February 2010
Hello & Welcome to our Diary page. The purpose of this diary is to record our adventures, folks who stop by, travels and events at the Thorne Ranch. It was primarily meant for family and friends in the beginning, but we have grown a large number of faithful readers over the past years. Over 100,000 from all over the world have visited us. We don't intend to offend anyone or to glorify our life here. It's pretty boring most of the time as you will see! We are pretty common folks trying to make a living doing what we love, breeding and raising cattle. Our wish is that someday this Diary will be enjoyed and appreciated by our grandchildren and great grandchildren. In the mean time we hope you get a few good laughs at our expense. "Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself."
Welcome to the Diary &
"The Adventures of Dear Abbie's Wife"
THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD..
Remember to welcome strangers, because some who have done this have welcomed angels without knowing it! Hebrews 13:2
Copyright © 1998 - 2010 A. W. Thorne Land & Cattle, Inc. All rights reserved.
"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." Proverbs 16:3
A.W. Thorne Land & Cattle, Inc.
435707 E370 Rd
Adair, Oklahoma 74330
Office 918.783.5477 Joan 918.284.0175 A.W. 918.527.2002 joan@thornecattle.com
February 1 - Monday again! It's back to reality and bookwork, bills, tax reports and a day of 42 degree weather. All the snow is melting fast but tonight it will freeze back up again. I made it to town to pick up supplies, mostly staples like laundry soap, dog treats, cornmeal, milk and some fresh veggies and fruits. I don't know what some folks do for food when we have days that they can't get to the grocery store. I grew up on a stock pile of canned foods in the basement and a freezer full of beef and a hen house. We were pretty self sufficient. We had to be especially when you lived 30 some miles from any grocery store. We canned and froze veggies all summer and we reaped those goodies when the snow was 10 foot tall and the north wind was howling down on you in north central NE. Today we are not as ready for disaster as we were in the past. We have all gotten soft and depend on tomates from Guatemala that are shipped to Kansas City, MO. Everything you pick up says from this country or that country.. We are a country with an extreme import. Made in China is a label these days you can find on almost everything you purchase. It's getting so bad I would be afraid to deliver babies these days that don't have a stamp on their precious little foreheads that said that.. "Made in China" ha We got to meet baby Lily a couple of weeks ago and we are pretty proud of this new bundle of joy and believe it or not she didn't have anything stamped on her forehead but precious!
This page was last updated: August 7, 2010
The Best Days
Visit the Farmers Almanac
Lily Grace, Abbie and Joan
February 2-7 We made it through a foggy trip to Amarillo and back home again! We delivered a steer named Tin Man to the Jones family of New Mexico! This being their 4th steer they have gotten from us. We spent the night with Brian, Patricia, Thomas and Lily! We had a great evening and sure hated to leave so early the next morning. We met Chad unloaded the steer and headed back east. This time we could see clearly though and we made it home about 5:00.
So we have been catching up on stuff as usual! We had customers from Kansas yesterday and they Hayleigh picked out a heifer for her next cattle project. Nice family and we happy to see Vinita get a good home and family! The weather is still dreary and sunshine is nonexistent.. We are going to see a need for delicing cattle this year. It always seems it is worse when it's damp, cold, and no sunshine. We ran to Pryor and picked up dog food and had lunch at Pizza Hut today! Nice change from the usual hurry and fix lunch! We are rounding up cattle and heading to south Texas soon! I sure hope it's warmer than here and maybe just maybe we can get some sunshine? ha
I designed a web site for granddaughter, Kyleigh for her art showcase! Please visit and leave her some good comments about her artisitc talent! http://kyswetpaint.intuitwebsites.com
Below is a saying that I just really think is true! I have gotten it before and would like to share with you all!
'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... 'The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.'
There comes a point in your life when you realize:
Who matters,
Who never did,
Who won't anymore...
And who always will.
So, don't worry about people from your past, There's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.
