Clean Team Roping Run

Simple Blessing ~

Is this blog-worthy? Probably not, but I painted my front door and I am just so happy with it that I thought I would share it with you.

From a real estate perspective, if you are planning to sell your home, paint with neutral colors that are in the trend. However, if you aren't planning to sell then paint what you like! Its taken me a while to find my "style" and put the colors together - plus that all requires moolah! I love seeing pictures of my blogger friends creations and decorating projects. Gives me inspiration and starts the creative juices flowing.

I found this can of blue paint in the house when we bought it and just put it on the shelf for "later." For those of you who don't know me that well . . . I LOVE to garage sale. I found this little yellow wreath for 10 cents. Waalaa! Blue door, yellow wreath! Money spent . . . 10 cents! How good is that! Thank you, Lord, for little blessings!

And many blessings to you!

P.

The Broken Y Arena

Good morning in Kansas! We still aren't sure what is happening with our weather. Note the sweatshirt and jeans in the morning and I will shed those by noon and be in shorts and a t-shirt! Our high today is about 85 degrees and I am not complaining. I've had the windows thrown wide open and have been enjoying the breeze!

I'm headed out to fill the water tank and throw some pellets to the steers. I'm not looking to make a fashion statement and I'm definetely NOT America's next top model! We're so funny at my house . . . my men will go out in public in just about anything that they've cleaned the barn in, built fence in 100 degree temps or hauled hay all day in. I will look like this at home . . . but WILL NOT go out looking like this! So . . .count yourselves among the priveledged! :D



Here is the long view of the arena. It's about 150x250 and is completely portable. Should God ever call us to another location, a couple snips of wire and we can take everything with us. The funny thing about this picture is that we leave these barrels standing every night and every morning they look like this! Makes you wonder what those crazy steers do at night while everyone else is sleeping!





These are the boxes where the header and heeler put their horses to come out once the steer has been released out of the chute.














Before we even begin to rope the steers, they are herded into the holding pen which is at the end of the return alley.

We push 'em up into the loading alley which tapers down to about 2 ft. Once we get them single file into this tapered alley, they turn the corner . .

and move into this alley way, single file, while they beller and carry on, knowing they are getting ready to load into the chute. Klay is demonstrating how they could possibly stand while waiting!

The K's are fascinated with the chute and all the bells and whistles that come with it. They are demonstrating how the loading gate pulls out so the steers can step into the chute (with a little assistance).











A better angle of the action that takes place!














Now this doo-dad looks like a garage door opener, and yes, its a garage door opener! The header or heeler has the remote clipped on a belt loop and pushes the button when they are ready. The chute gate flies open, the steer flies out, the horses charge and hopefully the header will catch the steer by the horns or neck, turn him to the left and the heeler will come in behind and try to catch two feet for a successful run. If the heeler drops a leg there is a 5 second penalty.






This is the view from the boxes. The steer is going to run directly to the strip chute at the end of the arena. Hopefully, the steer will go nice and straight to it and not try any fancy tricks like running straight to the fence on the right or make any screwing turns to the left.








Once the boogers are caught for a time, they are allowed to run to this strippen' chute where the ropes can be removed without getting kicked or hooked.

The steer is then let through into the return alley to be herded back up to the holding pen. Only to start the craziness again!








Here is a different view of the strip chute. I had two visitors this morning who just sat there and let me look at them. Once the steers came in for food though, they were gone!










Here are the boys . . . one girl . . . I think . . . I haven't actually gotten a good look at all of them but . . .we call them the boys.

We don't have a feeder set up yet, so they are getting their pellets off the ground. Hey . . . this isn't Texas Road House . . . however, I am known to throw in a line dance or two while feeding.

These steers are the Coriente breed. Steers that are bread in Mexico and are super sturdy. We'll be doctorin' them tonight. They need dewormer, some B-12, and their horns need to be cut back.

This is not a job for the faint at heart because there is a blood vessel that runs the length of the horn so when you cut a couple inches off, its like a water pistol. We have some powder we put right on the horn to stop the bleeding and they're good as new!

When we rope, we have horn wraps that go on their horns and buckle under their chins. This protects their ears from any burns by the nylon ropes.

These steers bring us alot of pleasure but we take their care very seriously. As well as the care of our horses. We do not abuse the animals that God has created but make sure they are fed and doctored properly.

The boys are a little scrawny but with a week or two with us, they will be at a good weight for roping and we'll maintain that weight while we have them.










When we aren't roping the live steers, the practice dummies are where the time is spent.

This is "Charlie" - He's been with Rick for quite a while now. This is what he practices heading on.










Here is "Linus" - he was one of my dad's saw horses. I gave him to Rick when we first started dating so Rick has been practicing his heel loop on Linus for about 20 years. He falls apart every once in a while but we just put another nail where needed and he keeps standing tall, a faithful friend, spending hours with Rick.






And finally . . . Introducing "Hottie"

He is a HotHeels that is pulled behind a 4-wheeler. I've gotten pretty good at simulating a run so that Rick can come in behind and rope the feed that are swinging back and forth like a real steer would when being pulled by a horse.

