November

November 5 - November 10, 2003 No Guests

Wednesday, November 5, 2003
I spent the day laid up with a pinched nerve in my back. First day in a long, long time my back has taken me out of action.

Lyndsey spent the day moving saddles and tack from the upper saddle house to the main barn. Maggie found out the courier working for her rep in L.A. lost all her samples thus causing her to miss a big buyers show. Of course the rep. says the courier is at fault and liable and the courier says he’s not liable, nor insured. It’s going to be a big mess before it’s all figured out.

Thursday, November 6, 2003
Today I was back in the saddle, I didn’t feel any better after lying around all day yesterday so I swung up on Doc and with in an hour the Ol’ back was feeling fine.

Lyndsey and I went out to gather in the North Trap and get the last saleable size calves penned and ready to go to the sale in the morning. Just like all of last week, it went better than we could have hoped. When we got to the tank all the cattle were within a five-minute ride. We quickly got them bunched up and headed to the corrals, they lined right out and went on over the hill and down into the valley. Just as they dropped over, a half dozen horses came running up from behind and stampeded them down to the bottom. It was pretty funny. They had stood and watched us go by but waited a few minutes till we were right on top before they charged. Goofballs. It all worked out fine; the cattle were at the gate waiting for us when we got there. We penned them, sorted them and were done by 3pm. I fed and watered them and then set a round bale for the heifers. After chores my back felt so good I split some wood. In more than one way horses are the best thing for the inside of man.

Friday, November 7, 2003
It sure is getting cold at night now, steady in the teens. The days have been fine with a hi about 50. After chores this morning Lyndsey and I sorted the calves that were headed to the sale from their moms. One mom was crazy as they come, charging us and trying to jump the corrals tearing things up. So she went on the trailer to the sale too. Vic made the observation last week that if something pisses me off I sell it. Never really thought about it but it’s true. I drove the cattle and Lyndsey followed me in Maggie’s truck. We dropped that truck off at the place we get hay, they sell tires cheap and it needed new ones a long time ago. We continued on to Belen where the sale is, it’s a solid five hours each way. Dropped off the cattle about 2pm and headed back. We stopped to get the other truck and 150 bales of hay. We got home about 9pm.

Fred from Ca. is here with his son. He is picking up Helen, our blind filly. She is going to live in Ca. At the same place her dad stands at stud. Gerry and Terri Carroll, his mangers out there are going to give her a great new home.

Saturday, November 8, 2003
Right after breakfast we headed out to load Helen. She has never even had a halter on so we expected a long morning of getting her on the trailer. She was asleep in the sun when we got there; I woke her up with a bucket of grain. We had the trailer backed up to her corral and I teased her along with the bucket till she was at the back of the trailer. She smelled new people and got hesitant so we had Fred and Chuck back away. Then I got in the trailer and hand fed her a bite of grain and next thing we knew she walked right up in the trailer. Within five minuets she was on her way. It was sad to see her go but she will be better off out in Ca. Where she can get the attention she deserves. Her mom Belle hollered the rest of the day but I think in a way she too is relieved, she spent all day, everyday worrying about Helen. After Fred was on the road Lyndsey and I unloaded the hay. Those bales sure seemed heavier than they had been yesterday. We are trying to save as much room in the barn so we stacked it really high. It was a bunch of work. After finishing the hay I split wood for a few hours and stacked it, if I can do a couple hours a day I may be able to get it all on the porch before the snow comes and it all gets frozen to the ground which is the way it’s been around here for years. Late in the day I set out hay for the heifers and filled some water tanks. Lyndsey went out to check camps because she had heard second hand that the Forest Service had hauled out one of our camp trailers. She got back to report that indeed one of our camps was gone. Now don’t that beat all! They didn’t even bother checking whose it was; it has been there for two years not bothering a thing. We use it to store food and medical supplies in case we have an emergency way out there. So now I have to find out where it is and I am sure they will have taken everything valuable out of it.

Frank came by this evening, he brought my old Chevy dually truck home, the one we call Death Wish. A fella has been working on it for five months and finally got it going. It’s been three years since it was on the road. Frank came to pick up his stuff and clean his house out. When he asked to trade his two heifers for a T.V. we have in the shed I knew the cowboy was moving to town.

