What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
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When it comes to fruit trees, patience is perhaps the largest hurdle. After five years of gentle coaxing, three small apple trees have declared that this will be their breakout year. A couple dozen apples last year were reason enough to raise the hope of forward progress, but we were pleasantly surprised that this year’s crop is well over two hundred. The apples might not be perfect, but they represent a victory of patience nonetheless. My history with apples is long. I loved the smell of a...
During your working years, you know where your income is coming from because you’re working. But once you retire, you’ll have to identify your income sources, know how much you can expect from them and know how to manage them to help support a retirement that could last two or three decades. So, where will your retirement income come from? And what decisions will you need to make about these income sources? Consider the following: • Retirement accounts – If you’ve regularly contributed to an IRA and a 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retire...
In a close election, everything matters. Just ask Hillary Clinton about taking Wisconsin and Michigan for granted in 2016. This election looks like another close one because some voters will enthusiastically vote for Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, but many others will again be voting against the candidate they dislike most. Based on recent polling, Trump has a base support of about 42 percent. He can likely count on those voters no matter what. Biden’s lowest numbers were similar, so Harris probably starts in the same or slightly better p...
Coffee is best "done" with others, conversation and fellowship combining with the ritual of sharing to create moments in which our lives intersect with others in mostly positive ways. According to coffee research.org, 54 percent of the United States population drink coffee regularly (over 3 cups per day) while another 25 percent drink it occasionally. Overall, daily per capita consumption of coffee in the U.S. is 1.9 cups for men and 1.4 cups for women. I pretty much like my coffee simple;...
As we transition from summer to autumn, change is all around us — leaves are taking on new colors, temperatures are dropping and the days are getting shorter. But you can also experience different seasons in various aspects of your life — including when you invest. What are the seasons of an investor’s life? And how should you respond to them? The first such season may happen when you are in your 20s and just starting out in the working world. At this stage in your life, it’s especially important to prioritize your financial goals. At the top...
Plant scientists have been employing science to improve crops for centuries. David Harris from the University of London believes that gatherers began selectively breeding wheat about 12,500 B.C. Cutting edible grasses with rock-edged sickles they took the grain-bearing grasses home. Only the strongest kernels of wheat or barley were left on the stalk because they may have been hard to cut. Those plants had stronger stalks and those plant seeds fell to the soil nearest the Neolithic campsites, and after sprouting and growing, they produced...
Every year cattle producers will go through and cull part of the cow herd. Cows are culled for a variety of reasons and marketed. The sale of these animals can equate to 20 percent of the annual income for the operation. To get the most value out of these market cows, producers need to keep a few things in mind before heading to the sale. Cull cows purposely. Making a culling plan can help producers determine which cows need to be marketed. The top reasons for culling and marketing cows are being open at the end of the breeding season,...
16 plan can help ease college “sticker shock” The school year will soon be here. And if you have young children, you’re one year closer to the day when they may be headed off to college. When that day arrives, will you be financially prepared? College isn’t cheap. For the 2023–24 academic year, the average cost — including tuition, fees, housing, food, books, transportation and other expenses — was nearly $29,000 for in-state students at four-year public colleges and universities and about $60,000 for private schools, according to the Colleg...
Computer and phone apps have brought folded paper roadmaps to the edge of extinction. Instead of fussing with printed maps while driving with one’s knees, global positioning satellites provide directions with amazing clarity and accuracy. Running late and getting lost are no longer valid excuses to avoid unpleasant encounters with our least favorite family members. Detours and road construction are no match for GPS units that provide cautions and traffic concerns in real time. The phrase “I wou...
Every now and then it is helpful in one’s life to embrace gee-whiz moments that keep us knowledgeable, informed and humble to say the least. Out of such consideration flows inspiration and, hopefully, degrees of wisdom. To ponder something larger than ourselves gives nod to our divine author and creator. “How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all … (Psalm 104:24 NIV).” Nothing exemplifies that more than a good river rock or two. Their chief characteristic is that they have be...
Wheat stem sawfly is a native insect that feeds on grasses in Colorado. The insect was first identified by entomologists in Colorado around the late 1800s and primarily fed on range grasses. However, wheat stem sawfly emerged as a Colorado wheat pest in 2010 and damage from this insect has been expanding and increasing since. Today, this pest is estimated to cause $30 million in damage, according to Brad Erker, Executive Director of the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation. Sawfly damage to wheat is now found as far south as I-70 and continues...
During your working years, you know where your income is coming from because you’re working. But once you retire, you’ll have to identify your income sources, know how much you can expect from them and know how to manage them to help support a retirement that could last two or three decades. So, where will your retirement income come from? And what decisions will you need to make about these income sources? Consider the following: • Retirement accounts – If you’ve regularly contributed to an IRA and a 401(k) or similar employer-...
It might be too late for me. In the category of “distractions my mother warned me about,” I failed to pay heed to the wiles and siren call of one of my greatest temptations in life. If you seek perfect form and unblemished fruit, fragrance and complementary colors that alert the senses, including a tease to the palate, then I can do no better than to recommend late summer peaches. As consumers of these golden wonders, I cannot recall a year that we were unable to polish off at least two lug...
