i'm BAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!!

that's right. i was busy. so what?
o.c.

ahhhh florida

these were taken today. words don't do it. writer's block is a large piece of wood i bang my head on.... 43 degrees, 6 degrees Celsius.
o.c.

the calf is intrigued

"they like this stuff, but why? I certainly don't need it.... still, it has a good smell."

they all do this at the same time

this is Thunder's cousin, Diamond, born november 14, 2006.
o.c.

thunder's crazy mother

this is Thunder's crazy mother Ranger. yes, she would if she could. that's why i keep a tree or two between her and mrs heekin's second son. the man who taught me to ride a horse was gored to death by a milk cow while we were separating it from a new calf. the lesson is don't stand between a parent and its young.
o.c.

say hello

everyone, this is baby Thunder. she was born veterans' day to Ranger, so named because she runs everywhere she goes. this was taken sunday morning at daybreak in the happy place, a high spot in the swamp where they all have calves. the calf was 6 hours old in this pic.
o.c.
ps thank you God.

baby red

this is one intrusive calf! there is no such thing as privacy with this one (unless she is bothering someone else!). forget camping. she wants to be in the tent. i think she would eat hamburger off the grill if she could.
o.c.
ps if you could find a wife that was this attentive you would be one lucky man.

o.c. at work in the hay operations center

nothing happens at the ranch unless authorized at the Hay Operations Center (HOC). in fact, all decisions are ad HOC.

and for every end there is a new beginning

teaching the kids

i tried (imperfectly) to teach my children religion when they were young so that when they got to this point they would not only know right from wrong, but also not ACT like adults.
sigh.
o.c.