shortbed which can cause issues with some gooseneck trailers. I've also got a toolbox in the bed that I've gotten used to and would hate to have to take it out. Since I'm not planning any cross country trips the bumper-pull wins this category.

Size of the trailer wasn't as much of an issue, I figured anything 16' and under would be fine, I don't anticipate needing to haul any more than 2 horses or a handful of dexter cattle.

So we put the word out to anyone we could that we were looking for a used trailer, read Uncle Henry's religiously every Saturday, scouted the newspapers, etc. Then one day we got a call from Mona (remember her, she's the woman we adopted Grace from) and she knew of someone in Saco selling a 2 horse bumper pull stock/combo trailer - just what we were looking for. I went to see it a few days later and bought it at the end of that week.

Once we had a trailer, I had to get a hitch put on the truck. The trailer GVCW is 7000 lbs so I figured I needed a hitch of that capacity. Seems logical, right? Well let me tell you, I had quite a time talking the hitch installer into selling me a class IV hitch that would tow it. He wanted to sell me a class III which was only rated for 5000 lbs. Now I don't anticpate putting 4500 pounds in the trailer but I figure if the trailer can support it then the hitch should as well. After some hemming and hawing I got a DrawTite Class IV hitch installed on the truck with a reese brake controller.

I finally had a chance to get out to Saco yesterday to pick her up. Let me tell you, after hauling a 31' travel trailer, she tows like a dream. Don't even need extended mirrors to see the back of it. The truck doesn't seem to mind it being back there - its about 2700 pounds empty.



























































She's a 2002 Valley 2 horse bumper pull stock/combo trailer 6' wide by 14' long. It is the heavy duty steel model, not the lighter aluminum. Its got a front changing room with saddle racks, etc. All the tires are in good shape, floor is in good condition and has mats. Currently the center divider is out - I'll likely keep it that way unless I need it for some reason.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of Ronald Reagan's death so as a tribute I would like to offer the following.

"I hope we have once again reminded people
that man is not free unless government is limited.
There's a clear cause and effect here that is as
neat and predictable as a law of physics:
as government expands,liberty contracts."
Ronald Reagan

Welcome to the Playground

The farrier was scheduled to come on Thursday. Since the weather was nice and the front paddock was partly melted I decided to let Grace out to play. Figured if we were gonna try and get her hoofs done it might help if she was tired. So I put her in the stall next to Cleo and opened the door. After about 5 minutes of just looking out, she got super brave and put her front hooves out on the ground - of course she managed to lean backwards so that only her feet were visible outside the door. Finally about 10 minutes later she decided to take the plunge and fully step out the door. Once out the door she found some ledge. It took her quite a while to figure out that rocks aren't really all that good to eat - snow on the other hand is. Anytime a car would go by or something would happen she'd bolt back into the stall. Here she is on her maiden voyage.















Later on, Rick showed up to shoe Cleo - no problems there. Then we decided we'd try Grace and see what happens. I've been working with her on picking out her hoofs. She's been really good about her front hoofs and her back left but for some reason when I try to pick her back right hoof she puts all her weight on that foot. That makes it really hard to get it done. So I was mentioning that to Rick and he told me that horses can be the horse equivalent of right or left handed and that was probably the reason. So we decided to trim her hoofs in her stall figuring that's where she'd be most comfortable. We weren't going to worry about doing a really good job, rather we were treating this like a child's first haircut - get in and out and make it a pleasant experience for her. Front hoofs - no problem. Back left hoof - no problem. Back right hoof, well after one false start she got it together and stood very quietly. Chalk one up for Grace, she was really good.

Today it was super nice out (about 45 degrees) so I decided I'd let Grace out for a while and then bring her in and turn Cleo out. Stacy suggested rather than swap I just let Cleo out with Grace. What's the worst thing that could happen? Well lets not go there. So I turned Cleo out and of course she goes right out and Grace comes trotting over all happy like. Bing - alpha mare alert! Cleo spins on a dime, pins the ears back and launches a few kicks into Grace's general direction. Grace was smart enough to give her a bit of space but also kept coming back for more. Once it became apparent that Grace was starting to know her place in the pecking order, kicking turned to nipping. After about a half hour of that, everyone knew their place and the two of them were chumming around. Wherever Cleo would go Grace would be sure to follow.
















Later on this afternoon I look out and see Cleo laying down and Grace resting her head on Cleo's body. I wasn't able to get that on camera but here's another from about the same time.
















Late this afternoon when I was going to clean stalls I noticed ....

















