Round em up! Calf Sale Day Down on the Ranch #animals #farming

Here we are at that most welcome and dreaded time of the year: calf sale day. Welcome because the little buggers are eating us out of house and home, and dreaded because they're our friends. But, we're in the beef cattle business, and there's no income unless we sell our young, so today's the day.

Cows and ranching play a role in the Cass Elliot Crime Novels (sometimes an important one - in a future book, a cow patty helps catch a bad guy). Seems a natural thing, because both are such a big part of life in East Texas. Whether the old man has Hitch repairing fence, sorting heifers for the sale barn, or directing a work crew to brand and castrate calves, readers get an accurate peek at farm life.

Ranching is an expensive endeavor, particularly when it comes to equipment. We're a low capital venture - instead of buying heavy equipment like tractors and trailers, we manage day-to-day chores with a beat up old Kawasaki Mule and a hay dolly. (More on the hay dolly in another post.) We outsource cattle transport to the cowboys from Milford Livestock, owned and operated by Doug Milford.

Have you ever seen cowboys working a herd of cows? There's something magical about it. We raise our calves to be gentle, and we love the Milfords because they're so easy with our calves. But almost every year, we'll end up with one calf (usually a bull) who won't cooperate.

With anyone.

About anything.

(Except food. They always cooperate when it comes to food.)

We help our calves get comfortable with the loading pen by putting their feed trough inside it and leaving one end open. They come and go as they please, and follow the feed bucket into this 20' by 16' space. They'll even spend part of the day in the pen, laying around while chewing their cud (they do love that feed trough).

Most years, loading is pretty easy. The Milfords back up to the pen and we help them crowd the calves closer and closer to the open trailer gate until one calf jumps in. They're like lemmings at this point. Once one is inside, the rest follow.



Some years, things aren't as easy and the Milfords use their dogs to round the calves up - literally.

Mr. Milford controls them through a series of whistles and commands. These dogs know their jobs and have no fear about working around creatures so big in comparison to themselves.




They don't bark at the calves and they rarely nip, simply because they don't have to. They run in ever tightening circles around the calves until they're bunched together (rounded up), then ease the bunch towards the pen and the trailer.




On the rare occasion the cranky calf I mentioned above decides not to cooperate, he'll make a break for it and it'll take horses to catch him. Again, these animals are amazing. So are the cowboys who ride them, and it takes talent from man and horse to cowboy well.



Only once have we had a calf break through an electric fence, then through a barbed wire fence (I hate those things), and disappear into the woods. We have 160 acres, which is a lot of ground to cover when you're chasing one calf. The good news - or bad news depending on how you look at it - is that the adults in the herd join in the chase. That many cows running in one direction makes it easier to figure out where the calf has gone!

Once they're loaded, it's off to the sale barn and we cross our fingers for high prices. Some years are good for us and bad for steak lovers; other years are bad for us and good for steak lovers.

There you have it. The emotion, the drama of calf sale day. The funny part? Almost as soon as we load up the last batch of calves, a new batch starts dropping and the cycle begins again. It'll be time to call Mr. Milford before we know it.

Making Hay While the Sun Shines #farming #amwriting

One of the blessings - or curses, depending on how you look at it - related to writing crime fiction is that I can't help but look for danger in almost any situation. It's summer, and that means it's time to make hay in East Texas - or not, depending on the weather. We've had a beautiful spring and summer so far, and the pastures are lush with grass. Some farmers are working on their second cuttings of hay, but we've just had our first cutting done.

Since many of my friends live overseas or have never had a chance to see hay baled, I wanted to share a few photos of how the process works. And, as usual, I'm looking for creative ways to kill my characters. It's that blessing or curse thing.

The Musick Men are our hay balers and they start checking out our pastures in May, but we're usually not thick enough to cut until June. Hay baling is a five-stage process if you count the growing stage, and I guess we should.

Stage 1: Growing. Pray for rain and hope the grass grows. Yes, it's that simple. You can fertilize and amend the soil, but without rain, there's not much hope for hay.



Stage 2: Mowing. Essentially, you hook a great big mower to your tractor and drive around the pasture in ever decreasing circles until you've cut all the grass. Leave the grass to dry and pray for no rain.