Hayleigh, Aston, Lori and Keith from Kansas!
Rest Stop in Texas just before you get to Amarillo.
February 8-13 We left out of here on Monday morning at 6:00 a.m. with a trailer load of bred heifers and a bull for our friends and customers, Robert and Gracie Goodwin. We made it into Las Campanas Ranch (which means The Bells) about 9:00 that night. That is a run to start from Grand Lake region to the Red River to the Rio Grande... It was 69 degrees when we got there and we were excited to see some warm weather. That was short lived though as it was in the 40's the rest of the time we were there. I think it followed us south! ha We had a great visit and we rode along feeding the deer one night. They have trophy deer that they sell hunts on.. along with running cattle. Per pound those darn deer are worth more than our cows! I suggested that we quit halter breaking our cattle and turn them into wild cows instead and then maybe we might come out ahead in the cattle business selling guided hunts on wild cows. ha I am joking you know..our cows are too special and too big a pets to do such a thing! ha We could start a wild cow running in the streets versus the running of the bulls that might catch on? I am grasping at straws now for anyway to make it in the cattle business.
We got left on Wednesday morning and ran into rain almost all the way through San Antonio. We took an alternative route up 281 to see some different country.. The Hill country they call it! It's a pretty drive! We ran into sleet all the way south of Cleburne where the kids live. We never turned off the windshield wipers.
Oh yes I forgot one funny incident on the way through Austin..on the way down! We were slowing down to stop at a station to fill the thirsty diesel tank when a trailer went by us on the left.. Low and behold there was another Thorne on the road! Thorne Ranch was on the top of the horse trailer.. It was Haley Thorne that I had made contact with before.. So that night I emailed her and yes she saw us too! A chance encounter... She was headed to San Antonio to a rodeo to barrel race! It's a pretty small world out there folks... you never know who you might encounter on I-35...ha
Back to the sleet and snow in at Cleburne.. we stopped off in Glen Rose to get some smoked turkey and fixins for supper and made it into the kids a little late but we still had a good supper. Logan and Grace were excited to see us! So we babysit and spent two nights there while the snow piled up about 6-8 inches. We decided not to brave the roads and crazy Texans on snow and ice. So one day a snow man were the order of the day! Logan and Grace had a good time in the snow.
We got left Friday morning and the roads were pretty messy but we ran out of snow about Armore OK... It sure seemed funny to see that much snow in the Dallas - Ft Worth area.. I am sure it was several kids first snow experience! We arrived home about 9:00 and were so happy to see home.. An over rated word "home" I hope we are done traveling for awhile.. but if someone wants to buy another trailer load of cattle I think we can muster up the strength to deliver them..ha Gosh I wonder if Hawaii needs some bovine's! We might need a boat trailer for that cruise! ha At this rate I am sure that would be the only way we will ever get to visit that tranquil island..is to sell cattle there. Abbie sold bulls to Panama one year and yes he went to see them a couple years later! He didn't take me though so it doesn't count! ha
Gracie and Robert
Las Campanas "The Bells" in Spanish..
See granddaughter Grace and the Snowman and Oreo Cookies video! They were used for buttons and eyes for awhile! ha Logan just shook his head when he saw what she was doing. ha
February 14-17 Happy Valentines Day! Hope your sweetheart was good to you. Mine actually purchased an expensive card. He hasn't bought cards in awhile. He thought it was pretty costly! ha He didn't buy chocolates or flowers so it was probably pretty cheap in the long run! ha
We made it over to the Will Rogers Livestock Show on Sunday. Kids and cattle did real well! It's hopeful that Spring is coming when we have this shows. Even though it was miserably cold. Brock, Blake, Reighly, Sara, Kaite and Jacob did well. We left before the final heifer drive and had lunch out and then went home to enjoy the rest of the day. Monday was Presidents day and yes I forgot and drove into Adair to pick up the mail to find the postoffice closed. Tuesday was cold and windy. Today the sun is shining and it's up to 45 degrees at noon. No wind and only a slight breeze. Headed to town to pick up more fencing supplies to finish up the new links to the west fence. David has been working hard to get it up so we can move cattle to dry pens. We had good news from the DNA lab, TLCC Turks Doc is Homozygous Black and homozygous polled, TLC Turks Bart is Homozygous Polled and Heterzygous Black. If they had to be one it's great they are Homozygous polled. We will be using these two heavily in our clean up program on heifers. The first Tracker baby is really looking good! He wss small and it looks like he is going to work well on heifers too. Well best get busy! Enjoy Grace and her oreo cookies!