Agnus is here in the house lot; she’s the orphan we raised on a bottle almost three years ago. She had a cute little calf, which we sold last week and was moping around so I opened the gate and she wandered out for a big chest rub then followed me to the house where she took up a shady spot near the front porch. She’s still daddies’ little girl; whenever I walk out the door she is right behind me just like a dog tagging along. Anywhere I go around the H.Q. she’s right there. It’s pretty dang funny having a cow follow ya around.
Hi 50 lo 19

Sunday, November 9, 2003
I spent a couple hours right after chores this morning splitting and stacking wood. So far about 9 cords are under cover, 11 more to go. Then I cleaned the chimney, it was so full I’m surprised it drew smoke at all. Then I put a couple wheels and tires on the Dodge. Mike from N.Y. spent a lot of time when he was here putting it back together after Franks Head-on two years ago. He had brought all the parts with him from N.Y. I was pretty excited to crank it up and found it still moved. It drove great but then I had to spend two hours cleaning it out. The back window had been broken out so years of dust blowing in and cats had the thing so gross it was hard to sit in.

So now I have all my trucks back here on the ranch and running except one, the old ‘69 Chevy is still down at Franks dad’s place. I have just too dang many trucks; time to do some selling or swapping.

This afternoon I spent some time sorting the last of the cattle in the corrals, getting the last weaned moms moved out into the north trap and the heifers are loose now out in the south trap.

Maggie was as usual all day in her studio; she’s on the holiday and trunk show season rampage. Lyndsey spent the day stacking three cords of wood at her house and wearing herself out.

Monday, November 10, 2003
The night was a cold one down to about 11 degrees. The wind was puffing around as we did chores and had a bite to it. I called the forest service first thing and was told they knew nothing about my camp trailer. They said it might have been some guys doing a fence contract for them. So I will go and hunt down their camp in the morning. Today we had a plan made and couldn’t change it. We have to get the horses all found and brought into the north trap for the winter. They can’t be out in the big pastures because the liquid feed I use has urea in it, which horses shouldn’t be eating. But first we had to gather up all the odds and ends of cattle around the house and put them into the north trap, then gather the north trap and get them all out into 7HL. We had to get going on it so when we were done Lyndsey could make a town run for Maggie. I rode Gambler and Lyndsey grabbed her ass Ben. We had a little trouble getting the old cow we call the Grey Ghost out and away from here. She is always the last cow to give up on her calf every fall.

But we got her out into the trap and she finally gave in and went along the rest of the day fine. When we got to the trap it was another fine sight as again everything we needed was right there. I tell ya stray work this year has been too easy, someone has been looking out for us.

Within an hour we had 63 head moving out the gate. We left behind a bloated bull that had some how gotten in the trap. Lyndsey headed home to make it to town before the mail left so I continued on with the cattle. About this time the wind really started cranking up and I saw the first thin line of clouds move onto the horizon to the southwest.

The cattle were slow but quiet as they lined out down Ewe canyon. Gambler was working just right, I never really had to holler much and we just eased along to Elladeane tank. As we passed the obsidian field I looked back and saw six horses at the silver gate a bit over a mile away. It was another hour by the time I left the cattle and got back there, of course they were no where to be found. The country there is sharp rolling grass ridges and they could have been down a draw just about anywhere. I expected they had headed to water so I rode the wagon road till I saw where they had crossed it. It told me that they were headed to Nedra tank and not Elladeane. We had been in a steady trot for the last hour as the wind gusted to 35 mph and the clouds built to a thick bank all across the southern horizon. Oh it looked mean. We got to Nedra and there they were, in the group were Jesus, Choppalito, Quentin, Annie, Coral, and Frank’s horse, Cuervo. They had all been rolling in the muddy water and were slick, slimy and refreshed. They took off at a dead run up the canyon kicking, bucking and farting all the way. Gam and I just jogged along keeping them in sight. Then they broke out the east, which was the wrong way. Gambler knew what we were doing and swung up out of that canyon light footing up a rough rocky slope and then stretched out. He loves running other horses down and there is nothing on the place that can beat him, even when he has a rider. It was just a three-minute run but sure covered some ground. We caught up to them, got around and turned them back to the west. From there they went pretty well, tried to break back a couple more times but then finally settled down and went along peacefully. When we came down the slope into Ewe canyon to the T gates they took off full speed and got to the gate way ahead of me. I could only watch and hope they waited at the closed gate till I got there. The slope was so rough I couldn’t let Gambler take off down it though he was nervous about them getting away too. Once again the graces were with me as they milled around there and waited till I swung down and opened the gate, right through they went. It was about 2pm and it was a hard decision to make as the wind brought tears to my eyes but I closed the gate behind the horses and went back out on the hunt. I rode up onto Feathery ridge and glassed from there, nothing but cattle as far as the eye could see. There is a lot of country you can’t see through binoculars though so we headed down Feathery Valley and up onto 7HL mesa. Suddenly as I crossed the mesa I saw the shadow come sweeping up behind me with the speed of the wind, The cloud bank had caught me and away went my sunny day. I quickly got really cold. At 4pm I had seen no fresh sign and I was an hour out at a trot from home still so I headed that way, into the wind.

