Over the years, we’ve had a number of Christmas visitors here at our ranch on Withington Creek in the mountains near Salmon, Idaho, and the most memorable were baby calves.

Still have questions regarding implementation of the Veterinary Feed Directive (VFD) as it takes effect on Jan. 1, 2017? Be sure to check out those topics and points raised in the “VFD Bulletin – Understanding the Veterinary Feed Directive,” authored by Dr. Dee Griffin, director of the Texas Veterinary Medical Center partnership at Texas A&M University.

We are heading into another busy season in the cattle business: feeding, calving and much more. This is a time to put the finishing touches on readying the facilities and equipment for the demands of the winter months ahead.

Amount of money invested in equipment and tools by a beef cattle producer is usually significant; however, it is common to dedicate very little time for keeping these items in good working condition.

It is no secret that handling cattle can be stressful for both bovine and humans alike. When considering ways to incorporate key infrastructure systems aimed at reducing stress during handling, flooring is almost always on the list of things to think about for producers.

Christmas sparkle is in the air. Lights shimmer in the snow, and the stores are filled with the trappings of gifts and enticements to buy, buy, buy. Our pocketbooks grow lean and our credit card balances expand as we try to out-gift our friends, family members and co-workers.

My nephew and I were in the grocery store the other day when he spied a department store Santa Claus who had just finished his shift. It must have been a hard one, too – because the Santa was buying a bottle of booze.

Marci WhitehurstCowboy lingo: Understanding a cowboy’s grunts and gestures

1. Lying flat on my back in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency in Phoenix at 2 a.m. I passed the carafe of chablis to my reclining colleague, who looked at me and said, “Pardner, I don’t think you’re executive material.”

Thanks to technology, we can talk to each other any time and pretty much anywhere, but what good does that do? Have you ever stopped to think about the difference between communicating with someone and just speaking at them? I didn’t – or at least I didn’t realize how big that difference is until recently.