Working Hard or Hardly Working

Since the birth of the wild, Wild West, cattlemen and their families gathered each year to work the new lot of calves. These calves range from a few weeks to months old. On May 2^nd 2015 the Hoss family and about twenty friends and neighbors gathered for the annual branding.

In the past, brandings were a small, family affair where Waldo, Margaret, their seven children, and a couple of locals would labor until the lot of calves was finished. Now, while some of the traditions remain, the branding has become a time for work and play to mingle and for children to gain an atypical education while playing in the dirt.

The group gathers around seven or eight in the morning, and those skilled on horseback saddle up and ride into the pasture to gather the herd. Gathering the herd can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour or more depending on whether the cattle are spread out or not and the skill of the cowboy. Sometimes a calf will stray from the herd, and will need to be roped, restrained, and brought to the corral in the bed of a pickup.

Rod is one of the cowboys involved in gathering the herd and roping the calves.

Those not involved in gathering the herd have other tasks to prepare. Calves are given vaccinations to protect them against diseases, so someone brings the cooler full of vaccines and prepares the syringes by loading the liquid and setting the dosage. Another person will busy him or herself readying the fire. The fire needs to be steady enough not to be a huge distraction during the main event, and to keep the irons hot enough to quickly brand the calves. Because much of the work is done on the ground, someone might walk through the pen to make sure that there aren't any dangerous objects lying around that could injure the calves or the workers. (This is usually a job given to the children, because they inevitably find a way to turn it into a game whereas it would be tedious and annoying for the adults!) And, of course, someone needs to round up the “beverages” because what is an event where you mix knives, fire, random debris, thousand pound animals, children, and strapping young men and women without alcohol? Obviously this job goes to the person with the highest investment in the beverages, aka the village drunk. Typically there’s a cooler full of pop and water for the kids though, because the village drunk is also considerate. Everyone else busies themselves with conversation while drinking their morning coffee from a travel mug.

Kelsie and Dakota are keeping busy by catching up.

Dustin goes to the nearest water source to get a bucket ready for the pre mountain oysters.

Ted is standing in front of the fire pit. It is lifted off the ground to help aerate the fire. There is a hole cut into the side of the barrel where the irons are inserted into the heart of the fire. The arms of the irons extend out of the fire onto a wire ledge where they can be gathered. The brander must wear leather gloves like Ted is wearing to protect his or her hands from the heat.

Bellering cattle signal the nearing of the herd and the cowboys bringing them to the pen. All of the aforementioned workers and chatters hop to their feet and walk to the pen in anticipation of the upcoming events. One person opens the gate for the herd and moves around on foot to help bring the herd into the pen. Once all of the animals are gathered, the gate clangs shut signifying the beginning of the next step: sorting.

The mother cows must be separated from their offspring in order to make the work easier. Many times the dams are very protective of their calves and attack people that appear to be threatening. Moving the cows away also prevents the corral from becoming too crowded. Sorting requires a finesse that is learned from years of practice and coaching from experienced elders. The sorters must move slowly enough as to not induce stress in the animals, but quickly enough to ensure that the animals don’t turn back and reenter the pen. They must stay a proper distance from the cows, but it is best to be up close against the calves so they are unable to generate a strong kick. Depending on the pen size one to four people collaborate to let the cows exit and keep the calves in one area. One person stands by the gate to serve as insurance in case a calf makes it past the sorters.

Ty and Dalton Hoss wade through the sorted calves.

Once the cows have been sorted off, the real fun begins. The newly separated pairs bellow loudly, making speaking difficult without shouting. One or two people give directions to the rest and the jobs are divvied up. Again, depending on pen size one or two people hop on a horse and begin to rope and drag the calves to the workers. Several people line up in anticipation of the roped calves. These people are typically younger and spritely; they must throw the calf to the ground, and hold the calf still while the calf is given shots, castrated if the calf is a bull, branded, tagged if it has not been tagged yet and sometimes dehorned. Throwing the calf requires practice as well, and if a person isn't careful, injury could easily be the result. (Ask one unfortunate ex-boyfriend with a scar on his lip where a nasty cut and six stitches used to be.)