I read some where in some horse magazine some fella saying “real cowboys never wear silk scarves, it’s just something for Tom Selleck.” That fool must be a Florida Cowboy, anyone on the range with a stiff cold wind had better have a scarf tied tight, keeping your neck and the blood vessels there warm is key to comfort. But it has to be silk, thin, warm, little bulk; cotton or wool just doesn’t do as well. Now you have to have it wrapped around, I see Tom and a bunch of guys here wearing them loose around the neck, beware, that scarf loose can get caught on the saddle horn when you lean forward swinging your leg over to dismount. It’s happened to me and I seen a few others get hung up, a very dangerous situation.

Anyway it was just about dark when my tired horse and I made it into the corrals. A good rub down and a bite of grain ended the day. It looks like some moisture out there now at 11pm, clouds have it warm, about 38 so hopefully it will just be rain and not snow.

November 11- November 27, 2003 No Guests

Tuesday, November 11, 2003
I was out as early as I can get going these days, in the saddle by about 8am. Even though its light pretty early, I still don't go out and feed until the sun has cleared the valley ridge and hits the barn. It's just too dang cold till then. So the horses are fed about 7am, then I give them an hour to eat before saddling up.

We had to go horse hunting so I whistled up Doc. I rode out in a light drizzle with the temp about 40. Doc was none to happy about going out. We crossed the north trap and went out through Snake Gate. When we got to the top of Feathery Hill the wind picked up. I checked my watch; it was right on time…10 am. Things went down hill from there, the rain got heavier and the wind was steady driving the chill rain into the south side of my face. Doc walked kind of side ways trying to avoid the misery. We stayed off the ridges as much as we could and kept an angle off the wind so we took it mostly on our backs. But we both knew that eventually we had to turn around and head into it all the way back. About noon the clouds started getting lower and lower, we still had seen no horses, not even a track. As we rode down 7HL canyon I watched the clouds sweep into the bottom and head up canyon towards us. Within 10 minutes we were in clouds so thick 30 feet was as far as I could see. Deciding it was pretty much a waste on time we headed back west towards home. I came by T Bar tank and could make out shapes in the fog, riding over I found two bulls, Weedy and Slick, both of whom we had put into Negrito pasture last week. They were with a half dozen cows so I decided to bring the whole lot of them home. I really don't want any bulls with my cows again this winter.

It was a bit tough getting them up out of the canyon and over the ridge, they had a good spot out of the wind and I was asking them to go to the highest windiest wettest place around. Doc had to really work hard driving back and forth at a trot across a really steep slope pushing them up, but it got both of our minds off the wet wind we were now inhaling. The cattle fought us every step of the way but we finally got them over the ridge and down the other side towards Elladeane. The wind eased a bit but the rain got to be a steady moderate fall. When we got to Elladeane there were about thirty head lying around trying to stay dry. I was able to ease the bulls past them and left all but three cows behind as well. Elladeane was pretty low and the water looked none to good. I will have to get those cattle moved out to the east soon and away from that tank before it becomes a cow sucking death trap. I have slight hopes that this rain will fill it back up; it's just a soaker not a gully washer.

As the afternoon got on, it got colder or so it seemed, we were moving slow having to push the cattle every step they took. I thought we would never get to the gates. Finally we did about 4pm and out of the mist came four horses to meet me, one of whom was Chile who fell in next to us and helped push the cattle along. I left the cattle and jogged ahead to open the gate, Chile kept the cattle coming and pushed them right through the gate with the other horses following along. What a cowboy he is. I let them all drift from there and Doc took up the sweetest, smoothest little jog all the way home. We got in just as Lyndsey was starting chores, both of us worn out and dang glad to be there. I rubbed that good horse down and even threw a light cooler on him while he ate and enjoyed an extra ration of grain.