February 18-19 It's turned off dark and gloomy again tdoay! Yesterday I took the tour of the pastures with the golf cart since they still don't have my mule going again. We are searching for hay. There is all kinds of hay out there for sale that's not very good quality but not much that is high quality. We went through over 700 big round bales this year already. Usually we can get a little grazing in. Not this year. Cattle took the winter rough too. They aren't used to such cold wet winters either. The calves look like little angora goats with all the hay on them. I tried to get some pictures of the fall babies and finally got three young bull prospects. I almost got stuck once but kept spinning my wheels and finally got out! ha I was throwing mud about 10 foot in the air! Thank heavens we have a roof on that ole cart! ha
Heard from one of our Texas customers that the shorthorn steer we sold was 2nd in the light weight division of steers at Ft Worth this year.. so will have to try and track down a picture of him. We sold him last year when he was about four and half months old right off the cow. Wish we had a few more like him to sell.. Even though he was so huge that his momma Cotton died after we did a C Section... I don't think we were meant to breed Shorthorns.. Sometimes you just need to listen to your luck and if your not lucky there might be a reason? ha
Worked on web sites today and got the catalog loaded on Aschermann's web site for their March sale. Check them out at www.aschermanncharolais.com Rain and possible snow predicted again for this weekend. I am beginning to think we will never see Spring flowers. It is 50 degrees out still right now but sure that will change before tomorrow.
February 20-22 News worthy item... we found the picture of the 2nd place Light Weight Steer that won in the 2010 Ft Worth Junior Livestock Show. He belonged to Kaitlin Cousal. He looks just like his momma did when she got big. Almost the same roan color. I remember the day that Cotton was born, we were so excited and I took a picture of her and Abbie together in the barn. We had high hopes for that heifer. But at least she produced a winner even though we didn't get to keep anything out of her. We still have Cotton's momma if we really wanted to reproduce her.
I baked most of the weekend. Banana bread, beef and home made noodles and Coconut Cream pie. Rod and Dani Leigh came over on Saturday night to share the pie! We have been watching the olympics every night! It's kind of amazing someimes how many of the down hill skiiers crashed and actually walked away!
2n Place in Light Weight Division Ft Worth Stock Show.
TLC Cotton the dam of the Ft Worth Steer when she was a baby! She was 1/2 shorthorn, 1/4 braunvieh 1/16 Angus and 1/16 Hereford.
February 23-26 Renita treated me to lunch for my b day and then celebrated that evening with Abbie dear. Then celebrated again on the 24th in Tulsa after the chest exam. We dined at Olive Garden in Tulsa and then drove home to drop Abbie off and picked up Carol and we went to Owasso to the Olive Garden twice in one day for the February Ya Ya Sisters Birthday party. Nancy and I were the guest of honors! There were 12 of us in all and we had a grand old time as usual! Our main topic is horses and crazy ladies! ha It has been moderately nice here up in the 40's at least.. It is snowing south of us for some strange reason! Crazy winter. I am headed to town to pick up straw for bedding the cattle for the tirp to Houston! You all have a great weekend! The train was across our tracks the other day and I had to come in a mile north of our place! I always wondered what this marker said along 69 highway so I stopped and took a cell phone picture. Our creek is called Rock Creek that goes south of our place. See you in March!
Click on photo to enlarge and read.