This image shows a roper preparing to rope a calf.

A roper gets the rope around the back leg of a calf. From this point, the horse will drag the calf about ten to twenty feet where it will be worked. It is ideal for the lasso to encompass both hind legs, but one hind leg will do. Ropers should never rope the front legs, which could result in injury of the calf.

The first thrower grabs the front leg and the back flank of the calf, and in a smooth, quick motion, pulls the calf onto its side while the second person pulls on the rope to assist the efforts of the first thrower. 

Jace (the man in a white cowboy hat) is the "first thrower" and Dalton D. (the man in brown) is the "second thrower.

Once the calf is on the ground, the first thrower kneels onto the calves neck and side, straddling its front leg, all the while keeping a tight grip on the front leg so the calf can’t gain leverage to kick or stand up.

Dalton Hoss (though not so young but still spritely) exemplifies proper form. He has the calf's leg bent back and held up. The calf in this position will not cause itself or the first thrower injury. 

The second person must scurry to the ground the moment the calf’s side lands. This is the most dangerous job, as the calf possesses most of its strength in the hind legs. Once on the ground, the second thrower keeps a tight grip on the highest hind leg, and uses his or her left foot to push the calf’s other leg forward. This separation prevents the calf from gaining leverage and helps keep the thrower and the other workers from getting kicked. The thrower’s right foot gets pressed against the calf’s anus, so if the calf defecates, it won’t cause a huge mess for the workers. Once they've settled onto the ground, the second thrower removes the rope from the calf’s hind legs, and the roper gathers the rope up in preparation for the next calf.

Dalton D. has a secure grip on the calf. This will keep the calf, him and the first thrower safe, as well as others who will be working on the calf.

The difficult task of caring for one calf has only just begun. The Hoss brothers both have brands that are registered, so that other cattlemen can recognize the calves as belonging to the Hosses. These brands must appear a certain way and in a certain area. For both men’s cattle, the brand must appear on the calf’s right hip. If the calf was not situated on the right side, the throwers must carefully re-position the calf without letting it go or being kicked, again a skill that requires practice.

Ty and Jordan carefully roll the calf onto its other side so that its right hip will be facing up.

     Once the calf is ready, the first thrower looks to the ear tag and yells out the color: “White!” “Yellow!” or “Red!” White tagged calves belong to Dalton and receive the HϞ brand. Red or yellow tagged calves are Wyatt’s and are branded with a WH. The two brothers raise the cattle together, so it is crucial that the calves receive the correct tag and brand.

The person manning the fire and the brands pulls out the correct brands and places the hot irons on the calf’s side. This is painful for the calf, and proves an especially trying time for the throwers. To achieve a clear brand, the calf must remain still, and the brander must be steady handed with the irons. The hotter the iron is, the faster the branding goes. 

Wyatt Hoss carefully leans over the calf in order to place a good brand on its side. Foul smelling smoke wafts over the workers, saturating their clothes with the smell of burnt hair and skin.

Meanwhile, a person with two syringes loaded with two different vaccines delivers the vaccination subcutaneously under the arm that the first thrower holds up.

The young man here carefully delivers two vaccines. This is done with the utmost care so the workers aren't in danger of being accidentally pricked.

 If the calf is a bull, another person arrives to castrate. The person in charge of castrating wields a pocket knife or scalpel. 

He or she squats down, cuts off a small portion of the bull’s scrotum and then removes both testicles. Once the testicles are removed, the area is sanitized with a disinfectant spray. The testicles are then brought to a bucket where they are saved for later on. 

Kelsie is mid-castration. In one hand you can see the knife and one testicle. She has the disinfectant spray tucked under her arm. At all times, she must be ready to step back if the calf gets out of control of either thrower. This process is quick and usually lasts anywhere from twenty seconds to a minute.