(Nope, those aren't the Musick Men, that isn't our house or pasture, and their tractor doesn't look like that. I had a great photo of Mr. Musick the Younger cutting hay, but can't find it. If you squint and tilt your head just right, this is kind of how our mowing went.)



 
Stage 3: Fluffing. The technical term is raking, but it looks like fluffing to me. After the hay dries, attach a rake to your tractor (the attachment looks like modern art against the sky, doesn't it?), and drive around the pasture in ever decreasing circles.

 

The rake fluffs the hay and leaves it in neat little rows, like this:

 

4: Baling. This is where the fun comes in. Attach the baler to your tractor and drive around the neat little rows, sucking the hay up into the baler, rolling it into a round bale, then tying it with twine and dropping it out the back. Looks like a dinosaur giving birth, if you squint and turn your head just right.

 

 (Those babies are nothing to mess with - they weigh in at 1,500 pounds or more. Hefty.)

5. Stacking. This part might seem silly, but you've got to get the baled hay off your pasture so you can start growing grass again. 

The Musick Men are kind enough to stack our hay where it stays relatively dry and is easy to access in the winter.

Now for the killing part. Is there opportunity for one of my characters to die when baling hay? Absolutely, particularly if the baddies are baling the hay. Sadly for real life farmers, the risks related to hay baling are all too real. Accidents happen every year, resulting in amputations, deep cuts, broken arms and legs, crushing, and death. The Musick Men are some of the good guys and thankfully, are conscientious when they're working with farm equipment.

In the fictional world, there's a great chance that one of my bad guys won't be so conscientious and will die while baling hay, or maybe when an errant bale rolls over them. Oh the fun we have in the country...

photo credit: Therm0 via photopin cc
photo credit: kingary via photopin cc

Crumbleocity - A New Word for the #Farming Vernacular

crumbleocity (crum-bull-ah-ce-tee): the degree to which a cow patty breaks apart and the distance it travels when kicked.

Our Manure Machines

There is a reason we rednecks are referred to as sh*t kickers, and it's not just because city folks think we're big and dumb. (In fairness, anybody who spends time around cattle or other livestock could be called a sh*t kicker. You kick loads of manure, whether you intend to or not - the stuff is everywhere.)

No, I believe the phrase arises from the jealousy city folks feel over our traditional redneck pastime of kicking cow patties around the pasture. In addition to the hilarity caused when watching someone line up for a cow patty kick, there's quite a bit of value in kicking poo, including the benefits of manure spread as fertilizer; the reduction of unsightly cow patty mounds that linger in the pasture for ages (which the fire ants love and the cows won't graze near); and the increase in heart elevation and muscle tone due to the exercise.

But cow patties differ in their suitability for kicking. Therefore, there is an art to kicking poo, as follows:

Weather: the freeze / thaw cycle works wonders on the creation of crumbleocity, so there's good kicking to be had in winter. Regardless of the time of year, choose dry days when the temperature is between approximately 45 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Too Wet

If the day is too wet, you're likely to slip while taking aim and letting loose with your kick. 

Too much colder than 45 F and the cow patty will tend toward frozen, hurting your foot when you kick it. (They're hard as bricks when they're frozen - yes, we've learned that the hard way.)

Much hotter than 90 F and the dang things crust over quickly, fooling you into thinking they have the potential for good crumbleocity but instead smearing all over your foot.

Wellies

Footwear: you can kick cow patties in your bare feet or sandals, but I don't recommend it. (Icky between the toes. Enough said.) Cowboy boots work fine, but I prefer wellies because they're easily rinsed off. If you're inclined to kick when the weather is cold, choose wellies with steel-toes to protect your toes.

Too Dry

 
Patty selection: this is where the true art comes in. Wet cow patties don't crumble well at all, and they don't travel any distance when kicked. Cow patties that are too dry might fly a fair distance, but don't crumble. (They are an excellent choice for that other traditional redneck pastime, the cow chip flip.)

Just Right

The perfect cow patty to provide good crumble and distance / spread when kicked is only slightly moist and still well mounded. It's dark in color or is starting to turn a lighter brown in places and has lost that 'new poo' sheen.

Good Crumbleocity

When you kick a cow patty with solid crumbleocity, it spreads in a "V" from the point of origin, fanning out to six feet or more. Delightfully satisfying.