Hi 40, lo 37

Wednesday, November 12, 2003
A steady rain fell all-night and continued all day. Lyndsey drove me to Silver to get some dental work done, not a really fun day. It was a good day to be in a warm truck though and not out in the rain.

Thursday, November 13, 2003
The rain continued all night finally letting up about mid morning. The temperature stayed about 38; if it had been a few degrees colder we sure would have had a whole lot of snow. The rain gauge reads almost three inches in the last three days. About 6am as I was pouring my first cup of coffee the dogs sounded of with their “Someone is here” bark and in rolled a pickup with two guys hunting for a buddy that had gotten lost while hunting the day before. I told them I would keep and eye out. As I fed the heifers in the drizzle and mud I thought to myself what a lousy night to be out in the woods. About that time Jack stands up in the back of the truck, hair all up and sets to barking mean. From the trees walks a fellow who looked like he'd been a month out. It was the lost hunter; he was cold, hungry and tired. I took him to the house and we got some coffee and food into him then gave him a ride back to his camp. It put off our plans for the rest of the day a bit, the plan was to head to Amarillo, TX. For the Working Ranch Cowboy world championship. We finally got on the road about 11am getting to Santa Rosa N.M. for the night.

We had left the ranch in two trucks, Maggie in hers and I was driving mine so we could drop it off at the Ford dealer in Socorro and get some work done on it. As we were going out the roads were slick and muddy. I was going a bit too fast at one point and the next thing I knew I was spinning fast with mud flying. I did one and a half circles ending up stopped facing Maggie who was laughing like crazy. It was really slick in that spot and I couldn't turn around so I had to back up about half a mile to get headed the right direction again. It was kind of fun actually; just glad I didn't have a trailer on. Then it was thick fog and freezing drizzle the rest of the day.

Monday, November 17, 2003
It was a great time in Amarillo; the ranch rodeo is more fun than about anything I've seen in a long time. Ranch teams compete in several events all having to do with ranch work type jobs. There is bronc riding, team penning, roping and branding, wild cow milking and wild horse races. We went to two of the four nights shows. I can't recommend this event enough to anyone who likes horses and cowboys. While there we hooked up with our good friends Antonio and Denise from Santa Fe, we haven't seen them in over a year. It was fine to catch up with their world. I had given Antonio a Mustang several years ago; he was a bit of a wild and distrusting horse. I told Antonio that some day he would thank me for it, I think he had his doubts at the time. He has spent a lot of time and energy and has made a heck of a horse out of him. He finally thanked me, which made me smile.

Tuesday, November 18, 2003
The wind howled all night, a cold wind that sucked the heat out of the house. I was up four times feeding the stove. Just about sunrise it let up but left behind the cold it had blown in. There was a solid inch of ice on the tubs and the thermometer read 12.

Lyndsey and I were in the saddle pretty early, horse hunting again. We headed out into 7HL through the T gates and on down the wagon road. About a mile out we ran into our big red bull Otis just hanging out by himself. We rode up to move him to the gate and he growled at us and shook his head, but he's not a bad guy and after I yelled at him he went along fine but slow back to the gates we had just come through. Shutting the gate behind him we set back out the way we had started. We put the horses into a trot and made some great time. I was on Doc and Lyndsey had Gambler today. Out past “Water at the Rock” over the obsidian field, past Elladeane, up onto Telegraph Mesa where we found our missing 12 head of horses. We bunched them up and headed them west. They traveled along pretty well, in less than 45 minutes we had covered the three miles to Snake gate and put them through. We jogged on home and were unsaddled by 3pm. I had a quick bite to eat then loaded up some liquid feed and hauled it out to the Nedra feeder. There are a lot of cattle around the Nedra/Elladeane area but after the rain there are some good pools of water in the creek bed so I am not feeling a rush to move the cattle east yet.

The day had warmed up pretty nice to about 45, the wind kicked up now and again but all in all it was a dang nice day. Right now the country is covered in bold colors of gold and browns. The green has long gone and the fall colors have faded but the dried grasses and brush are lovely just the same. As the winter goes on they will bleach from the sun and snow to be a dull tan everywhere by late winter.

Wednesday, November 19, 2003
Another cold morning, lots of ice, about 16 degrees. Lyndsey made a trip to Silver to get some welding gas for Margaret and pick up some medicine for me; my pulled tooth is infected and feels none too good. I was out early filling feeders with liquid feed, got three filled up and was home by 1pm. When I was way out in 7HL I saw three cows with little calves, we will need to get them in the south trap so we can feed the moms.