Once the calf has been “worked” the throwers stand up and release the calf. The second thrower must be especially careful during the release.

At any given time, a calf might be surrounded by upwards of five people, and there might be two or three calves being worked at the same time depending on the amount and ambition of the workers. 

This calf is concurrently being branded, given shots, and held down. 

At times there is a surplus of help, and people are left observing. Other times there is a shortage of workers.

Working cattle is physically demanding, and people trade jobs throughout the day to get a variety and to take a break. 

Once the day is done, the calves are released back to their mothers, and the socializing hits full swing.

The workers sit back on the fence, and enjoy a cold beverage prior to departing for supper.

 The workers gather in Wyatt’s house around what’s left of the beer and a good meal consisting of lots of protein and little vegetables (unless you count jalapeño poppers cooked over a fire, cheese-filled potatoes, or the hops used to make the beer). The workers share laughs over the mishaps of the day, talk about whatever strikes their fancy, and revel in the feeling one gets after a hard day of work and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Thanks for reading! 

Ode to mothers.

You laughed.
You cheered.
You smiled.

You showered love on your wonderful child.

You cried.
You sighed.
You wondered why.

To say it was easy would be a lie.

But now that we're gone, and on our own,
we comfort in the knowledge that we're not alone.
For behind us we know, though we may not see,
is a beautiful mother looking on;
her heart full of love,
and her eyes full of glee.

Thank to to all mothers for all that you do!
Special loving wishes to:
Jennifer Hoss, Tami McClellan, Margaret Hoss, Mary Beth Stelting, Mary Howard

Maybe I'll have the title done by the end...

By Ty Stelting

So lately, I have been at a loss for what to talk about so let's talk about something I am great at, procrastination. Something that I picked up from my mother...I am so great at procrastinating that it is hard to believe that I get anything finished. I am currently writing this blog because I do not want to do the things that I need to do.

What is the deal with procrastinating? Why do I purposefully make sure that I do everything at the last second? Well I could look at it in the psychological sense of Organizational Behavior

Where first time group members meet and actually get stuff done is halfway there but...seniors in college have gotten so great at this skill of "waiting until the last second" that this model above is now a complicated and scientific waste of time. 

Now WHY do I do this to myself...???

Maybe it's the fact that we think the pressure is fun and we enjoy getting stuff done just at the right moment. That would be ludicrous...

Let's look back at the model, maybe the more confident we are the closer that transition period where we actually complete stuff gets closer to the completion date. So it's confidence! 

No......If I was so confident, then I wouldn't be stressing all the way to finals week. Worried about my educational career and think that my life is over the second I get a C on a test. 

Why!!! The anger and stress that comes from procrastination should be the reason why we shouldn't wait to do something that we NEED to do tonight...I mean! In the near future. 

I think my final answer can be found somewhere in role conflict.

Do I feel like being a student four three hours...or do I feel like being a great husband by cooking supper, going on a date, and walking the dog. These priorities seem to be the things that come first. Priorities of being a Star Wars, Once Upon a Time, and Last Man on Earth fan come before being a student but only up to a point....

Solution...there is none, if you procrastinate and never fail at finishing something that has dire consequences,  you will always wait until the last possible moment. I guess we'll see if someone creates a magical drug or system that makes you be on time. But until the end the title of this blog post is "Critical Ratios and Student Consistency blah blah...who cares...?" 

An obviously objective oddball observation of typical sayings regarding high school, college.

Once I started high school, I was constantly reminded that high school is supposed to be the best time of your life. "You'll make great friends," they said. "You won't have the kind of responsibilities that you will later on," they said. "You will have fun," they said... Well, to put it succinctly, I'm still waiting on all of that. And frankly, if high school was supposed to be the best years of my life, that would have been incredibly sad, and I wouldn't have had much to look forward to.