This, I believe, is the origin of the phrase 'sh*t kicker'. If the label has been slapped upon you, wear it with pride and know that those city folks are really hoping to join in, and wondering if Prada makes a wellie suitable for patty kicking...

In Praise of the Library

Who else loves the library? Go on, raise your hand.

Some of my warmest childhood memories revolve around the impatience involved in waiting to go to the library on Saturday. (This was in Dayton, Ohio, eons ago.) The anticipation, the waiting, were sheer torture. All the books from last week were long read and re-read. I agonized because they were my friends but I'd have to slip them through that ominous 'return' slot in the front desk. My mind was in turmoil, trying to decide what to read next. No wonder I bit my fingernails!

Does anybody else remember the feeling of walking through those doors? The smell of dusty books yet unread, the hush even more reverential than that of a church? The excitement of story time? Don't even get me started on the Bookmobile. Man, I loved it, and still do.

Library? you scoff. I haven't been inside a library since, well, I can't remember when. Isn't that the stinky place where all the homeless people go to cool down in the summer, or warm up in the winter?



Ahh, you're one of those who think the library is just for kids and blue-haired book club members who drive Buicks and wear SAS shoes to check out the large-print editions.

Dude.

Join us in the 21st century.

Even the libraries nearest to our slice of Redneck Paradise have modern facilities like broadband internet access through desktop computers and Wi-Fi; inter-library loans; ebook lending; newspapers; magazines; DVDs and, dare I say it, audio books! (I'm a total junkie when it comes to audio books. No point denying it. I'll follow you anywhere for a good audio book.) And yes, even in East Texas libraries have electricity and indoor plumbing, just to enhance your overall visiting experience.


Seriously, there's nothing like a library. A bookstore comes close, but it's missing the whole frisson of 'free', 'due date', and 'late charge'. And while bookstore clerks are helpful - if you can find a bookstore anymore - the library ladies remember your name, have the scoop on new arrivals, and if you ask nicely, will hold one of your favorites until you can run by to grab it. Bliss!

(And no, I'm not being sexist because in my libraries, then and now, the librarians are all ladies.)

Doubt that this much glory can exist in one place? Stop by your local library and check it out. I'll bet it, too, has a great selection of current fiction and non-fiction, along with nice library ladies who will help you discover a host of other services.

Yes, I am a writer, and yes, I'm pimping my books like mad, hoping you'll buy them. So why would I encourage you to visit the library? Well, where do you think I got hooked? I still love checking out books from the library, but I also spend the GNP of a small nation on physical books, ebooks, and audio books.

Like all the best drug dealers say, "The first one's free, little girl."

What's your fondest memory of the library?

(If you're in Panola County, stop by the new location of the Sammy Brown Library at 319 South Market Street in Carthage. For their website, click here.)


photo credit: Super Furry Librarian via photopin cc
photo credit: ciro@tokyo via photopin cc

Need a break from the heat? Get 5-star #crime novel THE DEVIL OF LIGHT #free thru June 30!

For two days only, straight to you from Amazon ebook sites worldwide, grab a copy of THE DEVIL OF LIGHT, the first Cass Elliot crime novel for free! At zero cost to you, this ★★★★★ rated Texas crime novel is a great deal, satisfaction guaranteed or your $0.00 purchase price back!

Sale ends June 30, so grab your copy before they're gone! (Click on the book cover below to visit Amazon.com.)

San Antonio's Most Enigmatic Tourist Attraction-Davy Crockett's Tomb by @HawkeyeOnAir

I'm pleased to share with you a guest post by fellow Texas mystery writer Mark Louis Rybczyk, author of newly released The Travis Club. If you live in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, you might better recognize Mark as the longtime morning radio host Hawkeye, on radio station 96.3 KSCS. Mark and his his partner Terry Dorsey have the city's longest running FM morning show. They've won numerous awards including the Billboard Magazine's and the Academy of Country Music Air Personalities of the Year.

Mark also hosts "Travel With Hawkeye" a multi platform travel and entertainment company with features on radio, TV and podcasts. You can catch Mark weekly on the CW Network's Eye Opener program.

So settle in and learn a little about the story behind The Travis Club. Take it away, Mark!