After lunch I spent the afternoon helping Maggie in her studio, she's trying to get Christmas orders out. She's been doing a lot of belt buckles lately and let me tell you they are spectacular.

Thursday, November 20, 2003
Lyndsey and I saddled up Ben and Doc and trailered out to 7HL cow camp. There we mounted up and went hunting the pairs I had seen yesterday. She went up over Telegraph mesa and I went down 7HL canyon. The two-track road that runs the canyon is one of the nicest stretches of riding we have around here so I put Doc into a jog and we covered the three miles to T Bar Valley in no time at all. Once again we were being smiled upon, I spotted the three pairs by themselves up on the mesa and radioed Lyndsey that I had found them. About the time I got them headed west she showed up and we had an easy push to Elladeane. The calves were really small so the going was slow but uneventful. We let them rest at the tank about 20 minutes then headed on picking up a few cows as we left, some just can't resist a parade. I moved the cattle while Lyndsey and Ben went scouting for bulls that had slipped in the pasture. She found Weedy again near Water At The Rock, she held him there till I came along. I had been leaving behind cattle we didn't need along the way and when we met up we had just what we needed and put them all through the T Gates. From there we jogged on home getting in about 4pm, put our horses away and then went and picked up the truck and trailer at camp.

The day was a dandy with a hi about 50 and only a light breeze.

Friday, November 21, 2003
Lyndsey and I saddled up our rides about 9am and headed out to gather the south trap. We wanted to get everything in so we could sort out a few head that don't need to be in there. Also we want to get them on the water lot that adjoins the trap where we have liquid feed. The only cattle that should be in the trap are cows with small calves and soon to calve cows, all these cows need to be on hay and liquid feed so they can raise a good calf in the winter. But we don't want to feed any more than we have to, no welfare cows around here.

It sure was a lot of riding to get a good gather done. Usually we have eight folks or so spread out to cover all the draws and timber. We rode our poor horses all over the place mostly at a trot. But we did get a good gather done, got about 50 head in by 2pm.

At the last gate I swung off to open it and tied Doc since it was so close to home I knew he wouldn't ground tie but walk off and leave me. He was dorking around with the gate latch when he stuck a piece of wire that was on the post in his head right below his ear. I saw him jerk back as I was closing the gate and checked him out but didn't see much. As we were riding in Lyndsey said he had blood running down his face. I stopped to look again but he wouldn't let me near it so I waited till we were unsaddled and took a closer look. It is a one inch cut with a deep puncture at one end. I debated sewing it but decided with the puncture to leave it open so it heals from the inside. He was a terrible patient, which tells me it must really hurt. Usually he's great about being worked on. A couple years ago he opened up his face in a big V shaped cut running from each eye to his nose, then he was perfect while I put in 20 some sutures.

We took a lunch break then Lyndsey headed out to get in T.J. and Cimarron who are going to spend the winter with our shoers Doug and Kathy down in warm Socorro.

I went out and worked on the spring line in the south trap, the cattle had broken the line by crowding the tank. About 5pm I headed home and got in just in time to help Lyndsey sort and pen the horses we needed. Forty some horses had come in with her, which was a good thing. We had put out nutrient licks for them yesterday and it was a good chance for them all to find out that they were there in the corrals. I then feed all the cattle hay and the horses guilted me into bringing them a couple bales too.

A pretty nice day, hi about 45, sunny with a light 10mph wind. It is supposed to get cold this weekend.

Saturday, November 23, 2003
Lyndsey and I loaded up T.J., Cimarron, and Shovel and headed to Socorro. Thee wind had started up last night and man it was really blowing, steady at 30 mph and gusting to 50. It was coming from the west so it made a great tailwind as we headed east to Socorro. I hardly touched the gas and only used a bit over a quarter tank of fuel.

We got to Doug and Kathy's about 1pm, dropped the horses off and headed to the Ford dealer to pick up my F350 which had been there a week getting worked on. We had a quick lunch and then headed back west, into the wind. It was slow going, the wind had increased and I couldn't get that big F550 over 55 mph. The front of the trailer acted as a parachute and even empty really dragged me down. We stopped at the Double H farm for a load of hay getting out of there about dark with a heavy load on the trailer and the pickup. Fortunately as it got darker the wind let up and made for an easier haul home. Even still I used a bit over a full tank on the return trip.