Fastforward four years to high school graduation.

"Okay, actually, college will be the best time of your life," they said. "College is way better than high school," they said. "You'll make your best friend for life," they said. Well, three years, one marriage, five organizations, 124 credit hours, 13 countries, five part-time jobs, and one language later, I'm still questioning the validity of those statements.

College will be the best time of your life: Well, I've had good times, and I've had some really difficult times. I'd say some highlights were marrying Ty, getting straight A's, being honored as "Chancellor of the Year" in a national honors fraternity, and studying abroad. But, there have also been really difficult times. Obviously, it doesn't do well to dwell on those, and no one wants to hear about impending student debt, losing an advisor, sleepless nights, crying breakdowns in another advisor's office, yelling at the registrar, unreturned emails, and personal problems, so I'm just going to skip right on past that. ;) IF these are the best times of your life, what's the point? What's the point in working so hard if nothing will get better? 

College is way better than high school: Can't argue that. Not even a little. The only thing I miss a little is having enough free money to dye my hair every now and then. Other than that, I love it. The freedom that comes with knowing that you are the only person responsible for yourself is amazing. I know that what happens to me (and my husband) will be a direct result of my actions... That's great! So, take that, proverbial "they!" High school wasn't the best time of my life! (Catholic time: "Thanks be to God!")

You'll make your best friend for life: Well, I made that friend in high school, his name's Ty, but usually I call him "husband" or some sickeningly sweet pet name like "behbeh cakes," "honey bear," or occasionally some choice expletives, depending on the mood! Don't get me wrong. I made other best friends, but they're an ocean (or a Facebook message) away.

Upon examination of the ups and downs, college has been a pretty even mix. You should be impressed that I was able to objectively say that, because this is how I'm feeling about college right now:

This has been one of those weeks that's driven me to sincerely consider having a mental breakdown. I probably would if it weren't for the fact that I have absolutely no time for one! Let's hope that after this week, my cortisol levels will drop, I'll have a more positive outlook, have more time to dedicate to my mental health, and.... have a college degree! 

And after that... Well, I'll be looking forward to even more "best years of my life."

An Easter to Remember

Hey this is Ty, the other half of the Stelting clan on this blog (the not so pretty half). This previous week I was lucky enough to be Baptized and Confirmed into the Catholic Church. My experiences with the Catholic Church before this were full of “mysteries” and questioning the sanity of this institution. I decided that, to rationalize this, I needed to join a process that would allow me to understand this chanting and crazy body and blood thing they call communion. I joined RCIA and now I completely understand why we do the things we do and I have no clue why I didn’t do this sooner!

First off, I joined the RCIA process to become a catholic and get our marriage blessed. I had no real drive to Catholicism because it seemed like the same thing to me as compared to other churches. Once they started showing me the meaning behind the rituals, sacraments, and prayers, I began to understand that Catholicism is not just a religion. It’s a way of life. The meaningfulness, love, and hope that I have gained through Christ and his Church has manifested itself through the Catholic faith and ways of teaching. I used to think that Catholics were all these tests and memorizations just to get to stand up and get bread. However, it is not, we now get to understand the true meaning behind the Eucharist (communion) and the meaning behind the Creed. It changed my life like no other organization has.

Now that I have that all out in the open, I really wanted to talk about Holy Week. Holy Week is the last week of lent that is truly sacred and an emotional time for us. There are three ceremonies that I was able to go to but there is importance in every day. I will talk about each and every one that I went to and how it was able to help me feel closer to Jesus and what he went through and the meaning that it had for me.

Palm Sunday

On Palm Sunday, you walk into the Church and grab a single palm leaf and go sit down. I always wondered why until I was explained to that it was the same thing that was held up by the people of Jerusalem as Jesus entered. So to celebrate this we physically went outside the sanctuary, prayed to Jesus and held up our palms. Then we walked back to our seats within Jerusalem and reenacted the scenes of how we, the people, who just welcomed Jesus, turned on Him and crucified Him. This was powerful for me because it rooted in me that when we sin, we turn our back on Him. He then died to remind us that no matter what we do, He will always care for us and sacrifice for our love.