_______________________________________

The oldest active cathedral in the US, San Antonio's San Fernando Cathedral

In my book, The Travis Club, I tell the story of a young writer who discovers that the contents of Davy Crockett's tomb in San Antonio's oldest cathedral are not what they seem. He quickly realizes, there will be consequences for his discovery.

One of the most frequent questions I'm asked, "Is Davy Crockett's tomb really in the back of San Fernando Cathedral?"

Yes. And no.

The Tomb at the back of San Fernando Cathedral

Yes, there is a tomb in the back of San Fernando Cathedral. And the tomb does state that it is the final resting place of Davy Crockett, William B. Travis, Jim Bowie and the other defenders of the Alamo. But there is more to the story than meets the eye.

The outside of the tomb has photos of Travis, Crockett and Bowie.

This stone lays adjacent to the tomb.

First we must point out that San Fernando Cathedral opened in 1728, 48 years before the birth of the United States and over 100 years before the Battle of the Alamo. But you may have noticed on the stone above, that the bodies were laid to rest in 1938, 100 years after the battle. That is our first clue that something is amiss.

The controversy about the tomb starts in 1888, when Colonel Juan Segiun wrote a letter stating that he took the remains of the Alamo defenders and buried them beneath the altar at the cathedral. Most people dismissed the letter until nearly 50 years later, when on July 28 1936, workmen digging a foundation for a new altar, discovered charred human remains.

Excitement in San Antonio grew as church officials realized the importance of their discovery. The remains were exhumed with a variety of witnesses on hand, including writer Frederick C. Chabot, Mayor C. K. Quinn, Postmaster D. J. Quill, Adina DeZavala, daughter of Lorenzo DeZavala and Mrs. Leita Small, caretaker of the Alamo.

The remains were placed on public display for a year, then entombed on May 11, 1938. To quell rumors surrounding the findings, the diocese published a now rare book entitled The Truth About The Burial of the Remains of the Alamo Heroes.

Most historians doubt that the remains of Crockett, Travis, Bowie are buried in the tomb. First of all, Santa Anna ordered the cremation of all bodies left at the Alamo. Most likely Mexican and Texan soldiers were burned and buried together.

Secondly, Seguin did not return to the Alamo until after the Battle of San Jacinto, almost a month later. There is an argument that the remains are those of Alamo defenders, but it would be a bit presumptuous to assume they are the actual remains of Davy Crockett.

In my fictional work, The Travis Club, a young writer discovers for the first time, the real story behind the tomb and the consequences behind his discovery.

_______________________________________

Thanks so much, Mark, for taking time out of your busy schedule to stop by and tell us a little about The Travis Club!

You can pick up a copy of The Travis Club on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and on the iTunes Bookstore. Find Mark out in cyber space at:

twitter: @HawkeyeOnAir

Facebook: Facebook.com/HawkeyeOnAir

LinkedIn: Mark Louis Rybczyk

website: The Travis Club

blog: Metroplexing

 

BERNIE the Movie: A Lesson in the Value of Reality

It really is a nice town

Have you seen the movie Bernie yet? It's about the cold-blooded murder in Carthage, Texas of a little old lady that lots of folks despised, by a man lots of folks still love.
 
It shocked East Texas, not only for the crime itself, but for the number of people who wanted Bernie to go free. The director tells you smack dab at the beginning of the movie that this is

A True Story. 

Not 'based on a true story', not 'inspired by true events', but

A True Story. 

Did the writers, producers, directors, and actors get it right?

This is my neck of the woods. And although I wasn't here when all the badness went down, I can tell you that folks around here say 'yes'. Absolutely. And brilliantly, eerily so.

The movie stars some big names.

Jack Black plays gentle soul Bernie Tiede, a successful mortician who sings in the Methodist choir, volunteers with the college theater group, and befriends the meanest widow in town, Marjorie Nugent. (Bernie has a beautiful voice (he really does), and Jack Black did a fabulous job of singing in the movie.)

Based on comments from those that knew Nugent, Shirley MacLaine nails her emotionally distant attitudes and behaviors.

Matthew McConaughey plays Danny Buck Davidson, Panola County's District Attorney, then and now. The only criticism I've heard about McConaughey's portrayal is that he's too good looking to be a fair representation of Danny Buck. (Sorry Mr. Davidson, but it is what it is.)