Yup, thats both of them in Cleo's stall. Since the water bucket was empty I figured I'd fill it up for them. As soon as Cleo started drinking from the 5 gallon bucket, Grace tried to wedge her nose into the bucket too. She did get it part way in before Cleo gave her a nip on the neck for her trouble. Then they took turns drinking from the bucket (after Cleo had her fill - its good to be alpha). Since I wanted to clean Cleo's stall, I kicked them both back outside and when I came back into the barn, they were in the stall next to Cleo and one of them (most likely Grace since she does this sometime) closed the door. Neither seemed to mind so I guess they're now officially buddies.

I came across the following on the Matt Hughes blog the other day and thought it was worth sharing. (No credit was given for the author)

STONE

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING
THROUGH THE DESERT.
DURING SOME POINT OF THE
JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN
ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND
SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE
IN THE FACE

THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED
WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT
SAYING ANYTHING,
WROTE IN THE SAND,

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE.

THEY KEPT ON WALKING,
UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS,
WHERE THEY DECIDED
TO TAKE A BATH .

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN
SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE
MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING,
BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM
THE NEAR DROWNING,
HE WROTE ON A STONE:

“TODAY MY BEST FRIEND
SAVED MY LIFE”

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED
AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND
ASKED HIM, “AFTER I HURT YOU,
YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW,
YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?”

THE FRIEND REPLIED
“WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US
WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN
IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF
FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.

BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES
SOMETHING GOOD FOR US,
WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE
WHERE NO WIND
CAN EVER ERASE IT”

LEARN TO WRITE
YOUR HURTS IN
THE SAND AND TO
CARVE YOUR
BENEFITS IN STONE.

In with the new (not out with the old tho)

Well, good things can sometimes come in the "beeg brown twuck". Early this afternoon the UPS guy showed up with my new boots. Why new boots you ask?
















I've had these boots since 1995. They've been resoled twice, reheeled more times than I can remember (usually 2x yearly). They got wore most days. Lots of snow and ice might cause me to break out the workboots but in general they were wore about 75% of the time. Cleaned often and reblacked as needed.

As I might have mentioned earlier, I got them from Bowman's Wilson Boots in Livingston, MT. I had them custom made since I have one foot a bit bigger than the other. So when you order them, you trace your feet out on a piece of paper and send that in with some answers to other foot related questions. Not long after I placed my order, my friend Scott asked the question "What happens if you screw up?" Not the best question to be asking after the order was already in. So with great joy and a touch of worry, I slipped them on. Hats off to the Wilson guys, they fit perfect! Not quite as broke in as my old ones but after just a few hours of wear they are well on their way. So what do they look like?
















For those of you who have seen me, they look like my original pair.





















Here's what they'll look like in another 12 years. Old vs New.
















If you haven't had the chance to check out the website for the newest horse boarding stable farm facility located in beautiful mid-coast Edgecomb, Maine, go over and check out the official Diamond G Farm website. (Yes this is a shameless plug for the search engines to find so please ignore all the extra search tags I've inserted in that gramatically ugly sentance. I've registered the site with google and dogpile but it's not been crawled as of yet.)

Mona has a nice article up on her website about Grace coming to the farm. You can check that out here. Scroll down to the Amazing Grace section at the bottom.

Well that's about all for tonight. Hope all y'all are doing well.

"Peace is not the absence of warfare or conflict.
Peace is the absence of desire.
So long as there is an unfulfilled desire in your life,
you will not have peace.
For the believer, peace on earth is death to self,
and total trust and reliance on God.
The more you know how little you know,
the more you trust God and rely on Him."
- Unknown

Up and Running

Well, after a lengthy delay and too many people asking "Do you have a website?" I finally got around to registering a domain name and creating our official website. You can find the official Diamond G Farm website by clicking here.

It is a work in progress so expect changes there as we find additional things to add. My first critic has already mentioned that the white background is "too plain" and needs more color or maybe even a picture. And no, it wasn't her, it was the other (smaller) her. :-)

Got more snow over the weekend so once again the ground is covered. Days are getting longer and this weekend we set the clocks ahead - that'll sure be nice.

Grace is still shedding bunches - she had decided that she really likes the shedding blade but isn't really sure what to make of all that hair on the ground. Apparently it doesn't taste all that good. We've been working on two things with her lately. (1) Getting her to stand still while being held by her halter or on a leadrope. This is something completely foreign to her so it's been a bit of a struggle but we're making progress. (2) Picking all four feet. The two front hooves are going nicely but for some reason we're stuck on the back ones. She lets me lift both back feet off the ground but feels the need to throw all her weight on the leg that's being held.