Good Friday

Then I went to no other mass because I am lazy and a college student in 21 hours. I wanted to go to Holy Thursday to see the washing of the feet and how they undress the altar. Instead I attended Good Friday mass. We went to Seven Dolors, which I think is a weird name because it is a Spanish/English mix meaning seven pains. It now makes sense because the mass Kelsie and I went to was done in Spanish and English.

Seven Dolors Church

The church is beautiful and the Spanish singer Jorge was absolutely breathtaking. We once again reenacted the moments that led up to the crucifixion and all the way to His death. We read scriptures and sang very emotional song. Women who sat three pews ahead of us were actually crying.

This is the night we venerate the cross which looks like this: 

One-by-one we walked up there and touched, bowed, and even kissed the cross to show the overall importance that Jesus’ sacrifice was. It was truly the pinnacle of the whole service. At our usual church that we go to, they actually dropped huge nails into a bucket. This is just to remind us how real this was and how the death of Christ, God’s only begotten son, was purely for us.

Easter Vigil

The importance of Easter vigil is a celebration of the entrants into the church. I was one of those people who had never been baptized so I joined the portion of the group that had to be bathed naked…okay we just had water poured over our head. Fully clothed (thank God for everyone else who would have had to see me). This was meaningful because I had been sinning for many years and the priest would have had to sit through a one hour confession. I will still try and confess any that lead up to it but this literally washed some weight off my shoulders haha.

The next part was the part that made me worry the most because for a little while, I thought we were going to have oil poured on our head…

Needs some face wash...

That is a zit factory waiting to happen…

Like this guy but only with good smelling oil. Thankfully they didn’t they just added a little to the top of our head and the front of the forehead. They call it chrism oil because it is blessed by our bishop.

But enough about me; this is the mass where we get our holy water for the year and light the candle that will remain lit for over the whole year. All the confirmed and baptized had their first communion and finally got to taste that wonderful sacrament.

Conclusion

It all really meant a lot to me; if it wasn’t for all the help from Kelsie, Steven, and the entire RCIA team, I would not have had a life changing experience. I always wanted to become a more thoughtful, kind, and loving person. I could have done it before but now, I have a road map and a guide that I feel like I can now understand more and interpret the word the way God wanted ME to do.

Here are some of the people that really helped me through just this night.

Kelsie and I

L-R: Father Don Zimmerman, me, and Steven Miller(my amazing sponsor)  in front of the Altar.

Deacons of the parish, L-R: Larry Erpelding, me, Wayne Talbot, and Buzz Harris


THANKS FOR READING!!! 

You might be a college student if...

Here's the low-down.
I get busy.
My house is a mess.
Sometimes I don't respond to emails immediately.
But, what I DON'T need right now is Microsoft Outlook's judgement!

Excuse me?


Okay Microsoft Outlook, I have a special message for you:


And lastly, from the ever-so-wise Mr. Squarepants,

Gnashing our teeth to get to Nashville!

What's black and white and hasn't posted in forever?
Me.
Well, I suppose just the last part is true.
Anywho.
(That rhymed.)
ha.
Wow, I'm rusty.
... Moving on.

When people talk about their last semester of college, it's usually with excitement. They are moving on to new things; they have new jobs, new cars, new degrees to pursue, and so many other new and exciting ventures in their lives that they forget to mention the six month bout of pure busyness that the last semester of college can be.

Basically, the first half of the semester has felt like treading water with massive sandbags tied to our feet. We somehow manage to keep our heads above water--most of the time. I suppose we're just waiting for the graduation ceremony to throw us a life vest and pull us out.

Thankfully Spring Break granted us a brief reprieve from the torrent.