The wind had been blowing in cold air all day, we got home about 8pm and found things a whole lot chiller than when we left, about 20 degrees.

Sunday, November 23, 2003
It was cold last night! It was a crisp 8 degrees.

We were slow saddling up, not getting out till almost 10am. It was a short day of riding, just getting into the pens the cattle we had gathered from the south trap into the Water lot on Friday. It took all of 10 minuets. We then cut off two bulls, put them in a pen, then three cows, and penned them in another. They can't hang in the south trap with the other since they are not due to calve soon or already have a calf. We had to run one of the cows through the chute and check an abscess that she had under her jaw. It went pretty well just the two of us getting her caught in the squeeze chute. The abscess was old and hard so I couldn't get anything to drain. She's and old cow we call Aunt Creepy. A few years ago she spent some time here in the house lot with a sick calf. She was pretty wild then, she sure has settled down, she stood quietly as I messed with her an only tried to hook me with a horn once. One of the other cows we cut out was Gray Ghost, she had somehow managed to crawl back into the south trap and hook back up with her heifer calf that was in there. We had a new calf born there in the water lot last night, an'02 heifer we call Doe Eyes. We then pushed everything else back out into the south trap where hopefully they will all stay for the winter.

We took lunch break then unloaded hay till about 2pm. Lyndsey got what was left of a Sunday off and I hauled cattle. The bulls I took to Snow Lake and the cows I took to 7HL.

It was a sunny but cold day never getting above 30, but not much wind.

Monday, November 24, 2003
I spent the morning getting the last few odds and ends put away or set for winter around the guest camp. The grabbed Doc and we headed out thru the south trap looking things over and checking the spring. Everything was fine except as I came back along the fence I found the Doe Eyed cow and her new calf on opposites sides from each other. The calf must have slipped through a hole. They had been apart all night and it was a cold one so the calf was a bit drawn up. It was also really spooked by the horse and took off in a stumbling run the wrong way. Doc and I swung wide around it and tried to head it, we got it stopped but them it turned and ran away from the fence and mom. I rode about a half mile back to a gate and went out to get mom. Well the calf was a couple hundred yards from the fence and mom sure didn't want to leave it to take a mile walk around through the gate. I got off Doc and climbed through the fence and tried to get the calf to head back. It was even wilder seeing me on foot than seeing the horse. It took off again but this time I was able to get it headed along the fence in the direction of the gate. I went back through the fence and got Doc and we slow followed the cow along. Finally they met up at the gate and all was good.

I saw a black bull in the trap at a distance, but I had promised Maggie I'd help her in the studio for the afternoon so I put him off for another day. I got home about 2pm and had a quick bite to eat and headed up to do some polishing.

Hi 30, sunny morning with clouds in the evening. Lo was 11

Tuesday, November 25, 2003
It was a grey and cloudy dawn with clouds coming in from the west. The clouds were layered, thick and wet looking. As I did chores the first snowflake of the season drifted by. It is the latest I have ever seen in my time here. Usually we get flurries in October, sometimes even in September. Usually our first real snow, six inches or more is about Halloween. Often we have spent Thanksgiving with a lot of snow. It has been nice.

The day stayed grey and cold with a few flurries. I went over to Donnie and Jeanie's right after breakfast to pick up some feeders they have there and are not using. It was a pretty drive over there, watching the snow in the trees. I got six feeders on the trailer then headed back home. That took most of the morning so we had lunch then I headed out the door planning to go drop off the feeders where I want them for the winter. Maggie caught me and directed me back to my office for some long neglected paper work and filing, yahoo.

Hi 28 cloudy with flurries off and on all day. Lo 14

Wednesday, November 26, 2003
It's getting to be crunch time for Maggie's biz. She's headed to Dallas and then San Antonio for shows next week plus all the orders she had to get out for the holidays before she leaves so I spent the day working for her, other than chores and getting firewood in I never got outside.

Just as well, hi 30 mostly sunny, but no sun factor due to strong gusty winds.

Thursday, November 27, 2003
Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope everyone enjoyed a day with friends and family and ate way too much.

Our Thanksgiving was just about like yesterday, we spent ten hours working in the studio. Hammering, polishing, grinding, sanding, soldering, we really went at it and got a lot of pieces made and are on our way to getting all the orders out with out too much last minute stress.

The day was cool, hi about 30, mostly sunny, low was 6.