Cleo is Cleo and doesn't change all that much. She still likes to go out and roll around in the snow. She's not shedding nearly as much as Grace but she didn't get as heavy a winter coat either.

And then we have Laredo. Some days its really hard to be the head CattleDog in charge of no cattle - you have to make due with what you have.

"As for God, His way is perfect.
All the Lord's promises prove true.
He is a shield to all who look to Him for protection."
- 2 Samuel 22:31

Welcomed Guest

OK so I've been a slacker and haven't updated the blog much lately. Couple of reasons for that (1) we're in the dead of winter so there's not much going on and (2) my day job has been keeping me pretty busy.

On Thursday of last week we were sitting at the table eating lunch when Stacy started staring out the window. Much to our suprise, the snowy owl that we've seen off in the distance had plunked herself (based on its coloring I'm guessing it was a her but if anyone happens to be an owl expert and can confirm this, that'd be great) in the tree right outside the window. Want to know more about Snowy Owls? Then click here.
















It really was an amazing site, she stayed there for what must have been 15 minutes anyway.
















And here's the last snap I got
















I tried going upstairs to take pictures more at her level but there was a big ol branch right between me and her. For those of you who know the layout of our property, this is the tree right behind the house. After a while, she flew off over to the tree between the house and barn for about two minutes but left when the woodpecker took up residence in the tree. Yup we've also got a woodpecker that seem to have taken residence in some of the trees around. I tried to snap a few pictures of it but none came out all that good.

The owl was back again yesterday, this time spotted in the same tree between the house and barn. Turkey's have been MIA since about the first of the year.

Weather's been pretty good for winter. Rainy and warm on Monday and pretty warm on Tuesday too. Today hovered around freezing with a bit of wind and not a lot of sun. Just about all the snow we had on the ground is now gone again - this time we don't have too much ice left.

Doesn't seem like spring's too far off, both of the girls have started shedding heavily this week. Also starting to see large groups of robins (50-75) pecking through the yard when the grass is showing. But then again it is winter in New England so I guess we'll just have to wait it out and see what happens.

Still looking for a horse trailer so if anyone knows of a good used one, let me know. Ideally I'd like a stock/combo 2 or 3 horse gooseneck but will take what's available.

"If we continue to teach about tolerance and intolerance instead of good and evil, we will end up with tolerance of evil."
- Dennis Prager

Came across that quote the other day - sure is a lot to think about there. At first I bet a lot of you will disagree with it. You might want to give it serious thought in the context of where society is at today. We've not only losing (or maybe lost is a better statement) the idea of right and wrong, if we talk about it or question it we are often referred to as being intolorant or some other 'ist or 'phobe. In the end, both sides can't be right about this so choose your side carefully - there's a lot riding on your choice.

"He who pursues righteousness and
love finds life, prosperity, and honor."
- Proverbs 21:21

Wiggles

Tonight we had to have Wiggles put down. Earlier this week Stacy noticed that one of his eyes was starting to cloud over a bit. Then on Thursday, we noticed that he wasn't looking too good and was having a little bit of a hard time getting around. So we took him out of his cage and let him motivate around the kitchen for a while. Later on in the day, it looked like he was having a hard time standing. When we got up this morning, he could not hold his back end up and was scooting himself around with his front end. We put a call into the vet this morning and was told that she was out on farm calls today but she would would stop by the office on her way in tonight just to take a look. So when she finally got back (slow driving out today, we got between 4" and 6" of snow today) I brought him in. The vet couldn't pinpoint the exact cause but it was obvious that he was in real pain and wasn't likely to get much better. Although it was a hard decision, there wasn't really any choice.















Ever since we've been here on the farm, he's been my constant work companion. Not one to be afraid of the cats, he used to have a good time chasing Chip around. He was a bit leery of the cattledog tho. Every time someone would come to the house, Laredo would run over to Wiggle's cage and bark at him. Tonight when I got home from the vet, Laredo went over to bark at the rabbit but just stopped and stared when he got to the empty cage.

Of late, Wiggles was known amongst family and friends as "the sleep wrecker". Whenever someone would sleep over, Wiggles would make a ton of noise during the middle of the night - pushing his ever-present tissue box around, drinking extra water, and stomping his back feet.

The rest of the family is doing OK with it. Everyone misses him but all understand he's in a better way.

