Ag Proud

On the Edge of Common Sense: ‘I Know You’ll Miss this Man’

Mon, 26 Sep 2022 16:02:12 -0400

The Lord spoke to the heavy hearts
that stood with hats in hand.
“Your sadness pains me deeply
and I know you’ll miss this man.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Littered with progress

Mon, 24 May 2021 13:00:01 -0400

The other day on the internet, I saw an old commercial of a semi truck that had these words painted on the side: Jonny Kat, Kitty Litter. For some reason, that had a profound affect on me.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Carniphobia

Fri, 21 May 2021 19:03:47 -0400

“Doctor, I’m here because I’m a … I’m a …”

On the Edge of Common Sense: Here, by the owl

Fri, 07 May 2021 19:02:02 -0400

A while back, I was asked who has had the greatest influence on my life. I hadn’t ever given it much thought, like most folks, I guess. After considerin’ for a while, I came up with six people that I could say actually affected the direction of my thinkin’.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Pull my finger

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 13:00:01 -0400

ATTN: This is addressed to teenagers, tuba players and grown-ups in the news media who have gotten great giggles out of the story that cow flatulence is a danger to mankind.

On the Edge of Common Sense: The lone pine

Wed, 31 Mar 2021 13:00:01 -0400

“So, how’d yer dad git that big dent on the door?” I asked Dave. Truth is, it was quite an accomplishment for one single dent to stand out from all the other wear and tear, deterioration and assorted damage that covered his 1983 Ford Ranger diesel pickup truck like elephant tracks on a Styrofoam cooler.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Progress

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 14:00:01 -0500

Imagine you were a livestock man in medieval England a thousand years ago. It’s early spring. Snow on the ground, mud in the cow lot. You walk the small pasture where the heavy heifers are kept. It’s hard to see much with just the moonlight. But you spot one that’s down in a swale. She’s on her side in the process of calving. One foot is showing.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Avocado rustlers

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 14:00:01 -0500

Catching avocado rustlers is sort of a cross among the Covid virus, wildfires, exchange students bearing addictive goodies and coon hunting.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Nature films

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 14:00:01 -0500

“Here we are friends, on the Serengeti Plains in the wilds of Serengeti.” As the crowd leans in closer to the television, we see the swaying boab trees, an endless sea of grass waving off into the horizon.

On the Edge of Common Sense: A cowful

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 14:00:01 -0500

Grandpa Tommy’s dad used to say, “A cowful is a substantial quantity.” According to my research, the rumen of a mature cow can hold up to 300 pounds. And, by anybody’s standards, that is quite a bit.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Tolerance

Thu, 31 Dec 2020 14:00:01 -0500

When our opinions get as immovable as a granite outhouse, God has a way of shaking the foundation.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Carol’s story

Wed, 11 Mar 2020 13:00:01 -0400

Carol’s story is just another glamorous tale of a city girl who married a romantic Nebraska Sandhills rancher years ago and became a “vocational cow assistant” for life.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Cow disturber

Fri, 17 Jan 2020 14:00:01 -0500

McGraw posed an interesting question. If a cowboy herds a herd of cattle, we call him a herder. If a sheep man herds a flock of sheep, he’s still a herder. Why isn’t he called a flocker?

On The Edge of Common Sense: The cost of recycling

Tue, 31 Dec 2019 14:00:01 -0500

We try to be faithful recyclers around the house. I make regular runs to town with the pickup full of newspapers, bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard boxes and tin.

On The Edge of Common Sense: The anti-smoking device

Wed, 27 Nov 2019 14:00:01 -0500

Many years ago, Dr. Erfan called to tell me his story. He’d spent 17 years inventing and testing a device to help people quit smoking. It involved a small battery-operated unit that clips in your ear like a hearing aid.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Take care of yer friends

Mon, 30 Sep 2019 13:00:01 -0400

Friend is a word that I don’t throw around
Though it’s used and abused, I still like the sound.
I save it for people who’ve done right by me
And I know I can count on if ever need be.

On the Edge of Common Sense: The cost of recycling

Fri, 19 Jul 2019 13:00:01 -0400

We try to be faithful recyclers around the house. I make regular runs to town with the pickup full of newspapers, bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard boxes and tin.

On the Edge of Common Sense: Backwoods wisdom

Fri, 24 May 2019 13:00:01 -0400

“Age-in’ a cow is ’bout the thing I hate most. Seems like they can tell the instant you cross the line into the strike zone.”

On the Edge of Common Sense: The rookie DVM

Mon, 11 Mar 2019 13:00:01 -0400

How many of you have ever had a new veterinarian out to your place? You think you’re scared?

On the Edge of Common Sense: Peasants hunting pheasants

Fri, 18 Jan 2019 14:00:01 -0500

Each fall, the governor of the great state of South Dakota hosts his Invitational Pheasant Hunt. This is meant to be a way to show off South Dakota’s state bird, their pride and joy, the wily pheasant.