On this Colorado Day, I remember the 1970s when our local radio station would open its morning show by playing The Colorado Song: “If I had a wagon, I would go to Colorado,” praising a state known for “Rocky Mountain peaks, climbing up to the sky” and inhabited by “folks who are rugged and bold!” One verse describes what was quintessential Colorado: “A uniting spiring they will find at the great Continental Divide.” It’s a fun song and I’ve taught it to my kids. But I get a little choked up because it describes a Colorado no longer exists. T...
It is an honor to have been a part of such fine publications throughout these many years. It’s time to give you a little information about the guy who has been writing this. Raised on a ranch in the foothills east of the Colorado Rocky Mountains, my wife, Sue (Carnahan) born and raised in Riverton, Kan., and I, along with son David and his wife Kathy, run a cow/calf operation near Brush. Growing up, my parents helped run a livestock auction in Fort Collins, where I was bitten by the “auction bug.” Following a stint as a Vocational Agriculture i...
Many years ago I wrote a column titled “True Love.” It was reasonably funny so it became the first story in our book “Just Barely Under The Wire” and also appeared on our website. Years later, re-titled “Putting The Squeeze On Love” the story was featured in a regional magazine. The column somehow hit the internet via email years ago. People seemed to like it. We have decided to run the story, one last time. If you haven’t already read it, please enjoy “Putting The Squeeze On Love.” I recently s...
It is hard to believe that just a few short decades ago (depending on one’s age) weather spotting was a questionable art filled with myths and wives’ tales. I suspect that many of those tales were conveniently placed at the feet of women by men, but that is for future discussions. The only definitive way of forecasting weather was to view it directly, not much help when a storm was already bearing down on you. Contrast that with todays advanced weather technology that not only apprises us of...
Salvia plants from the Plant Select Program are a great addition to the summer garden. There are several different ones to add to your garden. Salvia greggii 'Furman's Red', Salvia 'Ultra Violet' PP21,411, Salvia pachyphylla, Salvia darcyi x S. microphylla 'PWIN03S' and Salvia reptans 'P016S'. Salvia greggii ‘Furman’s Red’ grows in zones 5b-10 and has moderate to xeric water needs. It does well in clay, loam, or sandy soil and grows best in sun to part shade. In the spring prune dead stems from last season. This plant blooms from June throu...
One of the first lessons learned by novice backpackers and hikers is to avoid putting oneself in danger. Trailhead signposts of recent past in the Mt. Zirkel Wilderness area underscored the concern by declaring “Mountains Don’t Care.” The warning truthfully lays it out for those who believe themselves above such concerns. Even the most experienced outdoors persons can get caught unaware when changes surrounding them turn ugly. It’s not only about wildlife, but also weather and more than a little...
I’m a people person. I pride myself on my knowledge and understanding of humans. This includes being sensitive to their needs, understanding their reactions and anticipating their concerns. How, you might ask, did I get so smart? Is my degree in psychology from Harvard, Stanford or Yale? Just where did I learn so much about the mental condition of the human being? It all came from animals. That’s right, animals. I learned about humans from spending my time with horses, cows and dogs. I did get a...
Asking a man how many cattle he has is like asking someone what their net worth is or how much money they have in the bank. You just don't do it. If you should accidentally commit this blunder you put the cowman in the uncomfortable position of having to either ignore you or lie. It just isn’t polite. Still, we all judge a cattleman's success by how many head he owns. We are curious about things like this. What should also be considered is to subtract out how much he owes before judging the man'...
Our annual denominational gathering is once again behind us. We cannot say that every moment at conference was noteworthy, but there is a case to be made that we conducted our business, our worship, and our fellowship with an earnestness belying our size. As conferences go, we are small fish in a big pond (with nearly 2000 participants), yet the venues we are invited to return to recognize what we have long known as part of a community of caring: the Brethren are a gentle folk in a raging...
When drawing up your estate plans, you might find it useful to create a revocable or irrevocable trust, either of which can help your estate avoid probate court and give you significant control over how and when your assets are distributed. But who should oversee your trust? As the person who established the trust — known as the “grantor” or “settlor” — you can also name yourself as trustee. However, this may not be the best move, particularly if the trust is irrevocable. An irrevocable trust protects the assets in the trust from creditors and...
Letter to the Editor, It is with great pleasure that I am sending distributions from the Trust of Muriel Brown. It was her wish that proceeds from her trust be distributed by myself on her behalf, based on the performance of her investments. This year, each of the six organizations she cared about will receive a check for $8,231: Haxtun Health, Haxtun School District, Haxtun Methodist Church, Haxtun Swimming Pool, Haxtun Community Food Basket and the West Phillips County Cemetery District. Muriel would have loved that these checks are being...
In a recent column I explained why I never became an Olympic athlete. In summary, no talent. Besides, all I ever wanted to be was a cowboy. The previous explanation also applies somewhat to my cowboy efforts. It was tough enough for me the way it was, I hate to think how hard it would have been if “cowboy” had been made a regular Olympic event. An entire country or two of competitors able to rope better than me was bad enough. I shudder to think how it would have been to open the field to the...
