Ranching isn't for the faint of heart. You need to be all-in, or don't even try it. To all the farmers and ranchers out there -- you have my sincere respect. Some truth: I have never wanted to be a rancher. But, I wanted to give it my best shot, and see if I could …
Good Times on the Illinois River
“Bring a towel, a pillow, and a blanket” were my only instructions as I plugged a new address into my iPhone maps. Packing light, I headed north to the Illinois River for a 4th of July celebration with my friend Shannen and her family. I've always heard about a beautiful stretch of the Illinois that …
An Unexpected Encounter
Dusk lingered, though the sun had slipped below the horizon some time ago. The din of crickets and cicadas, and the shuuushk of Junebugs hitting the lanterns outside provided a familiar sound: a symphony of summer on the ranch. It was the kind of night that begs you to be outside and makes you feel …
The Curiosity Driven Life
My cousin Ellie recently recommended a podcast from Oprah's channel, Super Soul Conversations. The conversation was between Oprah and Elizabeth Gilbert, the best-selling author of Eat, Pray, Love. Their discussion was on the subject of passion. Like Ellie, I loved the message of the podcast. I want to share my takeaways with you. 🙂 In American …
Back in the Saddle
Hello, friends! I'm glad to be "back in the saddle," with the keyboard at my fingertips once more. Several have asked me why I stopped writing. The simple answer is that there was no shortage of writable subject matter -- actually, I had the opposite problem. On the ranch, we struggled through winter. The temperatures …
2018 – Reflections
This time last year, life was HARD. And it would only get harder as the hours, days, weeks and months continued to pass. 2018 flipped my world upside down. I redefined my concepts of strength, love, God, hope, joy, faith, and grief several times. In 2018, I probably said the f-word too much. I think …
Draft Day
Far more exciting than NFL Draft Day, Draft Day at Blasdel Ranch is the day that determines, to a large degree, the future of the herd. (I was hoping to insert a witty sports joke here, but who am I kidding - I've got nothin') I have fond memories of riding in my dad's pickup …
Weaning
If you think a toddler wails loudly when separated from its mom, imagine the absolute cacophony of 200 calves bawling at the same time…then add the distressed cries of another 200 mama cows, looking for their babies. “Say goodbye to Mama,” I chuckle with my ranch hands. Because, well, there ain’t no sissies in ranchin’! …
Calving Season
In the ranching industry, weather plays God and the seasons dictate our daily jobs. Fall on the ranch is beautiful. Dense clouds give way to dazzling patches of sunlight. Mornings are cool, and the breath of the cattle creates an almost eerie fog that settles on dewey pastures. The hustle of hay season has given …
A Collection of Wildflowers
Most mornings, just as dawn breaks, my Aunt Marita and I take our dogs for a long walk. We start at my house, make our way through pastures, and eventually walk down a seldom-travelled dirt road. The dirt road is tree-lined and borders a creek. Sometimes we chat during our walks, but we're often quiet, …
Herd it Here 