Winter 2004 officially arrived yesterday and this morning it is snowing and in the 20's with wind chills below 10!!! Nothing like mother nature being prompt huh? Oh well, the good news is that cold snaps usually don't last long here in central Oklahoma and it is supposed to be back in the 50s in 3-4 days. Not too much snow, maybe 1-2 inches this morning. Just enough to make the kids hope for more. Would be kind of neat if it stayed cold enough that the snow would last through Christmas.
Speaking of Christmas, it is 3 days away. Everyone is looking forward to the holidays and spending time relaxing and visiting with family. Not sure I've been good enough this year to deserve presents but I hope I get some anyway!
Our Freeze Branding business is going real well. We have been getting a good flow of horses to brand and have a lot of horses scheduled to brand in the next month or two. If you have been thinking about getting your horse branded or have any questions, please feel free to send us an email.
One thought on the Christmas season before I close this entry. In this time of commercialism and the political correctness of taking Christ out of Christmas... remember presents are fine and there is a great joy in watching your kids open a present they have wanted so badly. However, please be sure and remind yourself, your family, and friends about what the real meaning is. For me and my family, it is the birth of baby Jesus in a stable so many miles away and years ago. The fulfillment of a promise from God to "send his only begotten Son that whosoever belives in me shall not perish but have eternal life". That promise is still being fulfilled today in the ressurection of Jesus Christ and the promise of our salvation in him. So as you think about whether or not to buy the extended warranty on that new Christmas TV or DVD player, think also about your own "extended warranty", the one God is offering you as a result of the birth and then death and resurrection of that little baby in the manger so many miles away and years ago.
Merry CHRISTmas everyone Howell Grayson
Spring 20046/8/2004 11:00:50 AMWinter has come and gone and now spring is almost over. man, the days seem to fly! The winter feeding chores were not too bad this year. Had some snow but overall not a very cold or bad winter in this part of the country. Spring has been very dry so far and we are several inches below normal on rainfall. The pastures and cattle aren't in too bad of shape yet but it may get very dry before summer is over. One good thing about this spring were the cattle prices!!! Can you believe the cost of a 500lb steer calf today? This is the same calf that brought 0.20 to 0.30 less a few years ago???
I have cut down on my dog operation for now. I really appreciate all those who have purchased a pup from us in the past. I hope all of them are working out. If you have any questions, please give us a call or just drop a line occasionally to let us know how they are doing. We have had really good luck on the pups from our foundation dogs Hank and Callie. We will plan another litter in the future if we get enough requests. My hanging tree cowdog pup "Lacy" is coming along real well. She was sure wanting to work until she got mauled (best word I know of to describe it) by an angry mama cow. She is just a pup and that set her back some but I'm working her again on calves and she is picking right back up.
The boys got a new mare this winter (thanks to their papa G). She is a registered quarter horse, flea-bitten grey. She is currently on the Riddle Ranch in Aspermont Texas. My good friend Shorty Martin is the manager there and she is being bred to a really nice red roan Doc Bar stud. The boys are looking forward to getting her back home so they can start riding her again.
We have started a new side business which is one of the reasons we cut back on the dogs for awhile. We are operating Grayson Freeze Branding. The service is primarily for horses but can be used on cattle as well. If you have any questions on branding animals or freeze branding in general, please look at the pages on the website or get in touch with us.
Well, that should do it for this entry. My family is doing well and I hope yours is too. Take a little time today to thank God for what he has given you and the blessings in your life. Also please remember the men and women serving our country all over the world as well as here at home.
God bless and take care, Howell
Fall 200310/16/2003 11:30:13 PMHello to all from the Crosshill! Fall is here with cooler temperatures and that means winter and feeding chores are just around the corner. We are calving our fall bred cows right now. Several black baldy calves on the ground and several more still to go. Now if those cattle prices will just hold for awhile!
It has been pretty busy around here with school starting back up. Jennifer is a 2nd grade teacher and Travis is taking Karate, so both of them are staying busy. Ty and I check the pastures for new calves several times a week.