*Spoiler alert* The plot is simple: rich old man dies, Bernie befriends wealthy widow, she gives him power of attorney over her assets, he spends on her behalf, she drives him crazy, he kills her and stuffs her body in the freezer under the Marie Callender pot pies, and then continues spending her money and pretending that she's alive but unavailable. Her body is found about nine months later, Bernie gives a tearful confession, but nobody (except Danny Buck) wants Bernie to go to jail. *Spoiler over*

Definitely watch the movie for the story - it's good entertainment. But more importantly, watch it for the people.

The best bar-b-q around

There's a zoo-like quality to Bernie, as if you're standing outside a cage, bag of snacks in hand, goggling the foreign beasts within and wondering if it's safe to toss them a nut. Rightly so. Because these are real Texans. Not the fake kind like those on "Dallas" or "Dynasty". Real live Texans, in their natural habitat.

This is where I went to high school, where my family is from, and where I live now. These are my people, I love them, and they're the basis for the characters in my crime novels. So, to answer a few questions you may have after watching Bernie:

• Yes, we really talk like that.

• Yes, we really look like that. (Well, I can't speak for the folks on the jury in San Augustine, but I've heard the movie portrays them accurately.)

• Our hair is really that big and yes, some of us wear that much make-up.

• Yes, Bernie's trial was moved to San Augustine because Danny Buck worried that people in Panola County liked Bernie too much to convict him.

• Yes, church is that important.

• Funerals are also that important.

• East Texas kind of looks like that, but some of the movie was filmed in the Hill Country, down near Austin.

• Yes, some local people wanted Bernie to get away with killing Marjorie Nugent, and were vocal about it. And yes, some dear little old ladies marched down to the jail and demanded to post bail for Bernie.

• Quite a few locals would still like to see Bernie released from prison. (He's eligible for parole in 2027, when he's 69 years old.)

For viewers, this movie is great entertainment. For authors, it's solid gold. Body language? Attitudes? Speech patterns? Appearances? Fantastic plot? It's all here. 



I love writing, letting imaginary people make stuff up and have their way with a plot. But in the case of Bernie Tiede, Marjorie Nugent, and the good folks of Carthage, TX, truth really is stranger than fiction. Bernie is a reminder that as weird as you think you can create it, reality can only be weirder.

So, have you seen Bernie? What did you think? 

(For more on the Bernie situation, see this post:
How Do We Know When Justice is Served?)

Outlines Make Me Shudder, but I'm Still June's Featured Author at C.J. Peterson Writes!

I've recently had the pleasure of hanging out with Christian writer C.J. Peterson over at her blog, C.J. Peterson Writes. If you haven't met C.J., catch up with her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter (@authoress_cj). She's a great friend and you'll love getting to know her!


So grab a cup of coffee and head over to C.J.'s blog for a quick interview with yours truly (click here)!

While you're there, check out C.J.'s newest release, STRENGTH FROM WITHIN, available now at Amazon and other fine ebook retailers.

The Second Cass Elliot Crime Novel, AVENGERS OF BLOOD, Hits Amazon!

The second book in the Cass Elliot Crime series, AVENGERS OF BLOOD, has landed on the virtual shelves at Amazon!


A deadly game of cat and mouse is playing out in Forney County… 

Detective Cass Elliot is still on suspension after killing a fellow officer and Sheriff Hoffner refuses to sign her release papers. But when four people are murdered in one night, one with the exceptional brutality of a lynching, the Medical Examiner side-steps Hoffner to hire Cass and loan her to Forney County’s overstretched police department.

As Cass and her partner investigate, they realize that three of the murders were committed by the same person but find no connection between the victims. Their frustration intensifies when another victim survives and disappears instead of coming to the police.

Sheriff Hoffner is frantic about anonymous letters claiming one of his star officers is dirty, and Cass suspects a link to the current crimes. The pieces fall together when she uncovers the true identity of the man who was lynched, revealing connections between the victims, the killer, and an unpunished crime committed nearly fifty years ago.



"Avengers doesn't disappoint--all your favorite rednecks are back, plus some great new ones. I stayed up way too late again and loved every minute of it."