The good news was that this handsome guy with the bright smile made it to the second round of interviews for the Masters of Accounting program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He's kind of a big deal. :) Anyway, being a neat college and all, Vanderbilt paid for Ty to interview there. So, we were off to Nashville! Yee haw!

Incidentally, it takes about 10 hours from Manhattan, Kansas to get there. Being the extremely kind, charitable people that his Stelting grandparents are, they agreed to go with us to Nashville. We took their car, and they drove most of the way... with only a few close calls. ;) Most of our trip was full of great conversation, and beautiful views like the one of the arch above in St. Louis, and other parts were us looking for ways to occupy our time. For example, Ty, pretending to read a map so I could practice taking pictures of him. Hence the picture below.

After 12 hours, a state full of pot-holed interstate (Get your act together, Tennessee!!!), and a night in a hotel by a Latino Supermercado, we arrived!

I got to tour the School of Nursing at Vanderbilt, and the Accounting Program wined and dined Ty while he interviewed.

And, of course, we took advantage of the traditional sights Nashville has to offer.

Here's Ty and his grandparents at the Grand Ole Opry!

We poked some fun at the at&t building... doesn't it look kind of like batman?

Of course we enjoyed some fine dining, but alas, our time in Nashville had  to come to an end, so we packed up our bags and headed to Memphis. Memphis, Tennessee is a neat town split up by a river. We happened to be in West Memphis, which is actually in Arkansas. [Insert overused joke about Arkansas here.] Per Ty's request, we ate some Memphis Barbeque, which is allegedly famous. Per my request, I sang some bars of "Walking in Memphis" until, per Ty's request, I stopped.

However, Memphis was just a stop on our way to Bentonville, Arkansas to visit Ty's aunt, uncle, and cousins. They have a beautiful house on the outskirts of town with a sloping backyard that overlooks a wooded area. It was a great place to spend the night, especially with the great company. Sadly, we couldn't spend more than a night there, so we drove on... well, Grandpa Stelting drove on.

The next stop on our cross-country loop was a small town in Eastern Kansas to visit some Stelting cousins, Don and Pam. When we drove up to their house, I was taken aback. They have a stupendous country home set in rolling hills of waving gold grasses. I'm sure it would be about ten times as beautiful in the summer when everything is green.

We took advantage of the great location and the sunny day by exploring the "wilderness."

I'm not sure what Ty's doing here, but it's cute, so I thought I'd share. :)

And, while nothing can compare to a Western, Kansas sunset, this one was still beautiful. Poor Ty is stuck being my model until I can wrangle someone else into it, so Ty enjoyed the sunset, and I enjoyed having such a handsome model.

... and an athletic model. :)

After around 30 hours in a vehicle, we arrived in our simple apartment in Manhattan, Kansas, and man did it feel good to be back. We relaxed in our dining room, ate some homemade food, and played a round of Golf (the card game, not the actual game).

The next day, we were able to visit Ty's family in Southwest Kansas. Tami and Brian were great hosts as always. Tami provided great conversation, and Brian provided too much delicious double layer pizza. Suffice to say we were full and happy with our time there!

After what had seemed like forever, we drove up to my family's "ranch" in Western Kansas to this beautiful site:

My grandma Hoss with her walking stick enjoying a nice spring morning. You can't see it, but she was surrounded by pasture and new born calves. This sight brought up so many fond memories, and this picture makes me so nostalgic... so I'll interrupt some long spiel about how growing up in the country is the best thing ever and show you a picture of a cow instead. :)

Of course we spent plenty of time with the cattle, my parents, my siblings, my grandma, and even got to see my Aunt Maralee whom I hadn't seen in about a year.

I also made an interesting discovery. In addition to being an attractive dog, perfect pet, and a model pup, Papi was made for the country. I've shared some of the greatest pictures of my dog loving life in the country. Papi basically embodies how I felt about spring break, but in a much more attractive way. :)