One of our daughters showed her love of animals from an early age. She’d carry any animal that allowed it. She also loved reading. As a toddler, she slept with books and stuffed animals. She wanted a book of veterinary science at age 8.

Years ago, we participated in a program that brought kids from all the schools in the area to a farm and taught them about agriculture. We don’t live there anymore to continue to participate, but we enjoyed sharing what we do with hundreds of kids.

Last spring we had an unusual amount of rain, for Montana anyway. I personally loved it. It was so good for our fields, and it really took some pressure off of irrigating.

Leaving a legacy. I’ve been pondering this statement lately. I’m in my 40s, and my children are beginning to leave the nest. When our oldest left for college last fall, my husband and I started reminiscing about our lives at that age.

When I was a kid, there were certain places I loved going. Usually, I loved any place with water: rivers, ponds, water slides, lakes. My grandparents had purchased a little cabin by a lake in western Montana, long before I was born, when the price was cheaper than a vehicle.

Often, commodities are understood through tangibles: money, resources, supplies, land, etc. These are all good things, but there are non-tangible commodities too: talent, education, ideas and innovations.

A New Year means new goals, right? Usually.
Maybe.
Not this year.

It’s the beginning of December
And cowboys around the globe,
Are counting down to Christmas,
The calves have been sold!

I bet most of us have seen the “30 Days of Thankfulness” that rolls around this time of year. It frequents social media and encourages people to share one thing each day in November for which they are thankful.