Toby Neal - Author of the Lei Crime Series

Thanks to everyone who read THE DEVIL OF LIGHT and urged me on to book two. There's more murder and mayhem in store in AVENGERS OF BLOOD - watch out Forney County!

Genesis of a Novel: The Horrific Death of James Byrd Jr.

James Byrd Jr.

On occasion, an idea for a novel will spring fully formed into my mind. More often, it takes some time and several prompts for an idea to take hold and germinate. 

In the case of AVENGERS OF BLOOD, the tiny seed of an idea came to me when I read about James Byrd Jr.'s brutal killing. It took place in Jasper, Texas on June 7, 1998 and is a shameful part of our state's history.

Byrd was beaten, chained by his ankles to the back of a pickup truck, and then dragged to his death. The coroner believed it took almost three miles to kill him. This was as cold-blooded a murder as you'll come across.

Although Byrd's death caught my attention, what really grabbed me and planted the seed of the idea was his family's reaction. I cannot imagine the hell they must have lived through as they learned the circumstances of his death and sat through the trials of the three men eventually convicted of Byrd's murder.

But instead of responding to his killers with anger, with outrage, they spoke about forgiveness. When the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Panthers held demonstrations in Jasper, Byrd's family called for peace and tolerance. When two of his murderers were sentenced to death, the Byrd family spoke out, asking that their sentences be commuted to life, saying that was punishment enough for them.

I'm a little ashamed to admit that I couldn't get my head around this.

I'm a Christian. I believe in the power of forgiveness, for both the forgiver and the forgiven. The Byrd family has my respect, my admiration for their words and actions. But if what happened to James Byrd Jr. happened to someone that I love? I'm not sure I'd be strong enough to react in the same way, and I can only hope I could muster the courage to try and forgive.

As for the novel, the seed didn't germinate until I was sitting in church one Sunday, bored by a sermon. (Hey, all you preachers, it happens more often than you'd think.) Instead of paying attention, I was leafing through my Bible looking for distraction. And I found it in Numbers 35:20-21 (NIV):

And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him, lying in wait, so that he died, or in enmity smote him with his hand, so that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death; he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death, when he meeteth him.

Brutal, eh? It's Old Testament, and I like it. This reaction would be more true to who I am than offering forgiveness. (I did say that I'd like to have the courage to forgive, but I'm giving you honesty.)



And there it was. The idea for a story about vengeance for a crime that was so unimaginably horrible, made even more intolerable because justice was denied, that no punishment other than death would do. That led me to the tag line for AVENGERS OF BLOOD:

A horrific triple murder; a crime without punishment; and memories that will not be silenced.

This is not the story of James Byrd Jr.'s killing. No piece of fiction could come close to portraying the nightmare of his death. Instead, it explores the opposite of the Byrd family's courageous reaction to their loved one's murder: the desperate need for resolution, for a price to be exacted in payment for a terrible wrong.

Read AVENGERS OF BLOOD and then tell me: which is closer to your heart? Forgiveness or vengeance?


photo credit: knowhimonline via photopin cc

THE DEVIL OF LIGHT Wins Award for Best Mystery Cover Design!

Many of you know that I'm prone to, well, we could call them 'bad' decisions, but 'bad' has such a negative connotation, doesn't it? Instead, I like to think of them as 'character forming decisions'. Much more positive.


Choosing to design the original cover for THE DEVIL OF LIGHT was a decision that I hard-headedly pursued and that didn't work out so well. Thankfully, redemption was at hand in the form of fabulous cover designer Ares Jun, who created a stunning new cover for THE DEVIL OF LIGHT in late 2012.



This cover is so stunning that it has won the award for Best Cover Design for a Mystery Novel from the prestigious Venture Galleries! Kudos to me for at last recognizing that the original cover just wasn't good enough, and even bigger kudos to Ares for a spectacular job.



Many thanks to the judges over at Venture Galleries. Take a moment to stop by the Venture Galleries website to check out THE DEVIL OF LIGHT and the winners in other genres.

(And - shameless bit of self-promotion - get THE DEVIL OF LIGHT on Amazon to find out if the book lives up to its cover. AVENGERS OF BLOOD is coming February 2013 - get hooked on Cass Elliot now!)