Let it snow

As you may know, we've been getting a lot of snow up here this year. Cleo likes to go out in the snow but as soon as she comes back into the barn, she's got a ton of it packed into her front hoofs. (She doesn't have shoes on the back so it's not a problem there.) When she gets back into her stall, she stands all kinds of lopsided and doesn't look all that comfortable because it always seems to ball up higher than her shoe bottom - its like she's standing on top of a ball. I pick her hoofs when she comes in but that doesn't help her when I leave her out for a while with her stall door open. Today was shoeing day for her so I asked Rick (our farrier) about either pulling her front shoes off for the winter or putting pads under them. Since she's got some issues with cracks in her front hoofs, we decided (well Rick actually) that it would be best to leave shoes on so we had to go with option 2. Here's a picture of what the pad looks like. Basically its just a piece of rubber with a bump on the downward facing side. This bump helps keep snow from packing in.














This pad is put between the hoof and the shoe then the shoe is nailed on top. Between the pad and the hoof is packed with some special stuff that will help to keep out thrush and any other bad stuff. And for extra traction in the snow and ice, we have ...














yup - studded shoes. Each of the four round items you see in the shoe is a stud that's been attached to the shoe. This will be a big help for her in getting around. Not sure if we have a "studded horseshoe" season up here like the do for studded snow tires tho. The good thing is that when we're finally rid of winter, we can take the shoes and pads off and put them away till next winter. Cleo was a good girl for the farrier.

Rick also took a look at Grace while he was here and said once she's reliably allowing her hoofs to be picked up we should get her hoofs trimmed. She's getting much better at that so hopefully in the next few weeks she'll be ready. (That ought to be fun)

On Wednesday morning while I was sitting by the computer looking out over the barn, I saw what looked exactally like a white squirrel running across the front of the (closed) barn doors. What I had seen was, in fact, an albino squirrel.















So that's about all for now. More snow predicted for tonight (1-4") and Saturday night (2-4").

OK, one more thing I have to gripe about. I went out tonight to fill up the truck and get 5 gallons of fuel for the tractor. $100.00 on the dot. Never in my life have I spent this much at one time for fuel (diesel or gas). I don't even have that big of a tank on my truck (28 gals).

"Don't worry about anything;
instead, pray about everything.
Tell God what you need,
and thank Him for all He has done."
- Phillippians 4:6

Maybe

Well, the girls are doing pretty good. We've had some pretty warm weather this week so most of the snow is gone but that means that mud is here. It's too early for spring mud season but we've got a little sneak-peek at it this week. Cleo doesn't seem to mind it much, she likes to run in it and roll around in it. She's also smart enough to know her limits in it and won't do too much thats real foolish in it. Grace is still leary of being outside. I've been waiting for the ice to melt in the round pen so I could turn her out in there but that must not get nearly as much sun and heat as the paddocks. I'd rather let Grace out in the round pen first (both to start some learning and to get all of her energy out) before introducing her to board fence and hot wire. Well we'll have to see where the New England weather takes us. Last I saw, we're on the hook for another 6-10" on Monday. I'm really hoping we get a bit of cold first so the top layer of mud can freeze back over - otherwise plowing the snow could be interesting.

Ran across the following poem that I thought was worth sharing.

Maybe ...

Maybe it's the hat. The way he tips it with one hand while he extends the other to shake a woman's hand, knowing that's how his daddy would have done it.

Maybe it's the clothes. The way he wears the crisp shirts and starched Wranglers and the boots with the spurs that never come off, jingling with each step he takes.

Maybe it's the horse. The way he sits in the saddle and looks as comfortable as most men do on their sofas, moving as only a man who has experienced true freedom can.

Maybe it's the way he talks. The way he chooses the fewest words to make the greatest impact, knowing the fancy phrases but not needing the recognition that comes from using them.

Maybe it's in his face. The way he can say so much without ever opening his mouth; his sun-tanned skin, the piercing eyes, the boyish grin that holds the hurt inside.

Maybe it's his financial prowess. The way he doesn't spend money on himself, opting instead to pick up the beer tab with the boys or to bring flowers to a lady.

Maybe it's the way he dances. The way he silently communicates his next move, holding a woman close and leaving no question as to who is in the lead.

Maybe it's his attitude. The way he loves unconditionally and trusts completely, able to visit with a stranger as openly and freely as a lifelong friend.

Maybe it's his ethics. The way he is always the last to leave the barn, staying after the last horse is put away to spend extra time playing with his dog who put in as many hours that day as he did.

Maybe it's the total package. The way one minute with him takes you back in time, making you wish you had lived, for even one day, 100 years ago.

Laurie Denny - American Cowboy Magazine - Winter 2008 p. 22

Grace really enjoys being next to Cleo. So much so that she doesn't want to go back into her stall after being in the next stall over. She sure can be stubborn, I'll give her that. I gave her her first salt block today. At first she wasn't sure what to do with it - she spent a bunch of time trying to bite it but eventually figured out that she's supposed to lick it. Based on how much water she drank in a short time, I'm guessing she's got it figured out pretty well. Had to get Cleo a new block too, she goes through them about once a week.