We had a brand new litter of pups born September 23, 2003. They are out of Callie and by our stud dog Hank. 6 pups in all, 1 black female, 2 blue merle males, and 3 black males. They have just opened their eyes and are starting to explore the world with the help of Travis and Ty. I have yet to find a way to keep boys and puppies apart but I'm not sure I'd use it if I did. They are both good for the other! Be sure and check out the "pups for sale" page for pictures and information.
We had some bad news over the summer. The ranch horse Travis (and the other kids around.. me included) used was injured somehow in the pasture. We are still not sure what happened as we did not see it, but somehow he severely injured his right shoulder and tore all the connecting muscles so severely that he could not stand and was in a great deal of pain. The decision was made to put him down. I'd have rather taken a beating than tell the boys I couldn't fix that situation, but as with everything it becomes a lesson in life. We buried "Punchy" here on the place. If you have never attended a memorial service given by your 7 year old, it is a memory you'll keep forever. I am proud of Travis for how he handled it and he was right when he said "Punch was a good horse, he was honest, he didn't spook, and he never tried to buck me off." You can see Punch on the home page being used by me to sort cows or modeling our hand tied halters on the for sale page. I guess the boys will inherit my gelding "Bo" now and I'll start me another colt.
Well, I guess that is enough for this entry. Thank you for checking the website. Please feel free to drop us an email and don't forget to sign the guestbook. If you are ever in this part of the country stop in to visit. I'll make some coffee. Sounds pretty good right now with winter feeding and cold winds staring us in the face !
Until next time God Bless Howell Grayson Crosshill Working Aussies
Spring 20035/28/2003 11:44:52 AMSpring has been exciting in Oklahoma! Several tornadoes have been present in our annual spring storms with two of these causing major damage in the Oklahoma City metro area. We have had no damage where we live and even missed much of the rain that was associated with those storms. Oh well, I guess the rain is very seldom perfect and folks in the country either wish it would rain more or stop for awhile. Right now I wish it would rain some more as we start into the summer months. Praise the Lord for what we have had though and our heatlh and safety.
We are getting ready to work our cows the end of May. We will preg check and worm cows to sort into other pastures based on when they will calve next year. We will wean the last of the calf crop and take them to the house to background and work dogs on before either selling or turning back out to pasture for the summer.
With warm weather the boys are starting to want to ride more often. It is good to see the enjoyment they get from sitting on a getle ranch horse. You can just see the confidence build as they learn and you would think they were heros returning from battle after riding in the evenings.
Thanks to all the people who purchased pups from the last litter. We sent Crosshill pups to Oklahoma(3), Texas(4), and New Mexico. I appreciate all the peoiple who sent emails and inquiries and hopefully you found the dogs you were looking for. We plan to cross Hank and Callie again this fall/winter and will put more updated information on the website as we have it. We will begin to build a waiting list soon for this next liter. Contact us if you have questions about reserving a pup.
We also acquired a new puppy recently. We got a Hanging Tree Cowdog female from our friend Ty Williams at T-N Cattle Co. She is smart, athletic, and sure acts like she is going to work. This will be a first for us to try this composite breed dog. It has a different temperament than our aussies, not better, not worse, just different. We have named this pup Lacy and she will have her own webpage on our site soon.
Thanks again to everyone for checking the site and keeping up with us. Sign the guestbook or drop us a line, we love to visit and welcome comments or questions. If you'd like to get on the waiting list for the next round of Crosshill pups, please let me know.
God Bless, Howell Grayson
Winter 200311/21/2002 1:51:59 PMNews:
The main news from the Crosshill Ranch right now is the same as it is every winter… feeding cows, breaking water for the horses in the mornings, and all the other winter duties that you end up doing late after the regular job or very early before daylight. We tend to burn out our fair share of flashlight batteries this time of year.
This is also the time of year we begin to wean our fall calves. Calves are put up and backgrounded before being sold or turned out on pasture for the summer. This gives us a good chance to work dogs, it really helps these calves to dog break them. Some easy work with them now will ensure a good gentle set of calves later.
We do currently have a litter of puppies with some good pups still available, be sure and check out our pups for sale page for details.