He's given us hours of practice and this is what Bo has learned to rope on. He is now graduated to live cattle!

So . . .this is what our arena looks like, where we hope to have cowboys and cowgirls over to rope and run barrels and where, in the midst of dirt and dust, Christ is glorified!

Come on over, we'd love to have ya!

PS - I've included a link of a successful team roping run off to the side.

Big Cow / Little Cow

Karma - The Big Cow/Little Cow post is coming today! I'll have lots of pictures for your viewing pleasure!

Wednesday's Simple Pleasures ~

1. Licorice

2. Cool mornings

3. Snuggle time w/the K's.

4. Bird songs in the morning

5. Blogs

WHAT IS GOING ON IN KANSAS?!

I'm sitting here in a sweat shirt in August! What is going on in Kansas? In my neck of the woods, temps are only going to be around 85 all week! Instead of global warming, its global cooling! I'm loving the weather and we've been outside alot!

An update on my last weeks - My Uncle Ray (mom's brother) passed away and so I traveled with my sister and her family to the service in Gainesville, Miss ouri. We had a good time visiting with Ray's family and I'm extremely comforted to know that Uncle Ray had a relationship with the Lord in his last years. We stopped to get gas and found this Harley guy and his Harley dog, "Gracie". Thought it was too cute!

My family was headed to Coffeyville, KS to the Inter-State Fair and Rodeo and I connected with them on Tuesday evening. We did the whole fair scene - looked at all the animals, looked at all the quilts, crafts, photo exhibits, venders and rode all the rides. We then met our friends, Tom and Tolli Haymaker for an evening at the rodeo. Rick and the kids spent time with Tom while I was gone. Rick and Tom grew up together and we try to keep in touch.

We got home very late Wednesday night, took Thursday off to regroup and then waited anxiously for the arena to be delivered on Friday. Our good friend, Chris Groth was here and waiting patiently with his Bobcat ready to unload and move the panels. He spaced everything out so that we had to do little work moving the 60 pound panels around! We got up early Saturday morning and started working . . . all four of us worked all day and the K's played and played. Then we decided we were going to finish up on Sunday and it looks great! The roping cattle will be here this week and we'll be turning steers and barrels by Friday!

It was alot of work for man, woman, and two kids but the neat thing is that the arena is portable. IF God should call us somewhere else, we'll just snip some wire and the whole thing can go with us! I'M HAVING CAMERA ISSUES! I TOOK A WHOLE BUNCH OF PICTURES AND THEY AREN'T THERE!

Oh well . . . we'll get the cattle here and I'll get video then!

Blessings sweet friends - May you have an incredible last part of the week!

~P.

Gunpowder & Lead

I've added a play list to my blog and as you can see - I have a wide variety of music. Now, I am a country girl and I do like a good rockin' rockabilly song every once in a while. My feature of Gunpowder & Lead by Miranda Lambert is two fold; first, I've been in a difficult relationship like the song describes and this is kinda the battered woman's rebel cry; second, in the very first stanza of the song, she proclaims that they are both going to hell. Why would that be so significant?

The singer knows she's headed for hell because of her actions. She doesn't have a repentant heart, she fully intends to execute her plan. She's seeking justice and revenge. Now, your normal everyday person pretty much thinks heaven is their destiny - they are good people, never murdered anyone, do right by their neighbor, and give to the church. Surely, God would not turn them away - look at their good works.

Have you ever really thought about hell and the torment. I've been known to take my little foot and shove it deep into my mouth every once in a while. When I do this sort of thing, for the next several days and possibly weeks I think, "Why did I say that or Why did I do that? What must they think of me? How can I fix it? I am so stupid! Why, Why Why?" Torment. Even if I've repented, apologized, begged for mercy, satan still uses it to torment me.

Revelations 20:10 states that satan and all the false prophets will be thrown into the lake of burning sulfur where the beast will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Whew! This torment is nothing like our earthly torment. Luke 16, clearly talks about the torment in hell and what it will be like for those who are there. The significance in this passage is that the rich man did not expect to be there and he begged to tell his family to change so they would not be there either.

This is not my "hell fire and brimstone" soapbox message because most of you who read my blog are already fellow followers of Jesus Christ and you've chosen the path that leads to righteousness. However, I have a ton of friends who are like those who simply think their destiny is heaven. But we know that in John 14:6 Jesus says that He is the way, the truth, and the life - No man comes to the Father except through Him.

Jesus is the only reason we will not be tormented in hell - He is the only reason our torment on earth is defeated. John 3:16 - the best known verse states that God loves us so much that He sacrificed His only son, Jesus, that whoever chooses to believe in Him will have eternal life. Eternal live is for everyone but you have to choose it to receive it.

Now back to the song - The singer chose hell. My challenge to each one of you is to make it known that there is a choice that has to be made - a choice to choose Jesus, a choice to repent of sinful lives and actions and a choice to move forward in faith.

We at the Broken Y are moving forward in faith, getting our arena up, and preparing a place for people to come, in an environment that is comfortable to them where the knowledge of a choice will be made known. If it is in God's perfect plan, people will come to know Jesus in a very real way and their destiny will become clear. Please pray for our ministry.

Blessings Friends,

~P.