After a stretch of a few stressful weeks, my hubby commented that he needed to go tinker in the shop. I understood his need to decompress, but it’s quite a curiosity to me how “tinkering” helps a person unwind.

My family and I had an opportunity recently to get away from the ranch for a few days. We visited family out of state and, while traveling, we mentioned to someone at a hotel that we raise cattle.

A new acquaintance recently commented that she was looking forward to the weekend. She punches a time clock during the week and looks forward to the weekends for “down time.” During the week, she wears one hat to complete her job. She’s good at what she does, and it is rewarding to her.

The Fourth of July traditionally means fireworks, barbecues and rodeos – and maybe crazy Uncle Joe saying, “Hey, watch this …” or “Don’t you think we could barbecue Oreos?” Someone will likely be caught saying, “Remember the year that …” and it usually ends with hysterics.

Show up to any cattle sale, and you are sure to see a variety of cowboys. Folks who don’t know agriculture assume all cowboys are the same, but saying one cowboy is the same as all the others is like saying a horse is the same as a pony. (Gasp!)

My cowboy and I talk about the nuts and bolts of life on a regular basis. Well, maybe more like an irregular basis … I mean, planning is a part of any ranch: seasonal, yearly and multiyear plans are necessary. “Which heifers and how many should we retain?”

My husband coughed 5,218 times last night. His lung is in the bathroom. He is sweating through his PJs, but he’s putting on his coveralls.

We have teens in the house, so we are often hearing about common trends or funny memes. Super Puncher, anyone?

Researchers now say the attention span of the average American is eight seconds. When you are riding a bronc, eight seconds feels like a long time. An eight-second conversation, on the other hand, doesn’t last very long.

We’ve heard it repeatedly: The average age of the rancher is 68. Certainly, there is a necessary focus on encouraging younger generations in agriculture. However, did you ever stop to think about what else this statement means?