Since I was gone.

I know it's been some time since I last posted anything, but as we all know sometimes life just gets too damn busy. So here is a quick little update of things that have been going on.

Things on the management ground have gone fairly smooth, we did a controlled burn in mid-August on some of the fields that we sprayed in July to kill out the fescue. The burn went fairly well until the midday winds started to pick up, and for a short moment thought it might burn my truck! I was a little nervous, but I've been scared before. I was more nervous about the fire getting into the timber. It was already in the low 90's ambient and it felt about 1500 degrees standing between the timber and the field trying to keep it contained. At the end of the day the cool river water never felt so good. The fields have since been planted and it will be interesting to see how things come up this fall. The fields that we planted in the spring look awesome. I don't think I have ever been so excited to see these fields, that had been fallow for years, become little wildlife Mecca's. I still can't stop myself from standing in the edge of the fields in the morning with a cup of coffee and just enjoying the fruits of our labor as it all comes together.

On a side note I am starting to get more than a little anxious about the loggers getting into the areas that they were in this spring and getting the roads, log decks, and ephemeral pools squared away. I understand that it's been a wet year, but things have been dry enough as of late to get in and get some work done. I am at about three weeks from blowing a gasket if this shit doesn't get done before the leaves start to fall. Also their are still stands to check, logging roads to seed and approximately five more fall food plots to plant,...as well as firewood to put up.

Switching gears now. In early August I competed in my very first ballroom dance competition at the Embassy Suites hotel up by the airport. Wow! Talk about being out of my element. Four days without a ball cap, toothpick, or hot beer," that's rolled around in the back of the pickup for at least two weeks, " no country music, cigars, or sports radio, I mean what the hell was I thinking. Am I trying to kill myself or what?!

With all do respect I must say that I had a great time at the event. I had the opportunity to meet some very nice people from all around the country. I really figured that being around so many pretty people, that they would all be kind of snobbish. They were not at all. In fact just the opposite. Cool!

So my dance instructor when this event is first brought to my attention asks me if I am interested in competing. My first thought is, is he freaking crazy! Has he not been watching me. Is he trying to kill his business or what. In the end I decide to just do it....just like the Nike commercial. I am not new to competition, I have competed in all kinds of sport, from football to tennis, team roping to chess, power volleyball to debate, golf to archery. This was probably the most nerve racking. The largest event I had competed in had a little over 2000 entries. This one had 7000. WTF. did I just sign up for? To make a long story short I was entered into eleven heats in my division, doing seven different dances " I still can't believe that my instructor entered me that many times." I placed in six out of the eleven events. Wahoo!

I am still doing volunteer work for the Missouri Dept. of Conservation, and am having fun being around like minded people who have a common bond in the sharing and educating of those in and around the community about the natural treasures that we take for granted in this day and age. I helped with the Missouri Blue bird convention this last weekend, and I am scheduled to help with the prairies awareness event this weekend in south Kansas City. The end of the month has me heading to the state capitol for the MDC. state wide volunteers get together. Also I will be doing my first controlled burn workshop next week so that I may be qualified to help with controlled burns on MDC areas. After the experience from my own personal controlled burn, it sounds like a sound investment.

I am still wanting to get to Steelville to rope some steers before the first frost. I still miss the smell of the roping arena, the sound of the gates and the sound of the hoofs thundering down the arena in a race against time. The smell of horse and cow, and sawdust and hay,... man what a day!

Their is still many more things that have been going on that I haven't mentioned but maybe this hits the high points. On a side note I would like to extend best wishes to, gia at best, which represents half of my IT. support, lol!... for their new found career opportunity. Break a leg!!