Got to watch the AQHA Worlds from OKC on TV tonight - they showed cutting and reining. The athleticism and intelligence of the horses is amazing to me. A lot of training time and wet saddle pads there - and some good breeding doesn't hurt either.

Well, that's about all for now. Not much happening up here in New England in the winter without an indoor arena.

Turning Tide?

Slacker Alert:







































Today I'm going to take a break from farming to talk about something thats been on my mind. Been noticing that I'm seeing and hearing more about God (and Jesus) in the media lately. That has gotten me to wondering if the tide is starting to turn back towards the direction it should be going. Trying to think optimistically, I really hope this is the case but this also brought me to another possible reason for this uptick. It just might be that the more I realize the importance of God in my life, the more I find myself drawn to like minds and turned off from those things that are not. After a bunch 'o thought on this, I've come to the conclusion that it's a little of the first and more of the latter. This is good for me and not as good for everyone else.

Thinking about this has also gotten me to pontificating about role models and mentors. I think one of the biggest issues with the kids of today is that they don't have very many good role models and/or mentors to choose from. Most of what you see on TV and in the media is just plain old crap. The desire for money and power regardless of the cost to others or the personal costs to themselves runs rampant in sports, TV, government, the media, and even with some religious figures. Made me realize that I've been blessed with some very good mentors and role models throughout my life. Many of them did not ask for that job and might not have even known that they were doing it.

Mr. Dick Bennett was my riding instructor back when I was a young 'un. He was definately old school - brutally honest and tough but that forced you to either get better or get out. He taught me that hard work and practice pays off - you need it to get to the top of your game and then need it even more to stay there. Through him and showing horses, I learned that no matter how hard you try and how much you prepare, things don't always work out the way you planned (just ask JD about pattern classes) but that's OK. I also learned that life isn't always fair - the best person doesn't always win - but thats how life here on earth is. That you need to take pride in yourself and represent yourself to the best of your ability. Good things take time and come in small increments which you often don't see as they are happening but one day you look back and are amazed at where you got to.

Cowboys - I'm not talking about the shoot 'em up 1 against 100 movie and book characters here. I'm thinking more about the stories of good honest punchers, ranchers, and lawmen standing up for what is right when their back is up against the wall, regardless of the odds. Avoiding trouble until pushed too far, helping out others in time of need no matter the personal cost. Doing what is right and not what is easy. This same principal can still be found in many ranches throughout the country. Today's (real) cowboys still work hard for little pay but do what they do for the love of life. Cowboying isn't about the clothes, its about character.

Mr. William Gaudette. If ever there was a fine example of a humble man who has been a role model to hundreds of people without ever trying, this would be him. Having trained in kenpo with Mr. Gaudette for 14 years has taught me a lot not only about the martial arts but also so many other things in life. Our student creed mentions "I will live by the principals of black belt: modesty, integrity, perseverance, self control, and indominable spirit". He exhibits these principals in his everyday life. Being around him, it is hard to not want to adopt these and get better at them. He taught me that self-confidence gives inner peace and outer calm.

While on the martial arts theme, I'd like to mention two folks. The first is Chuck Norris. He is a man of God who has come through many struggles in life but has used his skills and fame to help benefit children both through his martial arts instruction and also his kick drugs programs. A new potential martial arts role model (at least for me) is Matt Hughes. Most of you will likely not know Matt but he is a UFC fighter. I've gotten a real good feeling on him from several of the TV interviews I've seen with him. Recently he coached a team of asipring MMA fighters on Ultimate Fighter TV show and during that time, he was not afraid to openly talk about his religion and spirituality and to try to open the young fighters minds to God. This was very refreshing to see on national TV. I have just ordered his autobiography and I'm sure I'll have several good quotes to use from it.

And of course, I couldn't have a list of role models without mentioning my beautiful wife and soulmate. Stacy has taught me so many things that I won't even try to mention them all here. I do need to thank her for her help in two areas though - compassion and spirituality. Stacy has shown me how to care about people, not just those who we know but people in general. Whenever I get stuck in life's ruts, Stacy quietly reminds me that its not about me but rather God and his work that needs to be done. That is so grounding and always puts things back into perspective for me. Thanks cutie, I love you!

In closing, I ask you to be a positive example, you never know who might be watching!

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your
own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge him, and
He shall direct your paths."

- Proverbs 3:5-6.